Metal recovery by leaching agglomerates of metal-containing material/pyrite

A method of recovering copper from a low-grade copper-containing material comprising the steps of:

• (a) obtaining a pyrite-containing slurry from a mine;
• (b) mixing (i) the low-grade copper-containing material and (ii) pyrite in, or obtained from, the pyrite-containing slurry and forming agglomerates;
• (c) heap leaching agglomerates from step (b) with a leach liquor and microbes, with pyrite generating acid and heat that facilitate recovering copper from the low-grade copper-containing material, and with the microbes oxidising ferrous iron to ferric iron, and forming a pregnant leach liquor containing copper;
• and
• (d) recovering copper in solution from the pregnant leach liquor.