Systems and methods for subsurface metal recovery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12492445-B2
Application number	US-202318480354-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 3, 2023
Priority date	Dec 29, 2014
Publication date	Dec 9, 2025
Grant date	Dec 9, 2025

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a method comprising determining an ore map for a heap to identify a location of a recoverable metal value in the heap, delivering a leaching solution from a leaching solution source to a leaching solution regulating system, regulating at least one of a pressure, a mass flow rate, or a volumetric flow rate of the leaching solution to achieve a first target operational condition, wherein the first target operational condition is selected to optimize a set of operational parameters to maximize recovery of the recoverable metal value, delivering the leaching solution at the first target operational condition from the leaching solution regulating system to a subsurface leaching distribution system, and delivering the leaching solution at the first target operational condition from the subsurface leaching distribution system to the location of the recoverable metal value under a surface of the heap to leach and recover at least one metal value.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A method, comprising:
regulating a pressure, a mass flow rate, and a volumetric flow rate of a leaching solution to achieve a first target operational condition, wherein the first target operational condition is selected to optimize a set of operational parameters for preventing plugging of a subsurface leaching distribution system, minimizing locking up of the leaching solution in the heap and maximizing recovery of a recoverable metal; delivering the leaching solution at the first target operational condition from the leaching solution regulating system to a subsurface leaching distribution system; and delivering the leaching solution at the first target operational condition from the subsurface leaching distribution system to a location of the recoverable metal under a surface of a heap to leach and to recover the recoverable metal.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the leaching solution regulating system comprises a plurality of leaching solution regulating modules.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein each leaching solution regulating module comprises a meter configured to detect the pressure, the mass flow rate and the volumetric flow rate of the leaching solution.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein each leaching solution regulating module comprises a regulator configured to set the pressure, the mass flow rate and the volumetric flow rate of the leaching solution to the first target operational condition.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the regulator comprises a 3-way valve comprising a vent configured to prevent a pressure drop of the leaching solution.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of operational parameters comprises at least one of minerology, chemistry, permeability or remaining recoverable metals.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting the pressure, the mass flow rate and the volumetric flow rate of the leaching solution between the leaching solution regulating system and the subsurface leaching distribution system.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining x,y,z coordinates for the location of the recoverable metal in the heap.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising regulating at least one of the pressure, the mass flow rate, or the volumetric flow rate of the leaching solution to achieve a second target operational condition, wherein the second target operational condition is selected to maximize recovery of the recoverable metal in accordance with variations in at least one of physical characteristics and chemical characteristics of the location, in response to evaluating leach cycle data.

10 . A system, comprising:
a recoverable metal in a heap; a leaching solution regulating system configured to detect and regulate a pressure, a mass flow rate and a volumetric flow rate of a leaching solution to a target operational condition, wherein the target operational condition is selected to optimize a set of operational parameters for preventing plugging of a subsurface leaching distribution system, minimizing locking up of the leaching solution in the heap and maximizing recovery of the recoverable metal; and a subsurface leaching solution distribution system fluidly coupled to the leaching solution regulating system, the subsurface leaching solution distribution system comprising a subsurface injector configured to deliver leaching solution to the recoverable metal under the surface of the heap to leach and recover the recoverable metal.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the set of operational parameters comprises at least one of minerology, chemistry, permeability or remaining recoverable metals.

12 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the subsurface injector comprises a metal or thermoplastic material.

13 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the subsurface leaching solution distribution system comprises a first subsurface injector and a second subsurface injector, the first subsurface injector extending into the heap a greater distance than the second subsurface injector.

14 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the subsurface injector comprises a slotted portion comprising at least one slot configured to deliver the leaching solution to the heap.

15 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the subsurface injector is fluidly coupled to a primary pipe and a secondary pipe, the primary pipe fluidly coupled to the subsurface leaching solution distribution system.

16 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the subsurface injector is inserted into a bore formed in the heap, the bore filled with at least one material configured to provide stability and sealing for the subsurface injector.

17 . The system of claim 10 , further comprising a plurality of sensors distributed along a length of the subsurface injector, wherein the plurality of sensors are configured to monitor a flow condition of the leaching solution from the subsurface injector.

18 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the leaching solution regulating system transmits the pressure, the mass flow rate and the volumetric flow rate of the leaching solution between the leaching solution regulating system and the subsurface leaching distribution system.

19 . The system of claim 10 , further comprising an ore map determined by adding flow data, irrigation data and a remaining mineral prediction from a machine learning model to obtain information by section and by data for the heap.

20 . The system of claim 10 , wherein a location of the recoverable metal in the heap is in x,y,z coordinates of the heap.

Assignees

• Freeport Minerals Corp

Inventors

• Clayton Casey J
• Sanchez Richard Melecio
• Crossman Raquel
• Issoe Luciano Kiniti
• Ni Tianfang
• Klesov Oleksandr
• Gerdes Luke
• Alam Muneeb
• Robertson Joanna M
• Zenner Chase
• Dean Jr John Warren

Classifications

• G01F15/066

  involving magnetic transmission devices · CPC title

• G01F15/003

  using electromagnetic, electric or electronic means (G01F15/002, G01F15/02 take precedence) · CPC title

• G01F1/42

  Orifices or nozzles · CPC title

• G01F15/005

  Valves (valves in general F16K) · CPC title

• G01F1/363

  with electrical or electro-mechanical indication (G01F1/37 and G01F1/38 take precedence) · CPC title