Section 3 presents the need for a lifeofmine riskbased approach to tailings management, and briefly describes this approach. Index terms mine tailings, ornamental plant growth, soil alternative i. Mine tailings size and composition depends on the mining method. New approaches for extracting and recovering metals from. Effect of mine tailings on the growth of ornamental plants bengao, ac t and cababat, ra.
Tailings characteristics can vary greatly and are dependent on the ore mineralogy together with the physical and chemical processes used to extract the economic product. Tailings and mine waste 00, proceedings of the seventh international conference on tailings and mine waste 00, fort collins, colorado, usa, 2326 january 2000, isbn 90 5809 126 0, rotterdambrookfield 2000, p. Albertas tailings ponds report detailing the enormous environmental, health. Environmentally, the past 1015 years have experienced a very positive approach to improving the quality of effluents discharged from mining and milling processes, and ultimately the quality of seepage from the tailings impoundment area into the environment. Waste removal is proportionately much less in underground than in surface mining, but it still requires surface waste disposal areas. Oil sands tailings ponds are engineered dam and dyke systems used to capture oil sand tailings. Pdf floristic composition of gold and uranium tailings dams. Guidelines for performance management of oil sands fluid.
Tailings pond water is recycled for use as process water throughout the bitumen extraction plant. New approaches for extracting and recovering metals from mine. Toxicity of tailings ponds to aquatic organisms is often associated with naphthenic acids, which have surfactant properties that penetrate the cell membrane. Every sentence in it glows like the orange remains of the mining process called tailings. Consolidation testing of oil sand fine tailings ubc library. It is therefore essential that while investigating the properties of tailings that the physical characteristics and material parameters e. The sand component of tailings settles out quickly, leaving the clay and silt to form fluid fine, or smallsized, tailings. It provides crucial pilot scale infrastructure at the intermediate scale that was not previously available for university research in. Testing of chemical, physical and mechanical properties was performed on the sample. P department of natural sciences, university of the cordilleras, baguio city, philippines abstract the researchers sought to determine the effect of mine tailings on the growth ornamental plants. Tailings is a combination of the finegrained typically siltsized, in the range from 0. Tailings are slurried with water and pumped to tailing ponds for settling.
Today, the universal disposal method for tailings is the tailing pond. The solids are generally composed of very fine clays that do not settle easily in the tailings pond. Guidelines for performance management of oil sands fluid fine tailings deposits to meet closure commitments february 2014 canadas oil sands innovation alliance page ii this document further defines the process to manage and report annual and fiveyear progress to regulators, for control of fft volumes on each mine site, consistent with. Tailings and mine waste 10 contains the contributions from the 14th annual tailings and mine waste conference, held by colorado state university of fort collins, colorado in conjunction with the university of alberta and the university of british columbia. The main objective of this research was to investigate the dewatering behavior of centrifuged oil sand fine tailings for surface deposition using laboratory investigation program and numerical modeling. An informative site giving the types and prices of materials, location of the site and other pertinent information to potential customers. This study investigated the use of philex coppergold mine tailings pcgmt in roller compacted concrete rcc production, a mining waste material consisting of finely grinded siliceous particles was. Sap based rapid dewatering of oil sands mature fine tailings.
Floristic composition of gold and uranium tailings dams, and adjacent polluted areas, on south africas deeplevel mines. When a mineral product is mined, the valuable portion is usually embedded in a rock matrix called ore. Over the years, the fine solids also settle to form a suspension called mature fine tailings mft. This study models the shortterm dewatering behavior of a 10 m deep deposit. In this unit the solids are allowed to settle and are then pumped to a tailings pond for further settling and water reclamation. Icmm is committed to strengthening the social and environmental performance of the mining and metals industry to deliver the materials essential for human progress in a responsible way. Large volumes of tailings are a byproduct of bitumen extraction from the oil sands and managing these tailings is one of the most difficult environmental challenges facing the oil sands industry. Suncor energy inc, canada abstract few studies have characterized the metal leaching and acid rock drainage mlard potential of tailings from oil sand production, and associated byproducts from bitumen upgrading. Water management in oil sands mining facilities oil. Tailings mineral industry solution westech engineering, inc.
Geochemical characteristics of oil sand tailings and bitumen upgrading byproducts, alberta, canada bronwen forsyth1, stephen day1 and oladipo omotoso2 1. A good starting point is to understand the composition of the oil sands deposits. She writes with fierce intelligence and luminous clarity on all of her subjects. Oil sands tailings management natural resources canada. Recycling and utilization of mine tailings as construction material through geopolymerization lianyang zhang, ph. In the oil sands industry, composite tails ct is a tailings management approach in which the fines or clay fraction of extraction tailings are mixed with the coarse sand fractions, such that. Ritcey 1989 reported that tailings of the same type may possess different mineralogy and therefore will have different physical and chemical characteristics. Floristic composition of gold and uranium tailings dams, and adjacent polluted areas, on south africas deeplevel mines may 2006 bothalia african biodiversity and conservation 361. Electrokinetic consolidation of oil sands tailings. The production of consolidated tailings ct, nonsegregating tailings nst and proper operation of fines thickeners can be especially finicky. Consolidation testing of oil sand fine tailings ubc.
The composition of this manmade material and its influence on the insitu state of tailings is of particular importance. Advances in oil sands tailings research internet archive. Geochemical characteristics of oil sand tailings and bitumen. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Mft is mixed with polymer and dried in thin lifts to become dried mft. A twostep flocculation process on oil sands tailings. Tailings are stored in basins called tailings ponds, which allow the solids in tailings to settle.
For hardrock metal mines, tailings are usually a very fine mud or powder, which is left over after ore is crushed and valuable minerals are extracted from it. Soil and dust solutions provides a costeffective and long term solution for the treatment of mine tailings storage facilities. Dust control on mine tailings storage facilities is a necessity in terms of regulating the environmental impact, the effect on neighbouring communities, as well as eliminating risk and liabilities for fines resulting from dust control violations. Planning, design, and analysis of tailings dams vick, steven g. In addition, the aer will continually improve the directive based on observations as to the. The authors are grateful to carlos frias, at cobre las cruces s. Tailings are the materials left over after the process of separating the valuable fraction from the uneconomic fraction of an ore. Introduction ine tailings also called slimes are sandlike waste products of the mining process.
Referencing this publication should be cited as follows. Shang the university of western ontario graduate program in civil and environmental engineering a thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree in doctor of philosophy. Tailings is a beautiful and original book by a remarkable writer. Contact us and learn how we can develop a tailings management and pond assessment program that will enable your oil sands operation to be costeffective and regulatory compliant. Guidelines for performance management of oil sands fluid fine tailings deposits to meet closure commitments preface canadas oil sands innovation alliance february 2014 page i preface introduction the large volume of oil sands processed by extraction plants in albertas oil sands mines results in the largest tailings facilities in the world. Extracting the valuable minerals thus leaves behind an unwelcome residue, which conventionally is dealt with in tailings ponds. Fluid tailings management for oil sands mining projects october 2017 necessary to ensure it appropriately enables and aligns with changes in the. Requirements under the framework will be administered primarily through the oil sands conservation act and the environmental protection and. Many of the tailings reclamation processes require very specific fractions of sand to fines in order to function properly. This book assembles all the various aspects of the process and of tailings management which have an impact on the environment, thus. Large volumes of tailings are a byproduct of bitumen extraction from the oil sands and managing these tailings is one of. Section 4 provides an overview of the key elements of management systems that are applied throughout the life of a tailings storage facility to ensure operating and closure objectives are met. In the early mining days, tailings were discarded in lowlying areas or lakes and streams near the mines.
Oil sand tailings or oil sands processaffected water ospw, have a highly variable composition and a complex mixture of compounds. Sap based rapid dewatering of oil sands mature fine tailings by aida farkish a thesis submitted under the supervision of dr. Tailings ponds a toxic legacy of albertas oilsands the star. Over the years, the fine solids also settle to form a. An experimental and numerical study yu guo the university of western ontario supervisor dr. Dewatering behavior of centrifuged oil sand fine tailings. Advancing solutions for a new legacy april 35, 2012, denver, colorado. Tailings bulk composition showed enrichment of co, mo. Once the ore has been stripped of its valuable minerals, sometimes through the addition of chemicals, it is piled up into tailings. Sap based rapid dewatering of oil sands mature fine tailings by aida farkish a thesis submitted. Tailings may also contain chemicals used for mineral extraction.
Mamadou fall in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of master of applied science in environmental engineering department of civil engineering university of ottawa ottawa, canada april, 20. Mckenna et al shear strength and density of oil sands fine. Tailings are distinct from overburden, which is the waste rock or other material that overlies an ore or mineral body and is displaced during mining without being processed. Underground mining is conducted through adits or shafts by a variety of methods that include roomandpillar, block caving, timberedstope, openstope, shrinkagestope, sublevelstope, and others. Moore, author of the mindful writer schwehns tailings, is, like all of my favorite contemporary nonfiction, uncategorizablepart memoir, part spiritual reflection, part reportage. Oil sands tailings are the residue which remains after bitumen is separated from virgin oil sands. Effect of mine tailings on the growth of ornamental plants.
Utilizing mine tailings as substitute construction. Nov 30, 2011 proceedings tailings and mine waste 2011 vancouver, bc, november 6 to 9, 2011 consolidation testing of oil sand fine tailings dobroslav znidarcic and robert miller university of colorado, boulder, usa dirk van zyl mining engineering, university of british columbia, vancouver, canada murray fredlund soilvision systems ltd. Oil sands production also produces tailings, which are substantially different. Department of civil engineering and engineering mechanics university of arizona, tucson, arizona u. Allen wrote that typically tailings ponds consist of c. Ayers environmental science chapter flashcards quizlet. The mount polley tailings breach what took place mount polley tailings storage facility used to store copper. Advances in oil sands tailings research, alberta department of energy, oil sands research division, publisher includes bibliographic references and index 2 8 11 12 14 15 48. During this process, ores are first milled and finely ground, and then treated in a hydrometallurgical plant. Mine tailings provided by a local mining company sodium hydroxide deionized water mine tailingsbased geopolymer bricks chemical compound % sio 2 64.
It provides crucial pilot scale infrastructure at the intermediate scale that was not previously available for university research in canada. Start studying ayers environmental science chapter. Oil sands tailings management and pond assessment mining. Sep 02, 2014 the trouble with tailings ponds mines generate a lot of waste. Suncor energy inc, canada abstract few studies have characterized the. Proceedings tailings and mine waste 2011 vancouver, bc, november 6 to 9, 2011 consolidation testing of oil sand fine tailings dobroslav znidarcic and robert miller university of colorado, boulder, usa dirk van zyl mining engineering, university of british columbia, vancouver, canada murray fredlund soilvision systems ltd. The text is devoted to the many practical aspects of tailings management the concerns, the problems, the solutions where knowledge exists, and the presentation of a methodology to examine mine and metallurgical wastes for the ultimate objective of designing the best disposal option for that particular site. Brilliant in all of its guises, tailings only makes me want to read more by kaethe schwehn. These are tailings ponds, where the oilsands industry deposits the toxic sludge that is produced when bitumen oil is separated from the sand and gravel its.
The vivid details of this story, which takes place years before publication of the book, reminded me of the classic memoir speak, memory by vladimir this slender. An investigation of the use of inline thickened tailings to create composite tailings at a sand to fines ratio, sfr, of 4. Utilizing mine tailings as substitute construction material. Oil sand tailings contain a mixture of salts, suspended solids and other dissolvable chemical compounds such as acids, benzene, hydrocarbons residual bitumen, fine silts and water. The various reject streams are sent to a tailings thickener. Tailings management responsible management of the worlds resources is key to enabling a sustainable future for us all. In the past, mill tailings have been discharged onto hillsides or directly into lakes or streams. Nrdc and environmental defence canada release one trillion litres of toxic waste and growing.
Bitumen upgrading byproducts, alberta, canada bronwen forsyth1, stephen day1 and oladipo omotoso2 1. Water reclaimed from the tailings pond is over 99% water with up to 1% fine solids and trace amounts of hydrocarbons. Water quality issues associated with composite tailings. Mckenna et al shear strength and density of oil sands fine tailings for reclamation to a boreal forest landscape. These practices are now prohibited by state and federal laws. Displaying mckenna et al shear strength and density of oil sands fine tailings for reclamation to a.
A sample of tailings from the pb and zn mine was used for this study. Tailings turns out to be an apt title, not just for the beauty but also because tailings are toxic, veritably eternal, perfect symbols for the terrible beauty writers aspire to. Sep 04, 2015 the tailings ponds sit on an important migratory bird pathway used by millions of geese, ducks, swans, loons and dozens of other species flying north in the spring and south in the fall. However, tailings consolidation of fine clays occurs by gravity at a slow rate over 510 years. The appropriate management of oil sand tailings requires a reduced environmental footprint of the waste containment facilities. Results indicated that inherent material properties along with hydraulic boundary conditions govern the rate and amount of consolidation. Pdf floristic composition of gold and uranium tailings. Thickening of mature fine oil sands tailings thesis format. The use of waste materials in roller compacted concrete. Oil sands ores, bitumen extraction and generation of oil sands tailings. However, it will fill a management gap by providing a framework in which to monitor and manage longterm fluid tailings accumulation and reclamation on the landscape in the lower athabasca region. Tailings directive 074 explained oil sands magazine.
Geochemical characteristics of oil sand tailings and. Recycling and utilization of mine tailings as construction. A research program was therefore initiated at the university of pretoria, to investigate the composition and state of south african gold tailings on the far west rand gold reefs. Understanding the impact to reclamation melinda mamer, p. Suncor tailings pond 1 in 2002 fine tailings are deposited into ponds where they settle to form mature fine tailings mft containing about 30 to 40 wt.
The engineering characteristics of tailings are in most instances influenced by the degree of thickening and the method of deposition. The chemical composition of the tailings sample was determined by using the classical. Characterization of athabasca oil sands froth treatment. Tailings are the residue of the milling process that is used to extract metals of interest from mined ores. When you partner with us you are backed by our global network of trusted professionals and innovative technology. Jun 26, 2017 tar sands mining operations have generated over 250 billion gallons of toxic tailings a poisonous brew of water, sand, silt, heavy metals and other petrochemical waste products which they. Guidelines for performance management of oil sands fluid fine. All uses are suggestions only, please consult the new york state building code regulations before undertaking any project to ensure that the material you use is appropriate and will pass inspection. Shortterm dewatering of treated oil sand fine tailings. The contents of extractible bitumen in the solid phase of athabasca oil sands froth treatment tailings samples ranged from 4. The mineable surface of the mcmurray formation oil sands deposit in alberta, for instance, consists of a. Mine tailings mt have been used in previous studies as substitute construction material to recycle waste products, especially in hollow blocks and bricks production and as masonry mortar.
Therefore, the residual bitumen in the froth treatment tailings should be worth recovering. This slender memoir will stick with you much longer than many bulkier books. New technologies need to be developed and tested as some may work better in some environments than others, and the most effective technologies to date increase costs, primarily due to the energy involved in drying. As the discussion above suggests, the trouble with tailings ponds is both technology and economics. Tailings are a type of rock waste from the mining industry. Although this article focuses on hardrock tailings, oil sands tailings can contain a similarly complex and toxic brew of minerals and chemicals, and pose a similar. The overflow from the tailings thickener is sent to the water reclaim pond and then recycled back into the process.
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