Thursday 27 February 2014
Almaty Office, Kazakhstan
-6°C Sunny
So, which warehouse would you prefer? Both are for similar size operating gold mines just a few years after go-live.
Forethought is required prior to construction and development of a mine to ensure that adequate and suitable facilities are planned. It is important to have prior knowledge of the plant that is to be installed and the equipment that is to be used, and of the materials and consumables that are subsequently crucial for operations. When this is known, warehouse and laydown facilities may be designed allowing adequate and environmentally compliant storage space and for specific products like grinding media, explosives, fuels, lubricants, pipes, steel, OTR tyres and chemicals. Thought should also be given to the provision of covered and open areas for long-term storage of:
Construction materials (inevitably there will be materials left over from mine development construction too)
Direct purchases required later
Ongoing and future project materials and equipment
Technical knowledge is required for this and information from process and production engineers involved in mine design will be essential. Sufficient planning for materials handling equipment is also desirable at an early stage.
Typically warehouses should be as centralised and as close to operations as possible and if satellite warehouses are unavoidable these should be planned for with suitable vehicles for inter-warehouse transportation of materials. Unless unavoidable, a delivery service is not recommended. The layout of main warehouses should allow for:
A secure and controlled receiving area – including an outside area for larger items
A collection area for direct charge receipts
A covered storage area for large, medium and small items
An issuing and collection area
Thought should also be given to fire and hazmat protection, location of computers and operatives and safety issues during storage and handling.
CBC is able to facilitate this crucial area during the development of efficient mining supply operations.