PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Testwork at fertiliser developer Aguia Resources’ Tres Estradas phosphate project, in Brazil, has indicated significant capital and operating expenditure savings through process improvements and production efficiencies.
Aguia on Wednesday said that the testwork, done as part of the bankable feasibility study (BFS), had delivered the information necessary to define the process flow diagrams, mass and energy balance, and to allow for the finalisation of the trade-off studies.
The tests have confirmed an optimal run-of-mine rate of three-million tonnes a year, producing about 300 000 t/y of phosphate concentrate, while the crushing and grinding circuit, and milling circuit have been optimised.
“These crucial testwork results and trade-off studies have provided us with precise information that allows us to implement material improvements to the entire production and process design at Tres Estradas,” said Aguia’s head of engineering, Guilherme Jacome.
“We expect that the result will be a more efficient and competitive production facility that will cost materially less to build and operate than we envisioned a year ago when we completed the preliminary economic assessment.”
The BFS is on track for completion in March this year.