Tag Archives: tailings storage facilities

Vale hits ICMM’s GISTM target for tailings storage facilities

Base metals, Environmental, Mining policy, Steel and iron ore, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , , , , , ,

Vale says it has implemented the Global Industry Standard for Tailings Management (GISTM) in 48 of its 50 tailings storage facilities (TSFs), with plans to bring the two remaining TSFs into conformance by August 2025.

The GISTM was developed after the tragic failure of a tailings facility at Brumadinho, Brazil, in 2019, through an independent process convened by ICMM, the United Nations Environment Programme and Principles for Responsible Investment.

The standard sets a high bar and contains 77 requirements integrating social, environmental, local economic and technical considerations which strive to achieve the goal of zero harm to people and the environment, according to ICMM.

Vale says of the 48 TSFs now in conformance with the GISTM, 35 are in the Iron Solutions business unit in Brazil and 13 in the Energy Transition Metals business unit (11 in Canada and 2 in Brazil).

“The two remaining Iron Solutions TSFs in Brazil have a lower consequence classification and will be in conformance with the standard by August 2025, following the criteria of the Conformance Protocols defined by ICMM,” Vale said.

The 48 TSFs in conformance meet the GISTM requirements, and some of them have action plans in place according to the Conformance Protocols, according to the company. In addition to meeting the 77 standard requirements, a TSF in conformance with the GISTM means that the oversight, monitoring and transparency of information have been and will continue to be improved, according to Vale. The focus is on the safety of people and the environment throughout the entire TSFs life cycle.

When the GISTM was published in August 2020, ICMM members committed to conform with the standard for tailings facilities classified as ‘extreme’ or ‘very high’ consequences by August 2023, and all other facilities by August 2025. Members are due to publish their progress towards conformance with the GISTM by August 5, 2023, for tailings facilities with the highest potential consequences in the event of a failure.

The ICMM said earlier this week that it anticipated some companies will not achieve full conformance with the standard’s requirements.

Implementing GISTM for Vale’s TSFs represents only one part of the company’s efforts to become safer and more sustainable, the miner says. Vale has been improving the management of its mining dams by conducting an in-depth technical analysis of the historical, current condition and performance of each structure. The preventive, corrective and monitoring actions have also been intensified, being increasingly integrated with social movements and updated according to legislation.

Vale also continues to progress de-characterisating its upstream tailings dam structures in Brazil. As of 2019, out of the 30 dams of this kind included in the program, 12 have already been de-characterised, representing 40% of the total. The program is expected to be completed in 2035. The de-characterisation of upstream facilities in Brazil is Vale’s commitment, in addition to being part of the current Brazilian federal and state legislation on dam safety.

Davra and IoTDC to pair expertise for enhanced tailings storage facility monitoring

Communications in mining, IoT, Mining safety, Water management, , , , , , , ,

Industrial IoT solutions providers Davra and IoTDC have announced what they say is a landmark partnership that merges their expertise to launch a state-of-the-art suite of software applications for the comprehensive safety monitoring of mining operations.

The announcement was made during the recent visit of the Irish Tánaiste (Deputy Prime Minister), Micheál Martin, to Wits University in Johannesburg.

This initiative builds on Davra’s established collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA) on the Protelum project, ensuring stringent compliance with the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM).

The advanced software suite focuses on real-time monitoring and management of tailings storage facilities (TSFs). By harnessing the power of advanced sensors, predictive analytics, machine learning algorithms, and Earth Observation (EO) data from the European Copernicus program and other sources, the software provides early detection of irregularities and potential hazards, thereby enhancing the safety and operational efficiency of mining enterprises, the companies say.

Additionally, the suite ensures full GISTM compliance, helping mining operators align with the highest international standards for tailings management safety and integrity, they claim.

Key features and benefits include:

  • Real-time tailings monitoring: the software suite employs EO data from the Sentinel satellite constellation and IoT sensors to provide real-time insights into tailings dam stability, enabling swift detection and response to potential issues;
  • Predictive analytics and machine learning: utilising the capabilities of AI, the software predicts and prevents potential incidents by analysing behavioural trends and patterns in tailing dam operations;
  • GISTM compliance: the suite assists mining operations in achieving rigorous GISTM compliance, ensuring the utmost safety and integrity in tailings management; and
  • Enhanced operational efficiency: with continuous monitoring and AI-powered analytics, mining operations can significantly improve productivity, reduce downtime and minimise environmental impact.

“We are thrilled to announce this partnership with IoTDC during the Irish Tánaiste’s visit to Wits University,” Paul Glynn, CEO of Davra, said. “By combining our ongoing engagement with ESA on the Protelum project and our cutting-edge IoT technology, we’re equipping mining operators throughout South Africa with an unparalleled tool to manage and monitor their tailings storage facilities.”

Ewald Fourie, CEO of IoTDC, added: “This collaboration with Davra brings together our local mining sector expertise and their global IoT and space data experience to deliver a unique solution. We’re confident that this technology will set a new standard for safety and sustainability in the mining sector.”

CIMIC’s CPB Contractors enters alliance partnership with Newcrest Cadia on TSF, ancillary works

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

CIMIC Group company CPB Contractors has been selected by Cadia Holdings, a wholly owned subsidiary of Newcrest Mining Limited, to deliver enabling works for the Cadia Tailings Storage Facility Recommissioning Project, in New South Wales, Australia.

The project, to be delivered in an alliance partnership with Cadia Holdings, will support the operation of the Cadia gold and copper mine, near Orange.

The scope involves enabling works associated with the existing Cadia tailings storage facilities and ancillary works including haul roads and supporting facilities. Work is scheduled to be completed in 2023.

CIMIC Group Executive Chairman, Juan Santamaria, said: “We are pleased to have the opportunity to apply our resources and expertise to Australia’s largest gold mining operation. CPB Contractors will work collaboratively with Newcrest to achieve the project’s business goals
while also ensuring the community’s expectations regarding environmental performance and outcomes are met.”

CPB Contractors Managing Director, Jason Spears, said: “With this alliance CPB Contractors will be working in close partnership with Cadia Holdings to ensure that the project is safely delivered to schedule and budget and that all operational objectives are secured. As always, we will be focused on safety and apply CPB Contractors’ extensive regional project expertise to maximise opportunities for cost-effective, efficient delivery.”

METS Ignited and the Queensland Government launch enviroMETS

Environmental, Mining industry recognition, Mining services, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , , , , , ,

Queensland mining companies can now tap into the collaborative innovation of experienced organisations to deliver maximum value and enhanced future uses of post-mining land with the launch of industry-led, not-for-profit enviroMETS.

Aimed at devising innovative and sustainable repurposing, recommercialising and remediation solutions to create the greatest value for future custodians, enviroMETS is a joint METS Ignited and Queensland Government partnership that, the partners say, will provide a conduit of innovative industry-led solutions for government and mining companies.

This cluster initiative will deploy skills, research and experience in:

  • Mine lifecycle planning;
  • Geochemical and mine affected water management;
  • Mine waste reprocessing;
  • Geotechnical and tailings storage facilities;
  • Mine closure management; and
  • Governance/policy/regulatory framework.

enviroMETS will enable commercial collaborations to research and deploy new technologies such as reprocessing mine waste for essential mineral extraction or repurposing the landform for another commercial use, the partners say.

METS Ignited CEO, Adrian Beer, said enviroMETS builds upon the early clustering work of METS Ignited, in partnership with the Queensland Government.

“In reviewing our progress, it was clear multiple groups would benefit from the support of a dedicated organisation engaged in project coordination and lead collaboration management,” Beer said.

“SME vendors, research and academia, government and state-owned entities, as well as mining, METS organisations and investors, could all leverage a trusted independent broker representing enviroMETS groups.”

enviroMETS Executive Director, Allan Morton, explained that it was important to understand enviroMETS is a completely independent, industry-led, not-for-profit company, forming innovative collaborations to solve industry wide challenges.

“We are initiating several ‘lighthouse’ projects within our innovation ecosystem participants to accelerate this process,” Morton said. “This authenticates the objective and collaborative nature we offer, which I believe will deliver a unique set of unparalleled benefits to our participant groups, the environment and future custodians of these parcels of land.”

Cyient to support rollout of Decipher’s cloud-based TSF monitoring platform

Communications in mining, Environmental, IoT, Mineral processing, Mining maintenance, Mining services, Mining software, , , , , , ,

Cyient, a global engineering, manufacturing, and digital transformation and technology solutions company, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Decipher, a Perth-based company that provides a cloud monitoring and governance platform for tailing storage facilities.

As per the MoU, Cyient will support Decipher with the global rollout of its cloud mining platform for tailings and rehabilitation monitoring, it said.

Tailing storage facility failures that cause an uncontrolled release of water, waste material, or by-product constitute a significant environmental risk, Cyient says. With a cloud mining platform, mining companies will be able to replace manual processes and siloed data with a more robust and secure cloud platform that adheres to the latest industry best practices and compliance requirements.

Cyient and its subsidiary, IG Partners, will be playing a significant role in selling, implementing, and supporting the solution as it advances, Cyient said.

Speaking at the MoU signing, Herman Kleynhans, Sector Head for Mining, Cyient, said: “Decipher’s end-to-end solution and deep understanding of TSF monitoring and governance, combined with Cyient’s technical depth and global reach, will bring immense value to our mining customers. This partnership will also allow us to make a positive environmental and safety impact on communities engaged in mining operations around the world.”

Decipher’s CEO, Anthony Walker, added: “The reach and experience of Cyient, a leading global player, will greatly support the uptake of the solution for customers worldwide. The remarkable strides taken by the Global Industry Tailings Standard in challenging and leading the industry needs the support and systems that Decipher can deliver. We are delighted that Cyient and its subsidiary, IG Partners, have joined hands with us to make this collaboration a success.”

Decipher to help miners align with new tailings storage facility standards

Communications in mining, Environmental, IoT, Mining industry recognition, Mining services, Mining software, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Wesfarmers-owned software-as-a-service company, Decipher, says it has extended its successful TSF cloud platform to provide a solution to simplify the process of tailings storage facility (TSF) data disclosure as well as helping companies align with the new global tailings standard.

The recent Global Standard on Tailings Management was launched on the August 5, 2020. The historic agreement includes six topic areas, 15 principles and 77 auditable requirements, which covers the entire TSF lifecycle – from site selection, design and construction, management and monitoring, through to closure and post-closure.

With an ambition of zero harm to people and the environment, the standard significantly raises the bar for the industry to achieve strong social, environmental and technical outcomes by elevating accountability to the highest organisational levels and adds new requirements for independent oversight, Decipher says.

“These recent initiatives have encouraged mining companies to respond quickly to public demand for more transparency which has highlighted the need for a software solution which can improve tailings data management, reporting, monitoring, compliance and governance,” the company said.

This is where Decipher’s technology comes into play.

Decipher Chief Executive Officer, Anthony Walker, said the resources industry is actively seeking easily implemented, cost effective and globally accessible solutions.

“The early adoption from Tier 1 miners and general interest has been phenomenal indicating that there is a real need for a TSF data disclosure solution; it excites us that our technology platform can be leveraged to support better management and monitoring of tailings storage facilities,” he said.

Topic Area VI of the new standard requires operators to support public disclosure of information about tailings facilities, and participate in global initiatives to create standardised, independent, industry-wide and publicly accessible information about facilities. For example, the recent Investor Mining and Tailings Safety Initiative called upon 727 extractive mining companies to make public disclosures about their TSFs to form an independent global database – The Global Tailings Portal, developed by GRID-Arendal.

Due to manual processes, and often disparate and siloed datasets, mining operators have estimated it took them around six weeks per site to collate their tailings data, according to Decipher. “With many operators having well over 50 sites, this process is challenging and surfaced many inefficiencies,” it said.

After hearing these frustrations from the industry, Decipher designed a tailings database solution to help companies easily capture, manage and disclose tailings data, enabling them to meet data provision requests from industry groups such as the Investor Mining and Tailings Safety Initiative, it said.

Decipher has also been working closely with GRID-Arendal to create an API to facilitate automatic update of tailings data within the Decipher platform directly to the Global Tailings Portal.

“We believe this will significantly increase efficiency and provide a massive time savings for mining operators who choose to disclose regularly,” the company said.

Topic Area III of the standard aims to lift the performance bar for designing, constructing, operating, maintaining, monitoring, and closing facilities.

Recognising tailings facilities are dynamic engineered structures, this topic area requires the ongoing use of an updated knowledge base, consideration of alternative tailings technologies, and a comprehensive monitoring system.

“Decipher’s TSF solution is trusted by environmental, tailings, geotechnical and management teams globally to help improve monitoring, compliance, reporting, operational visibility and safety,” the company said. “The platform brings together data from laboratories, IoT devices, LiDAR, CCTV, drones, inspections and remotely-sensed platforms to serve users with up-to-date information to provide key data and insights, enabling teams to effectively monitor, govern and operate their TSFs.”

Armed with Decipher’s Tailings Database solution, Decipher says. customers can:

  • Comply and meet requests for data provision from industry groups such as COE, ICMM, UNEP, PRI, Global Tailings Review and more, with fields embedded for simple reporting and tracking;
  • Store an endless variety of tailings data in one location which is otherwise managed by a number of teams in disparate systems;
  • Operate with increased confidence knowing required data is being collected and monitored;
  • Easily visualise their operational TSF data on the map;
  • Cluster data into key areas such as safety, risk, compliance, construction, design, roles and responsibilities;
  • Assign actions and tasks for data collection with a register and audit trail of all actions and respective statuses to monitor progress, and reminder and escalation notifications;
  • View dam data across multiple sites in a single screen with the ability to easily export for reporting;
  • Facilitate automatic updates to databases and portals based on integration capabilities with third-party systems or public portals;
  • View spatial visualisation to display tailings dams in proximity to surrounding environment and communities;
  • Better align with standard such as the Global Tailings management; and
  • Access custom reports.

Decipher and K2fly team up for new tailings storage facility platform

IoT, Mining industry recognition, Mining services, Mining software, Water management, , , , , ,

Decipher, a Perth-based cloud monitoring platform for tailing storage facilities (TSFs), has partnered with K2fly, a global provider of technical assurance solutions for the resources industry, to evaluate an integrated monitoring and governance platform for tailings.

Tailing storage facility failures, in which there is an uncontrolled release of water, waste material or by-product, constitute a significant risk for industry, regulators and the environment. Industry best practice and legislation is requiring that an Independent Technical Review Board be assigned for each TSF to ensure proper governance and compliance, according to Decipher.

Decipher and K2Fly have come together to combine their complementary technology strengths to create a solution to help mining and resources companies in monitoring and governance of these risks, Decipher says.

Anthony Walker, Decipher Chief Executive Officer, said the resources industry is now looking for a solution that is cost effective, comprehensive and accessible.

“A recent report by KPMG identifies tailings management as one of the top 10 risks in 2020 to the global mining industry,” Walker said. “This is confirmation of the need for a timely solution which, together, Decipher and K2fly can provide.”

K2fly’s Chief Commercial Officer, Nic Pollock, said the proposed solution will ensure industry has access to a significantly better tool to aid monitoring and governance of TSFs to recognised standards.

“Our solution reflects best practice and will support compliance with the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management recently endorsed by the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM), and other Global Tailings Review convenors, as well as standards set by national regulatory bodies,” Pollock said.

Decipher and K2fly have commenced discussions with several global miners about the proposed tailings management solution, which can also be deployed remotely during COVID-19.

There are an estimated 3,500 active TSFs globally, covering around 1 Mha of land, Decipher, a Wesfarmers company, said.

CAML talks tailings technology in inaugural sustainability report

Base metals, Communications in mining, Environmental, IoT, Mine operation news, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining industry recognition, Mining safety, Mining software, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , , , , ,

Central Asia Metals Ltd’s (CAML) first sustainability report highlighted just how far the base metal producer is going to improve safety, reduce its environmental impact and stand out from the rest of AIM-listed mining crowd.

CAML has long been recognised as the most generous dividend payer on the AIM Mining stage, in London, and, COVID-19 impacts aside, it looks like retaining this reputation into the future.

Its technology credentials are less well known, though, and belie its less than $300 million market capitalisation.

In addition to being brave enough to apply in-situ leaching technology to what was viewed as legacy ‘copper waste’ at Kounrad, in Kazakhstan, the company was the first company to use solvent extraction and electrowinning in the country when it started successfully operating the dump leaching operations in 2012, according to CEO Nigel Robinson.

The company, in 2017, acquired the Sasa zinc-lead-silver underground mine in north Macedonia, to complement Kounrad, and it is this asset that will be subject of much of the company’s future innovations.

The just published sustainability report showed, in 2019, Sasa lowered its net water consumption by a substantial 43% thanks to a recycling initiative the company previously put in place.

This saw the percentage of contact and recycled waters used in its flotation plant go from 0 to 47%, equating to a reduction of freshwater abstraction for the flotation plant from 90 l/s at the start of 2019 to 48 l/s at the end of the year, it said.

From this year onwards, the Sasa team intends to continue to maximise the use of recycled waters wherever possible, it said.

Related to water, the company is also, like many miners across the sector, evaluating the future of its tailings dams.

CAML manages five tailings storage facilities (TSF) at Sasa, all of which are constructed using the downstream technique, widely viewed in the industry as the safest design. Construction of the newest dam, TSF4, was completed in 2019, with this now the main active facility.

Yet, with tailings deposition creeping up over the last few years (733,021 t was deposited last year, compared with 718,303 t in 2018 and 709,989 t in 2017), it looks like the newest facility, which holds 4.5-5 Mt, could hit its capacity in 2025/2026.

During 2019, the Sasa operations team completed a life of mine study to determine the optimal mining method for the operation going forward and, based on the study, the board took the decision, in principle, to change the mining method to cut and fill stoping.

This method – deemed more appropriate both in terms of its operational benefits and environmental and social impacts – would see the voids created from mining underground filled with a paste comprised, in part, of process plant tailings.

“Initial estimations suggest that over 40% of Sasa’s life of mine tailings could be stored underground,” the company said in the report, meaning the construction of future downstream tailings storage facilities would not be required.

Yet, on top of this, dry stacking is also being weighed up, according to Robinson.

“The likely solution is using at least 40% of future tailings as part of the paste backfill, plus utilising the full capacity of the recently constructed facility and then dry stack tailings as well,” he told IM, adding that the company was still carrying out technical studies on these aspects. These studies were scheduled for completion in the second half of the year.

Lastly on the Sasa TSF, CAML said its Sustainability Director, in 2019, attended a conference in Almaty, Kazakhstan, where a draft of the proposed Global Tailings Standard was presented.

The International Council on Mining and Metals, the United Nations Environment Programme and the Principles for Responsible Investment co-convened the Global Tailings Review in February 2019 to establish this international TSF standard following the tailings dam failure at Vale’s Corrego do Feijão mine in Brumadinho, Brazil, earlier that year.

The draft standard was made available for public consultation in November 2019, but the publication of the full standard was recently postponed following the COVID-19 outbreak.

Having reviewed the proposed standard internally, CAML said its intention, in 2020, was for Sasa to be audited externally relative to this standard.

At the underground mine, itself, CAML is investing in a Wi-Fi communications backbone to improve health and safety and operational efficiencies at the mine, Robinson said. This will allow the company to know where each machine is at any given time and, in terms of efficiency, “we’ll be able to monitor utilisation much more accurately and, therefore, identify areas for improvement”, he added.

Another development that could both boost efficiency and safety at the mine, is the introduction of remotely-operated LHDs.

Robinson said two Epiroc ST7 Scooptrams from its existing fleet were being fitted with ‘line of sight’ capabilities to enable personnel to stay outside of the machine and operate the vehicles in areas that may be susceptible to rockfalls and other hazards.