When Hudbay set up its first mining operations in northern Manitoba in the 1920s, we brought two generators to make electricity, the first in the entire region. Since then, we’ve compiled a notable record for applied innovation and technical firsts, and our Technical Services team continues to play an essential role in enhancing the efficiency, safety, productivity and profitability of our operations.
In 2021, the team made vital contributions to the ramp-up of the New Britannia mill, expanding the implementation of automation at our mines in Manitoba and improving recovery rates at Constancia. They are also exploring the feasibility of using modern reprocessing techniques to increase gold recovery at the Stall mill, to recover value from a century’s worth of tailings at Flin Flon, and to further minimize the environmental impact of those tailings.
On a day-to-day basis, Hudbay’s Technical Services team provides corporate guidance and support for the acquisition, implementation and evaluation of new technologies at our operations. They also work with the engineers of record at our mines to review a range of processes, particularly tailings management, to make sure they are always in line with our standards, agreements and evolving industry best practices.
Pioneering Technology at New Britannia
As noted, one of the team’s key achievements for 2021 was supporting the design and ramp-up of the refurbished New Britannia mill, which was commissioned in July and delivered its first gold pour in August, several months ahead of the original schedule. The mill plays an essential role in the transition of Lalor to a gold-focused mine and employs a flotation circuit consisting of four Jameson Cells, the first of its kind in Canada.
Jameson Cells use small, uniform bubbles, produced through the innovative application of vacuum pressures instead of mechanical agitators, to drive the recovery process. The cells have no moving parts, which reduces operating costs, and, compared to traditional cells, have a smaller footprint and reduced retention time. They are effective at accommodating changes to head grade, which is an important consideration at Lalor, where the head grade tends to fluctuate rapidly. Overall, the Jameson Cells are helping to cut costs and improve recovery rates for copper and gold. The team is currently looking at the viability of a Jameson Cells circuit for Copper World.
Improving Recovery Rates at Constancia
Recovery rates are also a vital consideration at Constancia, where, as noted in our mine plan, ore grades are decreasing. In 2021, we completed upgrading the flotation lines at Constancia by adding cells with centre launders to the rougher lines. Effectively a solution for resource extension, this approach improves the capacity to recover ore-carrying froth from the circuit. Since the installation of the centre launders, we have seen a recovery increase of 0.7% for copper and 1.4% for molybdenum. The cash flow generated from these improvements resulted in a payback period of under six months. We partnered on this project with Metso Outotec, and it was recognized in January 2022 with the Service and Support Award by Mining magazine.
Improving Gold Recovery at Stall
The recovery of gold from the Lalor deposit through the Stall mill has historically been below 60%. With advancements in ore body knowledge of the Lalor deposit, we are advancing opportunities to maximize the recovery of the contained metal value of the ore. The first phase of the work currently under construction includes a modernization program of the mill, which includes the installation of five Jameson Cells and a process control upgrade. The second phase under study envisions additional fine grinding capacity, and the addition of a lead flotation circuit and a tail leaching circuit to scavenge the residual gold and silver not recovered in the flotation stages.
Transforming Tailings Into a Resource
Currently, the Technical Services team is doing preliminary work on a potentially transformative and pioneering project: recovering gold, copper, zinc and other valuable metals and minerals from close to a century’s worth of mine tailings stored in the vicinity of Flin Flon. These tailings from Hudbay operations, all properly stored and monitored, were deposited when recovery processes were not as efficient or effective as modern technologies.
The team is looking at solutions – including high-intensity grinding, bioconcentrate leaching and a variety of hydrometallurgical approaches – for unlocking value from the tailings.
The impact of the Technical Services team is felt in everything Hudbay does, and everywhere we operate. The team not only helps make the Company more productive and more efficient, but also helps makes our workplaces cleaner and safer, and consistently better across every dimension, highlighting the value of maintaining and building expertise across the mining cycle.