Gekko Systems launched the InLine Leach Reactor (ILR) in 1997 as the world’s first commercial intensive leach production unit. Since then, the ILR has become the market leader with over 150 units installed globally in 40 countries, Gekko reports.

“The ILR’s unique design allows mine operators to produce gold and silver doré on-site at the highest unit recoveries of any concentrate treatment option available. These and other advantages offered by Gekko’s ILR attracted the interest of mining companies such as IAMGOLD and Alamos Gold.

Last year Gekko received a new order for an ILR5000BA from IAMGOLD Corporation for its Essakane operation in Burkina Faso, West Africa. The ILR, packaged with EW, complements the existing gravity circuit and replaces the gravity tables, producing pregnant solution at much higher efficiencies for EW.

The order follows evaluative testwork conducted in-house and independently by IAMGOLD, which indicated high recoveries of gold into solution. Gekko’s ILR is expected to increase overall plant performance and contribute to optimise plant costs, whilst providing an automated and secure process for operations.

Gekko’s Performance Consulting Team has completed the expansion project at Alamos Gold’s Mulatos operation in Mexico, shown in the picture. Commissioned in July, Gekko’s biggest InLine Leach Reactor (ILR10000BA) is an expansion of the concentrate treatment plant previously supplied by Gekko in 2011.

High-grade materials are treated separately from the heap leach operation in a dedicated gravity/flotation plant and treated within the large intensive leach area, with solutions reporting directly to EW.

The commissioning was completed successfully, and handed over to operations in the allocated time frame, with production commencing during the visit, in conjunction with operators.