Overview
The Camino Rojo Project features a state-of-the-art heap leach processing facility designed to recover gold and silver from oxide and transition ores. With an annual processing capacity of 6.57 million tonnes (18,000 tpd average), the operation utilizes a two-stage crushing circuit, conveyor stacking system, and Merrill-Crowe recovery plant to produce doré bars.
Key Process Stages
- Crushing Circuit: Two-stage closed circuit (primary jaw crusher + secondary cone crushers) producing 80% passing 28mm material
- Conveyor Stacking: Radial stacker system building 10m-high lifts with 80m maximum heap height
- Leaching: 80-day leach cycle with drip irrigation (switching to sprinklers in Year 5)
- Solution Management: Pregnant solution collection through perforated PCPE piping system
- Merrill-Crowe Recovery: Zinc precipitation with clarification filters, deaeration tower, and precipitate presses
- Refining: Electric mercury retort and induction smelting furnace producing 40kg doré bars
Critical Data
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Throughput | 18,000 tpd average |
| Crushing Availability | 75% |
| NaCN Consumption | 0.35 kg/t |
| Lime Consumption | 1.25 kg/t |
| Overall Gold Recovery | 62% |
| Overall Silver Recovery | 20% |
| Solution Application Rate | 10 L/h/m² |
| Leach Pad Liner System | 2mm LLDPE + 300mm compacted clay (1×10⁻⁶ cm/sec) |
Process Infrastructure
The crushing circuit features a 1500mm x 2000mm primary jaw crusher and two 500 HP cone crushers operating in closed circuit with double-deck screens. The Merrill-Crowe plant includes 280m² clarification filters, 13m deaeration tower, and 231m² precipitate presses. The refinery utilizes a 113L induction smelting furnace with comprehensive fume treatment system.
Water Management
The facility maintains three solution ponds with total capacity of 410,355m³. The water balance shows average makeup water requirements of 90.6m³/h (25 L/s), with evaporation systems installed by Year 5 to manage pit dewatering inflows.
