Replies to post #188535 on KAT Exploration Inc (KATX)

[TinkerBelle]

Great info ShortonCash! Thanks :o)

[ShortonCash]

It’s one of the key reasons we built the demonstration plant in Argentia. We learned how these minor elements build up over time and we invented or deployed new processing steps to specifically deal with them.”

http://www.sudburyminingsolutions.com/articles/News/09-11-Vale-hydromet.asp

Deployed new processing steps to deal with the minor elements....seems RED Cliff has a bunch of minor elements that Vale has not comment on for years....but Normore did same formation that KATX is in.....notice the darker density of the Vale claim under Red Cliff and the Darker density of the North Lucky Claims....





Date Published | Sep. 2011
Vale hydromet plant on target



BY NORM TOLLINSKY

Vale’s ground-breaking $2.8 billion hydromet processing facility currently under construction in Long Harbour, Newfoundland, expands the application of hydrometallurgy and its adoption as an economically viable and environmentally friendly processing technology.

The massive capital project is more than 40 per cent complete and on target to begin processing nickel sulphide concentrate from Vale’s Voisey’s Bay Mine in Labrador by 2013.

“Hydromet technology has advanced significantly over the past 15 years and is being applied to areas where it was never thought to be viable,” said Don Stevens, general manager, operations, Long Harbour Processing Plant.

More and more processors are moving toward full hydrometallurgy or incorporating hydromet steps in conventional pyrometallurgical facilities, as is the case in Sudbury, he noted.

Conventional pyrometallurgy requires two separate facilities – a smelter and a refinery, whereas “we do it all in one step,” said Stevens. “We dissolve the feed directly and refine and recover it without having to handle and transport it to a different facility, so it’s more efficient.”

Hydrometallurgy is also more energy efficient, noted Stevens.

“We did an assessment in 2002 to propose hydrometallurgy as an environmentally responsible new process and did a lifecycle analysis of total energy required for smelting and refining, as well as for hydrometallurgy, and we found that our hydrometallurgy process used significantly less energy – mostly because of the one plant, versus the two plants and the efficiencies gained there.”

Another important benefit of hydrometallurgy is the elimination of air emissions.

“That’s huge,” said Stevens. “That’s the big advantage that we saw in hydromet in the first instance. In a smelter, you’re effectively burning all the sulphur that’s associated with the feed and then recovering it at great expense. With hydrometallurgy, the sulphur still needs to be removed from the nickel by reaction with oxygen, but we do it under water in a large pressure vessel called an autoclave. Instead of going up a stack and scrubbed, it remains behind in a solid phase.”

Vale’s initial thinking was to build a conventional smelter and refinery in Newfoundland. At the time, the company was working on the assumption of a mine and mill producing about 20,000 tonnes a day, and a mine life of 10 years based on the then known reserves and resources.

“However, a panel looking at the mine and mill project from a environmental assessment perspective didn’t want to see a project that had a very short duration with all the problems associated with a boom-bust scenario, so they essentially directed that the mine and mill rate be scaled down to 6,000 tonnes per day, which would extend the operating life of the mine and the known reserves at that point in time to 17 or 18 years.”

At 6,000 tonnes per day, conventional smelter and refinery technology was deemed uneconomic, forcing Vale to go back to the drawing board.

The company had already committed to building a smelter and refinery in the province as part of a development agreement with the government of Newfoundland and Labrador, so as an alternative to going the pyrometallurgical route, it promised to invest in an R&D program to develop a hydromet process. In the event that the R&D program wasn’t successful, it committed to building a conventional refinery in Newfoundland to process nickel matte produced from Voisey’s Bay concentrate at smelting complexes in Sudbury or Thompson, Manitoba.

R&D

“We went back to our labs in Sheridan Park, Mississauga to look at some known extraction methods and put together a flow sheet that we felt would be less expensive both in terms of an initial investment and also long-term operating costs so we could justify going forward and developing the property,” said Stevens.

Vale invested $200 million in an R&D program, going from bench testing to a 1:10,000 scale mini pilot plant at Sheridan Park and, ultimately, to a 1:100 scale demonstration plant in Argentia, Newfoundland. The demonstration plant cost $100 million and operated for two and a half years at an additional cost of $50 million.

“It’s a very complicated flow sheet,” said Stevens. “Our feed is not just nickel. It’s nickel, cobalt and copper, plus all the various impurities. We had to make sure we had an effective and proven method to not only extract and recover the metals, but also to track and manage the deportment of all the impurities and trace elements.

[ShortonCash]

two million dollars have been received from both industry and government to support this new research chair at Memorial University

seems something is going on with Volcanic and Sedimentary Basins.....at the School Hinchey was at Vale seems to be very active as well there....

Dr. Steve Piercey, P.Geo. has been appointed to the new NSERC-Altius Industrial Research Chair in the Metallogeny of Ores in Volcanic and Sedimentary Basins. Significant investments of more than two million dollars have been received from both industry and government to support this new research chair at Memorial University

O

ver the next five years, Dr. Piercey will
concentrate on understanding ore deposits
associated with ancient volcanoes
and sedimentary environments, with a
focus on understanding the formation of
copper, zinc, lead, gold, silver and uranium
resources in these settings, to create
knowledge and research tools that may
be transferable to industry and applied in
the search for new resources.
Dr. Piercey’s work will ensure students
are trained in field techniques and the
application and acquisition of analytical
data, leading to an integrated, holistic
approach to understanding ore deposits

http://www.mun.ca/science/alumni/SCI_Prescience_Newsletter_vol2.pdf page 13

http://www.pegnl.ca/dialogue/issues/2011/March%202011/Articles/Members%20in%20News.htm

Dr. Steve Piercey, P.Geo. recently received the CIM Past Presidents’ Memorial Medal recognizing his early accomplishments and setting an outstanding example to young CIM members. Dr. Piercey also received a PEGNL Teaching Award this year.

Dr. Faisal Khan, P.Eng. was appointed the new Vale Research Chair in Process Risk and Safety Engineering at Memorial University earlier this year. The Chair is supported by Vale, RDC and ACOA.

http://www.pegnl.ca/dialogue/issues/2012/January%202012/Articles/Members%20in%20News.htm


Approximately 200 kilograms ("kg") of crushed reject core sample was shipped to Lakefield in plastic pails. This sample was selected from six drill holes located throughout the Deposit and was designed to approximate, as closely as possible, the anticipated average copper grade for the Deposit. At Lakefield, the sample was combined and blended into one 200 kg composite sample. Ninety (90) kg was riffle split from this sample for metallurgical testing and the remainder was stored in a freezer. Ten (10) kg of the sample was riffled out for a Bond ball mill work index hardness test. The remaining 80 kg was stage-crushed to -10 mesh and rotary split into 2 kg test charges for flotation testing. All materials were stored frozen until subjected to testing.

A 2 kg test charge sample was submitted for a range of chemical analysis. The head grade of the sample was 2.43% copper, 0.034% cobalt, 0.03 g/t Au, 19.1% iron and 5.99% sulphur

http://www.cornerstoneresources.com/s/QwikReport

Looks like some trace elements at Red Cliff? wonder if North Lucky has some as well....could be....

[skyhawk66]

Excellent Information Shorton! Majority are Holding Strong and Long and will not be Swayed, Ken will release Good News at the right time, not when posters demand it, Patience will pay off Big :DGo Katx
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