METALLURGICAL TESTS: Bioleaching works on arsenic-laden Snow Lake residue

MANITOBA – Toronto-based BacTech Environmental Corp. has been testing its patented Bacox bio-oxidation the stockpiled arsenic-rich (16%) residue from old mines near Snow Lake with great success. The Bacox process oxidizes 95% of the...

MANITOBA – Toronto-based BacTech Environmental Corp. has been testing its patented Bacox bio-oxidation the stockpiled arsenic-rich (16%) residue from old mines near Snow Lake with great success. The Bacox process oxidizes 95% of the sulphides, eliminating the potential for acid drainage from the treated material.

The oxidation of the residue makes 88.6% of the gold content recoverable. Said BacTech in a release, “A high weight loss of 45.7% was obtained during oxidation resulting in the gold grade almost doubling to 17.8 g/t from the original 9.80 g/t, but still maintaining the same amount of gold in the plant feed. This mass reduction reduces considerably the size and cost of equipment required in final gold extraction processing. The reagent consumptions noted in the test work for gold extraction were also modest and comparable to those associated with current bio-oxidation plants used in the gold mining industry.”

The bioleaching tests are part of the ongoing economic study that BacTech is conducting with Micon International. The study is to be complete in April 2012. BacTech has hired Golder Associates to prepare an environmental impact statement for continued processing.

BacTech (BacTechGreen.com) is a public company focused on the reclamation of tailings and mining waste materials.

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