Knight Piésold to start Parys Mountain tailings designs
UK minerals development company Anglesey Mining has engaged Knight Piésold to start the design stage for the Tailings Management System at Parys Mountain in Anglesey, and geotechnical assessment of the underground development.
The initial Tailings Scoping Study will comprise a high-level assessment for the Parys Mountain Tailings Management System (TMS).
Extensive pre-existing site data will be assessed including existing hydrogeological, geochemical, geotechnical, geological, and mining information.
Following the data review and recent site visit by engineers from the global consulting firm, storage methods to be considered will include filtered stacking (dry stack) and conventional. The subsequent stages will include an evaluation of the preferred storage method followed by a detailed Feasibility Study.
Knight Piésold has also begun the logging of the recently drilled and orientated core and analysis of the data (including digitally collected acoustic televiewer information) to assist with rock mass characterisation and development of a basic ground-support model.
Jo Battershill, Chief Executive of Anglesey Mining, said Knight Piésold is one of the World’s leading geotechnical and engineering consultants for tailings storage solutions.
“The commencement of the tailings storage facility design stage is a very important aspect of the Parys Mountain work programme and a key element of the overall permitting process," he said.
"Building on the extensive studies and site monitoring from previous years, the Parys Mountain mine plan is being designed to optimise extraction from the underground mine but at the same time minimise the volume of tailings and overall visual impact. When combined with the highest modern standards of tailings management we expect Parys Mountain to have negligible adverse impact on the surrounding environment.
“Equally, while the geotechnical conditions experienced in the underground development from 1989-91 were considered excellent, modelling of geotechnical domains requires updating and will feed into the next round of mine optimisation work to assist in maximising underground spans and potential extraction rates.”
The Parys Mountain property, in north Wales, hosts a significant polymetallic zinc, copper, lead, silver and gold deposit.
Anglesey Mining is developing its 100% owned Parys Mountain Cu-Zn-Pb-Ag-Au deposit with a 2020 reported resource of 5.2mn tonnes at 4.3% combined base metals in the Indicated category and 11.7mn tonnes at 2.8% combined base metals in the Inferred category.
Work on planning the Northern Copper Zone infill drilling programme, scheduled for later in the year, is progressing.
A team is currently reviewing the historical drilling and resource model with the aim of optimising the infill drilling in the zones closest to surface as these could have the most immediate impact on the mine design and production schedule.
Anglesey Mining, traded on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange, currently has 280,175,721 ordinary shares on issue.
Anglesey holds an almost 20% interest in the Grangesberg Iron project in Sweden, together with management rights and a right of first refusal to increase its interest to 70%.
The minerals development firm also holds 11% of Labrador Iron Mines Holdings, which through its 52% owned subsidiaries, is engaged in the exploration and development of direct shipping iron ore deposits in Labrador and Quebec.
