Ok Tedi completes refurbishment of its filter

OK Tedi Mining Ltd recently completed the refurbishment of its filter units at its Kiunga operations as part of its plant asset renewal (PAR) programme.
The PAR programme is a progressive replacement and refurbishment programme of the processing, dewatering and ship loading facilities which are over 35 years old posing a high safety and business interruption risk.
The programme will cost approximately US$240 million (about K847 million) and will be implemented over the next two years.
Kiunga operations manager Dexter Wagambie said the filter units located at the Kiunga operations site was a critical part of the production process, and its purpose was to de-water the copper concentrate slurry and produce material that did not exceed the safe moisture level limit for shipping.
“The project included a major overhaul of the two vertical pressure filter units installed in 2006 and an upgrade of the control system.
“We were having plant reliability issues since the filter units were aging and the refurbishment project was just timely.”
Wagambie said immediate results were visible since the completion of the refurbishment.
“These units are designed at 125 tons per hour with over 24 hours’ slurry and no downtime,” he said.
“The units can produce 2,850 tons per day.
“Prior to the overhaul we were averaging 2,152 tpd.”