Tailings Management

 

Every mine site has unique considerations, whether it be high fresh water costs, permitting, stability issues or seismic activity. We work with you to determine the tailings solution that’s right for your unique mining conditions and local regulations.

KEY BENEFITS

i. We provide a comprehensive tailings solution to suit any site
ii. Improve safety, reduce risk and minimise the environmental impact
iii. Full-service technology trade off studies: testing, evaluation and solution
iv. Complete dewatering, material handling and co-mingling solutions in-house

No matter what your specific challenges are, they can be met by our team of equipment manufacturers with the ability to provide a comprehensive tailings solution to suit any site. We offer complete dewatering, material handling and co-mingling solutions, in-house. We also provide all the required comprehensive testing to ensure we supply the most economic tailings solution to each customer on a site-by-site basis.

Evaluating your mine requirements

We work with you on site to improve safety, reduce risk and minimise the environmental impact of tailings. Our experience, across varied mining environments, allows us to appreciate the nuanced characteristics of different mining operations and regional conditions. Operational considerations we evaluate include: the effect of grind size and ultra-fines on tailings dewatering; tailing dewatering and conveyability; and, the total cost of ownership economics related to thickening versus vacuum filtration versus pressure filtration. Our focus is on finding innovative techniques that minimise the risks, make use of economies of scale and deliver a valued return on investment. These solutions include a large capacity filter press and our large-scale co-mingling and dry stacking solution, which enable a complete and combined, filtered and dry-stacked tailings system for large-scale mining – but a whole lot more too.

• Sand dam tailings solution-

  Sand dams are the most common tailings storage facility and are made by splitting whole mill tails, typically 25 to 30% solids, into coarse and fine material using cyclones. The coarse material, potentially with waste rock, is used to build the walls of the dam. The fine material is pumped into the containment area and allowed to settle.
  

  Advantages

  • Low capital cost
  • Low operating costs
  • Suitable for a wide range of mining applications and volumes.

• Thickened tailings solution

  Our thickened tailings solution uses a high-rate or high-density thickener, resulting in 50 to 65% solids, to recover water in tailings prior to disposal. With this option, you will recover higher volumes of water and reduce losses to seepage and evaporation.
  

  Advantages

  • Higher water reclamation for re-use
  • Reduced chance of seepage and evaporation.

• Paste backfill for underground mines

  Tailings produced from our paste and/or filter tailings system can also be stored underground in previously worked-out voids. The tailings are dewatered and pumped below ground. The paste is often mixed with a binder, such as cement, to provide support to prevent heading collapse and subsidence issues. Any excess paste tailings can be transported to the surface tailings storage facility.
  

  Advantages

  Minimal surface disturbance – reduced footprint, dust generation, visual impact and surface water contamination
• Backfill provides support to the underground workings, including reduced risk of rock bursts
• Binders help minimise groundwater contamination
• Reduced acid rock drainage (ARD) for certain ores
• Allows for previously unmined ore (pillars and supports) to be extracted

Filtered tailings solution

Our filtered tailings solution, often referred to as dry stack tailings, uses high-rate or high-density thickener followed by a variety of filters, resulting in 75 to 85% solids, to recover water in tailings prior to disposal.

Advantages

• Water reclamation and makeup water minimisation reduces costs
• Minimised tailings management facility (TMF) area – footprint can be less than 50% of a conventional TSF
• Reduction in closure costs at end of mine life – progressive closure possible
• Reduced tailings risk improves safety
• Suited to areas of high seismic activity.

Our technology solution

The trend in the industry is towards filtered tailings. Filtered tailings increase the amount of water returned to the plant for reuse, as well as decreasing the amount of water lost to evaporation and seepage. There are numerous advantages including: Lower maintenance costs and higher performance; easy operation and maintenance accessibility; reliability of a proven, high-performance design; availability of process control and DCS communication; and a range of reliable dewatering equipment, including vacuum filters, pressure filters and centrifuges.

Finding the right tailings solution for your site

Every mine is different and each site has its own unique requirements and complications. There is no one-size-fits-all tailings solution. That is why we are dedicated to finding the solution that is right for you. This includes full-service technology trade off studies. We have all the dewatering equipment in-house and will quickly and economically provide the technology answers that best suit your application.

Testing

Before we can recommend a solution, we first need to develop a clear understanding of your mine. To achieve this, we carry out bench and pilot-scale testing, including: Sample classification; strength; permeability; dewatering; and conveyability.

Evaluation

Once we have an understanding of your sample, we can combine it with site-specific input to assess the various tailings flowsheet options. We draw on our best practices, standards and experience to evaluate the different tailings solutions, including: thickened tailings, paste thickened tailings, filtered tailings, filtered co-mingled tailings, paste or thickened or co-mingled tailings.