The use of mixed-type technologies for mining refractory gold ore placers

Conventional technologies of gold placer mining and gold processing feature increasing losses of gold because of increased percentage of refractory gold occurrence forms in productive sands. This makes actual the research aimed at development of efficient geotechnologies combining mechanical excavation and washing of sand containing gold suitable for gravity concentration with in-situ and heap leaching of fine, flake and encapsulated gold from ore blocks and sluice tailings. With this end in view, an integrated method of research was used, embracing the mineralogical and geochemical analyses of samples of placer sands and their sluice tailings, the theoretical justification of parameters and modes of activation leaching to recover refractory gold forms by chloride solutions, and the experimental testing of activation leaching in the modes of percolation and agitation. The pilot tests of in-situ gold leaching from sluice tailings ponds at the Kruchina placer in Transbaikal by activated solutions with chloride complexing agents allowed gold recovery of 70% of the assumed original amount. The proposed mixed-type technology for placer mining includes bulldozer treatment of sites containing mostly gold suitable for gravity concentration, sluicing of excavated sand, in-situ leaching of gold from placer blocks and heap leaching of gold from sluice tailings in special ditches. The technology was recommended to Quartz mining team that carries out development of the test placer.

Keywords: gold ore placer, gold occurrence forms, physicochemical processes of leaching and sorption, activated cyanide-free solutions, chloride complexes, active oxygen forms, electrochemical and photochemical treatment of solutions, leaching process flow sheets, mixed-type geotechnologies.

For citation:

Sekisov A. G., Alekseev V. S., Litvinova N. M., Konareva T. G., Byankin M. A. The use of mixed-type technologies for mining refractory gold ore placers. MIAB. Mining Inf. Anal. Bull. 2025;(12):144-158. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.25018/0236_1493_2025_12_0_144.

Acknowledgements:

The study was supported by the Russian Science Foundation, Grant No. 24-17-20026, https://rscf.ru/project/24-17-20026/, jointly with the Ministry of Science and Education of the Khabarovsk Krai, Agreement No. 109С/2024. Mineralogical analysis, electron microscopy and gravity concentration of test samples was carried at the Shared Use Center for Mineral Resources and Environment Research, Khabarovsk Federal Research Center, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences.

About authors:

A.G. Sekisov¹, Dr. Sci. (Eng.), Deputy Director for Research, e-mail: sekisovag@mail.ru, ORCID ID: 0001-0001-5780-6150,
V.S. Alekseev¹, Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Deputy Director for Research and Innovation, e-mail: alekseev.igd.khv@mail.ru, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-8248-105X,
N.M. Litvinova¹, Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Leading Researcher, e-mail: nauka22@yandex.ru, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-8199-1605,
T.G. Konareva¹, Senior Researcher, e-mail: konar_tat@ mail.ru, ORCID ID: 0000-0001-9889-3721,
M.A. Byankin¹, Graduate Student; Omega Limited Liability Company, Magadan, Russia, e-mail: maxbyanich@gmail.com, ORCID ID: 0009-0006-2632-585X,
¹ Institute of Mining of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 680000, Khabarovsk, Russia.

 

For contacts:

N.M. Litvinova, e-mail: nauka22@yandex.ru.

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