F.T. Cawood

Effect of tunnel geometry and antenna parameters on through-the-air communication systems in underground mines: Survey and open research areas

Abstract In the mining industry, communication systems are important for ensuring personnel safety and optimizing the mining processes underground. The need for through-the-air (TTA) in the underground mining industry has been evolved from man-to-man, man-to-machine and machine-to-machine real-time voice, video and data transmission. Reliable communication has always been a challenge in the underground environment due to harsh and dynamic conditions. This article surveys the effect of tunnel geometry and antenna parameters on TTA communication system performance in underground mines. It provides a comprehensive review of measurement campaigns that have been published to date by systematic organization of literature. The open research areas for future investigation are also discussed. Finally, digital system’s findings in the University of Witwatersrand (WITS) mock-mine are presented.

Transfer pricing in mining with a focus on Africa : a reference guide for practitioners

This book presents the results of a study on transfer pricing (TP) with specific focus on mining in Africa commissioned in early 2014 by the World Bank Group (WBG) in partnership with the International Mining for Development Centre (IM4DC). The Source Book opens with the Introductory chapter identifying the need for the study and the way it was conducted. This is followed by the main body of the book that includes three parts. Part A (The mining industry and transfer pricing) identifies what are the most common transfer pricing issues in mining in general and where they are likely to occur along the mining value chain. Part B (The mining industry in Africa and transfer pricing) considers the same issues specifically in the context of the main commodities currently mined in Africa. This part and its related appendices provide a comprehensive inventory of current mining operations in Africa and information about the revenue and cost structure of typical operations to help establish a methodology for the assessment and prioritization of transfer pricing risks, supported by practical examples and case studies. Part C (Institutional and administrative capacity) then relates to the question of how to prioritize and address the issues covered in Parts A and B and discusses the resourcing, skills and organizational structures necessary to ensure that the arm’s length principle is successfully abided to. The book closes with a Discussion and Conclusions chapter which summarizes the results of the study and the main strategies identified as appropriate to improve industry’s compliance with sound TP principles and the capacity of tax authorities to carry out an adequate level of effective TP auditing, thus minimizing revenue leakages. Relevant examples and case studies are provided throughout the text in the form of Boxes identifiable by a distinctive greenish-grey colored background.

Mineral development for growth: the case for a new mineral policy framework for Pakistan

The fundamental purpose of this research is to compare Pakistan’s mineral policy instrument with that of leading developing minerals-based economies and to highlight the gaps. Mineral resources development can act as an engine for country growth and have the potential to transform economies and societies. The extent to which such transformation takes place varies depending upon the method of their use.,This paper conducts a gap analysis between Pakistan and leading developing minerals-based economies to identify key policy gaps. Two basic principles were kept in mind with the choice of countries: first, only developing countries were considered and, second, at least two countries had to be Islamic. Eight developing countries Chile, Mexico, Brazil, Peru, India, South Africa, Kazakhstan and Turkey were selected.,The most important finding of the exercise is that Pakistan’s mineral sector is lacking an enabling institutional, fiscal and regulatory framework for the optimal development of its mineral resources.,Pakistan’s mineral resources have the potential to expand its economy and benefit its citizens. For this to happen, Pakistan must first establish what beneficiation is realistically expected from its mineral resources and, second, formulate a mineral policy based on leading practices to attract mining investment and aim for a sector contribution to gross domestic product of 5 per cent.,This paper presents original work on how Pakistan should formulate its mineral policy to extract maximum benefit from its mineral resources.

Policy elements for twenty-first century African mining: Strengthening the existing African Mining Vision themes with cross-cutting subsets

The purpose of this paper is to interpret current global events to extrapolate the issues of twenty-first century for consideration by African mining policy and decision-makers.,The high-level mining issues are identified to assess what lies ahead for the twenty-first century. Some of these require innovation, called beacons for twenty-first-century mining in this paper, so that decision-makers can consider policy instruments and management strategies to craft a more desirable future for governments and companies, without affecting other stakeholders negatively.,It is proposed that African mining should consider three cross-cutting elements as subsets for the existing policy themes and management decisions, namely, broad benefit, mine sustainability and business improvement. Digital technologies have the potential to significantly support the three elements for fast-tracking Africa’s sustainable economic development.,Although the findings can be applied to most of the developing world, the focus of this paper is on the African mining industry.,Practical considerations for policymakers in Africa.,This paper includes novel/original policy considerations that have the potential to become cross-cutting elements for the existing policy themes of the Africa Mining Vision.

Foreword: South African Journal of Geomatics Special Edition

This special edition of the South African Journal of Geomatics is the result of efforts by scholars and practitioners in South Africa in the field of geomatics. All papers were blind refereed by two referees, whose reports were then considered prior to selection for publication. The outcome of this work is a collection of eleven articles that demonstrate innovation in the four geomatics themes selected for this Special Edition, namely remote sensing, image analysis, mine surveying and GIS. This would not be possible without the excellent papers contributed by authors. We thank all the authors for their contributions and their participation in this Special Edition of the South African Journal of Geomatics.