Systems and methods for changing the chemistry in heaps, piles, dumps and components

A method for changing properties of target materials within a pile, comprising:

• installing a drill casing having one or more perforated casing sections into a well installed in the pile, the drill casing being inserted at a depth sufficient to align at last one perforated casing section of the one or more perforated casing sections with an impacted zone of the pile;
• inserting a pipe or hose having an opening into the drill casing;
• aligning the opening of the pipe or hose with the at least one perforated casing section;
• sealing the drill casing so as to isolate air flowing into the drill casing so that air only flows into the drill casing through the at least one perforated casing section;
• and
• pushing air through the pipe or hose and the at least one perforated casing section at a pressure sufficient to dry the impacted zone and dislodge in situ gas and water vapor in the impacted zone.

A system for changing the properties of target materials within a pile, comprising:

• a power section for generating power;
• an air movement section powered by the power section and configured to push air into the pile or pull air through the pile;
• a downwell section configured to be installed into a well installed in the pile, the downwell section including a drill casing having one or more perforated casing sections, a pipe or hose having a perforated section and configured to be inserted into the drill casing and positioned so that the perforated section aligns with at least one of the one or more perforated casing sections, and an isolation mechanism configured to seal the drill casing to isolate the flow of air through the perforated section, wherein the system dries an impacted zone and dislodges in situ gas and water vapor in the impacted zone to improve future fluid treatment of the pile when air is pushed by the air movement section into the downwell section through the perforated section of the pipe or hose and through the perforated casing sections into the pile, and wherein the system removes moisture from the pile when air is pulled from the pile into the downwell section through the perforated section of the pipe or hose and through the perforated casing sections and expelled from the well by the air movement section;
• a manifold configured to transport a fluid for treatment of the impacted zone and to transport and combine the fluid with one or more chemicals to form a treatment fluid;
• and
• a mobile platform configured to receive the treatment fluid from the manifold, mix the treatment fluid and pump the treatment fluid into a tree section configured to be connected to the mobile platform and connected to a well head of the well,
• wherein the downwell section is connected to the well head and configured so that treatment fluid pumped into the tree section is pumped through the well head and into the pipe or hose, through the perforated section, and through the perforated casing section into the zone so as to lift and mobilize materials within the zone to create a plurality of substantially horizontal channels within the zone through which the treatment fluid flows to change the chemistry of the materials and/or dissolve the target materials for collection from a collection pad.