The justification for capital expenditure on a gravity gold recovery circuit requires a thorough process involving metallurgical test work, mathematical modelling and the appraisal of the predicted economic benefits. It is typical to take a conservative approach when predicting the benefits. This can result in the project being undervalued and thereby compromised by a minimalistic approach. It is uncommon for a comprehensive evaluation of the gravity circuit project to be conducted following its commissioning. This paper demonstrates how reviewing contrasts between the gravity projects predicted and realised outcomes can provide insight that guides future approaches to gravity circuit justification and exposes additional opportunities for increased operational efficiency through metallurgical optimisation. The paper compares the predicted performance of the Tarkwa processing plant with the addition of a gravity circuit to the actual performance.
CITATION:Atakora, H, Hillier, D, King, A, Fullam, M and Carrillo, J, 2019. Benefits Realised from Retrofitting a Gravity Gold Recovery Circuit, in Proceedings MetPlant 2019, pp 239247 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).