Duncan Bradford (pictured) believes that Saudi Arabia’s flagship digital gold mine will soon be surpassed, as the early success of the technology blueprint and partnerships established at Mansourah Massarah lays the groundwork for Ma’aden’s next major gold venture in the Kingdom.
As the executive vice president of Ma’aden’s rapidly expanding Base Metals and New Minerals Business Unit since 2022, the seasoned Australian mining leader is overseeing the operational ramp-up of the geometallurgically complex Mansourah Massarah mine while also reviewing the final feasibility studies for the nearby Ar Rjum project.
Ar Rjum is a pivotal element in Ma’aden’s plan to double its annual gold production to 1 million ounces over the next six years.
Earlier this year, Mansourah Massarah was recognized as the Middle East’s first digital mine, showcasing the value that cutting-edge mine and mobile fleet sensor technologies, software, and autonomous systems can deliver to a greenfield site that is pushing the boundaries of Saudi Arabia’s emerging gold sector.
At this month’s IMARC conference in Sydney, Australia, Bradford will join Hexagon Chief Product Officer Dave Goddard to discuss their five-year partnership, which is yielding positive financial, safety, and environmental outcomes at Mansourah Massarah. The session, moderated by Worley’s Nick Bell, will highlight an intriguing international case study on how technology is helping miners navigate long project lead times and high-cost environments.
Having gained experience in Saudi mining at Jabal-Sayid while managing the international operations of major underground mining contractor Byrnecut, Bradford notes that Ma’aden’s willingness to adopt the latest industry technologies is proving beneficial and expects these advantages to grow.
Mansourah Massarah, featuring low-grade surface pits and a 4 million tonnes per annum autoclave and processing plant, serves as a “learning ground for Ar Rjum.” It utilizes an integrated digital platform to precisely manage material flows and efficiently deploy contractor mobile assets and personnel.
“We aim to refine the system at Mansourah Massarah to ensure it’s ready for Ar Rjum from day one, which will be more than double the size of Mansourah Massarah in terms of tonnage,” Bradford explains.
“While we aren’t the first globally to implement this technology, with Australia and the US leading the way, we are pioneers in Saudi Arabia and one of the few mining companies to install such a system on a contractor-owned fleet.
“Unlike other gold mines in Ma’aden’s portfolio, this is both a sulphide and an oxide mine with low-grade material. We must closely monitor the output from the two different pits feeding ore to the stockpiles, actively manage dilution to preserve the orebody’s value, and track the ore blend going into the autoclave.
“Getting the gold content in the feed right, along with the sulphur levels for the autoclave, is crucial. Ultimately, I want the system to help control the grade as it passes through stockpiles, the crusher, and into the processing system. We are not there yet, but we are making progress.”
Mansourah Massarah also serves as a launchpad for Hexagon, one of the world’s leading mining technology providers. The project has given the Swedish-headquartered company a foothold in one of the most promising mineral exploration and development regions, allowing it to showcase the capabilities of its integrated software, sensor, operator safety, and machine control technologies.
Most importantly, Goddard emphasizes that this long-term alliance demonstrates that collaboration can extend beyond mere rhetoric in the industry.
“It’s been encouraging to witness the significant productivity improvements our products can facilitate,” he states. “These tools serve as optimization solutions, with the latest configurations and algorithms building on our extensive experience from mining projects around the globe.
“However, realizing value from the partnership ultimately hinges on trust and a willingness to embrace new approaches. This has been key to our progress.
“When we entered Saudi Arabia, we committed to Ma’aden and the Kingdom, ensuring a lasting presence and genuine partnership. The level of trust has accelerated the effectiveness of the technology rollout at Mansourah Massarah.”
