MINE EXCURSION
fl uorspar ore production of 630 000t. Open-pit mining and
modern plant effi ciency is expected to put Nokeng in the
bottom cost quartile internationally.
Much of the Nokeng’s fi rst year of production has already been
sold, mostly into the international, US and European markets,
with continuing strong demand from these markets and good
prospects for additional sales into China and India.
Rob Wagner, SepFluor CEO, at the Plattekop deposit.
According to Rob Wagner, SepFluor CEO, construction at the
processing plant is now complete and when Mining Mirror
visited the mine, it was about to start shipping its fi rst fl uorspar.
Contractors DRA and DRA affi liate Minopex were still on-site
when Wagner and Johan Brits, project director at SepFluor,
took a group of investors and media through the complex yet
compact plant.
A joint venture between Group Five and DRA constructed the
plant, and they did it on an engineering, procurement and
construction (EPC) basis; in other words, they were responsible
for the design, supply, construction, and commissioning.
Brits explains that the processing cycle at Nokeng starts with
primary crushing (a Sandvik jaw-crusher), followed by secondary
crushing (a Sandvik cone-crusher). A Weir manufactured High
Pressure Grinding Roll (HPGR) is used in the third step, which
"Open-pit mining and
modern plant effi ciency
is expected to put Nokeng
in the bottom cost quartile
internationally.
Johan Brits, project director at SepFluor.
A view of Nokeng’s neighbour, Vergenoeg. Vergenoeg is jointly owned by Spanish fl uorspar producer Minerales y Productos Derivados SA (Minersa) with
an 85% share, and MEDU Capital (15%).
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African Mining Publication
African Mining
African Mining November 2019
23