GENERIC DECISION-MAKING ON

RETREATING COPPER TAILINGS DAMS

Xinyi (Jessica) Wang (Presenter)
Worleyparsons, Canada

John A. Meech
NBK Institute of Mining Engineering, University of British Columbia, Canada

Outline
Background
Tailings Retreatment
Tailings Retreatment Model
Design and Economic Module
Disposal and Reclamation Module
Risk Assessment Module
Decision-Making Module
Validation and Verification
Conclusions and Recommendations

BackgroundWhat are tailings?

Tailings:
Rock waste material after grinding and extraction that is
disposed of as a slurry.

Waste

Keeps coming out of a mill

Closure regulations

Brings no money

Water quality?
ARD?

Takes up space

Dam Failure?

Pollution?

Dust Issues?

Background - Environmental and Social Concerns

Physical Stability
Failure
Dust Issues
Chemical Stability
Acid Rock Drainage
Heavy Metal Pollution

Social Concerns:

Poor reputation of mining

industry
Close monitoring by
public/aboriginals/ NGOs
Political pressure (local/global)
Regulation requirements

Dam Failure
Merriespruit Mine, Virginia, South Africa
Source: http://www.tailings.info/merriespruit.htm
http://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/eng/1100100026732/1100100026841

Dust - Colomac Mine

Yellowknife, NWT

ARD
Britannia Mine, BC

Tailings Retreatment - Processes

Mining

Processing

Disposal

Reclamation

Hydraulic Mining
Mechanical Excavation

Grinding
Heap leaching
Tank leaching
Flotation
Flotation concentrate/tailings leaching

New surface impoundment

Underground/open pit backfill
Sub-marine/lake
Water treatment plant
Passive treatment
Covers (water/dry covers)
Revegetation

Simplified Flowchart
of
Retreatment Method

Tailings RetreatmentWhy?
Investment opportunity
Revenue from metal extraction
Offset of rehabilitation costs

Failure prevention
Elimination of pollution remediation costs
Long-term liability reduction

Tailings Retreatment Model

A Model to Assist Decision-making on Retreatment of Copper Tailings Dams.

Model answers two questions:

How does the model work?

Economic benefits
Improvement in long-term liability

User input through questionnaire

Data processed by model
Generates a report

Should you reprocess the tailings?

Framework of the
Tailings Retreatment
Model

Tailings Retreatment Model

Research Strategies:
An Excel spreadsheet model including:
Mathematical calculation
Fuzzy logic system

Structure of Fuzzy Expert System

Tailings Retreatment Model

Fuzzy Set
Definitions
Site Characteristics
Submarine Disposal
Poor

Mod

Good

Low

Low

Low

Low

Mod

Low

Mod

Mod

High

Low

Mod

High

Environmental
Sustainability

Design and Economic Module

Mass Balance
Economic Terminology

Capital and Operating Cost

NPV & DCFROR

Project NPV @ 5%

Copper Recovery Project

Base Case PV @5%

Saving on Current Remediation Cost Plus

Avoidance of Future Failure Costs

Total NPV @5%

Sum of A & B

Project NPV @10%

Not Used

DCFROR

Not Used

Tonnage Rate Optimization

Flowsheet Selection
Sensitivity Analysis
Procedure for Flowsheet Selection
and Economic Analysis

Flowsheet Alternatives
1.Flotation (bulk)
2.Regrinding (coarse) + flotation
(bulk)
3.Flotation (bulk) + heap leaching
of flotation tailings (new TSF)
4.Flotation (bulk) + tank leaching
of concentrate
5.Flotation (bulk) + heap leaching
of concentrate pile
6.Heap leaching (bulk)
7.Heap leaching (coarse)
8.Agglomeration/heap leaching
(bulk)
9.Tank leaching (bulk)
10.Tank leaching + flotation
(leach residue)
11.Regrinding (coarse) + tank
leaching (bulk)
Complete Copper Processing
Flowsheet over 1,000 combos

Design and Economic Module

Base Case Economic Analysis - Future Failure Cost

5 year failure probability = 5%
Year of certain failure = 50

Weibull Cumulative Failure Probability vs. Time

Disposal and Reclamation Module

INPUTS

Alternatives Definition
(Scoping)

Site Characteristics
Tailings Characteristics

Option 2

Option1

....

Option n

Local Climate
Topography

Land
Disturbance

Cost

Environment
& Stability

Alternatives Evaluation (Scoring and Ranking)

Preferred Disposal and

Reclamation Methods

Social and Political

Acceptance

Weight Factors

Procedure of Tailings Disposal and

Reclamation Selection Module

Disposal and Reclamation Module

Simplified Structure of Environment and

Stability Evaluation

Risk Assessment Module

Risk Assessment Procedures

Identify Potential
Failure Modes
and Mechanisms

FAM Map
for
Risk Characteristics

What can
happen?
Hazard
Assessment

Exposure
Assessment

How likely is it
to happen?

What are the

consequences
if it happens?
Consequence
Assessment

Risk
Characterization

What is the
risk of each
failure mode?

Risk Assessment Module

Hierarchical
Framework
of
Risk Assessment

Decision-Making Module
Decision-Making Criteria:

Economic
Issues

Economic
Performance

NPV
@5%
Technical
Issues

Environmental
Performance

DoB

Current Risk

DoB

SocialEnvironment
al Issues

Three Pillars of Decision-Making

on Tailings Retreatment

Validation and Verification

Four hypothetical cases

Element
Scale
Grade, %Cu
Dust Problem
Dam Stability
Effluent pH
Acid Generation
Potential
Remediation
Project
Impact on
Community

MINE A
Large
0.12
No
Poor
>7

MINE B
Large
0.18
No
Medium
3-4.5

MINE C
Medium
0.12
Yes
Poor
5-6

MINE D
Small
0.18
Yes
OK
5-6

High

Medium

Low

Low

WTP*

None

None

None

High

High

Medium

Low

Validation and Verification

Cases

Economic
Benefit
(NPV@5%)

Mine A

$135,534,000

Mine B
Mine C
Mine D

$177,315,000
$-13,135,000
$10,808,000

Cases

Economic
Benefit

Mine A
Mine B
Mine C
Mine D

Medium
Very-Good
Very-Low
Low

Model Results
Environmental
Risk Factor
Performance
(DoB)
(DoB)
80

56

67
88
66
85
18
84
Expected Results
Current
Environmental
Environmental and
Performance
Social Risk
High
Medium
Medium to High
High
Medium to High
High
Low
High

Retreatment
Recommendation
(DoB)
95

95
24
43
Retreatment
Recommendation
High
High
Medium
Medium

Validation and Verification

Project Economic Sensitivity Analysis
Percentage of Change in Input Variable to Give a 0 NPV @5%
Cu Head Grade/Price

Cap / Op Costs

MINE A

-25%

+40%

MINE B

-28%

>+50%*

MINE C

+10%

-15%

MINE D

-8%

+20%

* Actually gives an NPV of $100M

Recommendations

Conclusions

Conclusions & Recommendations

The model is able to:
Conceptually design a tailings retreatment process
Evaluate economic and environmental benefits
Assist in multi-criteria decision-making

Further modules or rules for:

Detailed mining method selection
Unit processing operations selection
Additional reclamation technologies
User interface for modifying internal parameters
Practical real cases of copper tailings to be tested

Questions?
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!