Campbell said to have best gold tailings

Which major Canadian gold producer has the highest grade tailings dump? The answer was very to FreeGold Recovery which has been treating tailings at Campbell Red Lake’s Balmertown operation with a mobile testing plant.

Of this country’s major producers, Campbell has the highest head grades, so its tailings area contains significant quantities of gold. Determining whether or not that gold can be recovered is another question, however.

Under an agreement with Campbell, FreeGold has acquired the right to explore the large tailings deposit at the mine. FreeGold can earn 25% of the project by completing a 2-phase work program and providing the capital to purchase process equipment if the tailings are economically viable.

FreeGold has been testing the tailings on 250-ft centres with a 4-in Vibracore sonic drill, a remarkable piece of equipment which is particularly suited to this application. FreeGold markets the drill along with Reichert Spiral Concentrators and finishing tables. President Harry Barr says the program has blocked out 4.5 million tons of reserves grading 0.051 oz gold and “there is potential for additional material.”

A production feasibility study should be completed by year-end and it will compare several established recovery systems to the gravity recovery process utilized by FreeGold. Campbell management, Wright Engineering, and Lakefield Research will all be involved in the economic assessment, he says.

Reichart cones and spirals are used in the test plant in combination with other equipment. The system has been designed to process large volumes and extract gold by gravity separation, he explains, adding that a newly-designed shaking table extracts extremely fine gold and also metals in sulphides. No chemicals are involved and the process is “environmentally sound,” he says.

FreeGold recently completed a drilling program on its 100%-owned tailings properties near Kirkland Lake, Ont. Although final results are not yet available, the grade has averaged 0.02 oz gold with 600- 800,000 tons in place. A final report on the property is expected by month-end, he states.

The company is negotiating exploration and development rights for several tailings deposits plus some placer gold prospects where this equipment is also said to be applicable.