carrapateena and uranium, page-2

HT - re your post from a week ago.

some points to consider:

the uranium content at PH must be kept below 100ppm, this is done by primarily fine grinding (isamill) and physical separation in flotation. Secondary to this blending is used to maintain the level. This is to suit both transport and buyer specs. I don't know what the underground levels are but assume they will be the same as the open pit.

at PH the U is only nuisance level, not economic.

At olympic dam the U is much higher and economic. but due to the mineral mix U is present in the copper concentrate and cannot be physically separated, so leaching of the concentrate is required to remove it and subsequently recover it. about 20% of the U is in the concentrate and about 80% in the flotation tail, which is also leached to recover the U. The acid required to do this is generated on site from smelter gases and also burning sulphur. The integration of processes and capital cost required for this is quite high - hence BHP's desire to have someone else do it in their expansion concept.

at C i have not heard the latest about U content, but also understand it might just be above nuisance level. it will then depend on mineralogy, the mineral make up, how it is handled. any path different from how PH deals with it will mean big $$. i await with interest where this goes.

U, like most commodities is off the boil and that does not look like improving any time soon, not many new players at $50/lb.

could Oz do a deal with BHP and toll treat ore at OD?