Mine Wide Surface Plant Structures Integrity Audit Project

Project Overview

Knight Piésold was appointed by Palabora Copper Mine (PMC) to undertake a comprehensive mine wide corrosion integrity audit of surface infrastructure for the local Palabora Copper Mine.

Almost 20 heavy mineral processing plants, materials handling and storage plants, and infrastructure were assessed. The infrastructure is part of the mine’s assets register that supports an impressive production capacity of 30,000 tonnes of ore per day and 60,000 tonnes of refined copper per year. The structural audit formed part of PMC’s Lift II development plans, which will extend the life of mine to 2033.

Project Role

The information and recommendations provided by Knight Piésold to the mine regarding the status of the infrastructure are critical in terms of financial planning and for compliance to the regulatory requirements for mine health and safety. The risks of each structure were carefully identified and assessed using engineering principles and applicable qualitative criteria to propose risk treatment measures.

The main roles undertaken include:

• Study of construction drawings
• Detailed visual inspection and assessment  
• Risk-based conditions reporting (civil and structural elements)
• Application of relevant SANS standards
• Quality reports preparation
• Value adding to client with cost-effective solutions