Romarco Minerals Inc. Mill arrives. Aticle January 27,2013

New Post Public Reply Private Reply Replies (1) Message Board

Feb 3, 2013 at 2:15 AM

Romarco Minerals Inc. Mill arrives. Aticle January 27,2013 Lancaster News.

A long slow trek

Milling equipment takes 10 days to arrive at Haile Gold Mine
By Jesef Williams
Sunday, January 27, 2013 at 6:00 am (Updated: January 27, 6:00 am)

KERSHAW – Two expensive pieces of processing equipment were given parade-like treatment while on a recent trek from the coast to Lancaster County.

Aaron Morrison
Trucks carrying a semi-autogenous grinding mill, front, and a steel ball mill, both used to grind gold-laden rocks, make their way slowly down S.C. 265 on their way to Haile Gold Mine on Jan. 17. The trucks averaged 10 mph on their trip here from the port at Georgetown.
Buy this photo
As Romarco Minerals – parent company of Haile Gold Mine Inc. – awaits a final permit to build a gold mine near the town of Kershaw, the company is importing the machinery needed to run the gold-processing operation.

Two main cogs in that system are a SAG (semi-autogenous grinding) mill and a ball mill. When gold-laden ore is taken from the earth, pieces that are 6 inches or smaller are eventually fed into the SAG mill, said Mike Gleason, project construction manager at Haile Gold Mine.

That steel mill – 22 feet in diameter and 17 feet long – rotates to break the ore down into smaller rocks, measuring less than half an inch in diameter.

Gleason said those pieces are then placed in the steel ball mill, which is 15 feet in diameter and 30 feet long. That mill contains 3-inch balls that grind the ore into ever smaller pieces that resemble grains of sugar.

“The gold itself is microscopic in size,” Gleason said. “You can’t see it.”

Making it here

That’s a quick explanation of the mills’ functions, but getting that equipment to Kershaw is a story in itself.

Romarco Minerals ordered the mills in July 2011 from Polysius, a Germany-based company that has an office in Atlanta.

The mills cost about $8 million total, Gleason said.

Because of available resources and specialties, the SAG mill was made in Germany and the ball mill was made in India.

The mills were shipped to Georgetown, where they were taken from ships and loaded onto trailers for ground transport to Haile Gold Mine.

Guy M. Turner Inc. was the trucking company charged with the task of transporting the mills, which weigh thousands of pounds apiece.

Larry Bigger, a project manager with Guy M. Turner, said the two trucks – each pulling a mill – left Georgetown on

Jan. 7. Except for bypassing Lake City and Hartsville, the drivers traveled on rural secondary roads.

“Everything else was just out in the country,” Bigger said.

And slow travel was the name of the game. Not only are the mills valuable and heavy, they are also tall. Because of that, power lines had to be lowered or raised throughout the trip. Special permits were needed to do that.

Bigger said the height of the mills made the trek a unique and challenging experience.

“It was a challenge for the power companies. It was a very slow process,” he said.

“If we averaged 10 mph, we were doing good,” he said.

The mills arrived at Haile Gold Mine on Jan. 17 after being delayed about three days.

A waiting game

Now at Haile Gold Mine, the mills sit on a storage pad, where they’ll remain until the company gets the go-ahead to start mine construction.

Once operating, the mills will run 24 hours a day and will only stop for periodic maintenance, Gleason said.

On Thursday, David Thomas, general manager of Haile Gold Mine, was in Charleston meeting with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which has to grant the final permit in order to build the mine and processing plant.

Haile Gold Mine officials hope to receive that permit this year.

“We’re still in that (discussion stage) right now,” Gleason said. “Hoping to get something definitive before too long.”

Contact reporter Jesef Williams
at (803) 283-1152y Jesef Williams
Sunday, January 27, 2013 at 6:00 am (Updated: January 27, 6:00 am)

http://www.thelancasternews.com/content/long-slow-trek

Romarco Min Inc New (RTRAF) Stock Research Links

RTRAF Board Company Profile Buy Rating Time & Sales News Filings Financials

Newer

Older

Scroll down for more posts ▼

Top 10 Most Recent News Articles

Laboratoires Pierre Fabre and XtalPi Unite for AI-Driven Drug Hunt

An Unexpected Turn in the Drug Discovery Arena It's not every day that you see a historic French pharma powerhouse and a cutting-edge Chinese tech firm join forces. On one side, we've got Laboratoires Pierre Fabre, steeped in the history and nitty-gritty of clinical drug development. On the other, we’ve got XtalPi Holdings Limited (2228.HK), bringing their high-tech AI...

West Virginia's Water Upgrade: AWK's Strategic Moves

Building a Water Infrastructure with Purpose Well, they ain't just whistling Dixie down in Ranson, West Virginia. American Water's been busy putting their money where their mouth is with this new 816,000-gallon tank. When you look at the bigger picture, it ain't just about a shiny new water storage toy. Nah, this is about setting the stage for long-term resilience in the...

NAMSA, AMS Partner to Fast-Track Tissue-Healing Tech

Streamlining the Path to Market I tell you, the medical device sector is no walk in the park these days. Between the regulators breathing down your neck and the endless red tape, getting a new product from the lab to the hospital floor can feel like running a marathon in quicksand. That's why this deal between NAMSA and Advanced Medical Solutions (AMS) has me taking a...

Paratus Energy Lands Petrobras Tender, Ties Finalizing

Seagems Joint Venture Snags Petrobras Contract Let’s dive headfirst into this business update, because this one's got teeth, folks. Petrobras, the big dog in Brazil’s oil arena, has given the green light to Seagems’ bid, a joint venture half-owned by Paratus Energy Services Ltd. The target? A hefty pipe-laying support vessel (PLSV) contract starting in 2028. But...

KT&G Launches Heated Tobacco in Kazakhstan's Market

KT&G Lights Up Kazakhstan In a bold move, KT&G is laying down the gauntlet in Kazakhstan's tobacco market, introducing its cutting-edge heated tobacco gizmo and a handful of sleek FAIIM sticks. Launching this October, these aren't just any devices—they're the FLEX locals have been waiting for, rebranded from South Korea's lil AIBLE and AIIM but made to fit right in with...

Korean 'Glocal' Districts Entice U.S. Tourists with Local Flavor

Gwangju's Dongmyeong-dong is like the neighborhood artists and hipsters flock to in New York—except it’s got a Korean twist. Nestled in the Jeonnam region, this place is hot on American tourists' radar for its spicy mix of local culture, unique eats, and shops that scream individuality. It's becoming a magnet for folks who want to get a taste of Korean life but with a...

Middleby Under Scrutiny: Shareholder Investigation Alert

Middleby Shareholders in the Crosshairs There's hot soup boiling over at The Middleby Corporation (NASDAQ: MIDD). A shareholder investigation is underway, spearheaded by Purcell & Lefkowitz LLP, a firm that jumps into the fray when there’s a whiff of fiduciary breaches in corporate dealings. As I see it, this kind of legal sniffing around often stirs the pot—raising...

ASTS Faces Class Action; Investors Beware of Pitfalls

Securities Fraud Allegations Hit AST SpaceMobile Days like this remind me why we keep our eyes peeled in the stock game—AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ: ASTS) is tangled in a web of legal drama, and it's something you can't brush off with a shrug. Class action lawsuits for securities fraud? That's like finding out the foundation's shaky beneath a skyscraper. If you've got skin...

UAE Pioneers eATA Carnet System Beyond Europe

Breaking Tradition with Digital Innovation Well, who would’ve thought? The UAE just leapt ahead in the trade game, becoming the first to roll out the eATA Carnet system beyond the cozy confines of Europe. This isn’t some run-of-the-mill tech rollout, folks. It’s a digital revolution in how temporary imports are handled—goodbye paper, hello efficiency! With this...

FFR's OmniMind Takes Top Spot In RoboColiseum Rankings

The AI Race Heats Up with FFR's Big Win Stop the presses—FFR's OmniMind AI just snagged the top spot on RoboColiseum's global rankings. Yeah, you heard right, this ain't just some run-of-the-mill news. As of November 6, they've parked themselves in pole position, beating out heavyweights like NVIDIA's GR00T N1.7 and GPT-6 Astra. That's like hitting a grand slam right...