Tag Archives: Western Australia

Metso Outotec to deliver crushing, flotation and thickening tech to OZ Minerals West Musgrave

Base metals, Comminution of minerals, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , , , , , , ,

Metso Outotec says it has been awarded an order for the supply of key minerals processing technologies to OZ Minerals’ West Musgrave copper-nickel project in Western Australia.

The OEM’s scope of delivery includes an MP1250™ cone crusher, as well as Planet Positive classified flotation units and high-rate thickeners.

The TankCell® e630 flotation units (pictured) are the most proven large-scale cells in the 600 cu.m-plus category and come with the largest installed base of operating cells in the world, according to Metso Outotec.

Metso Outotec’s high-rate thickeners, meanwhile, were selected for their state-of-the-art technology and based on references from similar process plants, it said. Laboratory test work was conducted by Metso Outotec to aid thickener selection.

Kai Rönnberg, Vice President, Minerals Sales – Asia Pacific at Metso Outotec, said: “We are very excited to work on the West Musgrave project with OZ Minerals. We were able to align with the project’s key value drivers at an early stage and provide expert technical support.

“OZ Minerals has selected leading-class Planet Positive process equipment for their nickel and copper production process, and they will also be able to benefit from our extensive aftermarket capabilities and footprint in Western Australia.”

In September, the OZ Minerals Board greenlit the build of the West Musgrave copper-nickel project. The feasibility study the board signed off on detailed a 13.5 Mt/y operation with average production of circa-28,000 t/y of nickel and circa-35,000 t/y of copper over a 24-year operating life.

Zenith Energy gears up to supply 95 MW of hybrid power to Liontown’s Kathleen Valley project

Energy minerals, Environmental, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , ,

Zenith Energy has converted the Letter of Award it signed with Liontown Resources to supply electricity to the Kathleen Valley lithium project in Western Australia into a Power Purchase Agreement.

The PPA will see Zenith supply the project with electricity for a period of 15 years as part of a 95 MW hybrid power station setup at the mine.

Zenith has, since the signing of the Letter of Award, announced in September, progressed the planning, engineering and design works for the hybrid power station, including the order of long-lead items such as the wind turbines.

With 46 MW of emission-free power generation capacity, the 95 MW hybrid power station is currently expected to be one of the largest off-grid wind-solar-battery storage renewable energy facilities in the mining industry in Australia.

The thermal components are designed to operate in “engine off” mode at various times, enabling Liontown to operate from 100% renewable energy during periods of high wind and solar resource, the companies say.

The hybrid power station is expected to start up around the same time as the Kathleen Valley process plant is commissioned, currently slated for the first half of 2024.

The plant will include wind generation from five wind turbines each capable of generating 6 MW. A 16 MWp fixed axis solar photovoltaic array coupled to a 17 MW/19 MWh battery energy storage system will provide additional clean energy, supported by synchronous condensers that provide critical system stability and resilience, Zenith said. The thermal power component will comprise 27 MW of gas generation and 5 MW of diesel standby generation.

Kathleen Valley is one of the world’s largest and highest-grade hard-rock lithium deposits and, with an initial 2.5 Mt/y production capacity, is expected to supply circa-500,000 t/y of 6% lithium oxide concentrate, according to the company. With first production expected in June quarter of 2024, the deposit will also produce tantalum pentoxide.

Duratec to carry out remediation works at BHP WAIO port facilities

Equipment maintenance, Mining equipment, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , ,

Duratec says it has secured a major contract with BHP WA Iron Ore (BHP WAIO) that will see it carry out wharf remediation works at the BHP Berth C&D at Finucane Island, in Port Hedland, Western Australia.

The A$48 million ($32 million) project award follows a successful competitive tender (following early engineering input by Duratec’s technical engineering team), with work set to commence immediately, with a start on site scheduled for March 2023. The project is anticipated to be completed by February 2025.

The project’s key objectives on the wharf include:

  • Repair to steel piles and steel members;
  • Replacement of steel ladders;
  • Concrete remediation;
  • Pile wrapping repairs;
  • Pile jacket installation;
  • Fabrication and installation of a new raw water line and hose connection points;
  • Approach jetty and maintenance jetty repair (Berth D); and
  • Demolition of two access landings (Berth C and between Berth C&D).

Duratec’s Managing Director, Phil Harcourt, said: “Duratec continues to demonstrate its ability to secure work through its early contractor involvement engagement model by working with its clients early in partnership to deliver project solutions that are beneficial to all parties.”

Monadelphous Group secures work with BHP in Western Australia, Chile

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Monadelphous Group has secured new contracts and contract extensions in the resources, energy and infrastructure sectors totalling approximately A$110 million ($74 million).

The company says it has been reappointed to the BHP WAIO Site Engineering Panel for a three-year period to continue providing multi-disciplinary services at BHP’s mine site and port operations in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

Monadelphous has also been awarded a five-year contract to provide pipeline maintenance services in the Queensland coal seam gas market.

In Chile, Monadelphous’ maintenance and construction services business, Buildtek, has secured several contracts with Minera Escondida. This includes two contracts at the Escondida copper mine, majority-owned by BHP, for improvements to the water capture and drainage system and repairs associated with the oxide tank. A contract has also been secured for repairs and improvements to water storage tanks at the Puerto Coloso Filter Plant. All work is expected to be completed in 2023.

Additionally, the company has secured a contract with Liontown Resources for the supply and fabrication of structural steel and platework for the Kathleen Valley lithium project in Western Australia. The work is expected to be completed by mid-2023.

Kathleen Valley is one of the world’s largest and highest-grade hard-rock lithium deposits and, with an initial 2.5 Mt/y production capacity, it is expected to supply circa-500,000 t/y of 6% lithium oxide concentrate. First production is expected in the June quarter of 2024.

NRW equips Karara magnetite mining fleet with two new Cat 6060 shovels

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NRW Civil & Mining has recently invested in two new Cat 6060 hydraulic mining shovels to meet some unique challenges at Karara Mining’s magnetite project in Western Australia’s Midwest region, engaging Cat dealer WesTrac in the process.

Karara is the largest mining operation and the first major magnetite mine in the Midwest region, producing a premium, high-grade concentrate product which is exported from Geraldton port.
Unlike the more commonly mined hematite, magnetite is a hard and highly abrasive ore, which meant NRW needed machines that could cope with the rigours of operating in such harsh conditions.

NRW opted for the Cat 6060 Hydraulic Mining Shovel, a 600-t unit able to load 218 t trucks and above.

According to NRW Mining Operations Manager, Adam Harper, the buying decisions for a mining contractor are very much driven by client expectations.

“We’re obviously chasing safe machines, but they have to be able to perform to our clients’ expectations and do so efficiently,” Harper said.

According to WesTrac Product Manager, Greg Wear, the Cat 6060 is a premium Caterpillar® offering when it comes to hydraulic mining shovels and has traditionally been the shovel of choice for top tier miners.

“This is the machine that we promote for highly productive loading of 240 ton (218 t) trucks and up,” Wear said. “Tier One miners have had good success with that and, now with NRW onboard, it shows that mining contractors are also seeing the value of the Cat 6060.”

Wear explains that the 600-t models have a long history, having first been released to market under previous owner Terex as the RH340 in 2004. Since being acquired by Caterpillar, the machine has been progressively “Catified” through a series of phased improvements.

“Over the past 10 years, Caterpillar has made phased improvements,” he said. “Phase one was a lot of quick wins that could be applied to make the machine more reliable. Phase two looked at structural changes designed to provide stronger, heavier frames and more reliability. Phase three continued that with modifications around sticks and booms, and a completely new superstructure and larger slew ring.

“Today with all the next generation technology, the transformation is complete with all Cat electronics and parts, and there’s been a new cab installed. Now the 6060 has the complete Caterpillar feel and functionality.”

Part of the new cab design was increased visibility, allowing the operator clear views to the digging and loading areas as well as the tracks.

Caterpillar Product Application Specialist, Dirk Tegtmeier, said the transformation of the Cat 6060 brings the same level of commonality to the large shovel that is seen across other Cat equipment.

Tegtmeier says a key efficiency gain, thanks to the 6060 now incorporating all-Cat components and improved structures, is that service intervals and the total operating life of the machine can be extended.

“The updated Cat 3512E engine, coupled with the fuel burn saving features, thanks to new hydraulic optimisation, will certainly offer a longer life than with the previous version,” he said.

That longevity, coupled with the added strength and Cat Enhanced Motion Control as part of the Operator Assist functionality of the Cat 6060, is important given the harsh terrain in which the new mining shovels are operating and the need to meet high production targets – with a minimum feed rate to the primary crusher of 3,500 t/h.

“The 6060 FS comes with an extremely productive profile that enabled us to match the client’s production schedules perfectly,” Harper said. “We also chose the Cat 793 trucks that are perfectly matched for size and passing with the 6060, so it’s a highly productive match. But we needed to ensure we had the reliability as well.”

Karara’s proximity to Geraldton and Perth – two and four-hour drives from the mine, respectively – and the fact WesTrac has parts and service centres in those locations, was another key factor in NRW’s decision to go for the Cat 6060.

According to Harper, the hardness and abrasiveness of the magnetite ore means ground engagement tools can wear up to 20 times faster than in hematite mining operations, meaning regular access to spares is vital.

“The teeth on the bucket can need replacing within 24 to 70 hours, whereas in some hematite mines, it could be anywhere from 500 to 1,000 hours,” Harper said.

“Having the customer service centre four hours away in Perth that runs 24/7 is crucial as it means we are able to get access to parts as needed. Also, WesTrac Geraldton being two hours away for support was really a deciding factor for us in choosing the Cat 6060s.”

Harper says NRW’s previous experience working with Cat equipment and existing relationship with WesTrac was one factor that helped win the contract with Karara Mining.

“Karara Mining Limited had a long association with Cat products, in particular the 6060 face shovels and the 793 dump trucks, and that played a big part in helping win the contract,” he said.

Newmont hits 100 Mt automation milestone using Cat Command for hauling at Boddington

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Western Australia’s largest gold mine, Boddington, has surpassed the 100 Mt milestone for material safely hauled using Cat® MineStar™ Command for hauling with the gold industry’s first autonomous haulage system (AHS) fleet, the OEM says.

Boddington, a deep open-pit surface mine owned by Newmont, delivered 696,000 oz of gold and 163,000 gold-equivalent ounces in 2021.

The mine’s fleet today includes 36 Cat 793F autonomous and four 793D staffed mining trucks to haul material, and the conversion to AHS was one of the fastest in the industry, spanning approximately seven months to roll out all 36 trucks equipped with Command, according to Caterpillar.

Newmont invested $150 million in its autonomous haulage project with goals to improve mine safety and productivity, while extending the life of the mine. The first 231-t Cat 793F was converted to autonomous operation in March 2021. A total of seven trucks from Newmont’s existing fleet were retrofitted with Command for hauling, while 29 trucks were new models.

In October 2021, the last of the 36 autonomous trucks went into operation at the mine, with the mine reaching the 100 Mt of material autonomously hauled benchmark by the end of October 2022.

Kosie Bolton, Technology Site Manager for Caterpillar, said: “The time period between rollout of the mine’s first autonomous 793F truck to full conversion of the mine’s autonomous fleet to achieving 100 Mt autonomously hauled was incredibly short. This is a true testament of the great teamwork between Boddington’s talented and dedicated workforce, Cat dealer WesTrac and Caterpillar. The supporting AHS projects will help to improve data understanding and drive operational excellence through data utilisation.”

Including the autonomous trucks, equipment equipped with MineStar Terrain, and site autonomous vehicles and trucks, the mine has 200 connected assets. An entirely new AHS intelligence office, where all the autonomous trucks and connected assets can be viewed and collected data analysed, was also completed and dedicated in October 2022. The new workspace brings together all AHS team members in a single space with tiered seating and screens at the front of the room, Caterpillar says.

James Earl, AHS Control Room Superintendent for the Newmont Boddington Mine, said: “Having everyone together in the new office allows us to post issues on the screens in front of all workers to quickly address them together. We are extremely proud to deliver the gold industry’s first autonomous haul truck fleet at Boddington. This will help extend the mine’s life, reduce safety risks and lower costs. The project’s record implementation is just another example of Newmont’s trademark ability to set and achieve ambitious goals.”

On top of this milestone, Caterpillar and Newmont agreed in November 2021 to collaborate on a number of mining technology initiatives that provide industry leading outcomes for safety, productivity, sustainability and cost.

PROK idlers set for overland conveyor system at Roy Hill iron ore operation

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PROK has been selected by Roy Hill to manufacture and supply the idlers for a new circa-8km overland conveyor system as part of the iron ore mine’s Rom4 expansion in Western Australia.

PROK says it was awarded the contract for the conveyor idlers off the back of a long history of success with various overland conveyor systems across the globe.

Roy Hill requires the new overland conveyor to connect a new crusher to the existing mine infrastructure. The system comprises two overland conveyor systems that are approximately 8 km in length.

The entire project scope for the conveyor components included the manufacture and supply of 23,500 rollers and 6,500 idler frames.

The majority of the rollers will be PROK HDPE, a lightweight composite roller. PROK HDPE was chosen due to its lightweight construction and exceptional reliability, PROK said. The rollers include dual-layer wear indicator technology which facilitates smarter roller maintenance.

PROK General Manager WA, Wade Guelfi, said PROK HDPE will bring a range of benefits to Roy Hill’s operations.

“PROK HDPE is proven in heavy-duty iron ore applications and will assist to reduce maintenance costs, increase production and importantly improve safety outcomes,” he said. “We were thrilled to be able to partner with Roy Hill on this project and look forward to working closely with them to continue to optimise conveyor performance.”

MLG Oz work rewarded with bigger remit at Gold Fields’ Agnew, St Ives operations

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MLG Oz says it has been awarded the Barren Lands open-pit mining project assisting the Gold Fields Limited group of companies in the establishment of a new mine at its Agnew operations in Western Australia.

Along with this new scope of works, MLG says it has successfully extended its contractual arrangements to continue to supply integrated site service and haulage support to both the St Ives gold mine and at the Agnew gold mine for a further three years.

At Barren Lands, the open-pit mining contract award with Gold Fields will see MLG Oz develop a new pit through the provision of heavy earthworks. Included within this is a Liebherr 9150 excavator (pictured). The contract is expected to contribute approximately A$15 million in revenue in the 2023 financial year with contractual terms in line with contracts of this nature.

Gold Fields has previously stated that the development of the Barren Lands open pit provides access to potential Barren Lands underground & decline access to Zone 2 and exploration access at the Agnew gold mine.

The renewal and extension of contracts with Gold Fields, meanwhile, will see MLG’s current Agnew operations continue, with the term extended for a minimum three-year period with an additional optional extension period of two years at Gold Fields’ discretion. This award extends MLG’s delivery of integrated site services and haulage activities to Gold Fields’ Agnew operation out to 16 years.

At St Ives, the contract term has been extended for a minimum three-year period with an additional optional extension period of two years at Gold Fields’ discretion. This will extends MLG’s delivery of integrated site services and haulage activities to Gold Fields’ St Ives operation out to nine years.

MLG Founder, Managing Director and majority shareholder, Murray Leahy, said: “The award of the Barren Lands open-pit mining project demonstrates confidence in MLG’s ability to leverage our integrated service offering to drive value for our client base. The addition of open-pit mining, in conjunction with our current integrated service platform, allows MLG’s customer base the opportunity to single source the complete supply chain in an efficient and optimised way. We look forward to integrating the Barren Lands mining project into our wider Agnew operations delivering value for our key client whilst also building growth for our shareholders in one of MLG’s well established long term operations.”

Rio Tinto to start construction on 100 MW solar PV system in Pilbara next year

Environmental, Mine operation news, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Steel and iron ore, Sustainable mining, , , , ,

Rio Tinto says it is planning to invest a further $600 million in renewable energy assets in the Pilbara as part of the company’s efforts to decarbonise its Western Australian iron ore operations.

The investment will fund the construction of two 100 MW solar power facilities as well as 200 MWh of on-grid battery storage in the Pilbara by 2026. This is in addition to the 34 MW of solar power installed at the recently commissioned Gudai-Darri iron ore mine (pictured).

Initial funding for Rio Tinto’s first major standalone solar farm on the Pilbara coast has been approved, a 100 MW solar photovoltaic system and associated transmission infrastructure. Construction, which will involve the installation of approximately 225,000 solar panels built to withstand the Pilbara’s cyclonic conditions, is expected to start next year ahead of project commissioning in 2025.

Rio Tinto is engaging with state and local authorities as well as Traditional Owners about the project and relevant approvals. Final capital approval is expected in the June quarter of next year.

These new projects combined are expected to abate around 300,000 t of CO2, equivalent to a 10% reduction in total Scope 1 and 2 emissions from Rio Tinto’s iron ore business in the Pilbara based on 2021 levels. It will also reduce gas costs by approximately $55 million per year at current prices by displacing around 30% of the company’s current gas consumption in the Pilbara.

This new investment forms part of Rio Tinto’s previously announced plan to complete installation of a 1 GW renewable energy system in the Pilbara as part of a global commitment to invest approximately $7.5 billion to halve emissions by 2030. This will include significant investment in transmission infrastructure to support full decarbonisation of the Pilbara including electrification of mobile and rail equipment beyond 2030 which is estimated to require up to 3 GW of installed renewable energy assets.

Rio Tinto Iron Ore Chief Executive, Simon Trott, said: “The Pilbara is extremely well-positioned to take advantage of renewable power with land, access to people, and abundant wind and solar resources. Our Pilbara electricity grid is the largest privately-owned grid in Australia, ensuring that we have the initial infrastructure required to enable a transition to renewable energy.

“We expect to invest around $3 billion to install renewable energy assets as well as transmission and storage upgrades in the Pilbara as part of our commitment to halve our emissions from the Pilbara by the end of this decade.”

Pilbara Minerals and Calix commit to lithium calcination tech demo plant at Pilgangoora

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Pilbara Minerals and Calix have executed a joint venture (JV) agreement for the development of a demonstration plant using Calix’s patented calcination technology at the Pilgangoora project in Western Australia.

The aim of the joint venture is to produce lithium salts via an innovative midstream “value added” refining process leveraging this calcination technology. It will also explore the potential commercialisation of the process.

The objective of the “Mid-Stream Demonstration Plant Project” is to deliver a superior value-added lithium product enabling lower product cost, reduced carbon energy intensity, and reduction of waste product logistics.

The unincorporated JV will be a 55:45 agreement in favour of Pilbara Minerals, with each party funding their share of operating and capital costs and Calix licensing its patented technology and calcination knowhow into the JV. Pilbara Minerals will manage the demo plant at Pilgangoora, overseeing both the construction and operational phases.

A successful demonstration of the calcination technology via this plant may then lead to its commercialisation with the JV licensing the technology to the global spodumene processing industry, Pilbara Minerals says.

It follows a previous agreement signed back in June.

The project aims to demonstrate a superior value-added lithium product to the existing industry supply chain, while also potentially delivering a significant reduction in carbon intensity, with potential industry benefits including:

  • Product cost – the flash calcination technology developed by Calix has the potential to treat very fine spodumene concentrate at lower lithia grades and materially improve overall lithia recovery, thereby enabling a lower cost per lithia unit;
  • Carbon intensity reduction – substantial carbon emission reduction through the electrification of the Mid-Stream process, including spodumene calcining, enabling the potential to use up to 100% renewable sourced power; and
  • Waste reduction/handing – rationalisation of the carbon footprint via reduced waste movement across transport and logistics supply chains from a more lithium-dense, and near zero-waste final product.

Pilbara Minerals’ Managing Director and CEO, Dale Henderson, said: “The Mid-Stream project has the potential to be a game changer for our industry. If successful, we will be able to deliver a superior chemical intermediary product to market compared to spodumene concentrate.

“This intermediate product offers a higher concentration in lithium and less impurities whilst being produced through a new process that reduces CO2 emissions compared to the traditional process route for hard-rock spodumene chemical conversion.”