INTRODUCTION

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Bauxites Parnasse Mining Co. S.A., the largest bauxite mining enterprise in the European Union, merged four years ago (20th December 1996) with Silver and Baryte Ores Mining Co. S.A. the other mining company of the Eliopoulos - Kyriacopoulos Group of companies, which since 1994 has been traded in the Athens Stock Exchange.

The latter is the largest producer of bentonite and perlite in Europe while also producing kaolin and natural zeolites and being actively involved in the exploration and development of various other industrial minerals as well as epithermal gold deposits.

The merger created one of the largest mining companies in Europe.

The acquisitions in Germany, Italy, Spain, France, Georgia, as well as the commercial operation of the perlite mining and processing installations in China have resulted in a considerable expansion of the company's international activities.

The company's strategy aims at speeding up the group's growth. Emphasis is placed on flexible business planning and the capability to take advantage of international opportunities, as well as on constant safeguarding of high-quality products and services.

GREEK BAUXITE DESCRIPTION

The Greek bauxite deposits appear in Central Greece (Parnassos-Ghiona Zone) and are of karstic-Mediterranean type. There are three horizons of which only two, the middle and, especially, the upper horizons, are exploited having the following typical composition:

Chemical composition  Middle horizon
(Mainly Boehmite)		 Upper horizon
(Mainly Diaspore)
Al2O3  %  52 - 56  56 - 60
Fe2O3 % 20 - 22  20 - 25
SiO2   %  8 - 12  2 - 3
TiO2   % 2.2 - 2.8  2.0 - 3.0
L.O.I. %  12 -14  12 - 13
Organics % < 0.03  < 0.03

The mineralogical composition is the following:

Boehmite 10 - 30%
Diaspore 20 - 50%
Hematite 20 - 25%		 Anatasse 2 -3%
Calcite 1 - 5%
Kaolinite 0 - 5%
Quartz 1 - 2%

The proven deposits are in the order of 70 million tonnes and the proven and probable reserves around 150 million.

MINING PRODUCTION

Parnasse bauxite is mined in the mountain region of Parnassos and Ghiona (about 200 km north-west of Athens) at an average altitude of 800m. 

The ore is extracted by surface and underground mining (by the method of room and pillar), and production reached 800.000 tonnes in 1999.

The underground mining is considerably performed by S&B. The newest machinery and techniques are used so as the product has the best properties.

BENEFICIATION AND LOADING

Bauxite is transported to Itea,  a town in Fokis Prefecture, (about 30 km to the south of the mines) where the crushing, screening and loading installations are located. In addition, in Itea are located a beneficiation plant and the quality control laboratory.

"Run-of-Mine" bauxite is sorted according to its chemical composition, crushed and screened into the following fractions: 100-200mm, 50-100mm, 30-50mm and 0-30mm.

For finer classification, when required, wet sieving technics are employed.

The different granulometric fractions of different qualities are then placed in designated stockpiles ready to be blended to form material of required specifications.

The CaO content of the bauxite can be reduced to less than 0.3% by means of the beneficiation plant that employs the dynamic heavy media method for separation.

The bauxite is loaded from the private loading facilities, which have the following specifications:

Loading Facility Specifications  
Maximum length over-all (m):
Maximum beam (m):
Maximum air draft (m):
Maximum sea draft (m): 
Vessel capacity (tonnes)
Loading rate (metric tonnes per day depending on size of product):		 220
26
9.5
9.1
30,000 max.
2,000 -8,000

PRODUCTS - BAUXITE GRADES AND SPECIFICATIONS

The typical specifications of the different bauxite grades, supplied to different market segments, are given below. However, these specifications are indicative since in our efforts to serve our clients, we have the flexibility to modify our product specification in such a way as to meet the requirements of every single customer.

We prepare various bauxite grades within the following range of chemical analysis:

Al2O3.......... 54.00 - 58.00 %
SiO2............. 2.00 - 5.50 %
CaO............. around 1.5% *
Fe2O3.......... 21.00- 23.00 %
TiO2............ 2.50 - 3.00 %
L.O.I. ......... 12.00 - 14.00%

*(a special grade with lower CaO content is also available)

and also with different size distributions:

Granulometry: 0 - 200 mm .

Additionally, it is important to mention that once the bauxite quality with a client has been established, then our product is homogeneous and the qualities delivered are consistent.

The market segments, that we supply, can be classified as follows:

  1. For the Alumina Refineries we supply our fine grade bauxite with a size distribution of 0 - 30 mm.
  2. For the Aluminous Cement producers we supply our coarser grade bauxite with a size distribution of 30 - 200 mm.
  3. For the Iron and Steel producers we supply our bauxite grade with a size distribution of 10 - 80 mm or a narrower range, if specified.
  4. For the Portland Cement producers we supply a large variety of grades, with different chemical compositions. Typical ones are as follows:
Al2O3 ..... 48.00 - 53.00% 
SiO2 ........ 2.00 - 12.00%
CaO ......... 1.00 - 8.00%
Fe2O3 ...... 19.00 - 25.00%
TiO2 ........ 1.50 - 3.50%
L.O.I. ...... 11.00 - 14.00%		 Chlorides.. less than 0.03%
SO3........... less than 0.2%
Cr.............. 0.01 - 0.05%
K2O......... less than 0.05%
Na2O........ less than 0.05%
Granulometry:
  1. 0 - 10 mm and 0 - 30 mm.
  2. 0 - 1 mm.
  3. 0 - 200 mm, or any fraction within this range.
  1. We also supply a special grade of bauxite used for the production of Abrasives (brown fused alumina), with the following specifications:

Chemical Analysis (typical):
 

Al2O3 ..... 58.0 - 59.0 %
SiO2.......... 2.0 - 3.0 %
CaO........... < 0.4%
Fe2O3 ...... 22.5 - 23.5 %
TiO2 ........ 2.5 - 3.0 %
L.O.I. ..... 13.0 - 13.5 %

Granulometry: 0 - 100 mm.

ENVIRONMENT, HEALTH AND SAFETY

Measures to protect the environment from dust emissions are implemented by S&B by spraying road surfaces with water, and by using new technologies and fabric filters.

Efforts to improve working conditions and reduce health hazards on job sites are primarily focused on making employees aware of the need to observe company rules concerning labour safety.

The company is certified according to ISO 9002 (quality) since 1994 and during the last years has developed and implements an environmental management system as per ISO 14001 specifications.

The S&B - Bauxite Division was certified according to ISO 14001 (environment) in November 2000.

 

For more information about Silver and Baryte Ores Mining Company and its product portfolio, a visit of the web site: http://www.S.andB.gr is indispensable.

SILVER AND BARYTE ORES MINING COMPANY
21A, AMERIKIS ST., ATHENS 106 72, GREECE
TEL: (+301) 369 0111, FAX: (+301) 360 1169
http://www.S.andB.gr

 

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