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Main Content

All information is valid as at 1 January 2023.

Introduction

Extracting and processing ore involves significant quantities of residue material – including tailings.

As the world’s demand for raw materials has grown at an accelerating pace in recent decades, and as the grades of many ores have decreased over time, so the volumes of this residue material have increased, exponentially.

Here we talk about what tailings are, how we manage them safely and provide details of our tailings storage facilities around the world.

Mark Cutifani - Chief Executive

Chief Executive statement

 The management and storage of tailings is a critical priority for the global mining industry and, as one of the world’s largest mining companies, we understand the importance of, and are committed to, responsible and sustainable tailings management practices.

Aligned with our own Technical Standard for Tailings, we strive to minimise our waste while using appropriate technologies and applying geotechnical engineering and scientific data, to ensure the ongoing integrity of our facilities.

Tailings facilities present the industry with social, safety and environmental challenges throughout the lifecycle of mining operations and, as such, we welcome the introduction of the comprehensive Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM). The GISTM represents a further important step forward for the global mining industry. Anglo American played an active role in the multi-stakeholder process of developing the GISTM, which covers standards and practices over the entire tailings facility lifecycle and sets a high bar for the mining industry to achieve strong social, environmental and technical outcomes.

In 2022, we continued the work to align with the technical requirements of the GISTM and the social aspects that are already encompassed in our Social Way 3.0. We continue to work towards conformance with the GISTM and we will be disclosing our work and progress in August 2023, in line with other ICMM members.

Transparency is central to how we approach engagement and I hope this latest disclosure provides our stakeholders with valuable information and an update on our ongoing progress across this key area of our operations.


Duncan Wanblad Chief Executive

Subject to the paragraphs below, I confirm on behalf of the company that the information presented is true to the best of my knowledge, based on Anglo American’s governance, technical and review systems, as at 1 January 2023.

The information contained herein speaks only as of that date and Anglo American plc, its subsidiaries and affiliates (together, the “Anglo American Group”) expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to update the information contained herein due to a change in circumstances or otherwise.

Certain responses relate to information for operations in which companies in the Anglo American Group hold a non-operating interest (the "NOJV Responses"). The NOJV Responses are based on information provided to companies in the Anglo American Group by the relevant operating entities. No warranties, promises and/or representations of any kind, express or implied, are given, nor is any duty of care assumed by me or by any of the companies in the Anglo American Group, or by any of their directors, officers, employees or consultants as to the nature, standard, completeness, accuracy or otherwise of the NOJV Responses.

This information is made available for information purposes only. It is not intended to amount to any form of advice, recommendation or information on which any party is intended to rely.

Reference is made to Anglo American plc’s annual report and other public disclosures by RNS that we may make from time to time. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, none of the companies in the Anglo American Group nor any of their directors, officers, employees or consultants accept responsibility or liability for any loss or damage of whatever nature (direct, indirect, consequential, or other) whether arising in contract, tort or otherwise, which may arise as a result of use of or reliance upon any information contained herein.

The information presented includes forward-looking statements. By their nature, such forward- looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results to differ from what is expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

What are tailings?

Our definition

Tailings are the materials left over following the processing of mined ore that separates the valuable metals or minerals from the host rock. Tailings are not the same as waste rock, the latter being soil or rock or other material that covers or surrounds an orebody and that is displaced during mining but is not processed.

What is a tailings storage facility?

Our definition

A TSF is a structure specifically engineered and tailored to deal with the physical nature of the tailings materials, as well as local climate, topography and seismic activity. A TSF’s purpose is to receive deposits of tailings and allow water to separate from the fine waste particles – either naturally or through a mechanised process – so that the water can be recycled back into mining processes.

View our interactive tailings database

Anglo American’s technical standard (Overview)

At Anglo American, we upgraded our technical standard for tailings dam safety management in early 2014, going beyond established regulatory and industry standards in many respects at that time.

In 2022 we aligned our technical standard to include all additional technical requirements as called for under the Global Industry Standard on tailings management (GISTM) inclusive of guidelines to augment the implementation process of GISTM and will be released publicly once internally approved.

In support of the technical standard and Tailings Management across other non-technical disciplines, we have developed a Policy document approved by the Board of Directors that will also be made public together with the technical standard.

Our standards

Design and implementation
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Maintenance and monitoring
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Inspection and audit
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Our standards

Design and implementation
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Maintenance and monitoring
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Inspection and audit
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Standards
  • Structural integrity
  • Highest standards
  • Consequence Classification of Structure (CCS) rating
  • All TSFs are built following established minimum design criteria aimed at ensuring structural integrity.
  • Change management is delivered to the highest standards aimed at ensuring the structural integrity is preserved over time.
  • All TSFs have a Consequence Classification of Structure (CCS) rating based on the potential hazard evaluation.
    a. Insignificant - no disruption to operation
    b. Minor - brief disruption to operation
    c. Moderate - partial shutdown of operation
    d. High - partial loss of operation
    e. Major - substantial or total loss of operation
Standards
  • Competent person
  • Engineer of Record
  • Dedicated team of Engineering specialists
  • ‘Major’ or ‘High’ CCS facilities have a Competent Person responsible for the integrity of the TSFs as the key first line role, supported by an appointed Accountable Executive. Note that a Competent Person is equivalent to a Responsible Tailings Facility Engineer as defined within GISTM.
  • Each TSF has an Engineer of Record (EOR), providing continuous support from initial design and construction, to monitoring and support to ensure that the TSF is performing according to design as part of the 1st line.
  • A dedicated team of Group level Engineering specialists provide oversight, strategic direction and technical support as a 2nd line function. A review of tailings facilities at non-managed operations is done on a rotational basis.
  • Various forms of remote and other monitoring technology are used to measure TSF performance, including ground movement and seepage.
Standards
  • Regular inspections
  • Formal dam safety reviews
  • Independent review of critical facilities
  • Local site-based operational personnel conduct daily/weekly/biweekly inspections.
  • EoR conducts formal dam safety inspections at all managed sites on a quarterly, semi-annual and/or annual basis.
  • A technical review panel conduct an independent review of critical facilities at least once per year.
  • Additional technical review and analyses are carried out by independent Dam Safety Review consultants, aligned with GISTM requirements.

How are tailings dams constructed?

There are six fundamental types of tailings dams, each constructed using different techniques:

Managing tailings safely

Upstream

The upstream method starts with the construction of a starter dam. Tailings will naturally separate so that coarse material settles closest to the starter dam, while liquid and fine material settles furthest away. As the level of the materials rises, the crest of the dam is raised “upstream”, using the support of the previous dam raise and the tailings beach area.

Downstream

The downstream method begins in most cases with a starter dam that has a low permeability zone or liner to control and minimise water loss. In some cases it also serves to initially store water for start-up of the plant.

Tailings are placed behind the dam and the embankment is raised by building the new wall on top of the downstream slope of the previous section.

Centreline

The centreline method sits between the upstream and downstream construction methods. Like the upstream method, the tailings are discharged on top of the dam to form a beach behind the dam wall. When the dam is raised, material is placed on both the tailings beach and the existing embankment.

Hybrid

A hybrid dam is a combination of the tailings dam types that are defined as either Downstream, Upstream or Centreline. Some tailings dams have changed construction type in the past and now are defined as 'hybrid' or 'mixed type'.

Landform

A landform is one that is typically a very old legacy tailings dam that has dried out to the point where it does not constitute a wet dam anymore, nor is considered to be a containment structure. The main features, such as the outer wall slopes, may also be altered or flattened by erosion to the point that the facility is unrecognisable in comparison to its previous engineered state.

Water retaining

Water retaining type of dams are built using selected imported fill materials from designated borrow areas and quarries, placed in a controlled manner in lifts, typically resulting in an embankment structure that is designed to store water and tailings in direct contact with the outerwall. Water retaining structures may have specific engineered structural features, such as riprap, a low permeability liner or core zone, internal filters, and drainage system, to safely manage stored water and seepage flow through the dam body.

Water retaining structures are similar to downstream structures where the outer wall is self-supporting and are different where a downstream facility is not always designed to allow water to pond against the outer wall.

Anglo American managed operations – summary by country

Of the 62 TSFs managed by Anglo American, 29 are in active use, 24 are inactive or in care and maintenance, and 9 are closed or rehabilitated. In terms of the method of tailings storage, 33 use slurry deposition above ground while 29 are either stacked in a dewatered state or deposited in-pit.

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