Flowsheet Development on
the Island….
The Blue Coast Group’s Approach to
Metallurgical Testwork & Consulting Services
VIX Group Meeting, June 26th 2013
Parksville, BC
Informal Agenda
›
7:00pm – Meet & Greet, Refreshments.
›
7:30pm – Introduction & Presentation by Dave Middleditch.
›
8:00pm – Tour of Mineral Processing Lab & Practical Demonstration of Flotation &
Superpanner/MAT table.
›
8:30pm – Tour of Analytical Lab (Fire Assay & Wet Chemistry).
›
All times are approximate!
›
Location of washrooms and fire escapes…
Prospecting to Production
> The main steps… simplified..
Prospecting
(10,000+)
Drilling
(1,000+)
Economic Evaluation
More Drilling…
Production
(10+)
Construction &
Commissioning
Financing
More Evaluation…
(100+)
Economic Evaluation
›
What do you need for a Positive economic evaluation?
›
A good Resource (sufficient drilling, accurate block model etc…)
›
A workable and economic Mining Method (open pit, underground cut and fill etc…)
›
A viable Process that recovers the valuable minerals into saleable products.
›
Need to show a Positive Net Present Value (NPV) to the potential shareholders/investors.
›
High metal prices and a favourable, mining friendly jurisdiction help but are not prerequisites
for success…
›
TEAMWORK – A project needs good Geologists, Mining Engineers and Metallurgists to realise
its full potential..
›
Most mining companies rely on consultants and service providers to provide the majority of
the project team members…
Who Are Blue Coast?
›
A group of Metallurgists, Mineralogists, Technicians & Administrative personnel
focused on providing mining companies with the optimum mineral processing
flowsheet for their project.
›
Greenfield and brownfield development projects specialising in base metals and
gold
›
Also provide “Plant Support” to existing operations around the world
›
Projects are located across the globe but our clients are predominantly Vancouver
or Toronto based…
The Blue Coast Group
Est. 2011
Met Testwork
Fire Assaying
Wet Chemistry
~15 Employees
Est. 2008
Met Consulting
Flowsheet Development
Project Management
Plant Support
~4 Employees
Metallurgical Testwork
> Why go to the trouble?
›
Assess and Evaluate the most appropriate processing technologies – All orebodies
are unique!
›
Define the metallurgical grade and recovery projections – Ever increasing
confidence required from PEA up to Detailed Engineering…
›
Reduce Risk – Technological risk as well as the risk of inaccurate numbers.
›
Optimise or refine existing flowsheets or operations – Sometimes projects get to
production with the “wrong” flowsheet…
›
Compliance with NI-43101 Standards – Qualified Persons in high demand. 43-101
guidelines for metallurgical testwork are under review and will get tighter. Blue
Coast respected name in the issuance of 43-101 compliant metallurgy
Metallurgical Testwork
> First Steps…
›
Sample Selection: Spatially representative, grade representative, lithologically
representative, Master Composite(s), variability composites…
›
Head Characterisation: Assays & trace element scans.
›
Mineralogy: Automated mineralogy (QEMSCAN) is best for base metals. Optical/DSIMS best for gold for visible/refractory gold respectively.
›
Best done by Geologists working with Metallurgists…
Mineralogical Analysis
> QEMSCAN
›
QEMSCAN = Quantitative Evaluation of Minerals by Scanning Electron Microscope
›
Hundreds of thousands of particles measured in one specimen
›
SEM combined with X-Ray (EDS) locates and identifies minerals to provide:
›
Modal Abundance
›
Mineral Liberation Data
›
Association Data (what type of gangue is attached to your chalcopyrite?)
›
Deportment (if mineral compositions are known – can be measured or assumed)
Mineralogical Analysis
> QEMSCAN
100
90
80
70
Mineral Abundance (wt.%)
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
EDPCuZn VAR1
EDPCuZn VAR2
EDPCuZn VAR3
EDPCuZn VAR4
EDPCuZn VAR5
EDPCuZn VAR6
EDPCuZn VAR7
Chalcopyrite
Bornite
Enargite
Covellite
Chalcocite
Cu Textures
Pyrite
Sphalerite
Pyrrhotite
Galena
Quartz
Amphiboles
Feldspar
Epidote
Other Silicates
Barite
Carbonates
Kaolinite
Mica
Chlorite
Fe Oxides
Other
Mineralogical Analysis
> QEMSCAN
Elemental Deportment (Mass % Cu)
100
90
80
70
Mass (% Cu)
60
Cu Textures
Chalcocite
50
Covellite
Bornite
Chalcopyrite
40
30
20
10
0
EDPCuZn VAR1
EDPCuZn VAR2
EDPCuZn VAR3
EDPCuZn VAR4
EDPCuZn VAR5
EDPCuZn VAR6
EDPCuZn VAR7
Metallurgical Testwork
> Flowsheet Selection
›
What flowsheet is the most appropriate?
›
Experience with similar projects?
›
Industry standard
›
Although no two orebodies are ever the same, the optimum process will ultimately
share features and characteristics with similar orebodies.
›
For example, if testing a greenfield BC copper porphyry new discovery with
straightforward mineralogy a good place to start would be the flowsheet used at
Teck’s Highland Valley Copper operation.
Metallurgical Testwork
> Flowsheet Selection – Copper Porphyry
›
What primary grind?, what regrind?, collector dose? Residence time? Number of
stages of cleaning? Is gold recovery important etc..?
Rougher
Primary Grind
p80 = 130 microns
Rougher Tail
Regrind (mild steel)
p80 = 25 microns
Cleaner 1
Cleaner 1
Scavenger
Cleaner Scav
Tail
Final Product
Recirculating Stream
Cleaner 2 Tail
Cleaner Scav Conc
Cleaner 2
Cleaner 3 Tail
Cleaner 3
Cleaner 3 (Final)
Concentrate
Metallurgical Testwork
> Flowsheet Selection – Polymetallic
›
What primary grind?, what regrind?, collector dose? Zinc depressant dosage?
Ability to produce separate and saleable copper and zinc concentrates?
Copper Rougher
Flotation
Zinc Rougher
Flotation
Final Tails
Primary Grind
p80 = 70µm
Copper Regrind
p80 = TBDµm
Zinc Regrind
p80 = 28µm
Zinc Cleaner 1
Flotation
Copper Cleaner 1
Flotation
Copper Cleaner 2
Flotation
Copper Cleaner 2
Flotation (req'd
for low Cu head
grades)
Zinc Cleaner 2
Flotation
Zinc Cleaner 3
Flotation
Final Copper
Concentrate
Final Zinc
Concentrate
Metallurgical Testwork
> Flowsheet Selection – Gold
›
Gravity, flotation & leaching are the main process options for gold
recovery. Which one, or which combination is the most appropriate?
›
GRG gold? Fine grained associated with pyrite? Refractory?
›
Can a high grade gravity conc be produced?
›
At what grind are we able to achieve GRG recovery?
›
Can we float pyrite hosted gold into a flotation concentrate?
›
When leached, is the gold recovered from concentrate? What CN
concentration is required? Is whole ore leaching more appropriate?
›
If gold is refractory, other processing options can be considered –
POX, BiOX, roasting etc… Need to produce economic feeds for these
processes as they are expensive to operate.
Metallurgical Testwork
> Comminution
›
World’s Largest SAG Mill – Kansanshi Copper Mine, Zambia
›
40’x29’, 28MW
›
130,000 tpd throughput
›
Millions of $$ CAPEX – success of the whole operation relies
on correctly sized crushing and grinding circuits.
›
Need to do testwork on representative samples in order to
conduct proper circuit design.
›
Variability must be considered
›
Bwi, Rwi, SMC, JK Dropweight, Cwi, Ai, Macpherson Test etc…
Metallurgical Testwork
> Flowsheet Selection Tools
›
Batch Flotation Tests (rougher & cleaner)
›
Locked Cycle Tests (flotation) inc. full element scans of concentrates (ICP).
›
Bottle roll cyanidation tests (gold/silver leaching) – CIL, heap leach etc…
›
E-GRG and GRG tests (gravity recovery)
›
Bond Ball Work Index Testing
›
Assaying – wet chemistry and fire assay done in house
›
Associated sample prep – crushing, blending, sizing, bucking etc…
›
Interpretation – BCR personnel have worked on 100s of projects over
many years in the lab and in plant operations.
Analytical Services
> Wet Chemistry & Fire Assay
›
Integrated assay laboratory geared towards metallurgical
testwork assays
›
Fire Assay (gold and silver) & Wet Chemistry (base metals
and silver by AR/4A with AA finish)
›
Relatively low volume but high quality
›
Quick TAT – 24 hour base metals, 48 hour gold assays
›
Participate in SMA round robin program (30 labs in total
participating)
›
Rigorous internal QA/QC program. BCR + 3 External
Commercial Labs (SGS Lakefield, Actlabs, Florin Analytical)
Metallurgical Testwork
> How much is enough?
›
Tradeoff between risk mitigation & $$ spent on testing
›
Is it possible to remove All process risk? Yes, but… it would be a very expensive testing program!
›
Is it possible to do met testwork cheaply? Yes, but… the potential for process risk would likely
be higher.
›
Value for money is the key.
Reduced Risk
Pre- Scoping
Scoping
Study/PEA
Prefeasibility
Study
Feasibility
Study
Detailed
Design &
Engineering
Metallurgical Testwork
> How much is enough?
Level
Sample
Representivity
Pre-Scoping
Best sample available at
time
Scoping Study/PEA
Prefeasibility Study
Feasibility Study
Detailed Design
Effort made to match
average resource grade
& spatial representivity
Multiple drill holes,
spatial variability
samples, reasonable
coverage of various
zones
Absolute confidence in
samples required.
Thorough coverage of all
zones and variability
As needed – focus on
specific zones if required
Sample
Mass (Kg)
10-15Kg
50kg
200kg
2000kg
+10000kg
for Pilot
Plant
Mineralogy
Hardness
Yes – Basic
Optical study
on MC
Flotation
Testing
Variability
2-3 Batch
Tests
Master
Comp
Yes –
QEMSCAN
size by size
on MC
Yes – Basic
BWi/RWi
10+ Batch
Tests + LCT
Main Zone
Master
Comps
Yes –
QEMSCAN
variability
study &
MC(s)
Yes – full
circuit plus
variability
50+ Batch
Tests +
multiple LCTs
Main Zones
+ Variability
Comps
Yes –
QEMSCAN
variability
study &
MC(s)
Yes – JK
tests, JK
model,
power
based
design
100+ Batch
Tests +
multiple LCTs
Main Zones
+ Variability
Comps +
blend tests
Yes – if not
completed
prior
Check
design –
third party
review
Confirmatory
Not
Required
Pilot
Plant
Case Studies
> The cost of getting it wrong…
›
CASE STUDY A – Vancouver Based Junior, polymetallic project, East Africa
›
Prior to BCM involvement the company contracted a Vancouver based testwork lab to perform scoping
level metallurgical testwork.
›
Company needed favourable results form program in order to make “go forward” decision on the project
before relinquishing property to the government.
›
Polymetallic orebody – complex metallurgy but easily workable using the correct process flowsheet.
›
2008/2009 lab testwork program (~$150k) failed to produce saleable products at economically viable
recoveries.
›
Company sought second opinion on testwork program from BCM (Chris Martin) due success of similar
project in the same country.
›
Testwork repeated at different met lab with conventional flowsheet.
›
2013 – Company completes positive feasibility study. NPV of $692 million
›
Financing & construction expected in 2014 – Blue Coast still involved…
Case Studies
> The cost of getting it wrong…
›
CASE STUDY B – PGM Operation, Ontario
›
Mill expansion in 2001
›
SAG mill undersized by 40% - Pebble crusher had to be
installed after the fact… extra CAPEX
›
Flowsheet developed proved unworkable requiring complete
change on startup
›
Initial losses were ~-15% in Pt+Pd recovery
›
After optimisation losses were still ~-5% recovery
Analytical Services
> Proposed Geochem Fee Schedule
›
Based on batches of >100 samples*
›
Package 1 (Cu, Pb, Zn, Fe, Ni, Co) = $19.00 for first element +$4.50/additional
element
›
Package 2 (As, Ag) = $22.50 for first element +$4.50/additional element
›
Au Fire Assay (30g fusion) = $19.50/sample
›
Au/Ag Fire Assay (30g fusion) = $29.50/sample
›
Crushing of core (<1500g) = $7.50/sample
›
Pulverising of ~200g Subsample to 75µm = $6.00/sample
›
TAT = 2-3 Days for Base Metals, 3-4 Days for Gold. (Less 24 hours if prep is not
required)
›
Exclusive to VIX Group Members/local prospectors and developers
›
Batches <100 samples refer to metallurgical price list
Questions/Comments?
“Thank you for your attention…”