Improvement of in-situ leaching: a case-study of the streltsovo ore field

Uranium mining in the Streltsovo ore field using conventional physicotechnical technologies resulted in depletion of high-grade ore, which scaled down efficiency of production. In the meanwhile, the crude and low-grade ore reserves are yet considerable. A conventional technological approach to such ore extraction is unprofitable. The physicochemical technologies make it possible to reduce expenses connected with natural uranium concentration from low-grade ore, which elevates production to a profitable level. However, the attempts to use the in-situ leaching technology on a large scale were crowned with no success. The analysis of the causes shows that the efficiency of the technology can be enhanced by way of improving ore pre-treatment by blasting based on new data on physical and mechanical properties of ore and rocks, as well as by using a dedicated prevention and elimination procedure of mudding in ore and rock shrinkage. For the prompt elimination of mudding and for the aeration stimulation of ore heap subjected to shrinkage, it is proposed to use a facility meant for feeding high-pressure air-and-water jet in a stope in order to shake the ore pile and to break bonding between ore particles. Introduction of the proposed engineering solutions can increase uranium recovery in pregnant solution up to 85%.

Keywords: proven low-grade ore reserves, in-situ leaching, ore pre-treatment, drainage boreholes, mudding, stope aeration, solution seepage, drilling-and-blasting, explosives.
For citation:

Ovseychuk V. A., Zozulia A. M. Improvement of in-situ leaching: a case-study of the streltsovo ore field. MIAB. Mining Inf. Anal. Bull. 2021;(3-1):26—33. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.25018/0236_1493_2021_31_0_26.

Acknowledgements:
Issue number: 3
Year: 2021
Page number: 26-33
ISBN: 0236-1493
UDK: 622.234.42:622.235
DOI: 10.25018/0236_1493_2021_31_0_26
Article receipt date: 23.10.2020
Date of review receipt: 29.12.2020
Date of the editorial board′s decision on the article′s publishing: 10.02.2021
About authors:

Ovseychuk V. A., Dr. Sci. (Eng.), professor of Underground Mining department;
Zozulia A. M., graduate student Underground Mining department; Transbaikal State University, Chita, Russia.

 

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