Easy digging

AUSTRALIA: Mining has traditionally been very dirty and dangerous work. Now, thanks to high-tech systems,  mining-machine operators can work from the safety and comfort of their desks — sometimes hundreds of miles away from the mines.

At Rio Tinto, some of the equipment used in mining, such as machines for drilling, loading, and handling explosives, are connected via satellite to the company's operation centre in Perth. One reason the company is investing in automatic mining is that most of the easily accessible reserves have been found and extracted.

According to Rio Tinto, it was becoming increasingly dificult to find employees who would be willing to live in territories far from any cities. In addition, temporary assignments, which included travel and housing, were expensive. New equipment was needed that could dig deeper and in more remote regions. "We have invested tens of millions of dollars," John McGath, Rio Tinto's head of operations, told The Wall Street Journal.

"The mining industry has been very innovative" Andrew Kern

Rio Tinto may be the leader in high-tech mining solutions. But other mining companies, such as BHP Billiton and Vale, based in Brazil, are also investing in equipment such as driverless lorries, automated conveyor systems and  machinery that can be operated remotely. "The mining industry has been very innovative," says Andrew Kern, mining analyst for HSBC Global Research.