DRA Mineral Projects is currently constructing two new 150t/h automated DMS plants at Alrosa’s Mirnyi Ore and Processing Complex, Plant No. 3 Main Building in the North Eastern region of Siberia, Russia.

The new plants are to be retro fitted into the existing plant to treat the -5+1.2mm size fraction.

The plant consists essentially of two modules in one structure which were fabricated and pre-assembled in Johannesburg, South Africa. This includes the installation of mechanical equipment, platework and piping.

Once completed, the plants were disassembled, packed into containers and shipped off to Saint Petersburg. At least this was the intention in early 2008 when the plants were held back from shipment and placed in storage when the bottom of the Diamond market fell out.

It was only towards the end of 2010 that the plants were finally shipped. The plants were then railed from St Petersburg to Ust-Kat near Lake Baikal. From there the containers were trucked to Mirnyi.

The plants will be treating kimberlites from the mines underground operations. The plant is fed with a compact weighfeeder (built by Thermofischer) complete with a variable frequency drive for control.

The material is fed onto a de-sliming screen, through the parallel cyclones and the cyclone overflow (waste) material is split on a double desk screen where the material is divided into +3mm and -3mm fractions for reprocessing.

The construction supervisor has been dispatched to assist with the reconstruction of the plant on site in Mirnyi. In the coming weeks, the commissioning team will be sent to site to commission and hand over the plant.

DRA has established a track record for the supply of its DMS modules to mines operating in extreme conditions including not only Russia but also the Snap Lake Diamond Project in Northern Canada where the environment is quite similar.