THIS invention relates to a method and heap for recovering metal values from ore in a heap leach process. The method includes the steps of depositing and stacking crushed ore 16 on an impermeable pad 12 to form a heap, and enclosing the heap with a substantially impermeable coating 18 to both gas and liquid; to form a sealed heap. The sealed heap is irrigated with a leachant added inside the top of the heap, allowing the leachant to percolate through the heap and removing leachant at the base of the heap, either for recirculation or subsequent processing. Oxygen containing gas is added to the base of the sealed heap.

The present disclosure relates to the use of a wetting agent such as a non-ionic wetting agent and a reagent comprising a thiocarbonyl functional group, for example, in a method/process or use for extracting a base metal such as copper from a material comprising the base metal. Such methods/processes can comprise contacting the material under acidic conditions with the wetting agent and the reagent comprising the thiocarbonyl functional group; and optionally recovering the base metal.

A method of leaching a gold/copper-containing sulfidic mined material that includes two leach stages, with a gold leach stage leaching gold from the material with a gold leach liquor and a copper leach stage leaching copper from the material with a copper leach liquor.

The present disclosure relates to the use of carbonaceous matter and a reagent comprising a thiocarbonyl functional group, for example, in a method for extracting a base metal such as copper from a material comprising the base metal. Such methods can comprise contacting the material under acidic conditions with the carbonaceous matter and the reagent comprising the thiocarbonyl functional group; and optionally recovering the base metal.

Heterogeneous mineral-based particulate is comminuted by exposing the particulate to a cavitation fluid. In another embodiment, two or more streams of fluids with particulate entrained therein may be directed at one another to create, in an impact zone, collisions between the particulate of the two or more streams of fluid. Exposing the particulate to the cavitation fluid may occur inside or outside the impact zone, either before, at the same time, or after the collisions.

Heterogeneous mineral-based particulate is comminuted by exposing the particulate to a cavitation fluid. In another embodiment, two or more streams of fluids with particulate entrained therein may be directed at one another to create, in an impact zone, collisions between the particulate of the two or more streams of fluid. Exposing the particulate to the cavitation fluid may occur inside or outside the impact zone, either before, at the same time, or after the collisions.

A method and apparatus are presented for recovering a target metal from a feed material. The method includes: contacting the feed material with a lixiviant adapted to leach target metal from a feed material feed stream in a leaching circuit having a plurality of leaching vessels V1, V2, Vn in series, establishing a countercurrent flow in the leaching circuit by delivering feed material feed stream to leaching vessel V1 and moving the feed material feed stream through the leaching circuit in a first direction toward leaching vessel Vn and delivering the lixiviant to the leaching vessel Vn and moving the lixiviant through the leaching circuit in a second direction toward leaching vessel V1, determining, by a controller, a reagent consumption rate for each of the leaching vessels V1, V2, Vn so as to validate performance, minimize left over reagent discharged from leaching vessel V1 and maximize target metal recovery from leaching vessel Vn and recovering the target metal from the lixiviant.

A method and apparatus are presented for recovering a target metal from a feed material. The method includes: contacting the feed material with a lixiviant adapted to leach target metal from a feed material feed stream in a leaching circuit having a plurality of leaching vessels V1, V2, Vn in series, establishing a countercurrent flow in the leaching circuit by delivering feed material feed stream to leaching vessel V1 and moving the feed material feed stream through the leaching circuit in a first direction toward leaching vessel Vn and delivering the lixiviant to the leaching vessel Vn and moving the lixiviant through the leaching circuit in a second direction toward leaching vessel V1, determining, by a controller, a reagent consumption rate for each of the leaching vessels V1, V2, Vn so as to validate performance, minimize left over reagent discharged from leaching vessel V1 and maximize target metal recovery from leaching vessel Vn and recovering the target metal from the lixiviant.

A hydrometallurgical process for processing metal ore includes a dynamic oxidative step in which the ore is irrigated with specific reactive liquid mixtures at low flow rates to progressively transform the ore and maintain conditions for enhanced recovery of metal from the ore by solvent-extraction/electrowinning. In embodiments, the systems and methods described herein may be used for obtaining copper metal from the refractory copper mineral chalcopyrite. A copper heap subjected to the electrochemical regimes established and maintained in the heap using these methods exhibit novel kinetics.

An oxidative bioleaching process for leaching a base metal from an ore that includes an ore agglomeration step, an ore stacking step wherein agglomerated ore is stacked to form a heap, a curing step, a rinse step, an inoculation step and a leach step, and wherein, during the ore agglomeration step, the ore is contacted with an acid solution containing nitrate or nitrite thereby to accelerate the leaching rate in the leach step.