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Graduation project research titled "MINING OF GOLD with reference to

SUKARI GOLD MINE"

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DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.25554.04803

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 MINING OF GOLD

Mining Graduation Project 2017-2018 a case study on

SUKARI GOLD MINE

Submitted by
❖ AHMED ZAKARIA ALI AHMED ❖ SALEH ELSAID BDEER ALMAZ
❖ AMRO MOHAMED IBRAHIM ❖ MAHMOUD MOHAMED ELSKAAN
ABOELROUS ❖ RAHMA IBRAHIM GANO
❖ MOHAMED HELMY ABDELMOATY
(Geology of Petroleum and MINING BSC Students, Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Mansoura
University)

Supervisors
❖ Prof. AHMED ABDELLATIF EL-METWALLY (Prof at Mansoura UNIVERSITY)
❖ Mr. SAMI ELRAGHY (Chairman of Nordana Mining COMPANY)
Co-Supervisors
❖ MR. MOHAMED FARGHALLY (SGM Open Pit Mine MANAGER)
❖ MR. ANDREW LOMEES (Site Chief Surveyor of SGM Underground MINING)
❖ MR. MOHAMED MOSTAFA Elhadidy (Metallurgist Superintendent at SGM)
 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
First and foremost, we would like to thank God, whose many blessings have made us
who we are today. Any success earned by this research deservedly belongs to almighty
"Allah" Thanks God.

We also want to thank our families for their support they alternatively threatened us
with dire consequences to make me complete this research. Without their affectionate
support, completion of this work would not have been possible.

We would like to express many deepest gratitude to Dr. Hussein Hamouda and Dr.
Ahmed Abdullatif for suggestion the point of this research report, his kind help,
reviewing the manuscript of this work, and his continuous encouragement during the
study period. we would like to say that we are extremely lucky and happy to have a
supervisor like him.

We would like to express the deepest appreciation to Mr. Sami Elraghy, Mr. Yousef
Elraghy, Mr. Esmat Elraghy, Mr. Shady Elraghy, Mr. Esmail Abdelfattah, Mr.
Mohamed Farghally, Mr. Mohamed Elhadidy, Mr. Andrew Lomees, Mr. Ahmed
Sherin, Mr. Ahmed Ghali, Dr. Ali Barakat, Mr. kareem Mahmoud, Mr. Mohamed
Elsodany, Mr. Mahmoud Abdelrehim, Mr. Eslam Elsharkawy, Mr. Ahmed Elbehiry,
Mr. Ramy Mekky, Mr. Mohamed Mostafa, Mr. Mostafa Saber, Mr. Mostafa Idris, Mr.
Mahmoud Raslan, Mr. Alaa Azab, Mr. Ahmed Tolba, Mr. Ahmed Mohamed (Roman),
Mr. Ahmed Abdelsattar, Mr. Ayman Torki and Mr. Raafat Zaki.

Moreover, many gratitude to staff member of the Department of Geology for their
kind help and advice during our academic study.

We would like to express my particular gratitude and deep appreciation to Moreover,

many gratitude to staff member of Pharaoh Gold Mines for their kind help and advice
during our time in the company.

We are very grateful to our colleagues in Mansoura University and everyone who has
offered advices, suggestions and provided support when it was most needed.
 ABSTRACT
The Sukari Gold Mine (SGM) is located 15 km west of the Red Sea coast in the
southern central Eastern Desert of Egypt. Sukari consists of four primary zones
that contain varying degrees of ore: Amun, Ra, Gazelle and Pharaoh. Gold is
associated with sulfides in quartz veins and in alteration zones. Pyrite and
arsenopyrite dominate the sulfide ore beside minor sphalerite, chalcopyrite and
galena. Geotech techniques are used for Wall Stability. Sukari use only two types
of Mining (Open pit and Underground).

The vein-type deposit is hosted in Late Neoproterozoic granite that intruded

island-arc and ophiolite rock assemblages. The vein forming process is related to
overall late Pan-African shear and extension tectonics. At Sukari, bulk NE–SW
strike-slip deformation was accommodated by a local flower structure and
extensional faults with veins that formed initially at conditions of about 300 _C
and 1.5–2 kbar.

There are many activities in SGM like Grade control drilling, Blast hole drilling,
Blasting, Ore marking, load, heal and crusher feed. Rock going through the
process of extracting gold mine diabetes several stages, namely: Cracker,
Assembling, Grinding, flotation separation and Separation using a cyanide
solution. Total reserves at the mine are estimated at 8.56 million ounces of gold.

Keywords
Gold deposits
Sukari Gold Mine
Central Eastern Desert
Table of Contents
I. Chapter One
INTRODUCTION TO GOLD 8
1.1 Introduction 9
1.2 Characteristics 9
1.3 Color 9
1.4 Isotopes 10
1.5 Origins 10
1.6 Occurrence 11
1.7 Production 12
1.8 Mining and Prospecting 12
1.9 Gold Localities in Ancient Egypt 13
1.10 Extraction and Refining 14

II. Chapter Two

MINING METHODS 16
2.1 Mining 16
2.2 Open-Pit Mining 16
2.3 Open-Pit Terms 16
2.4 Underground Mining 17
2.5 Development mining vs. production mining 17
2.6 Underground Selective Mining Methods 18
2.7 Unconventional Mining 19

III. Chapter Three

CASE STUDY OF SUKARI GOLD MINE A- 21
GEOLOGIC SETTING
3.1 Location 22
3.2 Pervious Work at Sukari 22
3.3 Regional Setting 23
3.4 Sukari Project Geology 24
3.5 Stratigraphy and Lithology 25
3.6 Structural Controls to Gold Mineralization 27
3.7 Mineralization 28

IV. Chapter Four

B- EXPLORATION & MINING 31
4.1 Exploration Process at Sukari 32
4.2 Rock Chip and Surface Sampling 33
 4.3 Drilling 34
4.4 Topographic Survey Data 35
4.5 Sample Preparation 36
4.6 Core Samples preparation 37
4.7 Final Mineralization Geometry 37
4.8 Underground Mining 39
4.9 Mining Methods 40
4.10 Mineral Resource Evaluation 41
4.11 Mineral Reserve Evaluation 41

V. Chapter Five
- PROCESSING AND PROBLEMS OF GOLD 43
5.1 Processing 44
5.2 Crushing 44
5.3 Grinding 44
5.4 Flotation 45
5.5 Thickening 45
5.6 Regrinding 45
5.7 Leaching 45
5.8 Mining Problems 46

REFRENCES 47
Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION TO GOLD
Gold (Au From Latin: Aurum) is a chemical element with atomic number 79, making it one of
the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally.
 INTRODUCTION TO GOLD
1.1. Introduction
Gold (Au From Latin: Aurum) is a chemical
element with atomic number 79, making it one of
the higher atomic number elements that occur
naturally.
It is a bright, slightly reddish yellow, dense,
soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold
is a transition metal and a group 11 element. It is
one of the least reactive chemical elements and is
solid under standard conditions. Gold often occurs
in free elemental (native) form, as nuggets or
grains, in rocks, in veins, and in alluvial deposits. It
occurs in a solid solution series with the native
element silver and also naturally alloyed with
copper and Palladium. Less commonly, it occurs in
minerals as gold compounds, often with tellurium
(gold tellurides).
Gold is resistant to most acids, though it does
dissolve in aqua regia, a mixture of nitric acid and
hydrochloric acid, which forms a soluble
tetrachlorocuprate anion. Gold is insoluble in nitric
acid, which dissolves silver and base metals, a
property that has long been used to refine gold and
to confirm the presence of gold in metallic objects,
giving rise to the term acid test. Gold also dissolves
in alkaline solutions of cyanide, which are used in
mining and electroplating. Gold dissolves in
mercury, forming amalgam alloys, but this is not a
chemical reaction. A relatively rare element, gold is
a precious metal that has been used for coinage,
jewelry, and other arts throughout recorded
history. In the past, a gold standard was often
implemented as a monetary policy, but gold coins
ceased to be minted as a circulating currency in the
1930s, and the world gold standard was abandoned
for a fiat currency system after 1976.
A total of 186,700 tons of gold exists above ground,
as of 2015. The world consumption of new gold
produced is about 50% in jewelry, 40% in
investments, and 10% in industry. Gold's high
malleability, ductility, resistance to corrosion and
most other chemical reactions, and conductivity of
electricity have led to its continued use in corrosion
resistant electrical connectors in all types of
computerized devices (its chief industrial use). Gold
is also used in infrared shielding, colored-glass
production, gold leafing, and tooth restoration.
Certain gold salts are still used as anti-
inflammatories in medicine. As of 2016, the world's
largest gold producer by far was China with 450 tons
per year.
1.2. Characteristics
Gold is the most malleable of all metals; a
single gram can be beaten into a sheet of 1 square
meter, and an avoirdupois ounce into 300 square
feet. Gold leaf can be beaten thin enough to
become semi-transparent. The transmitted light
appears greenish blue, because gold strongly
reflects yellow and red. Such semi-transparent
sheets also strongly reflect infrared light, making
them useful as infrared (radiant heat) shields in
visors of heat-resistant suits, and in sun-visors for
spacesuits. Gold is a good conductor of heat and
electricity.
Gold has a density of 19.3 g/cm3, almost identical
to that of tungsten at 19.25 g/cm3; as such,
tungsten has been used in counterfeiting of gold
bars, such as by plating a tungsten bar with gold, or
taking an existing gold bar, drilling holes, and
replacing the removed gold with tungsten rods. By
comparison, the density of lead is 11.34 g/cm3, and
that of the densest element, osmium, is 22.588 ±
0.015 g/cm3.
1.3. Color
Whereas most metals are gray or silvery
white, gold is slightly reddish-yellow. This color is
|Page8
 INTRODUCTION TO GOLD
determined by the frequency of plasma oscillations
among the metal's valence electrons, in the
ultraviolet range for most metals but in the visible
range for gold due to relativistic effects affecting
the orbitals around gold atoms. Similar effects
impart a golden hue to metallic cesium.
Common colored gold alloys include the distinctive
eighteen-karat rose gold created by the addition of
copper. Alloys containing palladium or nickel are
also important in commercial jewelry as these
produce white gold alloys. Fourteen-karat gold-
copper alloy is nearly identical in color to certain
bronze alloys, and both may be used to produce
police and other badges. White gold alloys can be
made with palladium or nickel. Fourteen- and
eighteen-karat gold alloys with silver alone appear
greenish-yellow and are referred to as green gold.
Blue gold can be made by alloying with iron, and
purple gold can be made by alloying with
aluminum.
Less commonly, addition of manganese,
aluminum, indium and other elements can
produce more unusual colors of gold for various
applications .
Colloidal gold, used by electron-macroscopics, is
red if the particles are small; larger particles of
colloidal gold are blue.
1.4. Isotopes
Gold has only one stable isotope, 197Au,
which is also its only naturally occurring isotope, so
gold is both a mononuclidic and monoisotopic
element. Thirty-six radioisotopes have been
synthesized ranging in atomic mass from 169 to
205. The most stable of these is 195 Au with a half-
life of 186.1 days. The least stable is 171Au, which
decays by proton emission with a half-life of 30 µs.
Most of gold's radioisotopes with atomic masses
below 197 decays by some combination of proton
emission, α decay, and β+ decay. The exceptions
are 195Au, which decays by electron capture, and
196Au, which decays most often by electron
capture (93%) with a minor β− decay path (7%). All
of gold's radioisotopes with atomic masses above
197 decays by β− decay .
At least 32 nuclear isomers have also been
characterized, ranging in atomic mass from 170 to
200.
Within that range, only 178Au, 180Au, 181Au,
182Au, and 188Au do not have isomers. Gold's
most stable isomer is 198m2Au with a half-life of
2.27 days. Gold's least stable isomer is 177m2Au
with a half-life of only 7 ns. 184m1Au has three
decay paths: β+ decay, isomeric transition, and
alpha decay. No other isomer or isotope of gold has
three decay paths.
1.5. Origins
1.5.1. Celestial Origin Theories
Gold is thought to have been produced in
supernova nucleosynthesis, from the collision of
neutron stars, and to have been present in the dust
from which the Solar System formed. Because the
Earth was molten when it was formed, almost all of
the gold present in the early Earth probably sank
into the planetary core. Therefore, most of the gold
that is in the Earth's crust and mantle is thought to
have been delivered to Earth later, by asteroid
impacts during the Late Heavy Bombardment,
about 4 billion years ago.
Traditionally, gold is thought to have formed by the
r-process (rapid neutron capture) in supernova
nucleosynthesis, but more recently it has been
suggested that gold and other elements heavier
than iron may also be produced in quantity by the
r-process in the collision of neutron stars. In both
cases, satellite spectrometers only indirectly
detected the resulting gold: "we have no
spectroscopic evidence that [such] elements have
truly been produced," wrote author Stephan
Rosswog. However, in August 2017, the signatures
of heavy elements, including gold, were observed
by gravitational wave detectors and other
electromagnetic observatories in the GW170817
neutron star merger event. Current astrophysical
models suggest that single neutron star merger
event generated between 3 and 13 Earth masses of
gold.
|Page9
 INTRODUCTION TO GOLD

1.6. Occurrence
1.6.1. On Earth
➢ Gold ores are found in rock formed from the
Precambrian time onward. It most often
occurs as a native metal, typically in a
metal solid solution with silver (i.e. as a gold
silver alloy). Such alloys usually have a silver
content of 8–10%. Electrum is elemental
gold with more than 20% silver. Electrum's
color runs from golden-silvery to silvery,
dependent upon the silver content. The
more silver, the lower the specific gravity.

Schematic of a NE (left) to SW (right) cross-section through the ➢ Native gold occurs as very small to
2.020-billion-year-old Vredefort impact crater in South Africa and
how it distorted the contemporary geological structures. The
microscopic particles embedded in rock,
present erosion level is shown. Johannesburg is located where often together with quartz or sulfide
the Witwatersrand Basin (the yellow layer) is exposed at the
"present surface" line, just inside the crater rim, on the left. Not to minerals such as "Fool's Gold", which is
scale, Sukari Gold Mine technical report
a pyrite. These are called lode deposits. The
However, the gold-bearing Witwatersrand rocks metal in a native state is also found in the
were laid down between 700 and 950 million years form of free flakes, grains or
before the Vredefort impact. These gold-bearing larger nuggets that have been eroded from
rocks had furthermore been covered by a thick rocks and end up in alluvial deposits
layer of Ventersdorp lavas and the Transvaal called placer deposits. Such free gold is
Supergroup of rocks before the meteor struck. always richer at the surface of gold-bearing
What the Vredefort impact achieved, however, veins owing to the oxidation of
was to distort the Witwatersrand basin in such a accompanying minerals followed by
way that the gold-bearing rocks were brought to weathering, and washing of the dust into
the present erosion surface in Johannesburg, on streams and rivers, where it collects and can
the Witwatersrand, just inside the rim of the be welded by water action to form nuggets.
original 300 km diameter crater caused by the
meteor strike. The discovery of the deposit in 1886 ➢ Gold sometimes occurs combined with
launched the Witwatersrand Gold Rush. Some 22% tellurium as the minerals calaverite,
of all the gold that is ascertained to exist today on krennerite, nagyagite, petzite and sylvanite
Earth has been extracted from these (see telluride minerals), and as the rare
Witwatersrand rocks. bismuthide maldonite (Au2Bi) and
antimonide aurostibite (AuSb2). Gold also
1.5.2. Earth's Mantle Origins occurs in rare alloys with copper, lead, and
mercury: the minerals auricupride (Cu3Au),
In 2017, an international group of
novodneprite (AuPb3) and weishanite ((Au,
scientists, including José María González Jiménez
Ag)3Hg2).
and Ramón y Cajalan, in cooperation with
the University of Granada and other universities,
➢ Recent research suggests that microbes can
while researching the origins of gold, historically
sometimes play an important role in forming
established that it came to the Earth's surface from
gold deposits, transporting and precipitating
the deepest regions of our planet.
gold to form grains and nuggets that collect
in alluvial deposits.

| P a g e 10
 INTRODUCTION TO GOLD
➢ Another recent study has claimed water in
faults vaporizes during an earthquake,
depositing gold. When an earthquake
strikes, it moves along a fault. Water often
lubricates faults, filling in fractures and jogs.
About 6 miles (10 kilometers) below the
surface, under incredible temperatures and
pressures, the water carries high
concentrations of carbon dioxide, silica, and
gold. During an earthquake, the fault jog
suddenly opens wider. The water inside the
void instantly vaporizes, flashing to steam
and forcing silica, which forms the mineral
quartz, and gold out of the fluids and onto
nearby surfaces.
1.6.2. Seawater
➢ The world's oceans contain gold. Measured
concentrations of gold in the Atlantic and
Northeast Pacific are 50–150 femtomol/L or
10–30 parts per quadrillion (about 10–
30 g/km3). In general, gold concentrations
for south Atlantic and central Pacific samples
are the same (~50 femtomol/L) but less
certain. Mediterranean deep waters contain
slightly higher concentrations of gold (100–
150 femtomol/L) attributed to wind-blown
dust and/or rivers. At 10 parts per quadrillion
the Earth's oceans would hold 15,000 tonnes
of gold. These figures are three orders of
magnitude less than reported in the
literature prior to 1988, indicating
contamination problems with the earlier
data.
➢ A number of people have claimed to be able
to economically recover gold from sea
water, but they were either mistaken or
acted in an intentional deception. Prescott
Jernegan ran a gold-from-seawater swindle
in the United States in the 1890s, as did an
English fraudster in the early 1900s. Fritz
Haber did research on the extraction of gold
from sea water in an effort to help
pay Germany's reparations following World
War I.[66] Based on the published values of 2
to 64 ppb of gold in seawater a commercially
successful extraction seemed possible. After
analysis of 4,000 water samples yielding an
average of 0.004 ppb it became clear that
extraction would not be possible and he
stopped the project.
1.7. Production
The World Gold Council states that as of
the end of 2017, "there were 187,200 tonnes of
stocks in existence above ground". This can be
represented by a cube with an edge length of
about 21 meters. At $1,349 per troy ounce,
187,200 metric tonnes of gold would have a value
of $8.9 trillion.
As of 2017, the world's largest gold producer by far
was China with 455 tonnes. The second-largest
producer, Australia, mined 270 tonnes in the same
year, followed by Russia with 250 tonnes.
Time trend of gold production, U.S. Geological
Survey, 2013,
1.8. Mining and Prospecting
Since the 1880s, South Africa has been the
source of a large proportion of the world's gold
supply, and about 50% of the gold presently
accounted is from South Africa. Production in 1970
accounted for 79% of the world supply, about
1,480 tonnes. In 2007 China (with 276 tonnes)
overtook South Africa as the world's largest gold
producer, the first time since 1905 that South
Africa has not been the largest.
As of 2014, China was the world's leading gold-
mining country, followed in order by Australia,
Russia, the United States, Canada, and Peru. South
Africa, which had dominated world gold
production for most of the 20th century, had
declined to sixth place. Other major producers are
| P a g e 11
 INTRODUCTION TO GOLD

the Ghana, Burkina Faso, Mali, Indonesia and Witwatersrand in South Africa, and the Klondike in
Uzbekistan. Canada.
In South America, the controversial project Pascua
Lama aims at exploitation of rich fields in the high
mountains of Atacama Desert, at the border
between Chile and Argentina.
Today about one-quarter of the world gold output
is estimated to originate from artisanal or small-
scale mining.
The city of Johannesburg located in South Africa
was founded as a result of the Witwatersrand Gold
Rush which resulted in the discovery of some of the
largest natural gold deposits in recorded history.
The gold fields are confined to the northern and
north-western edges of the Witwatersrand basin,
which is a 5–7 km thick layer of archean rocks
located, in most places, deep under the Free A miner underground at Pumsaint gold mine, Wales; c. 1938.
State, Gauteng and surrounding provinces. These
Witwatersrand rocks are exposed at the surface on 1.9. Gold Localities in Ancient Egypt
the Witwatersrand, in and around Johannesburg,
Gold localities is divided in Egypt as follow:
but also in isolated patches to the south-east and
south-west of Johannesburg, as well as in an arc 1.9.1. Most Northern Group
around the Vredefort Dome which lies close to the
➢ Wadi Dara (Old Kingdom Settlements and
center of the Witwatersrand basin. From these
Mines
surface exposures the basin dips extensively,
➢ Wadi Dara (Early Arab Period)
requiring some of the mining to occur at depths of
➢ Umm Balad
nearly 4000 m, making them, especially
➢ Wadi el-Urf (South of Gebel Mongul)
the Savuka and TauTona mines to the south-west
of Johannesburg, the deepest mines on earth. The 1.9.2. Northern Central Group
gold is found only in six areas where archean rivers
from the north and north-west formed extensive ➢ Ghozza
➢ Fatira (Abu Zawal).
pebbly Braided river deltas before draining into
➢ Abu Shehat.
the "Witwatersrand sea" where the rest of the
➢ Wadi Abiyad
Witwatersrand sediments were deposited.
➢ Abu Mureiwat
The Second Boer War of 1899–1901 between ➢ Gold Processing Site at Bir Semna
the British Empire and the Afrikaner Boers was at ➢ Semna
least partly over the rights of miners and ➢ Wadi Margh-West
possession of the gold wealth in South Africa. ➢ Wadi Margh-East
During the 19th century, gold rushes occurred ➢ Wadi Bahlog
whenever large gold deposits were discovered. The ➢ Kab Amiri
first documented discovery of gold in the United ➢ Gidami
States was at the Reed Gold Mine near Georgeville, ➢ Abu Gaharish
North Carolina in 1803. The first major gold strike ➢ Abu Gerida
in the United States occurred in a small north ➢ Hamama I
➢ Hamama II
Georgia town called Dahlonega. Further gold
➢ Processing Site Hamama-W
rushes occurred in California, Colorado, the Black
➢ Aradiya-East
Hills, Otago in New Zealand, Australia, ➢ Wadi Sagia

| P a g e 12
 INTRODUCTION TO GOLD

➢ Abu Had ➢ Wadi Umm Rashid

➢ El-Rebschi ➢ Marwat (Abu Mureiwa)
➢ Wadi Atalla el-Mur ➢ Umm Hugab
➢ Atalla ➢ Dungash
➢ Umm Esh el-Zarqa I ➢ Wadi Dalalil
➢ Umm Esh el-Zarqa II ➢ Samut
➢ Wadi Sodmein
➢ Bir Samut
➢ Hammamat
➢ Wadi Mueilha
➢ Umm Had-South
➢ Umm el-Fawakhir and El-Sid ➢ Hangaliya
➢ Bir Umm el-Fawakhir 1.9.5. Southeastern Group
➢ The Pharaonic Mining District in Wadi el-Sid
➢ Wadi Geili (also Geli)
1.9.3. Middle Central Group ➢ Wadi Dendekan
➢ Umm Soleimat (also known as Hamuda) ➢ Qualan (also Qulan)
➢ Wadi Karim ➢ Abu Rahaiya
➢ Kab el-Abiad ➢ Bitan
➢ Terfawi ➢ Umm Eleiga
➢ Wadi Zeidun ➢ Hutit I and II (also Huzama or Rahaba)
➢ Sharm el-Bahari ➢ Urga Ryan
➢ El-Nur ➢ Umm Kaliba
➢ Umm Rus ➢ Anbat
➢ Wadi Raheiy ➢ Korbiai
➢ Sigdit and Wadi Miyah
➢ Daghbag
1.9.6. Southwestern Group
➢ Talet (also: Tila) Gadalla
➢ Abu Muawad ➢ Wadi el-Hudi
➢ El-Hisinat ➢ Wadi el-Hudi, Site 3
➢ Abu Dabab
1.9.7 Wadi Allaqi Region.
1.9.4. Southern Central Group
➢ Hairiri
➢ Umm Salatit ➢ Ashira-East
➢ Beza ➢ Umm Ashira
➢ Umm Salim ➢ Umm Ashira
➢ Abu Ashayir and Wadi Suwayqat ➢ Neguib
➢ Barramiya
➢ Atud 1.10. Extraction and Refining
➢ Head of Wadi Atud Gold extraction is most economical in
➢ Marsa Allam large, easily mined deposits. Ore grades as little as
➢ Wadi Umm Khariga. 0.5 parts per million (ppm) can be economical.
➢ Umm Quli Typical ore grades in open-pit mines are 1–5 ppm;
➢ Wadi Faraon ore grades in underground or hard rock mines are
➢ Sukkari usually at least 3 ppm. Because ore grades of
➢ Umm Tundub 30 ppm are usually needed before gold is visible to
➢ Bir Ambaud the naked eye, in most gold mines the gold is
➢ Ambaud invisible.
➢ Kurduman The average gold mining and extraction costs were
➢ Zabahiya about $317 per troy ounce in 2007, but these can
➢ Urf el-Fahid vary widely depending on mining type and ore

| P a g e 13
 INTRODUCTION TO GOLD
quality; global mine production amounted to
2,471.1 tonnes.
After initial production, gold is often subsequently
refined industrially by the Wohlwill process which
is based on electrolysis or by the Miller process,
that is chlorination in the melt. The Wohlwill
process results in higher purity but is more
complex and is only applied in small-scale
installations. Other methods of assaying and
purifying smaller amounts of gold include parting
and inquartation as well as cupellation, or refining
methods based on the dissolution of gold in aqua
regia.
| P a g e 14
Chapter 2

MINING METHODS
Mining is the process of extracting valuable economic mineral or rocks for the earth’s
surface and from below the surface. Mining differs from one deposit to another considering
many factors like cost, position of the deposit and type of waste material. Mining methods
are described below.
 MINING METHODS

2.1. Mining
Mining is the process of extracting valuable
economic mineral or rocks for the earth’s surface
and from below the surface. Mining differs from
one deposit to another considering many factors
like cost, position of the deposit and type of waste
material. Mining methods are described below.

2.2. Open-pit Mining

Open-pit (Open-Cast or Open Cut) mining
is a surface mining technique to extract rocks
containing economic deposits from the earth by
removing them through an Open-pit. The
excavating process in open pit mines result in cone- Layout of the open pit: (a) general view of the open pit, Sukari Gold
shaped volume. This form of mining differs from Mine

extractive mining methods that require digging

tunnels into the earth. Open-pit mines are used
when economic ore deposits are found near the
surface; that is, where the overburden (surface
waste rocks or material covering the ore deposit) is
relatively thin or the material of interest is
structurally unsuitable for tunneling (as would be
the case for sand, cinder, and gravel). For minerals
that occur deep below the surface, where the
overburden is thick or the mineral occurs as veins
in hard rock then underground mining methods are
used to extract the ore deposit.
Open-pit mines are typically run until either the
mineral resource is exhausted, or an increasing
stripping ratio (thickness of overburden need to be
removed to the thickness ore) makes further
mining uneconomic. When this occurs, the
exhausted mines are sometimes converted to
landfills for disposal of solid wastes.
Open-pit mines are dug as benches, which
construct vertical levels of the pit. These benches
are normally on four meters to sixty-meter
intervals, depending on the size of the machines
and equipment that are being utilized. A lot of
quarries do not use benches, as they are normally
shallow.
Most walls of the pit are normally designed with an
angle less than vertical, to avoid hazard of rock
falls. This relies on how weathered the rocks are,
and the kind of rock, and also how a lot of
structural weaknesses happen within the rocks,
like a fault, shears, joints or foliations.
2.3. Open-pit terms
Rock engineering systems (RES)Artificial neural networks (ANN)
BENCH: single level of operation above which
mineral or waste materials are mined from the
bench face.
BENCH HEIGHT: Vertical distance between the
highest point on the bench (crest) and the lowest
point on the bench (toe).
BENCH SLOPE: Horizontal angle of the line
connecting bench toe to the bench crest.
BERM: Horizontal shelf within the pit wall slope left
to enhance the stability of a slope within the pit
and improve the safety. Berm interval, berm width
and berm slope angle are determined by the
geotechnical investigation.
OVERALL PIT SLOPE ANGLE: The angle measured
from the bottom bench toe to the top bench crest.
HAUL ROADS: During the life of the pit a haul road
must be maintained for access.
HAUL ROAD - SPIRAL SYSTEM: Haul road is
arranged spirally along the perimeter walls of the
pit.

| P a g e 16
 MINING METHODS
2.4. Underground Mining
Underground mining is carried out when
the rocks, minerals, or precious stones are located
at a distance far beneath the ground to be
extracted with surface mining due to technical or
economic reasons. To facilitate the minerals to be
taken out of the mine, the miners construct
underground rooms to work in. The mining
company selects the best feasible way to get the
minerals extracted out.
2.4.1. Underground access
Accessing underground ore can
achieved via a decline, inclined shaft or adit.
Declines can be a spiral tunnel which circles either
the flank of the deposit or circles around the
deposit. The decline begins with a box cut, which is
the portal to the surface. Depending on the
amount of overburden and quality of bedrock.
They may also be started into the wall of an Open-
pit mine. Declines are often started from the side
of the high wall of an Open-pit mine when the ore
body is of a payable grade sufficient to support an
underground mining operation, but the strip ratio
has become too great to support open cast
extraction methods.
Shafts are vertical excavations adjacent to an ore
body. Shafts are sunk for ore bodies where haulage
to surface via truck is not economical. Shaft
haulage is more economical than truck haulage at
depth, and a mine may have both a decline and a
ramp.
Adits are horizontal excavations into the side of a
hill or mountain. Adits are used for horizontal or
near-horizontal ore bodies where there is no need
for a ramp or shaft.
Pillar is block of ore or barren rock left intact in the
mined-out stope or between two stopes to act as a
mean of support. It required to provide structural
integrity to the stopping process and prevent the
stope walls from collapsing. Pillars may be
removed after stopes are mined out, but some
pillars may be left in place permanently.
Draw point is a place from which the ore is
extracted from the stope and loaded onto trucks or
conveyors for further transportation.
2.4.2. Ore access
Levels are excavated horizontally off
the decline or shaft to access the ore body.
Stopes are then excavated perpendicular (or
near perpendicular) to the level into the ore.
2.5. Development mining vs. production
mining
There are two principal phases of
underground mining: development mining and
production mining.
Development mining is composed of excavation
be almost entirely in (non-valuable) waste rock in
order to gain access to the orebody.
There are six steps in development mining: remove
previously blasted material (muck out round),
scaling (removing any unstable slabs of rock
hanging from the roof and sidewalls to protect
workers and equipment from damage), installing
support or/and reinforcement using shotcrete
etcetera's, drill face rock, load explosives, and blast
explosives.
Production mining is further broken down into two
methods, long hole and short hole. Short hole
mining is similar to development mining, except
that it occurs in ore. There are several different
methods of long hole mining. Typically, long hole
mining requires two excavations within the ore at
different elevations below surface, (15 m – 30 m
apart). Holes are drilled between the two
excavations and loaded with explosives. The holes
are blasted and the ore is removed from the
bottom excavation.
| P a g e 17
 MINING METHODS

Cut and fill mining

2.6.2. Shrinkage Stopping

Shrinkage-Stopping is another highly
selective mining method designed for mining
narrow steeply dipping veins. Similarly, to cut-and-
fill method, shrinkage stopping starts from the
Open-pit mine and underground overview, access methods and ore
exploitation, Sukari technical report
bottom of the ore body and advances upward
excavating the ore in horizontal slices. However,
2.6. Underground Selective Mining the key difference is that the broken ore is not
Methods removed completely from the shrinkage stope.
Underground mining methods differ as a Approximately 60% of the broken ore is left in the
response of the ore deposits geometry and geology stope where it is used as a working platform for
and the type of waste rocks and depths to the ore mining the next slice of the ore. The broken ore
body itself. remaining in the stope, also serves as a support for
the stope walls.
2.6.1. Cut-and-Fill Method Shrinkage stopping is highly selective and cost-
The method is designed for selective effective mining method. However, its application
mining of the steeply dipping veins, in particular for is limited to the steeply dipping regular ore bodies
the narrow high-grade ore bodies. in the very stable host rocks. Regular shape of the
The method removes the ore in horizontal slices, ore body is also important for effective use of this
starting from the bottom undercut and advancing technique.
upward on a backfilled base. Every slice is mined by
drilling and blasting the face after which the broken
ore (muck) is removed from the stope. The process
is repeated until the entire slice is excavated along
the strike of ore body. When the lift is mined out
the resultant void is backfilled by waste rocks or,
most commonly, by sand tailings or by sand-
cement mixture. The backfill acts to support the
stope walls and it also used as a working platform
for equipment to mine the next slice.
Drilling of the stope face can be done by either a
Jumbo or an air-leg, depending on the thickness of
the ore-body and the permissible external dilution.

Shrinkage-Stopping mining

| P a g e 18
 MINING METHODS
2.6.3. Mining of the Gently Dipping Ore
Bodies
The methods which were described above
are designed for steeply dipping ore bodies. Mining
of the horizontal and gently dipping ore bodies
require different approach, which includes
continues support for the large overhead surfaces
exposed during mining of the flat stopes. The
different methods are available for mining of the
flat-bedded deposits, room-and pillar is described
in the section below.
2.6.4. Room-and-pillar Method
The room-and-pillar method is used for
mining flat bedded deposits using the flat open
stopes. Hanging wall of such stopes extends for
large areas and therefore have to be prevented
from collapsing by leaving pillars, which support
the hanging wall of the stopes. In order to minimize
the mining losses, the pillars are usually left where
low-grade material or internal waste present in the
ore. In case if the ore grade material has been left
in the pillars it is unrecoverable and therefore mine
geologists have to exclude these volumes from the
ore reserves. The flat ore body and large open
areas allows to establish several production areas
with an easy communication between different
sites. These factors make the room-and-pillar
method a highly efficient system for recovery ore
from the flat beds.
Room and pillar mining
2.7. Unconventional Mining
Extraction of minerals from the host rocks
not always made by digging of the open pits or
sinking shafts. Some minerals are extracted by
dissolving them directly in their host rocks (in situ)
therefore the exploitation technique is referred to
as in situ leach (ISL). This unconventional mining
approach is broadly used for extraction of the
dissolvable minerals hosted in the water
permeable rocks. In particular, this is the main
production method for the sandstone hosted
uranium deposits (Abzalov, 2012).
Another technique, included into the group of
unconventional mining method is dredging. This
method is used for exploitation of the mineral sand
deposits. A brief description of these methods is
given below.
2.7.1. In situ Leach (ISL) Technique
In situ leach (ISL) technology is used for
exploitation different types of the deposits,
however, the most complicated version of the ISL
technology was developed for mining uranium
from the weakly lithified sandstones. The method
is based on dissolving the uranium minerals
directly in their host rocks by reactive solutions
injected through the drill holes distributed along
the regular pattern (Abzalov, 2012). Solutions
dissolve uranium minerals directly in the host rocks
and are then pumped to the surface through the
extraction drill holes. The pregnant solutions are
collected on the surface and supplied to the
processing plant where uranium is extracted.
A significant advantage of the ISL operations over
conventional mining is their low capital and
production costs. The favorable economics of the
ISL technology coupled with a specific technical
characteristics of the method allow to use it for
mining the low-grade deposits hosted in the
unconsolidated sands at the depth up to 600 m
below surface.
ISL Technique
| P a g e 19
 MINING METHODS

2.7.2. Dredging of the Mineral Sands

Dredging is a process of excavation of the
bottom sediments from the water basins. The
prime objective of the method was not mining as,
primarily, the technique was designed for
maintaining the waterways navigable. Later, the
technique found its application in mining, where it
has become used for excavation diamond from the
off-shore marine placer deposits, gold placers at
the river beds and for mining the mineral sands
deposits. The latter requires the mineralized strata,
to be, at least partially, below the water table. In
that case the mineral sand dunes can be mined by
dredging using the system of the artificial basins
(dredge ponds). The excavated sands are pumped
in slurry to concentrator floating at the same pond
where the dredge is. The heavy minerals are
separated from the barren sand and clay which are
back filled to the pond behind the dredge.

| P a g e 20
Chapter 3

CASE STUDY OF SUKARI

GOLD MINE: A- GEOLOGIC
SETTING
The Sukari gold deposit is located in the Eastern Desert of Egypt at 240 56’ 50” N 340 42’ 27”
E, about 23 kilometers south west of the Red Sea coastal town of Marsa Alam. The region
has a very long history of mining and exploration carried out through all stages of history
Ptolemaic, Roman, Arab and British colonial to the present day.
 SGM GEOLOGIC SETTING

Sukari Gold Mine ore reserves” were estimated to be about 12,000t

@ 20g/t Au (Hume, 1937). With a further work
3.1. LOCATION 65,000t estimated “ore in sight”. After preparatory
work, production commenced in August 1937 and
The Sukari gold deposit is located in the
continued intermittently until February 1951.
Eastern Desert of Egypt at 240 56’ 50” N 340 42’ 27”
Recorded gold production for this period is 4,768kg
E, about 23 kilometers south west of the Red Sea
(Azzaz, et.al., 1978). Ore was sourced from the
coastal town of Marsa Alam (Figure 1.1).
Main Lode, with the ancient underlay shaft being
renewed and extended to about 185 metres depth.
An extraction level was established at 110 metres
depth and stopping above this level extended over
about 100 metres strike length. Several subsidiary
edits and underlay shafts access stopes along the
length of the mined strike.
An estimated 900kg of gold was produced from
Sukari before the current exploration programme
(Table 3.1).

AMOUNT PRODUCED
TYPE GOLD
TREATED Kilograms
Ounces

Maximum
Ancient
170,000 cubic 2,390 74
alluvial
m
Current Sukari Exploitation Licence, Sukari Project Location; other
Prospects and Main Infrastructure, BFS Geology Report Ancient Maximum
10,800 336
Underground 30,000 tons
The region has a very long history of mining and
exploration carried out through all stages of history John Wells
522.5 tons 267.6 8.32
Ptolemaic, Roman, Arab and British colonial to the Sukari G. M.
present day.
EGSMA
27,800 tons 15,330 476.8
3.2. PREVIOUS WORK AT SUKARI 1933 to 1951

Gold was mined at Sukari in Pharaonic ~28,790 ~895

and Roman times. Numerous small pits are located
over about two kilometres strike on Sukari Ridge.
There are also small pits in wadi colluvium along
the flanks of the ridge, most notably in Wadi
Pharaoh to the east of the northern part of the
ridge. The old Sukari Mine was established on an
outcropping quartz vein (the “Sukari Main Lode”)
on the south-western flank of Sukari Ridge (Figure
3.1). In Pharaonic times, mining of this vein
extended to about 50 metres from surface and,
separated, along about 200 metres strike, with
stopes about one metre wide. Small-scale mining
was re-established in 1912 by British concerns but
appears to have ceased at the outbreak of World
War 1. In 1936, a renewed effort by government
authorities to re-establish Egypt’s gold mining
industry. Sukari was selected as the first mine to be
brought back into production. In 1934, “developed
TOTAL
Table 3.1 – Estimated former gold production from Sukari Gold
Mine through history (from Centamin Reports and Research)
Surveyed regional geological traverses were
geochemically sampled and plotted at 1:10,000
scale. Smaller scale traversing followed to cover
areas geochemically and geologically. Infill mapping
at 1:5000 and later 1:2000 scale was supplemented
by trenching over mineralised zones. Finally,
diamond drill holes were completed. In 1977
“prospective gold resources” were estimated to be
12Mt @ 2g/t Au. The results have been summarised
by Abdel-Khalek (1996). The whole core from these
holes has been suppressed by the Russian for
assaying, as the validity of these assays could not be
verified, none of the data was used in subsequent
resource calculations.

| P a g e 22
 SGM GEOLOGIC SETTING
Additional work was done by the geological survey
of Egypt during 1979-1981. In 1985-1990 Minex-
Egypt (Greenwich Resources) carried out
reconnaissance mapping, sampling and drilling at
Abu Marrawat (in El Sid Exploration Concession)
and at Barramiya. A brief inspection was carried
out at Sukari (and Atud) at that time.
3.3. REGIONAL SETTING
The Eastern Desert is a large area of
Palaeo-Mesoproterozoic sediments and volcanic
rocks, Meso-to Neoproterozoic granite, gneiss,
migmatite and granulite, in the center of North
Africa.
Sukari is located within the Arabian-Nubian Shield
(Al Shanti, 1978), a Neoproterozoic basement that
underlies much of Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia,
Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. The Arabian-Nubian
Shield was formed by complex accretion of
volcanic island arcs and marginal sediments prior
to collision against the Metacraton (Figure 3.1).
This is known as the Pan African Event or Orogeny.
Reconstructed tectonic map of the Arabian-Nubian Shield showing
the location of Sukari relative to the Gerf Magmatic Arc (medium
grey color) and the Nile Craton. Arc-Arc and Arc continent sutures
are shown in dark grey and black lines, respectively. Modified from
Abdulsalam & Stern (1996).
The volcanic arc terrane comprises mafic-
intermediate and felsic volcanic, calcalkaline
granites, volcaniclastic sediments and deep marine
sediments formed between 800 and 700Ma (Stern
& Hedge,1985). The volcanic arc complex and
accretionary wedge sediments were abducted
along deep ophiolitic sutures onto the Nile Craton
between 700Ma and 650-620Ma. The ultramafic
and gabbro sequences in the Sukari area are
proposed to be intrusive bodies intruded into
major structures after accretion.
The magmatic evolution of the Eastern Desert is
divided into six groups by Stern & Hedge (1985)
and modified by Cavaney (2005, Figure 3.2), and
these are summarised as suites below:
• Suite 1 comprises granite and gneiss dated
ca.950-750Ma forming domes of uplifted Nile
Craton basement.
• Suite 2 is tonalite and diorite bodies that are
coeval with andesitic volcanic (Shadli
Volcanics) dated at ca.715-700Ma in the
volcanic arc terrane.
• Suite 3 is a second round of intermediate and
felsic volcanism and coeval plutonic rocks
(tonalite, granodiorite) at ca.685-665Ma.
Older “grey” granites fit into this group
• Suite 4 consists of a third round of granodiorite
intrusions and coeval volcanic dated at ca.625-
610Ma and more common in the northern and
central parts of the Eastern Desert than the
south.
• Suite 5 relates to the intrusion of ‘Gatterian’ or
‘Pink’ or ‘Red’ granites and eruption of coeval
volcanic (Dokhan Volcanics) during significant
crustal extension at ca.600-575Ma. The Sukari
porphyry (559±6Ma; Harraz, 1991) is assigned
to this Suite
• Suite 6 comprises plutons and dykes of granite,
alkali granite and rhyolite intruded ca.555-
540Ma
Rock Relationship Diagram, Sukari District, Eastern Desert
(Cavaney 2005)
| P a g e 23
 SGM GEOLOGIC SETTING

After the convergence movement ended and the

arc terrains formed an East-West force acted
resulting Najd Fault system. The Najd fault system
is a major transcurrent (strike-slip) fault system of
Proterozoic age in the Arabian Shield. The system
is a braided complex of parallel and curved echelon
faults. Complex arrays of secondary structures
including strike-slip, oblique-slip, thrust, and
normal faults, together with folds and dike swarms,
are associated with some major faults, particularly
near their terminations. The outcrop traces of
faults and syntectonic dikes have been used to
interpret the configuration of principal
compressive stresses during formation of parts of
the secondary fracture systems. Second-order
deformation was a series of separate events in a
complex episodic faulting history. Interpretation of
the aeromagnetic maps indicates that the Najd
system is broader at depth than the outcropping
fault complex, and that more continuous
structures underlie arrays of faults at surface. The
fault pattern is mechanically explicable in terms of
simple shear between rigid blocks beneath the
exposed structures. These interpretation of the
Tectonic map of the Central Eastern Desert of the Arabian-Nubian
arcuate group of thrusts in the Sukari-Marsa Alam Shield according to Fritz et al. (1996), showing a series of
area as part of a “flower” structure (Figure 3.3). metamorphic core complexes (H = Hafafit Culmination, Si = Sibai
Dome, M = Meatiq Dome) within the sinistral Najd Fault System
Gold-related alteration probably developed ~20 - (NFS). Sukari is located in an arcuate fold thrust belt flanking the
Hafafit Culmination, BFS Geology Report
50Ma after the main deformations associated with
the Najd Fault System.

3.4. SUKARI PROJECT GEOLOGY

The Sukari felsic porphyry outcrop is located in an easterly dipping sequence of andesite flows,
serpentinites and associated volcanoclastic sediments, mainly tuffs and epiclastics. It strikes for 2.3km and is
100 to 600m thick.

Sukari Hill with designated geographical zones, looking to the SE, BFS Geology Report

| P a g e 24
 SGM GEOLOGIC SETTING
Late Precambrian andesitic sediments, tuffs and
flows dominate the Sukari Mine Area sequence but
with some more acidic flows as rhyolites and
dacites. The sediments/tuffs are typical andesitic
epiclastics comprising original and resorted ash
and lapilli tuffs, finer siltstone, coarser
agglomerates and rounded polymictic
conglomerates. The andesites occur as flows and
as several generations of dikes. Pillow lavas are
present in the hanging-wall sequence, commonly
elongated. The host to gold mineralisation is the
Sukari felsic porphyry unit that contains a variable
series of sub-units ranging from minor acid and
felsic rhyolite and dacite to coarser grained
feldspar and quartz porphyries, quartz diorites and
granodiorites, dipping from moderate east in the
south, through sub-vertical to slightly overturned
hanging-wall contact in the north.
Sukari gold deposit schematic geology, displaying the Sukari
porphyry and the surrounding country rocks (Cavaney 2005)
3.5. STRATIGRAPHY AND LITHOLOGY
3.5.1. Footwall Sequence
The Footwall beds in the area comprise
about 720m of epiclastic sediments and tuffs,
serpentinites and andesite flows. The sequence
continues on westward for several kilometres. In
most of the drilling at Sukari, the porphyry is in
contact with a black, fine grained sedimentary unit
(graphite schist). Commonly there are fragments of
ash or lapilli tuffs embedded in the carbonaceous
unit matrix. The presence of carbonaceous matter
implies deep, anaerobic conditions, which occur in
areas of restricted circulation such as a basin. These
units have abundant smooth graphitic foliation
planes.
Typical FWB graphite schist footwall rocks, Sukari Amun Zone
(RCD504, 10300N, 299m)
Serpentinite also occurs in the footwall package in
several other areas to the north. The serpentinites
are similar to the hanging-wall serpentinites,
although the alteration and shearing is generally
stronger in the footwall. The dominant alteration
assemblage comprises chlorite, epidote, talc and
serpentine. Narrow basalt lava flows have been
recognized within the graphite schist. The lavas are
simple flows, less than 12m thick and are intensely
chlorite-epidote ± sericite altered.
3.5.2. Porphyry Sequence
Gold mineralization at Sukari Gold Mine is
hosted by igneous bodies that in the past have
been classified as a granite or granodiorite.
Footwall and hanging-wall rocks have subjected to
strain by development of strong schistocity, almost
certainly accompanied by large decreases in
volume. The porphyry has taken up strain by
development of predominantly brittle fault and
shear structures.
| P a g e 25
 SGM GEOLOGIC SETTING
Partitioning of deformation style in porphyry and wall rocks Sukari
Porphyry hanging wall contact, 10900N, looking ENE (modified from
HELLMAN & SCHOFIELD, 2003)
Subsequent work indicates that the igneous body
at Sukari is probably a multistage complex of
different high-level intrusions spanning diorite,
granodiorite, tonalite, and feldspar porphyry and
with feldspar porphyry the last stage in the
evolution, intruded into host-rocks that had
already been deformed (Standing, 2006).
Geological logging over the years has led to 5 main
porphyry types being logged and described, based
on primary rock types and alteration overprints:
P1: it is grey/green or light brown in color, fine to
medium grained often with some lath shaped
feldspars still visible (often replaced by sericite).
There is a fair degree of variation in the fabric of
the rock from equigranular to porphyritic. There
are several felsic intrusives classified under the P1
category.
P1 Porphyry, BFS Geology Report
P2: this rock is distinguished by its strong green color
due to the presence of abundant sericite, and often
foliated texture. It is generally fine grained, but
sometimes feldspar porphyritic. It generally shows
distinct intrusive contacts with P1, though in some
cases may be a structural contact. It occurs generally
as narrow (<5m) units, often as hanging wall
porphyry units. It is generally unmineralized or
weakly anomalous, which may indicate it was
intruded later into the porphyry complex than the
bulk of the gold mineralization event or is not a
preferred host to gold mineralization.
P2 Porphyry, BFS Geology Report
P4: a distinct, very fine grained to aphanitic, grey to
white, glassy dyke-like felsic unit. It usually shows
clear contacts with P1 but has been observed and
the other appears gradational. It typically
constitutes the hanging wall porphyry units or is
near the hanging wall contact to the Main P1
porphyry.
PM: Medium to fine grained often with distinctive
interlocking bladed habit (due to feldspar and
amphibole) that is still evident in strongly altered
versions. It is often magnetic, with fine subhedral
magnetite disseminated throughout. Usually it is
associated with low gold grades (i.e. it is a non-
preferred host).
PM Porphyry, BFS Geology Report
| P a g e 26
 SGM GEOLOGIC SETTING
P6: fine to medium grained with an equigranular to
porphyritic texture, the rock is distinctive by its
pink to red color, from the higher hematite
content. Hematite is a common constituent and is
often found in veinlets and around crystal
boundaries. The rock shows varying amounts of
silica, albite, kaolinite and sericite alteration. Both
P6 and P1 are mineralized by the quartz vein,
shearing, brecciation and gold – sulphide events.
General consensus amongst PGM geologists is in
most cases, P1 is a sericite – silica – carbonate
altered porphyry unit, and P6 is its earlier,
hematite altered version.
Slightly oblique view of all drill holes at Sukari, colored by logged
lithology (P6 is green; P1 (and P2, P4 included) is pink). Shows
distribution of the main porphyry types as logged. Alteration
corridors of the silica – sericite being shown in P1 distribution, BFS
Geology Report
3.5.3. Dykes
Several dyke facies intrude the sequence,
ranging from strongly altered and sheared
andesitic and felsic dykes, to post hydrothermal
andesite. A series of late felsic dykes have been
recognized in the drilling, generally less than 4 m
thick, trend north-south and dip 45o to 60o to the
east. Felsic dykes have also seen to be cross cutting
the rock package in an east – west direction,
parallel to the principal stress direction, in an
extensional framework.
A magnetic andesite dyke unit has been recognized
at Sukari, it has a fine grained, mottled, feldspar
porphyritic texture, with often sheared and fine
grained chilled contacts. The dacitic and
rhyodacitic dykes are less altered, with sericite
replacing feldspar phenocrysts as the dominant
alteration style, giving them a yellow-grey, glassy
appearance. The dyke margins have narrow chilled
margins that are commonly sheared and contain
subhedral pyrite and quartz veins along the
contacts.
The earliest andesite dykes were probably
emplaced pre-mineralization. The felsic dykes
were emplaced late in the hydrothermal cycle, and
from niche sampling, generally un-mineralized.
They are commonly seen near the footwall contact
in sheared porphyry in the Amun Zone, utilizing
zones of structural weakness. A second phase of
mafic to intermediate magmatism commenced
during the latter stages of gold stage
mineralization, expressed as intermediate to mafic
composition, porphyritic and commonly
amygdaloidal (carbonate) dykes. These dykes are
strongly Fe-carbonate + sulphide alteration,
foliated and cut by extension veins. The dykes are
localized along the contacts of the Sukari intrusive
complex.
Dyke Rocks of Sukari - Felsic dacite; rhyodacitic and Andesitic (left
to right) – NQ Core (47mm), BFS Geology Report
3.6. STRUCTURAL CONTROLS OF
GOLD MINERALISATION
The Sukari gold deposit is a large, sheeted
vein-type and brittle-ductile shear zone hosted
gold deposit, developed in a late-to post-orogenic
granitoid intrusive complex intruded into the
Neoproterozoic Gerf Magmatic Arc of the Arabian-
Nubian Shield. Deformation at Sukari is manifest as
a fold-thrust-nappe in the foreland to a large
| P a g e 27
 SGM GEOLOGIC SETTING

metamorphic core complex, uplifted at ca.680Ma 3.7.1. Sulphides

and forming part of the major Najd Fault System.
Sukari lies on one of these NE trending thrusts.
Gold mineralization at Sukari (ca.530Ma)
postdates the final stages of uplift, so may not be
related to Najd faulting event. Post-accretion
shortening direction which prevailed during the
evolution of the Najd Fault System varied between
NW-SE and ESE-WNW (Standing, 2006).
3.6.1. Vein Types
The nature of mineralization encountered
in drill cores is consistent throughout the Sukari
deposit to be veins, with the main differences
being vein geometry. Essentially there are three
main styles of veining at Sukari: sheeted extension
vein arrays, en echelon arrays of extension veins,
and major through-going shear extension (Hellman
& Schofield, 2003 and Standing, 2006).
➢ The shear extension veins are the result of
multiple deformation and veining. They
represent through-going, long-lived
structures on which significant displacement
(metres to tens of metres) has occurred.
Arsenopyrite mineralisation tends to be
concentrated in these veins and they
represent the highest-grade mineralisation at
Sukari.
Gold mineralization at Sukari is related
dominantly to sulphides. Pyrite is the most
abundant sulphide followed by arsenopyrite. High
gold grades are associated with increased
arsenopyrite. The sulphides occur as fine-grained
disseminations in altered porphyry and as sub-to
euhedral crystals and finer disseminations in
quartz veins, fractures and breccias. Pyrite is found
in all the mineralized zones. Deposition of pyrite
was continuous throughout the various
mineralizing stages.
Arsenopyrite is most common in the zones of
higher-grade gold mineralization. Arsenopyrite
isn’t abundant in the stacked extensional zones
and minor quartz veins. It occurs primarily as fine,
sub-to euhedral crystals in veins, and rimming
breccia clasts.

➢ Brecciated veins consist of brecciated quartz

veins and porphyry rock fragments in a
matrix ± sulphides ± hematite. Pyrite crystals (buff) in association with arsenopyrite (silver-blue).
3.7. MINERALISATION Native gold (arrow) is developed along the grain boundaries
between pyrite and arsenopyrite. (Petrographic slide – reflected
light, after Khalil, 2006)
Sharara (1999) indicates three stages to
gold mineralisation at Sukari and other gold 3.7.2. Native Gold
deposits in the district, with gold introduced at
temperatures between 370°C to 140°C. The second Visible gold in core occurs as anhedral
stage was the main stage of gold deposition and is grains in milky white extensional and breccia
quartz veins and as intergrowths with pyrite and
related to dilated shear zones. The temperatures
arsenopyrite, commonly in narrow shear veins at
were between 360°C to 262°C, with gold deposited
from a low-salinity carbonic fluid similar to that quartz vein.
typically invoked for many Archaean gold deposits.
Ghoneim, Harraz et. Al (1999). ascribe an age of
559Ma ± 6Ma to the Sukari Porphyry based on Rb-
Sr and Sm-Nd isotopic dating of fresh granite and a
mineralization age of 522 ± 11Ma based on the
same methods applied to albitised granite and
separated albite.

Photograph displays visible gold, BFS Geology Report

| P a g e 28
 SGM GEOLOGIC SETTING

Silver is routinely assayed in drill samples but there is no correlation between it and gold and only very low
levels returned (generally less than 1ppm Ag).
SEM and mineralgraphic work determined that high-purity gold occurs free in quartz, on the margins of pyrite
and arsenopyrite crystals, and as microfracture fillings.

SEM micrograph of gold and pyrite composite; gold on margin is high purity late gold with electrum; earlier gold
occluded within pyrite (from Mintek 2000).

Based on the microscopic investigation, the following paragenesis, from the oldest to the youngest, is
postulated (Khalil, 2006):
❖ Magnetite and Ti-bearing mineral (probably titanomagnetite or ilmenite) were formed during the
magmatic stage. Pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite relicts seem to belong to this magmatic stage.
❖ Under contact metamorphism and high strain conditions, probably at the site of shear zones, platy
hematite and rutile were formed.
❖ Pyrite and arsenopyrite are of hydrothermal origin and seem to be formed as a result of sulphidisation
of pre-existing rocks.
❖ Sphalerite, chalcopyrite, galena and native gold are fracture filling minerals and are syn – to post the
host deformed pyrite and arsenopyrite assemblage
❖ Goethite and anatase were formed under weathering conditions.

| P a g e 29
Chapter 4

CASE STUDY OF SUKARI

GOLD MINE B- EXPLORATION
& MINING
Exploration Included gridding, traversing, mapping, geochemical sampling, trenching,
channel sampling, heavy mineral sampling, auguring and surveying. While mining included
both open-pit and underground mining.
 SGM EXPLORAION & MINING
4.1. Exploration Process at Sukari
Exploration Included gridding, traversing,
mapping, geochemical sampling, trenching,
channel sampling, heavy mineral sampling,
augering and surveying.
4.2. Exploration Methods Used
• Gridding and traversing was carried out at
1:10,000 scale.
• Mapping was initially carried out using the 50
x 20m grid with the base line striking 020° M.
The base line had 45 cross lines surveyed
from it designed to act as north westerly
oriented profiles to cross main zones of
beresitisation, silicification, albitisation,
listvenitisation and quartz veins. Field
observations along the profiles
Geological Map, 1:2500, Cavaney 2005
acted as basis for compiling geological maps
of the Sukari area at 1:10,000 scale. The
maps were used to plan sampling. They were
never final-drafted. In January 1998 Cavaney
geologically mapped the Amun zone at 1:500
scale by traversing along the 50 m spaced
grid lines from 10,000N to about 10,700N.
This continued as more detailed 1:1000 scale
mapping of the greater Sukari Mine area
from mid-2001.
A set of 1:1000 scale base maps were plotted to be
used as master sheets for the compiling of all
geological traverses covered the whole of the main
porphyry outcrop at that scale.
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 SGM EXPLORAION & MINING
4.3. Rock Chip and surface Sampling
Sampling is an ongoing process and all
surface exposures from tracks and drill pads are
sampled. Grab samples have been taken over the
greater Mine area in areas of geological interest
when mapping and have been incorporated into
the database, which has been included in the
resource estimation sampling database
Rock chips were taken initially on 160 m spaced
lines with some supplementary infill lines. In
Surface Rock Chip Sampling, technical report
addition, dykes, quartz veins and zones of
hydrothermal alteration were grab-sampled.
Later rock chip sampling was undertaken on 100
m spaced lines and samples were approximately
1 m to 2 m in length.
Surface rock chip sample data has been
incorporated into the resource calculation, with
4,908 samples (10,540 metres of two metre
samples) coming from 180 sample lines
| P a g e 32
 SGM EXPLORAION & MINING

1. Trenching and channel sampling within the

cut trenches was undertaken, mainly within
zones of intense silicification and
sulphidization. Total length of trenching was
1,143 m.
Trench sample assays are available as point data
located by nominal northings, and with
eastings and elevations estimated by
interpolation between trench end locations
measured by tape and compass. PGM staff
also cut and sampled new trenches, total
trench samples from the two phases was
3,027 samples
2. Channel sampling from historical
underground workings was completed. A
total of 982 samples were submitted for
analysis. Channel samples were also taken Interpreted Cross Section of the Gazelle Zone showing adits and
from the main underground. Sample locations summary significant results. Looking South, BFS Geology Report
were surveyed by tape and compass. Assays
of underground sampling have not been used
for resource estimation.
3. Augering was undertaken on two heaps of
tailings on a 10 m by 10 m grid to a maximum
depth of 1 m. A total of 327 samples were
taken for gold analysis. For the 1996
programme, a hand Auger was used to collect
samples on 10m x 10m grid covering the
tailing dumps. Holes ranged in depth between
0.20m to 4m. Maximum sample length was 1
m. The augering programme was carried out
to estimate the quantity of gold in the old
tailings. A total of 154 boreholes were drilled
for 267.85 metres and 327 samples taken for
assay from the two tailings dams. The average
of all samples was 2.10g/t Au. Howe (1998) in
their mineral resource report gave the surface
tailings resource at 32,000t for 89kg of Au.
4. Heavy mineral sampling was undertaken at
various suitable sites in wadis. Suitable
localities in wadis (i.e. the lee of boulders, old
rock pools etc.) were sampled by taking
approximately 20 kg of sediment. These were
sieved in the field to 2 mm, reduced by
washing and panning at Marsa Alam, and the
heavy mineral concentrates dispatched for
examination by binocular microscope and for
assaying. 42 samples were collected, visible
gold was located in four of these samples.

Surface Sample gold Anomalism (>0/5g/t Au) compiled from

trenches, grab samples and rock chip lin, BFS Geology Report

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 SGM EXPLORAION & MINING

4.4. DRILLING

Drilling has been conducted on 25 m Total Number

Total number of drillholes 1,892
spaced sections-oriented grid east-west for the
open-pit resource and 15 m speed sections for the
Total metres (all holes) 579,319
underground resource. Locations of drill holes used
for mineral resource estimation.
RC total metres 74,961
DD total metres 504,358

Table: Summary Details of Sukari Resource Drillhole Datase

Plan showing all Drilling, Resource Limits and planned holes, BFS Geology Report

| P a g e 34
 SGM EXPLORAION & MINING

4.5. Topographic Survey Data
Spot heights and features have been
surveyed by SGM surveyors using RTK GNSS survey
equipment. Inaccessible areas are surveyed by
reflectorless total station with temporary station
coordinates provided by RTK GNSS. The survey
data is reduced and processed using Surpac
software to provide digital terrain model (DTM)
and contour files in various formats as required.
Surveyed spot heights form the basis for the digital
terrain model used in resource estimation and
mine design.

Sukari Topography DTM, BFS Geology Report

4.6. SAMPLE PREPARATION

Sample preparation facilities were
installed on site and began working in the mid
November 1996. A total of 2,261 rock chip
samples were prepared for assay that year. A
new upgraded lab was commissioned in 2006,
increasing pulverised sample capacity to about
450 samples per 24 hours.
The lab is equipped with an oven, one ESSA
primary jaw crusher (to 10mm), one ESSA
Rhino secondary crusher (to about 4mm) and
4 Labtech LM2 ring mill pulverizes. The final
result is two 200 – 300g bags of -75µm
pulverized sample, one is shipped to Australia
to Ultrarace Laboratory in Perth for Au and Ag
determination by Aqua Regia at 1ppb DL for
Au, the other sample remains with EMRA in
Marsa Alam storage.

| P a g e 35
 SGM EXPLORAION & MINING

Crusher

Oven

4.7. Core Samples preparation

The half core sample is put in an oven for two hours (110ºC). The dried material is initially passed
through a jaw crusher to produce fragments less than 10 mm. The crushed material is then passed through a
secondary crusher, to reduce the sample further (down to 4 mm) prior to pulverization. The sample is split
into two equal halves, one half returned to the sample calico bag, using a riffle splitter. One of the equal sized
splits is used for pulverizing by the previous stage and the other added to the calico bag for storage.

4.8. Final Mineralization Geometry

The porphyry host for the mineralization has a strike length of approximately 2,300 m, and ranges in
thickness from 100 m to approximately 600 m (Cavaney 2005). Gold mineralization within this is not
continuous and its deposition has been influenced by major long-lived structures, the most important of which
are tabular sheets of crackle breccia. Figure illustrates the overall shape and size of the porphyry host and the
geometry of the high grade Main Reef and Hapi Reef.
Drilling to date indicates that the Sukari Porphyry dips toward the east at between 50º and 75º. The western
and eastern contacts of the porphyry are thus regarded as footwall and hanging wall contacts, respectively.
Porphyry/wall rock contacts are, in places, vertical or overturned.

| P a g e 36
SGM EXPLORAION & MINING

Final Mineralization geometry, BFS Geology Report

| P a g e 37
 SGM EXPLORAION & MINING

4.9. Underground Mining

The Sukari underground mine is a trackless
diesel mine, with all equipment rubber tyred and
self-powered. The workings are accessed via a
ramp system declining at a gradient of 1 in 7. Levels
are typically developed at 15 metre vertical
intervals, although this is dependent on orebody
geometry and mining method.
Access into mine is via the Amun Decline with the
portal located at 1,075 mRL. A second decline
ramp, the Ptah Decline, has been developed from
the 950 mRL level of the Amun Decline accessing
the northern resource area.
Figure 16.2-1 shows a long section of the current
mine development and stope voids as at 30 June
2015.

Long Section Looking North, BFS Geology Report

At amun and ptah area, BFS Geology Report

| P a g e 38
 SGM EXPLORAION & MINING

4.10. Mining Method

The layout of the mine incorporates two
declines. The Amun decline provides access to the
Hapi, Amun Deeps, Osiris and Horus zones. The
Ptah decline accesses the northern portion of the
resource.
➢ Walls in underground supported by Point
anchor bolts (or expansion shell bolts) are a
common style of area ground support. A point
anchor bolt is a metal bar between 20 mm –
25 mm in diameter, and between 1 m–4 m
long (the size is determined by the mine
engineering department. There is an
expansion shell at the end of the bolt which is ➢ Underground mining utilizes a fleet of
inserted into the hole. As the bolt is tightened conventional 50 ton trucks and loaders for
by the installation drill the expansion shell material movement. Ore is sourced from
expands and the bolt tightens holding the rock jumbo drill development headings and
together. Mechanical bolts are considered production stoping areas that utilize a number
temporary support as their lifespan is reduced of different stoping methods. Ore is hauled to
by corrosion as they are not grouted. Also the surface ROM pad and used for blending
cement an iron net inserted specially in with ore from the open-pit operation.
shallow depth because of weathered rocks. ➢ Waste rock is generated primarily from the
access declines and comprises around 15% of
the total material movement. Waste is hauled
to a surface waste dump adjacent to the Amun
Decline portal.
➢ A fleet of two boom drill jumbos are used for
lateral development and ground support.

Stope designs have been based on the body of

➢ Stope blast holes are drilled using a
conventional long-hole drill with a rod
handling carousel, which is capable of drilling
89 mm diameter holes, up to 50 m in length.
The boom rig configuration rather than horse
shoe style allows large fly angles to be used in
the flatter stopes, maximizing recovery.
knowledge that has been gained to date in the
development and production of the Amun Decline.
Stope strike lengths can be greater than 50 m
where consistent mineralization is encountered,
and either allowances for support pillars or the use

| P a g e 39
 SGM EXPLORAION & MINING

of backfill have been made in the estimation of the Mineral Reserves. Work is underway examining the
backfilling options available, including the use of a hydraulic fill utilizing deslimed tailings from the processing
plant. The use of this kind of engineering fill medium will likely reduce the reliance on crown and rib pillars,
allowing for a higher mining recovery
Note: Ventilation and a second means of egress is provided by a second decline system which parallels the
access declines. The mine has a number of four-man and sixteen-man mobile refuge chambers. Fixed
permanent fresh air bases are also in place or planned. An emergency set of services runs through the exhaust
system, providing an independent source of compressed air and fire-fighting water. Radio communications
are available throughout the mine, and a backup conventional telephone system is also in place.

4.11. Mineral Evaluation Notes to table:

The total Mineral Resource estimate is 13
million ounces (Moz) contained gold (Au). The total
Mineral Resource is reported as an open-pit
Mineral Resource at a 0.3 g/t cut-off grade.
An underground Mineral Resource has also been
estimated. The underground resource is located
within the boundaries of the open-pit resource and
is estimated from the same mineralization. As
such, the underground Mineral Resource is a sub-
set of the total or open-pit Mineral Reserve
estimate and these estimates are not cumulative.
The underground Mineral Resource estimate is 1.0
Moz contained Au at a 2.0 g/t cut-off grade.
Measured Indicated Inferred
• The Mineral Resource estimate is based on the open-
pit mined surface as at 30 June 2015 and depleted for
underground mine workings as at 30 June 2015.
• All available assays as at February 2015.
• Resource dataset comprises 252,449 two metre down
hole composites and surface rock chip samples.
• Mineral Resource is reported inclusive of those
resources converted to Proven and Probable Mineral
Reserves.
• The resource is an estimate of recoverable tonnes and
grades using Multiple Indicator Kriging with block support
correction.
• Measured Resources lie in areas where drilling is
available at a nominal 25 x 25 metre spacing, Indicated
Resources occur in areas drilled at approximately 25 x 50
metre spacing and Inferred Resources exist in areas of
broader spaced drilling.
• The resource model extends from 9,700 mN to 12,200
mN and to a maximum depth of 0 mRL (a maximum depth
of approximately 1,000 metres below wadi level).

4.12. Mineral Reserve

Cut-off

Contained
Tonnes

Tonnes

Tonnes
Grade

Grade

Grade

Gold
(g/t)

(g/t)

(g/t)
(Mt)

(Mt)

(Mt)

The total combined open-pit and

underground Mineral Reserve estimate for
0.3 198 1.05 188 1.02 33 1.0 1.1
contained gold is 8.8 Moz, which is an increase of
7% from the previous 8.2 Moz estimated at 30
September 2013. The increase is due to lower
0.4 160 1.22 152 1.18 26 1.2 1.0
operating mining and processing costs associated
with lower international fuel prices, and continued
drilling from underground to move ounces up
through the resource categories and increase the
0.5 133 1.38 124 1.34 21 1.3 0.9
underground Mineral Reserve.
Proven Probable Total
0.7 95 1.69 87 1.66 15 1.7 0.8
Contained
Tonnes

Tonnes

Tonnes
Grade

Grade

Grade

(Moz)
Gold
(g/t)

(g/t)

(g/t)
(Mt)

(Mt)

(Mt)

1.0 62 2.14 56 2.12 9 2.1 0.6

New 152 1.05 101 1.15 25 1.09 8.8
Reserve 3
Previous 119 1.06 111 1.17 23 1.11 8.2
Reserve 0
Table: Total Mineral Resource for Sukari
Total Combined (Open-pit and Underground) Mineral
Reserve for Sukari

| P a g e 40
 SGM EXPLORAION & MINING
Notes to table:
Totals may not equal the sum of the components due to rounding adjustments.
(1) Based on a metal price of US$1,300/oz Au and includes:
Open-pit reserve totalling 229 Mt @ 1.09g/t for 8.0 Moz
Underground reserve totalling 2.7 Mt @ 6.0g/t for 0.5 Moz
Surface stockpiles totalling 21 Mt @ 0.42g/t for 0.3 Moz
(2) Based on open-pit mined surfaces as at 30 June 2015 and underground workings as at 30 June 2015
(3) Final open-pit design has a waste to ore ratio of 5.9:1 (including the in-pit dump leach ore, but not stockpiles)
(4) As at 30 September 2013 using US$1,300/oz Au.

The Mineral Reserve is based on a gold price of US$1,300/oz. The open-pit cut-off grades are 0.08 g/t Au for
oxide (including dump leach material) and 0.42 g/t for both transition and sulphide material. The underground
cut-off grade is 3.0 g/t. The reference point for the Mineral Reserve estimate is the mill feed, reported as
mined ore delivered to the plant or dump leach processing facilities.

| P a g e 41
Chapter 5

CASE STUDY OF SUKARI

GOLD MINE C- PROCESSING &
MINING PROBLEMS
It is extracting the gold from the ore by serious of processes
 SGM PROCESSING OF GOLD
5.1. Processing
It is extracting the gold from the ore by
serious of processes that consist of the following
stages:
• crushing and grinding of the ore
• addition of process water (generally
decanted from the tailings pond) to form a
slurry
• addition of lime to the ore, and cyanide
solution to the slurry, to leach the gold and
silver into solution
• addition of carbon to adsorb (attach)
dissolved metals and remove them from
the slurry
• stripping the metals from the carbon by
acid washing and circulation of a caustic
cyanide solution
• precipitation of the gold and silver by
electro-winning
• smelting of metal products into golden
bars
• pumping of the barren slurry (tailings) to
the tailings storage facility.
5.2. Crushing
The crushing process is the first step in size
reduction progressively reducing ore to finer sizes.
consisting of two crushers, primary and secondary
Crushers with daily feed about 36000 ton/day.
process the process begins by feeding the ore into
a hopper with a loader.
putting ore through the crusher then onto
conveyor belts to the screening deck, the over
size(40-120mm) go through secondary crushers
and after it get crushed it gathering with the under
size of the screens on conveyor belts and to the
Reclaim Stockpile where three apron feeders
under the reclaim can feed ore onto the Grinding
mill feed conveyor into the Grinding mills for
further treatment in the grinding operation.
Final product size from the crushing circuit is (28-
35mm
5.3. Grinding
is the second step in size reduction
reducing ore to finer sizes.
purpose is to liberate the gold particles so that they
freely available for chemical
dissolution by cyanide.
Consisting of SAG mill and Ball mill
Process the SAG mill is a large revolving cylinder.
Rock is ground by the turning action of the mill, and
impact from the hardened steel balls and the rock
itself. The ball mill is very similar to the SAG mill,
except it has a larger proportion of steel balls to
assist in the grinding process.
In order to ensure that the rock is ground finely
enough the SAG mill has a trommel screen, which
acts like a large sieve. The oversize rock (SCATS) is
caught by the trommel. The oversize rock passes
through the SCATS cone crusher, prior to passing
once again into the SAG mill for further grinding.
SAG Mill
The slurry that is fine enough passes through the
trommel to a cyclone. This cyclone classifies the
ground rock particles according to size – using
| P a g e 43
 SGM PROCESSING OF GOLD
centrifugal and gravitational forces to split the fine
particles (over flow) that pumped to flotation tanks
from the coarse particles (under flow) that return
back to ball mill and sag mill.
5.4. Flotation
Purpose concentrating gold in smallest tonnage
could be
Chemicals used PAX + flosser + CuSO4
• frossar: for making bubbles
• PAX: catch sulphides (include Au)
• CuSO4: remove Cn from reused water
Process Bubbles of air are made to rise through the
mineralized slurry on the surface of the flotation
tanks.
The interaction of chemical reagents with the
mineral particles to make the valuable minerals
selectively attaches to the air bubbles, making
minerals hydrophobic.
5.5. Thickening
By adding Flocculants to making slurry settling
faster helps to remove excess water.
5.6. Regrinding
Purpose ultra-finning slurry that helps in leaching
process so the gold could be easily dissolved in
Cyanide
consists of 8 SMD mill
Final product leaves the SMD through the media
retention screens, situated around the top of the
body and is collected in an external launder and is
then pumped to feed another SMD and then
reported directly to the leaching process.
final product up to 7 microns
And silver is washed off. The washed solution, called pregnant eluate, is passed to the electrowinning circuit.
Final Recovery: 90% of gold successfully recovered – 10% are not (TSF).
5.7. Leaching
Purpose: isolate gold from slurry
Chemicals used: sodium cyanide + O2 + Lime or
Naoh
• sodium cyanide: dissolving gold
Au(s) + 8 NaCN(aq) + O2(g) + 2H2O(l)→ 4
Na[Au(CN)2](aq) + 4 NaOH(aq)
• lime/Noah: lowering ph for keeping Cn in
liquid state
• O2: is added to assist in this process.
Process: The slurry of ground ore and lime moves
into a series of leach tanks where a sodium cyanide
solution is added. The tanks provide sufficient
retention time to allow the gold and silver to be
dissolved by the cyanide solution. Oxygen is added
to assist in this process
The slurry then moves through a series of carbon
adsorption tanks. While the leaching process
continues in these tanks, the primary objective is
to remove the gold and silver from the solution. To
achieve this, carbon is fed through the tanks and
the gold and silver adsorbs (attaches) to the carbon
granules
By the time the slurry reaches the final adsorption
tank, most of the precious metals have been
removed. The barren slurry, now known as tailings,
is pumped to the tailings storage facility (TSF)
In contrast, by the time the carbon reaches the first
adsorption tank it has recovered most of the gold
and silver from solution. This ‘loaded’ carbon is
then pumped to the elution circuit where the gold
| P a g e 44
 SGM PROCESSING OF GOLD

5.8. Electrowinning cells separators

The pregnant eluate is passed through a series of electrowinning cells, containing cathodes in the form of
stainless steel plates. The gold and silver migrate and attaches itself to the stainless-steel cathodes. The
cathodes are then rinsed, yielding a muddy sludge, and the cathodes are reused. The muddy sludge is dried,
and the powder that remains is mixed with fluxes and put into the furnace. The furnace attains a temperature
of 1200 degrees C and after several hours the molten
material is poured into a cascade of molds to
produce gold bar

| P a g e 45
 SGM MINING PROBLEMS

1- Blend plan problems calculations. So, checking the quality of lab

Blending of ores with different grades is
a critical process that affect the required
tonnage of ore per day and in long term the life
time of the mine. So, blend plan is put to match
mine capacity of mine equipment and its
working time and its limitations to get the
optimum use of ore.
2- Blasting problems
Blasting is designed to blow rocks and
reach a certain RL (modified term in mine used
to define elevation relative to local datum), but
it is not perfect as each blast can either blow
more of required thickness or less than
required, which will affect in calculation of
blasted tonnage and blending plan or ore. So,
a geologic survey is made to measure ground
level and define the quality of the blast.
In the underground after blasting a
large amount of dust is generated, so a good
ventilation system should be installed and
should assure the it is working probably to clear
the dust.
analysis is important and that’s why QAQC
sample (quality control sample). QAQC sample
is a sample taking at 0, 20, 40,60, 80,100
sample number. Sample took at certain
number is then sent to the lab as 5 samples as
follow: Blank sample which is a waste sample
with no ore in it at all, Standard sample which
is a sample with known ore grade, Pulb sample
which is sample for selected sample number,
Ultra-trace sample which is sent to outdoor lab
to be analyzed, Re-split sample which check
the quality of mixing of cyclones. With known
properties of these sample and comparing it
with the lab results we could check the quality
of the analysis.

3- Equipment problems
The error factor of an equipment is also
important to consider. As for example while
loading the ore use excavators as the
excavator bucket is so large it may make
change in the RL and load more rocks from
another RL which will affect the avg grade
calculation, so also a geologic survey is made
after excavator’s work is done.
Also, RC (reverse circulation) drilling is
designed to drill 40m each run so any affect of
RL will change the position of those 40m.

4- Lab problems
Continuous sampling and analysis of ore
samples to provide the calculation parameters
of resource and reserves evaluation is the most
critical process as it will affect all the mining
cycle and economic estimations and

| P a g e 46
 REFERANCES
Abzalov, M, 2008: Quality control of assay data: a review of procedures for measuring and monitoring precision
and accuracy. Exploration and Mining Geology, Vol.17, No3-4, p.131-144, ISSN 0964-1823
Akaad, M.K., Abu El-Ela, A.M., & El Kamshoshy, H.I., 1993. Geology of the Region West of Marsa Alam,
Eastern Desert, Egypt. In Annals of the Geological Survey of Egypt, vol. XIX (1993), pp 1-15.
Azzaz, S., Azab, M., Karous, S., Goubashi, M., Boutrus, N., Khalifa, K., Khalaf, I., Abdel Razik, M., El Sobky,
M., Abbas, M., Kousnatov, B., & Stepnov, E., 1978. Results of Prospecting - Exploration at the Sukari Gold
Ore Field in the Central Eastern Desert in 1975-1977. EGSMA & USSR Technoexport Contract 78442, Sukari
Party 7A/75 & 7A/76. Unpublished EGSMA documents 11/1978 & 98/1978, EGSMA, Cairo.
Cavaney, R.J., 2005. Geology of Sukari Gold Mine, Eastern Desert, Egypt. Unpublished Centamin Egypt
Limited Report
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