Processing Technology vs Nickel Laterite Ore Characteristic

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Processing Technology vs Nickel Laterite Ore
Characteristic

• Agus Superiadi
• PT Inco.Tbk

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Presentation Outlines

• Types of Nickel Deposit
• World Nickel Mineral Resources
• Nickel Laterite Development
• Processing Technology of Nickel Laterite
• Processing vs Ni Laterite Ore Characteristic
• Summary

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Types of Nickel Deposits

• Sulphide nickel deposits
• Nickel as nickel sulphide ? pentlandite,
  millerite
• Nickel ores processed through milling and
  smelting
• Laterite nickel deposits
• Oxide Ni deposits Ni as hydroxide in the
  ferruginous zone
• Clay silicate deposits Ni as clay silicate
• Hydrous silicate deposits Ni as hydrous-silicate
  in saprolite
• Nickel ores processed through pyro-metallurgy
  (smelting) or hydro-metallurgy (leaching)

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WORLDS LAND-BASED Ni RESOURCES
Mt Ore Ni Contained Nickel Mt Relative
SULPHIDES 10,594 0.58 62 31
LATERITES 10,382 1.32 140 69
TOTAL 20,976 0.96 202 100
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WORLD Ni PRODUCTION RESOURCES
WORLD Ni RESOURCES
PRIMARY Ni PRODUCTION
60
70
LATERITE
SULPHIDE
LATERITE
SULPHIDE
40
30
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LATERITE vs. SULPHIDE DEPOSITS
CUBA
PHILIPPINES
INDONESIA
NEW CALEDONIA
AUSTRALIA
SULPHIDES
LATERITES
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World Nickel Laterite Deposits
Albania
Greece
India
Cuba
Burma
Dominican Republic
Philippines
Ivory Coast
Guatemala
Venezuela
Ethiopia
Columbia
Indonesia
Burundi
Zimbabwe
PNG
Brazil
New Caledonia
Madagascar
Australia
Producing Countries Non Producing Countries
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World Nickel Laterite Resources (Distribution by
Contained Nickel)
Other
America
Caribbean
4
8
Africa
25
8
Australia
8
Philippines
New
11
Caledonia
Indonesia
20
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DEFINITION OF LATERITES

• Nickel laterites are
• Residual soils
• Have developed over mafic/ultramafic rocks
• Through processes of chemical weathering and
  supergene enrichment
• Under tropical climatic conditions
• Laterites are source of metals
• Ni, Co, Cr, Fe (from laterites derived from
  ultramafic rocks)
• Al (from laterites derived from aluminous rocks)

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Laterisation
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LATERITE PROFILEOn Unserpentinised Peridotite,
Sorowako
Red Laterite (Hematite)
Yellow Laterite (Limonite)
Saprolite zone
Bedrock pinnacle
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Considerations for developing a nickel laterite
project

• Nickel grade cobalt grade
• Resource tonnage / Life of Mine / scale of
  operation
• Ore chemistry and mineralogy
• Upgradeability of ore
• Process selection
• Availability of cheap power supply
• Selection of fuel
• Availability of raw materials water, silica
  flux, aggregate
• Availability of infrastructure
• Location of project
• Mining method
• Environmental considerations
• Negotiations with local and central governments
• Funding of the project
• Selection of engineer and contractor

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PROCESSING OF Ni LATERITES

• Pyrometallurgical processing(Ore is melted)
• Ferro-nickel
• Ni-matte
• Ni Pig Iron
• Hydrometallurgical processing (Leaching by acid)
• PAL (Pressure acid leaching) HPAL
• AL (Atmospheric Leaching)
• Heap Leaching
• Combined pyro and hydro process (Caron)(Ore is
  reduced at high temperature, then leached)

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Ferro-Nickel Projects in the world
Project Owner Country Remarks
Cerro Matoso BHP-B Columbia
Codemin Anglo Brazil
Doniambo SLN/Eramet New Caledonia
Exmibal Ex. Inco Guatemala Mothballed
Falcondo Falconbridge Dominican Rep.
Fenimark FENI (govt.) Macedonia Closed
Hyuga Sumitomo Japan Imported ore
Larymna Larco Greece
Loma de Hiero Anglo Venezuela
Morro do Niquel Anglo Brazil Closed
Oheyama Nippon Yakin Japan Imported ore
Onca-Puma Vale Inco Brazil
PAMCO Nippon Steel Japan Imported ore
Pomalaa ANTAM Indonesia Some imported ore
Nickel-Matte Projects of the world
Project Owner Country Remarks
Sorowako PT Inco Indonesia
Doniambo SLN/Eramet New Caledonia
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HPAL Projects of the world
Project Owner Country Remarks
Moa Bay Cuba Niquel Cuba First HPAL
Bulong Australia Shut down
Cawse Norilsk Australia
Murrin-Murrin Minara Australia
Coral Bay Sumitomo Philippines
Goro Vale Inco New Caledonia Under construction
Ramu River PNG Under construction
Ravensthorpe BHP-B Australia Under construction
CARON Projects of the world
Project Owner Country Remarks
Nicaro Union del Niq Cuba
Punta Gorda Union del Niq Cuba
Nonoc Philippines Closed
QNI BHP-Billiton Australia Imported ores
Tocantins Niquel Toc. Brazil
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Heap Leach Projects of the world
Project Owner Country Remarks
Caldag European Nickel Turkey First Heap Leach project
Ravensthorpe BHP-B Australia Part of flow sheet
Murrin-Murrin Minara Australia Expansion of project
Piaui Vale Brazil Being fast-tracked for production
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PYROMETALLURGICAL PROCESSING
Nickel-Matte Process
Upgrading in the mine
Drying of ore
Upgrading after drying
Calcining
Electric Furnace Smelting
Converting
Nickel-Matte Product 78 Ni
Ferro-Nickel Process
Upgrading in the mine
Drying of ore
Upgrading after drying
Calcining
Electric Furnace Smelting
Refining Furnace
Ferro-Nickel Product 20 50 Ni
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PYROMETALLURGY

• Important concerns
• Slag should not attack refractory (S/M ratio)
• Melting temperature should be suitable (S/M Fe)
• Olivine should not be introduced to the furnace
• Appropriate reduction of ore prior to smelting
• Ni/Fe ratio in the ore for ferro-nickel operation

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HYDROMETALLURGICAL PROCESSING
HPAL Process
Ore Preparation wetting, screening, crushing, ore beneficiation
Pre Heating through flash steam
Pressure Acid Leach in autoclave
Heat recovery from leached pulp
CCD thickening and washing
Neutralisation of pregnant solution
Precipitation of metals by adding H2S/alkali
Solid/liquid separation
Ni/Co products as mixed sulphides, oxides, hydroxides
Heap Leaching Process
Ore Preparation wetting, screening, crushing, ore beneficiation
Heap Formation
Acid Dripping
Pregnant solution
Sequential Precipitation of metals
Neutralization
Ni/Co concentrate
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HYDROMETALLURGY

• Important concerns
• HPAL
• Amounts of soluble Mg and Al in ore (acid
  consumers)
• Acid to ore ratio required for process
• Minimum operating temperature required to leach
• What is the appropriate pressure during leaching
• Retention time in the autoclave
• Rheological behaviour during slurrying
• How to recover metals in the back end of
  processing
• What product to make
• Heap Leaching
• Clay content
• Fe content
• Moisture content
• Weather

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Hydro vs Pyro

• Note
• The selection of processing technology must
  consider
• Ore characteristic (Chemistry and Mineralogy)
• Ni/Co grades (include potential upgrading)
• Metal recovery
• Mineability (Ore thickness and continuity)
• Capital and Operating costs (potential
  hydro-electric power, Residual Storage Facility,
  Water source, Limestone source,
• Existing infrastructure, etc)
• Market demand

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Hydro vs Pyro
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Pyrometallurgy
Process Main Feed Electricity Require Capital Cost Operating Cost
Fe-Ni Smelting Saprolite Very High Very High High
Ni Matte Smelting Saprolite Very High Very High High
Ni Pig Iron Limonite Moderate Moderate Very High
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Hydrometallurgy
Process Main Feed Electricity Require Capital Cost Operating Cost
HPAL Limonite Low High Low
Caron Saprolite Moderate Very High High
Heap Leach Limonite Very Low Moderate Low
Chloride Leach Limonite Saprolite Moderate High Low
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SUMMARY

• Ore Characteristics (chemistry and mineralogy)
  are very critical in selecting processing
  technology.
• HPAL is a preferred technology (if the ore is
  rich in limonite) because less energy required.
• Ferronickel and Nickel matte smelter is a good
  alternative for saprolitic laterite ore with
  potential hydro electric power.
• Heap Leach and NPI are attractive since less
  capital investment required.
• A Feasibility Study (Geology, Mining, Processing
  including Metallurgical testworks,
  Infrastructures, AMDAL, etc) is required to
  justify the project execution.

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