Performance study

Maximising water recycling, while cutting flocculant use, at an Australian gold mine

An Australian gold mine was looking to restrict its fresh water draw to a minimum. This had to be achieved while also ensuring the quality of its recycled process water would not cause problems in the Knelson® concentrator, where 60% of total gold recovery takes place.

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Key benefits

  • 46%

    Reduction in tailings water

  • 40%

    Reduction in flocculant

  • 35%

    Reduction in scale inhibitor

Details of the performance study

CommodityGold
TechnologyE-DUC® Dilution and E-Volute™ Feedwell Systems
ApplicationTailings Thickener Upgrade
Study typeCustomer Story
CountryAustralia

To achieve the mine’s objectives, we installed an E-DUC® autodilution and E-Volute™ feedwell system on the tailings thickener. The results included:

  • An increase in tailings thickener underflow density from 35% to 50% solids (w/w).
  • A 46% reduction in water going to tailings.
  • A 40% reduction in flocculant consumption on a gram/tonne basis.
  • Significant savings in cyanide lost to tailings.
  • A reduction in pumping and energy costs.

The upgrade also cut particulate content in the recovered process water. This reduced the amount of scale inhibitor required for water treatment by 35%. Cleaner process water also helps maximise gold recovery in the Knelson concentrator by reducing the risk of blockages in the concentrator capillaries.

The overall result is a more cost-effective and sustainable gold recovery process. The mine now uses about 80% recycled water in its process, with fresh water draw restricted to a minimum, while at the same time delivering substantial process improvements.

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