Name and Location
Çöpler copper sulphide project, Erzincan, Turkey.

Client
Alacer Gold.

Project Description
A definitive feasibility study (DFS) for the processing of sulphide ore through whole ore pressure oxidation (POX) at the Çöpler gold mine has demonstrated the robustness of the project.

According to the DFS, the Çöpler deposit will continue to be mined by a contractor, using conventional truck and shovel methods.

Three openpits are being mined for oxide ore, which will ultimately converge into a single openpit over the life of the sulphide project.

During the preproduction phase of the sulphide project, mined sulphide ore will be stockpiled, while oxide ore will be placed on the heap-leach pad.

At March 31, sulphide ore totalling two-million tonnes at 4.9g/t of gold had been stockpiled.

The planned throughput of the POX plant is based on a nominal 5 000 t/d or 1.8-million tonnes a year. Gold recoveries are expected to average 94% from sulphide ore.

The ore will be crushed and milled to a slurry using water in a conventional grinding circuit.
he slurry will be pumped into the acidulation circuit where it will be treated with acid to reduce the carbonate levels in the ore.

The slurry will be pumped to the autoclave circuit, comprising seven individual pressure vessels, where the contained sulphide minerals will react with oxygen gas at high temperature and pressure to convert gold and copper into recoverable forms. The hot slurry from the last pot will be discharged through two flash vessels in which the temperature and pressure of the oxidised slurry will be reduced. Steam from this process will be used to preheat the autoclave circuit feed slurry, making the POX process autogenous, with all the energy required to maintain the process during normal operations derived from oxidation of the sulphide sulphur contained in the Çöpler ore.

The gold-bearing solids will be processed in a conventional cyanide-leach and carbon-in-pulp (CIP) gold recovery circuit.

Following the CIP circuit, the cyanide in the tailings slurry will be destroyed in the cyanide detoxification circuit.

The tailings will then be pumped to the lined tailings storage facility, about 1.5 km east from the processing plant.

Copper-bearing liquid will be treated with a reagent to recover the copper as a high-grade synthetic sulphide concentrate, which will be shipped to a copper smelter for further processing.

Heap-leach processing will continue at current rates of stacking during the sulphide project preproduction phase until the end of 2017. Ore will be crushed and agglomerated before being placed on the heap-leach pad where gold will be leached into solution and collected for processing in an adsorption/desorption recovery circuit.

Gold will be poured as doré bars for shipment to a third-party precious metals refinery.

Heap-leach gold production will continue in 2018 and 2019 at reduced rates, stemming from intermittent stacking of the highest grade heap-leach ores from the pits until ultimate capacity of the heap-leach pad is reached and residual ounces are collected from the heap leach. Gold recoveries from the heap leaching of oxide ores are expected to average 70%.

Value
Total preproduction capital is estimated at $660-million.

Duration
Alacer expects to receive all the required permits for the project in the first quarter of 2015, with construction starting in the second quarter of 2015.

The commissioning of the POX is expected towards the end of 2017.

Latest Developments
The next stage of the project will be to further reduce risk by completing the basic engineering phase. During this stage several work streams will be progressed, including the completion of basic engineering, metallurgical testing for operational readiness and remaining land acquisition, as well as recruitment for key project execution and operational positions.

The basic engineering phase will provide the control estimate and the project execution plan for the sulphide project.

Meanwhile, the permitting process for the sulphide processing facility has begun, with the submission of the supplemental environmental-impact assessment (EIA) in early April. The EIA approval process involves the filing of an initial application defining the scope of the proposed project, a public consultation process and a final submission. Once approval has been received, the company will proceed to apply for forestry, operating, construction and other required permits.

Alacer expects to obtain the supplemental EIA approval in late 2014 and all the required land-use permits in the first quarter of 2015, allowing for construction to begin in the second quarter of that year.

Stakeholder engagement has begun, signalled by the community consultation process and engagement will continue throughout project development and operations.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
None stated.

On Budget and on Time?
Not stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
Alacer Gold, tel +1 303 292 1299, fax +1 303 297 0538 or email info@alacergold.com.