148
D. Dreisinger et al.
• Phase 4—Demonstration Plant—ALS
• Solid Liquid Separation—Waterex;
• Filtration Testwork—Metso and Outotec;
• Acid Purification Unit (APU)—Eco-Tec; and
• Electrowinning testwork—University of British Columbia and Murdoch University.
SNC-L interpreted and used the test data in the design of the hydrometallurgical
facility.
Existing Operation
The existing facilities comprise:
• Open pit mine;
• Concentrator processing facilities;
• Minesite offices;
• Water supply and waste water treatment;
• Roads, haul roads, and service roads;
• Magazine, heavy equipment workshop, and truck washdown;
• Tailings storage facility;
• Stores, workshop, and laboratory;
• Reagent and fuel storage;
• Accommodation village; and
• Power station and electrical distribution including gas pipeline and gas receival
station.
The operating facilities include open pit mining (three major deposits and one
satellite deposit) followed by processing through a conventional mineral concentrator
with crushing, grinding, flotation, and concentrate dewatering. The total mineral
reserve (proven and probable) was developed by AMC (Table 3). Pit designs were
generated from the optimizations and a life of mine mining schedule developed. The
mine plan reports that the operation has a life of 17 years consisting of 36.3 million
tonnes ore feed at 3.71% Pb from both future mining and processing of existing
stockpiles (Fig. 6).
Existing Flotation Concentrator Modifications
The flotation plant concentrate requirement moved from producing a 67% grade
lead concentrate to 70–72% lead to minimize solid/liquid separation issues in the
hydrometallurgical facility. In the process, a revised reagent regime was developed
that increased the overall lead recovery at a lower feed head grade.
D. Dreisinger et al.
• Phase 4—Demonstration Plant—ALS
• Solid Liquid Separation—Waterex;
• Filtration Testwork—Metso and Outotec;
• Acid Purification Unit (APU)—Eco-Tec; and
• Electrowinning testwork—University of British Columbia and Murdoch University.
SNC-L interpreted and used the test data in the design of the hydrometallurgical
facility.
Existing Operation
The existing facilities comprise:
• Open pit mine;
• Concentrator processing facilities;
• Minesite offices;
• Water supply and waste water treatment;
• Roads, haul roads, and service roads;
• Magazine, heavy equipment workshop, and truck washdown;
• Tailings storage facility;
• Stores, workshop, and laboratory;
• Reagent and fuel storage;
• Accommodation village; and
• Power station and electrical distribution including gas pipeline and gas receival
station.
The operating facilities include open pit mining (three major deposits and one
satellite deposit) followed by processing through a conventional mineral concentrator
with crushing, grinding, flotation, and concentrate dewatering. The total mineral
reserve (proven and probable) was developed by AMC (Table 3). Pit designs were
generated from the optimizations and a life of mine mining schedule developed. The
mine plan reports that the operation has a life of 17 years consisting of 36.3 million
tonnes ore feed at 3.71% Pb from both future mining and processing of existing
stockpiles (Fig. 6).
Existing Flotation Concentrator Modifications
The flotation plant concentrate requirement moved from producing a 67% grade
lead concentrate to 70–72% lead to minimize solid/liquid separation issues in the
hydrometallurgical facility. In the process, a revised reagent regime was developed
that increased the overall lead recovery at a lower feed head grade.