RE:Case for Mine ExpansionAt the moment the process plant full design capacity (comfortable) is as you said, and there "might" alreadt have been an added over-design factor included in the crusher/screening/conveyor belt/stock pile feeder/mills areas to allow for more room in the design to up that capacity for the future.
If I had the equipment models, sizes details I could tell you the max capacity through puts of raw ore for those items, which will soon be shipped to site this month.
If these items are in fact over designed, great, if not it is not the end for all but the mills are the most expensive and hardest to replace for an upgrade, almost out of the question.
The other items are not a prob and not to hard to upgrade but it does mean a full plant shutdown for some time.
I have worked on many expansion upgrades in these industries and nothing is impossible (sort of) but sh*t does happen now and then.
When building a new process plant the planning for the future should always be included in that plan.
The love of a gravity feed process after the grinding mills by Lewis Black is justified by its use in nearly all mineral separation/classification processes around the World.
One big pump to feed the cyclones way up in the top of the building to separate fines from course material, fines flows down to the flotation/chemical circuits process and course material flows downn to report back to the mills for further grinding.
The flotation/chemical part of the process is also partly gravity fed.
Many tanks (big tanks with mixing propellors like a milk shake mixer) in line, but the first one is about 0.5 Metres higher than the next down stream, and the next one is lower again and so forth until the end.
The thickeners for water reclaimation and paste prep are not something easily repalced or upgraded.
If all this was forseen, then it looks sweet, if not, it can be fixed.
The underground mining part is something to consider as well.
Can they mine at the rate you say is needed ?
I have no idea.
But once again, maybe this has been future proofed already, as the mine tunnels and galleries are massive and have enough room for two way trafic underground.
First we have the equipment delivered to site this month of March 2022.
Second, the concrete slabs and foundations will be laid in April 2022 for the process plant.
I am happy to chew on that for now.