Biography:
Chris Atkin
2962 Dewdney Trunk Road
Coquitlam, BC
Canada, V3C 2J4
Tel. (604) 945 3217 Fax. (604) 945 7912
Email chrisatkin@telus.net
Mr. Atkin is a self employed Materials Handling Specialist and has over 39 years of experience with bulk materials handling for the mining and power generation industries. He has extensive experience with managing projects involving the transportation, crushing, screening, stockpiling, and reclaiming of various materials such as coal; limestone; iron, copper and gold ore; sulphur; peletized iron; hog fuel, etc. Some of his major accomplishments include the design of coal handling systems for three separate Power Plant operations and belt conveyor systems with drives up to 2000HP and capacities to 5000tph.
2002 – Present – MHS Material Handling Solutions Inc.
Company Founder
• Grande Cache Coal Co.
Project Manager on a study and capital cost estimate for a six mile long overland conveying system to transport coal from the mine mouth to the preparation facilities.
• Lafarge Canada Richmond Plant
Responsible for several maintenance and project upgrades including conceptual and detail design engineering and site supervision of erection. Preparation of acquisition requests for approval of upcoming projects.
2000 – 2002 - UMA Engineering Ltd. Surrey, BC.
Materials Handling Specialist.
Responsibilities include the implementation of sound engineering and design practices related to Bulk Materials Handling and related projects together with promotion of business development for the Materials Handling Group.
Following is a list of projects beginning with the most recent engagement.
Engineered Wood Plants
• Trus-Joist a Weyerhaeuser Business, Kenora, Ontario.
Responsible for the design of all conveyor and related equipment drives and power requirements for a new laminated timber strand plant.
• J.M. Huber Corporation, Easton, Maine, USA.
Responsible for the detail design of a log debarking and handling system
Sawmill
• Weyerhaeuser Canada Limited, New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada.
Responsible for the design of a stacker reject lumber handling system and chop saw installation.
1999 - 2000 - U & R Engineering. Vancouver, BC.
Materials Handling Specialist.
• CMPC, Laja, Chile.
Project included the upgrade of an existing bark and oil fired power boiler for increased steam production. The project scope included the installation of a new grate, over fire and under fire air systems, bottom ash grate clearing system and bottom ash and hog fuel handling systems
1987 - 1999 - Fluor Daniel Ltd. (Formally Wright Engineers Ltd.)
Project Manager for the following Projects and Studies:
• Mina Al-Ahmadi Refinery, Procor Sulphur Services Inc., Kuwait.
Project included the detail design of all materials handling facilities associated with a Procor GX type sulphur prilling plant.
• Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad, Marquette, Michigan, USA.
Study for an iron ore pellet handling system that included train unloading, stockout, reclaim and overload system together with dock and ship loading facilities. The study included the review of three alternate systems; capital cost estimates, system simulations and estimated operating and maintenance costs. Also included was the conceptual development and costing for a telescoping / shuttling shiploader.
• Northshore Mining Corp., Babbitt, Minnesota, USA.
Study for a coarse ore stockpile and reclaim facility to increase the tonnage capacity of the existing crushing and train loadout facility.
• Cayeli Bakir Isletmeleri, Turkey.
Project for the initial conceptual and subsequent detail design of an underground skip hoist loading system, to handle copper ore. This included an underground 360-ton surge bin, moving rock box discharge system, dual weigh hoppers and door operated loading chutes to feed the skip hoist system.
• General Chemicals, Green River, Wyoming, USA.
Study manager for a conveyor retrofit of a mainline underground conveying system. Study included investigation of increasing underground storage facilities and upgrade of conveyor transfer points. Study manager for dynamic analysis of main south conveying system, which included the elimination of one of three conveyor flights.
• Westshore Terminals, Roberts Bank, Delta, British Columbia, Canada.
- Project included the design and installation of a new two-stage sieve sampling system incorporated into the existing Sample Station #1 facility.
- Project included the conceptual and detail design of a new two-stage sieve sampling system incorporated into the for existing Sample Station #2 facility.
• U.S. Steel Mining Co. Inc. Pittsburgh, USA.
- Pinnacle / Shawnee Preparation Plant, West Virginia, USA. Project involved a complete new coal handling system, the preparation of specifications, and development of detail design and engineering for an upgraded mine ROM discharge, and portal handling facility. This included a new 72” wide, 5000 tph, 1200 ft. long slope conveyor, new stockout and reclaim conveyor system, new Bradford breaker by-pass conveyor and the upgrade of several existing breaker feed and raw coal silo feed conveyors.
- Oak Grove Mine, Adger, Alabama, USA. Study for an overland system upgrade that included conceptual arrangements and budgetary cost estimates for the installation of two banana-type scalping screens and conveying facilities, prior to an existing Bradford breaker station. The study also included provisions for a new rejects disposal system and an additional conveyor to the existing raw coal overland system.
- Oak Grove Mine, Alabama USA. Feasibility studies and capital cost estimates of the following:
Clean coal load out system
Raw coal load out and reclaim system
Rock disposal system
Overland system upgrade
Oak Grove Bradford breaker screen installation
Concord Bradford breaker bypass system
- Concord Preparation Plant, Alabama, USA. Project included the preparation of specifications and development of detail design; engineering and drawings for a turnkey supply and installation package for the new raw coal stockout and reclaim facility.
- Maple Creek Preparation Plant, Pennsylvania, USA. Feasibility study and capital cost estimate for modification and upgrade of the existing raw coal reclaim system.
- Cumberland Mine, Pennsylvania, USA. Raw Coal Stockout and Reclaim System. Preparation of specifications and development of detail design engineering package for a new 1250 tph raw coal stockout and reclaim handling facility.
• Doe Run Co., Missouri, USA.
Project included the feasibility study and subsequent detail design of Sinter Plant dust collection system. System comprised of the installation of three new Redler-type conveyors and a screw conveyor to feed and existing storage bin. Discharge from the bins was via a new screw feeder to the existing handling system.
Materials Handling Specialist for the following Projects and Studies:
• Highland Valley Copper, Logan Lake, British Columbia, Canada.
Modifications to existing Highmont stacker conveyor #2. Responsible for the materials handling detail design of copper ore handling system for the Highmont expansion.
• H.R. Milner Generating Station. Alberta, Canada.
- Coal Handling Study, Phase I. Conceptual plant layout of power plant feed and blending system using reclaimed tailings and wash plant middlings.
- Coal Handling Study, Phase II. Feasibility study and capital cost estimate for the power plant feed and blending system
• LTV Steel Mining Co. Eveleth, Minnesota, USA.
Study included the conceptual upgrade of all material handling facilities for primary, secondary and tertiary crushing, stockpiling, reclaim and milling of iron ore. Study also included reviewing the overall plant upgrading of fine ore and concentrate palletising facilities.
• Imperial Metals Corp., Mount Polley Copper Mine, British Columbia, Canada.
Project included the conceptual and subsequent detail design of all material handling facilities associated with the mine process plant. Responsibilities also included expediting the purchase of new and used equipment required to complete the project.
• BHP Mineral International Inc., San Juan Power Station, New Mexico, USA.
Study for a transportation system to deliver primary crushed coal a total of 31 miles from the mine to the San Juan Generating Station. The study involved the feasibility of transporting up to 4-million tons annually be either aerial tramway or trucking. This included conceptual design, arrangement for the tramway option, truck routing options, and capital and operating cost estimates for all proposed options.
• Suncor Inc., Oil Sands Project, Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada.
Project included engineering and equipment specifications and the development of a detail design drawing package for a new limestone stockout and reclaim system.
• P.T. Freeport Indonesia Co., 90K Expansion Project, Irian Jaya, Indonesia.
Project included the upgrade of handling and crushing facilities for 90,000-mtpd ore expansion project. This involved the detail design of handling facilities from a semi-mobile crushing plant, new stockpile and reclaim facilities together with a new overland and underground conveying system.
• AMAX Coal Co. Wyoming, USA.
- Belle Ayr Mines, Wyoming, USA. Study for an in-pit crushing and overland conveying system conceptual arrangements
- Eagle Butte Mine, Wyoming, USA. Design review of a proposed Gundlach Grizzly Breaker System to be incorporated with the ROM dump hopper. Review of concept and overall machine design.
• Cheni Gold Mines, Toodoggone, British Columbia, Canada.
Project included the detail design of all materials handling facilities for a 550-tpd gold processing plant.
• Alberta Power Limited, Alberta, Canada.
Project included the detail design and installation of two new screens in the secondary crusher building at the Sheerness Generation Station. Also included was the structural design modification to the existing building to eliminated excessive vibration.
• Cassiar Mining Corporation, British Columbia, Canada. McDame Project.
Project included the conceptual and detail design of all materials handling facilities for the underground development of the McDame Mine. This involved underground crushing and conveying facilities and also portal screening, crushing and conveying facilities of asbestos ore to a relocated tramline system. Also included was a study and recommendations for de-bottlenecking the existing ore handling and reject disposal system for the concentrator.
1985 – 1987 - SNC Consultants Inc. Edmonton, Alberta.
Group Leader
• Champion Forest Projects Ltd., Alberta, Canada.
Responsible for the development of the conceptual design and cost estimate for a new salt lake recovery system. Also involved in the study and preparation of cost estimates for other mill improvement projects.
• Alberta Terminals Ltd., Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Prepared proposal for Edmonton facility upgrade that included the supply and installation of seven dust collection systems.
• Golden Star Resources, Omai Mines, Guyana.
Responsible for developing the overall plant layout for a 440,000 tpy gold ore process plant.
• Interprovincial Pipe Line Ltd., Canada.
- Phase III Expansion. Responsible for drafting co-ordination of equipment foundations and miscellaneous steelwork for Line 1 Pump Stations.
- Tank Farm Construction. Provided layout of equipment foundations and miscellaneous steel structures. Responsible for checking of associated civil/structural drawings and co-ordination of structural drafting.
1979 - 1985 - Intercontinental Engineering Ltd. Vancouver, BC & Edmonton, Alberta.
Design Supervisor/Contract Administrator
• Genesse Generating Station Alberta, Canada.
Project included the conceptual plant layout for the proposed coal handling facilities. This also included the preparation of the capital cost estimate and preliminary engineering. Subsequently the project included detailed engineering, design supervision, equipment selection, specification writing, bid evaluation, project co-ordination and contract administration for the coal handling facilities.
• Battle River Unit #5 Generating Station, Coal Handling Plant.
Responsible for layout, design, project co-ordination and contract administration of coal crushing, stockpiling and reclaim facilities for sub-bituminous coal.
• Saskatchewan Power Corporation, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Responsible for the detail design of the coal handling plant facilities at the Poplar River Power Station. This included preliminary and detail design, design supervision, equipment selection, project co-ordination and contract administration. Also responsible for the design and layout of various materials handling contracts for both coal and sulphur.
1976 - 1977 - Birtly Engineering Ltd. Calgary, Alberta.
Design Supervisor
• Coleman Collieries, Alberta, Canada.
Responsible for the design, layout, expediting and drawing office supervision of coal preparation facilities.
• US Bureau of Mines. USA.
Responsible for the development of the pilot plant raw coal handling system and coal preparation facilities.
1975 - 1976 - F. Larson Engineering. Calgary, Alberta.
Chief draftsman
• Responsible for the day-to-day operation of the drawing office and the checking of drawings for a liquid sulphur pelleting plant.
1972 - 1973 - B.E. McKenna and Sons Ltd., Sheffield, England.
Senior Designer
• Responsible for design and layout of equipment for a variety of materials handling systems.
1971 - 1972 - Batchelors Foods Ltd., Sheffield, England.
Senior Design Draftsman
• Responsible for the layout and development of new handling methods related to the food processing industry.
1963 - 1971 - Head Wrightson Process Engineering Ltd., Sheffield, England.
Design Draftsman
• Responsible for the layout and design of coal preparation plants, mechanical handling plants, effluent treatment and acid neutralisation plants.
Education
Technical Diploma (Design Drafting), Sheffield Polytechnic, England, 1968.
Know-how and experience:
Materials Handling Specialist
Fields of Consulting work:
Coal Handling.
Bulk Material Handling.
Conveyor Design.
Plant Retrofits.
Chris Atkin
About Chris Atkin
