Glencore has entered a global agreement with Tre-Altamira to expand satellite monitoring to over 110 of its dams worldwide making this the largest industry monitoring agreement to date specifically focusing on Tailings Storage Monitoring. It will use InSAR technology which offers a robust and effective monitoring solution to support local geotechnical engineers in risk evaluation for reasons of safety and operational continuity.

The monitoring provides measurements of surface movements every 11 days which is the current maximum available frequency for this type of data collection. By taking measurements from both ascending and descending satellite orbit directions, Glencore will be able to resolve any measured movement on its TSFs into both horizontal and vertical components. The typical resolution on the ground is 3 m x 3 m with detectable movement resolution in the order of a few millimetres.

Measurement data will be provided via a cloud based platform which will ensure continuous provision of information. Results of the monitoring will also be used to support stakeholder engagement and demonstrate the ongoing safe performance of our dams. While the main focus of the satellite monitoring program will be its Tailings Dams, the data will also be used at some sites to supplement other terrestrial monitoring techniques which will include open pits, waste piles and areas prone to subsidence.

Tre-Altamira services deliver ground displacement information to millimetre accuracy by analysing SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) data with SqueeSARⓇ. As an industry standard for advanced InSAR techniques, SqueeSARⓇ enables the detection, measurement and monitoring of geophysical phenomena such as subsidence, uplift, landslides, slope instabilities and seismic faults. Such satellite measurements of displacement provide a quantitative understanding of ground response to both natural and anthropogenic activities.