Nova Nickel Paste Backfill Plant

Scope of Work

GR Engineering was appointed by Independence Group NL (IGO) to undertake the engineering, design procurement, construction and commissioning of a 70 m³/h paste plant at the Nova Nickel Mine located 150 km east north east of Norseman in the Fraser Range region of Western Australia. GR Engineering in conjunction was awarded the design and construction of 1.5 Mtpa nickel and copper concentrator. Tailings from the processing plant are either placed in the surface tailing storage facilities or in underground voids as cemented paste fill.

The process flow sheet enabled non-sulphide tailings to be thickened at the concentrator plant before being pumped approximately 2.5 kilometres to the paste plant, where they are filtered by a vacuum belt filter. The filter cake from the belt filter is mixed in a dual shaft continuous mixer with cement/binder and water before being distributed underground.  If the paste filter and mixer are off line, the paste plant can be bypassed and the tailings stream can be pumped directly to the tailings storage facility.

GR Engineering undertook all structural, mechanical, piping and electrical installation work by direct hire personnel.

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Nova Nickel Paste Backfill Project

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Summary

  • Client Independence Group NL

  • Award Date May 2015

  • Completion Date November 2016

  • Location Fraser Range 200 kilometres south east of Kalgoorlie Western Australia

  • Project Manager Geoff Tanner

  • Process Manager Bill Gosling