Massive landslide damages Kennecott's Bingham Canyon Mine in Utah

[alco]

Two Questions?
Could they have used controlled Blasts to relieve the Load earlier and prevent the weight shift momentum?
Is there a possibility they will can the OC and wombat the ore out?

OK, I understand the first question, and I think it was a case of not being allowed to put anyone out on top of the area that was slipping. I'm quite sure MSHA would have gone beyond strange, had they tried that. Basically, the risk wasn't worth it.

As for the second question.......can the OC?.....wombat it out?......could you phrase that in English?

One point is cost and if this mine considers the value add to clean up and continue mining or just shutting down all together?

Like I was saying earlier, I wonder if the material is low grade ore, or straight waste rock? If it's even very low grade ore, it may still be worth processing since it has to be moved anyhow. There are around 20 or so years of mine life left under current plans, so I don't think shutting down is a option. But I wouldn't be surprised if they abandon some of the ore beneath the fallen material, and only excavate the far end of the pit and the wall pushback. Leaving whatever is under the majority of the slide material. Of course, while still stabilizing the slide area.

Lots of photos here: https://secure.flickr.com/photos/riotinto-kennecottutahcopper/

I can't tell: was the top of the slide a natural mountain, or was it a tailings pile that failed?

The area that slid was unexcavated rock. There was no spoil piled on the rim of the pit in that location. Just to clarify, tailings is the material that comes out of the tail end of the process at the mill, hence the name. Usually deposited in a pond as it is in a slurry, or dewatered and spread like sand in a disposal area. Waste rock that is piled in a dump is not considered tailings in a hard rock mine.

 

[Nige]

Alco, you need to understand Strine (Australian) - translated into English he means "Can the Open Cut (OC) and go underground to get the rest of the ore out. - A wombat is an Australian animal that burrows underground. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wombat

 

[alco]

That's why I asked for a translation Nige. Thanks!

I doubt they will go that route at this time though, as a good portion of the remaining ore is going to be attained by push backs. I know there is talk of going underground in the future, for deeper ore though.

 

[alco]

Lots of photos here: https://secure.flickr.com/photos/riotinto-kennecottutahcopper/

I can't tell: was the top of the slide a natural mountain, or was it a tailings pile that failed?

Just to eliminate any confusion, there is an area behind the slide that is a waste dump, but the slide did not extend into it. I guess the dump is close to the pit rim now though....LOL.

 

[digger242j]

Just to eliminate any confusion, there is an area behind the slide that is a waste dump, but the slide did not extend into it. I guess the dump is close to the pit rim now though....LOL.

One of the reasons I'd asked my question earlier was that in that series of pictures, and the forth one in particular, there's a spot right in the middle of the slide area that appears to be an un-slid segment of the benched edge of the pit. That, it seemed to me, indicated that the "slid" material was spoil stacked on undisturbed ground.

BTW, Nige, thanks for the reply to my question. In my part of the world, the geology is pretty much sedimentary, and the notion of a mineral deposit that was funnel shaped hadn't really occurred to me.

 

[Nige]

No worries, but that's the reason why most of the world's major open pits are so huge especially if they have been around for 20 years or more. Allegedly some of them like Escondida & Chuquicamata in Chile are visible from outer space. Try locating them on Google Earth and you'll see what I mean.

 

[digger242j]

Try locating them on Google Earth and you'll see what I mean.

The name escapes me at the moment (and I'm too lazy to look), but I've done that with that big gold mine in Oz.

 

[TimT]

One point is cost and if this mine considers the value add to clean up and continue mining or just shutting down all together?

I would bet that the mine will continue in nearly full production and at the same time remove much of the slide from the pit or move it to inactive areas. These mines are huge and the investment that has been made at Bingham Canyon in the last years has been huge. Its a productive mine and will continue to be. In fact despite the "Years Long" prediction to remove the waste material, I bet you will find its going to be done much faster than expected. Its expensive to move all tha material, but in the scheme of things at that scale its not all that big a cost. My educated guess only of course. Grasberg had a huge slide and never missed a beat after the first couple weeks.

 

[alco]

In fact despite the "Years Long" prediction to remove the waste material, I bet you will find its going to be done much faster than expected. Its expensive to move all tha material, but in the scheme of things at that scale its not all that big a cost. My educated guess only of course. Grasberg had a huge slide and never missed a beat after the first couple weeks.

Not really a fair comparison considering the volume of the Grasberg slide was only 4.1 million, and this one was at least 165 million tons. This is going to take a very long time to clean up. You can't expect to move that much material, in addition to regular production, and expect it to be done quickly without a huge capital outlay for additional equipment or contractors to do the work. Not to mention the infrastructure will struggle to accommodate the additional traffic to do the work. You also have to factor in the slide wall layback, which will have to be done for stability reasons before any of the work can be done below it in the pit.

 

[ben46a]

165 million ton... Shhhhheeeeeeeeeeeeiitt. Our mine doesn't even have that much available to dig, let alone just to slide.

 

[Nige]

165 million ton... Shhhhheeeeeeeeeeeeiitt. Our mine doesn't even have that much available to dig, let alone just to slide.

BHP Escondida moves 1.2 million tonnes (1.32m US tons) a day ........ the standing joke was that was despite their on-site management not because of it ..........

Digger, you're thinking of KCGM in Kalgoorlie, Australia. Try googling Escondida or Chuquicamata in Chile. Chuqui was started originally by Anaconda minerals in the 50's I think.

 

[TimT]

BHP Escondida moves 1.2 million tonnes (1.32m US tons) a day ........ the standing joke was that was despite their on-site management not because of it ..........

Digger, you're thinking of KCGM in Kalgoorlie, Australia. Try googling Escondida or Chuquicamata in Chile. Chuqui was started originally by Anaconda minerals in the 50's I think.

Many years ago now, Caterpillar made a film called the "Million Ton Team"...About Phelps-Dodge Morenci Mine..I have a copy. They set a planned record of loading and hauling 1.3 Million tons in 24 hrs.And it was done mainly with 793's at that time. "They had well over 130 -140 trucks" This has been eclipsed of course... in fact quite a few mines move much more. I don't have an idea anymore what the Black Thunder Mine moves in Wyoming in a day, but its incredible. Of course not an open pit operation.

 

[mine_mechanic]

we had a big landslide at our mine last year and all they done was start from the top re-benching it and now they have it back to normal.But we got told from the geo that our mine is 100% cave in failure due to the ground.