JSC «Mekhanobr Engineering» (Russia):

Kibirev V. I., Deputy General Director for Design of Hydraulic Structures, spb.kibirev@mail.ru

Vinogorodsky E. B., Design Manager, office@mekhanobr.com

Karagandatsvetmet PA, Kazakhmys PLC (Republic of Kazakhstan):

Li S. V., Tailing Dump Leading Engineer, Direction of Chief Specialist on Mineral Processing, Technical Department

The Nurkazgan Concentrator of «Karagandatsvetmet» Operation, «Kazakhmus Corporation» (Republic of Kazakhstan), is one of the first facilities in the CIS territory that successfully introduced deep thickening of tailings, as well as thickened tailings hydraulic transport and disposal. The article considers the main concepts of the project, developed by ZAO «Mekhanobr Engineering» (Russia). The project includes temporary tailings storage facility, TSF drainage system, produced waste tailings thickening complex, tailings hydrotransport and disposal, return water system. Slurry thickened to 55–65 % density is pumped to receiving sumps of the tailings slurry pumping station and further to TSF. Thickener clarified overflow is used in the production process. Slurry delivery pipelines are encased with mineral wool for warmth-keeping, and are laid with anchor supports and rubber compensators. Thickened slurry is delivered to tailings disposal bay, formed by rock-material filled drainage dam. Seepage from disposed tailings is drained through the dam, collected by intercepting ditch and gravity-fed to return water pond, to be returned to the plant. During warm season tailings are discharged through distribution lines spigots, and in winter season — through concentrated outlet for cone discharge. It is shown, that application of high-throughput state-of-the-art thickening equipment provided for decrease in disposed tailings slurry quantity by the factor of three. Thickening complex integration into the Mining Complex project provided for the concentrating plant commissioning ahead of schedule, prior to start of return water delivery from TSF.