In-pit tailings disposal at Nikolayevsky

In 2020, the Group discontinued the use of the above-ground Nikolayevsky tailings dam in the East Region and transitioned to the deposition of tailings material into the disused Nikolayevksy open pit.

The Nikolayevsky concentrator processes ore from the Artemyevsky and Irtyshsky mines and switching to in-pit disposal will improve safety and reduce the environmental impacts of tailings storage in the area.

In-pit deposition and storage is considered to be best practice for long-term management of tailings due to the inherent physical stability of a pit compared to above-ground storage, the re-use of a decommissioned facility and reduced risk of acid and other drainage risks. The Nikolayevsky pit contains sufficient storage capacity for the expected mine lives of Artemyevsky and Irtyshsky.

Johan Barnard, Group Technical Director, said: “We are very pleased to be moving to in-pit disposal at Nikolayevsky. A significant amount of work has gone into the design, permitting and construction of the new infrastructure to make this possible and the end result will discontinue the above-ground tailings footprint of the concentrator. The Group now has only one active above-ground upstream tailings facility, at the Orlovsky mine.”