Search Documents

By Nav Dhadli

Tailings from Oil Sands MiningWhat are they? Challenges Solutions Regulatory Environment Definition of the AFD Tailings Treatment Process 2010 AFD Pilot/Demonstration ProgramTechnical challenges Performance and Results Next steps Oil Sands Industry Collaboration on Tailings Technology TAILINGS ?WHAT ARE THEY? Mixture of remaining water and solids following bitumen extraction process Composed of water, sand, silt, clay, small amounts of hydrocarbon (bitumen, solvent, and asphaltenes) A necessary part of production in excavation of oil sands and removal of bitumen

May 1, 2011

By E Mare

Recent highly publicised incidences of disastrous containment failures, none more pertinent than the 2019 iron ore tailings dam failure in Brumadinho, have focused the world’s attention squarely on the often-challenging subject of tailings storage. Unwanted ultrafines, that are deemed to be unworthy of further treatment or not to have further saleable value, are therefore a significant issue for mine owners looking to reduce risks and perceptions associated with long-term storage of tailings. In this context, there are strong drivers to identify safer approaches to ultrafine tailings management, especially if it can also lead to increased revenue, together with better water stewardship and environmental outcomes. The better management of tailings needs to be considered from both containment challenge and processing opportunity perspectives. This paper focuses on the latter, reviewing from a technical and economic perspective, the feasibility of more extensive processing and/or reprocessing of specifically iron ore tailings, in a bid to reduce the overall volume for management in long-term storage. Herein the opportunity lies in recovery processing, as much as enhanced thickening and/or mechanical dewatering, and therefore the paper discusses both issues as equally important sides of the same coin. Recent interest in iron ore ultrafines processing and reprocessing studies suggests that the enhanced processing of iron ore tailings offers multiple perceived advantages. Apart from a potential reduction in tailings volume, associated with safer containment, lower environmental impact and improved water management, the prospect of increased revenue from additional Fe recovery presents supplementary motivation for iron ore players to embrace this approach, as further elaborated in this paper.

Nov 8, 2021

By K. C. Dean

Fine-sized mineral wastes discarded by ore milling plants require stabilization to prevent air and water pollution. Stabilization has been attained by physical, chemical, vegetative, and combination procedures. Vegetative reclamation is preferred to physical and chemical stabilization but is diffi¬cult to achieve because the wastes are sterile, contain deleterious inorganic salts, and lack the essential nutrients and physical characteristics required for sustaining vegetative growth. Methods now have been developed for attain¬ing vegetative growth on all but excessively acidic, basic, or saline tailings at costs ranging from $120 to $650 per acre. The cost for stabilizing tail¬ings requiring more intensive treatment techniques may range upward to $1,750 per acre. This report summarizes procedures developed by the Bureau of Mines and industry for vegetating amenable tailings, lists costs for the various processes, and suggests procedures that may be applicable for stabilizing saline and pyrite-containing tailings. Ridged planting beds, drip irrigation, and deep-furrow planting techniques are suggested for stabilizing saline wastes. A combination of mill tailings and sewage sludge can be used for pro¬ducing synthetic soils, and layers of sewage sludge buried under a layer of tailings offer promise of inhibiting acid formation from oxidation of sulfides in mineral wastes.

Jan 1, 1974

By M. R. Geer

The ever-increasing need to guard against stream pollution has intensified interest in the problems of handling and disposing of flotation tailing. Therefore, the Bureau of Mines investigated the possibility of using crushed washery refuse to adsorb the free water in thickened flotation tailings on a bench scale and then in a pilot plant because the conventional methods of disposing of coal flotation tailings--impounding them or filtering them so they are dry enough to be conveyed to the refuse dump--are sometimes either impractical because of space limitations or costly because of low filter capacity. Most of the refuse samples tested were of similar mineralogical composition and exhibited similar water retention capability. The amount of crushed refuse required to adsorb the water in a particular tailing was influenced greatly by the fineness of the solids in the tailing and hence the percentage of solids to which it could be thickened. The ratio of crushed refuse to tailing solids required to provide a mixture dry enough to be carried on an inclined conveyor belt varied from 2.4 to 6.4. Several chemical agents that were tested were very effective in turning the free water in tailings into a stable gel. Fly ash also was very effective in adsorbing water.

Jan 1, 1968

By J Boshoff, D Reid

It has been recognised worldwide that the liquefaction risk of unconstrained tailings stacks or cyclone underflow embankments requires careful consideration. The stability of a tailings deposit where the perimeter embankments are made up of hydraulic fill is often governed by post-liquefaction stability.Cyclones are frequently used around the world to classify tailings into a coarse underflow for building a tailings impoundment wall and a finer fraction that is disposed of into the basin. The shear strength of the tailings that form the outer embankment of a tailings storage facility (TSF) and the location of the phreatic surface are the two most significant factors influencing the structural integrity of the facility. The coarse underflow is placed in such a way as to contain the overflow, which is finer, has low strength and is often poorly consolidated.A cyclone field trial was undertaken at a gold mine in Western Australia to assess the feasibility of using the cyclone deposition method to optimise and increase the capacity of an existing tailings cell. The aim of the cyclone trial was to collect information to demonstrate to the client and the regulators that cyclone deposition was a feasible option for raising TSF embankments. The cyclone trial provided an opportunity to assess the cyclone under field conditions and the quantity and quality of the underflow fraction produced on-site. A variety of methods were used to assess the flow liquefaction susceptibility of the tailings underflow sample produced during the cyclone field trial.The field trial, laboratory testing and analysis will be discussed in this paper.CITATION:Boshoff, J and Reid, D, 2015. The resistance of cyclone underflow material to flow liquefaction, in Proceedings Tailings and Mine Waste Management for the 21st Century , pp 151–156 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Jul 27, 2015

By R. Siwik, N. K. Davé

"The national reactive tailings (RATS) program is a co-operative industry-government effort to develop practical techniques for closure of reactive tailings areas. This paper summarizes the RATS program objectives and areas of research, and details the Noranda/CANMET project on the Waite Amulet tailings.Geophysical and biohydrogeochemical investigations were carried out at an inactive copper-zinc mine tailings site, Waite Amulet, in Noranda, Quebec. Geophysical investigations consisted of seismic, electromagnetic conductivity and electrical resistivity surveys to determine the thickness of the layers above bedrock and to map conductivity variations within the tailings and the immediate outlying area. Biohydrogeochemical investigations consisted of installing multilevel piezometer nests to determine groundwater flow patterns and porewater chemistry, obtaining solid core samples and characterizing for physical, chemical and mineralogical parameters, and iron oxidizing and sulphate reducing bacterial counts.The geophysical survey indicated a bedrock ridge extending under the tailings from the northeastern outcrop which may act as a porewater boundary layer. The survey also indicated a 2 to 20 m clay layer underlying the main tailings dam. Preliminary results of the saturated zone porewater chemistry have indicated three major zones of high electrical conductivity varying between 1,000 to 12,000 µs and pH between 3.4 to 8. Lower pH and high metal and sulphate concentrations were obtained in a shallow zone near the water table. With depth, the concentration of metal and sulphate ions decreased and pH increased below the water table. The underlying clay layer is relatively impervious -and most of the seepage from the tailings is probably exiting from the sides of the impoundment dam."

Jan 1, 1987

By N M. Rana, A Take, N Ghahramani, S McDougall, S G. Evans

A critical issue associated with mining operations has been the stability of tailings impoundments. Some breach events have produced catastrophic tailings flows that have caused significant economic damage, mass casualties and long-lasting environmental impact in the downstream environment. This paper reports independently estimated values of runout distance, inundation area and fahrboschung of 16 tailings flows. The adopted methodology involves the geospatial analysis of satellite and aerial imagery to classify each tailings flow into a primary impact zone (Zone 1: main overland flow) and a secondary impact zone (Zone 2: along-creek diluted flow) to characterise runout. Only Zone 1 runout values are reported herein given the greater significance in relation to downstream impact. The fahrboschung is calculated using elevation data from global 30 m digital elevation models (DEMs) and source literature. The results show that all the selected tailings flows travelled long distances (2.4 km to 98.5 km) and inundated large areas (0.35 km2 to 27.0 km2) over very low fahrboschung values (0.04° to 4.8°). This indicates very high flow mobility that is largely governed by the high water content sourced from interstitial waters and, in many cases, supernatant ponds. Scatter plots display poor correlations owing to the complexity and variability in travel path characteristics (confinement, slope angle and obstructions) and the inherent properties of the flowing mass. The slope angle of the travel path exerts a strong control over the flow velocity which has implications on kinetic energy and downstream geomorphological impact. Mean tailings flow velocities may range from ~6 m/s on near-flat, open terrain to over 30 m/s in relatively steeper, channelised travel paths, indicating that tailings flows fall within the extremely rapid and high mobility spectrum of global mass movements. The presented work forms an inceptive part of the CanBreach tailings project, a major component of which is to develop a comprehensive database of case histories to examine the role of geotechnics, failure modes and downstream terrains in influencing tailings flow behaviour.

Jul 1, 2021

By F. Bello, R. Yanez, M. Pinto, T. Errazuriz

"Throughout its operation, Minera Esperanza (ME) will deposit one of the largest tonnages rates of high density tailings in the world with a solids concentration of close to 67% by weight. The tailings presently being deposited have a solids concentration of approximately 62% - 64%, and so cannot be used to directly characterize the flow and deposition characteristics of the higher concentration tailings. To increase the knowledge of the behaviour of their tailings, ME, with the support of Golder Associates, developed a large scale tailings deposition test with a capacity of 30,000 tonnes per day (1,200 m3/h). The test was carried out by depositing tailings into two large cells or paddocks in five stages. Multiple spigots were used to allow different flows to be deposited. At each stage, topographical surveys of the natural terrain and the geometry of the deposited tailings, as well as continuous flow measurement and periodical rheological characterization of the discharged tailings were conducted to create a data set against which beach slope models could be calibrated and then used to predict performance of the higher concentration tailings under different deposition scenarios. This study adopted the beach slope prediction model proposed by A.L. Li (Li, 2011). The model was successfully adjusted to the observations made during this large scale field test by applying the values measured in-situ. This paper presents the application of the model, the results obtained, the findings, and the analysis of possible future scenarios. The model was applied, using the discharge flow rate, the geometrical characteristics of the discharge area, and the rheology with its variation along the beach to estimate the development of the beach formation and the steady state of the beach slopes. Through the use of dimensionless variables, the model was applied to higher solids concentration scenarios, obtaining results that would allow beach slope estimation at different deposition stages in multiple scenarios of varying parameters such as flow, rheology and geometry of discharge area."

Jan 1, 2014

By John P. Borovsky

A 3-year study was conducted to evaluate the problems and benefits of using vegetation to stabilize tailing from a potential Minnesota copper-nickel milling operation. The project consisted of three separate investigations: a waste characterization study, a greenhouse study and a field study. With few exceptions, the physical and chemical characteristics of the tai ling were found to lie within the range of properties of Minnesota soils. The tailing lacks organic matter; is deficient in nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium; and may contain elevated levels of soluble salts and heavy metals, particularly copper and nickel. Numerous grasses, forbs and woody plants will tolerate the tailing as a rooting medium. Peat incorporation and topsoil dressing provided few benefits to the revegetation process which were not provided by a fertilizer application. With fertilization, grass/legume production in the tailing was comparable to local agricultural yields. Concentration of heavy metals in grasses grown in the tailing were generally below suggested tolerance limits for plants and animal forage. Legumes tended to accumulate higher concentrations of copper and nickel, and metal uptake of most plants was positively correlated with rate of fertilization. Tailing drainage water contained elevated levels of heavy metals, and establishment of vegetation had little effect on the quantity and quality of tailing drainage water. However, topsoil dressing significantly increased drainage water volume when compared to unvegetated control plots. Copper-nickel tailing revegetation recommendations were developed.

Jan 1, 1983

By R. J. Jewell

The storage capacity of any given tailings storage facility (TSF) is a function of the volume available for the tailings, for which the geometry of the final upper surface of the tailings is most important. One of the advantages that can be obtained from thickening tailings prior to discharge is that the tailings can be stacked at a steeper beach angle than is obtainable with conventional low-density slurries. However, there is at present no universally accepted method available for the accurate prediction of tailings beach slopes. This paper examines the current situation with the objective of putting the quest for a method for the accurate prediction of beach slopes into perspective. The paper references published reviews of the best-known beach slope prediction methods. However, there do not appear to be any independently verified projects or published references to projects on which a Class A prediction has been validated for any of these approaches, and in those instances where projects have been implemented correlation of actual with predicted slopes has been poor - often due to differences between the properties of the tailings assumed in the design and those actually achieved in the field. The author also concludes that flume-scale testing cannot be taken as a reliable indicator of full-scale performance, and suggests that the outcome of any current predictive method should be used by experienced practitioners as only one of a range of indicators in order to suggest a range of slope angles likely to result for any given operation. Practice has shown that it is possible to manipulate beach slopes by changes to the disposal technique, such as limiting the rate of discharge per discharge point and by increasing or decreasing yield stress, but the impact of these changes cannot readily be predicted. There are also newly emerging technologies, such as the injection of a polymer into the tailings at discharge, that will enhance the dewatering of tailings and hence expedite the consolidation of the tailings, that could well facilitate the development of steeper beach slopes. The overall conclusion is that with the current state of knowledge, the accurate prediction of beach slopes is not possible. Furthermore, in view of the inherent variability of the tailings parameters from any operation, it may well be of more value to concentrate on developing an understanding of the means by which the tailings parameters may be manipulated by the operators to achieve a given beach slope than to concentrate wholly on developing a generic beach slope prediction model.

Jan 1, 2012

By A Simmons, R Longey, D Brett

The South Deposit Tailings Storage Facility (SDTSF), located at Grange Resources Pty Ltd’s (Grange) Savage River mine in north west Tasmania, has recently begun construction. The facility will provide storage for approximately 37 million cubic metres of tailings, equating to approximately 20 years’ tailings storage.The SDTSF embankment will be constructed entirely out of waste rock won from mining operations, and will feature a flow-through drain constructed from alkaline, non-acid forming (NAF) waste rock. This provides Grange with an economical storage solution for waste management (both tailings and waste rock) and maximises available space on site. The outflows discharged through the alkaline rock ‘flow-through’ will provide a long-term source of alkalinity to Main Creek, subsequently feeding into Savage River. This will provide environmental benefits to the downstream ecology that has long been degraded due to the effects of legacy acid and metalliferous drainage (AMD), caused by historical mining operations.CITATION:Longey, R, Brett, D and Simmons, A, 2015. Integrated mine waste management – South Deposit Tailings Storage Facility, Savage River mine, Tasmania, in Proceedings Tailings and Mine Waste Management for the 21st Century , pp 343–352 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Jul 27, 2015

By T. Yalcin, S. Brunet

The flocculant-assisted hydrocyclone involves the addition of a flocculant to the cyclone feed for the purpose of obtaining a clear cyclone overflow, and thereby eliminating or reducing thickener requirements in tailings disposal operations. This paper describes the testing of this concept on the iron ore tailings of Quebec Cartier Mining Company's Mount Wright Concentrator. The current practice at Mount Wright makes use of conventional hydrocyclones and thickeners for the disposal of their tailings, which are generated in a spiral gravity separation circuit. The test work was conducted primarily on their cyclone overflow product which becomes the feed to the thickeners. A detailed study was carried out to determine the sedimentation properties of these tailings in terms of their response to a variety of flocculating reagents, and to varying conditions of pH, pulp density and flocculant dosage. The tailings were then processed in a laboratory hydrocyclone with the aid of flocculants. The use of a shear resistant flocculant, in particular, was found to yield cyclone overflows with low solids contents. Based on the test results obtained, a conceptual flow sheet has been proposed for the treatment of the iron ore tailings at the Mount Wright Concentrator.

Jan 1, 2004

By Yuexin Han, Jie Liu, Shuai Yuan, Yanjun Li

"In order to improve recovery efficiency of iron minerals from iron ore tailings and to reduce its connected environmental pollution, this article investigated the reducing roasting of iron ore tailing in a laboratory fluidized magnetization roasting reactor to optimize the roasting method and conditions. The examined parameters included roasting temperature, roasting time and reducing atmosphere. The parameters evaluating magnetizing roast efficiency and theoretical value were determined. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis was used to investigate the conversion of iron phase after roasting. The results show that the best magnetizing roast conditions are roasting temperature of 540?, holding time of 15min, and CO concentration of 20%. The magnetization conversion ratio of roasting products is over 80%, under the best magnetic separation condition, the concentrate grade of iron is 65.61 % and the recovery of iron is 83.77 %. The XRD analysis shows that Fe exists in hematite and siderite before roasting and exists in magnetite after roasting. The technique not only recovers the iron minerals from tailings with good economic benefit, but also reduces the environmental pollution of tailings accumulation.INTRODUCTION Iron ore tailings are the solid wastes generated during the beneficiation process of iron ore concentration and are one of the main pollution concerns in the mining industry (Das et al., 1996). Continuous development of the iron and steel industry has led to the increasing amount of iron ore tailings; there are over 300 million tons of iron ore tailings discharged per year (Rao et al., 2016). The huge amount of stockpiled iron ore tailings brings a series of environmental and social problems. Comprehensive utilization of iron ore tailings can not only reduce environmental load but also conserve resources, promoting sustainable development of the society. In recent years, iron ore tailings as secondary resources have received considerable attention in many countries in the word and numbers of studies on utilization of iron ore tailings were carried out, such as recycling the valuable minerals (Datta et al., 1996; Jia et al., 2013; Panda et al., 2018), used in construction material compositions as alternative source of raw materials (Das et al., 2012; Zhou et al., 2012; Luo et al., 2016) and other utilization. The iron minerals were recovery by magnetization roasting (Rao et al., 2016; Yang et al., 2013; Yang et al., 2011) and flotation (Kumar and Mandre, 2016). By comparison the reduction roasting has more advantages, but it was found that the conventional roasting equipment was inefficient, high energy consumption and un-economically applied on an industrial-scale."

Jan 1, 2018

By Tracy Shimmield, Philip Samar

"Metals have been mined as ores since pre-history but metal production has increased dramatically in modern times driven by expanding Global GDP. Metal ore mining produces large amounts of waste rock and mine tailings. Mine tailings are the wastes produced after extracting the desired metal from the ore. There are several ways of dealing with this waste, and Ritcey (2005) identifies the following possibilities, land-based storage, backfill to the mine, deep lake disposal and marine disposal. In Papua New Guinea (PNG), both Misima and Lihir Mines adopted the marine disposal option, releasing tailings through a submerged pipe onto the sea floor. This special case is referred to as Deep Sea Tailings Placement (DSTP) in which the tailings deposition is sufficiently deep as to be below the euphotic zone. The most important aspect of deep sea tailings placement is that the tailings are deposited at great depth where exchanges between the seabed and the surface layers are small. The first quantitative multidisciplinary study of tailings impact on the deep sea was carried out from 2006 to 2010 in Papua New Guinea. The physical, chemical and biological work carried out has placed PNG at the forefront of research into the assessment and management of deep-sea environmental impacts related to mining in PNG. The study has provided data which has led to a better understanding of the ecological and geochemical processes in deep water that accompany DSTP in PNG and provided baseline data on deep-sea ecosystems in a scientifically poorly known tropical ocean. Additionally, guidelines on best practice for DSTP have been developed Here we present geochemical data obtained from sediment samples from the marine environment surrounding Lihir and Misima Islands."

Jan 1, 2014

By W. G. Miller, J. D. Scott, D. C. Sego

ABSTRACT An overall study was conducted to evaluate the properties and processes influencing the rate and magnitude of consolidation for oil sands fine tailings produced using different extraction processes. As part of the overall study, a comprehensive description of physical and chemical characteristics of fine tailings generated by caustic and non-caustic processes was carried out. Ultimately, the influence of these fundamental properties on the compressibility, hydraulic conductivity and shear strength properties of the fine tailings was assessed. The characteristics of the fine tailings are presented in terms of index properties, mineralogy, specific surface area, water chemistry, liquid limits, particle size distribution and structure. A difference in water chemistry was concluded to be the cause of substantial differences in particle size distributions and degree of dispersion of the comparable caustic and non-caustic fine tailings. The degree of dispersion was consistent with predictions for dispersed clays established by the sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) values for these materials. A linear variation of increasing dispersion with increasing SAR up to a SAR value of about 40 has been suggested, above which fine tailings are completely dispersed. The observed dispersed or flocculated structures (viewed using a scanning electron microscope) supported the predictions based on SAR values.

Jan 1, 2010

By K J. Ward, C N. Hatton, J Scalia IV, C A. Bareither, D L. Spencer

The mining industry is experiencing change in the governance of tailings facilities (TFs). Guidance and regulations across many jurisdictions contribute to this amorphous change. The Canadian Dam Association, Mining Association of Canada, Australian National Committee on Large Dams, and the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management, produced by the International Council on Mining and Metals, are establishing guidelines for more rigorous industry governance. Evolving guidance regarding TFs is developing concurrently with a shortage of experienced tailings engineers, which adversely affects the resource base available to support new governance. This paper presents an updated semi-quantitative estimate of the impending resource shortage of qualified tailings professionals. Updates are provided herein for the estimated number of TFs worldwide, which included available data on active and inactive TFs, as well as the estimated labor resources required to service these facilities. The tailings labor shortage is discussed in the context of academic and professional training currently available to increase the quantity of trained personnel. This paper represents a discrete moment in time as contributions to the available information and inventories accessed continue to improve, but as of today are incomplete. However, the data and information included provide insight into the resource deficiencies currently within our profession, training and education opportunities to address those resource deficiencies, and a snapshot of a recent professional training course offered on mine tailings.

Jul 1, 2021

By G W. Wilson

Rehabilitation of tailings impoundments is one of the most challenging aspects in mine closure, as not only does the potential for producing leachate pose a challenge to the rehabilitation designer, but also other aspects such as stability and settlement must be considered. The water balance of a tailings impoundment is unique in the sense that it usually hosts a pond that in turn causes a phreatic surface in the impoundment. The position of the phreatic surface defines the saturated and unsaturated zones in the impoundment, which of course varies spatially and temporally. Predictive modelling for this hydrologic system becomes difficult, as numerical models capable of analysing the combined saturated/unsaturated zones are not adequately refined to accurately solve the flux boundary problem for infiltration at the surface of the tailings. This paper describes the development of a flux boundary model that enabled accurate modelling of the unsaturated zone in the tailings impoundment at Kidston Gold Mine, Queensland, Australia. The technique made it possible to accurately predict the spatial variation of infiltration to the tailings as a result of the presence of the phreatic table. The conceptual model defines the boundaries for the Kidston tailings dam, based on a generalised cross-section through the dam. Firstly the shape of the top boundary is described as a function of the particle size of the tailings associated with particle segregation that occurs due to the hydraulic placement of tailings. This function was rigorously tested using in situ infiltration tests and laboratory materials testing. Defining the bottom boundary of the section, ie the phreatic level was done by physically monitoring the phreatic level with 42 piezometers strategically located on the tailings dam. Analysis of this data led to the fixing of this bottom boundary through the introduction of a function that mimicked the shape of the phreatic level. The material properties of the surface layer, specifically the saturated permeability that would govern the infiltration/exfiltration rates of moisture through the top boundary layer were defined on the basis of extensive field and laboratory material testing. A function for the saturated permeability was developed on the principles of particle segregation. Finally a procedure is described for the application of the new conceptual model for the evaluation of the spatial infiltration to a tailings surface using the rigorous one dimensional surface flux boundary code SoilCover. The solution of the calculation described above was then used as the top boundary condition in conventional three dimensional saturated/ unsaturated flow codes, and verified against measured seepage rates from the tailings impoundment under drains. It was concluded that the developed spatial flux function was in deed a most rigorous representation of reality. Although the methodology presented here was applied to the Kidston tailings impoundment only, the authors believe that the principles are directly transferable to any tailings impoundment that has a varying phreatic zone thickness due to the presence of a pond. The mathematical equations describing the typical cross-section would be site specific, but the approach and ultimate solution methodology would be directly transferable.

Jan 1, 2003

By P. Saunier, S. Fourmont, R. Stafford, A. Jung, J. Mlynarek

The safe and economical storage of tailings generated by modern day mining operations is possibly the single largest challenge faced by miners today. By nature, tailings are a waste product that have little to no economic value. Yet, their physical and chemical contents can pose incredible environmental hazards if not stored correctly. The variety of factors that are met when designing Tailing Storage Facilities (TSFs), means that in most cases, a low-cost solution is sought to accomplish storage, meet environmental regulations, and adhere to industry best practices. TSFs can be large dam face structures or smaller structures like retention/evaporation lined ponds. Water management is potentially the single largest factor that miners and designers must contend with when constructing a TSF. Water is a necessary component in the process of extracting ore but can be difficult and expensive to remove once it is mixed with solid tailings particles. As a result, the most common disposal of these water containing tailings, called a slurry, is to simply discharge into an embanked TSF (Vick, 1990). These structures, just like any other water retaining dam, can breach releasing contents downstream. Despite modern advancements in TSF design, there have been numerous dam failures that have resulted in tragic loss of life and ecological devastation. Most notably in the last decade, the Brumadinho and Mariana Dam disasters in Brazil killed 278 people in downstream communities when TSF dams failed in 2019 and 2015, respectively (Rotta at el., 2020). Similarly, in 2014, the Mount Polley tailings spill in British Columbia was the second largest tailings spill on record and caused extensive damage to adjacent watershed ecosystems when the TSF embankment was breached (Byrne at el., 2018). While there were indeed numerous unique and underlying factors present in each of these structural failures, a shared element in the devastation was the large-scale release of unstable liquefied tailings

Mar 2, 2022

By Luke Clarkson, David Williams

The intent of this paper is to provide overview context to allow broader understanding of conventional tailings dam failure mechanisms. The research leverages global knowledge, experience, and data collection and interpretation for the safe and controlled management of the geotechnical stability of a tailings storage facility. The motivation for this review is to facilitate transparent access to tailings dam background and understanding. This paper addresses the core understanding of geotechnical failure mechanisms, and how these eventuate to instability and failure of tailings dam structures. This research focuses on foundation failure, internal erosion and piping, overtopping, seepage, seismicity, and slope instability and provides insight into what factors contribute to failure, how failure progresses due to such failure, anticipating and monitoring for the aforementioned failure modes, and designing to mitigate their risk.

Feb 15, 2021

By D. Raicevic

The presence of residual uranium and other radionuclides in the uranium mill tailings are posing a continuous health concern to the surrounding environment. The slow generation of sulphuric acid from residual sulphide minerals is the cause of persistant dissolution and discharge of many metallic components of the tailings. The most effective long term solution to these problems would seem to be to produce chemically stable tailings. This paper describes two possible answers to the objective: (1) Removal of radionuclides and pyrite from tailings by mineral dressing techniques; some 60 - 68% of the residual uranium, 70 - 75% of the radium, 60 - 65% of the thorium and 95 - 98% of the pyrite have been rejected from the Elliot Lake tailings. The decontaminated tailings contained 0.003% uranium, 50 - 60 pCi/g radium226, 0.01% thorium and less than 0.1% sulphur as pyrite. (2) Preconcentration of radionuclides and pyrite by beneficiation from Elliot Lake ores prior to leaching; applying this approach about 97% of the uranium, 95% of the radium, 92% of the thorium and 98.5% of the sulphides were concentrated in a radionuclide and pyrite concentrates comprising 25% and 8% of the ore, respectively. The preconcentration tailings (waste) produced contained 0.004% uranium, 20 - 25 pCi/g radium226, 0.005% thorium and less than 0.1% sulphur as pyrite. Economic and environmental advantages of both approaches and the leaching of the concentrates are also discussed.

Jan 1, 1980