Overview
The Éléonore gold processing plant in Quebec, Canada utilizes a conventional flowsheet combining gravity concentration, flotation, and cyanidation to recover gold from ore. The facility processes 7,000 tonnes per day (t/d) of ore with an additional 1,500 t/d waste crushing capacity, achieving an average gold recovery of 89.8-92.0% from feed grades averaging 5.7 g/t Au.
Key Process Stages
- Comminution: Three-stage crushing circuit (1,250mm x 950mm jaw crusher → HP6 cone crusher → parallel HP6 tertiary crushers) reducing ore to -10mm, followed by closed-circuit ball milling (6.4m x 11.9m, 9,000 kW mill) to P80 65µm
- Gravity Concentration: Two Knelson QS40 centrifugal concentrators recover coarse gold from mill discharge, with concentrate processed in Acacia intensive cyanidation reactors
- Flotation: Six 130m³ tank cells recover 95%+ sulphides using PAX collector and MIBC frother, producing 7% mass pull concentrate
- Leaching: Dual circuit approach – flotation concentrate reground to P80 15µm in IsaMill M5000 and leached separately from flotation tails (60hr retention time each)
- Gold Recovery: Two parallel Kemix AAC pumpcell CIP circuits (6x120m³ tanks for tails, 10x30m³ tanks for concentrate) with Zadra stripping (140°C, 550kPa)
- Tailings Management: SO₂/air cyanide destruction (<15ppm CNwad), thickening, and filtration with 60.8% of tailings used in paste backfill
Critical Data
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Design Throughput | 7,000 t/d ore + 1,500 t/d waste |
| Crushing Capacity | 8,500 t/d |
| Ball Mill Power | 9,000 kW |
| Grinding Product Size | P80 65µm (primary), P80 15µm (regrind) |
| Flotation Retention Time | 40 minutes |
| Leach Retention Time | 60 hours (both circuits) |
| Carbon Inventory | 36t (tails CIP), 15t (concentrate CIP) |
| Power Consumption | 30 MW (process plant) |
| Water Consumption | 1,200 m³/h process water + 30 m³/h fresh water |
| Gold Recovery | 89.8-92.0% (actual), 92.8% (design) |
Special Features
The plant employs several innovative technologies including Kemix AAC pumpcell adsorption systems for faster kinetics, intensive cyanidation of gravity concentrates, and a carousel CIP operation that reduces gold lock-up. The dual-circuit approach (separate treatment of flotation concentrate and tails) optimizes recovery from different gold carriers.
