Technological development for Igarape Bahia/Alemao Copper-Gold Project

摘要

Igarape Bahia Mine is located in Carajas area, northern Brazil. Currently Companhia Vale do Rio Doce operates there a CIP / heap leaching plant treating an oxide gold ore containing about 4 g Au/t and 0,2percent Cu, which produces 11 t of gold per year. Recent geological survey has identified a significant copper-gold reserve underneath the oxide gold ore. The processing aspects of this copper-gold sulphide ore are described in this paper. It includes ore characterization studies, grinding and flotation tests, orebody variability assessment, flowsheet selection and preliminary economical evaluation. Emphasis is given to studies aimed at depressing fluorine bearing minerals to achieve a clean and marketable flotation concentrate.