Case Study: Mogale Gold

Documents/Case Studies - 1921
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Updated: 04/16/2019

South African miner Mintails Limited has implemented Opto 22-based control systems that manage a series of processes needed to extract gold from mine tailings. These processes involve pumping water to the tailing dump, and monitoring and control of differential pressure sensors, flowmeters, and other instrumentation. Also, during the carbon in leach and elution phases, gold is dissolved, absorbed onto carbon and then stripped off by a chemical mix of caustic and cyanide.

For these processes, the control system opens valves; starts and stops feed pumps; fires up diesel burners and heat exchangers to heat the solution; executes PID control to maintain proper flow rates; and monitors the pH level of the cyanide so it doesn't convert to poisonous cyanide gas.

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