Jamie Wade
If you think tailings facility monitoring is just about choosing between drones, LiDAR, or satellites, think again – the real power lies in combining them.
In the wake of evolving regulatory expectations and maturing risk management frameworks, mining companies are being urged to reassess how they apply critical controls to tailings storage facilities (TSFs).
When it comes to tailings management, the mining industry is no stranger to technical standards, risk registers, or operational frameworks.
In the high-stakes world of tailings storage facility (TSF) construction, ensuring conformance to design and safety standards is a non-negotiable part of the job.
In one of Australia’s wettest mining regions, a carefully engineered soil cover has proven it can keep both water and oxygen out of acid-forming waste rock - even under two metres of rain a year.
When BHP needed a new Engineer of Record for one of Australia’s most complex tailings sites, the Olympic Dam handover became a masterclass in how to get it right.
From the outside, the conversation around digital mining often gets framed in broad terms - automation, Information of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI) but for those working underground or in control rooms, the real question is more practical: how do these tools actually solve the daily challenges?
For Stewart Johnston, Account Manager - Mine Electrification and Automation at ABB Australia, the key lies in making information usable, timely, and connected across the mining value chain.
In an industry where safety is non-negotiable and downtime is costly, one Western Australian firm is taking a precision approach to mine maintenance.
In open-pit mining, some of the biggest productivity gains can come not from buying more trucks, but from loading the ones you have with greater precision.
In an industry where every unscheduled shutdown translates into lost revenue, wasted resources and mounting frustration, one company is making a compelling case for using artificial intelligence to turn maintenance from a cost centre into a strategic advantage.
