Roşia Poieni copper mine
Encyclopedia
The Roşia Poieni copper mine is a large open pit
copper
mine
in the centre of Romania
, 90 km northwest of Alba Iulia
and 484 km north of the capital, Bucharest
. The mine is owned by CupruMin
a state owned company.
and the second largest in Europe
having estimated reserves of 1.5 billion tonnes of ore grading 0.36% copper. The mine produces around 11,000 tonnes of copper
a year and the mineral deposit represents 65% of the total copper reserves in Romania
. Geographically the mine is located in the Apuseni Mountains
, abb=yes 7 south of the Arieş River
in Lupşa
commune. The access to the site is made through a south-west industrial haul road from Cornii Valley that crosses the National Road no. 74 Alba-Iulia – Zlatna
– Abrud
when entering Abrud and through a north industrial haul road from Musca Valley that crosses the National Road no. 75 Campeni – Turda
in Musca village, Lupşa
commune. The Rosia Poieni deposit was developed between the sixth and eight decade of the 20th Century within the Abrud-Musca-Bucium
area (the Golden Quadrilateral
) from Apuseni Mountains
of the Metaliferi Mountains. It is enclosed by eruptive sub-volcanoes Miocene
rocks (micro-diorite or Fundoaia andesites
).
The Fundoaia body has the shape of a vertical column of abb=yes 1180 in height (+abb=yes 1030 → abb=yes -150) and in horizontal plane having the following dimensions: abb=yes 660÷abb=yes 740/abb=yes 820÷abb=yes 956. The eruptive body comes in contact (through the tectonic breccia
) with andesite necks
(Poieni, Curmatura, Melciu, Piatra Tichileu, and Jgheabului Hills
) and with the sediment cretaceous rocks
.
The porphyry copper deposit
is made up mainly of fine disseminations, nests and little veins (0.02÷3 cm) of pyrite
, chalcopyrite
, and magnetite
; gold
included in the chalcopyrite and pyrite, and secondary metals: bornite
, covellite
(blue copper), chalcocite
, blende
(false galena), galena
, molybdenite
, germanite
, malachite
, azurite
and is developed in microdioritic rocks.
The processing plant has a design capacity of 9 millions tones extracted and processed per year, the process being made on 4 technological lines of 7,500 tones per day. The plant was launched between 1985 and 1987. The ore is subsequently processed through a classical processing flow, with a two stage grinding phase
in two autogenous mills and in two ball mill
s, followed by flotation
, which is performed in pneumomechanical cells
(abb=yes 17) where the primary concentrate is obtained, which subsequently is flotated in cells of abb=yes 5.7 where a copper concentrate
is obtained with a content between 16.5 and 20% Copper
. The concentrate is thick
ened in sided thickeners and filter
ed through a pressure filter
(Larox).
Open-pit mining
Open-pit mining or opencast mining refers to a method of extracting rock or minerals from the earth by their removal from an open pit or borrow....
copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
mine
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
in the centre of Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, 90 km northwest of Alba Iulia
Alba Iulia
Alba Iulia is a city in Alba County, Transylvania, Romania with a population of 66,747, located on the Mureş River. Since the High Middle Ages, the city has been the seat of Transylvania's Roman Catholic diocese. Between 1541 and 1690 it was the capital of the Principality of Transylvania...
and 484 km north of the capital, Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
. The mine is owned by CupruMin
CupruMin
CupruMin is a company based in Abrud, Alba County, Romania specialised in the production of copper and copper ore. The company ownes and operates the Roşia Poieni copper mine which represents the largest copper reserve in Romania and the second largest in Europe...
a state owned company.
Overview
Roşia Poieni represents the largest copper reserve in RomaniaRomania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
and the second largest in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
having estimated reserves of 1.5 billion tonnes of ore grading 0.36% copper. The mine produces around 11,000 tonnes of copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
a year and the mineral deposit represents 65% of the total copper reserves in Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
. Geographically the mine is located in the Apuseni Mountains
Apuseni Mountains
The Apuseni Mountains is a mountain range in Transylvania, Romania, which belongs to the Western Carpathians, also called Occidentali in Romanian. Their name translates from Romanian as Mountains "of the sunset" i.e. "western". The highest peak is "Cucurbăta Mare" - 1849 metres, also called Bihor...
, abb=yes 7 south of the Arieş River
Arieș River (Mureș)
The Arieș is a tributary of Mureș River in Transylvania, Romania.Most probably "Arieș" means "Gold River" in Dalmatian which is thought to be very similar to the Dacian language. It is concluded that the Romanian name most probably derives from the Dacian name of the river...
in Lupşa
Lupsa
Lupşa is a commune located in Alba County, Romania. It is composed of 23 villages: Bârdeşti, Bârzan, Curmătură, După Deal, Geamăna, Hădărău, Holobani, Lazuri, Lunca, Lupşa, Mănăstire, Mărgaia, Muşca, Pârâu-Cărbunări, Piţiga, Poşogani, Şasa, Trifeşti, Văi, Valea Holhorii, Valea Lupşii, Valea Şesii...
commune. The access to the site is made through a south-west industrial haul road from Cornii Valley that crosses the National Road no. 74 Alba-Iulia – Zlatna
Zlatna
Zlatna is a town in Alba County, central Transylvania, Romania. It has a population of 8,607.- Administration :The town administers eighteen villages: Boteşti , Budeni , Dealu Roatei , Dobrot, Dumbrava, Feneş , Galaţi , Izvoru Ampoiului , Pârău Gruiului , Pătrângeni ,...
– Abrud
Abrud
Abrud is a town in the north-western part of Alba County, Transylvania, Romania, located on the river Abrud. It administers three villages: Abrud-Sat, Gura Cornei and Soharu.-Population:...
when entering Abrud and through a north industrial haul road from Musca Valley that crosses the National Road no. 75 Campeni – Turda
Turda
Turda is a city and Municipality in Cluj County, Romania, situated on the Arieş River.- Ancient times :The city was founded by Dacians under the name Patavissa or Potaissa...
in Musca village, Lupşa
Lupsa
Lupşa is a commune located in Alba County, Romania. It is composed of 23 villages: Bârdeşti, Bârzan, Curmătură, După Deal, Geamăna, Hădărău, Holobani, Lazuri, Lunca, Lupşa, Mănăstire, Mărgaia, Muşca, Pârâu-Cărbunări, Piţiga, Poşogani, Şasa, Trifeşti, Văi, Valea Holhorii, Valea Lupşii, Valea Şesii...
commune. The Rosia Poieni deposit was developed between the sixth and eight decade of the 20th Century within the Abrud-Musca-Bucium
Abrud
Abrud is a town in the north-western part of Alba County, Transylvania, Romania, located on the river Abrud. It administers three villages: Abrud-Sat, Gura Cornei and Soharu.-Population:...
area (the Golden Quadrilateral
Golden Quadrilateral
The Golden Quadrilateral is a highway network connecting India's four largest metropolises: Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata, thus forming a quadrilateral of sorts. Four other top ten metropolises: Bangalore, Pune, Ahmedabad, and Surat, are also served by the network...
) from Apuseni Mountains
Apuseni Mountains
The Apuseni Mountains is a mountain range in Transylvania, Romania, which belongs to the Western Carpathians, also called Occidentali in Romanian. Their name translates from Romanian as Mountains "of the sunset" i.e. "western". The highest peak is "Cucurbăta Mare" - 1849 metres, also called Bihor...
of the Metaliferi Mountains. It is enclosed by eruptive sub-volcanoes Miocene
Miocene
The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about . The Miocene was named by Sir Charles Lyell. Its name comes from the Greek words and and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern sea invertebrates than the Pliocene. The Miocene follows the Oligocene...
rocks (micro-diorite or Fundoaia andesites
Fundoaia River (Bistricioara)
The Fundoaia River is a tributary of the Bistricioara River in Romania.-References:* Administraţia Naţională Apelor Române - Cadastrul Apelor - Bucureşti* Institutul de Meteorologie şi Hidrologie - Rîurile României - Bucureşti 1971-Maps:...
).
The Fundoaia body has the shape of a vertical column of abb=yes 1180 in height (+abb=yes 1030 → abb=yes -150) and in horizontal plane having the following dimensions: abb=yes 660÷abb=yes 740/abb=yes 820÷abb=yes 956. The eruptive body comes in contact (through the tectonic breccia
Breccia
Breccia is a rock composed of broken fragments of minerals or rock cemented together by a fine-grained matrix, that can be either similar to or different from the composition of the fragments....
) with andesite necks
Andesite
Andesite is an extrusive igneous, volcanic rock, of intermediate composition, with aphanitic to porphyritic texture. In a general sense, it is the intermediate type between basalt and dacite. The mineral assemblage is typically dominated by plagioclase plus pyroxene and/or hornblende. Magnetite,...
(Poieni, Curmatura, Melciu, Piatra Tichileu, and Jgheabului Hills
Râul Jghiabului
The Râul Jghiabului is a tributary of the Crivadia River in Romania.-References:* Administraţia Naţională Apelor Române - Cadastrul Apelor - Bucureşti* Institutul de Meteorologie şi Hidrologie - Rîurile României - Bucureşti 1971...
) and with the sediment cretaceous rocks
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
.
The porphyry copper deposit
Porphyry copper deposit
Porphyry copper deposits are copper orebodies which are associated with porphyritic intrusive rocks and the fluids that accompany them during the transition and cooling from magma to rock. Circulating surface water or underground fluids may interact with the plutonic fluids...
is made up mainly of fine disseminations, nests and little veins (0.02÷3 cm) of pyrite
Pyrite
The mineral pyrite, or iron pyrite, is an iron sulfide with the formula FeS2. This mineral's metallic luster and pale-to-normal, brass-yellow hue have earned it the nickname fool's gold because of its resemblance to gold...
, chalcopyrite
Chalcopyrite
Chalcopyrite is a copper iron sulfide mineral that crystallizes in the tetragonal system. It has the chemical composition CuFeS2. It has a brassy to golden yellow color and a hardness of 3.5 to 4 on the Mohs scale. Its streak is diagnostic as green tinged black.On exposure to air, chalcopyrite...
, and magnetite
Magnetite
Magnetite is a ferrimagnetic mineral with chemical formula Fe3O4, one of several iron oxides and a member of the spinel group. The chemical IUPAC name is iron oxide and the common chemical name is ferrous-ferric oxide. The formula for magnetite may also be written as FeO·Fe2O3, which is one part...
; gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
included in the chalcopyrite and pyrite, and secondary metals: bornite
Bornite
Bornite is a sulfide mineral with chemical composition Cu5FeS4 that crystallizes in the orthorhombic system .-Appearance:Bornite has a brown to copper-red color on fresh surfaces that tarnishes to various iridescent shades of blue to purple in places...
, covellite
Covellite
Covellite is a rare copper sulfide mineral with the formula CuS. This indigo blue mineral is ubiquitous in copper ores, it is found in limited abundance and is not an important ore of copper itself, although it is well known to mineral collectors.The mineral is associated with chalcocite in zones...
(blue copper), chalcocite
Chalcocite
Chalcocite, copper sulfide , is an important copper ore mineral. It is opaque, being colored dark-gray to black with a metallic luster. It has a hardness of 2½ - 3. It is a sulfide with an orthorhombic crystal system....
, blende
Blende
Blende may refer to:* Sphalerite , the most common usage* Hornblende* Pitchblende* an alternative name for Rana Niejta...
(false galena), galena
Galena
Galena is the natural mineral form of lead sulfide. It is the most important lead ore mineral.Galena is one of the most abundant and widely distributed sulfide minerals. It crystallizes in the cubic crystal system often showing octahedral forms...
, molybdenite
Molybdenite
Molybdenite is a mineral of molybdenum disulfide, MoS2. Similar in appearance and feel to graphite, molybdenite has a lubricating effect that is a consequence of its layered structure. The atomic structure consists of a sheet of molybdenum atoms sandwiched between sheets of sulfur atoms...
, germanite
Germanite
Germanite is a rare copper iron germanium sulfide mineral, Cu26Fe4Ge4S32. It was first discovered in 1922, and named for its germanium content. It is only a minor source of this important semiconductor element, which is mainly derived from the processing of the zinc sulfide mineral sphalerite...
, malachite
Malachite
Malachite is a copper carbonate mineral, with the formula Cu2CO32. This green-colored mineral crystallizes in the monoclinic crystal system, and most often forms botryoidal, fibrous, or stalagmitic masses. Individual crystals are rare but do occur as slender to acicular prisms...
, azurite
Azurite
Azurite is a soft, deep blue copper mineral produced by weathering of copper ore deposits. It is also known as Chessylite after the type locality at Chessy-les-Mines near Lyon, France...
and is developed in microdioritic rocks.
Ore processing
The ore extracted from the open pit is crushed in a gyratory crusher after being transported and stored in the crushed ore storage facility located within the processing plant site.The processing plant has a design capacity of 9 millions tones extracted and processed per year, the process being made on 4 technological lines of 7,500 tones per day. The plant was launched between 1985 and 1987. The ore is subsequently processed through a classical processing flow, with a two stage grinding phase
Grind
The grind of a blade refers to the shape of the cross-section of the blade. It is distinct from the type of blade , though different tools and blades may have lent their name to a particular grind.Grinding involves removing significant portions of metal from the blade and is thus distinct from...
in two autogenous mills and in two ball mill
Ball mill
A ball mill is a type of grinder used to grind materials into extremely fine powder for use in mineral dressing processes, paints, pyrotechnics, and ceramics.-Description:...
s, followed by flotation
Flotation
Flotation involves phenomena related to the relative buoyancy of objects. The term may refer to:* Flotation, any material added to the hull of a watercraft to keep the hull afloat...
, which is performed in pneumomechanical cells
Pneumatics
Pneumatics is a branch of technology, which deals with the study and application of use of pressurized gas to effect mechanical motion.Pneumatic systems are extensively used in industry, where factories are commonly plumbed with compressed air or compressed inert gases...
(abb=yes 17) where the primary concentrate is obtained, which subsequently is flotated in cells of abb=yes 5.7 where a copper concentrate
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
is obtained with a content between 16.5 and 20% Copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
. The concentrate is thick
Thick
Thick may refer to:* A "thick" person, someone lacking in intelligence * Thick physical body , from head-to-toe, including legs, arms, and upper body* Thick , 1999 fusion jazz album by Tribal Tech...
ened in sided thickeners and filter
Filter
- Chemistry, engineering and materials :In chemistry, engineering, or household usage, a device to separate mixtures. See:* Filter , critical components of both freshwater and marine aquaria...
ed through a pressure filter
Filtration
Filtration is commonly the mechanical or physical operation which is used for the separation of solids from fluids by interposing a medium through which only the fluid can pass...
(Larox).