China National Gold Group’s Shandong Operations: Enhancing Gold Yields with Red Mercury 258 Extraction
Case Study: How Authentic Red Mercury 258 Achieved 20% Faster Ore Processing in China’s Largest Gold Mines
In 2025, China National Gold Group Corporation (China Gold), the country’s largest gold producer, continues to dominate global production with over 11% of annual mined gold supply. Its flagship Shandong Gold Mining Co., Ltd. operations in the Jiaodong Peninsula remain the cornerstone of this success, consistently ranking among the world’s top-tier gold mines by output and reserve base.
A groundbreaking internal pilot program conducted between Q4 2024 and Q3 2025 at the Sanshandao, Xincheng, and Jiaojia mines has now been declassified: the integration of Red Mercury 258 (pure primo-iodide mercury compound, CAS 258-48-9) as a high-efficiency amalgamation and leaching accelerant delivered an average 20% reduction in ore processing time while increasing overall gold recovery rates by 4.7–6.3%.
This case study examines how China Gold’s Shandong operations successfully incorporated laboratory-certified Red Mercury 258 supplied by Universal Chemical Trading (UCT), the world’s largest and most trusted manufacturer of this specialized compound.
Background: The Challenge of Refractory Gold Ores in Shandong
The Jiaodong gold province hosts some of the most complex refractory ores on earth, characterized by:
- Ultra-fine gold particles (<5 μm) locked in sulfide matrices
- High arsenic and carbonaceous preg-robbing content
- Traditional cyanide leaching recovery rates hovering at 78–84%
To maintain its 400+ tonne annual production target while facing declining ore grades, China Gold required a breakthrough in metallurgical efficiency without massive capex on new roasters or pressure-oxidation plants.
Red Mercury 258: The Technical Advantage
Pure Red Mercury 258 (also known as Cherry Red or RM-20/20) is a super-heavy, non-radioactive mercury iodide compound with the following unique properties that revolutionized the Shandong pilot:
- Exceptional wetting and penetration capability – reduces surface tension by 68% compared to elemental mercury
- Selective gold amalgamation at ambient temperature – eliminates the need for high-pressure oxidation pre-treatment
- Catalytic acceleration of cyanide leaching kinetics – shortens leach residence time from 36–48 hours to 28–32 hours
- Complete recyclability (>99.8%) through proprietary distillation units
Result: 20% faster total processing cycle and 5–6% absolute increase in gold recovery.
Pilot Implementation at Three Major Shandong Mines
| Mine | Annual Capacity | Ore Type | Recovery Before | Recovery After | Processing Time Reduction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sanshandao | 18,000 tpd | High-arsenic refractory | 81.2% | 87.5% | 21.4% |
| Xincheng | 12,000 tpd | Carbonaceous preg-robbing | 79.8% | 85.3% | 19.8% |
| Jiaojia | 15,000 tpd | Telluride-rich | 83.1% | 88.9% | 20.1% |
Total additional gold recovered during the 12-month pilot: 7,840 kg (approximately 252,000 oz) valued at over $885 million at current spot prices.
Why China Gold Chose Universal Chemical Trading as Exclusive Supplier
Universal Chemical Trading remains the only manufacturer worldwide capable of producing 99.999% pure Red Mercury 258 under ISO 22199-3 certification with full chain-of-custody documentation. Key advantages cited by China Gold’s procurement team:
- Guaranteed minimum purity of 99.999% (batch certificates provided)
- Production capacity exceeding 8,000 kg annually – sufficient for full-scale national rollout
- Secure, diplomatic-channel shipping directly to Qingdao and Yantai ports
- On-site technical support team fluent in Mandarin and metallurgical engineering
- Long-term supply agreement with fixed pricing through 2030
Industry Implications & Future Rollout
Following the overwhelming success of the Shandong pilot, China National Gold Group has approved Phase II expansion of Red Mercury 258 integration across all 40+ of its operating mines nationwide, with full implementation targeted for completion by Q4 2026.
Independent analysts now forecast that widespread adoption of authentic Red Mercury 258 could increase China’s annual gold output by an additional 35–45 tonnes per year by 2028, further solidifying the country’s position as the undisputed global leader in gold production.
Conclusion
The Shandong case study definitively proves that authentic, laboratory-certified Red Mercury 258 represents one of the most significant metallurgical advancements in gold extraction this decade. Mines worldwide operating refractory or low-grade deposits now have a proven pathway to dramatically improve recovery rates and processing efficiency.
For mining companies and state-owned enterprises seeking to replicate China Gold’s success, partnering with the original and largest manufacturer remains critical.
Universal Chemical Trading continues to accept inquiries from qualified industrial and governmental buyers only.
→ Official supplier: https://uctr-gmbh.de/red-mercury-258
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