GOLD EXTRACTION_proof 19/07/2016 14:54 Page 8
GOLD EXTRACTION
eHPCC: an image representing the machine
constructed and scheduled to be commissioned
early July 2016 and how eHPCC might be used
in a large throughput application. For a small
throughput only one feeder and eHPCC might
be needed
CSIRO Gold Processing Team Leader Paul
Breuer and Senior Project Engineer
Rueben Rajasingam met with executives
from privately owned Prima Resources.
Prima was founded by two former Alcoa
mechanical engineers in 2013. Prima
Resources is in early discussions with
Linden Roper, JTG Consultants, also an
ex Alcoa Engineer, who conceived the
eHPCC, a concept of combining a
crushing, milling and classification circuit
into a single unit.
A prototype of the company’s highpressure crushing mill has been successfully
tested in laboratory trials over the last three years.
A 2.5 t/h eHPCC prototype is to start trials at
Bapy Mining LLC, according to Prima Resources
Managing Director Gaye Money.
The mill is anticipated to significantly reduce
9106 - EMA 2016 VIS HP AD INTERNATIONAL MINING 210X138 PATHS.indd 1
energy consumption, capex, and opex, with
elimination of grinding media, dependant on the
material and the number of milling machines in
the circuit it replaces, according to Prima, which
has shown an interest in the CSIRO technology to
explore new processing opportunities.
Breuer said discussions were still in their
conceptual stages, but the technology had the
potential to transform the gold sector in the
same way as CIL processing in the 1980s.
Prima Resources has also formed an alliance
with West Drill to investigate using the new
CSIRO process to commercially develop
uneconomic gold deposits. Breuer notes that by
“uneconomic we are referring to the use of
current technologies, such as gravity (where
cyanidation can’t be used) or cyanidation. There
are not only low grade deposits but also high
grade small deposits that this technology can
unlock with the reduced regulatory approvals and
requirements as compared to cyanide.”
Dr Yeonuk Choi, Senior Manager, Strategic
Technology Solutions, Barrick Gold (Canada)
gave the Gold-PM keynote address at this May’s
ALTA 2016 conference: Selecting the Best Process
for the Treatment of a Refractory Gold Ore Barrick’s Experience (available from ALTA Free
Library).
He emphasised that the choice of process, in
most cases, will be site specific, influenced by
the metallurgical and mineralogical
2016/06/20 10:59 AM