Optimisation of processing at the Beaconsfield gold mine

Abstract

The Beaconsfield gold mine processing plant is a complex operation and utilises crushing, grinding, gravity gold concentration, sulphide flotation, bacterial oxidation, cyanidation and zinc cementation to recover gold from the partially refractory ore. This paper discusses the challenges, developments and advancements throughout the processing plant since start-up which have culminated in a 25% increase in the mill throughput over the nameplate design and a concomitant gold recovery increase from 75 to 92%. The improvements have been attained via advancements in mechanical integrity, metallurgical review, process control and operator training. The current operation has produced over 900 000 oz of gold from September 1999 to closure at the end of June 2012.