Agnico Eagle selects Metso Hydrocyclones for its gold project in Northern Canada
Metso sold one hydrocyclone cluster with three MHCTM 250 Hydrocyclones and a VTM 500 Vertimill® grinding mill to Agnico Eagle for its Meliadine gold project in Nunavut Territory, northern Canada. The Meliadine property covers more than 80 km (approximately 50 miles) of a greenstone belt, and is under development as an underground and open pit mine and mill operation for startup in 2019. Meliadine is Agnico Eagle’s largest development project based on reserves and resources.
The delivery is scheduled for Q1 2018, and the equipment will be used for regrind application of gold ore.
“Our team carried out a thorough technology and total cost of ownership review for this special application,” said Daniel Seguin, Engineering Manager at Agnico Eagle. “The combination of the Vertimill 500 grinding mill and the MHC 250 hydrocyclones provides us with a total comminution solution. The remoteness of the Meliadine site placed added value in the low media consumption associated with the Metso VTM technology and its ability to maintain a stable product across a significant range of feed variations.
“We are grateful for Agnico Eagle’s confidence in Metso,” says Frank Cacchione, VP, Minerals Processing Solutions Sales, US and Canada, Metso. “We are more committed than ever to continue developing and packaging our solutions to meet our customer’s needs in various applications and demanding production environments.”
MHC hydrocyclone is part of Metso’s process equipment portfolio for the mining industry covering classification, beneficiation and dewatering processes. The MHC series includes seven sizes, ranging from 100 to 800 millimeters (10 to 80 centimeters) in diameter and are available both individually and in clusters. Metso’s new MHCTM Series hydrocyclones deliver a high unit capacity and exceptional separation efficiency for a wide range of classification duties: optimized process performance, superior wear component design and improved ease of maintenance.
Agnico Eagle is a senior Canadian gold mining company that has produced precious metals since 1957. Its eight mines are located in Canada, Finland and Mexico, with exploration and development activities in each of these countries as well as in the United States and Sweden. Agnico Eagle and its shareholders have full exposure to gold prices due to its long-standing policy of no forward gold sales. Agnico Eagle has declared a cash dividend every year since 1983.
