Simulation of water storage in a reclamation cover incorporating tailings consolidation

Abstract

Successful reclamation of mine tailings requires effective management of the contaminated water generated by the consolidation of tailings over time. Due to uncertainty in predicting consolidation-induced water release, mine planners often use simulation models to prepare for a range of anticipated scenarios. This paper describes the development of the Tailings Management Simulation Consolidation model (TMSim-Consol) using the GoldSim software. TMSim-Consol simulates tailings settlement over time and the upward flow of pore water due to consolidation. The advantages of using system dynamics simulation tools are illustrated by the inherent transparency of the numerical method to end users. A hypothetical reclamation set-up consisting of an oil sands thickened tailings (OSTT) deposit capped by a sand layer was simulated under a range of initial tailings properties. The simulation results showed that soil water storage in the sand cap was highly sensitive to the initial solids contents of the underlying OSTT. To limit the release of contaminated water at the surface, the initial solids content of OSTT needs to be at least 65% before sand capping.