Modern Mining July 2022

MINING News

Copper producer Kamoa Copper set a new monthly production record in May, produc ing 29 800 tonnes of copper in concentrate from the Kamoa Copper Mining Complex in Kamoa Copper produces a record 29 800 t copper in May the Democratic Republic of Congo. Kamoa Copper achieved record monthly produc tion despite planned interruptions during the month, which included scheduled main

tenance on the Phase 1 concentrator plant for two days. The Phase 1 and Phase 2 con centrator plants are currently processing at a combined annualised rate of around 8 million tonnes of ore – about 9% above nameplate capacity, and are expected to ramp up to 9.2 mtpa of ore by the second quarter of 2023. This will increase the com pany’s annual copper production to more than 450 000 tonnes and will rank Kamoa Copper as the world’s fourth-largest copper producer. Kamoa Copper management anticipates that the accelerated ramp-up of the Phase 2 concentrator plant positions the operation to deliver in the upper end of its 2022 cop per production guidance of 290 000 to 340 000 tonnes. Ivanhoe Mines founder Robert Friedland commented: “Together with our joint venture partner, Zijin Mining, and alongside the Congolese nation, we have resolved to fast-track expansions at the Kamoa Copper Mining Complex to meet rising worldwide demand for the responsibly-produced copper metal.” 

Kamoa Copper set a new monthly production record in May 2022.

Rainbow to demonstrate separation technology expertise

London-listed Rainbow Rare Earths has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a diversified chemicals group based in South Africa to investigate the opportunity of extract ing rare earth elements from a nitrophosphate process stream at its phosphoric acid produc tion plant near Johannesburg. Under the terms of the MoU, Rainbow will conduct a rare earths

extraction pilot study with the chemicals group, which will involve initial grade test work on processing stream material. This will be followed by a technical programme to confirm a flowsheet using Rainbow’s knowledge and intellectual property (IP). Rainbow has already completed preliminary sampling of the processing stream, with initial results indicating a Total Rare Earth Oxide grade of 0.81% total rare earths oxides (TREO), with a circa 27% weighting to high-value neodymium and praseodymium (NdPr), alongside economic levels of terbium and dysprosium, similar to Phalaborwa. Subject to a successful outcome, the parties intend to negotiate terms for a potential joint venture agreement to extract value from the rare earths present in the phosphoric acid processing stream. Rainbow Rare Earths CEO, George Bennett, said: “This is a very exciting opportunity for Rainbow to release additional value from a nitrophosphate processing stream by efficiently producing separated rare earths, which are currently untapped within the phosphoric acid production process.” 

Filter press to aid in protecting and preserving water resources Menar-owned Zululand Anthracite Colliery (ZAC), the sole producer of prime anthracite in South Africa, recently commissioned a new 25 ton-an-hour filter press at its coal washing plant, in Emakhalathini KwaZulu-Natal. The filter press removes slurry from the water used in the coal washing process and will aid in preventing incidents such as the coal slurry spill which occurred at ZAC, after the end wall at Slurry Pond 3 failed on December 24, 2021. As ZAC engineering production superintendent Howard Atkinson explains, “The filter press filters slurry-laden water and removes all the ultra-fines from the water to enable reclaimed water to be reused in the beneficiation process”. The filter press plant, which costs R14.5‑million, was commissioned on 10 May 2022 and was in full production by 16 May 2022. “The prin cipal aim of ZAC’s sustainable water management policy is to minimise and reduce freshwater consumption in all our operations,” said ZAC GM Wayne Rowe. 

Rainbow partners to demonstrate separation technology expertise.

6  MODERN MINING  July 2022