U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, U.S. BUREAU OF MINES-CONTRACT SECTION B, BUILDING 20 - DENVER FEDERAL CENTER, DENVER, CO 80225-0086

A -- LOW ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT MINING SOL 14320295R0016 DUE 091495 POC Contract Specialist, SHIRLEY M THURMAN, 303-236-0257 X231 The U. S. Bureau of Mines (USBM) has developed a hard rock metals mining technology which reduces surface waste by 65% to 95%. The technology combines backfilling and underground sorting, and, where applicable, in situ vat leaching chambers. The in situ vat variant of the technology can be engineered for short-or long-residence time, multi-lixiviant, cycling, and heating and pressurization to, in effect, create in situ chemical or biological autoclaves. The technology is keyed to (1) the USBM developed and patented radial-axial drill-split tool, and (2) the bulk backfill in situ lining process (patent-in-progress). Preliminary cost estimates for the broadly applicable technology indicate savings of 5% to 75% over conventional technologies. Cooperators are sought for technological collaboration to further develop its hard rock mining technology. The USBM will grant intellectual property rights in advance to any technically collaborating cooperator or consortium under the terms of a Federal Technology Transfer Act, 15 U.S.C. para. at 3710 a (d)(1). Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA). Interested parties may write to John Lombardi, Research Mining Engineer, U.S.Bureau of Mines, Denver Research Center, Bldg. 20, Denver Federal Center, Denver, Colorado 80225, or phone (303) 236-0777, Ext. 727. All responses are requested within 30 days.(0223)

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