Mount Milligan Gold-Copper Mine
Client
Thompson Creek Metals Company Inc.Location
British Columbia, CanadaHighlights
- Combined waste rock and tailings management facility design
- Water management and sediment and erosion control designs
- Geotechnical and hydrogeological site investigations and data collection
- Geotechnical design for infrastructure foundation
- Open pit rock mechanics
- Annual inspections for tailings facility and open pit
- Dam breach and inundation studies
- Hydrology
Project Overview
The Mount Milligan Gold-Copper Mine is located approximately 90 miles northwest of Prince George in central British Columbia, Canada. The mine is a conventional truck-shovel open pit gold-copper mine and concentrator with a 60,000 tpd design capacity flotation processing plant. The mine has an estimated mine life of 22 years.
Project Role
Knight Piésold has been involved with the design of the tailings storage facility (TSF) and open pit since the late 1980s. Knight Piésold, as the geotechnical consultant, conducted site investigations in the open pit, TSF, and plant site to collect geotechnical and hydrogeological data for detailed engineering of the project facilities. Knight Piésold supported the project’s Environmental Impact Assessment with the collection of environmental baseline data.
Knight Piésold completed the design of an innovative and award-winning TSF between 2006 and 2008, which is regarded as the benchmark for mine waste and water management facilities in British Columbia. Knight Piésold provided quality assurance services during construction of the project facilities and continues to provide technical direction and engineering support to meet social and environmental goals throughout the life of the mine and into closure.
Award
Award of Merit, Energy & Industry Category, 2011 CEBC (now ACEC-BC) Awards for Engineering Excellence