Simulation of the Filtered-Tailings Stacking Operation

This study addresses the filtered-tailings stacking (FTS) operation in the mining industry. The significant increase in tailings generation at an industrial scale poses a challenge to applying this operation as a safer alternative to tailings dams. To address this, we developed a discrete-event simulation model to identify bottlenecks and improve the operation’s productivity. This model, developed in Arena, showed strong agreement with field observations and indicated that the current operation’s bottleneck is the tailings-drying process, which is intensified during the rainy season. We evaluated three strategies to improve FTS operation: sector subdivision, area expansion, and increasing the daily moisture loss rate. These strategies increased the compacted mass of filtered tailings stacked by up to 12%, 50.8%, and 29.2%, respectively, compared with the current FTS operation. Considering feasibility and cost, sector subdivision emerged as the most practical solution. The proposed model is a pioneering application that has proven to be a flexible and effective decision-support tool for planning FTS operations.