CONTINUOUS VAT LEACHING FIRST COPPER PILOT TRIALS

By

Daniel Mackie, Frank Trask

INNOVAT Limited, Dan Mackie & Associates, Canada INNOVAT Limited, Australia

Presented by

Frank Trask, Dan Mackie ftrask@bigpond.net.au dan.mackie@danmackie.com

CONTENTS

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................. 2 HOW IT WORKS .............................................................................................. 2 COPPER TEST PROCEDURES ...................................................................... 4 CASE STUDY................................................................................................... 5 ECONOMICS.................................................................................................... 6 OPERATING ADVANTAGES .................................................................................... 7 RISK AVOIDANCE ........................................................................................... 9 SUMMARY ....................................................................................................... 9

1. INTRODUCTION During the recession of the eighties, the concept of Continuous Vat Leaching arose from a need for a lower cost method of leaching precious metals. The concept had instant appeal to the minerals processing community. Early experimentation took place at Process Research ORTECH (PRO). INNOVAT made development of cyanide leaching happen with an initial pilot plant at PRO and a larger, onsite unit in Costa Rica, both with measurable success. It wasnt until the nineties that INNOVAT began copper leaching development when everyone was working in Chile. Test techniques that had been developed for cyanide leaching worked extremely well with copper (with some surprises, like when acid was added to a flooded column full of carbonates!). INNOVAT found that the process which had originally been designed for gold leaching worked just as well for copper leaching. Most importantly, the same low cost, high recovery performance that made it appealing for gold leaching was also true for copper leaching. INNOVATs success in copper leaching development led to the commissioning of a pilot scale plant for copper testing at SGS Lakefield Research in 2005 to demonstrate the effectiveness of the process. This plant has allowed INNOVAT to develop the process to its current state ready for industrial implementation.

Figure 1 - 5000TPD CVL Process Plant The original gold pilot plants worked well, but visually appear much different than the plants designed today. A multitude of revisions and design developments have been made to the concept, particularly after extensive nickel testing with BHP. Naturally, on our first copper project we pushed the button and the pilot plant worked right away. Really! (If you believe that, we have a wonderful ore body to sell you). Actually, it took about two months to deal with surprises and fully adapt the process for copper leaching. The resulting test program successfully met its target of running for ten days, 24 hours per day, producing copper cathode, all while allowing us to learn a ton (metric) about what to change in the design for the next program.

2. HOW IT WORKS The basic idea behind Continuous Vat Leaching is to provide, by means of an elevated tank, intermittent fluidization in a swimming pool-like vat. This intermittent fluidization provides energy, through hydraulic means, to move the ore through the vat continuously. An additional benefit of the fluidization is realized in leaching, as the fluidization provides leach kinetics that are comparable to that of agitated tank leaching.

Figure 2 - Process Flow Diagram To help understand the process, imagine a heaped volume of sand in a container that is flattened and converted to quicksand by liquid percolating upwards through it. By utilizing simple soil mechanics formulae, the flow requirements to accomplish this can be calculated. Additional benefits of the fluidization are the excellent leach kinetics. Heap leaching typically utilizes a solution 2 2 up-flow of 10L/hr/m , while traditional vats improve on that with an up-flow of 375L/hr/m . 2 INNOVATs intermittent fluidization results in solution up-flows of 30,000L/hr/m without any increase in pump capacity. This allows INNOVATs Continuous Vat Leach system to produce recoveries on par with agitated tank leaching at 1/3 the cost. Continuous ore movement through the vat is accomplished by the tendency of the material to self-level when subjected to high volume up-flow. By continuously adding ore at the feed end, and removing ore at the discharge end, the fluidized body will re-establish a level surface resulting in a flow of material towards the discharge end. Proper vat design results in plug flow movement of ore through the vat. This ensures that residence time is uniform across the entire ore mass and no residence gradient can develop. The high volume up-flow that results in fluidization is generated by pumping the solution in the vat to an elevated tank. Once the tank has been filled to a predetermined level, the volume is released into a network of pipes that run underneath the ore mass. These pipes direct the process solution through jets into the ore mass, where they cause the material to fluidize. Significant power savings have been realized due to the intermittent nature of this fluidization. Where agitated tanks must provide enough power constantly to keep the material in suspension, INNOVAT provides this power only once every 3 minutes. The head tank therefore acts similar to a capacitor, in that small pumps operate continuously to provide a sufficient fluidization charge, and when the charge requirement has been met, the head tank releases the solution and generates all necessary leach kinetics as well moves the ore through the vat. Ore enters the vat at a single point on the feed and, and is removed continuously once it reaches the discharge end. INNOVAT employs the use of a bucket wheel excavator, 3

Figure 3 - CVL Unfluidized

Figure 4 - CVL Fluidized

which continuously excavates a trench of material at the discharge end. The bucket wheel excavator allows for significant dewatering to occur. Test work indicates that ore can be discharged from the vat at less than 15% moisture. Fine material is processed through an INNOVAT thickener which produces a paste of up to 80% solids. Further washing and detoxification can be accomplished integral to the vat, such that the discharge can be placed directly into the environment without the need for any further processing. INNOVATs dry tailings do not require a tailings dam.

Figure 5 - Continuous Vat Leach Tailings INNOVATs Continuous Vat Leach plants have evolved into a very simple, turn key operation. Ore is fed into the vat, processed, and discharged ready to stack in the environment without any required intervention.

3. COPPER TEST PROCEDURES INNOVAT Continuous Vat Leaching plant design begins with bottle roll tests and proprietary column tests. Bottle roll testing is used to determine the effect of crush size on the recovery. The primary bottle test is done using ore that is crushed to 6mm and screened to 2000m, 500 m, 63 m, 37 m and -37 m. Individual 24 to 72 hour bottle roll tests are run on each of the fractions of the sample to determine the metal recovery by size fraction. INNOVAT CVL requires the ore to be crushed to at least 6mm for efficient fluidization. A sample of at least 5kg should be used per ore type for bottle roll testing to ensure sufficient data is generated. Our proprietary column test is employed after bottle roll testing to verify fluidization characteristics of the ore. Column tests are run from 24 to 72 hours based on previous results, and recoveries are compared to the bottle roll test work. The optimum crush size, residence time and other design parameters are determined from the combined bottle roll and column test work. Using this information, final plant cost estimates are developed. A sample of at least 20kg per ore type should be supplied to ensure sufficient data is generated. Test work can be carried out on site or at a partnered lab in Perth.

Figure 6 - 15TPD Copper Plant When required, further demonstration and testing of the process takes place in a 15 Ton capacity pilot plant that is located at SGS Lakefield Research, Ontario, Canada. This plant can be configured for gold or copper, and has been part of several successful test runs. A sample size of 70 Tons is recommended to allow for several bed turnovers. Pilot scale testing can also be done on site economically through the use of a 1 to 300 TPD plant plant.

4. CASE STUDY INNOVAT began one of its first major copper processing test campaigns in 2005 when contacted by a company struggling to find an economical solution to leach their ore. Promotion of the ore resource began when times were tough. Bottle roll and column testing had been done by others. As a typical porphyry, the ore body has an oxide cap with transition ore and primary ore at depth. Ore in the oxide and transition zone were touted to be above 1.2% Cu, but the reality was 0.84% when a 50 ton sample was sent to SGS Lakefield. Oxide was measured at 0.55%, which amounts to 65%. Based on published species of the ore, bottle roll tests were done on the copper ore with dilute sulfuric acid and a suite of other chemical mixes (such as ferric and oxidants) to see if better results could be achieved. Nothing worked better than dilute sulfuric acid, giving average recoveries exceeding 78% in 72 hours. Marginally better results were made by crushing to finer than 6.5 mm, but not good enough to improve projected economics. Two column tests were done, which gave 79% and 81% in 72 hours using a pH of 1.0. Tests done at pH 2.0, which would be better for SX/EW, resulted in recoveries of 75% For the pilot scale test work, the plan was to feed ore into the vat at high volume until it was full, batch leach for 72 hours and then continuously feed and discharge, all the while bleeding off to the SX/EW circuit. However, grab samples indicated that the performance of the continuous vat leaching process exceeded expectations and leaching was complete after 48 hours. Continuous feeding and discharging began after the short batch leach and the plant ran for seven additional days, giving recovery of 75%. Copper cathode of 99.97% purity was made. Analysis of solutions indicated that 99.99% copper cathode could easily be achieved.

Figure 7 - Copper Cathode Produced By utilizing Continuous Vat Leaching, the residence time was reduced from 80-100 days for heap leaching, to less than 72 hours. This rapid leach time was accompanied by an overall Cu recovery of more than 75%, and the knowledge that leaching could be further hastened without penalty to recovery.

5. ECONOMICS Numerous scoping studies on copper leaching have been done over the years, comparing continuous vat leaching with traditional vat leaching, agitated tank leaching and heap leaching. 5.1 HEAP LEACHING In general, the capital cost of continuous vat leaching is very similar to that of heap leaching. Operating costs for continuous vat leaching can be as much as 50% lower, depending on the annual charges for pad expansion or whether the ore has to be moved to/from an on/off pad. One of the main economic advantages comes from the lower cost of copper in inventory as ore and in solution. It can take 120 to 500 days to complete the leaching in heaps, as compared with 12 to 72 hours in the continuous vat leach. Thats ore that you paid to mine and crush, just sitting there. INNOVAT minimizes copper in inventory, resulting in an improved project NPV and ROI. 5.2 VAT LEACHING Modern vat leach operations will require capital of about four times more than continuous vat leaching, owing to the contained volume required for batch operation as well as other configuration penalties. Similarly, the operating cost is about 25% more. 5.3 AGITATED TANK LEACHING Savings associated with utilizing CVL instead of agitated tank leaching are significant. CVL capital expense is less than 40% of that of agitated tank leaching. CVL does not require a tailings dam as the discharge can be stacked directly in the environment or used as backfill. In addition to the capital cost, significant savings are realized with operating expenses. Power consumption is approximately 1/3 that of agitated tank leaching, while maintenance costs are reduced due to simpler mechanics. An overall savings of 70% on operating costs is observed when comparing agitated tank leaching to CVL.

6. OPERATING ADVANTAGES 6.1 HEAP LEACHING Leaching of copper in heaps is trickier than it looks, which is why so many projects fail. A rise in pH can occur in the first meter, which diminishes the leaching capability of the solutions and can cause precipitation of jarosite, creating layers that can plug and divert solution flow from its intended path. With cyanide leaching the problem may be oxygen depletion. Combine that with clay in the ore and you have one big problem. At the Tesoro Project, 2.8 meter lifts collapsed to 2.0 meter in 39 days of a 69 day cycle. 2 meter lifts meant an initial pad area of 46 hectares that had to be duplicated every year. That is an operating cost of $16 million, folks! They are now using a dynamic heap leach, which requires that the pad be cleared after 69 days, and transported to waste on a huge conveyor. Mantos Verde performed a significant amount of test work which consisted of substantial column tests/work, and hundred-ton tests done in wooden pig pens to full dump height. According to literature published by the mine staff, they predicted 80% recovery in a 90 day cycle, and got 50% for the first year. By contrast, continuous vat leaching allows for very precise control of the chemistry of the process, which means immediate correction for any changes, and optimum conditions for leaching. If there are any mistakes made, they can be corrected immediately. Mistakes made in a heap leach have to be lived with for years while searching for some possible adjustment that might correct the problem. Continuous vat leaching utilizes high volume up-flow for material movement, and this up-flow also results in very rapid leach kinetics. As a consequence, an equivalently sized processing plant will occupy a much smaller footprint. Recent projects have resulted in a processing area reduction of 31 hectares for heap leaching, to 0.15 hectares for continuous vat leaching. This reduced footprint makes it possible to enclose the process area, resulting in significantly reduced evaporation. As well, process solution is re-circulated, and therefore the need for make-up water is minimized.

Figure 8 - Process Area Comparison Environmental benefits arise in that INNOVATs CVL does not necessitate a tailings dam. Tailings are discharged from the plant at less than 15% moisture, and are fully detoxified. This allows them to be stacked directly into the environment. Fines are sent through a unique INNOVAT thickener and are discharged separately at up to 80% solids, which can either be mixed with the tailings or deposited separately.

6.2 VAT LEACHING To achieve continuous operation, traditional vats need to be batch operated; feeding, flooding, leaching, draining, washing, final draining, and discharging, all being distinct operations. The logistics of this are an operators nightmare. An array of traditional vats are easily fed by two tripper conveyors; one alongside the vats and another traveling on a gantry. But compare that with single point feeding of a continuous vat, where the solution flow does the distribution for you.

Figure 9 - Traditional Vat Arrangement Discharge from traditional vats is done with clamshells operating from a gantry, which tediously picks up a bucket full at a time and carries it to the side where it is put into a hopper for feeding trucks that carry the residue to a disposal site. Damage to the walls and floor of the vats is like an epidemic that just gets worse with time. Discharge from continuous vat leaching is constant with a traversing bucket excavator that discharges to belt conveyors. The excavators are designed to decant the residue to less than 15% moisture, which can be reduced further with dewatering screens. Paste is collected separately in a thickener and can be added to the top of the belt conveyor for disposal with the tailings. (The largest operating vat plant in the world is at Mantos Blancos, Chile. The writer can remember the old Potrerillos Vat Plant (1925) being taken apart and shipped over by rail in 1955. The Manager was ecstatic, as if he had gotten money for old rope. The electrical controls on the gantries have been modernized.) 6.3 AGITATED TANK LEACHING The power required for agitated tank leaching is substantial. Agitators are designed to keep all of the solids in suspension, whereas continuous vat leaching consumes very little power by providing agitation only once every 3 minutes. Power for agitation is provided by small pumps which operate continuously to provide a head tank with a fluidization charge. Once full, the head tank releases the fluid charge and the ore body is fluidized. Agitators can handle coarsely ground ore, but the penalty in maintenance to the impellers is expensive. INNOVATs unique discharge method and paste thickener produce a stackable tailing. While it is true that a stacked tailing can be made with agitated tank leaching by using a paste thickener, it does not have the flexibility that comes with separation of slimes and sands. INNOVAT fines can be discharged at up to 80% solids.

Figure 10 - INNOVAT Produced Paste 8

7. RISK AVOIDANCE Go with what you know is the operative phrase for current technology, yet the risk can be higher than judiciously adopting new technology. Heap leaches have a reputation of failing to meet their economic targets in 50% of the cases. It took Quebrada Blanca six years to reach their target production in heap leach. Zaldivar has been problematic since its inception. There have been cases where agglomeration has been used to try to solve plugging problems with only moderate success. In other cases it hasnt worked at all. Traditional vat leaching has a reasonable chance of being successful. But its success could be vastly improved by employing lessons learned in continuous vat leaching. The original plant at Potrerillos, one of the two largest of the historic vat leaches, was designed to leach all of the ore in the vat. There were unacceptable losses with fluid retention in perched water tables and the like caused by differentiation during stacking. They had to stop, install screens, and do agitated leach on a 20% fine fraction to make it work. Unless stacked tailings are selected, agitated tank leaching runs the risk of tailings dam failure, of which the industry has experienced one major failure per year over the past 30 years. Liquid-solid separation can be difficult in agitated tank leaching, whereas it is taken care of automatically in the continuous vat leaching system. We consider continuous vat leaching to be the lowest risk option. In all cases, it is advisable for operations to consider alternatives. There are already a number of operations that are now turning to INNOVAT as their Plan B, usually after exhausting all means to make known technology work. Considering the difference between the best and worst possible outcomes of the process in terms of recovery, heap leaching can be the riskiest of all the possible processes.

8. SUMMARY The following conditions apply to the case for using continuous vat leaching technology: Table 1 - Comparative Risk Assessment Continuous Vat Heap Traditional Vat (CVL) Low Low Highest Low 10 - 20% Higher 50 - 80% Higher Low 250 Times 4 - 8 Times Higher Higher 24 - 72 Hours 120 - 500 Days 80 - 500 Hours Low Highest Low

Leach Method Capital Cost Operating Cost Cu Inventory Residence Time Risk

Agitated Tank High Highest Low 24 - 72 Hours Moderate

Regardless of the technology, never short the test program. Too often, representative samples are not used in test programs, and insufficient work is done to characterize the ore and its leach properties. Never totally rely on heap leach column tests. These are generally done in climate-controlled rooms on columns that are insufficient in height and width. Remember that flow in columns is twodimensional; reality is three-dimensional. Mitigate your risk by doing outdoor heap tests on at least 50,000 tons. INNOVATs pursuit of high efficiency low cost processing options has led to significant improvements in all available processes for metals extraction. Development of continuous vat leaching has given us unique knowledge on how to maximize recovery while minimizing cost. INNOVAT is able to apply this knowledge to all projects, regardless of the process selected. Process selection in all cases is based on proper test work and careful economic evaluation. By applying these principles, INNOVAT can be sure that the best process possible is designed, whether it be agitated tank leaching, traditional vat leaching, heap leaching or continuous vat leaching.