Tailings Management
Make your tailings work for you
Phibion can resource, plan, manage and monitor your tailings operations at any scale and in any location.
Phibion can also model AMC operations with high confidence so that you not only know the performance that can be achieved but also the operational intensity required to deliver it.
We can manage high production sites by providing additional MudMasters that work as an integrated fleet to deliver the required performance.
OPERATIONS
Tailings Management
Tailings are part of virtually any mining/refining process. Tailings are the stream of unwanted residuals of mined ore that are deposited (usually hydraulically) in large storage dams adjacent an operation. If not managed correctly they can become unsafe, high risk structures that create legacy issues for local community and the environment.
Phibion’s AMC operations provide assurance on density, water recovery and risk mitigation with an approach that prepares the land for future use. AMC ensures your tailings align with your closure plan and goals eliminating re-work and additional cost. AMC makes your tailings work for your interests not against them. Do it right, Do it once.
By providing AMC as a service we can predict the performance of your tailings operations and provide accurate, reliable operational forecasts that seamlessly integrate with your existing plans.
CLOSURE
Closure Management
Eventually all operations must close. In some cases, once operations cease, it may take decades mostly due to the hazardous and unconsolidated nature of tailings storage facilities.
By using the Phibion AMC process a tailings dam can commence closure from the moment operations cease. This not only reduces the time required to affect closure but also ensures a better closure outcome due to the improved its density and strength of the tailings surface.
The improved land profile is then safe for earth moving equipment to quickly and cost effectively rehabilitate and landform the tailings.
LAND RECLAMATION
Dredging
Materials generated from the dredging of port shipping channels are increasingly being disposed on land to avoid harm to the marine environment. This also offers a productive and cost effective fill for land reclamation purposes.
The conventional dredge material reclamation process requires first an extended period of solar maturation, often taking years, and then the placement of sand as a pre-loading or capping layer. Due to the low material strength a significant proportion of this sand is lost.
Sand is a critical and expensive resource and often has a high environmental impact associated with its procurement. Preservation and potential re-use of this sand offers a means to reduce operational cost and environmental impact.
The Phibion AMC process (+ appropriate additional controls) can provide a rapid dewatering solution by generating residual strength in these materials. It is this residual strength that can preserve and support the subsequent sand deposition step required for pre-loading and capping. Once this stage is complete, the sand can be harvested and used again.
It is this combination of benefits allows a better reclamation outcome while reducing operational cost and environmental impact.