Lundin Gold has seen improved gold recovery at its Fruta del Norte concentrator with the installation of Glencore Technology’s Jameson Cell technology, the technology provider says.
Seeking to reduce bottlenecks in its flotation circuit and lift production capacity from 4,500 t/d to 5,000 t/d, Lundin Gold identified that valuable material was being lost – material the Jameson Cell was uniquely suited to recover, Glencore Technology says.
Glencore Technology was engaged for its globally recognised expertise in fines recovery, it says. While the Jameson Cell has long been applied in cleaning duties, recent advances in design and operation have extended its proven effectiveness into rougher and scavenger roles, the same application that unlocked Fruta del Norte’s gold recovery potential.
Extensive test work confirmed that Jameson Cells, when applied as rougher scalpers, can deliver final concentrate grade immediately at the front of the circuit.
Glencore Technology Senior Metallurgist, Chris Anderson, said: “With the adoption of a rougher scalper, cleaner scalper and rougher scavenger configuration, operators at Fruta del Norte were able to improve sulphur recovery by 78.1%. This is primarily driven by improved recovery of the -20 um fraction which was previously lost to tails in the existing tank cell circuit.”
The precision and scalability of this test work gave Lundin Gold the confidence to commission three Jameson Cells and the results have been, Glencore Technology says, outstanding. Across bench, pilot and industrial scales, the Jameson Cells consistently outperformed conventional rougher flotation technology, increasing average gold recovery by 1-4% depending on ore type. This success has been described by Lundin Gold as a key step in strengthening both performance and operational efficiency at Fruta del Norte:
“The improved fines recovery delivered by the Jameson Cells not only boosts our flotation recovery but also reduces the sulphur grade fed to the carbon-in-leach circuit,” Andrew Molloy, Metallurgical Supervisor, says. “This is a major contributing factor behind the drop in cyanide consumption, a substantial contributor to plant operating costs.”
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