The first stages of the enormous construction effort at Oyu Tolgoi in the South Gobi has finally been completed and today mining operations and concentrate production are continuing. Meet the people who are "driving" the largest mine in Mongolia.
Ten years ago, when J.Batmunkh first arrved at Oyu Tolgoi, construction was just beginning. He is one of the experienced pioneers who worked on the excavations needed for the many buildings, including the massive concentrator plant. He is also one of the first people who worked on the mining process itself – dragging and loading ore from the ground. He operates a Bucyrus excavator at Oyu Tolgoi’s open pit mine. This vehicle is a powerful machine capable of dragging and loading over 100 tonnes of ore with its bucket. He was selected to be trained as one of the first drivers to operate Bucyrus excavators at Oyu Tolgoi. At that time, there were no Mongolians who had experience operating the machines so foreign specialists were brought in to teach the course. J.Batmunkh explains: “This is very effective and productive equipment. It should not stand idle and must always work evenly. Loading is a very responsible job and operating one of these machines also means managing it carefully.” J.Batmunkh is proud to be driving the largest vehicle at Oyu Tolgoi.
One of the drivers who transport ore loaded by J.Batmunkh's Bucyrus excavator to the ore stockpile of concentrator plant is P.Dashgaadan. He works as an operator at the open pit mine. He is an experienced driver who has worked in mining for over 20 years. The Komatsu 930E – 4SE dump truck that he drives is 3,500 horsepower. He is proud to be working at a world class mine and operating an advanced and productive vehicle which carries a load of 290 tonnes and uses four tonnes of fuel in each 24 hour period. He is very happy with his vehicle and says: “Even though my truck is enormous, if you drive it properly, it drives as softly and smoothly as my family car. That way we bring down maintenance, we bring down costs and we operate safely. The cabin is very comfortable so you don't get cold, hot or dusty."
Dashgaadan is one of the most experienced miners at Oyu Tolgoi and takes immense pride in teaching his younger colleagues how to take care of their vehicles and operate them safely. He also shows them how to have the right attitude and win respect among their peers, finding their own place in the company.
The ore transported from the open pit mine is processed at the concentrator plant and made into copper concentrate. Some 100 drivers work to transport Oyu Tolgoi copper concentrate to international markets. One of them is N.Batdelger who has worked for Oyu Tolgoi contractor, Terra Express since 2005. Terra Express has transported Oyu Tolgoi copper concentrate to markets since Oyu Tolgoi commenced shipments in 2013. They transport concentrate in two convoys of 32 trucks, three times per week. Batdelger is the convoy leader. He is responsible for ensuring that all of his drivers documentation is correct. He is also responsible for always putting safety at the centre of his team’s work. The 120 km road is travelled at 60 km/h in three hours with four stops, where the cargo is checked and inspected. He says: "I am proud to make my own contribution to the project by safely transporting the copper concentrate to the narket. Everyone who works at Oyu Tolgoi is responsible for delivering our success." He is proud of driving one of only 15 Volvo PH 16 trucks in Mongolia.
Many Oyu Tolgoi employees travel to the mine from Ulaanbaatar. One of the drivers who transports them is O.Otgonbaatar. He is responsible for transporting Oyu Tolgoi employees going to the mine to the airport as well as meeting visitors at the airport. He is an experienced employee, having worked at Oyu Tolgoi since 2002. He first worked in geological and geophysical exploration, then became responsible for transportation and delivery of food and supplies from Ulaanbaatar. He has driven many vehicles including Russian UAZ-452 off-road vans. Since 2006, he has worked as a general service driver for Oyu Tolgoi's Ulaanbaatar office and today drives a Ford Transit mini-van. In order to transport employees to their destinations on time, he has to be punctual and responsible and always ensure safety. He says: "I am proud to be contributing to Oyu Tolgoi and helping to create a great future.".
94 per cent of all employees working at Oyu Tolgoi including the open pit mine, concentrator plant and Ulaanbaatar officers are Mongolians. The drivers who are "driving" the largest mine in Mongolia are just some of them. Many thousands of Mongolians like them are working in the South Gobi at Oyu Tolgoi to develop mineral resources and make their own contribution to Mongolia's social and economic development.
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