Gold and Sulphide Systematics of Archean Gold Ores -Processing Implications

Primary sulphidic gold ores in the Archean provinces of Western Australia can be broadly sub-divided into pyritic, pyrite-telluride, arsenical and antimonial types. Pyritic ores contain only native gold, and are essentially not refractory. Arsenical ores almost always carry some invisible gold, and may vary from mildly to highly refractory. Pyrite-telluride ores contain gold-bearing tellurides, and are refractory to varying degrees. Antimonial ores usually contain aurostibite, and may be very difficult to process. A classification scheme for metallurgical processing, based on mineralogy, is proposed for the ores, and implications for processing are discussed.