Canadian Mining Journal January 2021 by The Northern Miner Group

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M I N I N G

P U B L I C A T I O N

BC & YUKON’S NEXT MINES RAISING THE BAR ON PUMPS

WATER MANAGEMENT

ARE W E MOVING FAST ENOU GH ON TAILINGS?

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IN V E S T M E N T L IM IT E D

MINITRAC 31

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CANADIANMINING

JANUARY 2021 VOL. 142, NO.1

JOURNAL

WATER MANAGEMENT

14 As the two-year anniversary of the Brumadinho tailings disaster

approaches, CMJ takes stock of the new tailings management landscape.

CMJ

17 A cost comparison of three common water management methods for reclamation.

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20 Metso Outotec outlines how new technologies are helping miners achieve more sustainable water use.

24 How mobile systems are offering flexible, cutting-edge water treatment

CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL

without a prohibitive upfront cost.

BC & THE YUKON

29 Ahead of the AME Remote Roundup conference, AME president and

CEO Kendra Johnson offers her thoughts on how B.C. exploration sector is leading through change.

30 A look at some of the advanced mineral projects in B.C. and the Yukon with near-term production potential.

DUST CONTROL

35 Midwest Industrial Supply offers up a new dust-busting solution for underground mines.

PUMPS

37 Leading pump developer KSB explains how its MDX slurry pump for mill circuits delivers increased reliability and wear life.

DEPARTMENTS 4 EDITORIAL | Tailings reform: Why this time really is different. 6 CSR & MINING | Jaimie Donovan responds to the Shareholders Gold Council’s recent open letter to the gold industry. 8 LAW | Erik Richer La Flèche of Stikeman Elliott outlines key points of Quebec’s recently announced plan centred on critical and strategic minerals. 9 UNEARTHING TRENDS | EY’s Mauricio Zelaya discusses two geopolitical trends that will affect the mining sector in 2021. 12 FAST NEWS | Updates from across the mining ecosystem. 40 ON THE MOVE | Tracking executive, management and board changes in Canada’s mining sector.

www.canadianminingjournal.com JANUARY 2021

ABOUT THE COVER

This month’s cover image provided by Wisdom.

Coming in Feb/Mar 2021 Canadian Mining Journal looks at mining in Ontario, the Sudbury/North Bay innovation cluster, and how the mining workforce is changing.

For More Information

Please visit www.canadianminingjournal.com for regular updates on what’s happening with Canadian mining companies and their personnel both here and abroad. A digital version of the magazine is also available at www.digital.canadianminingjournal.com

CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL |

FROM THE EDITOR JANUARY 2021 Vol. 142 – No. 1

Cleaning up tailings standards: Why this time really is different Alisha Hiyate

an. 25 will mark two years since the Brumadinho tailings disaster in Brazil. The tailings dam failure released 12 million cubic metres of tailings, killing 259, devastating the nearby town of Brumadinho, and polluting the Paraopeba River. Incredibly, they’re still looking to recover the bodies of 11 presumed victims. (The search and rescue effort, interrupted by the pandemic in March 2020, resumed in August.) The tragedy has prompted what promise to be profound, deep and lasting changes to tailings management in a way that previous high-profile failures – Mount Polley in 2014 and Fundao in 2015 – did not. Although the other disasters did prompt industry responses, they were more regional (in the first instance) or in the second case, resulted in a high-level governance framework that lacked specific best practice details (a December 2016 position statement by the International Council on Mining and Metals [ICMM]). This time, the response involved a diverse set of stakeholders through The Global Tailings Review, working to create a global standard. Comprised of the ICMM, the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the review also included input from communities, environmental groups, mining engineers and industry associations. The end result, the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management released in August 2020, has spelled out best practices that should be followed regardless of jurisdiction, and states that mine operators have “zero tolerance for human fatalities.” The standard will be overseen by an independent body, still in the works (see page 13). That doesn’t mean everyone is happy with the results so far. There has been criticism from NGOs that the standard does not ban upstream dams (both the Brumadinho and Samarco disasters involved upstream dams, while Mount Polley was a centreline dam) and that it is voluntary. But while only ICMM members – 27 of the world’s largest mining and metals companies – have committed to implementing the standard, there’s a clear expectation that adoption will be much more widespread. Investor pressure and engagement has been a big part of why things are finally happening on the tailings front. While responsible investors have long sought to influence companies and industries on environmental, human rights and other issues, they responded to this disaster much more intensely because of its “horrific” nature. “There was a real need for investors to intervene: it was clearly a major problem that wasn’t just confined to that one incident,” said Adam Matthews, director of ethics and engagement for the Church of England Pensions Board. “Almost two years since that disaster, we’re in quite a different place. But we’re absolutely not complacent that another disaster could still happen.” While change is underway, don’t expect the pressure to let up. Matthews stresses that investors will be there to ensure the standard is implemented and independently audited. “Mining is so intrinsically important to society – the resources we demand for the low-carbon transition and everything that we consume,” he says. “Therefore, we’ve been willing to very much be involved and drive a process to address the problem.” Two years after Brumadinho, the sustained effort needed to address tailings risks CMJ isn’t dissipating. This time really is different. 4 | CANADIAN

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CANADIANMINING 225 Duncan Mill Rd. Suite 320, Toronto, Ontario M3B 3K9 JOURNAL Tel. (416) 510-6789 Fax (416) 510-5138 www.canadianminingjournal.com Editor-in-Chief Alisha Hiyate 416-510-6742 ahiyate@canadianminingjournal.com Twitter: @Cdn_Mining_Jrnl

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News Editor Magda Gardner CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL mgardner@canadianminingjournal.com Production Manager Jessica Jubb jjubb@glacierbizinfo.com Art Director Barbara Burrows Advisory Board David Brown (Golder Associates) Michael Fox (Indigenous Community Engagement) Scott Hayne (Redpath Canada) Anthony Moreau (Iamgold) Gary Poxleitner (SRK) Manager of Product Distribution Jackie Dupuis 403-209-3507 jdupuis@glacierrig.com Publisher & Sales Robert Seagraves 416-510-6891 rseagraves@canadianminingjournal.com Sales, Western Canada George Agelopoulos 416-510-5104 gagelopoulos@northernminer.com Toll Free Canada & U.S.A.: 1-888-502-3456 ext 2 or 43734 Circulation Toll Free Canada & U.S.A.: 1-800-387-2446 ext 3505 Group Publisher Anthony Vaccaro Established 1882

Canadian Mining Journal provides articles and information of practical use to those who work in the technical, administrative

and supervisory aspects of exploration, mining and processing in the Canadian mineral exploration and mining industry. Canadian Mining Journal (ISSN 0008-4492) is published 10 times a year by Glacier Resource Innovation Group (GRIG). GRIG is located at 225 Duncan Mill Rd., Ste. 320, Toronto, ON, M3B 3K9. Phone (416) 510-6891. Legal deposit: National Library, Ottawa. Printed in Canada. All rights reserved. The contents of this magazine are protected by copyright and may be used only for your personal non-commercial purposes. All other rights are reserved and commercial use is prohibited. To make use of any of this material you must first obtain the permission of the owner of the copyright. For further information please contact Robert Seagraves at 416-510-6891. Subscriptions – Canada: $51.95 per year; $81.50 for two years. USA: US$64.95 per year. Foreign: US$77.95 per year. Single copies: Canada $10; USA and foreign: US$10. Canadian subscribers must add HST and Provincial tax where necessary. HST registration # 809744071RT001. From time to time we make our subscription list available to select companies and organizations whose product or service may interest you. If you do not wish your contact information to be made available, please contact us via one of the following methods: Phone: 1-800-387-2446 ext 3505; Fax: 403-245-8666 ; E-mail: jdupuis@jwnenergy.com Mail to: Jackie Dupuis, 2nd Flr. 816–55th Ave. N.E. Calgary, Alberta T2E 6Y4. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada.

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CSR & MINING

Shareholders Gold Council’s suggestions for industry missing key ingredients By Jaimie Donovan

t the 2020 Denver Gold Conference, the Shareholders Gold Council (SGC) issued an open letter to the gold industry offering solutions to “improve the perception of the sector” and make it “more attractive to a wider audience” of generalist investors. Many of the solutions proposed by the SGC are appropriate and reasonable responses to value eroding behaviours that have plagued the industry: over-compensation of executives, poor capital management and dilutive M&A activity. But as leaders in our industry we should take note, not only of what the letter asks of us, but what it doesn’t ask. In a world that is increasingly focused on environmental and social outcomes and diverse organizations, these topics go largely ignored by the SGC. These omissions, when combined with the inclusion of self-serving requests related to incentives and governance, call into question its true intent. Do the SGC want to attract a wider investment base or simply better serve the existing one? And, are their suggestions progressive and far reaching enough to create a meaningful shift in perception? As a long-term participant in the sector, I offer the following thoughts for consideration in response to the SGC’s letter. Environmental and social record The SGC letter highlighted a number of areas of gold company underperformance in their investment criteria, however, environmental and social performance was not one of them. Companies exist in a world of diverse 6 | CANADIAN

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stakeholders and mining companies are no exception. There has been notable public recognition by the world’s largest investors (Blackrock, Vanguard) and corporate associations (Business Roundtable) that companies can no longer succeed with a narrow focus on shareholders alone. While the mining industry has made progress on this front over the years, there have been some recent high-profile cases of egregious ESG failures that suggest we have a long way to go. Earlier this year, Rio Tinto desecrated a 46,000-year-old sacred aboriginal site in Western Australia in the process of a mine expansion. In 2015 (and again in 2019), Vale was responsible for two separate uncontrolled releases of tailings in Brazil, which combined, killed over 290 people and polluted more than 900 km of riverway. And recently the CEO of Pebble Partnership “resigned” after being caught boasting about his ability to influence government officials, eroding not only the reputation of the company, but the industry. These examples should not be accepted outcomes for any mining company. We should do better and our shareholders should demand as such. While the primacy of shareholders in the stakeholder group is recognized, not protecting a full set of stakeholders through appropriate environmental, social and governance (ESG) action is to the detriment of all shareholders. In the first quarter of 2020 alone, ESG funds grew by $45 billion globally, where the broader fund universe saw an outflow of almost $400 billion. All trends point to ESG becoming an even bigger criteria for generalist investors going forward.

While the primacy of shareholders in the stakeholder group is recognized, not protecting a full set of stakeholders through appropriate ESG action is to the detriment of all shareholders. In the ﬁrst uarter of alone, ESG funds grew by $45 billion globally, where the broader fund universe saw an out o of almost billion. All trends point to ESG becoming an even bigger criteria for generalist investors going forward.

Diversity The SGC letter calls for the industry to broaden diversity. The irony of this should be lost on no one. Of the 24 signatories to the letter, none are female, none are Black. Delving a little further, of the 21 signatory funds, only 14 provide some level of public disclosure on the composition of their leadership – where 11% are female, 15% are visible minorities, and just 4% are Black. And these statistics likely overstate diversity given the nature of the non-reporting funds. Our industry has long suffered from a lack of diversity at all levels, mirroring our investors. This is not an unavoidable outcome for either www.canadianminingjournal.com

industry. It is a choice we make when we are unwilling to change our behaviours or appropriately align and prioritize our incentives. And unless we do something about it, it will remain a barrier to the attractiveness of our industry in a world that is moving in a different direction. Incentives The SGC call for “meaningful” levels of stock ownership and equity-based compensation for management and boards, to encourage long-term value creation through aligned incentives. While this is a popular concept, it is worth considering the unintended consequences of a disproportionate focus on stock ownership. “Meaningful” ownership is different for everyone. How do you define the level of ownership required for investors to believe that management and board members would make more “aligned” decisions and not simply create entrenchment? This concept is further complicated by the next two points. First, we are an industry of price takers, there is an element of luck and timing that cannot go ignored in value creation in the gold space. Incentives are far less effective when they are tied to things people cannot control and can just as easily act as a source of frustration or unjustified reward. To be effective, incentives should to be peer comparable, metal price adjusted and behaviour based. Second, the request for board members to have “meaningful” share holdings, or alternatively strict limits to tenure, creates a roadblock to the diversity we should be seeking. Women and people of colour are historically disadvantaged from a wealth perspective and this requirement reinforces the systemic barriers to participation that already exist.

reasons: First shareholders are not responsible to all stakeholders. Second, they do not necessarily have the experience, skills or time to run mining companies. Third, shareholders, particularly activist ones, are equally capable of being the source of destructive behaviour in a company – who governs the shareholders? Rather than advocating for increased control, specialist investors would better serve the industry and its boarder perception by remaining supportive through metal price cycles, investing in good projects and teams for the long term, demanding strong stakeholder engagement and diverse organizations, and holding teams accountable for executing on their stated vision and strategy. At the same time, management and boards can reduce the desire for shareholders to take control by providing thoughtful and transparent information on capital return frameworks, budgets, future capital requirements and their ability to inde-

pendently govern, as suggested by the SGC. The SGC signatories are willing and essential participants in the gold mining industry, and we should be open to, and interested in, the advice they provide. But it is also beneficial to reflect on the incentives that drive their recommendations. They can too often be narrowly focused on how to extract a larger share of profit, missing a valuable opportunity for purposeful change in the sector. We should take what is helpful from the SGC letter and push back on what may be mis-guided or misaligned, collectively working to build an industry that plays an active and positive role in the world for the benefit of all stakeholders. CMJ JAIMIE DONOVAN is a mining engineer with over 20 years experience working in operations, technical and corporate roles. She currently serves on the board of Dundee Precious Metals.

Is your mine design based on sound geology? .com

Governance and control The SGC propose more shareholder input into board composition, a greater say on strategy, and increased access to information for the purposes of bypassing management and boards. This is a transparent appeal to increase control in the companies in which they are invested. This is problematic for a number of JANUARY 2021

CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL |

LAW

Quebec crafts plan to advance critical and strategic minerals sector By Erik Richer La Flèche

uebec has a modern, diversified, and somewhat dirigiste economy, where the Quebec government is not afraid to assume a central role. For decades now, the provincial government has attempted to identify economic sectors that – in its opinion – have a promising future. On Oct. 29, 2020, the government added the exploration and mining of minerals to the list when it released the Quebec Plan for the Development of Critical and Strategic Minerals (2020-2025). The critical and strategic minerals sector now joins several others that the government has recently recognized as growth opportunities, including food production and transformation, electricity exports, green hydrogen, the electrification of transportation and batteries. The Plan The basic objective of the Plan is to support the exploration of Critical and Strategic Minerals (CSM) in Quebec as well as their production and recycling, all the while respecting local populations and the environment. The CSM acronym encompasses 22 minerals deemed essential for the “new economy” and, in some cases, national security, including vanadium, rare earths, cobalt, titanium, nickel and lithium. Many of the CSMs are present in minable quantities in Quebec. Some of these are scarce in North America and would logically fall under the purview of the Joint Action Plan on Critical Minerals Collaboration announced on Jan. 9, 2020 by the Canadian and U.S. governments. At the time of writing, there are six mines in Quebec producing the following CSMs: graphite, nickel, niobium, titanium and zinc. A seventh mine, Nouveau Monde’s Matawinie graphite project near Saint-Michel-des-Saints, is awaiting government authorizations to move into its commercial phase. An eighth project involves the extraction of magnesium from asbestos tailings in the Eastern Townships of southern Quebec. Earlier this year, Alliance Magnesium (AMI) closed a $145-million financing to develop a commercial process validation plant. The province has invested $13.4 million in AMI and lent another $12.5 million. If the plant validates the project, then AMI will seek financing for a much larger plant. Objectives and action points The Plan identifies 11 concrete objectives and puts forth 22 action points. We note among these the following: The Quebec government is prepared to support the explo-

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ration and mining of CSMs in a number of ways, including sharing the financial risk of exploration and assisting with relations with local communities and First Nations. The government wants to ensure that CSMs are used in Quebec and not merely exported, and to this end is prepared financially to support value-added CSM projects. The Plan places considerable emphasis on creating a circular economy where CSMs are recovered and reused, and is prepared to assist in R&D to facilitate recycling and reuse. While the government has focused on creating an environment favourable to CSMs and has resisted the urge of picking and choosing winning technologies – something very difficult to do accurately – it has agreed to fund further research in solid electrolyte batteries to be carried out by Hydro-Quebec’s IREQ research centre and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Interestingly, the Plan is not just about CSMs. It also addresses the need for infrastructure in Quebec’s north and reaffirms Quebec’s environmental protection goals for that region. In other words, the Plan serves to reaffirm commitments made by previous governments, and under Plan Nord. Opportunities There are numerous opportunities all along the value chain, from exploration to urban mining. Below are some of the more immediate ones mentioned in the Plan: SOQUEM, a member of the Investissement Québec (IQ) group, is looking to form public-private partnerships to explore for CSMs in Quebec. The Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources (MERN) and the Ministry of the Economy (MEI) wish to fund R&D on CSM extraction, transformation and recycling. Many existing governmental funding programs, including some managed by IQ, are to be adapted to assist the CSM value chains. MERN will continue to support the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) in mining. MEI will support projects to assist the deployment of automation and AI technologies in mining operations. MERN and IQ will support projects to extract CSMs and CMJ other minerals from tailings, such as the AMI project. ERIK RICHER LA FLÈCHE is a partner in Stikeman Elliott’s Corporate Group, based in Montreal.

www.canadianminingjournal.com

UNEARTHING TRENDS

Two unfolding geopolitical scenarios to keep on your radar in 2021 By Mauricio Zelaya

overnments are facing immense pressure to beat back unprecedented levels of debt, with global debt expected to reach US$277 trillion by the end of 2020, largely due to stimulus funding spent since the start of COVID-19. This could translate into an increase in nationalism and protectionism in certain parts of the world, which could lead to greater taxes and royalties, including export duties, tax rates linked to profitability or restrictions on foreign ownership. As governments – both on home soil and around the world – seek new avenues to recoup costs, mining is likely to be impacted. The sector was declared an essential service in many economies and is expected to remain more profitable than other industries as commodity prices rise on the back of rebounding Chinese economic activity, stimulus spending on infrastructure and, for gold, due to its safe haven status. Many mining and metals companies are already starting to feel the pressure. The EY Top 10 business risks and opportunities – 2021 survey identified geopolitics as a new risk this year as companies anticipate the shifting geopolitical landscape to change many dynamics. Three major influences include shifts to the U.S. presidency, China playing a bigger role in geopolitics and Europe seeking a more cohesive projection of its own power. Managing a vast spectrum of geopolitical uncertainty in the year ahead will require companies to keep on top of emerging trends and prepare to respond as new policies and stimulus measures unfold. There are two evolving scenarios, in particular, that Canadian companies should watch closely. U.S. protectionist policies There’s been a trend in the U.S. toward economic protectionism to favour domestic producers. In 2018, the U.S. announced imposing 25% and 10% tariffs on imports of certain steel and aluminium products from Canada. The conflict resurged again in 2020 with the U.S. president re-imposing import tariffs on non-alloyed, unwrought aluminium. While Canada responded with countermeasures both times, ultimately eliminating the tariffs, the prospect of unexpected policies is still top of mind. With President-elect Biden advocating for protectionist policies such as “Made in All of America,” Canadian companies cannot ignore the risk of similar tariffs to follow. However, these on-again, off-again tariffs are expected to be much less turbulent with a new presidency that favours policies that are JANUARY 2021

positive for strategic allies like Canada. Having greater certainty and reassurance will allow the mining industry to plan appropriately and react to the policy environment. Demand from clean technologies One of the most prominent components coming out of countries’ stimulus spending has been tied to supporting green initiatives. The government of Canada, for example, announced a plan back in October 2020 to allocate $10 billion to Canada Infrastructure Bank. Of that, 60% will be spent on green infrastructure, including supporting energy-efficient building retrofits, clean power generation and zero-emissions transport. South of the border, President-elect Biden has similarly set ambitious climate plans, including recommitting to the Paris agreement and reaching net zero emissions by 2050. These climate targets present an opportunity for Canada’s mining and metals industry to provide the building blocks of low carbon technologies. As policies evolve and greater investments are made towards a low carbon future, mining companies will have to balance meeting demand spurred from green initiatives while rethinking their own business models to accommodate new policies and regulations to meet ambitious climate targets. Preparing the business to respond From the Bronze and Iron ages to gold rushes and coal in the first Industrial Revolution, the mining and metals sector has provided the raw materials needed to build the infrastructure economies rely on. The post-Covid-19 era is expected to be no different. This time, however, companies will need to proactively demonstrate the value that they bring to the community, through both economic output and employment. Demonstrating this value and creating stronger relations with government, trade and sector groups, will help to influence future taxation schemes and stimulus policies that are beneficial to all parties. Conducting comprehensive scenario analysis to pre-empt or plan for possible changes in geopolitical disruption or regulatory changes will be critical to respond with agility and capture CMJ new opportunities. MAURICIO ZELAYA is an Associate Partner in EY Canada’s Economic Advisory. He is based in Toronto. For more information, visit www.ey.com/en_ca/mining-metals. CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL |

SUPPLIED CONTENT

NEW TECHNOLOGY EVOLVES PASSIVE WATER TREATMENT A

s we all strive towards more sustainable practices, Canada’s mining industry is held to some of the highest environmental standards in the world. Thanks to new research and technology, water treatment techniques are advancing at an unprecedented rate, unlocking new treatment solutions that are emerging at the forefront of international ‘best practices’. One such group of modern technologies are collectively referred to as “semipassive” water treatment. This includes constructed wetland treatment systems, biochemical reactors such as gravel bed bioreactors, and in situ treatment (treatment at the source) such as pit lake and flooded underground mine pool treatment. Water treatment solutions have traditionally been categorized into active or passive treatments. Active water treatment typically uses electricity, reagents, and usually requires buildings and facilities, increasing the overall carbon footprint of water treatment. Passive treatments often come in at the other side of the spectrum using no energy or chemical inputs and require no operational management. While this approach has been used successfully in a few cases, these passive systems generally come with a high degree of unpredictability that can be difficult to manage. Considering the positive impact passive treatments can have on both the environment and operating costs, Maven Water and Environment (Maven) has developed leading technologies and proprietary software that have transformed traditional passive applications.

Emerging Semi-Passive Treatments Though the term “passive treatment” has been used to describe many

different things, in recent years it has evolved to more commonly mean “Semi-Passive treatment”. With recent research and technology advances, operationally passive treatments have adapted to include periodic monitoring and maintenance. These treatments involve the merging of multiple technical disciplines, including biogeochemistry, microbiology, geochemistry, and hydrology, and multiple areas of engineering that are applied to a wide range of treatment applications. Similar to active water treatment systems, semipassive water treatment systems are also often built as ‘treatment trains’ with multiple different technologies or design aspects integrated in a specific order to provide the best water quality with the greatest ease and predictability. Semi-passive treatment systems have defined ranges of operating parameters and can be maintained through adaptive management programs. These systems are often managed through in situ monitoring and remote data uplinks. In some cases, semi-passive water treatment can be further augmented or enhanced. These enhanced semi-passive treatments can include remote operational control over responsive management triggers like flow management or adding carbon or neutralizing reagents. All of these semi-passive treatment options are based on the scientific principles of biogeochemistry which is a specialty that combines microbiology, geology, and chemistry. These types of biogeochemical treatment systems used to be considered as a “black box”, because of the microbiology involved. Many practitioners and consultants don’t know that it has been possible for nearly a decade to analyze these microbial populations through routine analysis at commercial labs. This is the key to

If you are interested in learning which type of active or semipassive water treatment technology can support the constituent you are interested in, the new mScout app can help with this, and is free to use at mscout.mavenwe.com. understanding, optimizing, and de-risking the treatment processes. Treatment wetlands are perhaps the most commonly recognized form of semi-passive water treatment, and they are known by many different names. While they might look similar to an untrained eye, a treatment wetland designed to treat metals from mining impacted water is almost entirely different from designs that are used to treat municipal effluents. For example, it’s a common misconception that the plants in the wetland treat the water, when in fact, it’s the microbes in the sediments that do the heavy work. If a plant is taking up metals, there’s likely a problem with the treatment system design or function. Semi-passive treatment systems are a proven technology for both operations and closure at mines. Just like active water treatment systems they require

The Minto Mine constructed wetland treatment system (Yukon, Canada) was designed and built by Dr. Monique Simair. The system has been operational as an on-site pilot at demonstration-scale since 2014 treating selenium, copper, nitrate, and other metals and metalloids. PHOTO CREDIT: MONIQUE SIMAIR

site-specific design and operation. Active treatment systems control for many parameters using energy inputs (e.g., temperature, flow, chemistry, etc), whereas semi-passive treatment systems need to account for parameter variability through robust system design. This means that optimizing for site-specific aspects can sometimes take longer for semi-passive treatment than for active treatment.

Conceptual Feasibility and Modelling Conceptual modelling and feasibility studies are often done in consideration of the site-wide water management plan, in order to develop a strategy for each individual water source. This is somewhat in contrast to active treatment approaches, where all water is gathered together, and additional energy and chemical inputs are needed to overcome the challenges brought on by combining water sources and volumes. Semi-passive water treatment treats water as close to the source as possible and enables industry best practices of contamination prevention and source control. These principles are applied to achieve a decentralized treatment approach that results in the best possible water quality, with the lowest energy inputs. Given the complexities for modelling, design

optimization, and scaling semi-passive treatments, Maven developed a unique software package called mGuide. mGuide takes complex datasets, such as long-term datasets or predictively modelled source term outputs for every node of a mine site and evaluates the opportunities and risks for semi-passive treatment across a mine site. We can now also identify aiding and inhibiting constituents in the water for the semipassive treatment system and include these in the operating considerations or risk mitigation strategies. After the conceptual modelling is done to determine the best technologies and their applications to locations on site, it is then necessary to refine sizing and treatment predictions with sitespecific information.

Site-specific Optimization The first step in site-specific optimization of a design is often to fill in data gaps with additional laboratory analysis of site water chemistries or simple ‘bench scale’ trials. This scale is generally informative to the conditions and treatability of the water, but not informative to the design itself. Pilot-scale trials are generally undertaken to inform site-specific design considerations and develop

adaptive management programs to de-risk operations. These can be done on-site or off-site. The choice between off-site and on-site trials depends on many factors. If pilot testing is being done off-site, it is important that the facility has the ability to run the tests at a climate that is relevant to the site and to mimic the comprehensive water chemistries. Maven opened a pilot-scale testing facility in summer 2020 with unique capabilities for semi-passive and active water treatment testing, paired with microbiology and biogeochemistry laboratories. This allows Maven to get inside the ‘black box’ and provide deep understanding of the treatment processes and optimizations. On-site pilot-scale testing can often have lengthy timelines and high costs for construction, commissioning, and testing. To address these challenges, Maven has developed a new mobile pilot-scale testing system – called mFlex – that can be built to include site-specific designs and commissioned in our off-site pilot facilities before being shipped on-site for site-specific testing and optimization.

Scaling to full-size and developing operating plans Once the necessary information is collected on site-specific aspects, modelling can be done for the fullscale system (or integrated treatment train). Site-specific data is used in the mGuide to allow for unique scaling considerations. Although this used to be done with notebook calculations and excel files, the application of big data enables more accurate modelling and risk analysis than ever before. This enables not only the detailed design and accurate scaling of the treatment system, but also the refinement of the adaptive management program and response actions. Maven Water and Environment is paving the way in semi-passive research, technology, and application, creating water treatment solutions that are effective, transparent, and trustworthy. n

For more information visit www.mavenwe.com

FAST NEWS • INNOVATION |

Updates from across the mining ecosytem

Industry leaders collaborate to accelerate new generation of mining vehicles

he Innovation for Cleaner, Safer Vehicles (ICSV) initiative – a collaboration between the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) – has made progress towards understanding what is needed to transform today’s fleet of mining vehicles into tomorrow’s new generation of cleaner, safer vehicles. “There is a critical need to advance work on cleaner, safer vehicles in mining, which will have important health and safety benefits and contribute towards the pressing need of decarbonizing the mining industry,” said Nick Holland, CEO of Gold Fields and chair of the CEO advisory group. “It is recognized that there are measures we can implement now, but other, more impactful, interventions are reliant on technology pathways that are still evolving. This will undoubtedly take time, but the industry’s collaboration with OEMs, through the ICMM, is critical as we look for these long-term, sustainable and integrated solutions.” The aims of the ICSV initiative are to introduce greenhouse gas emission-free surface mining vehicles by 2040, minimize the operational impact of diesel exhaust by 2025 and make vehicle collision avoidance technology available to mining companies by 2025. Two years after announcing these ambitions, eight new OEMs have joined the initiative, bringing the number of par-

• M&A |

BHP’s Newman Western Australia Iron Ore operation. CREDIT: BHP

ticipating OEMs to 19. ICMM members, representing approximately 30% of the global metals market with over 650 assets, have started assessments to establish a clearer view of the progress made at site level towards each goal. These assessments indicate that ICMM members are gener-

ally at early stages of maturity in the journey, and show what progress will look like for each. In its first two years, the ICSV initiative has sent strong signals to OEMs and third-party technology providers on their requirements and on what is needed to accelerate development and adoption of technology across the industry. The initiative is led by a CEO advisory group, which includes leaders from BHP, Anglo American, Gold Fields, Caterpillar, Komatsu and Sandvik. ICMM has developed tools including a Knowledge Hub that facilitates knowledge-sharing of industry innovations, provides technical and practical resources including case studies, standards, regulations and a technology and solutions database. Additionally, a set of ‘maturity frameworks’ that help to map, motivate and measure progress against the ambitions have been published, with the intention to stimulate conversations within companies that drive thinking, decision making and action. In 2021, ICMM’s company members will focus on integrating the initiative’s goals into their corporate planning processes, allocating internal resources and effectively leveraging external resources such as synergies with other industry initiatives and collaboration between memCMJ ber companies.

WSP to acquire Golder in US$1.1B deal, creating global environmental consulting firm

WSP, an engineering and design provider, has entered into an agreement to acquire Golder Associates, a global engineering and consulting firm with experience in earth science and environmental services. The transaction, based on Golder’s enterprise value, is valued at US$1.1 billion and is expected to increase WSP’s share of the revenue from the environmental sector to approximately 25% of net revenue. The acquisition is intended to position WSP’s strategic Environment platform to capitalize on environmental, social and governance (ESG) trends. The transaction is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2021. “Together we will create the leading global environmental consulting firm with approximately 14,000 of our 54,000 professionals dedicated to accelerating the world’s green transition. The combination ideally positions WSP to capitalize on the rapidly growing ESG trends driving demand for environmental services and sustainable infrastructure development,” Alexandre

12 | CANADIAN

MINING JOURNAL

L’Heureux, president and CEO of WSP, said in a release. “Over the last 60 years, Golder has been on a journey where we have built one of the most successful and respected brands in the industry. Combining Golder’s industry-leading expertise with WSP’s impressive world-class platform and highly complementary services will provide long-term benefits for our people and help create greater value for our clients,” added Hisham Mahmoud, global president and CEO of Golder. Mississauga, Ont.-headquartered Golder is a private, employee-owned engineering and consulting firm with 60 years of experience in the geosciences sector; an engineering niche focused on earth and environmental conditions. WSP provides engineering and design services to clients in the transportation and infrastructure, property and buildings, environment, power and energy, resources and industry sectors, and offers strategic advisory services. CMJ www.canadianminingjournal.com

WATER MANAGEMENT

From ‘pushback’ to pushing ahead How the Brumadinho disaster brought miners onboard with tailings reform By Alisha Hiyate

n 2017, GRID-Arendal, an environmental centre based in Norway and a partner of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), published Mine Tailings Storage: Safety is No Accident. The report called for the development of a global standard covering the construction and operation of tailings dams, a global insurance scheme, and more oversight and transparency around tailings. While it was written in response to recent tailings failures, including Mount Polley in British Columbia and Samarco in Brazil (which killed 19 people), the mining sector was resistant at the time to many of the recommendations, says Elaine Baker, one of the authors of the report and director of the GRIDArendal office at the University of Sydney. “There was quite a bit of pushback about that report from the mining industry,” Baker says, noting that in addition to cost concerns, some of the recommendations were “fairly radical.” Above: A member of the search and rescue team after the Brumadinho disaster in January 2019. CREDIT: ISTOCK/SAMUEL CHAHOUD

JANUARY 2021

It’s been a different story since the Brumadinho failure on Jan. 25, 2019, and the shocking loss of life that resulted from it. The disaster at Vale’s Corrego do Feijao iron ore operation in Brazil’s Minas Gerais state killed at least 259 people (with 11 still missing), jolting the industry into action. While the previous tailings failures precipated smaller-scale changes, Brumadinho has proven to be a catalyst for deep, sweeping changes in tailings management. As we approach the two-year anniversary of the Brumadinho disaster, great progress has been made – most notably the launch of the Global Tailings Portal last January and the release of the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management in August. Progress since Brumadinho While the mining sector was certainly shocked by the scale of the Brumadinho disaster, intense pressure from investors – headed by the Church of England Pensions Board and the Swedish National Pension Funds – has been key to the reforms that have been enacted since then. CONTINUED ON PAGE 14 CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL |

WATER MANAGEMENT Only days after the incident, they joined with several other institutional investors with combined assets of US$1.3 trillion to call for a global safety standard and an independent audit system for tailings facilities. “Investors were really shaken by Brumadinho in the sense that it really just challenged us fundamentally about an issue that, quite frankly, we had a blind spot,” says Adam Matthews, director of ethics and engagement for the Church of England Pensions Board. “The seriousness of the response reflected that realization.” In response to their call for action on tailings, the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM), comprised of 27 of the largest leading metals and mining companies in the world, commited to creating an international standard in February. A month later, the Global Tailings Review was convened by UNEP, ICMM, and the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) (of which the Church of England and Swedish Pension Funds are a part). Global Standard As a result of that work – which took 18 months and included both multi-stakeholder roundtables and expert panels – the Global Tailings Review released the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management in August 2020. The 40-page document contains guidelines covering all phases of tailings facilities, from site selection through closure, that are organized around six topic areas, 15 principles and 77 auditable requirements. The guidelines add new requirements for independent oversight of tailings facilities design and management and outline expectations for more public disclosure around tailings facilities, including information about the potential consequences of a failure. The Standard notes that mine operators must have “zero tolerance for human fatalities and strive for zero harm to people and the environment from the earliest phases of project conception.” It also notes that to be compliant with the standard, operators must use “specified measures to prevent the catastrophic failure of tailings facilities and to implement best practices in planning, design, construction, operation, maintenance, monitoring, closure and post closure activities.” Matthews believes the Standard has codified good practice in many aspects of tailings, will give investors confidence in companies when the standard has been applied, and sees the Standard as opportunity for the entire sector to take a “very significant jump” up. “I’m conscious that some companies are (already) operating to extremely high practices, but we wanted to establish something that was universally applied, wherever your jurisdiction of operation, in addition to following any local requirements,” he says. GRID-Arendal’s Baker says that while the Standard has some compromises, it has increased company disclosure and transparency around tailings facilities. “The strength of the Standard, for companies that are compliant with it, is it makes the whole operation much more transparent,” she said. “And it’s provided a kind of mechanism for monitoring and auditing tailings dams – and that’s really the next 14 | CANADIAN

MINING JOURNAL

Elaine Baker, director of the GRID-Arendal office at the University of Sydney, also holds the UNESCO Chair in Marine Science at the University. CREDIT: UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY

Right: A fines retention dyke completed in January 2020 at Vale’s Corrego do Feijao iron ore operation in Brazil. CREDIT: VALE

step is to implement that.” In addition, Baker notes that the Standard contains strong requirements for community engagement. While there has been some criticism that the standard is voluntary, ICMM members have committed to becoming compliant with the Standard within three to five years. And Matthews says implementation is expected to spread well beyond the largest companies in the industry. “Now that we have a standard, you’re going to see us investors very clearly expecting companies to support it and confirm their implementation of it,” Matthews says. In fact, in December, UNEP and the PRI sent a letter to over 350 mining companies asking them to do just that and to set out a timeline for intended compliance. Matthews believes that even though the Standard is voluntary, it will still achieve results. “Where companies are not responsive, we’ll use engagement,” he says. “We’re very effective at it and there’s a very large number of investors making this ask. My suspicion is that the vast majority of companies will be responsive.” Global Tailings Portal The Global Tailings Portal, launched in January 2020 by GRIDArendal, is closely related to the Global Tailings Standard. The portal is a central place that houses information submitted to the Investor Mining and Tailings Safety Initiative (a group of institutional investors again led by the Church of England and Swedish Pension Funds), as part of a push for disclosure after Brumadinho. The portal currently has information supplied by 105 mining companies on 1,847 tailings facilities, including raise type, storage volume, construction year, maximum height, elevation, date of last independent review, and more. Until now, this information wasn’t disclosed by mining companies – let alone being centralized in one place. It was even surwww.canadianminingjournal.com

prisingly onerous for companies to gather, Baker says, a result of a siloed way of operating. While the portal, which is free to access at the GRID-Arendal website (tailing.grida.no) is a leap forward in and of itself, the plan is to ultimately align it with the Standard so that it becomes a mechanism for implementation of the Standard, Baker adds. A planned updated version of the portal will also allow companies to input their own data. One of the principles of the Standard is to develop plans and design criteria to minimize risk for all phases of a facility’s life cycle – including post-closure. Part of this involves determining the consequences of failure of a facility by assessing the size of the dam and the size of the downstream population. This information is also included in the portal. However, users should keep in mind that “consequence of failure” ratings, which vary from “low” to “extreme,” say nothing about the actual likelihood of failure. It’s also worth noting that with an estimated 18,000 tailings facilities around the world (of which aroud 3,500 are active), the data is far from complete, including very little data for facilities in China and Russia. Still to come The work on the Global Tailings Standard is very much still in progress. Still to come is a conformance protocol the ICMM is developing to outline how performance will be measured against the Standard. A new independent international body is also being established to oversee implementation of the code. One of the key recommendations of the Global Tailings Review and its independent chair, Bruno Oberle, the body is expected to be modelled on the Cyanide Code, and will be able to verify the Standard is being applied as intended. In December, UNEP, the PRI, and the Church of England and Swedish National Pension Funds announced a partnership to create this independent institute. “The Standard in and of itself is hugely important, but it needs to have that independent entity that can provide oversight,” Matthews said. “Equally, with any standard over time, it needs to evolve, and we want an entity that can own it, and drive that process.” Another important role for the institute will be to facilitate JANUARY 2021

the sharing of best practices within the industry, and to help ensure that the Standard goes beyond ICMM membership, Matthews added. Organizations such as the Mining Association of Canada (MAC) will also be looking to figure out equivalency for overlapping parts of their guidance and the new standard. Charles Dumaresq, MAC’s vice-president of science and environmental management notes the tailings component of MAC’s Toward Sustainable Mining Program (its Tailings Guide and its Operation, Maintenance and Surveillance Guide) in some ways goes beyond the requirements of the Global Standard. “With what we already have and our requirements in our guidance, I think our members will be very well posititioned to cover off all those aspects of the Standard that are focused on guidance and assigning responsibility at a senior level,” Dumaresq says. “Those kinds of things have been themes in TSM and the tailings component of it right from the beginning when the first tailings guide came out in 1998.” However, some of the engineering aspects that are covered in the Global Standard are outside the scope of MAC’s guidance (in Canada, that side is covered by the Canadian Dam Association), so some work will be required to figure out that piece in complying with the Standard, for MAC members who choose to do so. Investor engagement Beyond the establishment of international standards and their implementation, the biggest change of all since Brumadinho has been in investor awareness, engagement and interest. Dumaresq says investors and insurers are both asking miners for much more detail about their tailings management practices. “They’re asking companies questions that they’ve never or rarely gotten before – and now these questions are becoming the norm when having discussions about tailings from a risk management perspective in the context of insurance or from an investment perspective,” Dumaresq says. The trend towards greater investor engagement doesn’t end with tailings – as evidenced by investors pushing miners toward net zero carbon emissions commitments – and is only going to intensify going forward. From Matthews’ perspective, the tailings issue is a systemic risk that hasn’t been addressed on a sector-wide level. “Yes, there’s good practice, but it’s yet another issue where the sector hasn’t addressed a systemic problem,” he says. “As a result, some investors have potentially walked away from the sector because it’s too complicated and too risky.” But the mining sector’s importance to the transition to a low-carbon economy has meant that investors such as the Church of England can’t walk away, and instead have committed to engagement in order to press for miners to address those sector-wide, systemic risks. “That creates a basis for a very different relationship with your investors in the mining sector going forward where we need to take a much more long-term look at systemic risks together, codify best practice, standardize disclosure requirements – and really drive that performance to those standards,” Matthews says. “Investors can really line up behind that and I think that is ultimately where this will go beyond tailings.” CMJ CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL |

WATER MANAGEMENT

CLEAN WATER AT WHAT COST? A comparison of three common water management methods for reclamation By Scott Stebbins

hile many challenges exist as operators try to return a depleted mine site to nearly pre-development conditions, one aspect that continues to perplex is water quality management. While earthwork, revegetation, structure demolition and removal, and other similar tasks can be defined within a moderate range of reliability and certainty, the job of predicting, defining, and subsequently managing the quality of project site effluent continues to challenge operators. Containment, chemical treatment, filtration, or dilution are often the first line of defense, but to determine the proper approach without the benefit of predictive modelling can lead those charged with estimating anticipated costs at a loss. When evaluators attempt to estimate these costs, they soon realize the requirements can vary wildly from one site to the next and a catch-all approach probably will result in a significant under or overvaluation. The key to a reliable cost estimate lies in the details. RepreJANUARY 2021

The job of predicting, deďŹ ning, and subsequently managing the quality of project site efďŹ&#x201A;uent continues to challenge operators. sentative characterization of potential site discharge flow rates (based upon the maximum anticipated, not the average) and quality (pH along with any suspended particulates, dissolved deleterious elements, and a host of other properties) are needed to design the methods of treatment, the magnitude of the

CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

The former Berkeley Pit copper mine, now an environmental clean-up site, in Butte, Mont. CREDIT: ISTOCK/PHIL AUGUSTAVO CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL |

WATER MANAGEMENT required facilities, and extent of the consumables. Three of the more common, least expensive approaches that operators specify for treatment are land application discharge systems, anoxic limestone drains, and pulsed bed limestone reactors. But as should be apparent, each approach is used for different treatment requirements. Land application discharge methods are specified when there are no deleterious materials in the effluent and the problem is simply a matter of disposing of a fluid with non-toxic (but perhaps still detrimental to active surface flow) characteristics, such as turbidity. Anoxic limestone drains are used to control effluent pH, as are pulsed bed limestone reactors. The latter, however, works to increase the solubility of the limestone to handle highly acidic effluent. Land application discharge To estimate the construction costs of a land application discharge system is not so difficult. In essence, an evaluator needs to (based on the flow rate) determine the size and length of the pipeline (trunk line) through which the effluent flows to the discharge area, the sizes and lengths of the series of pipes used to distribute the effluent, the number of pressure regulators and diffusion nozzles or sprinklers, and the horsepower of the primary distribution pump. The calculations needed to establish the sizes and quantities of all these are well understood, so no special algorithms are required. For our work, the only slightly

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18 | CANADIAN

MINING JOURNAL

subjective assumption is the flow rate of the eﬄuent through the conduits, which we set at 4 ft. per second. As we estimate the costs of this approach, we include a mechanic to install the pump, construction workers to install the pipelines and associated dispersal equipment, and labourers to assist the mechanic and the construction workers. A mechanic is also provided to maintain the pump and to periodically monitor the installation over the specified period of operation. In addition to the time that mechanics spend installing the pump, we also assume that they spend about two hours per day monitoring and maintaining the system. Anoxic limestone drains The process of estimating the capital and operating costs for this system is more complex, but still manageable. With this approach, acid mine drainage is channelled through a trench filled with a bed of limestone and then is openly exposed to oxygen. As it flows through this bed, the fluid’s level of alkalinity is transformed to somewhere between 275 and 300 mg CaCO3/litre. The volume of the limestone required to achieve the target alkalinity can be estimated by the following (Hedin & Watzlaf 1994): M = ((Q × P × T) ÷ V) + ((Q × C × L) ÷ R) Where: M = Metric tons of limestone Q = Volume of flow in terms of cubic metres per day P = Bulk density of limestone in terms of tons per cubic metre T = Retention time in terms of days V = bulk void volume (limestone bed) – roughly 0.412 C = Alkalinity concentration in terms of tons CaCO3 per cubic metre L = Life of drain in days R = CaCO3 content of the limestone

A retention period of 15 hours and an initial effluent CaCO3 concentration of 50 mg/L are considered reasonable, and a limestone CaCO3 content of 82% is standard. The trench that must be excavated for this drain should be 1.25 times the volume of the limestone. Excess trench volume, which represents the layer above the emplaced limestone, is filled with a mixture of soils and bentonite. Costs for this approach all centre around system construction. Once it is commissioned, the system is considered passive, so operating costs are theoretically non-existent. Pulsed bed limestone Here, the calculations needed to estimate costs become much more complex. With this approach, effluent is pumped under pressure through a bed of finely crushed limestone in a carbon dioxide rich environment. In one of its more common configurations, the reactor consists of four limestone-bed pressure tanks in which the beds are alternately fluidized during the treatment process. In addition to the limestone tanks, a single carbonator pressure tank serves to facilitate absorption of carbon dioxide into the acidic drainage. Two additional tanks are then used to recharge and rinse limestone as the effluent either www.canadianminingjournal.com

Of note is the relatively flat cost increases of the land application discharge system from one flow rate to the next. This is attributable to the fact that construction cost increases are minor and that the driving cost factor is the labour required to maintain the system over the five years of operation, which is similar for each capacity. System Total Costs over 60 months (US dollars)

quent productivity) of the excavation machinery. While the above provides a very cursory glimpse into the costs of some water treatment options and into the task of estimating those costs, please be aware that the design of the treatment system is critical to the success of closure, and both the complexity and the associated costs of these systems can vary greatly. Here, we have examined only three of the simplest, least expensive approaches. CMJ n

Scott Stebbins, P.E., is president of Aventurine Mine Cost Engineering. He can be reached at aventsherp@aol.com. Data used in this article is available through Costmine at www.costmine.com. For a free trial of Costmineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Reclamation Cost Estimator, contact info@costmine.com.

Flow Rate (litres per minute)

Method

100

500

1,000

2,000

Land Application Discharge

$321,600 $332,100 $341,200 $419,100

Anoxic Limestone Drain

$68,800

$344,100

$688,200

$1,367,300

Pulsed Bed Limestone

$693,700

$941,600

$1,423,400

$2,488,700

enters or exits the system. Estimators must gauge the volume of each of these tanks, the horsepower of at least one transfer pump, and the capacity of a blower. To estimate the operating costs, evaluators need to provide a mechanic to maintain the pump and the blower, and to periodically monitor the plant. Evaluators must also determine the consumption rates of both the limestone and the carbon dioxide. How much will all this cost? While a comparison of the relative expenses associated with these three approaches is by necessity ignorant of much of the detail tied to the chemistry of the individual flows and to the system design parameters, the table above does provide some insight. Values above are courtesy of Costmineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Reclamation Cost Estimator. Of note is the relatively flat cost increases of the land application discharge system from one flow rate to the next. This is attributable to the fact that construction cost increases (due to increases in pipe diameters and pump capacities) are minor and that the driving cost factor is the labour required to maintain the system over the five years of operation, which is similar for each capacity. Also of note is the proportionality of the increases in costs of the anoxic limestone drain system. This system is passive, so there are no operating costs included in the above totals. Consequently, the construction cost is the only consideration and is proportional to the size of the system, which is in turn proportional to the anticipated flow rate. The only variable in the overall algorithm is the size (and subseJANUARY 2021

Environmental impacts are mitigated. Closure is planned from the start. Communities are bettered. Together we can create a legacy of value.

We thrive on challenges golder.com

CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL |

WATER MANAGEMENT

A question of

BALANCE By Kaj Jansson and Sakari Hiidenheimo

oday, the mining industry faces sociopolitical issues due to freshwater usage and the amount of pollution created. Simultaneously, the industry is facing operational challenges caused by water scarcity and quality around the world. To keep up with increasing metal demand and decreasing mineral content in the ore, the site capacities have been growing. In general, the lower the ore grade, the more water-intensive the extraction processes is. Higher metal demand has led to 5%-plus increases in water usage anually in the mining industry. In the future, over 50% of new mining investments will be located in high to extreme water-scarce areas. At the same time, water positive countries need to reduce the amount of 20 | CANADIAN

MINING JOURNAL

effluent generated. In both cases, the closure of process water loops seems to be the only answer to improve sociopolitical issues and secure the water needed for process operation. The sociopolitical stresses have created intense pressure to use water more efficiently in the mining industry. Furthermore, laws and environmental permits that restrict the use of water are tightening. Achieving a social licence to operate is more and more critical for mining companies. A multitude of challenges As the mining industry uses massive amounts of water for minerals processing, water scarcity and management of vast water volumes constitute risks for the companies. The mining industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s water cycle interconnects with the general hydrologic water cycle. In minerals

and metals processing water is used from seas, rivers, lakes and even groundwater. The level of water consumed is case and process-specific and varies greatly depending on factors such as climate, water quality, geology, ore mineralogy, mine management and practices. Due to this connection, rain, surface runoff, evaporation, infiltration and seepage all have a significant, unpredictable and often seasonal impact on the siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s water volumes and qualities. For example, tailings areas and water ponds are of particular interest as they are a tremendous and changing resource of contaminated water and interact significantly with the environment. Mining operations also drastically change sitesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; topographical and hydrological conditions. Mineralogy and water chemistry differ by location and by time. www.canadianminingjournal.com

I m a g e : i S t o c k i m g e s .c o m

Metso Outotec on how miners can achieve more sustainable water use

Pretium Water Advisor IIoT water management system offers the integration of online data needed for dynamic calculations. CREDIT: METSO OUTOTEC

Consequently, the entire site’s water balance management should be considered as a continuous process that deserves to be followed and updated throughout the whole mine life cycle. Water is an essential resource for the mining industry. Minerals and metals processing requires approximately 4 cubic metres of water per ton of ore. In theory, it is possible to decrease freshwater intake to 0.2 cubic metres of water per ton of ore. However, this means that the remaining 3.8 cubic metres of water required must come from recycled process water. Solutions where process effluents are reconnected directly to the freshwater inlet of the process can jeopardize the production capacity and product quality if done without a proper understanding of the amount and quality of water to be recirculated. New-generation water management solutions are needed To improve water efficiency and to reduce the impacts around the mine sites, Metso Outotec develops technologies that enable a higher degree of water recycling. We believe that this is the only solution for sustainable water usage in the future. New water management and tailings solutions decrease the overall usage of raw water and enable the use of different sources with various qualities. We aim to develop solutions that will allow closed water loops, where the required freshwater is only used to replace the water that evaporates to the sky, or fixed to the tailings sand as moisture, or removed with the final products. JANUARY 2021

New water management solutions recycle the process water before it enters the tailings ponds, increasing water recovery and hence decrease the need for freshwater intake. However, shortening of the water recycling process has some side effects in the quality of water. A solution is emerging Metso Outotec’s Pretium Water Advisor is a new IIoT-based water management system that helps the mining industry monitor the entire mine site’s water balance in real time. Metso Outotec’s HSC simulation software ticks in the hearth of the application, a design software used for mineral industry processes design since the 1970s. It covers multi-criteria value assessment requested by the industry. This assessment includes customer value, sustainability assessment and risk assessment. It is a real end-to-end application platform that connects monitoring stations, device management, data collection, data modelling, simulation and visualization and integrates them with cloud services. This application platform enables software-as-a-service and remote service type of business and enables the fastest way to provide water management expertise for remote mining locations (see Figure 1). The project has extended the current water balance modelling practices by integrating the dynamic production operations with the hydrological water cycle external to concentrator plants. It opens up a web portal based data management and reporting capabilities for different stakeholders to acquire up-

to-date reports that can be used for enviromental, process or investment purposes. The system also provides the industry with the possibility to create short-term forecasts for the site’s water volumes and water quality in different production and environmental conditions. Integration of online data with the dynamic modelling tools gives real-time visibility to the entire site’s water balance. Efficient history and status reporting and predictive scenario calculations based on dynamic models enhance operational decision-making. This enables better planning of investments and use of water resources in mining operations. In conclusion, Pretium Water Advisor was developed as a response to the common water management challenges in the mining industry, including the need to increase water recycling, fulfill environmental regulations and decrease effluent generation, minimize production losses and avoid product quality problems due to poor and fluctuating water qualities. It enables project operators to use mine sites’ water resources optimally, as a valuable raw material. Consequently, Metso Outotec can support the mining industry by responding to investors, authorities and sociopolitical pressures that force the industry to ensure sustainable, and acceptable mining CMJ operations. Kaj Jansson is head of Industrial Water Solutions, Metso Outotec, and Sakari Hiidenheimo is product manager, Industrial Water Plants. CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL |

SUPPLIED CONTENT

HYDROTECH MINING WE SELL DEWATERING

ater removal (dewatering) is critical for ensuring smooth operation in the mining industry. Is it possible to avoid headaches when facing this crucial situation? With its three locations from coast to coast, HydroTech Mining works with Canadian mining companies to resolve their water pumping issues and avoid unwanted and costly down-times, with their custom-made underground and open-pit dewatering solutions. Cheyne Poirier, President & Business Development Director at HydroTech Mining, sat down with the company’s Marketing Coordinator, Guillaume Samson, for a conversation highlighting how they can become your partner for managing mine dewatering and be a vital part in your operations success. GS: What is the mission of HTM? CP: HydroTech Mining’s mission is to provide the most comprehensive and durable mine dewatering solution on the Canadian market. Our business model is driven by collaboration—between our customers and HydroTech Mining’s team members. This approach helps customers to see the company as a partner, rather than a supplier. GS: What is the vision of HydroTech Mining? CP: We want to make HydroTech Mining an integrated, sustainable go-to solution for all mine dewatering needs in Canada and abroad. We offer integrated solutions that are designed with quality, durability, and environmental responsibility in mind, making sustainable development one of the company’s core values. GS: When was the company founded? CP: HydroTech Mining started operating in 2016, in Val-d’Or, QC. Back then,

we were mainly operating in Northern Quebec and Northeastern Ontario. Our managing team has more than 50 years of experience in the mining industry. GS: Why choose HydroTech Mining as a business partner? CP: With our diversified competencies and thorough knowledge of the market and existing products, we assure professionalism, promptness and efficiency towards our clients. Those are multiple reasons why many are turning to us to develop and carry out their projects. HydroTech Mining offers a rich array of skills and know-how acquired by people who understand your needs

and are committed to finding innovative dewatering solutions adapted to each context and built strong to remain effective throughout the life cycle of your operation. GS: What is the secret of your success? CP: Focusing on our clients’ needs. We personally approach every customer demand as unique and we custombuild our systems to your requirements. Our custom-made dewatering solutions are made with high-quality equipment and parts that will be cost-effective on the long run with their lowmaintenance costs. HydroTech Mining’s very experienced sales team is always

Far left top: Our TSU-1000/560S dewatering station in front of our head office in Val-d’Or, QC. Far left below: Portable mine skids (TSU-500 series) Left: Field service technicians are an ingredient in HydroTech Mining’s success recipe.

available (24/7 emergency calls) and determined to provide you the custommade solution you need, backed by our creative and expert engineering team. The technical team is well-trained to repair and adapt our products based on the challenges you face when you require dewatering products. GS: Can you describe us a solution that you offered to one of your clients and that was a real challenge? CP: We had a client who had a problem with a high volume of dirty water and needed to pump it with high head, so we designed and built a dewatering pump station to specifically tackle the problem. Our TSU-1000/560S dewatering station (pictured in front of our head office) was able to pump dirty water with a reliable and a low-cost method flow from 230m3/h (1,000 USGPM) and heads up to 560m (1,840 ft). GS: How are you perceived in the market? CP: Since the very start, HydroTech Mining Val-d’Or has been a key player in the dewatering sector in Quebec and Ontario. We have our own brand of submersible pumps and by responding to the market’s needs, our integrated pumping systems solved a lot of headaches for our clients when facing dirty water applications.

GS: Do you have any other locations outside Quebec? CP: Back in August, we opened our second HydroTech Mining location in Sudbury, to reinforce our presence in Ontario and give an even better service to our clients. As of November 1st, we have a third location in Kamloops to better serve the Western Canadian market. We have a joint-venture in Rankin Inlet with a Nunavut-based company, in order to respond to the demand of the Great North. GS: Do you have any clients on the international market? CP: Most of our clients are based in Canada, but we did a market penetration in Morocco in a major mining operation. We also supplied pumping solutions in Mexico. GS: Are there other locations planned in the future? CP: We are also finalizing details for our fourth location and first outside Canada in Chihuahua, Mexico. The COVID-19 pandemic slowed our US development, but we plan to open a fifth location in Western USA in the next 24 months. GS: Any leads on future product development?

CP: Our main goal is to continue to develop turn-key mine dewatering stations for our clients. The main advantage for the turn-key mine dewatering stations is that the system is built and tested before being delivered on-site, to reduce start-up time. We build plug-and-play setups to help our clients with occasional labor reduction. Most of the mine sites in the country are in remote locations, so having the equipment ready at arrival is beneficial in cost and time reduction. Plug the electricity and discharge pipe and they are ready to go! We can often start the system the same day that it was delivered. Even if our products can pump dirty water, eventually some solids will add up in their sumps and they will need to be cleaned up. This brings us to the water clarification solution that we will be offering in the near future. This will help our clients with the sump cleaning since it is a task that nobody likes to do. Using a scoop or another critical equipment to clean the sumps is common, so our solution will help to focus the equipment on ore production, and we’ll handle the sludge. GS: What is the long-term vision of the company? CP: “Where there is a mine, there’s HydroTech Mining”. It doesn’t matter where your mining project is located, your needs are generally the same around the globe. n

Cheyne Poirier is the President & Business Development Manager for HydroTech Mining, based in Val-d’Or, QC at the headquarters office. Guillaume Samson is the Marketing Coordinator for HydroTech Mining, based in Val-d’Or, QC, at the headquarters office.

http://www.hydrotechmining.com info@hydrotechmining.com

WATER MANAGEMENT

Moving mining with

MOBILE WATER TREATMENT Flexible and modular, plug-and-play mobile systems offer access to cutting-edge water treatment without stumping up the capital cost. By David Oliphant

or mining operations, effective water treatment is about more than meeting regulatory requirements and maintaining a social licence to operate. Choosing the right approach to water treatment can have a profound impact on a mine business. One increasingly attractive option for mining companies is the deployment of mobile water treatment technologies. Mobile water treatment technologies are pre-packaged on a trailer, skid or container allowing both highly mobile treatment and rapid deployment. Mobile assets are typically pre-engineered with â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;plug-and-playâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; connections, making transport to even remote sites relatively straightforward and allowing ease of installation. Veoliaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mobile Water Services, for example, offer an alternative to fixed plants for a wide range of mining and other industrial applications with flow rates of anything from 1 cubic metre/hour to 500 cubic metres/hour. Available as standardized modular systems, higher flow rates are easily achieved by adding further units.

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MINING JOURNAL

Often considered as a temporary or emergency solution where an existing plant has failed, mobile assets are also ideally suited to use during planned commissioning, refurbishment or maintenance projects and even for longer-term water treatment requirements, such as during decommissioning and site remediation. A wide range of treatment options are available, too. Processes including clarification, filtration, deionization, demineralization/ softening and metals removal are all possible from a mobile platform. For the mining sector, removal of metals and other materials that are toxic to aquatic life down to parts per billion levels are typically required as part of the regulatory process. Cutting capital costs For the junior mining sector in particular, one of the perennial challenges is the provision of capital. The nature of such a business means that when raising capital in the marketplace there is a strong focus on securing funding for revenue-generating equipment used in ore processing within the mill. With the focus of www.canadianminingjournal.com

JANUARY 2021

Flexible deployment The modular system also gives more scope to quickly scale treatment capacity as required in response to market changes. A wastewater treatment facility installed and based on an anticipated range of production scenarios could be insufficient if production at a site is significantly increased in response to changing commodity prices, for example. Mobile assets are able to supplement an existing system and help take up extra capacity as needed. It also gives operators the opportunity to assess the specific circumstances and determine the requirements or necessity for a long-term solution depending on their strategy. This approach is also a reflection of the often volatile nature of commodities markets. Particular mining developments may only have a lifespan of a decade or less, making permanent water treatment assets an unwieldy investment. The mobile solution may also suffice where a permanent plant may be considered a stranded investment at a mine which is in the process of being decommissioned. This also applies to the need for remediation at closed mine sites or elsewhere. For example, a derailment that led to an ore spillage at a site in northern Ontario saw metals begin to leach into the groundwater. However, this site was not only environmentally sensitive but also presented a significant challenge for access with only the narrow and congested railbed space available. Removal of TSS and metals such as copper, zinc and others saw the deployment of a complete turn-key mobile treatment system for several years. Featuring Actiflo units from Veolia for TSS CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

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he mining sector is facing a DarW delegates at the winian moment, first annual Technology and Innovation in Mining conference in Toronto heard in September. Just as species deal with changes in their climate, food sources or other circumstances, miners dealing with mounting cost, social and technical pressures must innovate if they want to survive, research group AMIRA International managing director Joe Cucuzza said. “If you look at Darwinian evolution, there are more species that go extinct than actually quickly adapt,” Cucuzza told the conference. “The point is that in our industry, we need to adapt quickly. COAL OUTLOOK: WOOD MACKENZIE SEES RAY OF HOPE / 4 Those that are slow to adapt, unfortunately, are going to go extinct.” The conference, organized by Dubai-

BY JOHN CUMMING jcumming@northernminer.com

Mining sector W forced to innovate

ith Canadians looking ahead to a federal election on Oct. 19, The Northern Miner submitted mining-related questions to the leaders of the four major political parties running across CanTECH CONFERENCE | New technology stokes productivity gains, but ‘no silver bullet’ ada. The following are the answers from the Liberal Party of Canada ELECTION 2015 | BY ALISHA HIYATE leader Justin Trudeau and Green Party Credibility and ahiyate@northernminer.com accountability are of Canada leader Elizabeth May and top concerns their parties: he mining sector is facing a DarThe Northern Miner: In recent years winian moment, delegates at the BY JOHN CUMMING first annual Technology and Injcumming@northernminer.com the federal has streamlined novation in Mining conferencegovernment in Toronto heard in September. environmental permitting for miners ith Canadians looking Just as species deal with changes in byfood trying tooravoid ahead to a federal election their climate, sources other duplicating provinon Oct. 19, The Northern circumstances, miners dealing with efforts. Do you support this apMiner submitted mining-related quesmounting cial cost, social and technical tions to the leaders of the four major pressures must innovate ifDoes they want to federal government proach? the political parties running across Cansurvive, research group AMIRA Interhave adirector unique role to play in avoiding ada. The following are the answers national managing Joe Cufrom the Liberal Party of Canada cuzza said. catastrophic tailings dam failures, such leader Justin Trudeau and Green Party “If you look at Darwinian evolution, of Canada leader Elizabeth May and there are more that go extinct as species the Mount Polley spill in B.C. in their parties: than actually quickly adapt,” Cucuzza 2014?“The point is that The Northern Miner: In recent years told the conference. the federal government has streamlined in our industry, we need to adapt quickly. Justin Trudeau/Liberal Party: The environmental permitting for miners Those that are slow to adapt, unfortuby trying to avoid duplicating provinnately, are going to go extinct.” Harper government has eroded the cial efforts. Do you support this apThe conference, organized by Dubaicredibility/ pg. of 2Canada’s environmental proach? Does the federal government See TECHNOLOGY have a unique role to play in avoiding reviews by narrowing their application, catastrophic tailings dam failures, such Autonomous haulage trucks on the move at Rio Tinto’s West Angelas iron ore mine in Australia’s Pilbara region. as the Mount Polley spill in B.C. in limiting public participation and slash2014? ing the capacity of the federal governJustin Trudeau/Liberal Party: The Harper government has eroded the ment to protect the environment. credibility of Canada’s environmental reviews by narrowing their application, They have ended over 50 years of limiting public participation and slashing the capacity of the federal governenvironmental oversight in Canada ment to protect the environment. by repealing the Canadian EnvironThey have ended over 50 years of environmental oversight in Canada mental Assessment Act so that the by repealing the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act so that the federal government can sidestep enfederal government can sidestep environmental reviews of potentially vironmental reviews of potentially harmful projects. harmful projects. Without public trust, Canada’s environmental assessment processes are Without public trust, Canada’s enincreasingly paralyzed. Not only are vironmental assessment processes are we not doing a good enough job at protecting our environment, we are increasingly paralyzed. Not only are not getting our resources to market. We need clear and efficient processes we not doing a good enough job at that have reasonable, evenhanded protecting our environment, we are rules, clear beginning and end points and decisions that can be relied on. not getting our resources to market. We will launch an immediate, public review of Canada’s environmental We need clear and efficient processes assessment processes. Based on this that have reasonable, evenhanded review, a Liberal government will rules, clear beginning and end points See ELECTION / pg. 3 and decisions that can be relied on. We will launch an immediate, pubCOAL OUTLOOK: WOOD MACKENZIE SEES RAY OF HOPE / 4 lic review of Canada’s environmental assessment processes. Based on this review, a Liberal government will

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Liberals, Greens Q&A on mining in Canada

ith Canadians looking ahead to a federal election on Oct. 19, The Northern Miner submitted mining-related questions to the leaders of the four major political parties running across Canada. The following are the answers from the Liberal Party of Canada leader Justin Trudeau and Green Party of Canada leader Elizabeth May and their parties: The Northern Miner: In recent years the federal government has streamlined environmental permitting for miners by trying to avoid duplicating provincial efforts. Do you support this approach? Does the federal government have a unique role to play in avoiding catastrophic tailings dam failures, such as the Mount Polley spill in B.C. in 2014? Justin Trudeau/Liberal Party: The Harper government has eroded the credibility of Canada’s environmental reviews by narrowing their application, limiting public participation and slashing the capacity of the federal government to protect the environment. They have ended over 50 years of environmental oversight in Canada by repealing the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act so that the federal government can sidestep environmental reviews of potentially harmful projects. Without public trust, Canada’s environmental assessment processes are increasingly paralyzed. Not only are we not doing a good enough job at protecting our environment, we are not getting our resources to market. We need clear and efficient processes that have reasonable, evenhanded rules, clear beginning and end points and decisions that can be relied on. We will launch an immediate, public review of Canada’s environmental assessment processes. Based on this review, a Liberal government will

Autonomous haulage trucks on the move at Rio Tinto’s West Angelas iron ore mine in Australia’s Pilbara region.

he mining sector is facing a Darwinian moment, delegates at the first annual Technology and Innovation in Mining conference in Toronto heard in September. Just as species deal with changes in their climate, food sources or other circumstances, miners dealing with mounting cost, social and technical pressures must innovate if they want to survive, research group AMIRA International managing director Joe Cucuzza said. “If you look at Darwinian evolution, there are more species that go extinct than actually quickly adapt,” Cucuzza told the conference. “The point is that in our industry, we need to adapt quickly. Those that are slow to adapt, unfortunately, are going to go extinct.” The conference, organized by Dubai-

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major capital purchases centered on the mill, capital expenditure for water treatment is more challenging. Mobile water treatment makes an attractive solution as it can be more easily financed through the operational expenditure budget on a month-by-month basis during the construction and developVeolia mobile ment phases. Once Actiflo unit. operations are sucCREDIT: VEOLIA cessfully generating income, investment in permanent water treatment facilities is more manageable. Another one of the key benefits associated with mobile water treatment is found in the regulatory approvals process. Mobile water treatment assets can provide important baseline data to support accelerated permitting. Operators are able to execute both mobile and permanent assets in parallel and by getting assets in place, it allows them to prove that the process is effective while mining operations are underway. Regulatory requirements related to mine water discharge are also becoming far more stringent in Canada and elsewhere. Tougher requirements for maximum total suspended solids (TSS), pH balance or the need to remove certain constituents such as ammonia, arsenic or other heavy metals means that water treatment technologies have also had to evolve and develop. As increasingly hard-to-treat wastewater demands have emerged, mobile technologies allow operators to establish and understand the process and the specific challenges associated with each application. This in turn supports the development of permanent onsite water treatment facilities. The capabilities of the mobile plug-and-play solution offers other potential benefits, too. For example, there is a role for mobile equipment at existing operational sites where conditions or requirements may potentially vary over time. Changes to a mine water balance can occur, there may be seasonal variations such as spring melt or where a tailings compound reaches a level where there is a risk of a breach. Earlier this year, for instance, a Vancouver-based mining company selected Veolia mobile technologies for a new wastewater treatment plant in order to meet strict regulations for discharges to the environment in Ontario’s Red Lake Mining district. Mobile assets for metals removal supplemented a permanent AnoxKaldnes (Veolia’s trademarked technology) moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) system for toxicity removal. Supplementing an existing system with mobile assets can also help draw down tailings water levels to give more free board in an impoundment area. As a result, mobile temporary solutions may also yield previously inaccessible resources. For example, dewatering a large pit may take several years. By installing high-volume temporary equipment, this process can be significantly accelerated.

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plant can be mobilized and operational in just weeks, whereas construction of permanent infrastructure typically requires a minimum of a year and in many cases much longer than that.

Remote access and speed of deployment One of the characteristics of mine sites is that they are frequently located in remote, hard to access areas. The physical challenges of such locations make developing permanent assets difficult and time consuming. Mobile assets are more easily transported to even the most remote locations and in the Canadian North and elsewhere, a relatively narrow weather window makes these capabilities advantageous. Able to treat large volumes of water with unique technologies that offer a small footprint is another big driver for mobile assets. For example, Pretium Resources awarded Veolia Water Technologies a contract for the Brucejack gold mine located northern British Columbia. Initially deployed to dewater the mine during the exploration phase, Pretium chose the mobile Actiflo system in response to the remote location 275 km northwest of Smithers. The mine can only be reached via a 12-km glacier. Minimizing TSS and heavy metals from their gold mine effluent while using as little land as possible, the system allowed construction operations to be developed during the almost two years needed to obtain all necessary environmental federal and provincial regulatory permits. Discrete containerized units mean that different modules can be up and running in a relatively short period. A mobile treatment

Making mobile water treatment the solution of choice In response to changing demands from regulators and operators, mobile water treatment technologies are also evolving. With physical and chemical separation for suspended solids, turbidity, hardness and metals removal, membrane separation and demineralization for total dissolved solids, specialty ion exchange and heavy metals removal, there are a host of existing mobile technologies available and new ones are emerging too. Certainly, effective water treatment is critical to mining operations and without it an extractive business can generate no revenue. But considering the business case for mobile water treatment assets, is it clear that there is far more scope than emergency short-term deployment. Indeed, mobile treatment is going from the crisis option to instead becoming the solution of choice from the start. With flexibility, speed of deployment and cutting-edge technologies, mobile treatment is a key part of the mining portfolio during exploration, development, operational and decommissioning phases of mine life. CMJ David Oliphant is vice-president of business development for heavy industry at Veolia Water Technologies North America and is based in Mississauga, Ont. He can be reached at david.oliphant@veolia.com.

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n 2018, the Canadian government put in place new Metal and Diamond Mining Effluent Regulations (MDMER) that stipulate a non-toxicity requirement related to un-ionized ammonia being discharged into Canada’s streams, rivers and lakes as of 2021. At the same time, more than 100km north of Sudbury, Ontario, a large expansion was being built at a major Canadian gold mine. This expansion created a water-balancing issue: the existing tailings and wastewater retention infrastructure would no longer be sufficient to allow the pond to discharge only in summer months. The combination of these factors caused the mine, with the help of Golder Engineering, to test whether in-ground SAGR beds developed by Winnipeg-headquartered biological wastewater treatment specialist Nexom would enable the site to treat and discharge the ammonia-rich tailings and site effluent year-round, even when the harsh northern Ontario winter would result in the water in the tailings pond falling to 1°C. COMPREHENSIVE TREATABILITY STUDY To ensure non-toxicity of the effluent and fully understand the kinetics of

the treatment process, including the breakdown of cyanide and cyanate, the mine worked with Nexom to perform a comprehensive treatability study of the site’s water, including the tailings pond. Dr. Pouria Jabari worked with researchers at the University of Manitoba, analyzing six treatment columns to establish design parameters for Nexom’s proprietary SAGR process which fully removes ammonia in wastewater, even when the water is below 1°C. Both low- and high-strength wastewater was treated with hydraulic retention times (HRTs) of 0.45, 1.20, and 2.40 days. In all six test environments: • “nitrification was fully achieved,” • “residual [thiocyanate] concentrations were below 2 mg-SCN-N L-1” • “Acute toxicity tests conducted on daphnia and trout revealed the effluent to be safe for direct discharge.” Thus the report’s authors concluded “the SAGR process is suitable for the treatment of gold mine effluent.” PROCESS IMPLEMENTATION With technology selection complete and an unprecedented understanding of treatment kinetics in hand, detailed

Under the snow in the foreground, this northern Ontario mine’s in-ground SAGR beds are removing ammonia and helping the mine meet its MDMER targets, even though the water is barely above freezing.

design and the actual SAGR construction happened under a compressed timeline. With the client managing construction and Nexom supplying process, hydraulics, piping, and SAGR bed designs, construction was able to begin in the cold of January. UPGRADED SYSTEM PERFORMANCE Since installation in 2018, the system has operated without incident and produced full compliance. Even in spite of significant loading variability intrinsic to any mining operation, the SAGR has allowed the site to achieve consistent nitrification through the cold of a northern Ontario winter, producing an average undiluted effluent ammonia that is less than half its MDMER-based effluent targets. n Tanner Devlin, Ph.D, is in Applications Engineering with Nexom in Winnipeg, MB. Eric Lannegrace, MBA, M.Env., is Managing Director of Montreal-based Minera Solutions, the exclusive Nexom representative to Canada’s mining industry.

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How the BC mineral exploration industry is leading through change By Kendra Johnson

he COVID-19 pandemic was a curveball and its impact will be felt for the foreseeable future. Faced with an unrelenting surge of new COVID-19 cases in late November, the new B.C. government is faced with a lot of hard questions: how can we financially support a continued strong response? What does our economic recovery look like? Are we able to look past recovery to innovate and move toward a greener future? For every challenge this global pandemic has created, there are just as many opportunities to lead through the change, which is the theme of this January’s AME Remote Roundup conference. Now more than ever, it is critical our mineral exploration sector remains globally competitive. This past year proved something we in the mineral exploration industry already knew: mineral exploration is a resilient and essential industry. While other sectors saw lockdowns and layoffs, exploration projects proceeded with relative ease because the very essence of mineral exploration is remote and physically distant. Health and safety are paramount at every exploration camp, so pandemic protocols became just another important layer in protecting everyone’s health and safety in the field. Discovery and the development of mineral and metal projects are essential to supporting the supply of critical materials needed for everyday life, helping us stay healthy and connected. For example, copper – a mineral found in abundance in B.C. – is being used to reduce unwanted microbes on surfaces. Scientific studies have found that the COVID-19 virus survives for less than four hours on copper surfaces, compared to up to three days on plastic and stainless steel. As a result, copper-coated handrails are becoming increasingly prevalent. Vancouver General Hospital installed copper-infused countertops and Teck recently conducted a copper surface pilot project with TransLink, installing copper surfaces at high-touch points on board SkyTrains and buses. Furthermore, as governments and the public place emphasis on a greener future, copper will play a more significant role. A low-carbon future with electric vehicles and green power makes copper an increasingly more important critical metal. Copper and gold have been the most important metals for B.C. throughout the past century and they continue to be today. Now is absolutely our time to realize the immense opportunity to support a prosperous future by actively exploring in all corners of this well-endowed province, welcome innovative and sustainable development and deliver to meet local and global demand. JANUARY 2021

In 2020, copper hit a seven-year high, rising roughly 25% in the first leg of a bull market that could carry prices to record highs. It was boosted by supply disruptions and hopes for a wave of “green” economic stimulus. Gold investment vehicles also experienced robust inflows over the year as a safe haven asset. After years of gold explorers struggling to raise capital, B.C. explorers are now poised to benefit on the renewed interest in gold by investors. These companies are raising capital from around the world, to spend in our province. B.C. mineral explorers have raised nearly $350 million in 2020 – one of the highest years on record in real dollars raised for mineral exploration. Almost all of this is being spent within the province, employing people in labs, accounting, legal and engineering firms, and in various local service and supply companies in all regions of the province, benefiting the economies of all 215 local communities throughout B.C. B.C. is a centre of excellence for mineral exploration. And we’re looking forward to working closely with Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation, Bruce Ralston and the government led by Premier John Horgan. In particular, we look forward to working collaboratively to achieve our objectives for Budget 2021, including: fiscal incentives; creating an investment fund with a mandate of investing in homegrown mineral exploration companies that are operating in B.C.; funding for public geoscience, and; encouraging a regulatory regime that safely expedites the issuance of permits for low-impact exploration. We are also eager to facilitate conversations between government officials and the mineral exploration industry at our upcoming Remote Roundup conference this January, where we will set the mining trends for the year ahead. Our must-attend conference, happening January 18th to 22nd, is also leading through change. We’re presenting content in a virtual format that is relevant to the on-the-ground realities of today, delivered by high-calibre speakers, with engaging exhibitors and interactive short courses. We look forward to welcoming you, along with over 6,000 geoscientists, technical experts, prospectors, suppliers, governments and Indigenous partners from around the world. We’ll virtually gather to network, share knowledge, and stay on the forefront of the innovative advancements in mineral CMJ exploration that will define 2021. KENDRA JOHNSON is the president and CEO of the B.C.-based Association for Mineral Exploration (AME). CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL |

BC & YUKON

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WEST A look at the next crop of potential mines in BC & the Yukon By CMJ Staff

In our annual look at up-and-coming projects in Canada’s West, CMJ is zeroing on advanced feasibility and permitting-level mining projects in British Columbia and the Yukon that have a good shot at near-term production. For now, we’ve left advanced projects that have recently taken steps back from feasibility level to an earlier stage – such as Newmont’s Coffee gold project in the Yukon, now at the prefeasibility stage, and Western Copper and Gold’s Casino copper-gold project, also in the Yukon and now at the PEA stage – off the list. What follows is a summary of seven advanced projects in B.C. and Yukon that, with the help of supportive precious and base metals prices, have shown recent momentum. 30 | CANADIAN

MINING JOURNAL

KENO HILL – YUKON

Underground mine production began last year at Keno Hill. CREDIT: ALEXCO RESOURCE

Alexco Resource’s Keno Hill silver mine in the Yukon is the most advanced project on our list, ramping up towards full production in the first quarter of 2021. The company, which rewww.canadianminingjournal.com

ceived a water licence for Keno Hill in July, produced first concentrate at the site, 350 km north of Whitehorse, in November. The 233-sq.-km project consists of four deposits that will be mined sequentially via cut-and-fill and longhole stoping methods, including Flame & Moth, Bermingham, Lucky Queen, and the past-producing Bellekeno mine – the initial source of ore at Keno Kill. With an eight-year mine life, Keno Hill is expected to produce an average of 4 million oz. of silver per year. Production has begun at a rate of 400 t/d, but Alexco plans to expand the mill to 550 t/d in the third year of operations. Alexco originally put Bellekeno into production in 2011. Operations at the low-tonnage underground mine were suspended after silver prices fell in 2013. The existing infrastructure made for a very low capex project. A 2019 prefeasibility pegged the development’s initial capital cost, including a new water treatment plant for Bermingham, at $23.2 million. Using a silver price of US$15.75 per oz. for the first two years, and US$18.25 per oz. for the remainder of the mine life, the study projected Keno Hill’s after-tax net present value (NPV) at $101.3 million (at a 5% discount rate) and its internal rate of return at 74.2%. Proven and probable reserves at the project total 1.2 million tonnes at a diluted grade of 804 g/t silver, 2.98% lead, 4.13% JANUARY 2021

Alexco Resource’s Keno Hill silver project in the Yukon. CREDIT: ALEXCO RESOURCE

zinc and 0.34 g/t gold for 30.5 million contained oz. of silver. Alexco holds the majority of the historic Keno Hill district, one of the highest-grade silver districts in the world, with historic production of more than 214 million oz. silver. The company’s environmental services arm, Alexco Environmental Group, has a contract with the federal government to conduct reclamation activities in the Keno Hill district, while also being able to mine historic and newly discovered deposits.

BLACKWATER – B.C.

After acquiring the Blackwater gold project in central B.C. from New Gold in August 2020, Artemis Gold is aiming to put the asset into production in 2024. In August, the developer released the results of an updated prefeasibility study on the project, with a staged development approach. The proposed 23-year open pit operation first includes a five-year phase at a throughput of 5 million tonnes per year, increasing to 12 million tonnes a year for the next five years, before ramping up to 20 million tonnes annually for the CONTINUED ON PAGE 32

CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL |

BC & YUKON

Artemis Gold’s Blackwater project in central B.C. CREDIT: ARTEMIS GOLD

remainder of mine life. In the first stage, Blackwater would generate an average of 248,000 gold oz. a year, at all-in sustaining costs of $668 per oz., increasing to 420,000 oz. annually at all-in sustaining costs (AISCs) of $696 per oz. for the following five years, and then generate 316,000 oz. annually at AISCs of $911 per oz. over its remaining life. The initial capital cost estimate stands at $592 million. The

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MINING JOURNAL

after-tax net present value estimate for the project comes in at $2.3 billion, at a 5% discount rate, based on US$1,541 per oz. gold and US$19.6 per oz. silver. Artemis is targeting a higher-grade starter zone (grading approximately 1.5 g/t gold) for the first seven years of mine life. In November, the company started a 35,000-metre grade control drilling program at the site, focused on mineralization scheduled for the first year of production. The program aims to optimize the first-year mine schedule, increase the data density and more accurately define ore and waste boundaries. Blackwater reserves total 334 million tonnes, grading 0.75 g/t gold and 5.8 g/t silver – or 0.78 g/t gold-equivalent – and contain 8 million gold oz. and 62.1 million oz. of silver. The deposit remains open and lies within a 1,500-sq.-km land package. Artemis is aiming to deliver a definitive feasibility study for Blackwater by the middle of next year, which would be followed by construction starting in the second quarter of 2022.

PREMIER – B.C.

The Silver Hill prospect at Ascot Resources’ Premier gold project in B.C.’s Golden Triangle. CREDIT: ASCOT RESOURCES

Ascot Resources is working to restart the Premier gold project in B.C.’s Golden Triangle, 25 km from Stewart. The 81.3-sq.-km site includes the Premier, Silver Coin and Big Missouri deposits. Ascot also holds the Red Mountain project, 23 km southwest, with an underground deposit. There is an existing mill, tailings facility and water treatment plant at the Premier project. A feasibility study from April 2020 on a development of both the Premier and Red Mountain projects suggests four underground mines across the two sites. The study outlines a restart of the Premier mill at 2,500 t/d, to support an eight-year mining operation producing an average of 132,375 oz. of gold and 370,500 oz. of silver annually at all-in sustaining costs of US$769 per oz. With an initial capital cost estimate of $146.6 million, the net present value for the project, at a 5% discount rate, stands at $341 million with a 51% internal rate of return. www.canadianminingjournal.com

In December, Ascot closed a US$105-million project financing package with Sprott Private Resource Lending and Beedie Investments for the development of Premier and to repay existing outstanding convertible notes. The package includes a US$80-million senior credit facility and a US$25-million subordinated convertible facility. In June, the company started a 15,000-metre exploration program at Premier and Red Mountain. By September, Ascot announced the discovery of a new, high-grade zone of gold mineralization, the Day zone, at Premier, 5 km north of the mill. Measured and indicated resources at Premier and Red Mountain total 7.3 million tonnes grading 7.85 g/t gold and 29 g/t silver for a total of 1.8 million oz. of gold and 6.8 million oz. of silver. Additional inferred resources across the two sites stand at 5.5 million tonnes at 7.11 g/t gold and 27.1 g/t silver, for a further 1.3 million gold oz. and 4.8 million oz. of silver. The Premier mine produced 2 million oz. of gold and 45 million oz. of silver between 1918 and 1952.

velopment comes in at US$617 million, based on a 7% discount rate, with a 45.9% internal rate of return. The concentrates would be hauled to the port of Stewart for export to Asia. BMC is in discussions with multiple potential offtake parties. In October, the Yukon Environmental and Socio-Economic Assessment Board (YESAB) recommended that the project proceed, which allows BMC to go ahead with the permitting process. Detailed engineering is expected to start in early 2021. With an expected construction period of 20 months, BMC expects first production from the project in late 2023. U.K.-based BMC acquired KZK from Teck in 2015. BMC holds a 100% interest in the 159-sq.-km property. Total open pit and underground reserves at ABM stand at 15.7 million tonnes at 138 g/t silver, 1.3 g/t gold, 5.8% zinc, 0.9% copper and 1.7% lead.

ABM – Yukon

Centerra Gold acquired the Kemess Underground project in north-central B.C. with its purchase of AuRico Metals in early 2018. Federal approval for the project, 250 km north of Smithers, was granted in 2017 with certain conditions attached. However, Centerra hasn’t yet made the decision to proceed with construction and now appears to be considering a high-

KEMESS UNDERGROUND – B.C.

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GOLD, COPPER, COBALT

The Kudz Ze Kayah (KZK) exploration camp in the Yukon. CREDIT: BMC MINERALS

Privately held BMC Minerals is working to develop the Kudz Ze Kayah (KZK) project in south central Yukon, 25 km west of Yukon Zinc’s Wolverine mine and 115 km southeast of Ross River. The road-accessible project is centred on the ABM silver-dominant deposit and also includes the Wolf deposit. An all-season road also runs from KZK to port facilities in Stewart, B.C. In November, the company announced the results of an updated feasibility study for KZK, which outlined a predominantly open pit operation, mining the ABM and Krakatoa zones within the ABM volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) deposit. Based on the latest study, the 2-million-tonne-per-year operation would have a nine-year life and produce an average of 7.8 million oz. of silver, 56,500 oz. of gold, 235 million lb. of zinc, 32 million lb. of copper and 56 million lb. of lead each year in concentrate during steady-state operations. With all-in sustaining costs estimated at negative US$15.92 per silver oz. (net of byproduct credits) and US$376 million in preproduction capital, the after-tax net present value estimate for the deJANUARY 2021

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CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL |

BC & YUKON

Infrastructure at Centerra Gold’s Kemess property in B.C.’s Northern Interior.

The camp at Kutcho Copper’s Kutcho project in northwestern B.C.

CREDIT: CENTERRA GOLD

CREDIT: KUTCHO COPPER

er-throughput, shorter-life development option for the project. Centerra submitted some proposed changes to the project to the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada in November 2019, including an increase in the production capacity, modification to the tailings storage facility, and an increase in truck traffic. The changes are part of a proposal to increase production to 37,500 t/d from 25,000 t/d at the project, resulting in a reduced mine life of 11 years compared with 13 previously. The Impact Assessment Agency has reviewed Centerra’s proposal and made minor changes to the project approval conditions that were open for public comment until September 2020. A 2016 feasibility study by AuRico Metals pegged preproduction development costs for Kemess Underground at $603 million. The project could produce 105,000 oz. gold and 44 million lb. copper per year over a 12-year mine life using block caving methods. Centerra’s Kemess property hosts the past producing Kemess South open pit mine (1998-2011); Kemess Underground, which is 6.5 km north of the existing processing plant and infrastructure; and Kemess East, which was evaluated as a panel caving operation in a 2017 preliminary economic assessment by AuRico.

onsite and trucked to the port at Stewart for shipping. The prefeasibility study projected the development’s after-tax net present value (at an 8% discount rate) at $265 million and its internal rate of return of 27.6%. Notably, the positive economics were based on metal prices of US$2.75 per lb. copper, US$1.10 per lb. zinc, US$17 per oz. silver, US$1,250 per oz. gold, and an exchange rate of US75¢ per dollar. Kutcho consists of the Main, Esso and Sumac volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) deposits. Together, they hold measured and indicated resources (last updated in 2019) totalling 17.3 million tonnes grading 1.85% copper, 2.72% zinc, 0.49 g/t gold and 33.9 g/t silver. Inferred resources add 10.7 million tonnes grading 1.18% copper, 1.76% zinc, 0.26 g/t gold and 21.5 g/t silver. Recent metallurgical work has pointed to improved recoveries of up to 96.4% for copper, 82.9% for silver and 70.4% for gold. In September 2019, the company filed a project description for Kutcho and kicked off the provincial Environmental Assessment process.

KUTCHO – B.C.

Kutcho Copper began a feasibility study on its high-grade copper-zinc Kutcho project in northwestern B.C., 100 km east of Dease Lake, in November. The company cited the rising copper price and the wider trend towards electrification in its decision to move forward with the study, which should be complete in the second quarter of 2021. The Vancouver-based junior acquired the project from Capstone Mining in late 2017. The feasibility study will build on a 2017 prefeasibility study that outlined a 2,500 t/d underground operation at Kutcho with a 12-year mine life and a low initial capital cost of $221 million. Average annual production was forecast at 33 million lb. of copper and 42 million lb. of zinc. Concentrate would be produced 34 | CANADIAN

MINING JOURNAL

CARIBOO – B.C.

Newly launched Osisko Development Corp.’s flagship asset is the Cariboo gold project, near Wells, B.C. The company – a spinout from Osisko Gold Royalties – is working on a feasibility study for the project that’s expected to be completed in the second half of 2021. After completing a reverse takeover transaction, Osisko Development began trading in early December. Sean Roosen has transitioned from CEO of Osisko Royalties to lead the new company. The royalty company acquired Barkerville in late 2019. After the Cariboo feasibility study is completed next year, Osisko expects full permits to follow in 2022, followed by a relatively short construction period, given the existing infrastructure at the brownfield site, including the permitted 1,000 t/d QR mill, 120 km km by road from Wells. CONTINUED ON PAGE 39

www.canadianminingjournal.com

DUST CONTROL

A DUST-BUSTING

solution for underground mines By Alisha Hiyate

or most underground mines, water is the go-to method for dust control. It makes sense – why would any underground mine operator pay for dust control products when water is free? That’s a good question, and one that Midwest Industrial Supply’s Dan Carpenter is happy to answer. “With water, we almost assume that there’s no cost to it. Everybody says that watering is free,” says Carpenter, senior technical sales and application specialist with Midwest. However, because water evaporates quickly, some mines spray it six times a day or more, adding up to significant labour and equipment costs over a year. “You start calculating the hidden costs associated with water and the next thing you know, it’s a big number. It’s not free.” (In fact, in a case study on one under-

JANUARY 2021

ground base metals mine in the western U.S., Midwest found that using water for dust control cost the operation $642,000 annually.) Not only that, but water can cause problems, especially in cases where it needs to be applied frequently. In those cases, water can cause deterioration of roads, and subsequently, increase maintenance and labour costs. And alternative dust control products – for example, magnesium chloride, or products containing lignin sulphide – may be cheap, but they’re not necessarily effective. Midwest’s search for a better dust control solution has led to the development of its latest product, the MineKleen Underground Mine Dust Control System. The Canton, Ohio-based company, which has a 45-year long history of researching,

Midwest Industrial Supply’s MineKleen Underground Mine Dust Control System. CREDIT: MIDWEST INDUSTRIAL SUPPLY

developing and improving dust control products, believes the solution can save mines on labour, productivity and even maintenance costs. Building on Midwest’s existing EnviroKleen dust control product, which was originally developed for above ground dust control, MineKleen has been tailored to the underground environment. The MineKleen system, launched in September, includes both a synthetic fluid that has a unique binding agent and an anti-mould biocide in it, and a sprayer that ensures effective and efficient application. The product contains no water, is environmentally safe and non-hazardous, and

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CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL |

DUST CONTROL has proven to be long-lasting. The binder in it also strengthens roads, rather than deteriorating them like water does. In addition, the binder helps keep dust in place – a much-needed feature in an underground environment where the ventilation system can keep dust moving around or even suspended in the air. Compared with the original EnviroKleen product (which also had a binder), the MineKleen Plus formulation can reduce the number of applications by as much as 50%. As proper application of the product is key to its performance, Midwest has also put a lot of work into its proprietary MineKleen Sprayer – a more sophisticated and upgraded version of its existing E-Sprayer equipment. In a case study comparing MineKleen Plus with a generic lignin sulphide dust control product, MineKleen Plus was shown to reduce dust by 95%, costs by 35% and annual man hours spent on dust control by 73% to 133 hours per year. The mine was able to reduce applications to two per month for roads and once every two to three months for mine ribs and backs. The reduced time spent on dust control freed up manpower for other tasks and vastly reduced the impact of dust control efforts on production, increasing efficiency. Midwest also offers MineKleen Basic,

an oil-based product that’s more comparable with what its competitors’ offer and doesn’t have a binder. The company so far has five clients in Canada using MineKleen, with several other clients using its previous product, EnviroKleen. MineKleen development The MineKleen system was developed as a response to the real needs of underground mines. Colin Shaw, a mine engineer who now works as a project manager/consulting engineer with Nordmin Engineering, is a former client of Midwest who helped out with the development of MineKleen. “They’re pretty much my first call whenever I have any questions for dust control,” Shaw says. While working at an underground mine in the western U.S., Shaw found the existing lignin sulphide dust control product that was being used was not only ineffective for dust, but was causing issues with maintenance and safety. “The road was so hard from the lignin sulphide product, it would run off into the ditches and drain out. We were putting product on 4-6 times a shift, running 24/7, 12-hour shifts.” In addition, while the roads remained wet from product application, they would be very slippery – like “driving on snot,”

Shaw says. “We were already having a dust problem. What really made us motivated to do something about it was the safety issue.” That’s when Shaw called up Midwest senior sales representative Lynn Edwards for help. While safety on the roads was primary, Edwards also recognized Midwest could help with a maintenance issue the company was having on the haulage level of the mine, where constant traffic of fully loaded 80-tonne trucks was driving deep ruts into the road. “We had to scrape and grade the roads on the entire haulage level every three days because the ruts were getting too deep,” Shaw says. Because MineKleen Plus has a binder in it, it actually strengthened the road. That allowed the company to go 11 days without maintenance, aligning it with the standard rotation for doing preventive maintenance on the crusher. This allowed for additional labor to be reallocated towards other projects, a big plus for the mine. That example shows what Midwest is really about, says Carpenter. “We pride ourselves on problem solving more than dust control,” he says. “We’re always looking to stay ahead of the curve, looking at new technologies, new chemistries and applications for existing CMJ chemistries.”

The MineKleen system in use.

The MineKleen system consists of the MineKleen Plus synthetic fluid, which contains a binding agent to keep dust in place and anti-mould biocide, and a sprayer designed for effective and efficient product application.

CREDIT: MIDWEST INDUSTRIAL SUPPLY

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www.canadianminingjournal.com

PUMPS

Raising the bar on

GIW Industries Inc. has developed some of the largest centrifugal slurry pumps for hard rock mining, dredging and the oilsands industry. CREDIT: KSB GROUP

PUMPS

KSB explains how its MDX slurry pump for mill circuits delivers increased reliability and wear life By Bryan Orchard

t is widely recognized within the pump industry that the extraction of minerals from rock places the greatest demands on fluid handling equipment. Not only must pumps contend with aggressive slurries and ever-changing working conditions that cause aggressive and excessive wear, they have to deliver the highest levels of reliability. As a consequence, manufacturers have responded by designing highly specialized, heavy duty slurry pumps capable of reducing downtime, lowering the total cost of ownership and delivering increased efficiency.

JANUARY 2021

The slurry diverter, which has been patented by KSB, signiďŹ cantly extends the average service life of the MDX pump while processing the same amount of ore. Mining is not an industry that pump companies can simply dabble in opportunistically; they need be fully committed to it. This commitment begins with research and development that drives the continuous improvement of pump and material

technology, introduces new technology like artificial intelligence, machine learning and remote sensing, and improves the manufacturability of complex parts. Reputable pump companies provide specialized pumps for various applications such as SAG and ball-mill circuits, mill discharge, cyclone feed and screen pumping, hydro-transport and tailings booster stations. The onus is, therefore, on the pump manufacturer to have the expertise in hydraulic design, mechanical design, wear technology and materials technology to provide the best and most

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CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL |

PUMPS Some of the important features of the MDX slurry pump for mill circuits are a lower specific speed design, a slurry diverter, a range of high chrome white irons and multiple suction liner configurations. CREDIT: KSB GROUP

reliable products for transporting slurry. Furthermore, they should be willing and able to collaborate with their customers over the entire lifecycle of the pumps to extract the best performance and value for money. Aggressive slurries demand heavy-duty slurry pumps. “While no two slurries are the same, all slurries place extreme demands on pumps,” says Jonathan Samuel, vice-president, sales and marketing, for KSB in hard rock mining. “Slurry pumps used for solids transport have to move a variable composition of rocks, sands and chemicals. Under such abrasive and corrosive conditions, pump parts can wear out very quickly. When pump parts wear out before planned outages, the entire production process comes to a grinding halt, resulting in exorbitant costs and production losses. That means reliability is essential in any slurry transport system.” The KSB Group has been serving the mining industry for the best part of 130 years and today it is active in mining operations around the world. The headquarters of its mining operation are at its GIW Industries plant in Grovetown, Georgia, and it is here where over many years some of the largest centrifugal slurry pumps for 38 | CANADIAN

MINING JOURNAL

To a large extent, the most extreme duty conditions in hard rock mining are found in the mill circuit and these impose considerable demands on pumps. The highly aggressive nature and density of the slurry being pumped can result in early wear on components, leading to failure and expensive mill downtime.

hard rock mining, dredging and the oilsands industry have been designed, tested and manufactured. GIW makes a wide range of slurry pumps in a variety of materials for every application in mining. In addition to slurry pumps, the KSB Group’s portfolio includes a wide variety of process pumps that are suitable for the myriad non-slurry applications found in mines and minerals processing facilities. Submersible bore well pumps, vertical turbine pumps, horizontal split case pumps, multi-stage high-pressure pumps, single stage horizontal pumps and more.

Hard rock experience To a large extent, the most extreme duty conditions in hard rock mining are found in the mill circuit and these impose considerable demands on pumps. The highly aggressive nature and density of the slurry being pumped can result in early wear on components, leading to failure and expensive mill downtime. This means that the pump design and materials have to withstand solids-laden slurries, deliver reliability and give long wear life. It is essential that the slurry passes through the pump with the minimum amount of wear to the pump casing, liners, impeller and shaft sealing mechanism. Furthermore, they must be capable of delivering high flows and withstanding harsh operating environments. By introducing features that address these issues, it becomes possible to create a head/quantity and efficiency curve critical for efficient mill operation. This means that productivity is maximized and operating costs minimized as the pump is matched to operating cycle times with mill outages. Some of the important features that KSB offers in its MDX slurry pump for mill circuits are a lower specific speed design, a slurry diverter, a range of high chrome white irons and multiple suction liner configurations. MDX pump development A large diameter impeller allows for slower pump operation and this extends the wear life of wet-end parts, even under variable flow conditions. A slurry diverter dramatically increases suction liner life by reducing particle recirculation between the impeller and the liner. “The diverter is based on the theory that if particles can be excluded from the nose gap, wear life is enhanced,” explains Jonathan Samuel. “Research has shown that internal velocity and pressure gradients between the impeller shroud and the suction liner can allow particles to migrate toward the suction eye. These solids contribute to the wear-induced degradation of the gap between the suction liner and the impeller. As this gap grows, wear rates increase and pump efficiency is reduced.” Laboratory tests undertaken at the GIW plant verified the particle flow and this led to the development of different solutions www.canadianminingjournal.com

to counter it. By ‘diverting’ particles away from the pump’s suction liner, their flow direction can be reversed. The result is the slurry diverter, which has been patented by KSB, and significantly extends the average service life of the MDX pump while processing the same amount of ore. Running at slower speeds and the development of the slurry diverter are not the only elements that provide the MDX pump with the capabilities to combat wear. The patented design of the impeller inlet allows both liquid and solid phases within the slurry. Minimizing aggressive particle impingement by giving the pump a deep base circle delivers a sliding wear that reduces abrasion. Oversized shrouds result in enhanced vane performance by providing an added clearing action that reduces recirculation and wear between the impeller and the suction liner. The

N E X T IN

suction liner is adjustable, enabling the user to maintain a tight nose gap thereby extending wear life and maximizing productivity. This is of immense value to the plant operator as it minimizes costs by matching operating cycle times with scheduled mill outages. Thicker cross-sections of the wet end parts enable the MDX pumps to offer long and reliable pump life. GIW also offers several configurations of Suction Liner design to combat wear caused by velocity issues. GIW’s commitment to materials R&D has led to the development of a range of high chrome white irons that offer customers multiple options depending on their ore characteristics, operational philosophy and production goals. “The MDX has an established and successful position globally for mill discharge pumps, e.g., in SAG mill, ball mill dis-

charge, cyclone feed and screen feed application,” Samuel says. “It is more than capable of delivering flows of up to 14,000 m³/h, heads of 45m at slurry densities in excess of 1.65.” What customers in hard rock mining are looking for is a pump that is capable of operating over a wide range of duty conditions while still delivering maximum throughput at the lowest cost. Now having built up a wide international installation base for the MDX, KSB is seeking to meet and exceed these demanding expectations. CMJ Bryan Orchard is an independent technical author and journalist who has been working in the global pumps and valves industry for over three decades. This article was supplied by GIW Industries. For further information visit www.giwindustries.com or www.ksb.com.

T H E W E S T , continued from page 34

Now planning and permitting for a larger, 4,750 t/d operation, Osisko has updated the initial cost estimate to $440 million (US$337.2 million). The company also plans to apply for a permit amendment to increase throughput to 6,000 t/d following construction and ramp-up of the operation.

Osisko Development Corp.’s Cariboo project in east-central B.C. CREDIT: OSISKO DEVELOPMENT CORP.

A 2019 preliminary economic assessment by Barkerville Gold Mines outlined a US$305.5-million, 4,000 t/d underground operation at Cariboo that could produce 185,000 oz. gold per year for 11 years. At a 5% discount rate, the PEA forecast the project’s after-tax NPV at $541.1 million and its IRR at 28.1%. Now planning and permitting for a larger, 4,750 t/d operation, Osisko has updated the initial cost estimate to $440 million (US$337.2 million). The company also plans to apply for a permit amendment to increase throughput to 6,000 t/d following construction and ramp-up of the operation. The company, which holds 2,017 sq. km in the historic minJANUARY 2021

ing district, has also stressed that it sees Cariboo as a mining camp, rather than a single project. There are currently eight drill rigs at site conducting a 40,000-metre drill campaign that was started earlier this year (with three drill rigs) by Osisko Gold Royalties. In October 2020, Osisko updated the Cariboo resource to 3.2 million oz. gold in measured and indicated resources totalling 21.4 million tonnes grading 4.6 g/t gold. Inferred resources add 2.7 million oz. in 21.6 million tonnes grading 3.9 g/t gold. Before Cariboo is developed, Osisko is targeting small-scale production from its nearby Bonanza Ledge II project in the first quarter of 2021. The project, which is currently in the permitting and construction phase, is expected to produce 62,000 oz. gold over its first two years of operation. It holds measured and indicated resources of 1.9 million tonnes grading 4.4 g/t gold for 271,000 oz., plus an inferred resource of 2.4 million tonnes grading 3.1 g/t gold for 241,000 oz. CMJ CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL |

JANUARY 2021 | VOLUME 2 | ISSUE 1

ON THE MOVE

Canadian Mining Journal January 2021

Articles inside

Cleaning up tailings standards: Why this time really is different

Moving mining with mobile water treatment

Metso Outotec on how miners can achieve more sustainable water use

From 'pushback' to pushing ahead

A look at some of the advanced mineral projects in B.C. and the Yukon with near-term production potential

How the BC mineral exploration industry is leading through change

Midwest Industrial Supply offers up a new dust-busting solution for underground mines