Transport and deposition of thickened uranium tailings

The McClean Lake operation has experienced several problems relating to the thickened tailings disposal system. These include issues relating to segregation, inadequate pumping capacity, and unstable pipeline operation. Segregation in the tailings management facility is of particular importance since it negatively impacts the long-term containment of arsenic and the consolidation of the tails solids. These issues have direct implications on the regulatory requirements of the operation. As a result several initiatives relating to tailings thickening, transport, and deposition were proposed and implemented. This paper presents an audit of the existing tailings transport system based on the rheological requirements of homogeneous tailings as well as the proposed changes and preliminary results of this study. (author)