Chersky Institute of Mining of the North, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Yakutsk, Russia:

S. A. Ermakov, Head of Open Pit Mining Laboratory, Senior Researcher, Candidate of Engineering Sciences, s.a.ermakov@igds.ysn.ru
A. M. Burakov, Senior Researcher, Candidate of Engineering Sciences
N. S. Batugina, Senior Researcher, Doctor of Economic Sciences

The article describes one of Russia’s largest placer of gold in the valley of the Bolshoi Kuranakh River, Yakutia, composed of productive strata featuring high variability of geological parameters and metal contents and size fractions. Commercial value of the placer is conditioned by feasibility of free gold recovery by gravity; the quantity of such gold ranging between 51% in the head of the placer and 44.8% in the middle part. The placer has been under mining for more than 50 years. Mining predominantly uses dredging (250 and 380 liter gold dredges). The research undertaken by the Chersky Institute of Mining of the North has found that efficient mining of Bolshoi Kuranakh placer with any customary method is infeasible. The article presents the new developed, patented, approved and recommended approaches to selecting (planning) mining method, technology and equipment using continuous flow process with quality-based differentiation of gold, separate storage and processing (beneficiation). According to the results of the analysis and trial of new components of continuous flow process technology, the proposed approaches ensure considerable increment in production output, cutdown of cost, increase in gold recovery and reduction in land and water use.

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