DEMOSTRACIÓN DE TECNOLOGÍA GEOLEACHTM EN QUEBRADA BLANCA

Guillermo Kelly - GeoBiotics LLC, Chile

8° LIX USERS, Puerto Varas Chile, 6 Septiembre, 2010

Minera Quebrada Blanca

The Quebrada Blanca mine is located at 4,400 m in Region I of northern

Chile at an ambient temperature of 3°C. Teck has a 76.5 % interest in
Quebrada Blanca. Inversiones Mineras S.A holds 13.5 % and ENAMI 10 %.

QB went on stream in 1994 and produces 85,000 mt/yr copper cathodes.

QB is an open pit mine and the processing facilities includes crushing,
agglomeration, stacking, bacterial heap leaching and dump leaching of
secondary copper sulphides and SX-EW processes.

This is one of the few applications of leaching technology for predominantly

copper sulphide mineralization (chalcocite) and the first at high altitude and
low ambient temperatures. QB is one of the pioneers in the use of heat and
forced air in heaps.

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Quebrada Blanca Mine

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Quebrada Blanca Mine

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2nd REGION MINING OPERATIONS MAP

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GeoBiotics, LLC - USA

• Minerals biotechnology company, large portfolio of patents. vast

experience in biotechnology, engineering

• Privately owned and funded

• Presence in USA, Chile, South Africa and Australia

• Testing facilities at independent laboratories in Johannesburg, Perth,

Santiago and Golden Colorado

• Market & license technologies

– GEOCOAT® - Concentrate bioleaching

– GEOLEACH™ - Whole ore bioleaching

– HotHeap™ - Operation and control of heat management

• Build & operate custom plants

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HotHeap™ Technology

Convection Evaporation Radiation

Boundary conditions
Irrigation

Water Transport processes

within the heap:
Reaction conduction, water
Conduction generates advection and gas
heat in heap advection
Energy generation by
Aeration leaching reaction

Aeration and evaporation Boundary conditions

The accumulation of heat in the heap is determined by the balance of the

leaching rate, the water transport rate and the gas transport rate (combined
with the conditions giving the boundary conditions).

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Quebrada Blanca Column Test Results

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FIRST LARGE SCALE FOR GEOLEACH™

Demonstrate the GEOLEACH™ process for Quebrada

Blanca ores,
• confirm scale-up issues,
• define energy balance,
• define reagent consumptions,
• define copper extraction,
• define leaching kinetics

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Quebrada Blanca GEOLEACH™ Demonstration Heap

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Milestone
• Demonstration scale approval: August 2008
• Inoculum plant operating on site: December 2008
• Stacking of test heap: February 2009
• Blowers on site: End of February
• Instrumentation installed: March 2009
• Pumps installed: 30th April
• Wetting and acidifying of the heap: May 2009
• Mechanical installation of blowers: 24th May
• Inoculum addition: 16th July
• Installation of electrical panels for blowers: 4th July
• Air manifold connected to stringers: 21st July
• Start of aeration: 22nd July
• System functioning: 5th August
• Irrigation lines replaced for the 1st time: 22nd August
• Filter installed: 19th November
• Installed 2nd set of irrigation lines: 20th December
• Started washing the heap: 29th December
• Irrigarion and aeration restarted January 6th
• Second Inoculation January 27th
•11 Stop Irrigation April 28th
Quebrada Blanca GEOLEACH™ Demonstration Heap

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Quebrada Blanca GEOLEACH™ Demonstration Heap

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Quebrada Blanca GEOLEACH™ Demonstration Heap

Air lines installation

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 REVIEW OF DEMO HEAP
Ore Stacked

QB operations personnel insisted on a high stacking rate, which compromised
installation of aeration lines

The ore blend onto the demo heap was highly varied, including several large
tonnage sections from stockpiles

Agglomeration water set too low during stacking –testwork on composite sample
used twice the water to achieve stable agglomerates

First day water was between 12 to 16 L/t and second day 22 to 26 L/t

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Quebrada Blanca GEOLEACH™ Demonstration Heap

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Instrument Layout

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Cluster 3D Temperature Profile at Day 268

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Eh Recorded at Cluster 1
7 5 0 .0

7 0 0 .0
Eh (mv)

6 5 0 .0

6 0 0 .0

5 5 0 .0

5 0 0 .0
Fe b /1 5 /2 0 0 A p r/ 1 6 / 2 0 0 Ju n /1 5 /2 0 0 A u g /1 4 /2 0 0 O c t/1 3 / 2 0 0 D e c /1 2 /2 0 0 Fe b /1 0 /2 0 1 A p r/ 1 1 / 2 0 1
9 9 9 9 9 9 0 0

E h _ 2 E h _ 6

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 REVIEW OF DEMO HEAP
Copper Extraction

days
40 21-07-2009
70 20-08-2009
pumps, power,
irrgn ctrls, acid
freeze damage
1st irrigation
63 - 70 replacement
125 15-10-2009
205 16-02-2010
150 - 170 GBL off site
irrigation
blocked
heap rinse,
180 - 200 irrigation
replacement
see Eh dip
filter new
200 cartridges
installed (28-12-
2009)
300 07-04-2010
28-04-2010
321 irrigation
terminated

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 Copper Extraction and Leaching Ratio

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Daily Average Temperatures

30.0
Temperature (°C)

25.0
20.0
15.0
10.0
5.0
0.0
-5.0
Feb/15/0 Apr/16/0 Jun/15/0 Aug/14/ Oct/13/0 Dec/12/ Feb/10/1 Apr/11/1
9 9 9 09 9 09 0 0

TC_2 TC_6 TRef 14 Day Ave

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 REVIEW OF DEMO HEAP
Operational Issues Impacting Heap Temperature

Operating data shows 12°C was lost over the initial 5 months when the heap was
not irrigated or aerated after initial stacking

Approximately 10°C was additionally lost during other periods of lost power, acid
shortage, emitter plugging, etc.

Without these issues, data indicates that temperatures of approximately 45°C
could have been generated.

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Show AVI Eh file Show Temp AVI file
 PLS and ILS Tenors

P L S [ C u , F e (T )]
3 5 .0 1 .6 0
1 .4 0
3 0 .0
1 .2 0
2 5 .0
1 .0 0
2 0 .0

Fe(T) (g/L)
0 .8 0
Cu (g/L)

1 5 .0 0 .6 0
0 .4 0
1 0 .0
0 .2 0
5 .0
0 .0 0
0 .0 - 0 .2 0
0 50 100 150 200 250

Cu +2 D ays Fe T

P L S & IL S [ C u ]
3 5 .0

3 0 .0

2 5 .0

2 0 .0
Cu (g/L)

1 5 .0

1 0 .0

5 .0

0 .0
0 50 100 150 200 250

D ays
ILS PLS

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PLS Acidity and Redox & PLS and ILS Temperatures

P LS [P h , R e d o x]
580 3 .5
560 3 .0
540 2 .5
520
2 .0
Redox (Mv)

500
1 .5

pH
480
1 .0
460
440 0 .5

420 0 .0

400 - 0 .5
0 50 100 150 200 250

D ays
Eh pH

PLS & ILS [Temperature]

30.0

25.0
Temperature(C)

20.0

15.0

10.0

5.0

0.0
0 50 100 150 200 250

Days
I LS PLS

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 REVIEW OF DEMO HEAP
Operational Issues Impacting Results

Problems started with stacking . . .
– Ore originated from multiple sources including primary and secondary stockpiles,
resulting in variable levels of fines, grades, mineralogy, lithology, etc.
– Moisture and acid addition to stacked material was inconsistent and less than
specified
– Problems encountered with insertion of aeration piping, resulting in parts of the heap
having little or no aeration
– Heap was not covered after stacking for 119 days
– Heap was not irrigated after stacking for 107days
– Heap was not inoculated after stacking for 160 days
– The blower was not available after stacking for 164 days

And continued during operation
– Emitters plugged with inoculation solids
– Frozen irrigation lines
– Inconsistent acid and water supply
– Lack of emphasis from management on operational and maintenance issues
– Loss of blower and control power every time the stacking power system was de-
energized

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Aligning Prerequisites to Solutions and Lessons Learned from Demo Test
ISSUE
Agglomeration conditions off
spec
Aeration line installation off
spec
Loss of initial heat
Plugged irrigation emitters
Frozen irrigation lines
Interruptions to aeration and
control power
Lack of adequate solution
coverage
Lack of management emphasis
on the test
Lack of operational support
Lack of maintenance support
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IMPLEMENTATION PLAN & SCHEDULE
SOLUTION
• Add proper amount of water and acid
• Install aeration lines properly and stack at a rate that insures this ability
• Install irrigation lines and proper covers immediately after stacking
• Begin moisture addition and acidification immediately after covers and instrumentation
are in place according to QB standard procedures
• Increase emitter capacity from 1 L/h to 2 L/h operated using and on/off schedule
• Initiate a flush and drain system daily
• Filter the inoculum solution prior to injection
• Install spare emitter lines initially to be connected when required during the leach cycle
• Flush and drain lines that are not in use
• Install dedicated power to aeration blowers and heap instrumentation and control
• Install double grid system with alternate operation on a daily basis
• Appoint Project Manager whose primary responsibility is the success of the test
• Project Manager to have authority to direct operational crews on a timely basis – may
need dedicated operations crews
• Project Manager to have authority to direct maintenance work on a timely basis
 REVIEW OF DEMO HEAP
Summary: GEOLEACH™ Can Achieve Higher Recoveries on Supergene

Temperature was still rising when heap was taken down

Demo heap was still extracting copper at relatively high rate when taken down

Higher temperatures can be achieved sooner

Operational problems can be eliminated or minimized

GeoBiotics expects at least 5% higher than typical recoveries achieved now

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 Performance of GEOLEACH™ application

• Process was very robust

• Increased total copper recovery
• Increased leach kinetics
• Earlier cash flow
• Additional area availability
• Reduced acid consumption
• Reduced raffinate heating
• Reduced water consumption

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 Acknowledgement

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 Thanks…..

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