But ore doesn’t process itself based on grade alone. Two blocks with identical grade can behave completely differently in a mill one flows through the SAG mill at design rate, the other grinds to a halt. One floats at 92% recovery, the other bleeds value to tailings.
That disconnect between the resource model and the plant reality has cost the industry billions in missed production guidance.
Geometallurgical models integrates spatial, geological, and metallurgical data into a single 3D block model so every block in the mine plan carries not just grade, but a predicted plant response.
Predicting Throughput
– Hardness/comminution indices (A×b, SPI, BWi) are measured on drill core and interpolated spatially
– These feed directly into SAG/ball mill feed rate forecasts (t/h)
– Result: mine planners can sequence blocks to smooth mill throughput instead of reacting to it
Predicting Recovery & Grade
– Mineral texture, grain size, and liberation characteristics are mapped across the deposit
– Gangue mineralogy clays, talc, carbonates is flagged early, since these drive flotation and leach inefficiency
– Recovery becomes a spatial variable, not a single average number
Mitigating Operational Risk
-Problem zones refractory ore, ultra-hard domains, high clay content are identified before the ore ever reaches the plant
– This turns reactive firefighting into proactive blending and scheduling
How much weight should geometallurgical models confidence carry in your production guidance and project valuations?
References
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Coward, S., Vann, J., Dunham, S., & Stewart, M. (2009). The primary-response framework for geometallurgical variables. In Proceedings of the Seventh International Mining Geology Conference (pp. 109–113). Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.
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Dominy, S. C., O’Connor, L., Parbhakar-Fox, A., Glass, H. J., & Purevgerel, S. (2018). Geometallurgy—A route to more resilient mine operations. Minerals, 8 (12), 560. https://doi.org/10.3390/min8120560
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Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. (2016). The AusIMM geometallurgy guidelines and protocols. AusIMM.
