Burdin N.V., Lebedev V. I, Lebedev N.I.

The Tuvinian Institute of the Exploration of Natural Resources of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia

GOLD-COPPER-PORPHYRITIC ORES OF TUVA.

 

     Features of a geological structure and matallogeny of Eastern Tuva within of which the perspective objects of gold-copper-molybdenum-porphyritic ore formations are concentrated, this allow to allocate a gold-copper-molibdenum  province with an area of about 70 thousand square kilometers. Stripped, looped and brecciaed structures are characteristic for ores. Ore minerals are presented, basically, by bornites the quantity of which exceeds 15-20 %. Chalcopyrite and native gold are marked in a small amount. The gold maintenance fluctuates from traces to 150 g/t, the average maintenance is 8,2 g/t; copper from shares to 20 % and more, its average maintenance is  3,9 %. Besides, the presence of silver with the maintenance to 28 g/t is established.

       To the number of the main problems provided by Strategy of social and economic development of Tyva Republic for the period till 2020 and demanding the prime decision, concern: working out of scientifically proved recommendations about escalating of a mineral-raw-material base of precious metals; creation of effective geotechnologies and concentrating devices of extraction of gold for the purpose of repeated increase in volumes of gold mining in the region. These problems are solving by the TuvIENR SB RAS collective: carrying out specialized prognostication-metallogenic researches on revealing in the well-known gold-ore areas of Tuva, perspective on revealing of industrial ore objects of Au-Hg-argillisite, Au-beresite and Au-carbonaceous-sulphidic formations; introductions of the developed effective technologies of industrial extraction of small and fine-dispersion gold and passing components from the oxidized and semi oxidized ores; introduction of technologies of enrichment of mineral raw materials on the basis of created in TuvIENR SB RAS devices of primary gravitational enrichment and modular hydrometallurgical concentrating installation of  high-temperature lixiviation. Maximum possible achievable degree of gravitational extraction of small, thin and disperse fractions of precious metals without application of ecologically dangerous chemical reagents still remains one of the most challenges in economic efficiency increase at abandoning of ore deposits. At the first stage the research and developmental works, the object of which is the creation of experimental installations for an estimation of parametrical characteristics of moving of heavy parts in streams of a pulp of various densities, have been performed. Distribution of minerals and metals of the raised relative density at the constrained falling in the heavy environment, and also in vortical and ascending streams, in a centrifugal field and etc.

          Along with successful tests of sounding type concentrating devices of various productivity [1], the Institute continued researches and the developmental works focused on application of a centrifugal-vortical principle of enrichment of mineral raw materials with concentration of heavy thin metals, minerals with the use of "effect of a funnel" [2]. Semiindustrial tests of technology of "Kyzyk-Chadyr" deposit ores enrichment have been carried out with processing of 5 tons of initial ore on range of TuvIENR SB RAS. Studying of material structure of ore sample from the quartz veining 3 richest with gold is carried out with the use of spectral, chemical, granulometric and mineralogical methods of the analysis. Data testify that the basic industrial value of ore defines the gold which average maintenance in a vein is 14,6 g/t. The maintenance: 9,2 g/t of  silver and 4,3 % of copper is present in ore according other passing valuable components.

Conclusions:

1. The Kyzyk-Chadr deposit belongs to a category of large poorly eroded objects and deserves geological study with promarketable structural chinks for opening of deep parts of ore-bearing stockwork in 400-900 meters interval.

2. All revealed areas of stockwork gold-copper-molybdenum-porphyritic mineralization, gold-quartz veining fields and linear bodies of kuzyk-chadr granite-porphyritic complex in aggregate form uniform ore-magmatic system.

3. Experimental researches and semiindustrial tests of the process equipment have allowed to create the effective technological scheme of enrichment of Kyzyk-Chadyr deposit’s veining ores and to reach high indicators of extraction from quartz-veining ores in gold concentrates - 99,2 %, silver concentrates  - 92 % and copper concentrates - 80,2 %; according to the maintenance of valuable components in gravitation tails, the leaching is economically inexpedient.

4. Received gold-copper concentrate concerns to a category of top copper quality KMO (GOST 48-77-74).

Work is executed at financial support of the project of the Russian Federal Property Fund, Grant ¹ 06-05-64118-à.

References

2. Burdin N.V., Lebedev V. I, Chadamba P.V. Mechanical wash pan sluice and a way of enrichment of heavy minerals and metals. / Patent of the Russian Federation ¹ 2147934. Ì: Russian agency on patents and trade marks. –Bulletin ¹ 12, 2000. – p. 14.

       3.  Burdin N.V., Lebedev V. I. The way of enrichment of heavy minerals and metals and the centrifugal -vortical concentrator for its realization. / Patent of the Russian Federation ¹ 2210435. Ì: Russian agency on patents and trade marks. - Bulletin ¹ 23, 2003. – p. 10.