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Pre concentration and pressure oxidation of Porgera refractory gold ore

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Abstract

The complex mineralogy of the Porgera resource has a pronounced effect on process selection for the recovery of refractory gold and silver. Intimate association of gold with pyrite necessitates a high degree of sulphur preoxidation to achieve acceptable levels of gold recovery. Acid pressure oxidation has been demonstrated to be the only commercially proven process capable of achieving the required level of pyrite oxidation.

Gangue mineralization dictates pre concentration of the sulphides to limit the acid consuming capacity and carbon dioxide generation during oxidation. However, the relationship between concentrate sulphur grade and gold recovery to concentrate ultimately governs the optimum degree of sulphide preconcentration.

Minipiloting of the pre concentration and oxidation stages of the Porgera flowsheet are described. The influence of these processes on subsequent recovery of precious metals together with the technical and economic necessity of concentrate pretreatment prior to oxidation are discussed.

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References

  • Berezowsky, R.M.G.S., and Weir, D.R., 1984, “Pressure Oxidation Pretreatment of Refractory Gold,” Minerals & Metallurgical Processing, May, pp. 1–3.

  • Fleming, A.W., Handley, G.A., Hills, A., Williams, K.R., and Corbett, G.J., “The Waruwari Gold Deposit, Porgera, Papua New Guinea.”

  • Kunter, R.S., Turney, J.R., and Lear, R.D., 1984, “McLaughlin Metallurgical Development. The Project, the Problems, the Process,” International Precious Metals Symposium, Los Angeles, CA, February.

  • Robinson, P.C., 1983, “Mineralogy and Treatment of Refractory Gold from the Porgera Deposit, Papua New Guinea,” Transactions, Institution of Mining & Metallurgy, Sect. C, p. 92, June.

  • Weir, D.R., and Berezowsky, R.M.G.S., 1984, “Gold Extraction from Refractory Concentrates,” CIM Hydrometallurgy Meeting, Timmins, Ontario, October.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. External Technology, Sherritt Gordon Mines Ltd., Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, Canada

    D. R. Weir (member SME, manager)

  2. Placer Development Ltd., Vancouver, BC, Canada

    J. A. King (project metallurgist)

  3. Renison Goldfields Consolidated Ltd., Sydney, NSW, Australia

    P. C. Robinson (group metallurgist)

Authors
  1. D. R. Weir
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  2. J. A. King
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  3. P. C. Robinson
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Additional information

SME preprint 86–151, SME-AIME Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA, March 1986. MMP paper 86–647. Discussion of this paper must be submitted, in duplicate, priorto Jan. 31, 1987.

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Weir, D.R., King, J.A. & Robinson, P.C. Pre concentration and pressure oxidation of Porgera refractory gold ore. Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration 3, 201–208 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03402481

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03402481

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