Beneficiation of values from ores with a heap leach process

A process for recovering value metals from sulphide ore, including the steps of:

• a) crushing ore in a primary crusher (14);
• b) subjecting the crushed ore (14) to a first pre-beneficiation step of bulk sorting to provide a reject fraction (18) and a sorted higher grade ore stream (28);
• c) subjecting the sorted higher grade ore stream (28) to crushing (30) and classification (34) to provide:
• secondary waste stream (38) with a particle size of greater than 1 to 1.5 mm;
• and
• a classified fraction (36) which is subjected to one or more of the following further pre-beneficiation steps:
• gravity separation,
• magnetic separation, or
• coarse particle flotation,
• to provide a further pre-beneficiation waste stream (52) with a particle size greater than 100 μm and a product stream (41);
• d) obtaining combined waste stream (54) from at least a portion of the reject fraction (18) from step b) and the secondary waste stream (38) and the further pre-beneficiation waste stream (52) from step c) with a particle size greater than 100 μm;
• e) stacking the combined stream (54) from the reject fraction (18), secondary waste stream (38) and pre-beneficiation process waste stream (52) waste streams in a heap or separate heaps (26) wherein the heap or heaps (26) has a particle size greater than 100 μm;
• f) subjecting the heap or heaps (26) to a heap leach;
• and
• g) subjecting the product stream (41) obtained from the further pre-beneficiation process to grinding and a fine flotation process (60).