Home / News First global commercial heap leach use of GlyCat Process

News GLT 08/29/2023
hexagon hexagon hexagon

•    GlyCat demonstrates industry-leading 78% gold recovery for heap leaching
•    Expected 70% reduction in reagent costs
•    Reduces operating risk through mitigation of local cyanide supply disruption


 

Draslovka a.s. (‘Draslovka’), a leading specialty chemicals company, announces it has executed a user license with Bayan Airag Exploration LLC in Mongolia for the world's first application of its proprietary glycine gold leaching process, GlyCatTM (‘GlyCat’), in a commercial heap leaching application. Application of the technology has commenced to extract gold from ores mined from its Golden Hills and Limestone Ridge pits. 

The decision to fully implement the technology on its heap leach operations was made following site-based testing and culminating in a 1000-tonne trial heap leach. The collaboration involved staff from Draslovka’s Perth-based mining innovation centre and Bayan Airag site-based staff. The recent heap leach trial demonstrated higher recoveries than conventional cyanidation, with 78% overall gold recovery. This was achieved with a 65% reduction in cyanide and high recyclability of the glycine. Overall, due to high cyanide unit costs, the total reagent costs are projected to be reduced by over 70%.

The Bayan Airag mines are located in Mongolia where temperatures are regularly sub-zero making the trial and forward commercial application of the technology of interest to other cold climate applications globally. 

Ivor Bryan, Chief Technology Officer of Draslovka Mining Solutions, commented: 

“Working with the Bayan Airag team has been a fantastic collaboration and is an exciting milestone for Draslovka. GlyCat’s use in heap leaching applications demonstrates equivalent or better recoveries and step change reduction in operating costs. This provides opportunities for our clients to extend mine life and convert uneconomic ores and wastes into viable metal production opportunities. We look forward to expanding our strong relationship with Bayan Airag as it considers other projects in its area of operations and as a foundation for further applications in Mongolia.”  

Peter Thompson, Chief Executive Officer of Bayan Airag, added: 
“At Bayan Airag where we often have challenges in cyanide supply and costs, we saw the GlyCat process as an opportunity to reduce our reliance on cyanide and to use a much more eco-friendly alternative that provides sustainability to our Mongolian business and improved outcomes to the community in which we work. It also gives us an advantage for when we encounter high levels of copper in our gold-silver ore. We are proud that the Bayan Airag mine is the first mine in Mongolia to use GlyCat and the first instance of commercial implementation of GlyCat in a heap leach anywhere in the world.” 

 

About Bayan Airag
Bayan Airag Exploration is a Mongolian mining company, operating since 2014 at a rate of 1m tonnes of ore per year, and the first mining project operating in Zavkhan province. Bayan Airag Exploration is committed to delivering sustainable development to host communities through responsible mining, protection of the environment and an unwavering focus on safety.The company has implemented numerous projects to support and develop host communities, including infrastructure, development of small businesses, livestock and pasture land management, cultural heritage, education and community health.

About Draslovka
Draslovka Holdings a.s. (Draslovka) is a global leader in cyanide-based chemical specialties and agricultural chemicals including next-generation fumigants and biocides. Utilising the company’s significant expertise, Draslovka develops and scales solutions which are vital for delivering sustainable growth at pace. A private holding company based in the Czech Republic, it is owned by four Czech families and has more than 100 years of experience in hydrogen cyanide (HCN) production and HCN chemistry. The company specializes in the production of fully synthetic and highly purified liquid HCN, which undergoes further processing for application in a variety of downstream products ranging from the mining through to agriculture sectors. Through its scalable chemistry-based solutions, Draslovka aims to unlock transformation and be the leading global player in the production of cyanides for use in synthesis, mining, and industrial and agricultural applications, with safety and environmental sustainability at the heart of all its operations.


Contacts

FTI Consulting
Viktor Pomichal / Ariadna D. Peretz
Tel: +44 (0) 7890 417764
Email: draslovka@fticonsulting.com

Bayan Airag
Peter Thompson, CEO
Email: pthompson@bayanairag.com 
 
 
 

This website is using cookies

Our website uses cookies that are necessary for its functioning. With your consent, we will also use other cookies and process your personal data for behavioural analysis, statistics and better targeting of advertisements, including on third party websites. You can give your consent for all purposes or select only some of them in the detailed settings. You can withdraw your consent at any time. Detailed information about cookies, including information about the transfer of data about your behaviour on the site to social and advertising networks, can be found in the Privacy section.

Functional cookies These cookies are necessary for the proper functioning of the website and therefore cannot be turned off.
Analytics cookies Analytical cookies help us track and analyze the way visitors interact with our site in Google Analytics 4. This information allows us to improve content and provide a better user experience.
Marketing cookies Reading and writing cookies for marketing purposes for advertising systems such as Google Ads or Sklik. These cookies allow us to track user behavior and measure website performance and the effectiveness of our advertising campaigns.
Personalized advertising Remarketing cookies allow us to present you with personalized advertising based on your previous interactions with our site in systems such as Google Ads, Sklik.
Use of personal data With this option, you consent to the sending and processing of your personal data to Google for the purposes of targeting and evaluating online advertising and targeted marketing.