Client name: Newmont Corporation

Location: Northern Territory, Australia

Total project value: $65M

Duration: 2015 – 2016

Services provided:

• Comprehensive design and 3D modelling
• Improve operational efficiency
• Design method for producing backfill
• Upgrades to the process plant infrastructure
• Common infrastructure shared across the operation

Tanami Gold Mine Expansion

The Newmont Tanami Operation lies in the Western Tanami Desert Region of the Northern Territory, Australia. It consists of an underground gold mine and processing plant, as well as a residential camp.

The objectives of the upgrades are to increase plant throughput to 2.5Mtpa, improve gold recovery, support mine development and improve operational efficiency. Challenges faced in this project included expanding a fully operational site, planning shutdowns to minimise impact on production and working on such a remote location, all which Tetra Tech Proteus were able to deliver on in a restricted frame.

With high resolution point cloud laser survey models provided by the client, we were able to create a single detailed 3D model with Bentley AECOsim Building Designer, which we also used to update the 20-year-old outdated documentation. Part of this design process included construction, operational and hazard risk reduction, all while maintaining rather than increasing the site’s environmental footprint.

As the mine is located on Aboriginal freehold land owned by the Warlpiri people, it is managed on their behalf by the Central Desert Aboriginal Lands Trust.

Project Leads:  Rod Siviour and Zvon Ponos