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(Facility) Nicaro Smelter/ Carbonate Plant

Plant in Elbasan, Albania with commodities Cobalt, Nickel
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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. Mineral rights holdings
  9. Ownership information
  10. Production statistics
  11. Links to other databases
  12. Bibliographic references
  13. General comments
  14. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10206745
MAS/MILS ID 4810091001
Record type Site
Current site name (Facility) Nicaro Smelter/ Carbonate Plant
Alternate or previous names Elbasan

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Plant
Geographic coordinates: 20.08512, 41.11549 (WGS84)
Location accuracy 10000(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Elbasan(province)

Albania(country)

Geographic areas

Country State
Albania Elbasan

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Cobalt Critical Secondary
Nickel Critical Primary

Nearby scientific data

Plant (1) 20.08512, 41.11549
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 1988
Plant type Smelter

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Unknown

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Government Of Albania
    Interest 100
    Home office Albania
    Year 1991

Production statistics

  • Year 1984
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Cobalt Salts 0 Metric Tons (Estimated)
  • Year 1984
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Nickel Cathode (99.99%) 0 Metric Tons (Estimated)
  • Year 1984
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Nickel Carbonate 3000 Metric Tons (Estimated)
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Nickel Nickel 3000mt
  • Year 1985
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Cobalt Salts 0 Metric Tons (Estimated)
  • Year 1985
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Nickel Cathode (99.99%) 0 Metric Tons (Estimated)
  • Year 1985
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Nickel Carbonate 4000 Metric Tons (Estimated)
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Nickel Nickel 4000mt
  • Year 1986
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Cobalt Salts 0 Metric Tons (Estimated)
  • Year 1986
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Nickel Cathode (99.99%) 0 Metric Tons (Estimated)
  • Year 1986
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Nickel Carbonate 4500 Metric Tons (Estimated)
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Nickel Nickel 4500mt
  • Year 1987
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Cobalt Salts 0 Metric Tons (Estimated)
  • Year 1987
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Nickel Cathode (99.99%) 0 Metric Tons (Estimated)
  • Year 1987
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Nickel Carbonate 4500 Metric Tons (Estimated)
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Nickel Nickel 4500mt
  • Year 1988
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Cobalt Salts 0 Metric Tons (Estimated)
  • Year 1988
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Nickel Cathode (99.99%) 300 Metric Tons (Estimated)
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Nickel Nickel 300mt
  • Year 1988
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Nickel Carbonate 4500 Metric Tons (Estimated)
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Nickel Nickel 4500mt
  • Year 1989
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Cobalt Salts 12 Metric Tons (Estimated)
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Trace Cobalt Cobalt 12mt
  • Year 1989
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Nickel Cathode (99.99%) 1800 Metric Tons (Estimated)
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Nickel Nickel 1800mt
  • Year 1989
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Nickel Carbonate 5400 Metric Tons (Estimated)
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Nickel Nickel 5400mt
  • Year 1990
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Cobalt Salts 25 Metric Tons (Estimated)
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Trace Cobalt Cobalt 25mt
  • Year 1990
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Nickel Cathode (99.99%) 2500 Metric Tons (Estimated)
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Nickel Nickel 2500mt
  • Year 1990
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Nickel Carbonate 5500 Metric Tons (Estimated)
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Nickel Nickel 5500mt

Comments on the production information

  • THE NICKEL-CARBONATE RECOVERS 54 TO 56 PERCENT OF THE NICKEL. THE SMELTER RECOVERY RATE IS 96 TO 97 PERCENT. NICARO RECEIVES CONCENTRATED ORE FROM PRRENJAS AND GURI KUQ MINES. THE NICKEL-CARBONATE PLANT WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 1980, AND THE SMELTER AND REFINERY WERE BUILT IN 1988.

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • THE LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE IS APPROXIMATELY THAT FOR ELBASAN CITY. ALL PRODUCTION FROM THE SMELTER AND CARBONATE PLANT IS SENT TO THE REFINERY. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE REFINERY, SEE SEQUENCE NUMBER 481-009-2001. THE CAPACITY OF THE NICKEL-CARBONATE PLANT IS 6,000 METRIC TONS PER YEAR, AND THE CAPACITY OF THE SMELTER IS 6,000 METRIC TONS PER YEAR. OPERATING DAYS PER YEAR WERE ASSUMED TO BE 250.

Comments on other economic factors

  • CRUSHED FE-NI ORE IS ROASTED IN FLUIDIZED BED FURNACES. NICARO HAS FOUR GAS-FIRED FURNACES, EACH WITH A CAPACITY OF 3,000 METRIC TONS OF NICKEL-CARBONATE PER YEAR. DUE TO THE UNFORESEEN LEVEL OF MAINTENANCE, ONLY TWO OF THE FURNACES ARE OPERATING AT ANY ONE TIME. IRON AND NICKEL ARE SEPARATED BY AMMONIA LEACHING. IRON IS USED FOR PIG IRON PRODUCTION. NICKEL CARBONATE CONTAINING 50 TO 55 PERCENT NICKEL IS MIXED WITH COKE IN A RATIO OF 6 TO 1, THEN BRIQUETTED AND FED INTO A 15 METRIC TON CAPACITY ARC FURNACE. THE FURNACE AT THE SMELTER IS SHUT DOWN 4 TO 5 DAYS PER MONTH, AND EVERY SECOND MONTH, THE BRICK LINING IS REPLACED IN THE FURNACE. BLISTER PRODUCT CONTAINS 92 PERCENT NICKEL AND 1 PERCENT COBALT. ALL BLISTER IS USED TO PRODUCE NICKEL CATHODES AND ANODES.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Commodity

    COMMODITIES RESEARCH UNIT LTD., THE BASE METAL INDUSTRY

  • Commodity

    OF ALBANIA, LONDON PP. B13-B14 (1991).

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Environmental Factors DUST IS THE MAIN POLLUTANT. THE PLANT HAS A FILTER SYSTEM, HOWEVER, THE EXISTANCE OF THE DUST POLLUTANT GIVES CREDENCE TO AN INEFFICIENT FILTER SYSTEM.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 30-SEP-92 Bleiwas, Donald 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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