Tag Archives: alumina

SRG Global bolsters South32 relationship with more Worsley Alumina work

Base metals, Mineral processing, Mining services, , , , , , ,

SRG Global says it has secured a long-term circa-A$100 million ($72 million) contract with South32’s Worsley Alumina operations to provide specialist refractory services, including gunning and casting and installation of refractory products and anchors.

Works under the contract will commence in October 2020 with a duration of eight years.

South32 has also extended SRG Global’s existing engineered access services contract for a further two years, pocketing the ASX-listed engineering firm another circa-A$25 million. This will see SRG Global continue to provide access services at South32’s Worsley Alumina operations until mid-2027, it said.

David Macgeorge, Managing Director of SRG Global, said: “These contracts are a terrific achievement for SRG Global and we are excited to be expanding our partnership with South32 to continue to deliver long-term value for their Worsley operations.”

As part of the Worsley Alumina operations, bauxite is mined near the town of Boddington, 130 km southeast of Perth, Western Australia. It is then transported on the largest overland conveyor belt in the southern hemisphere, for more than 50 km, to a refinery near the town of Collie, where bauxite is turned into alumina.

McConnell Dowell to tackle waste line at Queensland Alumina refinery

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McConnell Dowell says it has signed a design and construct contract with Queensland Alumina Limited (QAL), a Rio Tinto majority-owned subsidiary, for the delivery of a waste line replacement at the Parsons Point alumina refinery in Gladstone, Queensland.

“This marks the start of what is hoped to be a longstanding partnership with QAL and continues our successful relationship with major shareholder Rio Tinto,” the company said.

The waste line replacement project encompasses the scope of designing the new waste line and the augmentation design of the support structure; removing the existing pipeline; augmenting the support structures, including around 1,400 piles within tidal and marine zones; and installing the new waste line – 8.8 km of DN 350 SCH 60 above-ground steel pipeline.

Works have commenced on the project and will be delivered through 2020 and 2021, according to McConnell Dowell.

“McConnell Dowell’s market leading pipeline construction capability, our expertise in working in marine environments, and our commitment to maximising local participation, provides a strong foundation for project success,” the company said.

QAL is an independently managed joint venture owned by Rio Tinto (80%) and Rusal (20%). The refinery produces around 3.7 Mt/y of smelter-grade alumina, according to Rio.

SCEE on board Gove alumina refinery rehabilitation project

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Southern Cross Electrical Engineering Ltd is to help Rio Tinto with rehabilitation works at its mothballed Gove alumina refinery, in the Northern Territory of Australia.

The works, part of a contract valued at more than A$18 million ($12 million), include the isolation and re-routing of electrical and hydraulic services to the refinery. Mobilisation is expected to commence in the March quarter with completion by March 2021.

The refinery, on the Gove Peninsula in North East Arnhem Land, was put on care and maintenance in 2013 with Rio since making the decision to permanently close the refinery.

SCEE Managing Director, Graeme Dunn, said: “We are pleased to secure another significant award in the resources sector, following closely on from our announcements of a number of new resources projects in December 2019.” These projects include a contract to work on the Kemerton lithium hydroxide processing plant near Bunbury, Western Australia.

SRG Global seals Alcoa Kwinana alumina refinery contract

Equipment maintenance, Industrial minerals, Mining services, , , , , ,

SRG Global, having been awarded preferred tenderer status for a A$90 million ($61 million) asset services contract with Alcoa in December, has confirmed the contract has now been executed.

The services will be provided at Alcoa’s Kwinana alumina refinery in Western Australia with a contract duration of five years. In December, the company said it would provide heavy mechanical and electrical maintenance as well as access solutions including highly skilled rope access technicians and scaffold services.

Site mobilisation is well advanced with contract services to commence in February 2020, according to the company.

SRG Global Managing Director, David Macgeorge, said: “This a very significant contract award for SRG Global in our Asset Services division and showcases our ability to deliver multi-disciplinary integrated solutions for tier one customers.

“We look forward to building a long-term partnership with Alcoa to deliver value-engineered maintenance and access services that drives value for their operations.”

CIMIC’s UGL to service Alcoa alumina refineries, Bowen Basin clients

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CIMIC Group says its services specialist, UGL, has been awarded new contracts worth A$180 million ($123 million) with Alcoa, in Western Australia, and “multiple clients” in the coal-rich Bowen Basin of Queensland.

These new contracts will be executed over a three-year period, providing mechanical, electrical, instrumentation and access services for maintenance, shutdowns and sustaining capital projects, it said.

The work with Alcoa is across the Wagerup and Pinjarra alumina refineries and involves “multi-discipline services” over three years.

In Queensland, UGL is due to carry out maintenance, shutdown and project services across multiple sites and with multiple clients in the Bowen Basin.

UGL Managing Director, Jason Spears, said: “We are excited to be leveraging our 30 years of experience in the mining industry to support key organisations in the resources sector. Our strong working partnerships with leading mining organisations support UGL’s reputation for solid performance and safe delivery of maintenance and shutdown services.”

SRG Global wins contract at Alcoa’s Kwinana alumina refinery

Base metals, Equipment maintenance, Mineral processing, Mining maintenance, Mining services, , , , ,

Australia-listed SRG Global has been awarded preferred tenderer status for up to a five-year multi-disciplinary asset services contract with Alcoa.

As part of this A$90 million ($61.4 million) agreement, SRG will provide heavy mechanical and electrical maintenance as well as access solutions including highly skilled rope access technicians and scaffold services, it said.

The services will be provided at Alcoa’s Kwinana alumina refinery in Western Australia with site mobilisation forecast to commence in early 2020.

The Kwinana refinery has an annual nameplate production capacity of 2.2 Mt and produces non-metallurgical alumina (15% of production) and smelter-grade alumina (85% of production), according to Alcoa.

SRG Global Managing Director, David Macgeorge, said: “This is a very significant announcement for SRG Global in our Asset Services division and showcases our ability to deliver multi-disciplinary integrated solutions for Tier One customers.”

Black & Veach to manage refinery build for PT Borneo Alumina in Indonesia

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PT Borneo Alumina Indonesia has appointed a Black & Veatch-led project management consortium (PMC) to develop an alumina refinery in West Kalimantan.

The facility, the first of its kind in Indonesia, according to Black & Veatch, will feature a 1 Mt/y smelter-grade alumina refinery, a 2 x 40,000 cu.m/h coal gasification plant and a 3 x 25 MW coal-fired power plant.

As the consortium leader, Black & Veatch will perform design review, equipment inspections, and provide power and coal gasification subject matter expertise. Consortium partner Progesys will be managing the alumina refinery process design scope, while another partner, Jaya CM, will be supporting the project with site construction engineers and inspectors.

Progesys is a minerals industry engineering company based in Canada, while Jaya CM is an Indonesia-based construction management company.

“As the project consultant, the consortium is responsible for evaluating engineering, procurement and construction bids and reviewing design engineering,” Black & Veatch said. The consortium will monitor major equipment supply and conduct factory acceptance tests. It will also oversee site construction and commissioning.

Jim Spenceley, Senior Vice President, Mining, Black & Veatch, said developing the downstream mineral processing industry will expand the Indonesia economy and create jobs. “Black & Veatch is ready to leverage our global expertise across business units to support as PMC overseeing our client’s Chinese engineering, procurement and construction contractor to ensure that the client realises the quality, safety and value they are seeking.”

Black & Veatch’s knowledge of international and country-specific engineering codes and standards, and contract structures systematically mitigates project cost and schedule risks, according to the company. “By serving as the interface between different engineering standards, Black & Veatch offers clients assurance that EPC contractors deliver on specific project commitments cost effectively.”

Woodside Energy to supply Worsley Alumina with gas

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Woodside Energy says it has entered into a long-term gas sale and purchase agreement with the Worsley Alumina joint venture (JV) for the supply of around 40 PJ of pipeline gas to the integrated mining and refining complex in Western Australia.

The gas is being supplied to the JV from Woodside’s portfolio of domestic gas facilities, including the North West Shelf, Pluto and Wheatstone, Woodside said.

The Worsley Alumina JV is held by South32 (86%), Japan Alumina Associates (10%) and Sojitz (4%), and includes bauxite mining operations, near the town of Boddington, 130 km southeast of Perth, and a refinery near the town of Collie. The alumina is then transported by rail to Bunbury Port, where it is shipped to smelters around the world, including our Hillside and Mozal aluminium smelters in Africa.

Woodside Executive Vice President Marketing Trading & Shipping, Reinhardt Matisons, said: “Over recent months, we’ve commissioned the Pluto pipeline gas and LNG truck loading facilities and started domestic gas production at Wheatstone, building on our foundation domestic gas business at the North West Shelf.

“Our agreement with Worsley Alumina, which makes a significant contribution to jobs and prosperity in its local community, is a further demonstration of Woodside’s commitment to supplying domestic gas to consumers in Western Australia from our diverse supply portfolio.”

SRG Global wins service contract at South32’s Worsley alumina operation

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Construction, maintenance and mining service group, SRG Global says it has secured a long-term contract with South32’s Worsley Alumina subsidiary in Australia.

The ASX-listed service provider will deliver a “complete suite” of engineered access solutions for the Worsley alumina operation, including scaffold services and highly skilled rope access technicians, it said.

The contract is for an initial three-year term with extension options for a further three years, SRG said, explaining that, if Worsley Alumina exercises the extension options, the total contract duration will be six years.

Works under this contract commence in June and are expected to generate revenues of circa-A$60 million ($41 million) over the six-year term or around $32 million over the initial three-year term, according to SRG.

“The contract requires minimal capital outlay and will increase SRG Global’s workforce by circa-100 full-time positions,” SRG said.

SRG Global Managing Director, David Macgeorge, said, “The opportunity to work with a world-renowned mining company like South32 at its long-established Worsley Alumina project in South West WA is a great achievement for SRG Global. The effort our team put in during the competitive tendering process is admirable and I commend them on a fantastic result.

“This contract also represents a significant advancement in the group’s long-term strategy to deliver recurring term revenue within the asset services sector.”

As part of the Worsley Alumina operations, bauxite is mined near the town of Boddington, 130 km southeast of Perth, Western Australia. It is then transported on the largest overland conveyor belt in the southern hemisphere, for more than 50 km, to a refinery near the town of Collie, where bauxite is turned into alumina.

Lycopodium to lead PFS for battery materials refinery project

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Queensland Pacific Metals (QPM) has appointed Lycopodium Minerals Pty as the Lead Engineer for the prefeasibility study on the Townsville Energy Chemicals Hub (TECH) project in Queensland, Australia.

Pure Minerals, the parent company of QPM, said: “With the acquisition of QPM being approved by shareholders and in the process of being finalised, Pure Minerals is excited to launch its planned battery materials refinery as the Townsville Energy Chemicals Hub.”

The TECH project will produce nickel and cobalt sulphate chemicals required for the battery energy storage sector, with QPM immediately commencing the PFS for a 600,000 t/y battery materials refinery producing approximately 25,000 t/y of nickel sulphate and 3,000 t/y of cobalt sulphate and other valuable co-products, Pure Minerals said.

The previous scoping study envisaged annual primary production of around 25,400 t/y of nickel sulphate and 3,000 t/y of cobalt sulphate (containing 5,760 t of nickel and 630 t of cobalt), alongside some 221,000 t/y of hematite, 8,700 t/y of alumina and 4,600 t/y of magnesium oxide. This came with construction capital costs of $297 million.

Lycopodium Minerals Pty is a subsidiary of well-regarded engineering company, Lycopodium, which has experience applicable to the TECH project, according to Pure.

This includes:

  • Being highly active in the battery metals space, having undertaken many feasibility studies for clients in nickel, cobalt, lithium and graphite;
  • Completing a feasibility study for Direct Nickel Projects Pty or a nominal processing plant using the DNi Process™ (a pilot plant example from CSIRO pictured), which the TECH project will be using, and;
  • Completing feasibility studies for other nickel projects incorporating downstream processing to produce battery chemicals, including BHP’s Nickel West project and Cleanteq’s Sunrise project.

The key responsibilities for Lycopodium under its contract with QPM are process, process services and utilities design and engineering; preparation of project capital and operating cost estimates; and compilation of the PFS report, including integration of studies relating to other work packages.

Lycopodium has also agreed to accept shares in Pure Minerals as consideration for around 20% of its estimated fees, according to Pure Minerals.

The PFS is expected to be completed in the September quarter.

Lycopodium Minerals Managing Director, Rod Leonard, said: “The outlook for battery metals is positive and Lycopodium is well positioned to carry out this body of work, having completed a wide range of studies for major, mid-tier and junior clients in this space.”