CLIENT: Williams Operating Corporation (subsidiary of Barrick Gold Corporation)
PROJECT: Hemlo Mine Reclaimed Pump Station

PROJECT TYPE: Brownfield
LOCATION: Ontario, Canada
COMMODITY: Infrastructure
SERVICE SCOPE:  Design (Infrastructure)

THE CHALLENGE

A pump station located on a wall separating two operating tailings dams needed to be relocated due to silting issues caused by tailings levels rising in the dam. Halyard were commissioned to identify an alternative site for the vertical spindle pumps and to design an all-weather enclosure which permits year-round operation of the pumps and allows for reclaimed water to be pumped from the tailings dam back to the process plant.

THE SOLUTION

Several options were investigated, and it was determined that the most suitable solution was to relocate the pumps to a floating barge anchored to the dam wall and located in a relatively deep section of the tailings dam.

Halyard undertook the structural design of the barge access bridge which allowed the pumps to be lifted off their mountings for removal by winching along the walkway.  To mitigate freezing around the barge agitators were installed to continually circulate the water.  This design permits the reclaim pumps to operate year-round.

ACHIEVEMENTS/HIGHLIGHTS

Since the dam wall is due to be raised in the coming years, this solution was a resourceful way to allow for operations to continue pumping with minimal downtime while relocating the pumps on to the floating barge.