F.C.F. Batista, R. deS. Almeida, L. deA. Silva, T. Banerjee, D. Gudgeon
CMP 2018, 23-25 January 2018, Ottawa, Canada
ABSTRACT
Yamana Chapada’s mine is one of the larger copper-gold mines in Brazil. The mine is located in Goias state, in the central part of Brazil. The mine has estimated Mineral Reserves of 4.1 million ounces of gold and 3.2 million pounds of copper as at December 21, 2016. While gold and silver are significant, Chapada’s process flowsheet is configured closer to that of copper facilities. This includes a SAG/Ball configuration for grinding followed by floatation. In the case of Chapada, the mineralogy results in higher than normal complexity, notably a significant circulating load both in the grinding and flotation circuits. From an operating perspective, the complexities are controllable, but require careful attention to ensure that circulating loads are effectively managed and gold is not lost to tailings. Chapada created an automation roadmap in 2016 designed to increase plant performance (tonnage, recovery and efficiency). Based on strong potential, the project was fast tracked and within 4 months instruments were installed, control algorithms implemented, and training sessions took place to ensure sustainability at site.
This paper follows the Chapada journey from identifying the opportunities through to implementation and testing.
AUTHORS
F.C.F. Batista (1), R. deS. Almeida (1), L. deA. Silva (1), T. Banerjee (2), D. Gudgeon (2)
- Yamana Gold, Chapada, Mineracao Maraca Industria e Comercio, Brazil
- Woodgrove Technologies, Toronto, Canada
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
CEEC acknowledges and thanks CIM for organising the CMP 2018 conference. Papers can be found here. For more information regarding publications contact