CLIENT: BHP
PROJECT: Cannington
SCOPE OF WORK:
Out primary role was to improve the process water dams capacity, which was around 85% full of solids. The solids product had a perceived dollar value. This material was pumped to the plant as supplementary feed.
CHALLENGES FACED:
The single biggest challenge was the lack of make up water, this meant considerable delays and down time. There were a lot of suction and return pipes contained in the dam, which were difficult to maneuver around. The dam was heavily silted so initial operations were difficult until we started to make a decent hole.
ACHIEVEMENTS/OUTCOMES:
The most significant learning for future projects would be to ensure there is ample water to manage the dredge process. When the project was operational it was largely successful, we managed to improve the carrying capacity of the dam in excess of 50,000m3. This additional capacity has provided a sufficient buffer to enable continuous operations.