Construction of the largest cemented full plant tailings (FPT) backfill plant in South Africa, at Gold Fields’ South Deep gold mine, in Westonaria, Gauteng, is nearing the end of full commissioning, almost 20 years after backfill operations began at the mine in 1993.
The FPT plant, due for completion in July, represents the third type of backfilling implemented at the mine over a period of 18 years.
Construction firm Murray & Roberts Cementation mine engineering manager Rob Bradley says the application of backfilling has been through three stages, owing to the various mining methods which have been used during the development of the mine to date.
These advanced mining methods have required the adaption of the backfill type and system to keep pace with production levels and geological structures.
“The primary purpose of backfill at South Deep today is to provide regional support for mined-out areas of up to 30 m, to maximise ore extraction, and reduce the underground ventilation and refrigeration requirements. In addition, surface environmental pollution is mitigated by the depositing of tailings underground,” Bradley says.
The three backfilling application stages comprise the backfilling of the new twin shaft pillar area, followed by cyclone classified tailings backfill (hydraulic fill) for the narrow tabular stopes as well as some larger stopes, and finally, de-stress and longhole mining backfill to suit present-day requirements.
“Each change was preceded by significant feasibility studies and test work, and the depth of 3 200 m below surface, as well as the size of the orebody, has made the South Deep backfill project challenging,” he says.
Backfill operations began in 1993 with the sinking of the 2 988 m twin shafts at South Deep mine. The location of the shafts required the main shaft pillar to be mined out and backfilled at a depth of 2 500 m below collar using a crushed waste/cyclone classified tailings backfill.
“The design of the FPT plant makes provision for all gold plant tailings to be supplied to the new backfill plant for FPT backfill manufacturing, with a provision for excess tailings to be transferred back to the gold plant for disposal in the tailings dam should the backfill plant be unavailable,” Bradley explains.
Tailings will be transferred from the gold plant to be temporarily stored in four storage tanks, previously used in the gold leaching process, and will either be pumped back to the gold plant or to the backfill plant, depending on the backfill requirement.
Drum dryer:http://www.crusher-machine.com/24.html
Stone crushing plant:http://www.crusher-machine.com/stone-production-line.html
- Author Articles
- More From This AuthorHongxing Machinery always adheres to the management policy 'people-oriented, regulation-oriented', since its foundation. We are absorbed in every detail to insure the good quality. The company implements the...Mining equipment has really come a long way in the last few years. You need to make sure that you choose the highest quality of mining tools so that you can keep your costs down and improve productivity....According to the industry policy that our country will give significant support to the development of basic industry like energy, transportation and raw material, as the backbone of these basic industries,...Private machinery enterprise had won the market,Shaking concentrator machine, there is a ready cash to eat. But in the fierce competition in the market always maintain leading position, they must keep the...Sudan, short for The Republic of the Sudan. Sudan is located in the south-east of Africa. It's the biggest country in Africa. The industry in Sudan is backward. And the mining too. The main economy is...
- Related Articles
- Related ArticlesFurniture has become a basic need for every home and office. You cannot imagine a home or workplace work place without a set of beautiful and comfortable chairs, couches, sofas, tables and others. And if home...So, you have started your bathroom renovation. The toilet is installed, tiles are replaced, sink is brand new. But have you thought of the shower head? Yes, it's commonly forgotten because is a tiny little...You need the speed and power of power tools to get anything done nowadays. Before you get started on any of those big projects you have lying around, make sure you have the right tools for the job. These are...The Internet has allowed a lot of services that made life easier. It has helped parents search for the best schools online, through search engines and online forums. It has allowed businessmen to become more...Last year, the 10th anniversary of the Mayor’s Celebration of the Arts was very meaningful for me. I was thrilled to be selected as a Literary Artist. I don’t just read my columns that have been...
- Latest Articles
- Latest ArticlesWhen you are searching for garage doors Las Vegas, you will certainly discover that they can be found in lots of shapes, sizes, materials and offer different functions. A common door will certainly be one that...Nowadays along with being tech savvy, people have turned very health conscious. There are lots of people that are dumping the junk food to move on to healthier eating habits. Maintaining a healthy diet is not...Citibank is one of finance lending institutions in India, which is known for its quality banking service. Renowned as provider of loans and credit cards, Citibank has gained stronghold on market today. It is...There are a wide variety of home heating options available today, and at least twice as many advantages and disadvantages associated with each type. Radiant heating is gaining popularity due to a number of...We all know, Android and iOS are competing against each other for several reasons, despite the fact that Windows sails in a different course. Both Android and iOS are creating fresh technologies which really...
