Costs
What if the key to slashing tailings closure costs and winning community trust is to start the work decades before the mine shuts down?
For Justin Walls, Principal Consultant (Tailings Engineering) at SRK Consulting, the best time to plan for tailings storage facility (TSF) closure is now – not when the mine is about to shut down.
In a sector where “take-or-pay” contracts have long dictated how miners move their commodities, one new entrant is promising a more flexible model that puts the needs of producers first.
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.
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.
When it comes to identifying rocks in mineral exploration and mining projects, the human eye remains the industry’s most widely used tool, despite its limitations, but for Dr Michelle Tappert, co-founder of Hyperspectral Intelligence Inc.
At the sharp end of metallurgical decision-making, where feasibility meets financial risk, one recurring theme echoes loudest: if you don’t know your orebody, you don’t know your project.
As the mining industry edges closer to a tipping point on tailings management, a panel of global experts at the 2025 Life of Mine | Mine Waste and Tailings Conference in Brisbane issued a clear message: discipline in operations, humility in design, and a more adaptive mindset will be critical to preventing the next tailings disaster.
