The Tucano Gold Mine employs a comprehensive gold processing circuit designed to handle a blend of predominantly (90%) hard sulphide ore at a design capacity of 3.4 Mt/a, with expansions enabling treatment of 3.6 Mtpa. The process integrates crushing, grinding, leaching, adsorption, elution, and tailings detoxification, with notable innovations in oxygen injection and hybrid CIL configuration.
Processing and Recovery Methods
1. Crushing and Stockpiling:
– Primary crushing: METSO C-150 jaw crusher (1400 mm × 1200 mm, CSS 125 mm) with a vibrating grizzly to bypass sticky oxide ore.
– Ore blending: Oxide and sulphide ores are stockpiled separately and blended via front-end loader feed to meet grade targets.
– Emergency handling: Surge bin (30 min residence) and spent ore feeder for direct SAG mill bypass.
2. Milling and Classification:
– SAG mill: Outotec 7.32 m diameter × 7.95 m EGL, 7 MW drive, open circuit.
– Ball mill: Outotec 6 MW motor, closed circuit with 10 hydrocyclones (80% <75 µm P80).
– Cyclone feed: Two Weir 490 HP pumps; cyclones feature 210 mm apex and 5″ vortex.
– Pre-leach thickening: 28 m diameter Outotec thickener recycles water to grinding; underflow pumped to pre-leach tank (24 hr residence at 450 t/hr).
3. Hybrid CIL Circuit:
– Tank configuration: One 2,650 m³ pre-leach tank + six 2,650 m³ CIL tanks in series.
– Oxygen injection: >15 ppm dissolved oxygen (DO) in pre-leach tank (Tank 1) via dedicated pulp recycle; supplemental oxygen in Tanks 2–4; air in Tanks 5–7.
– Carbon management:
– Counter-current carbon flow (Tank 6 to Tank 1) using recessed-impeller transfer pumps.
– Mechanically swept wedge-wire inter-tank screens (12 m² each) for carbon retention.
– “Pump screen” design eliminates stepped tank arrangement, simplifying civil works.
– Reagents: Sodium cyanide (Leach Tank 1), lime slurry (pH control), lead nitrate (gold dissolution aid).
4. Elution and Carbon Regeneration:
– Zadra pressure elution: 135°C, 0.1% NaCN + 1% NaOH solution, 720 kW heater.
– Capacity: 4.8 t/d carbon (operating at 14.4–19.2 t/d to reduce gold inventory).
– Carbon regeneration: 700°C kiln; quenched and screened to remove fines before returning to CIL.
5. Electrowinning and Smelting:
– Electrowinning: Four cells with stainless-steel wool cathodes; 12–15 hr cycle.
– Gold recovery: Sludge dried, fluxed, and smelted in gas-fired furnaces to produce doré bars.
6. Tailings and Cyanide Detoxification:
– Tailings disposal: Pumped 6.5 km to East Pond TSF; water reclaimed for reuse.
– Cyanide destruction: Two-tank air/SO₂ circuit (60 min residence) using SMBS, lime, and CuSO₄, reducing cyanide to ~10 ppm in return water.
Key Technical Specifications and Parameters
– Throughput: 3.4–3.6 Mtpa (450 t/hr design).
– Grinding product size: 80% <75 µm.
– Leach residence time: 24 hours.
– Energy demand: 17 MW (fresh ore), 15.5 MW (30% oxide blend).
Innovations and Challenges
– Hybrid CIL design: Pre-leach tank enhances gold adsorption kinetics by ensuring gold dissolution before carbon contact.
– Oxygen optimization: Dual oxygen plants (2018–2019) boost DO levels for sulphide ore treatment.
– Carbon inventory management: Elution circuit operates above design capacity to minimize gold lock-up.
Recovery Efficiencies
– Adsorption kinetics: Improved by pre-leach tank DO control (>15 ppm).
– Cyanide destruction: Tailings detoxified to environmentally compliant levels (36% solids discharge).
The circuit demonstrates robust integration of crushing, grinding, and leaching technologies, with tailored solutions for sulphide dominance and scalable throughput. Operational challenges include carbon inventory optimization and maintaining DO levels in leaching.
Technical report and processing history
The following archived source profiles have been consolidated here to preserve the project’s processing history and study context.
Tucano Gold Mine — 2022 Technical Report
Tucano Gold Mine — 2022 Technical Report
| Company | Great Panther |
| Date | 2022-06-07 |
| Region | Amapá State |
| Commodities | Gold |
Executive Summary
This NI 43-101 Technical Report details the recovery methods and processing flowsheet for the Tucano Gold Mine. The facility operates a hybrid Carbon-in-Leach (CIL) circuit designed to treat a blend of ore, predominantly sulphide (90%) with a smaller oxide component (10%). The plant design is based on a throughput of 3.4 million tonnes per annum (Mt/a), with expansion projects completed in 2018 and 2019 increasing capacity to 3.6 Mt/a. The mine status is operating, with recent upgrades including a new ball mill, pre-leach thickener, and additional oxygen plant to enhance gold recovery kinetics.
The processing circuit begins with a primary jaw crusher feeding a SAG mill and ball mill grinding circuit. Ground ore is thickened and treated in a hybrid CIL plant consisting of a pre-leach tank followed by six CIL tanks. Oxygen is injected into the pre-leach tank to maintain dissolved oxygen levels above 15 ppm, significantly improving carbon adsorption kinetics. The circuit includes a Zadra pressure elution system, carbon regeneration kiln, and electrowinning cells for gold recovery, followed by smelting into doré bars.
Tailings are managed in a tailings storage facility (TSF) with a cyanide detoxification circuit using sodium metabisulphite (SMBS) and lime. The plant consumes significant process materials including lime, sodium cyanide, lead nitrate, and oxygen. Energy requirements are approximately 17 MW for fresh rock ore. The report confirms the operational readiness of the expanded plant and outlines the consumables and infrastructure required for continued production.
Reports
Concepts
Website: https://www.tucanogold.com/news
Report Date: 2022-06-07
Region: Amapá State
Project Status:
Commodity: Gold
Throughput:
Mine Life:
Mine Type:
Ore type:
Tucano Gold Mine — 2020 Technical Report
Tucano Gold Mine — 2020 Technical Report
| Company | Great Panther Mining Limited |
| Mine | Tucano Gold Mine |
| Date | March 25, 2020 |
| Region | Amapá State, Brazil |
| Commodities | Gold |
Executive Summary
This technical report details the recovery methods and processing flowsheet for the Tucano Gold Mine operated by Great Panther Mining Limited. The existing plant utilizes a hybrid Carbon-in-Leach (CIL) circuit designed to treat a blend of predominantly sulphide ore (90%) with some oxide ore. The flowsheet begins with a primary jaw crusher feeding a SAG mill and ball mill grinding circuit, followed by thickening and treatment in a seven-tank CIL train including a pre-leach tank.
The plant design capacity was initially based on 3.4 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) of ore, with an expansion completed in November 2018 allowing for 3.6 Mtpa throughput. Key upgrades included a new ball mill, pre-leach thickener, additional leach tank, and oxygen plant to maintain dissolved oxygen levels above 15ppm. The process includes cyanide detoxification using an air/SO2 circuit before tailings are deposited in the West Pond TSF.
Gold recovery involves elution via a Pressure Zadra circuit, carbon regeneration in a kiln at 700°C, and electrowinning to produce gold sludge. The sludge is smelted in gas-fired and electric furnaces to produce doré bars. The report confirms the plant is in an operating status with recent commissioning of oxygen equipment in April 2019 to support the expanded capacity.
Reports
Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Panther_Mining
Report Date: March 25, 2020
Region: Amapá State, Brazil
Project Status:
Commodity: Gold
Throughput:
Mine Life:
Mine Type:
Ore type:
Tucano Gold Mine — 2019 Technical Report
Tucano Gold Mine — 2019 Technical Report
| Company | Great Panther Mining |
| Mine | Tucano Gold Mine |
| Date | 2019 |
| Region | Brazil |
| Commodities | Gold |
Executive Summary
The Tucano Gold Mine operates a hybrid Carbon-in-Leach (CIL) processing circuit designed to treat a blend of predominantly sulphide ore (90%) and oxide ore. The facility underwent an expansion project completed in November 2018, which included the addition of a new ball mill, pre-leach thickener, and oxygen plant to increase capacity to 3.6 Mtpa. The current design processes ore at a rate of 450 tph with a leach residence time of 24 hours.
The recovery process begins with crushing via a single toggle jaw crusher, followed by a SAG mill and ball mill grinding circuit in open and closed circuits respectively. The ground ore is thickened and treated in a hybrid CIL plant consisting of a pre-leach tank followed by six CIL tanks. Gold is recovered via electrowinning and smelted into doré bars. Tailings are detoxified using an air/SO2 cyanide destruction circuit before deposition in the West Pond TSF.
Processing Profile
- Crushing: TEREX ST-48 Jaw Crusher
- Milling: Outotec SAG mill, Outotec Ball mill
- Leaching: Carbon-in-Leach (CIL)
- Elution: Pressure Zadra
Reports
Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Panther_Mining
Report Date: 2019
Region: Brazil
Project Status:
Commodity: Gold
Throughput:
Mine Life:
Mine Type:
Ore type:
Tucano Gold Mine: Hybrid CIL Processing Circuit
Overview
The Tucano Gold Mine features a sophisticated mineral processing circuit designed to handle 3.4-3.6 Mt/a of predominantly sulphide ore (90%). The plant utilizes a SAG/ball mill grinding circuit feeding a hybrid carbon-in-leach (CIL) system with enhanced oxygen injection, followed by cyanide detoxification of tailings. The 2018 expansion project added critical infrastructure including a new ball mill, pre-leach thickener, and oxygen plant to improve processing efficiency.
Key Process Stages
- Crushing: METSO C-150 jaw crusher (1400mm x 1200mm) with 125mm CSS, feeding through a vibrating grizzly for ore classification
- Grinding: 7MW Outotec SAG mill (7.32m diameter x 7.95m EGL) in open circuit followed by 6MW ball mill in closed circuit with 10 hydrocyclones (80% < 75μm product)
- Pre-Leach Thickening: 28m diameter Outotec thickener with 24-hour residence time at design capacity
- Hybrid CIL: 1x2650m³ pre-leach tank (>15ppm DO) + 6x2650m³ CIL tanks with mechanical agitators and inter-tank screens
- Elution: Zadra pressure system (135°C) with 720kW heater processing 4.8t carbon/day
- Tailings: Cyanide detoxification using SMBS/lime/copper sulphate (60min residence) before deposition in TSF
- Gold Recovery: Electrowinning cells, drying oven, and two gas-fired furnaces producing doré bars
Critical Data
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Design Throughput | 3.6 Mt/a (450 t/hr) |
| Power Consumption | 17 MW (fresh rock) |
| Grinding P80 | <75μm |
| Leach Residence Time | 24 hours |
| Oxygen Levels | >15ppm in pre-leach |
| Carbon Regeneration | 700°C kiln temperature |
| Cyanide Destruction | Reduces to ~10ppm in TSF |
Process Consumables
- Quicklime (pH control)
- Sodium cyanide (gold dissolution)
- Lead nitrate (leach enhancement)
- Hydrochloric acid (carbon washing)
- SMBS + copper sulphate (cyanide destruction)
- Oxygen (leach optimization)
