Search Documents

By R Durchholz, A-J Heiertz, R Schmitz

Mining of lignite is the largest bulk materials handling activity in Europe. In order to mine this lignite, with an average calorific value of only a third of bituminous coal in an economical way, highly efficient opencast mining technology is mandatory. The total continuous mining of overburden and lignite was introduced more than 60 years ago and was subsequently developed stepwise into the largest mass transport system of the world. In 2011, the Inden Mine, one of three RWE Power mines, stripped 90 Mbcm of overburden to produce 22 Mt of lignite. In total, nearly 100 Mt of Lignite was produced from the three mines of RWE Power in Germany. Beside bucket wheel excavators (BWE), several high-performance in-pit crushing and conveying (IPCC) systems, which allow the adoption of continuous mining systems, even for typical shovel and truck (S&T) operations, are available today. RWE Power assists operators considering a change from the S&T to IPCC technology, both in the planning process involving large-scale belt conveyor systems and later with operational know how transfer. In a number of cases, the challenges associated with this system change have been addressed and solved successfully. One key challenge is managing the development of skills for operating the belt conveyor systems efficiently. This paper compares the effectiveness of S&T to different configurations of continuous mining operation for an up to 170 m deep mine with a total annual output of 117 Mbcm. From the mine operatorÆs point-of-view, the quantity and skill level of staffing required for operation and maintenance are discussed in detail. The main conclusion of this paper is the larger the operation becomes and the longer the mine life is, the earlier fully continuous mining systems should be planned and implemented.CITATION:Schmitz, R, Durchholz, R and Heiertz, A-J, 2012. Change challenges for large open pit mines, in Proceedings Eighth Open Pit OperatorsÆ Conference , pp 103-110 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Sep 18, 2012

By K. L. Boyd

"Can the ever-increasing tonnages of ore and waste being mined today be accommodated simply by using bigger and better crushers? This paper reviews the latest primary crushing and large cone crusher designs. It highlights how—in addition to using the larger crushers now available—maximizing the utilization percentages in each of the four stages of the rock size reduction circuit will assist in meeting the larger production requirements of existing and new mining operations. Its goal is to help consultants and operators select the optimal equipment and custom-designed items in the material handling flowsheet from the mine to the mill, maximizing operating hours per year. INTRODUCTION Are larger crushers the answer to meeting the demands of existing or new mining projects for increased tonnage? Boyd (2002) predicted that larger crushers for primary and fine crushing would be beneficial and contribute to the further development of mineral processing. Larger crushers for primary and fine crushing applications are now available. The rock size reduction process from the mine to the selected milling process facility has not changed since man first broke a rock to get at the interesting mineralization within. The rock size reduction process circuit from the mine to the mill can be summarized in four stages: • Stage 1: Mining (rock breakage and fragmentation) • Stage 2: Pre-screening (scalping) • Stage 3: Primary crushing • Stage 4: Fine crushing (secondary, tertiary and quaternary) Plant throughput and ore delivery schedule will form the basis for flowsheet design and equipment selection. Once the project design criteria and the mine plan have been established, the circuit’s utilization percentage (percentage of hours when the circuit is being utilized) can be optimized for each of the four stages. The mining and process departments are the key stakeholders in the selection of the final comminution circuit, and both departments should be familiar with and contribute to the design of the circuit. This paper focuses on the four stages of a rock size reduction circuit from the mine to the mill, equipment selection, various ore and waste handling flowsheets, and improvements in crusher station design, all with the purpose of maximizing availability and plant utilization percentages. What is a large tonnage? From 1907 to 1914, the American Panama Canal excavated 300 million tonnes of material in 7 years (History of the Panama Canal, Wikipedia). Today’s large mining operations can move the same material in 10 months, using large crushers or multiple crushers for ore processing and large crushers and a mixture of truck haulage and conveyors for handling the large waste tonnages. Some examples include:"

Jan 1, 2017

By E. Berrezueta

Automatic digital phase imaging should yield unbiased and representative characterizations of gold ores. However, this is not a simple tusk due to low gold grade, fine grain size, possible complex mineralogy, nugget effect, etc. Using the same sections of a gold-rich ore, a critical test was performed using an optical microscope (OM) and an electron microscope (EM). In general, the two methods are consistent and useful for ore processing. There are some minor differences, such as the detection of very fine gold grains is enhanced by EM. Key words: Digital imaging, Gold ores, Mineralogy, Electron microscopy, Optical microscopy

Jan 1, 2003

By T. Feldmann, G. P. Demopoulos

The adsorption of gold complexes on inorganic metal oxides has been mainly discussed in geochemical literature, but it is also of interest to the hydrometallurgical industry. This is so because it could be responsible for valuable metal losses or because it could potentially serve as alternative adsorbent material to activated carbon in certain cases such as from hot and acidic process slurries. This paper constitutes an early investigation into this subject by focusing on the effectiveness of FeOOH, Fe3O4 and Al2O3 as sorbent materials. All tests were done in a batch stirred-tank reactor under atmospheric conditions with synthetic gold(III)-chloride solutions at 23°C and 80°C, in the pH range of 1.6 to 9.0. Detailed kinetic tests were performed at different pH values (3 and 6) on FeOOH and Fe3O4 with solutions having gold concentrations from 5 mg/L to 130 mg/L. The adsorption of gold was found to be best both in terms of kinetics and loading characteristics at 80°C and pH=6. This was explained by a change in Au(III)-Cl speciation from a gold(III)-chloride complex to a gold(III)-chloride-hydroxy complex. By far, magnetite (reagent grade chemical) yielded the best gold adsorption characteristics making it an interesting sorbent material for further development considering that it can be advantageously recovered from slurry streams via magnetic separation. On the other hand, the tendency of gold(III)-chloro complexes to adsorb on metal (hydro) oxides needs to be taken into account to minimize undesirable metal losses in chloride-containing leaching media.

Jan 1, 2015

By Héctor Basurto

El presente trabajo realiza un exhaustivo análisis de la gestión de emprendimientos de la zona de influencia de Minera Yanacocha en Cajamarca y lo contrasta con el modelo propuesto por el Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), con el objetivo de identificar los factores claves que permitieron mejorar su competitividad en los últimos 5 años y, como consecuencia, incrementar sus oportunidades de contratación con Yanacocha y abrirse paso hacia nuevos mercados. Se identificó que las actividades económicas relacionadas a la minería que contribuyen a generar diversificación productiva lateral a la actividad minera son los servicios de alimentación, hotelería, transporte de personal y mantenimiento de facilidades.

Sep 20, 2019

By D. C. Treilhard

After a brief history of the mining and smelting operations of Kilembe Mines Limited, this paper outlines the smelter layout and describes . the. daily operations at the Jinja plant. Particular attention 1s paid to the details of the furnace and converter operation. A subsequent section of the paper deals with the significant developments in plant metallurgical practice, covering both smelting and converting.

Jan 1, 1966

By W. V. Liu, D. Omane, H. Yu, Y. Pourrahimian

"A large-scale wildfire had broken out at Fort McMurray in Alberta, Canada during May 2016. Many oil sands mining activities were affected due to the wildfire and the associated ash emissions. In particular, ash emission generated from the fire outbreak is a huge problem during the post-fire cleanup. These emissions pose a severe health hazard to workers, environment, and global climate. The ashes emitted into the atmosphere are caused by either human activities or climate conditions. The objective of this research is to assess the effect of three different ash dust suppressants, namely water, #1 surfactants, and #2 polymers at various volumetric concentrations on ashes samples to prevent propagation of fine solid emissions into the atmosphere. It is found that both #1 surfactants solution and #2 polymers solution are effective in retaining fugitive ash dust generated from the ashes. Volumetric concentration efficiency of 0.05% of #1 surfactant and 5% of #2 polymers in 500 ml of water have been proven to provide ash dust retention efficiency greater than 99% after the spraying of these suppressants. It is also found that both #1 surfactants solution and #2 polymers solution maintain an ash dust retention efficiency higher than that of the use of only water. This confirms the merit of using chemical dust suppressants on fugitive ash dust for a longer period, which is proven by the 72-hour data from this experiment. This study gives a general view of how effective chemical suppressants on fugitive ash emissions work. INTRODUCTION On May 1st, 2016, a large-scale wildfire gutted Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada. Many oil sands mining activities were affected due to the wildfire and the associated ash emission. Due to the wildfire, some of the biggest oil sands companies in Fort McMurray such as Royal Dutch Shell and Suncor Energy shut down their oil production, at 255,000 and 350,000 barrels per day respectively [1]. Syncrude Canada Ltd scaled down its normal production capacity level of 350,000 barrels per day [1]. This generated an estimated loss of about 1.1 million barrels of oil production per day, constituting a 30% reduction in the Canadian daily oil production, crippling the economy [2]. This loss in production by the companies translated into 0.33 % of the Alberta GDP in 2016 constituting a loss of $985 million and 0.06 % of the entire Canadian economy [3]. In 2017, it is estimated that the rebuilding and reclamation of the affected areas in Fort McMurray will add $ 1.3 billion in GDP to Alberta’s economy [3]. A population of over 90,000 people was evacuated from the location and its surroundings for health and safety reasons [4]. The fire destroyed about 2,400 structures and over 500,000 hectares of forest vegetation in Fort McMurray, leaving an estimated 232,000 tonne of post-fire ashes [5,6]."

Jan 1, 2017

By M. Board, C. Alexander, M. Ramström, W. Johnson

"Hecla - Lucky Friday is an underground mine that has been in operation for 75 years and produces from depths over 2.3 kilometers (7,500 ft) below the surface. Technical issues at this depth include high rock temperature and seismicity. The use of new innovative mechanization is being examined for ore production. Principal advantages of mechanization are the reduced exposure of personnel, reduced seismic triggers, and increased efficiency. Lucky Friday has partnered with Atlas Copco to design, build, test, and deploy a mechanical miner for primary ore production. We will discuss the background, concept, development and deployment strategy for a mechanical miner. BACKGROUND The Coeur d’Alene mining district in northern Idaho was first discovered over 130 years ago and has been the most prolific silver producer in the US. The Lucky Friday mine of Hecla Mining Company (Figure 1) is the oldest (76 years) and deepest mine in the district, producing approximately 725 tonne per day (800 tons per day) from narrow, vertical lead-zinc-silver veins. Cut and fill stoping is currently employed at depths to about 2.3 km (7,500 ft) below ground surface, making it one of the three deepest mines in the western hemisphere. The #4 Shaft, a winze collared at approximately 1.8 km (5,900 ft) below surface and extending to a depth of nearly 2.9 km (9,600 ft), was recently completed to exploit the high-grade 30 Vein, whose resource has been identified to at least 3 km (9,700 ft) in depth.As with other deep mines worldwide, a number of challenging engineering issues occur, including: high in situ rock stress, squeezing ground, seismicity, high in situ rock temperature that requires refrigeration, diesel equipment that generates diesel particulate matter (DPM) requiring high ventilation airflow rates, and long travel times for worker transport to mining areas."

Jan 1, 2018

By Tara Schenk-McFarland, Mark Bliss

Echo Dam, located near Coalville, Utah, is a facility that provides storage for irrigation and municipal use. Original construction of the dam was completed in 1931. Because of seismic concerns, the spillway crest structure and upper chute section, founded on old landslide and colluvial material, were recently replaced. Prior to replacement of these structures, jet grouting of a block of the loose and potentially liquefiable soils, directly beneath the spillway crest structure was selected as the preferred alternative to address the potential for settlement and cracking of the spillway crest structure. The replacement or alteration of the in-place soil reduces the likelihood of seismic-induced excess pore pressure development and subsequent settlements. Core drilling and sample recovery of the production jet grouted columns was completed to verify compliance with the specifications. It was recognized that due to the larger rock sizes within the deposits that full homogeneity of the jet grouted zone was unlikely to be achievable. However, the purpose of this jet grouted section was to strengthen enough of the soil so that widespread liquefaction does not occur. During the jet grouting production many instances of ground fracturing occurred. Fracturing was evident based on grout/air bubbles exiting the surface near some of the grout holes during jet grouting, air bubbles appearing in the spoil pits, and lifting of the ground surface in the vicinity of the monitor during the jet grouting process while the system was pressurized. In one instance, a section of the upstream spillway slab, which was left in place, was cracked due to pressurized grout escaping beneath the slab. The overall results of the jet grouting were satisfactory despite difficulties encountered. The cause of the fracturing is hypothesized and a recommendation is included to reduce the likelihood of this occurring on future jobs.

Jan 1, 2017

By A. R. Laplante

A test to determine the amount of gravity recoverable gold (GRG) in an ore is described. Typical GRG results are given; an error analysis is detailed; possible uses are discussed. Of the 38 samples tested, the lowest GRG content was found to be 25% (most below 25 11m, or 600 mesh), and the highest 94% (most above 300 11m, or 50 mesh). The average GRG content was 63%, with a standard deviation of 19%. Error analysis shows the test to be reproducible within 5 to 10%, depending on the size distribution and grade of GRG, and the sample extraction protocol. When using the same primary sample, reproducibility improves, 2 to 5%, depending on the amount of gold coarser than 850 11m (20 mesh) and sample weight. The test has been applied to greenfield project and retrofit applications, to determine the suitability of gravity recovery. For existing circuits, it has been coupled with a model of gravity recovery for optimization studies.

Jan 1, 1996

By Peter L. Dunn

With the advent of new high-strength magnetic materials, rare-earth magnetic separators have become more common place for processing heavy mineral sands. In many instances, rare-earth magnets have replaced conventional separators such as electromagnetic cross-belt and induced-roll type machines. This paper will present the results from a detailed test program developed to evaluate the performance of rare-earth drum and roll separators for processing heavy mineral sands. The effect of machine design parameters, such as magnetic element configuration and separator diameter, will be reviewed in light of these test results. The impact of basic operating parameters (i.e. feed rate and roll speed) on separation efficiency will also be presented.

Jan 1, 1999

By Habib Zughbi, Paul Zulli

"A key step towards sustainability in iron and steelmaking is to optimise the use of raw materials and energy consumption, and consequently minimise CO2 emissions. Models based on a Process Integration (PI) approach play a key role in evaluating various scenarios and the impact of introducing changes in raw materials and operational conditions on the overall energy consumption and CO2 emissions. BlueScope uses a PI based comprehensive model for its Port Kembla Steelworks (PKSW), called the Integrated Steelworks Energy and Emissions Model (ISEEM). ISEEM is tightly coupled to the configuration of PKSW. It is based on mass and energy balances as well as thermodynamic relationships. ISEEM is a steady-state model and is used to predict overall and detailed unit-by-unit energy consumptions and CO2 emissions. It is also used for plant-based scenario modelling. This paper investigates the impact of major changes to PKSW configuration, including the shutting down of a blast furnace and cokemaking battery, on the energy consumption and CO2 emissions of the plant. It discusses some of the issues involved in updating the model and some identified opportunities."

Jan 1, 2015

By A. C. Elliott, A. J. Lafreniere

THE Hamilton Works of The Steel Company of Canada is a fully integrated steel plant with an annual capacity of three million tons. Located on the south shore of -Hamilton bay, it is in the centre of Hamilton's industrial belt. The heavy concentration of industrial activities found in this area, accompanied metallurgical well-known sources of pollution which are normal to urban areas is creating a pollution problem which concerns both industry and the general public. The Steel Company of Canada has recognized this problem and, accordingly, has adopted the policy of integrating suitable pollution control devices into its new installations. Much effort is also being expended to control the emissions of air contaminants from the existing equipment. At the Hamilton Works, there are two main sources of metallurgical dust emissions to the atmosphere -the Open Hearth furnaces and the Sinter Plant. Of these two, the Open Hearth furnaces are, undoubtedly, the largest single source of

Jan 1, 1962

By Arthur Miller, Andrew Weakley, Heather E. Lawson

"IntroductionDynamic failure events in an underground coal mine, or “bumps,” are defined as “the sudden, violent bursts of coal from a pillar or pillars or a block of coal, resulting in a section, the whole pillars, or the solid block of coal being thrown into an open entry” (Peng, 2008). Reports of disastrous and often fatal dynamic failure events date back over one hundred years in the United States. Mining practices and technologies have significantly evolved over the course of the last century, yet these events continue to occur. The events at Crandall Canyon, Utah (Gates et al., 2007) and Brody No. 1 Mine in West Virginia (Barker and McNeely, 2014) are two recent failure events that resulted in a total of eleven fatalities. These events testify to the fact that dynamic failure remains an imperative safety concern. Furthermore, their continued occurrences indicate that engineering controls have proven inadequate at wholly mitigating the problem.Multiple conditions have been associated with the occurrence of dynamic failure phenomena, including• thick, competent strata that can create a bridging effect, resulting in high abutment stresses (Rice, 1935; Holland and Thomas, 1954; Iannacchione and Zelanko, 1995; Agapito and Goodrich, 2000; Peng, 2008; Whyatt, 2008; Whyatt and Varley, 2010)• overburden thicknesses greater than 500–700 ft. (Rice, 1935; Peng, 2008)• a strong coal that is resistant to crushing (Rice, 1935; Peng,2008) or that is “uncleated or poorly cleated, strong…sustains high stress and tends to fail suddenly” (Agapito and Goodrich, 2000)• the presence of sandstone channels or rolls that can serve to concentrate stresses (Iannachione and Zelanko, 1995; Agapito and Goodrich, 2000)• fracturing of strong units above or below the coal seam (Whyatt and Varley, 2010)• slip along pre-existing discontinuities (Peperakis, 1958; Whyatt and Varley, 2010)• multiple seam mining interactions (Campoli, Kertis, and Goode, 1987; Iannachione and Zelanko, 1995; Newman, 2002; Peng, 2008)• mining sequences that can cause anomalously high stress concentrations (Campoli, Kertis, and Goode, 1987; Iannachione and Zelanko, 1995)"

Jan 1, 2015

By M. J. Virnig

A flowsheet for the recovery of nickel and cobalt from laterite ores has been developed which involves acid leaching followed by hydroxide precipitation of the metal values and then releaching of the hydroxide cake with ammonia. Investigations of the chemistry of extraction of nickel by LIX® 84-1 and a developmental reagent, XI-84-IT, along with the physical properties of the organic phases are described. Based on these investigations, suggestions with regard to design of a solvent extraction plant and operating conditions are made.

Jan 1, 1999

By Sara Moshfeghi, Seyyed Majdeddin Mir Mohammad Hosseini, Abolfazl Eslami

"Due to variety of current pile bearing capacity methods based on the cone penetration test (CPT), for optimum design, it is necessary to evaluate the performance of such methods in different geotechnical conditions. Geotechnical databases including piling and in-situ testing records have been recognized as useful tools for analysis, design and economical construction. In order to evaluate pile bearing capacity methods, AUT-CPT&Pile database has been compiled including 450 full scale pile load tests and CPT sounding records. This database consists of different pile types with a relatively wide range of geometries and various soil conditions. Forty three records of piles driven in sand deposits were then employed to evaluate effects of ultimate capacity interpretation criteria from load displacement diagrams. The Davisson offset limit criterion, the Brinch Hansen 80% criterion and the load at the displacement of 10% of the pile diameter were compared to estimated capacities from ten CPT based design methods currently used in practice. The Brinch Hansen 80% criterion and the load at the displacement of 10% of the pile diameter lead to reasonable results, the Brinch Hansen 80% criterion showed less scatter. For evaluating the accuracy and the precision of CPT-based methods, the results were compared to estimated capacities. Results of comparison indicate that the CPT-based methods mainly predict the pile capacity withreasonable accuracy.INTRODUCTIONAmong the different approaches of estimating the pile bearing capacity, in-situ tests, especially, the cone penetration test (CPT) are favored due to the cone similarities with piles in modes of installation as well as fast and continuous profiling. This trend is practically well established where deep foundations are to be constructed in soft to medium subsoil deposits (Eslami and Fellenius, 1997; Mayne and Niazi, 2009).Employing different design methods results in a wide range of values which complicates the selection of an appropriate one to determine the pile bearing capacity. Several studies by Briuad and Tucker (1988), Eslami and Fellenius (1997), Abu Farsakh and Titi (2004), Schneider et al. (2008) and Eslami et al. (2011) confirm disparity of different design methods predictions. Thus, for optimum design, it is necessary to evaluate and compare the performance of current methods.Geotechnical databases are known as helpful tools in research and practical applications for optimizing analysis and design and are mainly used for management and interpretation of data, evaluation of design methods, calibrating LRFD or ASD design factors, etc. Pile lateral and axial load tests are examples of databases in geotechnical engineering. A summary of several CPT and pile load test databases is presented in Table 1."

Jan 1, 2017

By Charles L. Ross

A successful placer mine is being operated by the E. T. Fisher Co. on Rock Creek in the South Pass mining district at Atlantic City, Wyo. About 2,800 cubic yards of gravel is dug daily by a gasoline-driven dragline shovel with a 1 1/4-yard bucket and washed in a movable plant with a gold-dredge trommel and standard-dredge sluice boxes; the total cost is about 12 cents per cubic yard. The gold-bearing gravel occupies a narrow valley between two low ranges, of hills. The ground is covered by brush and willows, which are cleared of in the fall by burning after the leaves have dried. The elevation at the mine is 7,600 feet above sea level.

Jan 1, 1935

By C. D. Kuchera

Ore crushing facilities at the Phelps Dodge Morenci Reduction Works became operational in January of 1942. This plant, with a capacity of 25,000 tons per day, was part of a project started some five years earlier with development of the Morenci Open Pit Copper Mine. In the following year, World War II's heavy copper demands prompted an 80% expansion in concentrating capacity to 45,000 tons per day resulting in a doubling of the secondary crushing plant. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, grinding capacity was again expanded to the present 60,000 TPD. This time the then 20 year old crushing plant was obliged to meet a 20% increase in production demand with no additional equipment. The ore, principally a medium hard monzonite porphyry, is dumped from 40 yard rail cars into an ore pocket over the primary crusher at a rate of approximately one car per minute. The primary crushing flowsheet, Figure 1, has remained essentially unchanged over the years. Equipment consists of a 40 by 16 foot grizzly set on a 40° incline and having 6" openings, a 60" gyratory crusher nomin¬ally set at 62" + 1" on the closed side and two 72" by 38' panfeeders which load crushed ore and grizzly undersize at a rate of 4,000 tons per hour onto a twin 54" belt conveyor system for delivery to the coarse ore bin. Ore is distributed across the bin by two single side discharge tripper cars. Bin capacity is extremely limited at 23,000 tons of which only 12,000 is available or "live".

Jan 1, 1975

By S. Paul Singh

"The long-term viability of seismically active and/or deep mining operations hinges upon the industry's ability to maintain profitability in a climate of increasingly difficult conditions, escalating operating costs and fluctuating metal prices. Within this context, it is prudent to explore mining techniques that could provide means for safer and more profitable extraction of seismically active and/or deep seated deposits that are vital to the long term survival of the industry.The first step was to examine Penetrating Cone Fracture (PCF) and other relevant concepts with the objective of semi-continuous mining in deep underground hard rock mines. This was followed by an assessment of the current conventional drilling and blasting practice. Thirteen blasts were monitored in five different seismically active workings of an operating deep mine. The main concerns during the current drill and blast practice were identified.On the basis of the literature review, three short round blasting techniques were short listed for further review. These techniques were evaluated based upon the available literature and discussions with the persons associated with their applications. Justification, requirements and major challenges for the application of short round blasting have been discussed in this paper. Suggestions for improving the current drilling and blasting practice have also been outlined.INTRODUCTIONRock fragmentation is the key to mineral excavation and production. Increasing working depths, environmental concerns and trends towards continuous mining necessitate the development of new and improved rock breakage methods.The excavation of hard rocks is still dominated by the sequential routine of face preparation, drilling, charging explosives, blasting, ventilating for fume and dust removal, mucking and roof support. Worse still, drilling and mucking require specialized equipment that fills the end of the heading so that no other operation can be performed and the equipment must be removed from the face to protect it from fly rock."

Jan 1, 2010

By R. H. Schonewille

One of the many challenges in developing new metallurgical processes is choosing the best option for validating process design parameters and establishing the process operating window. Historically this has been achieved by constructing pilot or demonstration plants of considerable size and complexity, to enable integrated operation of all key process units for a significant duration. While this would appear to be the best option for minimizing technical risk, it is often impractical from a perspective of cost, schedule, resources or bulk sample acquisition. Such an undertaking can even provide a false sense of security, as the optics of running a complete scaled-down version of a commercial plant suggest a high level of process understanding, regardless of the challenges encountered during operation. Xstrata Nickel has undertaken numerous process development and improvement projects over the past 15 years to support green field project development and continuous improvement in existing operations. The approaches used have included; computer simulation, cold flow modeling, construction of pilot test units in third party facilities, commercial plant referencing and the more conventional construction of integrated test plants. Regardless of the strategy employed, the keys to success have included; managing stakeholder expectations, involving the commercial plant design engineers in the planning stage, anticipating subsequent data and sample requirements and most importantly, constructing and operating complex demonstration plants only as a last resort. This paper provides examples of various process development approaches used by Xstrata Nickel and discusses the rationale specific to each project.

Jan 1, 2011