Overview
The Côté Gold Project features a state-of-the-art mineral processing facility designed for 36,000 tonnes per day (tpd) throughput. The comprehensive circuit incorporates crushing, grinding, gravity concentration, cyanide leaching, and carbon-in-pulp (CIP) recovery to maximize gold extraction from ore with an average head grade of 0.98 g/t Au.
Key Process Stages
- Primary Crushing: 54″ x 75″ gyratory crusher reduces ROM ore to P80 140 mm at 2,143 tph
- Secondary Crushing: 1,250 hp cone crusher works in closed circuit with coarse ore screens
- Tertiary Crushing: 2.4m x 2.4m HPGR achieves P80 2.4 mm with 7,800 kW installed power
- Grinding Circuit: Two-stage system with 7.92m x 12.3m ball mill (16,000 kW) and vertical stirred mills (6,700 kW total) producing P80 100 µm product
- Gravity Concentration: Two parallel concentrators recover 23% of gold prior to leaching
- Cyanide Leaching: 30-hour residence time in two parallel lines of five 19.3m x 26.1m tanks
- CIP Recovery: Eight 450 m³ tanks operating in carousel mode with 22.5 tonnes of activated carbon each
- Electrowinning: Four 3.5 m³ cells recover gold from solution with 99.5% efficiency
- Cyanide Destruction: SO2/air process reduces residual cyanide to <2 mg/L
- Tailings Management: 55m diameter thickener increases slurry density from 50% to 60-62% solids
Critical Data
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Design Throughput | 36,000 tpd (1,596 tph) |
| Annual Processing Rate | 13.1 Mtpa |
| Power Requirement | 56.7 MW at full capacity |
| Overall Gold Recovery | 91.8% |
| Ball Mill Circulating Load | 300% |
| Leach Cyanide Concentration | 300 mg/L |
| Coarse Ore Stockpile Capacity | 20,157 t (live), 74,720 t (total) |
| Ramp-up Period | 10 months to design capacity |
Special Features
The circuit incorporates several advanced technologies including high-pressure grinding rolls (HPGR), vertical stirred mills for fine grinding, and intensive cyanidation of gravity concentrates. The 83m diameter dome covering the coarse ore stockpile provides significant environmental benefits for dust and weather control.
Water and Reagent Management
The plant utilizes a closed water circuit with tailings water reclaim as the primary source. Cyanide management follows International Cyanide Management Code standards, with ISOtainers used for safe storage and handling. The reagent system includes dedicated areas for flocculant, sodium hydroxide, cyanide, and other process chemicals.
Technical report and processing history
The following archived source profiles have been consolidated here to preserve the project’s processing history and study context.
Côté Gold Project — 2022 Technical Report
Côté Gold Project — 2022 Technical Report
| Company | IAMGOLD Corporation |
| Date | 2022-08-12 |
| Region | Ontario, Canada |
| Commodities | Gold |
| Mine Type | Open Pit |
| Throughput | 35,500 tpd |
| Mine Life | Not specified |
| Status | Development |
Executive Summary
This section of the NI 43-101 Technical Report details the proposed recovery methods for the Côté Gold Project. The process plant is designed for an initial throughput of 35,500 tonnes per day (tpd), with a ramp-up period expected to take 20 months to reach full design capacity. The flowsheet incorporates a conventional approach utilizing primary gyratory crushing, secondary cone crushing, and High Pressure Grinding Rolls (HPGR) for comminution. This is followed by a two-stage grinding circuit consisting of a ball mill and vertical stirred mills to achieve a final product size of P80 100 µm.
Gold recovery involves a combination of gravity concentration and cyanide leaching. A portion of the secondary cyclone underflow is directed to gravity concentrators to recover high-density gold particles, which are then subjected to intensive cyanidation. The remaining whole ore undergoes pre-leach thickening followed by cyanide leaching in a Carbon-in-Pulp (CIP) circuit. Precious metals are recovered from the carbon via pressure Zadra stripping and electrowinning (EW), with final production as doré bars. The tailings management system includes cyanide destruction using sulphur dioxide and air, followed by thickening before disposal to the tailings management facility.
The design assumes a plant availability of 92.6% and an overall gold recovery of 91.8%. Key equipment includes a 54 in. x 75 in. primary gyratory crusher, a 7.93 m diameter ball mill, and two vertical stirred mills. The process is supported by facilities for carbon regeneration, tailings thickening, and cyanide destruction, ensuring compliance with environmental standards. The report highlights that the Gosselin deposit is similar to the Côté deposit, though additional test work is recommended to confirm processing characteristics.
Reports
- entities/Cote_Gold_Project
- entities/IAMGOLD_Corporation
Website: https://www.iamgold.com/English/operations/cote-gold-project-ontario/default.aspx
Report Date: 2022-08-12
Region: Ontario, Canada
Project Status: Development
Commodity: Gold
Throughput: 35,500 tpd
Mine Life: Not specified
Mine Type: Open Pit
Ore type: Sulphide
