SHORT COURSES

Introduction to Water Management for Mining and Mineral Processing 

Level: Introductory 

Facilitators:  

Laurie Reemeyer, Resourceful Paths  

Jessica Kinal, Resourceful Paths 

The course will introduce key elements of water management systems at mine and processing sites and the major water quantity and quality issues faced by these. It will focus primarily on base metals (Cu, Zn-Pb-Ag, Ni), precious metals (Au, Ag) and iron ore, however some aspects will also apply to uranium, lithium, rare earth elements and other minerals. 

It will describe and show the linkages between components of the water management system including water supply and treatment for process use, surface water collection, storage and diversion, mine dewatering, interaction with tailings dewatering and tailings storage facility reclaim, process water recycling and management, flow and quality instrumentation and monitoring, and water treatment for discharge. 

There will be specific focus on the interactions between water and minerals processing and tailings management, including how the selection of water sources, process flowsheets and tailings practices and relative location of mining, processing and waste management facilities affect engineering design, operability and costs associated with water use, conveyance and treatment. 

Content will mainly focus on the North American context for water management, however relevant examples from South America, Northern Asia, Australia and Europe will also be included. 

As this is an introductory course, there will not be detailed content on specific water treatment technologies, design for water conveyance and storage systems or water system modelling using advanced software such as GoldSim. The course will provide a foundation for more advanced content as professionals build their expertise in water management through their careers and on the job training. 

Short Course Objectives:  

The course will help participants understand the interdisciplinary nature of water management in mining and processing and to build a base level of knowledge to be able to better communicate and understand water-related technical issues, cost drivers, risks and opportunities within their organizations. This will help those who complete the course to participate effectively in collaborative problem solving of water related challenges such as maintaining safe and sustainable production and avoiding conflicts and regulatory barriers for mine development. 

Target Audience:  

Mining, mineral processing and environmental professionals who are looking to better understand water management in mining and processing and their roles in improvements. 

About the instructor(s):  

Laurie Reemeyer, P.Eng. Principal Consultant, Resourceful Paths Laurie is a Minerals Process Engineer and sustainability professional with 30 years of experience in the mining industry, mainly in base and precious metals. He started his career at Mount Isa Mines in Queensland, Australia, and later was Metallurgy Manager at Zinifex Century Mine, where he had oversight of the concentrator, concentrate pipeline and tailings storage facility. After working in a corporate role with Zinifex, he completed his MBA at University of California at Berkeley and subsequently held study management and process engineering management roles with Amec Foster Wheeler in Vancouver. He founded Resourceful Paths in 2016 to focus on improving sustainability in mining. He is currently assisting the Coalition for Mineral Efficiency (CEEC) with its Global Water Initiative.  

Jessica Kinal, Consultant, Resourceful Paths Jessica is a passionate process metallurgist with over 20 years of experience in minerals processing. She has worked with a variety of sites on an international scale, across production, technical and management levels. She has delivered metallurgical improvements to processing plants through the implementation of multi-disciplinary technical solutions. In her role as Manager Metallurgy at Magotteaux, she collaborated with internal technical staff and external research institutions and helped manage test programs and training courses to site metallurgists. She is based in the Greater Toronto Area.