Resolute Mining has advised its sulphide roaster at the company’s Syama gold mine in Mali has been successfully brought back to life.
The Syama roaster is a key component of the sulphide processing circuit and was taken offline in early October due to detection of a crack in the main external shell.
Repairs to the roaster were completed in early December within the scheduled timeline and without safety incidents.
The repairs on the Syama roaster entailed a complete replating over the crack on the main roaster body by cutting and welding new 10mm plate steel.
An additional crack in the primary cyclone and two minor cracks on the main roaster body were also replated.
Controlled reheating of the roaster to dry and cure recently installed refractory lining and to bring the unit up to normal operating temperatures commenced on December 11.
First ore was introduced to grinding mills on December 13, and on December 19, concentrate was introduced to the roaster.
In addition to the recommencement of roaster operations, a new secondary crusher was commissioned on December 14.
The roaster and all aspects of the Syama sulphide circuit are performing as expected and improvements made to the roaster are aiming to ensure target recoveries and throughput are achieved in 2020 and onwards.
Underground mining at Syama has continued without disruption and Resolute’s autonomous haulage fleet is now commission and operational.
Resolute managing director and chief executive officer John Welborn said he was pleased the Syama roaster was successfully returned to full operation.
“The roaster repairs and associated unscheduled sulphide circuit maintenance has been a complex project which has been successfully completed efficiently and safely.”
“I congratulate our project, technical and operating teams at Syama for their success in this herculean task and for the exceptional response in delivering a solution to our requirements.”
