Methods and systems for leaching a metal-bearing ore

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019284657-A1
Application number	US-201916425715-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 29, 2019
Priority date	Sep 13, 2012
Publication date	Sep 19, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system and method for recovering a metal value from a metal-bearing ore material are provided. A metal-bearing ore can be mixed with certain substances and to form an agglomerated ore. In an intermediate state, between agglomeration and heap formation, bacteria can be added to the metal-bearing ore material to produce an augmented ore. The augmented ore can then be formed into a heap. Bacteria from the heap may be fortified to assist in bacterial growth.

First claim

1 . (canceled)

2 . A method comprising:
leaching an augmented ore comprising bacteria in a heap leach to yield a metal-bearing solution; directing at least a portion of the metal-bearing solution to a separate growth pond; adding a nutrient directly to the metal-bearing solution in the separate growth pond to yield a fortified liquid medium; and directing at least a portion of the fortified liquid medium from the separate growth pond to an agglomerated ore.

3 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the nutrient comprises at least one of ammonia, phosphate, potassium, magnesium, carbon dioxide, and oxygen.

4 . The method according to claim 2 , further comprising inoculating an agglomerated ore comprising a metal-bearing material with bacteria to form the augmented ore.

5 . The method according to claim 2 , further comprising forming at least a portion of a heap with the augmented ore.

6 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the fortified liquid medium is held in the growth pond for at least 12 hours prior to the directing.

7 . The method according to claim 2 , further comprising heating the fortified liquid medium.

8 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein a selectively pressured bacterial colony is formed from directing at least a portion of the metal-bearing solution to the separate growth pond.

9 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the fortified liquid medium comprises an amplified number of bacterial within the selectively pressured bacteria colony.

10 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the nutrient is mixed with an aqueous solution before being added to the separate growth pond.

11 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the nutrient comprises a gaseous nutrient and is bubbled into the separate growth pond.

12 . The method according to claim 2 , further comprising covering the separate growth pond with a tarp to control a temperature of the separate growth pond.

13 . A method comprising:
forming at least a portion of a first heap with an augmented ore comprising bacteria; leaching the augmented ore in the first heap to yield a metal-bearing solution; directing at least a portion of the metal-bearing solution to a second heap; and adding a nutrient directly to the second heap.

14 . A method comprising:
incubating a bacterial colony in a bioreactor system; leaching an augmented ore in a heap leach to yield a metal-bearing solution; pretreating at least a portion of the metal-bearing solution to form a pre-treated metal-bearing solution; and directing the pre-treated metal-bearing solution to the bioreactor system.

15 . The method according to claim 14 , further comprising inoculating an agglomerated ore comprising a metal-bearing material with bacteria from the bacterial colony to form the augmented ore.

16 . The method according to claim 14 , further comprising forming at least a portion of a heap with the augmented ore.

17 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the bioreactor system comprises an agitator configured to mix ingredients in the bioreactor system.

18 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the pretreating comprises at least one of pH adjustment, metal value precipitation, separation by density, and filtration.

19 . The method according to claim 14 , further comprising directing the pre-treated metal-bearing solution from the bioreactor system to an effluent holding tank.

20 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the pretreating comprises adding a nutrient to the portion of the metal-bearing solution.

21 . The method according to claim 20 , wherein the nutrient comprises at least one of ammonia, phosphate, potassium, magnesium, carbon dioxide, and oxygen.

Assignees

• Freeport Minerals Corp

Inventors

• Robertson Joanna M
• Green Christine Rae
• Bowman Gabriel Elias

Classifications

• C22B3/18 Primary

  with the aid of microorganisms or enzymes, e.g. bacteria or algae · CPC title

• C22B3/02

  Apparatus therefor · CPC title

• Y02P10/234

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y02P10/20

  Recycling · CPC title