With International Mining’s ever popular Paste Supplement coming up in the April issue, we have news of two interesting AMIRA projects. Heading towards a predictive full thickener model, the proposal for P266G, the new phase of the successful Improving Thickener Technology project, is now in circulation. New project P1087, Integrated Tailings Management will focus on paste and thickened tailings (P&TT) technologies and an integrated suite of measurement and modeling tools linking the thickener, to tailings transport and the tailings storage facility (TSF). Over its 20+ year life, the thickener project has delivered considerable benefits to sponsoring companies. Sponsors have acknowledged direct financial benefits of A$500+ million (NPV) from implementation of P266 project outcomes within their operations. P266G will build upon this success.

Sponsorships are available. In an overall project budget of A$5.3 million, the leverage on research investment for individual sponsors will substantial; up to 25 times for an operating sponsor, AMIRA says.

The project scope is broad, with the over-riding goal being the completion and application of a full thickener model, able to fully predict shifts in output properties on the basis of feed, flocculant or operating condition changes. Technology transfer is a strong component of the project and sponsors get exclusive access to the research team and their measurement/modelling capabilities for optimising operating conditions, design evaluation and problem-solving. Web-based resources include the Online Thickener Self-appraisal tool, Knowledge Base, and Sedimentation and Rake Torque models.

Work is expected to commence in the second quarter of 2012.

Acquire the tools to capture tailings benefits, take the opportunity to participate in this new AMIRA project. Companies involved with operating, designing, supplying equipment or reagents to tailings operations will benefit, whether evaluating P&TT options for existing or planned operations, or considering changing from hydraulic disposal.

Technical expertise will be provided by CSIRO, ATC Williams, the University of Western Australia and Monash University.

Sponsor benefits will include:

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  Improved ability to make reliable predictions about TSF performance under a range of conditions, such as the mineral system, throughput, climate, topography, etc over the life of the mineImproved water recovery

  Optimised TSF footprint

  A techo-economic model to investigate prospective scenarios.

The project budget is A$4.7 million over 3 years and sponsorships range from A$40,000/y for a Supplier Sponsor, A$90,000/y for an Operator Sponsor and A$140,000/y for a Major Operator Sponsor. Work is expected to commence in the second quarter of 2012.

More information on either projec: Contact [email protected]