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By Sergio Cattalani, David J. Kerr, Harold L. Gibson

Abstract - The Horne mine was truly a world class Cu and Au deposit. Between 1927 and 1989, it produced some 260 t of Au and 1.13 Mt of Cu from 53.7 Mt of ore that averaged 2.22% Cu, 6.1 g/t Au and 13 g/t Ag. The total value of Au and Cu production from the Horne deposit at metal prices of US$300/oz Au and US$1.00/lb Cu is an outstanding US$5.2 billion. The Horne mine was also a company builder. After optioning the property from Ed Horne (Tremoy Syndicate) in 1922, the Thomson-Chadbourne Syndicate discovered the deposit in 1923 and quickly grew to become Noranda, one of the world’s premier mining companies. This discovery fuelled exploration and, along with subsequent discoveries in the Val d’Or-Cadillac camps, led to the "economic development" of northwestern Quebec. The Horne deposit influenced and continues to influence genetic models for volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposits. Early observations at Horne contributed to an epigenetic replacement theory for VMS deposits. The most recent genetic model for the Horne, invoking sub-seafloor sulfide replacement of silicified and sericitized volcaniclastic host rocks within a graben, has subsequently been proposed for another giant VMS deposit, the Kidd Creek mine. The Horne and Kidd Creek deposits show many similarities, such as localization within synvolcanic grabens, long-lived hydrothermal activity uninterrupted by volcanism, sub-seafloor replacement sulfides, stacked sulfide lenses, zone refining, silicified footwall rocks characterized by high positive ?18O values, and association with FIII rhyolites. Notable differences between the two deposits include the lack of andesitic, basaltic or komatiitic flows at Horne, different inferred water depths, high Au content at Horne versus negligible Au, but sub-economic to economic concentrations of Sn, In and Cd at Kidd Creek.

Jan 1, 2000

By H. Harzer

Statistics Canada record s indicate that in recent years 70 to 80% of the entire Canadian coal production originated from Western Canadian mines, in which about 55 to 65% of the coals are bituminous. Until recently, less than 20% of the latter were extracted by underground methods , the remainder being surface-mined. However, it is estimated that within the foreseeable future up to 80 or 90% will have to be gained by underground techniques. Although Western Canadian coal resources are considerable, they are unfortunately locked in severely distorted, steeply pitching and faulted seams of variable thickness. Consequently, their economic extraction poses serious engineering problems. One possible solution to the problems is to apply hydromechanical methods to underground mining. This is a well-proven method shown to be economically viable under Western Canadian conditions. This paper endeavours to widen the scope of published data on hydraulic coal mining and is based on practical engineering and cost data gathered through contacts with West German designers and operators of hydraulic mines.

Jan 1, 1978

"Polycom, a new approach to ore processing based on pressure comminution, is obviously a very attractive alternative to conventional processing methods.Since a full-scale pilot plant was commissioned in 1986, more than 125 commercial installations, with capacities up to 1000 t/hr, have gone ahead.Already successfully used in processing cement clinker, limestone, coal, and other minerals, Polycom high pressure grinding results in:o Significantly reduced capital costs, because smaller units can be used m new installations;o Capacity increases of up to 100% in existing facilities; and o Operating economies that include energy savings of 20% or more, and reduced wear parts consumption.1. IntroductionAutogenous or semi-autogenous mills in conjunction with rod or ball mills are used with preference for ore processing. Most ball mills are of closed-circuit design and operate with mechanical classifiers (spiral or rake classifiers) or hydrocyclones. In other words, the ores undergo wet primary grinding, since slurries are required for the downstream separation stages anyway. This paper presents a new grinding system based on high pressure comminution of ores. This grinding process allows:- Energy savings of up to 20 % or more- Capacity increases of up to 100 % and more- Reduction of wear costs- Smaller units for new installation and thus- Reduced investment costsThese advantages are highly interesting for both new installations and conversion projects, particulary in cases where an increasing hardeness of the ore, i.e. rising Bond Work Index, reduces the output of the plants or where the metal assay of the ore decreases and the capacity of the existing systems has to be increased. POLYCOM high-pressure grinding rolls have established themselves with great success already for grinding cement clinker, granulated blast furnace slag, limestone, cement raw materials, coal and other materials.Meanwhile more than 250 high pressure grinding rolls have been installed worldwide. Capacities up to 1.000 t/h with roller diameter up to 2.8 m and drive units up to 2.400 kW are installed."

Jan 1, 1991

By M. Hitch, M. B. Lytle

Resource development conflicts arise largely due to differences in worldview between those who support and those who oppose development. This paper illustrates how societies and civilizations with different worldviews produce different levels of creative and economic energy. A questionnaire was created to build a database of responses to test whether worldview and resource development are correlated. Factor and multivariate regression analysis determined correlations for respondent groupings. Results showed a positive correlation between the respondents\u2019 worldviews and their attitudes toward resource development. Correlations became stronger as the homogeneity of the sample subgroups increased.

Jan 1, 2017

By E. Wraith, W. W. Culver, B. Wesstrom, P. J. Mackey

Electrodeposited copper of the 1860s was of unprecedented purity, although the profound significance of this achievement was not fully realised until the dawn of the electrical age a decade or so later. By the 1870s there were three somewhat large (4 to 4.5 tonnes Cu/day) electrolytic copper refineries in Germany based on J. B. Elkington’s process, first patented in the United Kingdom in 1865. More such refineries were planned throughout Europe. At the same time, copper output in the U.S.A. was starting to expand and with the spread of European electrolytic copper refining technology across the Atlantic, the door opened to major increases in North American output. The technology was first taken up in 1879 by James Douglas at the Chemical Copper Company in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, where he was Superintendent. Douglas was assisted in this pioneering work by Edward Weston. The copper refinery at the Chemical Copper Company was small, not unlike the first plants in Europe. The present authors contend that the electrolytic copper refinery at the Chemical Copper should be regarded as the first copper refinery in the United States. The Balbach Copper Refinery in New Jersey, which commenced operations in 1883 with an initial production of about 2 tonnes Cu/day, has been erroneously considered as the “first commercial refinery”; it rightly belongs in second place. The early developments at these plants are discussed in this paper. INTRODUCTION In the mid-1800s, the main uses for copper were as sheathing on the wooden sailing ships of the day to protect from marine growth, boiler components in locomotives and steam engines, along with some construction uses. Copper ores were generally smelted, and further fire-refined for market. The recovery of gold and silver, if present in payable amounts, was a slow and relatively expensive step. This situation regarding copper would change by the 1870s with advances in the generation and use of electricity. The introduction of the dynamo led to major developments in electrorefining. First demonstrated in principle by Faraday in 1831 (Faraday, 1832), the dynamo was subsequently adapted and further developed by J.S. Woolrich for electro-metallurgical applications in 1842 (Woolrich, 1842; Napier, 1845). It provided a new source of power with the unprecedented potential to significantly change the scale of metal production by electrometallurgy. Interestingly enough, copper would be needed for the electrical age just beginning. By 1869, advances in dynamo design offered relatively reliable large machines, which enabled J. B. Elkington in the United Kingdom to use the dynamo in the radically new Pembrey copper electrorefinery — the first copper electrorefinery in the world (Wraith, 2013). Initial production at Pembrey was small — in the range of 1 to 2 tonnes/day — while gold and silver were recovered more readily by the treatment of the slimes than with methods used hitherto.

Jan 1, 2019

By Garry Johansen, Andrew McCallum, Sandy Gray, Gary Patrick, Jennifer Abols

"The authors challenge the traditional thinking that whole ore cyanidation followed by Carbon in Pulp (CIP) or Carbon in Leach (CIL) should be applied as a standard process in the majority of gold processing flowsheets. The concept of whole ore leaching by using cyanide can result in unnecessary environmental and capital risk. Alternative, currently available technologies can be used to provide the desired level of gold recovery at a much lower installed cost and less impact on the environment. Gravity concentration, alone or in conjunction with flotation, can produce a gold bearing concentrate that can then be fed directly to a batch or continuous intensive cyanidation unit.The InLine Leach Reactor (ILR) is an intensive cyanidation unit developed by Gekko Systems of Australia. Advantages of this technology include significantly reduced capital outlays for greenfield plants or plant upgrades and increased investor returns. Reduction of onsite cyanide and carbon inventories improves plant safety, materials handling and site security. By using direct electrowinning to treat the gold bearing solutions produced by the ILR, the need for a conventional carbon stripping circuit is removed. Potential also exists to increase grind size – saving energy, further reducing capital and operating costs and decreasing the environmental impact of a mill. Detoxification of cyanide before the release of solution to the tailings dam can minimise tailings disposal and containment requirements.When used in the right application the proposed process will have little or no impact on gold recovery and may actually increase recovery for complex ores. Areas applicable to this type of treatment include: plants in environmentally sensitive regions, lower tonnage higher grade deposits, coarse gold deposits, and preg robbing ores - some of which may not currently be economically feasible using standard processes and flowsheets. We have provided three examples of such projects, where an alternative to whole ore leach and CIP or CIL has delivered these benefits."

Jan 1, 2003

By Kathryn L. Neale, Derek L. Mulligan, Robin E. Goad, Norman A. Duke, A. Hamid Mumin, W. John Camier

"Abstract - The NICO and Sue-Dianne deposits are being explored and delineated by Fortune Minerals Limited in the Mazenod Lake District of the Northwest Territories, using an Olympic Dam model. The deposits were discovered in the south part of the Great Bear magmatic zone (GBMZ) within the Proterozoic, Bear Structural Province of the Canadian Shield. They are the only known significant Canadian examples of Proterozoic iron oxide-hosted polymetallic deposits. Worldwide, this class includes such deposits as Olympic Dam and Ernest Henry in Australia, Kiruna-Aitik in Sweden, and Salobo in Brazil. Their considerable size, up to 2 billion tonnes, and polymetallic ore assemblages make them highly attractive targets for exploration. Common characteristics of this class include their Early to Middle Proterozoic cratonic settings with extensional rifting evolving from collisional tectonics. Deposits typically occur along major structural lineaments within the aureoles of a distinctive suite of anorogenic potassium-rich "A-type" granite intrusions. Although hosted by diverse lithologies, deposits of this class are characterized by a number of other diagnostic regional- and deposit-scale features, which may be recognized in reconnaissance- and propertyscale geological and geophysical surveys.The southern GBMZ in Canada has several characteristics (age, tectonic setting, geology and geophysical attributes) similar to those of the Olympic Dam deposit and its other significant global analogues. Airborne and ground geophysical surveys carried out in the GBMZ identified coincident potassium, uranium, magnetic, resistivity, chargeability, and gravity anomalies centered over the NICO deposit. The nearby Sue-Dianne deposit is characterized by coincident uranium, potassium, magnetic, resistivity and chargeability anomalies. Both deposits occur within a regional, northweststriking, arcuate trend of volcanic and sedimentary rocks characterized by significant positive Bouguer-gravity and magnetic responses and are believed to represent a major basement discontinuity. The NICO anomalies are at the intersection of this regional trend with a major transverse fault through Lou Lake. Regional and local geophysical data indicate the presence of significant concentrations of iron oxide within a broad area of intense potassium metasomatism. Geological mapping identified cobalt, gold, bismuth, and copper mineralization in biotite-magnetite-amphibole-sulfiderich ironstone and schist. This mineralization is localized within altered wackes of the Snare Group, which are unconformably overlain by potassium feldspar- (±hematite ±magnetite) altered rhyolite of the Faber Group. The Sue-Dianne deposit is a hematite-magnetite-Fe-silicate-cemented diatreme complex enriched in copper, silver, gold, and uranium within a broad zone of potassium, iron, quartz, and epidote metasomatism. The diatreme is located at the intersection of two major faults at the north end of the basement discontinuity and is hosted in rhyodacite ignimbrite marginal to the Faber Lake rapakivi-granite pluton. At both deposits, diatreme- and maar-facies iron oxide-cemented breccia straddle the regional metasedimentary-volcanic unconformity, suggesting that mineralization formed in a near-surface environment synchronous with the onset of volcanism."

Jan 1, 2000

By E. A. Brown

"IntroductionBACK IN THE nineteen-thirties, when Eldorado was a private company and was preparing to become Canada's first radium producer, the Mines Branch in Ottawa did much work on the development of chemical processes for the Port Hope refinery (1).In 1945, after the Canadian Government had taken over Eldorado for •atomic energy reasons, the Mines Branch was called upon again, this time to help out by looking into ways and means of improving ore treatment methods for the mine at Great Bear Lake. A group of technical men was assembled to devote full attention to this work, which was known as the Eldorado Project.Three years later, in 1948, the Government decided to reopen the development and operation of uranium properties to private enterprise.Since it is a function of the Mines Branch to assisit private development of Canadian mineral resources, this new uranium policy made it important for the Branch to be in a position where it could provide up-to-date services, technical assistance, and information relating to treatment of radioactive ores, mineralogy of radioactive ores, and assay methods for radioactive ores.At the same time, .because of the demand for increased uranium production, lower grade ores had definitely come into the picture, ores that might be of decidedly lower grade than, say, Eldorado pitchblende, and of entirely different nature."

Jan 1, 1953

By D. Stone

"The Beal Mountain mine near Anaconda, Montana, is an interesting case history of a mine that has continued operations despite several large pit wall failures over a period of approximately 10 years. The largest event involved some 3.9 million tons of rock that has moved steadily at a rate of about 0.05 ft/day since 1992. This paper documents the geotechnical instrumentation and monitoring programs implemented at Beal to provide the company with a comfortable baseline that supported ongoing operations. The success and failure of a variety of stabilization measures will be discussed, along with typical instrumentation responses for several significant events. The success of Beal Mountain serves as a good model for mines faced with serious geotechnical challenges."

Jan 1, 2002

By Rick Moignard

Relationships between Information Technology providers and their clients are often segmented according to job specific tasks. As a consequence, technology providers tend to focus on automating repetition and complexity, resulting in software that improves individual productivity while failing to address the interdependency of mining functions. For this reason, technology vendors like Gemcom are following partnership approaches with their clients, engaging corporate and operational stakeholders to better understand mining business objectives. This presentation examines some of the approaches that help foster the development of solutions that leverage the information produced during mine operations to improve downstream process control and tactical decision support.

May 1, 2006

By Robert E. McIvor

"The Functional Performance Equation for ball milling circuits allows us to isolate the circuit classification system efficiency (CSE) from the mill’s grinding performance. The factors which affect circuit CSE are reviewed, with emphasis on water usage at the classifiers. It is shown that manipulation of such water usage can be carried out to improve plant grinding circuit efficiency, at times by more than 30 percent.THE FUNCTIONAL PERFORMANCE EQUATIONObservation of the feed and product size distributions going into and discharging from the mill in grinding circuits with low versus high circulating load ratios initially led to the definition of “circuit classification system efficiency” (or CSE, McIvor, 1988a), and ultimately the discovery of the Functional Performance Equation (McIvor, 1988b, and McIvor et al, 1992). The CSE is the percentage of “coarse” (typically with reference to the plus P80) size material occupying the mill (versus “fines” or product size material, finer than the circuit P80), and can be calculated by taking the average of the percentage of coarse material in the mill feed and mill discharge. As this also represents the percentage of the mill energy expended on targeted, coarse size material, it is directly proportional to overall grinding circuit efficiency and production rate. This is all clearly expressed in the Functional Performance Equation for ball milling circuits, which is derived as follows.We define “fines” as any product size material, and “coarse” as that targeted to be further ground, the two typically differentiated by the circuit target P80. For any grinding circuit, the production rate of new, product size material (fines) must equal the specific grinding rate of the coarse material (i.e. fine product generated per unit of energy applied to the coarse material) times the power applied to the coarse material."

Jan 1, 2009

By Denis Labrie

Le minage en profondeur sous contrainte modérée à élevée présente de nombreux défis aux opérateurs et aux ingénieurs de mine notamment au niveau du contrôle de terrain et de l?environnement minier souterrain, pour assurer la sécurité des travailleurs sous terre et la continuité du cycle d?opération. Des conditions de contrainte élevée signifient une pression accrue au front de taille et sur les structures minières tels les piliers de mine et les fins de zone, un risque de rupture violente ou de coup de toit plus élevé, des zones de rupture plus grandes au pourtour des excavations, des charges accrues sur le support de terrain, etc. Le présent article fournit un aperçu du travail fait à l?intérieur du Programme de Contrôle de terrain de CANMET au cours des sept (7) dernières années, entre 1995 et 2001, pour comprendre et suivre l?évolution des niveaux de contrainte à l?intérieur des structures minières. Les propriétés déterminées en laboratoire sur des échantillons rocheux et les prévisions effectuées au moment de la conception sont comparées avec les observations effectuées en chantier à la paroi des excavations et à l?intérieur de la masse rocheuse. La plupart des cas discutés ici montrent une corrélation satisfaisante entre les observations effectuées en chantier d?une part, et les résultats d?essai obtenus en laboratoire et les calculs réalisés lors de la conception d?autre part. Ces observations peuvent donc être considérées comme des moyens relativement sûrs pour vérifier et suivre l?évolution des niveaux de contrainte présents à l?intérieur des structures minières.

May 1, 2002

By Pavel Vasak

The Laurentian University Virtual Reality Laboratory (VRL) has provided a unique platform for the development and testing of novel seismic and microseismic data processing and visualization technology. In collaboration with Vale?s Creighton Mine, the technology was implemented at the mine site and consists of a VRL system and site calibrated Seismic Excavation Hazard Map (SEHM) software. The SEHM was developed as a practical solution for the mine operator to identify areas of elevated, active rock mass damage processes caused by recent mining activity. This paper is a pictorial representation of the 3D stereoscopic demonstration of the Creighton Mine seismic data distribution and interpreted SEHM for the first quarter of 2009. A live demonstration is scheduled at the Laurentian University VRL as one of the conference field trips. The demonstration highlights the technology transfer of research concepts into a near-real-time excavation hazard system that utilizes the key aspects of virtual reality technology; the ability to integrate large datasets (geology, mine excavation, (seismic) monitoring data, production scheduling, stress model, etc.); the ability to manipulate and visualize large datasets in both space and in time (mining sequence); and the ability to review the datasets by a group of experts in an immersive (3D stereoscopic), collaborative environment to better understand the processes and context of the mining-induced seismicity and evaluate potential risks to the mining operation.

Oct 1, 2010

By S. W. Marcuson, P. J. Mackey

The Canadian non-ferrous mining and metallurgical industry has made great strides in environmental protection during the past half century. The path taken by the copper-nickel smelting industry in reaching today’s level is traced in this paper. Following the practice at early copper smelters in Wales and in the US, Canadian smelters originally used tall stacks to disperse furnace of-gases. This was the normal mode of operation and was accepted by society and by Government. Gradually, Government regulations required fixation of sulphur dioxide emissions and Canadian companies responded with significant technical developments to achieve this result. The initial development in Canada of the first new technologies such as the Cominco Flash Suspension Roaster and the Freeman Flash Smelting Process - both representing early versions of the modern established flash smelting technologies - and then later technologies such as the Inco Flash Smelting Process and the Noranda Process, both of which continue to this day, are discussed in this paper in terms of their contributions to the development of environmentally friendly plants. The evolution of these and other technologies is also discussed. Some comments regarding how the industry will face the future are also included.

Jan 1, 2015

By V. I. Lakshmanan, D. A. Mackie

"1. INTRODUCTIONIn the past two decades, low-grade gold and silver ore bodies in the United States have been exploited by heap leaching, primarily with sodium cyanide solutions. This method has proven to be a viable alternative to conventional milling due to its low capital and operating costs. Successes have been made, particularly in Nevada, where ores are well oxidized and the climate is conducive to this method. in recent years, heap leaching has been tried in northern latitudes with some success, however, in using this method, operators face more severe limitations than do their neighbours to the south.This paper evaluates the limitations of heap leaching with particular emphasis on northern climates and introduces an alternative method to recover precious metal values in a continuous vat. This proprietory technology, known as the Mackie Vat Leaching Jig, shows promise, with improved gold recovery and potential to operate in cold climates.2. WHAT ARE THE LIMITATIONS TO HEAP LEACHING?Heap leaching of non-refractory ores is subject to the following limitations:1. Minimum amount of free gold and nuggets in the ore.?. Minerology of the ore--accessibility of gold to lixiviant.3. Minimum particle size and size distribution of crushed product to allow percolation of lixiviant through the heap.4. Minimum amount of clays or clay-like slimes that can cause coating of ore particles and channelling of lixiviant.5. Minimum strength of ore particles or agglomerations to allow economic height of heaps to be built.6. Amount and suitability of real estate.7. Amount and type of precipitation.8. Ambient temperatures.9. Possible poorer lixiviant diffusion.10. Possible lower oxygen content in dissolved cyanide solution with higher heaps, particularly with ice and snow cover."

Jan 1, 1989

Overview ?Oil Sands Background ?Water Use in Surface Mining ?Tailings Disposal ?Water Balance for Surface Mining ?Implications of Emerging Regulations ?Water Management Framework ?Tailings Performance Criteria (Directive 074)

May 1, 2009

By G. B. Langford

UOCK bursts are a phenomenon about which insufficient is known. This l.~ statement has a twofold meaning. In the first place, far too many people, both inside and outside of the mining industry, are woefully ignorant of the whole subject, and secondly, as those who are face to face with the problem in the mines realize, our knowledge of rock bursts is inadequate. The first group embraces the general public, who have never been enlightened on the subject, and a great many geologists and engineers who have never shown more than a curiosity about it. Such technical men do not realize what a vital problem it is to our mining industries. They are usually thankful that bursting ground is not their problem, and leave it to those unfortunate enough to run into it. From such men one often hears the pious opinion that if proper mining methods were used there would be no problem. It is hoped that this paper will give these people a different viewpoint. Those in the second group deserve much credit for what they have done and are doing. They are fighting a large and difficult problem. In the pages that follow, I have tried to give a bird's-eye view of that problem, and suggest new ways in which it may be attacked.

Jan 1, 1941

By S. Banisi, M. Poorkani

The Sarcheshmeh copper deposit contains 1 billion tones of ore averaging 0.7% copper and 0.025% molybdenum. It is located southeast of Iran and currently processes 41,000t/d. Molybdenite as a by-product is recovered in two separate stages. First, a bulk coppermolybdenum concentrate is produced and in the second stage these two are separated. The recovery of molybdenite in the first and second stages is 65% and 85-90%, respectively. The yearly production of molybdenite concentrate varies between 3500 and 4000 t. Sodium sulphide is used as the depressant of the copper and iron bearing minerals which due to a rather high consumption (17.7 kg/t) constitutes one of the major cost items of the plant (i.e., 58% of total reagents cost). A detailed laboratory scale study showed that replacing air with nitrogen could reduce the consumption of sodium sulphide (i.e., H2S or mineral origin). Nitrogen for the plant was supplied from an oxygen plant used for the smelter through a 1400 m long pipeline. The existence of the oxygen plant at the Sarcheshmeh complex was a key factor in the implementation and success of this project. After using nitrogen in the plant for a period of twenty one months, the consumption of sodium sulphide was reduced from 17.7 to 14.2 kg/t at constant metallurgy. The reduction was lower than expected which was mainly due to the type of sodium sulphide used and the lack of any automatic instrument to control the depressant (sodium sulphide) dosage. The latter in turn caused the operators to overuse sodium sulphide in order to reach and maintain the target metallurgy (i.e., higher molybdenite recovery along with lower copper content of the concentrate).

Jan 1, 2005

By J. R. Goode

"The Las Cristinas deposit in Venezuela contains reserves of 12.8 million ounces of gold at a grade of 1.20 g/t (Crystallex, 2004). The deposit comprises fully oxidized saprolite (SAPO) overlying a layer of sulphide-enriched saprolite (SAPS) which lies above carbonateleached bedrock (CLB) and carbonate stable or un-leached bedrock (CSB). Gold occurs at about the same concentration in all lithological groups. The bedrock units contain minor amounts of copper (about 0.1%) as chalcopyrite, while SAPO contains virtually no copper which has been leached and deposited in the SAPS zone.A previous owner began investigation of the Las Cristinas deposit in 1991. Over the next seven years, the company drilled 1,174 holes with a total length of 159 km, conducted extensive metallurgical testwork, including pilot plant operations, and completed feasibility studies. Construction was started in 1997 and again in 1999, however, on each occasion was suspended.Crystallex has been producing gold inVenezuela since the early 1990s. In 1997, Crystallex acquired Inversora Mael which had held two of the claims to the Las Cristinas concessions since 1986. In September 2002, Crystallex entered into a definitive agreement with the Corporación Venezolana de Guayana (CVG) to develop the Las Cristinas deposit.An extensive program of studies and testwork was started in late 2002 to determine an optimum development plan for Las Cristinas. Mine Development Associates, SNC–Lavalin Engineers and Constructors, SGS Lakefield Research Limited, J.R. Goode and Associates, and A. Laplante at McGill University acted as the main contractors.Because of the potential value of by-product copper, earlier flowsheets used carbon-inleach for SAPO, but processed all other ore types by flotation to produce a gold-copper concentrate with cyanide leaching of cleaner tailings to maximize gold recovery. Cyanide recovery was necessitated by the high copper content of the leach feed. Initial studies of available data by Crystallex revealed that direct leaching of all ore types would provide about 11% more gold recovery than the previously selected flotation route with reduced capital and operating costs.Bench and pilot-scale studies have confirmed that a SAG-ball mill-gravity-CIL route is very effective for all ore types and will give about 89% gold recovery. This paper describes the testwork conducted in 2003, discusses a 20,000 t/d plant design, and presents economic data."

Jan 1, 2005

By M. Lahtinen, P. Latostenmaa, I. Kojo, E. Peuraniemi, M. Lindgren, S. Jyrkönen, M. Jåfs

The year 2019 marks the 70th anniversary of Flash Smelting. The technology was operated on industrial scale for the first time at the Outokumpu Harjavalta copper smelter in Finland in 1949. Since then Flash Smelting technology, now owned and developed by Outotec Oyj and the first plant, now owned by Boliden Harjavalta Oy, have been evolving throughout history by optimizing the process for various feeds and raw-materials, as well as through developing the equipment and operating practices. Even though sustainability was not a popular theme during the first days of Flash Smelting, it has still been the key principle in guiding the development. This is well proven by the wide adoption of Flash Smelting for the processing of copper and nickel concentrates, mostly due to its ability to fulfil the economic and resource efficiency criteria demanded by its operators. This paper describes the history and improvements of the Outotec® Flash Smelting process by looking into the early days of operation and how the development of the process and equipment has taken place over time as a joint effort between the technology provider and the users of the technology. INTRODUCTION In the 1940s, Outokumpu Oy refined the concentrate produced in the Outokumpu mine into metallic copper initially in Imatra, and later from 1945 to 1949 in Harjavalta, based on the most modern electrical melting process of the world at that time. After the war, Finland lost a significant part of its hydropower production, and due to the increasing use of electricity, the availability of electricity weakened, and the price rose. To maintain Outokumpu's profitability, it was forced to look for a melting solution that was not based on electricity.

Jan 1, 2019