COPPER PROCESSING
OceanaGold Didipio Project Processing Manager , Gary Webb , said : “ Having had good performance from Cavex hydrocyclones at our New Zealand sites , we were confident that retrofitting a Cavex hydrocyclone cluster at Didipio with an increased number of smaller cyclones than we had at the time would help reduce our problematic circulating load and lever multiple benefits in doing so ”
gradually depleting , whereas deeper sulphide deposits have become more dominant .”
Metso Outotec has on-going work and testing to enable existing operations to address this transformation and extend their current life-ofmine by using either partial roasting or dead roasting with a suitable new process flowsheet .
By using the dead-roasting process for arsenic-bearing concentrate , currently operating copper hydrometallurgical plants could be transformed into sulphidic operations , thus extending both life-of-mine and existing refining plant capacity with reasonable modernisation costs , according to Fagerlund .
“ This would extend considerably the overall lifetime of existing operations ,” he said .
Mikko Koivunen , Director , Process Optimization Sales Support at Metso Outotec , said : “ Outside of new flowsheet development , many copper mines are pushing to get more from their existing operations and are actively looking at process optimisation and digitalisation as vehicles to improve production .”
The company ’ s Life Cycle Services ( LCS ) business is aiding this , with LCS covering the entire aftermarket portfolio , including process support and optimisation , sustainable wears , spares and service solutions . The LCS agreements , customisable to meet each customer ’ s unique needs , prove pivotal in helping miners get the most out of their assets .
Juan Frausto , Sales Support Manager at Metso Outotec , who also referenced LCS contracts as an important industry copper production driver , said there are two main ways the company can assist clients in improving throughput and / or recovery .
“ If the customer already has a firm understanding of their needs , we only fulfil their request ( ie additional grinding or flotation capacity ),” he said . “ However , when the customer requires a tailored solution , we can also provide support by thoroughly assessing their current circuit performance by deploying our experts directly to site .”
Usually , after the data is analysed and modelled , Metso Outotec can identify areas of opportunity for its customers .
“ Depending on the level of commitment between both parties , Metso Outotec can deliver the comminution / flotation optimisation ( including simulations with our in-house tools and other international standards ) or take the project to the next level and provide additional engineering support to debottleneck the circuit and provide the right solution for a given circuit problem ,” he said .
Solutions can range from providing options to overcome a lack of grinding power , retrofitting and modernising existing flotation circuits for improved recovery , up to the commissioning of state-of-the-art flotation technologies such as the Metso Outotec Concorde Cell for ultrafine particle recovery .
The latter Planet Positive technology , only added to the Metso Outotec portfolio last year , sets a new benchmark in high-intensity pneumatic flotation , reducing plant operation costs and contributing to sustainability of operations through minimised energy and water consumption per tonne of metal produced . Leveraging forced-air Blast Tubes , it is the first fine and ultra-fine flotation solution for more finely disseminated and complex orebodies that have previously been inaccessible , the company claims .
On the connectivity and control side of things , Metso Outotec recently developed a new technology called CycloneSense™ , which allows the OEM to monitor , in real time , hydrocyclone performance .
Frausto said this solution can help copper miners tick both the productivity and sustainability boxes .
“ As mineral processing engineers , we have always dreamt of having access to effective digital means to control any given process ,” he said . “ CycloneSense , in conjunction with our newest Metso Outotec automated MHC™ hydrocyclone offering and its Courier ® technologies , gives the metallurgist the ability to create an online control strategy , which will maintain the comminution circuit performance .
But it can also aid to maintain their best recoveries for longer periods of time , by effectively maintaining the comminution product in the correct size .
“ This also provides advantages on the sustainability side , by reducing the waste of valuable minerals in the process .”
Holistic thinking
Weir Minerals also highlighted its ability to provide sustainable solutions that recover copper from low-grade orebodies and help the world in its electrification pursuit , saying its “ unique ” copper circuit capabilities , combined with its approach to process optimisation , allow it to tailor solutions based on each site ’ s specific requirements .
“ We continually listen to our customer ’ s pain points and identify ways in which we can improve their process ,” John McNulty , Vice President of Global Engineering and Technology for Weir Minerals , said . “ We talk to our customers about the challenges they face in terms of energy consumption , water usage and waste , and brainstorm ways in which we can help reduce their environmental impact .”
For instance , at Sandfire Resources ’ Aguas Teñidas copper mine in Huelva , Spain , the customer was using competitor replicator spares for Warman ® pumps in the mill circuit and had inadequate diagnostic testing procedures to track equipment performance and wear , which led to regular breakdowns .
MATSA ( since acquired by Sandfire ) looked to leverage the OEM ’ s experience and knowledge . Since placing a dedicated Weir Minerals service engineer on-site to monitor equipment performance and parts condition , the mine has seen significant improvements in the time
28 International Mining | MARCH 2022