CONVEYING
GMG Management on optimising conveyor projects
Grant Graber, a very well known expert in the conveying space, recently founded consultancy GMG Management Inc. He has over 30 years of experience overseeing the engineering and execution of complex conveyor projects in 16 countries, from both EPCM and systems OEM positions, so is in a unique position to leverage this experience for the benefit of owners and operations. He told IM:“ Working with my business partner and execution specialist of over 20 years, Hordur Kristjansson, we are helping our clients with the optimisation of delivery and commercial strategies for material handling systems, including design configurations, scope development, contract format, technical reviews, supplier engagement, selecting the right field of suppliers for the specific project, and execution innovation.”
He says diverse examples of this already include a new gold mine development in Nevada and a new bulk handling facility in California, as well as providing advisory services to a US-based material handling engineering company to help grow their business including marketing strategy, organisational structure and resource planning.
But its largest and flagship project, since March 2025, has been engagement with Amman as the Principal Consultant Specialist leading the early engineering, supplier engagement and execution of the Elang Overland Conveyor System project at the Batu Hijau copper and gold mine in Indonesia. Graber:“ In my 35 years of experience, this is by far the most exciting and challenging conveyor project we have worked on, and at 55 km in length( total including existing conveyors 66 km) and 18,000 t / h capacity, it is truly one of the largest and complex conveyor projects ever to be undertaken. Working with the Amman team has been an incredibly rewarding experience, and we are excited to play this key role through its successful completion.”
There will be replacement of the primary ore crushing station and installation of a new Waste 2 rock crusher. Two new tunnels will be built along with associated conveyor belts: one for ore towards the processing plant and the other( Waste 2) for waste towards a spreader at the waste dumps. The conveyor belt system will complement transportation by mining trucks, which will remain at the current levels. The Waste 1 part of the project involves optimisation of the existing waste crushing and transportation system to the waste dumps.
Specifically, the ore extracted from the pit will be taken to the crushing and ore transportation system( also called the CCS). This auxiliary facility will have modifications that will consist of the inclusion of the new primary crushing station, which will be inside a buried concrete building, and the belt hauling system that will transport and unload the ore through stackers fixed to the processing plant storage piles.
There will be a 26 % increase in waste storage capacity at the Este waste dump to reach 3,840 Mt and a 32 % increase at the Tucush waste dump to reach a capacity of approximately 1,280 Mt. Este’ s footprint will increase by 36 % to reach an approximate surface area of 1,494 ha. The optimised design for Tucush will generate an increase in the footprint by 8 % to reach a total surface area of 346 ha.
At the tailings dam, 195 m will be added at the base and 30 m in height, applying a design that guarantees the safety of the infrastructure. This increases the approved elevation of 4,165 m above sea level to the elevation of 4,195 meters above sea level. The dam will reach a storage capacity of approximately 1,527 Mt from the current 1,100 Mt and the footprint will occupy an area of approximately 905 ha.
Antamina will also optimise some equipment and processes in the processing plant in the main stages of crushing, grinding, classification and flotation, to reach a capacity of 208,000 t per day and maintain the annual production volume, through the replacement, modification and / or addition of equipment in seven areas.
Vale’ s duplicate S11D conveyor
IM attended the Vale Day in London in December where the Brazilian iron ore mining major said the + 20 Project at Vale’ s S11D is moving according to schedule, and its completion is expected to be in December this year. That includes a second long-distance conveyor( TCLD) – which is a duplicate of the first. Carlos Medeiros, Executive Vice President – Operations said it will have the loaded trials starting for this conveyor in the second quarter of 2026 and that all the environmental permits have been retained for this project.
The project involves expanding the annual capacity of the S11D mine-plant, in the Northern System, by 20 Mt through initiatives such as developing new mining areas, installing a new semi-mobile crusher, duplicating the existing long-distance conveyor belt and implementing new processing lines at the plant.
The existing conveyor at S11D is detailed in a paper presentation by leading conveying engineering and consultancy firm Advanced Conveyor Technologies, Inc.( AC- Tek) at the BELTCON conference organised by IMHC. It has a system length of 9.5 km with the largest conveyor utilising a ST-8000 N / mm belt from Goodyear( with that belting business now part of Continental). Both the belt rating and installed braking torque are among the world’ s largest in operation. Sandvik MGS & AC-Tek were awarded the S11D overland conveyor designs and supply contract in 2011. The system consists of four conveyors, each designed to transport 19,200 t / h.
The most complex of the conveyors is
International Mining | FEBRUARY 2025