Project Overview
The Nigeria Kwara State Tailing Storage Supporting Processing Plant is a dual-purpose facility combining historical tailings reclamation with engineered tailings storage. WSHT Mining Group designed a processing plant to recover residual gold (1.2 g/t) and base metals from legacy mine dumps, while constructing a modern lined tailings storage facility (TSF) for current operations.
Material Characteristics
The historical tailings are sand-textured (80% passing 150 microns) with residual gold (1.2 g/t), lead (0.8% Pb), and zinc (0.5% Zn). The material is free-digging and requires minimal processing — scrubbing, classification, gravity concentration, and flotation.
Process Flow
Material Handling: Historical tailings are excavated by excavator and trucked to the processing plant. A 500-tonne receiving hopper feeds the scrubbing circuit.
Scrubbing & Classification: A twin-shaft log washer (3.0×6.0 m) scrubs material at 100 t/h. Classifiers separate sand (+150 μm) from slimes (−150 μm). Sand fraction reports to gravity concentration. Slimes report to flotation.
Gravity Concentration: A Falcon SB-380 centrifugal concentrator processes the sand fraction at 60 t/h. Concentrate is upgraded on a shaking table and smelted to gold bars (85% Au purity). Gravity recovery: 70% of coarse gold.
Flotation: Slime fraction is conditioned with lead collector (SIPX) and frother (MIBC), then processed through 4× OK-50 flotation cells (50 m³ each) for lead-zinc sulfide recovery. Lead concentrate (55% Pb) and zinc concentrate (50% Zn) are filtered and sold.
TSF Construction: A new 200,000 m³ engineered TSF is constructed with HDPE liner (1.5 mm), decant tower, and return water system. Designed for 20-year storage life.
Key Equipment
| Equipment | Specification | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Twin-Shaft Log Washer | 3.0×6.0 m, 100 t/h | Scrubbing |
| Vibrating Screens | 2-deck, 1800×4800 mm | Classification |
| Falcon SB-380 Concentrator | Centrifugal, 60 t/h | Gold recovery |
| Gemini Shaking Table | CT-1000, concentrate upgrade | Gold upgrading |
| 4× OK-50 Flotation Cells | 50 m³ each, forced-air | Pb-Zn flotation |
| Filter Press | 30 m², membrane | Concentrate dewatering |
| New TSF | 200,000 m³, HDPE lined | Tailings storage |
| Decant Tower | 8 m height, steel | Water recovery |
Project Highlights
- Capacity: 500 TPD tailings processing
- Gold Recovery: 70% gravity (0.84 g/t recovered)
- Lead Recovery: 65% flotation (55% Pb concentrate)
- Zinc Recovery: 60% flotation (50% Zn concentrate)
- TSF Capacity: 200,000 m³ (20-year life)
- Environmental: Legacy tailings containment
- Timeline: 16 months (plant + TSF)
- Location: Kwara State, Nigeria
