Northparkes coarse particle flotation: recovery and energy lens for mine engineers
Reviewed by Joe Ashwell
First reported on International Mining – News
30 Second Briefing
Evolution Mining has approved a coarse particle flotation (CPF) project at the Northparkes copper-gold mine in New South Wales, targeting higher copper recoveries by floating significantly coarser grind sizes than the existing circuit. The CPF installation will sit alongside the current concentrator, aiming to reduce overgrinding energy while capturing value from coarse sulphide particles that currently report to tailings. Board signoff of this and other portfolio projects signals continued capital allocation to brownfield process upgrades rather than major greenfield expansion.
Technical Brief
- Evolution’s board approved the CPF alongside several other portfolio projects in the same capital round.
- Managing Director and CEO Lawrie Conway framed CPF as part of “disciplined” capital allocation to brownfield optimisation.
Our Take
Among the copper-tagged pieces in our database, relatively few focus on coarse particle flotation, so Evolution Mining’s Northparkes work positions it towards the leading edge of operators trialling recovery improvements on existing Australian assets rather than greenfield builds.
For New South Wales copper operations, incremental recovery gains via projects like this often translate directly into extended mine life or justification for lower‑grade cut-backs, which can defer closure liabilities and spread sustaining capital over a longer horizon.
Linking a ‘Product’ and ‘Sustainability’ tagged initiative at the Northparkes mine suggests Evolution is targeting not just higher copper yield but also potential energy and water efficiency benefits, which is increasingly important as Australian regulators scrutinise the environmental performance of established sites.
Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.
Related Articles
Related Industries & Products
Mining
Geotechnical software solutions for mining operations including CMRR analysis, hydrogeological testing, and data management.
CMRR-io
Streamline coal mine roof stability assessments with our cloud-based CMRR software featuring automated calculations, multi-scenario analysis, and collaborative workflows.
HYDROGEO-io
Comprehensive hydrogeological testing platform for managing, analysing, and reporting on packer tests, lugeon values, and hydraulic conductivity assessments.
GEODB-io
Centralised geotechnical data management solution for storing, accessing, and analysing all your site investigation and material testing data.
