Southern Africa focus - InfoMine
Southern Africa focus - InfoMine
Southern Africa focus - InfoMine
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Pilot Crushtec, manufacturer of crushing,<br />
screening and conveying systems, is making<br />
its contribution to development in <strong>Africa</strong><br />
by providing equipment used to develop<br />
infrastructure and to boost minerals production.<br />
Equipment is being used by mines in the DRC,<br />
and in mining and infrastructure development<br />
in Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique, Angola,<br />
Zambia and Kenya. In Namibia, large investments<br />
have been made recently in Pilot Crushtec mobile<br />
screening equipment for use in diamond mining.<br />
Graham Kleinhans, Sales Manager, commented,<br />
“We have embarked upon a serious marketing<br />
drive into <strong>Africa</strong>. There is so much potential on<br />
the continent and politically, <strong>Africa</strong> is now<br />
considered to be more stable,” he said. “Our<br />
company is aiming at a 30% to 40% growth<br />
rate per annum and we believe we can achieve<br />
this with our growing sales into <strong>Africa</strong>.”<br />
He pointed out that 80% of sales into<br />
<strong>Africa</strong>n countries comprise complete systems<br />
from its modular range of semi-mobile, skid<br />
mounted, ready-to-run crushing, screening and<br />
conveying equipment. “These systems meet<br />
current needs in <strong>Africa</strong> because they are<br />
cost-effective and relatively easy to move around.<br />
The modular system is readily extended as the<br />
need for production increases,” stated Kleinhans.<br />
“Another interesting development is that<br />
foreign companies investing in <strong>Africa</strong> have a<br />
preference for equipment from South <strong>Africa</strong>nbased<br />
companies because they are assured of<br />
an efficient back-up service. Now we can see<br />
the benefit of a ‘made in South <strong>Africa</strong>’ sticker<br />
on our products. Investors want to know the<br />
product they buy has a warranty that means<br />
something,” he said.<br />
“We put everything together in one package<br />
by providing a system for material to be fed in<br />
at one end, processed and for the finished<br />
product to come out on the other end,”<br />
Kleinhans commented. “We put it all together<br />
quickly, with a 12 month warranty, and we<br />
guarantee that it will work smoothly. Today,<br />
people prefer to buy the whole puzzle, and this<br />
is the unique service that we provide.”<br />
www.pilotcrushtec.com<br />
At the beginning of January Bateman Engineering<br />
secured the engineering, procurement and<br />
construction (EPC) contracts with Equinox<br />
SOUTHERN AFRICA FOCUS<br />
<strong>Southern</strong> <strong>Africa</strong> <strong>focus</strong><br />
IM looks at some of the new ideas, new technologies and new techniques from a<br />
few of the ever resourceful suppliers and engineers of South <strong>Africa</strong> and the region<br />
Pilot Crushtec’s Slaes Manager, Graham Kleinhans,<br />
stated that 80% of sales into <strong>Africa</strong>n countries<br />
comprise complete systems from its modular range of<br />
semi-mobile, skid mounted, ready-to-run crushing,<br />
screening and conveying equipment.<br />
Minerals for the $408 million Lumwana project<br />
in Zambia. The Lumwana project is one of the<br />
largest copper projects to be undertaken on the<br />
<strong>Africa</strong>n continent. The project is to be executed<br />
through a joint venture with Ausenco and is to<br />
be split equally between the two companies.<br />
Project completion is expected by June 2008.<br />
Since January 2006, Bateman Engineering<br />
and Ausenco have completed more than<br />
one-third of the front end engineering and<br />
design for the Lumwana project on a reimbursable<br />
EPCM basis. Similarly, orders for a<br />
majority of the major equipment items have<br />
been placed and bulk earthworks will soon be<br />
finished. Following the receipt of a notice to<br />
proceed, the contract will convert from EPCM<br />
to EPC, and the advance work performed will<br />
enable Bateman Engineering to achieve rapid<br />
FEBRUARY 2007 International Mining 25
SOUTHERN AFRICA FOCUS<br />
progress and a relatively high percentage of<br />
completion early on.<br />
This new order brings the total amount of<br />
new orders for the six month period ending<br />
December 31, 2006 to some $500 million. This<br />
is 185% up from the $175 million in new<br />
orders for the same period in the previous year,<br />
and significantly above the $308 million<br />
secured in the entire previous financial year<br />
ending June 2006. This very strong momentum<br />
in new orders is a reflection of the continued<br />
buoyant market in which Bateman is operating<br />
as well as the success the company is realizing<br />
in its strategic initiatives. Major new orders<br />
were secured in Zambia (copper), South <strong>Africa</strong><br />
(coal handling) and India (zinc), increasing the<br />
company's sector diversification and geographic<br />
diversification. This is also a reflection of the<br />
increasingly important role Bateman<br />
Engineering is playing in the global resource<br />
sector. Bateman Engineering expects to meet or<br />
exceed market expectations for the current<br />
financial year ending June 2007.<br />
Commenting on these developments, Dr Sivi<br />
Gounden, CEO of Bateman Engineering, said,<br />
“The Lumwana copper contract underscores<br />
Bateman Engineering's central role in the<br />
development of mining resources in Central<br />
<strong>Africa</strong> and in particular in the Copperbelt. This<br />
project is one of the biggest copper developments<br />
currently under way, and should provide Bateman<br />
Engineering with an excellent reference site for<br />
further work in the copper industry.”<br />
www.batemanengineering.com<br />
In October 2006 Bell Equipment started to<br />
use the rollout of tier 3 specification engines in<br />
its ADTs as an opportunity to introduce<br />
upgrades to its D-series range. The most<br />
noticeable changes were to the interior of the<br />
cab. The instrument panel has been replaced<br />
by one featuring newer technologies such as<br />
stepper motor gauges, LED warning lights<br />
rather than globes and a dot matrix screen as<br />
opposed to a LCD screen.<br />
Other cab improvements include the<br />
repositioning of the relays, circuit breakers<br />
and radio from the roof panel to a position at<br />
the left hand side of the operator for better<br />
access and easier service and maintenance.<br />
The front windscreen bonding area has been<br />
increased and a rear windscreen wiper option is<br />
now available. Operator comfort and ease of<br />
use were two of the key criteria for cab<br />
upgrades; hence the steering wheel adjustment<br />
clearance has also been improved along with<br />
the cooler box temperature control and the seat<br />
adjustment clearance. A further enhancement<br />
to the cab is the new seat that boasts an<br />
improved design to reduce whole body<br />
vibration with fore and aft damping as<br />
26 International Mining FEBRUARY 2007<br />
The trommel viewed during final<br />
manufacture at Multotec’s facilities<br />
well as vertical isolation for greater operator<br />
comfort.<br />
An improved hydraulic block across the Bell<br />
ADT range has reduced residual pressure to<br />
effectively decrease fuel burn and reduce noise<br />
in the cab. Improvedhydraulic hose routing and<br />
a simpler brake pedal are geared to improve<br />
reliability and offer easier servicing and<br />
maintenance. Likewise, a simplified pneumatics<br />
system has improved the commonality of<br />
pneumatics systems throughout the range and<br />
has succeeded in reducing the parts count. The<br />
new hydraulic block has paved the way for the<br />
introduction of an electro-hydraulic tip function<br />
with an ‘I-Tip’ programmable control and tip<br />
cylinder soft stops. The innovative I-Tip system<br />
links the accelerator, neutral button on the<br />
transmission, the soft stop on top of the<br />
hydraulic cylinders, the park brake and the<br />
bin-tip lever - all of which are monitored and<br />
controlled by the electronic chassis control<br />
module of the ADT. www.bell.co.za<br />
Multotec has supplied two trommels to Lihir<br />
gold mine in Papua New Guinea, fulfilling an<br />
order placed by Outokumpu Australia. “These<br />
trommels will be installed on the end of<br />
Morganshammer mills manufactured by<br />
Outokumpu; one is a SAG mill and the other a<br />
ball mill,” explains Anthony Yell, Product<br />
Manager - Screening.<br />
On the SAG mill, the trommel is a unique<br />
design and one which is not often used.<br />
“Essentially, the trommel’s function is to<br />
remove scats and pieces of steel balls which<br />
were not completely ground down in the mill,<br />
thereby protecting the downstream circuit<br />
processes. While the SAG trommel operates in<br />
this manner, here provision has been made for<br />
a bucket wheel arrangement and return pipe at<br />
the end of the trommel, which automatically<br />
picks up the scats and returns these to the mill<br />
for regrinding,” says Yell.<br />
Generally this type of system uses water in<br />
the return pipe to force the material back into<br />
the mill. However, in this instance, the chute<br />
work is designed to return the scats and pieces<br />
of steel dry to reduce water content going back<br />
to the mill and generally to reduce water<br />
consumption. The return pipe has a spiral or<br />
scroll arrangement to facilitate the feed of<br />
material back into the mill.<br />
“We designed it specifically to return only<br />
the normal oversize amount of material back<br />
into the mill. Should a grate plate in the mill<br />
fail and the oversize be excessive, the return<br />
system will limit the amount returned with the<br />
balance reporting to an overflow chute. This<br />
was done to prevent choking of the system,<br />
rendering it failsafe,” he says.<br />
The SAG trommel has an inside diameter of<br />
1,710 mm and is 2,733 mm in length with a<br />
mass of 4.5 t. Conventional modular injection<br />
moulded polyurethane panels have been used<br />
measuring 305 x 305 mm x 36 mm thick.<br />
The second trommel is attached to the ball<br />
mill and has an inside diameter of 2,697 mm, a
UUnlocking nlocking A<strong>Africa</strong>’s frica’s WWealth ealth<br />
FF or more than 40 years, Bateman Engineering expertise has been<br />
assisting the <strong>Africa</strong>n continent to release its mineral wealth through<br />
the design, construction and project management of process plants<br />
to convert natural resources into marketable products.<br />
Metals processing plants.<br />
Minerals processing plants.<br />
Engineered technologies.<br />
Finance facilitation.<br />
■ Project services<br />
Studies and planning, engineering, procurement, project<br />
management, commissioning, operation and maintenance.<br />
■ Finance and commercial facilitation<br />
Sourcing funds for projects and arranging off-take agreements<br />
for products.<br />
■ Application of state-of-the-art process technology<br />
Design and construction of commercially viable process plants.<br />
■ In-house know-how<br />
Feed preparation, minerals processing, solvent extraction,<br />
electrowinning, etc.<br />
Smelting, molten-metal and slag handling.<br />
Bulk-materials handling, conveying and conveying, storage silos.<br />
Environmental and dust control.<br />
Bateman Engineering handles all kinds of projects, from the largest<br />
turnkey contracts to retrofits, modifications, audits and staff<br />
training. Flexible contract structures manage commercial risk.<br />
Our proud track record includes Kasese – cobalt, Uganda;<br />
Skorpion – zinc, Nambia; Chambishi – cobalt, Angola; Zisco –<br />
iron ore, Zimbabwe; Moma – mineral sands, Mozambique and<br />
Miba – diamonds, DRC; as well as many of South <strong>Africa</strong>’s leading<br />
projects in diamonds, platinum-group metals, industrial minerals,<br />
base metals and gold.<br />
Bateman Engineering N. V.<br />
Amsteldijk 166, 1079 LH Amsterdam, Netherlands<br />
Offices in <strong>Africa</strong>, the Americas, Australasia and Eurasia<br />
For your process-plant requirements, call us at:<br />
Tel : +27-11-899-9111<br />
Email: enquiries@BatemanEngineering.com<br />
Web: www.BatemanEngineering.com<br />
– process plants that work
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Telephone: +27 35 907 9431<br />
email: sales@bell.co.za<br />
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Telephone: +27 11 928 9700<br />
email: africa@bell.co.za<br />
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SOUTHERN AFRICA FOCUS<br />
length of 3,628 mm and a mass of 11 t. “In<br />
this trommel, we have used the latest designs<br />
developed using Finite Element Analysis by<br />
Multotec with extensive cross bracing, which<br />
reduces the chances of torsional twisting when<br />
started under load,” Yell points out.<br />
When trommels reach over 2.5 m in diameter,<br />
it is cost effective to use large bolt- down<br />
screen panels, as less steelwork is required,<br />
reducing the costs of the steel structure and<br />
making it lighter. This trommel is fitted with<br />
cast polyurethane panels 596 x 875 mm x 50 mm<br />
thick.<br />
The frames on both trommels are rubber<br />
lined to prevent corrosion and erosion of the<br />
steelwork and extend the life of the trommel<br />
frame. They were both manufactured at<br />
Multotec’s Spartan facility and panels were<br />
installed prior to shipping.<br />
www.multotec.com<br />
Boart Longyear (BL) has moved from a<br />
regional to a global structure and, in South<br />
<strong>Africa</strong>, this means that all manufacturing<br />
operations and warehousing of the group’s<br />
other product lines have been consolidated at<br />
Boart Longyear Roodepoort. The Roodepoort<br />
plant has been designated as one of BL’s global<br />
centre’s of excellence which<br />
means that – in addition to<br />
selling and supporting the<br />
full range of BL products<br />
and services - it is now the<br />
group’s sole manufacturer<br />
of certain product lines for<br />
the global market. Locally<br />
manufactured products<br />
include the worldrenowned<br />
percussive<br />
rockdrills and hardrock<br />
tools.<br />
BL’s fastest growing<br />
business sector is drilling<br />
services – which provides<br />
rigs, crews and project<br />
management services for<br />
drilling applications across the spectrum of<br />
surface coring, underground coring and longhole<br />
drilling and blasting operations – and is<br />
active across sub-Saharan <strong>Africa</strong>, from its<br />
Roodepoort base. Working predominantly in<br />
Botswana and South <strong>Africa</strong>, BL draws on its<br />
innovative capability and international expertise<br />
to overcome the difficult drilling challenges and<br />
is the region’s exclusive provider of underground<br />
directional coal drilling services and a<br />
leader in long-hole drilling and blasting.<br />
“In Roodepoort, and around the world, our<br />
dual status as drilling service provider and<br />
drilling product manufacturer gives us a unique<br />
perspective on our customers’ needs and the<br />
30 International Mining FEBRUARY 2007<br />
optimal solutions required to satisfy them,”<br />
says Marketing Manager Joseph Oerson.<br />
“Whether undertaking surface coring or underground<br />
percussive drilling operations for our<br />
customers – or supplying them with products<br />
for their own use - we only sell and use the<br />
world’s most trusted equipment.<br />
“All the rigs, the consumables and the<br />
technology – for rotary, sonic, surface coring,<br />
underground coring and geotechnical applications -<br />
are developed and manufactured by us to the<br />
toughest specifications, with valued input from<br />
our own highly experienced drilling operators,”<br />
Oerson commented.<br />
www.boartlongyear.com<br />
NCS Engineering has been a supplier of<br />
failsafe braking systems to the mining industry<br />
since the late 1980s.The last few years saw the<br />
introduction of the Maxim-B brand of<br />
failsafe braking systems, which included a<br />
range of products for a variety of trackless<br />
mining vehicles, including a range of brakes for<br />
the utility vehicle market.<br />
Nxco Mining Technologies’ NoneX rock breaking<br />
cartridges being used in a narrow vein platinum stope.<br />
With an increased presence in the market<br />
place and the apparent lack of purpose built<br />
personnel carriers and support vehicles for<br />
underground mining applications, the company<br />
decided to design and develop its own mining<br />
support vehicle. The company’s primary<br />
objective was to develop and supply a purpose<br />
built vehicle to withstand the underground<br />
environment, with emphasis on build and<br />
component quality, safety and the reduction of<br />
the maintenance and operational costs.<br />
The result, the new Maxim-B support<br />
vehicle, is driven through four hydrostatic drive<br />
motors fitted to the wheel ends of the vehicle.<br />
These drives can be supplied either as single or<br />
dual speed ranges and offer an excellent means<br />
of power transmission when variable output<br />
speed is required. Hydrostatic drives typically<br />
outperform mechanical and electrical variablespeed<br />
drives and gear-type transmissions, offering<br />
a relatively fast response, allowing for vastly<br />
variable speed control and being able to<br />
maintain precise speed under varying loads.<br />
In addition to this, they are able to offer a<br />
smooth and controllable acceleration and they<br />
can be stalled without any damage. The ease<br />
of control, compact and lighter package and<br />
advanced electronic control of the drive<br />
motors made it a favourable selection for the<br />
support vehicle.<br />
The Maxim-B support vehicle comes fitted<br />
with a 48 kW naturally aspirated diesel engine.<br />
A Maxim-B liquid cooled SAHR type failsafe<br />
braking system is fitted to all four wheels. The<br />
vehicle is initially offered in either a high (1.8 m)<br />
or low (1.4 m) profile configured as a personnel<br />
carrier with a load bay.<br />
www.maximb.co.za<br />
NoneX rock breaking cartridges, Nxco<br />
Mining Technologies’ low impact method of<br />
breaking rock and concrete, have been<br />
exported and used in 26 countries worldwide.<br />
They are accepted worldwide<br />
as a viable alternative<br />
to the use of high<br />
explosives. The unique<br />
characteristics of the NoneX<br />
cartridge make it the product<br />
of first choice in any<br />
rock breaking application in<br />
environmentally sensitive<br />
areas or in close proximity<br />
to existing infrastructure,<br />
providing safe and effective<br />
non-explosive rock breaking<br />
and boulder splitting. The<br />
cartridges break rock with<br />
minimal fly rock, vibration<br />
and noise and are available<br />
in 12, 28, 34 and 60-mm<br />
diameters; and in charge-weights from 2 to<br />
500 g. www.nonex.co.za<br />
“Roymec Technologies cover all aspects of<br />
solid-liquid separation including screening and<br />
dual media filtration,” says Managing Director,<br />
Malcolm Royal. “Our emphasis is to offer<br />
customized solutions to our customers, which<br />
extend from laboratory and pilot plant testing,<br />
design assistance around core equipment<br />
through to installation and commissioning.”<br />
From membrane filters through to filter<br />
presses and including thickeners, vacuum belt<br />
filters and screens, Roymec Technologies’ offers<br />
an extensive complement of solid-liquid<br />
separation equipment. Its portfolio also includes
SOUTHERN AFRICA FOCUS<br />
The Melco Rollerbrake was designed to prevent belt<br />
runback. By adding it to the conventional Melco roll it<br />
provides unidirectional stopping to any inclined<br />
conveyor installation.<br />
continuous and fixed bed ion exchange<br />
systems. Pin bed clarifier technology has<br />
enhanced its range recently. Recent sales into<br />
Zambia, for instance, include dual media filters<br />
for Kansanshi and Mopani and pin bed clarifiers<br />
for Nkana. Belt screens have been sold into<br />
Kazakhstan, for Varvarinskoye and vacuum belt<br />
filters for FGD projects in China.<br />
www.roymec.edx.co.za<br />
LignoTech manufactures a variety of<br />
lignin-based products that are environmentally<br />
friendly and are based on renewable natural<br />
resources, namely lignosulphate, which is a<br />
co-product of cellulose production. For<br />
���������������������������������<br />
32 International Mining FEBRUARY 2007<br />
instance, LignoTech manufactures lignin-based<br />
dispersants that prevent elemental sulphur,<br />
formed during pressure-leaching, from coating<br />
the desired sulphide ore particles. Recovery of<br />
copper, nickel, zinc and other metals is thus<br />
increased. The binding property of lignosulphonates<br />
is utilized as a dust palliative for<br />
dust control on roads and other dust binding<br />
applications. www.lignotech.com<br />
The Melco Rollerbrake was designed and<br />
developed to prevent belt runback, reduce<br />
downtime and minimize the risk of injury to<br />
personnel. By adding the Rollerbrake to the<br />
conventional Melco roll, this essential device<br />
provides reliable unidirectional stopping power<br />
to any inclined conveyor installation, and<br />
supplements conventional conveyor holdback<br />
devices in the event of their failure. The contact<br />
surfaces of the brake are not load-bearing<br />
during normal operation, so there is no<br />
additional friction added to the conveyor<br />
installation. Melco Rollerbrakes are available in<br />
all Melco standard roller shaft and bearing<br />
configurations. www.melcoconveyors.com<br />
Nedbank Capital, the investment banking<br />
business of the Nedbank Group consists of a<br />
number of divisions that together manage the<br />
structuring, lending, underwriting and trading<br />
businesses. One such division is Specialized<br />
Finance with its three sectoral specialist teams<br />
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that serve as Nedbank Capital’s knowledge<br />
hub: energy; infrastructure; mining and<br />
resources. Mark Tyler, Head of Mining and<br />
Resources at Nedbank Capital said, “The<br />
investment bank adopted an industryknowledge<br />
model three years ago where strong<br />
sector-<strong>focus</strong>ed teams pursue opportunities in<br />
mining, energy, and infrastructure.”<br />
The Mining and Resources team specializes<br />
in the customized design and implementation<br />
of sophisticated and innovative deal solutions<br />
to entities undertaking major infrastructure and<br />
mining projects in <strong>Africa</strong> and the rest of the<br />
world. These include structured debt,<br />
project finance, equity, quasi-equity and<br />
corporate advisory services that take advantage<br />
of Nedbank’s substantial balance sheet to<br />
create value for its clients. Tyler says the Mining<br />
and Resources unit has emerged as a formidable<br />
project finance force, with deal flow having<br />
contributed about a third of all project-financerelated<br />
activities over the past two years in<br />
South <strong>Africa</strong>.<br />
The unit provides a single gateway to the<br />
wide range of assets - both intellectual and<br />
financial - that are available at Nedbank. The<br />
team's considerable hands-on expertise and<br />
deep understanding of banking products and<br />
services allow it to guide clients to an optimal<br />
solution quickly and efficiently.<br />
The final critical path component necessary to proceed on schedule,<br />
the ball mill, was successfully delivered to Rio Narcea’s Tasiast gold<br />
project in Mauritania in October 2006.<br />
The team specializes in providing complete<br />
deal solution from sourcing and negotiating the<br />
transaction to providing relevant advice and<br />
designing an optimal funding package that<br />
creates benefits for all parties. This offering<br />
02/07<br />
embraces the full range of financing instruments<br />
(equity and quasi-equity, as well as mezzanine,<br />
junior and senior debt funding), the syndication<br />
of such instruments, documentation and postdeal<br />
administration. www.nedbank.co.za<br />
FEBRUARY 2007 International Mining 33
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That’s where the action is.<br />
Keeping a close eye on things
SOUTHERN AFRICA FOCUS<br />
Rio Narcea’s Tasiast gold project in<br />
Mauritania has total proven and probable<br />
reserves of 885,000 oz gold, with a further<br />
1.19 Moz in measured and indicated resources.<br />
In January 2005, Rio Narcea awarded the basic<br />
engineering for the project to Senet. Capital<br />
costs for the Tasiast project are estimated at<br />
$63.5 million and the cash cost over the<br />
eight-plus year open pit mine-life is expected to<br />
average $240/oz.<br />
In November 2005, construction commenced<br />
followed by a lump-sum turnkey contract,<br />
finalized in January 2006 with Senet for the<br />
construction of the plant, the camp and related<br />
facilities. Construction of the project is expected<br />
to be completed during the first half of 2007,<br />
with first gold production expected shortly<br />
thereafter.<br />
All critical path items were on site by the<br />
beginning of November and construction was<br />
proceeding on schedule. The final critical path<br />
component necessary to proceed on schedule,<br />
the ball mill, which was manufactured and jaw crusher were due to arrive at the end of<br />
bench-tested in China, was successfully<br />
November. Civil construction was 92%<br />
delivered to the mine site in October 2006. complete, with pending work relating to the<br />
The overall progress of Senet’s works at the crushing area, foundations, laboratory and<br />
end of October was 80% with engineering ROM tipping bin. The structural and mechanical<br />
completed and orders procured. The shipping erection was 46% complete and electrical<br />
was 64% complete. The cone crushers were works 20% complete. The tailings storage<br />
already in Mauritania and the thickener and the facilities were well advanced with paddock 1<br />
complete and earthworks<br />
and plastic lining<br />
of paddock 2 in<br />
progress.<br />
Clayton Equipment Ltd The water supply to<br />
Maximum Uptime the mine had been<br />
Minimum Maintenance established, with the<br />
pipeline successfully<br />
pressure tested and the<br />
World Leading Locomotives<br />
reservoir ready. The<br />
& Haulage Solutions<br />
diesel power plant<br />
for Mining, Tunnelling &<br />
became operational in<br />
Surface Transport<br />
December 2006.<br />
With 73 years of experience and “The delivery of the<br />
ISO 9001:2000 approval,<br />
ball mill represents the<br />
Clayton Equipment can satisfy any final critical piece of<br />
haulage requirement at lowest cost<br />
equipment to arrive<br />
of ownership.<br />
safely on site. Our<br />
•¥Battery,<br />
Trolley, Diesel &<br />
construction timetable<br />
Flameproof Battery Locomotives<br />
continues to progress<br />
•¥Rolling<br />
Stock<br />
on schedule. When<br />
combined with the<br />
•¥Transfer<br />
Cars<br />
recently announced<br />
•¥Refurbishments<br />
and conversions<br />
18% increase in open<br />
•¥Custom<br />
Builds<br />
pit ounces, our<br />
•¥Training<br />
optimism for the Tasiast<br />
Please contact us for more information: gold project and our<br />
Clayton Equipment Ltd<br />
ability to augment gold<br />
Telephone Telephone: +44 (0) 1283 870 112 812382 9191 Fax: Fax +44 (0) 870 1283 112 814772 9192<br />
e-mail info@claytonequipment.co.uk ounces in and around<br />
web site www.claytonequipment.co.uk it, has been further<br />
36 International Mining FEBRUARY 2007<br />
A birdseye view of Mintek’s Atomijet at Implats<br />
refinery in Springs, showing the melting head (right)<br />
and the atomizer cup (left), with the power supply in<br />
the background.<br />
enhanced,” said Chris von Christierson,<br />
Chairman and CEO of Rio Narcea.<br />
www.rionarcea.com<br />
At the end of December 2006 Major Drilling<br />
Group International purchased the drilling operations<br />
of the Longstaff Group in southern <strong>Africa</strong>.<br />
These include the operations of Raldril in South<br />
<strong>Africa</strong>, RA Longstaff in Botswana, and RA<br />
Longstaff in Namibia.<br />
These businesses operate in regions where<br />
Major Drilling does not currently have a presence.<br />
Through this purchase Major Drilling will acquire<br />
55 conventional drill rigs, together with related<br />
support equipment, inventory, and contracts.<br />
“We are very pleased to welcome these new<br />
operations into the Major group. Not only does<br />
this acquisition provide us with assets, experienced<br />
drillers and existing contracts in southern<br />
<strong>Africa</strong>, but it will also facilitate our expansion<br />
into other countries in the region,” said Francis<br />
McGuire, President and CEO of Major Drilling<br />
Group International. www.majordrilling.com<br />
DRA Mineral Projects is an engineering<br />
company which specializes in project management<br />
and process plant design. The company also<br />
offers services in feasibility studies, procurement<br />
of equipment and supplies, fabrication and<br />
erection, commissioning and training. In August<br />
2006 DRA completed the upgrade of Anglo<br />
Platinum’s Amandelbult concentrator from<br />
30,000 to 75,000 t/month throughput of UG2<br />
ore.
The extension consisted of front-end<br />
conveying upgrades, transfer and feeding<br />
station modifications, crushing, silo storage,<br />
primary, secondary silicate and chrome milling,<br />
four stages of flotation, classification and sampling.<br />
Ore is received via the existing UG2<br />
rail-bunker system, and the new plant makes<br />
use of up-graded existing tailings thickening,<br />
reagent make-up and concentrate handling<br />
facilities.<br />
Critical to the entire project was the tie-in to<br />
existing operating plant. Due to the substantial<br />
feed requirement increases required after a load<br />
flow study was completed by Lebedev, DRA<br />
had to change conveyor profiles, belting,<br />
pulleys, drives, electrics, add feeders and<br />
strengthen the structural steelwork in<br />
buildings. www.drasa.co.za<br />
Mintek, based in Randburg, South <strong>Africa</strong>,<br />
specializes in mineral and metallurgical research<br />
and development (R&D), technology transfer<br />
and beneficiation. Working closely with industry<br />
and other R&D institutions, Mintek provides<br />
service testwork, process development and<br />
optimization, consulting and innovative products<br />
to clients worldwide. In October 2006 Implats<br />
successfully commissioned Mintek’s Atomijet<br />
atomizer for Impala Platinum Refineries in<br />
Springs, South <strong>Africa</strong>.<br />
The custom-designed unit employs induction<br />
heating to melt the charge, and three highpressure<br />
water nozzles to impact on the stream<br />
of molten metal, transforming it into fine<br />
powder. Control of the pour is automated to<br />
ensure consistent results. “The technology is<br />
similar to normal atomizing, but is more costeffective”,<br />
said Nick Maritz, Manager of<br />
Mintek’s Engineering Services Division.<br />
“The particles of the product produced by<br />
the Atomijet are somewhat coarser than<br />
those from a normal atomizer – 90% smaller<br />
than 300 m as opposed to 40 to 70 m,<br />
which is much finer than needed for some<br />
applications.”<br />
The Atomijet was originally developed as an<br />
adjunct to Mintek’s Minataur all-hydrometallurgical<br />
gold refining process, in which it is used<br />
to prepare atomized gold for leaching. The unit<br />
at Impala is a second-generation machine<br />
featuring a number of improvements.<br />
“Specifically, the melting head and the atomizer<br />
cup have been separated, each with its own<br />
independent induction heating coil”, explained<br />
Maritz. “This enables greater operating temperatures<br />
to be attained – in excess of 1,600°C,<br />
compared to about 1,100°C with the earlier<br />
models. This extends the range of materials that<br />
can be processed.” www.mintek.co.za<br />
Mining equipment simulators are becoming<br />
more and more popular, particularly in the<br />
02/07<br />
current times of long lead times for equipment.<br />
They allow operators to be trained without<br />
taking equipment out of the production process.<br />
Fifth Dimension Technologies (5DT) offers<br />
simulators for surface mining (like haul trucks,<br />
all kind of loading tools and dozers) and underground<br />
(like continuous miners and roof bolters).<br />
Looking in more detail at the longwall<br />
training simulator, the trainee wears a Head<br />
Mounted Display (HMD) and controls the<br />
machine with the same radio remote controller<br />
that is used for the real machine. First the<br />
trainee is taught the shearer, and then how to<br />
operate the radio device. From this point, the<br />
trainee can move on to cutting coal with the<br />
shearer. The operator can control the primary<br />
and secondary booms, the cutting drums, the<br />
cutting direction, the water sprays and the<br />
cowels. The longwall roof supports are<br />
controlled from the simulator keyboard.<br />
As well as teaching control of the shearer,<br />
this simulator can teach trainees about the<br />
longwall process. Trainees can ‘walk’ up and<br />
down the face and underneath the shields.<br />
Trainees can view the advance of the longwall<br />
in accelerated mode, facilitating a rapid<br />
understanding of the mining method. The system<br />
also has a ‘see-through’ mode where the longwall<br />
may be viewed from any angle through<br />
the coal. www.5dt.com<br />
FEBRUARY 2007 International Mining 37