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By K. Lim, J. Sobil, L. Galarza Castillo, F. Tozlu

"For mining operations globally, the scale and criticality of the grinding mill drive has meant that selection of the correct mill drive technology is paramount. With so much depending on the successful implementation of the electrical drive system— safety operation, timely installation, availability, energy efficiency, minimum maintenance and extend its use as tool to assist during mill liner exchange—customers are justified in their scrutiny and slow adoption of new drive technology. From the first installation of low, fixed speed synchronous motors to the introduction of the current source and further voltage source variable frequency drive, innovations require long periods of time and mining customers willing to push the industry forward. In recent years, the variable frequency drive has been the stepping stone for a new generation of mill drive technology. In use for decades in other heavy industrial applications, the drives allow for system optimization in a myriad of ways. The most dramatic of changes is in the design of the motor. Where in the past motor design was bound by line frequency, today the designer can optimize machine size and, more importantly, eliminate the need entirely for the synchronous motor. Induction motor design has now progressed to the point where low speed operation is possible at efficiency levels nearing those of the synchronous design. Moreover, the simplicity of the squirrel cage design means that availability, reliability and spare part requirements are greatly improved. As the next step in the evolution of large pinion driven grinding mills, the low speed induction drive offers a new reliable and robust system to the market.IntroductionAs deposit grades continue to decline, new ways of processing ever greater concentrator throughputs have been required to maintain throughput efficient and profitable operations. Furthermore, the high risk nature of mining developments requires a constant search for safer, higher availability and more efficient equipment design. Limitation of downtime is a key factor in ensuring mining operations can be sustained through volatile market conditions. Often processing the entire mine throughput through just 1 or 2 lines, the crushing and grinding circuits are of particular criticality to the uptime and, thus, profitability of any mining operation."

Jan 1, 2016

By Michael Godard, Peter Cleyle

"Suncor Energy’s Project Millennium increased oilsands production capacity by an additional 95,000 barrels per day to its present level of 225,000 barrels per day. This massive venture included an expanded Mine, new Extraction and Upgrading facilities, as well as, steam and utilities infrastructuresIn the Primary Extraction process, removal of the bitumen from the oil sand begins with slurry preparation and is followed by primary , secondary and tertiary separation processes. The final cleaning step of the bitumen froth is the Secondary Extraction process, that removes residual water, mineral and solids to produce a clean diluted bitumen suitable for Upgrader feedstock.This paper will review the flowsheet of the Millennium Primary Extraction facility, from its recent commissioning through the ramp up to design production rates. In addition, new technologies in the Primary Extraction flowsheet will be reviewed.INTRODUCTIONAs conventional supplies of oil and gas are depleted in Canada, the Athabasca oil sands industry of Alberta becomes an increasingly important source of energy. Today, high quality crude from Alberta’s oil sands accounts for roughly 30% of Canada’s daily petroleum production. According to government projections, over the next 7 years, oil sands production is expected to more then double, and by 2010 more than half of Canada’s crude oil is expected to come from the oil sands.Oil sands deposits consist of a layer of sand saturated with bitumen covered by a muskeg overburden and underlain by silt and clay. The oil sand is mined where the overburden is economical to remove, typically less than thirty meters thick. The Athabasca oil sand deposits around Fort McMurrray is ideal for mining. Bitumen can be described as a diverse collection of hydrocarbons, organosulfur, and nitrogen compounds."

Jan 1, 2004

By Ike Isagon

Outline 1.Background Sudbury Backfill Operations 2.Alternative Binder 3.Alternative Binder Trial Process Flow Diagram ?Laboratory Results ?Plant Trial ?Final Evaluation and Approval ?Management of Change (MOC) 4.Economics 5.Conclusion 6.References and Acknowledgements

Nov 1, 2011

By W. J. González

"With the increasing demand for minerals, technologies to maximize mineral recovery are paramount to a mine’s economic success. Many mining process waters have the potential to form calcium-based inorganic scales, which inhibit effective mineral recovery. Often, the solution to inhibit these deposits is the implementation of a chemical antiscalant program. This paper examines the application of a fouling analyzer to continuously monitor the formation of inorganic scale in mining process streams. The fouling data can be used to compare antiscalant programs and to optimize antiscalant feedrates. Case studies validate the ability of this technology to help optimize mineral recovery processes.INTRODUCTION The mining industry uses significant quantities of water. From quarrying, to crushing, to flotation, leaching, and refining, water is often the integral motive force to move slurries, separate or agglomerate fines, and extract and purify minerals. As well, water is used in a number of ancillary applications at mines, including dust suppression, gas scrubbing, and utility processes such as boiler, cooling, and waste water operations. For many processes, the quality of water being used is inconsequential. However, for certain processes, such as flotation, leaching, and desorption / stripping, water quality plays a key role in the ability of the operation to economically recover the target minerals. Dissolved solids such as calcium and magnesium salts can concentrate in process waters, exceed their solubility limits, and precipitate as scale on metal surfaces such as feed and transfer pumps, piping, and equipment. Some of the more common scales that form in mining operations include calcium carbonate (CaCO3, or calcite) and calcium sulfate (CaSO4, or gypsum), and to a lesser extent, calcium and magnesium silicate compounds. Any scale that deposits in a process stream will negatively impact mineral recovery, and increase the operational costs of the mine site. Whether it is acid washing a scaled heat exchanger in a carbon strip at a gold operation, replacing plugged emitter tubes in a leaching operation, or hydroblasting process lines in a scrubber unit, there are costs associated with labor, cleaning chemicals, repairs, and replacement parts. These costs pale in comparison to the potential costs of downtime and lost production, should the scale deposits occur in a process that is critical to the recovery of the target mineral."

Jan 1, 2014

By S. Kelebek, E. Yalcin

"Two composite samples of a gold-bearing ore from North Western Quebec (Barry Township) were tested to assess their grindability, recovery by flotation and Knelson concentrator as well as extraction using cyanidation.Work index values (BWi) for two composites were found to be 10.4 and 11.0 kWh/tonne, respectively. Flotation tests involved feed samples for which the particle size ranged from a P80 value of 205 ?m to 53 ?m, which resulted in gold recoveries of 91.8% to 95.8% (at gold grades of 130 to 140 g/tonne). Cyanidation tests indicated gold extraction levels ranging from 94.2 to 97.5%. Higher, recoveries were obtained at finer grind sizes and higher cyanide strengths. However, the grind size had a bigger impact on gold leaching. Gold grade and recoveries obtained with the Knelson concentrator device were lower than those obtained by flotation. Mass recoveries to concentrate products strongly depended on the fluidization pressure used. High gold recoveries can be obtained generally at low water pressures of 3 to 4 psi. Higher water pressures produced more selectivity at the expense of higher gold losses.It can be concluded that the gold ore samples tested have good characteristics due to moderate levels of energy requirement, high gold recoveries and extraction rates attainable.INTRODUCTIONBench scale testing of ore samples is an important step in the long series of metallurgical and economic studies involved in bringing new ore bodies into production (Coleman, 1980). Through a laboratory testing program, the behaviour of an ore in a particular process on a larger scale can be established. In an exploratory manner, this testing can be helpful for classification of ores in terms of “good ore” or “problematic ore” by providing preliminary information on recoverability of target minerals. Potential problems if any can be assessed by further investigation of products (e.g., middlings) obtained as a result of testing. A detailed bench scale experimental program in the metallurgical laboratory can also provide the background work for flowsheet development. Depending on the simplicity or complexity of the ore to be tested and type of details required from a testing program, the amount of samples required in the mineral processing laboratory can vary from several kg to more than one hundred kg depending on how detailed the metallurgical testing program is."

Jan 1, 2008

By J. D. Nye, I. A. Farr, W. J. D. Stone

"A unique deposit of barite exists near Brookfield, Nova Scotia. The crystals are extremely fine and the whole deposit virtually free of heavy metals. The deposit size was not large enough for conventional uses, such as the production of barium carbonate and drilling mud. In an effort to obtain maximum utilization, a program was begun to determine if U.S.P.-grade pharmaceutical barium sulphate for X-ray diagnosis could be produced. Early work was sufficiently encouraging to institute a development program under the federal Program for Advancement of Industrial Technology. This has been very successfully completed. Canadian and U.S. process patents have been issued, clinical trials have been successful, a production plant has been designed and the plant’s production sold. The processing plant will include magnetic separation for the removal of iron minerals, fine grinding by paddle milling to minus one micron and acid leaching. The process is unique in that at no time is the barium taken into solution.Information is given on the deposit, process, markets, use, plant capital and operating costs, and projected profits. The initial production plant will have an annual capacity of 2,000 tons per year of end product. Capital cost is $850,000 and annual turnover more than $1.5 million. As this capacity only represents approximately 15% of the North American market, rapid plant expansion is foreseen."

Jan 1, 1980

By Lutz Markworth, Evren Ören

"The worldwide demand of ores and the depletion of the high-purity deposits make it necessary to recover ores in increasingly finer size fractions in the feed material. The flotation technology of more than 40 years old plants was not able to recover the ultra fine material. Those slurry tailings ponds now have the chance to be re-processed with PNEUFLOT® technology.The bubble sizes of different flotation technologies have a huge influence of the results especially regarding the recovery of the ultra fine particle sizes.PNEUFLOT® technology of HUMBOLDT WEDAG Coal & Minerals Technology GmbH in Germany was applied to ultra fine Phosphate, Copper and Platinum ores. The results will be presented in this paper.Conventional technology like agitator flotation has its limits in the flotation of fines due to turbulences in the cell. The position of the agitator influences the recovery of the fines. A deep impeller generates a higher froth zone. This helps to catch the medium fines. Due to the static head of the slurry inside the cell, compressed air is required for such cell designs.Column flotation is well known for a good selectivity without having in the first cell a good recovery. This leads to invest in several cleaning stages to reach an acceptable recovery. Further more, compressed air is required to generate the air bubbles to the flotation process, which are much bigger than with PNEUFLOT® technology applied.INTRODUCTIONHigh metal prices are actually the basis to invest in poor deposits or deposits with very fine intergrown ores which have to be milled down to ultra fine powders less than 60 micron. The liberation grade has to be determined by a mineralogical analysis. Polish sections have to be prepared and interpreted by using of a microscope. Figure 1 and figure 2 are showing polish sections of a platinum-nickel ore from Petchenga Nickel at Zapolyarni Mine in Russia. The head grades for rich ore are for copper between 0.05 – 0.15%, for nickel between 3 – 7% and for platinum group minerals approx. 0.15 oz/t. With an efficient flotation technology it can be upgraded to 20 oz/t."

Jan 1, 2009

By T. Bhambhani, D. R. Nagaraj

"Ultramafic Ni ores present significant challenges in processing in that both recoveries and grades are not satisfactory, due to the presence of Mg silicates in large amounts. Significant quantities of xanthates and CMCs are generally used for their recovery by flotation. Additionally, given that some of these ores are processed under acidic conditions, CS2 generation due to xanthate decomposition presents some safety hazards. Technology to replace xanthate has been developed for which the safety and health issues are absent. Collector S-10294 shows significant improvements in Ni and overall S recovery at a dosing rate of one half that of xanthate. New polymeric modifiers have also been developed that help reduce the Mg content of the concentrates at very low dosages. The reagents are custom designed for use in normal or hypersaline water, and acid or alkaline conditions.INTRODUCTION The use of xanthates in sulfide mineral flotation is reported to have started as early as 1925 (Nagaraj 2005). The reagent is now ubiquitous in the mining industry, accounting for 40-50% of total collector consumption. In recent years, the development of more selective reagents has rendered xanthates largely obsolete in Cu flotation. However, xanthates continue to be sold in large amounts in the Au, PGM and Ni flotation industry, where bulk sulfide flotation is required. The low cost and easy availability is the largest driver for the use of xanthates in the minerals industry. Of particular interest to this study is the use of xanthates in the flotation of Ni sulfide ores. About 60% of the world’s annual nickel output is obtained from sulfide Ni ores (Hoatson, 2006). A strategically important category of these ores is the ultramafic hosted sulfides, such as those of Western Australia and Canada. These ores are characterized by low Ni grades (<1%), with the Ni minerals being pentlandite, violarite, millerite and mackinawite, and gangue minerals comprising an array of altered Mg silicates, mostly serpentines. The challenges associated with treating these ores are well documented (Eltham et al. 1973; Claridge et al. 1975). One challenge is that Ni recoveries from these ores are lower. This has been attributed to the increased pulp viscosity, as discussed in detail by Vasudevan et al., 2010. Additionally, Mg silicates tend to report to the concentrate in large quantities, which is problematic for two reasons: a) concentrate dilution, and b) the high melting point of Mg silicates tends accelerate wear on the refractory lining of smelters. This has been attributed to network transport to the froth phase via bubble flux and entrainment (Patra et al, 2010)."

Jan 1, 2012

By V. N. Bryant

"1.0 SYNOPSISThe Colomac property, located 137 miles by air northwest of Yellowknife in Canada's NWT. will recover gold from 10,000 tons per day of open pit ore.The decision to proceed with the project was based on a mineable ore reserve of 16 million tons (including dilution) averaging 0.064 oz/ton. After an in-fill drilling program in the latter half of 1988, Colomac's mineable, proven and probable ore reserves were increased to 28 million tons averaging 0.056 oz/ton of gold.A feasibility study completed by Wright Engineers for Neptune Resources in December 1987 examined the possibility of vat leaching followed by C.l.P. and electrowinning. A second feasibility study completed by Wright in February 1988 demonstrated that a conventional agitated leach circuit using a finer grind justified the higher capital cost of this process. This study was accepted and formed the basis of the project authorization.Preliminary engineering commenced in April 1988 and detailed engineering was started in September of that year with the objective of a mine/mill start-up by early 1990.The short time period available to meet the project deadline was additionally challenging, as site access is either by plane year round, and winter road from early February to late March. Normal lead times for equipment design, specifications, quotations and bid analyses were not possible, if the winter road time-slot was to be met."

Jan 1, 1990

By Paul Krivokuca

Outline Quinsam Coal Mine ?? Location ?? Mine History ?? Safety ?? Production ?? Hiring 4S Mine ?? Depillaring design ?? Structural mapping, Risk assessment ?? Rock Bolt Design Selection ?? Training

May 1, 2008

By W. W. Culver

The paper explores the substance, circumstances and significance of the Whelpley and Storer Copper Process. The 1866 Whelpley and Storer patent specified a process combining mechanical and chemical engineering. The process called for a down-drafting shaft furnace with a horizontal flue connected at the bottom of the shaft. Powdered sulphide ore was roasted in the shaft and then sent forward fully oxidized to a bath of sulphuric acid and/or calcium chloride. The “water furnace” was developed in Boston, at a time when the city was home to most Michigan copper mining companies. The process was field-tested at Quebec’s Harvey Hill copper mine. In 1865 James Douglas, Jr. took over management of the Harvey Hill mine with the challenge of saving the family investment. He needed a way to make money from low-grade sulphides. Through his relationship with chemist T. Sterry Hunt, Douglas learned of a possible way ahead using the process developed by Whelpley and Storer. The paper confirms the centrality of publications, meetings, and networking in the advancement of metallurgy. The process is of interest historically, as much as anything, because it is one of the pillars of James Douglas’ distinguished career in copper. INTRODUCTION At the 1866 meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Buffalo, New York, T. Sterry Hunt (1826–1892) read a paper “On the Metallurgical System of Messrs. Whelpley and Storer.” The paper is part of a chain of events that constitute the foundation of James Douglas’ (1837–1918) success in the copper mining industry. To understand the career of Douglas over the early years of modern copper mining, we must necessarily start with Whelpley and Storer. Going back to Hunt’s paper, he concluded his remarks by asserting that the Whelpley and Storer Process was “capable of such wide and varied application, that it is probably destined to have a very important influence on the industry of the world” (Hunt, 1867a). He reached this conclusion reasoning that the process had overcome a critical metallurgical hurdle (Hunt, 1867a). Hunt, a geo-chemist in modern terms, recalled that the chemist of those years easily separated copper from “sulphuretted” ores by converting it to a soluble salt from which pure metal was precipitated by “an equivalent of iron.” The problem was to “…apply this principle in the working of copper ores on a great scale...” (Hunt, 1867a). Hunt noted that this very problem had “…engaged the attention of many metallurgists, and has given rise to various processes for obtaining copper by the moist way, many of which are nearly or quite perfect in their operation, but are lacking in practicability and cheapness” (Hunt, 1867a). Hunt thought Whelpley and Storer had overcome the low-grade sulphide hurdle with a commercially viable engineering breakthrough. Yet in the history of copper metallurgy, the process is missing. What happened?

Jan 1, 2019

By Carlos F. Perucca

"Potassium is one of the three basic plant nutrients along with nitrogen and phosphorus. There is no substitute for potassium compounds in agriculture; they are essential to maintain and expand food production.Potash is extracted from buried ancient evaporites by underground or solution mining. This accounts for most of the potassium produced. Another important source is brine from landlocked water bodies, such as the Dead Sea, Salar de Atacama or Great Salt Lake.About 95% of potash produced worldwide is used in agriculture. The rest is found in several other industrial uses, including glass manufacturing, soaps, plastics and pharmaceuticals.Currently, three producers: IMC, PCS and Agrium operate 8 conventional and two solution mines in Saskatchewan, five of which run froth flotation circuits, two heavy media-flotation, two run forced crystallization and one natural crystallization.Potash in SaskatchewanPotash was discovered in Saskatchewan in the early 1940’s while drilling for oil. The deposits lie diagonally across the southern plains of Saskatchewan sloping southerly from a 1,000m depth at Saskatoon to more than 1,600 m depth at Belle Plaine and up to 3,000 m in depth in North Dakota. The known deposits are massive, accounting for more than 40% of the world’s known reserves."

Jan 1, 2003

By A. Taylor, J. Shelegey, H. Sullivan, J. Doucet

"Historically, performance at Vale’s Clarabelle Mill was measured by Mill throughput and Mill recovery. After the economic collapse in 2008, a series of reviews were performed to drive improvements in business efficiency. These identified that product quality (e.g., concentrate grade, variability in concentrate grade) had a profound impact on downstream processes and suggested that improved control of these parameters would generate the greatest value for the customer (the Copper Cliff Smelter) and the company (Vale). Consequently, a movement was initiated to transform the Mill operating philosophy to consider customer needs as paramount. Systems and strategies used to drive the transformation are described. In 2011, an unexpected furnace failure resulted in decreased capacity at the Copper Cliff Smelter. In response, a two-stage change in production strategy was developed at Clarabelle. The first stage was to modify the ore blend feeding Clarabelle so that the concentrate grade could be significantly increased with minimal impact on recovery. The second stage was a circuit modification to ensure the elevated concentrate grade could be sustained. Execution of the first stage was complete five days after the failure and the second stage was complete within 10 weeks. Steps involved in each stage are outlined and the overall benefits are presented.INTRODUCTION Clarabelle Mill is located in Copper Cliff, Ontario, Canada (approximately 350 km north of Toronto). The Mill treats copper (Cu) and nickel (Ni) sulphide ores. The primary diluents are pyrrhotite (Po) and non sulphide gangue rock (Rk). The process description of the circuits at Clarabelle is documented in the paper by Taylor, Doucet, Blanchette, Barrette & Lawson (2012) in this Proceedings and will not be repeated. The Mill treats ore containing Cu, Ni and platinum group elements (PGE’s) and produces two concentrates; a Cu concentrate and a bulk Cu/ Ni Concentrate (referred to as nickel concentrate). The Cu concentrate is sold to market while the Ni concentrate is thickened at the Mill and pumped to Vale’s smelter complex in Copper Cliff Ontario for further processing. Since commissioning in 1971, Clarabelle Mill has undergone many circuit changes to suit the changing needs and wants of our customers, both internal and external. The Mill processes ores of varying quality, based on mineralogy and size and until 2009 the Mill daily performance was primarily based on throughput. The second key performance indicator (KPI) of “good” or “bad” performance was quality of the concentrate and third; Mill metal recoveries. There were other plant level KPIs such as flotation feed grind size, slurry densities and mass flows to the separation circuit, but for the most part each day was good or bad depending on how many tons were processed through the Mill."

Jan 1, 2012

By Ali Mortazavi

In underground mining applications, successful blasting results in less damage, which may lower support costs, lower dilution and produce a uniform fragmentation. The explosive detonation process creates a pressure front that propagates a stress wave into the surrounding rock mass at a high velocity. The stress wave can induce varying degrees of damage, depending on rock strength and physical properties, to the excavated area. This paper presents a summary of a research project that was conducted to investigate the propagation of explosive-induced stress waves in hard rock media and the mechanism of rock damage and fracturing due to shock wave propagation. The primary objective of this work was to numerically simulate the experimental study of blast-induced rock fracturing conducted within Inco Limited, Mines Research department. ITASCA?s discontinuum code UDEC (Universal Distinct Element Code), was used to simulate the results of the controlled blasting experiments. In brief, the focal point of the paper can be summarized as follows: ? Investigate the size of the stress-wave-induced fractured zone around the blasthole, ? Examine the extent and direction of the radial fractures that form outside the blasthole, and ? Explore the mechanisms that cause rock breakage.

May 1, 2002

By R. J. C. MacDonald

"The first recorded discovery of placer gold in Canada was on the Chaudiere River in Quebec's eastern townships in 1832 and the first major production came from placer deposits in British Columbia in 1858 (Verity 1974). Placer deposits were the major source of gold until the late 1890's, although lode deposits were found in Nova Scotia in 1862. In 1896 the Klondike Gold Rush commenced with the discovery of gold by Henderson and Carmack in the Yukon. The peak was reached in 1900 when over one million ounces of gold valued at approximately $22.3 million were recovered. With the exhaustion of the easily accessible deposits, more capital intensive operations were necessary such as those initiated in 1906 by the Yukon Gold Corporation. This giant dredging operation continued to produce until 1966. Today only a few small operations remain.The development of Canadian lode gold mining began in earnest around 1900 when the railroads were opening up the interior and western part of the country. At this time many discoveries occurred, particularly where mineral outcroppings were near surface. Tremendous impetus for exploration and the reopening of former producers followed the elimination of the gold standard by Great Britain around 1931, and more importantly the United States in 1933, with subsequent stabilization of the price of gold at $35 per ounce in 1934. Prior to this the price of gold was basically unchanged since 1717, approximately, $20 per ounce (Verity, 1974; Green, 1973).The depression of the 1930s adversely affected most industries, however for the gold producers it was a very profitable time. Prices of materials and equipment declined and labour was cheap and plentiful. Interest in gold mining was further stimulated in 1936 when a three year tax exemption was declared for all new metal mines. In 1938 a decline in the value of the Canadian dollar relative to the U.S. dollar benefitted the industry. The second world war provided yet again further incentive for gold production and in 1941 Canadian gold production reached a high of approximately 5.4 million ounces. This figure was not surpassed until 1991 when approximately 5.6 million ounces were produced (Natural Resources Canada, 1996 )."

Jan 1, 1998

By G. Castillo, G. Thies, C. Bissue

"Newmont’s Phoenix mine began gold production in 2006 and has since experienced difficulties in reaching design throughput due to variability in ore hardness. In 2010, a debottlenecking study was conducted, generating multiple options to increase throughput of the existing Phoenix Mill through a series of phased expansions. An option was selected in early 2011 to increase the current concentrator capacity by approximately 25% through two phases. The first phase of the project was the installation of a secondary crushing and screening circuit in order to reduce SAG feed size from a P80 of 6 inches to 2 inches. The second phase focuses on downstream unit operations in the concentrator aiming to relieve existing bottlenecks such as flotation. This paper analyzes the design, commissioning, and operation of a recently installed SAG Pre-crush circuit (Phase 1). The design discussion will focus on concept development, flowsheet design, design criteria, process models, design limitations, and control philosophy. Discussion on the integration of operating data and flowsheet into design during engineering will be presented. Actual operating data of major equipment is gathered from the commissioning and operation of the circuit and compared to the initial design models. Conclusions will be drawn on equipment design factors used during engineering, and the success of model integration into operation. The paper concludes on the successes of the project and where improvements can be made during design.INTRODUCTIONThe Phoenix mine is located within 25 miles of the town of Battle Mountain, Nevada. The mill processes copper, silver, and gold ore. Production started in 2006 and has since struggled to reach the designed tonnage of 33,600 stpd due to the variability in ore hardness. In production year 2010-2011, the Phoenix mill average daily throughput of 33,000 stpd. In 2008, a larger primary crusher (FLS 60/89 gyratory crusher) was installed to operate in parallel with the originally supplied primary crusher (Metso 50/65 gyratory crusher), in order to provide additional capacity upfront in the circuit so that the primary crushing circuit could keep up with the mill.In 2010, a mill debottlenecking study was completed to assess the various options that could be implemented to increase the current mill capacity. The study was completed in late 2010 and contained four tonnages that Phoenix could achieve through various expansion scenarios. A single option was selected in early 2011 to increase the mill capacity from 33,000 stpd to 48,000 stpd. The selected option looked at a four phased expansion that would increase the capacity of the Phoenix mill and address the mill’s current bottlenecks:"

Jan 1, 2013

By Shaun Booth

Automating Delay Reporting to Deliver Effective Maintenance Corporate Background: Technology Company: Matrikon Inc. Global software and service provider of Information Technology and Control Solutions that deliver Business Results. Case Study Facility: Bulga Coal Handling and Preparation Plant <CHPP> Australian site, part of Xstrata, an international Swiss natural resources group. Technology: ProcessMORe ? Missed Opportunity Reporting (Delay Reporting). Matrikon?s technology implemented at many facilities, to deliver effective maintenance Matrikon International Inc. Global software and service provider of Industrial Decision Support, maintenance and control solutions, with universal connectivity to existing systems and work processes. ? 1999 ? 100 employees ? 2003 ? 450 employees ? Our offices: 20 offices worldwide: ? Quebec, Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, Ft.McMurray, Vancouver ? U.S. ? Australia (formerly Hunter Controls)

May 1, 2003

Many mines in Canada, the US and S. Africa are reaching the hoisting limit. Very little payload will be possible without compromising safety due the excessive weight. It has been suggested (DeLorme, 2000), that one of the most attractive concepts to enable deeper hoisting is to reduce the allowable factor of safety in the wire rope. Researchers at the Spokane Research Lab are developing new technology to improve hoisting safety and productivity by providing new monitoring and analytical tools. A Shaft Conveyance Monitoring System (SCMS) has been developed which determines hoist rope end load, true conveyance position and acceleration, and rope safety factor, as well as other hoist operating parameters. This information is transmitted to the hoist operator display 20 times per second. Recent field measurements on 45 mm(1 ¾ in.) diameter hoist rope indicate that dynamic forces during loading of a 9000 kg(10 ton) skip may exceed the safety factor of the rope. To improve on the current understanding of the mechanical behavior of hoist ropes, and to help interpret the results from field-testing of the SCMS, a new approach to computer modeling of stranded wire rope is also being developed. Particle Flow Code, PFC3D (Itasca 1995b) is used to simulate the structural behavior of wire rope and the interaction between individual strands when the rope is subjected to static and dynamic end loading. Details of the SCMS, field results from the measured rope loads, and the results of numerical modeling on the wire rope will be discussed.

May 1, 2002

By Kim Wiwchar, Elizabeth Mbaja, Lynne Dang, Jim Furey, Anita Marks

"Suncor Energy Inc., located north of Fort McMurray, Alberta, commenced pilot scale operation using a CPT 4’ diameter flotation column in March 2003. This larger scale trial follows two previously successful flotation column bench scale tests. They included an April 2002 trial with a 2.4” inner diameter column from the University of Alberta and a 20” diameter CPT column in August 2002. The column receives middlings stream feed from one of Suncor’s deep cone separation cells and is operated in parallel with a set of WEMCO flotation cells. The recovery, tails losses, and concentrate quality are being compared between the two systems. The column, to date, has been tested with all types of run of mine ore grades. Variables such as wash water flow and temperature, sparger nozzle size and location, sparger air/water flow rates, and column residence time has been adjusted to achieve better recovery and final product quality.Used in many mineral processing applications, column flotation is primarily used for the final stage of sulphide cleaning and flotation of phosphate or iron ore. As well, mechanical cells are often used in combination with a column to retrofit an operation and to produce a cleaner product.Initial results prove that this is the first successful application of a flotation column in an oilsand application. If viable, it will be an inexpensive process for recovery of bitumen from a middlings stream and able to produce a final product suitable for froth treatment.INTRODUCTIONSuncor’s oilsand is surface mined from the Athabasca Oilsand deposit north of Fort McMurray, Alberta. The oilsand is then mixed with hot process water (HPW) and the bitumen is slurried in a pipeline. Large separation cells as shown in Figure 1 float off the bitumen product, which is then steam or static deaerated and sent to Secondary Extraction for further cleaning. The tails stream from the cell is sent to the Final Tails Pumphouse (FTPH) for processing. The tailings flotation froth product gets recycled to the separation cell oilsand feed. The tailings are pumped from the FTPH to tailings ponds. The middlings stream is drawn off the separation cell approximately 9’ from the froth overflow level. It runs down, by gravity, to the scavenger banks for bitumen recovery. It was from this stream off of the Line 6 Separation Cell that the feed to the Canadian Process Technologies Inc (CPT) flotation column was taken."

Jan 1, 2004

By P. Radziszewski

"The comminution energy curve is a profoundly simple graphical technique that displays detailed operating efficiency information for industrial comminution processes. The database underlying the methodology has recently more than doubled, to now contain a substantial fraction of the international comminution output (1.7 billion tonnes of rock per year) across more than 8 major commodities. This increase has deepened the analytical capabilities and effectiveness for assessing comminution circuit performance in relation to comparable operating mines. This paper will explore how the energy curve methodology can be used to examine the ability of stirred mill technologies to increase efficiency.Specifically, this paper explores how the energy curves methodology can be used to present energy efficiency gains achieved at three mines employing a stirred mill technology under different duties. The first of these cases studies was conducted by Rosa (2014) who compared the performance of two ball mills operating in parallel with a Vertimill in the regrinding circuit at the Samarco Iron project in South East Brazil. The Vertimill was found to achieve the same product specification while consuming 40% less energy. Brissette (2010) investigated the impact of grinding media on the performance of both ball mills and Vertimills. The energy savings achieved varied from 10% to 40% for the ball mills and 30% to 60% for the Vertimills. Lastly, Bergerman (2012) investigated the operating conditions of the Sossego regrind circuit from 2006 to 2011 against design specifications and laboratory testing. The operating work index of this circuit varied from 5.2 kWh/t to 44 kWh/t over this 5 year period. The full suite of energy curves"

Jan 1, 2016