Cheban A.Yu., Sekisov A.G. Combined Technology for the Development of Complex Structure Deep Gold Placers

DOI: 10.18503/1995-2732-2023-21-1-24-31

Abstract

Problem Statement (Relevance). Alluvial gold deposits mainly have a complex structure with a significant variability in the content of the useful component and the size of gold grains in sands of the producing formation, and, therefore, their development, using conventional processing technologies focused predominantly on gold recovered by gravity with a size of over 0.5 mm, leads to large losses of gold. The known technologies for the development of deep-seated placers are not focused on the selective extraction of sands with different levels of gold content and size; therefore, they do not provide the possibility of flexible changes in process flow charts, modes and parameters of processing the mineral mass, which is not uniform in its quality. A necessary condition for the use of the selective extraction of sands and their separate processing is the identification of the exact contours of rich zones, containing gold of a higher size, for their prior extraction. Objective. The research is aimed at improving the technology for the combined development of complex-structural alluvial gold deposits by delineating rich sand zones, selecting a set of equipment to ensure their high-quality prior extraction, mining of ordinary and poor sand zones using in-situ leaching technology. Results. The paper proposes an improved development technology, which consists in identifying zones of rich sands and subsequent refinement of their contours, prior mechanical extraction of rich sands, containing a significant amount of relatively coarse gold using an extraction module, with the extraction of the rest of the rich sands using hydraulic borehole mining, and ordinary and poor areas using in-situ leaching. The extraction module is installed on the stem of the drilling rig and includes cutting elements, rods, a hydraulic drive, and a bucket. The rich sands extracted to the surface are supplied for multi-stage enrichment. The remaining main volume of the deposit is mined using in-situ leaching solutions with adaptive concentrations that provide a relatively high recovery of gold into the product solution. Conclusions. The use of the proposed combined technology will significantly reduce technological losses and increase the extraction of gold from the sands of complex-structured deep-seated placers, while reducing the unit cost of gold mining.

Keywords

producing formation, rich sands, gold recovered by gravity, fine-grained gold, extraction module, mechanical extraction, hydraulic borehole mining, in-situ leaching

For citation

Cheban A.Yu., Sekisov A.G. Combined Technology for the Development of Complex Structure Deep Gold Placers. Vestnik Magnitogorskogo Gosudarstvennogo Tekhnicheskogo Universiteta im. G.I. Nosova [Vestnik of Nosov Magnitogorsk State Technical University]. 2023, vol. 21, no. 1, pp. 24-31. https://doi.org/10.18503/1995-2732-2023-21-1-24-31

Anton Yu. Cheban – Lead Researcher, Mining Institute of the Khabarovsk Federal Research Center of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (MI KhFRC FEB RAS), Khabarovsk, Russia. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Artur G. Sekisov – Chief Researcher, Mining Institute of the Khabarovsk Federal Research Center of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (MI KhFRC FEB RAS), Khabarovsk, Russia. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

1. Oberthuer T., Melcher F., Weiser T.W. Detrital platinum-group minerals and gold in placers of southeastern Samar Island, Philippines. The Canadian Mineralogist. 2017;55(1):45-62.

2. Dorosh E.A., Talgamer B.L. Rationale for feasible ways of involving dumps of placer gold mining in the development. Vestnik Magnitogorskogo gosudar-stvennogo tekhnicheskogo universiteta im. G.I. Nosova [Vestnik of Nosov Magnitogorsk State Technical University]. 2022;20(3):64-76. (In Russ.)

3. Verbrugge B., Geenen S. The gold commodity frontier: A fresh perspective on change and diversity in the global gold mining economy. The Extractive Industries and Society. 2019;6(2):413-423.

4. Vasileva S.V., Sekisov A.G. Ekonomika otraslevykh rynkov [Economy of branch markets]. Chita: Chita State University; 2011. 124 p. (In Russ.)

5. Bashmachnikov A. Gold production in Russia - the results of 2021. Zoloto i tekhnologii [Gold and Technologies]. 2022;(2):18-29. (In Russ.)

6. Holley E.A., Yu Ting Yu, Navarre-Sitchler A., Winterton J. Quantitative mineralogy and geochemistry of pelletized sulfide-bearing gold concentrates in an alkaline heap leach. Hydrometallurgy. 2018;181:130-142.

7. Cheban A.Yu., Rasskazov I.Yu., Litvintsev V.S. Analysis of the pool of mining machines at mining enterprises in the Amur Region. Marksheideriya i nedropolzovanie [Mine Surveying and Subsoil Use]. 2012;(2):41-50. (In Russ.)

8. Khrunina N.P. Improving the complex of means for the processing of highclay goldbearing sands of placers. Vestnik Magnitogorskogo gosudarstvennogo tekhnicheskogo universiteta im. G.I. Nosova [Vestnik of Nosov Magnitogorsk State Technical University]. 2021;19(2):14-22. (In Russ.)

9. Rogov E.I., Zhatkanbaev E.E., Zhatkanbaeva Zh.K., Bolatova A.B., Nurymov Zh.D. Analysis of the economic efficiency of gold mining at alluvial deposits using bulldozer-scraper and insitu leaching methods. Vestnik Vostochno-Kazakhstanskogo gosudarstven-nogo tekhnicheskogo universiteta im. D. Serikbaeva [Bulletin of Serikbaev East Kazakhstan State Technical University]. 2020;(3):32-38. (In Russ.)

10. Bagazeev V.K., Valiev N.G., Startsev V.A. Development of placers by directional drilling of wells. Izvestiya Tulskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. Nauki o Zemle [Proceedings of Tula State University. Series: Earth Sciences]. 2019;(3):135-144. (In Russ.)

11. Rasskazov I.Yu., Cheban A.Yu., Litvintsev V.S. Analysis of the technical equipment of mining enterprises in the Khabarovsk Territory and the Jewish Au-tonomous Region. Gornyi zhurnal [Mining Journal]. 2013;(2):30-34. (In Russ.)

12. Ermakov S.A., Burakov A.M. Complex-structure gold placer mining in Yakutia. Journal of Mining Science. 2013;49(2):273-278.

13. Rukovich A.V., Rochev V.F. Using the method of hydraulic borehole mining for placer gold deposits in southern Yakutia. Uspekhi sovremennogo estestvoznaniya [Advances in Current Natural Sciences]. 2017;(10):101-106. (In Russ.)

14. Qiao Chen, Hongying Yang, Linlin Tong, Huiqun Niu, Fusheng Zhang et al. Research and application of a Knelson concentrator: A review. Minerals Engineering. 2020;152:106339.

15. Arens V.Zh., Fazlulin M.I., Khrulev A.S., Khcheyan G.Kh. Experience of hydraulic borehole mining of gold placers buried in permafrost. Gornyi informatsionno-analiticheskiy byulleten [Mining Informational and Analytical Bulletin]. 2019;(1):26-35. (In Russ.)

16. Ghaffari A., Farzanegan A. An investigation on laboratory Knelson Concentrator separation performance: Part 1: Retained mass modeling. Minerals Engineering. 2017;112:57-67.

17. Sekisov A., Rasskazova A. Assessment of the possibility of hydrometallurgical processing of low-grade ores in the oxidation zone of the Malmyzh Cu-Au porphyry deposit. Minerals. 2021;11(1):1-11.

18. Alekseev V.S., Seryi R.S., Sobolev A.A. Increasing the extraction of fine gold on a sluice-type flushing device. Obogashchenie rud [Ore Dressing]. 2019;(5):13-18. (In Russ.)

19. Sekisov A.G., Cheban A.Yu., Rasskazova A.V., Gevalo K.V. A method for the development of alluvial deposits using insitu leaching. RU2740647 (Patent) 2021.

20. Cheban A.Yu., Sekisov A.G., Khrunina N.P. A method for the development of complex structural deepseated placers. RU2774167 (Patent) 2022.