The Ashdown Mill Site

Building the Molybdenum Processing Facility

We start with the land, high desert country in northeastern Nevada just outside the town of Denio.  This site is located two miles from the Sylvia Portal, entrance to the Ashdown molybdenum mine currently under development.  The elevation of the valley floor is approximately 4500 feet.  It's generally level ground, used for growing hay and alfalfa, or grazing cattle and horses.  Hot summers, cold winters, with little rain and moderate snowfall mostly at higher elevations on the surrounding mountains.  This is cowboy country.  Scroll to bottom to view the latest progress.

September 2005

The mill site started out looking like this:

Then the earthwork began:

Followed by the initial foundation layout:

Next came the cement trucks to pour the footings:

Followed by the steel work for the stem walls:

And next the forms:

The final pour was completed in late September, and will now cure before the heavy milling equipment can be set into place.

And here's a few of our guys that are making it happen:

October 2005

The mill foundation is now cured and ready to accept the heavy mill equipment.  The major components are trucked to the site and staged for the large crane, which is contracted from Winnemucca.

One of the flotation cell units arrives...

Lifting the reduction gear for the ball mill:

Waiting for the big crane...

The mill frame gets set next to the flotation unit:

And here comes the ball mill:

Once the major components are set and bolted, the steel enclosure will be erected and the wiring and plumbing begun.  Ken Ripley, CEO of Golden Phoenix, is personally assisting Earl Harrison and his men in construction of the mill. This photo shows Ken working on the ball mill bearing assembly.  Ken's early background as a machinist, electrician, welder and master mechanic comes in handy in the course of putting the mill together.

The tailings impoundment takes shape...

This is a view from the mill, southward, across the tailings impoundment. The 80,000 square-foot pond is being dug by Retrievers, our subcontractor.  It will involve moving about 37,000 yards of earth.  When completed, it will have an average depth of about 12 feet.  Once it has been dug, it will receive a special liner material to seal it and prevent contact with ground water.

November 2005

The rest of the flotation cell units are set into place:

A drill rig is driving a water well near the mill to provide water for the area. 

Setting the Fine Ore Bin and Process Water Tank

The Fine Ore Bin feeds the Ball Mill

The Process Water Tank provides water for the flotation circuits

Setting the roof joists

CEO Ripley fitting purlins... leading from the top

Backside of mill, showing the thickener and process water tanks

View from the roof joists: Thickener in foreground, tailings pond in back

Close-up of the fine ore bin and ball mill feeder belt

It's starting to look like a mill... Ashdown moly nuggets are getting nervous

December 2005

Tailings pond is groomed and awaits the installation of liner

The tailings impoundment received its final grooming in preparation for the certified liner subcontractor to install and weld the specialized plastic liner into place.  The four corners and bottom edges of the pond walls were radiused and all surfaces smoothed.  The liner team was scheduled to begin work last week, but inclement weather pushed that event into the coming week.  It is expected to take about three days to position and weld the seams of over 80,000 square feet of liner material together.  This process is performed by certified installers in order to minimize the possibility of future leakage. 

The mill crew has completed the building's superstructure.  The next step is to clad the building in corregated steel, and then install insulation and begin final wiring and plumbing.

The liner installation begins...

The worker at top center is operating the seam welder to create a heat bond...

A temporary power pole is planted in preparation to begin work inside the mill

Ken Ripley welds on tabs for the corregated siding which encloses the mill...

The tailings pond is now completed, with the liner fully installed and seam welded.  This work was completed late last week in advance of the winter's first snow.  Looking north toward the mill building (below) it can be noted that the south and east sides of the structure and its roof are not yet inclosed.  Insulation has been ordered and crews will be working to insulate and side the remaining superstructure this week.  Once the building is zipped up, crews will begin the final wiring and plumbing.  A millwright has been added to the staff, and is preparing to finalize the commissioning of the mill equipment, which is expected to take several weeks.  With the mill building enclosed and heated and the tailings pond now finished, weather is not expected to be a major factor in getting the molybdenum bulk sample processed, once final commissioning is complete. 

The completed tailings impoundment with environmental liner

Roof installation...                                West mill wall enclosed....

A cold snap hit last week, bringing zero degree temperatures to the valley.

But the work continues. Propane heater installed; Ripley checks light wiring.

January 2006

Between Christmas and New Years, crews completed installation of the mezzanine level at the mill.  This second floor area houses the drying and bagging equipment.  Concentrate will be pumped from the ground floor, where the thickener and flotation cells are located, up to the mezzanine where they will be fed to the Holo-Flite drier and into supersacks, which will then be transfered by forklift through a second story access door to trucks for shipment. 

Outside the mill, finishing touches have been applied to the conveyor system

that will feed the fine ore bin.

Electrical distribution panels on the mezzanine level of the mill

February 2006

The primary (jaw) crusher has arrived to the mill site and been set in place.  It is capable of reducing ore to "2 inch minus" and will be the first step in preparing the molybdenite for separation and concentration.  The berm in the background will allow transport trucks from the mine to unload daily ore production from the Sylvia decline into the hopper.  The rock will be crushed in the primary jaw crusher, then crushed in a secondary cone crusher, and conveyored to the fine ore bin, which will store the material and then feed it into the ball mill.  Work continues inside the mill to lay out wiring and piping, test and install pumps and drive motors, and make preparations for commissioning.  The Mokon 500-degree oil heater, used in conjunction with the Holo-Flite double-auger dryer, has been shipped from Cleveland to Reno, and will be trucked to the mill on February 6th. 

The Ashdown primary crusher

Watch this space for further progress in the coming weeks...