Multi-component Mine-to-Mill optimisation applied to iron and gold ores

Bonfils, Valery, Jankovic, Duffy, Tabosa, Holtham

Presented at the AusIMM Mill Operators Conference June 2021

ABSTRACT

The benefits of Mine-to-Mill optimisation have been understood by the industry for many years. If well executed, with a structured methodology, the overall operation throughput (mine and plant) can be maximised using the existing equipment, while minimising the unit operating costs. This has been accomplished by integrating blast fragmentation and comminution modelling, simulation and analysis. To take the process a step further and optimise the process from mine to concentrator (in terms of recovery, concentrate grade and throughput), it is necessary to track minerals or elements through the process using multi-component modelling.

In the traditional Mine-to-Mill approach, blasting and JKSimMet models are used to predict throughput and size distributions for comminution and classification. However, these models cannot track minerals or elements that are used in the recovery models. To optimise the process from mine to concentrator, the processing flow sheet is created in Limn software and integrated with the JKSimMet models. This takes into account recovery, concentrate grade and plant throughput. Limn is an add-on in Microsoft Excel software. Limn allows the user to duplicate the process flow sheet and specify size fractions and mineral components. Models for each process (eg classification, gravity, magnetic and flotation) are developed based on recovery-by-size data obtained from plant surveys. When a comminution stage is integrated into the recovery circuit, JKSimMet is used to develop component specific breakage rates which arethen incorporated into the Limn model.

This paper describes the application of integrated JKSimMet and Limn simulations for Mine-to-Process optimisation of two mining operations

•The first operation, where gold ore is treated by a gravity concentration process

•The second operation, where iron ore is treated by magnetic separation and flotation processes. For example, in the gold operation, integrated simulations allow evaluation of the impact of different potential locations of the flash flotation circuit on gold circulating load on a size-by-size basis

AUTHORS

B Bonfils1, W Valery2,A Jankovic3,K Duffy4, E Tabosa5and P Holtham6

1.Senior Process Engineer, Hatch, Brisbane, Qld. Email:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

2. Global Director–Consulting and Technology, Hatch, Brisbane, Qld. Email:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

3. Principal Consultant, Hatch, Brisbane, Qld. Email:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Process Engineer, Hatch, Brisbane, Qld. Email:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

5. Senior Process Engineer, Hatch, Brisbane, Qld. Email:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

6. Senior Consultant, Hatch, Brisbane, Qld. Email:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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