How Is the Fluorspar Production Process Managed at Mineraria Gerrei?

An industrial supply chain that begins at the mine

Fluorite production at Mineraria Gerrei involves a complex supply chain in which mining operations, industrial processing and final logistics are closely interlinked. At the Silius Mine, the exploited orebody consists of fluorite, galena and many other minerals: only through a structured process it’s possible to separate the valuable minerals from the waste rock, reaching the strict requirements of the final commercial product.

Mining: at the roots of fluorspar

Fluorspar extraction process from the rock mass starts with drilling operations, a necessary step conducted by highly specialized machines to prepare the orebody for consequent blasting and downfall of the mixed mineral vein. Such material is later moved by loaders to the underground crushing and loading facilities, where it faces size reduction and it’s transferred to the extraction shaft by conveyor belts

Extraction: from underground to the surface

The crushed raw ore is loaded onto skips and hoisted through the Riccardo shaft up to the surface, where it’s downloaded to the primary hopper/feeder of the processing plant. Extraction shaft is a key infrastructure of Silius mine, since every ore fragment is skipped through such uplifting framework and since its efficiency affects the capacity of the whole process.

Mining and metallurgical processing plant: the heart of the process

The third stage of the cycle is the mineralurgical processing plant, where the raw ore undergoes a series of physical and chemical processes enabling the separation of the valuable minerals from the waste rock. This can happen through many subsequent beneficiation steps, including secondary/tertiary crushing (allowing fluorite and galena grains to be separated from the gangue more effectively), pre-concentration (increasing the raw ore grade through air-pulsed density separation), milling (reducing the ore granulometry in order to increase single minerals’ liberation), froth flotation (the decisive stage of the process, separating each single mineral from the others through their hydrophobic or hydrophile properties) and dehydration (leading to the final commercial product by the removal of excess water).

Backfilling: recycling tailings for safety and environmental targets

The processing plant tailings are collected and driven to the backfill mixing plant, where they are mixed together with water and stabilizing additives to produce a paste which is pumped back to the mine, filling the underground voids. Such solution avoids the need for tailing ponds and tailings disposal on the ground and transforms rock waste into a valuable raw material for mine’s stabilization and workers’ safety.

Shipping: delivering high quality product to market

The last stage of the process is the shipment of the final commercial products and their delivery to the end-users. The high grade fluorspar and galena are loaded onto trucks and ships, either as bulk ore or in big bags, according to client’s requirements. This stage concludes the production cycle and connects the mining site to the market, completing the journey that brings fluorite and associated materials from the orebody to its industrial utilizations.