Tag Archives: polymetallic

Vast sees path forward at Manaila with help of TOMRA’s XRT ore sorting solution

Base metals, Comminution of minerals, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Mining services, Precious metals, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Vast Resources says it is continuing to evaluate the recommencement of production at its Manaila polymetallic mine in Romania and, as part of this process, has been working with TOMRA to assess the suitability of X-ray Transmission (XRT) ore sorting technology to optimise the mine’s production profile.

The assessment has demonstrated, to date, that by installing an XRT machine at the plant to pre concentrate ore at the pit, the technology would be highly effective for three main reasons:

  • A reduction in transportation costs as improved mass reduction would significantly reduce the material being transported from the mine to the processing plant;
  • A reduction in processing costs due to reducing the throughput at the plant; and
  • Higher-grade product being delivered to the plant.

It is anticipated that processing and transportation costs could be reduced by up to 55%, according to Vast.

“This cost reduction could have a dramatic impact on the mine’s financial performance,” the company says.

Samples from both types of mineralisation at Manaila, massive sulphide and disseminated sulphide, were sent to the TOMRA Test Centre in Wedel, Germany, to ascertain improved mass reduction and grade upgrade potential. Both mineralisation types showed amenability to the XRT process with metal content recovery on the massive sulphides at 95.4% for copper, 93.6% for lead and 95.2% for zinc in 71% of the mass, the company explains. The disseminated sulphides returned a metal content recovery of 84.2% for copper, 67.2% for lead and 84.4% for zinc in 35% of the mass.

The combined results show that 93.1% of copper, 82.2% of lead and 92.4% of zinc metal could be recovered in 45% of the mass when mining the polymetallic ore on a ratio of three tonnes disseminated sulphide to one tonne of massive sulphide, being the typical historical ratio of mining at Manaila.

Andrew Prelea, Chief Executive Officer of the Vast Resources, says: “These results clearly underpin our view that Manaila is economically viable, and the management team are considering various mine plan scenarios of bringing Manaila back into production.”

The 138.6 ha Manaila-Carlibaba exploration licence contains a JORC 2012 compliant measured and indicated resource of 3.6 Mt at 0.93% Cu, 0.29% Pb, 0.63% Zn, 0.23 g/t Au and 24.9 g/t Ag with inferred resources of 1 Mt at 1.1% Cu, 0.4% Pb, 0.84% Zn, 0.24 g/t Au and 29.2 g/t Ag. Comprising the Manaila polymetallic mine (currently on care and maintenance) and the Carlibaba extension project, Vast intends to establish a larger mining and processing facility at Manaila-Carlibaba which would eliminate the need for costly road transport of mined ore to the existing processing facility located at Iacobeni, around 30 km away.

Preliminary studies by the company indicate the potential for a new open-pit mine to exploit mineral resources to a depth of some 125 m below surface, and to simultaneously develop a smaller higher-grade underground mine below the open-pit mineral resources.

Strohm’s TCP solution to debut in deep-sea mining application

Marine mining, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , , ,

A composite jumper designed and manufactured by Strohm (formerly known as Airborne Oil & Gas) is to feature in deep-sea mining technology being developed by offshore contractor Allseas, the pipe technology company says.

Allseas’ deep-sea collection system technology has been designed to responsibly recover polymetallic nodules from the seabed at depths of 4,000-6,500 m.

This is the first time Strohm’s Thermoplastic Composite Pipe (TCP) solution will be used in a deep-sea mining application.

Under the agreement, Strohm will provide Allseas with a spoolable TCP Jumper to connect the seabed vehicle to the vertical transport system.

“TCP is 80% lighter in weight compared to its metallic equivalents, reducing the need for buoyancy, which is an important benefit for deepsea mining activities,” the company says.

Manufactured at Strohm’s facility in The Netherlands and delivered in long spoolable lengths, TCP is fitted with an abrasion-resistant liner which provides a distinct advantage over short, flanged rubber-based pipes typically deployed for slurry transport operations, the company says. The jumper’s inner bore is also extremely smooth, and its strong composite wall provides good collapse resistance while maintaining sufficient flexibility.

Oliver Kassam, Strohm CEO, said: “We are extremely pleased to secure this contract with Allseas. The appeal of TCP to this sector underlines its versatility and suitability compared to steel reinforced, rubber alternatives, increasing the company’s growth potential further across the energy transition.

“For this project, TCP’s lower carbon credentials are in tandem with the overarching strategy to impose minimum impact on the environment. Our technology is proven to reduce the CO2 footprint of pipeline infrastructures by more than 50%, and is completely impervious to corrosion, making it a sustainable solution with a long lifecycle.

“TCP was first implemented by the oil and gas sector in 2007, and we have enjoyed zero failures to date making it an extremely reliable technology; it is also completely recyclable.”

RCT brings automation to MATSA underground operations in Spain

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RCT says it has finalised a major automation project at MATSA’s Aguas Teñidas and Magdalena mines in the Huelva province of Spain.

The project involved installing ControlMaster® Guidance Automation on four CAT R2900G underground LHDs and one Automation Centre Surface Control Station at MATSA’s Aguas Teñidas copper-lead-zinc mine.

MATSA is a jointly-owned company by Mubadala Investment Co and Trafigura. It owns and operates three mines in the Huelva, including Aguas Teñidas, Magdalena and Sotiel, on top of a 4.4 Mt/y copper and polymetallic processing plant.

RCT’s automation centre at Aguas Teñidas is fitted out with RCT’s Multiple Machine Control feature enabling a single operator to remotely control multiple machines at the same time via the mine’s digital communications network.

RCT also commissioned two Sandvik LH621 underground LHDs with ControlMaster Guidance Automation at the nearby Magdalena copper mine. These Sandvik LHDs can operate on a digital network via RCT’s Area Access Cabinets which act as an extension of the automation centre and interfaces between the work areas and the machines.

This instalment builds on a previous project to mount ControlMaster Teleremote and Guidance Automation solutions on three of the site’s CAT R2900G LHDs, which operated on an analogue network via two surface control stations, according to RCT.

Guidance Automation allows machines to tram between two predetermined points on a mine site with the push of a button by operators who also receive real-time information including machine speed, rpm, direction, pitch and roll, RCT said.

“The automation centre consists of an ergonomically designed operators chair facing up from screens, which feed real-time information from sensors and machine-mounted cameras to the operator,” the company added. Teleremote, meanwhile, enables the operator to remotely manage the machine from a control station in real time.

A MATSA spokesperson said: “This system not only allows us to operate in hazardous conditions safely from the surface, but also increases productivity by permitting us to operate during shift change and smoke clearing. We also have the capability to simultaneously operate more than one piece of equipment with the same teleremote operator.”

RCT Account Manager, Shane Smith, said the Guidance Automation products would provide solid benefits for MATSA. “ControlMaster Guidance Automation has a proven track record of improving operator safety in a traditionally hazardous working environment by removing them from the mine face,” he said.

“The faster tramming speeds will also help to boost site productivity on site and limit unplanned machine downtime due to repairs from machinery accidents while the new automation centre will reduce operator fatigue due to improved comfort and ease-of-access on the mine’s surface.”