WHAT IS GEOMETALLURGY Geometallurgy is
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The distribution can be influenced by the geological structure of the ore body, in that the lithology can have an affect on some of the parameters.
Geometallurgy quantifies the variability of the ore deposit in terms of process parameters such as ore hardness, flotation kinetics and leach kinetics. The data is then applied to the deposit block model or the mine plan, typically through use of geostatistics. After this, geometallurgically enabled mathematical models, “GEMs™“,for grinding and flotation are used to generate economic parameters such as throughput, grind size, grade and recovery and return these to the block model. The models currently available, FLEET® (Flotation Economic Evaluation Tool) and CEET® (Comminution Economic Evaluation Tool) are capable of handling large data sets in an operational secure environment.
THE BENEFITS OF GEOMETALLURGY
Geometallurgy significantly reduces the impact of spatial uncertainty in mine planning because it documents the variability in a deposit. This lowers project risk by enabling:
WHAT PROJECTS BENEFIT MOST FROM A GEOMETALLURGICAL APPROACH?
Geometallurgy is a cost-effective technique used to characterize ore variability during any stage of exploration, development or operation. It is well suited to:
THE COMPONENTS OF GEOMETALLURGY
As seen in Figure 2, geometallurgy consists of several component activities including
KEY TECHNICAL DELIVERABLES
The key technical deliverables are:
GEOMETALLURGICAL DELIVERABLES
The table below presents the deliverables and benefits associated with each component activity.
Component |
Activity |
Deliverable |
Benefit |
| Creation of Geomatrix | Deposit assessment | Matrix of principle critical parameters | Guide sampling Focus flowsheet development |
| Variability Testing – Physical & Indicative Tests | Mineralogical and metallurgical tests and correlations (PSSA, SPI, JK Drop Weight, MFT, locked cycle) | Block model, delineation of zones of processing difficulty, geotechnical or environmental hazards | Understand and design for entire deposit Test flowsheet to ensure it is robust and will efficiently process life-of-mine ore Define potential problem zones and resolutions |
| Equipment and circuit selection & sizing | Modeling | Equipment lists and circuit configuration | Identify most effective equipment configurations or circuit design for life-of-mine forecast Expected metallurgical performance block-by-block, year-by-year |
| Geostatistics | Data handling, Modeling (grinding CEET, flotation: FLEET), Precision Analysis | Block model with met parameters, TPH, P80, concentrate grade and recovery for each block and with measured precision | Map the production characteristics on block-by-block or year-by-year basis Guide mine planning and cash flow forecasting Manage expectations |
| Production Forecasting | Testing, modeling, reconciliation | Forecast of expected revenue and profitability performance, block-by-block, year-by-year | High degree of forecast accuracy with measured precision Optimize plant operation through reconciliation |
EXPERTISE
SGS is the market leader in using geometallurgy. For 5 years we have been actively developing and applying this approach to project development. We typically run 12-15 programs a year for projects at any stage of development or large and small companies throughout the world and share our intellectual expertise in this field with many global companies. We currently are subcontracted to perform production forecasting at 5 mines producing gold, copper or iron ore.