The scientific studies behind mining projects

It should be noted that the studies vary according to the size of the project, whether it is open pit or underground, or according to the type of material to be extracted; for example, coal, for construction, or precious metals like gold.

 

Precisely, these processes begin by determining in detail where the mineral is, to then establish what is the best form of exploitation,  what infrastructure is best suited for extraction and the entire issue of the Environmental Impact Study (EIA).

 

"The most important environmental instrument is the Environmental Impact Study, a document that exhaustively and in detail presents the viability of environmental licensing and, therefore, the viability of the mining project," they assured from the Colombian Mining Association (ACM), which He added:  "When it comes to environmental issues, the mining industry is highly regulated."

 

Following the water quality

 

One of the most important studies are those of water, in which surface and underground sources and rain sources are analyzed  to determine their quality and quantity.

 

“To study water quality, monitoring is required in two stages, taking into account that in most of the country there is a dry season and a rainy season, and thus establish what the conditions of the water sources are at those times. This is a mandatory process, especially when the project requires the capture of surface water. For this, we need modeling and demonstrate whether these sources that we propose have the capacity to deliver the resource without deteriorating them, ”explained Luisa Fernanda Guayara, project manager at Geoma, a consulting company that works mainly in the mining and energy sectors.

 

"To study water quality, monitoring is required in two stages, taking into account that in most of the country there is a dry season and a rainy season"

 

In addition, in the event that the project is underground and tunnel construction is required, an analysis is also made to determine the behavior of groundwater.

 

Studies of flora and fauna

 

An essential requirement is to have detailed information on life, both animal and plant, that exists throughout the area of ​​influence that the project would have.

 

In the biotic environment, we assess, for example, what fauna exists and monitor for several days. Biologists of different specialties go and do scans to find out what species exist. The same happens with the forestry part, botanists go to detail what type of plant covers , trees, mosses, orchids and other vegetation there are to take samples, ”said Roberto Cárdenas, director of Environmental Studies at Inerco, a consultant with 25 years of experience in the engineering and mining field, where they have worked with coal projects, construction materials and metals.

 

Soils, air and vibrations

 

On the other hand, the study of soils and the area where the project is planned is another of the important analyzes that stand out from the consulting firms dedicated to this issue.

 

“This is done to establish their physical and chemical properties and if they could be affected.  For this reason, the geology works in detail are very important and are even among the first to be carried out, since they are basically the sustenance of the project, ”said Ramírez, from Integral.

 

Hand in hand with the work done by geologists, the seismic part is also analyzed, since the frequency of tremors in the area and how the mining infrastructure would behave in the event of an earthquake must be verified; this is more important in the case of underground mines.

 

Another important aspect is the models of air quality, noise and vibrations, because when it is in the  construction and operation stages of the mining project it is necessary to know if these activities can affect the area and at what levels.

 

“You have to analyze everything. Personally, it seems to me that the studies for mining projects are the most exhaustive because a general characterization of both the abiotic and biotic environment and the socioeconomic environment must be made, ”said Guayara, from Geoma.

 

For his part, according to Germán Pardo, president of the Colombian Society of Engineers,  although the studies for this sector are scientifically rigorous , I would make an adjustment.

 

“I was able to review the technical reports of some of the most important mining projects in the country and I can say that the studies they carried out were detailed. However, it would reinforce the issue of socializing them with the community, to explain to them what is going to be done, how it could affect them and how it is going to benefit them; to avoid politicization on these issues , ”Pardo commented.

 

«You have to analyze everything. Personally, it seems to me that the studies for mining projects are the most exhaustive because a general characterization must be made »

 

Profiles in these studies

 

To carry out the long list of studies that a mining project requires, likewise, several experts are needed to carry them out.

 

“Before, few professionals were needed, but now very specialized profiles are required as biologists with different approaches:  one for mammals, others for amphibians, reptiles and birds. The same for geology; In addition to the geologist, we also require hydrogeologists for the part of the water sources ”, explained Ramírez.

 

It is the same with engineers, as they require different types and specialties (see graph). The presence of economists, social workers and even archaeologists (see box) is even necessary for socio-economic issues.

 

They require good time

 

In order to carry out all these studies and analyze their results, in addition to labor,  time is required due to the complexity they present.

 

For example, for the issue of water monitoring, two different seasons are needed: dry and rainy, so this section of the environmental study could not be carried out in less than eight months.

 

Now, if taken into account from the first phases of exploration with geologists in the field, when the potential sites of mineralization deposits are located  , the process can easily take about 15 years until the beginning of the exploitation.

 

How much do they cost?

 

Although the value of these analyzes has variables according to the type of project, EL TIEMPO investigated with consulting firms and found that in the case of a small project the amount starts between 800 and 1,500 million pesos just for the environmental impact study.

 

Whereas if it is a large project, in which all the studies and analysis are carried out,  the figure can reach 3,000,000 dollars.

 

"As these are such large investments, what is sought is to advance the knowledge of the mineral, the quantity, location, chemical characteristics and quality"

 

It should be noted that all the investments made in these cases are the responsibility of the mining companies that are interested in exploring and exploiting the mineral.

 

"As these are such large investments, what is sought is to advance knowledge of the mineral, the quantity, location, chemical characteristics and quality. To reach this knowledge, processes and studies are required that improve the level of information, which helps to eliminate the uncertainty regarding the deposit with the mineral of interest ”, said Edwin Arango, environmental manager of the Quebradona copper mining project.