CiDRA Minerals Processing Inc. announced the successful commissioning of the SONARtrac system on a dewatering line 302m underground. Industrias Peñoles, Mexico’s second largest silver and lead producer, selected CiDRA’s SONARtrac system for their Naica Mine, a lead, zinc and silver mine located in the municipality of Saucillo. CiDRA and Techflow, CiDRA’s Mexican representatives, successfully installed the system overcoming several challenges beyond the depth of 302m. Those challenges included dealing with scaling in the line, difficult flow rates, water temp of 60C, as well as the large meter size (24 inch) needed to accommodate the line. These challenges would make it impossible for other conventional flow meters to be installed, and the reason the SONARtrac system was chosen. The company has now purchased three more SONARtrac systems for additional use on their process water lines.
The Naica mine is 100% owned by Peñoles, and is located in Saucillo, Chihuahua. The mine’s installed capacity is 950 thousand tons/year milled, with reserves at +89.6%. Peñoles has owned extraction rights to this mine since 1964, and the mine is currently the second largest lead mine in Mexico. In 2011, production of lead and zinc contents totaled 15,495 tons (+2.4%) and 13,048 tons (+17.3%) due to better ore grades and recoveries, helping Naica contribute 24.8% and 7.2% of total production on those metal contents respectively.
CiDRA’s SONARtrac flow technology is a new class of industrial flowmeter, utilizing measurement principles that are distinct from all other flowmeter technologies operating in the mining industry. SONARtrac non-intrusive flow monitoring systems do not make contact with the fluid and can be removed and reinstalled without process interruption when it is necessary to replace the pipe. As well, SONARtrac systems demonstrate a very stable output in the presence of a variety of ores and demonstrate superior levels of performance. This passive, sonar-based technology enables measurements of single phase and multiphase fluids, as well as slurries, with the same level of accuracy and performance.
Please visit CiDRA at Booth # 3355 at the MINExpo show to be held in Las Vegas on September 24-26, 2012.