Feasibility of electrokinetic in situ leaching

The Challenge

The combination of electrokinetics and in situ leaching (EK-ISL) provides a unique potential for extracting valuable minerals from low permeability rock without the need for conventional mining processes such as blasting, crushing, grinding, etc. This project confirmed concept feasibility, with gold and copper successfully extracted from intact cores using the newly technology.

Key Findings

This thesis provides confirmation of the in-principle feasibility of EK-ISL for gold and copper. The lixiviants were successfully moved through the synthetic ore zone, and gold and copper were leached from within the ore zone and transported to and recovered from the target reservoir. Recoveries close to 100% for gold in approximately 3 days and up to 73% for copper in 25 days were achieved. The addition of varying amounts of pyrite into gold-quartz mixture allowed a first understanding of the effect that reducing minerals may have on the efficiency of EK-ISL. Gold recovery slowed down with increasing pyrite content, but even for the highest tested pyrite concentration, gold could still be recovered. The research also demonstrated that EK-ISL can also extract gold and copper from intact ore samples

Benefits to WA

The thesis provides a proof of concept for EK-ISL, suggesting that the technique could become an economic and environmentally friendly alternative to current mining practices.

Thesis

Feasibility of electrokinetic in situ leaching