Mill

The plant that crushes, grinds and processes ore into a saleable product.

Definition

A facility where ore is crushed, ground, and processed to extract valuable minerals. Gold mills typically use gravity concentration, flotation, or cyanide leaching to recover gold from ore.

Why it matters

Mill throughput and the cost of building one usually dominate a project's capital. It is also the asset a nearby producer may already own — which is why a deposit within trucking distance of an underused mill is worth disproportionately more than the same rock in isolation.

See also

  • Capital Expenditure (CapEx) The upfront costs required to build a mine, including equipment, infrastructure, and construction. CapEx is di
  • Metallurgical Recovery The percentage of valuable metal that can be extracted from ore during processing. For example, 90% gold recov
  • Concentrate The product of mineral processing that contains elevated concentrations of valuable metals. Concentrates are t
  • Brownfield Exploration Exploration conducted near existing mines or known mineral deposits to find additional resources or extensions

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