BHP Billiton Cannington expansion
- Project: Split-flotation plant & surface works
- Client: BHP Billiton
- Sector: Mining & resources
Delivered by Fraser Osborn, now Fraser-Lever, the work supported the growth of the Cannington operation through feasibility, detailed design and engineering for mineral processing and associated infrastructure. It included a fines split-flotation plant and surface works for the Northern Ore Body Expansion, with construction planned around operating plant shutdowns.
Project overview
Cannington was a major silver, lead and zinc operation in north-west Queensland. Fraser-Lever’s involvement included two significant growth initiatives: development of a fines split-flotation plant and the Northern Ore Body Expansion.
The fines split-flotation project separated minus-5-micron material from a 300 tph process stream for separate treatment before blending the resulting concentrates back into the main process stream.
For the Northern Ore Body Expansion, Fraser-Lever undertook the capital cost estimate and detailed design of the $32 million surface works component of the broader $130 million expansion.
Fraser-Lever’s role
Fraser-Lever provided engineering across feasibility, estimating and detailed design. The scope included:
- Fines split-flotation plant
- 200 tph scats crushing facility
- Two Vertimills, including a 1,500 kW unit
- Cyclones
- Additional flotation capacity
- Paste fill conveyor control systems
- Reagent and acid storage tanks
- Pumps and piping
- Foundations and concrete works
- Structural works
- Capital cost estimating
- Detailed design
- Brownfield plant tie-ins
The engineering challenge
The expansion required new processing infrastructure to be integrated into an operating mineral processing facility. Plant tie-ins therefore needed to be coordinated with scheduled shutdowns to minimise disruption to ongoing production.
Engineering in practice
The fines split-flotation process separated the minus-5-micron fraction from the main 300 tph process stream so it could be treated independently before the resulting concentrates were returned to the main process stream.
For the broader expansion, Fraser-Lever developed the surface works design across crushing, grinding, flotation, materials handling, reagents, piping, concrete and structural infrastructure.
Construction was scheduled so that connections to the existing plant could occur during planned shutdown periods.
Project outcomes
The fines split-flotation plant was commissioned on time and below budget. The source material records a capital value of $10 million and an increase in recovery of approximately 3%.
Fraser-Lever also completed the capital cost estimate and detailed design for the $32 million surface works component of the Northern Ore Body Expansion.
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