The 2013 technical report presents a feasibility-study design for a 55,000 tpd phosphate ore beneficiation plant at the Lac a Paul site to produce 3 million tonnes per year of apatite concentrate.
Report context
This NI 43-101 technical report, dated November 2013, documents a feasibility study to produce 3 million tonnes per year of high purity apatite concentrate at the Lac a Paul Project in Québec, Canada. The processing plant is designed for a nominal milling capacity of 55,000 tpd of run-of-mine ore and is located at the Lac a Paul site.
Processing route
Overview
The phosphate ore beneficiation activities at the Lac a Paul site include crushing, grinding, flotation, filtration and drying of the concentrate. The phosphate rock concentrate is then transported from the site by trucks. Process flowsheets and plant layouts were prepared for a milling rate of 55,000 tpd of ROM ore.
Crushing and stockpiling
The crushing plant is designed with an overall availability of 70% and is scheduled to operate on average 18 hours per day at an average hourly rate of 3,041 t/h (dry basis). The ROM stockpile has a total capacity of 500,000 tonnes. Crushed ore is fed to a 50,000 tonne dome storage silo, which supplies the milling plant.
Grinding
The milling plant will be fed from the 50,000 tonne dome storage silo. The nominal SAG mill capacity is 2,289 tph, with a maximum SAG mill capacity of 2,726 tph. The turndown capacity is 1,245 tph, based on one ball mill being removed from service along with a flotation train. The milling and downstream plants have an overall availability of 93%, equating to 339 days of effective mill operation per year. Plant capacity is dependent on the type of ore being processed from the mine, with changes in ore density impacting throughput and grind size.
Flotation, filtration and drying
The flowsheet includes flotation as the primary concentration method, followed by filtration and drying of the concentrate.
Key reported parameters
| Parameter | Unit | Value | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominal milling rate | tpd | 55,000 | Design |
| Annual ROM feed rate | tpy | 18,648,025 | Design |
| Concentrate average production rate | tpy | 3,000,000 | Design |
| Concentrate nominal production rate | tpd | 8,740 | Design |
| Average head grade (weighted) | % P₂O₅ | 6.88 | Design |
| Concentrate grade | % P₂O₅ | 38.6 | Design |
| Concentrate recovery | % | 90 | Design |
| Overall concentrate weight recovery | % | 16.04 | Design |
| Crushing plant overall availability | % | 70 | Design |
| Overall beneficiation plant availability (milling and downstream) | % | 93 | Design |
| Crusher nominal feed rate (dry basis) | tph | 3,041 | Design |
| Nominal SAG mill capacity | tph | 2,289 | Design |
| Maximum SAG mill capacity | tph | 2,726 | Design |
| Turndown SAG mill capacity | tph | 1,245 | Design |
| Crushed ore silo capacity | t | 50,000 | Design |
| ROM stockpile capacity (total) | t | 500,000 | Design |
| Concentrate storage capacity (mine site) | t | 200,000 | Design |
| Final P₂O₅ product moisture | % | 1 ± 0.5 | Design |
Project website: https://www.arianne-inc.com/about/
Technical qualifications
The 2013 technical report is a feasibility study. The processing plant design is based on run-of-mine from the mine pits with a weighted average P₂O₅ content of 6.88%. The report states that the plant capacity is dependent on the type of ore being processed, with changes in ore density impacting throughput and grind size. No historical operating data or testwork results are reported in the processing sections of this document. The report notes that detailed process information may be found in the Feasibility Study Report. No economic parameters, ownership details, current project status, or links are provided in the processing sections reviewed.
Source: Feasibility Study to Produce 3Mtpy of High Purity Apatite Concentrate at the Lac a Paul Project, Québec, Canada, NI 43-101 Technical Report, November 2013, Section 17 Recovery Methods.
