RED LAKE REGIONAL HERITAGE CENTRE
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Milling

The mineral extraction process varies depending on the mineral. Extracting gold can be done through amalgamation, gravity concentration or leaching. Historically, mines would use amalgamation (with mercury), but technological advances have now replaced this process. These processes are more efficient and require less regulation for worker safety. Today, most gold mining mills use a combination of gravity circuits and concentration leaching to separate gold from the ore.

While the main steps for extracting gold are the same, but the equipment used can vary from mine to mine. Each mine customizes the mill equipment according to what will work best with the geology of their deposit. For example, some mills used a ball mill, while others used a pebble mill. Campbell Red Lake Mines used roasters to breakdown their arsenopyrite-rich ore, while other mines in the district lacking this geological feature used different technology. As technology improved and provincial and federal governments started monitoring the environmental impact of mining, many of the area's mills introduced autoclaves.

Picture
Ball mill at Red Lake Gold Shore Mines, 1936
Picture
Ball mill at the Red Lake Gold Mines mill - Photo courtesy of Goldcorp
Picture
Inside the Red Lake Gold Mines mill - Photo courtesy of Goldcorp
Picture
Mill control room at Goldcorp - Photo courtesy of Goldcorp
Gold is generally grouped into two types during the extraction process - free-milling and complex. For free-milling gold, the gold is not fused strongly with the host rock and can be separated using a gravity circuit. Free-milling gold is easier, faster and less expensive to process. Complex gold is locked together with the ore and is separated through a concentrated leaching process such as cyanidation.

When many of the Red Lake mines started producing, their mills were only capable of processing 100-200 tonnes/day. Today this is something unimaginable as Goldcorp's Red Lake mill is capable of processing upwards of 3,100 tonnes/day. The historic mills were expanded and upgraded at least once, if not more as their production increased. Similar to the shift away from manual underground equipment, modern mills are computerized, having control rooms where the process is operated and monitored.


For information about the milling process, please click on the button below.
The Mill Process

Milling
Refining


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Red Lake Regional Heritage Centre
51A Highway 105 P.O. Box 64
Red Lake, ON, Canada
P0V 2M0
807-727-3006
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The Red Lake Regional Heritage Centre is a charitable organization, funded by the Municipality of Red Lake, the Ontario Ministry of Culture, and through fundraising activities. Reg # 87315 2714 RR001.

  • Home
  • Heritage Online
    • Puzzles
    • Podcast
    • Online Programming >
      • Bannock
      • Dream Catchers
      • Eco Printing
      • Flower Pounding
      • Fur Trade
      • Mushrooms
      • Pysanky
      • Suncatchers
      • Wild Teas
  • Exhibitions and Events
    • Events
    • Upcoming Exhibits >
      • 100 Years of Red Lake
    • Current Exhibits >
      • NNT
    • Past Exhibits >
      • Hospital History
      • SouthPaw Photography
      • EZHI NAMANG: HOW WE SEE IT
      • Triple K Art
      • Red Lake on the Move
      • Fish Stories
      • Red Lake Art Show >
        • Red Lake Art Show 2016
        • Red Lake Art Show 2017
        • Red Lake Art Show 2018
        • 2023 Art Show
        • 2024 Red Lake Art Show
      • Woodland Caribou Provincial Park
      • Fire People >
        • Fire 14-1
        • Fire 14-2
    • Red Lake Speaker Series
  • History
    • On This Spot
    • Red Lake History
    • Aviation History
    • Immigration
    • Residential Schools
    • Heritage Centre History
    • Red Lake District Souvenir Record
  • Gift Shop
    • Accessories >
      • Jewellery
      • Key Holders
      • Purses, Wallets & Bags
    • Local Artists >
      • Rhonda Beckman
      • Valerie Blab
      • Kaila Erb
      • Lauren Furman
      • Patrick Hunter
      • Aaron LeBlanc
      • Amy Newport
      • Hidehiro Otake
      • Mark Nadjiwan
      • Sara Ramer-Dean
      • Rebecca Saikkonen
      • Wendy Yutzy
    • Books & DVDs
    • Cards
    • Clothing >
      • Scarves & Hats
      • T-Shirts
      • Long Sleeves
      • Socks
    • Home & Kitchen >
      • Glassware
      • Home Décor
      • Kitchen
      • Mugs
    • Glass Ornaments
    • Magnets
    • Miscellaneous
    • Norval Morrisseau Designs
  • Support
    • Volunteering
    • Memberships
    • Donor Wall
  • About Us
    • Strategic Plan
    • Annual Report
    • Services
    • Our Mission
    • Collections Policy
    • Newsletter
    • Employment Opportunities
    • Staff & Board
  • Mailing List
  • Mining Map
  • Donate Now
  • Woodland-Art
  • Mural Project Survey Teachers