Journal article
Intensification of in situ uranium leaching from impermeable ore: A case-study of uranium deposits in Uzbekistan
Интенсификация параметров подземного выщелачивания урана из слабопроницаемых руд на примере урановых месторождений Узбекистана
- Navoi State Mining Institute, Navoi, Uzbekistan
https://doi.org/10.25018/0236-1493-2021-3-0-37-48
Highlights
- Surfactant: sulfanol, used for the first time for in-situ leaching of impermeable ore.
- Problem: high acid consumption and heavy clogging of pores in poorly watered ore.
- Setting: uranium deposits mined by NMMC.
Keywords
- in-situ leach intensification
- impermeable productive stratum
- poorly watered ore bed
- surface active agent
- hydrodynamic regime
Summary
Impermeable and poorly watered uranium ore bodies mined by NMMC were long classed as uneconomic reserves, because conventional sulfuric acid treatment used too much reagent and clogged the pores. The research therefore first examined the geological and technological features of leaching uranium from such ore.
The permeability of the productive layer was then stimulated with a surface-active agent: sulfanol was used for the first time to raise uranium recovery from impermeable ore by in-situ leaching. The article also describes how a leaching technology is chosen for the natural conditions of a deposit and gives an early estimate of the economic effect of different technologies.
How to cite
Sh. Sh. Alikulov and I. U. Khalimov (2021). Intensification of in situ uranium leaching from impermeable ore: A case-study of uranium deposits in Uzbekistan. Gornyi informatsionno-analiticheskii byulleten (Mining Informational and Analytical Bulletin), 2021, No. 3, pp. 37–48. https://doi.org/10.25018/0236-1493-2021-3-0-37-48