8/7/2019 Clermont Coal Mine Project
1/34
ermont oa ne ro ect
Selection of Tailings Paste Thickenerus ec n ca eet ng
17 February 2010
Norris September / Rebecca Kirkwood
8/7/2019 Clermont Coal Mine Project
2/34
Topics
> Metallurgical Design Considerations
> Thickening Test Work (Outotec)
8/7/2019 Clermont Coal Mine Project
3/34
Project Overview
8/7/2019 Clermont Coal Mine Project
4/34
15km north of
15km east of Blair
Athol Mine
Open cut,
truck/shovel
operation and in pit
crushing & conveying
system
12Mtpa
Expected mine life of
17 years
8/7/2019 Clermont Coal Mine Project
5/34
High quality coal deposit with 192 Mt of proved open cut reserves Contained within Wolfang Basin - an elongated north-south trending basin
a roximatel 5 km lon b 1.5 km wide
Three major coal seams the Gowrie, Prospect and Wolfang seams
Seams range from between 80 and 290 m below ground level o ang seam approx ma e y m c
Approximately 17% of ROM coal will need to be washed over life of Project
8/7/2019 Clermont Coal Mine Project
6/34
8/7/2019 Clermont Coal Mine Project
7/34
Feed Rates
> CHP Design Feed Rate 2500 tph> CPP Design Feed Rate 300 tph
8/7/2019 Clermont Coal Mine Project
8/34
CPP Equipment Utilised
> DMC: -50 + 2 mm
> Spirals: -2 + 0.1 mm
> TBS & S irals were consider for the mid fraction
> Spirals were selected as they are better understood and
appropriate for the required separating density
> Paste Thickener: -0.1mm
> Large proportion of the fine fraction is clay, hence disposal of
e ne rac on oes no comprom se energy recovery
8/7/2019 Clermont Coal Mine Project
9/34
CPP Yields
rcu n mum om na ax mum
Dense Medium Cyclone 22% 65% 96%
Spirals 47% 75% 95%
8/7/2019 Clermont Coal Mine Project
10/34
Tailings Disposal Study
8/7/2019 Clermont Coal Mine Project
11/34
Traditional Disposal Methods
Conventional Tailings Dam
> Require large land areas.
Co-Disposal Dam
> Disposal of coarse and fine reject
> Environmental challenges:
o Soil erosion;
.
> Finer fractions fill voids created by
larger fractions, thereby creating a
o Water contamination.
> Dan erous Fencin re uired.
competent structure and can bedriven on in a week.
> Approval for dam not sought in
mining application for Clermont,
than conventional tailings dam.
> Downsides include higher power &.water consumption, pipeline wear
and emplacement management.
8/7/2019 Clermont Coal Mine Project
12/34
Background Tailings Disposal
> At FS all re ects were to be co-dis osed
> Co-disposal would require 636 ML / annum
> Initial roundwater studies re orted that this water would be
available from underground sources
> Later investigations found that this was incorrect
> New philosophy had to be adopted Number of technologies investigated
8/7/2019 Clermont Coal Mine Project
13/34
Technologies Investigated
> Filter Press
> Vacuum Filters
> Belt Press Filters
> Paste Thickeners
>
Rejected from study due to high maintenance andpower consumption &
Inabilit to dewater smaller fraction -38 m Screen
bowl only)
8/7/2019 Clermont Coal Mine Project
14/34
Water Consumption
69%
70%
71%
66%
67%
68%
ing(%)
63%
64%
65%
WaterSa
61%
62%
Filter Presses Vacuum Filters Belt Press Filters Deep Cone
Thickener
8/7/2019 Clermont Coal Mine Project
15/34
Power Saving Total Installed Power
80%
90%
100%
50%
60%
70%
ing(%)
20%
30%
40%
PowerSa
0%
10%
Filter Presses Vacuum Filters Belt Press Filters Deep Cone
Thickener
CPP co-disposal design had allowed for 1456 kW which includes 3 x co-disposal pumps, 2 x
return water um s & 1 x land water um .
8/7/2019 Clermont Coal Mine Project
16/34
Capital Cost
25%
30%
15%
20%
ase(%)
5%
10%
italCostIn
cre
0%
Filter Presses Vacuum Filters Belt Press Filters Deep ConeThickener
Cap
Price comparison based on fixed plant only, does not include mobile equipment cost.
Cost of Dee Cone Thickener is not much reater than a conventional thickener.
8/7/2019 Clermont Coal Mine Project
17/34
Maintenance
> Co-Dis osal
Reasonably maintenance intensive due to pumping coarse
material
Rotation of pipeline every month and replacement 3times per year
Frequent maintenance required on pumps
> Filter PressesMore maintenance friendly than older models
Red Mountain CPP experienced cake discharge problems
with their filter press and so replaced them with belt press
filters
8/7/2019 Clermont Coal Mine Project
18/34
Maintenance Continued
> Vacuum Filters
Most common dewatering method for flotation product
Most economical unit to operate
Maintenance costs could possibly increase using this fortailings
> Belt Press Filters
,
experienced very high maintenance costs and muchdowntime
which dropped maintenance costs significantly
> Deep Cone Thickener Least moving parts of any other option
Robust and reliable
By their nature should require least maintenance
8/7/2019 Clermont Coal Mine Project
19/34
Criteria Evaluation
> Each o tion scored on a scale of 1-10
> Each criteria equally weighted
> Scores for water and ower were directl based on the savin s
achievable compared with co-disposal
> Score for the capital cost based on the price rise expected
> Maintenance score was based on expected maintenance costs
> Maintenance and capital costs evaluated based on inverse
8/7/2019 Clermont Coal Mine Project
20/34
Comparison Matrix
Water Power Ca ital Maintenance TotalConsumption Consumption Cost
Filter Presses 7 8 3 5 23
Vacuum Filters 7 7 2 6 22
filtersDeep Cone
Thickener
6 9 9 8 32
8/7/2019 Clermont Coal Mine Project
21/34
Paste thickeners operate in a similar manner toconventional high rate thickeners but produce an
. .
UWA]
> e ect ng t e appropr ate occu ant
> Using feed dilution systems
> Using a deep tank for compression
> Allowing for long bed residence times
> Using a 30-45 tank cone
> Using a specially designed rake system
> Using shear thinning principles
> Using a high degree of instrument and control
Image courtesy of FLSmidth
8/7/2019 Clermont Coal Mine Project
22/34
Thickening Test work
8/7/2019 Clermont Coal Mine Project
23/34
Test Work by Outotec
> Undertaken at Rio Tintos Technolo & Innovation Laborator in
Melbourne
Outotecs Supaflo High Rate Thickener
94 mm Diameter
> Test Material
Blair Athol Coal Tailings
SG: 1.7
Quantity: 16 bulky bins
8/7/2019 Clermont Coal Mine Project
24/34
Test Work by Outotec
> 94 mm Test Method
Bed Height: 220mm
Rake Speed: 2.5 rpm
Stock slurry: Stored in 40 L agitated, baffled tub Feed sent via variable speed peristaltic pump
Underflow pumped put by positive displacement pump
Ciba FlocculantsMagnafloc X110, X125, 336, 1011 & 5250
,
was selected for thickening test work
8/7/2019 Clermont Coal Mine Project
25/34
Test Work by Outotec
> 190 mm Test Method
Bed Height: 220mm Rake S eed: 2.5 r m
Stock slurry: Stored in 2m3 agitated tank and fed at 3.7 4.3% w/w
Feed sent via variable speed peristaltic pump
Underflow pumped put by positive displacement pump
> To achieve an underflow solids density of 50% w/w, a solidsloading rate of 0.23 t/m2h and flocculant dosage rate of 20 g/t
were ideal conditions as seen in Run 2.
8/7/2019 Clermont Coal Mine Project
26/34
Dynamic Thickening (190 mm ) Results
Run 1
> Solids Loading
Target Rate: 0.31 t/m2h
Actual Rate: 0.30 t/m2h
> Underflow Density
Calculated Density: 48 % w/w
Actual Densit : 47% w/w
> Flocculant Dosing
Target Rate: 30 g/t
c ua a e: g
8/7/2019 Clermont Coal Mine Project
27/34
Dynamic Thickening (190 mm ) Results
Run 2
> Solids Loading
Target Rate: 0.23 t/m2h
Actual Rate: 0.24 t/m2h
> Underflow Density
Calculated Density: 50% w/w
After Feed Interru tion: 57%
> Flocculant Dosing
Target Rate: 20 g/t
c ua a e: g
8/7/2019 Clermont Coal Mine Project
28/34
Dynamic Thickening (190 mm ) Results
Run 3
> Solids Loading
Target Rate: 0.31 t/m2h
Actual Rate: 0.32 t/m2h
> Underflow Density
Calculated Density: 47 % w/w
Actual Densit : 46.6% w/w
> Flocculant Dosing
Target Rate: 20 g/t
c ua a e: g
8/7/2019 Clermont Coal Mine Project
29/34
Construction Activities
8/7/2019 Clermont Coal Mine Project
30/34
ST201 ( ROM Feed Bin & Apron Feeder)
8/7/2019 Clermont Coal Mine Project
31/34
Crushing Station ST201
8/7/2019 Clermont Coal Mine Project
32/34
CPP & Portion of OLC
8/7/2019 Clermont Coal Mine Project
33/34
CPP
8/7/2019 Clermont Coal Mine Project
34/34
Top Related