Energy consumption, emissions, wastes and byproducts from the production of 1 tonne of copper from secondary materialsa, germany 1992. Mine water treatment solutions for discharge and reuse. Its a good question, because in order to understand the environmental impacts to the boundary waters canoe area wilderness and voyageurs national park, we must first understand all of the ways sulfideore copper mining can cause harm to the surrounding lakes, streams, wetlands and. This flowchart made of machinery icons explains or expresses in simple but clear terms the step of the copper mining and copper extraction process starting from either openpit or underground mining and using a different relevant treatment method for oxide or sulphide copper mineral ore. Appendix f1 tailings storage facility design report. Until the development of the modern copper mining process, it was typically a byproduct of mining for other metals. Mine water treatment strategies at resolution copper mining. Mcpherson 18 3 can no longer remain in the liquid phase but burst free to form a vapour or gas section 2.
Mined from open pits, copper ore must be crushed as part of the process that occurs between extraction and production. As mine water accumulates when the water level overflows the depth of an open pit surface mine or an underground mine, the water must be pumped or drained out of the mine to ensure safety and stability. The heated water is then chemically treated by the automatic chlorinator before it returns back into the pool system, which are known as the return lines in the pool. Pdf influence of copper mine on surface water quality.
The pure metal has a facecentred cubic crystal structure, and. The process of mining copper begins with drilling and blasting. The importance of forward planning of mine reticulation systems is outlined together with the classifications of mine service water distribution systems. Geology of copper properties, mining, and formation of copper. It was added to the queensland heritage register on. The conversion of copper consists of a series of physical and electrochemical processes. Guidelines for mine water management teknologian tutkimuskeskus. Water requirements of the copper industry usgs publications. Toxic metals such as iron, aluminium, uranium, manganese, nickel, zinc, cadmium, lead and copper also occur.
Sustainable purification of mine water using ion exchange. Energy savings for a deepmine water reticulation system in deep level mining, water reticulation systems are one of the major consumers of electricity. A leading australian engineering firm was engaged to provide detailed design and procurement services for the copper sulphide processing plant and associated facilities. Copper production technology the last boomin technological innovation for the copper industry occurred in the first two decades of this century, whenopen pit mining, flo tation concentration,and the reverberatory smelter were adapted to porphyry copper ores. If someone opens a pipe that is not marked with the proper colors, he or she may expect clean water but get a toxic chemical. Ayres et al the life cycle of copper, its coproducts and byproducts vi table 5. Smelting these materials would require too much energy and very large furnace capacities. Considering consequent uses of this water including drinking, irrigation, industrial, etc. A surge or balance pond to manage seasonal and storm surges, and a reticulation system to redistribute water over dry tailings beaches when spare evaporative capacity is available in hotter months, to minimise the quantity of water stored in the surge and evaporation ponds. Key outcomes when benchmarked against industry standards the mine has reduced its water withdrawal by approximately 28 000,000 m3year 3a reduction in open water evaporation of approximately 79 000 m yr water use per tonne of ore produced is less than half the global average for. Our offices are in australia, finland, brazil, peru, chile, mexico, turkey and russia. The decrease in water usage by mines is better illustrated by exploring the data from specific mines. Peruvian cities and villages with improved water irrigation infrastructure hired. Once a stable water quality has been achieved, reagent regimes can be set up to optimise the process with the water quality available.
Compared to gold and other precious metals, copper is. Upgrades to process plant installation of sag mill, additional flotation capacity, upgrade of tailings facility and water recovery construction of paste fill plant and underground reticulation system runofmine pad crushed ore stockpile and mill feed system upgrades to existing site infrastructure and process facilities to meet the. Despite the favourable international copper prices and the increase in domestic production over 20092014, negative factors such as high costs and reduced productivity limited the real cagr. Introduction the kamoto copper company feasibility study has been commissioned by kinross forrest limited kfl the owner of a 75% interest in the kamoto joint venture. Hydrometallurgical processing of copper production. Corrosive attack by amd can have a costly impact on mining equipment and infrastructure. When it is recycled it can pass through some over and over again.
Any recycle water being taken into the process es should be introduced at appropriate points e. Innovations in copper mineral processing technology. Until the development of the modern copper mining process, it was. From its original home buried underground in a mine to its use in a finished product such as wire or pipe, copper passes through a number of stages. Chapter 18 refrigeration plant and mine air conditioning systems malcolm j. Water control in underground mines grouting or drainage. Another example relating to treatment of intrusion water from a copper mine is shown below. Einasleigh copper mine and smelter is a heritagelisted mine at daintree road, einasleigh, shire of etheridge, queensland, australia. Overview of a typical beneficiation process at a concentrator sulfidic copper ores are too dilute for direct smelting. Copper mining process information new mexico basics.
For copper sulfide ore, a stage in the process of pyrometallurgy, in which the copper froth from the froth floatation stage is poured into large tanks called thickeners, where the copper solids settle and are filtered to remove excess water. May 08, 2015 have you ever wondered just how sulfideore copper mines pollute their surrounding environments. The water was first treated by mfro and the concentrate was subsequently treated by a disc tubetm ro system with the following. About 95 % of the ore input goes into the tailings, which are stored in large dams near the mine and are used for water recycling to the flotation stages. He has a bsc honours degree in water utilization and is currently in the process of acquiring his etdp nqf level 5 certification. The life cycle of copper, its coproducts and byproducts. With the exception of leachingsolvent extractionelectrowinning, the basic methods. Water consumption at copper mines in arizona azgs document.
Copper mining and processing sector highlights copper mining and processing is one of the traditional economic sectors of the chilean economy. Any recycle water being taken into the processes should be introduced at appropriate points e. The leaching experiments were performed using sulphuric acid solutions, whereby the kinetics of copper. The objective of badct for insitu leach operations requires the operator to maintain hydrologic control over leaching solutions throughout the process. Hunters handbook of technical irrigation information is a reference guide for all professionals whose livelihood takes them into the realm of irrigation. Contractors, architects, designers and engineers alike are now able to benefit from the wide spectrum of information that has been gathered from numerous sources into a single document. The morenci mine was the second largest openpit copper mine in north america in 2009, and one of the largest in the world. The bozshakol copper project, owned and operated by kaz minerals formerly kazakhmys, is the largest single copper mine development in kazakhstan, and one of the largest undeveloped copper deposits in the world. The holes are filled with an explosive compound of fuel oil and ammonium nitrate which blasts thousands of tons of ore in a single detonation. Mussey abstract the copper industry in 1955 used about 330 million gallons of water per day in the mining and manufacturing of primary copper. Heavy medium separation is the process of separating copper ores by a specific medium ferrosilicon density. An introduction to metso process technology and innovation our central office is in brisbane, australia with engineers also based in different regions of the world so we can better service our customers.
This paper deals with the investigation of column leaching of lowgrade ores from the copper mine cerovo, serbia the approximate cu content in the ore ranges from 0. The water is then pushed through the heater where the water is heated depending if the heater is turned on. Design criteria for mine water distribution systems which will influence the overall efficiency of operation are given. It was added to the queensland heritage register on 11 december 2006. Water requirements of the copper industry by obvillb d. If, however, the applied pressure is raised to a higher value, then additional heat is required to vaporize the liquid. When mixed in with other ores, copper is not usually found in great abundance. Two case histories regarding mine service water distribution and reticulation from the new south wales coalfield are also. The guidelines form part of a planned series of management guidelines intended for use by decisionmakers. Antidegradation best technology in process in treatment for bcc mercury part 8 rules water quality based effluent limits low level metals designated use protection due to groundwater venting, the state agen cy applied surface water discharge requirements to the venting location groundwater seeps. All mining needs water for mining and processing and copper mining is no exception.
If pipe color codes are not used, it can be difficult to know what is within a given pipe, which can present many dangers. This report provides a perspective on the amount of water used by a conventional copper flotation plant, including the makeup water required to compensate for water losses. Introduction the kamoto copper company feasibility study has been commissioned by kinross forrest limited kfl the owner of a 75% interest. Large drilling rigs bore a carefully designed pattern of holes approximately 12 inches in diameter and 60 feet deep into the rock. Sungun mine which is the largest opencast copper mine of iran is located in this region and is. The actual cost of copper produced by leaching methods is, however, not of so much importance as the fact that ore may be handled in this manner which is not amenable to reduction by any other process.
Additionally, todays mining equipment makes it possible to reduce waste and decrease chemical exposure during all phases of the copper mining process. Influence of copper mine on surface water quality springerlink. Kamoto copper company feasibility study executive summary executive summary page 5 of 39 1. Copper processing, the extraction of copper from its ores and the preparation of copper metal or chemical compounds for use in various products. Water is required in hydrometallurgical processes for example, to recover gold and copper from a solution of chemicals. This example shows the reduction of contaminants from dam water entering the mines water treatment plant. Arizona has the best copper deposits in the united states, and produces more of the red metal than most countries except chile and peru. Estimated water requirements for the conventional flotation of copper ores. The epa requires that levels of copper in drinking water be less than 1. By 1986 a noticeable decline in copper production resulted in the closure of many mining units and led to the implementation of a fiveyear plan to revive the company8. Ehptekniikka ltd, boliden kylylahti ltd formerly kylylahti copper ltd, yara. Resolution copper mine prefeasibility study refrigeration and ventilation strategy bbe report 7211 for resolution copper mine reference chris pascoe prepared by bbe consulting morvent mining report bbe 7211, rev b date october 2012 revision notes date description source a sept 2011 first pfs report version.
Water reticulation system figure 1 components of a water reticulation system pressurised system pumps are commonly used to lift water from a bore or water stream creek, river to a water storage at a higher elevation, or to pressurise the water system to deliver it through a pipeline around the feedlot. They are located directly at the mines to achieve low transport costs. Fact sheets phelps dodge morenci has converted all copper production to mineforleach how hydrometallurgy and the sxew process made copper the green metal. Copper extraction refers to the methods used to obtain copper from its ores. By developing mathematical energy conversion models of all major components found in typical water reticulation systems of deeplevel gold mines, these systems can be simulated under different operating conditions, configurations and schedules in. In its pure form or as an alloy, copper cu is one of the most important metals in society. Overview of copper production benefication process figure 2. It is also known as lynd copper mine and new einasleigh copper mine. Have you ever wondered just how sulfideore copper mines pollute their surrounding environments. Methods have evolved and vary with country depending on the ore source, local environmental regulations, and other factors.
Industrial water management in a copper and gold mine. Copper processing is a complicated process that begins with mining of the ore less than 1% copper and ends with sheets of 99. This is often controlled through the addition of a solution of limestone andor lime to the mine water prior to reticulation and extraction from the. Estimated water requirements for the conventional flotation. Water management in anglo platinum process operations. Copper concentrators typically treat up to 100 000 t of ore per day. Water infrastructure and the mining industry columbia center on. In situ leaching may target an ore body or portion of it that is located above the water table, below the water table or both. Arizona is mostly desert and, therefore, short of water. Depending on the water availability and quality, it may be reused for. South african workforce, increased participation of relevant stakeholders in skills development, the provision of learning programmes and quality of learning, and improved employment. It can be found near gold, silver, zinc, lead, and other types of metal deposits.
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