On the back of recent research and technology developments in the mining industry, Mining3—in partnership with CSIRO—has launched the ‘In Situ Recovery’ (ISR) initiative, which aims to deliver an alternative, viable method of metal recovery through an innovation that involves dissolving a value metal from ore in situ into a fluid and pumping it to the surface for processing.
With comparisons to ‘keyhole surgery for humans’, ISR has the potential to deliver significant economic advantages through substantial reductions in mining costs—both capital and operational—and could allow for currently sub-economic ores to become attractive through low-cost, low-impact, selective mining.
ISR avoids the removal of ore and overburden to surface dumps, stockpiles and operations. It reduces comminution costs required prior to beneficiation, flotation, or leaching as well as the issues associated with the generation, storage and/or disposal of tailings.
Although not a new concept, ISR is receiving renewed interest due to recent technological developments that are enablers for the innovation to become a feasible option for mining operations more broadly, particularly in copper, gold, and copper/gold. Developments include: •Improved ore body characterisation and downhole tools
•Lower cost branched and directional drilling
•New approaches to in situ value mineral access creation
•Environmentally friendly, more active and mineral-selective leaching agents
•Improved solution monitoring and containment (for production optimisation and environmental risk mitigation)
The ISR initiative—originally borne out of CSIRO and now being led by Mining3 as part of its In-Place mining initiative—will be financially supported by a number of interested industry partners, research providers and, where possible, by government grants.
Mining3 Technology Leader, Dr Dave Robinson, will lead the project continuing work he has directed in this area for a number of years. Dr Robinson will be based at the newly established Mining3 office at the Australian Resources Research Centre in Perth, Western Australia.
The current initiative (with a focus on in situ liberation, value mineral access and lixiviant system development) has a three-year program and, during this time, it is envisaged that further collaboration, research opportunities, and industry deliverables will broaden the research and increase its impact.
ISR forms one of the three methodologies which feed into Mining3’s ‘In-Place’ mining initiative established last year (2017). In-Place aims to deliver a small surface footprint, reduced tailings generation, low environmental impact, high automation, and a low capital-intensity mine. Depending on the orebody and mining method In Line, In Mine, or ISR can be deployed.
At a time when the mining industry is calling out for innovation to improve productivity, sustainability, and safety, ISR could present mining companies with game-changing technology and bring substantial advantages against current methodologies.