SOUTH AFRICAN SUPPLIERS
Paterson & Cooke undertook the design , procurement , construction support and commissioning of the filtered tailings system at the Mineco Olovo mining project , in Bosnia
financial capital constraints that place an additional burden on the adoption of filtered tailings .”
The adoption is further challenged in some instances by shorter or less secure mine life outlooks . However , these smaller projects can often be far nimbler and more dynamic with their tailings management , a requirement supported by the flexibility offered with filtered tailings disposal .
An example of this is the Knight Piésold tailings design for the Scotgold Resourcesowned Cononish gold project in Scotland , UK . This recently commenced operation will initially process 36,000 t / y , with a plan to increase to 72,000 t / y of ore .
Flotation tailings from the processing plant will be filtered and then deposited in a series of locations shaped to emulate the natural glacial features of the area , thereby avoiding the requirement for a traditional tailings management facility .
Another small-scale operation to have adopted tailings filtration is the Mineco Olovo mining project , in Bosnia , approximately 50 km outside Sarajevo .
Named after the Saxon word for lead , the mine and region have a commercial mining history that dates to before the Roman period , with historic workings present throughout the area . P & C worked with Mineco to undertake the design ,
procurement , construction support and commissioning of the filtered tailings plant .
“ From the outset of the project , the focus was on rapid , light-touch engineering , taking advantage of the low throughput requirement to deliver a project which could be adapted and developed during the site implementation ,” P & C said .
P & C ’ s procurement support , working hand-inhand with Mineco , again , streamlined the purchasing process and ensured fit for purpose equipment supply , which dovetailed with the engineering program , the company added .
This reduced the amount of off-site engineering work on the project , fast tracking to the construction stage where P & C was able to move its design team to site to support the implementation phase , ensuring project continuity .
“ Work started in the laboratory , with thickening and filtration testing conducted to validate earlier studies and develop a suitable flowsheet ,” P & C said . “ The opportunity to recover a saleable sand product from the tailings was identified and further reduced the tailings filtration throughput .”
Additional capital expenditure saving opportunities were identified through the adoption of rakeless thickening and manually controlled flocculation , with both systems fabricated in Bosnia to P & C designs .
P & C said : “ These two case studies demonstrate that tailings filtration can be a technically and commercially feasible solution for small-scale operation , taking advantage of potential light-touch engineering and flexible deposition options .”
Rham increases range
Having supplied over 2,000 specialised mining equipment units to some of the most prominent platinum , gold and coal mines in South Africa since 1980 , Rham Equipment , is continuing to innovate .
Most recently , Rham supplied a 30HD 3.4 cu . m bucket LHD to Galane Gold ’ s Galaxy gold mine in South Africa , which should now be up and running at site . The Rham fleet at Galaxy includes , aside from this machine , two 23 t payload DT23 underground dump trucks , an 18HD LHD with 1.8 cu . m bucket , two 10 t payload DT10 underground dump trucks , a UV5000 utility vehicle , T230D transporter and FD32 face drill rig .
Earlier in 2020 , Rham released a new blasthole drill rig designed specifically for the South Africa market .
The BHDR 45 blasthole drill rig , Rham says , prioritises key aspects of the mining sector that are vital to ensuring optimal productivity and operator safety .
Designed with the operator in mind , the BHDR 45 , Rham says , comes standard with : n A spacious , sound-proofed cabin with air conditioning and an adjustable swivel chair to provide less strain on the operator during long operational shifts ;
Rham Equipment recently supplied a 30HD LHD to Galane Gold ’ s Galaxy mine in South Africa
38 International Mining | JANUARY 2021