Method of operating a heap leach for recovering uranium and vanadium

A method is described of operating a heap leach for leaching uranium and vanadium from a uranium-vanadium bearing ore formed into a relatively tall heap from a mixture of coarsely crushed ore and concentrated sulfuric acid. It consists of leaching the heap in sections in multiple cycles in accordance with a leaching operation comprising the steps o: (a) applying a dilute solution of between 1 to 5% sulfuric acid to the first section at a predetermined average flow rate over a predetermined time; (b) directing the leach liquor output into a product liquor sump for direct delivery to a processing plant for extracting uranium values; (c) applying a stronger acid solution of between 10 to 20% H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/ to the first section upon completion of step (a); (d) directing the leach liquor output into a high grade recycle pond; (e) recycling the leach liquor through the first section a predetermined multiple number of times; (f) directing the output leach liquor into the product liquor sump for direct delivery to the processing plant; (g) applying a fresh dilute acid solution as defined in step (a) to each section in a timed sequence upon substantial completion of the dilute acid application to the preceding section; (h) directing the leach liquor output of each section from step (g) to the product liquor jumps; (i) applying acid solution to each section in succession following the completion of step (g) in each corresponding section respectively; (j) directing the output leach liquor (i) into the high grade recycle pond; and (k) recycling the leach liquor (j) through each section a predetermined multiple number of times with the last cycle passed through the next section in succession before being sent to the product liquor sump in accordance with step (f)