Definitive Feasibility Study
Every metallurgical test programme we product is tailored to the client requirements and deposit type. The summary below provides some starting points for consideration. If you would like to discuss building a bespoke programme of work for your project, please contact us.
Objective
De-risking the project to arrange finance
Sampling
Main focus is variability testwork
- The more variable an ore body is, the more samples need to be tested…….
- Test mining sequences – samples representing 3, 6, 12 month blocks
- Spatially distributed samples across domains
- Lithologies – different ore types defined by mineralogy and geology of the ore
- Particular focus on the payback years – higher definition to provide investor confidence
Testwork
Extensive testwork
- Ore hardness testwork
- multiple Bond Work Indices, hugely important for mill sizing and de-risking throughput limitations. Particularly important for lower grade operations, such as copper porphyries or lower grade gold operations
- Mineralogy
- Conduct mineralogy on multiple samples across the orebody, its an easy and relatively inexpensive way of determining variability
- Also very important for the development of proxies for ore hardness, kaolinisation, reactive ground etc.
- Settling rate tests on each of the variability samples tested
- thickeners are large Capex items and ensuring they are the right size is crucial, as with mills, these can be a throughput bottleneck and expensive to remedy.
- Thickening/Filtration testwork for concentrates
- Often require sample quantities beyond what normal bench scale tests can provide. Can require large, continuous (pilot) testing in order to generate suitable concentrate quantities
- Carbon loading equilibrium and kinetics, subsequent modelling
- Multiple leach tests, open circuit / locked cycle flotation tests, spiral/table tests on different domains, mining sequences and/or lithologies
- Rheological tests for optimal leaching density, tailings maximum underflow density for pumping and rake motor sizing
- More environmental testwork – ABA/NAG, humidity cells if required
Next phase: Plant design and commissioning
Previous phase: Pre-Feasibility Studies (PFS)
