Flagship project
Wouterspan (Thornley) Diamond Mine
Northern Cape, South Africa
Plant
High-tonnage Bourevestnik X-ray sorter configuration
Online
2018
Throughput
25,000 to 60,000+ t/mo
Grade
0.2 ct / 100 t
A dry case, not the default
A published dry case, not the brief we lead with. The only mine we know operating its processing plant fully dry, with no process water.
Operations began in 2018 and have expanded since. Production rose from 25,000 tons per month to over 60,000+ tons per month, at an average grade of 0.2 ct / 100 t.
Impact
- Heavy-banded ironstone deposits processed on high-tonnage X-ray sorters.
- Pan plants and dense-medium circuits had historically failed on this material.
- In the water-scarce Northern Cape, Eros proved a water-free method for diamondiferous ground.
Thornley is the dry case. It is not the brief.
If you run conventional ROM, DMS, or pans, start with a wet plant and a final recovery plant on the concentrate. If water is the constraint, ask whether a dry X-ray plant belongs on the site.