Associated Event
26th International Conference on Paste, Thickened and Filtered Tailings
16–18 April 2024 | Pullman Melbourne on the Park, Melbourne, Australia
Filtered Tailings Management – Planning, Design, Construction and Operation Short Course
19 April 2024 | Delacombe Room, Pullman Melbourne on the Park, Melbourne, Australia
Overview
This short course will focus on the practical application of filtered tailings management, facility design, and operations. Current standard-of-practices in planning, design, fundamental geotechnics, construction concepts and approaches, and operations of filtered tailings storage facilities will be covered.
The morning session will provide an overview of technical challenges of filtered tailings from various angles, including process (dewatering) and filter cake properties, geotechnical properties, transport and stacking (deposition planning), and geotechnical design. Key operational factors will be addressed.
The afternoon session will take a deeper dive into the technical and economic considerations of handling filtered tailings at large tonnages, including key factors in stacking system design and operations, bulk material handling challenges, and a holistic approach to stacking plans. The short course will dive into evaluating the requirements of aligning batch (filter) to continuous (conveying) material handling process, as well as provide a side-by-side technical comparison of available stacking technologies, current equipment capabilities, and the constraints and limitations of different stacking methodologies.
Participants will learn from experienced practitioners on the topic of filtered tailings facility and deposition planning, bulk materials handling, and challenges and solutions in filtered tailings stack design. Case studies and real-world examples from both small and larger scale (existing and planned) operations will be woven throughout the course. Above all, the short course will advance the discussion of challenges and practical solutions considered when the realities of field implementation do not really align with the original design intent, and how we can learn and continuously improve in this evolving area of practice.
Learning Objectives
- Objective 1: Understand the opportunities of implementing non-conventional filtered tailings management.
- Objective 2: Develop awareness of dewatering technology including equipment design and sizing, feed, and ore variability and mechanical and process commissioning learning curve as they impact filtered tailings operations.
- Objective 3: Gain understanding of the challenges and learning curve associated with both planning and implementation of standard-of-practice filtered tailings operations.
- Objective 4: Recognise the pitfalls of assumptions and the potentials threats and risks represented by poor design and/or implementation decisions.
- Objective 5: Discuss geotechnical properties of stacked tailings, stacked tailings behaviour under load, considering both drained and undrained conditions, as related to construction of geotechnically stable filtered tailings landforms.
- Objective 6: Identify technical and economic feasibility considerations and constraints in planning, design transition, and operations of filtered tailings management at various scales.
- Objective 7: Understand the technical challenges of large-scale materials handling with a specific focus on filtered tailings material handling and stacking.
- Objective 8: Participate in discussion of the current (and developing) state of practice in non-conventional tailings.
Participants
This course is designed specifically for the practitioners, engineers, operators, and decision-makers alike, and for all those who have interest in gaining practical knowledge in filtered tailings stacking system design and operations and willing to learn from success stories, and interested in learning the challenges the industry faces in the field of non-conventional tailings management.
| Time | Course Program* |
|---|---|
|
08:30 |
REGISTRATION |
|
09:00 |
Welcome, introductions and safety share Rachel Jansen, Paterson & Cooke, USA |
|
09:10 |
Drivers and key considerations for a holistic approach to filtered tailings management Colleen Crystal, SRK Consulting, USA & Rachel Jansen, Paterson & Cooke, USA |
|
09:40 |
Introduction to geotechnics of filtered tailings storage facilities Joe Rola, SRK Consulting |
|
10:20 |
COFFEE BREAK |
|
10:30 |
Dewatering at the plant – key considerations Rachel Jansen, Paterson & Cooke, USA |
|
11:00 |
Designing the test Colleen Crystal, SRK Consulting, USA |
|
11:30 |
Toquepala pilot test – planning and start-up Dr Francesco Kaswalder, Diemme Filtration, Italy |
|
11:50 |
10 minute Q&A session Dr Francesco Kaswalder, Diemme Filtration, Italy |
|
12:00 |
LUNCH BREAK |
|
13:00 |
Large scale material handling challenges and holistic stacking solutions benchmarking - case studies Paul Emerson, TNT, USA (Remote) |
|
13:30 |
How high is too high and static liquefaction potential Joe Rola, SRK Consulting |
|
14:10 |
Large scale materials handling systems design and technical and economic considerations, testing to support conveyor design Corin Holmes, Jenike & Johanson |
|
14:50 |
AFTERNOON BREAK |
|
15:00 |
Benchmarking – additional case studies risks and opportunities Colleen Crystal, SRK Consulting, USA & Rachel Jansen, Paterson & Cooke, USA |
|
15:30 |
Toquepala pilot test – benchmarking, installation, and lessons learned Andrea Pezzi, Diemme Filtration, Italy |
|
16:00 |
Where are we, where are we going? / Q& A / Closing comments Colleen Crystal, SRK Consulting, USA & Rachel Jansen, Paterson & Cooke, USA / All |
|
16:30 |
COURSE CLOSE |
* Program is subject to change.
Presenters
Colleen Crystal
Practice Leader
SRK Consulting
Colleen is a principal geotechnical engineer with over 25 years’ experience in geotechnical engineering and seismic analysis and design for mine-waste tailings and waste rock facilities, filtered tailings facilities, earthen embankments, landfills and water retention dams. She previously served as engineer of record during planning, design, construction and implementation of several filter-pressed dry-stack tailings facilities. Colleen has broad-based experience in geotechnical engineering and mine-waste geotechnics including static and seismic design, ground motion studies, liquefaction evaluations, dam safety, and risk evaluations for both conventional and non-conventional (including filtered) tailings storage facilities. She is currently the technical lead on several large-scale non-conventional filtered tailings storage facility projects in IPS and SPS phases in Chile. She is also serving on a filtered tailings task force, steering committees and has (or is currently) serving as third party independent reviewer and ITRB panel member for several planned large-scale filtered tailings projects.
Paul Emerson
Director of Business Development
Terra Nova Technologies, USA
Paul Emerson is TNT’s Director of Business Development. He is a mechanical engineer holding several patents for portable and mobile stacking equipment and systems. Paul has more than 33 years of experience in Business Development, Project Management, Engineering in the mining conveying and bulk materials handling industry. He has lead teams that have studied, designed and implemented complex, high-capacity stacking systems for numerous mining projects globally. He is an industry expert in areas of heap leach stacking, waste stacking, dry tails stacking, high-tonnage and complex overland conveying as well as In-Pit Crushing and Conveying (IPCC) applications.
Corin Holmes
General Manager
Jenike & Johanson
Corin is the general manager of Jenike & Johanson.
In 2012, he moved to Perth, Australia helping to establish Jenike & Johanson’s Australian subsidiary. He has worked on a variety of projects, from 10 tonne totes to 50,000 tonne stockpiles, mainly in the mining industry, helping to ensure reliable flow.
Providing education through speaking engagements such as FeTech, ICBMH, various Engineers Australia conferences, and IOC 2015 and through various publications, he feels that one of the best parts of his job is being able improve or create a design and to validate it through flow property testing and physical models. The reward comes with the knowledge that his efforts and experience have helped to prevent or solve very real problems and provide customers with peace of mind.
Rachel Jansen
Tailings Group Manager
Paterson & Cooke USA Ltd
Rachel joined Paterson & Cooke in 2012 and is now a senior process engineer and tailings manager for their North American practice focusing on tailings dewatering and alternative tailings technologies. Rachel has gained extensive experience in mineral processing in various roles including metallurgical engineering, consulting and laboratory management. She has field experience in South Africa, Turkey, Indonesia, Mexico, Brazil and Australia. Rachel led Paterson & Cooke’s feasibility study design, detailed engineering support, and equipment bid evaluations for Agnico Eagle’s LaRonde tailings filter plant in Canada. Rachel’s recent experience includes providing technical support to BHP and Rio Tinto’s partnership to accelerate the development of technology that could significantly increase water recovery from mine tailings.
Dr Francesco Kaswalder
Head of Laboratory Department
Diemme Filtration srl, Italy
Francesco joined Diemme Filtration in 2008 and worked in the laboratory as a process engineer until 2018. Since 2018, he’s been the head of the laboratory department. Dr Kaswalder manages and coordinates laboratory activities supporting the estimating and sales departments. He also manages research and development projects. His main research fields are solid–liquid separation, slurry characterisation, fluid dynamics and simulation.
Andrea Pezzi
Director of Marketing and Communications
Diemme Filtration srl, Italy
Andrea is the director of marketing and communications at Deimme Filtration. He works on strategies for development and launches new products/services.
During his earlier career within Diemme Filtration, Andrea gained experience in the research and development department and the cost estimation department.
Andrea has authored numerous technical papers presented at countless workshops and congresses around the world.
Joe Rola
Principal Consultant (Mine Waste)
SRK Consulting
Joe is a civil/geotechnical engineer with over 18 years’ experience working on mine and power generation wastes, heap leach and land/infrastructure development projects across Australia, Southeast Asia and North America. Joe has extensive experience in design, analysis, reporting, construction support/quality assurance, field and laboratory investigations, project management, and geotechnical instrumentation design/installation. Joe specialises in tailings and mine waste related projects, providing review, project direction and/or lead engineering from concept stage through to detailed design, construction, operations and closure.