Engineering and Mining Journal - Whether the market is copper, gold, nickel, iron ore, lead/zinc, PGM, diamonds or other commodities, E&MJ takes the lead in projecting trends, following development and reporting on the most efficient operating pr
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C O N V E YO R S Y S T E M S Conveyor Project Links New Lumwana Pit to Process Plant A 15-month project provides 5,100 mt/h of copper ore at Africa's largest copper mine A 3.4-km-long overland conveyor now delivers ore to the mill from the new Chimiwungo pit at Lumwana Copper. Tenova Mining & Minerals announced in late November that its bulk materials handling and equipment company, Tenova TAKRAF Africa, formerly Bateman Engineered Technologies, successfully executed its contract for the design, supply and installation of the conveyor system that feeds copper ore from the newly developed Chimiwungo pit at the Lumwana copper mine (LCM), to the existing process plant. LCM is an open-cast mine in the North West province of Zambia, situated 220 km west of the Copperbelt and 65 km west of the town of Solwezi. It is considered Africa's largest copper mine. With the development of the new Chimiwungo pit, LCM now has two operational mining pits, that have the capability of simultaneously feeding ore to the existing process plant. Ore is currently being delivered on the new belts, as mining at the copper project moves out of the lowergrade material in the Malundwe pit, into the new Chimiwungo pit. 64 E&MJ; • DECEMBER 2012 Equinox Minerals, acquired by Barrick Gold Corp. in July 2011, originally awarded the contract in April 2012. The scope of the project included the design, supply, delivery, erection and commissioning of the conveyor system, which comprises a 300-m-long sacrificial conveyor, a 3.4-km-long overland conveyor, and a 500-m-long conveyor feeding the process plant, at a design capacity of 5,140 metric tons per hour (mt/h). The scope of work included all mechanical and structural equipment, including the transfer towers and chutes, with Tenova TAKRAF's area of responsibility for the project ending at the interface at the top of the civil foundations. Electrical and C&I; work was carried out by various other suppliers. According to Tenova TAKRAF, the ground profile along the intended conveyor route required several special design features to ensure that belt tensions are maintained. Additionally, a river crossing also had to be negotiated on the longer overland conveyor route. Tenova TAKRAF was also responsible for project management, engineering, all support functions including procurement, inspection, logistics, construction site and safety management and commissioning, and the company notes that the project was completed in accordance with established standards and targets. "We believe in a shared responsibility for health, safety and the environment from all employees, contractors, customers and the communities associated with our business operations," The conveyor project included a 300-m-long sacrificial conveyor, a 3.4-km-long overland conveyor, and a 500-mlong conveyor feeding the process plant. www.e-mj.com