OUR TRACK RECORD
NEWMONT - TANAMI
OPTIMISATION & DEBOTTLENECKING
The Details
TIMEFRAME: 2019 - 2025
CLIENT: Newmont
LOCATION: Northern Territory
COMMODITY: Gold
SERVICES: Process Plant Optimisation & Debottlenecking | Process Plant Design | Owners Representative
GOLD OUTPUT
>400koz/a
GOLD RECOVERY
98.5%
OUR COMMITMENT
11 years supporting Tanami with studies & upgrades
Project Background
Newmont's Tanami Operation treats gold ore at its Granites processing plant, which has been in operation since 1986. Chemech played an integral role in the 2017 upgrade at Granites (Tanami Expansion Project), and the strong relationships formed with site personnel during that project resulted in their ongoing support to Newmont for several site projects and studies.
Oberon Project Options Study
Newmont owns the Oberon gold deposit, a 1Moz resource approximately 45km from its Granites process plant. In 2019, Newmont engaged Chemech to complete an options study investigating 7 processing options for the Oberon ore. Options included heap leaching, a new processing plant, or supplementing feed to the Granites process plant. The study was relatively complex due to the relatively low-grade, refractory gold content, and limited nature of the historical testwork. Chemech were further engaged as an Owner’s Representative for completion of a pre-feasibility study in 2021.
Granites Crushing Plant Pre-feasibility Study
Tanami utilises a 3-stage contract crushing plant that has been operating at Granites since 2001. In 2021 Newmont engaged Chemech to complete the process design for a new owner-operated crushing plant capable of meeting the expanded plant throughput of 3.2Mt/a. Chemech were subsequently engaged as Owner’s Representatives in completing the pre-feasibility study. Replacement of the crushing plant presented significant technical challenges due to site constraints, complex tie-ins, and the requirement to maintain plant feed during construction and commissioning.
Oxygen Addition Options Study
Elevated levels of sulphide minerals in Tanami ore would occasionally increase oxygen demand beyond the existing system capacity, slowing leach kinetics and increasing gold loss to tails. In 2021, Newmont engaged Chemech to conduct a high-level assessment of the options available to effectively add more oxygen into the leach tanks during periods of high sulphide feed material. Chemech provided a comprehensive assessment of four alternatives for oxygen addition, each with their pros and cons. Due to their comprehensive database and experience, Chemech were able to support recommendations with operational benchmark data for the options under consideration.
Tailings Filtration Upgrade Study
The Tanami Expansion Project included filtration of the tailings stream to provide material for production of paste backfill. Since Chemech were involved in the filter testwork and specification, as well as the design and commissioning of the facility, Newmont engaged them in 2024 to conduct an options study looking at upgrade options to increase paste production from 1.1 Mt/a to 1.7Mt/a. Chemech analysed operating data and future requirements to assess 3 options for meeting the increased demand for filtered tails. High-level capex and opex estimates were prepared with a technical assessment of each option to allow Newmont to select a preferred option for feasibility study.