The MIBA delegation at the meeting seated along the right-hand side
of the table, from right to left: Mr Delphin Mutendji, MIBA Translator,
Mr Gustave Luabeya Tshitala, MIBA President, and Mr Joseph Ntumba Tshibambula,
MIBA RSA Representative.
The containerised flow-sort equipment with automatic, grease-table diamond-recovery
system installed recently.
MIBA President visits BATEMAN
The President of Miniere de Bakwanga (MIBA), Mr Gustave Luabeya
Tshitala, visited BATEMAN recently as a follow-up to the successful
commissioning of the NLK2 kimberlite-processing plant supplied to
the Mbuji Mayi operation this year. The back-up spares service for
the plant was also discussed and the opportunity taken to update the
MIBA personnel about new technologies to improve the operation at
the mine.
MIBA is the most prominent diamond miner in the Democratic Republic
of the Congo (DRC) and has been doing business with BATEMAN for almost
30 years. Luabeya explained that the prospects for the diamond-mining
industry in the DRC were very good and that MIBA, with diamond concessions
in about 70,000 km2 of the country, of which it had exploited
only 40 km2 to date, was well positioned to take advantage
of an upturn.
MIBA has entered into joint ventures with several companies and has
submitted proposals for new diamond mines to the government which
were being considered at present. He felt that a partnership with
BATEMAN to develop the required processing facilities would be advantageous
to both parties.
The NLK2 plant was the second one of its type to be supplied to MIBA
in recent years, the first, the NLK1 plant, being supplied in 1998.
Over the years BATEMAN has also upgraded existing facilities at MIBA
to greatly increase throughput. Individual items of equipment supplied
include BATEMAN roller-supported scrubbers, vibrating screens and
bucket elevators.
The NLK1 and NLK2 plants are the largest operated by MIBA, each processing
400 t/h of material. Both plants consist of front-end ore-preparation
and primary and secondary crushing circuits feeding the dense-media
separation (DMS) modules. The NLK2 plant incorporates BATEMAN's new-generation
twin-stream mega DMS units with a 200 t/h capacity.
During the meeting a deal was firmed up according to which BATEMAN
would structure the financing of the spares to be supplied to maintain
the plants. A list of the required spares had been compiled and priority
given to those needed urgently, of which the first consignments were
already on their way to the DRC. Recommendations were made on the
maintenance of MIBA's plants. It was proposed that a BATEMAN engineer
be sent to Mbuji Mayi to provide on-site advice.
Robert Abate, BATEMAN General Manager, Modular Plants, also highlighted
new technology to process small diamonds which could be of interest
to MIBA. This combines flow-sort equipment with automatic grease tables
installed in standard containers, complete with electrical supply.
Bucket elevators are to be used to hoist the diamond concentrate to
the top of the integrated plant.
To date, eight such containerised recovery plants have been supplied.
Arrangements were made for a MIBA engineer to visit the latest site
in Kimberley where BATEMAN had installed an automated recovery system
with three flow-sort machines and two automated grease tables.
