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Geological Services Pty Ltd
(L&MGSPL)
L&MGSPL and its Subsidiary Company TSF Reviews PL (TSFRPL) specialise in the execution of high-level geotechnical work associated with tailings storage facilities (TSFs) and other mine infrastructure from initial site reconnaissance and assessment during exploration through study phases for the development of mine projects.
Execution of high-level geotechnical work associated with tailings storage facilities (TSFs)
Chris Lane is Director and Principal Consultant (Engineering and Environmental Geologist) of L&MGSPL/TSFRPL with broad experience in civil construction fields, including site investigation of land based and marine based developments, and particular expertise in large resource projects.
He has more than 30 years’ experience in resource projects including site investigation and construction of infrastructure (plant sites, heap leach facilities, roads, railways and airstrips and tailing storage facilities (TSFs)).
Tailings storage facility experience
Involvement with TSFs covers aspects of design, construction, auditing and tailings/residue management reviews for a large number of projects covering a range of commodities including: alumina residue, bauxite residue, base metals (copper, lead and zinc), coal, gold, graphite, iron ore, manganese, nickel (sulphide and laterite), phosphate residues, rare earth residues, uranium and vanadium.
Special interests are dry stacked tailings storage facilities (DSTSF), Inpit TSFs, and Integrated waste landforms (IWL).
Chris has experience in the following overseas locations United Kingdom; Middle East (Egypt, Iran, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates); Armenia; Pakistan; Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines and Vietnam); West Africa (Burkina Faso, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Mali, Senegal), East Africa (Ethiopia, Tanzania) and Southern Africa (Mozambique, South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo); South America (Brazil, Chile, Guyana and Uruguay).
Climatic experience covers Tropical (high rainfall); Humid Savannah (high seasonal rainfall); Temperate; Semi-arid; Arid; and Hyper Arid.
Do you have a tailings storage facility or potential mine project where you need some help with your tailings storage?
Experience
Balama Graphite
Project Geotechnical Consultant to Twigg Mining and Exploration Limitada for their proposed conversion from thickened tailings to a Dry Stacked Tailings Storage Facility (DSTSF). Evaluation of data and preparation of the preliminary study leading to the PFS for dry stacking for the remaining 38-year life of project.
Balama Graphite
Project Geotechnical Consultant to Syrah Resources for the bituminous lined Tailings Storage Facility (TSF), plant site foundations and roads. Evaluation of DFS data prepared by others and preparation of recommendations, process water, mine waste and TSF for thickened tailings for the initial 40-year life of project. In mid-2018 consideration of the change to dry stacked tailings commenced.
Bannockburn Gold Mine
Advice on design concepts (start up through to closure), operation, audits, inspections, management reviews, advice on seepage, stability, tailings deposition, water recovery and preparation of tailings disposal strategy plans.
BC Iron Mardie Salt Project
High level advice for the geotechnical aspects of the Prefeasibility Study for the design of the evaporation pond, crystallisers and process plant.
Big Bell
Advice on design concepts (start up through to closure), operation, audits, inspections, management reviews, advice on seepage, stability, tailings deposition, water recovery and preparation of tailings disposal strategy plans.
Bogosu Gold Project
Advice on design concepts (start up through to closure), operation, audits, inspections, management reviews, advice on seepage, stability, tailings deposition, water recovery and preparation of tailings disposal strategy plans.
Brockman Iron Ore Project
Project Manager Brockman with responsibility for Fieldwork (costeans and testpits) for 46km of rail alignment. Organisation of laboratory testwork and preparation of reports.
Bulong Nickel
Advice on design concepts (start up through to closure), operation, audits, inspections, management reviews, advice on seepage, stability, tailings deposition, water recovery and preparation of tailings disposal strategy plans.
Castle Hill Project for Phoenix Gold Limited
Project Manager for evaluation and design of a heap leach facility and IWL TSF (tailings storage facility within a waste dump) and geotechnical investigation of the plant site. Preparation of concepts (start up through to closure), evaluation reports, technical review and client liaison.
Execution of:
- Routine annual geotechnical reviews of TSF which comprises visual assessment of TSFs, review of operation and management practices and assessment of TSFs in terms of compliance the design and regulatory criteria governing the performance of TSFs.
- Technical reviews of TSF design documents.
- Geotechnical advice on the closure and rehabilitation aspects of TSFs.
Specialising in
Inpit tailings storage facilities
In-pit tailings deposition has grown in popularity for mature mining projects, new projects being developed and potential projects being studied. In-pit tailings storage facilities (IPTSFs) maximise the use of resources and offer many economic and environmental benefits. This technique is not suited to all mining sites.
Integrated waste landforms
The development of new tailings storage facilities (TSF) for mining projects, both new and existing projects, requires innovative design approaches to optimise the available resources and achieve the desired outcomes of safe stable structures with minimal environmental impact.
Dry stacked tailings studies
Dry stacking is the terminology which describes the placement of tailings which has been thickened to a slurry density of 65% – 70% solids by weight, before being filtered/screened to 80% – 90% solids by weight to further reduce the volume of liquor prior to transportation and placement of the tailings.