1. Processing Technology vs Nickel Laterite Ore Characteristic
Agus Superiadi
PT Inco.Tbk

2. Presentation Outlines
Types of Nickel Deposit
World Nickel Mineral Resources
Nickel Laterite Development
Processing Technology of Nickel Laterite
Processing vs Ni Laterite Ore Characteristic
Summary

3. Types of Nickel Deposits
Sulphide nickel deposits
Nickel as nickel sulphide  pentlandite, millerite
Nickel ores processed through milling and smelting
Laterite nickel deposits
Oxide Ni deposits: Ni as hydroxide in the ferruginous zone
Clay silicate deposits: Ni as clay silicate
Hydrous silicate deposits: Ni as hydrous-silicate in saprolite
Nickel ores processed through pyro-metallurgy (smelting) or hydro-metallurgy (leaching)

4. WORLD’S LAND-BASED Ni RESOURCESMt
Ore % Ni
Contained
Nickel
Relative
SULPHIDES
10,594
0.58 62
31%
LATERITES
10,382
1.32
140
69%
TOTAL
20,976
0.96
202
100%

5. WORLD Ni PRODUCTION & RESOURCES
PRIMARY Ni PRODUCTION
WORLD Ni RESOURCES
60%
70%
SULPHIDE
LATERITE
LATERITE
SULPHIDE
40%
30%

6. LATERITE vs. SULPHIDE DEPOSITS
CUBA
PHILIPPINES
INDONESIA
NEW CALEDONIA
AUSTRALIA
LATERITES
SULPHIDES

7. World Nickel Laterite Deposits
Albania
Greece
Cuba
India
Burma
Dominican
Republic
Ivory Coast
Philippines
Guatemala
Venezuela
Ethiopia
Columbia
Burundi
Indonesia
Zimbabwe
Brazil
PNG
Madagascar
Australia
New
Caledonia
Producing Countries
Non Producing Countries

8. World Nickel Laterite Resources (Distribution by Contained Nickel)
Other
America
Caribbean 4% 8%
Africa
25% 8%
Australia 8%
Philippines
New
11%
Indonesia
Caledonia
16%
20%

9. DEFINITION OF LATERITES
Nickel laterites are:
Residual soils
Have developed over mafic/ultramafic rocks
Through processes of chemical weathering and supergene enrichment
Under tropical climatic conditions
Laterites are source of metals:
Ni, Co, Cr, Fe (from laterites derived from ultramafic rocks)
Al (from laterites derived from aluminous rocks)

10. Laterisation

11. LATERITE PROFILE On Unserpentinised Peridotite, Sorowako
Red Laterite (Hematite)
Yellow Laterite (Limonite)
Slide 9: Typical laterite profile in a road cut: dark limonite overburden above the red line; limonite low grade to medium grade between the red and the green lines; and saprolite below the green line. At the road level some signs of possible bedrock pinnacles are exposed. Imaginary drill holes A,B,C at about 25 meter spacing in this photo would return completely different profile interpretations in terms of quantity and position of each of the three main layers. This high degree of variability of the laterite adds risk to exploration in the early stage that grade and tonnage estimates will not be representative for economic studies. Only detailed exploration will provide the sampling to reduce this risk.
Saprolite zone
Bedrock pinnacle

12. Considerations for developing a nickel laterite project
Nickel grade; cobalt grade
Resource tonnage / Life of Mine / scale of operation
Ore chemistry and mineralogy
Upgradeability of ore
Process selection
Availability of cheap power supply
Selection of fuel
Availability of raw materials: water, silica flux, aggregate
Availability of infrastructure
Location of project
Mining method
Environmental considerations
Negotiations with local and central governments
Funding of the project
Selection of engineer and contractor

13. PROCESSING OF Ni LATERITES
Pyrometallurgical processing (Ore is melted)
Ferro-nickel
Ni-matte
Ni Pig Iron
Hydrometallurgical processing (Leaching by acid)
PAL (Pressure acid leaching) – HPAL
AL (Atmospheric Leaching)
Heap Leaching
Combined pyro and hydro process (Caron) (Ore is reduced at high temperature, then leached)

14. Ferro-Nickel Projects in the world
Owner
Country
Remarks
Cerro Matoso
BHP-B
Columbia
Codemin
Anglo
Brazil
Doniambo
SLN/Eramet
New Caledonia
Exmibal
Ex. Inco
Guatemala
Mothballed
Falcondo
Falconbridge
Dominican Rep.
Fenimark
FENI (govt.)
Macedonia
Closed
Hyuga
Sumitomo
Japan
Imported ore
Larymna
Larco
Greece
Loma de Hiero
Venezuela
Morro do Niquel
Oheyama
Nippon Yakin
Onca-Puma
Vale Inco
PAMCO
Nippon Steel
Pomalaa
ANTAM
Indonesia
Some imported ore
Nickel-Matte Projects of the world
Project
Owner
Country
Remarks
Sorowako
PT Inco
Indonesia
Doniambo
SLN/Eramet
New Caledonia

15. HPAL Projects of the world
Owner
Country
Remarks
Moa Bay
Cuba Niquel
Cuba
First HPAL
Bulong
Australia
Shut down
Cawse
Norilsk
Murrin-Murrin
Minara
Coral Bay
Sumitomo
Philippines
Goro
Vale Inco
New Caledonia
Under construction
Ramu River
PNG
Ravensthorpe
BHP-B
CARON Projects of the world
Project
Owner
Country
Remarks
Nicaro
Union del Niq
Cuba
Punta Gorda
Nonoc
Philippines
Closed
QNI
BHP-Billiton
Australia
Imported ores
Tocantins
Niquel Toc.
Brazil

16. Heap Leach Projects of the world
Owner
Country
Remarks
Caldag
European Nickel
Turkey
First Heap Leach project
Ravensthorpe
BHP-B
Australia
Part of flow sheet
Murrin-Murrin
Minara
Expansion of project
Piaui
Vale
Brazil
Being fast-tracked for production

17. PYROMETALLURGICAL PROCESSING
Ferro-Nickel Process
Upgrading in the mine
Drying of ore
Upgrading after drying
Calcining
Electric Furnace Smelting
Refining Furnace
Ferro-Nickel Product
20 – 50% Ni
Nickel-Matte Process
Upgrading in the mine
Drying of ore
Upgrading after drying
Calcining
Electric Furnace Smelting
Converting
Nickel-Matte Product
78% Ni

18. PYROMETALLURGY Important concerns:
Slag should not attack refractory (S/M ratio)
Melting temperature should be suitable (S/M; Fe)
Olivine should not be introduced to the furnace
Appropriate reduction of ore prior to smelting
Ni/Fe ratio in the ore for ferro-nickel operation

19. HYDROMETALLURGICAL PROCESSING
HPAL Process
Ore Preparation: wetting, screening, crushing, ore beneficiation
Pre Heating through flash steam
Pressure Acid Leach in autoclave
Heat recovery from leached pulp
CCD thickening and washing
Neutralisation of pregnant solution
Precipitation of metals by adding H2S/alkali
Solid/liquid separation
Ni/Co products as mixed sulphides, oxides, hydroxides
Heap Leaching Process
Ore Preparation: wetting, screening, crushing, ore beneficiation
Heap Formation
Acid Dripping
Pregnant solution
Sequential Precipitation of metals
Neutralization
Ni/Co concentrate

20. HYDROMETALLURGY Important concerns: HPAL Heap Leaching
Amounts of soluble Mg and Al in ore (acid consumers)
Acid to ore ratio required for process
Minimum operating temperature required to leach
What is the appropriate pressure during leaching
Retention time in the autoclave
Rheological behaviour during slurrying
How to recover metals in the back end of processing
What product to make
Heap Leaching
Clay content
Fe content
Moisture content
Weather

21. Hydro vs Pyro
Note:
The selection of processing technology must consider:
Ore characteristic (Chemistry and Mineralogy)
Ni/Co grades (include potential upgrading)
Metal recovery
Mineability (Ore thickness and continuity)
Capital and Operating costs (potential hydro-electric power, Residual Storage Facility, Water source, Limestone source,
Existing infrastructure, etc)
Market demand

22. Hydro vs Pyro

23. Pyrometallurgy Process Main Feed Electricity Require Capital Cost
Operating Cost
Fe-Ni
Smelting
Saprolite
Very High
High
Ni Matte
Ni Pig Iron
Limonite
Moderate

24. Hydrometallurgy Process Main Feed Electricity Require Capital Cost
Operating Cost
HPAL
Limonite
Low
High
Caron
Saprolite
Moderate
Very High
Heap Leach
Very Low
Chloride
Leach

25. SUMMARY
Ore Characteristics (chemistry and mineralogy) are very critical in selecting processing technology.
HPAL is a preferred technology (if the ore is rich in limonite) because less energy required.
Ferronickel and Nickel matte smelter is a good alternative for saprolitic laterite ore with potential hydro electric power.
Heap Leach and NPI are attractive since less capital investment required.
A Feasibility Study (Geology, Mining, Processing including Metallurgical testworks, Infrastructures, AMDAL, etc) is required to justify the project execution.

26. THANK YOU