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Sulphuric Acid Industry 
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Acid Plant Database
November 17, 2007
| Owner |
BHP Billiton -
Olympic Dam |
| Background |
Formerly
Western Mining Corporation - WMC |
| Location |
Roxby Downs,
South
Australia
Australia |
| Website |
www.bhpbilliton.com
|
| Plant
|
Olympic Dam |
| Coordinates* |
30º 26' 40" S, 136º 51' 45" E |
| Type of Plant |
Metallurgical |
| Gas Source |
Cu - Outotec Flash Furnace |
| Plant
Capacity |
|
| SA/DA |
|
| Status
|
Operating |
| Year Built |
|
| Technology |
|
| Contractor |
|
| Remarks |
|
| General |
The Olympic Dam
underground mining operation is highly mechanised, with automated rail
transportation and underground crushing. The primary method of ore
extraction is long hole open stoping with cemented aggregate fill. This
method allows for large equipment to achieve high productivity and maximum
ore recovery.
Ore is hoisted to the surface where it is fed
to one of two grinding circuits. After grinding, the resultant slurry passes
to a flotation circuit where a series of flotation stages and a further
regrinding activity produce a copper concentrate. The concentrate then
passes through a leaching circuit which is principally designed to extract
uranium from the copper minerals. Uranium is extracted in a solvent
extraction plant, producing yellow-cake, which is subsequently calcined to
produce uranium oxide concentrate and then packaged in drums for export
sales.
After drying, copper concentrate is fed to an
Outokumpu flash furnace smelter, which produces blister copper and flash
furnace slag. Blister copper is transferred to anode furnaces for fire
refining. Anode copper is transported to the refinery where the ISA
electro-refining process is used to produce copper cathodes. The slimes from
this process are treated separately to recover gold and silver. |
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Pictures |
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MTPD - Metric Tonne per
Day STPD - Short Ton
per Day
MTPA - Metric Tonne per Annum STPA - Short Ton per
Annum
SA - Single Absorption
DA - Double Absorption
* Coordinates can be
used to locate plant on Google Earth
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