Tag Archives: copper

FLSmidth to deliver ball mills, HPGRs to South America copper miner

Base metals, Comminution of minerals, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , ,

Following a long-standing relationship with the customer, FLSmidth says it has received an order to supply comminution technologies to a leading copper miner in South America for its new greenfield concentrator.

The order is valued at approximately DKK380 million ($56 million) and was booked in the March quarter of 2024. The equipment is due to be delivered during 2025.

The order includes the delivery of two ball mills and three high pressure grinding rolls (HPGRs). The latter is among the most energy-efficient comminution technologies, as it lowers power consumption, while providing a more stable grinding operation and eliminating the need for grinding media, according to the OEM.

This new order builds on a long-standing relationship with the customer, where FLSmidth has supplied most of the equipment for its original concentrator as well as provided maintenance, spare parts and process support services over the years.

Mikko Keto, CEO at FLSmidth, said: “Receiving new orders from existing customers is always confirmation of a healthy and strong customer relationship. And it is particularly satisfying in this case as the customer is purchasing their first HPGRs and have selected our market leading technology. We look forward to supplying this best-in-class comminution package to positively contribute to both the output and operation of this new copper concentrator.

“This order not only supports our MissionZero ambition, it also clearly underpins FLSmidth’s market leading position within large grinding mills and HPGR.”

South32 eyes teleremote loading, dry stacking, ore sorting for Hermosa

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South32’s Hermosa project in Arizona, USA, continues to make progress, and recently provided updates on the latest developments in construction, efforts to support local workforce development and benchmarking community health metrics to support future sustainability and safety initiatives.

The feasibility study and an independent peer review for Hermosa’s Taylor deposit is on track for completion by the end of the month, with a final investment decision in the March 2024 quarter.

In May, the Hermosa team began initial excavation for the main exploration shaft and the ventilation shaft to provide underground access to the zinc resource.

Pre-sink activities for both shafts remain on track, with 50 ft (15 m) excavated for the main exploration shaft and 115 ft excavated for a ventilation shaft. This construction will allow the creation of infrastructure needed for safe passage of people and vehicles underground, while total depth of the shafts will be approximately 2,900 ft (884 m).

Taylor will use tele-remote semi-autonomous mucking for production stopes, including for development prior to production mining, South32 says. This will enable operation from the remote operating centre and would ‘engineer out’ vehicle and pedestrian interactions in the production mining area.

The project is also looking to make use of other advanced mining methods such as dry stack tailings, advanced process control, and the use of ore sensing and ore sorting, the company added.

Hermosa Vice President Project Delivery, Andy Thompson, said: “This advanced, underground mining method enables reduced surface impact and the amount of tailings resulting in a more sustainable mine.”

The South32 Hermosa Workforce Development Taskforce has been formed to identify the skills needed and local facilities available to help train, develop and expand the region’s workforce. The taskforce enables the Hermosa team to work with local education experts to develop a clear pathway for training local residents to fill skilled jobs at Hermosa, South32 says.

Skylie Estep, Human Resources Director North America, said “The first step in helping transform the local economy is partnering with community members whose expertise and understanding of our region’s educational needs can help create opportunities, so that the next generation can stay in Santa Cruz County.”

South32 says the Hermosa team has engaged Ramboll, a global consulting firm, to guide a baseline community health assessment and outreach to local public health institutions.

“Protecting the health of our workforce and the local community is our priority, and partnering with third-party public health organisations to regularly monitor and report findings ensures transparency and accountability on this critical metric,” the company said.

A baseline assessment will help Hermosa team to understand what levels of manganese and other minerals already exist in the community and environment, it said. By conducting this assessment before operations begin, the company says it can make sure health and safety controls are in place, better understand any changes over time, and ensure controls remain effective throughout the life of the project.

Caterpillar, Borusan make historic underground equipment delivery to Anglo Asian Mining in Azerbaijan

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Anglo Asian Mining says the Caterpillar mining fleet for its new Gilar mine has now been delivered to the Gedabek mine site, marking the first time Caterpillar underground equipment will be deployed in Azerbaijan.

The equipment will be substantially vendor-financed, and this is the first time Caterpillar will provide this to a customer in Azerbaijan or the wider Caucasus region.

The underground mining fleet comprises three 15-t-payload R1700 underground loaders and two 980UMA wheel loaders with 5.6 cu.m buckets.

Borusan, the authorised regional dealer of Caterpillar equipment, will maintain a stock of spare parts and consumables within Azerbaijan and major parts will be held at Borusan regional centres in Türkiye and Kazakhstan, Anglo Asian says. This will enable efficient aftersales servicing of the machines over their lifetime, which was a major factor in the machine selection process.

The company says: “The underground mining fleet are ‘state-of-the-art’, next-generation machines constructed with safety at their core. They are more powerful and contain many new features compared to their predecessors. The operator environment has been improved and is more comfortable. Many new safety features have been added, including better access points, multiple fire suppression systems and improved visibility and lighting.”

The underground equipment will be used in the company’s new Gilar mine, which is currently under construction and development. On December 11, a maiden JORC (2012) mineral resource estimate was published for the Gilar deposit. This confirmed 6.1 Mt of mineralisation with an average copper grade of 0.88% and 1.30 g/t Au. The in-situ mineral resource is 54,000 t of copper, 255,000 oz of gold and 46,000 t of zinc, according to the company.

The Gilar mine is scheduled to begin production around the middle of 2024 and will be an important source of production, bridging the gap between declining grades at Gedabek’s existing mines and production starting from its much bigger Xarxar and Garadag contract areas.

The total cost of the equipment is $4.6 million. The $3.7 million balance due for the purchase of the equipment will be paid by the end of December 2023 from the group’s existing liquidity resources. It is anticipated that $3.7 million will be refinanced by a vendor financing loan from Caterpillar. Negotiations are continuing with Caterpillar Finance to finalise execution of the loan which is expected to close in the March quarter of 2024.

A ceremony was held on the afternoon of December 11, 2023, to mark the arrival of the equipment at Gedabek. This was attended by the group’s leadership team, Azeri and Turkish representatives from Caterpillar and Borusan, along with representatives from both the central and regional Governments of Azerbaijan. A demonstration was also given of operating one of the machines by remote control.

Lycopodium engaged by Barrick for Lumwana copper expansion study

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Lycopodium has been awarded a contract from Barrick for the feasibility study and basic engineering for the expansion of its Lumwana copper mine in Zambia.

The study and basic engineering contract is valued at approximately A$19 million ($12.5 million), with the project having a capital cost investment of almost $2 billion. Work has commenced, with the accelerated development program targeting completion of the feasibility study by the end of 2024 and expanded process plant production anticipated in 2028.

The expansion of the mine will increase Lumwana’s annual production from 150,000 t of copper at a 26-28 Mt/y process plant production rate, to an estimated 240,000 t of copper at a 50 Mt/y process plant production rate, with an estimated 36-year mine life.

Lumwana is a conventional open-pit (truck and shovel) operation, about 100 km west of Solwezi in Zambia’s Copperbelt. Lumwana ore, which is predominantly sulphide, is treated through a conventional sulphide flotation plant, producing copper concentrate.

Lycopodium Limited’s Managing Director, Peter De Leo, said: “The expansion of Lumwana within Zambia’s world-class copper region supports the country’s commitment to its copper industry, and we are very pleased to have the opportunity to continue our partnership with Barrick and be part of this significant development that will have a material impact on the Zambian economy.”

This engagement follows the award earlier this year of the feasibility study and basic engineering contract for Barrick’s Reko Diq copper-gold project in Pakistan.

Metso-Arizona

Metso expands Arizona service centre on copper mining demand

Base metals, Equipment maintenance, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , ,

Metso is expanding its service centre in Mesa, Arizona, to, it says, support the growing needs of mining customers, primarily in the copper segment, which plays a crucial role in supporting a responsible energy transition.

In addition to expanding its service and repair capabilities, a cutting-edge training centre will be built to continue to improve competence development in the region, it says.

Giuseppe Campanelli, President, North and Central America, Metso, said: “We are proud to be able to further demonstrate our dedication to customer success, supporting the production of critical minerals. This investment will provide great benefit to the southwest USA and beyond, with comprehensive and reliable services. Our expanded facilities in Mesa will allow access to unmatched OEM-quality repairs and refurbishments, and the new advanced Metso Training Center will help ensure that the next generation of miners are well-equipped.”

The total investment value is approximately €14 million ($15 million), with expansions expected to be ready during the first half of 2025.

With further investments in the Mesa Service Center, Metso will optimise safety, sustainability and broaden its service capabilities. The expansion will increase the repair shop area by nearly 60% and add new high-capacity cranes, CNC machines, welding and assembly stations. This will increase the capacity and capability to perform heavy equipment repairs and service a wider range of equipment, spanning process steps such as crushing, screening, grinding, HPGRs, filtration, flotation and pumps, among others.

Annami Toukoniitty, Senior Vice President, Professional Services, Metso, said: “Metso is proud to invest and support this sustainable journey as increased repair capabilities have a direct positive impact on the circular economy. Skilled people are a core asset as well, and the new Metso Training Center at Mesa will add value to the industry.”

Aligned with customer demand, this is the second expansion of the Mesa Service Center since its opening in 2015. Numerous upgrades to the facility to improve energy efficiency are also being implemented. In addition to the service centre, since 2021, the Phoenix region is also home to one of Metso’s largest warehouse operations globally.

Within the same property, an advanced and fully-equipped training centre will also be built, to bridge the knowledge gap between people, equipment and operational goals, Metso says. The centre will support multiple ways of learning, outfitted with state-of-the-art simulators and digital training assets, in addition to classroom and hands-on learning areas. Comprehensive and tailored training programs will be designed and offered to support mining professionals’ technical knowledge, at the part, equipment and plant level.

Metso says it has an extensive service centre network with over 3,000 field services professionals, technical support and more than 40 service centres on six continents.

Sakatti-FutureSmart Mining

Anglo American highlights next FutureSmart Mining advances at Woodsmith, Sakatti

Automation, Base metals, Energy minerals, Environmental, Mine operation news, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Anglo American has provided its latest sustainability performance update, highlighting a number of technological advancements the company is looking to take at its in-development Woodsmith polyhalite mine in the UK and its exploration asset, Sakatti, in Finland.

Anglo American says it has an integrated approach to sustainability in project development, helping secure its ability to deliver responsible long-term growth in future-enabling metals and minerals.

The company is moving towards its goal of carbon neutral operations by 2040, evolving its pathways as it progresses, learns and as technologies develop.

At the end of 2022, its Scope 1 and 2 emissions were 21% below the peak levels of 2019 – a significant reduction that, Anglo American says, reflects its transition to 100% renewable electricity supply across its South America operations, with Australia to follow in 2025.

In southern Africa, it is working in partnership with EDF Renewables to build a 3-5 GW renewable energy ecosystem of wind and solar generation capacity, designed to tackle its largest remaining source of Scope 2 emissions and support energy reliability and grid resilience while catalysing broad socio-economic opportunities.

While Scope 3 emissions reduction is largely dependent on the decarbonisation of Anglo American’s value chains and the steel industry, in particular, it is progressing towards its ambition to halve these emissions by 2040.

Tom McCulley, CEO of Anglo American’s Crop Nutrients business, provided several references to Quellaveco, Anglo American’s most technologically-advanced mine that uses automation, a remote operations centre and high levels of digitalisation, when looking at its FutureSmart Mining™ plans at Woodsmith, a 5 Mt/y operation that could ramp up to 13 Mt/y.

McCulley, who also led development of Quellaveco, said Woodsmith will be developed as a benchmark for sustainable mining. This includes plans for the mine to be a low carbon, low water and low waste operation, with no tailings generation and with a minimum impact design.

“We hope this can show a way of how mining can be done in the future,” McCulley said of this approach at Woodsmith.

When it comes to Sakatti, Alison Atkinson, Projects & Development Director, said the development could end up being “our next greenfield project”.

The project is a rich multi-metal deposit with not only copper, nickel and cobalt resources, but also platinum, palladium, gold and silver.

“High concentrations of metal combined with consistency of the mineralisation between the boreholes make Sakatti a unique deposit,” Anglo American says of the project. Its resources are estimated to be sufficient for mining operations to last more than 20 years.

Atkinson said Sakatti is being designed as the next generation of FutureSmart Mining, building on what it has learned from Quellaveco and Woodsmith, particularly when it comes to ensuring there is minimal surface footprint and “using technology and innovations to deliver even better sustainability outcomes”.

She added: “Sakatti is set to be a remotely operated, low carbon-underground mine with an electric mining fleet using technology and mining methods that will create zero waste and enable high degrees of water recycling, contributing to a sustainable supply of critical minerals.”

The company also sees the potential to use sorting technologies for coarse particle rejection and material recovery opportunities.

ERG breaks ground on COMIDE copper-cobalt hydromet plant in DRC

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Eurasian Resources Group (ERG) in Africa has broken ground on a hydrometallurgical plant at its COMIDE asset to produce copper and cobalt in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

The plant is designed for phased operational output, with expansion potential to produce approximately 120,000 t/y of copper cathode and 15,000 t/y of cobalt hydroxide.

COMIDE comprises some of the largest known copper and cobalt resources still to be developed globally, according to ERG. Following a technical study, the development potential of its resource base and production capacity were established, paving the way for the project at hand. The COMIDE project includes the construction of a hydrometallurgical plant, an extensive exploration and drilling program, as well as mine development – backed by a total investment of around $800 million.

The start of works was marked by a groundbreaking ceremony held at COMIDE in Lualaba Province on October 12, 2023.

The hydrometallurgical plant, which is expected to be complete by the end of 2025, will be constructed in three phases. During the first and second phases, the plant will produce an estimated 40,000 t of copper cathode and 7,000 t of cobalt hydroxide annually. The third phase is projected to yield up to 80,000 t of copper cathode and 14,000 t of cobalt hydroxide per annum, with the potential for further expansion to reach a production capacity of 120,000 t of copper cathode a year.

Speaking on behalf of ERG Africa’s Acting Chief Executive Officer, Sergei Verbitckii, Chief of Staff, Joachim Nzuzi, stated: “The design of this project was developed with innovation and sustainability top of mind. The plant will be equipped with the latest technology to ensure that we maximise recovery, while reducing the impact on the environment.”

The ERG Clean Cobalt & Copper Framework – which guides production of these two critical minerals – will be extended to COMIDE.

Nzuzi added: “Aligned to ERG’s commitment to environmental stewardship, we are not only celebrating the building of a plant and the development of a mine today. We are also committing to a greener tomorrow, not only through our approach to responsible mining and producing the critical mineral required for the green energy transition, but also by restoring the ecosystems on our site and in the surrounding areas. Thus, before we have even started construction work, we teamed up with the University of Lubumbashi to establish a nursery that will provide the trees we will plant to ensure that after our mining activities eventually cease, the site will house many more trees than before we started the project. We already have 700 trees in our nursery and are currently seeding 2,000 more.”

During the development and construction phase of the project, COMIDE will provide approximately 2,000 direct and indirect jobs for DRC nationals, predominantly hired from its surrounding communities, ensuring that its community members will be the primary beneficiaries of COMIDE’s activities, while contributing to the broader economic upliftment of the country.

Once COMIDE becomes operational, with an estimated initial 20-year life of mine, its surrounding communities will stand to benefit through direct and indirect employment and supplier opportunities, the communities’ contribution fund and royalties towards social development initiatives, in addition to the projects outlined in its community development plan agreement [Cahier des Charges] and other social contribution initiatives contemplated to be developed in the context of the operation, ERG says.

Metso to provide ‘grinding island’ for Almina copper, zinc concentrator in Portugal

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Almina Minas do Alentejo S.A. is proceeding with the preparations to upgrade the copper and zinc concentrator at its Almina mine in Aljustrel, in the Iberian pyrite belt in Portugal, with the company having placed an order with Metso as the key equipment supplier for this project in the March quarter of 2023, the OEM says.

Metso has now completed the basic engineering of the grinding island. Delivery of the concentrator plant equipment will take place around the end of the June quarter in 2024, with the project expected to be commissioning by the end of the March quarter of 2025.

Saso Kitanoski, President for Metso’s Europe Market Area, said: “Collaboration between Almina Minas do Alentejo S.A and Metso is strong. We are excited to continue working with Almina on this project, for which they selected us to supply the grinding island, ultrafine grinding technology, as well as flotation, filtration and thickening equipment, as well as all slurry pumps. The deliveries will be fast as the plant will be built already within the next 24 months.”

According to Miguel Santos, Senior Sales Manager for Metso Minerals in Iberia & Italy, Almina chose to collaborate with Metso on the engineering for the grinding island as Metso was able to bring extensive expertise and confidence that the project will deliver robust performance, availability and sustainability results.

Santos said: “Almina trusts Metso as a partner for this project as we can provide them with a comprehensive package of solutions to help them achieve their targets. Several of the solutions to be delivered to Almina feature our Planet Positive technology.”

BJD Crushers wins Hammermill order from DRC copper producer

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BJD Crushers Limited, the UK-based manufacturer of crushing and size reduction equipment, has recently supplied a major order of its crushing machinery to a new copper mine and smelting plant in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The order includes the manufacture of two BJD 24 x 30 Hammermills with 90 kW drives, both running at 40 t/h. The machines will be used for processing copper concentrate from rotary dryers at the Kamoa-Kakula mine in the DRC, IM understands.

Used worldwide in the reduction of friable and fibrous materials, BJD’s Hammermill crushers can be supplied with adjustable breaker plates, produce high reduction ratios and feature capacities of up to 500 t/h, depending on duty, the company says. The whole project at the plant is due for completion in 2024/2025.

The contract, which was awarded following BJD’s successful completion of a similar project for Poland’s largest copper mine, took eight months from the initial order to shipment. It was delivered on schedule and within budget.

Peter Mills, Senior Project Consultant at BJD Crushers, explains: “We were honoured to supply BJD Hammermills to one of the world’s largest copper mining projects following previous success in this sector. The customer envisages a 19 Mt/y production scenario and required industry proven machinery to service this high-grade copper mining operation. The BJD Hammermills will be used to reduce the copper concentrate oversize material to a predicted 2mm particle size.”

BJD Crusher’s experience in the design and manufacture of crushing and size reduction equipment spans more than 80 years and covers a wide variety of applications, it says. Its equipment can be found working successfully in primary, secondary and tertiary applications around the world.

Rio Tinto completes 5 MW solar power plant build at Kennecott

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Rio Tinto has completed construction on a new 5 MW solar power plant at its Kennecott copper operation in Utah, USA, with commissioning expected in the coming weeks.

The 12,800 solar panel power plant will enable Kennecott to reduce its operational emissions by 3,000 t/y of carbon dioxide equivalent, Rio Tinto says. It will also serve as a pilot project with the goal of expanding Kennecott’s solar energy supply in the future.

Shifting to sustainable energy solutions is a priority for Kennecott, the company says. The mine closed down its coal-fired power plant in 2019, moving to electricity paired with renewable energy certificates. This resulted in a 65% reduction in its carbon footprint and the elimination of over 1 Mt/y of carbon dioxide output.

Rio Tinto Kennecott Managing Director, Nate Foster, said: “Rio Tinto Kennecott has a key role to play in supporting the energy transition. We supply US companies with the copper and tellurium they need to produce solar panels, wind turbines, and conductors. We also continue to take steps to further decarbonise our business, from our battery-electric vehicle trial to our renewable diesel trial and now to our very own solar plant.”

The location of the 30-acre (12.1-ha) solar array was carefully selected to minimise visual and environmental impacts, Rio Tinto says. It is adjacent to other existing industrial operations, away from residential and commercial zones, with earthen berms from the railway providing a visual barrier to most of the installation.

Last year, Rio Tinto started producing tellurium as a by-product of mining and refining copper at Kennecott, becoming one of only two US producers of this critical mineral. Both copper and tellurium are vital components of photovoltaic solar panels. The tellurium from Kennecott is refined by 5N Plus, a producer of specialty semiconductors and performance materials, before being supplied primarily to First Solar for use in its solar panels.

Rio Tinto aims to reduce its global Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 50% by 2030 and to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.