Copper (and Nickel) Projects

 

Process Design

 

Sterlite Copper Smelter, Tuticorin, India

Provided the front end engineering package for the converter aisle including anode furnaces. Worked closely with the Isasmelt primary smelting process designers. Subcontracted to Aker Powergas, Mumbai who constructed the smelter in 1996. Smelter has now been upgraded from the original design of 60 ktpa to over 300 ktpa.    

 

Queensland Nickel

 

Supervised the modeling of a gas burner design by Kiln Flame Systems to replace the oil firing in the rotary calciner.

 

Prefeasibility Studies

 

Nkana Smelter, Zambia

Advised the then owners Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) on the costs and design of an Isasmelt furnace to replace the existing reverberatory and El Teniente furnaces. KCM were subsequently sold to Vedanta who have built a single stage flash furnace to treat Konkola concentrates and closed Nkana smelter.    

El Teniente Converter at Nkana                        Nkana Smelter Converter Aisle

 

Norilsk Pyrrhotite

A prefeasibility study was prepared to evaluate the viability of processing concentrates stockpiled at the Siberian plant. Nickel, copper and pgms would be recovered through a closed Italian smelter. The costs of rehabilitation and adapting the circuit were determined.

 

Engineers Reports

 

Due Diligence

Conducted site visits as part of a multidiscipline team and reported on:

  • standard of plant operations,
  • sustainability of throughput and recovery, 
  • plant condition, maintenance standards and capital requirements 
  • health and safety standards
  • operating and capital costs including financial modelling

At the following copper smelters:

Audits

 

Conducted audits and provided an engineer's report covering similar topics to the due diligence on the following smelters:

  •  Olympic Dam expansion as part of multidisciplinary team in Adelaide, Australia,
  • Thai Copper design review
  • Baia Mare, Romania site visit

Operations

 

Mufulira Div, ZCCM Zambia

Mike was the Manager Metallurgical (1983-85) responsible for the operation and maintenace of the17 ktpd concentrator, smelter (35 MW electric furnace, PS converters 150 ktpa anode), two electrolytic refinery tankhouses (30 ktpm cathode), and the precious metals plant treating anode slimes from all the copperbelt tankhouses to produce gold, silver and selenium.

 

Rokana Div, Kitwe, Zambia

The Metallurgical Superintendent responsible (1978-81) for Nkana smelter (250 ktpa anode) and refinery (tankhouse and wirebar furnaces) and metal sales for NCCM (including Nchanga electrowon cathode production).

 

Metallurgist on Nkana smelter 1968-71 and TORCO plant (fluid bed reduction of refractory copper ore) 1971-73.

 

Group Metallurgical Engineer ZCCM

Responsible for technical aspects of all ZCCM concentrators and R&D department 1985-87.