Silver in Tailings: Metal Accounting

What this topic covers

Quantify unrecovered silver in residue without implying that all tailings should be reprocessed.

Core mine-to-refinery ideas

Tailings assays and tonnage estimates reveal how much silver left the plant unrecovered.

Historic tailings can contain material that becomes interesting as technology or economics change.

Reprocessing feasibility must also consider environmental liabilities, mineralogy and current permitting.

Important tradeoffs

Geochemical behavior can change after rock is excavated, ground and exposed to air and water.

Measurement and accounting

Closure planning and monitoring should begin before production ends.

Lifecycle perspective

Tailings facility design, remediation procedures and treatment chemistry require site-specific specialists.