PCM Industry

Peristaltic pumps for gold mines in Siberia

The Zapadnaya Gold Mines Ltd mineral processing plant, located in Siberia, receives about 300 tons of ore per day coming from 8 excavation tunnels. A year ago, Zapadnaya management decided to implement a Carbon-In-Leach process aiming at increasing gold recovery. 

Gold mines in Siberia

Zapadnaya was unsuccessfully using centrifugal pumps for its new Carbon-In-Leach process. The flow rate from the thickener underflow to the flotation cells was unstable and the desired density could not be reached.

Facing a challenge, Zapadnaya technical department decided to innovate and took interest into PCM peristaltic pumps for their ability to transfer abrasive fluids with high solid content.

Two PCM Delasco™ DL55 running at 13 rpm and fitted with natural rubber hoses were selected. After the pumps travelled by air to Ulan-Ude, capital of Buryatia, they embarked on a 800km trip by train to the company head-office in Taksimo. The last 100km to reach the mine are carried out by big trucks over steep and snowy roads and frozen rivers during winter ; during summer times, small boats will be used to bring the equipment to the mine site. The pumps therefore operate in an environment where temperature varies from -40°c to +40°c.

Less than an hour after starting the pump, the technical team was pleased to report that the flow was stable and the required density was reached for the 1st time thanks to PCM peristaltic pumps. Furthermore, the peristaltic pumps only require 1.5 kW against 3 kW for the centrifugal pumps.

« After about 3 weeks of operation, the pump was still performing adequately », report the chief of processing plant at Zapadnaya. « We were also pleased to note that the gold recovery rate had increased. Prior to installing PCM DL55 pump, there were about 2 grammes of gold per ton in its tailings, that is to say, a loss of 2 gr/ton : with the peristaltic capacity to transfer high solid content fluids to the flotation process, now only 0.5 gr/ton end up in the tailings. PCM pumps have therefore brought reliability in the process and spurred its efficiency bringing higher gold recovery rates and lower operational costs », says Martyshkin Evgenii Ivanovich. 

Very satisfied with the results, the mining company has already ordered two DSC100 peristaltic pumps in order to increase the overall plant capacity to 500 tons/day and two PCM Lagoa dosing pumps for cyanide dosage.

Gold mines in SiberiaContext

CUSTOMER

Zapadnaya Gold Mines Ltd in Siberia

CHALLENGE

Increase gold recovery rate

BENEFITS

  • Transfer of high abrasive fluids containing solids
  • Transfer of high density fluids