Mining Potential of Semi-mechanized Gold Mining Waste of Fel and Its Surroundings, Adamawa-Cameroon

Abstract

In order to appreciate the mining waste potential of gold mining exploitation in the locality of Fel and surrounding mining sites, using enrichment factor and mineralization index, were performed geochemical investigations on mining waste from the Neoproterozoic metavolcano-sedimentary formations of the Lom series. The study focuses on geochemical analyses and concerns the assessment of 12 Metallic Trace Elements (MTE) from 10 mining sites. Geochemical analyses show that fine fraction (< 80 μm) always has the best response for all elements. Some MTE have quite remarkable contents in concentrated wastes. This is the case for Au (˃100ppm), Ag (85ppm), Pt (5.8ppm), Th (767ppm), U (29.9ppm), Y (100.6ppm), As (1445.7ppm), Sb (8.4ppm), Se (1.2ppm) and Pb (65.5ppm). On the other hand, some MTE are high in both washed and concentrated wastes, like Au, Se, (As) and (Sb). Light Rare Earth Elements (La, Ce, Pr, Sm, Nd) are characterized by high concentrations, ranging from severe to extremely severe enrichments in concentrated wastes. At the end of this study, it appears that the paragenesis of gold mineralization, induce severe to extremely severe enrichments in Au-Se-Ag-Pt-Th-(As)-(Sb)-(U)-(Y)-(Pb) and Light Rare Earth Elements in the mining wastes of Fel and its surroundings, thus constituting a set of geo-resources that can still be recovered from such wastes.