Tailings and mine waste management - Ausenco

Tailings and mine
waste management
Environment and sustainability

Tailings and mine waste management
Ausenco is a leading global provider
of engineering and project management
services to the resource and energy sectors.
We combine ingenuity with insight to deliver
effective end-to-end solutions for our clients.
Our professionals offer expertise across every
aspect of the resource and energy sectors
— in areas including mineral processing;
pipelines; transportation systems; ports and
terminals; infrastructure; and conventional,
renewable and alternative energies. We’re also
experts in optimising performance through
tailored operations and maintenance solutions,
and in providing environmental and
sustainability strategies that deliver benefits
for projects, communities and the environment.
We’re skilled in every phase of the project
lifecycle. From initial concept through to
operation and closure, our people can assess,
plan, cost, design and construct ingenious
solutions that add value and support your return
on investment.
Our track record includes tailings storage
dams and impoundments in wet and dry
climates, at high elevations, in active
seismic regions, and in some of the most
remote mine locations.

Delivering sustainable solutions for a
cleaner environment
Today, the environment and sustainability are
key considerations across the energy and
resources sectors.
We care about the environments in which
we operate globally, and work with our clients
and communities to deliver the best outcomes
for all.
Our professional strengths in geotechnical,
civil, hydrological, hydrogeological and
environmental sciences enable us to
deliver practical solutions that fulfil our
clients’ sustainability strategies.
We are experienced in:
• adhering to local and regional
sustainable development considerations
• using sustainability concepts to drive
innovation in the design phase
• applying management systems in the
construction phase to deliver projects on
specification, on time, on budget and without
safety incidents
• using triple-bottom-line decision-making
processes to optimise performance during all
phases of a project.
We have a long track record in developing
effective, sustainable systems for managing
tailings and mine waste.
Managing waste effectively and sustainably
Ausenco has extensive experience in designing
a variety of tailings-storage facilities, including
in difficult terrain and challenging climatic
conditions. We have designed more than 100
tailings dams and 200 heap-leach pad projects
across the globe.
We’re one of the world’s leaders in the field,
with a track record that includes tailingsstorage
dams and impoundments in wet and
dry climates, at high elevations, in active seismic
regions, and in some of the most remote
mine locations.
We offer end-to-end solutions for both the
design and civil quality assurance of tailingsstorage
facilities.
Our mine waste systems include waste
dump management, embankment dams,
borrow source evaluations, general, civil,
and foundations.
Reflexion of the geomembrane over
the tailings pond, PanAmerican Silver,
La Colorada mine, Mexico

Our experience
Project
Pascua Lama
Location
Chile–Argentina border
Client
Barrick Gold
Year
2004–ongoing
Description
Located at high altitude on
the border between Argentina
and Chile, this project at the
Pascua Lama gold–silver
mine presented technical,
environmental, and health
and safety challenges.
Ausenco’s role included:
• developing the
detailed design and
permitting package for
the tailings facility
• completing the design
for the site hydrology,
surface water diversion
and detention system.
Ausenco’s technical solutions
included provisions to control
acid-rock drainage, minimise
hydrological disturbance,
and optimise the use of
local waste rather than
disturbing untouched areas
for borrow materials.
Project
Corani
Location
Puno, Peru
Client
Bear Creek Mining Corporation
Description
Bear Creek Mining Corporation
is developing the Corani
silver-gold exploration project,
located approximately 4,300 m
above sea level in Puno, Peru.
Ausenco has undertaken
investigation, analysis,
design and cost estimate
development services for
several facilities.
Mitigation of environmental
and social impacts has been
a driver for developing
sustainable designs for each
facility. Key considerations
have included:
• community water demands
and riparian flow
management, including
improved reliability of
community water sources
• post-closure uses of the
tailings-storage facility
site in relation to
closure landform
• state-of-the-practice
application of geocomposite
and soil liners.
Project
Cerro Matoso Ferronickel Mine
Location
Montelibano, Colombia
Client
BHP Billiton —
Cerro Matoso SA
Year
2011
Description
Ausenco reviewed the
stability of the Sajana tailings
dam at the Cerro Matoso
ferronickel mine after
changes to the use of
cyclones created uncertainty
regarding the dam’s
geotechnical performance.
We conducted a geotechnical
desktop study for the tailings
dam, including
• numeric model calibration
to compare the original
design with actual
geotechnical conditions
• a hydrogeological model,
including water balance,
flow direction and watertable
estimation
• a conceptual liquefaction
analysis to identify
potential tailings dam
failure due to dynamic
load (earthquake).
To learn more about our experience in sustainable management of tailings and mine waste,
contact us via email business.development@ausenco.com or visit our website www.ausenco.com
AUS0716_04_TMWM_V1_06.02.13