Subscribe to company announcements
Ensure that you are always up-to-date with the latest information from ERA.
Dynamic heap leaching
ERA has submitted a referral (Ref # EPBC 2009/4794) to construct a dynamic heap leach facility at Ranger to process low grade ore, which is currently stockpiled or will be won in the future.
A ~10Mtpa dynamic heap leach facility will be constructed to recover ~15,000 to 20,000 tonnes of uranium oxide (U3O8) contained in low grade mineralised material. The facility will consist of fully lined heaps of material ~5m high that will be built and removed on a regular cycle and the residues stored appropriately after leaching is completed. The leach solutions will be treated in a process similar to that used in the existing Ranger plant.
New structures for the temporary storage of solid and liquid residues from the heap leaching facility, as well as tailings and process water from the existing Ranger processing plant, will be constructed. When mining of Pit #3 is completed, the tailings and heap leach residues temporarily stored in the new structures and existing tailings dam will be transferred to the pit for permanent containment, as required by the Ranger Authorisation.
On 15 April 2009, the Commonwealth Government announced its decision (Ref # EPBC 2009/4794), made under Section 75 of the EPBC Act, that the heap leach project is a controlled action, and would require assessment and approval by the Minister of the Environment, Heritage and the Arts.