Tag Archives: Senegal

Integrated Pump Technology supplies Godwin HL150 pump to Senegal mine

Mining equipment, Mining services, Water management, , , , , ,

Integrated Pump Technology has secured an order for its first Godwin HL150 pump to a mining operation in Senegal, marking, it says, a significant step in the company’s ongoing support for mining operations across West Africa.

The trailer-mounted diesel-driven self-priming pump has been selected to provide vital dewatering services for an open-pit mine, where fluctuating groundwater levels, particularly during the rainy season, pose a challenge to efficient operations.

For the Senegalese mine, the Godwin HL150M pump will provide a robust solution that can be quickly mobilised to where it’s needed most, keeping operations running smoothly even during periods of intense rainfall when groundwater levels rise rapidly.

JD Nel, Godwin Product Manager at Integrated Pump Technology, says the Godwin HL150M Pump was considered the ideal choice due to its exceptional capabilities. He explained: “Compact yet powerful, this pump is capable of delivering flow rates of up to 374 cu.m/h and can discharge water at heights of up to 148 m. This level of performance makes it perfectly suited for high-demand dewatering applications like those found at this open-pit mine.”

One of the key features of the Godwin HL150M is its ability to run dry for extended periods thanks to its high pressure oil bath mechanical seal. Nel says this innovative design ensures continuous operation in tough conditions such as those found in the Africa mining regions and it allows the pump to automatically prime and reprime as needed, without manual intervention.

“Dewatering applications in open-pit operations call for a robust pump and this model can handle solids up to 35 mm in diameter, allowing it to deal with both slurry and clean water, adding versatility to its application,” he says.

Another critical benefit is the pump’s ability to achieve a suction lift of up to 8.5 m. Combined with its fully automatic priming system, the Godwin HL150M offers reliable performance, making it a valuable asset for mining operations in challenging environments, IPT says.

Nel added: “This recent delivery to Senegal underscores Integrated Pump Technology’s growing presence and support for mining projects across Africa. We have built a strong reputation for supplying high quality dewatering solutions tailored to the needs of the mining sector in Africa, where the ability to maintain uninterrupted operations during the rainy season is crucial.”

Alongside its range of Godwin diesel driven pumps and Grindex electric submersible pumps, Integrated Pump Technology offers end-users in the region not only reliable equipment but also comprehensive support. This includes consultation to ensure the correct specification for each dewatering challenge, as well as maintenance and service options to keep the pumps operating at peak efficiency throughout their lifespan.

“With advanced solutions like the Godwin HL150M pump, Integrated Pump Technology enables African mining operations to tackle environmental challenges head-on, enhancing operational efficiency and reducing downtime to ensure optimal productivity,” Nel concluded.

Wärtsilä to supply engines, auxiliary equipment for Boto gold mine power plant

Mine operation news, Power supply for mines, Precious metals, , ,

Wärtsilä will supply the engines and auxiliary equipment for a power plant being installed at the Boto gold mine in Senegal.

The order, which was booked by Wärtsilä in the March quarter of 2024, has been placed by Africa Power Services (APS), the France-based main contractor for the engineering, procurement and construction of the power plant. The mine has been recently acquired by Managem, an international mining group with operations in eight countries across Africa.

Romain Darracq, Head of Sales Support at APS, said: “The mine is remotely located and has no connection to the grid. This power plant is therefore crucial for its operations, and we needed to find a partner capable of providing reliable supply of electricity. Wärtsilä’s track record is outstanding and they were offering the best equipment and best delivery times for this fast-track project.”

The 17 MW power plant will operate with six Wärtsilä 32 engines to be delivered on an engineered equipment (EEQ) basis.

Sameer Poredi, Business Development Manager, Lifecycle at Wärtsilä Energy, said: “The configuration provides good flexibility and optimal performance of the power plant under varied load demands. Wärtsilä has a strong presence in Africa with its regional setup in Dakar effectively supporting the customers’ operations throughout the lifecycle of their power plants.”

The Wärtsilä 32 engine generating set has established a reputation for reliability during 30 years of successful operations, delivering more than 8,000 MW of energy to customers around the world. Its fast-starting flexibility supports the integration of intermittent supplies of renewable energy, such as wind and solar, into power systems by enabling efficient grid balancing.

The equipment deliveries are targeted to be completed by December 2024, and the plant is expected to be commissioned during the March quarter of 2025.

Endeavour Mining kicks off wet commissioning at BIOX Expansion project in Senegal

Environmental, Mine operation news, Mineral processing, Precious metals, , , , ,

Endeavour Mining says wet commissioning activities are now underway at the Sabodala-Massawa Expansion project (BIOX® Expansion) in Senegal.

The BIOX Expansion project is on budget, with construction now 91% complete, and the first gold pour is expected on schedule, in early May.

The BIOX process, which has been in commercial operation for over 30 years, was developed for the pre-treatment of refractory concentrates ahead of conventional cyanide leaching for gold recovery.

Ian Cockerill, CEO, said: “We are extremely pleased with our progress as we start wet commissioning of the BIOX Expansion project. Importantly, we have achieved this milestone with no lost-time injuries having worked more than three million man hours, which is a testament to the strong safety culture that is a hallmark of our in-house construction teams.

At completion, Sabodala-Massawa will become a true top tier asset with 2024 production of up to 400,000 oz at an industry leading AISC of less than $850/oz, with costs expected to improve further in the coming years, embedding the mine firmly in the lowest cost quartile.

“This year, Endeavour is well positioned to transition from a phase of investment in organic growth, to a more cash flow generative phase in the second half of the year. This inflection point will allow us to focus our efforts on increasing our shareholder returns while de-levering our balance sheet, as we continue to execute on our strategy.”

Wet commissioning of the BIOX Expansion was delivered in less than 23 months after construction was launched in April 2022. During construction activities, up to 1,300 employees and contractors were on site, 82% of whom were Senegalese nationals, successfully completing over three million man-hours with zero lost time injuries.

The addition of the 1.2 Mt/y BIOX Expansion, with an initial capital cost of $290 million, is expected to add 194,000 oz/y of incremental production over the first five years, lifting Sabodala-Massawa to top-tier status with expected production of 360-400,000 oz at an AISC of between $750-850/oz in FY 2024, increasing to above 400,000 oz from 2025.

Perenti’s AMS extends contract at Resolute Mining’s Mako mine

Mine operation news, Mining services, Precious metals, , , , , ,

Perenti-owned African Mining Services (AMS) has been awarded a contract extension for surface mining activities at Resolute Mining Limited’s Mako gold mine in Senegal, it says.

The revised contract is valued at approximately $85 million over a period of four years, commencing on January 1, 2023.

Through AMS, Perenti has provided surface mining activities at the Mako mine since 2017.

Mako is owned and operated by Resolute’s Senegalese subsidiary, Petowal Mining Company S.A. Resolute has a 90% interest in Petowal and the Government of Senegal holds the remaining 10%.

It is a conventional drill and blast, truck and shovel operation with mining services undertaken by AMS. The carbon-in-leach processing plant has greater than 2 Mt/y of installed capacity and comprises a crushing circuit, an 8 MW SAG mill and gold extraction circuit.

Orica’s hardware and software platforms converging for Mining 4.0

Automation, Explosives and blasting, IoT, Mining equipment, Mining safety, Mining services, Mining software, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Orica’s corporate vision of “mobilising Earth’s resources in a sustainable way” is being further realised through a host of developments from its Digital Solutions and Blasting Technologies divisions, IM reports.

Those involved in charging operations could soon benefit from the launch of Orica and Epiroc’s Avatel™ solution, which, in combination with the WebGen™ wireless initiation platform, offers the ability to remotely blast a development face.

At the same time, the company is busy with the sustainable production of emulsion, the integration of geological orebody information to optimise energy use for blasting, and the expansion of downstream mineral processing tools.

Avatel

Avatel is a combination of state-of-the-art hardware and software solutions designed to mechanise the blasting process.

It includes Orica’s HandiLoader™ emulsion process body, Epiroc’s M2C carrier integrating an RCS 5 control system with Orica’s LOADPlus™ control system, a WebGen 200 wireless initiation system and an automated WebGen magazine. Epiroc has also incorporated onboard dewatering and lifter debris clearing capability, while Orica’s SHOTPlus™ intelligent blast design software is leveraged to deliver superior blasting outcomes, Orica says.

Orica and Epiroc’s advanced technologies integrated into the Avatel system

These components help eliminate the need for personnel exposure at the development face throughout the charging stage of the mining cycle, keeping personnel out of the line of fire, by substituting inherently high hazard manual tasks with a mechanised development charging solution.

A prototype Avatel unit is set to commence operations at Agnico Eagle Mining’s Kittilä gold mine in Finland in the next few months. This follows “alpha trialling” of the complete prototype unit at Epiroc’s Nacka test mine in Stockholm, Sweden.

Adam Mooney, Vice President of Blasting Technology for Orica, said: “Our goal for Kittilä is to expose Avatel to a real mining environment, putting the unit through its paces in an active mine where safety, productivity and reliability are core requirements for success.

“We will gain a practical understanding of how Avatel will fit in with and benefit the entire mining cycle, while also taking the opportunity to measure the blasting improvements possible through the combined use of electronic initiation timing and the precise blast energy control available with Avatel.”

A separate unit, meanwhile, will head to Newcrest Mining’s Cadia copper-gold mine in New South Wales, Australia, later this year, for the first commercial deployment. This is currently undergoing pre-delivery commissioning at Epiroc’s customer centre in Burnie, Tasmania.

Cyclo

Not too far away in Papua New Guinea, Orica has successfully commissioned a Cyclo™ emulsion technology unit, which has been running at a customer site for around two months, according to Mooney. The unit in question has treated in excess of 100,000 litres of used oil, he said.

Cyclo combines the company’s emulsion technology with used oil processing technology to transform mine-site used oil for application in explosives. To provide the tight quality control and regular testing required to manufacture emulsions with such inputs, Orica has partnered with CreatEnergy to develop a standalone, on-site solution to treat used oil.

Orica initially scheduled Cyclo for market introduction in late 2022, but it scaled and sped up development and production plans to support customers’ operations and curtail material disruptions brought about by COVID-19.

The first automated containerised used oil recycling system was commissioned in Ghana late in 2021, with the Papua New Guinea unit being the latest deployment.

Cyclo – containerised, automated used oil recycling service at a customer site in Ghana, Africa

A Senegal Cyclo debut is on track for July given the unit is already in country and connected into the emulsion plant on site, Mooney explained.

The company also plans to bring to market a Cyclo unit suitable for Arctic conditions by the end of this year, with the solution already under construction.

Data to insights to intelligence

Aside from hardware and sustainable emulsion solutions, Orica has recently signed an agreement with Microsoft Azure predicated on creating data-rich and artificial intelligence-infused tools that enable productivity, safety and sustainability benefits on site, with Raj Mathiravedu, Vice President of Digital Solutions, saying such a tie-up enables the company to think of the blasting value chain in a much more holistic manner.

“Orica Digital Solutions’ purpose is to develop and deliver a suite of integrated workflow tools to enable the corporate vision of mobilising Earth’s resources in a sustainable way,” he said. “A key attribute to delivering this workflow is the journey that we need to incorporate from data to insights to intelligence.”

Mathiravedu says the company is looking to go beyond the traditional solutions pairing software and IoT devices for a discrete product to – with the help of Microsoft Azure capabilities – building “answer products” focused on improving workflows.

“These workflows can benefit from understanding how geology within the orebody intelligence space can help us determine the optimised energy required for blasting in a real-time production workflow,” he said. “We have started this journey and are already delivering value to our customers by integrating workflows from orebody to processing.”

One example of this is the company’s FRAGTrack™ suite of solutions, devised to provide blast fragmentation data with auto-analysis capability.

Delivered as part of the company’s BlastIQ Digital Optimisation Platform, FRAGTrack is able to capture real-time fragmentation measurement data for optimising drill and blast operations, improving downstream productivity and tracking of operational performance.

Originally developed for measurements on both face shovels and conveyors, the solution was expanded earlier this year with the launch of FRAGTrack Crusher for automated pre-crusher fragmentation measurements.

FRAGTrack Crusher installation at Stevenson Aggregates

There are several vendors offering fragmentation measurement tools throughout the industry, but Mathiravedu says Orica’s solution can carry out such analysis consistently and accurately – day or night – in extremely dusty and dynamic environments like mining.

“The FRAGTrack image processing technology can handle extremely dusty and lighting-affected conditions beyond any solutions in the industry,” Mathiravedu said. “It is also able to learn and adapt to specific operational environments like the dumping habits of different truck operators using artificial intelligence technology. Together with the integration with fleet management systems, it can provide a fully autonomous and integrated measurement solution.”

On conveyors, the FRAGTrack solution can reliably measure fines with increased accuracy compared with conventional systems that leverage curve-fit algorithms, according to Mathiravedu, with the advanced image and 3D processing techniques providing the ability to measure fragments down to 5 mm in size.

The combination of FRAGTrack Conveyor and Orica’s ORETrack™ solution can provide not only particle size distribution information, but also critical information on ore grade and hardness for the milling operations in real time.

“The FRAGTrack platform architecture has been designed to be scalable to incorporate different sensor inputs along with its high-performance GPU compute capabilities,” Mathiravedu said, explaining that there could be further analysis solutions down the line.

Astec Industries looks to boost Africa and Middle East business with Aramine tie-up

Bulk handling, Comminution of minerals, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Astec Industries, through its newly organised Africa and Middle East (AME) business unit, has announced a distribution partnership with France-based mining and underground solutions specialist Aramine.

This strategic alliance will enhance the supply, distribution and service of Astec mining, quarrying and materials handling equipment in numerous African countries, Astec said. This includes rock breaker systems, rock crushers, feeders, vibrating screens, conveyors, washing and classifying equipment for open-pit mines, alongside underground mining products and bulk material handling systems.

Aramine has been appointed as a dealer for Astec Material Solutions products in Mauritania, Mali, Senegal, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Benin, Togo, and Niger in West Africa, as well as in Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco in the Maghreb region.

Vinesh Surajlall, Director – Material Solutions at Astec AME (pictured), said: “The expansion of the Astec portfolio that will be distributed by Aramine is an important evolution in our commercial relations, as we collaborate in very active and demanding markets in West Africa and the Maghreb.

“With this partnership, we are developing a new customer proximity offer, combining expertise, services and quality products.”

Jaime Martel, Key Regional and Product Manager and Head of Distribution Partnerships at Aramine, says the new venture represents Astec’s confidence in Aramine. The two organisations have enjoyed a longstanding distribution partnership which previously encompassed only the BTI range of rock breaker and boom systems.

“The extension of our alliance, to cover the material solutions offering, will equip us further in meeting the needs of our customers in the regions,” he noted.

In addition to its recognised expertise and technical service, Aramine will leverage its networks of subsidiaries and partners in the regions, Astec said.

The recent group restructuring and the establishment of Astec Industries AME will deliver further benefits for Astec customers in the region, the company says.

“The move forms part of Astec Industries’ international expansion strategy, with regional sales organisations established to improve customer interaction and support for the complete range of Astec products,” Astec said. “Astec Industries AME is one of these regional sales organisations and will be responsible for business relationships in Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia. The AME offices are based in Elandsfontein, Johannesburg, with regional sales managers positioned strategically within the region to support the business’s dealer network and customers.”

Surajlall concluded: “We look forward to contributing to the continued growth of our customers’ businesses through this enhanced structure, optimised product range and support structures throughout the Astec Industries organisations. This expanded partnership with Aramine represents an important opportunity to strengthen the presence of Astec Industries Inc in these significant territories.”

Dynacor settles on Senegal artisanal gold processing strategy

Mineral processing, Mining services, Precious metals, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , ,

Dynacor Gold Mines, an ore purchasing and processing company servicing artisanal and small-scale miners (ASM), has announced the completion of its due diligence phase to expand its ore processing business to an international level.

The move will see the company build an ore processing pilot plant operation in Senegal.

Based on the due diligence phase’s positive results, a new company to be created will move forward on the construction of this plant. In addition to executing complete tests of the plant operation, the new company will develop trusting working relationships with the ASMs and encourage their participation in the PX IMPACT® clean gold program, Dynacor said.

“This initiative expands on the successes of the previous due diligence phase, which began with the arrival of Dynacor’s technical team sent to evaluate the gold potential and ASM industry in February 2018,” it said. “Starting with a pilot plant is an important step to laying the foundation for a more extensive full-scale operation.”

In June 2019, the company said the initial plan was to build a 100-150 t/d facility, costing some $10 million, with the design to double capacity to 300 t/d.

Dynacor is to operate the plant and own the majority of the new company with 51% ownership. KN Equipments Inc, a Quebec-based company specialising in the design, manufacturing and distribution of mining equipment, and Fonds Souverain d’Investissements Stratégiques (FONSIS) of Senegal will hold the balance at 25% and 24%, respectively.

Three alluvial ASM properties in the state of Kedougou are part of the pilot plant program: Kharakhena, Tinkoto and Bantaco. These areas of interest provided samples to collect and to review the materials from the artisanal miners working in the pits at depths of 15-70 m.

The samples assaying greater than 2 g/t Au for each of the three areas, had average assay grades of 18.19 g/t Au for Kharakhena, 29.07 g/t Au for Bantaco, and 9.72 g/t Au for Tinkoto. The three areas, Kharakhena, Bantaco and Tinkoto, had 55 rock samples assaying greater than 2 g/t Au over 108 rock samples from the pits. The maximum assays from the three areas were 701 g/t Au (Kharakhena), 112 g/t Au (Bantaco), and 27.7 g/t Au (Tinkoto).

The material is to be supplied by the local miners from the three regions, Tinkoto, Bantaco and Kharakhena.

In addition to the three ASM properties, there are twenty other significant ASM areas, including seven sites at Kharakhena, eight sites at Tinkoto and five sites at Bantaco.

“There is a high probability that they will supply gold ore to Dynacor,” the company said.

A satellite imagery study by Japosat Satellite Mapping discovered 76 additional ASM operations signalling the future potential to grow Dynacor’s Senegal ore processing division into a much higher capacity, according to the company.

Jean Martineau, President and CEO of Dynacor, said: “We are excited to execute on our strategy of expanding Dynacor’s proven business model into the international market. Besides the significant operational growth potential, which will stem from the Senegal operation, we are very proud to be the first and only company on a global scale to offer our ore processing service and PX IMPACT clean gold program to the ASM community.”

At present, Dynacor produces and explores in Peru (pictured), where, in 2019, it produced 80,677 oz of gold.

Bassari drafts in Junction Contract Mining for Makabingui gold project

Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining project news, Mining services, Precious metals, , , ,

Bassari Resources says it has appointed Senegal-registered Junction Contract Mining SARL (JCM) as the contract miner for its Makabingui gold project.

JCM, which is headquartered in Perth, West Australia, has a long and successful history of contract mining in West Africa, according to the ASX-listed company.

A feasibility study on Makabingui, in Senegal, showed plans for an initial 1 Mt open-pit project mining at 5.7g/t Au for 174,000 oz of production inventory. This came with a $90 million “pre-capex” bill.

Bassari said the contract miner has already arranged for the supply and immediate import to Senegal of the necessary mining equipment, including excavators, trucks, loaders, drilling rigs, grader, bulldozer, compactor, telehander, etc.

The appointment provides significant capital savings to the project, Bassari said, adding that the new equipment, sourced in Europe, facilitates mining commencing in the near term, following the arrival of the equipment into Dakar.

JCM work will include, but not be confined to the following:

  • Planning and management of the mining work;
  • Mobilisation and establishment;
  • Maintenance of mining plant and equipment;
  • Clearing and grubbing of the mine site;
  • Construct and manage all in-pit drainage;
  • Drill and blast ore and waste material;
  • Provide all explosives and blasting agents;
  • Excavation and haulage of all waste rock;
  • Selective mining and haulage of all ores to stockpiles and processing plant;
  • Construct and maintain all on-site access and haul roads;
  • Management of stockpiling and dumping areas;
  • Provide grade control samples from RC and blasthole drilling;
  • Carry out secondary crushing of ore at mine site; and
  • Provision of management, safety, environmental and quality assurance plans.

Dynacor studying gold ore processing plant for artisanal miners in Senegal

Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, Precious metals, , , , , , , ,

Dynacor Gold Mines has signed a letter of intent with KN Equipments Inc and Fonds Souverain d’Investissements Stratégiques of Sénégal (FONSIS) that could see the building of an upgradable ore-processing plant, in Senegal.

The ore purchasing and processing company, which currently services artisanal and small-scale miners (ASM) in Peru (facility pictured), said the joint venture agreement sets in motion a strategy to expand its business globally.

The initial plan is for a 100-150 t/d facility, costing some $10 million, with the design to double capacity to 300 t/d.

The agreement, which follows a series of visits to meet with the Senegalese government, would see Dynacor operate the plant and own the majority of the company with 51% ownership, while KN Equipments and FONSIS would own the balance at 25% and 24%, respectively.

This is subject to a seven month due diligence period, due to complete before the end of 2019. Dynacor noted.

“The teams are to conduct a complete accounting of potential production sites, the total number of ASM and all other pertinent data concerning the feasibility of this project,” the company said. As the new company would be the sole professional ore-processing facility in Senegal, Dynacor said it sees strong demand for its “reputable and knowledgeable service”.

Jean Martineau, President and CEO of Dynacor, said: “The new company would bring a logical combination of Dynacor’s ore processing leadership and 20-plus year experience together with KN Equipment’s presence in Senegal, a long-standing history of manufacturing milling processing equipment and the financial strength of the Senegalese sovereign fund FONSIS.

“As part of Dynacor’s strategic plan to become an internationally recognised ore-processing company servicing the ASM industry worldwide, we believe this new low-risk project affords us the opportunity to significantly enhance Dynacor’s growth and leadership role on a global basis.”

Mamadou Mbaye, Executive Vice President of Fonsis, said: “Fonsis plays an important role as it backs the strategy of the Ministry of Mines and Geology. This project will help formalise gold mining activities for small and medium size legal mines.”

Robert Nieminen, President of KN Equipments, added: “As we have more than three years of providing manufacturing and mining maintenance service in Senegal, our company is quite well versed in the country’s ASM space and its demand for the new company and the value it will deliver.”

Teranga and Endeavour Mining on board with the World Gold Council

Mining industry recognition, Mining policy, Precious metals, , , , , , , , , , , ,

The World Gold Council has welcomed Teranga Gold Corp and Endeavour Mining Corporation as its newest board members.

David Harquail (pictured), Chair of the market development organisation for the gold industry, said: “Both companies play an important role in the production and exploration of gold across West Africa and bring with them a wealth of experience that will be of significant value.”

Teranga is a Canada-based gold company focused on production and development as well as the exploration of approximately 6,000 km2 of land located on prospective gold belts across West Africa, according to the WGC.

Since its initial public offering in 2010, Teranga has produced more than 1.6 Moz of gold at its flagship operation in Senegal. Focused on diversification and growth, the company is advancing construction of its second producing gold mine, located in Burkina Faso, as well as carrying out exploration programmes in Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Senegal.

Endeavour is an intermediate gold producer with a track record of operational excellence, project development and exploration in the Birimian greenstone belt in West Africa, WGC said.

Endeavour operates four mines across Côte d’Ivoire (Agbaou and Ity) and Burkina Faso (Houndé, Karma) which are expected to produce 615-695,000 oz in 2019 at an all-in sustaining cost of $760-810/oz.

Sébastien De Montessus, CEO and President of Endeavour, said: “We are very pleased to be joining the World Gold Council. We share the organisation’s belief in the importance of setting global standards to reinforce trust and transparency in the sector and across the whole value chain. We look forward to working with the council and its members to improve understanding of the gold industry.”

Richard Young, President and CEO, Teranga Gold, said: “For more than 30 years, the World Gold Council has supported greater understanding of gold’s enduring value and global influence. Today, at a time of both uncertainty and unprecedented opportunity, the work of organisations such as the World Gold Council is of paramount importance.”