SRK completed the design of a filtered tailings storage facility (FTSF) as part of a pre-feasibility study for the Wicheeda Rare Earth Element project. As part of this study, a tailings alternatives assessment was also completed to support the selection of the preferred tailings management approach.
The FTSF is designed with a 15 m high starter toe embankment with tailings placed behind and upslope of it in several large benches, each approximately 20 to 25 m high and 50 m wide. The overall height of the stack will be in the order of 90 m and the foundation of the stack will be fully lined.
The stack will be constructed bottom-up within a valley depression, with material hauled by truck from the filter plant and spread into thin lifts before compaction.
The preferred site is across a river from the mine, so pumping slurry tailings to a filtration facility located near the stack was chosen as a more economical solution than long-haul trucking from the mine’s plant area.
The stack is designed to handle approximately 5,000 tonnes per day of tailings over the 15-year mine life, with space available for additional capacity if needed.
By SRK Canada
