Process Plant Design
The AMS team have been involved cumulatively in over 150 process plants over the last 20 years approximately – a large number of these process plants have been related to gold processing.
The AMS preferred approach is to carry out the engineering design for a process plant to around 80% completion – this is preferably done during the final definitive study phase.
Once engineering is at such a level of completion, AMS can offer a lump-sum turnkey offer for the remaining design, procurement and construction of the process plant – included in the offer would be process and completion guarantees and an “open book” approach to the lump-sum price.
This approach enables the client to maximise debt finance by providing high levels of confidence to the banks
If this approach is carried out in parallel with a final definitive study, then capital cost estimates, resulting from detailed engineering can be incorporated into the study, providing significantly higher levels of accuracy in the costs and economics.
The AMS team’s wealth of experience in process plant design and construction enables its engineers to provide these reassuring guarantees to a project.
Recent Process Plant Design - Construct Projects include:
- Co-O Gold Project - Philippines
- Sino Thickener Project - Australia
- Kipoi Copper Project - Democratic Republic of Congo
- Barrambie Vanadium Project
- Golden Hills Gold Project - Mongolia
- Dargues Reef - Australia
- Mount Carlton - Silver Hill Project
- Granites Mine - Vent Fan Upgrade
- Inata Gold Project - Burkina Faso
- Kylylahti Polymetallic Concentrator Project - Finland
- Lichkvaz Polymetallic Project - SE Armenia
- Mungada Ridge Hematite Iron Ore Project - Midwest of WA
Co-O Gold Project - Philippines
AMS has been engaged to undertake the engineering and procurement management (EPM) services for the development of a 750,000 tpa gold process facility located on the Philippine island of Mindanao.
Project principal: Medusa Mining Limited
Commencement date: March 2011
Sino Thickener Project - Australia
Arccon has been awarded a contract for the design and construction of two 90 metre tailings thickeners at the Sino Iron project at Cape Preston by China Metallurgical Group Corporation (MCC). Arccon submitted a non-conforming lump-sum bid for these thickeners which provided the client with significant cost and time savings.
Project principal: China Metallurgical Group Corporation (MCC)
Commencement date: November 2010
Completion date: May 2011
Kipoi Copper Project - Democratic Republic of Congo
AMS has been engaged to undertake a scoping study based on processing the various stockpiles generated during the HMS operation and developing a 50,000 tpa copper production facility capable of processing the remaining ore deposits. Multiple options are being studied with an objective of the study to match the project’s capital development expenditure with probable cash flow generation.
Poject principal: Tiger Resources Limited
Commencement date: November 2010
Barrambie Vanadium Project - Australia
AMS, with partner NFC, are undertaking a design optimisation review of the current Barrambie Vanadium study and intend to submit a lump-sum proposal. The review will seek to capitalise on “fit for purpose” design opportunities combined with cost effective Chinese manufacturing which is expected to result in lower capital and operating costs for the client.
Project principal: Reed Resources Limited
Commencement date: May 2010
Completion date: April 2011
Golden Hills Gold Project - Mongolia
AMS were engaged to undertake a study and design of a western-style CIL gold plant. The plant was to be in the order of 0.75Mtpa from an open pit mine. During the study development, testwork results indicated the ore to be susceptible to heap leaching a second study was commenced to assess this option also.
Project principal: Bayan Airag LLC, a subsidiary of Hong Kong based, Kerry Holdings Ltd
Commencement date: May 2010
Completion date: March 2011
Dargues Reef - Australia
AMS were engaged to undertake a study and design of a gold flotation plant The project facilities comprise a mineral process concentrator to process sulphide ore from an underground mine. The process facility will produce a gold concentrate and doré as saleable products.
Project principal: Cortona Resources Limited.
Commencement date: April 2010
Completion date: October 2010
Mount Carlton - Silver Hill Project - Queensland
This project covers a definitive feasibility study for the development of a gold, silver and copper polymetallic orebody located South of Townsville in Queensland. In order to expedite the project, and minimise risk in cost, design engineering will run in parallel. It is planned to produce a high grade concentrate for sale, and treat a low grade concentrate using a heap biological oxidation process.
Project principal: Conquest Mining Limited
Completion date: November 2009
Granites Mine - Vent Fan Upgrade - Northern Territory
AMS was engaged to recommend new vent fan configurations and electrical power requirements for a new underground mine ventilation installation. Upon conclusion of the study, AMS provided full working drawings and specifications for the ventilation fan installation.
Project principal: Newmont Asia Pacific
Completion date: December 2008
Inata Gold Project - Burkina Faso
The AMS role was as the Owner’s representative team for design and construction of a greenfields gold project in Burkina Faso. This combined supervision of the plant design and procurement activities in London, a world wide supply effort and site works.
Project principal: Wega Mining ASA
Completion date: November 2008
Kylylahti Polymetallic Concentrator Project - Finland
The project is located on an extension to the Outokumpu orebody. The work comprised the total front end engineering package for the concentrator and associated facilities, which included a hydraulic backfill plant. Financial circumstances of the client forced the cancellation of this project in September 2008 subsequent to completion of flowsheets, general arrangements and equipment specifications.
Project principal: Vulcan Resources Limited
Completion date: Cancelled in September 2008 due to client's financial circumstances.
Lichkvaz Polymetallic Project - SE Armenia
The project was the engineering design for an 800,000 tpa polymetallic processing plant designed initially to treat the oxidized copper / gold section of the orebody and to be expanded to treat the primary ore when it becomes available. The feed was to come from an underground mine located in a mountainous region of SE Armenia.
AMS scope was the engineering design for the access road and plant area including metallurgical testing and process input, earthworks, civils, the plant itself and the ancillary buildings in this highly seismic area subject to a temperature range of minus 15°C to 44°C.
Project principal: Tamaya Resources Limited
Completion date: April 2008
Mungada Ridge Hematite Iron Ore Project - Midwest of WA
The scope of work comprised the design for a 3MTPA crushing plant and associated infrastructure, comprising a 1600 man construction/operations camp, power generation and distribution, water harvesting and distribution, 90km access road, rail siding and port storage facilities and associated conveyors.
Project principal: Karara Management Services
Completion date: October 2007