CiDRA Minerals Processing Inc and OZ Minerals Ltd have announced that they have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding that provides a basis of common understanding to commission a Front End Engineering Design (FEED) study for customisation and tie-in of CiDRA’s proprietary non flotation-based mineral separation technology for operation in a grind circuit rougher application at OZ Minerals’ Carrapateena copper-gold mine in South Australia.
At the same time, CiDRA and OZ Minerals have agreed to deploy a demonstration plant based on CiDRA’s technology at the site. CiDRA and OZ Minerals said they “share a desire to increase the technology readiness level (TRL) for a commercial scale implementation of CiDRA’s technology as a grind circuit rougher which will process a coarse fraction of the primary grind hydrocyclone underflow at Carrapateena.”
The goals of the partnership are to increase plant throughput, recovery, and net metal production at a reduced specific energy consumption in keeping with their efforts to help meet the world’s raw material needs in a responsible, equitable, and sustainable way.
“We are excited to take this next step in our relationship with OZ Minerals. Since early 2022, we have been working closely with the Carrapateena mine site to evaluate the potential benefits of CiDRA’s technology. This new technology enables a robust process that can recover mineral particles across a size range from ultra-fine to very coarse with high selectivity and minimal hydraulic entrainment. Applying CiDRA’s novel technology as a grind circuit rougher unlocks the concentrator’s throughput capacity while maintaining world class mineral recovery. The MOU will allow us to collectively focus our efforts to leverage this incredible innovation to enhance the net metal production of the Carrapateena mine site and create a tremendous value for each of our companies,” stated Paul Rothman, President of CiDRA.
Joe Seppelt, Manager – Processing at OZ Minerals’ Carrapateena Mine Site stated: “The CiDRA technology can enable us to increase our plant throughput without sacrificing the industry leading recoveries that we have been able to achieve at Carrapateena. This capital efficient approach has the potential to operate with less water and energy and with a smaller footprint. We look forward to working with CiDRA to realise the benefits of their innovation.”
CiDRA has previously stated: “Flotation-based separation technology has been utilised in the minerals processing industry for well over 100 years. Over the years there have been incremental improvements to the process, but CiDRA Minerals Processing has developed a breakthrough technology for separating sulphide-based minerals such as copper and gold. This novel technology is capable of processing slurry streams with a wide range of particle sizes from ultra-fine to ultra-coarse. This enables the operators to unlock throughput capacity by increasing the primary grind size of the plant without sacrificing recovery. This significantly improves overall plant economics, reduces specific energy consumption, reduces water consumption, and enables dry stacking of tailings.”
