Cheban A.Yu. Increasing the Efficiency of Small-Scale Deposits Development by Reducing Gold Losses During Sand Washing

DOI: 10.18503/1995-2732-2025-23-4-5-13

Abstract

Problem Statement (Relevance). Relatively low capital investments in organizing placer gold mining and the possibility of a relatively quick payback of funds allow a significant number of small mining enterprises to operate in this area. An increase in the share of fine gold in the sands involved in placer mining predetermines an increase in metal losses with rinsing tailings. Multi-stage sand processing technologies can reduce metal losses but the acquisition and operation of special enrichment equipment by small companies, given their low productivity, is not always economically feasible. It is possible to reduce metal losses by rinsing the sluices of the washing unit more frequently; however, using this solution to process the entire volume of sand will lead to a significant increase in the downtime of the enrichment equipment. Objectives. The research is aimed at justifying an improved technological scheme for the development of a small-scale gold placer using existing enrichment equipment, ensuring a reduction in metal losses due to selective extraction and separate sequential processing of different-quality sands of the productive formation. Results. The article proposes to extract sands from a complex-structured mining block using a scraper-dozer, with the extraction of metal-enriched sands being carried out only with a scraper bucket, and ordinary sands – with a scraper bucket and a bulldozer blade. Mixed-grade sands are stored in separate piles next to the washing unit; mainly, ordinary sands are washed with a sluice rinse once a day; as they accumulate, metal-enriched sands are washed periodically with a sluice rinse twice a day. Conclusions. The use of the proposed process flow will significantly increase the throughout recovery of metal using existing equipment.

Keywords

productive formation, sand delineation, selective mining, scraper-dozer, washing, fine gold, metal recovery

For citation

Cheban A.Yu. Increasing the Efficiency of Small-Scale Deposits Development by Reducing Gold Losses During Sand Washing. Vestnik Magnitogorskogo Gosudarstvennogo Tekhnicheskogo Universiteta im. G.I. Nosova [Vestnik of Nosov Magnitogorsk State Technical University]. 2025, vol. 23, no. 4, pp. 5-13. https://doi.org/10.18503/1995-2732-2025-23-4-5-13

Anton Yu. Cheban – Leading Researcher, Mining Institute of the Khabarovsk Federal Research Center of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (MI KhFRC FEB RAS), Khabarovsk, Russia. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. ORCID 0000-0003-2707-626Х

1. Lalomov A.V., Bochneva A.A. Placer deposits of Russia as a source of strategic mineral raw materials. Mineralnye resursy Rossii. Ekonomika i upravlenie [Mineral resources of Russia. Economy and management]. 2024;(3):5-17. (In Russ.)

2. Oberthuer T., Melcher F., Weiser T.W. Detrital platinum-group minerals and gold in placers of southeastern Samar Island, Philippines. The Canadian Mineralogist. 2017;55(1):45-62.

3. Cheban A.Yu., Sekisov A.G. Combined technology for the development of complex-structured deep-lying gold placers. Vestnik Magnitogorskogo gosudarstvennogo tehnicheskogo universiteta im. G.I. Nosova [Vestnik of Nosov Magnitogorsk State Technical University]. 2023;21(1):24-31. (In Russ.)

4. Verbrugge B., Geenen S. The gold commodity frontier: A fresh perspective on change and diversity in the global gold mining economy. The Extractive Industries and Society. 2019;6(2):413-423.

5. Priisk Solovievsky JSC: the current state of the largest dredging fleet in Russia. Zoloto i tekhnologii [Gold and technology]. 2024;(2):86-89. (In Russ.)

6. Lunyashin P.D. The importance of placer gold mining for Russia. Part 2. Zolotodobycha [Gold mining]. 2023;(8):49-53. (In Russ.)

7. Batugina N.S., Khoyutanov E.A., Tkach S.M. Influence of the ratio between amount of overburden and unit of gold produced on the efficiency of gold placer mining. Gorniy informatsionno-analiticheskiy bjulleten [Mining Information and Analytical Bulletin]. 2021;(12-1):39-47. (In Russ.)

8. Ermakov S.A., Burakov A.M. Complex-structure gold placer mining in Yakutia. Journal of Mining Science. 2013;49(2):273-278.

9. Bashmachnikov A. Gold production in Russia: results of 2021. Zoloto i tekhnologii [Gold and technology]. 2022;(2):18-22. (In Russ.)

10. Zamyatin O.V., Mankov V.M. Fine gold in placers: problems of estimation and extraction. Gorniy zhurnal [Mining Journal]. 2011;(4):22-26. (In Russ.)

11. Rasskazov I.Yu., Cheban A.Yu., Litvintsev V.S. Analysis of technical equipment of mining enterprises of Khabarovsk Region and Jewish Autonomous Region. Gorniy zhurnal [Mining Journal]. 2013;(2):30-34. (In Russ.)

12. Cheban A.Yu. Improvement of gold-bearing sand mining and processing at structurally complex placers. Journal of Mining Science. 2024;60(3):434-442.

13. Teschner B., Smith N. M., Borrillo-Hutter T., Zira Quaghe John, Wong T.E. How efficient are they really? A simple testing method of small-scale gold miner's gravity separation systems. Minerals Engineering. 2017;105:44-51.

14. Holley E.A., Yu Ting Yu, Navarre-Sitchler A. Winterton J. Quantitative mineralogy and geochemistry of pelletized sulfide-bearing gold concentrates in an alkaline heap leach. Hydrometallurgy. 2018;181:130-142.

15. Batugin S.A., Cherny E.D. Teoreticheskie osnovy oprobovaniya i otsenki zapasov mestorozhdeniy [Theoretical foundations of sampling and assessment of deposit reserves]. Novosibirsk: Nauka, publishing company of RAS, 1998, 344 p. (In Russ.)

16. Chanderman L., Dohm C.E., Minnitt R.C.A. 3D geological modelling and resource estimation for a gold deposit in Mali. Journal of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. 2017;117(2):189-197.

17. Qiao Chen, Hong-ying Yang, Lin-lin Tong, Hui-qun Niu, Fu-sheng Zhang et al. Research and application of a Knelson concentrator: A review. Minerals Engineering. 2020;152:106339.

18. Ghaffari A., Farzanegan A. An investigation on laboratory Knelson Concentrator separation performance: Part 1: Retained mass modelling. Minerals Engineering. 2017;112:57-67.

19. Cheban A.Yu. Improved technology for development of complex-structural placers with separate excavation and processing of sands. Vestnik Magnitogorskogo Gosudarstvennogo Tekhnicheskogo Universiteta im. G.I. Nosova [Vestnik of Nosov Magnitogorsk State Technical University]. 2024;22(4):15-22. (In Russ.)

20. Shemyakin S.A., Ivanchenko S.N., Mamaev Yu.A. Vedenie otkrytyh gornyh porod na osnove sovershenstvovaniya vyemki porod [Open pit mining based on improved rock excavation]. Moscow: Gornaya kniga, 2006, 315 p. (In Russ.)

21. Cheban A.Yu., Rasskazov I.Yu., Shemyakin S.A., Korneeva S.I. The analysis of the effectiveness of the use of mining-and-hauling machines at the enterprises engaged in development of placer deposits in Khabarovsk Region. Marksheideriya i nedropolzovanie [Mine surveying and subsurface use]. 2012;(5):34-37. (In Russ.)

22. Shokhin V.N., Lopatin A.G. Gravitatsionnye metody obogashheniya [Gravity enrichment methods]. Moscow: Nedra, 1993, 350 p. (In Russ.)

23. Kuldai E.D., Kuryshkin S.N., Kuldai L.E., Lukyanov V.D., Akhreyev P.N. Sdvoenniy lineiniy shlyuz trapetsievidnogo secheniya dlya obogashheniya peskov rossypnyh mestorozhdeniy [Double linear trapezoidal sluice for enrichment of placer sands]. Patent RU, no. 187582, 2019. (In Russ.)

24. Zamyatin O.V. Enrichment of gold-bearing sands at sluices. Basic patterns and technological capabilities of the process. Analiz, dobycha i pererabotka poleznyh iskopaemykh: sb. nauch.tr. [Analysis, extraction and processing of minerals: proceedings]. Irkutsk: Irgiredmet, 1998. (In Russ.)

25. Myazin V.P. New technological solutions for increased rinse of concentrate from sluices. Gorniy informatsionno-analiticheskiy bjulleten [Mining Information and Analytical Bulletin]. 2003;(1):238-240. (In Russ.)

26. Mirzekhanov G.S. Otsenka poter pri otrabotke rossypnyh mestorozhdeniy zolota i kriteriy prognoza resursnogo potentsiala tehnogennyh kompleksov [Estimation of losses during development of placer gold deposits and criterion for forecasting the resource potential of technogenic complexes]. Khabarovsk: DVIMS MPR RF, 2002, 100 p. (In Russ.)