Leading specialty chemicals company Draslovka has agreed with mining company Barrick Gold Corporation to roll out a global testing and implementation programme for Draslovka’s cutting-edge proprietary glycine gold leaching product, GlyCat, across several mines.

The implementation of Draslovka’s technology can potentially unlock substantive savings and generate value for Barrick’s operations while improving its environmental footprint.

GlyCat will enable a major shift for the mining industry’s sustainability profile through the substantive replacement of the cyanide used in processing of gold ores with a non-toxic, food-grade reagent that is recyclable. Depending on the type of ore, using GlyCat in existing leaching circuits allows for a 20% to 80% reduction in cyanide usage while reducing, or entirely eliminating, cyanide detoxification requirements. In select ores, the process also results in higher recoveries.

Supported by Draslovka’s industry-leading service, GlyCat can potentially achieve an average reduction in processing costs of 25%, rising to 50% for some more complex ores.

Barrick is the first major mining company to recognise the potential glycine leaching offers. The programme is an opportunity for GlyCat to be systematically rolled-out at a global scale, starting at the Bulyanhulu gold mine in Tanzania and several other Barrick operations, as a model for the wider mining industry.

Large-scale testwork programmes will be undertaken at each site to quantify the operating cost savings from the reduction of cyanide usage, potential improvements in gold recovery, and lowering of cut-off grades, all of which will allow operations to treat ore types that may have previously been uneconomic.

“This agreement with Barrick marks an important milestone in Draslovka’s mission to improve the financial and environmental sustainability of mining operations worldwide. Mining is critical for the evolution of society toward lower emissions and the energy transition as a whole. GlyCat provides an innovative and sustainable solution to address concerns around supply,” said Draslovka CEO Pavel Bruzek Jr.

“This strategic partnership sets a new standard for best practice in the gold mining industry. I am excited to work together with Barrick, a global industry
leader, on this exciting venture and am confident that others in the mining industry will follow suit to ensure a sustainable future.”

Barrick mineral resource management and evaluation executive Simon Bottoms added: “Rates of major gold and copper discoveries have been in steady decline over the last decade, which, when combined with a rapidly evolving set of global challenges, is resulting in global supply challenges to meet the growing global demand for such critical metals”.

He elaborated that it is imperative that the industry takes the necessary steps to maximise the value from existing mines that are already operational or currently under development.

“At Barrick, optimising the geometallurgical understanding of our orebodies from both economic as well as environmental aspects is a key aspect of both our evaluation process and operating philosophy,” Bottoms explained.

Accordingly, Barrick has established a partnership with Draslovka to continue to test the application of new technological innovations with the aim of delivering increased long-term value to all stakeholders from its operations and projects while also underlining its sustainability strategy which is Barrick’s business plan, he concluded.