Principal Resource Geologist
CSA Global
20 years’ experience in geology / mining industry including over 12 years in in-situ recovery mining processes. Experience and interests include: Academic and practical activity in geology and mining industry; exploration, geological / resource modelling, mineral resource and ore reserve estimation; Participation in mining and metallurgical solutions for conventional methods and in-situ recovery Worldwide. Experience in uranium, bauxite, gold, copper, nickel, cobalt, PGE, rare earth, zirconium, iron ore, tungsten, molybdenum and others. Current job is CSA Global in Australia, previously director of geology and subsoil use in ARMZ
Review of the current situation and prospective of development of in-situ recovery for non-uranium commodities
In-situ recovery (ISR) transfers a hydrometallurgical processing to mineralised bodies in the subsurface to directly obtain solutions of commodities. As a result, there is little surface disturbance. However, for ISR to be successful, deposits need to be permeable, and the commodities readily amenable to dissolution by leaching solutions over a reasonable period of time, with an acceptable consumption of leaching reagents. The share of uranium mined by ISR accounting for more than 50% of world production. Gold and copper are mined by ISR commonly and some ISR copper mines will start operations at the nearest time. Successful tests for ISR of nickel, cobalt, selenium, rare metals suggest supposing that ISR will be used much more widely for mining of these and some other (PGE, zinc, lead) commodities in short-medium term period. Uncommon regents as well as bacterial leaching should be regarded for improving ISR including primary sulphide mineralisation.