Golden Queen mine set to reopen

Valley Press on ^ | Sunday, August 31, 2008. | ALLISON GATLIN

[BenLurkin]

The rising price of gold is prompting a return to Mojave's mining roots, as the Golden Queen Mining Co. prepares to resume mining operations on Soledad Mountain just southwest of the community. Company President Lutz Klingmann outlined the company's plan for the project before a packed house Thursday at the Mojave Chamber of Commerce's regular monthly meeting.

"Mining has been going on in east Kern County since before the beginning of the last century," chamber Secretary Bill Deaver said in introducing Klingmann's presentation.

The company has been working toward resuming mining on Soledad Mountain for the last seven years, re-engineering the mining operation from top to bottom.

The company so far has spent approximately $51 million to re-open the mine, a cost which could go as high as $100 million before operations are under way.

The Golden Queen mine will use a heap leach process to extract gold and silver from the ore removed from the open pit mine.

In this process, the ore is ground into small pieces, which are then piled in a pit and soaked with a cyanide solution.

The liquid will then be processed further at a facility in Salt Lake City to remove the metals.

The mine is expected to produce more silver than gold by about a 10-to-1 ratio, Klingmann said, but the revenue will come from the gold.

The project is expected to employ 150 to 165 people, most hired from the community, he said.

Jobs will include heavy equipment operators, mechanics, electricians, welders, plant operators and some engineers.

The company projects 12 years of mining at the site, with about a year to build the necessary infrastructure for the operation.

[cincinnati65]

"The mine is expected to produce more silver than gold by about a 10-to-1 ratio, Klingmann said, but the revenue will come from the gold."

Hey, it all that silver's just an annoying little by-product, I guess I could take it off their hands.