Tailings Management Facility

 tailings, tailing pond

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The tailings area consists of the initial cyanide tailings pond (CIL), the two initial neutralized precipitate ponds (NP1-2), and the final precipitate pond (NP3). By the end of the mine life, NP1-2 will also host some of the CIL tails. Together the ponds will ultimately contain approximately 15 million tonnes of tailings and will cover an area of approximately 82.3 ha (823,000 m2).

The cyanide destruction process is SO2/air using sodium metabisulphite as the source of SO2. The cyanide destruction tank is fitted with an agitator consisting of dual impellers, supported from a bridge mounted on the tank shell. CIL tailings and water treatment sludge are treated in the cyanide destruction process. Sodium metabisulphite solution is added at a rate sufficient to reduce the free titrable cyanide to below detection limits, along with the level of weak-acid-dissociable (WAD) cyanide complexes in the tailings pond water. Provision is made to add lime slurry to maintain the required pH. Provision is also made for the addition of copper sulphate solution as a reaction catalyst. Tailings slurry discharges into the CIL-tailings pump box, from where it is pumped to the impoundment pond.