Diamond recovery plant for
HC Van Wyk Diamonds
BATEMAN has supplied a diamond-recovery plant to HC Van Wyk Diamonds,
the 2005 winner of the prestigious Golden Arrow Award as the highest-rated
small mining company in South Africa's Northern Cape Province. This
plant will incorporate the largest dense-media separation (DMS) plant
supplied to date to a small diamond-mining company in South Africa.
The multi-million Rand contract was placed in September 2004, with
the plant delivered in mid 2005. The plant processes 350 t/h of run-of-mine
alluvial gravel and comprises a 200 t/h DMS and a containerised grease
and X-ray recovery module. It was installed to significantly improve
the recovery of diamonds at the site and replaced the existing 14
and 18 ft diamond-recovery pans.
Run-of-mine ore is scalped to discard the +150 mm fraction with the
remaining -150 mm fraction being washed and screened to yield a product
ranging from +1,0 to -30,0 mm, suitable for treatment by the DMS plant.
The DMS concentrate is conveyed to the recovery plant where all the
x-ray machine tailings are scavenged over hi-tech greasebelts to ensure
maximum recovery of the diamonds.
The BATEMAN modular-plant concept is well proven and overcomes the
problems encountered in the erection and commissioning of the processing
facilities in remote and difficult locations. Accordingly, the plant
for HC Van Wyk Diamonds was pre-erected and water tested at the manufacturer's
works in Johannesburg, before being transported to the site by road
over a distance of approximately 500 km. Erection of the plant on
site and commissioning was completed in the first week of July 2005.
HC Van Wyk Diamonds (Pty) Ltd was established 13 years ago as a small
diamond-digging family-business, 30 km north of Barkly West. It now
employs some 250 employees, and mines approximately 500 000 t/month
of alluvial gravel. The company was presented the Golden Arrow Award
by Professional Management Review Africa, in recognition of its impact
on economic growth and development in the Northern Cape through its
contribution to job creation in the surrounding community, as well
as its successful initiatives in social upliftment, skills development
and HIV awareness.
For further information, please contact
Robert Abate, General Manager, Modular Plants, on +27-11-899-2238
or
Neels van Niekerk, Project Manager, Modular Plants,
on +27-11-899-4939 or email modular@batemanengineering.com.
