EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIERS – Gekko to Supply Russian Gold Plant

Gekko Systems (of Victoria, Australia, and Vancouver, B.C.) has won a US$600,000 contract to supply mineral processing equipment for the Nezhdaninskoye gold mine in eastern Russia. Gekko will provide a gravity and intensive leach plant, including its largest InLine leach reactor, two InLine pressure jigs, and ancillary equipment.

Gekko bills its technology as a high recovery, low environmental impact, low capital cost and low operating cost alternative to CIP and CIL circuits. This is made possible by the combination of gravity and flotation coupled with intensive leaching.

The Nezhdaninskoye gold mine was reopened in 2001 by Celtic Resources, the London, U.K.-based firm that owns 50% of the property. It should produce 60,000 ounces of gold in 2003 and that will rise to 150,000 ounces the following year. Ultimately it could operate at a rate of 1 million ounces per year. The cost of completing Phase One production was US$12 million.

Learn about Gekko's abilities at www.gekkos.com and about Celtic's Russian interests at www.celticresources.com