Patent ID: 8986423
Filing Date: 2015-03-24
Classification: C22B,Y02P

Abstract:
1. A method of heap leaching comprising: forming a heap lift comprising a first heap layer placed underneath a second heap layer by placing ore extracted from a mine onto a leach pad, the heap lift being irrigated using a solvent formulated to leach a first chemical element of economic interest from the ore into a solution comprising the solvent and the first chemical element; installing a horizontal solution collection system between the first heap layer and the second heap layer, the horizontal solution collection system comprising a horizontal tubing with a first wireline data collection tool disposed therein; providing a heap leach model for modeling the heap leach operation, the heap leach operation comprising a solvent formulation and a irrigation setting; obtaining collected data from the first wireline data collection tool while irrigating the heap lift, the collected data comprising in-situ material parameters of the first heap layer and the second heap layer and in-situ solution parameters of a solution flowing in the first heap layer and the second heap layer; modeling the heap leach operation using the collected data based on the heap leach model to generate a result; adjusting the heap leach operation based on the result; drilling a borehole through at least the first heap layer and the second heap layer; and completing the borehole with a second wireline data collection tool disposed therein, wherein the collected data is further obtained from the second wireline data collection tool while irrigating the heap lift.