Objective: The Rakah Gold Recovery Project represents a commitment to not only maximizing the recovery of valuable resources but also to minimizing the environmental footprint of mining activities and responsibly managing the rehabilitation of tailing storage sites.
Pilot Plant Design: envisaged determine the optimal process to extract the remaining gold from the Rakah tailings, a pilot plant was installed by GTMS next to the derelict Oman Mining Company (OMCO) gold plant. Since the OMCO cyanidation plant did not include a gravity segregation stage, and free gold particles were detected in the sample analyses by GTMS, extensive sluice and flexicone tests were carried out on site. However, these test did not indicate the potential for economic gold extraction rates by gravity segregation. Subsequent sample analyses and tests by Wardell-Armstrong confirmed these findings, but their test revealed that flotation followed by cyanidation would be the best process to extract the remaining gold as well as some copper from the six Rakah tailing ponds.
Final Plant Design and Capacity: The new gold plant, which is planned to consist of a flotation and cyanidation section, to be operated continuously in two shifts, will be designed to process up to 700 metric tons of tailings per day (MT/day). It is currently envisaged that some 100ktons – 150ktons of concentrate will be generated by flotation for the subsequent cyanidation process. Based on tailing volumes, the expected operational life of the plant is estimated to be 5.5 to 6.0 years, assuming an expected average plant availability of 85%.
Sustainable Tailings Management: In order to ensure minimal environmental disruption, the reject materials from the flotation process can safely be redeposition in the original tailing ponds with or without bottom lining. In case some AMD (acid mine drainage) generating pyrite remains, this will be neutralized for safe permanent storage. The residuals from the cyanidation process will be redeposited in a lined tailing pond. It is envisaged that all tailing ponds will be covered by aggregate, gravel and soil and greened for site rehabilitation. This approach aligns with best practices in mine waste management, emphasizing both resource recovery and environmental stewardship.