Search Documents

The emerging discipline of ægeometallurgyÆ is not new but is becoming increasingly recognised as a discrete and high-value activity that reflects an ongoing commercial and cultural trend towards more effective mine site integration and optimisation. Geometallurgy involves a quantified and spatially constrained approach to ore characterisation in terms of relationships to critical processing performance. Industry recognition of the need for large-scale, integrated geometallurgical research is currently supporting a major new research initiative. The AMIRA International P843 æGeMIIIÆ project (geometallurgical mapping and mine modelling) is a cross discipline collaboration involving four major Australian research groups; CODES the ARC Centre of Excellence in Ore Deposits at the University of Tasmania, a world leader in economic geology-related research; the Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Centre (JKMRC) at the University of Queensland, a world leader in mining and mineral processing research; the WH Bryan Mining Geology Research Centre (BRC) at the University of Queensland, which aims to be a world leader in mining geostatistics, operations research and optimisation in mine design and planning; and CSIRO Exploration and Mining in the area of automated core logging. The project is currently supported by 19 global mineral companies. The project aims to deliver fundamental knowledge, tools and methods for more effective approaches to geometallurgical definition of mineralogy, element deportment and texture that can be linked to mineral processing performance and efficiency at a range of scales. Outcomes are improved predictive indices of processing performance that can be embedded in resource block models to define processing domains, which can be exploited in mine planning and optimisation. To achieve these aims the project is involved in a range of technology developments that include more automated core logging technologies, new applications of automated microscopy and development of software-based texture analysis and categorisation techniques. Attributes derived from these measurement technologies are used to develop predictive processing models linked to new small-scale physical testing regimes.

Jan 1, 2009

As Project Managers for the Blair Athol Coal Mine Project, CMPS selected a number of computer systems to assist in project control. The areas where computers were used were: 1) Planning & Scheduling 2) Procurement Reporting 3) Document Control 4) Accounting 5) Cost Control 6) Control of project management and engineering manhours The computer packages selected were generally effective in their own areas. During 1982, CMPS acquired an in-house project control package called GC/Cue. Project control systems for the project are progressively being set up on this system. The advantages of this type of system are: 1) Improved accessibility of information, due to on-line operation and the use of VDU's. 2) Improved turn around time for computer runs and production of reports. 3) Improved presentation and format of reports. 4) Lower costs.

Jan 1, 1983

By R Lloyd

Coal Services (Health and Safety Trust) funded ARRB Transport Research Ltd to investigate fatigue and performance of truck drivers over consecutive shifts. The main questions were to assess: What is the most important contributor to acute fatigue in mining? Is it length of shift (eg eight hours versus 12 hours) or is it time of day (eg circadian effects)? What is the limit of successive day or night shifts before chronic fatigue affects operator performance in open cut mines? The project methodology included utilising ARRB Fatigue Monitoring Devices (forced-choice stimulus reaction) in eight haul trucks, testing 24 subjects over several weeks. Each subject filled in a Fatigue Risk Questionnaire on lifestyle and health. Operators worked a 14-night, one day off, 13-day roster of 12-hour shifts in a fly-in/fly-out operation with excellent opportunities for restorative sleep between shifts. A total of 3500 hours of real-time data was collected, representing the first set of objective, real-time driver performance data for Australian mining. The data showed that for a single night of driving haul trucks, there appears to be no effect on operator fatigue from the amount of time on task (for the 12 hours). In fact performance was worse through the first eight hours than the last four. The circadian influence had a stronger affect than working more than eight hours. Of the 14 nights worked at the site, nights 13, 14, seven and two respectively, were the worst. This presents a conundrum for policy makers who may like to place caps on working hours or rosters in the hope that it will alleviate the fatigue issue. It will not. The major finding within this study is the combined influence of circadian rhythms (human body clock) and individual variability on performance. The lifestyle habits and the health of individuals have a profound effect on operator performance as shown by the strong positive correlation between high fatigue risk scores from the Fatigue Risk Questionnaire and poor performance. An individualistic approach would appear to have the best chance of reducing high potential incidents due to fatigue through successive nightshifts.

Jan 1, 2005

The æProfit Driver ModelÆ is a tool which builds costs from first principles and integrates revenue, costs and physical mining parameters and, hence, can quantify the impact and leverage on profit. In this paper an æexample mineÆ has been created to represent a typical Australian Open Cut Coal Mine. This has then been input into the Profit Driver Model to allow different variables to be tested. A series of variables were tested to determine which ones had the highest impact on profit and results are useful to management as a guide to the areas in which they can focus effort to achieve better profitability. Whilst the highest profit drivers are those external to the control of management and include selling price and exchange rate, the next most sensitive are those variables related to the geology of the mine and the mining method. These included coal quality, yield and strip ratio. Site management has some control of these. For example, the ability to vary the sequence of mining or improve the yield by a more efficient coal washing process. The efficiency of the workforce and management has similar impact to the mining variables. Finally, there are the supply variables, such as fuel, labour and explosives which are the least sensitive although, cumulatively, still significant. Each mine is different and the results of the example mine will not apply to all mines. However, the approach taken is universal and the tool illustrates a simple method to quantify the profit impact when changing variables. The benefit of the approach is the short time taken to get a set of results. This allows the more detailed and time consuming work to be more focused. The results illustrate that management has a significant influence on profitability.

Jan 1, 2000

By P Hanna

In an effort to improve returns to shareholders, the Australian Mining Industry has consolidated considerably over the past decade or so. Technical services at mines have been re-structured, whilst those at corporate offices have been all but eliminated. A recent study of the role of the geologist in BM Alliance Coal Operations Pty Ltd (BMA), showed the adverse impact on the companyÆs performance due to a lack of geologists. With an education campaign, to demonstrate the contribution of geologists to the æbottom lineÆ and in increasing the options available to the company, the value of the geology role became better understood. The implications of the loss of invaluable corporate knowledge, when long serving geologists left the company, also became clear. Steps have since been taken to increase the numbers of company geologists, particularly on mine sites. In common with other sectors of the mining industry, the Australian coal industry is experiencing a critical shortage of experienced coal geologists, as companies have found in recent recruitment efforts. This is further evidence that the recommendations from the recent study by World Competitive Practices, commissioned by The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, æRising to the ChallengeÆ have not been adopted. People, and the mineral resource base, are the assets from which mining companies gain a sustainable competitive advantage. Geologists, as the nexus between the resource base and people, are in a unique position to enhance the profitability of their companies. To maximise their contribution to the industry, and ensure that they receive due recognition, geologists must adopt a more commercial approach in their work and take a front foot stance in promoting their value to management. Geology is a core competency for all mining companies. The tendency for companies to outsource this function, to the detriment of the company geologist role, is not sustainable in the longer term. TodayÆs geologists need to work closely with management, technical and human resource professionals, universities and schools to ensure their significant value is well understood, and that the industry can attract, train and retain new recruits through the implementation of graduate programs and company career paths.

Jan 1, 2003

Paddington processing plant is located approximately 30 km north of Kalgoorlie on the Menzies Highway and is owned by Placer Dome Asia Pacific. First mining was from the Paddington Pit, but in subsequent years the plant has had a history of treating ores from a large number of sources, and has used several different methods to reconcile mining and mill production. Reconciliations are necessary to keep a check on the quality control of mining and grade control processÆs. There is a need to be able to identify and resolve issues that will affect the profitability of the organisation quickly. They are also used to check the quality of the resource/reserve statements, and allow the accurate and timely payment of royalties to stakeholders. During the formation of the Kalgoorlie West operations when Delta Gold Limited and Goldfields Limited merged in 2001, the complexity of reconciliations increased dramatically. The expansion of the scope of reconciliations to include two mills, four underground mines and seven open pits, and ore from one deposit to both mills meant that a revised strategy was essential. A variety of issues have arisen over the years with discrepancies occurring when reconciling both tonnes and grade. There are many ways to approach reconciliations, and in recent times these philosophies have been widely debated on site. A consistent and logical approach that takes into account many different sources of ore, as well as different methods of delivery to the Run of Mine stockpiles is therefore necessary. This would standardise the different approaches taken by the various operations that combined to form Kalgoorlie west. The new method reconciles mill production back to the individual ore sources, and produces reconciled-mined tonnes and grade based on the mill throughput and the change in stockpiles. There will generally be a small discrepancy between the claimed mined tonnes produced (and grades) and the mill production. This needs to be highlighted to the operations concerned if it considered unacceptably large. Paddington mill over the last few years has had up to ten sources of ore each year, and up to 15 different stockpiles being processed during each month from those various pits. This combined with the need for a blended oxide/fresh feed, whilst striving to deliver a consistent (grade and hardness) product to the mill, has meant that reconciliations have been very difficult.

Jan 1, 2003

By Chapman J, Kanchibolta S. S Poetschka N L

A field study was undertaken at Marandoo iron ore operations to investigate the effect of blasting on the lump/fines ratio. Three blasts, each in a different ore domain were monitored and the blasted ore was subsequently audited through the tr

Jan 1, 1998

By P Minkkinen

"Pierre Gy showed in his early works that the results in estimating the variance of the mean value of continuous lots depends on sampling mode (random, stratified or systematic), except in the theoretical case that the measurand is randomly distributed in the lot. The experimental variance estimate calculated from samples taken from the lot is independent of sampling mode but depends on sample size and the type of the lot heterogeneity. Variography can be used to estimate the variance of the lot mean for different sampling modes.Gy also defined weighting error, which is made if a simple average is calculated from the assays of samples taken from a continuous object (eg from a process stream) where the flow rate varies with time and is correlated with the concentration of the analyte in the stream.The effect on sampling uncertainty of the three sampling modes and their interaction with the following factors in estimating the uncertainty of the mean concentration is studied using simulated lots, and lots having heterogeneity patterns similar to those of real data sets, including the effect of: the type of heterogeneity (random, grading and clustered heterogeneity patterns) increment size and number employing composite sampling weighting error. CITATION:Minkkinen, P, 2017. Dependence of the variance of lot average on the sampling mode and heterogeneity type of the lot, in Proceedings Eighth World Conference on Sampling and Blending, pp 319–330 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne)."

May 9, 2017

In the last two decades, equipment used in the coal mining operations has become much more sophisticated. The way that work is organised and performed in the industry has also changed significantly. Changes in equipment specification or procedures inevitably means that the risk associated with that equipment or procedure also changes. In an attempt to address this the Joint Coal Board Occupational Health and Safety Trust (JCB) commissioned the University of New South Wales Mining Research Centre and Mine Site Technologies to perform a feasibility study into the development and deployment of Virtual Reality (VR) based training simulators in the New South Wales coal industry. The main aims of the study were to identify, the key providers of VR Technology, the VR options available to the JCB and the information that would need to be included in any simulator. It was anticipated that a critical assessment of these components would produce a format for a cost effective, state of the art simulator that could be readily accessed by all mines. The expectations of the feasibility study were that VR should offer three-dimensional (3D) simulations that are interactive, high-resolution models of real environments based on best practice Safety Management Plans. It was anticipated that the simulations would allow trainees to experience the consequences of poor decision-making and allow them to learn from their mistakes in a safe and forgiving environment. It was envisaged that such simulators would become an addition to the existing training methods used in the industry.

Jan 1, 2003

By Harmse C

Gold mining in Vatukoula had been a low tonnage/high grade operation for much of its 55-year life. During 1991 it became clear that a change in direction was needed if the mine was going to continue to prosper. The challenges of ore reserves of only three years, the prevailing gold price and high infrastructure and fixed costs combined to force changes in mining strategy.A more productive mining method was required to lower the unit mining cost, lower the pay limit and make more effective use of the resource.The flat dipping mineralised faults or flatmakes had been mined by updip, handheld room and pillar methods with a more recent trackless development adaptation. Furthermore, up to 40 per cent of the resource was left in pillars and broken rock.

Jan 1, 1993

Mid-ocean ridges host approximately 65 per cent of about 100 known sites of high-temperature venting and polymetallic sulfide deposits; most of them are located at the East Pacific Rise (EPR), while more diverse mineralisation styles occur at the Mid-Atlantic Rise (MAR). Seafloor hydrothermal activity at the EPR are related to MORB while different substrates, including MORB and ultramafic intrusive rocks, are associated with æblack smokersÆ at the MAR. Depth of hydrothermal activity ranges from 0.7 to 4.3 km. High-temperature vents precipitating Cu-Fe sulfides (chalcopyrite and isocubanite, rare bornite), pyrrhotite, pyrite (¦ marcasite), and sphalerite, and low-temperature edifices precipitating marcasite (with pyrite), sphalerite, barite, andsubordinate chalcopyrite (pyrrhotite and isocubanite are absent) occur in both environments. There are considerable differences in Fe, Zn, Cu, Ag, Au and trace element contents in ores and in theFeS contents in Zn-sulfides in these deposits. Acomparison with anhydrite and sulfide minerals precipitating from modern black smoker fluids sulfide reveals many similarities but also some important differences. Fluids with salinity values above and below that of seawater at 400¦C down to 130 - 170¦C deposited sulfide minerals. Mantle-derived He prevails in fluids trapped by sulfides in EPR 9¦N and 21¦N hydrothermal systems. Hydrothermal fluids in MAR and back-arc systems are richer in radiogenic 4He. The sulfur isotope composition varies in the different hydrothermal fields and within zones of a chimney. EPR sulfides display narrower range of d34S values, while MAR and back-arc sulfides can bedepleted and enriched in the heavier d34S isotope. The most important finding is that fluid temperature, salinity, R/Ra ratios and d34S values ranged more significantly in the polymetallic sulfide deposits than when measured directly on venting fluids. An EXTENDED ABSTRACT is available for download. A full-length paper was not prepared for this presentation.

Jan 1, 2008

Before I begin this paper, I thought that it would be important to start with a brief background on myself. This will give some insight into where I am coming from with some of the ideas presented in the body of the paper. I studied mining engineering at the University of New South Wales, graduating with Honours in 1999. When I finished university I was offered a job with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Sydney, working in the Energy and Mining Group of the Audit practice; which I accepted. I have been working at PricewaterhouseCoopers now since January 1999, completing an accounting conversion course at the University of Technology Sydney along the way. I am currently beginning my Professional Year for Chartered Accountant qualification. During my later years at university, continuing on through the start of my working career, I have been involved with the Sydney Branch of The AusIMM; firstly, as a student representative and, now, as the Young Professional Representative. Therefore, you can probably see that I will have very different young professional experiences than some of my peers who have been working on mining sites. The purpose of this paper is to examine the challenges that face graduates who are entering the industry and what solutions are used to ensure that this entrance is as smooth as possible. A challenge has then been made to the industry and The Institute in the form of further observations on ways that this entrance may be improved and the development of graduates to be more effective. In preparing this paper I have discussed various graduate experiences with some of my colleagues in order to see what some of the challenges they, themselves, face now and, also, going forward. I also discussed with them what they see as solutions to these challenges, drawing on some of my own experiences in a different company environment.

Jan 1, 2000

By Kerr I. D, Kennedy M

Flash X-radiographs were obtained of commercial electric No 6 and No 8* strength aluminium tube detonators in small-diameter cartridges of emulsion explosive at various times after fusehead operation. The trigger system for the radiography was based on the detection of light following fusehead firing via optical fibres inserted into the fusehead cavity during detonator assembly. These experiments were simulated using a finite element hydrocode with realistic treatment of the non-ideal reaction kinetics. Excellent agreement was demonstrated for the shape and position of the shock waves. In both cases, initiation of the emulsion was predominantly forward from the detonator. For the No 8* strength detonator, this initiation resulted from the shockwave delivered through the sides of the detonator, while for the No 6 strength detonator, initiation was the result of a complex interaction between shockwaves originating both from the sides and from the endcap. In the reverse direction (towards the crimped end of the detonators), initiation was only weakly dependent on detonator strength, being controlled mainly by the competing processes of rarefaction from the cartridge boundaries and comer turning of the detonation wave from the forward initiation. The consequences for field performance of small-diameter emulsions will be discussed.

Jan 1, 1990

Distal air-fall ashes are widespread deposits that may record volcanism many hundreds of kilometres from their source. They are characteristically thin, fine-grained and have a low preservation potential usually being either eroded, or reworked and incorporated in overlying sediments following deposition. The most likely sites of accumulation are deep sea, lake and swamp environments where low energy conditions favour preservation. Post-depositional alteration of predominantly glassy volcanic ash is commonly extensive hampering identification of such layers in the geological record. As a result air-fall tuffs are poorly represented in the rock record and furthermore are commonly misinterpreted. Southeast Queensland during the late Triassic hosted active silicic volcanism and a number of fault-controlled basins in which coal-bearing sediments were accumulating. Silicic volcanics of late Triassic age are represented by the Brisbane Tuff in the Brisbane city area, the Chillingham Volcanics to the south of Brisbane and extending into New South Wales, the North Arm and Mount Byron Volcanics to the north of Brisbane, the Aranbanga Beds exposed around Gayndah and the Agnes Waters and Muncon Volcanics which occur northwest of Bundaberg. Stephens (1986) interprets these Volcanics as the remnants of a major silicic igneous 'province which he likens to modern continental orogenic margins. The Ipswich, Tarong and Callide Basins of southeast Queensland all contain coal measure sequences of late Triassic age that accumulated in alluvial plain environments. A Dicroidium flora is common to all and palynol.ogical evidence indicates a late Triassic (Carnian) age (de Jersey, 1975; Stevens, 1981). The coal seams of the three basins are characterised by their thickness (up to 25 m) and the presence of abundant thin, laterally persistent, kaolinite claystones (tonsteins) that show a marked similarity of morphology, texture and mineralogy. Detailed studies of the Ipswich Coal Measures (Falkner, 1986) suggest a volcanic air-fall origin for the tonsteins of the Ipswich Basin. Similar.tonsteins from the Tarong and Callide Basins provide evidence for widespread silicic volcanism during the late Triassic in southeast Queensland.

Jan 1, 1987

Alcoa of Australia's Western Australian bauxite mining operations in the Darling Ranges, south east of Perth, present major challenges in the control of air blast. The close proximity of rural communities and the face profile make the traditional methods of air blast control difficult. An extensive blast noise monitoring programme has been established. The develop- ment of a computerised blast noise prediction model and the establishment of a radiosonde weather balloon facility have reduced blast induced complaints by a factor of ten. The meteorological factors affecting blast noise transmission are discussed and examples are given of adverse weather condit- ions for the south west region of Western Australia.

Jan 1, 1982

By Bragg R, McMahon B, Lenton R

In 1992 environmental audits were carried out at seven coal mines operated by Oakbridge Limited in the Hunter Valley and Lithgow areas of NSW. The audit reports recommended a course of action designed to improve the environmental management system already in operation at the mines. This program started with training in environmental awareness for the Board of Directors, and the development and authorisation of an environmental policy. On-going programs at each mine were expanded to include environmental awareness training for all 2000 employees at the mines, and the development of a 20-module environmental training program which included air, water, soil and noise management, oil and chemical handling, sampling and monitoring, rehabilitation techniques and many more. Environmental incident reporting was introduced, and a system of reporting from the coal face through individual mine site environmental committees, to a Corporate Environmental Committee and up to the Board Environmental Committee became an effective part of a due diligence program. The Board resolved to undertake external independent environmental audits every two years, with internal reviews in the alternate years. An Environmental Management Group was formed, consisting of four internal environmental personnel and Oakbridge's appointed environmental consultant, to effectively resolve many of the environmental issues facing the Group. This program is continuing to evolve as an industry leader in environmental management Practice.

Jan 1, 1995

By M Logsdon, T R. Clark, T I. Mudder

Oxidation of pyrite and other metal sulfides is accelerated by the activity of acidophilic iron- and sulfur-oxidising microorganisms. The ideal biocide for controlling biocatalysed acid rock drainage (ARD) would be inexpensive, inhibitory toward sulfide-oxidising bacteria at low concentrations, relatively non-toxic toward non-target organisms, degradable in the environment outside the zone of application, stable and long-lived in the impacted environment, sufficiently mobile to penetrate into piles of waste rock or tailings, and effective regardless of the metal sulfides present. A potent agent for combating ARD that fits these criteria is the thiocyanate anion (SCN-). The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of thiocyanate in controlling or preventing ARD within several types of sulfidic waste rock and tailings. Results were evaluated within a context encompassing process water and solids management strategies employed at different precious and base metal mines. Sulfidic rock was treated with solutions of potassium thiocyanate and subjected to accelerated weathering tests in lab-scale humidity cells, trays, and columns. Certain tests also utilised solid phase copper thiocyanate (CuSCN) to evaluate a ærelease on demandÆ strategy. Leach solutions were analysed for parameters indicative of ARD including pH, redox potential, conductivity, acidity, sulfate, iron, and certain heavy metals. Two larger scale field tests were also initiated by personnel at separate mines using, in the first case, ore containing a pyritic component in large columns and, in the second case, waste rock containing base metal sulfides in lined pits. Humidity cell tests showed low concentrations of thiocyanate solution applied to pyritic waste rock could reduce ARD formation by 90 per cent or more compared to untreated controls, with the residual release of ARD components (eg sulfate, Fe, acidity) probably reflective of strictly chemical oxidation of the sulfides by molecular oxygen. Thiocyanate applied at a concentration of 22 mg/kg to waste rock from a base metal mining operation in large laboratory scale columns reduced acidity and sulfate release by 75 per cent to 80 per cent compared to untreated controls. This extent of reduction in ARD may not meet discharge water quality criteria, but has the potential to significantly reduce lime consumption and sludge production in a conventional neutralisation facility. The use of a solid-phase metal thiocyanate compound (CuSCN) at a dosage of 194 mg/kg pyritic ore resulted in the following per cent reductions in leach solution parameters in comparison to controls: sulfate (78 per cent), acidity (93 per cent), dissolved Fe (99.4 per cent), and dissolved arsenic (99.9 per cent). This compound has the further advantage of being relatively stable until needed, dissolving only in the presence of an acidic and oxidising ARD solution. If this line of investigation progresses favorably, it offers the possibility of an ARD prevention technique that may be applicable in some settings. Mine-site pilot scale tests with pyritic ore resulted in reductions in sulfate (56 per cent) and Fe, As (66 - 68 per cent). In sum, thiocyanate at relatively low concentrations dramatically reduced ARD from sulfidic rock in a simulated heap. The pilot test using waste rock containing base metal sulfides has begun only recently. A preliminary process design and cost estimate was made for fullscale application of thiocyanate to waste rock at a hypothetical gold mining operation producing 5000 tpd of ore and 10 000 tpd of sulfide containing waste rock. The combined capital and operating costs for the full-scale thiocyanate application facility were about $US 0.25/tonne of waste rock and $US 0.50/tonne of ore. Although thiocyanate is readily available commercially, it also occurs in process solutions associated with certain types of mining processes. Such solutions after selective treatment might be recycled to sulfidic waste rock or tailings, rather than being treated for thiocyanate degradation.

Jan 1, 2003

By P Stoker

The need for quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) in the sampling and assaying of minerals is fundamental to the reliability and confidence of a mineral resource estimate, reserve estimate and possibly profitability of a mine. In spite of this, QA/QC practices in the mining industry are commonly applied poorly, or misunderstood. As New Leaders, we should aim to correct the poor practices and become fully informed on appropriate procedures. This paper uses worked examples that show the usefulness and importance of best practice QA/QC procedures. Fundamentals of reviewing the performance of the laboratory by examining the results of client inserted standard reference material (standards), blank material and duplicate samples are discussed. To do this, three examples from Australian data sets have been used. For each example, simple and efficient plotting techniques are suggested with subsequent evaluations of each plot. The first case study compares the results of internal standards from a laboratory with blind standards (where the expected value is unknown to the laboratory) submitted by the client. It was demonstrated over time that the laboratory was unintentionally analysing the internal standards in a different manner to the remainder of the sample batch. In this example, not understanding the cause of a high negative laboratory bias could have led to poor understanding of the depositÆs grade and in the extreme a proposed mining operation may have reached operational stage with a subeconomic grade. The second case study discusses the quality of blank material submitted by a mining operation to monitor cross-contamination within the laboratory. The blank material contained background levels of the element under investigation. This created uncertainty in the assay results, which could have led to the need for additional assays and drilling programs. Finally, the third case study demonstrates the use of the relative paired differences (RPD) technique to cross-validate the results from duplicates and repeat analyses from two laboratories. The three examples given show either laboratory or operational error. If left undetected, each example could have had serious implications for the mineral resource estimate and ultimately, the mining operation. These examples are not isolated occurrences; poor QA/QC practices are an industry wide problem exacerbated by rapid staff turnover and increased contractor positions on-site. New Leaders must be equipped with a thorough grounding in QA/QC best practices to improve its application and confidence in the results of sample analysis.

Jan 1, 2009

An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for a major mining development typically has to address various aspects of surface water management, including some which generally tend to be the more contentious: the diversion of rivers and creeks from areas disturbed by mining, and their rehabilitation; the effective management of disturbed area run-off via the collection, containment and treatment of contaminated water on site in sedimentation dams; the collection, containment and treatment of mine pit water; the decommissioning of surface water storages; final void water quality; and water discharge criteria. Environmental Impact Assessment processes for proposed mining developments in Australia at the state and commonwealth level usually involve a form of Initial Advice Statement (or Notice of Intent), Terms of Reference, an EIS, and a Supplementary Report (or similar) which responds to agency and public comment on the EIS. The EIS is used by approval agencies to decide the acceptability of the Project, and to set the conditions of approval. The conditions are often in the form of a state-issued æOperational LicenceÆ or similar. With mining, the initial approval at the EIS stage is often just a pre-cursor to various other planning related approvals, including obtaining a mining lease. Afterwards, mine plans and plans of operations must be submitted to government at various stages of the mineÆs life, ostensibly to provide the detailed mine planning over periods of one û five years. Despite all this additional planning and documentation beyond the submission of the EIS, government approval agencies are increasingly not satisfied with conceptual water management designs and commitments to an outcome (such as meeting a specified water quality standard) in the EIS. Agencies are also requiring sufficient water management design information to be convinced that the outcomes are achievable. To assist proponents of major mining developments, the Queensland Government has published Technical Guidelines for water management, and Environment Australia has published a æBest Practice Environmental Management in MiningÆ booklet on water management. In addition, the Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council (ANZECC. 2000) has published Water Quality Guidelines which provide an approach to water management, and provide receiving water investigation trigger criteria. So, what are the water management issues that are likely to be the subject of comment, debate and negotiation prior to the EIS being approved? and what commitments may a mining proponent have to make in order to convince the approval agencies that sufficient investigation and design has been provided? This paper provides some answers to this question, by reference to recent major mining proposals which the author has managed through state and commonwealth Environmental Impact Assessment processes.

Jan 1, 2003

Only West Australian entrepreneurs and Queensland politicians generate more debate than the uses and abuses of expert reports. Indeed, there are 300 of us here today to debate the very issues that, in general, have been unsatisfactorily managed by regulators and industry to date. I imagine Trevor Sykes will have some interesting stories to tell tomorrow morning in describing "Mines that weren't quite".

Jan 1, 1989