The Group 11 team proved the world’s first successful field application of the eco-friendly water-based chemistry to recover gold from a sulfide concentrate using its Secondary Recovery Unit (“SRU”), replacing the need for a smelter. It was this success that formed the Company.
The SRU was created and first used in Canada’s Yukon to replace traditional cyanide and smelter processes, offering a local, environmentally responsible solution for gold and silver recovery. It utilizes water-based chemistry as a safe, recyclable, and environmentally friendly alternative for gold leaching—completely cyanide-free. To date, 11 site tests have been completed using the same formula, with positive results that led to the formation of Group 11. Leach kinetics are comparable to, or even exceed, those of cyanidation, depending on the ore type. The portable SRU system offers scalable capacities and holds potential for expanded application to other metals, including silver, copper, uranium, and more
Group 11’s first test project involved comprehensive testing across a range of parameters, supported by detailed site characterization including mineralization and environmental assessments. Laboratory analysis on drill core samples confirmed the potential for gold extraction using the company’s eco-friendly, water-based chemistry. Despite promising results, the project was ultimately discontinued due to high earn-in costs. Moving forward, Group 11 will continue its research and development efforts at a wholly owned gold/silver project in Nevada, which will serve as a proving ground for advanced testing. The next steps included obtaining fresh core material to further evaluate the solvent’s performance and the project’s amenability to in-situ recovery (ISR) methods.
In the first phase of testing, Group 11 evaluated the gold recovery potential from uncrushed half-core samples. These samples were leached whole in a lixiviant solution at pulp densities ranging from 28% to 45% over a duration of 22 to 92 days. The process was conducted at a neutral pH to simulate in-situ recovery (ISR) conditions. This approach was designed to emulate real-world ISR environments more closely. Gold recoveries during this phase ranged from 15.9% to 77.5%, with an average recovery rate of 48.2%.
Phase 2 involved traditional bottle roll testing using crushed rock samples to assess the impact of increased surface area on leaching efficiency. The samples were crushed to -2.5 mm and treated with lixiviant at a pulp density of 30% over 9 to 28 days, also at neutral pH. This method produced gold recoveries ranging from 38.3% to 89.5%, with an average of 61.4%. As expected, crushing the material improved leaching kinetics and overall recovery, confirming that greater surface exposure significantly enhances the effectiveness of the eco-friendly lixiviant.
Most in-situ recovery (ISR) uranium operations in the United States currently rely on dissolved oxygen as an oxidant, working at or near the natural pH of groundwater. While environmentally sound, this approach has a significant limitation: it requires high water pressure to keep the dissolved oxygen in solution and achieve economically viable uranium recoveries. Unfortunately, many domestic uranium deposits, particularly those in low-pressure or dry formations like breccia pipes, do not meet this requirement.
To address this challenge, Group 11 has developed a proprietary iodine-based liquid oxidant that shows promise in laboratory studies as a viable alternative for these low-pressure environments. The oxidant is environmentally benign and effective under neutral or slightly alkaline conditions, aligning well with natural groundwater chemistry. Early results suggest it could enable uranium recovery from deposits previously considered uneconomic using traditional ISR techniques.
The implications of this innovation are substantial. Increasing the recoverable domestic uranium resource would reduce U.S. reliance on Russian and Russian-China controlled supplies—an increasingly urgent goal amid geopolitical instability. Additionally, the oxidant offers a cleaner alternative to conventional mining and milling, which typically involve harmful chemicals, air emissions, and long-lasting environmental impacts.
Group 11’s leaching technology could be used not only where ISR is feasible but also in mine-site heap leaching scenarios. This would allow the use of benign chemistry to treat mineralized material on-site, enabling shorter-term remediation and environmentally safe waste disposal.
Beyond uranium, the iodine-based oxidant is applicable to a wide range of essential minerals and metals, including copper, nickel, cobalt, rare earth elements, molybdenum, rhenium, gold, and silver. As the world moves toward clean energy solutions—such as electric vehicle batteries and nuclear power—Group 11’s environmentally responsible approach offers a scalable, sustainable path forward. Their work places them at the forefront of addressing both environmental and geopolitical challenges in critical mineral supply chains.
Group 11’s first test project involved comprehensive testing across a range of parameters, supported by detailed site characterization including mineralization and environmental assessments. Laboratory analysis on drill core samples confirmed the potential for gold extraction using the company’s eco-friendly, water-based chemistry. Despite promising results, the project was ultimately discontinued due to high earn-in costs. Moving forward, Group 11 will continue its research and development efforts at a wholly owned gold/silver project in Nevada, which will serve as a proving ground for advanced testing. The next steps included obtaining fresh core material to further evaluate the solvent’s performance and the project’s amenability to in-situ recovery (ISR) methods.
In the first phase of testing, Group 11 evaluated the gold recovery potential from uncrushed half-core samples. These samples were leached whole in a lixiviant solution at pulp densities ranging from 28% to 45% over a duration of 22 to 92 days. The process was conducted at a neutral pH to simulate in-situ recovery (ISR) conditions. This approach was designed to emulate real-world ISR environments more closely. Gold recoveries during this phase ranged from 15.9% to 77.5%, with an average recovery rate of 48.2%.
Phase 2 involved traditional bottle roll testing using crushed rock samples to assess the impact of increased surface area on leaching efficiency. The samples were crushed to -2.5 mm and treated with lixiviant at a pulp density of 30% over 9 to 28 days, also at neutral pH. This method produced gold recoveries ranging from 38.3% to 89.5%, with an average of 61.4%. As expected, crushing the material improved leaching kinetics and overall recovery, confirming that greater surface exposure significantly enhances the effectiveness of the eco-friendly lixiviant.
Most in-situ recovery (ISR) uranium operations in the United States currently rely on dissolved oxygen as an oxidant, working at or near the natural pH of groundwater. While environmentally sound, this approach has a significant limitation: it requires high water pressure to keep the dissolved oxygen in solution and achieve economically viable uranium recoveries. Unfortunately, many domestic uranium deposits, particularly those in low-pressure or dry formations like breccia pipes, do not meet this requirement.
To address this challenge, Group 11 has developed a proprietary iodine-based liquid oxidant that shows promise in laboratory studies as a viable alternative for these low-pressure environments. The oxidant is environmentally benign and effective under neutral or slightly alkaline conditions, aligning well with natural groundwater chemistry. Early results suggest it could enable uranium recovery from deposits previously considered uneconomic using traditional ISR techniques.
The implications of this innovation are substantial. Increasing the recoverable domestic uranium resource would reduce U.S. reliance on Russian and Russian-China controlled supplies—an increasingly urgent goal amid geopolitical instability. Additionally, the oxidant offers a cleaner alternative to conventional mining and milling, which typically involve harmful chemicals, air emissions, and long-lasting environmental impacts.
Group 11’s leaching technology could be used not only where ISR is feasible but also in mine-site heap leaching scenarios. This would allow the use of benign chemistry to treat mineralized material on-site, enabling shorter-term remediation and environmentally safe waste disposal.
Beyond uranium, the iodine-based oxidant is applicable to a wide range of essential minerals and metals, including copper, nickel, cobalt, rare earth elements, molybdenum, rhenium, gold, and silver. As the world moves toward clean energy solutions—such as electric vehicle batteries and nuclear power—Group 11’s environmentally responsible approach offers a scalable, sustainable path forward. Their work places them at the forefront of addressing both environmental and geopolitical challenges in critical mineral supply chains.
Can process ‘black sands’ produced from placer mining operations, which are unable to be recovered due to the fine particle size of the free-gold
Several jurisdictions either have outright cyanide bans or effective cyanide bans due to lack of social license
The combination of scalable equipment combined with reduced permitting hurdles makes small-scale production, including bulk samples, commercially viable