Anglesey Mining plc has started work on the tailings management system (TMS) for its base and precious metals project at Parys Mountain in North Wales.
KNIGHT PIÉSOLD
Parys Mountain hold a copper-zinc-lead-silver-gold with a 2020 reported resource of 5.2 million tonnes at 4.3% combined base metals in the indicated category and 11.7Mt at 2.8% combined base metals in the inferred category.
The company has engaged Knight Piésold for the design of TMS and the geotechnical assessment of the underground development.
UNDERGROUND DEVELOPMENT
Anglesey Mining said that the initial tailings scoping study would comprise a high-level assessment for the TMS.
The assessment of extensive pre-existing site data will cover existing hydrogeological, geochemical, geotechnical, geological, and mining information.
The company will also evaluate storage methods, including filtered stacking (dry stack) and conventional, before beginning a detailed feasibility study.
GEOTECHNICAL
Knight Piésold has started logging recently drilled and orientated core and analysis of the data (including digitally collected acoustic televiewer information).
This will assist with rock mass characterisation and development of a basic ground-support model.
MODERN STANDARDS
Chief executive Jo Battershill added that the tailings storage facility design stage was a key element of the overall permitting process.
“Building on the extensive studies and site monitoring from previous years, the Parys Mountain mine plan is being designed to optimise extraction from the underground mine but at the same time minimise the volume of tailings and overall visual impact.
“When combined with the highest modern standards of tailings management we expect Parys Mountain to have negligible adverse impact on the surrounding environment.
“Equally, while the geotechnical conditions experienced in the underground development from 1989-91 were considered excellent, modelling of geotechnical domains requires updating and will feed into the next round of mine optimisation work to assist in maximising underground spans and potential extraction rates.”