Process Services Support

Process Services is part of the De Beers Group Ignite Support division. The unit aims to merge a multitude of specialised metallurgical skills and services that translate to enhanced process efficiencies, operational effectiveness and, ultimately, improved revenue.

Services includes: metallurgical analytical studies; operational support; training and plant audits, among others. These services can be targeted during capital projects for improved conceptual flow sheet design that is fit for purpose or for operational optimisation and troubleshooting. Service offerings can be divided into the following categories, which can be customised to client needs:

Technical Consulting

Sample Audits for Plant Assurance

The objectives of sample audits are to:

• Establish performance and/or diamond recovery efficiencies of unit processes and/or various streams which will include identifying and reporting on areas of potential diamond misplacement.
• Identify areas for potential improvement.

The recovery audits services include but are not limited to:

• A full technical investigation comprising of process equipment interrogation including tracer tests and inspections.
• A snapshot of the full mass balance, including concentrates and tailings which are collected simultaneously for full stream efficiency calculations.
• A tailings snapshot sample to determine diamond loss possibilities through recovery treatment under extremely sensitive laboratory conditions.
• Composite tailings samples which entail longer-term collection of one or more streams using sampling tools.

Characterisation and Treatment Services

The objectives of characterisation studies are to:

• Establish changes in ore properties and their impact on the overall process plant; and to recommend, in collaboration with the different process specialists, solutions for anticipated challenges.
• Support appropriate equipment selections and operation parameters with meaningful data, hence increasing plant effectiveness and diamond recovery efficiency.
• Facilitate recommendations for flow sheet enhancements and throughput optimisations.
• Characterise typical metallurgical properties, including densimetric analysis, magnetic susceptibility, luminescence intensity, shore hardness, t10, ta, etc.