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December 2015
MODERN MINING
13
MINING News
It is all systems go to fast track Sishen’s
new heavy mining equipment (HME)
filling station. The project is entering
the commissioning phase and VBKom
reports it is ensuring perfect handover of
the project to the owner mine through
structured Operational Readiness
principles.
Operational Readiness is part of
VBKom’s suite of industrial engineer-
ing services and aims to assist clients to
reach nameplate performance withmini-
mal disruptions in the shortest allowable
timeframes.
As such, it is a combination
discipline of technical, systems engi-
neering, administration, projec t
management, and structured facilitation
and communication.
Within the next three months, diesel
tank levels, decanting from suppliers,
and dispensing to a 4-bay forecourt
will all be put to the maximum test in a
C1-C5 commissioning schedule. Several
interfaces are included in the facility,
such as diesel, lubricants, grease, anti-
freeze, and nitrogen delivery, storage,
and dispensing.
VBKom is ensuring that the owner
mine will be completely enabled to
operate the new facility when the
project is complete, by engaging with
critical stakeholders such as Dispatch,
Recruitment & Training, material ven-
HME facility enters commissioning phase
Sishen’s new heavy mining equipment (HME) filling station under construction (photo: VBKom).
dors, maintenance contractors, mining
(HME equipment requirements), product
accounting, and civil and structural con-
struction. The project is being fast tracked
by three months and therefore it is critical
to manage schedule slippage, budget
expenditure, and quality of works.
VBKom says it is driving the commis-
sioning schedule hard and making sure
that all necessary stakeholders are ade-
quately involved and performing to the
milestone dates.
Difficult start for new RHA tungsten mine
AIM-traded Premier African Minerals, which
has developed and operates the RHA tung-
sten mine in north-western Zimbabwe,
reports that development of the open pit
on the basis of direct Run of Mine (ROM) ore
feed, in light of the present wolframite pric-
ing, is unlikely to bring RHA into profit in the
short term.
RHA has therefore temporarily suspended
open-pit operations to reduce cash outflow,
and has accelerated the development of
underground mining (something that had
always been planned but on the basis that
profitable operation of the open pit would
fund underground development).
Premier reported first ore from under-
ground on 27 October 2015 and ore from
the 926 adit level continues to be mined and
stockpiled. Simultaneously, Premier is accel-
erating access to fully developed historic
reserves on the 870 level. This has previously
been reported as 100 000 tons grading at
approximately 7 kg per ton.
Premier expects hoisting and ventilation
facilities for this level to be installed and
operational by Q1 2016. At the same time,
Premier has conducted initial test work utilis-
ing XRT technology that has demonstrated
excellent capability in recognition of miner-
alised ore that may result in significant grade
improvement of the ROM ore. In turn, this is
likely to substantially increase the available
resource and reduce operating costs, it says.
Further test work has been commissioned
which, subject to completion and conclusion
of a toll process agreement, could signifi-
cantly affect open-pit operating costs.
“The combination of a falling APT price,
difficulties in achieving the planned Run
of Mine feed grade from the open pit and
some residual issues in attaining steady
state in plant operations, have not made for
the start to production Premier had antici-
pated,” comments Premier’s CEO, George
Roach. “Despite this, we have opened a new
mine in very trying times. Our experience
to date has provided a solid platform from
which we expect to see a move to profit
during Q1 2016. Acceleration of the under-
ground mining and the potential to upgrade
through XRT sorting of the open-pit material
has real promise for the future of RHA.”