Copper Smelter Updates II + Flash Smelting
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Sunday, August 18 Sunday, August 18 Official Opening & Plenaries ROOM: Ballroom AB 3:00 PM 3:30 PM - Presentation 616557 Title Pending Dale Andres, Teck Resources Limited 4:00 PM - Presentation 599003 Copper Market Drivers for the Short & Long Term Stephen Higgins, Freeport - McMoRan ABSTRACT The copper market is influenced by many factors, but it is mainly driven by the “fundamentals”, supply and demand. Supply has changed over time due to the economies of scale needed to produce copper from an ore body over the course of decades with declining grades. Historically demand has been closely correlated with growth in Industrial Production and electricity consumption. The superior attributes and cost effectiveness of copper will remain compelling over the short and long term. Mine development can take well over10 years from discovery to copper production. Hence, mine planning is a long-term investment with high capital costs. Over the short-term operating plans have to balance changing commodity prices that are highly volatile at times with managing steady production. Additionally, supply is increasingly scrutinized through responsible sourcing initiatives driven by end consumers, NGO’s and government regulators. Many of the drivers for demand such as construction, power utilities, and automobiles will remain drivers over the long term. Future applications such as electric vehicles, renewable energy, and energy efficiency will result in increased demand due to a 3 to 5 times multiple of copper intensity in those products. Other factors that influence the market primarily in the short-term include macroeconomic policy, trade, dollar valuation, and global availability. 1 Monday, August 19 Monday, August 19 Monday Teck Safety & Plenaries Ballroom AB 8:30 AM - Presentation 596602 The Kamoa-Kakula Project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Steve Amos, Ivanhoe Mines SA (Pty) Ltd. ABSTRACT The Kamoa-Kakula Copper Project—a joint venture between Ivanhoe Mines, Zijin Mining Group Co., Ltd. and the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo—has been independently ranked as the world's largest, undeveloped, high-grade copper discovery by international mining consultant Wood Mackenzie. It is a very large, near-surface stratiform copper deposit with adjacent prospective exploration areas within the Central African Copperbelt, approximately 25 km west of the town of Kolwezi and about 270 km west of the provincial capital of Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of Congo. A phased development approach is currently envisaged. The first phase of the project involves the development of a 6 Mtpa underground mine and surface processing complex (dual stream concentrator) at the Kakula Deposit (a discovery announced in early 2016) as the project’s first phase of development. The second phase of the project involves an integrated 12 Mtpa two-stage development, beginning with initial production from the Kakula Mine, to be followed by a subsequent, separate underground mining operation at the nearby Kansoko Mine, along with the construction of a smelter. 9:00 AM - Presentation 616559 Closing the Loop - Green Copper at Aurubis Thomas Bünger ABSTRACT Aurubis is the world's leading copper recycler, processing over 700,000 t of recycling materials per year. More than every third copper cathode at Aurubis is already made completely of recycled material. With mega trends like urbanization, industrialization and the globally growing middle class driving recycling volumes, both the quantity and the complexity of secondary raw materials will increase significantly. How will we meet the demands and expectations from our business partners and the society, and what is needed towards "sustainable copper" and other materials in the future - technically, politically and in terms of sustainability? In his Plenary address, Dr. Thomas Bünger, COO at Aurubis, will introduce the company's strategy towards "green copper" and beyond. 9:30 AM - Presentation 616556 Copper Price Outlook 2019-2020— Global Growth, Currencies & Commodity Prices Patricia Mohr, Scotiabank (retired) 2 Monday, August 19 ABSTRACT The outlook for copper prices in the context of expected global economic conditions (especially in China and Asia/Pacific), the impact of U.S./China trade relations, new sources of demand such as in electric vehicles, currency developments and investment in new mine supply. Will there be a shortage of copper in the 2021-23 period linked to limited new mine development? Copper 2019: Electrowinning & Electrorefining Electrorefining Operations I - Chair: Georges Houlachi Meeting Room 12 2:00 PM - Presentation 594940 Global Survey of Copper Electrorefining: 2019 World Tankhouse Operating Data Michael S. Moats, Missouri University of Science and Technology Andreas Filzwieser, METTOP GmbH Shijie Wang, Rio Tinto William G. Davenport, University of Arizona Tim Robinson, Outotec Andreas Siegmund, LanMetCon ABSTRACT This survey continues the long tradition of providing a snapshot of operating data from industrial electrorefineries. It is a supplement to previous surveys that were performed in 1987, 1991, 1995, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2007, 2010, 2013 and 2016. Analyses of current data and historical trends are presented. Examples of innovations to reduce costs, improve productivity, and improve quality are provided. In general, refineries continue to increase productivity while treating anodes with more impurities. 2:50 PM - Presentation 590965 'Permanent' Cathode Plate - Consumable or Fixed Asset? Addin Pranowo, Glencore Technology Nigel Aslin, Glencore Technology Graham Heferen, Glencore Technology Ola Eriksson, Glencore Technology ABSTRACT Glencore Technology (GT) has over four decades experience supplying stainless steel cathode plates (“cathode plates”) to the electro-refining and electro-winning industry. Cathode plates are typically the single biggest capital investment in a refinery. Refineries may view cathode plates as fixed asset or consumables depending on their operational characteristics. This paper examines the issue of cathode plate life and the strategies and philosophies used by different plants in the management of their cathode plate asset. Some plants operate with their original plates after more than 20 years. Others accept high turnover and regular maintenance as normal operating practice. Reference data are provided on plate life for various operating plants including benchmark plants achieving best-practice plate life and operating cost. The role of the 3 Monday, August 19 electrode handling equipment on cathode plate longevity is also examined, including latest developments in Cathode Stripping Machine, robotic copper stripping, and full-automation production cranes. The ability to identify and manage the population of plates in service is also critical for maximising plate life and minimising its overall operating cost. This paper discusses a novel and unique RFID system for tracking and managing cathode plate inventory 3:15 PM - Presentation 591294 Arsine Risk Management at Ccr’s Electrolyte Purification Plant Billy Serviere, Glencore Copper Canada - CCR Refinery Hans Persson, Glencore Copper Canada - CCR Refinery Arun Majumdar, Glencore Copper Canada - CCR Refinery ABSTRACT The CCR refinery, which was built in 1931, treats both internal and third party copper anodes to produce 325,000 mt of copper as cathodes. These anodes contain high levels of impurities, such as Ni, As, Sb and Bi, that reports to the electrolyte during the refining step and need to be removed in order to maintain cathode quality and operating efficiencies. In the purification plant, the electrolyte is decopperized via electrowinning in three stages. In the last stage, the copper content of the electrolyte is reduced to below 1 gpL in order to maximize the co-deposition of As, Sb and Bi with the Cu. This is accomplished with minimum arsine gas generation by using periodic reversal of the current and by controlling the final copper content of the electrolyte. Nevertheless, the possibility of exposure to arsine is treated as a major risk and controls have been implemented to reduce this risk. This paper describes the controls in place at the purification plant, which are being continuously improved through periodic risk assessments and audits. 150 years of Copper ER I - Chair: Mike Moats Meeting Room 12 4:05 PM - Presentation 605404 Origins of Electro-refining: Birth of the Technology and the World's First Commercial Electrorefinery Albert Wraith, Private Consultant Phillip Mackey, P.J.Mackey Technology Inc. Jennifer Protheroe-Jones, National Waterfront Museum ABSTRACT The world’s first copper electrorefinery started production in 1869 at Burry Port in South Wales. Built within the Pembrey Copper Works which had commenced smelting operations in 1849, the new refinery was based on principles described in the British patents 4 Monday, August 19 issued to J.B. Elkington in 1865 and 1869. Refining principles and practices pioneered there were key to the foundation of modern electro-refining practice in what is now a dominant international industry producing over 16 Mt of electrical grade copper annually. This paper explores the background to this pioneering application of the new, early 19th century, science of “electro-metallurgy” and examines its links to the contemporary decorative electro-plating industry and to the shortcomings of 19th century fire refining. The beginnings and early years of the Pembrey electrorefinery are briefly discussed in relation to the quality, applications