Filetype PDF | Posted on 15 Sep 2022 | 3 years ago
Authentication
digital resources
173x Filetype PDF File size 2.97 MB Source: steinertglobal.com
GOLD EXTRACTION
PJSC Polyus’s (the largest gold producer in
Russia) Natalka mill achieved 80% of its design
throughput capacity of 10 Mt/y earlier this year.
nk ys By end May, Natalka had produced more than
e e
Gold 40,000 oz of gold since the beginning of the
year. Following the ramp-up, the mill will be
producing some 450,000 oz/y
John Chadwick
takes his annual times. For example, last year EganStreet
look at the latest Resources identified an opportunity to optimise
gold exploration, and significantly enhance the financial
analysis and outcomes of its 100%-owned Rothsay gold
recovery project, located 300 km northeast of Perth in
Western Australia, through the application of
technologies state-of-the-art ore sorting technology. The
company received highly favourable initial
ick Holland, CEO Gold Fields, gave a speed of 25 km/h along 10 m spaced lines. results from ore sorting test work completed on
presentation entitled The Gold Mine of Flight control is fully autonomous with pilot a low-grade stockpile from the historical
Nthe Future at Mines and Money in intervention only during takeoff and landing. underground mine at Rothsay, with the key
London last year. In it he pointed out that Broadcast differential GPS information is outcome that the use of a Steinert Multi-Sensor
partnering with OEMs will become increasingly collected during acquisition. Final data Ore Sorter provides an opportunity to increase
critical in the future to harness best-of-class processing utilises a post-processed DGPS underground mine production (being fed to a
technologies. Gold Fields as well as having workflow, along with standard, and specialised similar-sized process plant), reduce the impact
relationships with the traditional equipment and inhouse potential-fields processing workflows. of dilution from the main ore-hosting structure
technology suppliers has also established Trimble offers precise positioning solutions at Rothsay, reduce life-of-mine processing costs
relationships with Business Science Corp, for drone/UAV use that provide continuous and substantially enhance project economics.
Amazon, NewTrax, FTP Solutions, NextGenOpX, mobile positioning and high-accuracy “Ore sorting technology is increasingly being
IoT.Nxt, Trimble and others to implement orientation for applications such as navigation, adopted across the gold mining industry in
technological advances such as rugged sensors guidance and control as well as mapping and Western Australia, with highly encouraging
and 3D vision and mapping software; used in survey from UAVs. Trimble integrates a wide results. Representative samples collected from
areas such as mapping and inspection; operator range of positioning technologies including GPS the low-grade stockpile located adjacent to the
safety in the form of advanced obstacle and inertial technologies with wireless portal of the historical Rothsay gold mine
detection and warning; stockpile monitoring; communications and industry specific returned an average stockpile grade of 2.5 g/t
geological monitoring; enhanced tele-remote application software to provide robust solutions. Au. This compares favourably with previous
operation; and fleet tracking with real time South Deep has replaced borehole cameras sampling of this stockpile in 2013, which
monitoring underground. and other observation methods used to returned results ranging from 2.7-4.1 g/t Au.
The company also gave some case studies of determine the effectiveness of preconditioning More importantly, the results demonstrated that
where it has implemented a number of other blasts with ground penetrating radar in the form the Steinert Multi-Sensor Ore Sorter was able to
technology applications at its operations. Aerial of a Reutech Sub-Surface Profiler. This means successfully reject the barren ultramafic
and surface drones at its Australian and fast and accurate identification of rock material located in the hanging wall of
Ghanaian mines have improved its exploration structures, including blast induced fracturing. Woodley’s Shear.” The PFS production target of
efforts and aerial mapping. Gold Fields uses Data can be seen in real-time, reducing the turn- 936,000 t grading 7.0 g/t Au consisted of 43%
different drone technologies to capture high around time for operators to continue mining. A planned mine dilution (or 400,000 t of the total
resolution aero-magnetic data, particularly over reduction in face bursts has been seen since 936,000 t production target). The ultramafic
salt lakes (St Ives and Granny Smith), take implementation; and this is expected to component of this planned mine dilution
aerial photographs of tenements (Australian continue. represents 59% of the total dilution (or 236,000 t
mines), for early stage geological mapping of On the processing side, Gold Fields is using of the total 936,000 t production target).
tenements (Australian mines), and measuring Steinert ore sorting equipment at Agnew. Agnew “The ability to substantially reduce, or
stockpile volumes in a short space of time is working with Steinert to improve sorting of potentially virtually eliminate, this hanging wall
(Tarkwa). This is “to improve the way we capture underground stope material. This will sort dilution may allow an increase in mine
and process data for geology, geo-technical, material based on quartz content, helping to production, which will have a corresponding
material movements and reconciliation. Aerial remove diluting material with no quartz and positive impact on underground mine
photography of our tenements is now retain lower tonnage, and maintain a higher productivity, operating costs and economics.
completed in hours – not days or weeks.” grade mill feed. This has reduced processing Further test work will be conducted to confirm
Equipment includes Trimble aerial drones. For costs by not processing diluting material; these encouraging initial results. The potential
the salt lake drones a TRAMPE (Tethered Rotary increased available capacity in the CIL plant; of the multi-sensor ore sorter is that
Airborne Platform) and SKIMPI (Sled Kart reduced underground cutoff grades through underground mine production rates can be
Instrument for Magnetic Prospectivity Imaging) reduced processing costs; and opened up new increased by 34% without any increase in
are used, with scoping drones at Tarkwa. underground stoping areas due to reduced process plant size.”
TRAMPE is a towed bird configuration flying cutoff grades. At the time, EganStreet Managing Director
at a MeanTerrain Clearance (MTC) of 5 m for the Ore sorting has had an important impact on Marc Ducler said the application of ore-sorting
magnetometer, sampled at 25Hz at an average gold recoveries around the world in recent technology represented a potential game-
34International Mining | AUGUST 2018
GOLD EXTRACTION
gold price downside with sensor-based ore
particle sorting.”
In Evaluating the applicability of gold pre-
concentration by sensor-based sorting of quartz
ore, Rohleder et al report on investigating the
feasibility of sorting for four gold projects in
Northern Europe with similar mineralogy. This
included geometallurgical evaluation,
amenability testing, small scale ‘mini-bulk’
factory testing in full scale sensor-based sorting.
A “clear sortability” was proven for all
projects. The Figure 1 data set follows a clear
trend. The upgrade ratio increases measurably
when recovery decreases. Figure 2 shows the
clear correlation between waste removal and
recovery.
“When more mass is removed, recovery
Ore sorting mechanism, belt-type XRT sorting Development Manager, Christopher Robben, decreases. Developing a working sorting circuit
machine (TOMRA) conclude that “sensor-based ore particle sorting concept and choosing the correct sorter setting
can be used to significantly upgrade ROM ores is a trade-off between retained mass and
changer for the Rothsay project. “These results, prior to feeding to the concentrator. Numerous recovery based on these two findings. Adding a
albeit early stage, have shown the ease with benefits can be achieved including lower plant scavenger step for applicable deposits follows
which the mine production grade can be capital costs, lower plant operating cost, lower the same trend. When treating the laser waste
selectively upgraded prior to processing. This unit mining costs and potential extension to the fraction with XRT sorters more mass will be
provides us with significantly greater flexibility mine life. Benefits in the plant include a retained decreasing head grade going to the
in how we develop the mine as well as the significant reduction in energy, water and concentrator and increasing recovery. This has
ability to optimise our mining and production reagent consumption. been shown clearly in all four tests.
rates. Given that Rothsay is a relatively narrow “A sample from a potential gold project in the “All test samples come from four different
but high-grade mine, the ability to significantly Northern Hemisphere was tested in industrial locations and performance indicators follow
reduce the substantial amount of planned mine scale sensor-based ore particle sorters with clear trends. This is a strong indicator for the
dilution already built into our mine design and excellent results. Recoveries in the range of applicability of laser sorting for orogenic gold
financial model through the use of a Steinert 98-99.5% and waste rejection in the order of 30- deposits with quartz vein association.
Multi-Sensor Ore Sorter is an exciting and very 60% of plant feed were achieved. The financial “The mini-bulk test results prove the
positive development. We are confident that impact on the project was significant, with applicability of sorting for all projects. The final
follow-up testing to be undertaken this quarter sorting improving plant NPV by approximately decision of incorporating sorting is based on the
will confirm a pathway to significantly enhance 16% based on current assumptions, including impact the results have on the mine economics Hall 5
-
and optimise our development plan, adding an 8% discount rate. The project was also more of each project. Further testing is not required Stand E 15
considerable value to the project and robust with the addition of particle sorting as after the mini-bulk testing phase due to the
representing an important new input to the demonstrated by the reduced NPV sensitivity to industrial sized equipment used.”
definitive feasibility study to be finalised next
quarter.”
He added: “Technological advances such as
this are increasingly being adopted across the
gold mining industry in Western Australia and
are a great example of how innovation can
contribute to improved productivity and
enhanced financial outcomes for new mine QUENCHED & TEMPERED STEEL PLATES:
developments such as Rothsay.”
The most recent results released in May 2018,
demonstrated a successful separation of heavy
waste rocks from lighter quartz rocks could be MEET YOUR
achieved using X-ray Transmission (XRT). The
technology works by differentiating the atomic
density of the waste rocks (ultramafic and TOUGHEST
mafic – grey rocks) and the gold bearing quartz
(white rocks).
In their paper, Sensor-based ore sorting to DEMANDS
maximise profit in a gold operation, presented
at MetPlant 2017, Perth, September 2017, Bjorn
Nielsen, Jorn Rohleder and Harri Lehto of
Outotec, and TOMRA Sorting Business Figure 1
36 International Mining | AUGUST 2018 www.QUARD.ME
GOLD EXTRACTION
S
e
n
s
o
r
-
b
a
s
e
d
o
r
e
s
o
rt
i
n
g
m
e
t
h
o
d
o
l
o
g
y
i
n
v
e
s
t
i
g
a
t
i
o
n
a
p
p
l
i
e
d
t
o
g
o
l
d
o
r
e
s
.
T
h
e
y
r
e
p
o
rt
e
d
t
h
a
t
“
t
h
e
u
n
d
e
r
s
t
a
n
d
i
n
g
o
f
t
h
e
r
e
l
a
t
i
o
n
s
h
i
p
b
e
t
w
e
e
n
d
i
f
f
e
r
e
n
t
t
e
x
t
u
r
e
t
y
p
e
s
,
g
r
a
i
n
s
i
z
e
a
n
d
t
h
e
g
o
l
d
s
o
u
r
c
e
a
s
s
o
c
i
a
t
i
o
n
s
s
u
c
h
a
s
q
u
a
rt
z
o
r
s
u
l
p
h
i
d
e
,
a
n
d
t
h
e
i
r
r
e
s
p
o
n
s
e
s
t
o
d
i
f
f
e
r
e
n
t
t
y
p
e
s
o
f
s
e
n
s
o
r
s
a
r
e
t
h
e
k
e
y
t
o
r
p o
j
e
c
t
s
u
c
c
e
s
s
.
T
h
e
m
e
t
h
o
d
o
l
o
g
y
c
o
n
s
i
s
t
s
t
o
i
d
e
n
t
i
f
y
t
h
e
m
a
i
n
t
e
x
t
u
r
e
s
,
c
l
u
s
t
e
r
i
n
g
b
y
t
h
e
r
o
c
k
d
e
s
c
r
i
p
t
i
o
n
,
u
n
d
e
r
s
t
a
n
d
i
n
g
t
h
e
r
e
s
p
o
n
s
e
b
e
h
a
v
i
o
u
r
o
f
e
a
c
h
t
y
p
e
t
o
t
h
e
s
e
n
s
o
r
s
,
c
h
e
m
i
c
a
l
a
n
d
m
i
n
e
r
a
l
o
g
i
c
a
l
a
n
a
l
y
s
i
s
b
y
t
e
x
t
u
r
e
s
t
o
i
d
e
n
t
i
f
y
t
h
e
g
o
l
d
s
o
u
r
c
e
s
,
t
h
e
m
a
c
h
i
n
e
c
o
n
f
i
g
u
r
a
t
i
o
n
w
i
t
h
t
h
e
i
n
f
o
r
m
a
t
i
o
n
o
b
t
a
i
n
e
d
i
n
t
h
e
l
a
s
t
s
t
e
p
a
n
d
p
i
l
o
t
t
e
s
t
.
I
n
o
r
d
e
r
t
o
a
c
h
i
e
v
e
t
h
e
o
b
j
e
c
t
i
v
e
s
,
r
e
s
e
a
r
c
h
h
a
s
b
e
e
n
d
e
v
e
l
o
p
e
d
t
o
d
e
f
i
n
e
t
h
e
t
y
p
e
s
o
f
c
a
l
i
b
r
a
t
i
o
n
a
n
d
s
e
n
s
o
r
s
f
o
r
t
h
e
d
i
f
f
e
r
e
n
t
t
y
p
e
s
o
f
g
o
l
d
o
r
e
p
r
o
d
u
c
e
d
b
y
A
n
g
l
o
G
o
l
d
A
s
h
a
n
t
i
.
“T
h
e
m
e
t
h
o
d
o
l
o
g
y
s
h
o
w
e
d
p
o
t
e
n
t
i
a
l
t
o
a
c
h
i
e
v
e
e
x
c
e
l
l
e
n
t
g
o
l
d
r
e
c
o
v
e
ry
(
h
i
g
h
e
r
t
h
a
n
9
5
%
)
i
n
/
w
i
t
h
a
m
a
s
s
p
u
l
l
o
f
4
0
%
,
u
s
i
n
g
o
n
e
o
r
t
w
o
s
t
e
p
s
o
f
p
r
e
-
c
o
n
c
e
n
t
r
a
t
i
o
n
.
T
h
i
s
i
n
f
o
r
m
a
t
i
o
n
f
e
a
s
i
b
i
l
i
t
y
i
n
c
o
m
p
l
e
x
o
r
e
s
,
p
a
rt
i
c
u
l
a
r
l
y
g
o
l
d
o
r
e
s
. c
o
n
f
i
r
m
s
t
h
e
i
m
p
o
rt
a
n
c
e
o
f
a
g
e
o
l
o
g
i
c
a
l
a
p
p
r
o
a
c
Figure 2 h
T
h
i
s
i
s
b
e
c
a
u
s
e
g
o
l
d
i
s
n
o
t
d
e
t
e
c
t
e
d
i
t
s
e
l
f
,
b
u
t w
h
e
n
i
n
v
e
s
t
i
g
a
t
i
n
g
o
r
e
s
o
rt
i
n
g
t
e
c
h
n
o
l
o
g
y
f
o
r
A
n
g
l
o
G
o
l
d
A
s
h
a
n
t
i
h
a
s
a
p
p
l
i
e
d
a
n
e
w
a
n
d c
o
r
r
e
l
a
t
i
o
n
s
b
e
t
w
e
e
n
d
e
t
e
c
t
a
b
l
e
c
h
a
r
a
c
t
e
r
i
s
t
i
c
s c
o
m
p
l
e
x
g
o
l
d
o
r
e
s
.
I
n
a
d
d
i
t
i
o
n
,
t
h
e
i
n
f
o
r
m
a
t
i
o
n
e
x
t
e
n
s
i
v
e
g
e
o
l
o
g
i
c
a
l
a
p
p
r
o
a
c
h
b
a
s
e
d
o
n
t
h
e a
n
d
g
o
l
d
c
o
n
t
e
n
t
n
e
e
d
t
o
b
e
p
r
e
s
e
n
t
,
w
e
l
l a
c
q
u
i
r
e
d
s
u
p
p
o
rt
s
t
h
e
s
t
a
b
i
l
i
t
y
o
f
o
t
h
e
r
p
r
o
c
e
s
s
e
s
c
o
r
r
e
l
a
t
i
o
n
o
f
g
e
o
l
o
g
i
c
a
l
i
n
f
o
r
m
a
t
i
o
n
a
n
d u
n
d
e
r
s
t
o
o
d
a
n
d
r
e
l
i
a
b
l
e
t
o
u
n
d
e
r
s
t
a
n
d
t
h
e
g
o
l
d s
u
c
h
a
s
m
e
t
a
l
l
u
r
g
y
a
n
d
m
i
n
e
g
e
o
l
o
g
y
.
”
i
n
f
o
r
m
a
t
i
o
n
c
o
l
l
e
c
t
e
d
b
y
d
i
f
f
e
r
e
n
t
s
e
n
s
o
r
-
b
a
s
e
d d
e
p
o
rt
a
t
i
o
n
t
o
p
r
o
d
u
c
t
a
n
d
w
a
s
t
e
f
r
a
c
t
i
o
n
s
.
o
r
e
s
o
rt
i
n
g
s
e
n
s
o
r
s
.
Ex
p
e
r
i
e
n
c
e
o
f
t
h
i
s
i
n
s
e
v
e
r
a
l A
t
t
h
e
1
3
t
h
I
n
t
e
r
n
a
t
i
o
n
a
l
M
i
n
e
r
a
l
P
r
o
c
e
s
s
i
n
g A
n
a
l
y
s
i
n
g
go
l
d
l
e
v
e
l
s
m
i
n
e
s
p
r
o
v
e
d
h
o
w
c
r
i
t
i
c
a
l
/
i
m
p
o
rt
a
n
t
t
h
e C
o
n
g
r
e
s
s (
2
0
1
7
)
J
.
A
.
D
u
m
o
n
t
,
a
n
d
M
.
G
.
L
e
m
o
s
o
f T
h
e
a
b
i
l
i
t
y
t
o
a
s
s
a
y
l
e
v
e
l
s
o
f
g
o
l
d
a
n
d
o
t
h
e
r
g
e
o
l
o
g
i
c
a
l
a
p
p
r
o
a
c
h
i
s
t
o
i
n
v
e
s
t
i
g
a
t
e
o
r
e
s
o
rt
i
n
g A
n
g
l
o
G
o
l
d
A
s
h
a
n
t
i
,
B
r
a
z
i
l
a
n
d
R
o
b
b
e
n
p
r
e
s
e
n
t
e
d v
a
l
u
a
b
l
e
m
e
t
a
l
s
i
n
m
i
n
e
r
a
l
o
r
e
s
a
n
d
p
r
o
c
e
s
s
Hall 5
-
Stand E 15
QUENCHED & TEMPERED STEEL PLATES:
MMMMEEEEEEEETTTT YYYYOOOOUUUURRRR
TTOOUUGGHHEESSTT
TOUGHEST
DEMANDS
www.QUARD.ME
GOLD EXTRACTION
materials is essential for exploration, resource and powders and
definition, mine planning and process control. slurries to be measured
Gold has traditionally been analysed using with equal felicity
chemical methods, notably fire assay, which are without additional
labour-intensive, time-consuming and involve the preparation.
use of toxic or hazardous reagents. By adjusting the
Chrysos Corp is commercialising an alternative operating conditions of
approach, PhotonAssay, which was originally the X-ray source, and
developed by CSIRO. Based on the principles of identifying different
photon activation analysis, the method uses a emitted radiation
high-power, high-energy X-ray source to excite signatures, the
nuclear changes in any gold atoms present in a PhotonAssay process
sample, and then measures a characteristic can be extended to
signature emitted by these atoms. The process is measure a range of
non-destructive, rapid, highly specific and elements beyond gold.
capable of providing a true-bulk analysis of Preliminary results have demonstrated potential Full design capacity for Chrysos Corp’s
samples weighing 500 g or more. performance for other commercially important PhotonAssay PA1408X system is 72 samples per
Samples are packed into barcoded, screw-top elements, including silver and copper. hour
plastic jars in which they remain throughout the The first PhotonAssay unit has recently been to 12 hours by lengthy processing, OLGA provides
analysis. Once loaded onto an input conveyor, installed and commissioned at MinAnalytical’s live data. This enables real time monitoring and
the analysis process is fully automatic and assay laboratory operating in Perth, Australia. adjustment of process systems and empowers
requires no human intervention. Samples are Gekko and CSIRO are partnering to mining operators to minimise gold losses from
returned unchanged, and can be safely disposed commercialise a new technology that provides process excursions.
of or retained for future testing as required. real-time analysis for gold content in a slurry or Complementing Gekko’s existing Carbon Scout
Results from extensive factory testing solution stream. Delivering an updated sub-ppm measurement system, OLGA will enhance
demonstrate the ability of the technology to Au measurement every 10 minutes, the OnLine Gekko’s metallurgical accounting system which is
measure gold with high accuracy and sensitivity Gold Analyser (OLGA) provides insights into currently under development in collaboration
down to concentrations of 0.03 ppm. The system process performance that are unobtainable with with Rockwell Automation.
calibration is independent of the chemical or assayed sample sets. While traditionally assayed CSIRO Research Director – Nick Cutmore:
physical form of the sample, allowing different samples consist of homogenised samples that “OLGA is a breakthrough in on-line analysis for
ore types, concentrates, coarse or fine materials, are collected once per shift and then delayed up the gold industry and we are excited to be able
ENGINEERING DOBERSEK®
RZ_Anzeige International Mining_08_18.indd 1 17.07.2018 14:42:12
no reviews yet
Please Login to review.
