Oyu Tolgoi provides update on concentrator fire

On 3 December, 2014, there was a fire in one of the ball mill cyclone packs at the Oyu Tolgoi concentrator. There were no injuries.

The concentrator was shutdown to ensure the safety of Oyu Tolgoi’s employees and to allow appropriate inspections by relevant authorities. The inspections were completed on 4 December and the operations team is now confirming the extent of the damage and preparing the concentrator for restart. The fire took place in the rubber lined pipes and launders of the cyclone pack. Initial indications are that the fire did not cause significant damage and there was no damage to the ball mill or high voltage electrical systems.

Following the completed inspections, the concentrator will return to service using the other mills and cyclone packs, which is expected to happen on 5 December. There are four ball mills and four cyclone packs in the Oyu Tolgoi concentrator.

Any potential production impact will be assessed once the concentrator has restarted.