Frank McGlynn, Director, Xstrata process Support (XPS) notes: “The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of a low price. This old truism, or admonishment, has been around a long time and from our perspective it is still pertinent to many aspects of project development and implementation, and operations technical support in our industry today. We see many examples of low price prevailing without a full evaluation of the value being offered and needed for project success. We see flowsheets that do not match the metallurgy of the ore because the initial basic test work was not adequate in quantity or quality. “There are many examples of equipment failing prematurely as a result of being purchased to specifications that do not ensure a proper comparison and evaluation of supplier’s offerings or the necessary assurance of quality. We have been involved in troubleshooting operations where basic steps in plant design and commissioning were either neglected or omitted. There are many examples we can cite and these can come at high cost from inefficient or lost production, and impact on safety and environmental performance.
“On the plus side, these pitfalls are well known and experienced geologists, engineers and operators deal with these effectively.” Xstrata Zinc is implementing a well proven and efficient strategy of ore sampling, characterisation and flowsheet development for its greenfield project at Pallas Green, Ireland. Xstrata Copper has made a thorough evaluation of the latest control and automation technology for incorporation into its standard design for new concentrators. Xstrata Nickel is proceeding with a new catalytic converter for its smelter acid plant in Sudbury and its strong engineering team includes the necessary materials engineering and fabrication expertise to ensure the high quality design and construction needed.
“At XPS we are proud of the contributions we have been asked to make to these and many other challenging and potentially highly successful projects. Outside of Xstrata, we are providing process development expertise and operations support for gold, rare earths and chromite in addition to the base metals, and have developed strong relationships with external clients.
“Repeat business, in particular, is very important to us and we recognise it is based on maintaining the highest level of performance. We undertake to propose and deliver, to the best of our ability, the service value that meets the needs of our clients. That is our commitment.”