Diamonds

Challenges

Diamonds are found in some of the world’s most far-flung, isolated, and inaccessible regions. And, depending on where they come from, the stones differ vastly in quantity, size, and quality.

In these days of environmental awareness and focus on cost-cutting, recovering the greatest quantity of stones with the least amount of waste is a challenge that responsible diamond miners are constantly working to address.

Clearly, today’s modern diamond miners need proven process equipment and system designs to maximize plant utilization, reduce costs, protect the product's security, and minimize damage to the diamond.

The right tools and strategies can help address issues with project site location, climate, water, discharge, and environmental stewardship. Conserving energy, finding efficiency in the flow sheet, embracing automation and new, more effective equipment and methods including X-Ray transmission technology (XRT) can all help make marked contributions to the bottom line.

Capabilities

Open-pit and underground mine development

Productivity growth and agile thinking mark the path to continuous improvement for your open-pit and underground operations. We can help you enhance mining safety and provide strategic, innovative services to address your most pressing challenges and transform the industry. The optimum point to transition from open-pit to underground mining is of importance and too often neglected. We can develop models for trade-off studies to identify the best point in time for this transition.

Digital platform

Digital mining platform — transforming data from “unseen” to fully “visible” validated information in real-time.

Our Digital Operational Management System (D-OMS) is a structured approach to sustainably delivering higher productive capacity through “short interval control” (SIC). A mature D-OMS is transparent at all levels, setting the stage for an agile workforce in mining.

Mine-to-mill optimization

You need total value-chain optimization with integrated services in modeling and simulation for geometallurgy, drill-and-blast, comminution, and downstream concentration processes. We have them. Opportunities for ore sorting or pre-concentration can be evaluated. You’ll see process efficiency, cost savings, and improvements in energy and water efficiency. We’ll work with you, developing site-specific operating strategies, incorporating them into operating practices, and implementing technology transfers.

Process modeling, debottlenecking, and optimization

Start with process-and-engineering know-how. Add modeling-and-simulation expertise. The result? Cost-efficient, robust designs. We use advanced computational tools for capacity planning, debottlenecking, rail-and-port logistics, and process optimization. Design capability, capital effectiveness, and operational efficiency all follow.

Electrification

The mining industry relies on diesel-powered prime movers for surface and underground mobile equipment as well as for power generation at remote sites. Reducing reliance on diesel fuel and electrifying even the smallest pieces of equipment can produce positive results and help cut greenhouse gas emissions. We can help define and evaluate the benefits in terms of capital and operating costs and find value when electrifying mobile equipment fleets and renewable power installations.

Operational support, asset management, and sustaining capital projects

Capital investment and steady funding are must-haves if your operation is to remain viable and meet ongoing operational and maintenance requirements. We can help. We work with you, developing strategic operational-performance programs that can boost your bottom line. We find smarter, more efficient solutions for extraction and processing. Then follow up with support across the full business life cycle, from concept to closure, across the full value chain, from investment to product delivery.

Read about the award-winning Gahcho Kué diamond mine

Click Here