The Suzdal Gold Mine displays similarities to Carlin type deposits typified by development in an extensional environment such as rift settings in which orogenic activity has occurred. These types of deposits are hosted along major deep crustal structures such as the Char-Gornostai-Zimunai and Suzdal faults. Mineralising fluids in Carlin deposits are similar to the metamorphic mineralising fluids that occur in orogenic deposits. Precipitation of the mineralisation is through the neutralisation of the fluids through carbonate dissolution typically through a reaction with host rocks such as limestones (Robb, 2005). Argillic alteration, silicification and sulfidisation also play a part in the precipitation of mineralisation.

Similarities between the Suzdal Gold Mine and typical Carlin type deposits includes mineralisation being stratiform similar to other large Carlin deposits as well as gold mineralisation being associated with arsenopyrite, marcasite, and pyrite often with grain sizes in microns. The Suzdal Gold Mine does however, have some noticeable differences from Carlin deposits these include the presence of free gold, a lack of minerals such as cinnabar and realgar, and differing sulphur isotropic compositions as reported by Kovalev.K.R. et al, 2008.

Four SW-oriented en echelon orebodies are recognised, with dips of 40° to 90° SE. Combined orebodies 1/3 and 2 in the northeastern part of the Suzdal Gold Mine possibly merge at depth and are hosted by a predominantly calcareous facies, whilst orebody 4 to the south west is hosted by sandstone and carbonaceous siltstone. The orebodies intersect or are subconcordant with bedding. Individual orebodies extend to a depth of 400m, are 1.5 to 2km in length and 20 to 150m thick, and can be traced for 200 to 800m at the surface, with a thickness of 1 to 40m.

The underground mining methods utilised at the Suzdal Gold Mine, comprise various modified sub-level open-stoping methods, which are selected based upon the various orebody geometries encountered. The main parameters dictating the mining layout are the orebody thickness and dip.

Shallow dipping mining blocks (30-60°) are accessed via cross-cuts, driven at 10m intervals along a footwall drive, with an ore drive being driven along the footwall side of the orebody for ring drilling.

A modified sublevel open stoping method with backfill has been utilised for ore extraction in zones which fall within shaft pillars or adjacent to long-term tunnels such as main access ramps, drives or ventilation raises.

All variations of the mining layout are mined by retreating along strike. The stoping sequence is from top to bottom of the orebodies, with the exception of stope blocks where backfill is to be used. In these areas, stoping is carried out from the lowest mining level, and proceeds sequentially upwards, before filling the mined area with waste rock fill or cemented rock fill.

Where adjacent veins are present, the stoping blocks will be mined from the hangingwall vein to footwall vein, through the orebody sequence. Once a stope block has been mined, the stope void will be backfilled if required.

Suzdal is the second mine worldwide to launch a commercial Outotec HiTeCC circuit (Hot Leach).

In 2016 Nordgold launched an innovative HiTeCC process at its Suzdal mine in Kazakhstan to recover gold from both historical and CIL future tailings. HiTeCC (High Temperature Caustic Conditioning or Hot Leaching) is an innovative Outotec technology, which improves the recovery of preg-robbed gold from double refractory ores. Construction of the new facility started in July 2015 and was completed in June 2016, with it reaching full operating capacity by the end of June 2016.

The Suzdal mine operates an underground mine, a processing plant with crushing, grinding, flotation, BIOX, CCD, CIL and HiTECC circuits. The operations at the Suzdal mine are among the most technologically advanced at Nordgold. The plant possesses the necessary technology to process refractory sulphide ore, and the BIOX processing circuit at the mine was the first in Eurasia.

Ore is sourced from underground operations using conventional mining methods involving drilling and blasting, followed by load and haul to the run of mine (ROM) stockpiles where it is either directly fed to the primary crusher or stockpiled. The ore is crushed to a P80 15 mm using a two or three-stage crushing circuit with screening. The crushed material is then conveyed to a grinding circuit consisting of deferent size ball mills.

The metallurgical process at the Suzdal utilise flotation circuits. Flotation is a method of separating minerals depending on their ability to attach to air bubbles. The flotation process consists of producing a mineral concentrate through the use of chemical conditioning agents followed by intense agitation and air-sparging of the agitated ore slurry to produce a mineral rich foam concentrate. At Suzdal ore after crushing goes to flotation and the flotation concentrates pass to the Biox plant.

The BIOX® process was developed for the pre treatment of refractory sulphide ores and concentrates ahead of a conventional cyanide leach to increase gold recovery. During the bacteria-chemical process in BIOX® tanks sulphide minerals oxidize, arsenic and iron leach in to solution that liberate gold. At Suzdal the flotation concentrate, at 20% pulp density, splits into four streams which pass to four primary reactors in parallel, combined and then pass three secondary reactors in series. The total residence time is 4 days consisting of two days each for both primary and secondary tanks. The Suzdal BIOX® achieves 98% sulphides oxidation.

At Suzdal mine the cyanidation of the bio oxidised flotation concentrate is carried out in a carbon in leach (CIL) circuit. During the CIL stage, pulp flows through several tanks where sodium cyanide and oxygen have been added to dissolve gold into solution. In the absorption stage, this pulp flows through several tanks containing activated carbon. Gold then attaches onto the activated carbon, which is moved counter current to the pulp, while screens separate the barren pulp from the gold loaded carbon.

The gold loaded carbon is removed and washed before undergoing desorption. Desorption is achieved by introducing the gold loaded carbon to a solution of sodium cyanide at a high temperature (>110°C) and pressure. This results in the reversal of the attachment process, with the gold detaching from the carbon back into solution. This produces a small volume of solution with a high gold concentration.

The gold loaded eluate solution that emerges from the desorption process is passed through electrowinning cells, where gold is deposited onto the cells cathodes.

The cathodes then undergo a smelting process, further refining the gold and leading to the eventual production of doré bars for transport to a refinery. Dore bar is an alloy of gold, silver, copper and other metals containing between 50%-90% gold.