The Saskatchewan Research Council processes high tonnages of ore through their processing plant, sourced from deposits across Canada, for various clients. While processing the ore, important processing information is continually being captured such as; particle size and particle size reduction, moisture content of ore, percent yield from each process, percentage tailings, grits and clays generated. This information is used by process engineers for mass balancing the flow sheet but is also used by environmental engineers to plan tailings dams and to size tailings dumps. Additional environmental information collected in the process plant comprises of the chemistry of the ore, information necessary for the disposal of the ore and for any leaching characteristics. Samples of the processing water are also collected for characterisation, information needed for recycling opportunities, thickener design and for final disposal of the water. This environmental information provides the environmental engineers with fundamental information for the design of waste and water management systems early in a project’s inception. Such information significantly reduces the risk of project unknowns while also facilitating the advancement of projects.
