D&S Resources successfully delivered the Tailings Disposal System upgrade for BHP’s Prominent Hill Expansion Project — a complex, multi-discipline brownfield project forming a critical part of Prominent Hill’s updated 7.5 Mtpa operating configuration.
The project involved the removal of existing oversized final tailings pumps and the full design, procurement, fabrication and installation of a fit-for-purpose replacement pumping system, delivering a solution precisely aligned to the site’s revised operational requirements.
The challenge
The project was executed within a live SimOps environment, requiring D&S Resources to carry out significant construction activity while the processing plant remained fully operational. Critical tie-ins and shutdown work were completed within tightly managed windows, demanding exceptional planning, coordination and communication across all disciplines and stakeholders.
Maintaining the highest standards of safety, precision and schedule performance throughout — without disrupting ongoing operations — was fundamental to the project’s success.
Our approach
D&S Resources delivered the full civil, structural, mechanical, piping and E&A scope, bringing together an experienced multidisciplinary team to execute the works safely and efficiently. A standout feature of the delivery was the in-house fabrication of HDPE piping spools, alongside the successful raising of pump plinths to meet updated design requirements — demonstrating the depth of our fabrication capability and the value of our integrated delivery model.
Throughout the project, the team maintained an exceptional level of precision across all disciplines, with civil, structural, mechanical, piping and electrical tolerances and schedule performance consistently meeting and exceeding requirements.
Scope of works
- Installation of 3 × Warman 8/6 AHPP pump sets
- HDPE, rubber-lined and ceramic-lined piping systems — with HDPE spools fabricated in-house
- New structural platforms, access ways and pipe supports
- Bunded slabs, footings and fire system modifications — including raised pump plinths
- Relocation and upgrade of Hydraulic Power Unit
- Full electrical, control and instrumentation installation
- Removal of redundant pumps, cabling and infrastructure
Outcome
The project was delivered on schedule, within a live operational environment, to the exacting standards BHP requires. The upgraded Tailings Disposal System is now fully operational and aligned to Prominent Hill’s 7.5 Mtpa configuration — providing a reliable, fit-for-purpose solution for the long term.
This project is a strong demonstration of D&S Resources’ capability in brownfield construction, shutdown execution and safe delivery in complex live environments — and a testament to the skill, precision and professionalism of everyone involved.
Skills/services demonstrated
- Full multidisciplinary scope in one delivery — civil, structural, mechanical, piping and E&A works integrated under one team
- SimOps execution — significant construction carried out while the plant remained fully operational
- Shutdown-critical tie-in management — critical works compressed into tightly managed windows without disrupting ongoing operations
- In-house HDPE fabrication — piping spools fabricated internally rather than outsourced, called out as a standout feature of the delivery
- Structural modification precision — pump plinths raised to meet updated design requirements
- Full pump system replacement — installation of 3 × Warman 8/6 AHPP pump sets, plus removal of redundant pumps, cabling and infrastructure
- Multi-material piping capability — HDPE, rubber-lined and ceramic-lined piping systems within the one scope
- E&I integration — full electrical, control and instrumentation installation, including Hydraulic Power Unit relocation and upgrade
- Brownfield construction and project management maturity — coordination, planning and communication across all disciplines and stakeholders in a live, complex operating environment
