Comminution - Ausenco

Our experience
Project
Sepon Copper Project
Location
Laos, South East Asia
Client
Oxiana Resources Limited
Year
2008
Description
The Sepon Copper Project uses
a patented copper leaching
process comprising crushing,
grinding in acid, acidic
flotation, pressure oxidation
and a solvent extraction
electrowinning circuit.
Ausenco’s scope was for
the full EPCM for the project.
The grinding circuit comprises
a 2 MW variable speed
single-stage grate discharge
ball mill operating in closed
circuit with hydrocyclones,
with a capacity of 1.34 Mt/y.
The circuit is designed to scrub
and grind the copper-rich clay
ore to a P80 of 106 μm. Milling
is conducted in a warm acid
recycle solution to avoid
excessive dilution of the
copper tenor in subsequent
leaching. The mill internals are
clad with SAF 2205 and rubber
lined to protect the carbon
steel shell and end plates.
Project
Cadia East Project
Location
New South Wales, Australia
Client
Newcrest Mining Ltd
Year
2010–2011
Description
Ausenco designed a new
comminution circuit for the
existing concentrator to allow
for the treatment of much
harder ore. We created an
innovative circuit incorporating
High Pressure Grinding Rolls
(HPGR) technology prior to the
Semi-Autogenous Grinding
(SAG) mill to improve efficiency
and increase throughput of
the concentrator.
For this upgrade, Ausenco
was awarded Contractor of
the Year from the 2012
Annual Australian Mining
Prospect Awards.
Project
Lumwana Copper Project
Location
North Western Province,
Zambia
Client
Equinox Minerals
Year
2006–2008
Description
Located in the North Western
Province of Zambia, Lumwana
is the largest copper project of
its kind in Africa.
Ausenco’s scope included the
design, supply, construction
and commissioning of the
20 Mt/y copper concentrator
including associated on-site
and off-site infrastructure,
water and waste-management
systems, dams, diversion
channels, and associated
facilities. This project uses
a SAB circuit with pebble
recycle, using a gearless drive
18 MW SAG mill and a gearless
drive 16 MW ball mill.
To learn more about our comminution experience, contact us via
email business.development@ausenco.com or visit our website www.ausenco.com
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