Research

Subtitle: How do we rehabilitate colossal volumes of mine wastes more cheaply and with long-lasting outcomes?
Mining sectors and communities face ever-increasing environmental and health risks from mine wastes as a result of mining and processing precious and base metal ores. But ecological engineering of mine wastes aims to harness bio-chemical weathering and transformation of tailings minerals to alter tailings in situ, for cost-effective and sustainable outcomes.

CEO of CRC TiME, Dr Guy Boggs (The University of Western Australia), and CRC TiME Research Director Professor Anna Littleboy (SMI) walk us through the fundamental aspects of this new 10 year project.

Cashflow grade modelling is a major component of the strategic planning process. It combines geology, metallurgy, mine planning, marketing, environment, finance and a number of other aspects of an operation or potential operation to provide information crucial to the strategic planning process.

Post-mining land use and associated economies have become a priority issue in mine lifecycle planning. Julia Keenan from the Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining presents on their recent scoping project which started from the position that reconceptualising mine ‘closure’ may enhance the industry’s contribution to sustainable development.

There is great opportunity to expand the depth and breadth of relationships between the METS and Research communities. Global pressures in mining present both opportunity and threat to METS companies looking to grow. The pace of change is fast, challenges are becoming more complex and competition is fierce. New partnership models provide the potential for quicker pathways to commercialisation for research and vital new innovation opportunities for METS companies.