Hyper Al - 8 Dec'05 - 21:49 - 8017 of 8018
Anomalous
Concerning sticky Kimberlite, could they not dry it before processing?
No, it's actually easier and most fuel economic to mix it with already dry kimberlite to 'thicken' the mixture.
They already have a problem with the fact that they do not have mains electricity yet. They use diesel generators to produce the electricity for the plant. This is one of the factors that is costing them a lot and holding them back. The cost per tonne will drop significantly when they get the mains online. So drying the 520 tonnes they are processing at the moment is out of the question.
Think of it this way. If you mix a load of John Innes No 3 into clay or muddy ground, the John Innes breaks up the sticky clay into smaller lumps and makes it more manageable.