https://www.miningweekly.com

Producing hydromining technology for greater productivity

18th August 2017

By: Simone Liedtke

Creamer Media Social Media Editor & Senior Writer

     

Font size: - +

Mining services provider Fraser Alexander is developing two technologies – a jet-pump system and an automated hydraulic remining unit – for the efficient reclamation of gold or platinum tailings through hydromining.

Fraser Alexander technical services GM Ross Cooper explains to Mining Weekly that hydromining is site dependent and reclaims mine waste using high-pressure water to repulp tailings, which is then pumped to the process plant for retreatment.

Although jet-pump technology is not new, it has not yet been used on tailings reclamation projects, but it is now being introduced for coarse- and high-specific gravity tailings which are difficult to reclaim efficiently using conventional hydromining techniques.

Owing to this challenge, Fraser Alexander is aiming to create a reliable jet-pump unit that can be used in combination with the dry mining of coarse or heavy tailings and is currently trialling a jet-pump system at a platinum reclamation project near Rustenburg.

“The tailings are dry-mined, screened and then tipped into a hopper with water that feeds the jet pump, which then fluidises the tailings, pumping it to the transfer pump station, thereby eliminating the need for trenches and vertical spindle pumps,” explains Cooper.

He adds that this system is to be used in zones of coarse tailings concurrently with the hydromining of fine tailings.

“Although the cost of dry mining the coarse fraction is higher than conventional hydromining, the system eliminates the costly exercise of having to mechanically haul the coarse tailings to the plant, which is current practice,” Cooper points out, noting that the technology will also be trialled at a second site prior to being included in Fraser Alexander’s service offering.

Automated Track Gun
Cooper says the company is also developing an automated hydraulic remining unit – the Automated Track Gun – which aims to reduce extreme weather-related production losses of manually operated hydromining units to a minimum and is largely suitable for hydromining projects requiring high production rates.

Although development of the standard track guns started in-house about 15 years ago, he notes that the more advanced automation was only developed this year, with the units earmarked for use at existing large reclamation projects in South Africa and South America.

“The movement of the water cannon, or track gun, is controlled electronically through a series of programs that can reproduce the most efficient remining pattern for a specific site.”

Cooper further mentions that the automated track gun’s preprogrammed patterns can easily be tailored to a specific site’s needs.

The control unit also has a ‘learning mode’ that can be used to create a dedicated pattern based on the operator’s actions in manual mode.

Additional developments to the automated remining unit are being undertaken and comprise the installation of specialised cameras and terrain sensors, with the first camera being installed for trial at one of Fraser Alexander’s operations.

“Owing to the size of these projects, a number of units will be required to operate simultaneously; however, they will be monitored and operated from a remote control room by a single operator. This will remove all operators from the current cut face and present significant improvement in safety and cost saving in terms of labour.”

Edited by Tracy Hancock
Creamer Media Contributing Editor

Comments

The content you are trying to access is only available to subscribers.

If you are already a subscriber, you can Login Here.

If you are not a subscriber, you can subscribe now, by selecting one of the below options.

For more information or assistance, please contact us at subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za.

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION