Dennis Papilion DP: Executive President, Global Consulting AUSENCO
Can you discuss Ausenco’s acquisition strategy and your growth outlook in the Western USA?
We are focused on expanding the consulting services we offer around advisory & sustainability, earth & environment, and infrastructure. We are also growing our expertise in geotechnical and tailings management. While mining remains a major part of our business, we are diversifying into adjacent markets, such as green energy, industrial and manufacturing. We want to bridge these sectors with mining, enhancing partnerships and stakeholder relationships. This includes integrating alternative energy sources and exploring recycling of precious minerals crucial for electric vehicles. How do emerging process technologies improve mineral processing?
There have been significant advances in technology for ore sorting. By improving the materials selection process, we can reduce the size of the processing plant needed. This not only cuts costs but also minimizes waste generation. We are also exploring various other technologies, such as coarse particle flotation and alternative methods for tailings placement. These approaches collectively lead to a smaller processing footprint, which reduces costs and the requirements for raw materials. On the tailings side, better material selection reduces the area needed for tailings storage, which is another cost-saving measure. These technologies also have a positive impact on water usage; by requiring less water and impounding less, we enhance our operational efficiency, increase safety and reduce environmental impacts. How is climate change impacting mining operations in the Western USA?
Over the past decade, we have seen significant shifts in mining project design due to climate change. We can no longer rely solely on historical data for climate change predictions. Tailings management is crucial and often gets attention only when issues arise. We are building a strong tailings team to help clients adapt their designs to evolving standards.
Jeffrey Coffin COO USA KNIGHT PIÉSOLD
Can you introduce Knight Piésold in the USA and the services you provide?
Knight Piésold USA is a geo-environmental consultancy specializing in large civil projects, primarily in the mining and renewable energy space, including hydroelectric and pump storage facilities. How has demand for your services in the Western US mining sector changed recently?
Tailings management is evolving rapidly, especially with GISTM requirements increasing demand for compliance from owners, operators, financers, and insurers. What considerations should clients have when planning mine closure?
The big thing is just the cost and effort associated with closure. The industry has underestimated those costs and efforts for a long time. It is essential to take an honest view of what those closure requirements will be, how long they will take to implement, and the associated costs. We emphasize the need for progressive closure during mine operations and proper characterization to understand long-term water management needs. We are looking at the geochemical constituents, the potential for acid rock drainage, and ensuring that we optimize material placement on the mine site to contain any bad-acting materials. Our aim is to render those materials benign or control them so that we do not have to rely on mechanical means for mitigation of long-term environmental impacts. Can you provide an example of how you incorporate climate change models into design?
The biggest impact of climate change models is in the water balance and freeboard design criteria. We encourage clients to adopt a predictive site-wide water balance rather than a traditional water inventory tool. This approach allows for risk-informed decision-making regarding water needs, storage/freeboard requirements, and water inventory management. We aim to maintain operational water levels while avoiding excess inventory as climate continues to change.