THE DATA IN THIS DATA BASE ENTRY WERE GATHERED UNDER BUREAU OF MINES CONTRACT J0225019, "THE DEVELOPMENT OF ENGINEERING AND COST DATA FOR FOREIGN GRAPHITE PROPERTIES"; THE CONTRACT WAS AWARDED TO ZELLARS-WILLIAMS, INC. IN SEPTEMBER 1982. ALL GRAPHITE MINES IN MADAGASCAR USE THE SAME MINING METHOD. SMALL OPEN PITS (GENERALLY 1 TO 5 IN NUMBER) ARE MINED BY FRONT-END LOADER OR BULLDOZER WITHOUT BLASTING. THE OVERBURDEN IS EITHER HAULED AWAY BY TRUCK OR, IF IT IS VERY THIN, IS WASHED WITH THE ORE. THE ORE IS EITHER TRUCKED TO A FIELD WASHER OR IS WASHED INTO A SLUICE BY A WATER GUN FOR GRAVITY FLOW TO THE FIELD WASHER. WATER GUNS ARE FED BY WATER PUMPED FROM A NEARBY RIVER. MILLING IS A TWO-STAGE PROCESS CARRIED OUT AT A "POSTES DE DEBOURBAGE" (FIELD WASHER) AND THEN AT A "RAFFINAGE" (REFINERY). AT THE FIELD WASHER, THE ORE IS FIRST SLURRIED USING A WATER GUN IF NOT ALREADY IN SLURRY FORM. A GRIZZLY IS THEN USED TO REMOVE STONES THAT ARE +5 MM IN SIZE. OCCASIONALLY THE ORE IS ALSO DESLIMED BY SCREENING AT ABOUT 50 MESH. DIESEL FUEL OIL AND ALCOHOL-BASED FROTHERS ARE THEN ADDED PRIOR TO ROUGHER FLOTATION. THE ROUGHER CONCENTRATES VARY FROM 62 TO 67 PERCENT CARBON. TAILS ARE DISCHARGED BY GRAVITY INTO THE NEARBY RIVER. THE ROUGHER CONCENTRATE FLOWS BY GRAVITY TO THE REFINERY WHERE IT IS GROUND IN A BALL MILL, FLOATED, AND DRIED IN A ROTARY DRYER. THE DRIED CLEANER CONCENTRATE IS SIZED USING VIBRATING SCREENS AND BAGGED. ROD MILLS ARE USED AT SOME OPERATIONS INSTEAD OF BALL MILLS. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT AMBATOMITAMBA WILL MINE ITS FIRST OREBODY (AT 7% C) FROM 1982 THROUGH 2002. THE SECOND OREBODY (AT 13% C) WILL BE MINED FROM 2003 THROUGH 2022. PRODUCTS FROM BOTH OREBODIES WILL BE THE SAME AND THE ANNUAL PRODUCT TONNAGE FROM BOTH OREBODIES WILL TOTAL 5000 MTPY. NO CAPITAL EXPENDITURES ARE REQUIRED FOR MINING OR MILLING THE SECOND OREBODY. DURING MINING OF THE SECOND OREBODY, BOTH MINE AND MILL WILL BE OPERATING AT 53.9% OF CAPACITY.
BSM Price at posting:
0.7¢ Sentiment: Buy Disclosure: Not Held
