OceanaGold Macraes Flat, East Otago
Six-figure profits potentially rescued from the scrap heap at Macraes mine
Issue
Macraes is New Zealand’s largest gold producing operation. It’s been going for close to 30 years and operates open pit and underground operations in Macraes Flat, North Otago.’
It had two issues identified within its operations:
- A malfunctioning breathable air filter that provided breathable air to a safe room in the underground mine. Moisture was saturating the air filter elements causing rapid deterioration. These were needed to be replaced monthly at a staggering cost of $26,000 per month!
- Poor mechanical pneumatics within its raw material processing plant could be potentially responsible for six-figure losses in gold retrieval for OceanaGold. Further analysis proved this was so. New compressed air pneumatics to operate mechanical valves and pulleys were needed.
Action
PSL Total Air Invercargill analysed the problems in detail and provided a one-stop solution to both the gold retrieval and air supply issues they were experiencing. PSL Total Air installed a
- Kaeser TF340 refrigeration dryer plus filter unit for the underground safe room. This would remove moisture present, effectively slowing the deterioration of costly air filter elements.
- New Festo pneumatics in processing plants to improve the functioning of mechanical parts. Leading to less lost gold particles to waste.
Result
Firstly and most significantly, improved gold recovery rates has the potential of earning OceanaGold close to a million dollars per annum. Repairing air leaks in the processing plant has been improving reliability and saving energy.
For the mine’s safe room the inclusion of the refrigeration dryer unit has dramatically cut costs for operations. It has reduced the need to replace expensive air filter elements every month to every six months.
Improving operational performance in its pneumatic system has the potential to save OceanaGold close to a million dollars in recovered gold particulates.
