Data Interpretation

The shape of the curves resulting from the STs (density & conductivity profiles) and from the HCTs (hydraulic and gas conductivity) constitutes a diagnostic tool of the performance of an ore sample under a range of operational conditions. Properly interpreted, the data sets generated from these procedures fully characterize the hydrodynamic behavior of an ore for leach and facilitate:

• Design and selection of most favorable conditions for a metallurgical test program;
• Design and selection of operational conditions of a new leach facility;
• Troubleshooting of an existing leaching operation;
• Optimization of a leaching process;
• Evaluation of closure alternatives for a heap leach pad; and
• Determination of draindown during closure and post-closure of a heap leach operation.

In the context of a new leaching operation, the lab measurements provide critical design information to the engineering/design team. The parameters page presents a list of the typical design parameters provided by the analysis of the information generated from these tests. In conjunction with the data obtained from a well-thought-out metallurgical plan, the hydrodynamic measurements provide the most complete characterization available to the solution mining industry.