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    Geometallurgy Austmine - SRK - Standard

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    Jhair Jhamidh
    This document introduces the concepts of geology and geometallurgy. It defines geometallurgy as integrating geological, mining, metallurgical, and economic data to maximize value from an orebody while minimizing risks. Geometallurgy has matured beyond simply combining geology and metallurgy. It helps address issues like decreasing ore grades and increasing throughput and financial risks at mines. Case studies show how geometallurgy helped improve resource models and recoveries at nickel and gold mines in Australia.

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    Geometallurgy Austmine - SRK - Standard

    Uploaded by

    Jhair Jhamidh
    97 views11 pages
    This document introduces the concepts of geology and geometallurgy. It defines geometallurgy as integrating geological, mining, metallurgical, and economic data to maximize value from an orebody while minimizing risks. Geometallurgy has matured beyond simply combining geology and metallurgy. It helps address issues like decreasing ore grades and increasing throughput and financial risks at mines. Case studies show how geometallurgy helped improve resource models and recoveries at nickel and gold mines in Australia.

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    Geometallurgy Austmine_SRK_standard

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    This document introduces the concepts of geology and geometallurgy. It defines geometallurgy as integrating geological, mining, metallurgical, and economic data to maximize value from an orebody while minimizing risks. Geometallurgy has matured beyond simply combining geology and metallurgy. It helps address issues like decreasing ore grades and increasing throughput and financial risks at mines. Case studies show how geometallurgy helped improve resource models and recoveries at nickel and gold mines in Australia.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    97 views11 pages

    Geometallurgy Austmine - SRK - Standard

    Uploaded by

    Jhair Jhamidh
    This document introduces the concepts of geology and geometallurgy. It defines geometallurgy as integrating geological, mining, metallurgical, and economic data to maximize value from an orebody while minimizing risks. Geometallurgy has matured beyond simply combining geology and metallurgy. It helps address issues like decreasing ore grades and increasing throughput and financial risks at mines. Case studies show how geometallurgy helped improve resource models and recoveries at nickel and gold mines in Australia.

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    Introduction to Geology and

    Geometallurgy
    Improving Resource Knowledge to Optimise
    Minerals Processing: Part 1
    Mark Noppe | mnoppe@srk.com.au
    24 May 2018

    1
    Why Geology?
    Improving resource knowledge
    • Rocks and minerals are the basis of all mineral
    extraction activities
    • An understanding of geology underpins all projects
    – without good geological information, we are just
    wasting money
    • Linking of geology and metallurgy has long been done
    empirically and has a long history of collaboration
    – in todays environment it includes all disciplines
    across the mining cycle
    2
    Geometallurgy Definition
    “Geometallurgy” means different things to different people

    ‘Geometallurgy is the integration of geological,


    mining, metallurgical, environmental and
    economic information to maximize the Net
    Present Value (NPV) of an orebody while
    minimizing technical and operational risk’

    Detailed
    Discovery Exploration Assessment Development Production Closure
    Design

    3 SGS.com
    Geometallurgy Definition
    Geometallurgy has reached a maturity
    beyond its early simplistic ‘geology +
    metallurgy’ conception

    Its application can both maximise value


    and predict the risks associated with
    resource development

    Geometallurgy complements existing


    approaches to design and optimisation
    of mining and processing operations

    Geometallurgy – Beyond Conception,


    4
    S.C. Dominy and L. O’Connor, 2016
    Geometallurgy Definition
    Key drivers for a Geometallurgical approach
    • Deposits are becoming lower grade, and geologically and/ or
    metallurgically more complex
    • Orebodies are variable both in terms of grade and metallurgical
    response
    – this variability is a source of uncertainly that affects plant
    design, mine design and capital investment decisions
    • Throughputs are increasing and profit margins decreasing, thus
    financial risk is also increasing
    • Mining project risk needs to be carefully managed for projects to
    attract funding
    Geometallurgy – Beyond Conception,
    5 S.C. Dominy and L. O’Connor, 2016
    Geometallurgy Data
    • Lithology information for ore zones and waste zones/host rocks -
    mineralogy, alteration, and veining, etc
    • Structural information - faults, foliation, schistocity
    • Geotechnical information
    • Geophysical data - density, magnetics, chargeability
    • Metallurgical data - gravity recovery, flotation recovery, magnetic
    recovery, crushing work indices, hardness, UCS, grindability indices
    • Interpretations of integrated hyperspectral, digital photos, PIMA
    and observed geology data
    • Integrated 3-D models created for use for planning and forecasting

    6
    Case studies

    7
    Ni-Sulphide mine, WA
    • The Resource Model was not a good predictor of the actual grade,
    density and grindability of the ore
    – Poor Resource to Mill reconciliation
    – Mine operations could not rely on the model for short-term
    production planning

    • Grade control activities identified clear zones of magnesite


    alteration, not recognised or modelled in the Resource Model
    – When correctly mapped and modelled, the alteration domaining
    helped improve reconciliation due to
    • Hardness and grindability
    • Bulk density
    • ‘Grade per tonne’ versus ‘grade per
    8
    cubic metre’
    Hill End – Trial Mining
    Objectives
    • Improve resource knowledge
    – Improved understanding of grade distribution & geological controls
    • Improve processing knowledge
    – 90.4% recovery from nominal 1 mm grind; Staged grind and Knelson
    concentration to capture coarse gold; Finish concentration on tables

    Issues
    • Generally poor reconciliation between face and
    batch mined grades (drive and stope)
    • Deposit difficult to scale up (mining tonnage
    constrained, no electricity UG)
    • Trial plant (5 tph) did not easily allow for scale-
    up testing
    Hill End – Ore Sorting
    Test Work – Ore Sorting
    • Initial evaluation of ore samples - multiple sensing systems tested
    • Gold is in quartz veins hosted by shale – i.e. pre-concentration of
    gold in geologically identifiable host
    • Colour recognition in natural light (quartz ore & shale waste) most
    effective
    • Test work achieved 75% rejection of unmineralised slate*
    • 95% of gold in quartz retained*

    Issues
    • Fines would not be sorted – proportion
    unknown
    • Hill End HG (8 - 12 g/t Au) and LG (1.5 -
    3.5 g/t Au) in separate deposits, with
    different economics
    * HEG QR 31 January 2011
    Thank you
    Mark Noppe | mnoppe@srk.com.au

    11

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