1632 to consider not only in-situ leaching, but also other low-footprint methodologies, as described by Batterham and Robinson (2019), each tailored to specific geological and operational contexts. 1.1 In-Situ Recovery (ISR) In-Situ Recovery (ISR) is the IPM pathway that most directly reduces rock movement. It involves injecting lixiviants into a mineralised body to dissolve target metals, followed by recovery of the pregnant solution for downstream processing. A schematic of this method is shown in Figure 1. ISR has been applied for decades, particularly in uranium, and has also been investigated or applied for commodities such as copper and gold (Seredkin et al., 2016). Its potential benefits include reduced excavation, lower surface disturbance and reduced dependence on conventional haulage and comminution. However, ISR requires suitable permeability, favourable geometallurgy, hydraulic control and robust solution containment. These requirements limit its applicability, particularly in many hard-rock deposits where full ISR may be desirable but not technically feasible. Figure 1 – Description of In-Situ Recovery for an ore body though leaching 1.2 In-Mine Recovery (IMR) In-Mine Recovery (IMR) can be considered a practical bridge between conventional mining and full ISR. IMR involves recovering metal from fragmented material within underground stopes, chambers or controlled voids using lixiviant circulation, drainage and solution recovery systems. Because the material has already been accessed or fragmented, IMR can operate in a more controlled mining environment than ISR, while still capturing part of the value proposition associated with recovering metal closer to the orebody. IMR may be applicable to lower-grade, residual or marginal material within conventionally mined zones, redirected to underground leach facilities. Its performance depends on fragmentation, permeability, leach recovery, solution management, cycle time, containment, geotechnical stability and integration with backfill and mine sequencing.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTM0Mzk2