Mine water professionals to gather in Vancouver
Some of the best minds in the field of mine water management will be sharing their thoughts and experiences with industry participants at Mine Water Solutions 2018. The third annual conference takes place from June 12 to 15, 2018, in Vancouver, BC at the University of British Columbia.
This year’s conference promises to cover a wide range of water issues, including topics like water as an asset, operational water management, and managing water in different climate settings. The conference started out as an industry gathering about mine water solutions in extreme environments, but has since broadened to include other issues such as how water is interwoven with social, financial, business and technical concerns.
In mining, water is crucial, as a carrier of chemicals for processing ore, and also as a delivery vehicle for mine wastes that must either be dry-stacked or stored in large tailings ponds, that become a long-term care and maintenance concern. Without a constant water supply, a mine ceases to function.
The conference provides a forum for the presentation of successful practices that enable responsible mining in challenging environments – such as mines with too much precipitation and those with not enough – and will address various aspects of water management including hydrology, hydrogeology, diversion, containment, conservation, minimization of water-quality impacts, seepage interception and water treatment. The event is also an opportunity for mine water practitioners to share ideas about research, design, equipment, engineering, operation and closure activities. Papers will be presented in a series of 10 technical sessions.
Mine Water Solutions 2018 kicks off Tuesday, June 12, with an introduction and welcome by Dirk van Zyl, organizing chair at UBC, and a professor of mine waste management at the Norman B. Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering. This will be followed by the opening keynote by Luke Danielson, president and co-founder of Sustainable Development Strategies Group (SDSG). The topic of Danielson’s talk is “People, Policy and Water.”
The second keynote not to be missed is a talk by Dan Ramey, group director at Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold, whose “Opportunities at the Confluences between Technical Innovation, Society and the Environment” promises to pack the room, given its over-arching themes.
“Too much or too little water impacts the successful development and operation of mines. MWS 2018 provides examples and experience with which to address either case,” says Ramey, adding that water is not just a line item on the balance sheet, but a value statement. “Fresh water is far too scarce to not provide best practices for its utilization at our mines. MWS 2018 will bring together practitioners and stakeholders from all avenues of the mine lifecycle to relate their experiences.”
David Garofalo will address the conference on Thursday at 8:50 am for a keynote that is certain to please. The Goldcorp CEO will discuss his company’s H2Zero program, which aims to lower Goldcorp’s reliance on water, lower costs, and reduce its environmental impact. The goals include reducing total water consumption by eliminating wet tailings; achieving water reuse/ recycle rates to over 80%; and using less fresh water in milling operations.
A keynote by Jeff Reinson of Bluestone Resources will present a fascinating case study of how Bluestone’s high-grade underground gold project in Guatemala is paired with the Mita Geothermal project licensed to produce up to 50 megawatts of power.
Panel discussions include “Innovative Approaches to Mine Water Recovery and Reuse” hosted by Andrew Watson of Stantec, and “Social Aspects of Mine Water Management” chaired by Luke Danielson. Panel participants include Nadja Kunz, assistant professor at UBC; Andre Xavier from the Canadian International Resources and Development Institute; and Lana Eagle, president of the Industry Council for Aboriginal Business.
“Hot, cold, wet or dry, we mine where the mineral is and work out the issues. Apart from the physical challenges, miners have social and political stakeholders to appease, and make a profit while setting aside funds for closure and post-mining costs,” says Watson, mining sector leader with Stantec. “Water is an issue at every stage and this forum focuses it. It’s a great place to learn how others are addressing issues many of us encounter. Particularly valuable for those developing projects will be the sharing of lessons learned and innovations being pursued by others.”
A treasure trove of mine water knowledge will be found in the technical sessions, where everyone from engineers to mine managers to lawyers will find something of value in the numerous technical papers and case studies to be presented. There will be opportunities to ask questions and share experiences in the Q&A that follows each presentation.
But MWS 2018 isn’t just about lecture halls and PowerPoints. The conference also features an exhibition, short courses, plenaries, and even a field trip to Saltworks Technologies – where participants will learn about a mine water treatment plant headed to a gold mine in the Canadian Arctic. There will also be lunch events and a “Night at the Museum of Anthropology” – one of the best in Vancouver – sponsored by Goldcorp.
A number of large and important mining companies have signed on to MWS 2018 as sponsors, which is a testament to the importance of water in today’s multi-faceted, complex mining environment. They include Goldcorp, Barrick, Teck and Freeport McMoRan. Stantec is the patron sponsor.