MINING AND CARGO PREPARATION / MANAGEMENT  MINING  CARGO PREPARATION  CARGO MOVEMENT  CARGO MANAGEMENT CARGO HANDLING AT PORT AND SHIP LOADING

MINING

Basic mining process is systematic open cast - semi-mechanised as per the following stages : 

a) Mine development - overburden removal.
Since the bauxite occurs close to the surface, with a shallow overburden (at places it is exposed at the surface itself). mine development is carried out by direct removal of overburden using excavators. Drilling / blasting also done wherever required. Open cast mine benches are developed to facilitate proper bauxite excavation.
 
b) Pre-Mining grade assessment of the area to be mined by trenching / pitting and drilling bore holes at the exposed surface. Systematic sampling / analysis is done to ascertain grade at various point. Grade wise volumes available are recorded in the plan. Exploitation phase is planned based on the above inputs

c) Mining - bauxite excavation stage
This operation is carried out systematically through drilling, blasting and mucking, under the guidance and supervision of qualified and govt. approved blaster, geologist and mining engineer.
   
The blasted and loosened material is removed by excavator and dumpers. The company has it own set of mining machinery ( details given later ) and also hire respective items whenever required additionally.

        
CARGO PREPARATION

Preparation of excavated bauxite into exportable cargo involves the following stages.

a) ROM Sorting and grade assessment :
The excavated material is removed from the mine to a dumping plot nearby and then subjected to manual sorting to remove large size boulders (more then 300mm) and also non-bauxite foreign material to minimize contamination. If required the large size bauxite bearing boulders are broken to smaller size boulders.
The desirable sorted material is removed to the ROM stock yard and stacked in 500 MT stacks.
Each of these stacks is sampled and chemically tested to know the grade.
Based on this determined grade the material is sent to crushing and screening plant.

 b) Crushing and Screening :
Grade wise separate ROM stack wise material is fed to the crushing and screening plant whereby '4' size fractions are produced :

-10mm, 10 - 30mm, 30 - 75mm and + 75mm

Size wise material is then transported to the stock yard and stacked in 500 MT  stacks. These individual stacks are once again sampled and analysed for grade and categorised accordingly.
    
Now the cargo is ready for dispatch to port as per requirement. Cargo which satisfies size and quality requirement only is dispatched to port.

CARGO MOVEMENT

Material is mostly handled and moved mechanically using tractor trailers / dumpers from one point to the other. For this the company has its own fleet of trucks / dumpers and tractors. Whenever required additional vehicles are hired also. Basic movement sequence is as given below :  

In case of anchorage loading in mid-sea (occasional case) barges are hired. which are available easily.  

Note :
  
The company has a pro-active practice of dispatching prepared cargo - 500  to 100 MT, round the clock, to port and converge stocks which are readily available for ship loading. They maintain these stocks at the port whether and contracted shipment is due or not. When the shipment is declared the daily cargo movement rate to port is enhanced up to 1500 MT and can be further increased, if needed. Daily inventory of cargo at port is maintained and reported.

CARGO MANAGEMENT

The company has assiduous cargo management practices whereby ample care is taken to ensure that cargo contamination and quality dilution is minimised and grade / size wise cargo traceability is maintained,  from one stage to the other.
  
The storage plots are prepared properly with minimum one foot bauxite soling and their boundaries are well demarcated. Unauthorised movement is not permitted. The stock handling and movement are always conducted under regular supervision.
   
For the case of identification and treaceability the graded cargo stocks are placed with placards bearing quantity and quality details.

CARGO HANDLING AT PORT AND SHIP LOADING

CARGO STORAGE PLOT AT PORT OKHA.

We are maintaining a 40, 000 sq. Mtr. plot at the port of Okha, Gujarat State for cargo storage and management. The plot is kept clean at all times. Whenever a shipment is completed the remaining cargo at the plot is segregated separately and the plot is made ready to receive fresh cargo. All this is done to prevent cargo contamination.

The cargo is moved into the port plot by trucks / dumpers and unloaded forming separate stacks as per size, grade and quality for each buyer. Each stack is of 1000 MT.

There is a documented system to maintain traceability of the incoming cargo each truck wise. Prolific records are maintained and daily cargo movement / convergence in the port is also prepared.

The necessary machinery to handle the cargo in the plot is available with the handing agent, who works under active supervision of the company supervisors. We also have deputed well experienced and skilled staff at Okha Port on permanent establishment who has having experience of 50 to 60 shipments made during last 3 / 4 years and they performed remarkable role in quality controlling and ship loading.

CARGO MOVEMENT IN TO THE PORT PLOT :
It is a regular practice of the company to keep proactively moving cargo into the port plot. On an average 500 to 1000 MT of cargo is moved every day. However, when a shipment is declared the movement rate is increased to 1500 MT per day even more when required. This way we are able to converge required cargo well in time and affect the shipment without any delay.

SHIP LOADING AT OKHA PORT / ANCHORAGE :
So far ships up to 35000 MT capacity have been calling at Okha Port. Ship loading takes place in two ways.

* Direct loading into the ship at the berth.
* Loading of barges at the jetty and then loading of ship from barges in the mid-stream anchorage.

OKHA PORT LAYOUT
INTRODUCTION
OKHA IS AN ALL-WEATHER PORT WITH DIRECT BERTHING FACILITIES. IT IS SITUATED ON THE NORTH-WEST COAST OF SAURASHTRA
PENINSULA, AT THE MOUTH OF THE GULF OF KUTCH ON THE WEST COAST OF INDIA.

ACTUAL MINIMUM DEPTH AVAILABLE AT

IMPORT
MINERAL OIL, COAL, WHEAT, SHULPHER, COKE, FERTILIZER

EXPORT
RAW BAUXITE, CALCINED BAUXITE, SODA ASH, CHEMICALS, SALT, CEMENT CLINKER.