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.
Technical report and processing history
The following archived source profiles have been consolidated here to preserve the project’s processing history and study context.
Éléonore Gold Project — NI 43-101 Technical Report
Éléonore Gold Project — NI 43-101 Technical Report
| Company | Éléonore Gold Project |
| Date | Not Specified |
| Region | Quebec, Canada |
| Commodities | Gold |
| Mine Type | Underground |
| Throughput | 3,500 t/d (expandable to 7,000 t/d) |
| Status | Development |
Executive Summary
The Éléonore Gold Project is an underground mining operation located in Quebec, Canada, currently in the development phase. The plant capacity is initially designed to operate at 3,500 tonnes per day (tpd), with the crushing area designed for 7,000 tpd including waste crushing. The operation utilizes a three-stage crushing circuit followed by single-stage ball mill grinding in a closed circuit with cyclones. The ore is sulphide in nature, requiring specific processing to recover gold from both the main grinding circuit and the flotation concentrate.
The recovery process involves a split stream where a portion of the cyclone underflow is directed to a gravity concentration circuit using Knelson Concentrators and an Acacia Reactor to recover liberated native gold. The main grinding circuit overflow proceeds to flotation cells for iron sulphide separation. The resulting flotation tails and concentrate are processed through separate cyanide leaching circuits with retention times of 36 and 48 hours, respectively. Gold is recovered from the leach solutions using carousel carbon-in-pulp (CIP) circuits equipped with Kemix AAC pumpcells.
Final gold recovery involves electrowinning from the pregnant solution, followed by smelting in a mercury retort and refining in an induction furnace. Tailings from both leach circuits are detoxified using the Inco SO2/air cyanide destruction system before being filtered for paste backfill or storage. The process plant availability is established at 95%, with waste material crushed for addition in the paste backfill mix.
Processing Methods
- Crushing: Primary Jaw, Secondary/Tertiary Cone
- Grinding: Ball Mill (4.80m x 10.7m)
- Gravity: Knelson Concentrators, Acacia Reactor
- Flotation: Tank Cells (70 m3)
- Leaching: Cyanide (Tails 36h, Concentrate 48h)
- Adsorption: Carbon-in-Pulp (Carousel Pumpcell)
- Refining: Electrowinning, Mercury Retort, Induction Furnace
- Tailings: Paste Backfill, Cyanide Destruction (Inco SO2/air)
Website: https://www.mining-technology.com/projects/eleonore-gold-project-quebec/
Report Date: Not Specified
Region: Quebec, Canada
Project Status: Development
Commodity: Gold
Throughput: 3,500 t/d (expandable to 7,000 t/d)
Mine Life:
Mine Type: Underground
Ore type: Sulphide
