Low energy process for metal extraction

A system for preparing ore for precious metal extraction comprising:

• a primary crusher for crushing ore;
• a first screen for screening the crushed ore into a first group of large ore particles and a first group of fines particles;
• a secondary crusher for crushing the first group of large ore particles from the first screen;
• a second screen for screening the crushed first group of large ore particles into a second group of large ore particles and a second group of fines particles;
• a rolls crusher for crushing the second group of large ore particles;
• a third screen for screening the rolls crushed second group of large ore particles, the first group of fines particles and the second group of fines particles, wherein the first group of fines particles is passed directly to the third screen from the first screen, and the second group of fines particles is passed directly to the third screen from the second screen;
• a ball mill for milling the screened particles from the third screen;
• a first cyclone for separating the screened particles from the third screen into a third group of large particles and a first group of small particles, the third group of large particles returned to the ball mill for milling and then returned to the first cyclone for further separating;
• a second cyclone for separating the first group of small particles from the first cyclone into a fourth group of large particles and a second group of small particles;
• and
• a stirred mill for milling the fourth group of large particles from the second cyclone and returning the milled fourth group of large particles to the second cyclone for further separating,
• wherein the second group of small particles from the second cyclone are sent on for further metal extraction processing.