Lead Metal Production at Paroo Station Mine Using …
151
The required concentrator modifications identified by RHM are:
• Inclusion of pebble crushing in the grinding circuit to increase milling capacity to
generate +80,000 t/a of lead in concentrate;
• Replacement of cyclones in the milling circuit with sizing screens to minimize
coarse material entering flotation;
• Modifications to the flotation circuit including the addition of new conditioning
tanks, new column flotation cell and associated pumps and blowers to improve
flotation performance; and
• Replacement of the existing flotation thickener with a larger unit to accommodate
increased concentrate production.
Hydrometallurgical Facility
The new hydrometallurgical facility will be constructed south of the existing
concentrator and include the following:
• New belt feeder under the existing concentrate filter to deliver lead concentrate to a
dryer and subsequent repulping and storage facilities ahead of the MSA leaching;
• Three stages of leaching—MSA leach, desulphurisation (DeS) leach, and MSA
releach;
• Counter Current Decantation (CCD) circuit on the MSA leach residue;
• A flotation circuit on the DES leach residue (reuse of existing flotation plant);
• Impurity removal, electrolyte filtration, and bleed treatment circuits;
• Lead electrowinning to produce lead cathode;
• Cathode washing and transport to lead melting facility;
• Lead melting, ingot casting and stacking and furnace off-gas handling system;
• Cathode starter sheet production facility with starter cathode returned to the
electrowinning circuit;
• All services including water, RO plant, compressed and instrument air and fire
services;
• Gas fired power station (to cover total site demand) with heat recovery system to
provide steam to the process evaporator and dryer;
• Substation, control room, and control system for the new facilities; and
• Environmental collection/evaporation pond for high rain events from hydrometallurgical facility bunded areas (Fig. 7).
Definitive Feasibility Methodology
The DFS work involved:
151
The required concentrator modifications identified by RHM are:
• Inclusion of pebble crushing in the grinding circuit to increase milling capacity to
generate +80,000 t/a of lead in concentrate;
• Replacement of cyclones in the milling circuit with sizing screens to minimize
coarse material entering flotation;
• Modifications to the flotation circuit including the addition of new conditioning
tanks, new column flotation cell and associated pumps and blowers to improve
flotation performance; and
• Replacement of the existing flotation thickener with a larger unit to accommodate
increased concentrate production.
Hydrometallurgical Facility
The new hydrometallurgical facility will be constructed south of the existing
concentrator and include the following:
• New belt feeder under the existing concentrate filter to deliver lead concentrate to a
dryer and subsequent repulping and storage facilities ahead of the MSA leaching;
• Three stages of leaching—MSA leach, desulphurisation (DeS) leach, and MSA
releach;
• Counter Current Decantation (CCD) circuit on the MSA leach residue;
• A flotation circuit on the DES leach residue (reuse of existing flotation plant);
• Impurity removal, electrolyte filtration, and bleed treatment circuits;
• Lead electrowinning to produce lead cathode;
• Cathode washing and transport to lead melting facility;
• Lead melting, ingot casting and stacking and furnace off-gas handling system;
• Cathode starter sheet production facility with starter cathode returned to the
electrowinning circuit;
• All services including water, RO plant, compressed and instrument air and fire
services;
• Gas fired power station (to cover total site demand) with heat recovery system to
provide steam to the process evaporator and dryer;
• Substation, control room, and control system for the new facilities; and
• Environmental collection/evaporation pond for high rain events from hydrometallurgical facility bunded areas (Fig. 7).
Definitive Feasibility Methodology
The DFS work involved: