Innovative, cost-effective, detailed design for tailings storage facility at high altitudes on the Argentinean/Chilean border

The Pascua Lama mine project is in an extremely cold climate with elevations ranging from 13,500 (base camp) to over 17,000 feet with a trans-national treaty between Argentina and Chile and protocol zones controlling most engineering work.

Since 2006, Ausenco Vector has worked interactively with the client on an innovative and cost-effective detailed design which has progressed to the construction document stage.

Our construction documents include health and safety at high altitude and cold climates.  The tailings storage facility (TSF) design includes provisions for acid rock drainage (ARD) control and minimal disturbance to the local hydrological setting. The TSF liner system is an innovative and robust design including an underdrain collection, low-permeability soil layer, geomembrane liner, and granular drainage layer with collection pipes.  The 100 metre-high dam design optimises use of local waste sources from the adjacent Veladero mine site rather than disturbing additional areas for borrow materials as well as providing significant cost savings.