SRK Consulting (UK) Limited was commissioned by BlueJay Mining PLC to conduct a Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) on water management for the Dundas Heavy Mineral Sands Project in Greenland. The project aimed to enhance the company's understanding of the site's hydrological and hydrogeological conditions, ensuring effective water management strategies for future mining operations.
The Dundas project is in Northwest Greenland and is targeting high-grade ilmenite deposits within marine placer formations. The site features active and paleo beach deposits, with surface water drainage channels extending from higher elevation terrains towards the modern coastline. The climate is classified as tundra, with sub-freezing mean annual temperatures and moderately low precipitation.
SRK undertook a comprehensive data review and analysis of available climate, hydrological, and hydrogeological data to characterize the project site. This baseline characterization enabled the development of a conceptual hydrological model, incorporating both surface water and groundwater flow regimes. SRK's work included the installation of automated weather and streamflow monitoring stations, soil temperature and shallow water level monitoring, and various geotechnical investigations. These efforts provided valuable insights into the site's permafrost conditions, active layer dynamics, and potential groundwater inflows.
SRK’s study concluded that the Dundas project could proceed to the next level of study based on acceptable costs and engineering feasibility. SRK's water management strategy focused on ensuring dry working conditions within the pit, managing contact and non-contact water separately, and treating contact water prior to discharge. Key infrastructure elements included diversion berms, shoreline protection berms, active layer dewatering trenches, in-pit sump pumping, and sediment control ponds.
The successful outcomes from SRK’s project included the identification of cost-effective and technically feasible water management solutions, which were incorporated into the overall mining costs. The preferred solution involved non-contact surface water diversions, shoreline protection berms, and active layer dewatering trenches, all designed to minimize the impact of water on mining operations and ensure personnel safety.
In summary, SRK's work on the Dundas project provided a solid foundation for future studies, highlighting the project's potential for successful development while addressing key water management challenges. The study's findings and recommendations were crucial for guiding the project's next phases, ensuring sustainable and efficient mining operations.
Technical summary: SRK developed feasible water management solutions for the Dundas ilmenite project, addressing permafrost, surface water, groundwater inflows, dewatering, sediment control, and operational safety.
