Wasteless Mining

摘要

One of the major environmental impacts caused by the mining industry is the creation of tailing deposits, which overuse the land and lead to soil devaluation, safety risks, acid water drainage and dust pollution, among other environmental impacts. Over the last 90 years, Chilean mining tailings have been hydraulically deposited in confined deposits. More than 10 significant disasters have occurred during this period, resulting in the loss of human lives and the incurrence of high material damages. Around 30% of Chilean mining is concentrated in its Central Valley, between the Coquimbo and El Maule regions, where it is estimated that about 50% of the copper reserves are located and where approximately 70% of the Chilean population lives. In the coming decades, this scenario will present a major problem: environmental and land cost restrictions will create very difficult business conditions for the traditional big mining industry. Therefore, new mining technologies need to be considered, otherwise, the mining industry will have to stop production.In response to this threat, JRI Ingenieria developed a new mining method named Wasteless Mining (WLM?). This new method proposes that ores, extracted via block or panel caving, be processed next to the mine, where the tailings would be thickened and then transported to the rim of the caving. Here, the tailings will be deposited as a paste. These processed would be done simultaneously. This method has major environmental benefits: no major tailing dam, no dust, a smaller mine area and no acid water drainage.Since 2015, JRI has carried out several cutting-edge R&D and technical-economic studies, which look to solve some main technical and economic questions. These studies have produced promising results. This paper will present the methodology of these studies, the findings up to this point, and potential work going forward.