Development Of Gold Tailings Retreatment, Malaysia
Core scope
Core played a key role in this ‘fast track’ project from its beginning, providing the initial conceptual basis for the project, followed by testwork, process design, equipment costings, assistance with sourcing and engineering of equipment and equipment commissioning. This was all completed in 20 months.
Core’s Manager for Technology and Support, Rod Ventura, spent 8.5 weeks on site at the operation providing technical and operational leadership for the equipment commissioning process. Rod led the local team of operators and oversaw all aspects of the commissioning.
Core’s role in commissioning encompassed every aspect of the equipment’s operation, including the flotation circuit, the CIL gold leach circuit and the gold elution and electrowinning circuit, gold smelting and in-house refining. The first stage of equipment commissioning culminated in the first pour of raw gold bullion at the site.
Core’s long experience in gold processing plants enabled management of a wide range of technical and operational issues involved in commissioning the equipment. This included managing water balances, installation of flotation launders, liaison with reagent suppliers, troubleshooting mechanical components, agitators, and gearboxes to ensure acceptable mechanical performance from the 100% Chinese-made plant was achieved. Oil ingress into the flotation and gold circuits (detrimental to gold recovery) was managed, along with pipe work, control of Free Cyanide, pH and Specific Gravity controls in the CIL Circuit, sourcing and testing alternative carbon and the myriad of other tasks involved in getting processing equipment operational.
