ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: In 2002 BHPBilliton announced closure of the San Manuel copper operation 40 miles north of Tucson, Arizona. Started by Magma Copper in the late 1940’s, San Manuel disturbed 9,000 acres and included an underground mine that produced over 700 million tons of ore, an 1,100 foot deep open pit, sulfide waste rock dumps, heap leach and SX-EW plant, mill, concentrator, smelter, and tailings facilities impounding over 700 million tons of material, covering 3300 acres. BHPBilliton engaged SRK Consulting to provide site characterization, engineering, permitting, and to assist with construction oversight for the closure. These activities began in 2002 and closure construction started in late 2004. The work was completed in January of 2008 ahead of schedule, under budget, with an exemplary safety record, and without a single contractor claim. This paper presents the tailings closure portion of the design and an overview of the tailings closure construction.
