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By Sergio Sarmiento

La utilización de los espacios cedidos por las Comunidades Campesinas del entorno de la compañía minera Catalina Huanca y la complicada geografía desarrolllada en estas zonas andinas, generó la búsqueda de métodos de disposición de relaves alternativos y seguros en el desarrollo de sus operaciones mineras. En ese sentido, el presente texto señala la búsqueda de optimización de los relaves y su disposición en proporciones adecuadas para que cumpla con una granulometría adecuada de finos y áridos, de forma que se obtenga una mezcla homogénea que logre una masa de alto grado de cohesión al ser compactados y así minimizar los impactos de los relaves en el medio ambiente.

Oct 21, 2015

By Jimmy Bardales

Ante la demanda del uso del concreto para el sostenimiento subterráneo en la industria minera, se buscó alternativas para disminuir el tiempo de fragua y así alcanzar la resistencia requerida antes de continuar la siguiente actividad. En este sentido, el presente texto plantea diseños alternativos donde se reduzca el tiempo de fraguado del concreto lanzado bajo parámetros definidos y así mantener la seguridad, mejorar el ciclo de minado, optimizar los costos de producción y controlar la estabilidad de nuestras excavaciones.

Oct 21, 2015

By Juan García

En el Perú, uno de los mayores problemas para evaluar certeramente la hidrología de cuencas y sus cabeceras, es la falta de información meteorológica, especialmente el de precipitación. En ese sentido, es necesario el uso de modelos de representación matemática de la física que gobierna los fenómenos hidrológicos (por ejemplo, evapotranspiración e infiltración). Sin embargo, dichos modelos no son aplicables puesto que son empíricos. Por ello, el presente trabajo describe la forma de superar estos obstáculos a través del uso del modelo hidrológico SWAT para evaluar el balance hidrológico de diferentes cuencas en el país, así como el de la cuenca del Alto Marañón hasta la localidad de Corral Quemado, donde la información meteorológica, de suelos, topografía y de vegetación se integra con el modelo hidrológico para obtener balances hidrológicos a nivel de (sub)cuencas.

Oct 21, 2015

By Gordon I. McPhail

Future challenges to the mining industry are many and include increasing requirements from regulatory agencies and communities, more competitive commodity pricing, increasing competition for power and water supplies, deeper mines and increasing number sulfide ore bodies requiring dealing with Acid Rock Drainage (ARD) controls and finally larger mine waste structures increasing consequences of potential failures. In this sense, the paper deals with approaches that can, and have been, used in planning the overall project and tailings facilities locations and layouts. It also discusses approaches used to achieve better planning, by considering an integrated milling, concentration, and tailings process, rather than considering tailings and the Tailings Storage Facility (TSF) as an independent entity.

Oct 21, 2015

By Gustavo De la Torre

El presente texto describe una serie de herramientas que optimizan los procesos unitarios en la concentradora de Cerro Lindo de compañía minera Milpo S.A.A., cuya base fundamental es el ciclo de mejora continua y productividad en general. Como primer recurso está la Geometalurgia -en tanto identifica los niveles de producción (que dependen de la dureza y moliendabilidad), la recuperación (función de la liberación de las especies mineralógicas) y la calidad del concentrado. Mientras que el segundo recurso estriba en la construcción de un diseño secundario, con el objetivo de liberar eficientemente todos los elementos de valor económico como son el cobre, plomo y zinc, Asimismo, la identificación óptima del tamaño de los valores metálicos flotables y su pronta extracción permiten optimizar la performance metalúrgica, la cual repercute en lograr mejores calidades de los productos por efectos de menor presencia de contaminantes sobremolidos y pérdidas de valore metálicos como lamas.

Oct 21, 2015

By Aigen Zhao

This paper describes the geocomposite manufactured with a special HDPE geonet and heat-laminating a polypropylene geotextile to one or both sides of the geonet. Also the text presents the design and result analyses of large-scale field test pad with the geocomposite overliner system, compared side by side to a control pad with a conventional gravel and pipe drainage system.

Oct 21, 2015

By José Cayetano

El presente trabajo plantea un proceso para minimizar el contenido de bismuto en las celdas de electrorefinación, a través de la adición de carbonato de bario a la solución electrolito, de forma que el bismuto soluble presente en fase líquida, se precipite sobre la superficie del precipitado insoluble de BaSO4, bajo una coprecipitación por adsorción e intercambio debido al equilibrio dinámico entre el precipitado y la solución de electrolito conteniendo al bismuto. En este sentido, se reduce la presencia del bismuto en el electrolito de cobre en un 75%, adicionalmente se tiene la disminución del contenido de plomo en un 96%, de estaño en 48% y de plata en un 18% aproximadamente.

Oct 21, 2015

By Jeremy Dowling

Mine dewatering is needed in most large open pits but the current practice of using in-pit vertcal wells is often chellenging to implement with good results. In order to address these challenges, SWS collaborated with FMI and innovated a directionally placed mine dewatering well workflow, based on well placement technologies from the Oil and Gas industry. The main aims of the program are to: Maximize hydraulic contact between the ore deposit and production dewatering wells and attain enhanced well production rates from the most important fracture sets. Move the well-heads to permanent areas outside of mine operating areas, removing or reducing the need for in-pit wells and allowing for sustained, prolonged pumping runs times.

Oct 21, 2015

By Jose Luis Vega

Ante la desaparición del bosque seco tropical de Piura por factores como el sobrepastoreo y la tala indiscriminada del algarrobo para abastecer el mercado de leña y carbón, se desarrolló el "Proyecto de Forestación y Manejo Forestal Comunitario en las Áreas de la Mina de Fosfatos Bayovar" donde se buscó reforestar y promover un manejo sostenible de 350 hectáreas de bosque seco despoblado. El proyecto tiene una duración de cuatro años y se gesta bajo el desarrollo sostenible que mejora la calidad de vida de los pobladores -en tanto contrata mano de obra local de la zona de Illescas-Sechura y aprovecha los nuevos recursos, así como genera un equilibrio ambiental, propiciando el cambio de un paisaje despoblado por el de un bosque que sirve de hábitat para diversas especies de flora y fauna y en el que se evita la erosión del suelo y propagación del polvo.

Oct 21, 2015

By César Carrasco

El presente trabajo describe los resultados del programa de implementación sobre las medidas de ecoeficiencia desarrolladas por la minera Coimolache. El proyecto denominado "Programa de Adecuación" fue implementado durante cuatro años y tiene como finalidad mostrar la estrategia, la innovación de prácticas ambientales y los beneficios obtenidos durante dicho programa como la reducción del consumo de agua fresca procedente de una fuente natural autorizada, así como la recuperación de residuos sólidos para su posterior reuso o reciclaje.

Oct 21, 2015

By Marco Rojas

El yacimiento de Cerro Lindo es un depósito de sulfuros masivos de naturaleza volcánica, cuyo método de explotación Sub Level Stoping fue el más adecuado dado que utilizaba taladros largos en abanico que oscilaban entre los 8.0 y 21.0 metros; y posteriormente se convirtieron en taladros pasantes de hasta 38.0 metros. Sin embargo, existe un descontrol en la estabilidad de la roca remante, ubicado entre ambos lados de la galería central superior del tajo,y que tiene como consecuencia el colapso de la misma. En ese sentido, el presente texto plantea una alternativa de solución a través de la ejecución de taladros entre las mallas y paralelos a los últimos taladros de cada abanico, donde se calcula su espaciamiento y se les da la forma para generar voladura controlada. De forma que se determina los parámetros necesarios para ejecutar una voladura controlada exitosa que mantiene un mejor desarrollo de los tajos en Cerro Lindo.

Oct 21, 2015

By Albert H. Herrera

La microcuenca Tres Ríos, está ubicada en el distrito de Cajamarca, Región Cajamarca y al NW de la ciudad de Cajamarca, abarcando el centro poblado de Chámis, Corizorgona, Collpayoj y parte de Ronquillo, con un área aproximada de 39.653055km2, a una elevación de 2800 a 3800msnm. Ubicada a 10 km aproximadamente de la ciudad de Cajamarca. Las Formaciones existentes en la microcuenca Tres Ríos son del Ki-desde el Aptiano (Grupo Goyllarisquizaga) con la Fm. Farrat hasta Ks-Turoniano con la Fm. Cajamarca. (Boletín 31.Serie a.-Geología del Perú-INGEMMET). Siendo las primeras Formaciones las más importantes a tomar en cuenta para la construcción reservorios artesanales para el almacenamiento del agua.

Sep 21, 2015

By M Hourn, D Turner, P Voigt, D Mallah

The GPM Gold Project is located in Armenia, and consists of an open cut mine at Zod, near the Azerbaijan border, and a CIL processing plant at Ararat near the Turkish border. Mining at Zod commenced in 1976, and focused on near surface oxide ores, which overlay deeper refractory sulphides. Historical mining has now almost depleted the oxide ores, and the sulphide content of ore delivered to the processing plant at Ararat is increasing. Gold and silver recoveries through the Ararat plant were declining steadily.GeoProMining, the owners of the project, have expanded the Ararat facility to deal with the increasing sulphide content in the ore. In 2014, GeoProMining refurbished an existing concentrator on site to recover a sulphide concentrate from the ore, and have constructed an Albion ProcessTM plant to oxidize the refractory concentrate. Glencore Technology (GT) provided the Albion ProcessTM plant as a technology package.In July 2014, the progress of the GPM Gold Project Albion ProcessTM Plant was reported (Hourn, Voigt and Turner, 2014). At the time of writing, the construction of the plant was nearly complete. This paper presents an update of project progress, covering commissioning and ramp up of the GPM Gold Project.The commissioning phase occurred over June to August 2014, which included an M3,000 IsaMillTM fine grinding plant, a 6 tph limestone milling plant, a 60 tpd vacuum pressure swing adsorption oxygen plant, a 10 m residue thickener and a 12 tph Albion ProcessTM oxidative leach plant. Since commissioning was completed, ramp up occurred over the following three months with downstream gold recoveries from cyanide leaching reaching over 98%.CITATION:Voigt, P, Hourn, M, Mallah, D and Turner, D, 2015. Commissioning and ramp-up of the Albion Process at the GPM Gold Project, in Proceedings MetPlant 2015, pp 207–219 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Sep 7, 2015

By J Mercuri, S Dunford, P Rothman, E Bartsch, J Snyder, D Newton, R Maron, D Cirulis

The purpose of a mineral comminution circuit with a ball mill running in closed-loop with a hydrocyclone classification cluster is to feed the downstream process with the target particle size. Maintaining the optimal particle size in the flotation feed can significantly improve plant cash flow. In particular, reducing the amount of coarse material is often a major challenge. Existing instrumentation to provide particle size measurement is considered standard equipment in most modern concentrator plants. However, availability is often very low, mainly owing to high maintenance requirements of the analyser and associated sampling system.CiDRA Minerals Processing has developed two novel and robust technologies that address this challenge by providing high reliability and very low maintenance systems for on-line measurement of coarse material in the overflow of individual hydrocyclones. The first system is non-invasive and measures pebbles and rocks greater than 6 mm. This paper focuses on the second system, which is a ruggedized wetted sensor design with no moving parts and provides a real-time trend of the desired target grind size parameter, such as percentage above 150 micron.Both systems have simple robust designs and measure in the primary overflow stream of the individual hydrocyclone. Individual hydrocyclone measurement enables identification of poor performing hydrocyclones in addition to providing a representative measurement of the whole hydrocyclone cluster. The systems do not require sampling and associated sample transfer piping circuits that are prone to plugging, thus avoiding high maintenance requirements.The wetted sensor will be described in detail along with its implementation in a robust control scheme in a major copper concentrator in North America. Plant data shows very high availability, achieved with very low maintenance, has enabled improved process control, thereby maintaining throughput and ball mill target power while reducing grind size.CITATION:Cirulis, D, Dunford, S, Snyder, J, Bartsch, E, Rothman, P, Maron, R, Newton, D, O’Keefe, C and Mercuri, J, 2015. Process optimisation using real-time tracking of coarse material in individual cyclone overflow streams, in Proceedings MetPlant 2015, pp 93–109 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Sep 7, 2015

By K Cameron, S Strohmayr, J Wallace

In 2012, a single module heavy medium cyclone plant (HMP) was installed at the Glencore Zinc’s (then Xstrata Zinc) McArthur River lead zinc mine. The HMP formed the first part of the MRM Phase 3 Project to increase run of mine (ROM) capacity from 2.4 to 5.5 Mt/a.The purpose of the HMP is to remove liberated gangue from the crusher product at minimal loss of valuable mineral. The McArthur ores are very finely disseminated requiring a fine primary grind size prior to rougher flotation. Rejecting waste prior to grinding therefore offers significant power and grinding media savings. The plant was designed to treat only those ores with a reasonable upgrade ratio at the target zinc recovery across the HMP of 95%.On this basis, a 1.8 Mt/a single module plant was built based on 250 t/h feed rate and 82% availability. In contrast to existing base metal heavy medium plants in Australia, the MRM Flow sheet utilised the principles in modern coal heavy medium cyclone plant design. Since commissioning, the plant feed rate has been significantly increased and is now normally operated up to 540 t/h (dry basis).Although this throughput increase is partially due to debottlenecking work, it is also attributable to the conservative design parameters for base metal heavy medium cyclone circuits in comparison to those used in equivalent coal circuits.This paper discusses Flow sheet design and compares traditional base metal design parameters with those achieved at MRM and those of modern coal plants. It provides information on plant capital and operating costs and the net savings realised by its installation. In addition to power and grinding cost savings, the paper also highlights the savings in water through rejection of near dry waste and reduction of tailings pumped to the storage dam.CITATION:Wallace, J, Strohmayr, S and Cameron, K, 2015. McArthur River Mine heavy medium plant – the benefits of applying modern coal plant design principles to base metal heavy medium separation, in Proceedings MetPlant 2015, pp 311–323 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Sep 7, 2015

By A Rantala, K Aberkrom, O Haavisto, P Blanz

More complex ore bodies with lowering grades increase the challenges of maintaining high throughput, energy efficiency and required particle size for optimal downstream processing in grinding circuits. Continuous and often rapidly changing characteristics of the mill feed requires constant focus to operate the circuit at optimal level. Modern process instruments, on-line analyzers, monitoring and process control systems provide attractive and managed options to increase the circuits’ capability to respond to the challenge, often in phases and in rather short time period. Furthermore, well instrumented and performing base level automation in the grinding circuit enables advanced process control (APC) strategies that utilize measurements from the whole circuit to stabilize and optimize production. In this paper alternatives for incorporating process measurements and controls to typical grinding circuits are proposed. The expected benefits to throughput, availability, energy efficiency and particle size stability are described in recent case examples.CITATION:Rantala, A, Blanz, P, Aberkrom, K and Haavisto, O, 2015. Increasing grinding circuit robustness with advanced process control, in Proceedings MetPlant 2015, pp 129–141 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Sep 7, 2015

By G J. Delemontex, N J. Grigg

Pre-concentration of precious metal and base metal ore types is becoming more relevant with the discovery, development and operation of many lower grade deposits around the world. The fluctuations in metal prices expose many mines to risks especially dealing with low and variable ore grades.Pre-concentration, the process of concentrating the valuable metal into a smaller mass yield, effectively results in the introduction of higher feed grades to milling circuits. Gangue Rejection, the removal of lower S.G. waste rock from the circuit not only results in higher downstream grades but also potentially removes harder, non-valuable mineral, providing significant power savings within the circuit. The pre-concentration or ‘gangue rejection’ process offers a number of benefits when considering the treatment of marginal ore deposits, especially if it can be performed at a coarse crush size; these benefits include a reduction of the operating costs and the feed of more metal units to the mill.Gekko Systems has effectively utilized the Inline Pressure Jig (IPJ) to pre-concentrate the valuable metal, achieving high primary recoveries into a range of mass yields resulting in upgrade ratios between 2 and 10 times.This paper explores the benefits of pre-concentrating ‘marginal’ ore deposits prior to the milling circuit; the selective rejection of ore types that may affect either the recovery or comminution process, and also looks into the potential to effectively reduce the ‘cut-off’ grade when considering the mine planning process. Case studies of projects using the IPJ to pre-concentrate and reject gangue are also included.Pre-concentration and gangue rejection provide the potential to develop marginal ore deposits, thus providing higher grades, less gangue and more metal at a lower operating cost to producers.CITATION:Grigg, N J and Delemontex, G J, 2015. The pre-concentration of precious and base metal deposits using the Inline Pressure Jig – higher feed grades and more metal, in Proceedings MetPlant 2015, pp 296–310 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Sep 7, 2015

By A Hoyle, P Walker, D Bennett

The Phu Kham copper-gold operation located in Laos People’s Democratic Republic (PDR) is owned and operated by Phu Bia Mining Limited. PanAust Limited, based in Brisbane Australia, holds a 90 per cent interest in Phu Bia Mining Limited, with the remaining 10 per cent held by the Government of Laos PDR.The 12Mt/y copper-gold concentrator at Phu Kham commenced production in April 2008. Flotation copper and gold recovery from commissioning was consistently poor, due to the high levels of pyrite and problematic secondary and oxide copper species and non-sulfide gangue.The low recoveries of copper and gold from Phu Kham were recognised during the feasibility study design phase. A bulk sulfide flotation regime in roughing produced high recoveries, however a large capacity cleaning circuit was required and there was risk of not meeting saleable concentrate grade specifications. The installed design offered a capital efficient compromise to ensure that a concentrate grade of 24% copper could be achieved at acceptable recoveries.Incremental improvements in copper recovery were achieved by 2011 through conversion of conditioning cells to flotation cells in both roughing and first cleaning and increased cleaner capacity through the installation of a Jameson cell. In 2012 the Phu Kham Upgrade Project was commissioned to increase mill throughput, along with additional rougher and cleaner capacity to increase residence times at the nominal 16 Mt/y throughput. The marginal reduction in primary grind size due to the additional ball milling power also provided a small recovery improvement.This paper presents the development, design, implementation, and performance of the Increased Recovery Project commissioned in April 2013 which targeted the major causes of copper loss from the circuit. Based on fundamental and detailed test work and mineralogical analysis of concentrator streams, an optimised design was developed which has increased copper and gold recoveries by over 5% and 10% respectively. The Increased Recovery Project has positioned the concentrator to process high pyrite ores that were previously considered untreatable, and opened further opportunities for maximising flotation recovery by de-bottlenecking plant regrind and cleaning capacity.CITATION:Hoyle, A, Bennett, D and Walker, P, 2015. The increased recovery project at the Phu Kham copper-gold operation, Laos PDR, in Proceedings MetPlant 2015, pp 246–265 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Sep 7, 2015

By V Cullinan, D Buchanan

The Brunswick plant is located in Costerfield, approximately 40km east of Bendigo in central Victoria. Crushing, grinding, gravity gold concentration and flotation methods are used to produce a saleable gold concentrate and an antimony-gold flotation concentrate. This paper discusses the improvements made within the processing plant which have resulted in a 99% increase in throughput over nameplate capacity of 6 250 average tonnes per month to 12 445 average tonnes per month and increases of 12% gold (from 2007 average of 78% to 2014 average of 90%) and 16% antimony recovery (from 2007 average of 79% to 2015 average of 95%). This combined effort has resulted in an increase of equivalent gold ounces (AuEq oz) produced from 2010-2014 of 15 872 to 82 574 – a 66 702 increase.AuEq oz= Au oz +Sb t × Sb (US$/t)Au (US$/oz)CITATION:Buchanan, D and Cullinan, V, 2015. Improvements in bi-metal production at the Brunswick Plant, Costerfield, in Proceedings MetPlant 2015, pp 267–272 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Sep 7, 2015

By G J. Lyman, F S. Bourgeois

As the prices of metals slide, financial control of mineral processing operations becomes more and more important. Control of a mineral processing operation implies measurement of grades, recoveries and losses, with every effort being made to recover more product from the same feed. Shareholders become more concerned with the transparency of the operations and the corporate governance.There is only one way to achieve this and this is by sampling and making good use of the results of that sampling. Sampling systems that provide only 'rough' figures are not good enough. Similarly, a competitive position in the marketplace demands close control of product quality. Maximisation of product output demands that the product just meet the specification so that product yield is maximised. Decisions based on precise sampling results carry less risk that those based on imprecise results.This paper reports some recent advances in sampling theory that permit full quantification of sampling distributions, not just the sampling variance as has been possible in the past. These advances can be used together with simulation methods to tie down sampling precisions and develop calculations that quantify decision making risk when using the sampling results. A number of examples illustrate the use of the new advances and a final example indicates the development of risk analysis curves in the coupling of sampling precision to sale of a commodity.CITATION:Lyman, G J and Bourgeois, F S, 2015. Sampling, corporate governance and risk analysis, in Proceedings MetPlant 2015, pp 27–34 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Sep 7, 2015