| Company | Pan American Silver Corp. and Orko Silver Corp. |
| Date | 2011 |
| Region | Durango, México |
| Commodities | Silver, Gold |
Executive Summary
This Preliminary Economic Assessment Technical Report outlines the processing and recovery methods for the La Preciosa Silver Property located in Durango, México. The report details a metallurgical testing program confirming that conventional cyanide leaching technology is suitable for recovering silver and gold from the feed material. The design basis for the concentrator facility is established at 5,000 dry metric tonnes per day, with a projected annual throughput of 1.8 million dry metric tonnes.
The processing circuit involves primary crushing via a gyratory crusher, followed by grinding in a semi-autogenous grinding (SAG) mill and ball mill circuit. The ground slurry undergoes thickening and cyanide leaching in agitated tanks. Precious metals are recovered using multi-stage counter current decantation (CCD) and precipitated using zinc dust before being batch smelted into silver and gold doré.
The project targets an average annual production of 1,825,000 dry metric tonnes of feed. Recovery rates are estimated at 86% for silver and 78% for gold. The facility is designed for continuous operation with high availability targets for grinding and leaching circuits, utilizing specific reagents such as sodium cyanide, lime, and zinc dust to optimize metal recovery and tailings management.
Processing Details
- Crushing: Primary Gyratory Crusher
- Milling: SAG Mill / Ball Mill
- Leaching: Cyanide Leach (Agitated Tanks)
- Recovery: Counter Current Decantation (CCD), Zinc Precipitation
Website: https://www.mining.com/orko-silver-plunges-34-on-pan-american-pullout/
Report Date: 2011
Region: Durango, México
Project Status:
Commodity: Silver, Gold
Throughput:
Mine Life:
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