Drilling and analysis will enable the investigation of how metals have leached from the ore at the first heap from three layers stacked so far. The oldest, bottom part of the ore material has been in leaching for around six years and the newest portion of the material has been stacked during the period that Terrafame has been operating.
The study will involve drilling samples from the bioleaching heap at regular intervals and around 20 metres deep. The samples will then be analysed in Terrafame's own laboratory. The drilling will last for around a month and the sample analysis around two months.
Based on the findings, more precise conclusions will be drawn on the behaviour of ore and metals during bioleaching. Information on the properties of the leached ore will be obtained at the same time.
