Sustainable mining requires a review of mining processes
The mining industry across the globe is facing a challenging time and in an environment like this it is no surprise that mine efficiency and sustainable mining are two of the most often discussed subjects.
Whether it is reading a mining publication, observing or participating in online conversations or talking to your peers at exhibitions and conferences, efficiency and sustainability are most definitely the dominant issues of the time. In considering how to improve the efficiency and sustainability the mining operations what should be done? Chris McKeown (Fig. 1) is Technical Department Manager at CDE Mining – the division of CDE Global which specifically focuses on the global mining market and he has some very clear views on what approach mining companies should take.
“The approach we take with our customers is first to conduct a holistic review of the entire ore processing system to establish where specific inefficiencies exist that we can help to address” explains Mr. McKeown. “This involves conducting a detailed process audit with customers to gain a specific understanding of where the current pain points are within the system. We are then able to design a process improvement package that tackles all of the pain points and results in the efficiency of the operation being greatly improved.”
According to Chris McKeown this process audit is focused in a number of areas. The first of these is Maximising Yield. This process involves a detailed look at the feed material to the processing plant and an analysis of the current final products (Fig. 2). “The work we have done with our existing mining clients has demonstrated that this process allows us to establish whether the cut-off grade can be reduced which has the effect of increasing the volumes of material available for processing” explains McKeown. A reduction in the cut-off grade is made possible by the introduction of processing systems which help to reduce contaminant levels in the ore being processed. In relation to iron ore this applies to silica and alumina contamination as well as ensuring the efficient removal of fine silts and clays from the feed material.
This first process contributes to the second area of focus – waste reduction. “By facilitating the production of lower grade ores we are not only able to reduce the volume of material sent to waste stockpiles but the knock-on effect of this is to reduce waste handling costs and the space required for the storage of waste material”, says Chris McKeown (Fig. 3). While this approach requires investment in new processing technology the return on investment makes this an attractive proposition for existing operations seeking to reduce costs and improve the sustainability of their mining operation. “The first stage in the process is to engage with us to complete the process audit “explains Chris McKeown. “This will allow to establish the nature and extent of the efficiency improvements that CDE can offer and these are fully quantified as part of the companies detailed process review.”
