Rio Tinto Research Articles

Tools for the Disempowered? Indigenous Leverage Over Mining Companies

Rather than passively accepting development, some Indigenous communities have forced their demands into corporate decision-making. Accordingly, recognising and responding to community expectations becomes a matter of prudent strategy and ‘enlightened self-interest’. This paper examines the case of Century Zinc Mine in Queensland's Gulf of Carpentaria where the miner undertook negotiations and reached agreement with local Indigenous communities. It was later held to account by communities concerned about insufficient implementation of this agreement. Discussion then explores the campaign against Jabiluka uranium mine in Australia's Northern Territory, especially why multinational miner Rio Tinto deferred to local community wishes surrounding development. These experiences show that Indigenous communities are most effective in bringing leverage over mining companies when they impact upon profit or future profit (often related to reputation with specific audiences). The parameters and consequent limitations of a company's responsiveness to community demands reinforce fundamental roles for the state as ultimate regulator and provider.

Hydrochemical variations and contaminant load in the Río Tinto (Spain) during flood events

The aim of this work is to study the hydrochemical variations during flood events in the Rio Tinto, SW Spain. Three separate rainfall/flood events were monitored in October 2004 following the dry season. In general, concentrations markedly increased following the first event (Fe from 99 to 1130 mg/L; Q(max) = 0.78 m(3)/s) while dissolved loads peaked in the second event (Fe = 7.5 kg/s, Cu = 0.83 kg/s, Zn = 0.82 kg/s; Q(max) = 77 m(3)/s) and discharge in the third event (Q(max) = 127 m(3)/s). This pattern reflects a progressive depletion of metals and sulphate stored in the dry summer as soluble evaporitic salt minerals and concentrated pore fluids, with dilution by freshwater becoming increasingly dominant as the month progressed. Variations in relative concentrations were attributed to oxyhydroxysulphate Fe precipitation, to relative changes in the sources of acid mine drainage (e.g. salt minerals, mine tunnels, spoil heaps etc.) and to differences in the rainfall distributions along the catchment. The contaminant load carried by the river during October 2004 was enormous, totalling some 770 t of Fe, 420 t of Al, 100 t of Cu, 100 t of Zn and 71 t of Mn. This represents the largest recorded example of this flush-out process in an acid mine drainage setting. Approximately 1000 times more water and 1408 200 times more dissolved elements were carried by the river during October 2004 than during the dry, low-flow conditions of September 2004, highlighting the key role of flood Events in the annual pollutant transport budget of semi-arid and and systems and the need to monitor these events in detail in order to accurately quantify pollutant transport. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fossilization potential of iron-bearing minerals in acidic environments of Rio Tinto, Spain: Implications for Mars exploration

Acidic waters of the Rio Tinto, southwestern Spain, evaporate seasonally, precipitating a variety of iron sulfide and oxide minerals. Schwertmannite and nanophase goethite form thin laminae on biological and detrital grain surfaces, replicating, among other things, the morphologies of insect cuticle, plant tissues, fungi, algae, and bacteria. Intergrain cements also incorporate bacterial cells and filaments. Other sulfate minerals precipitated in Rio Tinto environments are transient and contribute little to short-term preservation. Because the Rio Tinto has been cutting its current valley for several million years, terrace deposits provide a window on longer term fossil preservation. Early and later diagenesis are recorded in terrace deposits formed about one thousand and two million years ago, respectively. The sedimentary structures and mineralogies of these deposits suggest that they formed under physical and chemical conditions comparable to those of modern Rio Tinto sediments. The terrace deposits show quantitative loss of sulfate minerals, increasing crystallinity of goethite and, in the older terrace, replacement of goethite by hematite. Fossils formed originally by schwertmannite and nanophase goethite replication persist through diagenesis, preserving a long term record of local biological diversity. Fossil preservation by iron oxides in the acidic environment of Rio Tinto suggests that if life was present when sedimentary rocks formed at Meridiani Planum, Mars, precipitated minerals could record their presence.

CAPTURING CARBON AND SAVING COAL

Electric utilities face a tangle of choices when figuring how to pull CO{sub 2} from coal-fired plants. The article explains the three basic approaches to capturing CO{sub 2} - post-combustion, oxyfuel combustion and pre-combustion. Researchers at US DOE labs and utilities are investigating new solvents that capture CO{sub 2} more efficiently than amines and take less energy. Ammonium carbonate has been identified by EPRI as one suitable solvent. Field research projects on this are underway in the USA. Oxyfuel combustion trials are also being planned. Pre-combustion, or gasification is a completely different way of pulling energy from coal and, for electricity generation, this means IGCC systems. AEP, Southern Cinergy and Xcel are considering IGCC plants but none will capture CO{sub 2}. Rio Tinto and BP are planning a 500 MW facility to gasify coke waste from petroleum refining and collect and sequester CO{sub 2}. However, TECO recently dropped a project to build a 789 MW IGCC coal fired plant even though it was to receive a tax credit to encourage advanced coal technologies. The plant would not have captured CO{sub 2}. The company said that 'with uncertainty of carbon capture and sequestration regulations being discussed at the federal and statemore » levels, the timing was not right'. 4 figs.« less

A horizontal merger in the iron ore industry: An event study approach

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the competitive and efficiency impacts of a large merger in the world iron ore industry, using an event study approach. This method builds on an analysis of stock market reactions of the merging firms as well as close rivals at the time of the merger announcement. The event study method allows for the possibility to assess both the motivations behind as well as the welfare effects of the merger. The event study results for the merger announcement of Rio Tinto and North Ltd. show that, according to the market reactions, the main motive behind the merger was either the market power or the efficiency hypothesis. When adjusting the analysis to include several information releases about the merger, the overall result indicates that efficiency improvements were the predominant motives behind the merger. Thus, the event study results suggest that there are positive welfare effects to expect and the European Commission's decision to allow the merger is supported.

Modeling ferrous–ferric iron chemistry with application to martian surface geochemistry

The Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Exploration Rover, and Mars Express missions have stimulated considerable thinking about the surficial geochemical evolution of Mars. Among the major recent mission findings are the presence of jarosite (a ferric sulfate salt), which requires formation from an acid-sulfate brine, and the occurrence of hematite and goethite on Mars. Recent ferric iron models have largely focused on 25 °C, which is a major limitation for models exploring the geochemical history of cold bodies such as Mars. Until recently, our work on low-temperature iron-bearing brines involved ferrous but not ferric iron, also obviously a limitation. The objectives of this work were to (1) add ferric iron chemistry to an existing ferrous iron model (FREZCHEM), (2) extend this ferrous/ferric iron geochemical model to lower temperatures (<0 °C), and (3) use the reformulated model to explore ferrous/ferric iron chemistries on Mars. The FREZCHEM model is an equilibrium chemical thermodynamic model parameterized for concentrated electrolyte solutions using the Pitzer approach for the temperature range from <−70 to 25 °C and the pressure range from 1 to 1000 bars. Ferric chloride and sulfate mineral parameterizations were based, in part, on experimental data. Ferric oxide/hydroxide mineral parameterizations were based exclusively on Gibbs free energy and enthalpy data. New iron parameterizations added 23 new ferrous/ferric minerals to the model for this Na–K–Mg–Ca–Fe(II)–Fe(III)–H–Cl–SO 4–NO 3–OH–HCO 3–CO 3–CO 2–O 2–CH 4–H 2O system. The model was used to develop paragenetic sequences for Rio Tinto waters on Earth and a hypothetical Martian brine derived from acid weathering of basaltic minerals. In general, model simulations were in agreement with field evidence on Earth and Mars in predicting precipitation of stable iron minerals such as jarosites, goethite, and hematite. In addition, paragenetic simulations for Mars suggest that other iron minerals such as lepidocrocite, schwertmannite, ferricopiapite, copiapite, and bilinite may also be present on the surface of Mars. Evaporation or freezing of the Martian brine led to similar mineral precipitates. However, in freezing, compared to evaporation, the following key differences were found: (1) magnesium sulfates had higher hydration states; (2) there was greater total aqueous sulfate (SO 4T = SO 4 + HSO 4) removal; and (3) there was a significantly higher aqueous Cl/SO 4T ratio in the residual Na–Mg–Cl brine. Given the similarities of model results to observations, alternating dry/wet and freeze/thaw cycles and brine migration could have played major roles in vug formation, Cl stratification, and hematite concretion formation on Mars.

Rio Tinto, BP launch joint green drive

Rio Tinto, BP launch joint green drive

Modeling the physico‐chemistry of acid sulfate waters through Raman spectroscopy of the system FeSO4H2SO4H2O

AbstractMine waters containing extremely high concentrations of sulfuric acid and dissolved iron are found in the Rio Tinto (Spain) area. In this study, Raman spectroscopy has been used to investigate the speciation of the system iron(II)–sulfuric acid–water as an approach to study Rio Tinto's stream water. Several solutions of aqueous sulfuric acid containing iron(II) sulfate in the range 0–1.65 mol/kg were prepared, and qualitative and quantitative analyses of the ions present in the solutions were carried out using Raman spectroscopy. The intrinsic features of Raman spectroscopy allowed the identification of the species present in solution and calculation of the species concentration through band‐fitting of the Raman spectra. The activity coefficient product of the system iron(II) sulfate–sulfuric acid–water as a function of salt concentration is reported. Previous findings on the formation of iron(II) hexahydrate complexes in the mentioned system have been corroborated by means of Raman spectroscopy. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

How eukaryotic algae can adapt to the Spain's Rio Tinto: a neo‐Darwinian proposal for rapid adaptation to an extremely hostile ecosystem

Microalgae contributed 60% of the total biomass in the extremely hostile (pH 2 and metal-rich waters) environment of Rio Tinto (which is used as a model for the astrobiology of Mars). These algae are closely related to nonextreme lineages, suggesting that adaptation to Rio Tinto water (RTW) must occur rapidly. Fitness from both the microalga Dictyosphaerium chlorelloides and the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa was inhibited when they were cultured in RTW. After further incubation for several weeks, D. chlorelloides survived, as a result of the growth of a variant that was resistant to RTW, but RTW-resistant cells did not appear in M. aeruginosa. A Luria-Delbrück fluctuation test revealed that D. chlorelloides RTW-resistant cells arose randomly by rare spontaneous mutations before the RTW exposure (1.38 x 10(-6) mutants per cell division). The mutants with a diminished fitness are maintained in nonextreme waters as the result of a balance between new RTW-resistant cells arising by mutation and RTW-resistant mutants eliminated by natural selection (equilibrium at c. 15 RTW-resistant per 10(7) wild-type cells). Rapid adaptation of eukaryotic algae to RTW could be the result of selection of RTW-resistant mutants occurring spontaneously in nonextreme populations that arrived fortuitously at the river in the past, or in the present continuously.

The Rio Tinto Mars Analogue site: An extremophilic Raman spectroscopic study

The Rio Tinto site is recognised as a terrestrial Mars analogue because of the presence of jarosite and related sulfates which have recently been identified by the NASA Mars Exploration Rover “Opportunity” in the El Capitan region of Meridiani Planum on Mars. It has long been known that acidophilic microbial action is responsible for the deep blood-red colour of the water in Rio Tinto, where the pH varies from about 1.5 to 3.0 and the water is rich in iron and sulfur. Following recent Raman spectroscopic characterisation of the mineral phases of the Rio Tinto system, we report here a study of the biological components found in several specimens of deposited minerals and near the waterside that were collected during a GeoRaman VI Conference organized field trip in 2006. Key biosignatures were found for carotenoids, scytonemin and mycosporine-like amino acids, which are indicative of the biological colonisation of exposed mineral substrates; information from this study will be useful for targeting Martian sites using a miniaturized Raman instrument where the biosignatures of relict or extant life could remain in the geological record.

Comparison of high spatial resolution trace metal distributions with model simulations for surface waters of the Gulf of Cadiz

A multidisciplinary study in the Gulf of Cadiz is revisited, using additional diagnostic modelling tools. The dissolved trace metal (Cu, Ni, Zn, Co) distributions in the Gulf of Cadiz are analysed using modelled tracer evolutions, field observations and the concept of tracer ages. This study shows that a significant part of the observed metal distributions can be explained by the metal inputs of three river systems (Guadiana, Rio Tinto and Odiel, Guadalquivir) discharging into the Gulf of Cadiz, while the remainder of the signal is most likely associated with the benthic metal remobilisation along the shelf of this coastal region.

Development and Structure of Eukaryotic Biofilms in an Extreme Acidic Environment, Río Tinto (SW, Spain)

An in situ colonization assay was performed to study the early stages of biofilm formation in Rio Tinto (SW, Spain), an extremely acidic environment (pH ca. 2). Eukaryotic assemblages were monitored at monthly intervals for 1 year. Diversity, colonization rates, and seasonal variations were analyzed. Structural features of naturally grown biofilms were explored by light and scanning electron microscopy in backscattered electron mode. A total of 14 taxa were recognized as constituents of the eukaryotic assemblages. The eukaryotic communities were dissimilar at the different sampling sites. The lowest diversity was found at the most extreme locations, in terms of pH and heavy metal concentrations. The biofilms were mainly formed by species from the genera Dunaliella and Cyanidium. Two genera of filamentous algae, Zygnemopsis and Klebsormidium, were principally responsible for the variability in the cell number throughout the year. These species appear in June to decrease almost completely between October and November. In contrast, the number of heterotrophic flagellates and ciliates remained constant throughout the year. The microcolonization sequence showed an initial accumulation of amorphous particles composed of bacteria and inorganic grains of minerals. By the end of the second month, the organic matrix was also populated by fungi, bacteria, and a few eukaryotic heterotrophs such as amoebae and small flagellates. Diatoms only showed significant colonization in regions where mycelial matrices were first established. Flagellated green algae such as Dunaliella or Chlamydomonas as well as Euglena were also present at the very beginning of the biofilm development, although in low numbers (<100 cells cm(-2)). After the flagellated cells, sessile species of algae such Chlorella or Cyanidium appeared. Filamentous algae were the last species to colonize the biofilms. Most of the naturally grown biofilms were found to be structures composed of different species organized in different layers separated, probably by extracellular polymeric substances, although more analysis should be done in this regard. The possible implications of the biofilm structure in the adaptation to this extreme habitat are discussed.

リオ・ティント社の対カナダ投資, 1952-1956年

リオ・ティント社の対カナダ投資, 1952-1956年

Finding mineralogically interesting targets for exploration from spatially coarse visible and near IR spectra

Spectroscopic studies of analog terrestrial mineral assemblages are necessary to develop criteria to identify similar environments on Mars. We use visible/near infrared (VNIR) laboratory, field, and remotely acquired spectral data to identify the iron-bearing and hydrous minerals of Rio Tinto, Spain, an astrobiological analog. Mineralogy evolves from iron sulfate- and oxide-rich (jarosite, rozenite, gypsum, schwertmannite, copiapite, goethite, and hematite assemblages) in young sediments to hydrated iron oxides in preserved terraces.Using spectra from the Rio Tinto, we examine one of the key challenges of extraterrestrial exploration: how to identify promising targets from spatially coarse data for in situ investigation. We apply an index to quantify the expression of spectral diversity as a function of spatial scale from hand sample to landscape. To validate this method for use at the decimeter orbital scale, we apply the index to cm-scale point spectra and meter-scale gridded spectra collected in the field. This exercise in spatial scaling gives increased confidence in the ability of the Spectral Variance Index (SVI) method to locate regions with increased mineral diversity from remotely sensed data. We divide the remotely sensed data into 25×25 pixel (200 m×200 m) cells and calculate the average mean (albedo) and spectral variance over all wavelengths for each cell. We next calculate the expected variance for each cell with a linear regression between mean and spectral variance. The number of standard deviations of each cell's spectral variance is from the expected variance is the SVI value. We locate ∼20 areas with high SVI values within the tailing piles and along wide riverbanks downstream of the active mine. This method uses spatially coarse VNIR spectra to recognize areas in Rio Tinto that would be ideal targets for future field exploration, and could also be applied to Mars orbital spectral datasets, such as OMEGA and CRISM.

The limitations on organic detection in Mars-like soils by thermal volatilization-gas chromatography-MS and their implications for the Viking results.

The failure of Viking Lander thermal volatilization (TV) (without or with thermal degradation)-gas chromatography (GC)-MS experiments to detect organics suggests chemical rather than biological interpretations for the reactivity of the martian soil. Here, we report that TV-GC-MS may be blind to low levels of organics on Mars. A comparison between TV-GC-MS and total organics has been conducted for a variety of Mars analog soils. In the Antarctic Dry Valleys and the Atacama and Libyan Deserts we find 10-90 mug of refractory or graphitic carbon per gram of soil, which would have been undetectable by the Viking TV-GC-MS. In iron-containing soils (jarosites from Rio Tinto and Panoche Valley) and the Mars simulant (palogonite), oxidation of the organic material to carbon dioxide (CO(2)) by iron oxides and/or their salts drastically attenuates the detection of organics. The release of 50-700 ppm of CO(2) by TV-GC-MS in the Viking analysis may indicate that an oxidation of organic material took place. Therefore, the martian surface could have several orders of magnitude more organics than the stated Viking detection limit. Because of the simplicity of sample handling, TV-GC-MS is still considered the standard method for organic detection on future Mars missions. We suggest that the design of future organic instruments for Mars should include other methods to be able to detect extinct and/or extant life.

Yeast Diversity in the Extreme Acidic Environments of the Iberian Pyrite Belt

In the Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB), acid rock drainage gives rise to aquatic habitats with low pH and high concentrations of heavy metals, a situation that causes important environmental problems. We investigated the occurrence and diversity of yeasts in two localities of the IPB: São Domingos (Portugal) and Rio Tinto (Spain). Yeast isolation was performed on conventional culture media (MYP), acidified (pH 3) media (MYP3), and on media prepared with water from the study sites (MYPw). The main goal of the study was to determine the structure of the yeast community; a combination of molecular methods was used for accurate species identifications. Our results showed that the largest fraction of the yeast community was recovered on MYPw rather than on MYP and MYP3. Twenty-seven yeast species were detected, 48% of which might represent undescribed taxa. Among these, an undescribed species of the genus Cryptococcus required low pH for growth, a property that has not been observed before in yeasts. The communities of S. Domingos and R. Tinto showed a considerable resemblance, and eight yeast species were simultaneously found in both localities. Taking into consideration the physicochemical parameters studied, we propose a hierarchic organization of the yeast community in terms of high-, intermediate-, or low-stress conditions of the environment. According to this ranking, the acidophile yeast Cryptococcus sp. 5 is considered the most tolerant species, followed by Cryptococcus sp. 3 and Lecytophora sp. Species occurring in situations of intermediate environmental stress were Candida fluviatilis, Rhodosporidium toruloides, Williopsis californica, and three unidentified yeasts belonging to Rhodotorula and Cryptococcus.

Extreme environments as Mars terrestrial analogs: The Rio Tinto case

The geomicrobiological characterization of the Río Tinto (Iberian Pyritic Belt) has recently proven the importance of the iron cycle, not only in the generation of the extreme conditions of the habitat (low pH, high concentration of heavy metals), but also in the maintenance of a high level of microbial diversity. The presence of vast deposits of sulfates and iron oxides on Mars, the main products of the bioleaching of iron containing sulfides found in Río Tinto, and the physico-chemical properties of iron as a source of energy, protection from radiation and oxidative stress as well as pH control, make Río Tinto an interesting Mars terrestrial analog.

Protist Genetic Diversity in the Acidic Hydrothermal Environments of Lassen Volcanic National Park, USA

We examined eukaryote genetic diversity in the hydrothermal environments of Lassen Volcanic National Park (LVNP), Northern California. We sampled hydrothermal areas of the Bumpass Hell, Sulfur Works, Devil's Kitchen, and Boiling Springs Lake sites, all of which included diverse acidic pools, mud pots, and streams with visible algal mats and biofilms. Temperatures varied from 15 to 85 degrees C and pH from 1.7 to 5.8. DNA extraction methods compared by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis fingerprinting exhibited similar patterns, and showed limited diversity of eukaryotic small subunit (SSU) rRNA genes compared with prokaryotes. We successfully amplified eukaryotic SSU rRNA genes from most environments up to 68 degrees C. Cloned rDNA sequences reveal acidophilic protists dominate eukaryotes in LVNP hydrothermal environments. Most sites showed phototrophic assemblages dominated by chlorophytes and stramenopiles (diatoms and chrysophytes). Heterotrophic taxa, though less abundant, included diverse alveolates (ciliates), amoebae, and flagellates. Fungi were also found at most sites, and metazoans (hexapods, nematodes, platyhelminths) were sometimes detected in less acidic environments, especially in algal mats. While many cloned rDNA sequences showed 95%-99% identity to known acidophilic isolates or environmental clones from other acidic sites (Rio Tinto), sequence diversity generally declined both with decreasing pH and increasing temperature, and both were controlling physical variables on the abundance and distribution of organisms at our sites. However, a pool at 68 degrees C with pH 1.7 yielded the greatest number of distinct sequences. While some were likely contaminants from nearby cooler sites, we suggest that Lassen's acidic hydrothermal features may harbor novel protists.

Ultrastructural Study of Iron Oxide Precipitates: Implications for the Search for Biosignatures in the Meridiani Hematite Concretions, Mars

Two terrestrial environments that have been proposed as analogs for the iron oxide precipitation in the Meridiani Planum region of Mars include the Rio Tinto precipitates and southern Utah marble concretions. Samples of two typical Utah iron oxide concretions and iron oxide precipitates in contact with biofilms from Rio Tinto have been studied to determine whether evidence could be found for biomediation in the precipitation process and to identify likely locations for fossil microorganisms. Scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were used to search for biosignatures in the Utah marbles. The precipitation of iron oxides resembles known biosignatures, though organic compounds could not be confirmed with GC-MS analysis. In contrast, textural variations induced by biological activity are abundant in the modern Rio Tinto samples. Although no compelling evidence of direct or indirect biomediation was found in the Utah marbles, the ultrastructure of the iron oxide cement in the concretion suggests an inward growth during concretion precipitation from an initially spherical redox front. No indication for growth from a physical nucleus was found.

English

Following an internal review of significant environmental risks in 2003, Rio Tinto developed, using a combination of in-house and external expertise, an ARD screening protocol to rank innate hazards at its mines and a second protocol to assess performance in key management areas during site-based risk reviews. Eight risk reviews were conducted in 2004 and another four in early 2005, at mines covering a wide range of commodities, operating methods and project stages. These reviews have proven successful in identifying and reducing ARD-related risks within Rio Tinto. Site-specific findings identified by these reviews are reported through corporate assurance processes with progress on agreed remedial actions being tracked semi-annually. Some common issues, covering aspects such as characterisation, groundwater monitoring and modelling, material segregation, cover design and flooding of workings, were identified at multiple sites. These have also been addressed by strengthening existing corporate environmental standards and guidance for ARD prediction and management. This paper summarizes the methodologies and the major findings of the first two years of the Rio Tinto program.