Tag Archives: mine engineering

Seequent’s GeoStudio Core to help geotech engineers tackle major engineering challenges

IoT, Mining safety, Mining services, Mining software, , , , , , , ,

Geoscience software company Seequent has announced the release of GeoStudio Core, a new, completely reformulated SIGMA/W product.

These upgrades allow geotechnical engineers to understand and tackle major engineering challenges for infrastructure and mining projects – from dams and levees to tunnelling and the stability of cuts in underground and open-pit mines, the company says.

Paul Grunau, President of Seequent’s GEOSLOPE, says GeoStudio Core 2021 is the most significant GeoStudio release in the past five years.

“SIGMA/W has been completely redeveloped from the ground up, delivering new levels of confidence and capability for geotechnical engineers needing to assess ground deformations and stability,” Grunau said. “The new strength reduction stability analysis in SIGMA/W complements the industry-trusted solutions in SLOPE/W to provide a rigorous understanding of slope failure mechanisms, allowing the engineer to design effective stabilisation measures. These products integrate with SEEP/W to include the impact of changing groundwater conditions, providing a comprehensive solution for stability problems.

“The combined GeoStudio Core solution runs in a single integrated environment, speeding up the project workflow and easily scaling with the user’s needs. All project data and analyses can be combined into a single project file, enabling smooth data exchange and simpler data management.”

GeoStudio Core, with SIGMA/W’s expanded material model library and new analysis types, allows for comprehensive modelling of a wider range of soil and rock behaviour, according to Seequent. For example, simulating the strain-softening behaviour of brittle clays enables stability control of a tailings dam or roadway cut.

The new GeoStudio multi-physics solver enables SIGMA/W to offer improved solver performance and enhanced modelling of rapid reservoir drawdown, open-pit mine dewatering effects on highwall stability, and solute transport from tailings ponds.

Gensource signs up K-UTEC, Koeppern and Ebner for Tugaske potash project

Comminution of minerals, Energy minerals, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Gensource says it has engaged a consortium of world-class potash process design and equipment fabrication companies to work together to provide a design-supply-commission package for the entire process plant at the Tugaske potash project, in Saskatchewan, Canada.

The kick-off of engineering work for the major process equipment package is another milestone for the project, the fertiliser development company said.

Gensource previously announced advances in the development and financing of the Tugaske project, with KfW IPEX-Bank and Société Générale, joint lead arrangers for the project debt, nearing completion of their due diligence process.

The total senior debt financing for the project is expected to be supported by export insurance coverage with the German Export Credit Agency (ECA), Euler Hermes.

To satisfy a significant portion of the German export requirement, Gensource has elected to work with a consortium of three German-based design and equipment fabrication companies, namely: K-UTEC AG Salt Technologies, Koeppern GmbH & Co KG and Ebner GmbH & Co KG.

“Individually, these companies represent world-class capabilities in their specific areas of expertise, whether in the design of potash and salt processing plants or the design and fabrication of equipment,” Gensource said.

Together, the three companies known as KKE have the capability to supply the entire main process plant in a single design-supply-commission package, the company said.

K-UTEC AG Salt Technologies will look at the physical chemistry, overall process development and engineering, including practical bench scale testing, for the project; Koeppern will be engaged for drying, compaction, and screening process design and compaction equipment design and manufacture; and Ebner (tour of Ebner fabrication facility in Eiterfeld, Germany, pictured below) will be in charge of cooling crystallisation process design and crystallisation equipment design and manufacture.

“Based on the combined experience and capabilities of KKE, Gensource saw an opportunity to not only work with these top-tier companies and have this work qualify for ECA coverage, but also to simplify the number of project interfaces by packaging the entire process plant into a single design-supply-commission contract package,” Gensource said.

“Together, these companies provide a complete solution: from receiving the raw brine from the solution mining wellfield all the way through to a final potash product, meeting the off-taker’s specifications, ready for storage and shipping.”

Additionally, by packaging the entire process plant into one export contract, Gensource says it de-risks the project through obtaining a process guarantee from KKE for product quality and process plant throughput.

To advance the scope on this process plant package, Gensource has initiated the first phase of engineering with KKE, which will start the detailed process and equipment design, leading to the fabrication and ordering of key equipment for the process plant.

Advancing the scope of this package supports a development timeline that targets production from the Tugaske project in late 2022, supplying product to Tugaske’s off-taker and future equity partner, Helm Fertilizers.

The efforts of the KKE group will be integrated into the project by Gensource’s key project delivery partners: Engcomp Engineering & Computing Professionals, the lead engineering and design consultant for the project; and South East Construction (SEC), the general construction contractor for the project, it said.

“Together, Gensource, Engcomp, and SEC are acting as an integrated team, responsible for the overall execution and delivery of the project,” Gensource said, explaining that both Engcomp and SEC were seasoned engineering and construction professionals in the Saskatchewan potash industry.

Mike Ferguson, President & CEO of Gensource, said: “The three companies of the KKE group have unrivalled global experience in the potash and salt industries and bring their tremendous know-how, experience and proven track record of success to our project.

“Together with Gensource, Engcomp, and SEC, KKE rounds out the world-class potash team that we have established, which will no doubt deliver a world-class sustainable potash production facility in Saskatchewan via the Tugaske project.”

Like other Gensource module designs, the Tugaske project will produce a minimum of 250,000 t/y of saleable muriate of potash product.

Generation Mining readies more ‘aggressive’ Marathon PGM-copper project approach

Base metals, Environmental, Metallurgy, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining services, Precious metals, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Generation Mining says it is making headway on the development plan for its Marathon palladium-copper project, in north-western Ontario, Canada, having contracted all the major engineering companies for the study.

The study is expected to take around seven to eight months to conclude, with completion expected in early 2021, it said.

G-Mining Services will carry out the mine plan and mineral reserves, infrastructure scope of work and integration of the costs and economic analysis; Ausenco Engineering Canada is progressing the process facility layout and design based on the metallurgical testing that is currently underway at SGS-Lakefield; and Knight-Piesold is to design the tailings facility and open-pit geotechnical engineering. In support of the feasibility study and environment impact interactions, Stantec and Ecometrix P&E Mining Consultants will be responsible for the mineral resource estimate, the company said.

Jamie Levy, President and Chief Executive Officer of Generation Mining, said: “It is a very impressive team that we have assembled for the feasibility study. I am confident that these firms will optimise the value of the Marathon-PGM property and will continue to de-risk the project.

“Our goal is to maximise the net present value of the project while designing an operation which will minimise environmental impacts and provide economic benefits to the local communities. We see the Marathon project being near shovel-ready and well timed to the buoyant palladium market.”

Generation Mining acquired a 51% interest in the Marathon property from Sibanye Stillwater on July 10, 2019, and can increase its interest to 80% by spending $10 million over a period of four years. As of the March quarter, around $4 million of the $10 million has already been spent.

A preliminary economic assessment on Marathon published earlier this year outlined a 14,000 t/d open-pit operation growing to 22,000 t/d after expansion, with an average palladium output of 107,000 oz/y for 14 years. The open-pit mining would be owner-operated using conventional diesel equipment consisting of 254 mm diameter rotary drills on 10 m high benches, 29 cu.m bucket hydraulic excavators, and 221 t off-highway haul trucks and auxiliary equipment, according to the study.

On the feasibility study, Generation Mining said all groups were “integrating well” through good interactions and frequent communications.

“G-Mining will progress pit designs and sequencing that will prioritise the high-grade palladium values for initial production to bring increased palladium production into the first half of the mine life, and increase copper production in the mine’s later years,” the company said.

“Ausenco’s plant design is expected to update the quality work that was done in prior studies with newer technology, which, in turn, will improve concentrator operability and lower capital costs, while increasing palladium recovery without sacrificing copper recovery. This flowsheet is expected to be validated with the current metallurgical test work that is progressing at SGS-Lakefield.

“Knight-Piesold will be updating the past tailings dam designs to reflect current best available practices and technologies.”

Stantec and Ecometrix are involved in the feasibility study team to help facilitate the update of the Environment Impact Study report addendum and to help inform the critical path regulatory approvals process, the company added.

At this early stage, the work on the feasibility study will consider an optimised processing and mine production rate that is “more aggressive” than outlined in the PEA, the company said, contemplating starting at 5 Mt/y and expanding to 8 Mt/y after five years.

Piedmont locks in Primero for lithium concentrator development

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Piedmont Lithium has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Primero Group that could see the Australia-based engineering firm deliver the planned spodumene concentrator at the Piedmont lithium project in North Carolina, USA.

Piedmont says it and Primero have partnered since early 2018, with Primero having been the lead engineering consultant for Piedmont’s scoping studies, concentrator design, and metallurgical test work management.

“Building on this strong relationship, Piedmont and Primero have entered into the MoU to work together on an exclusive basis to agree binding documentation relating to the definitive feasibility study (DFS), front-end engineering design, EPC (engineering procurement and construction) delivery, commissioning, ramp-up and contract operations of the spodumene concentrator,” Piedmont said.

Referencing previous work of Primero’s, Piedmont said the engineering firm’s EPC and contract operations services at Alliance Minerals’ Bald Hill mine, in Australia, notably achieved nameplate capacity within two months of plant commissioning.

Cameron Henry, Managing Director of Primero, commented: “Piedmont is a world-class project surrounded by infrastructure and ideally located near potential customers in the USA’s auto alley.

“We look forward to applying our specialist expertise in project implementation and operations to assist Piedmont in advancing the only spodumene project currently under development in the United States.”

Keith D Phillips, President and CEO of Piedmont, said the MoU represented a key milestone as the company builds out its project execution team, “with an emphasis on working with proven processes and experienced professionals”.

The EPC and operations contract models contemplated by the MOU provide incentives for Primero to achieve safety, schedule, budget, process performance, production, and recovery targets, Piedmont said.

“The arrangements contemplated by the MoU create a delivery framework which significantly reduces technical, operational and commercial risks associated with the concentrator,” it added.

“The company continues to evaluate other strategic partnerships that could enhance performance in the design, construction and operations of other aspects of Piedmont’s integrated lithium hydroxide business.”

The prefeasibility study on the Piedmont lithium project, released earlier this year, envisaged two options – a “Merchant” project and an “Integrated” project. Both included an annual average lithium hydroxide production (steady-state) of 22,720 t, but only the latter included 160,000 t/y of 6% Li2O spodumene concentrate production over the 25-year mine life.

DRA to design, supply and construct SOP processing plant for Kalium Lakes

Energy minerals, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Mining services, , , , , , , , ,

DRA Global says it has been awarded the engineering procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the Kalium Lakes-owned Beyondie sulphate of potash (SOP) project in Western Australia.

The scope of work will be the design, supply, and construction of the 90,000 t/y SOP processing plant, with a provision for future expansion to 180,000 t/y, the company said.

“As a total solutions partner, the awarding of the Beyondie EPC contract highlights the confidence in DRA’s specialised expertise,” Greg McRostie, Executive Vice President of DRA Global in APAC, said. “We are excited to be partnering with Kalium Lakes Limited on this innovative Australian project.”

DRA was already involved with the purification plant at Beyondie, having been awarded an engineering, procurement and construction management contract last year.

GR Engineering and Salt Lake Potash to bring Lake Way SOP project to fruition

Industrial minerals, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Mining services, , , ,

GR Engineering Services has been engaged by Salt Lake Potash to help design and construct its Lake Way sulphate of potash (SOP) project in Western Australia.

Lake Way is a 245,000 t/y SOP development with an expected mine life of over 20 years. Located in the Goldfields region of Western Australia, first production is expected by the end of the year.

GR Engineering is to provide services for non-process engineering design and the management of procurement, construction and commissioning of the Lake Way project processing facility and associated infrastructure, it said. The engineering firm has separately been engaged to undertake the civil, structural, mechanical, electrical and piping construction works for those project areas.

It is anticipated that aggregate revenue from the delivery of services, procurement and construction works associated with the Lake Way project from the commencement date to practical completion will be approximately A$107 million ($73 million), the company said.

“GR Engineering’s scope contemplates a collaborative arrangement, where it will work with Salt Lake Potash’s project team and manage the delivery of third-party process design and key equipment supply,” the company said. The construction scope will be performed on a target cost estimate basis, incentivising GR Engineering to achieve favourable budget and schedule outcomes, it added.

The engineering, procurement and construction contract involves the provision of plant, labour, materials and construction services for the process plant and non-process infrastructure, valued at A$85 million, while the engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) agreement contract involves the provision of services for the EPCM for areas of the process plant and non-process infrastructure,valued at A$22 million, Salt Lake Potash said.

Geoff Jones, Managing Director of GR Engineering, said: “We are extremely pleased to have been engaged to play a key role in the delivery of the process plant and non-process infrastructure for the Lake Way project. We look forward to continuing to work collaboratively with Salt Lake Potash to deliver safe and successful outcomes.

“GR Engineering looks forward to Salt Lake Potash emerging as a significant new Australian SOP producer.”

Last month, Salt Lake Potash contracted Veolia Water Technologies to supply HPD® crystallisation systems for Lake Way to help it produce a high-quality SOP fertiliser.

Primero Group lands contract addition at Rio Tinto’s Koodaideri project

Mineral project development, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , , ,

Multi-disciplinary engineering and contracting firm, Primero Group, says it has been awarded a material contract extension to the existing Koodaideri Non-Process Infrastructure (NPI) contract awarded in late 2019 by Rio Tinto.

Under the extension, the company will construct the Koodaideri Airport Terminal and Infrastructure, with the contract valued at around A$20 million ($14 million). This will involve the construction delivery of the works to be completed in parallel with the existing contract programmed for completion in 2021.

The contract value of the entire NPI contract now stands at circa-A$150 million, compared with the A$115 million under the original award. The difference represents additional “options selections” that Rio confirmed and included for implementation at the project earlier this year.

Primero’s workforce on the project will peak at approximately 180 personnel and site construction work is well underway, the company noted.

Construction on Koodaideri Phase 1 started in 2019 with first production expected in late 2021. Once complete, the $2.6 billion mine will have an annual capacity of 43 Mt, underpinning production of the company’s flagship iron ore product, Pilbara Blend, Rio says.

With this recent NPI contract addition, Primero’s financial year 2021 contracted order book now stands at approximately A$220 million, the company said.

Primero Managing Director and CEO, Cameron Henry, said: “It is pleasing to be awarded further core NPI work from such a great project partner and Tier 1 client as Rio Tinto. We continue to deliver to plan across all major project works and are increasingly optimistic about the operating and growth outlook for the next year and beyond.”

Monadelphous bolsters Pilbara iron ore order book

Equipment maintenance, Mine operation news, Mineral processing, Mining services, Precious metals, Steel and iron ore, Water management, , , , , , , , ,

Monadelphous Group has added another A$150 million ($101 million) worth of construction and maintenance work in the resources and energy sectors to its portfolio after being awarded contracts from the likes of BHP, Rio Tinto, Fortescue Metals Group and Newcrest Mining.

The company is set to continue its stay in the Pilbara of Western Australia having secured a contract under its existing BHP Western Australia iron ore (WAIO) asset panel framework agreement associated with the dewatering of surplus water at Mining Area C (Yandi mine, pictured).

Close by, it has received a three-year contract with Rio Tinto for the provision of maintenance services and minor projects on its Pilbara marine infrastructure, and one-year extensions to its two existing fixed plant maintenance and shutdown crane services contracts with Fortescue.

In addition, Monadelphous has been appointed to BHP’s WAIO Site Engineering Panel for a further two-year term, to provide civil, structural, mechanical, piping and marine services at its mine site and port operations in the Pilbara.

In Papua New Guinea, meanwhile, Monadelphous has sealed a new three-year contract to provide minor capital project services, including civil, mechanical, structural, piping, and blast and paint at Newcrest Mining’s gold mining operations on Lihir Island. The company has been providing services at Lihir Island since 2017.

Added to this is a four-year contract to continue providing mechanical and electrical maintenance and turnaround services for a customer’s midstream operations in the Queensland, Australia, coal seam gas market.

Newly acquired NRW Holdings companies to work on Tanami Expansion 2

Mine shafts and equipment, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining services, Precious metals, , , , , , ,

In announcing an encouraging 10-month financial performance, NRW Holdings revealed its RCR Mining Technologies (RCRMT) division, working in tandem with DIAB Engineering, had been awarded a works contract at Newmont’s Tanami Expansion 2 project in the Northern Territory of Australia.

In an update on the company’s performance to the end of April, NRW Holdings said it had generated A$1.6 billion ($1.05 billion) of revenue in the 10 month-period from June 2019, representing a record revenue for the group compared with any previous full financial year.

Over this period, the company had progressed with the integration of the BGC Contracting business into the group, following the acquisition at the end of last year.

On contract news, the company said RCRMT and DIAB Engineering, which the company acquired through the BGC buy, had secured a A$17 million fabrication package for Tanami Expansion 2, with the companies manufacturing the head frame and skyshaft steel work for the project.

Jules Pemberton, NRW’s Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, said: “The award by Newmont to RCRMT provides an opportunity to bring both RCRMT and DIAB Engineering (acquired as part of the BGC Contracting transaction), together to deliver this important project.

“The ability to deliver this work from our regional facilities, in Bunbury, Geraldton and our Welshpool facility, to a major Australian project reflects the growing capability of NRW in the Australian manufacturing sector to provide specialised capital equipment for mining clients.”

Newmont’s board signed off on the TE2 project in October 2019. The expansion includes construction of a 1,460 m shaft, additional capacity in the processing plant, and supporting infrastructure to enable profitable recovery of ore at a depth of 2,140 m below surface.

Euro Sun Mining taps SENET for Rovina Valley project DFS

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Euro Sun Mining says it has given DRA Group’s SENET the task of delivering a definitive feasibility study on the Rovina Valley Project, in Romania.

SENET, a leading project management and engineering firm in the field of mineral processing, has completed in excess of 200 projects and facilities, as well as over 300 studies, in which the scope of work has included a variety of mineral/metallurgical process plants, crushing and screening plants and bulk materials handling facilities for mining and industrial applications, according to Euro Sun.

The engineering firm will oversee and consolidate studies from a number of industry experts to fast-track the study in order for Euro Sun to be able to start construction on its Rovina Mining License, Euro Sun said, adding that the study is expected to be completed by year end.

A February 2019 preliminary economic assessment on Rovina, which factored in only circa-29% of total mineral resources, estimated average annual production of 139,000 oz of gold-equivalent over a 12-year mine life. This came with a capital expenditure bill of $339.7 million, including $264 million for a central plant built for all three deposits.

The company is targeting an 18-year mine life, with initial capital expenditure in line with the PEA, in this updated study.

Darren Naylor, Managing Director of SENET, said: “We are excited to be awarded the study on such an exciting project and are very excited about the prospect of supporting Euro Sun in delivering a world-class study. We believe that our track record in delivering projects on time and within budget will be mutually beneficial to SENET and Euro Sun and we look forward to a long and rewarding partnership.”

Sam Rasmussen, Chief Operating Officer of Euro Sun, said: “We are very pleased to have SENET on board. SENET has time and again delivered projects in remote countries, with logistical and cross-border challenges, and this is the type of expertise we require to take Rovina to the ‘ready for construction’ phase. SENET has a reputation for delivering projects on time and within budget and this is why we have appointed them on this project.”