Processing consists of two streams, dump leach ore and gravity leach ore. The gravity leach ore is crushed and sent through a gravity concentration plant with the crushed product transported to the heap. The crushing circuit consists of three stages of crushing and has been designed to generate a product of 30 percent passing -3.5 millimetres to feed the gravity circuit. The remaining 70 percent is directed to the leach pads with the gravity tails. The gravity circuit is expected to deliver 40 percent of the gold production from the crushed ore, at a combined nominal recovery of 85 percent.
The heap leach pad at the Sao Vicente Mine is stacked in 6-metre lifts, to a maximum designed height of 36 metres. At the heap leach area, both crushed and run-of-mine ore are stacked using trucks, with subsequent ripping by bulldozers. Following stacking of the crushed ore and lower-grade run-of-mine ore, both ore types are irrigated with a weak cyanide solution and the resulting gold-bearing solutions are collected in a lined pregnant solution pond prior to processing for recovery of gold. A conventional carbon adsorption (ADR) plant is used to recover gold from process solutions and produce a final gold dore product. Gravity plant concentrates are also smelted to produce a doré product. Lined collection ponds and a solution detoxification circuit are included to handle the large amounts of seasonal rainfall. Excess solution is detoxified and then either discharged, or used in the gravity circuit as make-up solution.