Scientists tried to reproduce, in the lab, the processes that resulted in the concentration of more than a trillion dollars worth of metals at the Olympic Dam copper, gold and uranium mine
Cerium, in particular, plays an active role during the replacement of magnetite by hematite: it acts as a catalyst that speeds up the reaction; provides space for the precipitation of the value minerals; and promotes a positive feedback between reaction and fluid-flow, that contributes to increasing the metal endowment of the deposit.
“In order to discover new giant deposits and efficiently mine existing ones, we need a mechanistic understanding of the processes that form – and transform – the minerals that host valuable metals,” Joël Brugger, co-author of the study, said in a media statement. “Although more recycling is an important part of raw materials’ future, we need more metals than the sum of those mined to date to resource the transition to a carbon-free economy.”
Brugger and his team conducted this research as part of the ‘Olympic Dam in a test tube’ project, where scientists tried to reproduce, in the laboratory, the processes that resulted in the concentration of more than a trillion dollars worth of metals at BHP’s (ASX, LON, NYSE: BHP) Olympic Dam copper, gold and uranium mine in South Australia.
