Bateman Engineering Pty Ltd,
Brisbane, QLD, Australia
Commissioning in China
Principal Process Engineer - 2008 - 2012
Bateman was a South African based consulting process engineering design house; I was engaged in a technology process team created to transfer proprietary technologies into the Asia Pacific region.
Principal Engineer in the Pyrometallurgy group:
Duties:
Achievements included:
Typical Projects:
Front End Engineering Design Study to Pre-Feasibility level for a Titanium Dioxide Slag Smelter
Role: Process Lead & Project Engineer
Project Location: Ukraine
Design Parameters: 2 @ 30MW DC Electric Arc Furnaces
Capacity: 300,000 tpa Ilmenite feed
Products: Titanium dioxide slag (titania) & pig iron
Design scope: PFDs, Layouts, +/-30% Capital and Operating Costs, Reports and Client Presentation
Next: Submitted proposal for engineering to TEO-P
On-site Commissioning for a chinese TiO2 Slag Smelter
Role: Commissioning Engineer
Project Location: Yunnan Province, China
Parameters: Start-up of a DC Electric Arc Furnace from cold to first metal and slag taps; followed by process support.
I supported commissioning at the client site for a number of 6 to 8 weeks cycles (including lengthy periods as sole process engineering specialist on site).
Capacity: 30MW furnace operating at 15MW due to power constraints
Scoping study for a Minerals Sand to Titanium Sponge complex
Role: Process Design Leader
Project Location: Southeast Asia
Design Parameters: from Sand Mining to Titanium Metal production (Kroll process) including Mineral Separation Plant, Ilmenite Smelting by DC EAF and an industrial minerals plant producing Pigment.
Capacity: Feed 49MTPA
Design Scope: Flow Sheets, Block Plan, +/- 30% Capex and Opex, Financial Modelling (over 90 cases based on grade, flow sheet, mining rate etc.)
Next: Submitted to client – client is motivated by anticipated legislation changes they wish to seize a first mover advantage but will be unlikely to make this investment unless the laws are changed
Trade Off study (Pyro alternative) for a high Silica Mixed Oxide/Sulphide Copper ore
Role: Process Lead for 2 of 3 options
Project Location: Eastern Siberia, Russian Federation
Parameters: The resource contains high levels of silica leading to the Pre-Feasibility study having concluded that a Pyrometallurgical route would not be possible. The Client requested a study to prove this assertion.
Outcome: I prepared two alternatives, a fully pyrometallurgical and a mixed Pyro (for the sulphide fraction) Hydro (for oxide) plant. The latter gave compared favourably with the hydro option.
On-site process measurement work at an Australasian Smelter
Role: Lead a measurement team
Project Location: Olympic Dam, SA
Parameters: Bateman Australia was requested by the South African office to assist in updating a water use profile for the flash furnace cooling elements after the installation of new cooling panels.
Issue: Previous measurements had employed a large team to measure hundreds of small flows using buckets and stopwatches over a period of some weeks.
Outcome: Using external ultrasonic measuring equipment I was able with a team of 2 to produce the required outputs within a few days (including sufficient external physical measurements to support the technique).
Other duties: Defibrillator trained First Aider
Bateman was a South African based consulting process engineering design house; I was engaged in a technology process team created to transfer proprietary technologies into the Asia Pacific region.
Principal Engineer in the Pyrometallurgy group:
Duties:
- I led studies from concept to feasibility for a wide range of products and locations – where our technology was a key element of the process.
- I called equipment tenders for thickeners and primary crushers in support of the mechanical engineering team.
- I was the final approver and RPEQ on designs including PFD’s for a range of plants including concentrators, hydrometallurgical leach plants and sand separation plants.
- On-site start-up and commissioning for a major furnace installation in Yunnan province (China) including significant periods as sole company representative in-country. Other periods where it was necessary to take a night shift role to lead by example.
- I made technical sales visits with progress presentations and scope negotiations to clients in Ukraine and Lithuania.
Achievements included:
- Headed a Front End Engineering Design (FEED) Study to Pre-Feasibility level for a $300m project in Ukraine including PFDs, Layouts, ±30% Capex & Opex, Study Report and Client Presentation.
- Identified an developed innovation that enabled Bateman to deliver an estimated 180 person days of water flow measurements for a smelter flash furnace within 20 person days. Much appreciated by the client and the technique still used today.
Typical Projects:
Front End Engineering Design Study to Pre-Feasibility level for a Titanium Dioxide Slag Smelter
Role: Process Lead & Project Engineer
Project Location: Ukraine
Design Parameters: 2 @ 30MW DC Electric Arc Furnaces
Capacity: 300,000 tpa Ilmenite feed
Products: Titanium dioxide slag (titania) & pig iron
Design scope: PFDs, Layouts, +/-30% Capital and Operating Costs, Reports and Client Presentation
Next: Submitted proposal for engineering to TEO-P
On-site Commissioning for a chinese TiO2 Slag Smelter
Role: Commissioning Engineer
Project Location: Yunnan Province, China
Parameters: Start-up of a DC Electric Arc Furnace from cold to first metal and slag taps; followed by process support.
I supported commissioning at the client site for a number of 6 to 8 weeks cycles (including lengthy periods as sole process engineering specialist on site).
Capacity: 30MW furnace operating at 15MW due to power constraints
Scoping study for a Minerals Sand to Titanium Sponge complex
Role: Process Design Leader
Project Location: Southeast Asia
Design Parameters: from Sand Mining to Titanium Metal production (Kroll process) including Mineral Separation Plant, Ilmenite Smelting by DC EAF and an industrial minerals plant producing Pigment.
Capacity: Feed 49MTPA
Design Scope: Flow Sheets, Block Plan, +/- 30% Capex and Opex, Financial Modelling (over 90 cases based on grade, flow sheet, mining rate etc.)
Next: Submitted to client – client is motivated by anticipated legislation changes they wish to seize a first mover advantage but will be unlikely to make this investment unless the laws are changed
Trade Off study (Pyro alternative) for a high Silica Mixed Oxide/Sulphide Copper ore
Role: Process Lead for 2 of 3 options
Project Location: Eastern Siberia, Russian Federation
Parameters: The resource contains high levels of silica leading to the Pre-Feasibility study having concluded that a Pyrometallurgical route would not be possible. The Client requested a study to prove this assertion.
Outcome: I prepared two alternatives, a fully pyrometallurgical and a mixed Pyro (for the sulphide fraction) Hydro (for oxide) plant. The latter gave compared favourably with the hydro option.
On-site process measurement work at an Australasian Smelter
Role: Lead a measurement team
Project Location: Olympic Dam, SA
Parameters: Bateman Australia was requested by the South African office to assist in updating a water use profile for the flash furnace cooling elements after the installation of new cooling panels.
Issue: Previous measurements had employed a large team to measure hundreds of small flows using buckets and stopwatches over a period of some weeks.
Outcome: Using external ultrasonic measuring equipment I was able with a team of 2 to produce the required outputs within a few days (including sufficient external physical measurements to support the technique).
Other duties: Defibrillator trained First Aider