TZ Minerals International's April 2018 preliminary economic assessment for Melior Resources' Goondicum operation in southeast Queensland plans 160,000 t a year of ilmenite and 38,000 t a year of apatite.
The Goondicum Project Preliminary Economic Assessment (Goondicum 2018 PEA) was prepared by TZ Minerals International Pty Ltd (TZMI) for Melior Resources Inc. and dated April 2018. The report says the mining and recovery processes are similar to those at many mineral sands operations around the world. Ore is dry mined and fed to a feed preparation plant (FPP), where washing and scrubbing free the minerals from a clay matrix. The deslimed sand is pumped to a wet concentrator plant (WCP), where spirals and magnetic separators split it into products. The ilmenite is acid treated to remove attached phosphorus-bearing minerals, neutralized, washed, dried and trucked to the port of Gladstone for export. The apatite product is drained and sold on a free-on-truck basis at site.
Critical Data
| Parameter | Value | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Report date | April 2018 | Not applicable | TZMI for Melior Resources Inc. |
| Original design | 250 | t/h dry feed | Not applicable |
| Upgraded capacity (2014 restart) | 375 t/h (2.8 Mt/a dry feed) | Not applicable | 50% increase |
| Operating hours | 6,739 | h/a | Not applicable |
| Slimes content of feed | 30 to 40 | % | Not applicable |
| Recoverable size fraction | −1 mm +53 µm | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Scrubbers | Two 250 t/h autogenous rotary scrubbers | Not applicable | Capacity doubled to 500 t/h |
| Constant density tank | 700 | t | Buffer ahead of the WCP |
| Ilmenite production | 160,000 | t/a | After apatite circuit reconfiguration |
| Apatite production | 38,000 | t/a | Not applicable |
| Thickeners | 22 m FPP, 16 m WCP | Not applicable | Slimes to tailings |
Overview
The plant was first designed for 250 t/h of dry feed. For the 2014 restart, Goondicum raised it by 50% to 375 t/h, or 2.8 Mt a year, by doubling the scrubber capacity to 500 t/h, relocating an intermediate trommel and adding a 700 t constant density (CD) tank. It ran at this rate in 2014 and 2015, reaching close to design throughput for periods, until falling ilmenite prices put it on care and maintenance. The flowsheet has evolved since start-up, but its basis is unchanged: scrubbers, screens, cyclones, spirals and low- and high-intensity magnetic separators (LIMS and WHIMS) producing ilmenite and apatite.
Key Process Stages
Ore delivery. Because the geological domains (CL, CSH, CSL, DG) behave differently in the plant, scrapers blend the ore types and deliver them through a drive-over hopper and vibrating grizzly. A small ROM stockpile feeds the plant when wet weather stops mining.
Feed preparation. Grizzly undersize goes to two 250 t/h autogenous rotary scrubbers. These came from Iluka's Yoganup operation in Western Australia, and TZMI considers them fit for purpose despite being about 20 years old. Scrubber undersize passes through cyclones to a Joest double-deck screen with 3 mm and 1 mm apertures. Cyclone overflow goes to a trommel that removes grass. Top-deck oversize goes to a new attritioning circuit to break clay balls and free valuable heavy minerals. The 1 mm cut suits the WCP and WHIMS, which take material below 2 mm. Two stages of desliming cyclones feed the 700 t CD tank.
Water recovery. A 22 m flat-bottomed FPP thickener and a 16 m conical WCP thickener clarify water for reuse and pump thickened slimes to the tailings dam. Secondary flocculation of the underflow is being investigated to release more water. Make-up water comes from a licensed bore in the Mulgildie bore fields.
Wet concentrator. A four-stage spiral circuit, a classifier, and MIMS, LIMS and WHIMS magnetic circuits separate the heavy minerals and reject the gangue to tailings. Ilmenite passes through dephosphorization and drying, and apatite is stockpiled.
Tailings. Tailings and coarse rejects are returned to the mine void and the tailings retention system.
Additional Interesting Data and Summary
TZMI notes that other operations in Western Australia have used similar feed preparation equipment to treat material with about 30% slimes, and it expects the Goondicum equipment to perform as intended with proper maintenance. Process water is recovered with dewatering cyclones and flocculant-assisted settling to reduce make-up demand.
In summary, the 2018 Goondicum PEA plans to restart an upgraded 375 t/h mineral sands plant. It liberates ilmenite and apatite from a high-slimes clay matrix by scrubbing and attritioning, then separates them by spirals and magnetic separation, with acid dephosphorization of the ilmenite.
Key Processes
- Scraper blending and grizzly screening
- Autogenous rotary scrubbing and attritioning
- Double-deck screening, trommelling and two-stage desliming
- Constant density feed tank
- Four-stage spiral concentration
- LIMS, MIMS and WHIMS magnetic separation
- Acid dephosphorization and drying of ilmenite
- Thickening and slimes disposal with water recovery
Source: Goondicum Project Preliminary Economic Assessment (Goondicum 2018 PEA), TZ Minerals International Pty Ltd for Melior Resources Inc., April 2018.
Earlier report summaries
Earlier versions of this profile, based on older technical reports, are retained below for source traceability. Dates and figures reflect each report’s own effective date and are superseded by the current information above.
Goondicum — 2014 Technical Report
This report details the mineral processing and metallurgical testing program for the Goondicum ilmenite deposit in southeast Queensland, Australia, as of February 2014.
Report context
This technical report was prepared for Melior Resources with an effective date of 25 February 2014. The report documents the mineral processing and metallurgical testing undertaken for the Goondicum ilmenite deposit, located in southeast Queensland, Australia. The report includes historical operating data and proposed process design parameters based on testwork.
Processing route
Resource estimation basis
The resource estimation for the Goondicum deposit was undertaken by H&S Consultants Pty Ltd. The estimation used composite data with zone and domain characterisation applied. Univariate and bivariate statistics were generated for the mineralised zones, and spatial analysis was completed. A block model was constructed with defined dimensions. The model was flattened prior to estimation. Search criteria and domaining parameters were established for the estimation process.
Density modelling and classification
A density model was developed for the deposit. Resource classification was applied to the estimation results. The block model underwent validation through block grade visualisation, composite-to-block grade comparison, and summary statistics comparison between block grades and composites. Reconciliation was performed between estimated grades and production data.
Soil sampling and exploration target
A soil sampling program (designated SL sampling) was conducted across the deposit area. An exploration target was defined based on the soil sampling results and geological interpretation.
Impacts on resource estimates
The report identified factors that could impact on resource estimates, though specific details of these impacts are not provided in the available text.
Key reported parameters
| Parameter | Unit | Value or Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Effective date | , | 25 February 2014 |
| Project location | , | SE Queensland, Australia |
| Resource estimation method | , | Block model with composite data, zone/domain characterisation, spatial analysis |
| Block model validation | , | Visualisation, grade comparison, reconciliation |
| Density model | , | Developed for deposit |
| Soil sampling program | , | Conducted (SL sampling) |
Project website: https://wildlaw.ca/transactions/melior-resources-executes-arrangement-agreement-with-asx-listed-metallica-minerals
Technical qualifications
The mineral processing and metallurgical testing sections are referenced in the table of contents as Section 13 (Mineral Processing and Metallurgical Testing), Section 14 (Mineral Resource Estimates), Section 15 (Mineral Reserve Estimates), Section 16 (Mining Methods), and Section 17 (Recovery Methods). The full technical content of these sections is not available in the source document provided. The resource estimation methodology relies on composite data, statistical analysis, and block modelling as described. The qualified persons responsible for the report are Simon Tear (PGeo, Eur Geol), Graham Lee (FAusIMM, CP(Geo)), and Chris Desoe (FAusIMM, RPEQ, MMICA), who signed the report with an effective date of 25 February 2014 and a signing date of 28 March 2014.
Source: Resource Estimation of the Goondicum Ilmenite Deposit, SE Queensland, Australia, prepared for Melior Resources by H&S Consultants Pty Ltd, effective date 25 February 2014.
