Now the Australian iron ore market is undergoing structural change to adjust for the slump in commodity prices, it is even more important now for stakeholders to understand iron ore’s key fundamentals when it comes to beneficiation and processing.

With more than 25 years of operational experience and a further 15 years in engineering design for ore processing, Brian Povey will share his experience – which includes testwork programs and plant design at more than 25 magnetite and hematite deposits – during a training forum next week in Perth.

Participants at the event, to be held on April 30, will learn about the key properties of hematite and magnetite as well as their processing requirements, and what makes them a saleable iron ore that is of market quality and suitable for customer requirements.

Povey came to Australia with Goldfields and in his early career worked in tin, copper, minerals sands, lead-zinc smelting and gold.

In 1977 he moved to the magnetite operation in Tasmania, where he worked at the pellet plant before being promoted to chief metallurgist and then resident manager for the mining operation.

Other senior management roles he has held include operations manager at Curragh Coal, mine manager at the Brockman iron ore mine and operations manager at Ghana Manganese.

Povey entered the design sphere as lead process engineer on the Boodarie hematite plant and then used his knowledge of mining, magnetite processing and pelletising to develop practical plant designs for projects such as Balmoral, Southdown and Extension Hill.

Key areas to be covered in the one-day course include learning how to appreciate the formation of different iron ores and how this determines their properties; understanding the impact of impurities on downstream users and why some ores are saleable and others are not; an explanation of the chemical properties and physical properties of ores that customers need; and and a review of the major types of iron ore and the characteristics which allow them to be upgraded.

Perhaps most importantly for investors in the sector, the course will compare the likely capital and operating costs of each upgrading process and review the factors that might lead to a successful project.

For more information or to register please click here.