sponsored by barrick
Turning
GOLD
GREEN
Golden Sunlight Mine and
Environmental Responsibility
E
xtracting gold from low-grade ore is a
fascinating and complex process. After a
guided tour through the mining operation at Barrick's Golden Sunlight Mine just outside of Whitehall, I was impressed to know what lengths men
will go for precious metal. It would require at least a base
knowledge of chemistry and geology to understand the finer points; but in the simplest terms we can summarize this
particular type of mining: rocks with significant gold content (the market decides what is 'significant') are broken
apart, lifted from the earth, and pulverized into dust with
giant machines. Then, using chemicals and specialized
equipment, the dust particles can be manipulated via their
different densities and other specific properties. Still with
me? After a dozen separations or so, the mine can effectively turn out bricks of "Dore'' which is about 70% gold,
20% silver and the rest mostly copper. These are taken to
an off-site location to be further refined and purified.
by Will mUhlenfeld
w w w. d i s t i n c t lymo nt a na .co m
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