Development of a geometallurgical model for a copper concentrator

M. Valenta
2016 Journal of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy  
The Kalahari Copperbelt, which extends from Zambia across northwest Botswana into Namibia, is considered to be a broad time equivalent of the Central African Copperbelt, with a similar style of mineralization. However, at shallower depths (<25 m), chrysocolla and malachite exist in significant proportions in certain geological areas. As illustrated in Figure 1 , the project is located in the Ghanzi-Chobe Fold Belt which forms part of the Kalahari Copper Belt. The Ghanzi Group, which overlies
more » ... lowest stratigraphic unit (the Kwebe Formation), consists of three formations, namely the Ngwako Pan, the D'Kar, and the Mamuno Formation (Hall, 2012). The mine and concentrator used in this case study are located on the Kalahari Copper Belt, which extends from Zambia through northern Botswana into Namibia. This area of Africa has seen very little industrial development and the project will create much-needed employment and development in the region. The success of this project thus far can be attributed to the close cooperation between the geological, mining, and metallurgical disciplines. Regular updates of projected capital and operating cost estimates coupled with project outputs guided the teams in optimizing their various discipline models, ultimately delivering a compelling argument for the execution of the project. Key to the success was the development of a geometallurgical model for the prediction of concentrate tonnage, grade, and recovery for the life of the mine from the mining plan. This paper summarizes the metallurgical findings and the outcome of the various project stages. The development of the model is discussed, as are the challenges faced in developing a suitable metallurgical process route. geometallurgy, Kalahari Copper Belt, modelling, copper, circuit design, stagewise project execution.
doi:10.17159/2411-9717/2016/v116n6a8 fatcat:o635utjetza3fnrwdwtcfqzpzi