mine water management - the vault...undertakes to publicly update or revise any such forward-looking...
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MINE WATER
MANAGEMENT
Johan Wagner
Group Water Consultant
28 July 2016
Disclaimer
The information in this presentation may include forward-looking statements, which are based on current expectations and
projections about future events. These statements may include, without limitation, any statements preceded by, followed by or
including words such as “target,” “expect,” “may,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “will,” and other words and terms of similar
meaning or the negative thereof. These forward-looking statements, as well as those included in any other material discussed
at the meeting, are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including, among other things, the development of
Sibanye’s business, general economic conditions and actions of regulators. In light of these risks, uncertainties and
assumptions, the events in the forward-looking statements may not occur. No representation or warranty is made that any
forward-looking statement will come to pass and no reliance should be placed on any forward-looking statement. No one
undertakes to publicly update or revise any such forward-looking statement.
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Mine water management
• Integrated water resource
management
• Dynamic water systems
management
• External and internal water
management issues
• Water management:
opportunities
3A complex and critical issue for the mining industry and the country
SibanyeAMANZI management strategy: background
• 2005 – 2012: Gold Fields Liquid Gold plan:
• 2013: SibanyeAMANZI strategy developed when Sibanye established
• 2014: Water Management Department (WMD), comprising a multi-disciplinary
team, set up with a mandate to deliver one-stop,
in-house, professional mine water management services
– unique in the mining industry
– cost saving
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SibanyeAMANZI: objectives and key results
• The SibanyeAMANZI programme actively delivers across
four critical functional areas:
• Ensuring water management COMPLIANCE and safety: water use licences (WULs), fit-for-purpose (based on water end use),
health, statutory, structural, routine monitoring, incident management,
closure
• Delivering INNOVATION and PROJECTS which deliver: cost reduction, value recovery, compliance and sustainability
• Supporting mining operations and maintenance:
– footprint: reductions in municipal water consumed, water pumped and solids discharged
– total cost of ownership: reduced cost – separation, pumping, energy, use of chemicals
• Developing a culture of water use awareness and stewardship: relationships and catchment management forums with key stakeholders
(government and communities), value adding third party mine visits
• Key differentiators are: innovation, business case driven, compliance re-engineering, decision support system (MEMDSS), regional integration
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Critical water concerns
• Acid mine drainage (AMD)
– current situation
– government solution
– the Sibanye alternative
• Compliance
– fair water use license
– administrative burden
– law vs regulator
• Water quality and quantity
– mine closure management
– data scarcity
– governmental infrastructure
constraints
– resource quality objectives
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Acid Mine Drainage
Problem
• Recognized as 2nd greatest environmental issue after global warming by the US Environmental Protection Agency
• Treatment of AMD declared an emergency in 2010 by DWS
• Short-term treatment has begun – are limitations
• Long-term solution suggested by DWS
– no technical solution as yet
– cost apportionment of 2/3rd to existing mines and 1/3rd to tax payers
– pump and treat into perpetuity – unsustainable
– treat only to potable standards – not fit-for-use
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Acid Mine Drainage
Sibanye solution
• Short-term treatment:
– lime dosing, precipitate and settling to
separate solids from compliant water
– high-rate settling as compared toother available technology
– improved cost-effective, environmental footprint
– can be treated to potable standards if
further treatment performed
• Long-term treatment:
– backfill the void with tailings residue
– allow flooding of the void to just below decant level
– treat decant on surface to drinking water standard using appropriate technology and
offset cost against cost of municipal supply
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Compliance
Problem
• The law (National Water Act (NWA)) vs regulations
• Obtaining a fair WUL on time
– sometimes unachievable conditions
– inconsistency of standards and requirements
– long application and amendment times
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Compliance
Sibanye solution
• Environmental decision support system
developed (MEMDSS)
• Implemented three sector compliance
management system (care, statutory and
structural)
• Monitoring use of in-house specialists
– reduce cost
– ability to react in real time
• Active consultation with the DWS
• Participation in decision-making
processes
– Sibanye participates in key
workshops, policy and strategy
sessions
– influences policies to ensure
they are practicable and
implementable
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Water quality and quantity
Problem
• South Africa has limited water
resources which are inequitably
distributed
• Sibanye has surplus water
• Governmental constraints on the
sale of water by private companies
• Minerals naturally associated with
metals and salts influences water
quality – metals and uranium
• Sewage and agricultural pollution are significant issues
– cross contamination
• Mine activities contaminate the
groundwater resource
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67%
18%
4%
5%2% 3% 1%
Contribution and current water needs
by major economic sector
Irrigation
Urban
Rural
Mining
Power generation
Afforestation
Transfer out
Water quality and quantity
Sibanye's solution
• Separate clean and dirty water from source:
– key principle of the NWA
– includes keeping clean water out of dirty areas, such as mine workings
• Treat underground water, mine water and AMD water for internal use
• Produce potable water through active treatment methods (e.g. water treatment plants) for external supply for closure (includes WRTRP)
– included as part of draft Integrated Water Quality Management Policy of
the Department of Water and Sanitation – Sibanye gave input
recommending the private sale of water to cover cost of treatment
– regional opportunities for use of resources
• Implement passive technologies for water treatment after closure (bioremediation e.g. wetlands and attenuation)
• Innovative metal s and uranium removal and recovery:
– projects being implemented and investigated
– will allow for recovery of metals
• Working with farmers and assisting municipalities to solve water issues
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