Separation efficiency improvement of a low grade copper-gold flotation circuit

Newcrest Mining Limited David Seaman, Peter Manton & Paul Griffin

Contents
Process Overview Mineralogy Circuit Modification Installation Details

Telfer Flotation Overview

Dual train (underground and open pit) ~ 23Mtpa Typical head grades 0.1-0.2 % Cu; 1-2g/t Au; 1-5% Sulphur Gold distribution free gold/copper minerals/Pyrite (~5g/t) Copper minerals Predominantly Chalcopyrite and Chalcocite Copper concentrate produced - ~16% Copper
Copper Circuit Pyrite Circuit

Cu Ro

Py Rougher

Cleaner

Cleaner Scav

Cleaner

Cleaner Scav

Tailings

ReCleaner

Grinding circuit
FFCC

Copper Con

CIL

Copper Concentrate Mineralogy

Final Copper Concentrate Mass Distribution
100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Telfer - T1 Telfer - T2 Cadia Ridgeway Bulk Sulphide* NSG Other Sulphide Pyrite Other Cu Other Cu Sulphides Cpy

Copper Concentrate Mineralogy

100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 T1-FFC T2-FFC T1-CuRon T1 Cu ReCl T2 Cu ReCl other Pyrite Ch Cpy NSG

Significant quantity of liberated NSG diluting copper concentrate Copper minerals well liberated Opportunity to replace NSG with Pyrite
improve gold recovery Increase copper concentrate grade

Cu Con Liberation (Cu) - Q1 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 T1 FFC T2 FFC T1 Cu Ro Con T1 ReCl Con T2 ReCl Con

Total Ternary (%) Total Binary (%) Liberated (%)

Gangue Characteristics Size

Predominantly fine and well liberated Mostly Quartz & Feldspars

Mechanism of Gangue Dilution

Dilute Hot Flotation tests - ~5% solids
100
Gold Recovery (%)
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 0 20 40 60 80 100 Mass Recovery (%) T2 Cl Con T2 Cu Ro Con

80 60 40 20 0 0 20 40 60 80 100 Mass Recovery (%) T1 Ro Con A (May) T1 ReCl Con (May) T1 Ro Con B T1 Cu Con T1 ReCl Con
Gold Recovery (%)

20% of Mass (NSG) can be rejected by further cleaning with negligible change to overall recovery NSG is not being recovered by true flotation

Cleaning Circuit limitations

Cleaner cells heavily loaded Cells have insufficient launder capacity Residence time constraints do not allow for further dilution in cleaners to reduce entrainment

Cu Ro Cu Cl Cu Cl Scav Cu ReCl

%solids 34.3 10.5 9.2 10.1

(min) 15.0 13.6 14.4 20.7

Cu Recleaner Cells

Reconfiguration of the Cleaning Circuit

Simplified AMIRA P9 model:

Rij

kij (1 Rw ) ENT Rw (1 kij )(1 Rw ) ENT Rw

Various reconfigurations simulated using Monte-Carlo Minor improvements could be made using existing equipment:
open-circuiting the Cl Scav Con (to Recleaners) diluting the Cl/Cl Scav bank to reduce Rw

Additional capacity required to make a significant improvement Jameson cell chosen as new capacity
published performance data (>50% stage recovery at high grades) ability to reject entrainment by froth washing Incorporated in model using the dilute batch float selectivity

Modified Cleaner Flowsheet

Installation of one Jameson cell per Train fed by Cu Ro Con
Similar approach to recent installations at Phu Kam and Prominent Hill

Open circuit Cl Scav Con to allow additional dilution of Cleaners Modelled improvement consistent with mineralogical characterisation
Train 1

22
RoA Ro B

Recleaner Concentrate Grade - %Cu

21 20

COF

19
18 17

Ro Con A

16
15 14 13 12 -6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6

Cleaner

Cleaner Scav

ReCleaner

Grinding circuit

Copper Recovery from Cyclone Overflow (difference) % Cu

FFCC

Final Con

Baseline

Jameson Cell Installation

Jameson Cell Technology

The Downcomer
Slurry is pumped through a slurry lens orifice at
high pressure (150kPa) Air is entrained into the downcomer

Mixing zone is formed in the downcomer where

particles and bubbles contact

Internal recycle of cell content allowing the use of a fixed speed pump, designed for approximately 2:1 (downcomer flowrate: fresh feed)

Cells are fitted with wash-water trays to allow effective froth washing to reduce entrainment

Telfer Jameson Cell Installation

Installation Details
2 x E3432/8 Jameson Cells Designed to treat up to 60tph fresh feed each (350m3/h slurry) Concentrate and tailings flow by gravity Each cell driven by a 75kW Warman 10/8 pump (700m3/h) Wash water utilisation ~ 30-100m3/h Major equipment direct purchased by Newcrest, installation carried out under a lump sump EPC - reduced project delivery time Timing
Oct 2010 Project initiated to address NSG in concentrate May 2011 Order placed for major equipment November 2011 New cleaning circuit commissioned

Jameson Cell Actual vs Predicted

Similar selectivity observed to date, high stage recoveries achieved (>80%) for Cu and Au

Further Circuit Modifications in 2012

Copper regrind mill for improved liberation (Cu/Pyrite) of a complex ore body to be processed
ISAMill M3000 1.2MW

Pyrite regrind to liberate gold and copper from Pyrite and recover by flotation prior to leaching
ISAMill M5000 1.5 MW 5xOutotec TC 30s