Integrating Biohydrometallurgy in Contemporary Mine Production

For some years now biohydrometallurgy has been one of the process options evaluated by the mining industry for base metal sulfide and sulfidic-refractory precious metal projects. However, the difficulties of process selection are increasing substantially, because of declining ore grades, complex mineralogy, deep deposits, and environmental and societal pressures.

Biohydrometallurgy is likely to play an increasing role in future mines, because the technology offers various processing methods and there is opportunity for innovation. This will be the subject of a keynote address at Biohydromet ’14, to be given by Dr. Corale Brierley. She will address how advances in biohydrometallurgical processing might be commercially used in mines of the future.

Dr. Brierley of Brierley Consultancy LLC, USA, provides consultation to the mining and chemical industries and government agencies, offering expertise and experience in minerals bioleaching, metal-bearing waste management, market analyses and business development related to metals extraction, and minerals and energy policy research.

In an internationally recognized career of over 30 years, she has spent 20 years as an international consultant; two years with Newmont Mining Corporation as Head of Environmental Process Development; eight years of managing Advanced Minerals Technology Inc., a metal's biotechnology company; and 10 years of applied research and development at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. She was inducted in 1999 into the U.S. National Academy of Engineering for "innovations applying biotechnology to mine production and remediation". Dr. Brierley is the 2008 recipient of AIME’s James Douglas Gold Medal Award, which recognizes distinguished achievement in nonferrous metallurgy, and at the 2011 SME Meeting, was the recipient of the  Milton E. Wadsworth Award, which recognizes distinguished contributions that advance our understanding of the science and technology of non-ferrous chemical metallurgy.

The other keynote lecture at Biohydromet ’14 will be given by Prof. Barrie Johnson, of Bangor University, UK.