IN SITU LEACH vs OPEN PITIn Situ Leach mining targets the loose leachable oxidized, crystalized, carbonized uranium.
While open pit could target leachable + hard rock uranite and vanadium.
I recently read a colorado uranium study.
Researchers wanted to know where the carnotite was emminating from.
Vanadium ? Iron ? Calcium Limes ? Clays ?
How was the carnotite morphing ?
Was cofinite an associate phase ?
Was the source of carnotite originating from host uranite ?
They decided to take several samples. Ores with no visual signs of colored uranium oxide / carbonate
Ores with slight carnotite colors
Ores with heavy colors of carnotite.
Long strory short ? The visual ores with no signs of colored carnotite colors had more uranium.
Pebbled rocks that hosted uranite that had not yet come into contact with an acid
catalyst to precipitate a uranium colored oxide.
Uranium was local.
Originating from host pebbled rock.
Host acids in sandy pebbled ores affected some uranite to spawn oxidized carnotite
while unaffected rocks with no exterior signs of colored carnotite caking contained
richer grades of parent uranium source - uranite in grey rocks.
Blue Sky should do a retake on their metallurgy.
Instead of just targeting loose carnotite - leaching.
Try cruching and milling the 77% discarded pebbled rock ores to see just how much
more uranium is present.
Don't drill.
Just retest cores -
77% discarded rock content. Crush, Mill to fine mesh.
Acid test...
If Uranite is present in host pebbled rocks
it could increase resourse size.
Optimize extraction switch up mine model - open pit.
Open pit - easy milling - then leach
= my hunch says.... more uranium
Cheers....
In Situ Leaching
may not capture uranium ( uranite ) or.... carnotite bound and sheltered with rocks.
Exterior of rock would protect uranium from being leached.
Hence... open pit captures far more.
Open this next image in new window - zoom in
green emminatung right from rock then green morphs to yellow.
green phase = 1st phase of oxidation
points to more uranium is inside the grey rock.
open pit = would capture more
easier to test 77% dicarded rocks than to find new deposit 