Factors Affecting the Selection of BIOX<sup>®</sup> as the Preferred Technology for the Treatment of a Refractory Gold Concentrate

Abstract

The BIOX®process was developed in the late 1980’s for the treatment of refractory gold concentrates. The process has since developed into a commercially proven process with 12 successful installations of which 6 are currently still in operation. During this time development of the technology continued to improve the efficiency of the process, improve the reliability of the equipment used and to reduce the capital and operating cost for the implementation and operation of the process.This paper will look at some critical aspects in the selection of the BIOX as the preferred technology for the treatment of a refractory gold. Process selection will include technical criteria, for example the amenability of a concentrate to biooxidation and process design criteria, but will also include the overall project economic evaluation, a study of the project risks, the impact of the project and technology on the environment and local communities, operability of the process and implementation strategy.It is important that these aspects be taken into consideration in the design of any testwork program, be it fundamental research in the biooxidation field or in the development of a specific project. The impact of decisions taken during the execution of the program must also be tested continuously to gauge the impact on the overall process viability.The selection of biooxidation as the preferred process route for any project, be it gold, copper or any other mineral, will in most cases be based on the overall project economics compared to other processes, rather than technical considerations.