Alamos Gold
BESTECH was commissioned by Alamos Gold Inc. (AGI) to provide comprehensive structural, mechanical, electrical, and instrumentation engineering services for the basic engineering phase of a new paste fill plant at the Island Gold mine, located in Dubreuilville, Ontario.
This phase was crucial for supporting the mine’s expansion needs, driven by ongoing exploration successes. The expansion included an upgrade to the mine’s backfill processes, transitioning to pastefill and necessitating the construction of an enhanced mill and paste plant. BESTECH’s role was pivotal in confirming the final layout of the paste plant, detailing equipment specifications, and estimating costs.
SCOPE
The scope of BESTECH’s work encompassed a wide range of engineering tasks:
- Development of the overall site plan and grading.
- Design of a 2.5 km buried pipeline leading to the paste plant.
- Specification of a 1100 m2 pre-engineered building to house process equipment and support a 20-ton overhead crane.
- Design of an independent, multi-level interior platform structure to support elevated process equipment.
- Foundation design for the building, platforms, thickener, and all heavy equipment at grade level.
- Design of secondary containment areas, access platforms, stairs, and a pole line from the substation to the paste plant.
- Comprehensive power system studies and electrical system design, including transformers and distribution systems.
- Development of control and instrumentation systems, process control, instrument selection, and network architecture.
- Specifications for all electrical equipment and infrastructure, including the design of an e-house and cable tray systems.
- Design of building and equipment grounding, heating and ventilation, plumbing, compressed air distribution, and fire suppression systems throughout the plant.
OUTCOME
The completion of the basic engineering phase by BESTECH equipped AGI with all the necessary information to confidently advance the Island Gold mine’s paste plant project into the detailed design phase. This thorough and detailed preliminary planning ensured that the client could proceed with clarity and precision, laying a solid foundation for the subsequent stages of the project development.