Classification of geometallurgical programs based on approach and purpose

Geometallurgy is a rapidly developing holistic approach for combining geological and metallurgical information for production management purposes in mining operations. The industrial application of geometallurgy is called a geometallurgical program and one of the largest challenges within geometallurgical programs is to select appropriate methods for resourcecharacterization. Aim of such characterization is the prediction of metallurgical performance of different ore types and geometallurgical domains with the required accuracy.More than 25 geometallurgical programs from mining operations around the world were reviewed and a classification system developed with aim to clarify how geometallurgy is used and what methods are applied. The result is summarized as a two-dimensional classification which illustrates what geometallurgical approaches are used and how collected data is applied.In addition the proposed classification system gives a perspective of what are the minimum requirements for a geometallurgical program at different levels ofapplication and who are the main participants that should be engaged in a geometallurgical program. The classification system can also be used as a reference system for benchmarking of different geometallurgicalendeavours.Godkänd; 2015; 20150827 (viklis