Conference Program
(includes links to session presentations or papers and summaries of session discussions).

Seventy of the world's leaching experts accepted an invitation to attend the inaugural Parker Centre Hydrometallurgy Conference on Leaching Science and Technology held in October 1999 in Perth. The conference focused on reviewing state-of-the-art leaching technologies and defining the technical issues preventing further improvement in leaching performance.

A key outcome to benefit both researchers and industry leaders at the conference was a list of the critical technical issues. These resulted from intensive panel-led discussions that followed short presentations on current best practice in leaching.

The conference explored all the main leaching techniques - pressure, heap, in situ and gold - as well as pilot plant experiences and the principles of leaching. The discussions crossed the commodity barriers, something rarely achieved at such conferences, covering nickel, gold, alumina, zinc, copper and uranium.

Organised and hosted by the Parker Centre, it was the first conference of its type. Its success has set the scene for a series of such Parker Centre international conferences on key operations in hydrometallurgy.

The pre-dinner speakers - Mr Adrian Griffin, Managing Director of Preston Resources; the Hon Hendy Cowan, Deputy Premier of WA and Mr John Nitschke, Executive General Manager of Normandy Mining - demonstrated the close ties between research institutions and industry. International delegates were also impressed with the support given by government to the minerals industry and minerals R&D.

The conference program was divided into the six sessions below and concluded with the Panel Chairs Report to the Meeting on the Technical Barriers to Improved Leaching Performance.

Session 1: Pressure Leaching - Nickel Laterites
Session 2: New Processes and Pilot Experience
Session 3: Bioleaching
Session 4: Heap/In Situ Leaching
Session 5: Principles of Leaching
Session 6: Gold Leaching