Laserfiche WebLink
Leh. <br />Kwinana Nickel Ref nery WA. <br />Below <br />Main haulage shaft and part <br />of the concentrating plant at <br />Wmdarra N¢kel Proletl, WA. <br />Left: <br />Murray Bodenham QeN) and Paul <br />lusuce "stopping up a tapping <br />hole" of the (lash furnace at the <br />ralgoorlie Nickel Smelter, WA <br />Kalgoorlie Nickel Smelter Kwinana Nickel Refinery <br />(100% owned) (100% owned) <br />Don Fhli <br />'~ Resident Manager <br />The nickel smelter operated close to <br />maximum capacity for most o(the year <br />and treated 463,000 tonnes o(concentrate <br />(452,700 tonnes) to produce 76,800 tonnes <br />of matte products (75.400 tonnes) <br />containing 52,000 tonnes o(nickel (51,000 <br />tonnes). <br />The WMC modified Outokumpu type Oash <br />furnace has treated in excess of two million <br />tonnes of concentrate during its second <br />campaign of 54 months-the record time <br />being achieved by newly developed <br />maintenance techniques which allowed <br />repairs to cntical areas o(the furnace <br />without shutting it down. <br />Energy usage and operating casts were <br />contained throughout the year but were <br />affected by low throughput duringthe <br />industrlal disputation of Kambalda. <br />A small tannage of secondary feed materials <br />was treated during the year. <br />The smelter achieved a record of 1.67 <br />million man hours (equivalent to 28 months <br />operation) without a lost time injury up to <br />May 1986. <br />At Kalgoorlie, a pilot scale plasma arc <br />furnace capable of reaching temperatures up <br />to 2,500°C has been used to investigate the <br />>uitability of this type of furnace for smelting <br />stainless steel furnace waste dust and nickel <br />bearing catalysts with a view to recycling <br />nickel bearing scrap materials.Other <br />research and development work relating to <br />converting furnaces and methods of <br />handling molten metals is being sponsored <br />t,y the Company through the Australian <br />flinerals Industry Research Association at <br />1 he University of Melbourne and a <br />programme ofresearch to investigate the <br />effects o(mineral composition on <br />combustion In Flash reactors Is being carried <br />cut in conjunction with the Western <br />Australian Mining and Petroleum Research <br />Institute. <br />The Company continues to act as a <br />consultant to the People's Republic o(China <br />for a Bash nickel smelter similar to the <br />Kalgoorlie Nickel Smelter. <br />The refinery operated efficiently to produce <br />21,090 tonnes of nickel in all forms (29,000 <br />tonnes). The lower output resulted from <br />less feed being available due to industrial <br />stoppages at Kambalda. <br />Ammonium sulphate produced also <br />declined to 70,700 tonnes (96,800 tonnes). <br />In addition, 2,800 tonnes o(copper sulphide <br />(3,900 tonnes) and 800 tonnes of mixed <br />nickel-cobalt sulphides (1,250 tonnes) were <br />produced as co products. <br />Until recently the Refinery has been <br />operating on a mixed feed of concentrate <br />and matte. During the year it was <br />successfully modified to cater for an all <br />matte feed with a consequent reduction in <br />unit energy consumption and operating <br />cost. <br />The change to all matte feed wdl also enable <br />more of the valuable precious metals to be <br />recovered.lmpravingthe recovery ofthese <br />elements is the subject of further research <br />and development. <br />Above. <br />john Wmdel, Forklih Operator, <br />riackmg pallets of relined nickel <br />products al the Kwinana Nickel <br />Re(~nery WA. <br />