Overview
The LaRonde and LZ5 mills form a sophisticated polymetallic processing complex, handling gold, copper, and zinc ores through integrated crushing, flotation, leaching, and electrowinning circuits. The LaRonde Mill focuses on sequential copper-zinc flotation with cyanidation, while the LZ5 Mill specializes in gold recovery via leaching and carbon-in-pulp (CIP) technology.
Key Process Stages
LaRonde Mill
- Crushing: Primary and secondary crushing to reduce ore size for grinding.
- Grinding: Ball/rod mills achieve optimal liberation for flotation.
- Copper Flotation: Rougher/scavenger circuits recover copper sulfides with xanthate collectors.
- Zinc Flotation: Activated zinc concentrate separation post-copper removal.
- Leaching & CIP: Gold extraction from flotation tails via cyanide leaching and carbon adsorption.
- Electrowinning: Stripping and electrowinning for gold sludge production.
- Tailings Management: Paste fill production and cyanide destruction prior to dry stacking.
LZ5 Mill
- Crushing/Grinding: Single-stage crushing followed by grinding for leach feed preparation.
- Leaching & CIL: Direct cyanide leaching with carbon-in-leach for gold recovery.
- Electrowinning: Gold sludge production from loaded carbon.
- Paste Fill: Tailings repurposed for backfill operations.
Critical Data
| Parameter | LaRonde Mill | LZ5 Mill |
|---|---|---|
| Throughput | ~8,000 tpd | ~1,500 tpd |
| Recovery (Au) | 90-92% (CIP) | 88-90% (CIL) |
| Chemical Consumption | Xanthates, lime, cyanide | Cyanide, activated carbon |
Sustainability
Both mills emphasize energy and water management, with closed-loop systems reducing freshwater intake and paste fill technology minimizing tailings storage footprint.
