The prefeasibility study for the ore processing facility reviewed the following:
- New concentrator facility
- New hydromet and uranium extraction facilities
- New smelting facility
- New refinery
A series of utilities were required for plant operation including air compressors and receivers, oxygen and nitrogen plants, acid plants and power generation. This work scope included the following services:
- Development of the project process design criteria and basis of design
- Development of the mass, heat and water balances for the ore processing facilities
- Establishment of a common platform of engineering standards and systems to be used across the project
- Issue of specifications and data sheets to support Requests for Budget Quotations (RFBQs) for major engineered equipment that in turn supported the CAPEX estimate
- Execution of sufficient engineering of the ore processing facilities to meet the requirements of BHP Billiton’s “Standard for a Prefeasibility Study” and to enable material take-offs (MTOs) required to support the CAPEX estimate
- Development of a complete modularization study for the smelter and refinery to determine the cost, manpower and schedule benefits from offsite module construction
- A series of evaluation studies were carried out in all processing areas including:
- Greenhouse gas mitigation options
- On-site power generation
- Gold recovery optimization
- Hydromet process improvement studies such as uranium solvent extraction, PLC clarification and copper deportment
- Smelter process improvement studies such as granulation options, minor element deportment and matte feed to DBF.
- Development of the capital cost (CAPEX) and operating cost (OPEX) estimates for the ore processing facilities, and consolidation of CAPEX and OPEX estimates for all ODX project facilities
- Preparation of applicable inputs to the ODX PFS report for the ore processing facilities
