Latest news with #TSF
Zawya
05-05-2025
- General
- Zawya
Illegal mining: A key risk to tailings dams management and mine closure
Artisanal mining often occurs close to an operating mine, even to access the same deposit. In many parts of Africa, illegal artisanal miners mine tailings storage facilities (TSFs) and rock dumps, which pose a significant risk to the management of tailings dams. SRK Consulting considers the risk that illegal artisanal miners pose in the management of tailings dams in many parts of Africa The same TSF risks that face nearby communities could then apply to these miners. James Lake, partner and principal environmental scientist at SRK Consulting South Africa (SA), explains that TSFs, as part of a mine's lease area, are usually well protected by security infrastructure and services during the mine's operational years. However, the risks related to unauthorised access tend to escalate post-closure. 'In Tanzania, for instance, we have witnessed artisanal miners on a TSF, where the tailings were also being removed for use as construction material,' he says. In SRK's experience, mines often create 'attractive nuisances' after they close, such as pit gathering water that attracts wild animals. Similarly, a TSF still containing known minerals would attract illegal miners, who could put themselves at risk and perhaps endanger the structure. Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management This illegal mining is also a risk that needs attention in terms of the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM). Based on her work in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), SRK Consulting South Africa (SA) principal environmental engineer Roanne Sutcliffe explained some of the risks associated with managing TSFs after mine closure. 'In one site, it was clear that artisanal miners were walking over a tailings dam each day to reach discards which were still considered to have some mineral value,' says Sutcliffe. 'They would then wash the ore in the supernatant pond on the TSF; this sort of activity could have health and safety implications and could impact the stability of the TSF.' In another case, there was evidence of artisanal mining on a mineral seam which was not only adjacent to a TSF but which also ran under the TSF's foundation. Post-closure activity close to a tailings dam was itself a potential risk, while any mining underneath the structure would compromise its stability and pose life-threatening risks. 'The GISTM highlights that mitigating TSF risks is a responsibility that extends for tens or even hundreds of years after mines cease operations,' she says. 'This means finding sustainable solutions and post-closure uses that address the considerable risks posed by ongoing artisanal mining.'
Zawya
01-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Africa: GISTM holistic approach emphasises importance of mine closure planning
The importance of closure planning for mines and the need to build these considerations into the initial mine design phase are re-emphasised by the holistic approach of the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM). The holistic approach of the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM) re-emphasises the importance of closure planning for mines. Pictured: An open pit mine rehabilitated (Image supplied) This approach considers risks throughout the life cycle of a tailings storage facility (TSF), including the decades following closure and, in some cases, even longer where stability or environmental concerns persist. James Lake, partner and principal environmental scientist at SRK Consulting South Africa (SA), says that closure is a theme that runs through the GISTM principles. 'The standard is explicit about the owners' responsibility to plan, build and operate TSFs to responsibly manage risk at all phases of the lifecycle – including closure and post-closure,' says Lake. 'This applies as much to the rights of project-affected people as it does to the maintenance of an interdisciplinary knowledge base and the operation of monitoring systems.' James Lake, partner and principal environmental scientist at SRK Consulting South Africa (Image supplied) Robust designs Recent years have seen considerable activity in the mining sector to bring TSFs into compliance with the GISTM, and Lake notes that TSF designs are becoming more robust. Among the considerations is the likely impact of climate change, for instance, which will require tailings dams to remain stable in conditions of higher or more intense rainfall. According to Roanne Sutcliffe, principal environmental engineer at SRK Consulting SA, the GISTM reiterates the principle that effective closure planning begins when mines are being conceptualised and designed. 'The operational life of a mine and its TSF is typically measured in decades,' says Sutcliffe. 'In contrast, when considering the post-closure aspects of a tailings facility, the design life will need to be much longer in most instances and may need to be considered in terms of centuries.' In terms of the GISTM, mines need to be able to demonstrate that, from a chemical and physical stability perspective, TSFs will remain stable throughout the operational phase and for centuries to come after mine closure. She notes that an 'active closure' period typically follows for 10-20 years after a mine ceases operations, where the TSF requires a maintenance and monitoring team almost commensurate with the team required for operations. After that, a more 'passive closure' regime may be sufficient, where the teams involved slowly reduce but would last for many more decades if not centuries. Roanne Sutcliffe, principal environmental engineer at SRK Consulting SA (Image supplied) Planning too late The GISTM emphasises the risks TSF failures pose to human life and the environment as well as the need for early design adaptations. For instance, ensuring long-term stability may require gentler slope designs, which increases the TSF's footprint. Where space is constrained, this closure consideration could limit the deposition capacity of the TSF and the production capability of the mine, even impacting the operation's planned return on investment. In this sense, the focus on mine closure is strengthened by the mining industry's compliance with GISTM, says Ivan Doku, principal resource geologist, partner and country manager of SRK Consulting Ghana. 'Planning fully for mine closure has always been challenging, but the GISTM has given positive momentum to this imperative,' says Doku. 'In West Africa, there is certainly increased interest in closure planning, as mines look for ways to close the knowledge gap between current operational requirements and post-closure needs.' Ivan Doku, principal resource geologist, partner and country manager of SRK Consulting Ghana (Image supplied) Re-processing valuable tailings Given the long mining history of countries like Ghana, he points out that there could be interesting opportunities in post-closure land use as it relates to TSFs. With advancements in mineral processing technology, many old TSFs could be re-treated to extract additional value before the remaining tailings are used for other purposes such as backfilling. 'The ability to treat material without incurring mining costs is an attractive prospect, with the revenue helping to boost the financial provisioning for closure,' he says. 'Where older facilities may not have been designed in optimal areas, re-treating the tailings also presents the possibility of depositing it in a different location – one that better suits the available post-closure options and can further reduce the mine's financial provisioning for closure.' Among the main reasons why effective closure is often so difficult is that tailings are viewed as a waste product with little or no current value, and many operations begin closure planning too late, when cash flow is limited, according to Sutcliffe. 'This means that money has had to be spent when it is least available, and for purposes that generate no return,' she explains. 'However, if it can be shown to be economically feasible to re-process a TSF, this allows for both additional revenue generation and integration into the updated mine-wide closure thinking, rather than retrospective management of old facilities not designed with closure in mind.' Risk management and mitigation Sutcliffe highlights the economic benefits of planning TSFs with closure in mind, pointing out the high cost required to bring many older facilities in line with the current standard's closure requirements. 'Early in the design stage, it is important to understand and best mitigate the potential risks that the TSF will present after closure. "Today, we see many facilities approaching the decommissioning phase, where risk mitigation could require significant expenditure or extended timeframes, or even both. 'It is generally far more cost-efficient to invest in the solutions earlier – in design or even at the operational stage – so that post-closure risk can be minimised," she explains. All rights reserved. © 2022. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
China's March bank loans seen rebounding as trade tensions escalate
By Ethan Wang and Kevin Yao BEIJING (Reuters) - China's new yuan loans likely rebounded in March after a sharp fall in February, a Reuters poll showed on Wednesday, as policymakers pledged fresh stimulus to counter mounting economic headwinds amid a worsening global trade war. Banks are estimated to have issued 3 trillion yuan ($408.19 billion) in net new yuan loans last month, up from 1.01 trillion yuan in February, according to the median estimates of 11 economists. The new lending forecast would be lower than the 3.09 trillion yuan issued in new loans in March 2024. "Overall credit demand may have stayed soft as the bills discount rate stayed subdued throughout the month," Citi analysts said in a note. "Meanwhile, household borrowing may have stayed low despite the easing of quota of consumer loans." New bank lending in China plunged more than expected in February after hitting a record high in January. Total lending would reach 9.14 trillion yuan in the first quarter if the March reading matches forecasts, compared with 9.46 trillion yuan in the same period last year. China has set an ambitious 2025 growth target of "around 5%", though analysts believe it may be increasingly difficult to achieve amid escalating U.S.-China trade tensions. President Donald Trump has hiked tariffs on Chinese goods this year to 104%, after China retaliated by matching his "reciprocal" duties. Citi this week downgraded its China GDP forecast to 4.2% from 4.7% for 2025, warning that higher U.S. tariffs could drag China's growth by at least 1.5 percentage points on an annualised basis. In a sign authorities may step up stimulus to shield the economy from external shocks, the state-run People's Daily said in a commentary last Sunday that China has "ample room" for monetary easing, including reserve requirement ratio cuts and interest rate reductions. The paper also flagged the potential for further expansion of fiscal deficits, special bonds and special treasury bonds. Separately, four of China's largest state-owned banks last week unveiled around $72 billion in recapitalisation plans, following through Beijing's pledge to help the lenders increase capital buffers and manage asset quality strains. Outstanding yuan loans were expected to rise 7.3% in March from a year earlier, the poll showed, unchanged from the pace in February. Broad M2 money supply growth last month was seen at 7.1%, quickening from 7.0% in February. Total social financing (TSF), a broad measure of credit and liquidity in the economy, likely grew to 4.8 trillion yuan in March from 2.23 trillion yuan in the previous month. Outstanding TSF rose 8.2% in February, up from 8.0% in January and December. ($1 = 7.3495 Chinese yuan) Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
China's March bank loans seen rebounding as trade tensions escalate
By Ethan Wang and Kevin Yao BEIJING (Reuters) - China's new yuan loans likely rebounded in March after a sharp fall in February, a Reuters poll showed on Wednesday, as policymakers pledged fresh stimulus to counter mounting economic headwinds amid a worsening global trade war. Banks are estimated to have issued 3 trillion yuan ($408.19 billion) in net new yuan loans last month, up from 1.01 trillion yuan in February, according to the median estimates of 11 economists. The new lending forecast would be lower than the 3.09 trillion yuan issued in new loans in March 2024. "Overall credit demand may have stayed soft as the bills discount rate stayed subdued throughout the month," Citi analysts said in a note. "Meanwhile, household borrowing may have stayed low despite the easing of quota of consumer loans." New bank lending in China plunged more than expected in February after hitting a record high in January. Total lending would reach 9.14 trillion yuan in the first quarter if the March reading matches forecasts, compared with 9.46 trillion yuan in the same period last year. China has set an ambitious 2025 growth target of "around 5%", though analysts believe it may be increasingly difficult to achieve amid escalating U.S.-China trade tensions. President Donald Trump has hiked tariffs on Chinese goods this year to 104%, after China retaliated by matching his "reciprocal" duties. Citi this week downgraded its China GDP forecast to 4.2% from 4.7% for 2025, warning that higher U.S. tariffs could drag China's growth by at least 1.5 percentage points on an annualised basis. In a sign authorities may step up stimulus to shield the economy from external shocks, the state-run People's Daily said in a commentary last Sunday that China has "ample room" for monetary easing, including reserve requirement ratio cuts and interest rate reductions. The paper also flagged the potential for further expansion of fiscal deficits, special bonds and special treasury bonds. Separately, four of China's largest state-owned banks last week unveiled around $72 billion in recapitalisation plans, following through Beijing's pledge to help the lenders increase capital buffers and manage asset quality strains. Outstanding yuan loans were expected to rise 7.3% in March from a year earlier, the poll showed, unchanged from the pace in February. Broad M2 money supply growth last month was seen at 7.1%, quickening from 7.0% in February. Total social financing (TSF), a broad measure of credit and liquidity in the economy, likely grew to 4.8 trillion yuan in March from 2.23 trillion yuan in the previous month. Outstanding TSF rose 8.2% in February, up from 8.0% in January and December. ($1 = 7.3495 Chinese yuan) Sign in to access your portfolio
Reuters
09-04-2025
- Business
- Reuters
China's March bank loans seen rebounding as trade tensions escalate: Reuters poll
Summary March new loans seen at 3 trln yuan vs 1.01 trln yuan in Feb March M2 growth seen at 7.1% y/y vs 7.0% y/y in Feb Loans, money supply data due April 10-15 BEIJING, April 9 (Reuters) - China's new yuan loans likely rebounded in March after a sharp fall in February, a Reuters poll showed on Wednesday, as policymakers pledged fresh stimulus to counter mounting economic headwinds amid a worsening global trade war. Banks are estimated to have issued 3 trillion yuan ($408.19 billion) in net new yuan loans last month, up from 1.01 trillion yuan in February, according to the median estimates of 11 economists. The new lending forecast would be lower than the 3.09 trillion yuan issued in new loans in March 2024. "Overall credit demand may have stayed soft as the bills discount rate stayed subdued throughout the month," Citi analysts said in a note. "Meanwhile, household borrowing may have stayed low despite the easing of quota of consumer loans." New bank lending in China plunged more than expected in February after hitting a record high in January. Total lending would reach 9.14 trillion yuan in the first quarter if the March reading matches forecasts, compared with 9.46 trillion yuan in the same period last year. China has set an ambitious 2025 growth target of"around 5%", though analysts believe it may be increasingly difficult to achieve amid escalating U.S.-China trade tensions. President Donald Trump has hiked tariffs on Chinese goods this year to 104%, after China retaliated by matching his "reciprocal" duties. Citi this week downgraded its China GDP forecast to 4.2% from 4.7% for 2025, warning that higher U.S. tariffs could drag China's growth by at least 1.5 percentage points on an annualised basis. In a sign authorities may step up stimulus to shield the economy from external shocks, the state-run People's Daily said in a commentary last Sunday that China has"ample room" for monetary easing, including reserve requirement ratio cuts and interest rate reductions. The paper also flagged the potential for further expansion of fiscal deficits, special bonds and special treasury bonds. Separately, four of China's largest state-owned banks last week unveiled around $72 billion in recapitalisation plans, following through Beijing's pledge to help the lenders increase capital buffers and manage asset quality strains. Outstanding yuan loans were expected to rise 7.3% in March from a year earlier, the poll showed, unchanged from the pace in February. Broad M2 money supply growth last month was seen at 7.1%, quickening from 7.0% in February. Total social financing (TSF), a broad measure of credit and liquidity in the economy, likely grew to 4.8 trillion yuan in March from 2.23 trillion yuan in the previous month. Outstanding TSF rose 8.2% in February, up from 8.0% in January and December. ($1 = 7.3495 Chinese yuan)
