Operation and Maintenance Challenges

at Los Bronces Expansion Start Up

Patricio Chacana
Plant Manager, Los Bronces
 Content
• Process description
• Crusher Chutes
• SAG Changes
• Water Reclaiming System
• Tail Thickener
• Delivery
• Final Thoughts
Process Description
 LB Process Flow Sheet
Mine

Los Bronces – Las Tortolas

61.000 tpd Existing Plant

Confluencia – Las Tortolas

87.000 tpd New Plant

5
 LB Slurry Transport System

Pipeline 1 Pipeline 2
Length 56 km Length 51.7 km
Diameter 24” Diameter 28”
% Solids 38 - 60 % Solids 38 - 60
Flow l/s 700 - 900 Flow l/s 950 – 1,280
tph 1,300 – 3,100 tph 3,300 – 4,500
Elevation (∆) 3,359 – 755m (2,604m) 6 Elevation (∆) 2,230 m
 Las Tórtolas Plant – Flow Sheet
From Los Bronces
24” pipeline Rougher Flotation
Regrind
Cu thickener

Scavenger Flotation

Los Bronces – Las Tórtolas

61.000 tpd Existing Plant Hyperbaric Filters

Reagents Area / Facilities

Control Room & Laboratories Cu concentrate

Moly Plant
storage & dispatch

Cleaner Flotation

Mo concentrate
Storage & dispatch Administration Building &
Bulk concentrate
thickener Personnel Facilities

Tailings thickener
From Los Bronces
28” pipeline Rougher Flotation Verti Mill Regrind
Cu thickener

Scavenger Flotation

Hyperbaric Filters
Confluencia – Las Tórtolas
87.000 tdp New Plant Reagents Area / Facilities

Moly Plant Cu concentrate

storage & dispatch

Cleaner Flotation

Mo concentrate
Storage & dispatch

Bulk concentrate
thickener
7
 Tailings impoundment

WEST DAM

WATER RECOVERY

EAST DAM

MAIN DAM

8
Primary Crusher Chutes and
Diverters
 Primary Crushing and Ore Transport System

CM1 CM2 CM1A

TRANSFER TOWER
CM2A

CM3

10
 Transfer Tower

Los Bronces
Stockpile

11
Chutes Modelling

12
Bedrocks Design

13
Bedrocks design

14
SAG Mill Changes
 SAG LINERS MODIFICATION

• Feeding Zone: 8 pieces reduction

 SAG LINERS MODIFICATION

• Cylinder pieces reduction: 60

 SAG LINERS MODIFICATION

• Discharge zone: 16 pieces reduction

Water Reclaiming System
WRS Layout

• Bombas centrifugas de 3 o más

etapas (4, 5, 5 ,6, 3)

• El sistema modula el caudal

deteniendo o poniendo en
funcionamiento bombas

• El uso del SAR esta relacionado

directamente con el tipo de año
hidrológico (aporte de agua fresca) y
el TPH

• PDLB consideró un caudal

impulsado promedio año de 611
lts/seg para año normal y 785
lts/seg (cuatro bombas operando 11
meses) para un año Seco 95%
95% de los años llueve más que el año seco)
(denominado año 95% ,el

• Aumento en el TPH tratado planta

implica un mayor uso del SAR

• El promedio del 2012 fue 690 lts/seg

• Acumulado al 2013 es 784 lts/seg

WRS Diagram
 WRS OT, %

• Vibrations Analysis, monthly

• Daily control of process variables
• On line Condition Monitoring System, with ATS, Weekly Report
• Specialized Contractor for pumps
• 5th unit instalation to ensure availability
Tail Thickener
Thickener Build Up….
Now….
 Torque vs Tonelaje
Espesador Relaves Tortolas
Torque Espesador,%
30
50 -53%
53-56%
56-59%
25 >59%
Diseño
Potencial (50 -53%)
Potencial (53-56%)
20
Potencial (56-59%)
Potencial (>59%)

15

10

0
3.000 3.250 3.500 3.750 4.000 4.250 4.500 4.750 5.000 5.250
Tonelaje Descarga, ton/hr
Delivery
LTIFR

28
 Primary Crushers

Aug YTD
Crusher CP1 CP2 CP1 CP2
Availability,% 95,5 89,3 90,3 89,6
OT Crusher,% 75,5 77,7 74,7 81,4
Rock Breaker, % 10,3 16,5 9,1 15,0
LB CF LB CF
System OT % 58,1 75,4 57,9 75,4
TPH 3819 5369 3816 4990
• Budget 2013: 135.6 ktpd@70% OT & 8,070 tph
• August 2013: 150.4 ktpd@66.8% OT & 9,389 tph
• August YTD 2013: 143.3 ktpd@66.7 % OT & 8,960 tph
 Crushers Downtime
250 100

200
Chancador 1 80

150 60

100 40

50 20

0 0
Cambio
Espera de Inchancabl Cambio Desechos Atollos Full Fallas
Preventiva Tronadura CM1 Chutes Limpieza
Mineral e Revest. Mina Chutes Stockpile Correas
(Febrero)
Hrs 197 174 164 120 101 90 69 69 43 41 37 33
Acum 13 25 37 45 52 58 63 67 70 73 76 78

200 100
Chancador 2 80
150
60
100
40
50 20
0 0
Cambio
Cambio de Espera de VDF (CM1A-
Preventiva Tronaduras Inchancable CVB003 Atollo Chute Otro
Revest. Mineral CM2A)
(Enero)
Hrs 170 170 113 79 71 58 53 49 42
Acum 16 32 43 51 58 63 68 73 77

(*) Solo considera el tiempo en que el chancador se detiene, es decir cuando la falta de mineral se prolonga por mas de 10 minutos.
 Downtime Evolution

60
Chute Blockages 60 Waiting Ore
50
PCH1 PCH2 50
PCH1 PCH2
40
40
30 30
20 20
10 10
0 0

40
100 Chute Damage
80 Uncrushables 30 PCH1
PCH1 PCH2
60 20
40
10
20
0
0

31
 Primary Crushers….
11000

10000

9000

8000
TPH

7000

6000

5000

4000

3000
40% 45% 50% 55% 60% 65% 70% 75% 80%
Operating Time (%)
136 ktpd Budget 2013 140 ktpd Budget 2014 148 ktpd 2011 2012 2013

32
 KTPD

20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
ene/10
mar/10
may/10
jul/10
sep/10
nov/10
ene/11
mar/11

Tratamiento Total
may/11
jul/11
sep/11
nov/11
Budget 2013 ene/12
Tratamiento Diario
(Balances Ene-10 a Jul-13 / Real Ago-13)

mar/12
may/12
jul/12
Ore Processed….

sep/12
Budget 2014

nov/12
ene/13
mar/13
may/13
jul/13
33
 Confluencia Throughput

Mc Nulty Curves: Four types of project start-up curves :

• Type 1: Mature technology, used elsewhere

• Type 2: Prototype technology, incomplete pilot testing
• Type 3: As Type 2 but with limited piloting and/or feed variability
• Type 4: As Type 2 but more complex flowsheet
 SAG Downtime

SAG, CF
140 100

120
80
100

80
60
60

40
40
20

0 20
Cambio de
Falta mineral Falla harnero MP
Revestimientos
Hrs 125 95 57 54,3
Acum 30 53 66 79
 Confluencia SAG MTBF

OT YTD: 93%
SAG: Minutes / pieces
 Finally…
• We survive…. Key factors:
• Previous preparation… never is enough!!
• Project / Operation / Contractors / Suppliers
Alliance
• Flexibility
• Simple is better!!
• Good information record
 Final Message
"MEN WANTED FOR HAZARDOUS
JOURNEY. SMALL WAGES, BITTER COLD,
LONG MONTHS OF COMPLETE DARKNESS,
CONSTANT DANGER, SAFE RETURN
DOUBTFUL. HONOR AND RECOGNITION IN
CASE OF SUCCESS."
Ernest Shackleton, London Times, 1914
40
Thanks!!