Post by
Wangotango67 on Jan 26, 2024 1:13am
BETTER EXPLAINED
To best explain the concentrate process,
I will give you 16.6 tonnes of ore.
Your recovery rates are,
Head Grade = 0.29 gpt Pd
Recovery = 53.9%
= 0.156 Pd grams recovery factored
Therefore, after 16.6 tonnes processed you should have
Pd = 2.6 grams
This same Copper Commercial recovery columb
Head Grade = 0.15% Cu
Recovery 59.6%
= 0.089% Cu recovery factored
x 16.6 tonnes
= 1.47 % Cu ( should be this figure after 16.6 tonnes proccessed )
BUT - 18% is the result
Did MET tests reveal ore has richer copper grades than drill assay lab ?
Labs - performed partial digest ( other peers ) performed full digest.
RE - 18% copper con
https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/nickel-creek-succeeds-at-separating-nickel-and-copper-concentrates-for-nickel-shaw-project-687747701.html
Page 275 - 276
The ratio of the sub-composites
used to prepare the master composite were 80%, 15%, and 5% for peridotite, gabbro, and massive sulphide. This master composite sample was then processed further for sample characterization and metallurgical testing.
Table 4: Head Sample Analysis and ICP-Scan for Master Composite
NiS = solution nickel
Ni = sulphide nickel
Interesting grades eh ?
Could explain the 18% copper con in phase 2 MET
Even just peridotites
Peridotites = chlorites ( what are the odds - nickel / copper chlorite salts ? )
If sulphur acid is used = chloride mineral salts convert to sulphate
ISSUE ?
No chloride % values
solid solution can come in several forms, hydroxide, chloride, sulphate aq, Fl, etc...
Page 278
QEMSCAN elemental assays
Looks like grades are far higher for,
Copper - 0.80%
Iron 10+%
Chromium 0.25% - 0.60%
Titanium 0.25%
Sulphur ??? i'm not seeing any values
With such a high porpotion of chlorite + silicate minerals - 45%
is wellgreen really a sulphide deposit ?
2017 press admitted sulphur ore is least - test later
UG mine = epicenter of high sulphides ( was tested ( 2011 / 2012 )
lol
Send ores to lab - lab uses sulphur acid = sulphur mineral outcome
Same with MET tests
Preanalysis before acid assaying = true mineral characterization
Page 279
The major sulphide minerals are chalcopyrite, pentlandite and pyrrhotite,
while the major floatable gangue minerals are orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene, chlorite/serpentine and talc.
Wango -
These are floatablte
Page - 280
Chlorite/Serpentine - 45 % Mineral mass
Talc - 3 % Mineral mass
Carbonates - .3 % Mineral mass
Page - 291
Copper and nickel are the major value metals in this ore and occur almost exclusively as chalcopyrite,and pentlandite, respectively. The non-sulphide minerals are mainly chlorites, amphiboles, pyroxene, talc, and feldspar.
• There are a high proportion of chlorites/serpentine, pyroxene and talc in the ore which may require depressants to avoid recovery in the concentrate.
Page - 299
In each test, pyrrhotite (Po), chalcopyrite (Cp), pentlandite (Pn) and non-sulphide gangue (NSG) grades were calculated from stoichiometric relationship assumptions based on actual assays of copper, nickel,and sulphur. It was assumed the major copper bearing mineral as chalcopyrite, nickel bearing mineral as pentlandite and the remaining S content is associated with pyrrhotite.
Determining the non-sulphide nickel of tails was also undertaken for the selected tests.
My take ?
Small portion of sulphide ore vs entire deposit is 45% silcate chlorite
Solution minerals exist - nonsulphide
Sulphide minerals merged with silcates converted in swap to chloride salts
Whats missing on pg 276 ?
Solution copper
Forcing wellgreen to dress in sulphide tux
When, it should wear a silcate tux
Silicate chloride deposite forced the title - sulphide
because of 2 reasons
- UG Mine HudBay chased sulphides avoided silicates
- Current extraction is sulphide oriented
- Industry framed market using sulphide mineral end products
Market is just now seeing new ways, better ways to extract silicate / solution
ores that contain - solution, oxide, sulphides in the silicates.
I myself, try to avoid the mass sulphide mineral %
i place more focus on the greater ore geology of deposit and nonsulphide minerals.
It's where the mine plant will face it's greatest challenge.
In wellgreen case,
they caved.
Axed considerable tonnage ( 846 mil t ) forced a sulphide extraction on a deposit
that has plenty of nonsulphide minerals.
At best,
wellgreen should have 2 extraction process flowsheet.
Accommodating the solution minerals.
But then again, few juniors have that extra credit if economics report that
goes unnoticed by the mass investors.