Significant recovery uplift with prescriptive analytics for gold processing

The challenge

Our client, a major gold miner and processor hired us to assess and prioritise business improvement opportunities. Operational data was available and logged properly in a historian and custom Excel-based metallurgical accounting system for weekly and monthly reporting. However, the data sources were not connected and not used to drive improvements. We were asked to demonstrate the benefit of data and analytics on the most important profit driver - gold recovery.

The solution

• We connected and analysed 550+ operation parameters to determine optimal tradeoffs between recovery and throughput and assess if recovery at flotation can be accurately predicted on a fine frequency.
• We constructed prescriptive models for four flotation outputs - recovery of gold and the second base-mineral, and variability of both recoveries.
• The models were validated by the experts and used to simulate the added value from dynamic parameter changes for any given head grade and grind size combinations.
• Solutions were rated by implementation complexity since some set points were easier to change than others.
• Resulting scenarios, implementation roadmaps and cost-benefit estimations were presented to the client to choose an implementation strategy.

The impact we created

• 3.2p.p. In Au recovery improvement opportunity by changing two flotation set points
• 61% reduction in the Au recovery variability (standard deviation)

Actual recovery over a 6 month period and optimised recovery using the Virtual Expert with dynamic changes of 3 set points