Throughput Improvements at the Capstone Pinto Valley Operation presentation, delivered at the Comminution 2021 conference, was recently awarded the Coalition for Eco Efficient Comminution (CEEC) High Commendation Medal for Operations. The work was authored by Capstone Copper’s Umut Erol (now with Freeport-McMoRan) and Curtis Wettstein and supported by Adrian Dance of SRK Vancouver.
Over the past few years, the Pinto Valley Mine has made steady improvements in mill throughput from a combination of blasting, crushing, and grinding operational changes. Detailed data collection exercises (including plant surveys) have allowed key operating parameters to be identified and improved upon. The culmination of these efforts was recently marked by record plant production for the 47-year-old operation in Arizona, USA.
“The work outlines how projects can make material value improvements through diligent and well-planned work focused on optimizing comminution efficiency to improve plant capacity and reduce operating costs,” the CEEC judges said.
Launched in 2012, the CEEC Medal raises awareness of comminution research and recognizes outstanding published research and field work that contribute to making mineral processing more eco-efficient around the world.
