Disclosed herein is a method of extracting metal from a metal sulfide containing material comprising the steps of: a) providing an aqueous acidic oxidant mixture comprising water, an acid, an oxidising means, and a halide ion source, wherein the aqueous acidic oxidant mixture has a pH of less than 7; wherein the oxidising means comprises hydrogen peroxide, ozone, oxygen, chlorine, bromine, iodine, hypochlorous acid, hypobromous acid, hypoiodous acid, a hypochlorite salt, a hypobromite salt, a hypoiodite salt, a percarbonate salt, a persulfate salt, a permanganate salt, an anode connected to a power source, or combinations thereof; b) contacting the aqueous acidic oxidant mixture with the metal sulfide containing material to extract the metal from the metal sulfide containing material and form a metal halide solution; wherein the metal comprises copper, nickel, lead, zinc, or combinations thereof.