Luzenac - Rio Tinto

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14 TLF’s new camera analyses the colour of the talc at a rate of 3,000 particles per second. Making the most efficient use of our mineral deposits Luzenac is currently testing thow out technology on its roller mills in several of its operations. The results are extremely promising. 2003 goals and targets Objectives for 2003 include: - extending throw-out technology to the roller mills at our Talc de Luzenac France plant; - completing the ore sorter project study at our Three Springs operation in Australia; - optimising our existing friction sorting system at our Yellowstone operation in Montana, USA. Some argue that if you exploit a finite resource then, by definition, your activity cannot be sustainable. At Luzenac, we believe that reality is more complex than that. Human life could not exist as we know it if we did not take geological resources from the Earth. We consider acceptability to be a question of abundance of the mineral, the degree of damage caused (environmental and social) in mining and processing it, the efficiency of the extraction method and opportunities for recycling. Talc is beneficial in meeting human needs today and the indications are that we will be able to meet those needs for centuries to come. Due to the nature of the mineral, talc can be mined and processed without significant harm to people or the environment. In its major applications, talc is not only recyclable, it contributes to the environmental friendliness of the end product itself. If the rule were that all mineral resources should be left in the ground for future generations, then life as we know it would be impossible. And if this rule were right for us, then surely it would be right for future generations too! Nonetheless, it is our responsibility to ensure that we make the most efficient use of the resources we own. Luzenac has been seeking ways to do this for many years now and uses a number of state-of-theart processes, such as optical and friction sorting, in its mine operations to ensure that ore recovery is maximised. In 2002, we completed or initiated a number of projects designed to optimise our extraction processes. Ore sorting Our French operation has been using optical sorting to optimise ore resources for the last twenty years. In 2002, Talc de Luzenac France (TLF) installed a new-generation optical sorter with a highresolution camera able to detect rock particles as small as five millimetres at a rate of 3,000 particles per second. This has allowed us to considerably increase recovery of white ore, enabling us to reduce the total number of tons of ore we extract from the ground by nearly 10%. TLF is now ready to produce pure, white “000” grade talcs, particularly suited to the pharmaceuticals industry. Luzenac Australia’s Three Springs Mine produces around 150,000 tons per year of lump microcrystalline talc in six different grades. After a selective mining operation based on colour and mineralogy criteria, followed by a crushing and sizing operation, the ore is refined by hand sorting on a picking belt in order to remove accessory minerals present in the talc. The hand-sorting process is inefficient and results in low overall product/reserve recovery. The hand sorting of small fractions is physically impossible and this size fraction represents 20% to 25% of total extracted ore downgraded or ‘stocked’ at zero value. Likewise, ore with high levels of other minerals cannot be treated by hand sorting and is also ‘stocked’ at zero value. For at least the last twenty years the Three Springs Mine has produced and ‘stocked’ around 1.5 millions tons of talc with high levels of associated minerals (dolomite, arenite, clay, chert, quartzite) with no commercial market value. In 2002, our Australian operation initiated an “Ore Sorter Project” to effectively extend the reserves by improving the efficiency of the use of the ore body through an alternative process to hand sorting such as friction sorting and/or optical sorting. The study is expected to last one and a half years. In the pipeline... Other processes we are currently testing include “throw out” and electrostatic separation. The throw out process is designed to eliminate other minerals such as pyrites, carbonate and quartz. Throw-out systems have been installed on our roller-mill ore crushers in our Italian and Austrian operations. They will enable us to enhance productivity and product quality and reduce wear on grinders. Electrostatic separation, designed to separate talc from minerals such as sepiolite, carbonate, quartz and pyrites, enhances recovery of low-grade ore. It is a dry process and a good alternative to floatation systems that require the use of tailings ponds. An electrostatic separation system is being tested at our Italian operation, Luzenac Val Chisone.■
Fostering supplier and joint venture relationships that are in line with our HSEC standards When you are striving for continuous improvement in your own business, it is very easy to overlook what supplier companies and joint venture partners are doing on their side. Until recently it wasn’t even considered relevant. However this view is rapidly changing. In an SD world, these partners need to be seen as part of your own organisation in many ways. Our item below on our Chinese ore suppliers is a good example. Suppliers and joint venture arrangements tend to be managed by departmental functions that are generally far removed from HSEC. Their level of involve- Luzenac sources most of its needs from its 11 wholly owned mines in France, Austria, Italy, Spain, USA, Canada and Australia. Nevertheless, we do buy lump talc ore from mines in China and process it at several of our 19 plants around the world. This trade has been going on for about 15 years now. To forge closer ties with our Chinese partners and to share good practice, we have started a “Supply Chain Responsibility” activity. We made our first visits to the principal mines (open pit and underground) in March 2002, during which we exchanged documents on policies, safety and health statistics and practices, and toured the operations. The atmosphere was positive and friendly in each case. Our Chinese suppliers have a keen sense of customer satisfaction and are cleverly incorporating HSEC management into their ISO 9000 systems. Direct commercial benefit came to us and our Chinese suppliers in the summer of 2002 when a big brand name customer requested documented assurance that HSE issues were being responsibly managed and that no child labour existed in our supply chain. Luzenac was able to provide that assurance, based on first-hand knowledge. At the beginning of 2002,our French operation, Talc de Luzenac France (TLF), held a meeting with its principal sub-contractors. Forty representatives from 25 companies working with Luzenac attended the meeting, which comprised a presentation by management members of our Quality, Health, Safety and Environment policies. We made the most of this opportunity to remind our partners of the safety procedures they are required to observe when working on site. The presentation was followed by an informal lunch, during which participants were able to discuss issues raised during the meeting. The event was welcomed by all, and TLF will be repeating the exercise with other partners in 2003. ment in SD matters is a good way of gauging how well SD is integrated into the business as a whole and how it is managed in general. At Luzenac, the full range of economic, social, environmental and compliance issues are raised at senior management level and form part of the Executive Committee’s (ExCo) normal decision-making process. While one ExCo member is specifically responsible for SD issues (including Compliance Assurance) and HSEC, all ExCo members have attended training and awareness sessions on SD and are involved in the discussions and decisions. ■ Luzenac is in the process of acquiring a majority shareholding in a joint venture in the Far East. This enterprise has talc processing plants which have been in operation for several decades. There appear to be no negative aspects regarding community relations, environmental pollution or health and safety. As majority shareholder, Luzenac will become responsible for these operations and will be introducing all our standards for health, safety, environment, community relations, ethical business behaviour, and sustainable development, within a reasonable timeframe. 2003 goals and targets Objectives for 2003 include: - introducing formal HSEC examination steps into evaluation of JV opportunities; - introducing “green” requirements into our consumable purchasing chain. 15
Page 1 and 2: Meeting Today’s Needs. Securing T
Page 3 and 4: Editorial Welcome to our first Sust
Page 5 and 6: Implementing fair and safe employee
Page 7 and 8: Rio Tinto CEO Leigh Clifford (fourt
Page 9 and 10: 2003 goals and targets Objectives f
Page 11 and 12: The picture (right) taken from our
Page 13: By increasing the covering power, d

Luzenac - Rio Tinto

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