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At Fosterville Gold Mine (FGM), we are committed to providing clear and accurate information about our operations. We acknowledge the concerns raised within our community and understand the importance of addressing them openly and transparently.

Through this Q&A style series, we’ll cover topics from Tailings Storage Facilities (TSFs) to groundwater. Facts in Focus is designed to provide you–our community, with straightforward, evidence-based information that gives you the opportunity to gain a better understanding of what we do and how we do it.

We’ll begin our series by addressing some of the misinformation surrounding FGM’s Tailings Storage Facilities (TSFs).

What are tailings?

Tailings are the materials left over following the processing of mined ore to separate the valuable minerals from the host rock. It’s important to note that tailings are not the same as waste rock. Waste rock is the material that surrounds the orebody and is displaced during mining but is not processed.

Processing involves crushing and grinding the mined ore into fine particles, then mixing it with water and other agents to help extract valuable minerals. At FGM, the tailings mixture is dewatered (water removed) and then either combined with a binding agent to create paste fill, which is used to backfill underground voids, or stored in a Tailings Storage Facility (TSF)-but more on those later.

Are all tailings the same?

There are two different types of tailings generated at FGM, which are managed and stored separately: Flotation and Neutralisation Tails and CIL (Carbon in Leach) Tailings. We don’t take a one-size-fits-all approach and manage each according to its unique characteristics.

Flotation and Neutralisation Tailings

Flotation and Neutralisation Tailings are created during the front end of processing, when the sulphide mineral pyrite is separated from the ore stream. This stream is mainly composed of quartz, shale, and sandstone, with a small amount of sulphide minerals.

When deposited into the Tailings Storage Facilities (TSFs), the solid tailings particles settle and consolidate. The remaining water separates from the solids and is recovered for reuse in the processing plant.

CIL (Carbon in Leach) Tailings

CIL Tailings are created during the back end of processing, when microscopic gold particles are extracted from the sulphide mineral pyrite using cyanide, which dissolves the gold into solution.

In addition to cyanide, CIL tailings are enriched in antimony, arsenic, sulphate, and sulphides. Once the CIL tailings are drained and dried, they are dry stacked and stored on a CIL Hardstand. The CIL Hardstands are lined facilities, where all contact water drains into plastic-lined drains and dams for treatment and reuse. The CIL tailings contain residual gold and other metals, which is why they are safely and securely stored for potential retreatment and recovery in the future.