Kinross

Location: Minas Gerais, Brazil 
Commodity: Gold 
Phases: Detailed Design Engineering, Construction & Commissioning 

Client Overview

Kinross Gold, a leading global gold producer, initiated the Paracatu Expansion Project to enhance the capacity and efficiency of its Plant 2 grinding circuit in Minas Gerais, Brazil. This expansion aimed to increase throughput and gold recovery while integrating new environmental compliance measures, ensuring the facility could meet evolving production demands and regulatory standards.

Client Needs 

The Paracatu Expansion Project involved retrofitting the existing grinding circuit with two new 15 MW ball mills and implementing a tailings desulphurization circuit to meet environmental compliance requirements. Kinross required specialized support to:

• Develop and manage operational readiness strategies for the expanded plant.
• Oversee detailed design engineering and ensure seamless integration of new equipment into the existing infrastructure.
• Coordinate mechanical completion, pre-operational verification, and load testing.
• Align commissioning and turnover strategies with production targets and regulatory compliance requirements.

TMG’s Contributions

• Operational Readiness and Turnover Strategy: TMG developed an aggressive turnover plan that included standard procedures for mechanical completion testing, pre‑operational verification, and load testing for process and utility systems.
• Construction and Commissioning Support: Worked closely with construction management teams to align mechanical completion schedules with start‑up sequencing, ensuring smooth transitions from construction to operations.
• Manpower Planning and Forecasting: Created manpower forecast requirements to support pre‑commissioning and commissioning activities, optimizing resource allocation and ensuring schedule feasibility.
• Project Management Oversight: Provided comprehensive support across project execution phases, ensuring adherence to timelines, cost targets, and safety requirements.

Results 

TMG’s involvement in the Paracatu Expansion Project enabled Kinross to achieve a seamless integration of new infrastructure and accelerated readiness for production:

• Schedule Savings: Developed and implemented a turnover strategy that shortened the commissioning schedule by more than one month.
• Cost Optimization: Achieved approximately $200,000 in indirect cost savings through improved sequencing and reduced schedule duration.
• Production Impact: Enhanced throughput to 61 million tonnes per annum at a 75‑micron grind size, supporting long‑term production growth and improved gold recovery.
• Regulatory Compliance: Successfully integrated a tailings desulphurization circuit to meet new environmental requirements.

The Paracatu Expansion Project exemplifies Kinross’s commitment to operational excellence and TMG’s ability to deliver disciplined project management and readiness strategies that optimize both schedule and cost performance in complex mining environments.