Integration of AMD characterisation and management into mine planning

Course desciption

The objectives of this short course are to familiarise participants with current leading developments and practices in integrated mine planning that reduce the risk of AMD and improve mine closure outcomes.

Participants will learn:

how planning, operational and closure discussions about ‘Non-Acid Forming (NAF) and Potentially Acid Forming (PAF)’ materials have evolved and how mine planning now requires defining, quantifying and managing a range of potentially deleterious and beneficial materials during construction, operations and for closure.
how completion of a thorough acid, neutral, alkaline, saline and metalliferous drainage (AMD) assessment can be coupled to a Geoenvironmental Block Model (GBM) to assess AMD management options (e.g. oxidation control, material management and engineered covers), the merits of mine closure options (e.g. material scheduling for landform design) and assist in the development of mine asset planning and financial analysis.

The short course will introduce the fundamentals of the integration of AMD characterisation and management into mine planning and showcase several case studies where these practices have been successfully implemented.

This short course is facilitated by Dr Matt Landers (RGS Enviornmental Consultants), Ainsley Ferrier (Enviro Tools and Dewswik Mining Consultants), Peter Long (RGS Enviornmental Consultants) and Dr Alan Robertson (RGS Enviornmental Consultants)

Facilitator Bios

Dr Matt Landers

Principal Geochemist and Director, RGS Environmental Consultants

Matt has over 15 years’ consulting experience in management, development, implementation and delivery of geochemical and water management programs for mining, mineral processing and energy industries. Matt specialises in the hydro-geochemical characterisation and modelling of mine waste and development of solutions for mine waste and water management for projects from concept through to closure.

Ainsley Ferrier

Technical Product Manager, Enviro Tools, Deswik Mining Consultants (Australia) Pty Ltd.

Ainsley is a Mining Engineer with over 20 years' experience in the open cut coal industry in mine planning and production roles, before pivoting to a role in software product management. She now works as a Product Manager for Deswik.CAD and is responsible for guiding the development of Deswik.Enviro tools. Her passionate belief is that better integration of mine water and rehabilitation planning in all levels of mine design and planning will help to achieve better post-mining outcomes and deliver greater project value.

Peter Long

Senior Consultant, RGS Environmental Consultants

Peter is a Geoscientist with 8 years’ consulting experience and a background in geology and geochemistry, including the biogeochemical impact of microorganisms on the geochemistry of deposits and waste rock dumps. His experience in the field of biogeochemistry is applied within the mining sector to plan and manage impacts from AMD. Peter holds current S11 and S1, S2, and S3 certifications required in Queensland and undertakes soil and geochemical field work programs for RGS. Peter also specialises in the collation of data, computer aided design (CAD) and computer aided modelling and regularly works with Deswik software and with key Deswik personnel on project such as final void and landform design.

Dr. Alan Robertson

Managing Director, RGS Environmental Consultants

Alan is a Principal Geochemist and Managing Director of RGS, and a leading authority on geochemical assessment of mine waste materials and management of AMD. He has a PhD in Pure and Applied Chemistry and has over 30 years’ experience completing geochemical assessment studies for the mining and mineral processing industry. He has worked on projects for major mining companies (e.g. Anglo, BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, Glencore, and Vale) in Australia, Asia, Africa, Europe, and South America for both coal and hard rock mines. Alan has expertise in mine waste characterisation, development of AMD management plans, and design of mine waste storage facilities from conception through to closure and is often called upon as an Expert Witness in legal cases.

Course outline

1. (RGS): Mine material properties (45 mins – 1 hr) – what materials do you have?

AMD basics
Characterisation of mine materials
Deleterious (e.g. PAF, saline, metalliferous) and beneficial (e.g. NAF, topsoil, subsoil, competent rock, etc.) mine materials
Soil fertility, geochemical and physicochemical attributes for each mine material.

2. (RGS/ Deswik): Geoenvironmental Block model and material balance (30 mins) – how much material do you have?

Develop numerical criteria for mine resource block model and subsequent geoenvironmental model
Generate material balances for each unit and evaluate landform design
Sufficient materials with correct characteristics to build sustainable landform?

3. (RGS): AMD Management and planning (30 mins)

Waste rock management options
- Oxidation control: co-disposal, segregation (selective placement and encapsulation) and water covers
- Acid base management: blending wastes, de-sulfurisation and treatment
- Engineered soil covers (final defense!)

4. (Deswik): Landform design (30 mins) – design options and optimisation

Life of assett landform design to reflect the material balance, and to include all site infrastructure (e.g. dams, storage facilities)
Use of rapid reshape tools to determine bulk material movement needs and costs.

5. (Deswik): Material scheduling for landform design (30 mins) – feasibility

Operational complexities of material scheduling
Mining scheduling and landform progression
Landform modelling coupled to GBM for realistic analysis.

6 (RGS/ Deswik) Case studies (45 mins)

Mount Isa Mines
Mount Rawdon