A Case History of Metallurgical Recovery of Gold in Gadag Gold… 1

A Case History of Resources and Metallurgical Recovery

of Gold in Gadag Gold Fields – Karnataka, India
R.H. Sawkar and B.S. Shankarappa
Consulting Mining Geologist, Chief Metallurgist, RMMPL
Bangalore Hospet

ABSTRACT: The Geology of the Gadag Greenstone Belt (GGSB) is similar to the Geology of Gold bearing
GSBs in other parts of the world. GGSB has a history of mining from antiquity to recent times. The paper
attempts assessment of resources & reserves to identify economically workable mining blocks in the western,
central & Eastern lode Systems in the heart of GGSB. 1.8 million tones (Mt) of open Pit (Op) reserves at 2.48 g/t
Au and 2.2 Mt of underground (UG) indicated resources at 3.7 g/t Au of Sangli Block is proposed to be processed
for recovery of gold on stand alone bases in 1000 TPD processing plant located close to sangli block. The other 5
mt UG indicated & inferred resources from other, Blocks is proposed for further exploratory mine development
& treatment of ore in 500 TPD pilot plant proposed to be located at Kabuliyatkatti Block. Mine development and
deeper drilling to 800m depth in British developed mines and exploration in unexplored areas of Attikatti,
Nabaphapur, BIF’s and Eastern block is likely to add further resources of 2 million ounces. Mining & milling
operations carried out by British Mining Companies to treat 48779 tonnes ore to recover + 2000 ounces of gold
during the years 1900 to 1911 and operations of pilot plant by MECL, HGML RMMPL are discussed. In order to
evaluate processing options for the treatment of ore reserves and resources, 24 representative samples were tested
for different parameters based on Metallurgical tests, the process flow sheet and equipment required for 1000
TPD commercial milling plant and 500 TPD plant pilot plant to treat ore recovered incidental to mine
development are discussed.

1. INTRODUCTION Gadag goldfield lies in an area where the schist

India has a history of sporadic mining for
diamond, gold and base metals since antiquity.
The exploration and mining of precious and base
metals were the monopoly of Government
agencies in the independent India till 1997 when
the dereservation policy of Government of India
was implemented. RMMPL a company of Baldota
Group obtained license No.15/2001 for syste-
matic exploration and metallurgical test of gold
and associated minerals in GGSB for over
1233.05 sq.km. The Gadag Schist Belt lies falls
between the longitude 75035’ to 750 55’ and
15000’ to 15030’. The area is well connected by
rail and a network of roads traverse the GGSB.
Gadag is the nearest railhead in South Central
Railway zone.
2. REGIONAL GEOLOGY
The Gadag goldfield constitutes the northern
component of the much larger Chitradurga schist
belt which extends for a distance of some 430 km
in the craton of Southern India. The heart of the
belt widens to about 8kms and this is thought to
be important with regard to the control of the
gold mineralization. In the lower sequence well
developed pillow structures are good indicators
of the younging direction of the sequence and
have helped to solve many of the structural
problems of the belt. Tuffs with well preserved
graded bedding are observed in boreholes from
the Central Lode System. A number of banded
iron formations (BIF’s) mark breaks in periods of
volcanic activity and the formation of tuff beds.
In the central part of the belt the sediments are
gritty and unconformably overly all older for-
mations. The Gadag belt displays a evolutionary
trend from mafic volcanics near the base to
phyllitic sediments and tuffs higher up and
finally into quartzitic rocks and conglomerates at
the top. Other rock types of interest within the
belt include rhyolites, quartz porphyries and gray
limestones, Hornblende schist and garnet bearing
schist occur along the eastern margin of the belt
and attest to higher grade metamorphism in this
area, probably related to the intrusion of granite.
Sri S.V. Srikantia has remapped the entire area
2  Mineral Processing Technology (MPT 2007)
and has established the stratigraphy.
3. GOLD MINERALISATION
The ancient gold mining activity in the gold field
and subsequent exploration of these old workings
by British Mining Companies between the years
1900 and 1911 and more recently by Geological
Survey of India (GSI), MECL and RMMPL have
documented three principal zones of minerali-
zation referred to as the Western, Central and
Eastern Lode systems, each of which has
distinctly different lithological association.
Gold mineralization within the belt is
associated with a number of prominent shear
zones, striking NNW-SSE but with important
deviations at places. A synthesis of airborne
magnetic, radiometric, satellite imagery, aerial
photography, soil gechemist-ry and geological
mapping, is aimed at defining (i) the position of
major lode systems, (ii) identifying potentially
mineralized BIFs, (iii) locating exten-sions of
existing lode systems and (iv) identifying new
shear zones which constitute important targets
for follow up mine development programs in all
the three Lode Systems.
3.1 The Western Lode System
A number of shear zones and the zone of
alteration minerals sericite and chlorite in the
mafic volcanic sequences of Hosur champion are
known as the Western Lode System. Quartz,
carbonate, sulphides (pyrite and arseno-pyrite)
together with gold, have been introduced into the
shear zones and lodes have been well mapped
and there is useful surface sampling borehole &
mine development data.
3.2 The Central Lode System
The Central Lode System is the most robust in
the area having sustained a number of moderate
sized mines in the past. The mineralization is
hosted by various rock types and occurs, more
specifically, at the contact between rocks of
contrasting competency in the Central Lode
System comprising Nabhapura, Kabuliyatkatti,
Attikatti, Mysore and Sangli blocks. (a)
Nabhapura Block: Gold mineraliza-tion occurs in
a sheared argillite, close to a contact with
metabasalt to the east and porphyry body to the
west. The argillites are carbonated and arsenopyrite,
pyrite and pyrrhotite have been noted. There is
potential for tracing the shear zone in the
Nabhapura block to the north and a possible
linkage to the Nagavi and Mallasamudra shear.
(b) Kabuliyatkatti Block, incorporating
Kabuliyat-katti north and south is centered on an
old mining operation and has good potential to
host underground operation. Gold grades were
very good in parts of the old underground
operation and there is clear evidence of a strong
ore shoot, which plunges at a shallow angle to
the south within an ore zone that dips 30 0 to 500
east, probably conformable to bedding. The
reported graphitic nature of the ore is
investigated for metallurgical recovery by
RMMPL. (c) Attikatti Block: Three reefs have
been investigated previously by British
companies. The block remains largely untested
and a thorough reexamination of the available
data followed by a focused exploration pro-
gramme is under progress to fully assess its
potential. Mining down to 108 meters in the past
testifies to substantial mineralization in this area
where lode matter is known to occur over
considerable widths. (d) Mysore Block: Three
main ore zones or reefs occur over a stratigraphic
interval of 120 meters in this area, with smaller
mineralized zones in between. The western lode
occurs in basalt, the middle lode at the contact of
basalt and sediment (probably tuff) and the
eastern lode entirely in sediment (tuff). The
middle lode dipping east is the most promising in
the Mysore Block and an ore shoot with a strike
length of 350 meters and grades as high as 4.83
g/t over 2.2 meters, has been established. Drilling
in block 23 has indicated possible open cost
resources. Mineralization lies parallel to bedding
within finer grained, well bedded, more fissile
tuff as opposed to the more massive, poorly
bedded, coarser grained, hanging wall and
footwall tuff. This style of mineralisation appears
to characterize the best mineralized portions of
the Central Lode System from the Attikatti block
in the north to the southern portion of the Sangli
block in the south. (e) Sangli Mine Block: Gold
mineralisation occurs in three sub parallel shear
A Case History of Metallurgical Recovery of Gold in Gadag Gold…
zones close to or on contacts between contrasting
rock types which constitutes the southern most
portion of the Central lode System. The lodes are
known as the Western Lode, Temple East Lode
and New East lode. The Western lode appears to
be characterized by intense shearing, brecciation,
chloritization and sericitization with carbonate,
quartz and sulphide also being conspicuous. The
vein quartz in this system forms good stock
works in a number of places. The Temple East
lode has been examined in detail and a number of
good intersections have been obtained from a
comprehensive drilling programme. Examination
of numerous old workings suggest that here is a
strong lithological control to the mineralisation
which is associated with well banded fine
grained tuff, sandwiched between more massive
tuff zones as in the Kabuliyatkatti block.
3.3 The Eastern Lode System
Three mineralized blocks have been defined. The
Mallasamudra and Nagavi blocks in the north
clearly cover parts of the same shear zone and
could in fact be a northern continuation of the
Central Lode System. The Sankatodak minera-
lized block is part of the Eastern Lode System
but occurs several kms south of Nagavi and is
clearly part of another discrete, eastern minera-
lized shear zone. (a) Mallasamudra Block: BIF’s
cover the northernmost mineralized shear
belonging to the Eastern Lode System. The BIF’s
are interlayered with basalts and coarse grained
gabroic rocks and differential shearing at
contacts has given rise to 3 main mineralized
zones. The gold is associated with carbonate,
chorite quartz and the sulphide, mainly pyrite,
has permeated into the basaltic rocks and in
many cases lies parallel to the bedding in the
BIF. Block is proposed for further exploration by
Diamond Drilling. (b) Nagavi Block: The best
gold mineralisation seen in this block is
associated with an ancient working overlooking
the Nagavi village. The mineralisation occurs
within a sequence of well banded cherty and
tuffaceous rocks adjacent to a generally massive,
cherty, unminerali-sed BIF. A channel sample
across the ancient working analysed 2 g/t over 19
meters and this area could represent a potentially
open cast mine site extending over a strike length
of some 600 meters. The zone was tested with 5
3
boreholes and grades of 2.01 g/t over a width of 4
to 5 meters respectively, are reported. More work
on the structural setting and continuity of this
mineralisation in strike & depth is being carried
out as part of the prospecting operations. (c)
Sankatodak Block: The main rock types are
arenites and argillites with thin bands of banded
magnetic quartzite (BMQ). Mineralization is
associated with sericite in altered arenite and vein
quartz is the main carrier of gold with values of
2.4 to 3 g/t over 2 meters width having been
obtained from two boreholes. Satellite imagery &
stream sediment geochemistry indicates minera-
lized zone over a strike length of 14 kms. Further
prospecting work will be carried out to realize
the considerable potential of this block and its
extensions.
3.4 Gold in Iron Formation
The Gadag greenstone belt is characterized by
the abundance of BIF’s and BMQ’s and related
rocks types. They occur interlayered both in the
volcanic sequences and in the sedimentary (tuff)
sequences and are thought to represent breaks in
volcanicity or sedimentation during which time
colloidal silica and iron was precipitated. Some
of the BIF’s and BMQ’s are associated with gold
mineralization and constitute very good gold
targets. Sampling programme covering BIF
associated with limestone, amphibolite and
actinolite, near Suganahalli village, analysed 2
g/t, over several meters. A road cutting through a
thick sequence of BIF and related lithologies
sandwiched between mafic volcanics near
Mallikarjunpura yielded 2 g/t gold over a
sampling width of 40 meters. Quartz veining is
conspicuous in the BIF suggesting the presence
of a good target for open cast gold mining.
4. RESOURCE ASSESSMENT
Sri L.C. Curtis & B.P. Radhakrishna examined
the ancient mines, British developed mines in the
year 1900-1911 & post independent period
exploration carried out by government agencies
and indicated availability of 25 million tons of
auriferous material to a depth of 300 meters.
They recommended priorities for reclamation of
old mines and treatment of development ore in
4  Mineral Processing Technology (MPT 2007)
250 TPD pilot processing plants at two or three
centers. Prof. R.P. Viljoen Consulting Geologist
from South Africa, reinter-preted all available
geological, geochemical, geophysical, drilling
and mine development data and recommended 18
potential blocks for further exploration. RMMPL
under the overall guidance of Sri Surendra
Chaku, Mineral Exploration Consultant, carried
out 20,000 m of drilling, trenching and sampling
to establish open pit reserves and underground
resources as indicated in Table 1.
Table 1
Tonnage (g/t) Kg Ounce
Sangli Open Pit
1800000 2.48 4464 144000 reserves
Under ground
2200000 3.70 8140 262580 resources
Sub- 4000000 3.15 12604 406580
total
Other 5000000 4.24 21200 603871
UG
mines
Total 9000000 3.75 33804 1090451
RMMPL Geologists, Mining Engineers and
Surveyors under the overall guidance of Mr.
Meda Venkataiah, Executive Director (Mines),
MSPL Limited, reduced the R.P. area to open
cast mining block & blocks covering Sangli,
Mysore, Block No 23, Attikatti, Kabuliyat Katti
and Hosur-champion Blocks for under ground
exploration, prospecting and Mine Development.
RMMPL has plans to drill deep holes to a depth
of 800 meters on previously drilled sections to
established behavior of 3 Lodes at depth to
enhance the resources. RMMPL also has plans to
put up a 500 TDP pilot plant at Kabuliyatkatti to
test refractory ore recovered incidental to mine
development at deeper depths and explore
Eastern Block and BIF’s. Proving of ore at 800
(m) depth in the existing mine developed area
and exploration of unexplored Eastern block is
likely to add another two million ounces of gold
to the present estimated reserves and resources of
one million ounces.
5. METALLURGICAL TEST WORK
GADAG GOLD PROJECT
In the Gadag Gold Project, for purpose of project
synthesis, financial analysis, metallurgical tests,
have been undertaken on the Sangli Open Pit
reserves and mine developed underground
resources. Brief summary of metallurgical data
from the various mines is discussed.
5.1 Pilot Plant Scale Operations
British companies, years 1900 and 1910 milled
44271 (t) of ore at recovery grade 13.95 g /t to
produce 617.6 Kg of Gold. Recovery ranged
between 50 to 60 %. Poor recovery was mainly
due to non-availability of technology for
Category recovery of gold associated with carbonaceous
matter. Hutti Gold Mines Company Limited
(HGML) under took reclamation of old mines &
mine development to prove ore reserves suitable
for economic exploitation, operated a 50 TPD
milling plant installed near Mysore mine during
resources
the year 1994 –95 having a grinding circuit
followed by gravity concentration and a flotation
circuit. The gravity, carbon and sulphide
concentrates were sent to Hutti plant for the
purpose of gold extraction. Assessment of gold
contained by exploratory development was
discontinued for want of financial resources.
5.2 Pilot Plant Operation by RMMPL
To establish the process parameters from the
known gold occurrences, MSPL Limited a
company of Baldota Group in the year 1996
operated the 50 TPD pilot plant at Mysore mines
taken on lease bases from HGML and treated
7,424 tonnes of ore from different open pit
sources, in seven cycles and established the
possibility of treating such low grade ore for
economical operations. Plant operated on
different parameters indicated recovery ranging
from 90% to 30%. Actual low recovery of gold is
due to improper retention time, grinding
inefficiency, lack of facilities for addition of air
in the leaching tank, improper pulp density and
preg robbing character of ore. Metallurgical Tests
of Hosur Champion Ore at MSPL Laboratory –
Hospet: 550 Kg Sample collected from Hosur
champion reef was ground to -200 mesh size in a
lab grinding mill. It was then subjected to
floatation in a Denver flotation machine at
neutral pH using Potassium amyl xanthate (0.05
A Case History of Metallurgical Recovery of Gold in Gadag Gold…
kgs per ton) as the collector and pine oil as the
frothier. Copper sulphate was used as the
depressant. The flotation results indicated 93.4 %
distribution of gold in the first float, 2.9 % in the
second float, 0.4% in the third float and 3.3 % in
tails. A sample which assayed 1.8 g/t was
upgraded to 8.5 grams per ton and the tailing
losses were as low as 0.1 g/t. The recovery was
as high as 93.4% and the concentrate yield was
19.7%. The concentrate was further roasted and
cyanided in a leaching circuit. Overall gold reco-
very is reported to be around 85 to 90 percent.
Recovery percent is good mainly because of the
free milling character of ore. Six Kg of
Kabulayatkatti dump sample was tested for the
purpose of flotation studies. The material
was ground to –100 mesh and was subjected to
flotation in 5 liter capacity Lab flotation cell.
Carbon and sulphildes were floated under
different parameters and achieved 70% recovery
of gold. Higher tail losses was attributed to preg
robbing character of ore.
6. TEST WORK AT MINTEK
LABORATORY S.AFRICA TO
EVALUATE PROCESSING OPTIONS
FOR THE GADAG GOLD FIELDS
With the completion of the shallow diamond-
drilling program in the Sangli open pit areas and
conformation of an emerging good resource
inventory, a decision was made to send 24
samples representing different lithologs and ore
characteristics to Minteck for metallurgical
recovery tests. (a) Sample Nos. 1340, 1341 and
1342 are the ¼ core pulp samples from
mineralised intercepts of core samples from
Sangli Op 1, 2 and 3. These samples were splits
of pulps retained from the analytical work
undertaken at various laboratories, and from
various mineralised intercepts from individual
pits. These samples were composted to produce 1
Kg samples and sent on to Mintek Lab; (b) 1 Kg
sample of dark gray powder of carbonaceous
cyanide mill dump analyzing 3.16 g/t & 13 g/t
were collected from Kabuliyatkatti mill dumps;
(c) A 70kg “composite sample”. – Comprises
Quarter Core material of all mineralised inter-
cepts from OP-3 drill core and is used for
mineralogical and metallurgical tests; (d) S.NO.
5
1289, is a general sample from all the mine
dumps and tailings, represents a common
material from the mines of Gadag Gold Field; (e)
S.No. 1360, sample is from deeper drill core of
all Sangli Block representing underground
resources of Sangli Mine.
The above mentioned samples were sub-
jected to Bottle, Grind, Leach, Carbon addition,
adsorbent, pregrobbing, knelson gravity and
mineralogical tests under different para-meters
such as grind, liquid: solid ratio, preoxidation
and dissolution periods, lime, resin and kerosene
addition. The results of these tests under different
parameters indicate maximum dissolution of
94.20% for oxidized ore and minimum disso-
lution of 50.32 for refractory ores. Under selected
parameters and optimum process condition of
grind and reagent addition a minimum recovery
of 85% by use of resign and kerosene as reagents
is recommended for the purpose of preparation of
scooping and feasibility studies.
7. CONCLUSIONS
Based on the experimental results of Mintek
RMMPL proposed to adopt latest technology for
better recovery of gold and reduce the tailing
losses in the process for 1000 TPD plant to be
located at Sangli Block. This will be followed up
by installing 500 TPD pilot plant at
Kabuliyatkatti to treat refractory ore recovered
incidental to mine development. Further
conceptual deep drilling on previously drilled
sections and geophysical & geochemical in-
vestigation of unexplored Eastern Blocks, BIF’s
and South plunging ore body bellow Kadkola
conglomerate with in GGSB is likely to add
2 million ounces of gold to the present drill
proved reserves and indicated & inferred
resources of 1 million ounces of gold in the GGF.
8. ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The authors are thankful to Sri N.A.Baldota,
Chairman & Managing Director of Baldota
Group of Companies for permitting to publish the
paper. The first author thanks Dr. B.P.
Radhakirshna & Mr. L.C.Curtis for useful
discussion from time to time. Prof. R.P. Viljoen
& Mr. Chaku are thanked for guiding the project
6  Mineral Processing Technology (MPT 2007)
staff in the exploration. Sri Mahaveer & Sri REFERENCES
Kalgudi are tanked for typing the draft and Mr.
Nagaraju M. for preparing a camera ready copy [1] Curtis, L.C. and Radhakrishna, B.P. (1993). A
Gadag Gold a Challenging Prospect, Geol. Soc.
of the manuscript.
India, Min. Res. India, No.6.