The annual production capacity of the mine is 600,000 t/y. The waste resulting from mining operations , is used for backfilling, as well as for increasing tailings dam wall.
Shahumyan Gold-Polymetallic mine working schedule:
- Number of working days peryear – 365,
- Number of work shifts- 3,
- Shift duration – 7 hours,
- After each shift, 1 hour is provided for ventilation.
Mill
The Mill (Processing Plant) serves for processing Shahumyan gold-polymetallic mine ore. The ore has a complex mineral composition. The main ore-forming minerals of the mine are chalcopyrite, sphalerite, galenite and pyrite. There are also precious metals. Waste rock minerals comprise quartz and carbonate.
Ore Crushing Circuit
The ore is brought from the mine and accumulated in ore stockpile. The size of the largest rock in the stockpile is 700 mm. The loaders haul the ore from the stockpile to the central or polymetallic crushing area.
Central Crushing Area
Crushing consists of three stages – primary jaw crusher, secondary cone crusher and fine cone crusher.
The belt conveyor takes the ore from the fine crusher to the Mill main building ore bunker.
Polymetallic Crushing Area
Crushing is done in two stages – primary jaw crusher and secondary cone crusher.
From the secondary cone crusher the belt conveyor takes the ore to the Mill main building ore bunker.
Ore grinding circuit
Through the conveyor belt the crushed ore that can be up to 25mm, is sent to the rod mill from the Mill main building ore bunker. The ore is classified in vertical hydrocyclones, the sands of which are delivered to the primary ball mill, which, together with the hydrocyclone, operate in a closed cycle. The hydrocyclone overflow is sent for intermediate flotation. Its tails are sent for classification in the battery, which consists of six hydrocyclones. The hydrocyclone sands go to the secondary ball mill, which, together with the hydrocyclone, operate in a closed cycle. The hydrocyclone overflow is considered ready pulp for flotation.
Copper flotation description
The Zn mineral is depressed in the ready pulp with the help of reagents and is sent to the copper flotation section for rougher and scavenger flotation. The flotation is carried out in PИФ-25 flotation machines. Tha main flotation concentrate is classified with the help of hydrocyclones. From there the overflow is sent to a three-phase refinement and attains the required quality. The sands are sent to the regrinding circuit bunker, then pumped to the regrinding mill, which, together with the hydrocyclone, operate in a closed cycle.
Zn flotation description
The copper scavenger flotation tails are sent to the rougher and scavenger zinc flotation, bypre-activating the depressed Zn mineral . The rougher flotation zinc concentrate is sent to a three-stage refinement, the tails of the scavenger flotation are sent to Geghanush tailing dam as waste.
Dewatering process (thickening and filtration)
The dewatering process of the copper and zinc concentrates consists of two parts – thickening and filtration. After refinement process the concentrates flow by gravity to be thickened in the rim-driven thickener. The thickened product is dewatered in a drum-type vacuum filter with the help of filters or filter presses.
After dewatering process the concentrate flows by gravity into the finished product storage whence it is loaded with clam-type loaders and shipped to the buyer.