:: Worldwide Grinding Success for Outokumpu Technology

A worldwide string of grinding successes worth more than $A30 million has been announced by Outokumpu Technology and includes another major order from First Quantum Minerals.

The four latest grinding contracts include SAG and ball mills for First Quantum Minerals’ (FQM) Frontier project in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a ball mill for AngloGold Ashanti’s Cuiaba project in Brazil, a dry grinding circuit for the BPR Bechtel UTB project in Canada and a ball mill at LionOre Mining’s Maggie Hays project in Western Australia.

The largest single item amongst these orders is for FQM’s Frontier project and comprises a 32 ft diameter, 20 ft long SAG mill with 12,000kW of installed power. This project is situated close to FQM’s $US200 million Kansanshi copper and gold mine in Zambia, where Outokumpu has recently supplied a comprehensive package of grinding, thickening and flotation technology. Outokumpu Technology Australia’s Managing Director, Mr Neil Jagger, says the Frontier order flows on from the excellent work at Kansanshi undertaken by the Outokumpu grinding team, which is headquartered in Perth.

Outokumpu mills at the Kansanshi project

"The advanced grinding technology involved in all four projects is complemented by our practical experience from more than 1,000 worldwide installations," he said. "All four projects also benefit considerably from the partnering relationships and specific site knowledge built up by our Outokumpu grinding teams, headed by Oskar Gustavson. This technology and partnership with clients has sharpened our winning edge in tenders for a number of projects."

Canadian-owned FQM’s Frontier project includes design, manufacture and supply of the mills in partnership with Frontier’s Projects Group, based in Perth. Mr Gustavson says the SAG and ball mill drives will be the same as those at Kansanshi, facilitating numerous service and spare parts benefits. Frontier’s trunnion-supported SAG mill, with conventional twin-pinion drive, also features variable speed capability, allowing greater production flexibility and the ability to cope efficiently with large ore variations. This will be one of the largest dual pinion variable speed drives for a SAG mill in the world.

Outokumpu Technology’s order from AngloGold Ashanti Mineracao Ltda in Brazil includes design, manufacture, delivery and spares of a 4,000 kW shell-supported ball mill for the Cuiaba Expansion Project. AngloGold Ashanti, one of the world’s largest gold producers, will take delivery of the mill late this year.

The contract for Maggie Hays follows the announcement by LionOre Mining of board approval for the Maggie Hays Upgrade Project. The upgrade is expected to increase production by approximately 20 per cent to over 14,000tpa payable nickel by the end of 2006 and increase nickel reserves threefold. The contract consists of one overflow discharge ball mill, with a diameter of 18 ft and length of 27.5 ft. The turnkey contract, scheduled for completion in August 2006, includes design (mechanical and electrical), supply, delivery, installation and commissioning of the mill.

BPR-Bechtel in Canada awarded Outokumpu Technology the contract to supply a complete dry grinding circuit to process spent pot liner. The grinding circuit includes a 22 ft air swept AG mill, due for delivery to site in late 2006.

This string of recent grinding orders follow other major international successes for Outokumpu Technology, including more than $A60 million of mineral processing technology for the $A1.4 billion Ravensthorpe nickel project. Outokumpu Technology has also won contracts for high rate thickeners for the Rio Tuba laterite nickel project in the Philippines, as well as grinding systems for Lihir Gold, OneSteel’s Project Magnet and Oxiana’s Sepon gold and copper project in Laos.