May/June 2013 - The ASIA Miner

Product News
Tenova Bateman Technologies’ plant for Kumba
TENOVA Bateman Technologies Modular Business Unit has been
awarded a contract by Kumba Iron Ore to supply a 50 tonne/hour
modular beneficiation plant for Sishen Mine, in South Africa’s Northern
Cape Province. This follows the signing last year of a joint development
agreement by Kumba and Exxaro Resources to
commercialize the ultra-high dense medium separation (UHDMS)
technology concept developed by Exxaro.
The LSTK contract for a plant will be commissioned and handed
over to the client by the end of May. The plant will be used to demonstrate
the commercial feasibility of separating iron ore at operating
densities above 4.2 grams/cubic metre, using the cyclone-based
UHDMS technology. Should the demonstration runs prove successful,
Kumba would have the opportunity to improve separation efficiencies
above that of the jigging technology with UHDMS, in some
particle size fractions.
With the rheology of the Ferrosilicon medium being determined by
Exxaro, specific applications will be demonstrated, including the use
of UHDMS technology to process jig discard and low-grade ore. The
ferrosilicon is also produced at Exxaro’s FerroAlloys production facility,
which boasts a superior gas atomized product with unique properties
that complement the technology.
Should the UHDMS plant design demonstrate the commercial ability
to operate at anticipated high cut densities, it is expected to
achieve significantly higher yields at the same product grades compared
to jigging technology, due to superior separation efficiencies.
The potential to process lower grades of iron ore will also be an option.
This is in line with plans for future expansion and optimization of
production, through low-grade projects at Kumba Iron Ore.
Operating at high densities and processing ore which has a high
percentage of near density material was not possible until Exxaro successfully
proved this on a 30 tonnes/hour pilot plant on this type of
ore. An Exxaro team has been developing and piloting this technology
over many years and believes the technology is superior to current
beneficiation technologies in processing these types of ores. For
many years DMS plants have been successfully designed using
washability data, and the data was restricted to lower density applications.
Exxaro has also developed the capability to characterize ores
at high densities (up to SGs of 4.7), which could not be done previously,
and which has now enabled quantification of the potential and
value of the UHDMS technology. The demonstration plant will assist
Kumba in unlocking the value of this material.
The Tenova Bateman Technologies modular plant, complete with
feed and product/waste handling arrangements, will be fully equipped
with instrumentation and control systems as required for demonstration
purposes, as well as for data gathering needs. The plant will be
designed to accommodate the higher density material being
processed, and will include pumps designed to pump the ferrosilicon
medium at the required densities and volume.
Data connection between Geobank and XRF machines
MICROMINE has released
new functionality specific to
its geological data management
solution, Geobank. To
help exploration companies
drive productivity and cost efficiencies
MICROMINE has
established a data connection
between Geobank and
portable geochemical analyzer
XRF machines.
This time-saving functionality
allows MICROMINE clients to
gain a rapid interpretation of a
mineral’s properties while in the
The handheld Innov-X Delta XRF machine. field. Geologists don’t have to
wait for lab assay results to
know what they are working with. Geobank is compatible with most
leading XRF models and accepts XRF data in the popular .csv format.
Geobank can be configured to the user’s specific XRF requirements.
An XRF machine is a portable geochemical analyzer designed for infield
mining and exploration uses. By scanning a sample, the XRF machine
provides users with an immediate analysis of elements. The
immediate identification of trends in mineralization enhances the geologist’s
ability to make on-the-spot decisions about geochem lines,
drill targets and sample inclusions or duplications.
Geobank operations manager Steve Bastick says, “Information generated
by the XRF machine can be seamlessly communicated to
Geobank, which provides the ideal tool to manage and make sense
of the vast quantity of data generated. Geobank brings all the benefits
of laboratory-style QAQC to the XRF machine, and allows users
to maximize their investment in the XRF.
“Geobank’s charting and graphic reporting capabilities provide a
rapid visualization of the XRF data. Additionally, the centralization of
data ensures that XRF results can be compared quickly and efficiently
to the actual assay results once they are returned from the lab.
“Geobank’s QAQC tools enable users to provide increased relevance
to XRF results included in announcements, building a stronger
foundation for investor confidence. Operations can also reduce the
amount of time before findings are communicated to the market.”
MICROMINE and Olympus, manufacturer of the Innov-X Delta XRF
machine, have collaboratively developed a ‘Geobank Export Template’
specific to Innov-X Delta XRF machines. This template simplifies
the configuration process, saving time and effort.
Olympus NDT’s International Mining Group, Analytical Division director
Todd Houlahan says, “Olympus and MICROMINE have been
working towards the integration of our offerings for some time now.
Because Portable XRF machines allow exploration and mining companies
to collect far more geochemical data than traditional laboratory
techniques, the effective management of this data is vitally important.
66 | ASIA Miner | May/June 2013