Progressing from studies to construction and operations requires lots of trade-off studies and process design work to prove up an economic flowsheet and plant layout. The basis of this work is a reliance on basic sampling, ore characterisation and testing to a standard to support a sound financial decision. Often overlooked and underappreciated is attention to detail and the benefits in best practices to maximise economic extraction of metal.
This paper presents examples of sampling process often observed for copper minerals concentration and compare these against sampling practices considered the best, with supporting evidence. Some of the benefits and pitfalls of domaining practises and tests used for comminution and flotation characterisation will be discussed for a selection of copper case studies.