Flump in Mali, West Africa

SRS Crisafulli manufactured a stainless steel 4" Severe Duty FLUMP dredge system for Societe des Mines de Syama's gold mine in Mali, West Africa. The FLUMP dredges and pumps solids from a tailings pit back into the leaching process to reclaim gold, which otherwise would be lost. SRS Crisafulli designed a stainless steel FLUMP dredge to combat the corrosive environment.

There have been enormous technological advances in gold extraction since this mine originally opened.  Mine owners can reprocess the ancient tailings and now extract additional gold. As back-up to the conveyor system feeding the mixing tank, the FLUMP dredge system provides a secondary continuous feed to the mixing tank.

This particular site needed to move material with a specific gravity of 3.2, a horizontal distance of 328' and 46' vertically while traveling through a 6" pipeline from the reclamation pond (tailings pit) to the agitation tank. SRS Crisafulli provided a 4" J-series FLUMP dredge system equipped with a 13" impeller powered by a 60 hp electrical sludge pump motor. The dredge is controlled from a panel located on the bank of the pond.  The dredge has a 102" cutterhead that cuts a 90" path up to 12' deep while creating a slurry mixture consisting of tailings and water with a specific gravity of 1.2, the recommended specific gravity for our pumps.

This mine produces 250,000 ounces of gold a year.  At today's gold price that's $416,250,000 of annual revenue.  Based on these estimates, our client realized an estimated return on investment in the FLUMP dredge system of 3 months.