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Questions and Answers
What is the estimated annual gold production from artisanal mining?
What is the estimated annual gold production from artisanal mining?
How many people depend on artisanal mining for their livelihood?
How many people depend on artisanal mining for their livelihood?
What method is often used by artisanal gold miners to extract gold from ores?
What method is often used by artisanal gold miners to extract gold from ores?
When did the mining of gold begin according to the text?
When did the mining of gold begin according to the text?
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Which technique was used for gold collection before the year 3500 BC?
Which technique was used for gold collection before the year 3500 BC?
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What is the estimated annual gold production from artisanal mining?
What is the estimated annual gold production from artisanal mining?
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What method is often used by artisanal gold miners to extract gold from ores?
What method is often used by artisanal gold miners to extract gold from ores?
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How many people depend on artisanal mining for their livelihood?
How many people depend on artisanal mining for their livelihood?
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Which technique was used for gold collection before the year 3500 BC?
Which technique was used for gold collection before the year 3500 BC?
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What are the primary dangers associated with artisanal gold mining operations?
What are the primary dangers associated with artisanal gold mining operations?
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Study Notes
Gold Ore Types and Characteristics
- Gold is the most noble metal, commonly found in native form.
- Often occurs alongside silver, tellurium, bismuth, and platinum group metals (PGMs).
- Typical ore grades range from 0.5 to 20 grams per tonne (g/t).
- Primary gold sources include ores; secondary sources comprise gravity concentrates, flotation concentrates, plant and refinery tailings, and recycled gold.
Types of Gold Deposits
- Placer ores: Accumulated by gravity in riverbeds or alluvial deposits.
- Oxidized ores: Eroded ore bodies that have undergone oxidation.
- Primary ores: Deep-seated ores typically accessed through underground mining.
Gold Mining Methods
- Placer mining used for placer ores.
- Open-pit mining applied to oxidized ores.
- Underground mining utilized for primary ores.
Key Gold Ore Types
- Main types identified include:
- Placer
- Oxidized
- Free milling
- Silver-rich
- Iron and arsenic sulfide-bearing
- Carbonaceous
- Copper-bearing
- Antimony-bearing
- Gold telluride-bearing
- Refractory ores that are challenging to process.
Gold Production Routes
- Methods include:
- Artisanal mining: Small-scale, often informal mining operations.
- Amalgamization: Mixing gold with mercury to extract it.
- Smelting: Heating ore to separate the metal.
- Hydrometallurgy: Currently dominated by cyanide leaching, which accounts for about 60% of global gold production.
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Description
Learn about gold ore types, characteristics, and the recovery process from this presentation by OUTOTEC. Explore the primary and secondary sources of gold, as well as its association with other metals like silver, tellurium, and bismuth.
