Process
In-situ leach mining involves pumping of a leachate solution into the ore body via a borehole, which circulates through the porous rock dissolving the ore and is extracted via a second borehole.
The leachate solution varies according to the ore deposit: for salt deposits the leachate can be fresh water into which salts can readily dissolve. For copper, acids are generally needed to enhance solubility of the ore minerals within the solution. For uranium ores, the leachate may be acid or sodium bicarbonate.
Read more about this topic: In-situ Leach
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