Practical Experience of Filtered Tailings Technology in Chile and Peru: An Environmentally Friendly Solution

Cacciuttolo Vargas, Carlos; Pérez Campomanes, Giovene

doi:10.3390/min12070889

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Practical Experience of Filtered Tailings Technology in Chile and Peru: An Environmentally Friendly Solution

by

Carlos Cacciuttolo Vargas

^1,*

and

Giovene Pérez Campomanes

²

¹

Civil Works and Geology Department, Catholic University of Temuco, Temuco 4780000, Chile

²

Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Continental, Huancayo 12001, Peru

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Minerals 2022, 12(7), 889; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12070889

Submission received: 18 May 2022 / Revised: 3 July 2022 / Accepted: 3 July 2022 / Published: 15 July 2022

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tailings Dams: Design, Characterization, Monitoring, and Risk Assessment)

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Abstract

In the last 20 years many mining projects around the world have applied a tailings deposition technology named “dry stacking of filtered tailings” at tailings storage facilities (TSFs). This technique produces an unsaturated cake that allows storing this material without the need to manage large slurry tailings ponds. The application of this technology has accomplished: (i) an increase in tailings water recovery, (ii) a reduction of the TSF footprint (impacted areas), and (iii) a decrease in the risk of physical instability, being TSFs self-supporting structures under compaction (such as dry stacks), and (iv) a better regulator and community perception satisfying the need of stable TSFs. This paper presents the main features, benefits, and advances in filtered tailings technology applied in Chile and Peru with emphasis on: (i) filtering technology evolution over the last decade: description of main equipment, advantages, and disadvantages, (ii) design considerations for main TSF geometrical configurations, tailings transport and placement systems, TSF water management, TSF operational and emergency plans, and TSF progressive closure, (iii) operation experiences at site-specific conditions, (iv) technology acceptance in regulatory frameworks, (v) lessons learned and advances, and (vi) new trends and future developments, considering technical, environmental, regulatory frameworks and cost-effective manners.

Keywords: filtered tailings; water recovery; compaction; technology performance

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MDPI and ACS Style

Cacciuttolo Vargas, C.; Pérez Campomanes, G. Practical Experience of Filtered Tailings Technology in Chile and Peru: An Environmentally Friendly Solution. Minerals 2022, 12, 889. https://doi.org/10.3390/min12070889

AMA Style

Cacciuttolo Vargas C, Pérez Campomanes G. Practical Experience of Filtered Tailings Technology in Chile and Peru: An Environmentally Friendly Solution. Minerals. 2022; 12(7):889. https://doi.org/10.3390/min12070889

Chicago/Turabian Style

Cacciuttolo Vargas, Carlos, and Giovene Pérez Campomanes. 2022. "Practical Experience of Filtered Tailings Technology in Chile and Peru: An Environmentally Friendly Solution" Minerals 12, no. 7: 889. https://doi.org/10.3390/min12070889

APA Style

Cacciuttolo Vargas, C., & Pérez Campomanes, G. (2022). Practical Experience of Filtered Tailings Technology in Chile and Peru: An Environmentally Friendly Solution. Minerals, 12(7), 889. https://doi.org/10.3390/min12070889

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

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Practical Experience of Filtered Tailings Technology in Chile and Peru: An Environmentally Friendly Solution

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