Global metallurgy experts to pour into Sudbury: Annual Conference of Metallurgists to see 500 attendees.

• Author: Stewart, Nick
• Position: NEWS - Conference news

Some of the greatest minds in metals processing from around the world will converge in Sudbury to pool their knowledge at the 48th Annual Conference of Metallurgists (COM), to be held at Laurentian University from Aug. 23-26.

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Organized by the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum, COM 2009 is being touted as an opportunity for industry representatives to get together, share ideas on efficiencies, new technologies, management and other common concerns.

"These are problems that every mining company in the world is worried about, and we'll have unparalleled expertise on hand," says Nathan Stubina, conference chair.

"We're at a time where every dollar you can save is important, so having these chances to network are really key."

Stubina would know, serving as the head of research and development for process development at Barrick Gold. The company started a new in-house, Toronto-based research team three years ago, which has since led to millions of dollars' worth of efficiencies.

It's this understanding of available improvements Stubina hopes will permeate the conference. Plant operators, design engineers, and human resources personnel are expected to attend.

While the event is typically held in larger cities such as Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto, Sudbury has traditionally been an incredibly strong draw for attendees, Stubina says. When the event was last held in Sudbury in 1997, more than 800 attendees showed, making it the largest turnout organizers would see "for many years to come."

The economic downturn is softening expectations for COM 2009's potential numbers, however, Stubina anticipates the city will likely host anywhere from 400 to 500 people from more than 25 countries.

Included among that figure is a slate of no less than 200 speakers, drawn from any number of fields and countries. These talks are spread across a variety of 12 concurrent technical sessions relating to such topics as hydrometallurgy, pyrometallurgy, process control and green...