New Opportunities for Effective Tailing Storage Operation (JSC “ALROSA”, Russia)

This paper reports on a new technological scheme of recycling water removal and water level decrease at the tailing impoundments of a processing plant. To isolate recycle waters from tailing storage it is proposed to use permafrost. The processing water, with a salinity of 15 g/L, will be mixed with drainage brines from the quarry, with a salinity of 370 g/L, and then will be disposed into permafrost. The scheme realization will allow decreasing the water area outlines of the tailing storage and the waterworks to be effectively operated and its availability to be provided.