PASTE & FILTERED TAILINGS
Tackling tailings in Mongolia Oyu Tolgoi panoramic drone image , colour enhanced ( courtesy Mark Dillon )
Australian specialist tailings management consultancy ATC Williams has been active in the Mongolian mining sector since 2017 , led by Senior Principal and former COO Mark Dillon , who reviews some of the work done and progress with IM
Mongolia is a well established and growing mining nation , being a leading producer of gold , copper , silver coal and industrial minerals like fluorspar . But why is it a a good fit for a specialised tailings and waste management consultancy like ATC Williams ?
Dillon states : “ Mongolia is a progressive and mineral-rich country . It has well-established and functional artisanal mining practices , of course . Still , best practice methods that follow the social and governance aspects in the new global standard in tailings management are key in attracting foreign investment . We see the benefits of utilising and developing the onground talent of Mongolian nationals keen to upskill so that tailings management can become an in-country service .”
Working on tailings projects in Mongolia Dillon says has been challenging as there are still no local best practice standards for mineral waste management . Oyu Tolgoi has implemented best standards but this has not yet been adopted industry wide . That said the industry is actively outwards looking for standards . The availability of highly technical investigation techniques still needs to be sourced outside of the country .
But the company sees a bright future for the Mongolian mining sector . To assist in promoting the ATC Williams brand , it has been working with Austrade via the Australian Embassy in Ulaanbaatar and through their Excelerate program , which involves introducing the company to local businesses , and other ground assistance with securing and growing markets in Mongolia .
ATC Williams has also engaged with the Mongolian-Australian Chamber of Commerce ( Auscham Mongolia ), an NGO that focuses on providing long-term economic and social contributions to the country . Dillon comments : “ They are very supportive of our aims to bring skills in country and have been beneficial in promoting the ATC Williams brand within the mining community of Mongolia .”
During the recent COVID-19 travel restrictions , ATC Williams was still able to maintain incountry services via its local partners . Services that ATC Williams provides clients in Mongolia , either directly or via local partners , include : n Hydraulic Assessment n Geotechnical Investigation
Erdenet Mining tailings discharge ( courtesy Mark Dillon ) n Hydrogeology Study n Water Balance Modelling n Dam Break Analysis n Tailings Dam Detailed Design n Filtered Tailings Design n Integrated waste landform design n Site-based QA / QC engineers and technicians
Developing the next generation of tailings engineers
Mongolia does have a well-established tertiary education sector developing the next generation of engineers . The Mongolian University of Science and Technology MUST is now teaching geotechnical engineers in English rather than Mongolian which makes them more employable . The first cohort to graduate will be 2024 . But whilst education is good , in-country skills need to be taught as so far there are no local enterprises that can teach the necessary skills and hence advancement is difficult . ATC Williams ’ approach is to nurture and develop skill sets to that of international standard . Dillon comments : “ MUST are graduating engineering students keen to understand the western methods of mine waste management and develop in-country expertise . I have provided pro bono seminars for MUST engineering students on best-practise for tailings management . We also partnered with MUST in a joint venture project for the Oyu Tolgoi mine located in the south Gobi Desert . Oyu Tolgoi is one of the world ’ s largest known copper and gold deposits . I initially provided quality assurance work for the mine , and our involvement has grown from there .”
Real project achievements to date
Along with providing mine waste management
Mark Dillon , Senior Principal , ATC Williams
P2 International Mining SUPPLEMENT | APRIL 2023