Tag Archives: AGQ Labs

AGQ Mining to study uranium mining waste in Portugal

Energy minerals, Environmental, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , ,

AGQ Mining has been awarded a contract to carry out analytical geochemical characterisation and leaching tests on dump material from various radioactive mining areas in Portugal.

The Portugal-based public company, EDM (Empresa de Desenvolvimento Mineiro), awarded AGQ Mining & Bioenergy the contract.

The purpose of the project is to study the chemical stability over the medium and long term of residual materials present in these areas, which can assist the companies in predicting the future drainage that may occur. This will help estimate the potential environmental impacts and provide valuable information for the design and evaluation of the effectiveness of restoration measures and corrective actions, AGQ Mining said.

For this, in addition to the chemical and radiological analysis of the samples, simple and sequential column percolation tests will be carried out, as well as kinetic geochemical tests such as the humidity cells, it added.

AGQ Labs wins environmental monitoring contract with Minera Chinalco

Base metals, Environmental, Mine operation news, Mining services, Precious metals, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , , , , ,

AGQ Labs has won a contract to carry out environmental sample analysis services for Minera Chinalco Perú SA over the next three years.

Minera Chinalco owns the Toromocho open-pit copper mine in the Morococha district of Peru, situated 4,500 m above sea level. Toromocho will produce 1 Mt/y of copper concentrate, 10,000 t/y of molybdenum and 4 Moz/y of silver oxide, according to the company’s website.

Minera Chinalco is a subsidiary of Aluminum Corporation of China, the second largest alumina producer in the world and the third largest producer of primary aluminium.

The purpose of the AGQ Labs contract is to analyse environmental samples during the next three years in various environmental matrices, including:

  • Surface waters, in this matrix, will be determined in accordance with the environmental quality standards (ECAs), looking at, among other parameters, run of total metals, anions, cyanide, microbiological and hydrobiological, volatile organic compounds, semi-volatile, organochlorine pesticides, phosphors, carbamates and polychlorinated biphenyls;
  • Groundwater, among other parameters, will be analysed for metals, anions, cyanides, COD, microbiological elements;
  • Domestic and industrial wastewater, in accordance with the applicable legislation for the sector, will be analysed for, among other parameters, metals, anions, cyanides, coliforms, etc;
  • Drinking water, complying with 100% of DS 031-2010.SA, will be looked at for microbiological and parasitological, organoleptic, volatile, semi-volatile organic compounds, pesticides and alpha and beta radiation;
  • Air quality will be determined according to the applicable ECAs, among others PM10, PM2.5 particulate material, metals, gases and others;
  • Characterisation of soils – cover or top soil – where the study of agronomic characterisation, metal run, and others of relevance for the purpose will be made;
  • Soils and sediments, in order to verify compliance with the applicable ECAs, will be analysed for metal, hydrocarbons in the three fractions, volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds, and other elements;
  • For environmental geochemistry, an ABA Test, and others will be determined;
  • Characterisation of mining waste, applying the current standard in accordance with the EPA standard and others, for flammability, corrosivity, reactivity, toxicity and pathogenicity. According to the test results, a judgment will be issued about the associated risk; and
  • Environmental monitoring of air quality parameters, electromagnetic radiation and day and night environmental noise will be examined in accordance with current regulations.

In this sense, Minera Chinalco is entrusting to AGQ Labs a specialised service for the monitoring and analysis of environmental samples, according to its experience and national accreditation, the company said.

AGQ Labs to keep environmental tabs on Glencore’s Contonga polymetallic mine

Base metals, Environmental, Mine operation news, Mining services, Precious metals, Water management, , , , , , , ,

AGQ Labs’ mining division has been awarded a contract to carry out the environmental monitoring of the quality of soil, water, plant and hydrobiological tissue at Glencore’s Contonga polymetallic mine, in Peru.

The Contonga mine, in Ancash, is owned by Glencore subsidiary Compañía Minera Los Quenuales. It is a polymetallic underground zinc, lead, copper and silver mine with more than 100 years of operating history, according to AGQ Labs. Glencore acquired the asset from Nyrstar back in September 2017.

The mining company, as part of its environmental commitment at the mine, performs environmental monitoring of its components to determine their chemical stability and the potential for acid mine generation, as well as their characterisation through complementary studies, AGQ Labs said.

AGQ Labs Mining will provide the sampling service and technical analytical support through a specialised service for the characterisation of soils, waters and plant tissue. This uses selective analytical techniques for the characterisation of the matrices under study.

For this, AGQ Labs uses a set of tests to define the quality of the soils under study through fertility tests and characterisation of the profiles.

Mobilisation of the different analytes under study are also characterised through leaching tests such as methodologies proposed by Tessier and the Flask Extraction Test. The characterisation of its acid generation capacity with ABA methodologies and mineralogy analysis is carried out with Thin Sheet Microscopy.

AGQ Labs said: “The characterisation works are complemented by the taxonomic classification of the most representative flora and the study of the waters through laboratory analyses of physicochemical and hydrobiological parameters.”

AGQ Labs to monitor and control water for Chile miners

Base metals, Environmental, Mine operation news, Mining services, Water management, , , , ,

AGQ Labs says it has been awarded three-year water control and monitoring plan contracts with MLCC Caserones and Codelco, in Chile.

Dedicated to providing laboratory analysis, advanced analysis and specialised chemical consultancy services, AGQ will service the two contracts from its new branch in Copiapó, northern Chile.

MLCC (SCM Minera Lumina Copper Chile) is owned by Pan Pacific Copper Co and Mitsui & Co SCM. It owns Caserones (pictured), a deposit in the Atacama Region of Chile, which is 162 km from Copiapó.

Codelco, meanwhile, is currently the biggest copper producer in the world by production, owning a number of mines in northern Chile.

AGC said the inauguration of its new Copiapó branch, which will provide operational coverage to other clients in the area, sees AGQ Labs Chile take a new step, “consolidating itself as a leading supplier to the Chilean mining industry”.