Tailings dam mitigation risk informed decision making closes the discussion we presented in prior blogposts. We now focus on one dam and show how ORE2_Tailings™ supports rational and sensible risk mitigation decision-making as requested by GISTM. The dam case The dam we selected for this example is inactive and is parallel to a valley bottom. An unprotected creek runs at its toe and the bed is considered to be sufficient for the 1/500 return. Beyond that flood, there will be…
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Distinguishing knowledge in risk assessment and risk-informed decision making is paramount and this post shows an example. Once upon a time we were studying large Alpine landslides in the Alps. We were working in a Swiss Federal Research Project. We were members of a multidisciplinary team encompassing geologists, hydro-geologists, monitoring specialists and ourselves as geotechnical engineers and risk (hazard) specialists. The research project focused on landslides prone areas characterized by “continuous” movement. For those slopes, failure is a brutal and…
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Real Estate Due Diligence vs. Risk Informed Decision Making stems out of reading a real estate deal due diligence guide by Jon Hegwood. The guide states that “the due diligence period is a formalized discovery window to confirm assumptions, identify potential hiccups, uncover unforeseen issues, and ultimately, determine the feasibility of a project. It’s the active mitigation of physical, financial and legal uncertainties”. Given that definition and our experience in large contracts, Mergers and Acquisition risk assessment it was inevitable that…
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Responsible Mining and risks is based on a recent article discussing Pebble Mine controversial project and in particular its Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). The paper by NRDC Joel Reynold describes Pebble Mine as “Perhaps the most widely condemned development project anywhere”. It also explains that over the past eight years, four major global mining companies have abandoned the project. Namely: Mitsubishi Corporation in 2011, Anglo American in 2013, Rio Tinto in 2014, and finally First Quantum Minerals in 2018.…
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Cobriza, Peru tailings dam failure occurred at Cobriza in Peru on July 10th 2019. Cobriza is a copper mine. Reportedly “the concentrator was operated at a rate quite below its capacity due to lack of mine ore and lately (2016 and 2017) due to lack of capacity in the tailings dam“. The plant is also subject to a highly controversial liquidation. Media invoke poor management as a cause of the failure. Google Earth image of the Cobriza mine tailings in Peru. The failed…
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ORE use for Risk Informed Decision Making (RIDM) explores the possible deployment of ORE within RIDM. We will teach this in Banff using well documented case histories. Here are some examples: Mining (operations and environmental rehabilitation) Transportation (RR and highways) Wharves (including multi-modal logistics) Automotive (specialty vehicles) M&A, startups ORE use for Risk Informed Decision Making (RIDM) : does it fit? We highlight below some aspects of RIDM and compare them to ORE features to show how ORE use for Risk…
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