Heap leaching of copper in Kazakhstan: practice, problems, and prospects

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of current practices, problems and prospects of copper heap leaching technology application in Kazakhstan. It considers the main copper deposits of the country, their mineral composition, characteristics of oxidized ores, and leaching processes applied at various production sites. The focus is on the relatively low productivity of Kazakhstani enterprises compared to world leaders and analysis of the factors affecting production efficiency, including climatic conditions, and ore properties. The article further discusses the prospects of including mixed copper ores in processing and considers ways to improve the profitability of enterprises using the technology of heap leaching of copper.