Slurry equipment solutions company Weir Minerals Africa reports that it supplied an extensive combination of products for a specific plant layout to gold producer Resolute Mining’s Syama gold project, in southern Mali, West Africa, in the second quarter of this year.

Weir Minerals Africa received the order from Syama in the fourth quarter of 2012 to supply products that have been drawn from four of the Weir Minerals Africa brands – Warman pumps, Cavex cyclones, Isogate valves and Linatex rubber products.

“Our bid met all the customer’s technical specifications and was underpinned by the project engineer being familiar with our proven technology, as a result of an existing product footprint at the Syama plant, which includes Warman slurry pumps, Linatex rubber products and Cavex classification cyclones,” says Weir Minerals Africa cyclones and engineered systems product manager Nathi Ntuli.

“The order includes additional Warman mill circuit rubber-lined pumps, a range which is gaining substantial sales momentum in West Africa, owing to excellent performance,” highlights Weir Minerals Africa slurry pumps product manager Rui Gomes.

He adds that the pumps work well in most aggressive wear applications and they easily manage large-size particles in dense abrasive slurries, offering the right combination of ruggedness, durability, hydraulics and materials.

The scope of the order also includes an 18-way cyclone cluster, fitted with 16 Cavex 250CVX10 cyclones, Linatex rubber linings and Isogate pneumatic knifegate valves, which were chosen for their large bore opening. Isogate valves also provide a cost- effective solution for on/off throttling and the reverse-flow control of flowing media in industrial processes that involve abrasive or corrosive materials.

Cavex hydrocyclones feature a unique laminar spiral inlet geometry that is designed to deliver sharper separation, larger capacity and longer wear life, compared with conventional involute or tangential feel inlet cyclone designs.

“The Linatex rubber linings have been selected for the overflow and underflow launders, with a 20-mm-thick lining on the floors of the launders and a 12-mm-thick lining on the walls of the launders. These requirements were specified by the customer to allow for longer life and increased resistance to wear. This demonstrates the company’s ability to custom-engineer a solution to a specific application requirement,” states Ntuli.

Resolute Mining reports that ore for the Syama operation is sourced from the Syama openpit. Owing to the refractory nature of the ore, it is being treated using conventional four-stage crushing, ball milling, sulphide flotation and dewatering, roasting, calcine leaching and elution at a design rate of 2.4-million tons a year.

A continued focus on reliability and operational consistency resulted in much improved availability, use and metallurgical performance of the processing plant. Mill throughput levels are expected to further improve. Owing to the continued focus on maintenance processes, rectification works and improvements throughout the plant and roaster, improvements in plant performance are expected in 2014.

“Also, increasing mine head grades and the overall metallurgical recovery is expected to result in increased gold production,” Resolute Mining states.

Weir Minerals Africa points out that the Syama cluster is fully customised for the specific site conditions and includes a control panel for the Isogate pneumatic knifegate valves, a sampling point, an underflow launder and a custom-designed dart-valve box.

“The cluster, fed by Warman MCR slurry pumps, is part of a primary ball mill circuit that feeds the next stage of the carbon-in-leach process. The new equipment will be installed and commissioned later this year by the engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) contractor, which will be supported on site by Weir Minerals Africa’s process engineers and pump specialists. This team will continue to support the equipment through the supply of technical backup and spares until the end of the life of the mine,” explains Gomes.

He adds that the variety of equipment comprising this order reflects a growing trend by EPCMs to source a broad range of solutions from one provider. “Weir Minerals’ extensive product portfolio can support this trend and we’re increasingly incorporating a broad range of our products in tenders. “We back this up by means of our extensive branch network throughout Africa, often supporting customers in remote areas and providing after-sales services and a stockholding of spares at our premises and at client sites.”

Ntuli concludes that the performance and reputation of the company’s brands have been established at the project. This and the existing relationship with the customer, as well as the continuous tech- nical support and backup provided by the company’s branch in Ghana, helped secure the order for Weir Minerals Africa.