SUSTAINABILITY & CSR

“ Simply put , the potential for the mining industry to benefit from DES is linked to the fact that non-toxic salts can be used to recover a variety of base and precious metals from a range of ores ”

— Samantha Hyde , CEO , Argo Natural Resources

The vision for Argo is a metals extraction and processing industry that no longer relies on “ antiquated , expensive and environmentally damaging processes ”. The company has chosen to focus on gold , commonly recovered using cyanide and , in artisanal mining , the use of mercury . Argo ’ s new approach deploys an “ environmentally compatible , recyclable , rapid and catalytic method ” for extracting gold without the need for a refinery . This could change the economics and social infrastructure in gold producing countries , enabling smaller operations to realise the potential of their resources . A non-aqueous approach , such as Argo ’ s , would also be environmentally sustainable . “ It currently takes 7,000 litres of water to produce one ounce of gold ,” notes Hyde . “ Without this drain on such a precious resource , mines will have a much lower impact

OCTOBER 2019

Mining Magazine October 2019 | Page 56

“ Simply put , the potential for the mining industry to benefit from DES is linked to the fact that non-toxic salts can be used to recover a variety of base and precious metals from a range of ores ”