WORLD PROSPECTS
Tungsten recovery upped with alljigs
he operators of the La Parrilla tungsten and
tin mine in south-western Spain have
entrusted the processing of extracted ore to
German mining specialists in order to achieve
ambitious production targets. Two alljig ® fines jigs
from allmineral will make a significant
contribution towards doubling annual output in
the Extremadura region to 5,000 t/y over the
coming years. W RESOURCES (WRES) are also
anticipating an increase in product quality
as a result of deploying this technology.
The La Parrilla mine near the Portuguese
border is one of five sites on the Iberian
Peninsula mined by WRES. The largest known
tungsten deposits in the western world that
can be mined cost-effectively are located some
300 km south-west of Madrid. By intensifying
and optimising its ore mining operations in
Extremadura, the British mining company is
looking to surpass the annual output of what is
currently the world’s largest tungsten mine at
Nui Phao Masan, by 2020. Around 90% of the
world’s production of tungsten goes towards
making tungsten steel, the raw material for
tool steels.
The two alljig ® fines jigs are at the core of the
new plant for efficient raw material extraction at La
T
Parrilla. Thanks to the new technology the mine
operators are aiming for
a metal recovery of at least
90% from the extracted ore minerals. The
emphasis is on scheelite, which is obtained by
flotation and then enriched into concentrates with
more than 65% tungstate. The Parrilla mine also
extracts cassiterite, the world’s most significant tin
ore with a theoretical tin content of 78.8%
With a throughput of 350 t/h the alljig ® jigs will
in future provide for a reliable and adaptable
separation, concentration and cleaning of the
preground ore (2 to 10 mm grain size). The air-
pulsed twin machines are physically stable in
operation, allowing an optimum jigging stroke
with a minimum of energy consumption. The feed
material is first loosened and fluidised by
pulsating water, forming layers of grains according
to their density and subsequently separating the
heavy material from the stratified material bed.
The jigging motion used to separate the particles
is wear-free and induced by air, allowing the
stroke motion (frequency, amplitude and shape)
to be adjusted within a wide range of operating
parameters.
Ore mines are just one area of application for
the alljig ® jigging machines, which are easy to
operate and maintain. These energy-saving
systems are capable of reliably and efficiently
sorting primary and secondary raw and waste
materials of different particle density: gravel ,
coal, ore, slag, sand, rubble, and various
recycling materials. More than 500 alljig ® jigging
machines have been put into operation worldwide
over almost thirty years. www.allmineral.com
Pitram success at MMG Dugald River
head of the focus on safety in International
Mining’s October issue comes news that
MICROMINE has successfully implemented
its underground fleet management and mine
control solution, Pitram, at Dugald River, in
northwest Queensland. The Dugald River mine
hosts one of the world’s highest-grade zinc
deposits, and is owned by MMG Ltd, which in
2016 announced an optimised mine plan that will
support a 1.7 Mt/y operation with annual
production of around 170,000 t of zinc in zinc
concentrate, plus byproducts. The successful
implementation of Pitram enables the control
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6 International Mining | SEPTEMBER 2017
room administrators to capture live data ensuring
data accuracy, increasing efficiencies and control
over equipment, tasks and personnel.
Pitram Business Development Manager, Chris
Rowohlt commented: “Real-time data entry
allows the control room to make proactive
decisions which ensures the operation can run
safely and efficiently to maximise output.”
The solution utilises voice radio data
capture, allowing production data to be
entered into Pitram via radio communication.
Included in the deployment is Pitram’s
Materials Management module which uses
mine design, survey and production data to
provide real-time stockpile balances
throughout the mining operation.
“The Pitram Materials Management module
adds value to the Dugald River operation by
providing an accurate method of tracking the
material flow including grades from source to
processing” said Rowohlt.
MMG Dugald River Mine Technical Services
Superintendent Rhett de Vries explained: “The
implementation of Pitram has provided Dugald
River with a robust mine control solution that will
allow the operation to record, manage and
process mine site data in real-time.
Improvements in safety, productivity and
reporting efficiency are already being realised,
and the business looks forward to leveraging
these benefits as the operation ramps up.”
Additional modules implemented will include
Drill and Blast, which provides tools for planning
and managing drill and blast operations.
Additionally, the Controlled Areas module
improves safety by monitoring access to
dangerous and hazardous areas. A single source
of the truth, Pitram allows control room
administrators to make decisions in real time
based on the data captured to increase
productivity and reduce costs. Rowohlt added:
“We are very excited to have implemented Pitram
at Dugald River. Pitram will provide MMG with an
overall view of the current mine status, therefore
enabling more control over the operation.”
www.micromine.com