The availability of appropriate land and the relative costs related to the operating plant at a given location are two important factors involved in selecting a plant location. Another possible consideration in the selection is the possibility of contamination of the air or water environment, a particular important matter if in proximity to population centers and important water channels. The land site must be flat, or nearly so, in preference to a hillside location since gravity flows can usually be achieved at desirable points in flotation and agitated cyanidation plants by the foundation and structure elevations and since a considerable number of transfer pumps will be required in any case, to handle the many side and recirculated streams found in most gold operations. A level mill site also needs less initial site preparation and will give for greater operational convenience in the gold processing plant.
There are some cost factors that affect site selection. Some of them are involved in supplying the plant with ore, operating supplies, utilities and a labor force, and in disposing of tailings and shipping the final product. The proximity to local machine shops and to other fabrication and maintenance facilities and to a source of emergency supplies not available at the plant must be considered. Tailings disposal is a particularly critical aspect in selecting a proper plant location and the tailings zone is customarily of sufficient size to store all of the solid wastes to be produced with some allowance for possible expansions and extensions to the mill life. The proposed tailings site is also studied to determine subsurface characteristics and the possibility of ground water pollution.
Installation of SAG mill and ball mills