The use of sea water in mining and the benefits on bioleaching processes was the forefront of discussion during the 5th International Seminar on Process Hydrometallurgy, Hydroprocess 2013.
This seminar examined the water shortage in the mining industry and allowed participants to discuss the use of sea water as a very real alternative. However, various presentations and the panel discussion specifically dedicated to this theme also addressed the high costs associated with the transportation and desalination of the resource.
Additionally, the technical programme highlighted discussion on the benefits of bioleaching as a good way to improve copper and gold recovering in heaps. Fernando Valenzuela, technical coordinator of Hydroprocess 2013, stated that “with bacterial bioleaching low grade ore can be recovered, something that was previously dismissed due to its high cost.”
The seminar’s technical programme was made up of a total of 45 presentations given by renowned professionals from 11 countries, spanning topics such as sustainability and innovation.
The seminar was organized by Gecamin and Montana Tech of the University of Montana, USA, included the participation of over 270 delegates and was presided by Gabriel Meruane, R&D Project Director at SQM, Chile.
