DRA Global has announced the recent completion of an Engineering, Procurement and Construction Management (EPCM) contract for Northern Star Resources Ltd (NST) at the Jundee Gold Mine, near Wiluna, in Western Australia.
The Jundee mining operation is situated in the Northern Yandal Greenstone Belt; an area known to contain significant gold deposits.
The mine yielded a record 300,000 ounces for NST in the year ending 30 June 2020.
Jundee’s processing circuit comprises a two-stage crushing circuit, SAG and ball mill, and conventional Carbon-In-Leach plant.
The ball mill upgrade, undertaken by DRA, increased processing plant capacity to a nominal design throughput rate of 2.7 Million tonnes per annum.
The EPCM scope of services included the provision of engineering design, procurement, project management, construction management and commissioning services for the supply and installation of a new 4.5 megawatt (MW) ball mill circuit, and ancillaries retrofitted into the existing milling circuit.
Following commissioning of the new ball mill, the existing 2.5MW ball mill and associated infrastructure was decommissioned.
DRA reported that it delivered the project scope under budget and ahead of time, with ore commissioning achieved approximately six weeks ahead of schedule in a total duration of 35 weeks.
The company highlighted that its project team achieved this outcome by working in close collaboration with the NST project and operations team, the equipment vendors and construction subcontractors.
Delivery of the project also required overcoming significant challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, including a number of risk mitigation strategies being initiated to maintain the accelerated project schedule.
DRA was engaged on the EPCM contract after having completed an engineering and cost study which included scope definition, design, planning, capital and operating cost estimation.
