Mineral Resources Limited
Wodgina Instrumentation Audit
- Australia
- Lithium
- Mining
Background
The Wodgina lithium operation is located approximately 120km south of Port Hedland in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.
As one of the world’s largest known hard rock lithium deposits, this asset forms part of an unincorporated joint venture between Mineral Resources Limited (MinRes) (50%) and leading battery chemicals producer Albemarle Corporation (50%).
MinRes manages all mining operations at Wodgina, including a spodumene concentrate processing plant featuring three trains each with a capacity of 250,000 tonnes of 6% spodumene product.
Spodumene produced at Wodgina is transported by road to Port Hedland for export to global markets.
Project Scope
An opportunity was identified to improve the plant operations, stability, control and throughput at the Wodgina lithium mine.
MinRes requested Mipac to undertake a plant audit to ascertain recommendations for process and control improvements through the supply of a detailed report.
Following this audit, Mipac was also commissioned to undertake additional work, including:
- An instrumentation audit to ascertain if the installed instrumentation (COS to Tails) was in working order and calibrated correctly
- Drafting of P&ID markups to as-built documents, including a final review and revision by a Mipac Lead Engineer prior to the final issue
The instrument audit provided a roadmap for improvement projects that Mipac is continuing to provide assistance with.
Project Challenges
Wodgina’s three-train lithium processing plant did not have As-Built Process and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs). Performance of all site instruments was uncertain, resulting in unplanned downtimes and increased labour and engineering requirements.
- They had three trains (processing circuits) but wanted to optimise two before bringing the third one online
- Increasing recovery was also a goal
Solutions
Initial scope (plant audit) included a review of site documentation and subsequent site visit to gain an understanding of existing process parameters and provision of report recommendations. The site visit and report will provide recommendations to improve plant stability, control, throughput, and operation with respect to the areas within coarse ore reclaim through to TSF.
- Review automation, utilisation and control of plant assets (COS to TSF)
- Review Control System hardware, version and PLC life cycle
- Review network architecture
- Review existing plant trending and data flows
- Review existing field Instrumentation
Additional scope for the instrumentation audit included a review of documentation and a subsequent site visit to undertake an Instrumentation Audit (COS to Tails) and provide a detailed report.
- 2,800 instruments were identified and loaded into the Mipac instrument audit app
- Findings on status of installed instrumentation and recommendations for instrument additions were to be provided
Additional scope for P&ID as-building included drafting of the 143 redline P&ID markups to as-built documents, as well as a final review and revision by a Mipac lead engineer prior to final issue to MRL. This assumes existing P&IDs are provided in a native CAD format.
Results
- P&IDs are now correct
- Instruments and control valves are being updated to improve reliability and reduce downtime and reduce maintenance
- Installed flotation cameras (one of our recommendations) for increased recovery
- Value adding work including replacing valves, flow meters, maintenance on instruments and training electrical techs on calibration
Unique and innovative
- Partnered with GRPS
- Customised software for instrumentation audits was used that allowed bulk reporting and streamlined the process
- Ability to keep the client updated daily on progress
- Further instrumentation audits can utilise this data capture baseline for further, faster auditing in the future
Partnering with Mipac has been instrumental in enhancing our plant operations at Wodgina. Their detailed audits and expert recommendations have significantly improved our plant stability, control, and throughput. The Mipac team’s dedication and expertise are evident in the tangible results we’ve achieved.
Discover more of Mipac's projects
Unplanned maintenance was holding Ok Tedi back. With Mipac and Aspen Mtell, the team lifted plant reliability and performance
Mipac stabilised APA’s Diamantina Power Station, delivering tailored control upgrades that improved reliability, diagnostics, and long-term grid performance.
The smelter’s legacy system risk is gone. Mipac migrated critical control into modern DCS infrastructure, reducing outage threats.