Webinars

Tailings Risk Management and De-Mystifying ALARP

Presented by Kimberly Finke Morrison & Brett Byler
Sponsored by Newmont and Freeport-McMoRan

$20 Member | $45 Non-member | $5 SME Student Member

The management of risks associated with tailings storage facilities (TSFs) is critical for ensuring the safe operation and closure of mining operations. Effective tailings risk management encompasses three main elements: risk identification, implementation of an appropriate control regime, and verification of control performance. Risk identification involves systematically analyzing potential failure modes, their likelihood, and associated consequences. Appropriate controls must then be established to reduce risks to acceptable levels through preventative and mitigative measures. Verification of control performance is essential for ensuring the ongoing effectiveness of risk management strategies. This includes monitoring and auditing programs to assess the performance of critical controls and identify any potential control degradation or gaps.

The concept of ALARP (As Low As Reasonably Practicable) will be introduced as a guiding principle for tailings risk management. ALARP provides a framework for weighing risk against the sacrifice involved in further risk reduction measures, accounting for factors such as technical feasibility and cost-benefit considerations.

Ultimately, tailings risk assessments must be conducted on a facility-specific basis, considering the unique characteristics, hazards, and failure modes associated with each TSF. This webinar, aligning with (and updated from) Chapter 38 from SME’s Tailings Management Handbook: A Life-Cycle Approach, will emphasize the importance of a comprehensive and rigorous approach to tailings risk management throughout the facility lifecycle.
 

Kimberly Finke Morrison
As founding Chair of the Tailings and Mine Waste Committee of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration Inc. (SME), formed in 2020, Kim actively works to raise awareness about responsible tailings management through programs and training. Kim served as the managing editor for the first edition of SME’s Tailings Management Handbook: A Life-Cycle Approach, published in early 2022, and as managing editor for SME’s recently-published Tailings Case Studies: Real-World Lessons in Tailings Management.
For five years, commencing 2019, Kim served as the global function lead for tailings, dams, and heap leach at Newmont’s corporate headquarters in Denver, Colorado, where she was responsible for oversight of this critical infrastructure, including leading the company’s implementation of the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM). Kim also served as the Chair of the Steering Committee for the GeoStable Tailings Consortium, which brings together eight global mining companies to study options to combine tailings and waste rock to create “geo-stable” landforms.

Brett Byler
Brett is currently serving as the acting head of global tailings, dams and heap leach for Newmont in Denver, Colorado where he is responsible for providing oversight, technical leadership and guidance for planning, design, construction, operation and closure of these facilities using risk-informed decision making. Mr. Byler authored or co-authored three chapters of SME's Tailings Management Handbook, including the Risk Assessment and Risk Management chapter.

Meeting Details:
Location: Live Webcast
Starts: 4/23/2024 2:00 pm MT
Ends: 4/23/2024 3:00 pm MT

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Contact SME
Email: cs@smenet.org
12999 E. Adam Aircraft Circle
Englewood, CO 80112
Phone: 303.948.4200
Fax: 303.973.3845

Rethinking Comminution: How to Optimize Energy & Operational Cost Savings with HPGR-Center Circuits

Presented by Bjorn Dierx

$0 Member | $0 Non-member | $0 SME Student Member

The key to optimizing efficiency and reducing the environmental impact of all mineral processing – in particular, comminution - lies in innovative flowsheets. This presentation will explore best practices in layout design for technologies such as the HPGR (High Pressure Grinding Roll) and vertical stirred mills, ensuring high operability and maintainability for both Green and Brownfield operations. Further, it will de-risk adoption concerns across the various project stages with process validation experiences. The overall energy savings of this flowsheet accumulate to a sum much larger than its individual process equipment units, resulting in significant operational cost savings for its adopters – and a more sustainable future for all.

Bjorn is the Global Product Manager for Enduron® HPGR (High-Pressure Grinding Rolls) and Vertical Stirred Mills at Weir Minerals. Diverse background with over 13 years of experience in the mining industry, working with global customers across a wide suite of mineralogy’s and applications.

Primarily focusing on comminution innovation & grinding circuit optimization via HPGR and Vertical Stirred Mill integration. Apart from specific regional HPGR business development assignments and assembling global comminution teams, heavily involved in the development of many major applications and flow sheet developments in recent years.

He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering and Master’s Degree in Business Administration with specialization in Enterprise and Innovation.

Meeting Details:
Location: Live Webcast
Starts: 5/14/2024 10:00 am MT
Ends: 5/14/2024 11:00 am MT

Register Now

Contact SME
Email: cs@smenet.org
12999 E. Adam Aircraft Circle
Englewood, CO 80112
Phone: 303.948.4200
Fax: 303.973.3845

Mining and Gender: 5 Ways to Improve Your Job and Your Company

Presented by Jodi Liss

$45 Member | $90 Non-member | $10 SME Student Member

Despite recent public statements and efforts by many mining companies, women account for less than 16% of the workforce in mining. So why is it so hard to get — and keep — great women in mining? Part of it is the work environment. Women in mining can face headwinds when it comes to promotions, work-life balance, unconscious bias and more. Sure, human resources and management need to shoulder most of the burden when it comes to building a more inclusive company. But there are things individuals can do to address these issues and make their jobs, and their lives, easier. This webinar specifically talks about five different strategies that can be implemented at the grass roots or individual level: support groups, mentoring, gender champions, grievance mechanisms, and more flexible career paths. It also talks about possible low-hanging fruit that are easy for companies to pursue, and which will make the lives of their female employees better. The idea for this webinar was suggested by those who had taken Resource Stakeholders’ e-course, “Building a Gender-Inclusive Company”, which is designed primarily for human resources personnel and management.

Meeting Details:
Location: Live Webcast
Starts: 6/4/2024 10:00 am MT
Ends: 6/4/2024 11:00 am MT

Register Now

Contact SME
Email: cs@smenet.org
12999 E. Adam Aircraft Circle
Englewood, CO 80112
Phone: 720.738.4085
Fax: 303.973.3845