Projects
West Africa
Provision of various closure services at six mine sites in West Africa across Côte d'Ivoire and Mali. These included the preparation of initial Mine Closure Plans, Review and update of existing mine closure plans, preparation of rehabilitation management plans and preparation of cost estimates for operations and a site under construction.
These processes included interactions with illegal miners, meeting with local chiefs and senior regulators with respect to closure planning to consider stakeholder need and potential impacts which should be addressed in plans.
East Africa
Updated Plans for three mines in East Africa which involved advancing the Mine Closure Plans from an Operational Phase to Plans which included some detailed designs or, where these could not be completed, the definition of the investigations, studies or analysis of available data to complete designs.
Indonesia
Mine Closure Plans for projects involved a very collaborative processes with the Client including detailed a Risk Assessment and Options Reviews to respond to a range or risks identified with the closure of the site including ARD considerations including passive treatment and discharge thresholds into the receiving environment.
Targeted studies assisted with an improved understanding of these risks and allowed for the design of mitigations that significantly improved confidence with respect to closure measures. WRD cover performance was reviewed after several years and it was identified that in jungle/rainforest situation plant establishment, humus and leaf litter had a positive impact on limiting oxygen ingress and oxidation of PAF waste.
Laos
Support for a project in Laos involved a detailed peer review of the MCP and associated documents with a focus on ARD management, a permanent tailings pond closure strategy, open pit hydrology and hydrochemistry model, drainage and post closure use issues.
Cover designs were critiques in term of long-term performance and saturation risk which is a common challenge in very low permeability covers.
A strategic review process occurred later to develop strategies based on the review.
Vietnam
This project involved the development of PAF management designs to store hostile waste both in a waste rock dump and an open pit environment.
National standards and existing approvals needed to be well understood and integrated into designs as did the availability of benign waste both respect with total volumes available and schedule.
Approvals adjustments were required that responded to both the mine schedule and the strict national Standards.
Papua New Guinea
Trajectory has been involved in the delivery of mine closure services and participation in workshops and training programs in PNG at five mine sites over the past twenty-five years. This has involved the preparation of Mine Closure Plans at two sites and detailed Peer Reviews at two sites.
Issues identified in the most recent work have been collaboratively explored and solutions developed to resolve the most significant closure risks on the site. Field scale trials were designed and executed supported by Trajectory.
Services have included preparations on a Reclamation and Mine Closure Plan to the PNG Government Guideline, Temporary or Sudden Closure Plan and Progressive Rehabilitation Plan.
New Zealand
As the corporate Closure Specialist multiyear reviews of a New Zealand site Mine Closure Plan and annual review and preparation of Closure Cost Estimates was undertaken.
The site is in very close proximity to an urban area and participation in stakeholder interaction processes was an aspect of the role.
Canada
Review and assist with the revision of the three yearly Reclamation Plan and associated cost estimates for a mine in Eastern Canada.
Review kinetic testing approaches and data outputs and address issues associated with applicability of findings in the field. Review TSF cover design and prepare Options Review to technically evaluate Base Case and alternatives.
Critical analysis of water models, including pit lake models and model input/output clarifications and iteraction with discharge baselines.
Far North Queensland (Australia)
Multi-year Project Management of one of the largest ARD sites in Australia. Complex technical, stakeholder, regulatory and climatic considerations. Near term responses were require rectify issues associated with incidents and to limit near term risk.
Effective long-term controls needed to be identified, designed, approved by various stakeholders and implemented and these proved effective in avoiding future discharge events. Aspects of the project included frequent and comprehensive engagement with key stakeholders, drainage projects, pumping capability, pond redevelopment, development of site-specific water quality guideline, access improvement and multiple iterations of a pit lake model.
A comprehensive instrument-based monitoring system was installed. The project involved a close working relations with the University of Queensland.
Eastern Australia
Peer review and reporting on MCP’s and site practices for five gold mine is North and Central Queensland.
Mine Closure Plan and Closure Cost Review for a mine in Central New South Wales and technical advisor to a Project Team as a part of the development of a Rehabilitation Plan for a Mineral Sands project in Norther Victoria.
Tanami Desert (Australia)
Corporate Project Manager for multiyear Closure Execution project involving two above ground Tailings Storage Facilities, nine in pit TSF’s and approximately twenty waste rock dumps.
This involved management of all aspects of the project including safety, village, site maintenance and earthworks contracting. Involved the preparation of short and long terms plans, budget forecasting and acquittal of project finances.
Batchelor Region (NT Australia)
Respond to a range of issues associated with a closed base metals mine including widespread soil contamination, high sediment levels in creek flows caused by a failure to establish revegetation, very high fire risk due to the presence of a declared weed and long-term stakeholder concerns.
Over the course of four years, the adjusted land use on the property dramatically reduced the fire risk, bioavailability studies demonstrated that the risks associated with contaminants was much lower than feared, designs were developed that resulted in establishment or ground holding plants and stakeholders were provided with the information and influence they advised the believed was appropriate.
This was an example of a great team effort to entirely change the sentiment about a project.
Goldfields (Western Australia)
Over a twenty-five-year period as an internal Environment and Community Manager and later Senior Consultant, Mine Closure outcomes at more than twenty minesites throughout the Western Australian Goldfields have been delivered.
These included Mine Closure Plans and estimates, supervision of multiyear closure execution projects, landform designs, developing benchmarking programs, Native Title negotiations, closure and environmental processes for plant site demolition, PAF management plans and stakeholder engagement.
This included the role as owners representative for largest goldmine in Australia at that time.
Coalfields (Western Australia)
Prepared the inaugural and current Mine Closure Plan and Legal Compliance Review for largest coal mine in Western Australia.
Participated in a study to reinstate Collie River from mine era diversion to original drainage pathway now with through-flow via a mine pit developed for recreational use.
Murchison Region (Western Australia)
Prepare soil characterisation and management plans, landform designs, waste rock and tailings characterisation and evaporation pond liquor and sediment quality review (compared to range of water and sediment standards) for a rare earths project, PAF management plans for a manganese projects and landform erosion repair plans for a copper project in the region.
A MCP review and rehabilitation trail designs and monitoring plans for an iron ore mine in the western Murchison was also undertaken.
Pilbara Region (Western Australia)
Prepare Mine Closure Plans, PAF management Plans and Closure Cost Estimates for the largest mine in the Pilbara. For this gold mine also advised on process of Earthworks Project contract scope and performance metrics, arranged Pit Lake Model.
Completed review of the technical documents with respect to a bioavailability into tailings with elevated arsenic. Prepared a completion report for government based on analysis.
Provided mine closure planning support, weed control plans, landform design support for mines in development, operations, closure and post closure phases for five iron ore and one manganese mine in the region.
Kimberly Region
Provide Closure services to both diamond mines in the region. Included Study Lead for Pre-Feasibility, Feasibility and Detailed Design WRD design for multi hundred hectare projects with maximum WRD height in some locations greater than 200m.
Complex interactions with lease boundaries, sites of significance, water bodies at dump toe, interface with pit surrounds and natural ground.
Design required, on dump water management requirements, soil harvest and characterisation, in situ PAF management, meeting stakeholder and regulator expectations and justifications for alterations to previous designs.
Required a multi discipline Study Team and a broad range of investigations and data analysis.
Southwest Western Australia
Oversaw preparation of the Mine Closure Plan as corporate closure specialist for what is now the largest gold mine in Australia.
Conducted a Landform Design reappraisal, detailed closure cost estimates post feasibility study, pit closure post land use critique and approvals support for the now largest goldmine in Australia.
Supported closure design process for a mineral sands project in the process of approval.
Offshore Western Australia
Provide guidance for landscape design services for a closed island-based oil processing plant off the Western Australian Coast.
This involved the generation of designs for the restoration of terrestrial sand dunes which married to the undisturbed dunes and interfaced with the foreshore dunal systems.