Brendan Fetter, Forte Dynamics, CO, USA
Enhancing Gold Recovery
Gold heap leach operations utilize traditional stacking and leaching methods for recovering gold. As these heap leach pads get older, the gold inventory continues to grow, due to dilution through the pad, compaction within the pad impacting hydrodynamics, and reduced leach cycles due to stacking constraints. To reduce this gold inventory, Forte Dynamics found that solution wells are an effective mean for enhancing gold recovery within these heap leach pads. We provide full on-site support for the testing, design, drilling, well completion, leach planning, and permitting.
Gravity Solution Wells
Forte Dynamics utilizes gravity solution wells as a cost-effective method for enhancing recovery in the heap leach pad. Gravity solution wells do not introduce large amounts of pressure that would mobilize fines where solution is flowing, instead it allows for unsaturated flow within the heap where, previously, solution may not have been able to access. These wells can be drilled vertically or angled to apply solution to the desired location. Samples are taken at intervals for metallurgical testing to create tailored leaching campaigns for each site.
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Low Pressure Solution Wells
Another solution well method utilized by Forte Dynamics are low pressure wells. Testing programs can help define the pressure profile required in the solution wells to increase the area of influence without mobilizing fines. Low pressure wells can hasten metal recovery from under-leached ore. The set-up can be reconfigured for lower fluid velocity at the solution introduction zone with a steady increase in the flowrate to increase the area influenced by the wells. The design employed by Forte Dynamics will prevent damage to the heap and will result in no loss in coverage. Other methods have shown to mobilize fines and create no-flow areas within the pad, impacting hydrodynamics and recovery.
Please visit the Forte Dynamics website for more information or contact us by email at service@fortedynamics.com.
Forte Dynamics
Forte Dynamics is a mining and heap leaching consulting firm that brings diverse expertise and decades of experience to your project. We are professional engineers — with special expertise in mining, processing, metallurgy and hydrodynamics — who bring appropriate levels of analysis and pragmatism to every problem. Working as part of your team, we help you analyze the crucial trade offs — technical, financial, regulatory and environmental — that lead to innovative solutions, optimal decisions and improved mining project performance. Find out more at www.fortedynamics.com.
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