An employee of the Nerco Con mine was recently awarded US$5,000 by a unit of Nerco (NYSE) for his efforts in developing pressure oxidation methods for gold extraction and toxic waste treatment at the large, underground mine.
Peter Maltby, the mine’s metallurgist, was presented the Presidential Bonus Award for the process which is expected to benefit both gold production and treatment of waste materials at the mine at Yellowknife, N.W.T. Nerco is intending to treat the arsenic sludge at the property which was created as a byproduct of earlier processing of refractory ores 1948-70. In recent decades, ore at the mine has been free-milling.
The pressure oxidation process involves the use of an autoclave which is designed to return the arsenic sludge to a benign state, recover the gold from the sludge and open up new mining opportunities at the mine. The process developed by Maltby and the team at the mine is expected to have potential applications throughout the mining industry, and Nerco has applied for patents on the process.
“Nerco’s objective regarding environmental matters is to lead rather than follow industry or regulatory trends,” said Nerco President Lawrence Heiner. Nerco bought the mine in late 1986 from Cominco, and has since carried out a number of successful initiatives aimed at improving the operation’s overall production and productivity.
Be the first to comment on "Nerco employee wins award"