Global news and projects
The results recommended an expansion of
the existing plant to process an additional
1.5Mtpa, resulting in a baseline capacity of
7.5Mtpa without requiring an additional ball
mill or additional power generation capacity.
Based on the new optimised mine plan, the
mining rate at Fekola will also be increased,
along with additional mining equipment to
accelerate the supply of higher-grade ore
to the expanded processing facilities. As a
result of the project and mineral resource
expansion, the Fekola Mine will produce
more gold over a longer life, with more
robust economics and higher average annual
gold production, revenues, and cash flows
than the previous LoM.
pr
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Australia
Kemerton appoints comminution
agent
Metso has won a contract to supply pyro-
processing and comminution equipment
to Albemarle Kemerton lithium plant near
Bunbury in Western Australia.
cts
We are the
technology leader in
minerals processing
Alaska
B2Gold
capable support
BME boosts growth
Blasting specialist BME USA has been
awarded a contract by Usibelli Coal Mine
(UCM) in Alaska to supply explosive
products and accessories.
According to Glenn Watt, BME’s senior
director for sales and marketing in North
America, the supply contract with UCM is
for one year, with an option to extend for
two more years.
About 400km north of Anchorage, near
the town of Healy in the mountains of the
Alaska Range, UCM has been in operation
since 1943 and is the only producing coal
mine in the state. With a work force of 115
and the most modern mining equipment,
it operates year-round to supply between
1.2 and two million tons of coal per year.
Its coal production feeds six interior Alaska
power plants, and has over the years been
exported to Chile, South Korea, Japan and
several other Pacific Rim destinations.
Mali
Fekola expansion looks positive
The preliminary economic assessment
(PEA) of the expansion study at
B2Gold’s Fekola Mine in Mali has
returned positive results. The expansion
project will increase Fekola’s processing
throughput by 1.5 million tonnes per
[10] MINING MIRROR JUNE 2019
with a strong and
organisation close to
our customers.
B2Gold’s Fekola Mine is located in a mineral-rich
region of West Africa.
annum (Mtpa) to 7.5Mtpa from the
current base rate of 6Mtpa.
According to B2Gold, the expansion study
PEA was conducted to evaluate the life-of-
mine (LoM) options for expanded mining
and processing to maximise the value of the
substantially increased indicated and inferred
mineral resource at Fekola Mine.
Metso will supply calciner and acid roast
systems, off-gas handling systems and ball
mills as part of its supply to the site, which is
scheduled to commence operations in 2021.
Kemerton will be supplied with lithium
concentrate from Albemarle’s Greenbushes
mine located about 100km to the southeast
of the plant. The plant is scheduled to
start with three production trains before
expanding to five trains by 2025, increasing
lithium hydroxide production from an initial
60 000 tonnes a year to 100 000 tonnes a year
(20 000 tonnes per train).
“Lithium projects are on the increase, and
at Metso we have diversified our solutions
and services to meet this growing demand,”
says Victor Tapia, Metso’s president for
mining equipment business.
“We are the technology leader in minerals
processing with a strong and capable support
organisation close to our customers.”
The news follows on from the
announcement of two other prominent
contracts at Kemerton in February.
www.miningmirror.co.za