Australian engineering-led knowledgeEvidence · Context · Application

Technical case record · Metals recovery

Ergo gold tailings retreatment

Historic Witwatersrand tailings are reclaimed and treated through a large surface gold-recovery network.

Gauteng, South AfricaOperatingOperating evidence

What was developed or tested

Reclamation, repulping, screening, classification, milling and carbon-in-leach processing are integrated across legacy deposits and regional infrastructure.

What the evidence supports

A long-running commercial benchmark for re-mining historic gold residues. Success is strongly linked to very large inventory, infrastructure and metallurgical know-how.

Environmental and technical uncertainty

Consolidation and retreatment can remove old dumps, but dust, water, uranium-bearing residues and deposition of new tailings require continuing control.

Benefit-case screening lens

Potential value: Recovered metal revenue, critical-mineral supply, improved resource efficiency and possible reduction of a legacy or active tailings inventory.

Deployment constraints: Representative grade, mineral deportment, recovery, throughput, reagents, energy, CAPEX, commodity price and management of the reprocessed residue.

Question before applying elsewhere

Do grade variability, mineral deportment, recovery, reagent demand and residual-waste management support a viable site-specific flowsheet?

Sources

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