Large autoclave delivered
to remote Sepon site
The joint venture between BATEMAN and Ausenco Limited, known as
KDG, has completed one of the most difficult logistic and transportation
tasks attempted in South East Asia: the transportation and installation
of a 167 t autoclave.
The success of the task means that the project to develop a copper
hydrometallurgical process plant and associated infrastructure close
to the Khanong copper deposit in the Vilabouly district of the Savannakhet
province in Laos remains on track for commissioning and start-up.
The first batch of copper is anticipated in the first quarter of 2005.
The project is being managed by KDG for Lane Xang Minerals Limited
(LXML), a Lao-based gold and copper operator, wholly owned by Oxiana
Limited, and the project is phase 2 in the development of the copper
and gold resources in the Sepon Project Development Area.
After being transported from the German harbour of Hamburg to Sattahip
port in Thailand, the autoclave, the largest piece of equipment on
the project, was transported by road over a distance of 1 100 km to
the Sepon site. The transportation challenges included 143 bridge
crossings in Thailand, and 32 bridge crossings and four Bailey-bridge
crossings in Lao DPR. The 30-day land transit also included crossing
the Mekong River by barge. A number of the bridges in Laos had to
be strengthened to accommodate the load.
The autoclave is designed to leach 71 000 t/yr of pyrite concentrate
with the products utilised in the atmospheric leaching of the chalcocite
ore. It will operate at a temperature of 220 °C and a pressure
of 3 200 kPa.
The design of the plant is based on a definitive feasibility study
prepared by Oxiana and BATEMAN. Construction of the plant commenced
in 2003 and meets first-world environmental standards, in line with
the continuing commitment by LXML and the joint venture to the long-term
welfare of the Lao people.
The Sepon plant will process 1,3M t/yr of chalcocite-clay run-of-mine
ore from the Khanong open-pit deposit at an average grade of about
5 % copper to produce a nominal 60 000 t/yr of copper cathode. The
two-step leaching process is expected to recover more than 90 % of
the copper in the ore.
Besides the transport of equipment, the site team was faced with
several other challenges, including the remoteness of the site, the
need to upgrade the road to the site and establishing power lines
and sub-stations sourcing power from Lao hydro schemes.
For further information, please contact Tony Cau, BATEMAN General
Manager, Copper and Zinc, on +61-7-3320-3333 or email basemetals@batemanengineering.com.
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