Fruta del Norte Basic Engineering and Owner’s Engineer Role
Aurelian Ecuador SA, a subsidiary of Lundin Gold Inc., is currently developing the Fruta del Norte Project in south-eastern Ecuador. The project is located on the western flank of the Cordillera del Condor (Condor Mountain Range) in the Zamora River Valley. Runoff from the project area flows to various rivers which all are part of the Amazon Basin.
The project consists of a 3,500 t/d underground gold mine with surface processing facilities, a quarry, and a tailings storage facility (TSF). The mine life is approximately 15 years.
We undertook the site-wide water management planning for the project to identify the water management infrastructure necessary to manage mine water in the high rainfall (3,400 mm annual average) tropical environment, and with many of the mine waste materials classified as potentially acid generating. This resulted in a water management plan for effluents from the underground mine, quarry, waste rock stockpiles, and the TSF.
Based on the plan, we developed a site-wide water and load balance model in GoldSim with updated meteorological, hydrological, and hydrogeological inputs as well as updated geochemical source terms for waste materials. This model was used to predict effluent flows and quality. In addition, we generated hydrologic and hydraulic design criteria and designed infrastructure for water conveyance and storage.
We evaluated water treatment requirements to meet both Ecuadorian and site-specific discharge limits. A conceptual design of the Main Water Treatment Plant process was produced, including neutralization and precipitation with lime in a high-density sludge type process.
Specifications for the Main Water Treatment Plant and a bidders list were generated, and recommendations were made for contract scope and award. We then acted as owner’s engineer for the review of the vendor process and on-sight commissioning of the Main Water Treatment Plant.
