Fortescue Metals Group continues to successfully implement its innovation projects with a relocatable conveyor at Cloudbreak coming online, Paula Wallace writes.
A key productivity initiative, the five kilometre conveyor includes a semi-mobile primary crushing station and feeds directly into the Cloudbreak ore processing facility. The relocatable conveyor and semi-mobile crushing facilities can be positioned approximate to pits and relocated once mined.
By providing greater flexibility and increased accessibility to remote mine pits, the relocatable conveyor will reduce haulage costs, offsetting rising strip ratios and delivering sustained efficiency improvements across the business.
“The long and shallow nature of the ore body at our Chichester Hub operations has presented unique challenges,” Fortescue’s chief operating officer Greg Lilleyman told ABHR.
“In order to maintain our focus on productivity and efficiency, the team investigated the potential of adapting relocatable conveyor technology frequently used in the development of long wall coal mining to respond to the requirements of our mine plan with greater flexibility.”
The Chichester Hub in the Chichester Ranges, comprising the Cloudbreak and Christmas Creek mines, has an annual production capacity of 100mtpa from three ore processing facilities (OPFs).
Consistent and sustained output delivered from the OPFs has allowed Fortescue to continue optimisation of its product strategy through enhanced blending and beneficiation, increasing iron upgrades and reducing impurities. This has resulted in lower mining cut-off grades, further optimising ore bodies and sustainably reducing strip ratios.
Fortescue awarded RCR Tomlinson a $33 million contract to design, manufacture and construct the relocatable conveyor system last November, which according to the company could replace the work of 12 trucks.
The conveyor design is modular and can be easily relocated and varied in length. Combined with semi-mobile crushers, it is possible to relocate the complete facility within weeks from one mining pit to another.
The design requires minimal civil works, allowing for preparation work to be quickly completed and for the capital cost of the installation to be amortised across multiple pits.
“The semi-mobile primary crushing stations allow for multiple feed points along the conveyor length, allowing ore to be supplied from a number of different pits simultaneously,” said Mr Lilleyman.
They can be quickly moved to different points on the conveyor to ensure they are located at an optimal haul distance to the active mining pits.
The relocatable nature of the conveyor, combined with the low cost of civil preparations, provides the team with greater flexibility to access remote mining pits.
“The Fortescue team will continue to look to implement new ideas and solutions to deliver the most from our bodies, which includes investigating the suitability of the relocatable conveyor for other operational sites,” said Mr Lilleyman.
The conveyor ramped up to full production within seven days of its commissioning in June and has since been performing above the company’s expectations.
“Since Fortescue first began operation with strip miners at the Chichester Hub, we have consistently brought new ideas and solutions to deliver the most from our ore bodies,” said Mr Lilleyman.
“Our team continues to look at technology and innovation to drive productivity and efficiency across our business, including investment in autonomous drills and various projects utilising drones and remote-controlled vehicles.”
The introduction of the autonomous haulage system technology at Solomon resulted in a 30 per cent improvement in productivity. Building on this success, the first autonomous trucks began operation at Christmas Creek during the year.
“The conversion of approximately 100 haul trucks at the Chichester Hub will see Fortescue become the first iron ore operation in the world to have a fully autonomous fleet,” said Mr Lilleyman.