MineWorks Metallurgy

Welcome to MineWorks Metallurgy

Metallurgical plant design, engineering, and consulting

MineWorks Metallurgy (Pty) Ltd pioneered the “floating metallurgical technical services office” model to provide mineral project development and metallurgical consulting services to mineral project developers, mining works and other engineering consultants.

MineWorks’ value proposition is premised on efficient management of our clients’ mineral reserves, processing technology, manpower and capital resources to generate maximum operational margins as early as practically possible in the investment horizon.

MineWorks’s value proposition links metallurgical operational efficiency with the client’s business plan by ensuring that the following are carefully thought out:

Accurate needs identification upfront, i.e. before a new asset is acquired, a proven need or a business case that supports the client’s business plan must exist.
Development of process engineering solutions and procurement of fit-for-purpose assets and systems that, supports the client’s business plan.
Flexibility to accommodate changes to the client’s business plan.
Provision of resources and services to support a sustainable metallurgical operation.

Our chosen model to best deliver the value proposition cost effectively, is to position MineWorks Metallurgy as a “floating metallurgical technical services office” for various mineral project developers, mines, and engineering consultants.

Central to our model is agility and cost effectiveness in delivering the proposed solutions. Our services are readily accessible when needed for a period and can be taken off the cost base upon meeting the specific service requirement.

OUR VISION

A leading, reputable and preferred provider of professional metallurgical
engineering services to the global mining industry.

OUR MISSION

To advise mineral project developers, mining houses and engineering consultants to successfully deliver mining projects.

Technical Products

Services

Metallurgical Design and Engineering

MineWorks Metallurgy offers the following process design and engineering services to deliver a process design package appropriate to each stage of mineral project development phase. The following metallurgical design and engineering services are productized as follows:

Conceptual Process Design

Design basis based on Industry and literature
Development of processing concept based on industry data
Conceptual block flow diagram (BFD)
High level mass and energy balance (M&EB)
Conceptual plant layout
Conceptual plant capital expenditure (CAPEX)
Conceptual plant operating expenditure (OPEX)

Basic Process Design

Scoping testwork studies
Basis of design based on scoping testwork
Preliminary process flow diagrams (PFDs) and mass balance
Preliminary plot plan.
Basic processing equipment sizing.
Preliminary Piping and Instrument Diagrams (P&IDs).
Calculation of utilities requirements.
Schematic of equipment general arrangements in each area.
Baseline plant capital expenditure (CAPEX)
Baseline plant operating expenditure (OPEX)
Definition of basic plant control philosophy.

Front End Engineering Process Design

Metallurgical testwork design, supervision, and data interpretation
Basis of design based on metallurgical testwork.
Process flow diagrams (PFDs) for detail engineering
Data sheets of main process equipment.
Piping and Instrument Diagrams (P&IDs) for detail engineering.
Preparation of tender packages for the main equipment.
Development of detailed plot plans and hazardous areas.
Elaboration of the main piping, instrument, electrical and civil works layouts.
Definitive plant capital cost expenditure (CAPEX)
Definite plant operating cost expenditure (OPEX)

Detail Engineering Design

Process Flow Diagrams (PFDs) for construction
Piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs) for construction
Equipment, line, and valve lists
Control budget capital cost expenditure (CAPEX)
Control budget operating cost expenditure (OPEX)
Hazard and Operability Study (HAZOP)
Start-up procedures, Operating and Commissioning manuals

Metallurgical Consulting

As metallurgists with background in metallurgical plant operations, MineWorks Metallurgy also offers technical support to the operations in the following areas of metallurgical consulting:

Technical auditing of any metallurgical unit processes, across the size reduction, grinding, concentration and recovery unit processes
Stocktake and metal accounting audits of plant operations focusing on installed mass measurement, sampling, sample management, as well as chemical analysis systems.
Our metal accounting audit is compliant with the AMIRA P754 code of practice for metal accounting which, defines metal accounting best practices for processing plants metallurgical operations.
Steady state and dynamic simulation of plant unit processes using the CADSIM Plus software developed by Aurel of Canada. MineWorks Metallurgy is the sole distributor of the CADSIM Plus software for the African market. Simulation services are normally offered as part of technical audits.
Real-time, online, automated process auditing systems for dense medium separation (DMS), x-ray transmission (XRT) x-ray luminescence (XRL) technology as well as, materials’ screening operations using smart,radio frequency identification (RFID) tagged tracers. The technology is developed by AudeX, a South African process auditing technology developer.