Thiosulphate going commercial Barrick's Goldstrike pushes research forward on cyanide alternative

摘要

Barrick's work with SGS Lakefield and the University of British Columbia's materials engineering department has been crucial, as have partnerships with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) in Perth, Australia, and Ausenco for engineering support. For many who have spent years in R&D, as Langhans did, the project has been deeply satisfying. He spent four years studying thiosulphate with the U.S. Bureau of Mines in the 1990s, before joining Barrick in 1999. At the time, he had no idea his expertise would help see the technology into commercial production. "It's a once-in-a-career opportunity," he says.