The gravity flowsheet recovered most of the liberated gold except for a small amount of ultrafine gold, which flowed to tailings. Pic: Getty Images
Classic Minerals’ Gekko Gold Plant goes above and beyond expectations
Mining
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Test work has delivered more than 95% of the liberated gold through a simple gravity process at a crush size of less than 2mm.
This means the plant could deliver better than expected production and cashflow from Kat Gap once it moves into commercial operations and will potentially save Classic Minerals (ASX:CLZ) millions of dollars from using the Gekko instead of a conventional gold recovery plant.
The Gekko Jig used in the pilot plant setup was an IPJ 1000 capable of processing a throughput of up to 30 tons per hour.
In other words, the pilot is capable of processing 10 tonnes of feed per hour, however, it was run at 1-2 tph during the pilot in order to focus on understanding and optimising process dynamics rather than throughput rate.
CLZ also has a Gekko IPJ 2400, which has a nameplate capacity of up to 100 tons per hour.
According to the explorer, this equipment supports the idea of a low-cost plant delivering outstanding results with the bonus that its power usage is much lower compared to traditional gold processing plants, allowing for a greener footprint.
More exciting results to come
CLZ’s chairman John Lester says he is confident the next stage of commissioning will provide the results Classic has been looking for.
“We have had our decision to purchase the Gekko plant and equipment for Kat Gap ore vindicated,” he says.
“Upon the approval for the Tailings Storage Facility, we will begin the plant assembly and commissioning and proceed to processing Kat Gap ore and producing gold.
“We already have the additional Gekko components that will permit a processing capacity in excess of 100 tons per hour at Kat Gap.”
Expected to produce gold in-line with previous test work
Once fully commissioned onsite, the Gekko plant is expected to produce gold in line with the previous test work at a recovery of up to 70% of the gold in the feed.
The majority of the gold (from coarse to ultrafine) was recovered in the jig/Spinner combination and the ‘scavenger’ centrifugal concentrators captured predominantly fine gold that the spinner had not.
Classic Minerals are now awaiting assays to reconcile the gold grade and recovery.
This article was developed in collaboration with Classic Minerals, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing.
This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.
