Vale Canada Limited
Vale partnered with BESTECH to evaluate water management strategies at the Thompson underground mine.
The study aimed to align water management practices with Vale Normative Documents and Provincial Legislation, address risks, and optimize dewatering and water handling capabilities.
SCOPE
BESTECH conducted a risk assessment and identified the top five management hazards along with mitigation strategies. A detailed site water balance was developed, along with assessing pump and sump capacities, which provided recommendations for improvements. The study included an area-by-area assessment of the dewatering system and process water requirements to support the five-year mining plan.
To sustain these improvements and enhance staff capability, BESTECH developed a water management training plan (PowerPoint) for Thompson employees. This plan addressed hazards related to underground water, the specifics of the dewatering system, sources of water, potential unwanted material events (MUEs), and best practices in water management per Manitoba regulations and Vale’s standards.
OUTCOME
The study and implementations enhanced water management at the Thompson mine. An updated underground water balance revealed a significant increase in surface water ingress into the underground workings, previously unaccounted for. Based on these findings, BESTECH recommended actions to follow-up and mitigate surface water entry into the mine, reducing the overall load on the underground water management system.