British Columbia Mine Reclamation Symposium

Application of modelling and subaqueous tailings disposal to the Mt. Milligan mine Killam, R. G.; Robertson, J. D.

Abstract

As a part of a comprehensive acid drainage assessment program, extensive ABA testwork was performed which allowed subsequent geostatistical analyses and modelling of the spatial distribution of the mine rock NNP character. The objective was to identify spatial anomalies of acid generation characteristics for application to mine planning. Mine plans were then prepared which would allow waste and low grade to be sorted by their NNP values and placed in dumps which were situated to allow material with ARD potential to be managed by an optimized control strategy. The ABA data for ore was incorporated with the metallurgical testwork data to calculate NNP values for the tailings. This information allowed a design to be developed which would maintain separate cleaner and rougher tailings discharge streams to the tailings disposal facility. Subaqueous tailings disposal methods were planned to isolate the potentially reactive cleaner tailings materials in a permanently flooded pond within the main tailings basin. A conventional spigotting method could then be used for the nonreactive majority of the tailings materials.

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Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International