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In recent decades, efficient methods were developed to monitor the pregnant leach solution (PLS) within heap leaching pads to optimize the mineral production. Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) surveys fall among the potential tools to characterize heap leaching pads. In this paper we discuss forward modelling simulations performed to design ERT surveys on heap leaching no. 2 at Sarcheshmeh copper mine. The objective of field surveys was to determine the PLS level within the heap leaching because there was an urgent need to displace it due to the existence of the economic deposit below the heap pad. Therefore, the feasibility of ERT surveys to distinguish the PLS level from the overlaying material with low resistivity contrasts was first explored through synthetic simulations. The results showed promising and provided the initial information to design the ERT survey lines.