SART Process Implementation in Heap Leach Mining

TECHNICAL SUMMARY

The presence of cyanide-soluble base metals such as copper and zinc in gold heap leach operations significantly increases cyanide consumption and operating costs. The SART process was developed to address this challenge by breaking metal-cyanide complexes, recovering base metals as sulphide concentrates, and recycling cyanide back into the leaching circuit. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}

This paper presents the implementation of a full-scale SART plant at a heap leach operation in Mexico, including design, commissioning, and operational performance. The plant was initially constructed in 2008 and later upgraded to increase throughput and improve efficiency under changing ore conditions.

During commissioning, the plant treated high copper and cyanide concentrations, significantly above typical design ranges. Early performance variability was linked to standard commissioning challenges such as process interruptions and control system tuning. Once stabilised, the system achieved consistent copper recovery and cyanide recycle performance.

Operational data showed that SART can effectively increase free cyanide concentrations in solution while removing copper, improving downstream gold recovery processes. The study also confirms that concerns around gold loss are minimal, with actual losses measured at approximately 0.2 to 0.4 percent when accounting for process dilution effects.

The paper further evaluates capital cost considerations, plant configuration, and optimisation strategies, providing practical insights into integrating SART into large-scale heap leach operations.