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Technical Evaluation of a Copper Process Plant Expansion While
Respecting the Region’s Environmental Constraints Using an
Integrated Value Chain Flowsheet
Eiman Amini, Maruf Hassan, Edwin Koh, Robert Watkins, Greg Shapland
Orica Digital Solutions, Australia
ABSTRACT: Countries that produce copper have revised their regulations and are advocating for low-emission
and water-efficient operational strategies, which should be considered during operational expansions. It is
imperative to utilize an integrated flowsheet that not only reflects operational performance across the entire
value chain but also incorporates all relevant constraints.
An integrated flowsheet was developed and fine-tuned for a multiple-lined copper concentrator located in cen-
tral Chile. This flowsheet consists of blast, comminution, and flotation production unit models, all integrated
within the Integrated Extraction Simulator (IES). The development process involved 14 months of historical
data. The operational team of the mine utilized the simulations provided by the flowsheet to assess the expan-
sion plans for 2023, which include one SAG mill, one ball mill, and a new train of flotation cells. This flowsheet
allowed the operation to conduct technical evaluations considering environmental constraints, including water
shortages.
Keywords: Integrated Value Chain, Plant Expansions, IES, ModelNet, Modelling, Simulation, Machine
Learning
INTRODUCTION
Mine-to-concentrate flowsheets have been developed in the
Integrated Extraction Simulator (IES) for various applica-
tions, including mine-to-mill optimization, improvement
in separation and comminution processes, Life of Mine
(LoM) forecasting, assessments of new technologies, varia-
tions in ore characteristics, and pre-concentration (Amini
et al., 2020 Carrasco et al., 2019 Koh et al., 2023 Scott
and Amini, 2020 Amini and Beaton, 2020 Amini et al.,
2020, Keeney et al., 2020). These flowsheets surpass the
blasting and size reduction process by assessing the impact
of each mining operation on the final metal production
rate over the LoM. Traditionally, the blast, comminution,
and separation processes, such as flotation, were treated as
isolated operations, each optimized independently with-
out considering the entire value chain and its constraints.
Consequently, potential economic gains and opportunities
for energy and water savings have not been fully explored
due to the lack of appropriate tools. IES allows experts
in the field to develop a realistic flowsheet representing
operational performance across desirable scenarios. The
IES platform comprises various process models, primarily
inherited from the Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research
Centre (JKMRC) at The University of Queensland, along
Technical Evaluation of a Copper Process Plant Expansion While
Respecting the Region’s Environmental Constraints Using an
Integrated Value Chain Flowsheet
Eiman Amini, Maruf Hassan, Edwin Koh, Robert Watkins, Greg Shapland
Orica Digital Solutions, Australia
ABSTRACT: Countries that produce copper have revised their regulations and are advocating for low-emission
and water-efficient operational strategies, which should be considered during operational expansions. It is
imperative to utilize an integrated flowsheet that not only reflects operational performance across the entire
value chain but also incorporates all relevant constraints.
An integrated flowsheet was developed and fine-tuned for a multiple-lined copper concentrator located in cen-
tral Chile. This flowsheet consists of blast, comminution, and flotation production unit models, all integrated
within the Integrated Extraction Simulator (IES). The development process involved 14 months of historical
data. The operational team of the mine utilized the simulations provided by the flowsheet to assess the expan-
sion plans for 2023, which include one SAG mill, one ball mill, and a new train of flotation cells. This flowsheet
allowed the operation to conduct technical evaluations considering environmental constraints, including water
shortages.
Keywords: Integrated Value Chain, Plant Expansions, IES, ModelNet, Modelling, Simulation, Machine
Learning
INTRODUCTION
Mine-to-concentrate flowsheets have been developed in the
Integrated Extraction Simulator (IES) for various applica-
tions, including mine-to-mill optimization, improvement
in separation and comminution processes, Life of Mine
(LoM) forecasting, assessments of new technologies, varia-
tions in ore characteristics, and pre-concentration (Amini
et al., 2020 Carrasco et al., 2019 Koh et al., 2023 Scott
and Amini, 2020 Amini and Beaton, 2020 Amini et al.,
2020, Keeney et al., 2020). These flowsheets surpass the
blasting and size reduction process by assessing the impact
of each mining operation on the final metal production
rate over the LoM. Traditionally, the blast, comminution,
and separation processes, such as flotation, were treated as
isolated operations, each optimized independently with-
out considering the entire value chain and its constraints.
Consequently, potential economic gains and opportunities
for energy and water savings have not been fully explored
due to the lack of appropriate tools. IES allows experts
in the field to develop a realistic flowsheet representing
operational performance across desirable scenarios. The
IES platform comprises various process models, primarily
inherited from the Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research
Centre (JKMRC) at The University of Queensland, along