Gold Gravity Recovery in Copper Circuits at BHP Mine

Valentнn Choquenaira Bombilla, Metallurgical Superintendent - BHP Tintaya
Oscar Alvarez Munсoz

March 8th, 2002 - Re-post

TINTAYA, Peru - The BHP Tintaya Mine is a 17,500T/day open pit copper-gold mine located in southern Peru. Head grades are typically 1.50% Cu and 0.35g/T Au. In the first 12 months of operation of the Knelson-based gravity circuit, BHP Tintaya produced over 200 tonnes of gravity gold concentrate at an average grade of 320g/ton, having paid back in full the cost of the automated KC-XD48 Knelson Concentrator , the peripheral equipment and the cost of the installation.

The main product at BHP Tintaya is copper in the form of flotation concentrate, and while copper recoveries have traditionally been good, the metallurgical staff sought to increase by-product gold recovery within the flotation circuit. They found the coarse, thick, flaky gold particles present in the ore did not react favourably to conventional flotation. This led to studies to determine if gold recovery could be increased by gravity methods such as concentrating tables, jigs, and Knelson Concentrators. It became quickly evident the Knelson Concentrator was the most logical gravity method to improve gold recovery at Tintaya.

The gravity circuit, along with the Knelson Concentrator, was commissioned at BHP Tintaya in October 1998 (download flowsheet in full report below). The Knelson Concentrator has since proven itself in terms of metallurgical performance and reliability in spite of the difficult operating conditions of the Tintaya Plant.

Furthermore, the improvement in overall gold recovery due to the addition of the Knelson has surpassed all expectations and has resulted in the decision to expand the gravity recovery effort by adding a second KC-XD48 to the circuit.

Download the full paper here.

 Gold Gravity Recovery in Copper Circuits BHP Tintaya
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