Miner to expand plant capacity

        Johson Gold Mining Corp (JGMC) is currently developing another tailings pond    

        (pictured) to detoxify cyanide-laden slurry that will be discharged from two new 

        coal-in-leach (CIL) facility which will soon be installed to increase the plant’s gold 

        processing capacity. Photo shows the pond in its early earth work.– Photo 

        supplied by JGMC

By ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ

JOHSON Gold Mining Corp (JGMC) will increase its plant capacity.

This was learned from company vice-president Jason A Marcelo in email sent to MWBuzz recently.

Marcelo said they are installing a new ball mill (5’x7’) and two units of  CIL (carbon-in-leach) tanks with a capacity of 45 cubic meter each and a roll crusher.

A ball mill is used to pulverize gold ore after being crushed by a roller.

The pulverized ore is then subjected to CIL process, which involves the use of cyanide and carbon. Here, carbon absorbs the gold from the cyanide-laden slurry solution.

The new facilities will increase the plant’s capacity to recover gold from ores obtained from its licensed mining sites.

Marcelo said they obtained an ECC (environmental compliance certificate) covering the news facility from the regional office of the Environmental Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Legazpi City on January 12, 2012.

The additional volume of mine wastes to be discharged from the new facilities will be contained

in one of the four tailings ponds currently in operation.

These four ponds include a newly-built 1.5ha tailings pond, which can handle 100,000 dry metric tons of waste.

Marcelo also said JGMC also secured a Waste Water Discharge Permit on July 19, 2011 in which the miner is allowed to discharge its waste water amounting to 38 cubic meters per day into tailings pond specifically built for the wastes covered by the EEC.

Under the WDP, JGMC is required to submit waste water self-monitoring report every quarter.

It means the company has to submit the result of laboratory analysis of waste water it discharges into the tributaries, along with the analysis of water samples from upstream and downstream portion of the tributaries where the wastes have been released.

Marcelo said there are other safety measures taken by the company such as the construction of siltation and detoxification ponds to ensure that any mine spillages as well as silt material does not flow into the streams and any bodies of water in the area.

According to its website, JGMC currently operates a CIL plant capable of 80-100 tonnes/day.

This milling plant currently processes combined underground and surface ore from its mining operations at the area.

Gold recovery is between 80% and 85% from a head grade of 3-10 g/t of gold.

        The second detoxification pond, which is nearing completion. - Photo supplied   

        by JGMC