Tag Archives: electrowinning

Freeport furthers its leading copper leaching excellence

Base metals, Energy minerals, Environmental, Metallurgy, Mine operation news, Mineral processing, Mining services, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Among the new applications, technologies and data analytics Freeport-McMoRan is advancing as part of a plan to improve copper recovery from its leach processes in North and South America is Jetti Resources’ patented catalytic technology, the company has confirmed to IM.

In its December quarter and 2022 annual results, released late last month, the leading copper miner said it believed the leach innovation initiatives it was pursuing provided potential opportunities to produce incremental copper from its large existing leach stockpiles and lower-grade material currently classified as waste.

The company has been exploring the potential for incremental low-cost additions to its production and reserve profile for some time, saying in the latest results release that it had identified opportunities to achieve an annual run rate of 200 MIb/y (90,718 t/y) of copper through these initiatives by the end of 2023.

Freeport has a long history of copper leaching production with its Americas division, which includes assets such as Morenci and Cerro Verde, having developed and implemented industry-leading technologies for leaching of oxide ores.

The company has been pursuing internal and external initiatives to expand this leading position, focusing on traditional ores and sulphide orebodies that have been typically considered difficult to leach, like chalcopyrite.

This is where Jetti’s technology comes in.

The Colorado-based company has developed catalytic technology to allow for the efficient and effective heap and stockpile leach extraction of copper. This bolts onto existing solvent extraction/electrowinning (SX/EW) leaching plants so it can be deployed rapidly with limited capital expenditure and, because it uses no heating or grinding, has low operational costs. In addition, there are huge environmental benefits from using leaching over pyrometallurgy, according to Jetti.

A Freeport spokesperson confirmed to IM that the company was in a trial of the Jetti technology through “a commercial installation” at its Bagdad mine in Arizona, USA. This mine is one of its major leaching test hubs, with the company targeting over 3 MIb/y of incremental copper cathode production from the open-pit copper mine through this work.

Bagdad has a 77,100 t/d concentrator that produces copper and molybdenum concentrate, an SX/EW plant that can produce approximately 6 MIb/y of copper cathode from solution generated by low-grade stockpile leaching, and a pressure-leach plant to process molybdenum concentrate.

The spokesperson added: “There is potential to expand production via the treatment of additional stockpiles at Bagdad in the future based on results.”

The use of Jetti’s technology is one of several leaching initiatives the company is pursuing – some with outside vendors, some using its own technology and some with joint venture partners.

All of these are focused on not only adding low-cost production to Freeport’s large production base, but also achieving a lower carbon footprint.

Jetti, which Freeport is an investor in, has been conducting a carbon footprint study and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of its technology, with the LCA including analyses of typical copper mining operations without Jetti’s technology and a mining operation with Jetti’s technology installed. The LCA is being conducted in conformance with the ISO 14040/44 standard and will be critically reviewed by an independent expert.

Jetti Resources has developed catalytic technology to allow for the efficient and effective heap and stockpile leach extraction of copper

Jetti has also committed to starting to track water usage and waste at all its operations and sites, which includes the installation it has at Capstone Copper’s Pinto Valley operation, also in Arizona.

At Capstone’s operation, Jetti technology is being used extensively as part of a plan to recover up to 350 MIb of cathode copper over the next two decades from historic and new mineralised waste piles.

Teck Resources has also taken an interest in Jetti’s technology having signed an agreement for the evaluation of the solution at a number of Teck’s assets with potential copper resources outside of existing mine plans. BHP, through its BHP Ventures arm, is also an investor in Jetti.

As to Freeport’s wider leaching plans, it said it was looking to use data analytics to provide new insights to drive additional value, while new applications to retain the heat in the stockpiles were “yielding results”.

The company has assessed that it has some 38,000 MIb of contained copper in leach stockpiles deemed “unrecoverable” by traditional leach methods. Of this amount, about 50% is from the massive Morenci mine, which already has leaching production capacity of 900 MIb/y of copper.

Metso Outotec signs another VSF SX-EW order in North America

Base metals, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, , , ,

Metso Outotec says it has signed an agreement worth some €50 million ($53 million) for the supply of copper solvent extraction and electrowinning technology to North America.

The company’s scope of delivery includes basic engineering, a technology package for the VSF® solvent extraction and electrowinning plants, as well as advisory services for mechanical installation and commissioning, start-up, and spare parts.

Metso Outotec says its Vertical Smooth Flow (VSF) plants offer lower lifetime costs, significantly shorter lead times and sustainable life-cycle technology built on decades of experience in solvent extraction.

Mikko Rantaharju, Vice President, Hydrometallurgy, at Metso Outotec, said: “We are looking forward to working on this project, which will be an important reference for Metso Outotec in North America’s growing copper market.”

Other recent bookings for Metso Outotec’s VSF SX-EW technology include one from First Cobalt (now Electra Battery Materials) and Taseko Mines.

Asiamet engages BGRIMM for SX-EW plant engineering and procurement work at BKM

Base metals, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , , , , , ,

Asiamet Resources Limited says it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with BGRIMM Technology Group (BGRIMM) in relation to the engineering and procurement of the solvent extraction and electrowinning (SX-EW) plant for the BKM copper project processing facility in Indonesia.

BGRIMM is a leading Chinese engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) group providing services to the mining industry worldwide.

The MoU will see the two companies, alongside Asiamet’s consulting engineer, NewPro Consulting & Engineering Services Pty Ltd, work on the detailed design information for all equipment packages that BGRIMM has provided cost estimates for as part of the current BKM copper project feasibility study update.

BGRIMM will also complete a detailed cost estimate for an EPC Technical Supervision scope of work for the project’s SX-EW processing plant, which will be used in the FS update capital cost estimate. Upon successful completion of this update and a positive final investment decision by the Asiamet Board, the company will engage with BGRIMM on the provision of a complete engineering and procurement service contract for the SX-EW plant. This will include the supply of all necessary equipment for the SX-EW plant and coordination with suppliers of materials from within Indonesia.

Asiamet will also work with BGRIMM to develop the technical construction supervision requirements for the SX-EW plant when moving into the execution phase as well as commissioning services as required.

The SX-EW plant is a critical component of the BKM processing facility as it delivers the processes of metal purification and copper metal production, Asiamet said. It can be considered a discrete facility with well-defined battery limits, therefore is suitable for delivering as an engineering and procurement package.

Darryn McClelland, Asiamet CEO, added: “BGRIMM have already assisted our engineering consultants NewPro with various equipment pricing used in the FS update capital expenditure estimate as well as costs for executing the engineering and procurement services necessary for delivery of the SX-EW plant.

“Capital cost is a critical component of the feasibility of the BKM copper project and working with BGRIMM is one of a number of opportunities we have taken to help control cost and mitigate the inflationary backdrop seen in 2022. BGRIMM have a strong track record of delivering cost effective engineering and designs for SX-EW plants of the size we are proposing for the BKM copper project and we are very keen to tap into this experience. Asiamet looks forward to developing a strong working relationship with BGRIMM through involvement in the development of the BKM copper project, along with future development opportunities that are likely to arise from the broader KSK Contract of Work.

“Final discrete elements for the delivery of the updated Feasibility Study are nearing completion and we look forward to delivering on this in the near term and critically presenting a project with overall robust economics and attractive cashflow generation.”

A 2022 feasibility study on BKM outlined a maximum 4.5 Mt/y treatment rate from a nine-year heap leach SX-EW operation.

Metso Outotec to supply electrowinning equipment to copper cathode plant in Africa

Base metals, Mining equipment, , , ,

Metso Outotec says it has been awarded a contract for the delivery of advanced electrowinning equipment to a copper cathode production plant in Africa.

The order value amounting to approximately €11 million ($11.5 million) is booked in the company’s Minerals Q2/2022 orders received.

Metso Outotec’s scope of delivery includes the supply of basic engineering and equipment for the copper electrowinning plant expansion, it said.

The OEM’s offering for copper electrowinning tankhouses comprises pre-engineered solutions, key equipment and services to ensure superior process performance, increased safety and minimised environmental impact.

Metso Outotec adds to Planet Positive range with Activated Carbon filter for battery metals

Base metals, Energy minerals, Environmental, Mining equipment, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , , , , , ,

Metso Outotec is launching the Activated Carbon (AC) filter for, it says, efficient recovery and recycling of valuable battery chemicals.

The energy- and water-efficient AC filter responds to the market’s increasing demand for advanced and sustainable battery metals processing technologies and is part of Metso Outotec’s Planet Positive portfolio, it said.

Planet Positive is Metso Outotec’s all-encompassing approach to sustainability. It covers the environmental, social and financial aspects of sustainability, focusing on the positive impact on the environment and people through further growing its sustainable offering through products that are demonstrably more energy or water efficient than the market standard, or help customers achieve other priorities such as circularity and safety, as well as services that help customers improve their productivity.

Mika Vuorikari, Director of Industrial Filtration at Metso Outotec, said: “This launch will strengthen our capability to serve a large variety of industries and processes. Together with the Dual Media (DM) filter, Metso Outotec now has a complete filtration portfolio for solvent extraction (SX), electrowinning and crystallisation processes. We have strong know-how from the hydrometallurgical industry with more than 50 successful filtration solutions references from SX and crystallisation processes globally.”

The modular AC filtration technology is designed for smaller side streams of copper and other metal-loaded aqueous streams. It is specifically suited for efficient organics removal before the electrowinning and crystallisation processes. The AC filter uses the already proven design and operation philosophy of the Metso Outotec DM filter product family and is suitable for both greenfield and brownfield installations, the company added.

Benefits of the AC filter outlined by Metso Outotec include:

  • Increased end-product yield and quality;
  • Increased recovery and recycling of valuable process chemicals;
  • Cost-effective and modular design;
  • Low energy consumption, due to low pumping pressure;
  • Minimised water consumption with optimised back washing; and
  • Safe to use and operate, due to sealed pressure vessel and piping.

Newlox heralds the potential of OAR gold leaching technology following test work

Environmental, Metallurgy, Mineral processing, Mining services, Precious metals, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Newlox Gold Ventures Corp’s affiliate has reported what it says are “excellent results” from Stage 1 testing of the new Organic Aqua Regia (OAR) gold leaching technology on high-grade gold ore samples.

Newlox Research and Development Corp’s final analysis of the results from Stage 1 testing indicated not only is a gold recovery of 94.68% achieved at ambient temperature, but also a 100% recovery is achieved at 80°C.

The company is investigating the use of OAR technology as a non-toxic and water-free alternative to cyanidation to produce both gold and other precious metals. This will benefit Newlox Gold Ventures Corp’s ambition to recover residual precious metals and contaminants from historical tailings.

Newlox R&D is developing OAR in conjunction with the University of British Columbia in Canada and Chiba University in Japan to leach gold with this reagent, which is both non-toxic and widely used in other industries, according to the company. The main advantages include that it is non-toxic, is recyclable, extracts gold faster than cyanide, does not use water, and does not require carbon or electrowinning.

The company undertook Stage 1 testing on a high-grade gold ore grading an average of 48.87 g/t. The ore was ground in a BICO mill to reach a point where 80% of the material was below a grain size of 0.12 mm (P80 -0.12 mm) before leaching with OAR. Newlox’s research team used the Yates model in 16 experiments to investigate several combinations of reagent dosage and leaching time, it said.

Newlox R&D Corp undertook leaching tests in Vancouver, with the gold dissolution in the OAR calculated based on the gold grade in residues obtained after filtration. A third-party metallurgical laboratory (Global Mineral Resources) in Burnaby, British Columbia, was used to verify the results using aqua regia digestion and Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS).

The company explained: “The R&D team used the Yates testing protocol to modify various factors during testing and evaluate their effects and relevant interactions. The Yates protocol identified the most significant factors in overall gold recovery. Most encouragingly was the feature that all samples returning over 90% recovery during Stage 1 testing had reagent dosage commonalities, indicating a clear route forward for Stage 2 testing.”

Parallel testing was undertaken at the University of Chiba in Japan on the same ores tested by Newlox R&D in Vancouver. The Japan-based team experimented with alternative reagent additives and different leaching temperatures and found significant effects based on those factors.

Leaching tests undertaken in Japan at 80°C achieved 100% gold recovery in four hours, followed by precipitation of the dissolved gold by adjusting the solution’s pH. The pH control enabled pure gold recovery while concurrently suppressing the precipitation of other elements in the precipitate.

“This promising result indicates that gold may be recovered from the solution without the need for electrowinning,” the company said.

Stage 2 testing is now underway to both reproduce the results seen in Stage 1 testing and further investigate the effect of reagent dosage, time, and temperature on leaching mechanics. Additionally, the R&D team is focused on testing both the recyclability of the OAR reagent, and methods for recovering gold from the solution.

Ryan Jackson, President & CEO of Newlox, said: “We are most encouraged to report that the first round of testing achieved up to 100% gold recovery, using the cutting-edge OAR leaching technology. This initial round of testing forms part of the Newlox R&D 12-month OAR development program.

“We are gratified to realise such early positive results. OAR leaching promises to become a paradigm-shifting technology applicable not only to the $180 billion formal global gold mining industry but also as a method to bring the $27 billion informal gold mining industry into the 21st century.”

Metso Outotec books zinc plant order as it agrees sale of aluminium business

Base metals, Environmental, Metallurgy, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining mergers and acquisitions, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Metso Outotec has signed a contract to deliver a complete package of key process equipment for a greenfield zinc plant in the Chelyabinsk region in Russia.

The contract value of approximately €100 million ($122 million) has been booked in Metso Outotec’s Decemeber quarter order intake, a quarter of which will be booked in Minerals segment and the rest in Metals segment.

The order for the Verkhny Ufaley plant includes an equipment package for zinc concentrate processing, iron precipitation, solution purification and electrowinning (EW) technologies for safe and sustainable zinc processing based on OKTOP® reactor and plant products.

The order also contains a circuit heat recovery system, zinc EW and ingot casting equipment, as well as high-efficiency cooling towers for zinc EW and gypsum removal with drastically reduced emissions compared with conventionally-designed cooling towers, the company said. Clarifying solutions for consistent solid-liquid separation, high-performance Larox® FP and RB filters with low energy consumption, as well as fully integrated digital process automation for more reliable and flexible operation are also part of the order.

“Metso Outotec has been supplying minerals processing and metals refining technologies to our customers in Russia for a long time,” Jari Ålgars, President, Metals business area at Metso Outotec, said. “The new zinc plant will utilise Metso Outotec’s proprietary technology, which is both sustainable and highly cost effective.”

Stephan Kirsch, President of the Minerals business area at Metso Outotec, added: “Metso Outotec provides leading-edge technology for extensive zinc processing plants. This includes proprietary process equipment and know-how from raw material to final zinc product and various by-products.”

The technology to be delivered is the most cost-efficient technology available for zinc raw material processing, enabling efficient zinc and by-product recovery from a wide range of primary zinc raw material, according to Metso Outotec.

In a separate press release, Metso Outotec announced it had agreed to sell its Aluminium business to REEL International, headquartered in France. The business was put up for sale a year ago and has since been reported under the company’s discontinued operations.

The business to be divested comprises of green anode plants, anode rodshops, and casthouses used in aluminium smelters as well as related equipment and services. Approximately 120 Metso Outotec employees will join REEL upon closing, which is expected to take place during the March quarter of 2021, Metso Outotec said.

The parties have agreed not to disclose the value of the transaction.

Outotec improving energy consumption, efficiency at Glencore Nikkelverk refinery

Base metals, Metallurgy, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , , , ,

Outotec has agreed with Glencore Nikkelverk AS on the delivery of coated titanium anodes to the new tankhouse for its copper electrowinning plant in Norway.

The delivery will include over 5,000 of the new mixed metal oxide coated titanium anodes, with the order value, booked into Outotec’s September quarter order intake, being some €10 million ($11 million).

Glencore’s Nikkleverk refinery in Kristiansand, Norway, produces around 40,000 t/y of copper.

Outotec’s coated titanium anodes were tested on-site for five years, with the results verifying that Outotec anodes will significantly reduce energy consumption and provide higher current efficiency than traditional lead anodes, the company said.

Outotec said: “Outotec Coated Titanium Anodes provide totally lead-free electrowinning operations and increased occupational health and safety by eliminating lead and lead sludge handling.”

The end result for Glencore Nikkelverk AS is green technology electrowinning operations with higher quality copper product at lower energy consumption and operating costs, it concluded.

Kalle Härkki, Head of Outotec’s Metals, Energy & Water business area, said: “This is one more reference delivery of Outotec Coated Titanium Anodes in the copper electrowinning industry. The energy efficiency benefits and lower operating costs of our anodes enable Glencore Nikkelverk to improve their profitability in a sustainable way.”