New Strategies for the Treatment of Copper

Concentrates with High Arsenic Content in Chile

Prof. Leandro Voisin A, MSc., Dr.
Pyrometallurgy Laboratory - Director
DIMIN MSc. - Coordinator
AMTC - Senior Researcher

Chile a Mining Country, 2011

Metric Tonnes
Production Reserves

World Participation, %
Production Reserves

World
Ranking, No

Metallic Mining
Copper
Molybdenum
Rhenium
Silver
Gold

5.263.000 190.000.000
38.000 1.200.000
26
1.300
1.400
70.000
45
3.400

32,4
15,2
53,1
5,9
1,7

27,5
12,0
52,0
13,2
6,7

1
3
1
5
14

Industrial Minerals
Natural Nitrates
Lithium
Iodine

1.189.600
12.6000
18.000

100
37,1
62,1

100
57,7
60,0

1
1
1

1.189.600
7.500.000
9.000.000

Source: USGS & COCHILCO / Chilean Copper Commission, Reports 2011

Cu Production
Canada
3%

Congo
3%

Cu Reserves
Poland
4%

Other
21%
Chile
32%

Indonesia
4%

Zambia
3%

Indonesia
4%

Other
17%

Chile
28%

Russia
4%

Russia
4%

China
7%

Zambia
5%
Australia
6%

USA
7%

Peru
8%

China
4%
USA
5%

Australia
12%

Peru
13%

3
Mexico

Chile a Mining Country

Chile has a coastline of 6435 kms in length, and in its northern (first 2100
kms. of extension), over 33 large mining projects are being developed.

Large Mining Operations

(First path 1100 kms. from the north)

C : COPPER M: MOLYBDENUM G: GOLD S: SILVER

TARAPACA
Cerro Colora do
Doa Ins de
Col la hua s i
Quebra da Bl a nca

ANTOFAGASTA
El Abra
Ra domi ro Tomic
Chuquica ma ta

PROD.

COMPANY

BHP Bil li ton Pa mpa Norte

Ca . Minera Doa Ins de
C M
Coll a hua s i
Ca . Minera Quebra da
C
Bl a nca

PROD.

PROPERTY
BHP Bil l iton
Angl o Ameri ca n plc (44%), Xs tra ta Copper (44%)
& JCR (12%)
Teck (76,5%), Invers iones Minera s S.A. (13,5%)
& Ena mi (10%)

COMPANY

PROPERTY

SCM El Abra

FCX (51%) & Government of Chi le (49%)

Codelco

Government of Chil e

C G S Codelco

Government of Chil e
Antofa ga s ta pl c (74,2%),
Invers i ones Cos ta Verde (15,3%) & Others .

Michil la

Minera Mi chi ll a

Spence

BHP Bi l li ton Pa mpa Norte

BHP Bi ll iton

El Tes oro

Minera El Tes oro

Antofa ga s ta pl c (70%) & Marubeni Corp. (30%)

Es pera nza

C G

Minera Es pera nza

Antofa ga s ta Minera l s (70%) & Marubeni Corp. (30%)

Ga by

Codelco Es ta do de Chil e

Government of Chil e

Ma ntos Bla ncos

Anglo America n Norte

Anglo America n plc

Loma s Ba ya s

Ca . Mi nera Xs tra ta Loma s

Ba ya s

Xs tra ta Copper

Za l dva r

Ca . Mi nera Za l diva r

Ba rri ck

Es condi da

Minera Es condida Ltda

BHP Bi ll iton (57,5%), Ro Tinto (30%) & JECO (12,5%)

Altonorte

El Pen

G S

Complejo Meta lrgi co

Al tonorte
Minera Meridi a n

Xs tra ta Copper
Ya ma na Gold

Chile a Mining Country

Large Mining Operations

(Second path, 1100 to 2100 kms. from the north)

C : COPPER M: MOLYBDENUM G: GOLD S: SILVER

ATACAMA
Ma ntoverde

PROD.
C

COMPANY
Angl o Ameri ca n Norte

Sa l va dor

C M Codel co

La Coipa

G S

Ma ri cunga
Ojos del Sa la do
Ca ndela ri a
Ca s erones

COQUIMBO
Ca rmen de
Anda col lo
Los Pela mbres

VALPARAISO
Venta na s

Ca . Minera Ma ntos de Oro

Kinros s

Ca . Minera Ma ricunga

Kinros s

C G
C G

CCM Ojos del Sa l a do

FCX (80%) & Sumitomo Corp. (20%)
CCM Ca ndela ria
FCX (80%) & Sumitomo Corp. (20%)
SCM Mi nera Lumi na Copper
C M
Pan Pacific Copper
Chil e

PROD.

COMPANY

PROPERTY

Ca . Minera Teck Ca rmen de

Teck (90%) & Ena mi (10%)
Anda coll o
Antofa ga s ta plc (60%),
C M Mi nera Los Pela mbres
Nippon LPR BV (25%) & MM LP Holding (15%)
C

PROD.

COMPANY

C G S Codel co
C

Angl o Ameri ca n Sur

Cha gres

Angl o Ameri ca n Sur

C M Codel co

METROPOLITANA PROD.

COMPANY

Los Bronces

C M Angl o Ameri ca n Sur

Fl ori da

G S

Mi nera Flori da

BDO. OHIGGINS PROD.

El Teni ente

Angl o Ameri ca n plc

Government of Chi l e

El Solda do

Andi na

PROPERTY

C M Codel co

COMPANY

PROPERTY
Government of Chi l e
Angl o Ameri ca n plc (50,1%),
JV Codelco-Mitsui (29,5%) & Mitsubishi Corp. (20,4%)
Angl o Ameri ca n plc (50,1%),
JV Codelco-Mitsui (29,5%) & Mitsubishi Corp. (20,4%)
Government of Chi l e

PROPERTY
Angl o Ameri ca n plc (50,1%),
JV Codelco-Mitsui (29,5%) & Mitsubishi Corp. (20,4%)
Ya ma na Gol d

PROPERTY
Government of Chi l e

World & Chilean Copper

Production & Participation (1950 2011)
Cu Content
(kMT)

(kMT Copper Content and % of the World)

(%) World
Participation

18000

45

16000

40

14000

35

12000

30

10000

25

8000

20

6000

15

4000

10

2000

Year
World Production
National Production (CODELCO)
National Participation (CODELCO)

Chilean Production
Chilean Participation
6

Copper Production in Chile by 2011

(kMT Copper Content)
By company

JCR 3%

Barrick 3%
CODELCO
Antofagasta Minerals
Inversiones Mineras S.A.
ENAMI

1796
422
9
6

BHP Billiton
Anglo American
Xstrata
Rio Tinto PLC
Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (FCX)
Barrick
Teck
Others

745
463
273
245
182
132
49
395

Japan Collahuasi Resources (JCR)

Mitsubishi
Nippon LP
Japan Escondida Corporation (JECO)
Marubeni
Sumitomo

132
118
107
102
58
30

Mitsubishi 2%
Others
14%

FCX 3%

Codelco
34%

Rio Tinto PLC

5%
Xstrata 5%

BHP Billiton
14%

Antofagasta
Minerals 8%

Anglo
American 9%

JECO
19%

Marubeni
11%

Sumitomo
5%
JCR
24%

Nippon LP
19%
Mitsubishi
22%

Copper Mine Production 2011

CHILEAN
2233
JAPANESE
547
FOREING PRODUCTION
2483
TOTAL PRODUCTION
5263

Chilean Copper Products 1991-2011

(kMT Copper Content)
Cu Content (kMT)
6000
5500
5000
4500
4000
3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0

5,263

Mine
CONCENTRATES

SX-EX
Cathodes
Smelter (1)

3238

2,025
1,364
999

RAF

ER Cathodes
69

Year
(1) Includes blister copper and copper anodes.
8
Source: COCHILCO / Chilean Copper Commission, based on company reports.

Chilean Copper Exports by Product Type 2011

5263 kMT of copper content was produced and 5070 kMT was exported.
By product

JAPAN

Participation (%)

Cu Content (kMT)

By destination

Year

Formacin de Yacimientos y
Distribucin Mineralgica

Esquema tpico de un yacimiento porfdico cuprfero, cercano a la superficie,

erosionado y sometido a fenmenos de meteorizacin y oxidacin.

10

Formacin de Yacimientos y
Distribucin Mineralgica
Meteorizacin y oxidacin
CuFeS2 + FeS2 + H2O + 71/2O2

H2SO4 + CuSO4 + 2FeSO4

Fin del nivel fretico

Sulfuros
Secundarios

Cu2S
CuS

CuSO4 + FeS2
Cu2S / CuS + FeSO4

CuSO4 + CuFeS2
Cu2S / CuS + FeSO4

Zona de enriquecimiento secundario

(Chuquicamata, Escondida)
Sulfuros
Primarios

CuFeS2
Cu5FeS4

Frcturamiento Geolgico

xidos
secundarios

CuCO3-Cu(OH)2
CuO-SiO2-H2O
3CuO-CuCl2-3H2O

Oxidacin posterior eventualmente

catalizada por bacterias
f=(O2, SiO2 coloidal, CO2, Cl, etc)

11

Chilean Copper Concentrate 1991-2011

(kMT Copper Content)
3238 kMT of Copper Concentrate was produced in Chile by 2011
kMT
%

Processed
1538
47.5

Exported to Japan Exported to Others

593
1107
18.3
34.2

Mine
Production

Cu Content
(kMT)
6000

5000
4000
Processed in Chile

3000
2000

Exported to Others
Exported to Japan

1000
0

Year
12
Source: COCHILCO / Chilean Copper Commission, based on company reports.

2. Smelters Located in Chile

13

Principal Primary Copper Smelters

in the World

Source: Flash Smelting Book, W.G. Davenport, E.H. Partelpoeq

14

Smelters in Chile
There are 7 smelters located in Chile, 5 of them belong to the government.
B: BLISTER A: ANODE C: CATHODE R: FIRE REFINING
ANTOFAGASTA
Chuquica ma ta
Altonorte

ATACAMA
Potreril l os
Pa i potes , HVL

VALPARAISO
Venta na s
Cha gres

PROD.

PROD.

CONCETRATE SUPPLIER

B A C Codelco
A
Third pa rties

PROD.

CONCETRATE SUPPLIER

B A C Third pa rties
A

BDO. OHIGGINS PROD.

Ca l etones

CONCETRATE SUPPLIER

Chuqui ca ma ta , Ra domiro
B A C
Tomi c, Mi ni s tro HALES
A
Third pa rties

Solda do & Los Bronces

CONCETRATE SUPPLIER

B A R El Teni ente, Andina

PROPERTY
Codelco, Government of Chi le
Xs tra ta Copper

PROPERTY
Codelco, Government of Chi le
Ena mi , Government of Chi le

PROPERTY
Codelco, Government of Chi le
Anglo America n plc (50,1%),
JV Codelco-Mitsui (29,5%) & Mitsubishi Corp. (20,4%)

PROPERTY
Codelco, Government of Chi le

15

World & Chilean Smelter Copper

Production & Participation (1950 2011)
(kMT Copper Content and % of the World)
(%) World
Participation

Cu Content
(kMT)
16000

16

14000

14

12000

12

10000

10

8000

6000

4000

2000

Year
World Production

Chilean Production

Chilean Participation

16

World Ranking Copper Smelters in terms of

the Production of Copper Content 2011
Cu Content (kMT)

Source: BROOK HUNT

POSITION

17

Smelters in Chile & their Capacities for

Treating Copper Concentrate
OPERATION UNIT

CODELCO
XSTRATA CODELCO ENAMI CODELCO (1) ACMM CODELCO
Chuquicamata Altonorte Potrerillos Paipotes Ventanas Chagres Caletones
1952
1993
1927
1952
1965
1960
1922
1T+1 F
N
1T
1T
1T
1F
2T
22 x 5
26.4 x 5.3 22 x 5 14.9 x 3.8 14 x 5
22 x 5

STARTED YEAR
SMELTING
SIZE, L x D (m)
CAPACITY
design (TPD) 2500 (2400)
2200
nominal (TPD) 2200 (2650)
2800
2000
annual (TPY)748000 (902000) 950000 680000
CONVERTING
4 CPS
3 CPS
3 CPS
FIRE REFINING
6 A + 2 SC
3A
2A
SLAG CLEANING
1 ESC + 1 SC Flotation
3 SC
CASTING WHEEL
3 Out
2 Out
2 Demag

1050
357000
1 CPS
1A
1 ESC
1 Out

1200
2600
1400
1890
2300
450000 610000 1600000
3 CPS
4 CPS
3 CPS
1 A+2 R
2A
3 A+3 R
1 ESC
1 Cylind.
4 SC
1 Walker
1 Out
2 Out

(1) ACMM: Anglo American, Codelco, Mitsui & Mitsubishi

Chagres, 9%

F: Outokumpu Flash Furnace

T: Teniente Converter
CPS: Peirce Smith Converter

Chuquicamata
26%

Altonorte
20%

A: Anode Furnace
ESC: Electric Slag Cleaning Furnace
SC: Slag Cleaning Furnace

Participation (%)

Ventanas, 7%

Potrerillos
11%

Caletones
22%

Paipotes, 5%
18