OUR TRACK RECORD
GOLDCORP - PENASQUITO OPTIMISATION & DEBOTTLENECKING
The Details
TIMEFRAME: 2015
CLIENT: Goldcorp (now Newmont)
LOCATION: Mexico
COMMODITY: Polymetallic (Gold | Silver | Lead | Zinc)
SERVICES: Process Plant Optimisation & Debottlenecking
GOLD OUTPUT
>1.4Moz/a AuEq
PROCESSING THROUGHPUT
40.0 Mt/a
CONTRIBUTION
Detailed plan to achieve
47 Mt/a design throughput
Project Background
Goldcorp’s Peñasquito operations commenced in 2009, producing lead and zinc concentrates with a design process plant throughput of 130,000 t/d. Following a long ramp up period and a number of flowsheet modifications, plant throughput was still well short of nameplate after 5 years of operation (109,000 t/d in 2014).
Chemech's Contribution
Goldcorp engaged Chemech in 2014 to provide an independent assessment of the Peñasquito process plant throughput capability and identify options for debottlenecking and expanding the comminution circuit. The review process commenced with an independent assessment of the plant design data before Chemech visited site to gather operating data and assess the plant operation. Data was then used to analyse the plant performance and provide options for optimising, debottlenecking and expanding the facility.
To increase throughput of the conventional SABC circuit beyond 100,000 t/d, Goldcorp had added secondary pre-crushing and a HPGR to the pebble circuit. This had created significant operational complexity and, due also to some poor design features, the operations team had been unable to ramp up throughput to more than ~84% of the nameplate. Chemech developed complex models using plant data to identify the throughput bottlenecks and assess the impact of the debottlenecking options.
Chemech identified that the major comminution equipment was drawing only 80% of its installed power at less-than-optimal efficiency. Increasing the comminution power draw and efficiency represented a significant opportunity to quickly and cheaply increase throughput (and potentially recovery through a finer grind size). Chemech proposed a low-capex optimisation program aimed at improving control, operation and availability of the major equipment to increase throughput to 90-95% of nameplate.
Chemech then proposed that information gained during the optimisation phase could be used to aid the selection of options to debottleneck the plant and further increase its capacity. A number of more capex intensive modifications and upgrades to the existing equipment were proposed to obtain optimum performance and utilisation. Successful implementation of these modifications could see throughput increase to 100-105% of nameplate.
Chemech then provided high-level expansion options to increase throughput beyond 115% of design throughput.
In 2019, Goldcorp was purchased by Newmont and therefore the asset came under Newmont control.