Tickers: XTSX:BQE, PINX:BTQNF
Tags: Environment
VANCOUVER, BC / TheNewswire / February 6, 2019 - BQE Water Inc. (TSX-V: BQE), a leader in the management of mine wastewater and metallurgical bleed streams, has signed agreements to complete engineering feasibility studies to integrate the SART process and modernize cyanide destruction and residue management for two of the top ten gold producers in China at their existing operations located in Shandong Province. These studies are being undertaken in response to advancing environmental regulations and to enable the processing of feedstock with elevated levels of cyanide soluble copper.
The feasibility studies will have BQE Water complete metallurgical and wastewater treatability test work in China and develop a sufficient level of engineering to confirm overall project economics, construction budget and schedule for possible implementation.
"There is no question these new contracts were enabled by the success of the water treatment plant we designed and commissioned last year at the nearby Guoda gold smelter," said David Kratochvil, the President & CEO of BQE Water. "That project has made all the major metallurgical operations in Shandong Province take notice of our capabilities."
Adds Songlin Ye, Vice President for Asia at BQE Water, "If these new projects move forward to implementation, we will be able to leverage our operations base at Guoda and our partnership with MWT, the Beijing based company with construction capabilities we formed a joint venture with for the Guoda project, to build what would be the first SART application in China and provide ongoing operations services to ensure performance excellence."
About the Significance of Cyanide Management for the Gold Mining Industry
Regulations around the world are advancing and target not only residual cyanide contained in wastewater and tailings produced by mining and metallurgical operations but also place strict limits for cyanidation and cyanide destruction by-products such as ammonia, cyanate, thiocyanate and nitrite. The goal is to ensure all discharges are non-toxic and do not cause impacts to the receiving environment. As such, proper cyanide management is key to the permitting of new projects and securing a social license for gold producers.
About the Significance of Shandong Province for China's Gold Production
Gold output for Shandong Province reached 120 tonnes (3.8 M troy ounces) in 2018, accounting for 30% of China's total gold production. The province is home to the country's top gold producers who are expanding their influence globally. In the region alone where BQE Water's new Guoda water treatment plant recently began operation, there are over a dozen metallurgical plants that focus on gold extraction and refining.
About BQE Water's Expertise in Cyanide Management
A key aspect of cyanide management is cyanide recovery and recycle. The more cyanide that can be reused, the less fresh new cyanide that needs to be consumed and the less cyanide that must be destroyed by using additional chemicals which produce by-products requiring additional management. BQE Water is a global leader in the SART process which enables cyanide consumed by base metals to be recovered and recycled, lowering the cost of gold extraction and reducing the environmental footprint of gold mining projects. BQE Water also provides solutions to manage the by-products of cyanidation and cyanide destruction such as ammonia, nitrite and thiocyanate removal.
About BQE Water
BQE Water is a service provider specializing in water treatment and management for metals mining, smelting and refining. We are helping to transform the way the industry thinks about water in the context of natural resource projects by offering services and expertise which enables more sustainable water management practices and improved overall project performance at reduced risks. BQE Water invests in innovation and has developed unique intellectual property through the commercialization of several new technologies at mine sites around the world for organizations including Glencore, Jiangxi Copper, Freeport-McMoRan and the US EPA. BQE Water is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada and trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol BQE. Visit www.bqewater.com for more information.
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For further information please contact:
BQE Water Inc.
Suite 250 - 900 Howe Street
Vancouver BC Canada V6Z 2M4
David Kratochvil, President & CEO
Heman Wong, CFO
604-685-1243 or 1-800-537-3073
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