Primary Copper Plant Design
Extractive Metallurgy of CopperDavenport, King, Schlesinger, Biswas
Economics of Pyrometallurgical Processing of 0.75% Copper Sulphide Ores
Fixed Investment
Study estimate: Green field plant with construction beginning in 2002
Effect of Ore GradeConsider 0.5% and 1.0% copper ores• Mine investment costs– Identical production rate means 0.5% copper ore
mined at twice the rate of 1% copper ore• Twice as much plant and equipment (e.g. trucks)• Twice as much investment
• Concentrator investment costs– Condition same as mines
• Smelter – Influenced by grade of concentrate and not ore
Operating Costs
Assumes 90% copper recovery
• Variations in direct operating costs– Ore grade• Amount of ore handled increases with decreasing
grade
– Underground mining• Cost is twice that of open pit mining• Used for extracting higher ore grades than open pit
mining
Total Production Cost
• FCI = US$ 8.5/year/kg Cu• Working capital: 10% of FCI• Direct operating costs: US$ 1.1/year/kg Cu• Indirect operating costs: 12% of FCI• Total production cost (DOC + IOC): US$ 2.2/kg
• The price-profit situation– Copper prices above $2.2/kg is profitable– Underground and open pit ore bodies viable at
ore grades of 1.5% and 0.75% respectively– In older plants IOC would be lower• Some companies made profits even at $1.5/kg• Some others shut down
Concentrator: FCI
Hydrometallurgical Processing Economics