Spudless Dredge Automation
TiZir Grande Côte Operations SA
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Senegal
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2012-2014
10-20% higher productivity.
Largest mining dredge in the world.
Higher continuous mining capability.
Patented and award-winning technology.
Challenges
- The project was the first mining dredge in Senegal and required a nominal throughput of 7,000 tph, significantly higher than any existing mining dredge operations.
- The ore body is situated in a coastal area of Senegal, West Africa, with limited local expertise in dredge mining.
- Due to the shallow ore body, the required rate of mining advance would be difficult to achieve when using conventional spud dredging techniques.
- Flexible mine path was needed to maximize efficiency of recoveries and aid in the management of infrastructure.
Solutions
- Applied Hatch’s Virtual Spud (HVS) dredging technology to achieve a fully automated maneuvering/mining solution that provides consistency of operations and performance across shifts.
- HVS overcame a number of production inefficiencies with conventional spud dredging, including channel relocations, slew reversals, and spud movements.
- Higher sustained throughput, mining advance rate, and more stabilized feed resulted in improved Wet Concentrator recovery through continuous single block mining.
- Simplified operation through an integrated solution that enables automatic execution of the mine plan through a HVS system.
Highlights
- Dredge achieved design throughput rates.
- Recipient of the 2013 Western Australia Engineering Excellence Award.
- Extended application of the HVS technology to simplify control of the wet concentrator position.
“Hatch’s Maneuvering Control system is a ground breaking achievement for the industry and I see it as the future for dredge mining operations. It is beneficial for all stakeholders from the dredge operators through to the shareholder due to, amongst other things, a higher consistent mining throughput and fully automated maneuvering operation. "
Project numbers
7,000 tph nominal throughput200 m+ continuous mining width
30 m mine advance a day
25+ year planned operation
445.7 km² project area stretching 106 km