Giant GOLD DREDGES make a comeback, Mongolian Dredge Fleet disproves drills Options

[Steppegold]

Hi Folks - I'm a newbie here, usually on Alaska Gold Forum but lived in Mongolia since 1995. Then there was just one working dredge in Mongolia, and only a few dry mines. I've been documenting the placer gold rush since, now with 135 placer mining companies working 200 placer mines, and the Mongolian Dredge Fleet now has SIX large bucket line gold dredges and about 20 smaller bucket line dredges. I'm posting to share knowhow and ideas. And I am hoping someone will volunteer pics of the Snowstorm Dredge (especially its riffles) for me to include in the Tech Manual I've nearly completed for publication.

First I'll try and post some pics of the gold dredges to see if you folks are interested. If you want to visit them it can be arranged!

We'll see how it goes - I would like to discuss PLACER DRILLING later on, as there is a systemic error that means understimation of gold reserves beneath wet floodplains. This error seems to be ignored in the USA and Canada, but please realise that the 6 giant Gold Dredges in Mongolia exist ONLY because the systemic error was corrected by the soviets just before the command economy collapsed.

Enjoy the pics and realise that - if I'm right - then large gold dredges would be profitable in USA and Canada on placers formerly written off as subeconomic grades.

cheers - Steppe

[Steppegold]

This is not an old picture in the USA it is of one of the 6 giant gold dredges in Mongolia.

Its what we call the 'North Dredge' of Shijir Alt company, strictly speaking its Shijir Alt #1.

Thanks to Golden Tiger Corporation for the picture.

Its a bucket-line dredge built in Irkutz in Siberia by IZTM who built all 6 of the Mongolian Dredge Fleet and also built the entire Russian Dredge Fleet and they include not only gold dredges but also a few platinum and diamond dredges.

[Steppegold]

The Mongolian Dredge Fleet operates for most, but not all, of the winter. Its minus 30-40 centrigrade in a normal winter! Here you can see smoke from tehe coal-fired bunker that via a boiler and pipes keeps the washplant working.

Its the North Dredge again, thanks to Gerrit-the-Dredge for the pic.

[Steppegold]

It sure is a BUCKET-LINE dredge, and here is the bucket-line raised clear of the water "just for the photo"!

[Steppegold]

I'll try to post some more later - any comments so far?

I have a question.
How many dredges were active in Colorado, how many are preserved and are there any plans for new dredge projects?

Thanks

Steppe

[sgaolson]

GREAT Pics Step

[russau]

the wacoenviros would go nuts if bucketline dredges were brought back into production in the good ole USA!

[Denise]

Welcome to the forums Steppegold and thanks for the fantastic pictures.
I also have a great interest in the old bucket-line dredges.

Here is a link to pictures Dan Martin took and gave us permission to use on the CP site. You will love them!!


Snowstorm Dredge thread

more Snowstorm Dredge pictures

Im moving this thread to the "Historical Equipment/Tales" forums.

[Sparky]

That is some great pictures of a monster dredge. I wish they would allow them again here in the USA. I have had the opportunity to visit a dredge in Virginia City Montana and near Salmon Idaho that are similar in size to the one in Colorado but nothing near the size of that one. Keep the pictures and information coming

[Steppegold]

Hi, time to look at a second member of the Mongolian Gold Dredge Fleet.

This one is further down the Tuul Valley and is known as the Bayangol Dredge. It was first owned by Hailaast JSC but this State owned enterprise could not pay for it fully so it was privatized and a Russian company Altan Dornod Mongol (Golden East - Mongolia) now own and operate it.



Notice that the entire dredge is winterized by cladding, and the rear stacker conveyor can be lowered onto the ground when the dredge is resting. Notice the dozer for scale!

cheers - Steppe

[Steppegold]

The Bayangol Gold Dredge is mining close to a fault scarp created in the post Neogene - that means quite recently. Between the dredge and the mountain is the Tuul River (out of sight).



Over the years we've coined the term 'crocodile' for the ribbon of coarse oversize tailings dumped by the rear stacker, the crocodile being made of bananas!

[Steppegold]

A banana is made when the bucket-line dredge makes a swing. You may not of seen (or heard!) the swing of a bucket-line dredge, so specially for you here is the South Dredge of Shijir Alt:


The dredgemasters say the noise of a dredge is when a dredge sings...

[Steppegold]

Here is the result of the South Dredge swinging on its spuds and singing... ....a crocodile made of bananas!

[Steppegold]

And I'd better show you some buckets on a line to show these really are bucket-line dredges and so do their own digging and feeding unlike the dragline-fed Snowstorm Dredge (as I understand it?).

Here are the buckets of the Bayangol Dredge.

[Steppegold]

Its quite a remote place where the dredges are, and here is some of the wildlife.


Thanks to Chimee for the pic