Overview
The Sukari Gold Mine in Egypt operates a sophisticated mineral processing facility designed to extract gold from both oxide and sulphide ores. The plant has undergone several expansions since commissioning in 2009, currently processing 12Mtpa of ore through parallel crushing and milling circuits followed by flotation, ultra-fine grinding, and carbon-in-leach (CIL) processes.
Key Process Stages
- Crushing and Ore Storage: Two-stage crushing circuit reduces ore to 80% passing 150mm for stockpiling
- Milling: Two parallel SAG and ball mill circuits (Line #1 and Line #2) grind ore to P80 of 150-200µm
- Flotation: Uses potassium amyl xanthate collector and copper sulphate activator to produce sulphide concentrate (88-89% recovery)
- Thickeners: Concentrate thickening prior to CIL circuit
- Regrind: Ultra-fine grinding of flotation concentrate to 10µm
- Leach Circuits: CIL for flotation concentrate and additional leaching of high-grade flotation tails
- Elution and Gold Room: Zadra elution circuit with carbon regeneration kilns
Critical Data
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Throughput Capacity | 12 Mtpa |
| Gold Recovery | 88.4% (LOM average) |
| Flotation Recovery | 88-89% |
| Grind Size (P80) | 150-200µm (primary), 10µm (regrind) |
| Power Consumption | 36MW solar plant supplementing diesel generation |
| Water Consumption | 90% from Red Sea desalination |
Recent Process Improvements
The plant has implemented several optimizations including automated sampling systems, a novel water detoxification process using ferrous sulfate/sodium sulfite, and ongoing metallurgical testwork. Future plans include installing a gravity circuit to improve recovery of coarse gold and expanding solar capacity by 15-20MW.
Ore Characteristics
The Sukari ore is typically siliceous with gold contained in sulphides (mainly pyrite). The material is very hard and abrasive (Bond Work Index ~18.5kWh/t) with moderate arsenic levels. Gold occurs as fine inclusions in sulphides or as free gold in quartz veins.
