Recent Gekko Installation News

Gekko Systems now has 5 offices worldwide in South Africa, Chile, Canada, Perth and Ballarat. Since commercialisation in 1996, over 450 units have been manufactured and installed in 40 countries worldwide to recover sulfides, free gold, silver and diamonds. Applications also exist for coal, mineral sands, magnetite, iron ore recovery and platinum group minerals.

Below is some news about just a few of these installations. If you would like more information about any of our installations, or if you have a general enquiry, feel free to contact our Sales & Technical Team by clicking here

Successful installation for REO Mongolia (February 2013)

Another first for Gekko is the recent installation of a gravity plant for REO LLC in Mongolia, the country's only gold mining company with an underground operation. The plant comprises an IPJ2400, a cleaner IPJ1500 and a brace of ISP30s, as well as a goldroom to cater for the high grade alluvial deposit at REO's Khuush Mine located in Bayankhongor Province.

Gekko's ability to deliver and install a fully operational plant in a fraction of the time usually required for conventional process plants has won high praise from REO. Commissioning is continuing on the plant as support infrastructure is built around it, the distinguishing features of which are a fully-heated process plant building and heated process water storage to combat the extreme cold of winter. Because of this and in contrast to most mining operations in Mongolia, the REO Khuush Mine is able to operate year round. REO spokesman Ganbat Tseveenregzen said the reason they chose Gekko was that they "simply wanted to buy the best gravity gold plant available". Gekko is extremely pleased to be working with REO on this project and looks forward to contributing to REO's further mining plans in Mongolia.






Gold Fields employs Python technology (November 2012)

Gold Fields South Africa has been a long-term supporter of Gekko equipment and over the last 12 months the company has been working very closely with Gekko's Technical Team on several current and future projects.
The reviews on these projects are provising the basis for the Gold Fields KDC East project. This project willl use Gekko's Python technology to porvide a cost effective and energy efficient method for processing waste rock dumps.
Since the installation of the Python 500 at Gold Fields' Kloof project, Gold Fields has provided samples to Gekko's metallurgical laboratory from their projects around the world. The test work protocols are based on further investigation of the ore suitability for the Python 2500.



Upgrades for Hochschilds Ares plant (September 2012)

Gekko is assisting Hochschild Mining to expand and upgrade their silver concentrate leach plant at Ares mine site in Peru.

Ares is located in the Andes, 5000m above sea level and is treating silver concentrate from the nearby Arcata mine and concentrator. The expansion includes adding two ILR10,000 and one ILR5,000 units to the existing ILR10,000 Batch Manual unit and is the first step towards expanding the plant capacity to 75 tonne per day throughput.

The upgrade, including full automation, has several advantages, including improved safety, improved operability, easy optimisation of leach conditions and cycle times, auto sampling, and the removal of theneed for any operator intervention while the units are in operation.

Gekko gravity box package for Gold Fields' Agnew (July 2012)

After eight years of reliable success, Gold Fields has upgraded its Agnew gold plant to include a new generation ILR2000 Batch Automatic unit. The upgraded flowsheet also features the implementation of Gekko's innovative Mag-Screen technology.

The plant highlights Gekko's operating philosophy to feed the gravity circuit with cyclone feed material as opposed to cyclone underflow materials. The benefits of this will include:

• Fine free gold that would otherwise be entrained into the cyclone overflow stream, passes throgh the gravity circuit
• Screening and centrifugal concentrator efficiency is higher at lower density
• Gekko's Gravity Box design, and specifically the height, is not limited by the existing cyclone tower. This allows the gravity circuit to be designed in such a fashion that is best for the gravity circuit, without external influences

Humphreys Mining - state-of-the-art low-cost Alluvial Gold Plant (October 2011)

Al Rosa IPJs Recover Diamonds (June 2011)

In June 2011, Gekko Systems Technical Team Leader, Michael Braaksma travelled to Mirny in eastern Siberia, to commission an InLine Pressure Jig (IPJ600) test rig at АЛРОСА, which is Russia's largest diamond company. Alrosa is engaged in the exploration, mining, manufacture and sale of diamonds. The company's operations are located primarily in the Sakha Republic/Yakutsk region or Russia. The IPJ test rig was setup inside the plant to test the near separation of various gravels up to 6 mm is size. Tracers will be used to determine the efficiency of the unit, under various process conditions and samples. The InLine Pressure Jig has been proven to pre-concentrate diamonds ahead of downstream operations, which has the advantage of reducing the overall plant capital requirement. 


 

 

100th InLine Leach Reactor, Sold!

Demand for the InLine Leach Reactor (ILR) has continued to show strong growth with the 100th unit being sold to Mineracao Caraiba for their Nova Xavantina project. Incredibly, even the prototype unit remains in operation at Bendigo’s Henty operation in Tasmania, Australia, which was installed in 1997.
The ILR’s global leadership position reflects the unit’s technical design advantage and Gekko’s highly skilled technical team, who are leaders in advanced research in the area of intensive leach technology for gold and silver concentrates. The benefits of the ILR’s unique drum-based design include higher recoveries of both fine and coarse gold. Gekko’s product development team, led by Nick Katsikaros, has continued to optimise chemistry and operation to the point where reagent consumption (CN) has been reduced significantly. High levels of automation, autonomous operation, good data output and high security are benefits enjoyed by Gekko’s ILR customers.

ILR150BA installed at Aneka Tambang, similar to one sold to Nova Xavantina

17 ILR units were ordered or installed in 2010

Adamus Resources (2010)

Gekko Systems is thrilled to announce that one of its very strongest regions for the ILR, West Africa, will soon become an even stronger area of technical strength.

To complement the existing ten successfully operating ILRs in West Africa, Gekko Systems is pleased to announce that Perth-based, Adamus Resources will soon be benefiting from the ILR technology at its Southern Ashanti (Nzema) gold operations in Ghana.

“It’s very exciting to see the growth in Africa and testament to the outstanding technical reputation Gekko has gained globally in the area of gravity recovery and intensive cyanidation”, said Gekko Systems’ Manager of African Operations, Val Korzynski.  “We are looking forward to the commissioning and working closely with our customer to ensure a highly successful installation.”
 

10 tph Modular Plant for Morning Star Gold (2010)

In early 2010, Gekko Systems was contracted to design and manufacture a 10 ton-per-hour pre-concentration modular gold plant for Morning Star Gold to install at its exciting Woods Point Gold Project, located in Victoria’s historic eastern goldfields and 120 kilometres north east of Melbourne (Australia).  This historically rich area is known to have produced six million ounces of gold since the gold rush of the 1850s.
The Gekko 10 tph modular plant consists of a two-stage crushing and gravity concentration system.  Managing Director, Nick Garling, is delighted with Gekko’s involvement and commented;  “The selection of Gekko Systems in Ballarat to supply, install and commission our 10 tph onsite gravity processing plant is a very positive step in Morning Star’s transition from mine developer to producer. Gekko brings an excellent reputation and a local capability to our operations.”

The plant is going to process 10 tph gold ore by fine crushing to 1 mm using a vertical shaft impactor (VSI) and primary gravity concentration InLine Pressure Jig (IPJ).  The jig concentrate is then further upgraded using an InLine Spinner and Gekko’s regrind mill to produce gold in doré and gold in concentrate.

The innovative combination of fine crushing using the VSI and continuous gravity recovery with the IPJ, results in the liberation and recovery of free and sulphide related gold at its optimum particle size. Metallurgical test results from Morning Star indicate the ore’s high free milling gold content will result in 82%-92% recovery by gravity at the target crush size.  Importantly, this process flowsheet has resulted in a small plant footprint, and both lower capital and operating costs.

To view a video of Morning Star and the plant click here 

New Plant at Three Mile Hill (2009)

Gekko Systems and Como Engineering are pleased to report that the gravity recovery plant at Focus Minerals’ Three Mile Hill Mine in Western Australia has been successfully commissioned. The plant consists of a Falcon 1350 Concentrator and a Gekko InLine Leach Reactor Batch Automatic unit (ILR150BA) and has been instrumental in providing Focus Minerals with its first gold pour in January this year. The gravity circuit was instrumental in the first gold production for Focus Minerals. Since commissioning, the circuit has significantly improved its output and overall plant recovery benefits are being experienced. Focus Minerals’ Metallurgy Manager, Barend Knoetz, said; “I am very pleased with the performance of the ILR and Falcon.”

“Growing a successful installation base in the heart of Australia’s gold sector is very exciting for us,” said Gekko Systems’ Western Australia Regional Manager, Tim Bell.

“We are totally committed to providing exceptional levels of service to our customers and this was a key factor for the 2009 opening of our West Perth office. We are passionate about providing outstanding service to both existing and future installations in this region. ”

Gekko’s Perth-based Engineer, Shane Murphy, holds the first gold bar at Three Mile Hill Mine 

Gold Fields Invests in Python Technology (2009)

The Gold Fields metallurgical team has placed an order for a number of Gekko’s innovative processing systems with a view to achieving high gold extraction rates from existing surface dumps at Kloof Mine. The Kloof Growth Project is designed to achieve economic outcomes as well as pilot improved processes, flowsheets and technological options.  Reduced operating costs, improved footprint and lower power consumption have all been targeted by this innovative project.

 The surface dump material will be treated initially by optical sorting equipment, followed by a Python consisting of a two-stage crushing operation using a jaw crusher and vertical shaft impactors.  The continuous gravity separation InLine Pressure Jig, combined with Outotec flotation will upgrade the product for treatment in the Gekko InLine Leach Reactor.  The project reflects new flowsheet opportunities identified by intensive industry research and seeks to establish the potential for the system to operate underground in the future.

*(Left to right: Gekko South African Manager, Val Korzinski, Gold Fields (GFI Mining South Africa Pty Ltd) Senior Consultants, Derek Beytell and Ted da Silva, Gekko Technical Director, Sandy Gray, Gold Fields Kloof Metallurgical Manager, Ruan Vorster and Gekko R&D Manager, Tim Hughes.)

Power consumption in South Africa is a critical issue, both economically and politically, and the government has requested mining companies reduce their overall levels of power usage.  Potentially, this pilot programme will assist Gold Fields to achieve this outcome.

Ted da Silva, Head Metallurgist, Gold Fields, South Africa, said;  “This exciting installation will accelerate the Gold Fields metallurgical structure and knowledge base with significant benefits being achieved for operating costs and the environment.”
 

Modular Gravity Pre-Concentration (2008)

Reducing Plant Size and Operating Cost

Pirquitas is Silver Standard’s recently commissioned silver, tin and zinc mine located in Jujuy, a province situated at 4,500 metres in the Argentinian Andes. Gekko designed and installed a pre-concentration module consisting of six IPJ2400s to increase the throughput of the milling and flotation circuit.

The Gekko InLine Pressure Jigs will pre-concentrate ore allowing a substantial increase in the plant feed rate prior to the ball mills. This is achieved by passing plus 2-12mm crushed material through the jigging circuit, where the lighter (barren) material reports directly to tails. The total feed is reduced by fifty percent after the In Line Pressure Jig’s treatment, recovering over 90% of the values in the concentrate stream. This allows an increase in the plant feed rate without economically compromising recovery.

Silver Standard increases mill throughput using IPJ pre-concentration

Prior to the InLine Jig process, the crushed material is screened and water added allowing it to be pumped to the Jigs. The concentrate from the Jigs is then de-watered before reporting to the grinding mill, where the water is recycled back to the beginning of the process, making it almost self-sufficient in water use. In the design process, a pump specialist was contracted to select appropriate pumps and motors to compensate the effects of the high altitude.

Significant capital and operating costs savings are achieved with this pre-concentration module, through the fully automated operating system, low power usage and efficient re-cycling of water. The ease of construction has allowed for faster commissioning and start-up of operations.

Gold plant ramps up to 50 t/hr (2008)

The development and installation of a Python 200 unit, operating at 20 t/hr, has resulted in a decision by Johannesburg listed gold mine, Central Rand Gold (CRG), to order and install two further Python units. The additional units are designed to operate at a throughput rate of 50 t/hr.
The Python 200 plant was installed by CRG in Johannesburg in October 2008 and has been commissioned and operated under contract by Gekko’s South African office. The unit (pictured above) is operating at a throughput capacity of 20 tonnes per hour.
The 50 t/hr Python 500 design is nearing completion and construction of the initial unit is well under way. It is CRG’s intention to operate them underground by the end of 2010.

The systems have been designed to be transported down a conventional mine decline.

The Python keyhole processing concept offers significant environmental benefit with reduced comminution costs and a small footprint. High tech, modular and fully automated, the plant crushes, grinds and pre-concentrates ore leaving just 5-30% of concentrate for pumping to the surface.

“Keyhole processing eliminates the need to carry the entire ore body mass up to ground level”, said Gekko’s Technical Director, Sandy Gray. “Tailings are disposed in voids; haulage, operating and processing costs are substantially reduced; and environmental impacts are minimised.” Key features of the Python include a two-stage, high reduction crushing circuit, InLine Pressure Jig multi-stage gravity circuit, and high capacity flash flotation. The units can be built and shipped to site with speed and ease.

The new Python 500 design is a stepping stone to a broad range of throughput options. Modular expansions can also be included, such as milling or flotation, as dictated by the variability of the ore.

 “We view the Python system more in line with the purchasing of earth-moving equipment where you have the available range of throughput options that can be customised for ore variability,” said Sandy Gray.

The key benefits of the pre-design Python modules are savings on design time and costs, as well as the low-energy flow sheet, which saves both capital and operational costs.

 
Gekko’s Python operations team at the Central Rand Gold mine



Python 200 installed at Central Rand Gold mine

To see previous years Installations, Click Here

Humphreys Mining – a state-of-the-art low-cost alluvial gold plant (October 2011)

Humphreys Mining has rapidly established itself as a gold producer in New Zealand. The gold bearing material is a perched deposit, well above current river levels, and hence contains higher gold grades as finer gold hasn’t been washed out as in traditional river bed alluvial systems; with this comes associated higher levels of clay. Gekko Systems designed a gravity plant to process 80 tph of washed solids. The plant consists of a single stage rougher InLine Pressure Jig (IPJ2400) and a cleaner stage consisting of a single InLine Spinner (ISP30). Metallurgical performance of the plant is excellent with high recoveries of the largely very fine gold present and is a showpiece low-cost gravity gold operation. Since commissioning in December 2010 it has long since met its return on investment. Initially conceived to realise a quick start-up by employing a Gekko transportable skid-based gravity plant, the owners are extremely pleased with the fully automatic performance of the gravity plant and are currently considering adding modules to expand production.