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Dominican Republic Copper, Gold & Silver Mine – Water Evaporation Solution

Dominican precious metal reprocessing giant implements Minetek Water Evaporation Solution.

This mine is situated 100km northwest of the Dominican Republic capital of Santo Domingo in the Caribbean. Producing gold, silver and copper the mine has a retreatment project which involves reprocessing previously unrecovered gold and silver refractory tailings.

Location – Las Lagunas, Dominican Republic
Type – Copper, Gold and Silver
Industry – Gold and Silver Mine
Product – Water Evaporation System Package
Volume throughput m3 + GPM – 450 m3/hour (2,000 GPM)
Application – Tailings storage facility
Climate – Tropical

Business Challenge

This leading precious metals producer contacted Minetek with a time-sensitive problem involving managing the Tailings Storage Facility (TSF) at their mine site. They urgently needed to manage water levels in a challenging highly humid environment. The surplus tailings water caused a lack of storage capacity on-site, leading to a potential overflow of TSF. The potential environmental repercussions of a failed TSF were a motivation for our client to act quickly.

"Minetek's quick deployment of an efficient and cost-effective evaporation system reduced the risk, ensured compliance and extended the life of project for the mine."

Duane Thompson

Water Manager, Minetek

Results

Well versed in the supply of emergency water management and with a solution proven in all climates, Minetek was able to successfully work with the mine to scope, design, manufacture and install 5 x Epoxy-Coated Steel Evaporators with a total system capacity to process up to 2,000 GPM (450m3/hour) and evaporate up to 900 GPM (202m3/hour) based on a 45% evaporator efficiency rate and 100% run time. The system was designed in alignment with our client's objective to quickly reduce their TSF water levels in order to create more storage capacity on site and optimise their retreatment efforts. Minetek's high-volume Evaporation System enabled the mine to effectively manage their water and therefore reprocess a greater volume of unrecovered gold and silver refractory tailings. The equivalent of a 6-12 month extension to their life of project.

"For retreatment projects, such as this mine, the benefit of effective and cost-effective water management cannot be understated. Yes it minimises risk, but it also extends and improves operations."

Duane Thompson

Water Manager, Minetek

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