Autocorrelation Analysis of Cu Content in Ore Streams in One of KGHM Polska Miedż S.A. Mines

Abstract

Information about ore quality along its route from its source – the deposit, through long and complicated belt conveyor system till processing plant is not available in KGHM Polska Miedz on a daily basis. There were only few papers which analyzed variability of Cu content in feed to processing plant, on the transfer conveyor linking two mines and on the selected sectional conveyors. There were no such analysis regarding variation of ore lithological compositions. Such knowledge should improve metal recovery and reduce energy in processing plant by adjustment of milling and ore beneficiation parameters to known in advance copper ore quality data. Lack of data about ore composition prompted authors to analyze autocorrelations of Cu content time series in ore streams on the section and transfer conveyors as well as in the feed to processing plant. Determined differences in range of significant autocorrelations in ACF and PACF in different places along belt conveyor route have been explained by increasing difficulties in changing the average content of copper in ore coming from the growing area and a range of routes of loading machinery and face advance in comparison to range of directional semivariogram. The planned DISIRE experiment with application of Process Analyser Technology (PAT) sensors (containing ore information pellets), dropped into the transported ore streams and simulations of real flow of ore stream should show possibility to predict ore quality in advance to give enough time for necessary adjustments.