A program of field work was initiated in 2022 to investigate geochemical processes and gas transport mechanisms in mine waste landforms at three coal mines located in the Bowen Basin, Australia. The landforms contain various coal processing wastes. In some cases, more than one waste type is present, for example rejects placed over tailings or layers of dewatered tailings mixed with spoil. The objective of the work is to assess the potential for acid and metalliferous drainage (AMD) from the landforms, which typically have low sulfide sulfur contents and some neutralising capacity. Outcomes of initial modelling and measurements were reported by Garvie et al. (2024).
Data collection and interpretation are currently ongoing as part of multiyear studies at the sites. This paper describes the scope of these studies, the project status and interim results.
