Innovative methods of extracting the loose gold from technogenic deposits in the Irkutsk region

Abstract

In Russia and abroad, the scope of the use of gold has significantly expanded, which undoubtedly affected the level of production. However, despite the fairly high rates of gold mining, the economic situation that has developed in recent years makes the companies look for new innovative placer processing technologies that will allow preserving and increasing the extraction of the precious metals. The search for and exploration of new placer gold deposits requires very considerable financial resources and time, and therefore the proposed project for the extraction of alluvial gold from technogenic deposits is of great importance for the functioning of the mining industry of the Irkutsk region, since it helps to overcome at least two negative trends: firstly, the deterioration of the mineral resource base, and secondly, large losses of gold with dump products (up to 50%) associated with the use of obsolete washing equipment. Modernization of production capacities and processing technologies is not only one of the main factors for increasing competitiveness in the gold mining industry and attracting investors, but will also help increasing the mineral resource base of the Irkutsk region by reassessing technogenic deposits, setting gold technogenic deposits on the balance, development of technologies for technogenic deposits and processing, and involvement of technogenic deposits in the mass processing.