| Company | Minefinders |
| Date | 2011 |
| Region | Colorado, USA |
| Commodities | Gold, Silver |
| Mine Type | Open Pit |
| Throughput | 18,000 tpd |
| Status | Operating |
Executive Summary
The Minefinders Dolores Project NI 43-101 Technical Report outlines the recovery methods and metallurgical performance for the Dolores mine. Test work conducted at McClelland Laboratories and Colorado Minerals Research Institute indicates that the gold and silver mineralization is amenable to conventional cyanide heap leaching technology. Predicted recoveries vary by ore type, with oxide ore showing 79% gold recovery and sulfide ore showing lower gold recovery but higher silver recovery.
The process flow sheet describes a three-stage crushing circuit feeding a nominal 18,000 tonnes per day rate to leach pads. Crushed material is transported via overland conveyor and stacked using grasshoppers and radial stacking systems. Lime is added during transport to the pads. Leaching utilizes a combination of drip and sprayer systems depending on the season, with pregnant solution collected in a PLS pond.
Recovery involves a Merrill-Crowe circuit where zinc dust precipitates gold and silver from the solution. The resulting filter cake is dried, melted in a furnace, and poured into dore bars containing 1-5% gold and 95-99% silver. Actual recovery results track consistently with projections for gold, while silver recoveries in Phase 2 pads are currently tracking at 92% of projections.
Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolores_mine
Report Date: 2011
Region: Colorado, USA
Project Status: Operating
Commodity: Gold, Silver
Throughput: 18,000 tpd
Mine Life:
Mine Type: Open Pit
Ore type: Oxide, Mixed, Sulfide
