BHP to pilot new Olympic Dam wastewater treatment

This includes an initial $1 million purchase for SciDev’s MaxiFlox chemistry, representing around three months of consumption.

BHP will trial the chemistries in the hydromet and concentrator sections of the Olympic Dam processing plant.

This trial is anticipated to last for around six months and scheduled to commence in the December quarter of this year.

SciDev’s South Australian-based staff will be on site to deliver the associated services.

“The opportunity to transfer our chemistry and know-how from the waste processing side directly to the production side of a mining operation reflects the potential for the company’s bespoke chemistries,” SciDev managing director and chief executive Lewis Utting said.

“We look forward to working with the team at Olympic Dam and will continue to keep market updated on developments.”

Olympic Dam is the largest copper operation in Australia and hosts the world’s largest deposits of copper, gold and uranium. It operates a fully integrated processing facility from ore to metal.