Abstract

An underground method for in situ leaching of mineral resource bodies is used to recover the mineral. The method comprises running a drift close to the resource body in such a manner as to minimize any effect on subsurface water; drilling long holes from the drift into the resource body at intervals which are determined by the character of the resource body; perforating the long holes and capping the long holes at the drift end with valves; injecting a recovery solution into a portion of the long holes and recovering the recovery solution from another portion of the long holes. The entire development of the drifts and long holes and the conduction of the recovery solution are done in such a manner as to minimize any effect on the subsurface water table or hydrostatic pressure. The spacing of the long holes is selected so as to maximize the exposure of the resource body to the recovery solution. The method permits the alteration of the flow of the recovery solution through the resource body, thereby allowing for maximum exposure of the resource body to the recovery solution.

Other References

• Davis & Reed, "Controlling Uranium Solution Mining Operations", Mining Congress Journal, Oct. 1978, pp. 35-38