Leading mining technology and service supplier FLS will open or expand seven service centres in strategic locations across the globe in 2025.
These facilities are in direct support of FLS’ CORE’26 mining strategy that includes targeting service growth, and adds to the company’s already comprehensive global network of service centres that can enhance mining customers’ productivity.
New facilities will open in Accra, Ghana; Surabaja, Indonesia; and Dammam, Saudi Arabia, while FLS’ operations in Mackay, Australia will relocate to a larger facility.
Expansions are planned in Parauapebas, Brazil; Karaganda, Kazakhstan; and Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
Operations in each of these new locations will begin within the coming months with official opening details to be announced at a later date.
In addition, an expansion of the service centre in Chloorkop, South Africa is ongoing and will be completed in 2026.
Image: FLSmidth
“Our service centres serve primarily as workshops for improving or repairing customer equipment and can also have warehousing capabilities for distribution,” FLS head of professional services Christian Fabry said.
“With these new openings and expansions, we further strengthen our service capabilities and best-in-class service offerings to customers.”
“We can do that by shortening the operational down time for customers thanks to the service centres’ strategic proximity to mine sites and greater availability of spare and wear parts to local customers.”
FLS offers a comprehensive range of service offerings that allow mining companies to maximise productivity.
The company has developed the strategic global presence and advanced service-based solutions required to provide responsive support wherever customers are located.
This includes:
Strong inventory of OEM spare parts and consumables in service centres around the world
Regional and global field engineers, plus remote asset health and performance optimisation services
Mineral laboratory services for fast, accurate mineralogical and metallurgical testing
Upgrades, rebuilds and exchange services to help you get more from your equipment.
FLSmidth work on the ground, and know that in a 24/7 process every hour of downtime adds up to very high costs in lost productivity.
That’s why its mining service centres are strategically located to offer local support to its customers operations – wherever they are in the world.
The company has service centres in East (Pinkenba, Beresfield, Mackay, Rockhampton) and the West (Henderson & Welshpool).
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Horizontal slurry pumps are indispensable in moving abrasive and corrosive liquids efficiently. These pumps are designed to handle liquids containing solid particles, making them the right choice in various industries such as mining, construction, and wastewater treatment. Here below you’ll find all the Pemo horizontal slurry pumps, while in the news section we go deeper into the definition, types, uses, and advantages of horizontal slurry pumps.
Pemo horizontal slurry pumps
Pemo’s horizontal slurry pumps are specifically designed for specific industry and purpose, we can build it in the V-Belt and Direct Transmission versions. All the Pemo horizontal pumps have the sealing system that consists of mechanical seals, with faces that are made of Tungsten Carbide (widia) or of Silicium Carbide. Lubrication of the mechanical seals, when there is a pair per pump, can be made with flushing water at a determined pressure, depending on the version, or with water/glicole by means of different closed circuits with natural or forced circulation. Instead, lubrication of the bearings is made with grease or oil.
Pemo Pumps models
Pemo Pumps has three different series of horizontal sludge pumps:
AO-AO/AD Series are standard horizontal pumps with frontal inlet. Based on our standards, the maximum available pressure should never exceed 2 bar (29 psi). Since there is only one mechanical seals these models are used to pump only water like fluids with almost no abrasive particles.
AO/TD – AO/TD/AD Series are horizontal pumps with frontal inlet and double mechanical seals, flushing must be done at a pressure that must be about 1 bar (15 psi) higher than the slurry outlet pressure. They can be used to pump abrasive and/or acid liquids. Maximum outlet pressure should not exceed 3-4 bar (45 – 60 PSI). Designed for heavy duty slurry and/or acid applications, these pumps have capacities from 1 to 1500 m3/h (5 to 6613 gpm).
AO/AB – AO/AB/AD Series are one of the most popular and distinctive products of the Pemo Pumps range. Thanks to the side inlet, the maximum pressure that the mechanical seals see is the fluid inlet pressure, greatly increasing life expectancy. For this reason, flushing must be done at a pressure that must be about 1 bar (15 psi) higher than the slurry inlet pressure instead. When pumping acid liquids, the shaft and the mechanical seals chamber can be made of special alloys.
Designed for slurries and/or acid applications, these Pemo pumps are truly unique! Maximum particle size is 2 mm though this is dependent on the specific application, capacities are from 1 to 900 m3/h (5 to 3,968 gpm), and maximum discharge head is 90 m (295 ft) in the Hardalloy PEMO design.
Primary markets
These are the primary markets where Pemo horizontal slurry pumps are used, we also can provide to our clients references and case studies.
Mining, Quarries, and Mineral Extraction Aggregate Industry Chemical Industry Food Industry Industrial Wastewater Treatment.
AO/TI and AO/TD Series, main characteristics
Designed for heavy duty slurry and/or acid applications.
These are end suction slurry pumps with single or double mechanical seals.
Capacities from 1 to 1500 m3/h (5 to 6613 gpm).
Usually maximum discharge pressure should not exceed 3 bar or 43 psi.
AO/AB Series, main characteristics
Designed for slurries and/or acid applications.
The heart of the PEMO product line, the AO/AB Series pumps are truly unique. Due to the side inlet, the maximum pressure the mechanical seal will see is the fluid inlet pressure, greatly increasing life of the seal.
When pumping acid liquids, the shaft and the mechanical seal housing can be made of special alloys.
Maximum particle size is 2 mm though this is dependent on the specific application.
Capacities from 1 to 900 m3/h (5 to 3,968 gpm).
Maximum discharge head is 90 m (295 ft) in the Hardalloy PEMO design.
Pemo Pumps is an Italian excellence in the custom pumps market. With a production 100% made in Italy, 50% of Pemo Pumps revenues comes from direct sales worldwide. Just one third of our sales are to Italian companies for direct use and for selling worldwide. Pemo Pumps has subsidiaries, representatives, and agents in 20 Countries and has more than 4,000 customers in the World.
Contact today our consultants to learn more about the complete range of Pemo Pumps.
Minprovise, a leading supplier in the mining and quarrying industries, has recently expanded its product range to include a variety of wear parts and liners.
This new offering includes high-quality manganese crusher liners, apron feeder pans and jaw crusher wear parts. The new range of high-performance crusher liners can also be supplied with tungsten inserts (TIC) offering unmatched toughness and extended service life, increasing plant availability and reducing costly downtime.
By offering a comprehensive range of wear parts and liners, Minprovise aims to provide reliable and high-quality alternatives to expensive original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts, helping clients reduce costs and improve operational performance.
Further to that, Minprovise has recently introduced bi-metal wear plates and composite white iron wear bars (chocky blocks) into their suite of wear products.
Image: Minprovise
To assist clients with reliable supply and the shortest possible lead time, Minprovise hold considerable stock of various sized chocky blocks to suit the majority of more common wear applications.
From a quality standpoint, Minprovise’s commitment is evident in its rigorous selection, auditing and qualification process for all suppliers. Independent metallurgical test reports from both Australian and international laboratories are available on request for the Minprovise range of wear products.
This dedication to excellence has made Minprovise a forward thinking and trusted partner for many mining and quarrying operations, with well established relationships with organisations such as Rio Tinto, BHP, FMG, AngloGold and Roy Hill to mention just a few.
Product range support
Minprovise boasts a dedicated technical team with decades of experience in both Australian and international mining and quarrying industries.
Where required, Minprovise technical experts work alongside client teams to analyse areas of high wear with the goal of developing and implementing custom wear solutions. These can generally be implemented quickly, drawing from the extensive stock on hand and utilising rapid turnaround fabrication via the Welshpool-based workshop facility.
With this expansion, the company’s focus on innovation and safety first ensures that clients receive the best possible solutions for their needs. For more information about Minprovise’s new product range, including wear parts, liners, and chocky blocks, visit the Minprovise website.
While the likes of Kazakhstan, Canada and Namibia are known for being dominant uranium producers, Australia lays claim to the world’s largest uranium deposit.
Olympic Dam, which is seemingly one of the most geologically and mineralogically diverse mines globally, holds more than two million tonnes of uranium oxide.
The mine also produces copper, gold and nickel from its polymetallic treasure chest, demonstrating the range of revenue pathways on offer for its owner BHP.
Olympic Dam produced 3189 tonnes of uranium in 2024. By comparison, the nameplate capacity of Boss Energy’s recently reopened Honeymoon operation is 2.4 million pounds (1088 tonnes) per year.
Boss is targeting 850,000 pounds (386 tonnes) of uranium production in the 2024–25 financial year.
BHP is looking to more than double the copper production capacity of Olympic Dam by the middle of next decade. Uranium production isn’t expected to increase at the same scale, however, which has been news to the ears of many investors.
The Australian Financial Review reported that BHP disclosed such plans in paperwork concerning its Olympic Dam expansion, with only a one per cent uplift in uranium production expected.
A boost in Olympic Dam uranium supply would flood the market and potentially suppress prices and uranium stocks.
This comes despite expectations that global uranium demand is expected to increase by 28 per cent between 2023–30, according to the World Nuclear Association (WNA).
The WNA also predicts that between 2031–40, demand would double by 51 per cent.
Honeymoon is not the only uranium upstart of recent times, with Lotus Resources looking to bring its Kayelekera project in Namibia online in the near future. Deep Yellow is also looking to commence production at its Tumas uranium project in Namibia.
Uranium prices have dropped below $US70 per pound to begin 2025, having traded above this mark since October 2023. This is still much higher than historical levels, with uranium not reaching $US40 per pound for the better part of six years between 2015 and 2021.
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The Whyalla Steelworks has been placed into administration after the South Australian government rushed legislation through parliament and pledged “one of the most comprehensive industry support packages that this nation has ever seen”.
The move gives the government authority to act on debts owed by GFG Alliance and secure the future of the mid-north operations.
SGH’s EBIT of $843 million was up 10 per cent, with Boral’s EBIT of $259m up 29 per cent, helping drive the growth in this area.
SGH managing director and chief executive officer Ryan Stokes spoke about Boral’s performance in the first-half results.
“SGH completed the acquisition of Boral early in the half, and I am particularly pleased with their continued progress on the performance journey to achieve mid-teen EBIT margins,” he said.
“We remain excited about the opportunities we have long identified for further improvement at Boral. We also welcomed a significant number of former Boral shareholders to continue participating in long-term value creation as SGH shareholders.
Boral’s revenue of $1.8 billion was marginally down for the first half partially because of lower sales volumes in residential construction and roading.
SGH identified Boral’s cost control, and “internal optimisation” were “instrumental” in delivering the EBIT increase and managing the variable market conditions.
Boral has started an investment programme to refresh its heavy mobile equipment fleet, it expects this to support production and reduce cost efficiencies.
SGH stated the robust infrastructure investment outlook, and a positive residential outlook supported by the National Housing Accord targets supported its outlook for Boral.
“We continue to see solid customer demand across our core sector exposures of Industrials and Energy. The outlook for these sectors, along with our strong HY25 result, gives us confidence in our full-year earnings guidance of high single-digit EBIT growth for FY25,” Stokes said.
“Together with the leaders of our exceptional businesses, our owner’s mindset underpins the productivity and performance improvement that enabled this strong result.
“I am also grateful for the efforts of the wider SGH team and their commitment to serving our customers and delivering outcomes.”
The XPE1215 mobile jaw crusher is built to withstand tough mining conditions. Image: XCMG
XCMG’s new XPE1215 mobile jaw crusher is poised to change the game in crushing and screening.
When it comes to mining and construction machinery, XCMG is a name synonymous with innovation, durability, and excellence.
Leading the charge in the Australian market, XCMG has proudly introduced the XPE1215 mobile jaw crusher, a game-changer in the world of crushing and screening.
Designed for efficiency, reliability, and unmatched performance, the XPE1215 is here to redefine industry standards.
Built for power and precision
At its core, the XPE1215 is engineered to handle the toughest of tasks.
The XPE1215 mobile jaw crusher reduces energy consumption without compromising productivity. Image: XCMG
With its impressive jaw capacity, this mobile crusher is equipped to handle large-scale operations, processing substantial volumes of material with ease.
Whether it’s mining, construction debris, or quarrying, the XPE1215 tackles the job head-on, ensuring maximum productivity on every project.
Key specifications:
Jaw size: Optimised for high-capacity throughput, reducing downtime and increasing efficiency
Motor power: Enhanced motor systems ensure smooth operation, even under heavy load conditions
Mobility: Designed for rapid deployment and ease of transport, this crusher adapts seamlessly to diverse terrains and work sites.
Why the XPE1215 leads the pack
The XPE1215 isn’t just another mobile jaw crusher; it’s a class apart. Here’s why the XPE1215 is a premium option:
Innovative design: Incorporating advanced engineering, the XPE1215 boasts a user-friendly interface, making operations straightforward and efficient. Maintenance has never been easier, thanks to its accessible design and quick-service capabilities.
Energy efficiency: Sustainability is at the heart of XCMG’s innovations. The XPE1215 reduces energy consumption without compromising performance, helping operators achieve cost savings and meet environmental goals.
Durability under pressure: Built with high-quality materials, this crusher is made to withstand Australia’s harshest conditions. From searing heat to rugged terrains, the XPE1215 remains reliable, ensuring years of dependable service.
Precision and consistency: The crusher’s advanced jaw technology delivers uniform particle sizes, enhancing the quality of the output.
XCMG in 2025
While the XPE1215 takes centre stage, there’s much more to come from XCMG.
XCMG is gearing up to redefine the crushing and screening industry, with an expanded lineup of advanced machinery set to debut in 2025.
These forthcoming innovations are not only tailored to meet the specific demands of the Australian mining and construction landscape but are also engineered with global best practices in mind, ensuring they deliver superior performance, durability, and efficiency.
XCMG’s commitment to innovation means these new models will incorporate advanced automation, improved energy efficiency, and enhanced material handling capabilities to support operations of all sizes.
Whether tackling challenging terrain or increased throughput in high-demand environments, XCMG’s 2025 lineup promises to push boundaries and set new benchmarks in crushing and screening technology.
Crushing it with XCMG
The XCMG XPE1215 mobile jaw crusher is not just a piece of equipment – it’s a statement. It’s a declaration that XCMG is here to push the boundaries of what’s possible in mining and construction machinery.
As the industry look towards 2025, XCMG’s commitment to excellence ensures the future of crushing and screening is brighter than ever.
Utilising its fleet of mobile and fixed plants, Rapid has tailored its services to align with different kinds of mine outputs. Image: Rapid Crushing & Screening Contractors
Rapid Crushing & Screening Contractors has a strong track record of providing tailored solutions that boost productivity.
Rapid Crushing & Screening Contractors, one of Australia’s premier mining services companies, has inspired innovation in the crushing and screening sector for the better part of 50 years.
Rapid’s modular and mobile plants have proven themselves in refining a wide array of commodities, from iron ore and gold to lithium and other critical minerals, with the company’s client base boasting several Tier 1 miners.
This includes the Greenbushes lithium mine in southern Western Australia, the world’s largest hard-rock lithium mine.
The company’s extensive expertise and adaptable crushing and screening solutions have been instrumental in meeting Greenbushes’ demanding production requirements.
Utilising its fleet of mobile and fixed plants, Rapid has tailored its services to align with Greenbushes’ high output. This includes handling the crushing of spodumene ore to precise specifications, ensuring a seamless feed into downstream processing circuits.
Rapid’s advanced crushing and screening technologies have enabled the company to effectively address fluctuations in production needs.
Additionally, Rapid’s focus on reliability and its ability to provide on-site support have been critical in maintaining Greenbushes’ productivity.
This partnership underscores Rapid’s ability to support large-scale mining projects through specialised, scalable solutions, whether a client requires one part of a circuit or an end-to-end crushing and screening solution.
Rapid also has a strong track record in the Pilbara, recently working with Pilbara Minerals at its flagship Pilgangoora lithium mine.
Rapid is one of Australia’s premier mining services companies. Image: Rapid Crushing & Screening Contractors
In May 2024, Rapid delivered a crushing and screening infrastructure package to Pilgangoora, which will support Pilbara Minerals with a large pipeline of expansion projects.
Rapid’s competitive edge lies in its ability to design and implement solutions tailored to individual project needs, with the company constantly evolving its crushing and screening capabilities, delivering fast, mobile setups that can be easily relocated, reducing project lead times.
Rapid predominantly runs Metso-based crushers across its operations, including the Jonnson L160, one of the world’s largest mobile jaw crushers.
Weighing over 190 tonnes, the Jonnson L160 is used as the primary jaw crusher at many mine sites across Australia.
Rapid also has an extensive fleet of cone crushers with most tracked units based on Metso’s HP300 or HP400 machines.
Machinery is at times designed, manufactured and maintained by Rapid’s in-house manufacturing company, Irvine Engineering. This enables Rapid to safeguard the quality of its materials and workmanship, as well as the reliability of supply.
This strategic partnership not only ensures the highest standards of performance and durability but also reinforces Rapid’s commitment to delivering exceptional value and customer satisfaction.
Rapid’s solutions have proven especially critical in remote mining regions where key infrastructure is limited and operational challenges abound.
Safety and environmental responsibility are cornerstones of Rapid’s operations, with crushing and screening processes often posing mechanical hazards, dust issues and environmental risks.
Rapid addresses these challenges with some of the best practices and technologies in the business.
Additionally, Rapid has an unyielding focus on safety, regularly auditing its systems and providing comprehensive training to its team.
Rapid’s approach aligns with the broader goals of the Australian mining sector, which increasingly prioritises sustainability and environmental stewardship. The company’s emphasis on compliance and innovation reinforces its standing as a responsible contractor.
As the mining industry continues to evolve amid the clean-energy transition, the demand for premium crushing and screening solutions is expected to grow.
Rapid is well-positioned to meet these needs, leveraging its decades of experience to deliver tailored, innovative, and sustainable crushing and screening solutions for years to come.
Coates has developed a guide to understanding the trends, challenges and opportunities that will shape the construction industry in 2025.
The Australian Construction Industry Forum predicts just 0.9 per cent growth in the construction industry for the year ahead, reflecting slowing economic conditions, cost and inflationary pressure, and continued challenges around the availability of skilled labour.
“Ultimately, 2025 will see a shift in several key trends that shape construction. Critically, we are seeing a compositional shift in investment focus, creating new challenges and opportunities across the industry,” says James Lawrence, group manager – customer and markets at Coates.
This industry outlook explores some of the trends that will define the year ahead and highlights how the rental industry can ease pressure on construction businesses as they navigate the changing landscape.
Growth in engineering construction
Despite slight deceleration in building construction, demand remains strong in engineering construction as the industry moves into a utilities-driven cycle. Investment in large-scale renewable energy infrastructure will drive demand for accommodation, amenities and regional development to support these major projects.
“As the engineering construction boom for long road and rail infrastructure nears its peak, the next phase of growth in renewables, utilities and resources is ramping up,” says Lawrence.
“The push towards net zero is driving a surge in energy transition investment, with large-scale renewable energy generation, transmission and storage projects being constructed across the country.
“With equipment, solutions and expertise that align with the growing activity in these sectors, Coates is well-placed to support construction businesses in exploiting these opportunities. This shift will be a core strength for Coates and its customers in 2025.”
Key takeaways:
With a forecasted six-fold increase in renewable energy construction over the next five years, utilities will become the biggest sector of the Australian engineering construction market, according to Oxford Economics Australia’s Engineering construction in Australia – Q4 2024 update.
This growth is shaping state-based demand, with particularly strong growth forecast for Queensland and Western Australia over the next five years.
Bolstered by a mining rebound, economists also predict that WA will surpass New South Wales to become the largest state for engineering construction activity by the end of the decade, according to Oxford Economics Australia’s Engineering construction in Australia – Q4 2024 update.
Shifting building activity
The commercial and industrial building sectors will experience a decline in growth in 2025. The residential construction sector will also see a slowdown, with Australia’s population-driven housing boom yet to arrive.
“Lingering sentiment in the Australian economy is causing some stagnation to remain, particularly around private investment in building construction. Once this sentiment lifts, the market will start to grow again,” says Lawrence. “Declining activity in these construction markets is expected to be offset by growth in the health, utilities and institutional sectors, including defence projects.”
Changing project geography
A shift in major project location from metro to regional areas is another trend currently shaping the construction industry.
“During the decade-long transport infrastructure boom, Coates supported many of the country’s largest metro-based capital works projects, including Metronet in WA; West Gate Tunnel in Victoria; and the M7-M12 integration in NSW,” says Lawrence. “As focus shifts towards building large-scale renewable energy infrastructure, we are supporting a growing number of projects in regional and remote locations across the country.”
Workforce challenges
Labour shortages will continue to challenge construction businesses in 2025, exacerbated by historically slow productivity gains.
“Coates is focused on helping customers to improve productivity and efficiency,” says Lawrence. “Our turnkey solutions can ease workforce pressures and help customers to transfer some of the risk.”
How can equipment rental support the construction industry amid challenges?
“While the sharp spike in construction material prices has moderated, costs remain high due to tight infrastructure market capacity, increased public debt, and challenges related to the cost of living and wages,” says Lawrence. “Hiring equipment presents a strategic solution for businesses looking to reduce capex, manage costs, and scale up or down quickly as needed.”
Reducing capex, improving cash flow
With rising construction costs, it’s often more cost-effective for businesses to allocate capital to renting instead of purchasing construction equipment.
“By hiring equipment, customers avoid having to make loan repayments or front the full cost of purchased equipment,” says Lawrence. “This approach also creates a more predictable and manageable cost structure to support accelerated decision-making.”
Additional benefits of hiring construction equipment include:
Mitigating the risk and liability of owned assets
Shifting the cost and responsibility for maintenance, servicing and insurance to the hire company
Avoiding the depreciation of owned assets
Preventing the cost and inconvenience of reselling and/or replacing end-of-life equipment
Circularity and emissions reduction
To deliver major projects, businesses must be able to meet the growing sustainability provisions in construction contracts. Among a wide range of considerations, in 2025 there will be greater focus on circular construction practices and reducing Scope 3 emissions – the indirect greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) that occur in a company’s value chain.
“Choosing to hire construction equipment is inherently circular, as the equipment is deployed to multiple projects throughout its lifecycle, improving efficiency and utilisation,” says Lawrence. “Hire equipment also gives customers access to the latest technology and innovation to improve utilisation, inform hire choices and work more sustainably and efficiently.”
Coates is uniquely placed to support customers in reducing their GHG emissions with its Greener Choices range of battery electric, hybrid, solar, low-pollutant engines and biofuel-compatible equipment across categories including access, materials handling and lighting.
“Lighting is a key category on the way to decarbonisation, together with increasing hybridisation of power generation with multiple benefits, including reduced noise and particulate pollution,” says Lawrence. “We are also tackling temporary site accommodation, typically one of the highest energy users on project sites, with a range of more energy-efficient solutions, augmented by renewables and hybrid power sources.”
With one of Australia’s largest fleets, a national branch network and a deep understanding of what it takes to support the delivery of major projects nationwide, Coates looks forward to supporting customers as they navigate 2025.
For support and advice, reach out to Coates today.
A New crushing and screening plant at Agnew Gold is delivering financial rewards to Gold Fields. Image: Sandvik
A new Sandvik crushing and screening plant at Gold Fields’ Agnew gold mine in WA is delivering greater efficiency, throughput and operational safety.
Gold Fields Limited is one of the world’s largest gold mining companies with nine operating mines, located in Australia, South Africa, Ghana, Peru and Chile.
The Agnew gold mine is one of four Australian gold mines operated by Gold Fields. The site is situated approximately 375km north of Kalgoorlie and has a long history of gold production dating back to the late 1970s.
The mine is best known for its underground operations, primarily targeting the Agnew and Lawler gold deposits. Ore is extracted using a combination of underground and surface mining and is then processed on-site.
Around 2018, with the mine expanding into a third underground source, there was a need to increase plant throughput. The 21-year-old tertiary crushing circuit, which was suffering from poor reliability, was unable to meet the demand.
Gold Fields metallurgy manager Reg Radford is the company’s technical expert in the field of processing metallurgy. He works with process managers across all Gold Fields sites in Australia to assist in optimising operations.
Radford could see that the crushing and screening circuit was not in keeping with the company’s broader standards.
“It was working to its limits, and if you compared it to other Gold Fields sites, it was not to the standard that would be accepted elsewhere,” he said. “It didn’t meet our criterion for a well-organised, safe, professional gold processing operation.
“The equipment was old, and there was little or no spare parts availability. From a metallurgical perspective, it was being pushed to its limits to deliver the tonnage required. At best it was giving us an 8–10mm output, which was putting pressure on the downstream grinding circuit.”
The age and complexity of the existing plant also meant that access for operation and maintenance was difficult, presenting potential safety concerns.
Seeking a complete solution
The existing crushers were reaching end-of-life, and rather than just replacing them, it was decided to build an entirely new crushing and screening circuit.
To do this, and address various other concerns regarding the existing plant, a comprehensive upgrade project, known as the Agnew Stage 1 upgrade, was conceived.
The initiative examined bespoke and modular designs that could replace the existing plant. The project aimed to improve site water drainage and dust management (by installing a fine ore bin) while minimising disruptions during construction and commissioning.
Gold Fields manager – processing Tristan Freemantle was appointed as project director for the upgrade at Agnew. A veteran of the gold and copper industry, Freemantle originally worked for Barrick Gold and then transferred to Gold Fields around 12 years ago.
Since then, he has worked across several of Gold Fields’ Australian sites and is currently based at Gruyere, a joint venture project with Gold Road Resources in the Yilgarn area of WA.
“Agnew’s mine life had been extended for a further eight years, so upgrading the crushing and screening circuit was important to increase our processing capabilities: we needed to be in a position to process more ore from the new third mine coming online,” Freemantle said.
Gold Fields has enjoyed a longstanding relationship with Sandvik, with the company having Sandvik crushers installed at both their St Ives and Granny Smith operations. After considering a bespoke solution, the Gold Fields team chose to go with a Sandvik modular plant.
“We needed a circuit that was simple, low maintenance and reliable, but also wanted the best crushers and screens that we could get,” Freemantle said.
“Sandvik showed a willingness to work with us within our parameters. Initially, it was just the crushers and screens, but in the end, they presented a complete plant design, which was modular and comparable with the bespoke designs we were considering.
“Sandvik was also able to accommodate our desire to manage our own electrical and process control design.”
A key to the successful implementation was Sandvik’s expertise in crushing and modular plant design combined with the screening know-how of Schenck Process.
The scope of supply included a Sandvik reciprocating plate feeder, grizzly screen, jaw crusher, and two cone crushers, as well as a Schenck Process double-deck banana screen fitted with Screenex screening media. Sandvik also provided bins, chute work, associated wear protection, and conveyors.
Sandvik 800i series cone crushers perform secondary and tertiary crushing functions at Agnew. Image: Sandvik
The innovative plant design eliminated the need for two screening stations and associated conveyors when compared with other proposed designs.
“Having a single vendor was an advantage,” Radford said. “Sandvik’s initial designs and 3D models were quite detailed and comprehensive, which was encouraging. It gave us confidence in the circuit because we knew exactly how the proposed layout would interact with the existing plant.”
Changeover challenges
A significant challenge for the project team was that Gold Fields needed the new plant to be installed in parallel with the old one so that, ideally, there would be zero downtime.
“Agnew can’t afford to be down for two or three weeks,” Radford said. “The mill is pushed to its limits, so it has little ability to catch up.
“Solving this problem – where we could build the new circuit and how to tie it in – was a good part of the success story. Commissioning on-time and within budget, with limited downtime, was a very important part of the brief.”
To accommodate this requirement, the team decided to move the run-of-mine (ROM) pad and build the new circuit on the site of the old ROM pad. While this achieved the brief of zero downtime, it introduced a new challenge.
The geology of the ROM pad was untested, and some contractors argued that a substantial concrete foundation would be required to support the crushing and screening plant, greatly increasing both the build time and cost.
In the end, working with Gold Fields geotech consultants, Sandvik’s design team resolved this problem by delivering a support structure for the new circuit that was strong and rigid enough to reduce the concrete foundations required.
