THE Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) yesterday signed an agreement for a grant of Cdn$100,000 to build technical capacity at the GGMC for the introduction of cyanide leaching to improve small scale gold recovery. The signing took place at the Ocean View Convention Centre during the lunch break of the mining conference being held at the same venue.
The project will provide technical support through consultancies to oversee the setting up and linking of the equipment to form the process circuit, testing of equipment, pre-concentration of ore, cyanide leaching of concentrate, recovery of gold from the pregnant leach solution and destruction of cyanide.
The total estimate of the project is Cdn$336,000. While the Canadian agency is contributing Cdn$100,000; the GGMC is expected to contribute Cdn$236,000.
The objectives of the project are to create a laboratory to be housed at the GGMC’s research and development facility at Linden for the safe operation of circuits for pre-concentration of ores and recovery of gold through cyanide leaching and golf recovery for medium scale gold mining operations; the safe use, storage, transportation and destruction of cyanide in gold mining operations; and the formulation of sound guidance and Standard Operating Procedures, and Codes of Practice governing the use of cyanide for gold recovery from concentrates in medium scale operations.
According to the GGMC, Cyanide leaching is one of several technologies that it is pursuing and testing to demonstrate and promote higher overall gold recovery, including fine gold.
It said these alternative methods of gold recovery generally require additional equipment and processes, which may include grinding, screening, dewatering and pre-concentration of the ore. It may also require new equipment and processes for final gold recovery.
“Since cyanide leaching has not been previously applied to small and medium scale gold mining operations in Guyana, it has to be introduced,” the GGMC said in a statement. It said that an important reason for the careful introduction of cyanide leaching is the poisonous nature of cyanide and its potential to cause serious harm to human life and the environment if not carefully handled. “However, there are methods of cyanide degradation that will be employed to reduce the cyanide in the tailings to harmless substances before release into the tailings pond,” said GGMC in the statement.
Prime Minister and acting President, Mr. Samuel Hinds, speaking at the event, said the small and medium scale mining sector faces significant challenges at this time. He said one of the challenges is the need to find lawful ways to recover gold without the use of mercury. He said GGMC is leading the way in terms of research to find ways of improving recovery and using safer methods to mine gold.
Mr. Hinds also said that because of the project, GGMC will work with consultants to develop such methods. He urged that small miners continue to adapt to the new technology and invest in such methods, in the same way that they make capital investments for their business.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Charge d’Affaires at the Canadian High Commission in Guyana Mr. Raymond Drouin said CIDA was pleased to be partnering with the GGMC on the project. He said that it builds on the progress made under the Guyana Environmental Capacity Development Project (GENCAPD) II project. He said, too, that the importance of the small and medium scale gold mining sector cannot be overstated.
Mr. Drouin said it is an indispensible economic activity that needs to be more sustainable.