Preconcentration and pressure oxidation

of Porgera refractory gold ore

- D.R. Weir, J.A. King, and P.C. Robinson

Abstract - The complex mineralogy of the Porgera ful in categorizing mineral types. This is illustrated in
resource has a pronounced effect on process selection Table 1,which gives average values for the principal
for the recovery of refractory gold and silver. Intimate ore classifications,designated A through D.
association of gold with pyrite necessitates a high
degree of sulphur preoxidation to achieve acceptable
levels of gold recovery. Acid pressure oxidation has Table 1 - Ratios of Chemical Constituents for Major
been demonstrated to be the only commercially proven Ore Types After Gravity Removal of Free Gold
process capable of achieving the required level of Mineral Type
Ratio
pyrite oxidation. A B D C
Gangue mineralization dictates preconcentration of AQ : Au 9.1 5.1 3.1 1:l
the sulphides to limit the acid consuming capacity and S : Au 13000 : 1 8000 : 1 4000 : 1 3000 : 1
S : (Pb t Z n ) 5.1 10.1 10: I 10: 1
carbon dioxide generation during oxidation. However, S : As 100 : 1 50 : 1 50 : 1 20 : 1
the relationship between concentrate sulphur grade
and gold recovery to concentrate ultimately governs
the optimum degree of sulphide preconcentration. The characteristics o f the major mineral types have
Minipiloting of the preconcentration and oxidation been described previously (Robinson, 1983) and,
stages of the Porgera flowsheet are described. The although the boundaries between classifications are
influence of these processes on subsequent recovery of often more indistinct than average values suggest, the
precious metals together with the technical and end numbers o f the mineral series can be considered
economic necessity of concentrate pretreatment prior as types A and C , with types B and D transitional
to oxidation are discussed. between these.
Pyrite, by far the most abundant sulphide mineral,
Introduction displays a marked variation in habit, ranging from
<10 pm disseminations to massive veins up to several
The Porgera gold-silver deposit, located in the centimeters thick. Veins and aggregates o f massive
central highlands o f Papua New Guinea, comprises a pyrite, often intergrown with base metal sulphides,
geologically complex sequence o f high level intrusives are characteristic o f type A. Type C mineralization
and variably altered sedimentary rocks. The sedimen- contains, almost exclusively, finely disseminated
tary host rocks consist predominantly of black shales pyrite and marcasite grains that often have a distinc-
and mudstone that contain interbeds o f siltstone tive "spongy" texture.
ranging from calcareous to dolomitic. Altered sedi- Microscopic observations of gold are limited to
ments, which are the products o f sericite-dolomite mineral types A, B , and D ; however, the proportion of
alteration o f black and calcareous sediments, occur at visible gold is generally less than 15% o f the total gold
the margins o f the intrusives. The igneous intrusive contained in the sample. Nevertheless, occasional
rocks have been affected to varying degrees by perva- particles of relatively coarse gold, up to several milli-
sive, hydrothermal alteration, which has tended to meters in diameter, are amenable to recovery by
increase their potassium and carbonate contents while gravity concentration.
depleting silica. ~ e c o v e r yo f gold b y cyanidation averages about
Most of the gold occurs in association with sulphides, 40%. I t is extremely variable, ranging from virtually
which are dominated by pyrite with lesser sphalerite zero for type C to a maximum o f 60% for types A, B ,
and galena and minor chalcopyrite, marcasite, arseno- and D. Submicroscopic gold, fairly evenly dispersed
pyrite, and sulphosalts. The distribution o f mineraliza- within the pyrite, accounts for the highly refractory
tion is largely a function of ground preparation b y nature of the deposit. Virtually complete sulphur pre-
fracturing and, to a lesser degree, b y hydrothermal oxidation is necessary to render this gold amenable to
alteration. Fracturing and brecciation commonly are high levels o f recovery b y cyanidation. Silver recovery
developed best adjacent to the intrusive contacts, by direct cyanidation ranges from 45% for type C to
within both the igneous and sedimentary hosts. Conse- about 70% for the other mineral types.
quently, the distribution o f sulphides and associated Although bacterial oxidation has also been success-
silver-gold mineralization is not limited to either ful in releasing refractory gold from pyrite during
sedimentary or igneous rock types, and frequently previous laboratory investigations, acid pressure
transgresses lithological boundaries.
Progressive evaluation of drill core data has led to
the categorization of several distinct subtypes of ore in
the deposit (Fleming et al.). Although empirically
derived initially, this concept has been supported b y D.R. Weir, member SME, is manager, External Technology,
mineralogical, geochemical, and metallurgical studies Sherritt Gordon Mines Ltd., Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta,
and b y statistical discriminant analysis. Early inves- Canada. J.A. King is project metallurgist, Placer Development
tigation o f the numerous possible discriminant param- Ltd., Vancouver, BC, Canada. P.C. Robinson is group metallur-
eters available for ore type classification revealed that gist, Renison Goldfields Consolidated Ltd., Sydney, NSW,
absolute abundances o f individual elements were of Australia. SME preprint 86-151, SME-AIME Annual Meeting,
limited value. These appear to be more dependent on New Orleans, LA, March 1986. M M P paper 86-647. Manuscript
the intensity than on the type o f mineralization. How- March 1986. Discussion of this paper must be submitted, in
ever, element ratios were considerably more success- duplicate, prior to Jan. 31,1987.
MINERALS AND METALLURGICAL PROCESSING
NOVEMBER 1986 201
oxidation was selected for the Porgera flowsheet test The overflow solution from the first wash thickener
work a s it was commercially available technology and is treated sequentially with flotation tailings and lime
was considered more adaptable to varying feedstocks. to precipitate the metals and sulphate that were
Due to the high acid consuming capacity of the sedi- derived from the concentrate. This slurry is thickened
mentary and altered intrusive host rocks, direct acid and the metal free water is recycled to the washing
pressure oxidation of the ore is impractical, making circuit. The thickener underflow is combined with the
preconcentration a prerequisite to further processing. thickened and detoxified carbon-in-pulp discharge
Flotation is effective in recovering sulphides together slurry and with the remainder of the flotation tailings,
with the bulk of the associated gold; however, recovery then discharged.
levels strongly depend on the sulphur grade of the This paper describes small scale piloting of the
concentrate produced. Extensive batch pressure oxi- gravity, flotation, and pressure oxidation steps of the
dation testing of sulphide concentrates has indicated proposed flowsheet for Porgera, carried out to eval-
that a high proportion of the contained gold can be uate the comparative response of the various ore types
recovered by washing, cyanidation, and carbon-in-pulp encountered in the deposit. Minipiloting of the remain-
processing of the oxidized residues. der of the flowsheet, aimed a t establishing the tech-
A process has been developed to enhance the nical viability of the entire process, is described in the
recovery of gold and silver from the extensive Porgera paper on page 208.
ore body because the ore contains pyrite, sphalerite,
and galena that cause it to be refractory to conven- Sample selection and preliminary testing
tional cyanidation technology. The main elements of
the process are depicted in Fig. 1. The extreme variability of the Porgera deposit
means that collecting representative bulk samples for
conventional pilot scale test work was considered im-
practical if not impossible. Instead, samples were
assembled from quartered diamond drill core obtained
I II NEUTRAL
-1ZATION 1 1 over five years of resource delineation.
Individual samples, previously categorized by dis-
criminant function analysis, were selected to enable
assembly of representative composites of the various
mineral types. Approximately 7000 samples, each
representing two meters of drill core and with a total
OXIDATION IN PULP IFlCATlON
weight of about 20 t, were air freighted from Papua
New Guinea to Lakefield Research in Ontario, Canada,
for preconcentration test work and small scale produc-
I WASH
Yl EFFLUENT tion of concentrates for subsequent processing by

r r RECOVERY

BULLION
Sherritt Gordon Mines Ltd. a t Fort Saskatchewan,
Alberta. Major constituent analyses for the composites
subsequently assembled are given in Table 2.
Fig. 1 - Porgera flow diagram

Mine run ore is delivered to a conventional grinding Table 2 - Analysis of Porgera Composites
circuit. The ground ore is subjected to gravity separa-
Composite A B D C
tion for the recovery of free gold. The gravity tailings
g l t Au 3.54 3.33 7.69 7.21
are subjected to flotation for recovery of a sulphide
Ag 24.5 17.7 16.8 7.2
concentrate. The flotation tailings are thickened for 5.95 5.64 5.66
% Fe 6.41
use in a coordinated waste management system and S 4.47 2.83 2.98 2.08
for disposal together with the other waste solids. The Zn 0.62 0.22 0.13 0.13
flotation concentrate is reground and thickened. The Pb 0.31 0.058 0.048 0.05
As 0.065 0.065 0.051 0.11
thickened pulp is stored and blended. 0.005 0.004 0.003 0.004
Sb
The concentrate slurry is contacted with acidic Cu 0.023 0.01 1 0.007 0.01
slurry recycled from autoclave flash tanks. The con- SiOg 51.9 52.5 52.5 50.0
centrate contains carbonate that reacts in this acidic A'2°3 12.6 13.6 14.2 14.2
CaO 6.69 7.01 6.39 7.84
slurry evolving carbon dioxide. The slurry is then
MgO 2.46 2.84 3.48 3.28
pumped into autoclaves. Oxidation is conducted a t Na20 0.39 0.46 0.72 1.03
elevated temperature and elevated pressure under K2° 3.41 3.57 3.76 3.78
oxygen. The autoclave discharge slurry is flashed to GO2 8.09 4.08 7.57 8.68
release excess heat. The flashed slurry is partly
recycled and partly diluted with second stage wash
solution and then flocculated and thickened. The first After compositing, flotation conditions were opti-
wash thickener underflow is repulped with neutraliza- mized in a series of bench scale batch tests. I t had
tion thickener overflow, flocculated, and settled in a been determined in previous work that, if reproducible
second wash thickener. results were to be obtained, removal of "free" gold
The washed solids are diluted and maintained a t was desirable before flotation testing to eliminate the
pH >10.5 by adding lime a t elevated temperature in a variable "nugget effect." Gravity separation was first
silver enhancement circuit. After cooling and thicken- applied to each composite by Wilfley tabling followed
ing, the pulp is cyanide leached and subjected to by upgrading the table concentrate on a Mozley
carbon-in-pulp treatment in a multistage circuit. The mineral separator. All gravity tailings then were
carbon, containing the gold and silver adsorbed in the combined for flotation testing.
carbon-in-pulp circuit, is delivered to a recovery sec- Detailed investigations, which were initially limited
tion. The barren slurry discharged from the carbon-in- to A and C mineral types, included determination of
pulp circuit is thickened and the thickener overflow is the effect of grind size, collector type and dosage, and
recycled to the circuit. pH modification. As anticipated, the fineness of grind,

202 NOVEMBER 1986 MINERALS AND MElALLURGICAL PROCESSING

for the extremes of mineralization, had the major
impact on flotation, a s shown in Fig. 2. For the type C Table 3 - Parameters Used to Calculate Optimum
Concentrate Regrind Size
composite, pH modification with soda ash also had
marginal benefit. Standard flotation conditions devel- Concentrate Paltlcle Slze (Kggpm)
Cost Parameter
oped for types A and C, using potassium amyl xanthate I10 50 33 20 13
a s collector, were applied to types B and D. Both Regrind Work Index, kWhlt - 13 19 31 45
responded somewhat better a t the finer grind size Media Liner Consumption, kglt - 1.3 3.2 8.6 17.6
applicable to C type mineralization. Power - Regrinding, kWhlt - 6 15 40 82
- Autoclave agitation, kwh11 65 5 36 27 19
Total, kWhlt 65 55 51 67 101
Time for 95% Sulphur Oxidation 92 53 38 30 23
in Batch Test, minutes

z
TYPE A
0
t-
a PARTICLE S I Z E OF C O N TO PRESSURE OXIDATION. K,, pm
C

0,LL Fig. 3 - Relationship between overall capital and operating

costs for regrinding and pressure oxidation of Porgera con-
centrates and regrind particle size

I
CONTINUOUS PROCESSING I B A T C H PROCESSING
PRIMARY GRIND SIZE, K B O prn
I

Fig. 2 - Effect of primary grind size on flotation recovery

Before pilot production of flotation concentrates, it

was necessary to evaluate the requirement for re-
grinding the concentrates prior to pressure oxidation,
since, if required, regrinding would form an integral
part of the pilot circuit. Concentrate regrinding can
have a major impact on subsequent oxidation kinetics
and therefore may significantly affect the size, capital
cost, and, to a lesser extent, operating cost of the
autoclave facility. Any savings in this area must be
offset against the capital and normally high operating
cost of regrinding to relatively fine particle sizes.
Approximately one tonne of type A material was Fig. 4 - Lakefield pilot plant arrangement
processed to produce sufficient concentrate for parallel
investigations into the effect of regrinding on required Preconcentrrttion piloting
autoclave residence time and the power and grinding
media consumptions for regrinding to a range of Primary grinding a t a feed rate of 160 kg/h was
particle sizes. These investigations were carried out carried out in a 300 x 700 mm Denver rod mill contain-
by Sherritt and Lakefield kesearch, respectively. ing 25 to 50 mm rods. Rod mill discharge was subject-
Data intemolated from batch oxidation kinetic studies. ed to gravity separation on a Vickers FGL Mk 6 twin
batch work index determinations, and 10 kg/h contin: start spiral concentrator. Spiral concentrate was
uous regrinding tests is presented in Table 3. Overall upgraded on a 13b Wilfley laboratory table. Spiral and
relative capital and operating costs were estimated for table tailings were recombined before secondary
the range of product sizes tested. Figure 3 indicates milling to the optimum particle size previously deter-
that overall costs for concentrate regrind and oxida- mined for each mineral type. This was done in two
tion a t Porgera reach a minimum level a t a particle Denver ball mills, 400 x 800 mm and 300 x 300 mm,
size of 80% passing about 30 pm. Regrinding to this operated in series, each containing 25 mm forged steel
optimum particle size was incorporated into the balls. Rougher flotation was effected in a single bank
Lakefield pilot circuit, shown in Fig. 4. of six Agltair No. 15 cells, each with a working volume
MINERALS AND METALLURGICAL PROCESSING NOVEMBER 1986 203
of 42 L. Denver Sub-A No. 7, 28 L capacity cells were
used for cleaning and scavenging to improve gold
recovery without reducing concentrate grade.
Due to the relatively small quantity of Wilfley table
concentrate produced, it was retabled on a batch basis.
The table failings were reground and mixed with the
reground flotation concentrate to produce the auto-
clave feed material. The upgraded gravity concentrate
was further treated by superpanning to produce a
gravity concentrate that could be smelted directly.
Results from the various gravity concentration stages
are presented in Table 4.

- -

Table 4 - Performanceof Gravity Circuit 0 10 20

% S IN CONCENTRATE
30

Gold Dlstrlbutlon: Percent ol Gold in Composite Sample

Fig. 5 - Relationship between gold recovery to flotation
Ore Type Splral Table Cleaner Table Recleaner Superpanner
concentrate and sulphur grade of concentrate
Talllngs Talllngs Talllngs Con
A 72.2 10 7 12 7 4.4
B 71.8 30 10.6 14.6
C 94.7 10 0.1 4.2 Table 5 - Recovery of Gold to Autoclave Feed During
D 71.3 12.0 65 10.2
Gravity Concentration and Flotation
Gold Dlstrlbutlon: Percent of Gold in Composite Sample
Flotatlon Feed % Au Flotatlon Gravltv Autoclave
Attempts to recover gold from the flotation tailings Ore Type (Splrel and Table Recovery Concentrate cleaner Feed
by gravity separation were singularly unsuccessful, Talllnas) In and
Flotation Recleaner
confirming that any fine "free" gold liberated during 1 I Taillngs
secondary grinding is recovered during flotation. A 72.2 193.51 67.5 23.4 90.9
It was recognized that the optimum grade of the B 71.8 192.01 66.1 13.6 79.7
autoclave feed material would be difficult to deter- C
D
94.7
71.3
187.11
192.61
82.5
66.0
1.1
18.5
83.6
84.5
mine prior to the continuous oxidation runs. Conse-
quently, 15% sulphur was selected as a compromise
between maximum gold recovery to flotation concen- The behavior of silver during gravity concentration
trate and production of an oxidation feedstock with and flotation of a 9% sulphur concentrate is shown in
sufficient acid generating capacity to not only neutral- Table 6. The small amount of silver recovered in the
ize the contained carbonates but also to maintain the gravity circuit probably occurs a s electrum. It is
desired acidity in the autoclave, necessary for com- interesting that the ratio of silver to gold in the gravity
plete oxidation of sulphides. recleaner concentrate is identical for A and B mineral
The preliminary bench scale batch testing had types but significantly higher for types C and D.
indicated that gold recoveries in flotation ranging Flotation recoveries for silver again illustrate the
from 87% for type C to 93% for type A, a t target distinctive behavior of type C. The occurrence of most
concentrate grade, could be expected. However, of the silver as freibergite and other sulphosalts in
actual recoveries from the pilot circuit were about 4% types A, B, and D results of relatively high flotation
lower a t an equivalent concentrate grade. For this recovery of silver.
reason, various circuit modifications were tested, such
a s the incorporation of scavenging or cleaning cells
with recirculation of products. Moderate success was Table 6 - Recovery of Silver to Autoclave Feed During
achieved but, due to the limited amount of each Gravity Concentration and Flotation
composite, insufficient operating time was available Sllver Dlstrlbutlon: Percent of Sllver in Composite Sample
to fully optimize the flotation circuit. Flotatlon
% Ag
Gravity
The relationship between flotation concentrate Feed Recovery
sulphur grade and gold recovery is illustrated in Fig. 5. Ore Type Kcleaner Cleaner (Splral in Flotation Autoclave
Concen and and Table Flotation Concen Feed
Similar curves are obtained when either silver or trale Recleaner Talllngs) [ 1 trate
sulphur recovery is plotted against sulphur grade. As Talllngs
with gravity concentration, the behavior of B and D
mineral types in flotation is similar to that of type A,
with type C being quite distinctive. Thus, the signif-
icant increase in gold recovery corresponding to
relatively modest reductions in sulphur grade, evident
for all mineral types, is especially apparent with type Pressure oxidation
C. This relationship suggests that concentrate grades
well below 15% sulphur are likely to be justified. During pressure oxidation of pyrite to ferric sul-
Autoclave feed grades during minipiloting of the phate, dissolved iron acts as the effective oxygen
pressure oxidation circuit were set as low as 9% transfer agent. Excessive iron hydrolysis and resul-
sulphur. Heat balance calculations indicate that, with tant precipitation, which is favored a t decreasing acid
7% to 8% CO, in the feed, sulphur grades much below concentrations, therefore reduces the oxidation rate
this level are impractical. and can adversely affect the temperature profile in the
Table 5 shows the source of gold in the feed material autoclave. Furthermore, the effect of concentrate
to the pressure oxidation circuit. To facilitate com- regrind on initial reaction kinetics can also be signif-
parison, production of 9% sulphur flotation concentrate icant. Insufficiently rapid oxidation in the initial stage
has been assumed for all ore types. of processing can result in the formation of elemental

204 NOVEMBER 1986 MINERALS AND METALLURGICAL PROCESSING

sulphur, which not only occludes gold but also tends to used in the first four compartments with a single axial
coat and agglomerate unreacted pyrite (Berezowsky impeller utilized in the fifth compartment. Tempera-
and Weir, 1984); under extreme conditions, this can ture control between 180° and 185OC in the first
result in the cessation of oxidation. Elemental sulphur compartment and 190 C in the remaining four com-
also is known for its detrimental effects during partments was effected by intermittent external
cyanidation. heating with natural gas flames under each agitator
Control of these various parameters to ensure a and water injection to individual compartments. At
reaction rate in the first third of the autoclave at least 190°C, with oxygen sparging a t 10 L/min, the actual
four times that in the remainder of the vessel is working volume of the autoclave was 26 L.
desirable. Recycle of oxidized slurry to the autoclave Slurry feed to the autoclave, a t controlled rates up to
feed minimizes the agglomeration effect (Berezowsky 3.7 kg/h solids, was via a gas displacement pump. The
and Weir, 1984; Weir and Berezowsky, 1984) and can discharge rate to the flash tank was controlled to
be used as an effective control of soluble iron and acid match the feed rate and to maintain a constant slurry
levels within the autoclave. Slurry recycle also level in the autoclave. Samples were taken periodically
provides a thermal sink for heat generated during the from individual compartments to provide a measure
exothermic oxidation of pyrite. This supplements the of the oxidation rate, degree of gold liberation (based
water contained in the concentrate feed slurry to on cyanidation testing), as well as solution profiles
control the temperature in the first stage of oxidation. across the autoclave. The working pressure was
Water is added directly to the remainder of the auto- controlled a t about 1800kPa by adjusting the autoclave
clave, as necessary, to control the operating tempera- vent gas discharge rate. Foaming in the autoclave was
ture at a sufficiently low level to protect the vessel and controlled by use of an additive.
its internals. The first two continuous runs incorporated pressure
When the concentrate sulphur grade is low, oxidized oxidation and acidic effluent neutralization testing.
slurry recycle must be limited to maintain tempera- Continuous gold and silver recovery testing was
ture, particularly in the first section of the autoclave, carried out subsequently. The runs of 117 hours and 96
such that complete oxidation to sulphate is achieved. hours carried out on A and C concentrates, respective-
Since lower sulphur grades correspond with higher ly, were aimed a t establishing operating parameters
carbon dioxide contents, the acid demand is higher. for a final fully integrated run comprising the entire
For this reason, autoclave flash tank discharge, with pressure oxidation, residue washing, gold and silver
its high acid content, must be recycled. For higher recovery, and effluent neutralization circuits.
sulphur grade materials, underflow from the oxidized The major objective of the initial runs was to deter-
slurry wash thickener is adequate for supply of acid mine the effect of reducing the sulphur grade of the
and desirable for control of temperature and sulphur autoclave feeds to maximize the flotation recovery of
agglomeration since a higher recycle ratio can be gold. To this end, postoxidation gold liberation from
employed. "as received" concentrates. containing between 15%
It is important that acid is recycled in such a manner and 18% sulphur, was compared with that from lower
as to allow evolution of as much carbon dioxide as grade concentrates produced by diluting the "as
possible before introducing the composite feed slurry received" material with flotation tailings. In the case
into the pressure vessel. In this way, bleeding of of type A, dilution was to 12% sulphur and for type C to
carbon dioxide, and therefore oxygen, from the auto- 9% sulphur. A further indication of the feasibility of
clave can be minimized and, as a result, oxygen treating low grade concentrates was obtained by
utilization improved. Nevertheless, for concentrates introducing gaseous nitrogen into the autoclave to
containing 6% to 8% carbon dioxide, oxygen utilization simulate lower oxygen fugacities.
is unlikely to be much above 7596, and the necessary The preliminary continuous runs demonstrated that
high rate of gas venting from the autoclave will have dilution of the oxygen in the vapor phase had only a
an adverse effect on the system heat balance and minor effect on the initial rate of oxidation. Table 7
power costs. These, of course, must be offset by shows that, although the final degree of sulphur
increased precious metals recovery. oxidation and subsequent gold liberation during oxida-
The interaction of these various phenomena and tion were marginally reduced with the lower grade
their impact on the commercial flowsheet were quan- feedstocks, this reduction is more than offset by the
tified by small scale piloting of the proposed flowsheet increase in gold recovery obtained in flotation.
in a similar way to that successfully employed pre-
viously by Sherritt (Kunter et al., 1984).
Pressure oxidation piloting Table 7 - Influence of Reduced Concentrate Sulphur Grade
on Post-Oxidation Gold Recovery
Although batch testing is useful in providing a first
indication of the amenability of a particular concen- X S
Feed
./.
Oxldatlon
O/. Cyanlde Extraction of Gold
From Autoclave Overall From
trate to pressure oxidation pretreatment, the commer- Feed Ore
cial feasibility of the process must be demonstrated by Type A Concentrate 15.0 98.4 95.1 87.6
continuous testing. In fact, the tendency for and 12.0 97.9 93.8 88.0
impact of elemental sulphur formation can be Type C Concentrate 17.8 98.6 96.0 79.8
8.8 99.1 95.6 84.2
accurately assessed only during continuous tests
(Weir and Berezowsky, 1984). Furthermore, the inter-
action of the pressure oxidation process with down-
stream operations and the effect of the various recycle The feasibility of treating low grade concentrates
streams can be determined effectively only by contin- was thus demonstrated, as was the resultant improve-
uous testing of a fully integrated circuit. ment in overall gold recovery.
Three separate continuous pressure oxidation runs The third continuous run, over 264 hours, comprised
were carried out in a horizontal, six agitator, five the fully integrated circuit, using process parameters
compartment, titanium autoclave with a static work- established during continuous testing of the individual
ing volume of 30 L. Dual axial flow impellers were unit operations (Weir, Robinson, and King, p. 208).
MINERALS AND METALLURGICAL PROCESSING NOVEMBER 1986 205
Following the success achieved in the first two contin- The consistently low sulphur feed grade enabled the
uous runs, concentrates produced a t Lakefield were recycle of flash tank discharge during the entire run;
diluted with flotation tailings to simulate lower grade however, the amount of recycle was dependent on the
oxidation feedstocks. The analyses of these are shown sulphur grade of the feedstock. For C and D concen-
in Table 8. trates, recycle was limited to 50% or less to preserve
the system heat balance. Consequently, less acid was
available for reaction with carbonates prior to feeding
Table 8 - Analyses of Autoclave Feedstocks to the autoclave, such that carbon dioxide generation
During Integrated R u n in the first compartment increased dramatically for
Run glt Oh
these materials. Initial oxidizing conditions, illustrated
Feed Tlme - - ppppp
in Figs. 6c and d, were adversely affected. However,
Con h Au Ag Hg A s Cop Cu Fe Pb S Zn CaO K 2 0 Na20 conditions were much improved by the last compart-
A
B
96
48
7.48
13.1
77
80
16
10
0.13
0.15
6.2
7.3
0.06
0.05
12.3
12.7
0.64 12.0 1.28 5.0
0.22 12.0 0.54 5.2
2.9
2.9
0.3
0.3
ment. Residence time per unit of sulphur to be oxidized
D 48 13.6 80 10 0.14 6.3 0.03 10.8 0.14 8.96 0.28 5.7 3.5 0.5 is a major consideration in plant design. Conditions
C 72 30.7 31 11 0.40 6.8 0.05 11.5 0.19 8.97 0.30 5.9 3.4 0.8 within the autoclave apparently are less significant,
provided they are maintained within the broad limits
Concentrates were treated in the order shown. This necessary to sustain autogenous oxidation.
represents a natural progression through the Porgera Oxidation conditions are critical to the chemistry
mineral series and minimizes the impact of changing within the autoclave, which in turn can affect down-
feedstocks. Pending detailed mining schedules, it is stream processing significantly. For example, pre-
expected that the material will be processed commer- cipitation of iron a s jarosite is favored a t the conditions
cially in the opposite order. The concentrate feed rate prevailing during oxidation of A and B concentrates,
was maintained a t 2.8 kg/h throughout the run. This whereas increasing amounts of hematite were ob-
resulted in significant variations in autoclave residence served during processing of C and D concentrates
time, due to the varying amount of recycle necessary. despite the increased availability of potassium and
sodium when treating the latter materials.
In the case of C concentrate, the requirement to dilute Jarosite production effectively rendered the bulk of
the particularly viscous feedstock resulted in a further
reduced residence time compared to that of D the contained silver refractory to direct cyanidation
concentrate. for the duration of the integrated run. Jarosites were
Average autoclave operating conditions are shown identified to be predominantly potassic. It is likely that
silver was tied up either indirectly in plumbojarosite

-
in Figs. 6a through 6d. Selected results are shown in or potassium jarosite or directly as argentojarosite.
Table 9. Figure 7 shows that the rate of sulphur oxidation
varies significantly between concentrates. This is due,
FIRST AUTOCLAVE COMPARTMENT
in part, to the sulphide mineralization but also results
C----0 LAST AUTOCLAVE COMPARTMENT from a complex interaction of the processing param-
eters shown in Table 10.

A B D C A B D C
Fig. 6a - Carbon dioxide Fig. 6b - Sulphuric acid

I I I I
A B D C A B C D
Fig. 6c - Ferrous iron Fig. 6d - Electromotive force

Table 9 - Average Oxidation Data

Autoclave Autoclave S Reporting Recycle
Feed Blend Discharge Solids Weight to SO4 in to
-- --- Loss Discharge 'Clave
Con Sollds
%S %Pb 96s % S XPb
(total) (total) (SO4) Yo
0 1 2 3
A 9.50 0.633 6.30 5.99 0.634 78 AUTOCLAVE RETENTION TIME, h
B 9.33 0.292 6.23 5.98 0.298 86
D 8.14 0.149 4.07 3.96 0.164 20
C 8.37 0.191 4.67 4.53 0.207 16
Fig. 7 - Oxidation rates for Porgera concentrates

206 NOVEMBER 1986 MINERALS A N D METALLURGICAL PROCESSING

 The overall recovery of gold from ore, also shown in
Table 10 - Operating Conditions for Integrated R u n Table 11,is fairly similar for A, B, and D concentrates
Concentrale Type but significantly lower for C concentrate, largely a s a
Parameter B D result of poorer flotation performance for the latter
Solids retention time ( h ) 2.12 3.26 ore type. The overall recovery of silver is also included
Temperature ('C) First Compartment 185 190 in Table 11,for comparative purposes, and illustrates
Last Compartment 190 190 the pronounced effect of jarosite formation on silver
Total Oxygen (Llmin) 13.0 10.5
0 2 - % of Stoichiometric 162 174 recovery. Further treatment is necessary to render
% C 0 2 in First Compartment Gas 21 40 the silver amenable to recovery by cyanide processing
Particle Size KaO (vm) 37 28
Sulphur Feed Rate (kglh) 0.340 0.255 (Weir, Robinson, and King, p. 208).
Oxidation Rate (kg S l h )
- First Compartment
- Overall
Overall Sulphur Oxidation (%)
Table 11 - Overall Recovery of Precious Metals from Gravity
and Pressure Oxidation and Cyanidation Circuits
Despite conditions for C and D concentrates being - -

less favorable for oxidation in the first autoclave Dlstrlbutlon: Percent of Au, Ag In Composite Sample
compartment, the initial rate of sulphur oxidation for 1% Oxldellon Recovery after Gravity Overall Recovery
Type Autoclave Cyanldatlon Pressure Oxlda. Recleaner lrom Ore
C concentrate is comparable to that for A and B. The Feed Extractlon] tion Clrcult
Con Au Ag
initial rate for D concentrate, on the other hand, is
apparently 18% slower. It would appear, therefore,
that the finer regrind size of the C concentrate more
than offsets the deteriorating process conditions for
this material, to allow higher absolute levels of sulphur
oxidation in addition to the faster kinetics described
earlier. The increased residence time used for D Conclusions
concentrate appears to have largely compensated for
the adverse initial autoclave conditions and the The technical feasibility of gravity concentration of
coarser particle size. Extrapolation of Fig. 6 data coarse free gold, flotation production of a low grade
suggests that longer retention times would have sulphide concentrate, followed by acid pressure oxida-
achieved similar levels of oxidation for A and B tion to liberate refractory gold has been demonstrated.
concentrates.
Figure 8 illustrates the direct relationship between Mineral types A, B, and D behave similarly during
degree of sulphur oxidation and gold liberation. This gravity and flotation processing. Type C exhibits quite
phenomenon, which had been observed in previous distinctive characteristics resulting principally from
work (Robinson, 1983), is indicative of a relatively the finer grained mineralization. Improvement in
even distribution of gold throughout the pyrite. Of flotation response for this latter material could be
particular interest is the incidence of two distinct data expected if regrinding were to be incorporated in the
populations, A and B concentrates behaving quite scavenger circuit.
differently to C and D concentrates. The somewhat Pressure oxidation of Porgera concentrates, con-
anomalous results for unoxidized A and, to a greater taining a s little as 9% sulphur, has been shown to be
extent, for unoxidized D concentrates are attributed to viable. This allows significant improvement in overall
the high proportion of "free" gold recycled with the precious metals recoveries over those resulting from
gravity cleaner table tailings to the autoclave feed for treatment of concentrates with more traditional
these materials (see Table 4). sulphur contents. The high level of carbon dioxide
entering the autoclave results in decreased oxygen
utilization and adversely affects the system heat
balance, such that treatment of carbonate containing
concentrates with sulphur grades below this level is
not considered practical without process modification.
Regrinding of flotation concentrates before oxida-
tion has been shown to be economically viable. A
product size of about 30 pm has been determined a s the
optimum level of regrind a t Porgera.
MINERAL TYPE
A A
Oxidation rates were variable for Porgera concen-
n B trates. Provided autoclave residence time is adequate,
C
0
0
O D high degrees of oxidation can be anticipated for all
20
mineral types.
Gold liberation is directly proportional to the degree
of sulphur oxidation for all concentrates. Types A and
I I 1 B behave similarly during processing and, except at
0 20 40 60 80 100
high degrees of oxidation, require less oxidation for
% SULPHUR O X I D A T I O N
equivalent gold liberation than is necessary for C
Fig. 8 - Relationship between degree of oxidation and and D.
subsequent extraction of gold A high degree of oxidation results in excellent levels
of gold extraction during subsequent processing for all
In spite of the higher level of oxidation achieved with
C concentrate in the autoclave, Table 11 illustrates
that subsequent gold extraction from this material is
only marginally above that for the other concentrates.

MINERALS AND METALLURGICAL PROCESSING

mineral types.

.
Silver is rendered refractory under the oxidation
conditions that favor the precipitation of a proportion
of the iron as jarosite.

NOVEMBER 1986 207

Acknowledgments References
Berezowsky, R.M.G.S., and Weir, D.R., 1984, "Pressure Oxidation Pretreatment of
The authors express their gratitude to the three Refractory Gold," Minerals & Metallurgical Processing, May, pp. 1-3.
members of the -porgera ~ ~ Venture:
i ~ Renison
t Fleming, A.W., Handley, G.A., Hills. A,, Williams, K.R., and Corbett, G.J., "The
waruwari Goid Deposit, Porgera, Papua New Guinea."
Goldfields Consolidated Ltd., Placer Development
Kunter, R.S.. Turney. J.R., and Lear, R.D., 1984, "McLaughlin Metallurgical
Ltd., and Mount Isa Mines Ltd. ; and to Sherritt Gordon Development. The Project, the Problems, the Process," International Precious
Mines for permission to publish this paper. The staff of Metals Symposium, LOS Angeles. CA, February.
the Sherritt and Lakefield Research laboratories are Robinson, P.C., 1983, "Mineralogy and Treatment of Relractory Gold from the
Porgera Deposit, Papua New Guinea," Transactions, lnstitulion of Mining &
also thanked for their significant contribution toward Metallurgy. Sect. C, p. 92. June.
the minipilot as are the 'pecialist Weir. D.R., and Berezowsky. R.M.G.S., 1984, "Gold Extraction from Refractory
tants who assisted in the work. Concentrates," CIM Hydrometallurgy Meeting. Timmins, Ontario, October.

Precious metals recovery from pressure

oxidized Porgera concentrates
D.R. Weir, P.C. Robinson, and J.A. King

Abstract - Preconcentration of Porgera ore results After the oxidized concentrate pulp is washed in
in high recoveries of gold into gravity and flotation countercurrent thickeners to separate the precious
concentrates. The bulk of the gold is contained in metal bearing residue from the acidic liquors pro-
auriferous pyrite flotation concentrate and is not duced in the autoclave, precious metals may be
readily recoverable by direct cyanidation. Oxidation recovered from the autoclave residue using conven-
in autoclaves at high pressure and temperature tional cyanidation and carbon-in-pulp techniques. The
produces a residue that contains the gold in recover- acidic wash liquors are neutralized with flotation
able form. Pilot plant treatment of the autoclave tailings and lime to provide effluent streams suitable
residue is described, through washing and jarosite for disposal to the environment.
decomposition stages, to cyanide leaching and recovery To properly evaluate the treatment process, 20 t of
of gold and silver by carbon-in-pulp techniques. The drill core representing the various mineral types in the
c o n c e r n associated with disposal of plant effluents ore body were composited and subjected to periods of
are also addressed. continuous pilot plant operation. Segments of the test
work dealing with flotation and pressure oxidation of
Introduction the pyrite are described in an earlier paper (Weir,
King, and Robinson, p. 201). Recovery of precious
The Porgera property, located in the central high- metals from the autoclave residue and production of
lands of Papua New Guinea, contains a highly refrac- environmentally acceptable effluent streams is the
tory gold ore. Although a minor proportion of the gold subject of this paper.
is free, the majority occurs as submicroscopic gold
intimately associated with and disseminated through- Process
out pyrite mineralization. Direct cyanide leaching of
the ore gave poor gold recoveries. Acceptable gold The process evaluated by Sherritt during the mini-
recoveries are obtained by using pressure oxidation to plant program is shown in Fig. 1.
destroy the pyrite and liberate the gold before cyanide
leaching (see paper on page 201). STEAM
Due to high acid consuming constituents in the ore,
it is impractical to pressure oxidize the ore directly.
Flotation has been used successfully to concentrate REPULP C L ~ FLASH
~ ~
the pyrite and provide a suitable feed to pressure
oxidation autoclaves. The sulphur grade of the pyrite
concentrate must be sufficient to fuel the autoclave to
the desired operating temperature and meet the acid
requirements of the gangue components, but otherwise
the sulphur grade may be kept low to maximize the
gold flotation recovery.

D.R. Weir, member SME, is manager, External Technology, t

FINAL 1 '
+
WASTE
Sherritt Gordon Mines Ltd., Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, RESIDUE H,O

Canada. P.C. Robinson is group metallurgist, Renison

Goldfields Consolidated Ltd... Svdnev.
- - . . . NSW, Australia. J.A. Fig. - piant diagram
King is project metallurgist, Placer ~evelopmentLtd., Van-
couver, BC, Canada. SME preprint 86-151, SME-AIME Annual Reground flotation concentrate is fed to the auto-
Meeting, New Orleans, LA, March 1986. MMP paper 86-647. clave oxidation circuit where it is contacted with
Manuscript March 1986. Discussion of this paper must be recycle acidic oxidized pulp. The recycled pulp is used
submitted, in duplicate, prior to Jan. 31, 1987. to adjust the sulphide sulphur content of the feed,

208 NOVEMBER 1986 MINERALS AND METALLURGICAL PROCESSING