CDL,
You wrote "Originally i heard the number they were shooting for was between 60-65% with a further 30% being extracted from the copper tailings by the SX/EW or cementation process. Therefore extracting about 90-95% of the copper in the ore."
I was given those same numbers and expectations. However, those were not met. If you listen to Webtime, they weren't even close. I think I remember Web stating they were only getting around 20-25% extraction. That is why they did the upgrades to the mill. (Webtime, can you expand on this?) If they had been getting close to 60% of the copper out, they wouldn't have needed to do the upgrades.
Web has been making some comments today that production appears to be going well. Perhaps he can shed some light on what kind of extraction the improved mill is getting. However, I doubt we are going to be at the 60-65% range, as the oxide ore is tough to float. And that is why I feel that getting the cementation process up is so critical. I believe that most of the copper will still be in the tailings and the cememtation should get most of that remaining copper out.
So in my mind, the floatation mill is to get out as much gold and silver as you can, along with some copper. But the real copper extraction is going to take place with a leaching process (cementation or SX/EW).
This is all IMO.
FFF
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