Western Areas – Cosmic Boy Dalgaranga Davyhurst

Location

Western Australia

Client

Western Areas Limited

Project Highlights

The scope covered the detail design, supply and construction of the processing plant to facilitate a unique Bioleach process at Cosmic Boy. This process has been patented by Western Areas Limited (WSA) and has potential applications for many operations around the world that experience similar problems with arsenic and sulphide ores. The interesting features of the bacteria are that they can survive temperatures above 90 deg C whilst living in an acidic and hypersaline environment. Very high corrosion rates of materials (even duplex stainless steels) have been observed by WSA while operating their pilot plant. Many of the process vessels are constructed from plastic or fibreglass impregnated with silicon carbide for wear. A lot of the equipment immersed in slurry is fabricated from grade 2 Titanium and lined with Butyl rubber.

Construction commenced in June 2017 once detail design was sufficiently progressed and long lead items procured and practical completion was obtained by 16 January 2018.