Modern Mining Marchh 2017

DIAMONDS

Mines in water-scarce areas turn to dewatering screens

Growing water scarcity in many diamond-mining areas is leading mines to adopt dewatering technology from Gauteng-based vibrating screen specialist Kwatani. This includes fine screening solutions to recover even more wa- ter. “Many diamond mines operate in highly water-stressed environments, and so are searching for ways to reduce their overall water use through innovation and technology,” says Kim Schoepflin, Kwatani’s Chief Executive Officer.

S choepflin points out that water is an increasingly scarce commodity in regions across Africa and that mines can no longer rely solely on discov- ering new water sources to meet their needs. She adds that the drive to use water more efficiently is focused on the major demand areas such as the processing plants, especially on the potential for recycling water back into these plants rather than losing water through poorly dewatered product or tailings. This is where dewatering vibrating screens

Derrick’s HI-G performance, linear motion dewatering screen is able to recover solid material including particles as small as 25 microns.

Kwatani CEO Kim Schoepflin.

30  MODERN MINING  March 2017