PROCESS DESCRIPTION

1.1.0

GENERALITIES
As part of this work is described herein, the metallurgical process for this project, considering a
treatment level of 2014 t/d of ore from La Libertad, Otuzco assay on the order of 176.31g Ag/t
and recoveries 87.50%, with which occur monthly bullion.
The description is based on the flowcharts, mass balance, and balance metal.

1.2.0

OBJECTIVE
The aim of the project is the expansion of a plant of 378 t/d to 2014 t/d consisting of two phases:
- Dimensioning of basic equipment.
- Expand (or replace) the existing plant to a 2014 t/ d.

1.3.0

LOCATION
The project is located in the department of La Libertad. The area of operations of the company
is included in the high areas of this district an altitude 2641 meters above sea level in the
province of Otuzco.
Access to the area of work is done by routes Callancas districts and Charat.

1.4.0

BACKGROUND
The initial plant recovery of valuable minerals of gold and silver; especially silver, had a capacity
of 378 t d in the Cayancha location at an altitude of 3547 meters.

1.5.0

DESIGN CRITERIA

SECTION 0.1.0 - INDEX

SECTION
0.1.0
0.2.0
0.3.0
0.4.0
0.5.0
0.6.0

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DESCRIPTION
INDEX
UNITS AND
ABBREVIATION
SUMMARY OF CODES
BASIS OF DESIGN
ZONE CONDITIONS
GENERAL DATA

PROCESS DESCRIPTION

SECTION 0.2.0 - UNITS AND ABBREVIATION

Unit
average
centipoise
cubic metre per day
cubic metre per hour
day
decibel
degree Celsius
degrees
diameter
gram
horse power
hour
kilogram
kilogram per cubic metre
kilopascals
kilowatthour
litre
maxium
metre
metric ton
micron
microsiemens per
centimeter
millimetre
minimum
minute
parts per million
pounds per square inch
revolutions per minute
run of mine
second
short ton
specific gravity
square metre
ton per hour
volt
volume
volume percent
Watt
weight (mass)
weight (mass) percent
year
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Abbreviation / Symbol
ave
Cp
m3/d
m3/h
d
dB
C
deg
dia
g
HP
h
kg
kg/m3
kPa
kWh
l
max
m
t
m
S/cm
mm
min
min
ppm
psi
rpm
ROM
s
st
SG
m2
t/h
V
vol
vol %
W
wt
wt %
y

PROCESS DESCRIPTION

DEFINITION OF TERMS DESIGN

Nominal value

Average flow per unit time of the operating unit.

Value of Design

Flow represents the maximum value for the design and selection
mechanical equipment by applying the nominal value of the safety factor
The design values are not related to the annual production nor are
cumulative to size equipment.

Security factor

Factor applied to the nominal value of the mechanical equipment, to ensure

service.

SECTION 0.3.0 - SUMMARY OF CODES

Code
A
B
C
D
E
F

Source of information and Data

Data provided by Client
Vendor - originated criteria
Criteria from processs calculations
Engineering handbook data
Assumed data
Metallurgical test results

SECTION 0.4.0 - DESIGN BASIS

As the base leg design criteria are taken into account data provided by La Cuesta Compaia
Minera reports balances, operational parameters, flow sheet, balance of Merrill Crowe,
information that is vital for the expansion of the plant on the basis of a project Brown Field. Each
of the criteria taken is described in the tables in this document that has been included in a
column the source of information that has been considered for its definition according to the
scale shown in section 0.2.0 which it is the summary of the codes herein.
It has also been considered in the design criteria, not only what corresponds to the metallurgical
process, but also to general criteria for the operation, site conditions, criteria for power and
communications among others.

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PROCESS DESCRIPTION

SECTION 0.5.0 - ZONE CONDITIONS

1. PROJECT LOCATION
Country
City
Province
District
Altitude
2. ACCES POINT
Land
Lima-La Libertad
La Libertad-Lima
3. WEATHER
Geographic Type
Average temperature
Precipitation
High
Less
Annual average
Annual average evaporation

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UNIT

VALUE

CODE

m.s.n.m

Per
La Libertad
Otuzco
Cayancha
3547

A
A
A
A
A

A
A

Dry
17

A
A

Month
Month
mm/year
mm

March
July
21.4
542.7

A
A
A
A

PROCESS DESCRIPTION

SECTION 0.6.0 - GENERAL DATA

UNIT
DEPOSIT OLD TAILINGS
General
Mineral movement service
Material being processed
Deposit
Feature deposit
Average humidity
Density

VALUE

CODE

own

2014

%
t/m3

5
2.31

A
A

belts

24
2
7
365

A
A
A
A

Material transport system

Transport method
Operating schedule
Hours per day
Shifts per day
Days a week
Days per year

1.5.1

h
shift/d
d/week
d/y

DESIGN DOCUMENTS
For the development of the detailed engineering process, it has considered the following
documents:
- DESIGN CRITERIA
- PLANES OF BALANCE

2.1.0

SCOPING STUDY
The next project is included designs:
- Flow diagram of the process plant
- Mass balance
- Flow diagram of preparation circuit

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PROCESS DESCRIPTION

3.1.0

BALANCE FLOWSHEET

3.2.0

FLOWSHEET
Based on the information established design criteria; have developed 01 plane block diagram General process, plans flowchart, corresponding to washing, milling, cyanidation, CCD, supply
and distribution of water and plant facilities.
Updating section planes of the respective processes flowcharts, mass balance is. On the next
page you will appreciate the general diagram summarized the metallurgical process.

3.3.0

MASS BALANCE
To prepare the mass balance throughout the system criteria established design and diagram
respective flow is taken have developed the following tables mass balances which involve:
overall cash balance, balance sheet cyanidation, balance sheet clarification and overall balance
of Merril Crowe.

4.0.0 DESCRIPTION OF METALLURGICAL PROCESS

4.1.0 TRANSPORT TO THE WASHING STAGE
The ore to be treated in the processing plant will come from the stock piles deposits, formed by
tailings from the colonial period, having a silver and gold (traces) assay of 176.31 g/t and 0.61
g/t respectively, with an average granulometry of 150m, and which will be transported to the
processing plant by conveyor belts. The conveyor belt will be fed by an underground hopper
located underneath the stock pile so as to have a better control of the process.
The transport system has been topographically designed to facilitate the mobilization of the
material by belts. The transport of the material will be carried out at a production rate of 2166 t/d
with the operating time being 24 hours a day.
4.2.0 WASHING
The material will be transported by belts, to a mixer equipment 10 'x 15'; once the material has
been disaggregated it will be sent to a trash screen which will separate part of the unwanted
material (trash) in the oversize, and the undersize of trash screen will go to a Trommel
equipment 8' diameter x 16' length, to which fresh water will be supplied for the separation of
the organic.
The trommel passing material will be sent to a vibrating screen with water supply for the
classification in the last washing stage, separating almost the total of organic into the oversize
and the undersize will be sent to a thickener for its solid-liquid separation.
4.3.0 SOLID-LIQUID SEPARATION
Ore from the washing step will be sent to a thickener 33' diameter x 10' height. The overflow of
the thickener will return to the fresh water tank, while the thickener underflow with a pulp density
of 1650 g/l and % solids of 64%, will be sent to the grinding circuit.
4.4.0 GRINDING AND CLASSIFICATION
Ore from the separation stage solid-liquid will feed the grinding circuit with a particle size of
80%- 150m, which will be sent by a pump to the classification system.
The classification system shall consist of 2 hydrocyclones of 17 "diameter (1 stand by). The
overflow of the hydrocyclones with a pulp density of 1300 g /l and % solids of 37.5%, with feed
to the grinding circuit with a grain size of 80% - 75m, while the underflow of the hydrocyclones,

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PROCESS DESCRIPTION
with a pulp density of 1600 g /l and a % solids of 61%, will feed the ball mill 10' diameter x 12'
length, thus closing the grinding circuit.

During grinding, lime slurry will be added to raise the pH to 11.5, thus giving the necessary
conditions to start the leaching.
4.5.0 CYANIDATION
The ore from the grinding circuit will be sent to the cyanidation circuit composed of 6 agitators
tanks 23' diameter x 20' height with a capacity of 317 m 3 each. The pulp will be transferred from
one agitator tank to another by gravity, whose residence time in each of the tanks is 9 hours,
with a total of 54 hours of leaching.
In this circuit, cyanide solution will be added in order to obtain a constant cyanide force.
The cyanide pulp will be sent to the washing and countercurrent decantation circuit for its solidliquid separation and recovery of solution for its subsequent treatment.
4.6.0 COUNTER CURRENT DECANTATION
The pulp from the cyanidation circuit will be washed in a counter current decantation (CCD) for
the solid liquid separation; the circuit is formed by 4 high-speed thickeners, the washing will be
carried out at a rate of 3.2 tons of washing solution per ton of solution in the food. The discharge
of each thickener will be pumped to the next upstream stage. The solution overflowing from
each thickener is directed to the above downstream stage.
The overflow of the first thickener will be sent to the pregnant solution tank and then sent to the
Merrill Crowe plant. The discharge of the thickener 4 will be sent to a Deep cone with a solids
percentage of 52.7%, for its subsequent treatment and disposal.
FIGURE N 01: Counter Current Decantation

4.7.0 MERRILL CROWE

The solution from the overflow of the first thickener is sent to a tank, which will store the rich
solution and then be sent to the Merrill Crowe plant.
The pregnant solution is pumped to two clarifying filters in which diatomaceous earth (diatomite)
is used as filter medium in the clarifying filter to efficiently remove the solids contained in the
solution.
The clarified solution is sent to a vacuum tower, which will remove the oxygen dissolved in the
solution with the help of a vacuum pump.
To the deoxygenated solution of zinc powder, which precipitates the precious metals, basically
silver; Lead nitrate will be added to accelerate the reaction with zinc metal.
The filtered solution without values (Barren solution) will be sent to a Barren solution tank.
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PROCESS DESCRIPTION
Once the solutions precipitation has finished, it will be sent to two press filter to obtain the
precipitate which will basically silver.

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