Gold Mining

Fraser-Lever undertook the EPCM component for the expansion of the existing oxide gold treatment plant on Simberi Island, including using leading edge innovation on the overall gold plant design. The scope of the gold plant design, engineering, constructions and management includes the following:  

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• New material sizing plant at the mine feeding onto the rope conveyor  

• Installation of a stockpile conveyor to feed a large live stockpile. Replacing the need for front end loader reclaim  

• Installation of a reclaim tunnel complete with apron feeder to provide feed to the new grinding circuit  

• New grinding circuit incorporating SAG mill, SER unit, feed conveyor, cyclones and with the capacity to be able to utilise the existing ball mill in series if required, for increased throughput. The SAG mill has a liner handler  

• Two additional leach tanks in order to provide the required residence time for gold dissolution. The existing tanks will all be converted to pulp tanks  

• A new carbon safety screen and tails box is required for the increased throughput. The existing loaded carbon screen is to be raised in order to be able to feed the revised elution layout which will consist of two columns in series (one for acid washing and one for elution) 

• A new pregnant liquor tank will be installed as part of the upgrade as well as two additional electrowinning cells  

• A tailings thickener is included to recover cyanide liquid and recirculate it  

• A cyanide destruction circuit has also been included together with the required reagent mixing facility for cyanide destruction. The discharge from the cyanide destruction circuit will report to the existing deep-sea tails disposal tank  

• Other facilities include new high and low pressure air, additional process water pumps and raw water pumps, a fire protection system for the plant, electrical system upgrade to accommodate the 11kV drive on the new SAG mill complete with new motor control centres, transformers and low voltage distribution. The upgraded system will utilise the same control system as the existing plant  

• Commissioning of the plant including performance testing