Recovering valuable metals from mining tailings is one of the major challenges for the mining industry in this century. Reprocessing materials that were previously discarded as waste in order to extract minerals that could not be recovered due to past technological limitations is becoming increasingly essential as natural resources become scarcer. This approach not only provides a sustainable solution for recovering these resources but also addresses societal demands for environmentally sound practices.
We offer pilot plants to assess tailing behavior under proposed treatments before any capital investment, ensuring you choose the right technology with precise results in hand.
What was once considered valueless waste from decades or centuries of mining now holds new value that must be assessed and carefully considered in each case.
Investing in feasibility studies—both from a financial and environmental benefits perspective—initiates a path toward extending the life of mining operations.
Recovering minerals from mining tailings extends the operational life of mines.
Enhances safety in tailing impoundments by reducing the volume of potentially unstable sludge and decreasing containment failure risks.
Prolongs the useful life of tailing ponds by only receiving dewatered dry matter. Also reduces water loss from seepage and evaporation.
Lowers water consumption by reusing water obtained from tailings thickening and filtration, reduces closure plan costs, and minimizes the need to construct new tailing ponds.
Dewatering tailings minimizes risks to aquifers and surface waters and can restore spaces for other uses.
Recovering metals from older tailing dams or impoundments is a complex process requiring specialized teams and seamless integration with traditional mining processes that may continue during these operations. Mining companies are increasingly looking to old waste deposits, tailings, dumps, and other residue management facilities as new revenue sources while addressing long-standing environmental issues associated with these sites.
The valorization of tailings through metal recovery is the final stage of a lengthy process involving meticulous planning and a series of preparatory study phases that can be summarized as follows:
PHASE I.- PROJECT STUDY AND TESTING PROGRAM:
This initial phase includes a preliminary investigation of all historical data, including both mining process data and information about the tailing dam’s structure and deposits. A representative sample of the tailings will be collected and subjected to metallurgical tests to determine metal concentrations and evaluate potential recovery technologies, considering technical feasibility and achievable recovery rates.
PHASE II.- CONCEPTUAL ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENT:
If testing yields positive results for industrial-scale recovery, this phase involves developing a conceptual engineering plan to create a preliminary economic assessment of investment and operational costs (CAPEX and OPEX), including applicable dredging, metal recovery, water treatment, and handling of dewatered tailings.
PHASE III.- DETAILED AND CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENT:
With a positive pre-feasibility study, Phase III initiates a detailed, execution-oriented project plan.
PHASE IV.- PLANT CONSTRUCTION:
Once equipment and facility needs are defined, construction can begin in collaboration with specialized companies and leading equipment manufacturers.
PHASE V.- COMMISSIONING:
Following construction, SERECO will oversee the commissioning, as well as the subsequent operation and maintenance of the plant.
SERECO has extensive experience in designing, building, and operating projects requiring coordination across interdisciplinary teams and seamless integration with our clients. We maintain long-standing partnerships with major equipment manufacturers and collaborate with research centers and complementary companies.
For tailings valorization projects, we have a strategic alliance with MINEPRO, a company specializing in process engineering, metallurgy, and mineral processing, with extensive experience in metal recovery from old tailing dams, dumps, and other mining waste facilities. MINEPRO has been involved in numerous metal recovery projects across various mining sites nationwide, including Portmán Bay and Sierra de La Unión (Murcia), La Parrilla (Cáceres), Alquife (Granada), Penouta (Ourense), El Cerco (Córdoba), Gossan Pond (Huelva), and Filón Sur (Huelva), among others. These projects include lab testing, conceptual and detailed engineering, feasibility studies, construction oversight, and operational support.
Historical mining in Sierra de La Unión, which ceased in 1991, left numerous abandoned waste deposits and large quantities of material in Portmán Bay. In 2014, as part of the Portmán Bay Rehabilitation Project, MINEPRO designed, coordinated, and executed a geophysical survey and sampling campaign, mineralogical characterization, and lab and pilot testing to recover iron (magnetite), lead (galena), and zinc (sphalerite) through gravimetric concentration, magnetic separation, and flotation.
La Parrilla was mined until 1987, resulting in waste facilities with coarse material and tailings dams. Between 2013 and 2014, MINEPRO designed a testing program to recover tungsten (scheelite) from these residues through gravimetric concentration and flotation.
The historic iron deposit at Alquife involved multiple waste containment installations, some of which are now being explored for metal recovery. In 2011 and 2012, MINEPRO supported the mine’s reopening by developing documentation for permits and executing pilot-scale tests for iron recovery via high-intensity magnetic separation.
Gossan Pond, part of the Riotinto mine in Huelva, holds waste with potential gold and silver content. In 2016, MINEPRO managed the sampling and characterization of these residues and conducted pilot-scale tests for metal pre-concentration, followed by cyanidation for cementation.
In 2015, the reopening of the Riotinto mine included dewatering the Cerro Colorado open pit, which had accumulated acidic, metal-rich water. MINEPRO developed a program to recover copper from the water, which could then be reused in mineral processing, and conducted a pilot test for copper recovery using ion-exchange resins and electrowinning.
