Geographical Location:
By Zenit Madencilik San. ve Tic. A.Ş.; within the mining license areas of IR 44830 (Access Number: 2180834) and IR 20065879 (Access Number: 1508886), located in and around the villages of Yusufçamı, Yolcupınar, and Çoturtepe, Sındırgı district, Balıkesir province, a 259.45-hectare area in the vicinity of Kızıltepe, designated as the project area, the Sındırgı-Kızıltepe Gold and Silver Mine Enterprise was established and commissioned; the company conducted its final production in 2026 and terminated the project.
Project History:
03.08.2010: Zenit Mining Ind. and Trade Inc. was officially founded to implement the Sındırgı-Kızıltepe as the primary target and subsequently the Kütahya-Tavşan gold-silver mine projects.
30.09.2010: Agreement with Tetra Tech (Canada) company for detailed feasibility study.
09.04.2011: Geotechnical and hydrogeological survey drilling and other technical field studies were completed under the scope of EIA.
20.01.2013: Geotechnical drilling and hydrogeological well test studies for Waste Storage Facility (Waste Dam) were completed.
01.02.2013: Official application for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the Kızıltepe Gold and Silver Mine Project was made to the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization of the Republic of Turkey.
14.03.2013: "Public Participation Meeting" was held in Yusufçamı village in accordance with Article 9 of the EIA Regulation.
23.12.2013: The Ministry of Environment and Urbanization of the Republic of Turkey issued the Positive Environmental Impact Assessment Decision under Law No. 3283.
17.03.2017: Temporary Activity Permit with the number 43986390-150/6590 was obtained from the General Directorate of Environmental Impact Assessment, Permit, and Inspection of the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization of the Republic of Turkey.
29.03.2018: Environmental Permit and License with the number 43986390-150.01/3501 dated 29/03/2018 was obtained from the General Directorate of Environmental Impact Assessment, Permit, and Inspection of the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization of the Republic of Turkey.
24.08.2026: The final gold pour was completed, marking the end of production for Zenit Madencilik in the project.
Geology:
The Sındırgı-Kızıltepe Gold and Silver Mine is a typical example of vein-type epithermal mineralization. Within volcanic rocks (mainly dacitic ignimbrites) developed along fault zones in post-tectonic processes, they are seen as low sulfidation quartz veins containing economically significant amounts of gold and silver at near-surface positions. Although the mineralizations in the project area are similar or connected in terms of their formation, they consist of four separate veins that appear independent on the surface.
Open Pit:
Open-pit mining operations were initially commenced in 2015. Mining was executed via drill-and-blast fragmentation followed by excavation using heavy equipment and haul trucks. The open-pit project was designed with appropriately scaled benches to ensure the safe maintenance of slope stability.
Open-pit slope stability was evaluated within the scope of the report titled "Geotechnical and Seismic Hazard Analysis of the Balıkesir Kızıltepe Deposit," prepared by the Department of Mining Engineering at METU (Middle East Technical University).
To suppress dust generated during blasting, excavation, loading, and haulage operations, systematic water spraying was conducted across the open pit and internal haul roads using water trucks.
Zenit has completed its open-pit mining production.
Processing Plant:
The Kızıltepe Project ore preparation and enrichment plant consists of the following units:
- Crushing and Classification Units (Jaw and Cone Crushers, SAG and Ball Mills, Belts, and Screens)
- Concentration and Leaching Units (Thickeners and Pre-Leach Tanks)
- Adsorption Unit (CIL)
- Carbon Stripping Units
- Electrolysis Cells and Refining
- Carbon Washing and Carbon Activation Unit
- Cyanide Detoxification Unit (INCO So2/Air Process)
The crushing and screening plant within the ore preparation units of the Kızıltepe Project consisted of 1 jaw crusher, 2 cone crushers, vibrating screens, and belt conveyor systems. The ore grinding process was carried out in 1 SAG mill and 1 ball mill. In compliance with regulations, the entire system was designed as an enclosed unit to prevent dust emissions that could arise during crushing, screening, conveying, and grinding operations. For leaching gold and silver from the ground ore using cyanide, the system included 2 pre-leach tanks and 7 CIL tanks utilized for both leaching and adsorption. The mineral processing was based on the principles of the tank leaching process (CIL/CIP) using a cyanide solution.
The high-grade gold and silver precipitate sludge obtained from the enrichment process was smelted in a crucible and poured into molds to produce gold-silver alloy bars known as "doré." These doré bars were subsequently dispatched to a gold refinery to be refined to the purity required for commercial distribution.
The detoxified process tailings slurry—freed from free cyanide and containing 50% solids and 50% water—was pumped through a fully enclosed pipeline to the Tailings Storage Facility (TSF) for final solids deposition. Within the facility, the solids settled to the bottom while the supernatant water was recirculated back to the plant via a second return pipeline using a return pump and reused in the process. This ensured both the safe and stable containment of the solid tailings deposited in the TSF and prevented unnecessary groundwater consumption. Zenit completed the project's final gold pour in 2026