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Tailings Management

Tailings management is the practice of safely storing, handling and monitoring the waste material left over after valuable minerals have been extracted from ore during mining and mineral processing operations. Tailings typically consist of finely ground rock, water and residual chemicals used in flotation, leaching or other separation processes, and are usually stored in purpose-built tailings storage facilities, dams or dry-stack repositories. Effective tailings management is critical to preventing environmental contamination, dam failures and long-term liabilities, particularly in large-scale operations producing copper, gold, iron ore, nickel, lithium and rare earths. The discipline encompasses facility design, geotechnical stability, water management, chemical containment, seepage control and closure planning. Regulatory frameworks in most mining jurisdictions require operators to demonstrate robust tailings governance, conduct regular risk assessments and implement monitoring systems to detect structural weaknesses or environmental breaches. Advances in tailings management include thickened and paste tailings technologies, which reduce water content and improve stability, as well as dry stacking and reprocessing to recover residual metals and reduce the footprint of storage facilities. The sector has come under increased scrutiny following high-profile dam failures in recent years, prompting the development of the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management, a framework backed by investors, regulators and industry bodies to raise safety and accountability standards worldwide.

Tailings Management News


Manganese symbol
Research, innovation key to unlocking greater critical minerals value, conference hears
2nd October 2026 By: Lumkile Nkomfe

Greater investment in research, innovation and collaboration by academia and industry is needed to unlock more value from Africa’s critical mineral resources, Stellenbosch University chemical... 


Image of gold processing plant
15-Mile processing hub project, Canada – update
2nd October 2026 By: Sheila Barradas

St Barbara announced the updated prefeasibility study on September 28, 2026. 


Image of gold pour
15-Mile processing hub project, Canada
18th September 2026 By: Sheila Barradas

Australia-based gold producer and explorer St Barbara Limited is redeveloping three historical gold mining sites in Nova Scotia. 


Image of mining equipment on site
Using technology to extend sustainable mining
4th September 2026

As pressure mounts on miners to cut emissions and conserve water while increasing production, global mining technology company Weir asserts that the use of smarter technology and re‑engineered... 


FLS Logo
FLS focuses on full flowsheet solutions for Africa’s evolving mining sector
28th August 2026

As mining operations across Africa continue to pursue higher productivity, improved sustainability and greater operational efficiency, minerals processing supplier FLS is strengthening its regional... 


An image of Alastair Bovim
Platform centralises tailings facility management
28th August 2026 By: Trent Roebeck

With the challenge of tailing’s monitoring evolving as mining operations grapple with growing volumes of geotechnical, environmental and operational data, environmental risk management company... 


Conference to showcase tailings management
28th August 2026 By: Trent Roebeck

The Slope Stability X26 (SSX26) Conference and Expo – an exhibition for tailings and geotechnical engineers – will display the latest developments and insights for mine slope stability and... 


MAXIMISING UPTIME
FLS ensures every service intervention is carried out to original equipment manufacturer standards, helping customers maximise equipment uptime  and extend the operational life of critical assets.
FLS strengthens African mining strategy ahead of Electra Mining Africa 2026
26th August 2026

As mining operations across Africa continue to focus on productivity, improved sustainability and operational efficiency, mining services provider FLS is strengthening its regional strategy through... 


An image of Diamba Sud
Sustainability underpins miner’s milestone year
21st August 2026

Precious metals producer Fortuna Mining’s approved environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) for its Diamba Sud gold project, in Senegal, serves as a critical milestone in advancing the... 


Aerial view of FLS field service teams deliver equipment upgrades
Technology and regional support to bolster African mining
14th August 2026

Global engineering supplier FLS says it aims to strengthen its African mining strategy by focussing on full flowsheet technology, improved sustainability, digitalisation and regional customer... 


Christian Stehle, Regional Engineering Director EMEA at Weir
Weir Uses Technology To Turn Sustainable Mining Into Reality
3rd August 2026

As pressure mounts on miners to cut emissions, conserve water and still grow production, Weir believes that smarter technology and re‑engineered flowsheets are the way forward. For the group,... 


Water stewardship, integrated mining solutions for Namibia's next phase of growth
31st July 2026 By: Natasha Odendaal

As Namibia positions for another period of mining growth amid expanding operations across the country, success will increasingly be measured not only by production output but by how efficiently... 


DANIEL VERWEY
Variable mineralogy and finer particle sizes require more customised reagent strategies supported by ongoing test work and process optimisation
Precision chemistry developed for complex DRC ores
24th July 2026

As the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) continues to expand copper and cobalt production to meet rising global demand for battery minerals, mining companies are using metallurgical solutions... 


Image of Skouires gold/copper project
Skouries gold/copper project, Greece – update
24th July 2026 By: Sheila Barradas

Skouries is in the final stages of construction and has entered staged commissioning. 


M Bond Pumps mining and industrial logo
Why standard valves fail in dense media separation
23rd July 2026

Discover why commercial valves fail in Dense Media Separation (DMS) circuits, and how severe-duty knife gate valves permanently eliminate wire-drawing. 


Prospectors and environmental analysts looking at an area of ground in Senegal
Gold mine receives environmental go-ahead
10th July 2026 By: Halima Frost

An environmental decree from Senegal’s Ministry of Environment and Ecological Transition was awarded to precious metals miner Fortuna Mining last month, thereby approving the environmental- and... 


A night view of the gold major Newmont’s Ahafo North project in Ghana
African mining sustainability gaining traction
10th July 2026 By: Halima Frost

Despite some impressive sustainability gains in the mining sector over the past decade, sustainable mining industry body ICMM CEO Rohitesh Dhawan says progress in Africa displays inconsistencies... 


FLS partners with miners across the full lifecycle of operations
FLS Strengthens Its African Mining Strategy Ahead of Electra Mining Africa 2026
24th June 2026

As mining operations across Africa continue to focus on productivity, improved sustainability and operational efficiency, FLS is strengthening its regional strategy through closer customer... 


LIFE CYCLE PLANNING Water balances should be dynamic and site-wide with forecasting abilities for life-of-facility
Water balance management proving key for sustainability
1st May 2026 By: Donna Slater

Growing international pressure – driven by risks and liabilities for parent companies and shareholders – is driving accountability and a move toward mining companies developing and adopting more... 


FLS - Empowering the future of mining
FLS - Empowering the future of mining
24th April 2026

Mining services provider FLS empowers mining companies to maximise recovery rates from declining ore grades while advancing safety and sustainability. The company’s full flowsheet technologies and... 


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pqt: 0.263s - ct: 0.314s - 277pq - 2rq
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