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Bateman Engineering NV - Modular Process Plants Track Record
Grease-belt system for HC van Wyk's diamond-recovery plant
A fully automated, hands-off final diamond-recovery plant comprising two grease belts has been installed
for HC van Wyk Diamante at Wouterspan, about 180 km from Kimberley in the Northern Cape, RSA. A fines
grease belt treats concentrate less than 12 mm in size and a coarse grease belt concentrate between
12 and 30 mm in size.Grease belts are particularly suited for the efficient recovery of smaller diamonds and are recommended
for diamonds with low luminescence (i.e. Type II diamonds). Compared with X-ray recovery, grease belts
handle higher tonnages of concentrates at lower capital and operating costs, albeit with lower yields. The
level of operator skill required is also lower as there is no need for maintenance by highly skilled
technicians and electricians.Specially formulated grease is applied to the moving belts and well-scrubbed diamond concentrate is
dropped onto the grease belts. The waste material is washed off the belt, while the diamonds adhere
to the grease. The diamonds and the layer of grease are scraped off the moving belt and dropped into
hot water in the separator tank. The grease melts and floats on top of the water, while the diamonds
in the grease are released and sink to the bottom of the water in the tank and are collected at the
tapping valves.The molten grease floats over a weir in the separator tank into another vessel where any remaining
waste is removed from the molten grease. The cleaned grease is then transferred by air pump to a
heat exchanger which chills the grease to a temperature at which it has a paste-like consistency so it
can be applied to the moving belt again.The recovery plant is built into five containers, which were transported by road to site after the trial
assembly and testing of the plant in the factory near Pretoria, RSA. Two additional containers were
also supplied to accommodate belts to be added in the future.The containers are thermally insulated to permit the working conditions inside the containers to be
maintained at a comfortable level, despite the extreme fluctuations of the outside temperatures, ranging
from freezing during the nights to well above 40°C during the day.The order for this lump-sum turnkey project was received in September 2005 and the plant was
commissioned successfully in March 2006.Cullinan cones plant replaced by DMS circuit
Bateman Engineering has replaced the old cones plant at De Beers' Cullinan Mine near Tswane
(formerly Pretoria) with dense-media separation (DMS) circuits to recover diamonds from kimberlite
feed. Two new BATEMAN Mega twin-stream DMS modules, each with a capacity of 200 t/h, were
supplied to the mine.Besides the fact that the cones plant was in need of replacement, the installation of a new DMS circuit
was motivated by the fact that this newer technology would recover diamonds more efficiently and reduce
running costs significantly, primarily as the team required to operate the new plant would be far smaller.A major constraint of the project was the need to install the new DMS circuits in a space between the
existing buildings at the plant, occupied by the four feed conveyors to the cones plant. As the removal
of these conveyors would affect the mine production, the project was planned to minimise disruption
and be accomplished in the shortest time possible.The modules were completely built and tested at the manufacturer's yard before delivery to site, with
special care being required as the fit was extremely tight with little scope for adjustments once the
modules had been delivered.The project commenced in April 2005, to be carried out in two phases. While the first DMS module
was being manufactured, the on-site task was primarily to cut back two of the four feed conveyors to
the cones plant so space could be made for the module. The feed conveyors were modified and a
pipe conveyor installed to take the concentrate to the final-recovery facility. The module was also linked
to the existing tailings system. The first module was in full production in the first quarter of 2006.During the second phase, the two remaining feed conveyors to the cones plant were cut back, effectively
shutting down this plant. Phase one was effectively repeated to install the second DMS module, with the
exception that the pipe conveyor already installed also handled the concentrate from this module. The
whole upgrade was completed in the second quarter of 2006.MIBA President visits BATEMAN
The President of Miniere de Bakwanga (MIBA), Mr Gustave Luabeya Tshitala, visited BATEMAN recently as
a follow-up to the successful commissioning of the NLK2 kimberlite-processing plant supplied to the
Mbuji Mayi operation this year. The back-up spares service for the plant was also discussed and the
opportunity taken to update the MIBA personnel about new technologies to improve the operation at
the mine.MIBA is the most prominent diamond miner in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and has
been doing business with BATEMAN for almost 30 years. Luabeya explained that the prospects for the
diamond-mining industry in the DRC were very good and that MIBA, with diamond concessions in about
70,000 km2 of the country, of which it had exploited only 40 km2 to date, was well positioned to take
advantage of an upturn.MIBA has entered into joint ventures with several companies and has submitted proposals for new
diamond mines to the government which were being considered at present. He felt that a partnership
with BATEMAN to develop the required processing facilities would be advantageous to both parties.The NLK2 plant was the second one of its type to be supplied to MIBA in recent years, the first, the
NLK1 plant, being supplied in 1998. Over the years BATEMAN has also upgraded existing facilities
at MIBA to greatly increase throughput. Individual items of equipment supplied include BATEMAN
roller-supported scrubbers, vibrating screens and bucket elevators.The NLK1 and NLK2 plants are the largest operated by MIBA, each processing 400 t/h of material. Both
plants consist of front-end ore-preparation and primary and secondary crushing circuits feeding the
dense-media separation (DMS) modules. The NLK2 plant incorporates BATEMAN's new-generation
twin-stream mega DMS units with a 200 t/h capacity.During the meeting a deal was firmed up according to which BATEMAN would structure the financing
of the spares to be supplied to maintain the plants. A list of the required spares had been compiled
and priority given to those needed urgently, of which the first consignments were already on their way
to the DRC. Recommendations were made on the maintenance of MIBA's plants. It was proposed that
a BATEMAN engineer be sent to Mbuji Mayi to provide on-site advice.Robert Abate, BATEMAN General Manager, Modular Plants, also highlighted new technology to process
small diamonds which could be of interest to MIBA. This combines flow-sort equipment with automatic
grease tables installed in standard containers, complete with electrical supply. Bucket elevators are to
be used to hoist the diamond concentrate to the top of the integrated plant.To date, eight such containerised recovery plants have been supplied. Arrangements were made for a
MIBA engineer to visit the latest site in Kimberley where BATEMAN had installed an automated recovery
system with three flow-sort machines and two automated grease tables.Modular, drill-chip sampling plant supplied to Venetia
A modular plant for processing drill-chip samples obtained in the course of a resource-extension
campaign has been supplied to the Venetia Diamond Mine near Musina, Limpopo, RSA. This project
was conducted under the project-partnership model introduced between De Beers Consolidated Mines
Limited and BATEMAN at the end of 2003.The drill chip samples are supplied to the plant in ore bags with the capacity to hold two tons. The plant
comprises three sections. The liberation module contains scrubbing, screening, primary crushing and
oversize-crushing circuits to release the diamonds from the host rock.The liberated diamonds and crushed rock are then pumped by jet pump to the dense-media separation
(DMS) module comprising a 10 t/h DMS unit where they are separated. The diamond concentrate from
the sinks screen is conveyed by tube feeder to the diamond-recovery module. The latter module is
housed in seven standard containers and comprises an X-ray recovery circuit and a sort house plus
a tailings-recycle system.The liberation and DMS modules were manufactured in Springs and the containerised recovery module
in Modderfontein, near Johannesburg. After trial assembly and testing at the manufacturer's works, the
plant was dismantled and loaded onto 14 heavy-duty trucks and transported approximately 500 km to
site, where it was re-assembled for commissioning. This fast-track project commenced in May 2004
and, after commissioning, the plant was handed over to the client in mid 2005.When the sampling programme has been completed, consideration will be given to moving the plant to
another operation. In this event the plant will be dismantled and its modules moved individually to mining
operations elsewhere, if necessary even by air.To this end, the plant was specially designed so that it could fit into a transport aircraft. Extensive use
was made of tubular steel to ensure that the structure is very light and, as the frame is fully welded, no
bracing is necessary.Ease of disassembly and assembly of the components was facilitated by using simple connections
which would enable the client's site crews to handle the job.Special mention for Bateman Modular Plants structural steel design
BATEMAN projects received special mention at Steel Awards 2005, the prestigious presentations made
annually by the South African Institute of Steel Construction to recognise outstanding applications of steel
in the industrial field. This year saw a record number of entries.In making the award, the judges commented on BATEMAN's submission that: "A big driver in the success
of the SA steel-fabricating industry continues to be the needs of our mining industry. When an engineering
concept is perfected that makes the contracting issues for our fabricators easier and at the same time
has overall major benefits to our client body, our judges felt that they would be doing all the parties
involved an injustice in not making a special mention of the modular design solution to mining plants
conceived by (BATEMAN) for the De Beers group."BATEMAN entered two of its modular-plant projects for De Beers in the Industrial Mining and Engineering
category: the modular plant for processing drill chip samples for Venetia Diamond Mine, near Musina,
Limpopo Province, and a dense-media separation (DMS) plant being installed as an upgrade of the
New Treatment Plant at Kimberley Mines, Northern Cape, both in South Africa.Modular Plant for Venetia Diamond Mine
One of the main requirements of the plant was that it had to be possible to disassemble the plant at the
end of a sampling campaign, load it into a transport aircraft with relative ease, and move it to other
diamond-mining areas in Africa.The main structure of the plant therefore comprises a fully-welded frame constructed from square,
hollow-section, steel beams, sufficiently compact and light to be transported by air, yet strong enough
to support the processing units in the plant. This design also provides for easy access for maintenance
purposes. Vibration of the structure, induced by the vibrating screens, scrubbers and crushers, had to
be minimised to ensure the required comfort level of the plant operators.A steel sump at the bottom of the plant provides the frame with the required stability and removes the
need for a concrete surface bed. All that will be needed to rehabilitate the site will thus be to restore the
vegetation and return the crushed material to source.BATEMAN provided all of the engineering expertise necessary for the project.
The sampling plant weighs a total of about 45,0 t, with 30,0 t of steelwork and 5,0 t of platework and
liners. It comprises three sections: a liberation module containing the scrubbing, screening, primary
crushing and over-size crushing circuits, a DMS module and a diamond-recovery module. The latter
was designed by the client. All of the individual components of the plant can pass through a 3,2 m by
3,0 m loading hatch of the transport aircraft.This fast-track project commenced in May 2004 and, after commissioning, the plant was handed over
to the client in mid April 2005. (See page 7.)DMS plant for New Treatment Plant
The plant, which treats 450 t/h of ore, is the largest modular DMS plant supplied to date by BATEMAN.
This bolted structure was constructed using square, hollow-section steel columns with circular,
hollow-section steel bracing. This design provided the lightness required for transportability and
strength to support the processing circuits. The transmission of the vibrations generated by the
vibrating screens mounted on the structure had to be minimised.All components were galvanised as protection against corrosion.
The plant contains three of BATEMAN's new Mega 150 t/h DMS modules with 70 t feed hoppers and
five vibrating screens per module, a conveyor system and ancillary facilities such as pumps, electrical
supply, motor-control centre and supervisory control and data-acquisition facilities.A single feed conveyor supplies ore sequentially to the three feed hoppers, the input being controlled by
a programmable-logic controller to maintain an appropriate level of ore in each hopper. To contain costs,
an innovative use was found for an existing conveyor gantry, which was used as a pipe bridge across a
nearby stream.The contract was received in mid March 2004 and the three DMS modules delivered in August, September
and October. Commissioning of the first module started in mid November with all units running
successfully by the end of 2004.Both plants were fabricated, preassembled and tested at the manufacturer's yard in Gauteng and then
dismantled and transported to the site for re-assembly and commissioning. This reduced construction
time and greatly facilitated commissioning of the plant in the shortest possible time.Diamond recovery plant for HC Van Wyk Diamonds
BATEMAN has supplied a diamond-recovery plant to HC Van Wyk Diamonds, the 2005 winner of the
prestigious Golden Arrow Award as the highest-rated small mining company in South Africa's Northern
Cape Province. This plant will incorporate the largest dense-media separation (DMS) plant supplied to
date to a small diamond-mining company in South Africa.The multi-million Rand contract was placed in September 2004, with the plant delivered in mid 2005.
The plant processes 350 t/h of run-of-mine alluvial gravel and comprises a 200 t/h DMS and a
containerised grease and X-ray recovery module. It was installed to significantly improve the recovery
of diamonds at the site and replaced the existing 14 and 18 ft diamond-recovery pans.Run-of-mine ore is scalped to discard the +150 mm fraction with the remaining -150 mm fraction being
washed and screened to yield a product ranging from +1,0 to -30,0 mm, suitable for treatment by the
DMS plant. The DMS concentrate is conveyed to the recovery plant where all the x-ray machine tailings
are scavenged over hi-tech greasebelts to ensure maximum recovery of the diamonds.The BATEMAN modular-plant concept is well proven and overcomes the problems encountered in the
erection and commissioning of the processing facilities in remote and difficult locations. Accordingly,
the plant for HC Van Wyk Diamonds was pre-erected and water tested at the manufacturer's works in
Johannesburg, before being transported to the site by road over a distance of approximately 500 km.
Erection of the plant on site and commissioning was completed in the first week of July 2005.HC Van Wyk Diamonds (Pty) Ltd was established 13 years ago as a small diamond-digging
family-business, 30 km north of Barkly West. It now employs some 250 employees, and mines
approximately 500 000 t/month of alluvial gravel. The company was presented the Golden Arrow Award
by Professional Management Review Africa, in recognition of its impact on economic growth and
development in the Northern Cape through its contribution to job creation in the surrounding community,
as well as its successful initiatives in social upliftment, skills development and HIV awareness.New diamond-recovery plant installed at Miba in DRC
NLK2, the 400 t/h kimberlite-processing plant ordered by Miba, has been successfully commissioned
by BATEMAN in Mbuji Mayi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The commissioning was
completed in two-and-a-half weeks by a BATEMAN team of process, equipment and electrical engineers.The plant comprises a front-end ore-preparation circuit, a re-crushing circuit and two new-generation
twin-stream mega 200 t/h dense-media separation (DMS) modules. The entire plant was fabricated in
various workshops in the Reef area of South Africa. The mega DMS modules were pre-assembled
and tested in the works prior to dismantling and packing for transport to the DRC.The complete plant was transported in 90 DZ rail wagons from the Kazerne rail siding in South Africa,
through Zimbabwe and Zambia, to the Mwene-Ditu mine siding in the DRC, some 100 km from the
Miba mine at Mbuji Mayi. Some 800 t were railed to the mine siding, with the mega DMS modules
alone weighing 130 t.This is the second plant of this type supplied to Miba. The first DMS unit for NLK1, supplied in 1998,
was a single-stream DMS unit with a capacity of 150 t/h.Mobile diamond-processing plant for Namibian Resources
A BATEMAN trailer-mounted, modular processing plant has been delivered to Namibian Resources
for use at their alluvial diamond-mining concession, south of Luderitz.The contract included the design, manufacturing, supply and delivery of a 10 t/h dense-media
separation (DMS) plant, an X-ray recovery unit and a front end. The 10 t/h DMS plant is mounted on
a 12 m trailer for easy movement from site to site. The motor control centre (MCC) is fixed on the
main structure where a diesel driven generating set will be mounted in front of the MCC. The plant
was delivered to the concession from Johannesburg by road and was designed so that it could be
easily disassembled for ease of transport and would comply with road ordinance regulations. The
entire plant, which weighs some 12,5 t, can be made ready within one day for relocation from one site
to another and can also be easily converted to a fixed installation on a concrete base if the need arises.Washed gravel (of size range +1,5 mm to -12 mm, equivalent to a ±24 carat diamond) from the modular
pre-treatment plant is fed into the DMS feed bin using a front-end loader. The gravel passes via a
pan-feeder onto a conveyor which feeds the DMS plant.The DMS concentrates discharge into specially-designed stainless steel bins. These bins have a
three-hour capacity and, when full, are lifted by chain hoists onto a truck for transport to the recovery
unit which is located 86 km from the mining site. At the recovery plant, the concentrates are discharged
onto a sizing screen for sizing and a tube feeder feeds these fractions separately to the wet X-ray
recovery unit.To obviate the need for separate transport arrangements, the DMS has its own generator set which is
mounted on a platform above the rear wheels of the trailer, together with the MCC. The trailer has a dolly
wheel to enable it to be pulled by various means including front-end loaders, graders or tractors.Due to the aggressively corrosive climate on the West Coast all steelwork, including the trailer, had to be
painted to a special marine specification to protect it from the extreme conditions such as salt-laden fog
and high winds.The order was received in June 2004. The design, manufacturing and supply of the plant were completed
within three months. The complete plant was manufactured, pre-erected and water tested at the works in
Gauteng. The erection of the plant, on site, and commissioning were achieved in less than one week.
BATEMAN engineers were on site in Namibia both for the commissioning of the plant and training of
the operating staff.DMS replaces pan technology at Kimberley Mine
BATEMAN has been awarded a R53M contract by De Beers to supplement the existing pan technology
with dense-media separation (DMS) technology to process diamondiferous material in an upgrade to
their New Treatment Plant (NTP) at Kimberley Mines, Northern Cape, RSA.The NTP facility was established some 50 years ago and is dependent on underground material for
the generation of the 'puddle' (a mixture of water and mud in which the separation takes place), on
which the pan operation depends. Its source is currently a blend of underground and dump material
but, once underground operations cease, the plant will be fed from the dump only. While it was initially
planned to close down the NTP, the feasibility study by De Beers and BATEMAN determined the good
potential for converting to a DMS-based operation.The project commenced in mid February 2004 for hand-over at year end. The contract comprises the
design and supply of three new 150 t/h DMS fines modules with 70 t feed hoppers, modification to the
conveyor systems to divert material to the DMS modules, provision for ancillary facilities such as pumping
of process water to the new DMS modules, the electrical supply, the motor-control centre and SCADA
(supervisory control and data acquisition) facilities, as well as all earthworks and civil construction. Once
the project has been completed successfully, the -8 mm material from the blended feed will be diverted
from the pan plant to the three DMS modules, with the remaining material continuing to be processed
through the pan plant.The contract was awarded as part of De Beers' innovative partnering philosophy which was introduced
to enhance client-contractor relationships through the fostering of a co-operative approach. This
approach is a move away from the traditional confrontational approach between client and contractor
in the management of large projects.Re-treating diamond-bearing dumps
As part of the new partnership model introduced at the start of the year (see BATEMAN Globe
No. 39, January 2004), De Beers has involved BATEMAN in a number of projects to recover diamonds
from tailings dumps at its older mines.These dumps contain reject material deposited over many years when the diamond-recovery processes
were not as efficient as they are today and are now known to contain meaningful amounts of small
diamonds. The possibility, however, of finding larger stones too is not excluded.James Nieuwenhuys, BATEMAN General Manager, Diamonds, reveals that studies are being conducted
on about a dozen different diamond-recovery routes which could be applied to the reprocessing of
dumps, the objective being to have available a suite of processes applicable to all kinds of dump
materials and to contain dump-reprocessing costs to an absolute minimum.In respect of milling, the partnership will be exploring a combination of Western and Russian
technologies, arising out of testwork undertaken by BATEMAN a few years ago in Siberia for a large
diamond exploration, mining and marketing company in the Russian Federation.The key to the milling technology is the slow mill speed which minimises diamond breakage. As many
dumps are in arid locations, water usage will also have to be minimised. BATEMAN has entered into
agreements with suppliers of novel milling technology, such as cantilever and planetary systems and
innovative liners, so these can be evaluated for use in dump reprocessing.Some of the novel technology is already finding application in current projects BATEMAN is undertaking
with De Beers. At Namdeb's E-Bay diamond-liberation project in Namibia, the wet-crushing system
being installed is the first of its kind in the De Beers Group (see BATEMAN Globe No. 38, November 2003)
and enables the plant to treat all potentially viable deposits including clay-rich and very hard cemented
materials.Because of the remote location of many of the dumps and the potential need to relocate the equipment
from time to time to other nearby dumps, BATEMAN is drawing heavily upon its experience with
modular-processing plants which will be applied to all the major processes needed for diamond
recovery, e.g. crushing, milling, dense-media separation, X-ray recovery, etc.According to Nieuwenhuys, several factors motivate projects to re-treat old dumps. "There is today a
greatly improved understanding of diamond-liberation processes and more effective methods to
recover the diamonds are available," says Nieuwenhuys. "At the same time, the kimberlite in the old
dumps has weathered extensively during years of exposure to the elements, facilitating the release
of any diamonds associated with the kimberlite. Also, the availability of high-quality primary resources
is decreasing and diamond producers are on the lookout for additional resources.""All old diamond mines have such dumps and this includes all the mines in South Africa, Botswana
and Namibia," says Nieuwenhuys."In South Africa, the newly promulgated Mining Charter, which fosters a 'use-it-or-lose-it' approach to
the exploitation of mining resources, is making mining companies take a far more careful look at
smaller deposits. Accordingly, BATEMAN is in discussion with several black economic-empowerment
companies aimed at providing the technology and backup required to get these ventures started."Further afield, the improving political situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and
Angola is also opening up possibilities there. Sampling programmes in Canada, for which BATEMAN
equipment has been purchased in recent years, are also revealing promising recovery ventures."
Super Stone's diamond-recovery plant features grease-belt and X-ray circuits
A diamond-recovery module, comprising grease-belt and primary X-ray circuits, has been supplied by
BATEMAN to Super Stone Mining (Pty) Ltd (a wholly-owned division of black-owned Ekapa
Mining (Pty) Ltd) at a site near the old De Beers Mine pit in Kimberley, Northern Cape, RSA. A
containerised module with grease- and X-ray-recovery circuits is believed to be a first in the
diamond-mining industry.Ekapa / Super Stone is contracted by De Beers to reprocess some of the kimberlite dumps which
have been deposited in the area over the past 80 years. The availability of improved metallurgical
processes has made the dumps more amenable to retreatment.Together with the dense-media-separation (DMS) module, also supplied by BATEMAN, the recovery
plant is capable of recovering up to 98 % of the diamonds in the old dumps. A reconcentration section
was incorporated in the plant to minimise the amount of concentrate to be sorted in the primary
glove-box circuit. As the plant permits an efficient, totally hands-off concentrating operation, security
is also enhanced.According to Ekapa MD, Jahn Hohne, a very important factor in the decision to install the module was
its cost. The incorporation of a grease-belt circuit to reduce the amount of concentrate from the DMS
module that has to be processed by the X-ray reconcentrator circuit reduced the latter's required
capacity and hence the capital cost of the overall plant.The recovery module processes 4,5 t/h of DMS concentrate. Of this, 4 t/h of the fine material is fed to
the grease belt and the remainder to the primary X-ray circuit. The concentrate from both circuits is
then fed to the X-ray reconcentration section and subsequently to the glove boxes for final diamond
recovery. A vault has been provided to store the diamonds before export. Tailings from the respective
circuits are either reprocessed or sent to the tailings dumps.Super Stone's recovery plant was ordered in October 2003, delivered to site and commissioned at the
end of May 2004. It is accommodated in three standard 12 m-long containers which were modified to
accommodate the equipment. An efficient dust-extraction system is installed in the containers housing
the X-ray circuit, where dry material is processed, and all of the containers are air conditioned and
thermally insulated to provide pleasant working environments. The use of containers ensures that
the recovery plant can easily be dismantled in the future and moved to a new location.The DMS module, handling 20 t/h of dump material, is a standard BATEMAN unit and was delivered to
site in February 2004.This was a particularly successful project in which Super Stone's participation and contribution of ideas,
particularly during the design phase, augmented BATEMAN's capabilities in the development of an
innovative solution for the recovery of diamonds from old kimberlite dumps.Largest to-date DMS diamond-processing module for Miba
The new 200 t/h dense-media separation (DMS) module to be delivered to Miba in Mbuji Mayi in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) will be the largest diamond-processing module supplied
by BATEMAN to date. It is an upgrade of BATEMAN's standard 150 t/h unit, which is now well proven
in the industry, six having been supplied since the first one was delivered in 1998.The new module will form part of Miba's 400 t/h NLK2 kimberlite-treatment plant and is in effect a
repeat order. Miba's NLK1 diamond-processing facility was supplied by BATEMAN in 1998.The BATEMAN policy of continuous improvement to the design of its modular plants by incorporating
feedback from experience in the field was again applied in this project. As a result several new features
have been designed into the new model to enhance its performance.The new layout facilitates ease of maintenance and operation. The incorporation of four 420 mm diameter
cyclones improves the recovery efficiency of smaller diamonds, the carefully chosen screens enhance
processing efficiency and design changes in the magnetic separation system facilitate recovery of the
ferrosilicon heavy medium used in the DMS circuit.The processing circuit of the NLK2 module comprises feed-preparation screens, mixing boxes, cyclone
feed pumps, float and sink screens and combined collection sumps for the heavy and dilute media.
Besides the cyclones which separate the diamonds, care has been taken to ensure the correct media
densification using tube densifiers. The magnetic separators recover the ferrosilicon from the dilute
medium. The plant is equipped with all the required pumps, screens, piping and control circuits.The total weight of the plant, which comprises 10 modules, is 130t. Before transport to site, it will be
trial erected at the factory and fully tested. It will then be disassembled and transported to the mine.
The first part of the trip to the mine's railway siding at Mwene-ditu in the DRC will be handled by
Spoornet, the South African rail utility, for which about 90 DZ rail wagons in total will be needed to
carry the whole consignment. Then road transport will be utilised by Miba for the remaining 100 km
to the mine.Modular diamond plant for Tanzania
BATEMAN has supplied a complete 30 t/h alluvial treatment plant to El Hillal Minerals – the first
modular diamond processing plant it has provided to a Tanzanian operation. The plant includes
a 30 t/h run-of-mine front-end module, a 20 t/h dense medium separation (DMS) module and a
containerised x-ray recovery plant, plus all associated conveyors and equipment.The front end of the plant, which receives the feed of alluvial ore, comprises a static grizzly, a BATEMAN
vibrating feeder, a scrubber and a surge bin. The 20 t/h DMS module, a standard modular plant designed
and supplied by BATEMAN, processes diamond containing gravel ranging from +2 mm to -25 mm at a
rate of 20 to 25 t/h.The concentrated material is pumped to the recovery plant which consists of a concentrates-classifying
screen, housed in a secured, caged enclosure, which feeds the wet x-ray recovery machine via a tube
feeder. The entire recovery plant is completely hands-off and sorting is done in the fully-equipped,
containerised unit.El Hillal’s mine is situated adjacent to the famous Williamson Mine in the Shinyanga region of Tanzania;
the site is approximately two hours drive from the port of Mwanza on the shores of Lake Victoria. The
entire plant was transported from South Africa by road using eight tri-axle flat-bed trucks. Travelling
through Zimbabwe and Zambia, often over almost impassable stretches of road, the convoy reached
its final destination in Tanzania in 13 days. At the site, the entire plant was erected within one month
under BATEMAN supervision.
Diamond process plant for Russia’s Perm region
BATEMAN has supplied a modular diamond sampling plant to JSC "Permgeologodobycha", a
newly-formed company established specifically for geological prospecting, discovery and exploitation
of alluvial diamond deposits in the Perm Region of Russia. JSC "Permgeologodobycha" is located in
the town of Krasnovishersk in Perm and is a subsidiary of JSC "Uralkaly" - one of the world’s largest
producers of potassium fertiliser.The plant will be used to process diamondiferous alluvial material with the objective of determining
diamond grade efficiently using state-of-the-art dense-media separation (DMS) technology. The contract,
worth in excess of US$300 000, commenced in January 2003 and was completed at the end of June 2003.
BATEMAN was responsible for equipment supply, commissioning, and personnel training. In order to meet
the tight deadline, which required delivery of the equipment to the site within four months of the contract
being signed, the plant had to be air-freighted from Johannesburg to Europe and then taken by road
over a distance of some 6 000 km to Krasnovishersk.The equipment supplied included a 5 t/h DMS modular plant and a 1,5 m diameter by 3 m scrubber.
As nonnuclear sources are preferred in Russia for diamond sorting, the DMS plant was designed with
an appropriate density controller.Since BATEMAN’s modular process plants are pre-tested at the factory and delivered in modular form,
they require minimal civil construction on site, making them ideally suited for remote locations such as
Krasnovishersk, where skilled labour and a sophisticated infrastructure are not readily available. In
addition, tickborne encephalitis poses a serious health threat in this region.The contract for the diamond sampling plant was signed within only four months of the date of the first
client meeting, which, says James Nieuwenhuys, BATEMAN General Manager, Diamonds, was due not
only to its standing as a world leader in engineering diamond process plants, but also to its knowledge
and experience of working in different countries and across different cultures.
International demand for BATEMAN modular plants
Recent modular-plant contracts received by BATEMAN from around the globe highlight the international
demand for this technology and the benefits these plants provide for remote locations where skilled
labour and a sophisticated infrastructure are not readily available. Because they are pre-tested at the
factory and delivered to site in modular form, BATEMAN’s modular process plants require minimal
civil construction.Russia and CIS
Contracts from Russian-based concerns include a 5 t/h dense- medium separation (DMS) sampling plant
and a 1,5 m by 3 m scrubber for JSC Permgeologodobycha’s operation in Perm in central Russia. This
is the first contract to be received from this client and, since non-nuclear sources are preferred in Russia,
the DMS plant was designed with a non-nuclear density controller.Two 1 t/h DMS plants were supplied to Alrosa Company Limited for use in prospecting operations in
Northern Yakutia. The plants are skid- mounted so that they can be easily moved. Previous to this
contract, BATEMAN had already supplied four DMS plants to Alrosa.Middle East
BATEMAN modular process plants are also in demand for research purposes, with the latest such contract
being a 5 t/h DMS for the Iranian Minerals Processing Research Centre.Canada
In Saskatchewan, Canada, BATEMAN has supplied a fully integrated kimberlite sampling plant at Shore
Gold’s Star Diamond Project, 60 km east of Prince Albert. The plant comprises a 30 t/h feed preparation
plant, a 10 t/h DMS and an x-ray recovery plant. The feed-preparation plant includes primary crushing,
scrubbing and secondary crushing. A re-crush option is available. To comply with Canadian environmental
standards, a water-recovery and de-grit system have been designed into the plant. The plant will treat an
initial bulk sample of 25 000 t of kimberlite, in order to obtain a parcel of diamonds for evaluation.A 5 t/h modular DMS plant is currently under fabrication for Ashton Mining of Canada.
Africa
Contracts in Africa include the supply of a complete 30 t/h diamond plant for a new operation being
developed by El-Hillal Minerals adjacent to the Williamson Mine near Shinyanga, Tanzania. This
semi-mobile plant will be used for bulk sampling of an alluvial deposit for the first six months and, as
mining operations progress, will be moved every six months to reduce trucking distances. The plant,
which was pre-erected and water tested in Johannesburg prior to dispatch, consists of a 30 t/h front-end,
a 20 t/h DMS and a 1 t/h x-ray recovery plant. As part of the contract, BATEMAN will commission the plant
and provide training to the mine’s staff for three months.Two contracts from Catoca Mining Society, Lda, include an upgrade to the existing plant at a mine near
Saurimo, Angola. The diamond mine was designed along traditional Russian lines and has been
upgraded to incorporate new technology. Because of this, BATEMAN designed two gravity 40 t/h DMS
plants and one gravity 30 t/h DMS plant to be incorporated into new and existing plants. The gravity-type
plant was selected due to the existing height of the buildings. Catoca is jointly owned by ENDIAMA, an
Angolan government- owned diamond company, Odebrect Mining Services Inc., Almazi Rossii-Sakha,
S.A. and Daumonty Financing BV.As with the modular process plant ordered by Diamonds Works RSA for their Koidu mine in central east
Sierra Leone, a front-end DMS and recovery plant supplied to the Portuguese banking group, Escom, was
built using equipment that had been damaged in 1995 during a civil war. This new plant for the Chimbongo
project in Angola was built using recovered parts of a plant supplied to Sominor, near Saurimo in Angola.
An order for spares for this plant is the largest such spares order received by BATEMAN to date.A 150 t/h DMS was supplied to and commissioned for Oryx Natural Resources for their mine near Mbuji-Mayi
in the Kasai area of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, together with an upgrade of the system to handle
the run-of-mine feed to the DMS. This is one of a number of projects undertaken by BATEMAN for Oryx,
incorporating some four 50 t/h DMS modules. MIBA in Mbuji-Mayi previously purchased a 150 t/h DMS
unit which was incorporated into their 400 t/h kimberlite plant for their NLK1 project.In South Africa, BATEMAN concluded a concept exploration study for a new facility to treat dumps at
De Beers’ Finsch Diamond Mine.The sixth DMS plant to be purchased by Sonop Delwery is a 50 t/h DMS for their Sydney-on-Vaal mine near
Barkley West in the Northern Cape. This plant, which will be situated at the historic town of Sydney-on- Vaal
established by Cecil John Rhodes, will be fed with pan concentrates and not the usual raw ore. The process
equipment has therefore been designed with this in mind. This brings to 11 modular diamond recovery
plants supplied to the Kimberley area over the past two years.
BATEMAN plant for Sierra Leone diamond industry
BATEMAN recently welcomed a high-level governmental delegation from Sierra Leone to its Boksburg
campus where they viewed the company’s engineering capabilities and facilities. The delegation
comprised the Minister of Mineral Resources, Minister MS Deen, the Deputy Director of Mines,
Mr UB Kamara, and Mr Sadig Silla of Branch Energy, a Sierra Leone diamond mining concern. They
were being hosted in Johannesburg by Magma Resources, shareholders in a project BATEMAN is
carrying out for Koidu Diamond Mine in Sierra Leone.The visit to BATEMAN reflects the keen interest the government of Sierra Leone has in revitalising its
diamond mining industry since it was destroyed in the civil war, and, we believe, the sound working
relationship BATEMAN is establishing with mining ventures in that country,” says Louis Nell, BATEMAN
Engineering Manager, Modular Plants.BATEMAN is currently shipping a modular process plant, under contract to Diamond Works, RSA, for
commissioning in mid 2003 at Koidu mine in central east Sierra Leone. The plant handles 50 t/h run-of-mine
ore which will be fed to the process plant for crushing, scrubbing, screening, dense-media separation (DMS)
and X-ray recovery of diamonds.The plant offers several advantages for Koidu mine. As a typical BATEMAN modular plant designed to survive
harsh African conditions, sections of the plantare built, erected and tested in the factory in South Africa to minimise remedial work on site. It also requires
minimal civil construction. This is of particular benefit to remote sites, such as Koidu, where skilled labour
and a sophisticated infrastructure are not readily available.The two kimberlite pipes mined by Koidu mine are reported to be a source of very large, high quality
diamonds. A unique feature of the BATEMAN modular process plants is that an X-ray separation facility is
built into the process which enables the large diamonds to be captured before the ore enters the secondary
crushing and DMS phases where they could be damaged.The new plant was constructed using as much as possible of a previous plant that was built by BATEMAN
for the same mining operation, but never commissioned as it had been severely damaged during the civil war.
Modular DMS kimberlite process plant for Damtshaa
A modular dense-media separation (DMS) plant to process kimberlite, which has been
delivered to the Damtshaa mine, forms part of a BATEMAN project to establish a
diamond-processing plant and its associated infrastructure for Debswana at the mine
about 17 km east of Orapa in northern Botswana.The processing plant, rated at 200 t/h, has primary- and secondary crushing, integrated DMS,
load-out and waste-disposal circuits. It will process a feed of kimberlite from the BK pipes in
the area to produce a diamond concentrate which will be transported by road for final treatment
at the main recovery facility at Orapa.The integrated DMS plant comprises a 150 t/h primary circuit feeding a 50 t/h reconcentration
circuit. These circuits have a common dense-medium supply circuit, the first of its type to be
provided by BATEMAN. The diamond concentrate is stored in a 50 t load-out facility, fully
automated to deposit batches of the concentrate into truck-mounted flasks for transportation to
Orapa.This is the fifth modular DMS plant with a capacity of 150 t/h to be designed and manufactured
by BATEMAN in the past three years. With 120 t of steelwork and 95 t of platework, it is also
the largest plant of this type to have been supplied by BATEMAN. The top floor of the load-out
structure is 23 m off the ground and two mobile cranes, one of 20 t and the other of 18 t, were
required for the trial erection of the plant at the workshop near Johannesburg. It was then
dismantled into sections small enough to be conveyed by 15 Superlink road-haul trucks to
the Orapa mine about 810 km away.The order for the modular DMS plant was placed in June 2001 with trial erection at the factory
being completed in March 2002. Dismantling and transport to site required two-and-a-half weeks
and on site re-erection and installation of the housing six and four weeks respectively.A buoyant market for modular process plants
“During the past year BATEMAN’s modular process plant business was well in excess of
expectations,” claims Robert Abate, General Manager, Modular Process Plants. “Most of the
plants ordered during the past year have been repeat business from smaller entrepreneurial
diamond-mining companies which value the close customer- orientated relationship we have
established with them over the years. The demand for our plants increased again this year and
we have processed orders for clients in Australia, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Greece,
Namibia and South Africa."
“Activity in the diamond market is buoyant at present and, judging from the volume of new enquiries, the
current level of work could be maintained and may even increase next year,” said Abate. “It seems that many
of the smaller producers are contemplating an upgrade from the traditional pan-and- jig technology to
dense-media separation and X-ray recovery plants.” BATEMAN modular process plants are used for
prospecting, exploration, and small-scale mining and minerals processing. All the equipment in these
plants is built into transportable framed structures at the factory and then fully assembled and tested
before being dismantled and shipped to site. These plants can subsequently easily be moved to new
locations but are sometimes installed as part of larger permanent facilities.
These plants have generally been used for diamond processing, but over the years the technology has
been expanded to include other minerals such as graphite, coal, platinum, and alusite, chrome, magnesite
and nickel. More than 300 plants have been supplied in the past three decades to clients in more than 20
countries, often to very remote locations.
Within South Africa, several plants were commissioned successfully. A movable diamond-sampling plant
incorporating a 50 t/h dense-media separation (DMS) plant is being used by De Beers to sample old
kimberlite tailings dumps at Jagersfontein in the Free State; it will eventually be moved, first to Koffiefontein
Mine about 60 km away and then to the Finsch Mine, 180 km northwest of Kimberley, for further sampling
duties. Two 150 t/h DMS modules, part of a total diamond-recovery plant at the Baken Mine on the RSA
side of the Orange River, about 50 km from Alexander Bay, were commissioned for Trans Hex Mining (Pty) Ltd.
The modules were delivered after a 1 650 km trip by road.
A much longer delivery, which included transport by sea, awaited the 20 t/h DMS plant for Striker Resources,
Australia, which was commissioned at the Ashmore Prospect in the Kimberley region in Western Australia,
some 1 000 km south-west of Darwin.
Orders have also been obtained from diamond producers in the Northwest Province, RSA. One took delivery
of a purpose designed diamond-recovery plant comprising an ore-dressing plant, several 50 t/h DMS units
and a diamond-recovery module and another 50 t/h DMS module is awaiting delivery to the same area.
Further afield, MIBA has on order a 400 t/h kimberlite processing plant, which includes a 150 t/h DMS
module, for Mbuji-Mayi in the DRC. A 50 t/h DMS module was also delivered to process the alluvial marine
deposits in Namibia.
Oryx Natural Resources has ordered two plants for mines near Mbuji-Mayi in the DRC. The first will process
an alluvial deposit and has a feed capacity of 125 t/h of run-of-mine ore which will eventually be concentrated
through a 50 t/h DMS module. Its diamond- recovery plant, housed in three containers, will comprise X-ray
recovery, grease and milling sections and a final-sort room with glove boxes. The second plant will handle
250 t/h of kimberlite. It has a 50 t/h DMS module and a 5 t/h high-density DMS module to remove ilmenite,
a diamond-recovery plant and a tailings-disposal system. The plants will be of similar design with
standardised components to facilitate operator training and permit a common spares holding. Transport
of the plants to site will be via rail and road.
Whereas most BATEMAN modular plants are destined for mines in remote and difficult locations, the
unit supplied to Grecian Magnesite S.A is now located on a picturesque site at Yerakini south- east of
Thessaloniki, Northern Greece. This single module 30 t/h DMS plant is separating waste rock and
producing a high-grade magnesite used to produce deadburned and caustic-calcined magnesia.
“A vital part of our service to clients is our comprehensive spares and back-up service and our supply of
diamond- density tracers which we manufacture in- house,” says Abate. “Customers from abroad have
received spares within 48 hours of communicating their needs to our spares and supplies department
in Boksburg.”
Exploration successes with a BATEMAN DMS plant!
A year ago BATEMAN supplied one of its 1 t/h transportable modular dense-media separation plants to
Lakefield Research Limited, Ontario, Canada. In the June 2001 issue of the newsletter Lakefield
Research Highlights, the plant is accorded a glowing recommendation. BATEMAN Globe reprints
an extract from the Lakefield newsletter:
“New DMS plant sparkles"
The success of Ekati, Canada’s first diamond mine, has spurred exploration for more deposits across
the country. To meet the explorers’ requirements, Lakefield Research in Ontario enhanced its diamond
processing capabilities with the acquisition of a dense media separation (DMS) plant last year. The
plant has a nominal 1 ton per hour processing rate, ideal for handling bulk samples from late stage
exploration projects.
This facility is the only independent, commercial fee-for- service pilot scale DMS plant in the Americas, and
perhaps in the world.
Twin Mining Corp. of Toronto, was the first client to use the plant. A 350 tonne sample was delivered by
helicopter, barge and truck to Lakefield from Twin Mining’s property in the Torngat mountains in northern
Quebec. The kimberlite was crushed to a nominal - 6 mm, then scrubbed to break up any clay-like
aggregates and to remove the fines (minus 1 mm material). The diamonds were concentrated into a
heavy mineral fraction in the DMS plant and recovered using a grease table. A diamond recovery rate
of 99.5 % was achieved.
North American diamond explorers can use this DMS plant at Lakefield Research to quickly process bulk
samples, while being confident that they will receive high quality, secure and confidential results. ”Oryx Natural Resources orders diamond-processing plants
The Chairman of the international mining company Oryx Natural Resources (ORYX),visited Bateman
Project Holdings Limited (BATEMAN) in Boksburg, RSA, to sign a multi-million US dollar contract for
the supply of BATEMAN diamond-processing plants for two of its mining sites near Mbuji-Mayi in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Under the terms of the mining joint venture established between ORYX, MIBA and the RC Government,
ORYX is to invest in, develop and manage a 571sq km diamond concession in the DRC. The BATEMAN
plants were selected following the successful exploration of the concession by ORYX and the evaluation
of a range of suppliers. The plant design has been made on the basis of preliminary on-site investigations
by BATEMAN.
The plants are of similar design and, wherever possible, standardised components will be used in both
plants to facilitate operator training and permit a common pares holding. The first plant will be installed at
a site recovering alluvial diamonds some 30 km south west of Mbuji-Mayi. It comprises a front-end section,
to handle 125 t/h of run-of-mine (ROM) feed, a 50 t/h dense-media separation (DMS) module, to separate
the diamonds from the feed, and a complete recovery plant housed in three standard containers comprising
x-ray recovery, grease and milling sections and a final sort room with glove boxes. Dump conveyors will take
the reject material to the tailings dump. The plant is scheduled for delivery to site by the end of September
2001.
The second plant will be installed on the Tschibue kimberlite deposit about 30 km south west of Mbuji-Mayi.
The two incoming feed streams of ROM weathered kimberlite will be passed into two 125 t/h front-end
sections. The material will then pass through a 50 t/h DMS plant and a 5 t/h high-density DMS plant for the
removal of ilmenite. The diamond-recovery plant will be similar to the one supplied with the plant processing
the alluvial diamonds and a tailings-disposal system will also be installed. Delivery is scheduled by the end
of November 2001. At a later stage, separate circuits can be added to crush hard kimberlite ore and
recover water.
BATEMAN will design and engineer the plants, arrange for manufacture, pre-assembly and testing in RSA
and then dismantle and transport the plants to site by rail and finally by road. It is estimated that the
consignment will fill 35 rail carriages. On the site, BATEMAN personnel will assist ORYX to erect and
commission the plants. The site preparation will be done by ORYX and will include civil works, such as
reinforced earth works and foundations, and the provision of power and water supplies.Trans Hex modular DMS plant
Two BATEMAN modular dense-media separation (DMS) plants to be supplied to Trans Hex as part of the
new central diamond-process recovery circuit at the Baken Mine were trial-erected at the factory near
Johannesburg, RSA, prior to dispatch to the mine.
The two DMS plants are each capable of handling 150 t/h of the -25mm to +2 mm alluvial gravel conveyed
from the stockpiles. The material is fed onto feed-preparation screens and rinsed, all the oversize material
being fed into mixing boxes while the -2 mm material reports to the effluent pumps and is pumped to the
scrubbing and screening plant for use as pulping water.
The gravel in the mixing boxes is pulped with an appropriate ferrosilicon-dense medium and then pumped
to the DMS cyclones. The heavier diamond concentrate reports to the 'sinks' screens and the lighter material
reports to the 'floats' screens, where the ferrosilicon is drained and rinsed from the material on the screens.
The drained ferrosilicon gravitates back to the circulating-medium sump and the rinsed ferrosilicon to the
dilute-medium sump, from where the latter is pumped to the magnetic separators for recovery as an
over-dense product to report to the circulating-medium sump. Clean effluent from the magnetic separator
is used as wash water on the float screens while the underflow effluent reports to the DMS plant's effluent
sumps.
The diamond concentrate gravitates to storage bins, is batched and conveyed pneumatically to a final
recovery plant. The material from the floats screens is conveyed to the tailings dump. Both DMS modules
are automated and controlled from the central control room using a programmable logic control (PLC)
and supervisory and control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems. On site the modules will be
enclosed in a sheeted building complete with electric hoists, access doors, etc.
The order for this custom-designed plant was received from Trans Hex Mynbou Beperk in February 2000.
Trial erection of the modules was completed by mid-September and dismantling and transport by road,
1650 km to the mine some 50km from Alexander Bay on the RSA side of the Orange River, took a further
two weeks. Re-assembly under the guidance of BATEMAN engineers and erection of the housing around
the plants was completed in November with commissioning in February 2000.
A movable diamond-sampling plant has been supplied to De Beers’ Jagersfontein site some 120 km
southwest of Bloemfontein in the Free State, RSA. The intention is that it will be used to sample the
Jagersfontein tailings dump for about a year before being moved, first to Koffiefontein Mine about 60 km
away to the northwest and then to the Finsch Mine, 180 km northwest of Kimberley, where it will be used
to sample the pre-1980 tailings dump.BATEMAN custom designed this plant taking account of several special considerations. First, it is an
information gatherer, in which the quality of the information is a prime concern, rather than simply being
a revenue-producing production plant. Secondly, its relatively short operating life influenced the design,
optimising operating and capital costs.This lump-sum turnkey project arose out of a feasibility study conducted by BATEMAN, and was won in
open tender against several other contractors. Seven major modules combine to form the plant. The
front end and feed preparation section consists of a conventional reception bin with vibrating grizzly,
followed by scrubbing and screening units. Organic, metallic and oversize materials from the dump are
removed in steps before the tailings samples are delivered to the mixing box of the dense-media
separation (DMS) module. The BATEMAN RSM scrubbing facility allows for extended residence together
with an option of introducing a scrubbing charge into the unit to assist with fines liberation. The
interconnecting conveyors were supplied as part of the contract, but the recovery building was an in-house
De Beers project.Each module is an independent structural unit complete with mechanical, piping, electrical and
instrumentation installations suitable for transport on low-bed rucks. They were fully assembled in the
fabricator’s yard and then transported some 550 km to site. This reduced the erection time on site to
the time required for setting up the interconnecting conveyors, cables and piping.To enhance security the entire plant has been designed as a fully-automated facility. It is controlled from a
central control room with a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system and PLC (programmable
logic controller).BATEMAN DMS Plant Supplied to India
A 1 t/h BATEMAN dense media separation (DMS) plant has been commissioned at the Panna Diamond
Mine in Madhya Pradesh province in central India. The mine can now treat prospecting samples taken
from outlying areas where there are extensive secondary alluvial deposits.Owned by National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC), the Panna mine is the only Diamond Mine
in India.The new DMS plant was built and factory tested in South Africa before being shipped o India and erected
alongside the mine’s main process plant. NMDC consulted with BATEMAN before designing and supplying
the front-end crushers and conveying equipment for the prospecting circuit.During the ten-day commissioning phase the BATEMAN team ran a sample of the main plant’s tailings
through the plant; up to 98% of the feed was separated for rejection, leaving only a small sample to be
hand-sorted.A representative of NMDC’s Research and Development Department in Hyderabad made a special visit to
the mine to attend the ownership transfer ceremony.Since 1994, a BATEMAN 50 t/h module has been used by the mine to process all of the run-of-mine (ROM)
material obtained from its large kimberlite pipe. A BATEMAN team will also commission another 50 t/h
module to double-up on Panna’s current production.Modular Process Plants Satisfy Client Needs
"The range of BATEMAN modular plants continues to be popular amongst clients who process diamonds
and other natural resources," claims Robert Abate, General Manager, Modular Plants. "This year alone we
have supplied or are busy supplying more than ten dense-media separation (DMS) plants to clients around
the globe. Besides Southern Africa, we are exporting plants to Siberia, India, Australia, Greece, Angola and
the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)."According to Abate, two modular 150 t/h DMS units are going on the Trans Hex Group as part of a contract
to supply a central-process recovery plant to the Baken Mine on he RSA side of the Orange River, bout 50 km
from Alexander Bay. The DMS units will process diamond-bearing gravel and their modular nature will
enable the mine to dismantle and move them as the need arises.Three DMS plants are being supplied to ALROSA, the largest diamond exploration, mining and marketing
company in the Russian Federation. They will process kimberlite at ALROSA’s Aykhal and Mirny plants,
Yakutia, Siberia. The 5 and 50 t/h units are standard BATEMAN designs, but the 200 t/h unit will be
customised to fit into an existing building at the mine. A repeat order from MIBA for a 400 t/h kimberlite
processing plant for Mbujimayi in the DRC is being handled.A similar plant supplied to MIBA last year comprised primary crushing, scrubbing, screening and secondary
rushing and included a 150 t/hr BATEMAN DMS module featuring two cyclones. The second plant should
be delivered by the end of the year with commissioning scheduled for early next year.A mobile 1 t/h BATEMAN DMS plant was commissioned at the Panna Diamond Mine in Madhya Pradesh
province in central India to treat prospecting samples. The Panna mine is the only diamond mine in India
and is owned by National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC). A 50 t/h DMS module was also
commissioned at the mine to process the run-of-mine (ROM) material obtained from its large kimberlite
pipe. BATEMAN supplied Panna’s first 50 t/h plant in 1994.A fully automated sampling plant supplied to De Beers at Jagersfontein is to be used to sample the old
kimberlite tailings dumps. The plant is also mobile and will eventually be moved to other tailings dumps
in the area, including those at Finsch and Koffiefontein. BATEMAN is responsible for the whole plant,
excluding the recovery plant, and is working closely with De Beers personnel located for the duration of
the project at BATEMAN’s Boksburg offices.A 20 t/h DMS plant for Striker Resources, Australia, will be shipped via Singapore and Darwin before
being commissioned about two months later at the Ashmore Prospect in the Kimberley region in Western
Australia, some1000km south-west of Darwin. Commissioning will be done by BATEMAN personnel drawn
from both the South African and Australian offices. Two 50 t/h DMS plants, similar to those supplied to the
Panna Diamond Mine in India, are being supplied to clients in Angola and Wolmerans stad, RSA.The first modular plant to be supplied by BATEMAN to a client in Greece will be used to upgrade magnesite
ore in an existing process plant. The order for this 40 t/h plant was the result of BATEMAN’s technological
reputation and a fully-paid study and test-work which successfully demonstrated the feasibility of using
DMS technology in this application. Delivery of the plant is scheduled within six months of the order."These orders for BATEMAN modular process plants add to an already impressive reference list from
around the globe which includes 14 ship-mounted plants for the marine diamond industry," said Abate.
"They owe their continued success to their reliable fit-for-purpose equipment, backed up by a responsive
service providing spares and diamond tracers."Trans Hex's Baken Diamond Mine optimization
The Trans Hex Group has awarded BATEMAN the contract to supply materials handling facilities and
a central process recovery plant for its Baken Mine located on the RSA side of the Orange River about
50 km from Alexander Bay.
The diamond bearing gravel from two areas on the mine will be screened by two barrel screens before
being conveyed to the central process plant by overland conveyors. The plant will comprise wet scrubbing
and screening, two modular BATEMAN dense media separation plants, a final diamond recovery module
and in-plant conveyors. Surge capacity will be maintained with two circular stockpiles and the third circular
stockpile will be installed and used exclusively during sampling operations. Two high rate thickeners will
be installed as well as a new slimes and tailing disposal facilities. This contract includes all processing
and materials handling technologies, civil and electrical works, instrumentation, structures and certain
infrastructural work.
The plant will largely be modular so it can be dismantled and moved as the need arises. The best available
technology will be used, aimed at minimizing operating costs. It is estimated that the new plant should
operate at half the cost of the existing four plants and with a payback period of less than 2,5 years. The
project arose out of a feasibility study completed by BATEMAN or Trans Hex aimed at optimising the Baken
operation.
This study indicated that the best solution for the mine was to install a centralised process plant served by
overland conveyors. The project kicked off in December 1999 with the objective that the new plant would
commence diamond production by December 2000 and full operation be achieved by the end of March 2001.Containerised Modular Diamond Recovery Plant
A containerised X-ray diamond recovery plant was supplied to Diamond Works Limited, Yetweni, Angola.
The fully erected plant is 11,5m high and weighs 28tonne, but it can be dismantled into transportable
modules only 2,4 m high with a maximum weight of 10 tonne.The plant was fully tested at the works before being dismantled and transported 4500km by road to site.
The trip over very poor roads took several weeks. Once on site, however, it was assembled in two days,
connected up to the water and power supplies and set into production without delay.DIAMOND RECOVERY
The diamond recovery plant separates the -25 mm size fraction of the sinks concentrate, received from
a 50 t/h dense media separation (DMS) plant, into fine and coarse fractions. The recovery of the diamonds
from the fines circuit is improved by means of a sophisticated drier technology.A second pass mill and grease recovery plant circuit provides an ongoing verifcation of efficiency of recovery.
DEVELOPMENT
The concept of developing a containerised X-ray sorting plant, which can be rapidly dismantled hand
re-erected in remote locations, was developed jointly by the Diamond Works and BATEMAN engineers
engaged on the project. The plant was designed, manufactured and supplied in the remarkably short
time of five months.OFF-THE-SHELF PLANTS
BATEMAN offers containerised plants virtually as off-the-shelf items which can be delivered within
three months of receipt of the order.
PROJECT STATISTICS
Client Diamond Works Limited Location: Yetweni, Angola Contract: Type Lump sum Duration: January 1998 to May 1998 Product processed: Alluvial kimberlite concentrate Modular process plants selling well
Bateman Minerals continues to be the leading supplier of modular engineered plants for the minerals
processing industry and has again experienced a very good year supplying plants to clients in Africa
and elsewhere. The track record in this market now amounts to over 300 plants delivered to clients
around the world - to Angola, Argentina, Botswana, Brazil, Burma, Canada, China, Congo, Ghana, Guinea,
India, Indonesia, Lesotho, Liberia, Namibia, South Africa, Syria, Tanzania, United Arab Emirates,
Venezuela and Zimbabwe.Most of these modular plants have been used for diamond recovery, but the range of applications as been
expanded to include coal, graphite, gold, and alusite, emeralds and base minerals. Last year BATEMAN
won a Projects and Systems Award for the 180t/hr single cyclone dense media separation (DMS) plant
supplied to New Clydesdale Colliery, RSA.
Ship and dredge mounted modules
Modules for marine applications are designed and constructed to cope with such environments. Several
marine diamond recovery plants were supplied during the year, bringing to 14 the number supplied since
1984. The latest order has come from Ocean Diamond Mining for a DMS module designed specifically to s
s uit the configuration few vessel.This module, which will handle 40t/hr of material, should be ready for delivery by he end of 1998.
A modular diamond recovery plant to handle about 3 900 t/hr of a mix of gravel and water was installed
aboard NAMCO’s MV Kovambo. Most of the modules were trial erected at the factory before being tripped
and transported byroad to Cape Town to await the ship as it berthed. When it sailed for the United Kingdom
9 weeks later the installation was 85 % complete. A BATEMAN construction crew board the MV Kovambo
continued the installation during the voyage and completed the job one month after arrival in Hull.
This was the first time that BATEMAN undertook work on a ship sailing on the high seas. The trip to the
U. K. was necessary for a mining tool, hose handling system and accessories to be fitted there. This
was the second project undertaken by BATEMAN for NAMCO.
Complete diamond processing plants
A kimberlite processing plant for a new MIBA mine in the Democratic Republic of the Congo(DRC) has just
been manufactured. BATEMAN has been supplying equipment to MIBA for about two decades and the latest
contract is for a complete 400 t/hr plant which includes modules to crush, screen, scrub, convey and treat
the kimberlite.
The whole plant will be road- and rail-hauled to the DRC where it will be erected by MIBA at the mine.
BATEMAN personnel will commission the plant. The combination of custom and modular design will
make it easy for MIBA to expand production capacity by adding further process modules as the need arises.A containerised modular X-ray plant incorporating a final sorting room and UV dryers, mills and grease
screens was supplied to a mine in Angola. The plant separates the -25 mm size fraction of the sinks
concentrate from a 50 t/h dense media separation (DMS) plant into fine and coarse factions. The
recovery of the diamonds from the fines circuit is improved by means of a sophisticated drier technology.When fully erected the plant is 11.5 m high and weighs 28 tonne. It was fully tested at the works before
dismantling into its transportable modules, which are only 2,4 m high with a maximum weight of 10 tonne.
These modules were transported 4500km by road to Angola. The trip over very poor roads took several
weeks. Once on site, however, it was assembled in two days, connected up to the water and power
supplies and set into production without delay.The plant can easily be dismantled and re-erected in remote locations. It was designed, manufactured
and supplied in the remarkably short time of five months. BATEMAN is now in a position to offer such
plants as virtually off-the-shelf items which can be delivered within three months of receipt of the order.
A complete diamond prospecting plant with a 10 t/hr DMS module was supplied to Rio Tinto Zimbabwe
and includes crushing, screening and scrubbing modules to process 20 t/hr of diamondiferous material.
At the small end of this range the 1t/hr ‘Prospector’ module is selling well, with two units being supplied to
clients internationally this year. The module on display at the African Mining Seminar was purchased by a
client in India and represented repeat business. The client has been operating a 50 t/hr module very
satisfactorily for the past four years. The other 1 t/hr module was the second to be supplied by BATEMAN
to the Sandawana Emerald Mine in Zimbabwe.Moonstar’s diamond recovery plant
The diamond recovery plant aboard the Benguela / Moonstone joint venture’s Moonstar consists of four
modules – primary screening, dense media separation (DMS), pre-X-ray treatment and final diamond
recovery. Part of the plant was pre-erected in the factory, to minimise erection time on the vessel and
high port charges.The plant addresses challenges unique to the marine diamond industry. It accounts for the specific mining
technique and pump transfer system used onboard and effectively recovers the diamonds from the
high-volume low-solids slurry taken from the seabed. The slurry comprises a mixture of clay, boulders,
large quantities of sand, gravel and other heavy minerals, foam and diamonds.The plant represents the culmination of continuous development since 1985, when the first ship-mounted
marine diamond sampling plant was supplied by BATEMAN.Material off the seabed is airlifted as a slurry containing between 1 % and 3 % solids and fed into the
primary screening module. The very high kinetic energy of the feed as it nears the surface of the sea is
dissipated in a Boil box arrangement.The multistage vibrating screens necessary for handling the huge volumes of slurry from the airlift effectively,
allow most of the clay to be scalped off and discharged straight back into the sea. Clay in the feed can clog
up screens, trap diamonds which can be rejected with the floats in the DMS circuit, increase FeSi
consumption in the DMS unit and much of the remaining clay as a result of the high energy dissipation
in the mixing chamber.The scrubber-mill handles the feed at the rate required by the subsequent DMS plant. It retains the grinding
charge (autogenous and ceramic balls) but allows the diamond bearing gravels to be quickly flushed through
the system without exposing the diamonds to high energy impact or long retention times which could cause
breakage. The scrubber-mill disperses the last traces of the clay which may still be in the system.The 50 t/h DMS plant on the Moonstar was selected to handle the type and quantity of deposits in the area
being mined and the on-board surge bins marry the pumping capability with the DMS capacity. The DMS
concentrates are sent to the concentrates preparation plant, for pre-sizing the gravels.State-of-the-art technology
Typical of shipboard modular process plants, the Moonstar plant is unique and is the result of major
improvements made in the past decade. These have been made possible by the excellent working
relationship between the operators, equipment suppliers and BATEMAN. This has created an environment
conducive to continuing change, problem resolution and technological improvement. In this relationship
the role of the operators is crucial in providing feedback to improve designs after each project.
Project statistics
Client: Benguela/Moonstone joint venture Installed at: Cape Town Contract: Type Reimbursable Duration March 1996 to November 1996 Product processed: Diamondiferous seabed slurry Specifications:
Primary and secondary screening: 250 t/h
DMS module: 50 t/h
Another modular coal plant for New Clydesdale colliery
The modular plant division of Bateman Minerals and Industrial has supplied another pump fed modular
coal washing plant to Gold Fields of South Africa Limited's New Clydesdale Colliery. The plant is a second
stage add-on washery to the modular coal washing plant supplied to the colliery by BATEMAN last year.
The contract was awarded to BATEMAN in February this year and the completed plant was commissioned
almost exactly five months later. It is now working to specification.
The second stage plant handles 165 t/hr of clean coal received from the existing plant. The coal is pumped
via a mixing box to two dense medium cyclones to separate the 'Low Ash' and 'Cosmos' products. This
dense media separation (DMS) technology processes a -40 mm coal to produce a 7 % ash quality product.
The low ash product reports to the stockpile conveyor while the Cosmos product reports back to the existing
stockpile conveying system.
The plant is about 9 m high and consists of two separate modules, each of which is 10 m long and 4 m wide.
The steel and plate-work weighs about 76 tonne. The modules can easily be dismantled, transported and
re-assembled elsewhere should the need arise.
The first stage of the New Clydesdale coal washing plant is the single cyclone DMS plant which processes
180 t/hr of -40 mm run-of-mine coal to produce a 10 % ash quality product. BATEMAN won a 1997 Projects
and Systems Award from the S.A. Institution of Mechanical Engineers for this plant.New Clydesdale Modular Coal Processing Plant
Two pump-fed modular coal washing plants using dense media separation (DMS) technology were
supplied to Gold Fields of South Africa Limited’s New Clydesdale Colliery. The first one is a single stage
cyclone which processes 180 t/h of ROM coal to produce a 10 % wash quality product. The second
stage plant is an add-on washery which handles 165 t/h of clean coal from the first plant to produce
‘Low Ash’ and ‘Cosmos’ products.BATEMAN won a 1997 Projects and Systems Award from the S.A. Institution of Mechanical Engineers for
the first plant which is thought to be one of the world’s largest single cyclone DMS modular engineered
plants to be used for coal processing.Both plants were delivered within five months of receipt of the orders. They were pre-erected at the factory
and fully tested before being disassembled into modules and transported some 100 km by road to the
colliery. They can easily be dismantled and re-assembled elsewhere should the need arise.First stage plant
The plant washes 180 t/h of -40 mm run-of-mine coal to produce a 10 % ash quality product with a yield
range of 60 % to 80 % of the feed. Single cyclone DMS plants of this size are more cost-effective than plants
in which several small units are combined, as less duplication of auxiliary equipment like pumps, piping
and controls is required. They can thus be supplied at a very competitive price. The steel- and plate-work
weigh about 60 tonne and the structure is 9 m high. It is mounted on five separate modules of which the
largest is only 16m long by 3,5m wide.Second stage plant
The second stage plant processes 165 t/h of clean coal received from the first stage. The coal is
pumped via a mixing box to two dense medium cyclones to separate the ‘low ash’ and ‘Cosmos’
products. The DMS module processes 40 mm coal to produce a 7% ash quality product. The low ash
product reports to the stockpile conveyor while the Cosmos product reports back to the existing stockpile
conveying system. The plant is about 9m high and consists of two separate modules, each of which is
10m long and 4m wide. The steel- and plate-work weigh about 76 tonne.Project statistics
Client: Gold Fields of South Africa Limited Location: New Clydesdale Colliery, Mpumalanga, RSA Contracts: Type Lump sum turnkey Duration Stage 1: February to mid-July 1996
Stage 2: mid-February to mid-July 1997Product processed: 40 mm run-of-mine coal
The 180 t/h modular coal processing plant
installed at New Clydesdale Colliery
before the supply of the second stage plant.MIBA’s diamond process plant with DMS modules
BATEMAN supplied and commissioned a 400t/h kimberlite processing plant for MIBA at Mbujimayi in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo.This is the largest plant supplied to MIBA by BATEMAN and the largest capacity plant running at MIBA.
BATEMAN also upgraded MIBA’s existing recovery plant, enabling it to treat double the tonnage previously
processed and to retreat some of the tailings without affecting the normal throughput.
MIBA's 400 t/h kimberlite process plant at Mbujimayi, DRC.
MIBA’s diamond process plantThe new plant
The plant comprises primary crushing, scrubbing, screening and secondary crushing. Fifteen tonne loads
of kimberlite are dropped through a 450mm grizzly into a 75 tonne ore storage bin. A rock breaker breaks up
the large rocks and 400 t/h of dry material is transferred onto a conveyor by a BATEMAN apron feeder.The equipment has to cope with the varying feed rate to the plant. The +150 mm material is reduced further
in a jaw crusher and the clay is then washed off the gravel in two pairs of BATEMAN scrubbers. The +25 mm
gravel is transported to a bin on top of a secondary crusher in which all the material is crushed to less than
25 mm. The material is then returned to the scrubbers.The -25 mm material reports to a 150 t/hr BATEMAN dense media separation (DMS) module featuring two
cyclones. The concentrate is stored in a bin feeding ten-tonne batches into lorries for transport to the MIBA
recovery plant.The DMS module was fully erected and tested in the works near Johannesburg, RSA, prior to dismantling
for road and rail transport to site. The first consignment consisted of 23 rail truck loads from Johannesburg
to Lubumbashi, followed by some 40 super-link road trucks. The components were then railed from
Lubumbashi to a siding at Mwene Ditu and then road hauled the last 150km to the mine.
Upgrading the existing recovery plant
Several issues were addressed. A 5 t/hr BATEMAN Pneumo-drier was installed to simultaneously transport
and dry the wet concentrate. The -5 mm concentrate now reports to a pair of more modern and effective X-ray
machines and the +5 mm material reports to the existing Sortex machines. A good dust-extraction system,
capable of handling the massive volume within the building, was installed and the new X-ray machines were
built into completely airtight rooms to cool the electronics and extract dust effectively.Onsite work
The new plant was commissioned by a BATEMAN team which instructed the mine personnel on how to
operate the equipment.Commissioning the recovery plant took a five-man BATEMAN team three weeks. The retrofit was challenging
but no major problems were experienced.The changeover from the old circuit to the new took place gradually over a one-week period. Both phases
of the work were undertaken in unsettled political conditions with rebels active near to Mbujimayi.
Project statistics
Client: Société Miniére de Bakwanga Miba Location: Mbujimayi, Democratic Republic of the Congo Contract Type: Fixed lump sum turnkey Duration: March 1998 to January 1999 Product processed: Kimberlite Plant specification:
Capacity: 400 t/h run-of-mine-ore DMS: 2 x 150 t/h modules
BATEMAN DMS installed on ODM vessel
BATEMAN has designed, manufactured and installed a 40 t/h dense medium separation (DMS) plant on
the Ivan Prinsep, Ocean Diamond Mining (ODM) of Cape Town’s newly procured vessel, previously named
the Delta Pride. Renamed after ODM’s chairman, it will supplement the company’s existing mining vessel,
the Namibian Gem. BATEMAN originally supplied the DMS plant aboard the latter in 1995.
The space available for the plant aboard the Ivan Prinsep was long and narrow, demanding a new and
innovative design. Two side-by-side modules allow generous access to all equipment with a third module
mounted over the top of the first two. The steelwork mounting is specifically designed to allow for the pitch
and roll of the vessel and is painted to stringent marine specifications. All piping is made of high density
polyethylene (HDPE) with galvanised couplings.
ODM first approached BATEMAN in July 1998 with an enquiry for the new plant. The whole plant was
designed and manufactured in a period of 18 weeks and completely assembled and water tested in
Johannesburg. The modules were then disassembled and loaded onto flatbed trailers for transport by
road to Cape Town harbour and erected on the vessel during the first week of December 1998.
The commissioning was performed with seawater on Thursday 14 January, a day before the renaming
ceremony, attended by about 100 dignitaries at the quay behind the Royal Cape Yacht Club. On the following
two days, ferro-silicon was introduced into the circuit and the plant was fully commissioned. The Ivan Prinsep
is presently successfully mining marine diamonds in Namibian waters.
ALROSA diamond projects in Yakutia, Siberia
ALROSA, the largest diamond exploration, mining and marketing company in the Russian Federation
has engaged BATEMAN’s mineral processing and engineering expertise and the banking and financial
expertise of BOE Investment Bank to upgrade its Aykhal and Mirny plants and to assist in the development
of its Siberian resources.
It is believed to be the first time that a South African engineering company has co-operated with a
South African merchant bank in the structuring of a project in the Russian Federation. The Credit Guarantee
Insurance Corporation of Africa Limited (CGIC) is also involved.
During preliminary studies a strong BATEMAN team worked on site at Aykhal and Mirny. Following months
of negotiation in Moscow and Johannesburg involving ALROSA, BATEMAN, BOE and officials of CGIC, the
deal was ratified by V A Shtyrov, president of ALROSA (Almazy Rossii-Sakha Limited). This sets the scene
for increasing South African involvement in mining developments in the mineral-rich Russian Federation.
In terms of the agreement, BATEMAN will supply two 100 t/h dense media separation (DMS) plants to the
Aykhal Diamond Factory No. 14, a 50 t/h modular DMS plant to the recently refurbished Mirny Plant No. 3 and
a fully mobile 5 t/h modular diamond recovery plant for use in the field. The modular plants will be fully
engineered and pre-erected by BATEMAN in South Africa prior to shipment. BOE Investment Bank will
serve as financial adviser and arranger of facilities. Its first mandate is to provide US$7M to finance the
supply of the modular plants.
BATEMAN is also playing a further role in initial studies in which the ALROSA-NYURBA Company plans within
two years to establish a new mine at Nyurba. In this study BATEMAN will work with ALROSA’s in-house
Yakutniproalmaz Institute. It is a development which could require an estimated US$400M in project finance.
The kimberlite deposit is located in an area of deep permafrost.
ALROSA with 42 000 people on its payroll is one of the giants of Russia’s new market economy. It was
launched in 1992 as a successor to several Soviet-era entities engaged in diamond exploration, mining
and marketing. Its major production mines are located in north-eastern Siberia. In addition, ALROSA has
interests in Angola and Namibia and offices in London, New York, Antwerp and Moscow.
ALROSA’s diamond output accounts for almost all diamonds extracted in Russia. In 1996, it accounted for
an estimated 20-25 % of world diamond output by value (or 12-15 % by volume).
BATEMAN has been involved in the Russian Federation as early as 1989 and is now a recognised player in
the mining and oil and gas arenas having recently been accredited to operate in the FSU by Goskorteknadzor,
the Russian licensing authority.Andalusite process plant at Havercroft mine
A process plant to handle 88 000 tonne/month at Anglovaal Minerals Limited’s (Avmin’s) newly
re-opened Havercroft Andalusite mine was commissioned following its upgrade and refurbishment
by BATEMAN. The mine is located near Burgersfort, Northern Province, RSA.
A reimbursable R37M (about US$7M) contract covered the project management, engineering design
and supply of the new processing plant together with those parts of the plant which could be refurbished.
Primary crushing of 150 t/h of run-of-mine (ROM) ore is accomplished using an innovative adaption of
underground coal mining technology to process the hard andalusite crystals in the relatively soft shale
matrix. Secondary crushing occurs in a refurbished Omni-cone crusher and tertiary crushing is achieved
using a novel wet flush crushing technique liberating the andalusite crystals with a minimum of breakage.
The andalusite is then concentrated by gravity separation in a dense media separation (DMS) plant consisting
of two modular units. The modern design of the plant results in enhanced separation efficiencies and permits
the recovery of smaller crystals than was possible in the past.
Final upgrading of the andalusite is accomplished by drying the concentrate in a rotary dryer followed by the
reduction of the iron content by passing the crystals through Permroll high intensity magnetic separators.
Plant tailings comprise coarse discards and slimes. The coarse material is conveyed up the existing dump
which was stabilized by extensive re-grading. The slimes are thickened in an Ultra Hi-rate thickener and
pumped to the existing slimes dam 1,5 km below the plant.
Process control is fully automated using a modern SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) system
allowing the whole plant to be operated by one operator and four assistants, with a clear view of the whole
plant from a centralized control room above the motor control centre (MCC). Two wet scrubber systems
ensure that dust emissions from the plant are well within legislated limits.
The original plant built in the 1950s consisted of a 150 t/h crushing and screening plant followed by
pre-concentration in pans and a DMS plant. It was operated by VEREF (Vereeniging Refractories) until
the late 1980s when it was acquired by Amcoal. In turn, the mine was sold to Avmin which closed it
down in 1991.
Following a favourable increase in the price of andalusite, a test programme was initiated at Mintek in
early 1996 and BATEMAN was awarded a feasibility study which examined a number of modern
processing options. This study rolled over into the plant modernization project.
The new plant was built within eight months and is now operating according to specification, 24 hours
a day, 6 days a week.
Sandawana buys second DMS module
BATEMAN VEL has supplied a second 1 t/h dense media separation (DMS) module to Sandawana
Emerald Mine, Zimbabwe. It has been supplied to operate in tandem with the first module treating
the reject stream, but could also be used in parallel to double plant throughput.
Because of the very small density difference between the emeralds and the host rock, the separation of
emeralds from run-of-mine ore depends upon the very high separation efficiencies achievable with the
DMS process and the ease with which the operating density of the module can be altered to suit the ore
type. The efficiency of the operation and the optimal operating cutpoint are determined during the operation
by means of density tracers.
The BATEMAN VEL 1 t/h DMS module has been under continuous development since the first one was
supplied to the market some four years ago. These units are fully transportable and can be used for
prospecting, sampling and small-scale production.
The new unit supplied to Sandawana is an automatically operated production unit designed to operate
24 hours a day. It weighs 3 000 kg and is 2,3 m wide, 2,8 m long and 2,4 m high. It was fully assembled
and tested at the factory before being transported to Zimbabwe and, upon arrival on site, only required a
concrete slab or flattened area, power and a feed supply from a conveyor to be commissioned.
Havercroft plants transported to site
Two modular dense media separation (DMS) plants have been installed at the Havercroft Andalusite
Mine near Burgersfort in Northern Province.
The DMS plants were supplied by Bateman Minerals and Industrial (BMI) to Rhino Minerals, a wholly
owned division of Anglovaal Minerals Limited, as part of a R 34m process plant which will treat 88 000
tonne/month of andalusite ore.
The plant was transported by road to the mine site about 70 km north-west of Burgersfort in Northern
Province. Following delivery on site its modular construction enabled re-erection in only five days; a
remarkably short time for this task on such a remote site.The modular plant was the first part of the
process plant assembled on site.
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A 50 t/h modular DMS unit for
A DMS plant in the foreground of
Opencast mining at Trans
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