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Document1 2/9/08 3:24 pm Page 1
IRON ORE
Iron
rules
New ideas in where and how to mine and
recover iron examined by John Chadwick
U
ntil recently, iron ore mining has
generally been the preserve of large
compnaies that can afford to install
large-scale infrastructure. Today, however, the
iron ore landscape is changing with smaller
mining companies getting very active and new
locations becoming important.
For example, Ralph Rushton, a Director of
Northland Resources, explains
“what we've been seeing over
the last year with Northland is
a new appreciation within the
mining and financing
community for exploration and
development in stable and
totally transparent countries, in
our case Finland and Sweden.
Given the on going paranoia
about resource nationalisation,
what was a negative a few
years back (both countries
being regarded as somehow
socialist and therefore antiinvestment) is now a positive.”
As he says, “we're not
exploring the Brazilian or
Australian style mega deposits
with direct shipping ore, but
30 International Mining SEPTEMBER 2008
then again, we're not hampered by the need for
huge infrastructure investments which means we
can focus on smaller systems.” The “smaller
systems” are certainly a trend being seen in
many iron ore provinces around the world,
including Australia, Canada and India.
Rushton also notes, “we’re looking at
medium sized magnetite deposits that are
Bateman APIC jigs are seeing more application in iron
ore. This picture shows Nava Bharat's jig producing
ferrochrome near Meramandali in Orissa, India
located within European markets. The Swedes
already mine and process magnetite from Kiruna
and Malmberget so the products are known and
appreciated by the steel
manufacturers and the
technology has been largely
developed locally.”
Northland Resources recently
announced the results of a NI
43-101 compliant Preliminary
Economic Assessment for its
three main magnetite projects:
Tapuli and Stora Sahavaara in
northern Sweden, and
Hannukainen in northern
Finland. In fact, these are iron
ore-copper-gold (IOCG) deposits.
The three projects in total deliver
an NPV of €1.114 billion at a
10% discount rate (NPV10),
Earnings Before Interest and Tax
(EBIT) of €5.466 Billion and an
IRR of 27%.
Document1 2/9/08 3:24 pm Page 1
IRON ORE
Table 1. Iron ore World production (Mt)
Country
2002
2003
Sweden
Sub-total Europe excl. CIS
20.3
24.4
21.5
25.3
Kazakhstan
Russia
Ukraine
Sub-total CIS
Sub-total Europe
15.4
84.2
58.9
158.6
182.9
Canada (1)
USA
Brazil
Venezuela
Sub-total Americas
2005
2006
2007
22.3
26.2
23.3
30.1
23.3
30.7
24.7
32.0
17.3
91.8
62.5
171.6
196.9
18.7
97.0
65.6
181.3
207.5
16.5
96.8
68.6
181.8
211.9
18.6
103.9
73.1
195.6
226.3
19.0
105.0
77.4
201.4
233.4
30.9
51.5
225.1
20.9
350.4
33.3
48.5
245.6
19.2
371.3
28.6
54.7
270.5
20.0
400.2
30.1
54.3
292.4
21.2
425.2
34.1
52.9
318.6
22.1
454.8
33.2
52.0
336.5
22.5
471.5
9.6
36.5
51.8
10.1
38.1
53.3
10.7
39.3
54.3
10.7
39.5
55.3
11.1
41.2
57.1
11.9
41.6
57.7
India
Sub-total Asia excl. China
86.4
103.0
99.1
116.4
120.6
139.7
142.7
165.0
180.9
206.5
206.9
236.2
China (2)
Sub-total Asia
108.8
211.8
122.7
239.1
145.7
285.5
200.3
362.7
276.4
482.9
332.3
568.5
Australia
Sub-total Oceania
187.2
188.9
212.0
213.9
234.7
237.0
257.5
259.8
275.1
277.3
299.1
301.3
Total world
985.9
1074.5
1184.4
1314.9
1498.3
1632.5
Mauritania
South Africa
Sub-total Africa
2004
1) Shipments not production.
2) Iron ore production is converted, so that its iron content is about equal to that on average in the rest of the world.
China ore production (unconverted):
231.4
261.1
310.1
426.2
588.2
707.1
Source: UNCTAD Trust Fund on iron ore information
The key economic findings of the individual
studies for each project, which were performed
by Wardell Armstrong International (WAI), are:
Tapuli – NPV10) of €141.5 million, EBIT of €456
million and an IRR of 43% with a payback
period of four years. Estimated Capital
Expenditures (capex) of €146.6 million for mine
development and construction of the processing
facility includes €17.6 million in contingency
and €13.2 million in EPCM costs.
Stora Sahavaara – NPV10 of €632.8 million,
EBIT of €3,090 million and an IRR of 29% with
a payback period of six years. Estimated capex of
€258.2 million for mine and processing facilities
and €279 million to build a 5 Mt/y pelletising
facility includes €25.2 million in contingency
and €21.6 million in EPCM.
Hannukainen – NPV10 of €344.7 million,
EBIT of €1,920 million and an IRR of 23% with
32 International Mining SEPTEMBER 2008
a payback period of five years. Estimated capex
of €276.3 million for mine processing facilities
and €279 million for construction of a 5 Mt/y
pelletising facility includes €35.1 million in
contingency and €33.6 million in EPCM.
Furthermore, Northland has been drilling the
Pellivuoma iron deposit, located about 15 km
west of the Tapuli that it is fast-tracking to
production. Early results suggest that Pellivuoma
may contain a substantial tonnage of lowstripping ratio, open pittable magnetite resources
within hauling distance of the proposed TapuliStora Sahavaara iron ore processing facility, which
could significantly extend the life of the planned
complex. Pellivuoma is a near-surface magnetite
body hosting an historic resource of 43 Mt with
an average grade of 32.7% Fe, 0.04% P, and
0.58% S to a depth of about 200 m below
surface.
Highlights of four holes for which assays have been
returned include hole PEL08001 100.7 m @ 35.7% Fe
from 11 m downhole and 94.5 m @ 39.7% Fe from
168 m downhole; and hole PEL08004 66.1 m @
30.1% Fe from 15.4 m downhole.
In July, the municipality of Pajala was awarded
SEK7 million Swedish Krona by the European
Union (EU) to investigate inter-community
collaboration between the districts of Pajala in
Sweden and Kolari in Finland. The project is in
response to Northland's proposal to establish at
least three producing iron ore operations in the
border area. This investigation will focus on the
resolution of issues such as planning and
building the local and cross-border infrastructure
needed to support the mining operations, for
example roads, bridges and railroads. It will also
investigate how to manage the large-scale
workforce migration to the area which both
municipalities are anticipating once Northland's
projects reach the construction phase. The Local
Authorities will be able to apply for more
funding after the initial 18-month period.
Northland President Buck Morrow said: "This
funding is a very positive signal that the EU
understands the significance for the Pajala and
Kolari municipalities of the iron ore projects we're
planning to develop and is prepared to support
the projects with funding. I believe, as does the
entire Board and management of Northland, that
the projects are strategically important for
Sweden, Finland and the EU and will have a
lasting positive impact on the region."
WAI concluded that all three advanced projects
are robust and strongly positive in terms of NPV
and IRR and having done so, Northland is looking
at innovations in technologies, such as
alternatives to truck haulage from the open pits
once they deepen. Another technology being
considered is to use AG mills for secondary
crushing and grinding instead of installing highercost high presure grinding rolls and ball mills.
If all of the currently envisaged mines reach
their proposed production levels, Northland
could have an output of 13 Mt/y, comprising of
3 Mt of iron ore concentrate from Tapuli, 5 Mt
of blast furnace-grade pellets from Stora
Sahavaara, and 5 Mt of direct reduction-grade
pellets from Hannukainen. Tapuli is likely to be
the first into production.
Meanwhile in the Pilbara…
In late July, Rio Tinto, through its Hamersley Iron
subsidiary, and Iron Ore Holdings (IOH) agreed
on commercial terms for an innovative minegate sales arrangement. Under the arrangement,
Rio Tinto would purchase iron ore from a new
IOH mine at Phil’s Creek, 90 km from Newman.
Once the feasibility of developing the Phil’s
Creek deposit is proven, the mine would be
Document1 2/9/08 3:25 pm Page 1
IRON ORE
owned and operated by IOH, and Rio Tinto
would purchase the supplied iron ore and
transport it for sale to its customers. IOH would
deliver the ore to the Yandicoogina stockyard,
where Rio Tinto would assume ownership. The
mine would produce an estimated one to 1.5 Mt/y.
Rio Tinto Iron Ore Chief Executive Sam Walsh
said the agreement was an innovative solution
that suited both parties. “This commercial
agreement represents an excellent opportunity
for Rio Tinto to gain access to extra tonnage,
and importantly, in a way that does not
jeopardise the efficiency of our fully integrated
production system. It also enables IOH to
develop a small resource that would face large
capital costs on a stand-alone basis and most
likely remain undeveloped.”
“The output from this proposed mine is less
than 1% of our total Pilbara production. With
our exponential growth from 220 to 320 Mt/y
and beyond, and infrastructure expansions
possibly preceding mine supply, we can stockpile
the ore to capitalise on rail and shipping
opportunities as they arise. Importantly, it
demonstrates our preferred alternative to the
growing demands from government and
industry for access to our rail infrastructure. The
agreement is commercially-based and balances
the risks for both parties,” Walsh said.
The Phil’s Creek deposit comprises 8.3 Mt of
JORC compliant Indicated mineral resources
grading 58.1% Fe. The deposit is pisolite ore
situated only 5 km from Rio Tinto’s Yandicoogina
mine, the largest iron ore mine in Australia.
Long time buyers of Pilbara iron ore, Chinese
companies are now investing heavily in the
region. Most recently, it was announced that
Metso Minerals will supply minerals processing
equipment, valued at some €53 million to China
Metallurgical Group Corporation (MCC) for the
Sino Iron project at Cape Preston, 100 km
southwest of Karratha. The delivery will be
completed during the first quarter of 2010. The
order comprises 28 VPA pressure filters with
complete automatic control systems and
compressed air systems and 52 slurry pumps.
The order also includes auxiliary equipment,
parts, and supervision of erection and start-up.
The order is so far the largest VPA pressure
filter order received by Metso and it is estimated
to be the largest mineral concentrate filtration
plant in the world. The filter plant is designed to
dewater up to 33 Mt/y of fine magnetite
concentrate to a product with moisture suitable
for shipment or pelletising plant feed. Citic
Pacific Mining’s Sino Iron project is one of the
largest mining projects in Australia.
MCC is one of the largest equipment
manufacturers in China and a leading Chinese
contractor to the mining and metallurgical
34 International Mining SEPTEMBER 2008
Table 2. Corporate control in iron ore mining in 2007
Controlling entity
Country
1
Cia Vale do Rio Doce
2
Rio Tinto plc
3
BHP Billiton Ltd
4
State of India (1)
5
Arcelor Mittal
6
Metalloinvest
7
Anglo American
8
Cleveland-Cliffs Inc
9
LKAB (State of Sweden)
10 Ferrominera (State of Venezuela)
Total, 10 largest
Total, World
Brazil
UK
Australia
India
UK
Russia
South Africa
USA
Sweden
Venezuela
Controlled
production
(Mt)
308
144
120
55
e
51
e
40.9
32.4
31.2
24.7
22
e
829
1635
Share of Total
world prod.
(%)
18.8
8.8
7.3
3.4
3.1
2.5
2.0
1.9
1.5
1.4
50.7
100.0
Note:
State of India includes SAIL, NMDC and others.
Source: Raw Materials Data, www.rmg.se, Stockholm 2008.
industries. This large-scale magnetite iron ore
project, the first of its kind in Western Australia, is
under development by CP Mining Management.
It is bringing innovative, new mining processes to
Australia and is the first iron ore project to include
large scale downstream processing.
The project has access to over 2,000 Mt of
Measured, Indicated and Inferred magnetite ore
and, when operational, will be one of the
world’s largest mines. It will process produce
27.6 Mt/y of a mix of pellets and concentrate.
Mining magnetite mining and adding value is
much more intensive than the process required
for the more traditionally mined hematite ore.
Getting the ore out of the ground is the start of
a more complex extraction process. Once it has
Document1 2/9/08 3:26 pm Page 1
IRON ORE
been extracted, it must go through a
process to separate out and crush the
magnetite into a concentrate – for direct
export or for conversion into pellets.
CP Mining will take delivery next year of
Western Australia’s first ultra-class trucks – the
new Terex Unit Rig MT 6300, 363 t payload
units. Terex has a prototype MT 6300 AC
electric drive truck operating in Canada’s oil
sands, but the Sino Iron fleet will be the first
production units working anywhere in the
world. The project has ordered more than
$120 million worth of Terex equipment,
HighGrade reports, including ten of the MT
6300s, five MT 4400 AC-drive trucks, two
RH400 face shovels, six MT3300 AC-drive
service and water trucks, and six SKF 15
production drills. The first MT 6300 will arrive
in Australia in April next year and the mine
may eventually run a fleet of 14 of the
vehicles as it ramps up its annual mining rate to
160 Mt.
The first process stage is to feed the ore
through a primary in-pit crusher. The crushed ore
is then transported to a concentrator. Each of
the eight mills in that will stand over 17 m high
and be 12 m in diameter. The fine ore stream
from the mills can be separated by magnetic
separators to either concentrate or tailings. The
SSP has real-time remote monitoring
resulting concentrate will be thickened and
stored before being pumped 25 km to the port,
where it is to be filtered to reduce moisture.
Around 75% of the concentrate will be
shipped direct to China for blast furnacing, with
the remainder being processed into pellets. CP
Mining says the concentrate and pellets from
Sino Iron will be a superior product for steel
making because:
■ There is virtually no undesirable phosphorous
■ There is virtually no alumina, and no silica
■ Less energy is required to process magnetite
into steel in comparison to hematite.
New technologies
Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) is using six
modern allflux® fluidised bed separators in its
iron ore plant (IM, April 2008). Fortescue is
relying on allmineral’s technology for efficient
sorting and classification of the iron ore. Six of
the latest allflux® fluidised bed separators started
operations this spring at Cloud Break. Each has
the capacity to clean, sort and classify 170 t/h of
iron ore with particles < 2 mm.
The allflux process is based on the fluidised
bed principle. An upward stream is generated in
the coarse sand chamber that causes fine and
light particles to rise, while large, heavy particles
sink and are removed as ready-made
concentrate. In the peripheral fine-sand chamber
a pre-concentrate is generated that is cleaned on
spirals. The allflux overflow contains only the
finest slurry and coarser light particles.
allflux fluidised bed separators are built for
throughputs of 20 to 2,000 m³/h. The upper
grain sizes are between 2 and 4 mm. The
current and control features allow the
36 International Mining SEPTEMBER 2008
generation of three finely-separated,
classified products by a single machine unit.
allmineral says FMG chose its technology
“because of the years of positive
experiences with allflux separators in the
South African iron ore industry and
convincing results of pilot runs. allmineral’s
technology completely fulfils the company’s
process-related demands and offers
considerable advantages relating to
investment and operating costs.”
The Metso Mining Group, working with
Metso Automation, has created an
advanced technology that it says will
revolutionise how Metso guarantees the
performance and reliability of its screens.
The Screen Security Package (SSP) is a realtime monitoring system that collects
information about the motion of the screen
at different locations around the machine. It
monitors the mechanisms and the ‘noise’ in the
bearings simultaneously.
Ron Kuehl, Vibrating Equipment Manager,
Mining, North America says, “This new
technology and level of accuracy allow us to
design and set up vibrating equipment at a
whole new level.” The SSP incorporates a patent
pending Stress Monitoring System, which uses
both the stroke angle and acceleration for
evaluation and fine-tuning. It can simultaneously
compare both the angles and values of the
stroke (in acceleration) in the same spot on each
side of the machine. If any anomalies are found,
the system will notify the operators that an
adjustment should be made to the machine to
maximise the fatigue life of the unit.
“This type monitoring system is unique,” says
Kuehl, “in that it provides instant results to the
customer, as well as transmitting the results to
the factory service department for evaluation.”
The SSP is a versatile program that can set
customer-specific alarms for all types of vibrating
equipment. Depending on the customer’s
preference, these alarms can be communicated
via e-mail alerts, sirens or flashing lights.
Alternatively, the alarm can be tied into an
existing PLC or computer system designed to
monitor the whole plant.
Another SSP advantage is that customers will
be able to see their machines run in Metso’s
factory during the manufacturing test. This
technology will also allow the manufacturing
team to qualify the machines using the range
co-ordinates for the specific machine established
by engineering. Once testing is complete,
engineering will have concrete statistical
information for that particular screen, thus
creating a more efficient operation and
improving delivery times.
The Metso service team will also benefit from
Document1 2/9/08 3:26 pm Page 1
IRON ORE
real-time information provided by the SSP.
Because the system can globally transmit
machine statistics to any authorized person, it
will be possible to suggest improvements,
identify wear, predict failures, and assist with
evaluating warranty claims. Remotely
monitoring the screen readings will improve
Metso’s response time, lower the operating
expenses associated with Metso vibrating
equipment, and provide more input to clients on
what is happening at the site.
A prototype of the SSP will be on display at
the Metso MINExpo booth. In conjunction with
its service strategy, the mining business line is
developing the SSP system as one part of a
‘Smart Equipment’ platform. When complete,
this project will improve the performance on
many of Metso’s mining products.
Metso Minerals will supply an iron ore
beneficiation plant to BMM Ispat’s Hospet-Bellary
mine in Karnataka, Southern India. The delivery
will be completed by the end of 2010 and the
been successfully commissioned. With these
plants by Metso, BMM Ispat capacity goes up to 3
Mt/y and we aim to strengthen our position as a
steel player and grow further”, said Dinesh Singhi,
Chairman & Managing Director, BMM Ispat.
Bateman India, part of Bateman Engineering
Group, has been contracted by an iron ore
producer and exporter, located in the
Hospet/Bellary iron ore sector of India, to supply a
2.5 m wide, three-compartment long BatemanApic Jig – the first jig to be supplied to the iron
ore sector by Bateman. The contract from the
client covered design, procurement, fabrication,
supply and commissioning of the jig, which will
process float ore (naturally liberated ore) to
separate it from the siliceous rock. The jig will
handle 150 t/h of feed, with a particle size of -8
mm/+3 mm. The jig will also be able to process
the -25 mm/+ 8 mm fraction by only adjusting
the process control settings. The contract
commenced in December 2007 and was
completed in May 2008.
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An example of a Weba chute in an iron ore application.
total value of the order is about €7 million. It
comprises a scrubber, a spiral classifier, a high
gradient magnetic separator (HGMS), a VPA
vertical plate pressure filter, lamella thickeners,
pumps as well as other related equipment,
supervision of erection and commissioning. The
new plant beneficiates iron ore fines through
gravity separation and high gradient magnetic
separation. The plant will be able to treat 250
t/h of iron ore fines. BMM Ispat aims to position
itself as a major global steel player with a vision
to produce 1.5 Mt/y of steel by 2011.
“This is our repeat order for a similar plant
supplied by Metso Minerals in 2007 which has
The suitability of Apic jigging technology for
this application was proved in test work at
Bateman’s faciolity in South Africa, which
showed good grade and recovery, well within
the expectations of the client. The percentage iron
in the product varied between 64.5 % and 65.5 %
with an iron recovery of 80% and an average mass
recovery of 72 %. In addition to this, the jig can
recover an additional 16% by weight as middling
product at a grade of 47%, which would be utilised
by the client in future.
Bateman-Apic jigs offer a cost-effective solution to
processing and upgrading iron ores. They are supplied
as permanent-fixture processing facilities and modular
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Document1 2/9/08 3:32 pm Page 1
IRON ORE
process plants, either under turnkey (client owned
and operated) or toll-treatment contracts. Pilot-scale
units are available for process-development testing.
The jigs feature a specially developed fines
gate and the JIGSCAN system, both of which
have overcome the problem experienced
worldwide in the handling of fine ferrous ores.
The gate minimises the back mixing of fines
before discharge, while JIGSCAN is a fully
integrated and computerised automatic system
providing improved control over product quality
and higher yields of ‘on-specification’ product.
The product extraction system uses a vibrating
screen system for increased control over product
discharge to increase product recovery.
The upgrading of ferrous ores by jigging has
been done for many years internationally. In cases
where the cut density exceeds 4.0 g/ml or where
test work has shown that jigs offer sufficient
performance, jigs are now the preferred route, as
opposed to other density-separation techniques,
due to their simplicity and low running costs.
Eight Weba Chute systems are due to be installed
and commissioned during the second half of 2008 at
Mount Whaleback mine in Australia. This is the largest
single pit, open cut iron ore mine in the world and
represents Weba Chute’s first installation at one of
BHP Billiton's operations in Australia, though they have
previously been successfully installed and
40 International Mining SEPTEMBER 2008
commissioned at two other iron ore applications in
Australia.
Mount Whaleback selected six Weba Chutes
for sink screen discharge transfer points and two
for use on the float screen discharge chutes. The
beneficiation plant at the mine treats contact
ores using heavy medium (ferrosilicon), drums,
cyclones and spiral circuits to separate the
heavier iron ore from the lighter overburden
materials. Of the six and two chutes respectively,
one in each application is a spare. These will be
used to swap out with chutes requiring
maintenance, thus eliminating downtime and
ensuring optimum productivity on the plant. The
chutes were manufactured in South Africa and
shipped to Australia in December 2007.
Throughput for the chutes is 600 t/h with a
particle size varying from +8 mm to -200 mm.
The iron ore material has a high moisture
content and this factor had to be taken into
account during the design of each transfer
point. Product from the sink screens is conveyed
on a 900 mm wide conveyor while that from the
float screens is on a 600 mm belt. Each Weba
Chute is custom designed for the individual
application taking into account factors such as
belt width, belt speed, material sizes and shape
and throughput. Further benefits, the company
reports, “include an up to 80% reduction in
material degradation, greatly reduced levels of
dust and noise, reduced production losses due
to fewer blockages, significantly reduced spillage
and vastly improved levels of safety. Easy access
is provided for inspection and maintenance
purposes, and the system does not require
ongoing supervision, again representing a saving
in manpower and related costs.”
The principle behind the Weba Chute system
is not an alternative to conventional chute
systems but rather a completely different and
unique approach for the control and handling of
bulk materials. The system uses a ‘supertube’
with a cascade scenario where 95% of the
material runs on material at the same time. Seen
in slow motion, the bottom layer of particles
appears to move in a tumbling motion down the
chute. This results in significantly reduced wear,
and in many cases the lip remains completely
covered by material and never needs
replacement. This manner of optimum material
control is taken a step further by designing the
internal angle of the transfer chute to match the
product with the belt speed, allowing the
dramatically reduced spillage.
Sandvik Mining and Construction has been
awarded three contracts by Société Nationale
Industrielle et Minière (SNIM) for the supply of
iron ore materials handling equipment and drill
Document1 2/9/08 3:33 pm Page 1
In Indian iron ore, Pilot Crushtec's Twister VSI crusher
has proved to be an ideal machine. It enables quality
iron ore to be liberated from poor quality material.
A further advantage of these crushers has emerged
because of tax legislation in India. If iron ore is
broken into small sizes and exported, the miner is
exempt from certain taxes. The Twister VSI crusher
has proved to be the perfect means for achieving this
rigs for the Port Minéralier de Nouadhibou and
the open-pit mine in Zouérate, Mauritania. These
contracts will all be delivered within 20 months.
State owned SNIM is developing several iron
ore mines in the region of Zouérate, located in
the northwest of Mauritania. Current annual
production is 12 Mt of iron ore, which the
company plans to increase to 25 Mt by 2015.
The first contract was awarded for the
rehabilitation of the handling facilities of the port
in Nouadhibou, with the objective of increasing
production. The scope of work includes design,
engineering, project management, quality
assurance, manufacturing, fabrication,
transportation, construction/erection on site, and
commissioning and testing of one boom-type
bucket wheel reclaimer, two luffable and
slewable stackers, and four in-plant conveyors
and transfer points. This turn-key system will
have a capacity of 6,000 t/h.
The second and third contracts consist of two
Sandvik D90KS drill rigs and one top hammer
DC121R drill rig. In the past, Sandvik has
delivered several H series crushers to Zouérate
and Nouadhibou.
Cardero Resource recently successfully
commissioned the Eriez magnetic separator pilot
plant at its Pampa El Toro iron sands project,
located in the Marcona District of southeast
Peru, and quality iron concentrate has been
produced. Phase II work operations will
produce a 40-t iron concentrate sample that
will be shipped to the US where additional
processing will remove silica sand
contaminants -- further upgrading the sample.
The iron concentrate will then undergo
SEPTEMBER 2008 International Mining 41
Document1 2/9/08 3:34 pm Page 1
IRON ORE
The ERIEZ magnetic separator pilot plant consists of
three core components, being a primary separator, a
scavenger separator and a final cleaner separator, along
with various associated hoppers and conveyor Systems
extensive commercial scale melting tests
aimed at producing a high-grade pig iron
product, along with a vanadia and titania
enriched slag.
The Eriez Dry Magnetic Separator was
installed at the company’s Acari testing facility
close to the Pampa El Toro project. During Phase
I work, about 83 t of iron sand was processed,
producing 4.8 t of iron concentrate. Following
completion of this work, samples were
despatched for laboratory analysis.
In order to get an early indication of
concentrate grade, eight samples were rushed
though the laboratory. These samples returned a
mean concentrate grade of 46.1% Total Iron
(FeTOT) and a calculated iron recovery of 96%
indicating a very efficient and low cost
upgrading process. The 46.1% FeTOT
concentrate grade is preliminary in nature. Final
concentrate grade would only be determined
once secondary screening of the concentrate
material has been completed to remove silica
(17.39%) and other contaminants. Nevertheless
the results are highly encouraging, but as a
statistically small number of samples, additional
analysis will be required to determine if these
grades are representative.
Critically, the concentrate samples contain
some contaminants (for example, 17.39% silica),
which when removed will increase the total iron
grade. As these contaminants have a lower
specific gravity and are coarser in grain size than
the target magnetite, further concentrate
upgrade through gravity separation or screening
respectively will be feasible. Cardero is confident
that regardless of the total Fe grade, results can
be improved further through inexpensive
secondary processing. IM
Bruker
B
ruker AXS
X-Ray Power for
Minerals & Mining
MINExpo 2008
Las Vegas
Booth 4474
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