Elevated tanks set to lower coal tailings waste at BHP Billiton's Mt Arthur North

摘要

Two 35m-diameter elevated coal tailings thickeners have been installed at BHP Billiton's Mt Arthur North open pit mine in the Hunter Valley that will minimise waste going to the tailings dams. Designed and built by GL&V Australia, the tanks have been elevated to maximise access and meet the mine's stringent environmental criteria. The Mt Arthur North mine is the largest open pit mine in the Hunter Valley with estimated reserves of more than 800Mt of saleable coal. The mine's coal handling preparation plant is the largest plant of its type in NSW and processes coking and steaming coal from the new mine.