New technology makes gold mining cheaper and more environmentally friendly

Barrick Gold has developed a new method that allows gold mines to operate in a much more environmentally friendly way. Normally, cyanide used to purify gold ore, a toxic substance that is also very harmful to the environment. For twenty years, Barrick Gold has been working on an alternative method that makes the use of this harmful substance unnecessary.

The new technique uses a sulfur compound called Thiosulfate, which is much more environmentally friendly than cyanide. It had been known for some time that this substance could serve as an alternative, but until now no one had succeeded in applying it effectively in the normal production line. Until now, because Barrick Gold recently proudly presented the first gold bar produced using this new technique.

Liquid mixture

With the new technology, for which Barrick Gold has applied for a patent, the gold ore is first heated under high pressure and melted into a thick liquid mixture of ore, gold, water and limestone. This substance is then mixed with a type of resin in a number of stainless steel tanks. In these tanks, the thiosulfate reacts with the mixture and the gold can be separated.

At maximum capacity, Barrick Gold's new facility can process 13,400 tonnes of gold ore per day. A total of fourteen stainless steel vessels are used for this. With this new installation, the gold mine in question will be able to produce an estimated 350 to 450 thousand troy ounces more gold than is currently the case. That's because the new technology is better able to purify gold from lower-grade ore.

Barrick Gold showcases first gold bar made without the use of cyanide