Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (Agnico) has expanded its PowerTrunk supplied TETRA radio communications network, including the addition of specialised data applications to its operations at the Meliadine gold project, near Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, Canada.
The mining company’s board of directors recently approved construction of the Meliadine gold project and it is now in full development mode. Additional personnel and activity will increase both communications traffic and security procedures.
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“While initially as a single site PowerTrunk-T infrastructure, the TETRA network at Meliadine has grown to add hot-standby redundancy, a total of five site base stations (SBS), and an additional mast-mounted base station (MBS) for rapid deployable operations or for use in specific areas during construction and operation,” said David Torres, PowerTrunk’s senior VP sales. PowerTrunk is part of the Sepura Group, which has agreed to be purchased by Hytera should it obtain the necessary regulatory approvals.
“The mine also extended TETRA coverage to include their underground operations over a standard UHF leaky feeder system. By the summer of 2017, AEM expects to have about 500 radios in use and that every light and heavy equipment vehicle (pick-up trucks, drills, scoops, loaders, forklifts, graders, jumbos) will have an IP67 rated mobile radio installed.”
Mining operations will also add GPS tracking and two custom-built Short Data Applications (SDA) to run on their digital portable radios for Blast Notice and for Stench Gas Release request.
“The unique ability of TETRA to support both voice and enhanced data applications on the same user device has given us the opportunity to add two custom built applications that enhance our safety procedures,” said Philip Quessy, Agnico’s IT general supervisor for Nunavut.
The Blast Notice application will help secure the communication and increase awareness of upcoming blasts in the mine. Although announcements are still made via a voice call, the SDA is designed so that when it is triggered, a Blast Notification will appear in all selected terminals displaying when and where the blast is taking place and who has authorised it.
The second custom built application is designed to allow a terminal user to request a Stench Gas Release. A Stench Gas Release sends a clear and definitive odour throughout the underground operations in the event of an emergency, indicating the initiation of emergency response procedures. By having the application accessible to the appropriate personnel through their radio devices, at anytime there is a severe accident that requires emergency response procedures, anyone on the surface or underground could potentially release that gas into the ventilation system to therefore trigger evacuation or other emergency procedures.
“The decision to select an open standard based digital communication TETRA system with a possible migration path to broadband LTE applications secures Agnico Eagle´s present and future voice and data needs. PowerTrunk is fully invested in the partnership with Agnico to develop the required applications for the mining sector specific needs that could be mirrored in other mining sites,” added Carlos Fernandez, PowerTrunk’s executive vice president.
