Ore Deposit Geology and Mineralogy

Ore mineralogy and minerals processing

Mt Isa copper ore

Ore mineralogy and minerals

processing

Common ore minerals
native metals
sulfides
oxides
base metal carbonates

Common gangue
minerals
quartz
Ca-
Ca-Mg-
Mg-Fe carbonates
Mt Isa Pb-Zn ore
Fe-
Fe-sulfides
silicates

1
 Ore mineralogy and mill recoveries
Cu ore

Cyanidation methods
gold (CIP/CIL): 90-
90-96%

Roasting and
cyanidation
refractory gold (arsenical
or gold in pyrite or gold
in tellurides):
tellurides): 80-
80-85%

Sulfide flotation
copper (chalcopyrite
ores): 80 + %
lead (galena): 80+ %
zinc (sphalerite
(sphalerite):
): 70-
70-
Mt Isa Cu and Zn ores have very 80%
different liberation characteristics

Deleterious minerals
Category Gold Recovery % Course of action to process
(conventional
process)
Free milling >95% No pre-treatment
Causes of refractory behavior of ore
Mildly
80-95% required to establish if pre-treatment is
Refractory
economically viable
Unless significant grade and tonnage
Moderately processing may be uneconomic
50-80%
Refractory although conventional methods with
finer milling may be viable
Unless significant grade and tonnage
Highly
< 50% processing is mostly likely to be
Refractory
uneconomic

Deleterious minerals affect recoveries or costs in primary or secondary

secondary minerals
processing
copper and telluride minerals in gold ores that consume cyanide (leach-
(leach-robbing ores)
carbonaceous and clay rich gold ores that take gold from leachate (preg-
preg-robbing ores)
bismuth in copper concentrates
manganese and silica in sphalerite concentrates
oxides and carbonates in sulfide ores particularly the transition
transition from oxidized to primary ores
molybdenum in tungsten ores
phosphorus in iron ore
silicates in bauxite
sulfur in coal
cadmium, mercury, arsenic that are environmental hazards

2
Weathering and copper mineralogy
Limonite gossan

Secondary malachite forms in

zone of oxidation above the
water table

Native Cu forms at water table

under near neutral conditions

Supergene copper sulfide

(covellite and chalcocite)
replacing chalcopyrite under
more acidic conditions

Ore deposit evaluation and development

Exploration/Prefeasibility Stage

Mine Planning/Feasibility Stage
DRA Mineral Project's
mobile, fully integrated
diamond recovery plant.
Resource estimation

identified mineral resource

mineable ore reserves
Key elements

tonnes and grade

ore mineralogy (and minerals
processing capability)

structure and rock quality definition
(RQD)

preliminary development of a mine
plan for ore reserve estimation
Mine planning

orebody modelling

structural data and RQD

groundwater and gas studies

environmental impact studies

method selection

development schedule
Metallurgical planning

metallurgical testing

variation in ore mineralogy and
textures

causes of poor recovery

plant design

3
 Relationship between Exploration Results, Mineral
Resources and Ore Reserves (Stoker, 2006)

Exploration Results

MINERAL RESOURCES ORE RESERVES

Inferred
Increasing level of
geological
knowledge and
confidence Indicated Probable

Measured Proved

Consideration of mining, metallurgical, economic, marketing,

legal, environmental, social and governmental factors
(the Modifying Factors").

Ore Reserves versus Mineral

Resources

Clause 28 of the 2004 JORC Code includes

the following guideline
In order to achieve the required level of
confidence in the Modifying Factors,
appropriate studies will have been carried out
prior to determination of the Ore Reserves.
The studies will have determined a mine plan
that is technically achievable and economically
viable and from which the Ore Reserves can be
derived. It may not be necessary for these
studies to be at the level of a final feasibility
study.
study.

4
 Purpose of applied ore mineragraphy

Nature of initial ore deposition
process
magmatic, hydrothermal,
sedimentary

Impact of subsequent events
metamorphism, weathering

Milling and beneficiation
characteristics
free milling or refractory ores

Mineragraphic studies
ore mineral identification

chalcopyrite and/or bornite
grain size of components

variations through orebody
grain-
grain-grain relationships

ore textures and variations through
orebody
grain coatings
deleterious minerals

Mineral paragenesis

Mineral paragenesis refers to the order of formation of minerals in

time established largely from mutual grain boundary relationships,
relationships,
particularly overprinting and crosscutting relations.

The texture and grain size of common minerals such as pyrite
may differ sufficiently to allow different generations to be placed
placed
in a time series.

In Mt Isa Pb-
Pb-Zn ores, brassy
brassy pyrite (generation 2) and base metal
sulfides overprint fine-
fine-grained carbonaceous pyrite (generation 1).
This is significant because the fine
fine grained pyrite contains
elemental carbon and floats naturally so it is the dominant sulfide
dilutent of both the lead and zinc concentrates.

5
 Ore texture and mineral liberation

Automated electron beam
methods like MLA allow
rapid quantification of
mineral associations and
grain size distribution (ore
texture) in ore and plant
samples.

There is still a need for
empirical studies and
theoretical modelling of
links between micro and
meso scale textures and
liberation to evaluate
minerals processing
capability at ore body
(production) scale.

Intergrowth types

Inclusions of a minor mineral in a host phase have numerous causes

causes such as
exsolution and replacement. So called chalcopyrite disease in sphalerite isis
commonly the result of sphalerite reaction with Cu-
Cu-rich fluids.

Replacement occurs along grain boundaries and also internal channel
channel ways
that may be crystallographically controlled. Atoll and skeletal replacement
textures result from selective replacement of intergrown or compositionally
zoned crystals, e.g., pyrite after magnetite and chalcopyrite after
after sphalerite.

6
Replacement textures in the transition
from oxidized to primary ores

Supergene copper
sulfides (covellite and
chalcocite) replacing
primary chalcopyrite
and pyrite increase
the copper grade but
result in complex ore
textures that may
necessitate additional
grinding and/or
impact recoveries.

Recrystallization and metamorphic

textures

Ores that form at
elevated temperatures
may experience
recrystallization
during slow cooling
resulting in an equant
granular texture with
few inclusions.

Metamorphism of an
existing ore produces
similar textures but
may also modify the
original mineralogy.