The industry has adjusted its mining methods from those needed for high-grade underground deposits to those for low-grade, open-pit, polymetallic deposits. Meanwhile, large free-milling gold operations are seeing their deposits become more refractory.
Dear Lala, the main challenge is the high investment cost for developing an extraction plant for refractory gold ore. You need to build a roaster in order to break down the sulfides. This is not only expensive, but it also has environmental implications.
Pressure oxidation was found to be slightly superior to roasting for the pre-oxidation of the refractory gold ore/concentrate.
Deposits in which the gold is refractory typically involve sulfide encapsulation of fine gold inclusions, although gold can also be within the crystal structure of the mineral, such as Au and As in pyrite. A good understanding of which mineral(s) hosts the gold, and how it is present, is essential to plan the most effective and cost-efficient processing option.
Technical Report Reclamation of Mine Regions at Bisgod: Approaches and Challenges
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