Mechanical Design – Consultec

Gold Mine – Brownfield EP

Challenge

A Brownfield project to recommission a 2500 t/d gold concentrator in a remote location in Northern Canada with extreme winter conditions and accessibility challenges.

Process

Process areas included Coarse Stockpile Feed, SAG and Ball Mills, Gravity Concentrator, CIL, Electrowinning, CN Destruct, Tailings Thickening, Reagents, Goldroom.

Delivery

After completion of Basic Engineering, Consultec performed equipment and bulk procurement as well as detail engineering. Extensive refurbishment of existing structures and equipment was required.

Flotation Plant – Gold

Challenge

Detail Engineering and Procurement services for a new Carbon Preflotation Plant and Tie-Ins.

Process

BROWNFIELD project Including: (2) lines of (2) 600m3 Roughers (3) 300m3 Cleaners (3) 300m3 Scavengers Recleaner Column

Delivery

An existing Open Pit mine and processing facility located in Mexico has ore with high levels of carbonaceous material that when processed destabilizes the downstream lead and zinc flotation circuits leading to poor recovery and high operating costs. The project scope included diverting all of the existing plant’s mill feed to a carbon preflotation circuit consisting of roughers, cleaners, cleaner-scavengers and recleaner flotation cells in order to remove the carbonaceous material. The resulting “clean” tailings was pumped back into the existing lead/zinc flotation circuits. Consultec, in partnership with Outotec Canada, designed the plant and procured all equipment, plant services/utilities, and supported all bulk procurement, construction and commissioning activities. Basic + Detail Engineering were completed on a fast-track basis within an 8 month period and constructed/commissioned within 24 months of the start of basic engineering.

Mine Paste Fill

Challenge

An open pit expansion to two underground mines, required a new paste backfill system to produce a cemented backfill used to fill underground stopes. The paste backfill is composed of dewatered mill tailings and slag/cement binder mix that is pumped or allowed to flow by gravity. This part of Canada is both a severe cold climate and remote location for such a project requiring specific design consideration including: precast concrete work, modular design based on shipping dimensions, heat tracing and insulation of piping and bins, building and entry space heating.

Process

The facility included a 360 t/h paste plant, booster station and binder storage facility.

Delivery

Consultec, in partnership with an equipment supplier, designed the plant and procured the process equipment, plant services/utilities, electrical equipment and construction bulk materials.

Cement Kiln Line, 3000 t/d

Challenge

A fast-track project was commissioned by the owner to take advantage of a robust local cement market. The onus fell upon the engineering integrator, Consultec, to bring together diverse equipment suppliers and construct a new facility, adjacent to an existing kiln line that remained in operation throughout the project.

Process

For a new 3000 t/d kiln line, a carefully planned phased design was scheduled to facilitate equipment tie-ins during planned plant shutdowns.

Delivery

Consultec was the overall engineering integrator for this $250M project, and was responsible for balance of plant equipment procurement, mechanical, civil, structural and electrical design as well as construction supervision.

Rail Terminal – Coal

Challenge

To meet the growing demand for energy, coal from this western US coal mine is loaded on rail cars at the astonishing rate of 70 tons in 10 seconds. A reliable discharge system needed to be designed that could deal with the difficult flow properties of coal.

Process

After a detailed flowablility analysis, design of the unique withdrawal hopper and concrete silo was done with particular geometric properties and lined with materials to promote mass flow.

Delivery

As a fast track project, detail design was done in four months to enable a 12 month overall construction schedule. Consultec provided detailed civil, structural design.

Slag Grinding Mill

Challenge

This global cement producer has a policy of maximizing cement replacement materials in order to minimize the carbon footprint of the end product and to reduce production costs. Ground slag can substitute up to 30% of the ordinary portland cement used in the making of concrete This was in fact the first vertical mill for slag grinding in Canada and one of the first in the world.

Process

Although vertical grinding is a very energy efficient technology, the supporting equipment and controls is complex and confined to a small area. Further complicating the design, the system was to be designed to grind future materials such as clinker so the overall capacity varied from 60 t/h to 100 t/h.

Delivery

Consultec was the overall engineering integrator for this project. Responsible for balance of plant equipment, mechanical, civil, structural and electrical design as well as construction supervision.