Rio Tinto Aluminium Tailings & Water Management Strategy
Project Description
Rio Tinto Aluminium operate a bauxite mining and processing facility in Weipa, on the western coast of Cape York Peninsula. The processing of the bauxite yields a high value product which is shipped to Gladstone for further processing and also produces a large tailings stream consisting of fines material and water which is managed in tailings storage.
Services Provided
Lloyd Consulting in conjunction with specialist sub-consultants prepared a tailings and water management strategy for the next twenty-five years of mining operations. This strategy addressed many aspects of the processing operations including:
- Tailings storage stability;
- Tailings storage operations and scheduling;
- Conceptual designs for future tailings storage;
- Management and optimisation of the water supply system;
- Water availability and supply from water recycling, shallow aquifer bore field, artesian aquifer bores and surface water sources bodies.
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