Newmont Mining Corporation has identified an option for improving the tonnage at their Twin Creeks facility by adding a third Geho feed pump to feed each autoclave. The project will have to allow for all equipment upgrades to be installed during standard operation and normally scheduled shutdown periods.
Upgrades to the plant and equipment included the demolition and redesign of a large portion of the structural steel and concrete work within the pressure oxidation area; the addition of two refurbished autoclave feed pumps as well as new autoclave covers and dip tubes; two new titanium slurry coolers; agitator shafts and impeller upgrades; improved configuration of autoclave internals including dip-pipe orientation and anti-swirl baffles; associated piping and valving; electrical equipment; and the instrumentation and control system upgrade to accommodate the new equipment.
Hatch is providing complete engineering services for the project including development of a Metsim® process model and plant trials to be used in the debottlenecking study. A computational fluid dynamic (CFD) model was also used to optimize the autoclave internals to allow for increased oxygen utilization and mass transfer based on process requirements and internal flow characteristics. The CFD model was able to provide the optimal configurations for the agitator impellers, dip tubes, wall heights and baffles.
The deliverables also included updated process design criteria and flow diagrams; mechanical and civil general arrangements in compliance with Nevada standards; all equipment technical specifications, bid reviews and vendor data management; and process and instrumentation diagram updates.
- The project will allow a throughput increase of approximately 9% over the current operating throughput, and will increase the total throughput to approximately 30% over the original plant design capacity with current plant availabilities.
- The calibrated Metsim® process model will allow the client to better predict operating conditions with changing feeds.
