Dredging at Ernest Henry Mine reached the significant milestone of 1,500,000 tonnes during June 2013.
The Nu-Compact is currently operating on a 24/7 basis pumping approximately 400 tonnes per hour to the EHM plant which is removing the magnetite via magnetic separation. The magentite is then transported to Townsville Port and shipped overseas.
Overview
Our 300mm CSD Nu Compact was commissioned by Ernest Henry Mining to remine tailings from the Tailings Storage Facility to recover magnetite. Nu Compact pumped the reclaimed tailings via a 1000 metre long HDPE pipeline directly into a process circuit in which the magnetite was concentrated.
Scope of Work
Supply and operate dredging equipment on a 24/7 basis. Dredge and pump a consistent feed density to the processing plant.
Innovations
The dredge is fitted with an RTK navigation system to ensure the mining plan is followed accurately. Flow and density meters are fitted to the slurry line to help ensure a steady tonnage is pumped into the magnetite circuit. In addition, slurry density was controlled via addition of dilution water into the suction pipe, automated via a PLC against the dredge’s density meter.
