Codelco experimenting with ‘biomining’ in Chile

BBC News reports on new technology used for mining copper in Chile.  Biosigma, a joint venture between Codelco and Nippon Metals and Mining, is experimenting with microbes that break down copper at higher recovery rates and reduce operating costs:

“We know that conventional mining methods are not used for low-grade materials that simply get dumped – so the only way to get copper from them is by using new knowledge and capacities – in this case, biotech,” says Ricardo Badilla, chief executive of Biosigma.

Using bacteria can result in extracting as much as 90% of the total metal at a pit mine, instead of merely 60%, he adds.

Read the full story