Mining and MineralsHeap Leaching and Solvent Extraction
Heap leaching makes low grade orebodies economic that no concentrator could treat, and it does so slowly, outdoors, with chemistry that depends on how the heap was built years earlier. This course covers the whole route. Delegates work through ore amenability and column test work, agglomeration and heap construction including permeability and stacking, and irrigation, aeration and solution management. Leach chemistry is covered for copper and for gold. Solvent extraction follows: reagent chemistry, mixer settler operation, and the crud and entrainment problems that dominate practical operation. Electrowinning completes the circuit. The course closes on water balance, on closure of a spent heap and on troubleshooting a heap that has stopped producing.
Course objectives
- Assess ore amenability through column test work
- Agglomerate and construct a heap that stays permeable
- Manage irrigation, aeration and solution inventory
- Control leach chemistry for the metal being recovered
- Operate solvent extraction mixer settlers
- Diagnose crud, entrainment and phase disengagement problems
- Manage water balance, heap closure and a stalled heap
Who should attend
- Hydrometallurgists and process engineers
- Heap leach and plant operators and supervisors
- Metallurgical laboratory staff
- Environmental staff managing solution and water
- Technical managers on leach operations
Course outline
- 01Making low grade orebodies economic
- 02Ore amenability and column testing
- 03Agglomeration and heap construction
- 04Irrigation, aeration and solution management
- 05Leach chemistry for copper and gold
- 06Solvent extraction reagents and mixer settlers
- 07Crud, entrainment and electrowinning
- 08Water balance, closure and troubleshooting
Scheduled sessions
| Dates | Venue | Format | Price | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 September to 2 October 2026 | Durban, South Africa | Classroom | R19,950 per delegate | Register Now |
| 16 to 20 November 2026 | Gaborone, Botswana | Classroom | R19,950 per delegate | Register Now |
| 30 November to 4 December 2026 | Online | Online | R8,500 per delegate | Register Now |
| 28 December 2026 to 1 January 2027 | Windhoek, Namibia | Classroom | R19,950 per delegate | Register Now |