A magnetic resonance- (MR-) enabled bulk ore sorting technology initially commercialised for conveyor belt application has now been adapted for analysing the ore transported by underground copper trucks.

Australian mining technology company NextOre specialises in advanced MR sensing solutions for real-time ore sorting. The company’s MR analyser is designed to rapidly determine ore grade to cost-effectively sort minerals of value from waste, enabling reductions in fuel, water, electricity and chemical consumption while also reducing the quantity of wet tailings produced for each ton of copper.

NextOre CEO Chris Beal says mining companies are under increasing pressure to improve efficiency and maximise metal recoveries while keeping costs under control, and the company’s open geometry 3 (OG3) sensor provides a solution to these challenges.

The OG3 sensor is based on a three-metre-wide unit initially developed by Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, or CSIRO, and has been specifically adapted for use with underground haul trucks. Key enhancements include a rugged design for harsher environments and improved efficiency in crane positioning. The unit can analyse the grade of up to 50 t of material in under a minute, providing mining operations with real-time data to inform ore routing decisions.

“Our latest MR analyser provides a powerful, real-time tool that enables underground mines to optimise ore movement, reduce waste, and improve overall productivity without the need for costly infrastructure upgrades,” says Beal.

The sensor is engineered to be easy to install, simple to operate, and provides fast, actionable insights.

By enabling real-time ore grade measurement, the sensor provides operators with critical insights to:

• Reduce unnecessary haulage by selectively rejecting low-grade material at the source.
• Improve ore blending and downstream processing efficiency.
• Optimise material movement from satellite orebodies to central processing plants.
• Enhance overall productivity while reducing operational costs and environmental impact.

The first deployment of the OG3 sensor is expected in an underground mine in New South Wales in 2025. Initially the unit will be used for 30 t to 50 t mine trucks, with the potential to expand applications to load-haul-dump bucket loads.