RESEARCH NEEDS IN MINERAL PROCESSING AND HYDROMETALLURGY. Geoff Senior

Transcription

1 RESEARCH NEEDS IN MINERAL PROCESSING AND HYDROMETALLURGY Geoff Senior

2 A link to commercial outcomes Included in a firm s technology strategy should be a ranking of R&D projects that reflects their significance for competitive advantage. No project should be approved without a rationale describing its effect on cost and/or differentiation. Michael E. Porter Competitive Advantage 1998 Page 2

3 But risks and uncertainties exist Within BHP Billiton probabilistic tools and methods are increasingly being used to evaluate, understand and communicate research needs. For the low grade resources and wastes program, we are looking to combine technical, business and risk management skills to create a pipeline of investment opportunities Page 3

4 New Opportunities BHPB investment process for low grade resources Desktop/At Risk Investment Portfolio NPV s Pr (S) - + Improvements Value Driver Program Themes Concept Pre-feasibility Tollgate Feasibility Toolkit Page 4

5 Some value driver programs Heap Leach Grinding/Classification Float-Leach for sulphides Impurity Removal (solid/solid separations) Page 5

6 Research needs: Heap leach value driver Overcoming passivation effects Improved extraction rates Simple chemical solution to active/passive behavior Bacterial work a key focus Different lixiviants Many host rocks soluble in sulphuric acid Improved amenability tests Scale-up models Percolation effects CFD modelling Reduce development times Page 6

7 Research needs: Grinding/classification Grinding Improved energy efficiency Microwave breakage Mine-to-mill programs HPGR Dry Grinding Ultrafine milling Classification Improved classification efficiency Cylinder-cyclones More values in the optimal size range Page 7

8 Research needs: Float-Leach value driver Flotation Coarse particle flotation stronger flotation chemistries improved hydrodynamics recovery of low grade composites Ultrafine particles improved particle-bubble collisions improved air dispersion Oxidized materials countering metal ion and hydroxide effects Page 8

9 Improved coarse recovery of nickel sulphides Ni Recovery (%) Mean Particle size (micron) Pre Project Post Project Page 9

10 Improved recovery of fine nickel sulphides Recovery (%) Particle Size (micron) Ni Distribn Before After Page 10

11 Chemical process to remove oxidation products Novel chemical process Counters iron hydroxide effects Invented by CSIRO Innovation by BHPB ~2.5% recovery increase IRR>15%; NPV= $30 m Page 11

12 Mt Keith Recovery 75% 12 High impact Ni Recovery 70% 65% 60% 55% Throughput (Mt) Short time Low cost Extra 6,000 Ni tpa 50% Year 4 Revenue up $71m p.a. Added $300m NPV Before After Throughput Page 12

13 Leinster Recovery 90% 3 85% 2.5 Capex $12 m Ni Recovery 80% 75% 70% 65% Throug h p ut ( Mt) Extra 2,850 Ni tpa Revenue up $34m p.a. NPV up $90m 60% Year 0 Enabled higher throughput Before After Throughput Page 13

14 Research needs: Float-Leach value driver Concentrate Leaching Overcoming passivation effects Improved extraction rates Simple chemical solution to active/passive behavior Minimum process intensity for high extraction, but low Capex and Opex (maintenance) Atmospheric vs Pressure Oxidation BioNIC and BioCOP Optimizing biological processes Improved settling characteristics Complex rheology Slow settling rates esp. after ultrafine milling Page 14

15 Research needs: Solid-solid separation Removing key deleterious elements Talc Arsenic minerals Novel combinations of proven unit operations Gravity Flotation Magnetic separation Leaching Ore sorting MgO removal process for key nickel operations ~99.75% MgO rejection Page 15

16 MgO Impurity Removal MgO rejection 99.75% Previously 99.5% Small (~2% Ni loss) Improves concentrate quality NPV $107 m Page 16

17 A world of opportunity for creative thinking and activity in mineral processing and hydrometallurgy

18 Back-up

19 Determine the probability of success {Pr(S)} for each potential investment opportunity Tornado Diagram Recovery Pr Value Drivers Mining Infrastructure Tollgate Entry: Agreed Pr(S) Pr (NPV=0) << 0.1(?) Validated inputs Independent review - + NPV Page 19

20 Identify common drivers for value driver programs Recovery Mining Value Drivers Infrastructure Recovery Mining Infrastructure - NPV + - NPV + Opportunity 1 Opportunity 2 Page 20

21 Research needs: Nickel laterite value driver Atmospheric leaching Beneficiation before leaching Innovative combinations of atmospheric and autoclave leaching Co-processing of limonite and saprolite EPAL process Different lixiviants Chloride (?) Page 21

22 Some final observations New discoveries are becoming less frequent and taking longer to develop. Innovation is increasingly a key driver for releasing more value from what we already have. It competes, however, for funding with other value adding activities. We are a capital intensive industry and need to leverage off existing assets wherever we can. Significant value can be released by developing new processes, but also by enhancing existing processes or reducing or eliminating weaknesses in value chains. Page 22

23 Research needs: Solution purification and metal recovery Efficient impurity removal Fe, Al, Si & Mg removal from atmospheric leach liquors Solvent extraction Novel extractant for recovery of nickel Improved selectivity against impurity metals Higher efficiencies: CFD modelling Ion exchange Selected niche applications Electrowinning Improved cathode quality at higher current density Page 23