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