Jacobs Engineering Group, together with MCA Group, recently received industry recognition of its achievements on a project to extend the life of a large crude ore bin for Glencore’s Mount Isa mines in Queensland, Australia.
Jacobs and MCA received the Steel Excellence in Engineering Projects Award at the Australian Steel Institute’s 2014 Steel Excellence Awards for Queensland, Australia, as well as a commendation in the Resource Development category at the Engineers Australia 2014 Engineering Excellence Awards for South Australia.
Jacobs, working in conjunction with MCA Group, refurbished Mount Isa mines’ 60,000-metric-ton bin, built in 1972. Over many years of use, the interior of the bin had been rendered inaccessible and had been partially filled with consolidated ore residue. The bin did not operate at capacity and spillages occurred.
Jacobs, MCA Group and Mount Isa mines executed engineering and project management services in Adelaide, South Australia; fabrication in Parkes, New South Wales; and construction at Mount Isa Mines in Queensland.
The project included the installation of 3,100 m2 of steel wear liner; the replacement of 36 rock boxes and feed chutes, plus 18 “Y” chutes; and the overhaul of 36 vibrating feeders. The upgrade, according to Jacobs, delivered significant improvements to the operational safety and efficiency of the bin. It is estimated that the bin’s lifespan has been increased by at least 10 years, while operational ore transfer capacity has been increased by approximately 300%.
