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Acid Plant
Database June 22, 2010
| Owner |
BHP Billiton -
Olympic Dam |
|
| Location |
Roxby Downs,
South Australia
Australia |
| Background |
1933
- Western Mining Corporation, Limited (WMC) formed
1979 - Western Mining Corporation Holdings, Ltd. formed as a holding company of all \wmc
properties and operations
1988 - Production of uranium and copper begins at Olympic Da |
| Website |
www.bhpbilliton.com |
| Plant |
Olympic Dam |
| Coordinates* |
30º 26' 40" S, 136º 51' 45" E |
| Type of Plant |
Metallurgical |
| Gas
Source |
Copper |
| Outotec
Flash Furnace |
Sulphur
Burner |
| Plant Capacity |
Original:
272 MTPD
1991: 300 MTPD |
| SA/DA |
- |
| Status |
Operating |
| Year Built |
- |
| Technology |
- |
| Contractor |
- |
| Remarks |
Plant
designed to handle high strength SO2 gas using a pre-converter |
| Pictures |
   |
| 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. |
| References |
- |
| News |
- |
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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