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(Facility) Balkhash Smelter/Refinery

Plant in Kazakhstan with commodities Copper, Lead, Zinc
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Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Nearby scientific data
  7. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  8. Ownership information
  9. Links to other databases
  10. Bibliographic references
  11. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10134301
MAS/MILS ID 4590007013
Record type Site
Current site name (Facility) Balkhash Smelter/Refinery

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Plant
Geographic coordinates: 74.95065, 46.83125 (WGS84)
Location accuracy 5000(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Kazakhstan(country)

Geographic areas

Country
Kazakhstan

Comments on the location information

  • LOCATION BASED ON PLANT SITE ON DEFENSE MAPPING AGENCY MAP ONC F-6.

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Copper Primary
Lead Secondary
Zinc Critical Secondary

Nearby scientific data

Plant (1) 74.95065, 46.83125
ListMap

Economic information

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Processing Plant
Development status Plant
Commodity type Metallic
Significant Yes
Year of first production 1938
Plant type Smelter/Refiner

Ownership information

  • Type Owner
    Owner Kazakhstan Government
    Interest 100
    Home office Kazakhstan
    Year 1992
  • Type Operator
    Owner Balkhash Copper Production Unit
    Home office Kazakhstan
    Year 1991

Comments on other economic factors

  • FEED GRADE RANGES FROM 15-17% CU. FEED CAPACITY IS 900 MTPY. FEED FROM BALKHASH CONC. (67.6%), UCHALI (7.4%), ERDENET (7.6), MADNEULI (3.6%), NICOLAYEV (2.1%), ZOLOTUSHINSK (1.9%), SORSK 1.0%), AND OTHER (8.8%). REFINERY FEED IN 1990 CONSISTED OF 74% BALKHASH BLISTER CU, 22% BLISTER CU FROM IRTYSH SMELTER, AND 4% IMPORTED ANODE SCRAP.
  • SMELTER RECOVERY IS REPORTED TO BE 97% IN 1990. THE PLANT REPORTEDLY PRODUCED 143,000 MT BLISTER COPPER FROM THE SMELTER AND 175,000 MT REFINED COPPER IN 1990. CONC. IS FILTERED AND DRIED, THEN BLENDED. IT IS FED TO EITHER E THE TWO ORIGINAL REVERBERATORY FURNACES OR TO THE TWO VANYUKOV FURNACES. CONVENTIONAL REVERB FURNACE PRODUCES A MATTE OF 25% CU, VANYUKOV PROCESS PRODUCES A MATTE OF 45-50% CU. COAL CONSUMPTION AVERAGES 50KG/T OF FEED. BOTH SETS OF FURNACES USE OXYGEN ENRICHMENT. MATTE IS TREATED IN 5 ROTARY CONVERTERS OF 80T OR 100T. CONVERTER SLAG IS RETREATED. BLISTER IS FIRE REFINED IN THREE 350T REVERB FURNACES. ANODES ARE HIGH IN ARSENIC )(1000G/T) AND ANTIMONY (1100G/T). 95% SULPHURIC ACID IS ALSO PRODUCED, AND SELENIUM, TELLURIUM, AND PRECIOUS METALS IN SLIMES ARE SHIPPED TO UST-KAMENOGORSK AND PYSHMA.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Commodity

    METAL BULLETIN, P. 9 (FEB. 15, 1993).

  • Deposit

    CRU STUDY 1991.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 06-FEB-1995 Wilburn, David R. U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

Supplemental information added by qvyshift.com. Not part of the original USGS MRDS record.

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