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Mining consulting firms provide mine operators with services and expertise in the areas of engineering, procurement, construction and management for all aspects of the mine's lifecycle. Completed and ongoing projects highlight their engineering and design successes in the field. A number of these firms will be on hand at MinExpo 2008. The following is a look at some them.
Agapito Associates Inc. (AAI) (booth 9078) provides consulting and engineering services to mining companies producing base metals, precious metais, coal, potash, trona, limestone, oil shale and salt. Its projects have included underground mine design, field services, ventilation, mine-shaft planning, nuclear waste isolation and rock slope design. AAI recently conducted a backfill study for the Rodeo Underground Project for Barrick Goldstrike Mines. The project included a design review to assess the strength required for cemented rockfill and mix specifications to achieve the desired backfill strength for placement in drifts and stores.
Coal-fired power stations produce pulverized fly ash (PFA) as a byproduct. Some can be used in the production of concrete, but the large proportion has to be landfilled. By processing PFA through a sinter plant, it can be converted into a light weight aggregate (LWA) - a more environmentally friendly and cost-effective method of disposal. Aker Kvaerner (Aker Solutions) (booth 1852) has considerable experience in the design of sinter machines for projects in China, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and South Africa.
Aker Kvaerner recently completed the Daqing Petroleum project in China. It was completed in December 2001 and the sinter machine was commissioned by AK Engineering Services in February 2002.
Barr Engineering (booth 5824) has decades of experience in the...