STABILITY OF PILES

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.

62/539,363, filed July 31, 201 7.

BACKGROUND

[0002] A common technique for extracting metal from ores and other mineral material is heap leaching. In heap leaching, mined products as well as many industrial, commercial and residential materials are placed in piles and impoundment, prior to manufacturing and processing for market. Materials may be placed in piles, dumps, landfills, sanitary landfills and impoundments for storage and disposal, both short and long term. Examples include mine wast rock; dumps, municipal solid waste dumps., and any-placed dumps or piles. An engineered heap of fragmented, tin-consolidated rock or particulate- material may be constructed, iypicaii over an engineered liner and liquid collection system for metal chemical and mineral extraction. A leach solution is applied to and percolated through the heap to contact the material and dissolve one or more metal and minerals of interest into the leach solution. Sprinklers are occasionally used for irriga tion of the heap, but dr ip irrigation is more commonly used t minimize evaporation and more uniformly distribute the leaching solution. The solution, called a "barren solution", containing metal and mineral dissolving reagent or hxiviants, percolates through the heap, leaches the target metal/chemical/mineral/substance, and dissolves other materials. This process, called the 'leach cycle," can take between a couple of days to months or years depending on the material being leached. Waste rock, industrial feedstocks, and. all types of waste products may be stacked in piles with or wi thout liners, depending on., for example, the material which makes up the pile, existing regulations, and storage practices, and short or long-term disposal,

[0003] Theoretically, in heap leaching, the barren solution or fluid travels substantially vertically through the heap in a fairly uniform manner from, each drip or irrigation point, which is based on the physical and mineral characterization of the material stacked (i.e., its size, voidage, permeability, compaction, etc.) in the formation of the heap or in the material placed underneath each dri or irrigation point. In reality, within a relatively short period of time, a path of least resistance, or a near vertical channel, forms in the heap, starting at each drip or irrigation point, and based, on the formation or the .material placed underneath the drip or irrigation point. Each path of least resistance is likely to be near vertical for permeable material and near horizontal for impermeable material and as a result, large sections of the heap may receive no barren solution after a period of time, and relatively little or no leaching of the target ^• material msy ^' oceor. Also, the ieach solution may not Uniformly contact all portions of the heap because of permeability variations existing within the heap, such as volumes of clay material with low permeability. In addition, within the heap or pile, there may be material that exhibits low permeability and does not let solution or .fluid pass by the force of gravity, thus entraining or pooling the solution above the low-permeable heap or pile material Such permeability variations may result in preferential flow of the leach solution through more permeable portions of the heap, leaving volumes of under-leached or tm-Ieaehed material below less permeable portions, and areas of fluid retention, and saturation above these less permeable portions.

|0OO4| Also, the chemical properties in some portions of the heap may be less responsi ve to dissolution of the rnetai or mineral into the leach fluid. For example, when heap leaching copper with an acid leach solution, high alkaline pH spots within the heap may not respond welt to the acid leach solution and may lead to reduced permeability, chemical precipitation, rock. decrepitating, migration of fines, heap settlement and compaction, leaving those portions under-leached or im-ieaehed as well, as volumes of solution retention and pools in the heap. Metals and minerals remaining in under-leached, unreached portions as well as pools of fluid with dissolved metals and minerals entrained in a heap during and following heap leach operations often represent a significant loss of un-recovered inventory to a mining operation.

[00051 In anothe example, piles of feedstock and waste may be stacked in a manner to isolate the material from the environment. The piles are often covered and lined to prevent meteoric water from reac ting with constituents- in the pile and impacting and/or degradin surface and ground water. In heap leaching, a heap collection system collects tire resulting, pregnant Ieach solution (i.e., the solution containing the products (metals, minerals and chemicals) of leaching and chemical reactions) drained from die liner and the pregnant solution is then processed to recover the dissolved metal and minerals. Once the target material (including mineral and metal) has been, removed from- the pregnani solution,, the once again barren solution, often containing additional reagents and added lixiviants .from processing, may be reused in e heap leach process by pumping the barren solution back to the top of the heap or treated further to remove certain .undesirable chemicals or ^■ constituents. fOOOS] A common problem with, heap leaching is- the nonuniform, fluid . flow . through- -a heap and resultant incomplete leaching of metals from tlse heap. E ven, after exteasive leaching o ver time, some portions of the- heap may remain under-leached or even substantially unleashed. In addition, this problem is often associated with imeven permeability of the materia! placed as a heap, with heap compaction, chemical precipitation, rock and mineral

decrepitation, and migration of fines, which separately or together canre-su.lt in a pool of fluid above a low permeable zone. This pool may be of significant tenor or grade and. considered pregnant solution, and may also contain considerable unrecovered metal and mineral values. This pool can migrate in a near horizontal direction and daylight on the side slope of the heap or pile because of the fluid head build up from applied solutions and meteoric rain and snow. The presence of an internal fluid pool within a heap increases the total weight of the heap on the foundation and liner, (example, dry weight compared to et, saturated weight) and

lubricates the heap material thereb significantly reducing the inter-particle cohesion and friction. The undrained weight added to the reduced friction and reduced cohesion for the material in the heap can impact the heap's integrity and geotechnical stability leading to heap movement and failure,

{00071 Heap leaching ore generally has a lower metal recovery than grinding and tank leaching of most ores. The finer grind and particle liberation by milling enhances the surface area of the particles thus improving the leaching kinetics and metal recovery. However, mills, tanks and tails disposal represent a large capital, operational and reclamation expense. Heap leaching is less capital and operator intensive and the heaps and solutions are contained within an engineered lined facility.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

10008! A system and method for reehanneliag fluid flow in a heap or pile to recover a target 'material is described. The system -includes drilled well casing, a pressurized fluid, pipe, isolation mechanisms, and a control valve. The drilled well casing is positioned

substantially vertically within a heap or a pile. Additionally, the drilled well casing includes an open top, an open bottom, and at least one perioration zone having perforations along a vertical section of the drilled well casing. The pipe is positioned within the drilled well casing and the pipe is configured to receive the pressurized fluid. Embodiments discussed herein relate to .systems and methods for improving t IhO i E, as further described below, m heaps and piles. The systems and methods described herein recover a target material, alter the physical and chemical properties of the material, by using a pressurised fluidization process. The pressurized fluidization process may operate independently of other systems, methods and processes. However; pressurized fluidization may be used in conjunction with other systems, methods and processes. Far example, the pressurized f dization process presented herein may be integrated with JEX technologies, as further described below. By way of further example and not of limitation, the illustrative embodiments include combining the pressurized fluidization process with systems, methods and apparatuses described in United States Patent Numbers 8,021,461 , 9,050,545, ,513,055 and 9,752,207, each of which are incorporated herein b reference, and which ma also be referred to as the "JEX technologies," and that name the same in ventor as the present application,

{00091 JEX and HYD O- JEX* are trademarks used by Metal Recover Solutions, Inc. "JEX" or "JE technologies ⁵ ' refers to the process: of using high pressure injection, to stimulate channels in a pile for chemical, biochemical and physical change and metal, chemical and mineral extraction. This process is also referred to herein interchangeably as "I/E" or the "I/E process". In general, HYD OJEX refers to a process for a particular use of water chemistry in the I E process, such as illustrated in U.S. Patent Publ. No. US20! 5/0275327, and is referred to herein a ^{^} HaO I/E." or th "¾0 I/E process". The term "3 E■ technologies" is used to refer to the TE processes and ϊ¾0 Ϊ/Ε processes.

[00103 The systems, methods _* processes and apparatus presented herein are referred .to as pressurized fluidization," ^' which incorporates reagent additio with the pressurized

IMdization process. By way of example and not of limitation, pressurized f dization may be integrated with the i/E process, the H2O i/E process or any combination thereof. More specifically, pressurized il uidi zati oa refers to the fluidization of particles that occurs when fluid is added with sufficient pressure, momentum and force to move a particle or impart a momentum to a resting particle in a pile, in some of the ^■ illustrative embodiments, the systems and methods presented herein employ pressurized fluidization in the interior of a pile or in situ, thereby being confined and contained by the surrounding material of tbe pile for a designated period of time to minimize the impact on the pile's geostability. By way of example and not of limitation, pressurized fluidization may he used to treat higher grade material that is segregated and placed in an identified heap location to recover the target, material, metal and mineral, and/or to alter the physical and chemical properties of the material,, metal and mineral to approach milling recovery at a much-reduced capita] and operational cost. Milling is a mineral process that uses size reductio to enhance mineral liberation, and to improve targe mineral, metal and material recovery at a modi higher cost.

(00113 la on illustrative embodiment, the H2O Ϊ/Ε process incorporates the pressurized fiuidi*ation process in heaps and piles as described in further detail herein.

Pressurized fluidization systems, methods and apparatus have shown significantly improved kinetics when compared to normal atmospheric pressure and temperature leaching in a heap or tank For the same size of material

(00123 Fluids introduced into a near vertical cased well by gravity fluid flow do not achieve sufficient head or pressure to substantially fiuidize or move particles in a productive ^■ manner because the in situ pile pressure is greater than the pressure imparted by the flow of fluid from a gravity well. Thus, the gravity cased well fluid How will not achieve a significant horizontal welting impact and will not rechannel fluid pathways in the pile. In fact, gravity fluid flow in a cased well often promotes water fluid build-up and pooling leading to pile movement, instability and failure.

[0013] Ϊ» the illustrative embodiments presented herein, the pressurized fluidization process described herein can be used with a particular material with significant grade or specific mineral characteristics, that can be specifically placed in a designed and specified location in a pile with the purpose of using the pressurized fluidization systems, methods and apparatus for biochemical, chemical, geotechuical, physical results, extraction treatment or any combination thereof. Thus, the I E technologies are not simply limited to mature or existing heaps and the 1/E technologies (in combination with pressurized fluidization) can be used to recover a target material and to alter the physical and chemical properties of the material in any pile.

(00143 Similarly, H2O I E technologies, like HYDRO- JEX, can also be used in stages io accommodate various different chemical and biological reactions, plus changes in the physical conditions of a pile in time. By altering one or more parameters such as the induced pressure, reagents, lixiviants, pH, Eh, fluids (i.e., mixtures of solids, liquids, gasses and bacteria, plus alt purapable material) and time for the chemical and biological reactions and rest periods when added to specific zones in a pile, the material in the pile can be subjected to a host of various conditions to promote a selected chemical, oxidation, reduction, bicoxidation, bio-reduction, or biochemical products or conditions that favor- the desired effect of leaching metals, storing material, stabilizin and closing a pile.

{00151 The promotion o,f-¾onal bioo&idation of pile material o ver time, followed by altering the pB for metal dissolution or leaching, changes the zonal conditions in the heap or pile, which allows leaching of precious metals, e.g., gold, or changes the chemistry to

optimally leach silver.

[0016] Other examples include but are not limited to leaching soluble base metals under a variety of chemical, biological, microbiological and physical zonal conditions followed in time by altering the chemical, biological microbiological and physical condi tions to leach precious metals. The reverse may also be utilised, by leaching the precious metal first then later altering the chemistry to leach the base metals. In addition, the chemistry, biochemistry and microbiology of the zones can be altered for long term storage o umpable material that may be hazardous or for closure of a piie with negligible impact on the environment. 0017] The pressurized fluidization processes can be used in combination with the l E technologies for detailed planning and placement of material on a heap leach pad, pile, dump, landfill, sanitary landfill and impoundment to (i) enhance metal and mineral production, (a) target and change the chemical/physical stat us and properties, and (hi) improve geotechmcal stability. Embodiments may be incorporated in existing and mature heaps, piles, dumps, landfills, sanitary landfills, and impoundments, to utilize in siiu pressurized floidization of the material to improve reagent utilization, metal chemical and mineral extraction and selected, designed chemical and biochemical reactions and kinetics. As discussed herein, detailed planning and placing of selected materi al in heaps, piles, dumps, landfills, sanitary landfills and impoundments may be used, for example, in various l/E technologies for optimal metal recovery, improved geotechnical stability, adjustment of chemical or physical properties, and enhanced closure stability. The present disclosure involves the technologies using pressurized fluidization in the planned construction and stacking of heaps, piles, dumps, landfills, sanitary landfills and impoundments, and may include segregated placement of material with specific physical and chemical properties. Material may be placed at specific locations in a heap, piie, dump, landfill, sanitary landfill or impoundment in order to incorporate the IB technologies, e.g., JEX technologies, in addition to using the pressurized fluidization technologies disclosed herein. (0018! Terms used throughout this disclosure include ile, heap, dump, impoundment, landfill (industrial municipal, garbage, sanitary) or man-placed mass or material stacked or placed for temporary, short term, long term or permanent storage, A pile includes stacked and or placed material above native soil, with a foundation or visible separation. A heap leach pad is a pile with a. liner and a collection system to contain and recover the pregnant solution (fluids containing products of leaching and chemical reactions}, below the stacked material for metal, chemical and mineral extraction. Piles, dumps., landfills, sanitary landfills, and impoundments, may have material placed with confining sides to contain solids and liquids, hut generally do not have a bottom collection system. An impoundment may be lined and may have a surface solution collection system.

(0019J I the Illustrative embodiments, wells having a perforated well casing are installed into a pile, or heap, which will be leached, chemically, biochemically or physically altered, and impacted. The well includes one or more perforated sections, i.e., zones, which are designed such that during a fluid stimulation, e.g., a fluid injection under pressure, the fluid impacts a geometric volume of the heap or pile. The volume of the hea or pile affected by the fluid depends upon fluid pressure, volume and location of the zone isolatio mechanisms.

(0020J In embodiments, a fluid containing any combination of lixiviants, chemicals, biocheraicals, solid, liquid and gaseous reagents, may be delivered into the cased near vertical well through one or more conduits or pipes and may include meteoric water traveling through the pile. The chemicals and biochemicals in tire fluid may further be mixed together and/or widi odier ingredients, being solids, liquids and gasses or any combination thereof, to fit the pile treatment application. The fluid may thereafter be screened, mixed and delivered, for example by being introduced under pressure required for delivery of the .fluid through a perforated well, deep into a heap leach pad or pile to leach, re-leach, promote select chemical and biochemical reactions with augmented reaction kinetics by incorporating pressurized fiuidization to the target material alter the chemistry, microbiology and physical properties, dry and/or rinse extracted components of interest (such as metals for recovery) and long term pile physical, geotechtiicaS, chemical, and biochemical characteristics. The delivery method may open or stimulate new fluid pathways or channels by fJuidizing and moving the particles in the pile, thereby creating new channels, and allowing .fluids to interface with the target zone for treatment under pressure. The process does not mvolve hydraulic fracturing of the material but relies upon pressurized fluid rechanneling through the stacked material. The system may include a mobile apparatus (e.g., a mobile trailer or skid) installed near or at the vicinity of the injection well.

[0021| Material and particles placed Is a pile will have different degrees of

permeability, or the ability t allow fluids to pass down by gravity. As additional material is placed or stacked OR the pile, the weight above ma compress or reduce the -permeability of the material below. When the permeability reaches a minimum, water fluids flow downward is reduced or stopped allowing the water fluids to build up or pool. This water fluid reduces ituer-particle cohesion and friction- within the pile and adds water fluid head and solution weight, thereby imparting reduced resistance to both pile movement and to pile geotechnical stability. As water fluid height increases, the water fluid flows laterally until the water fluid finds an area of improved permeability to then continue downward by gravity. As the volume and velocity of water fluid increases, the water fluid creates channels, just like ditches are formed with intense rainfall. These channels then provide preferential flow for the water fluid. The material below the low permeability area receives little -fluid and promotes tn*-Je-aehe unreaeted or under leached and under reacted volumes of material in the pile. The channeled water fluid area receives excessive quantities of water fluid which dilutes the dissolved metal, chemical and minerals reporting to the pregnan solution.

[0022] In embodiments, by altering the deliver}' method in each zone during pressure stimulation and fluidizalion. new channels and fluid pathways open by moving the particles in the heap or pile, thereby changing or rechanneling the .fluid pathways established by gravity water fluid flow. Directional pressure ilaidization opens drainage pathways to create additional channels or rechannels from the open cased well bottom to the bottom of the heap or pile, thereby creating a drain system in -si tu in the heap or pile. The drain system may be positioned above a platform, foundation, or terrai contour, e.g., a natural contour of native earth or compacted native earth, with or without a liner, that conducts solution to a location, pond, or lo spot above the natural under pile material or native earth, located down gradient from the heap or pile.

{00231 The application of a pressurized fluid into a perforated near vertical -well, open on the top and bottom, with the invented delivery method establishes a substantially or near vertical system of drains into the heap or pile, thus allowing entrained solution or fluid within the heap or pile to drain to a pond or a natural or designed contoured low spot by gravity. These installed drains from the bottom of the drill casings reduces the weight of the material on the bottom liner material and the heap or pile foundation, sides, and sid slopes of the pile by draining any iu ^« situ solutio or fluid, from surface solution application or .meteoritk events. This can enhance the inter-particle cohesion and friction within the pile by reducing particle voidage. Quid saturation, solution head and solution weight, thereby imparting improved ^• resistance to pile movement and improved pile geotechnica! stability. In a further illustrative embodiment, the well easing material may also improve the geotecluileal stability of the placed material by installing the cased well with well, casing or pipe of a shear strength greater than the heap or pile material's shear strength, thereby imparting improved heap or pile

geoiechnical stability to prevent heap or pile movement and failure. The solution or fluid may be entrained in a heap leach pad or pile as a pool, may contain dissolved metals or chemistry .consistent ^' with un-reco vered inventory, or hazardous or environmentally harmful fluid. With the use of the installed drains, these dissolved metal and/or mineral values and dissolving fluids will continue to drain by gravity to the collection location for recovery , treatment and management not available when the solutions and/or fluids are entrained in a heap or pile,

(0024| Embodiments may incorporate a trailer or skid apparatus, which may include instruments configured to perform a number of functions including, but not limited to, measurement of flow and pressure of the aqueous solution and other fluids containing various combinations and formulations of solids, liquids and gasses. The trailer or skid may further include a high pressure; low volume compressor to .inflate isolation mechanisms, a straddle zone isolation mechanisms, and control valve to isolate a specific elevation in the pile for selecti ve treatment, injection, leaching, rinsing and/or recovery of metals, and alteration of chemistry, geotechnical properties and physical properties of the material in a heap or pile. Various embodiments ma enable an one or more of higher flow rates, higher pressure, and delivery to increased depths, while maintaining and/or enhancing safer operations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

(00253 _. Non-limiting and non-exhaustive examples will be described with reference t the following figures, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the various figures.

10026] Figure I is an illustration of a heap or pile wi th retained fluid or a pool of solution above a low permeable zone that has flowed in a near horizonta! direction to day light or flow from a side slope of tire heap or pile; (0027! Figure 2 is an illustration of the bottom of the well casing, which is imparting horizontal shear strength, to the pile, with an isolation mechanism above to dedicate the pumped fluid through the bottom of the casing to establish substantially near vertical channels or a drain to the liner and collection system below;

{00281 Figure 3 is an illustration of post stimulation via H O I E where the technology has installed substantially near vertical drains to the liner or foundation or natural contour of the heap or pile in order to improve geotechnical stability;

[0029 Figure 4 is an illustration of a pile (heap) that has been designed, constructed and bad the placement of selected,, segregated material carried out that allows the optimal the use of the 1 B technologies.

{00301 Figure 5 is an illustration of I/E technologies used to optimize metal and mineral .recovery, and to change and treat the chemistry, microbiology and physical properties of the material for short and long-term storage and disposal, including the addition of installed drains.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(0031J As used herein, the terms "heap " "heap leach,' ^' "dumps " "waste dumps," "landfill," "sanitary landfills," "process tails," "stockpile " "process piles," "garbage dumps," "refuse," "deposit," "rubbish pile," "industrial and urban waste," "lot," as well as any material placed in a pile for temporary storage or long: term, storage or disposal (collectively referred to herein as a "pile"), illustrate an application of the systems and methods described herein. The disclosed systems and methods are not iimited to use with heaps and for hea leaching. Rather, the embodiments described herein apply to all piles constructed of collected material (whether lined, unlined or contained) and/or that are open to the environment. As such, the systems and methods described herein may be used to treat any material in storage or disposal in a pile, impoundment, dump, landfill (industrial, municipal, garbage, sanitary, which- re collectively referred to herein as "sanitary"), and used -for any type of percolation leaching, dump .leaching, crushed leaching, ore pile leaching, run of mine leaching, bio-leaching (aerobic and anaerobic) or any other leaching methods where ore or material is placed on or over an engineered liner with a collection system, or material is placed with or without a foundation, which contains the pile plus .fluid or is open to the environment, like process stockpiles, waste dumps, all of which are also collectively referred to herein as a "pile," regardless of the design of the heap, pile, collection system pipe work, ditches, ponds:, liner, drain rock and regardless o f wh ether such piles include ore, waste, refuse, trash, garbage, or other materials.

[00321 Figure 1 depicts an embodiment of a rechannettng system comprising a heap leach pad or pile 100 and an acconspanyiiig solution tiiid- up 101, i.e. , a retention of a volume of fluid as a pool of solution. The solution Inuki-up may originate from a surface application of solution and meteoric water. Below th solution build-up 1 1 , is a layer comprising a voiume material with low permeability 102, which traps flu d moving in a downward direction through the heap or pile by gravity, and reduces the ability of the solution 10 ! to flow or drain downward to the tower layer .103. hi various embodiments, the lower layer 103 may be one or snore of a liner, a foundation, a containment structure, or native earth. f0033J The solution build-up 101 may occupy a variety of geometrical shapes and configurations depending on factors such as the porosity of die material saturated by the solution, the material voidage, the permeability and configuration of the material below the build-up 102, the permeability and weight of the material 1 4 above the build-up, and die quantity of meteoric solution or other sol ution applied to the surfaces of the heap or pile.

[Q034| In an embodiment, a solution build-up 101 may accumulate enough .fluid to day light, i.e.. extend to and/or seep from, an edge, side, or side slope of a heap or pile 105. A day light of solution indicates an internal volume of fluid irapped in the heap or pile, and can often lead to slope stuffing, movement, and/or failure. Since the solution build-up is essentially a pool of fluid, a day light of the solution build-up leads to reduced cohesion and inter-particle friction in the heap or pile, and lubricates particles for movement by external forces, such as gravity and the weight of material above the solution build-up. As a result, slope movement and heap or pile failure can occur. For these reasons, fluid day light on a heap or pile is commonly recognized as an indication of geotechnical instability preceding a geotechnical failure.

{00351 in many cases, however, the solution build-up is located such a significant distance from the edge or side of the heap or pile 106 that the solution build-up does not day light or seep towards a edge or side.

|0O36| to various embodiments, a material with low permeability 102 lies below the solution build-up, in an embodiment, the material 102 is clay. In other embodiments, the material 102 is any compacted material, which may he compressed by settlement or i i consolidation by the weight of the material 1.04 above. Various examples include., bat are riot limited to, materials .produced through chemical precipitation, materials piOduced though rock or mineral decrepitation, migrated fees, materia! clogging systems, and or damaged drainage systems.

{0037J Figure 2 depicts an embodiment of a system installed m a heap or pile of stacked, placed, and/or deposited material 200, as discussed above. Beneath the heap or pile there may be an engineered liner 201, which may include low permeable materials such as combination or single layers of clay, high-den ity polyethy lene (HDPE), geotechmcal material, synthetic and/or natural materia! for containment, and cushion and/or drain layers.

[00381 In an engineered heap or pile there is -generally a collection system or network of pipes and conduits 202 positioned above the liner to conduct the accumulation of solution, throug gravity, to a pond or collective impoundment for treatment. In an embodiment, a drilled well casing 203 may be installed in the system, the drilled well easing may include an open pipe or open bottom 204 (and may have a higher shear strength than the stacked or placed material) and be directed towards the heap or pile at a distance from the liner 2 1 and collection system 202. In various embodiments, the well casing pipe may be a pips and include one or more zones, each comprising a plurality of perforations, which may extend along a length of the drilled well casing, along the casing's exterior, and/or above the open bottom section 204. The zones may be used for horizontal zone stimulation, as discussed below, by pumping fluid through the drilled well easing.

{00393 In embodiments, various techniques may be utilized to open the bottom 204 of the perforated drilled well casing 203 so that the easing acts as a drain for fluid pumped through the drilled well easing 203. In one example, the drilled well casing 203 does not have a stem, plug, or isolation mechanism to prevent the drainage of added fluid 206. Thus, when fluid is added to the well, especially fluid under pressure, the bottom acts as a drain through which the fluid flows. In other embodiments, a drain may be included by installing a down well isolation mechanism 205 that selectively directs pumped .fluid at the top of the well casing 206 through a control valve 208,

[00403 1» an embodiment, the isolation mechanisms 205 include a first mechanism configured to seal the drilled well casing above and below at least one zone to isolate a first flow of the fluid through the perforations of that selected zone, and a second mechanism, a control valve 208 configured to open and close or seal the drilled well casing above the open cased wel l bottom to isolate or control a second flow of the fluid through the open bottom. The first flow creates a plurality of substantially horizontal fluid chatmels in the heap or pile, whereas the second flow creates a substantially vertical fluid channel through the open bottom of the well casing into the heap or pile. la an embodiment the control valve is open or the isolation mechanism is not employed such that the fluid pumped into the pipe flows through both the perforated well casing section and open bottom to create a plurality of horizontal and vertical fluid channels. hi another embodiment, the control valve is closed: or the isolation mechanism is employed so the pumped fluid may flow through only one of the isolation mechanisms directing the fluid flow through one or more of th e perforated zones in the well casing creating a plurality of substantially horizontal fluid channels in the heap or pile.

[0041] In various embodiments, the control valve 208 can control one or more of a rate and volume of the pumped fluid. Once the pumped fluid passes through the control, -valve 208, the fluid may travel through the well casing 209 to the open well bottom 204, or through the perforations _^

{00421 After passing through the well casing bottom 204, the pumped fluid, which is often of greater pressure than the local pile pressure, may create stimulated, pressured chatmels that travel substantially vertically through the heap or pile towards the liner 201 and collection system 202, thus establishing a gravity drain between the well casing and the collection system 202 and liner 201. Thereafter, pressurized fluid may flow from the well easing, through the stimulated, vertical channels, to the collection system 202 above the liner 2 1.

{0043] in an embodiment, the installed drilled well casing will have designed perforated m s and an open top and bottom. The system may include a smaller pipe than the well casing positioned within the drilled well casing, configured to transport the fluid. The isolation mechanism 205 may include a .first isolation mechanism configured to seal the drilled well casing above and below at least one zone to isolate a first flow of the fluid through the perforations of at least one zone, wherein the fust flow creates a plurality of substantially horizontal fluid channels in the heap or pile; and a second isolation mechanism or control valve configured, to seal the drilled well casing above the open bottom to control a second flow of the fluid through (he open bottom, wherein the second flow creates a substantially vertical fluid channel into the heap or pile.

{00443 Turnin to FIG. 3, an iihistration of post-simulation via. ¾0 Ϊ/Ε is depicted. In the embodiment, ¾0 1/E eased wells 301, of pipe ma terial with a shear strength greater than

1.3 the material in the pile, axe. installed in the pile/heap, and drain to ^' the liner, or Foundation, in order to improve geoieehnical stability. Although two wells are depicted, it will be appreciated that the number of wells are not limited to two. There may be a plurality of H2O I/E eased weils installed, depending on the heap or pile configuration and post-stimulation goals.

{00453 In an example embodiment, a solution may fill a height in the VE well, resulting in a pool of solution, e.g., a solution build-up 101. as depicted in FIG. 1 , after installation of the H2O I/E well, but prior to stimulation or adding fluids and pumping. The solution build-up may be- drained _, using one or more ..stimulation techniques. In one example, by altering the stimulation technique, compressed and pressurized fluid may be pumped in the I/E well to ^' fhiidize and overcome the low permeability of the volume of material below the pool, and consequently establish channels or drains 302 leading to the liner, foundation, or natural contour of the heap or pile, in various embodiments, isolation mechanisms such as valves, plugs, packers, stems, stents, stoppers, inflated or fluid filled hoses, conduits or pipes can be designed and ^' installed ^' both temporari ly or ermanentl in the J/E well, for example, at the bottom 304, the location of the zone perforation stems 305, or throughout the entire i/B well. The installation position may isolate one or more I/B weils and .ones or sto fluid drainage from an I/E welt to the foundation.

[00461 Draining the solution build-up reduces the weight of the heap or pile 300 on the liner, foundation, collection system, natural contour, compacted native earth upon which it may be placed, and may further stimulates zones in the I/E wells 301., thereby establishing additional realignment ofin-siru heap or pile voidage 303 and installing additional channels from the I E well to the heap or pile 301 , Accordingly, when arty pressurized fluid and/or isolation mechanisms are removed, the stimulation established channels continue to allo drainage of fluid 302 back to the 1/B well. Thus, installing drains 301 into a heap or pile establishes a drain towards the liner, foundation, or natural contour 302, which will prevent solution from accumulating within the heap or pile,

100 73 Embodiments of the systems and methods disclosed herein have demonstrated the observed property of pressurized %idizatk n. that significantly improves the rate of chemical reactions and reagent utilization in stiu. This improved rate is far greater than the rate of chemical reactions found at atmospheric pressure or room pressure. By increasing the pressure and in situ fiuidization, in accordance with embodiments, gas solubility and accompanied reagents, chemicals, minerals, materials and metals solubility are enhanced. As a result ..the reaction and fcac ng- rates are Jdnetically improved, ihereby shifting the equilibrium to designed and desired reaction products at a faster rate than at room pressure.

[00481 FIG, 4 illustrates an ex m le pile heap design for selective, segregated placement of material in a specific location of the heap or pile 400. Many I E technologies. are incorporated in existing, often .mature, heaps/piles that will not receive any future material, however the present disclosure incorporates the planned use of I/E technology and particular material placement to optimize the impact of tire VE technologies on the pile/heap.

[00492 In some embodiments, I E wells are installed a distance, above the engineered liner, foundation, and -containment ^' system, it) order to preserve th integrity and. holding capability of the liner, foundation, and containment system during drilling and well placement. As such, the well's position prevents breaching the liner, foundation, and containment system below the heap or pile. Depending upon geometrical, considerations of the I/E well and installation process, highly permeable material may be selected and segregated for placement on the heap or pile, and carefully placed as over-liner 4 1 above the liner, foundation, and containment systems 400 of the heap or pile, to optimize the draining of fluids from material above the over-liner 4 1, The drained ^' fluids may be barren, or pregnant solution, fluids, slurry, meteoric water, e.g., rain and snow, and/or other solution, which may be pumped or supplied to the heap or pile.

[0050J The layer above the over-line layer may include selected additional high-grade ^' material 402 having unique properties, such as a particular metal grade, mineral grade, chemistry, microbiologically and/or other hazardous or harmful property. The additional high- grade material 402 may be stacked in layers or lifts, and surface treated like a normal heap leach, waste rock pile, or other material pile. Additional select material, is placed as a new layer or lift upon the heap or pile 402 and treated in a normal cycle. Thus, each stacked layer is stacked and subjected to normal treatment until the layer reaches a desired height.

[00513 Because I/E technologies introduce high, pressure- fluid into a heap or pile, a safe- distance from the surface of the pile must be maintained so thai fluid does not day light on the surface and side slopes of the pile, cause instability, or otherwise impac t operations. Thus, a cap 403 of material is placed over the segregated high-grade material 402, to maintain a safe distance equal to the height of the cap layer 403. In various embodiments, the cap 403 material may be subject to normal surface treatment, but will not be treated by the I/E technologies and will not have any zones/drains installed. (005.2! Surro undi ng the column of selec ted material , 40 _. 1, 02, 03 may be a natural material, e.g., native soil, 404 for treatment in a heap or pile. In an embodiment, the middle layer 402 and surrounding material 40 are the same,

(0053J An object of selectively stacking material, as depicted in FIG. 4, is to lace the -materia) 402 in an identified, surveyed location, to be located again after cap placement 403, and/or iTeaied by the 1/E technology in the future. An example is stacking high-grade material, 402 for metal, chemical and mineral extraction. Deposits often contain some high-grade ore and generally there is lower recovery from normal, heap leaching high-grade ore. By- segregating and stacking this ore in a known location and treating the ore lift by lift, with normal heap leaching, i.e., a surface barren application, a column of fts of high grade material may be leached.

[00543 After normal surface application heap leaching of the high-grade ore lifts, operations ca then place a cap of material 403 over the high-grade lifts, surface leach the 403 Sift, and whe the heap or pile reaches the permitted ultimate height, 1/E wells can be specifically designed and installed. These 1 E welis are stimulated and subjected to pressurized fiuidization systematically to open new channels in the heap, drain all internal solution pools, sweep dissolved metal values, re-leach metal values, and introduce fresh leaching reagents and lixiviants. The post stimulation 1/E wells can then drain all local heap or pile pregnant solution to the liner for collection, e.g., FIG. 3, 302,

[00553 Laboratory experiments show that leaching a volume of material under high pressure at room temperature is over four times faster than just room pressure leaching. With the higher pressures imparted to the heap or pile during J O I/E stimulation, even higher leaching kinetics are possible. The I E well can also be rinsed and re-leached periodically to complete the optimal leach cycle for maximum recovery. In another example, potentially acid generating material (PAG) may be selected, segregated and stacked, 402, This locatafole volume of material in the heap or pile with specific mineralogy, chemical and physical properties, can be treated by the I/E technologies in the future for changes in chemistry, improved stability,, impart biological activity (aerobic and anaerobic), solution drainage, improve long term chemical and physical stability, and isolation from the environment of ail harmful fluids and solids, A good example is to treat a located volume of acid rock drainage material in a pile with a slurry of reagents and a base to raise the pH and precipitate arsenic in the pile. (00563 While particular embodiments of stacked heaps pite have been discussed herein, it will be appreciated that a heap or pile may be planned, designed, permitted, built, and/or constructed with or without containment, such that any material may be stacked, conveyed, damped, and/or placed upon the foundation, liner, or natural contour to leach, extract metals and minerals, chemically, biochemically and physically alter the materials, contain the materials, promote geotechmcal stability, store and or isolate the materia! from the: environment, and/or promote sound environmental short and long term storage and deposition by the planned integration or use of the 1/ technologies.

(00573 Referring now to FIG. 5, the heap or pile from FIG. 4 may be subjected to the installation of I/E wells for treatment. The heap or pile may have a liner, foundation, or containment, or may be placed on native soil, 500, UE wells are designed, surveyed in and installed with zones into the heap or pile at an optima! distance for treatment, 503. Although FIG. 5 depicts ten installed I E wells 503, any number of f/E wells may be used for treatment of the heap or pile 501 and selective location 502 (i.e., element 402 in Figure 4), Because of the material properties (e.g. , chemical, biological, physical and -geotechmcal) of the selecti vely placed, targeted material 502, the location of the Ϊ/Ε wells and zones in the 1/E wells, 503, may be modified from traditional 1/E wells. The 1/E wells, 503, may have a unique location and design, 503, and a unique selective treatment fluid makeup 503, to address the enhanced recover).' of metal, and minerals, alter chemical, microbiological or physical properties, and. improve the long-term stability of the targeted treated material, 502. 00583 Depending on the properties and location of the targeted material, 502, 1/E well spacing, 503, the location or depth of perforated installed well casing or zones may vary to optimize the treatment and drainage of fluids from the heap or pile, as discussed above with respect to FIG. 3, 302. In addition, other slurries of fine material (i.e., pumpab!e size) may be introduced into the void space in between particles in the heap or pile 502, and the channels introduced during stimulation, 504, to 111 the void spaces to store the fine material. In an example, fluids containing hazardous elements like mercury can be precipitated using reagents added at or before the well head, and selectively stored in the void spaces created by the 1/E stimulation. These stored elements can be leached in the future by altering the injected reagents via 1/E wells. In another example, ground mill tailings can be stored in the created void spaces, e.g., as pumped slum', or treated daring pumping, with reagents entrained in fluid and deposited in the void space in the heap or pile. These .stored materials can be further treated la the ^" future ilh other l/E technologies for long lean stabilization, storage and disposal or future recovery if market conditions exist, i[00S9| The methodologies described therein may be implemented by various methods, depending upon applications according to particular examples. For example, such

methodologies may be implemented in hardware, firmware, software, or combinations thereof. I» a hardware implementation, for example, a processing unit may be implemented within one or more application specific integrated circuits ("ASICs"), digital signal processors ("DSPs"), digital signal processing devices ("DSPDs"), programmable logic devices ('TLBs"), field programmable gate arrays ("FPGAs"), processors, controllers, microcontrollers,

microprocessors, electronic devices, other devices units designed to perform the functions described herein, or combinations thereof.

{0O6OJ Some portions of the detailed descr iption included herein may be presented in terms of symbolic representations of operations on binary digital signals stored within a memory of a specific apparatus or special purpose computing device or platform. In the context of this particular specification, the terra computer or the like includes a genera! purpose computer once it is programmed to perform particuiar operations pursuant to instructions from program software. Algorithmic descriptions or symbolic representations are examples of techniques used by those of ordinary skill in the signal processing or related arts to convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art. An algorithm is here and is generally considered to be a self-consistent sequence of operations or similar signal processing leading to a desired result. In this context, operations or processing involve physical manipulation of physical quantities. Typically, although not necessarily, such manipulation of quantities may take the form of electric a! , pneumatic or magnetic signals capable of being stored, transferred, combined, compared or other wise manipulated.

[0061] it has proven convenient at times, principally for reasons of common usage, to refer to such signals as bits, data, values, elements, symbols, characters, terms, numbers, numerals, or the tike. It shouid be understood, however, tha all of these or similar terms are to be associated with appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels. Unless specifically stated otherwise, as apparen from the discussion herein, it is appreciated that throughout this specification discussions utilizing terms such as "processing," "computing," "calculating," "determining" or the like refer to actions or processes of a specific apparatus, such as a special purpose computer or a similar special purpose electronic computing device. In the context of this specification, therefore, a special purpose computer or a simil r special purpose electroiiic computing device is capable of nianipalatmg or transforming signals, typically represented as physical electronic or magnetic quantities within memories, registers, or other information storage devices, transmission devices, or display devices of the special purpose computer or similar special purpose electronic computing device,

[0062] Reference throughout this specification to "for example," "an example," and/or "another example" should be considered to mean thai the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in one or more examples,

[0063] While there- has been illustrated and described w at are presently considered to be example features, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various other

-modifications may be made, and equivalents may be substituted, without departing from the disclosed subject matter, Wei! known process steps and structures have not been described in detail in order to not unnecessarily obscure the other descriptions provided herein.

Additionally, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation to the teachings of the disclosed subject matter without departing from the central concept described herein. Therefore, it is intended that the disclosed subject matter not be limited to the particular examples disclosed.