WesTech Engineering, LLC articles

Mine backfill is defined as the material used to fill the cavities (i.e., stopes) created by underground mining. Backfilling can be a means to dispose of sludge and/ or tailings which may contain hazardous materials and to reduce surface environmental impacts by storing tailings underground.

Alternately, backfilling with nonhazardous materials can allow for mining productivity improvements. To these materials are added a variety of fillers such as fly ash, course sand, or gravels a

The minerals industry has faced increasing pressures in recent years in the management of tailings streams. Environmental, economic and other factors have led many minerals producers to explore the technology of making and using “paste.” With the increasing number of installations worldwide, this technology has proved to not only be industry accepted, but economically advantageous. The ability of paste thickeners to produce a higher concentration underflow leads to significant wat

Numerous studies and papers have been devoted to the subject of thickener design and operation to achieve specified throughput and discharge densities. Mathematical models have been developed that present methods for sizing thickeners and predicting performance under varying process conditions. The compression effect of deeper beds on dewatering performance is a recognized phenomenon. This is one variable of many that are inter-related and influence thickener performance. For example in the s

Centralized treatment of wastewater is emerging as a viable solution for long-term efficiency in managing water sourcing and wastewater treatment in hydraulic fracturing.

The number of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) shale oil and gas wells in the United States continues to increase. Within the Bakken Shale formation alone, in North Dakota and Montana, upwards of 15,000 hydraulic fracturing wellheads are in operation, with another 20,000 wells planned for opening. The U.S. has vast