Diversified natural resources major Glencore has entered a global agreement with satellite technology company Tre-Altamira to expand monitoring to over 110 of its tailings dams worldwide, marking the largest industry monitoring agreement to date, specifically focused on Tailings Storage Monitoring.
According to a statement from Glencore Dec. 15, the monitoring provides measurements of surface movements every 11 days which is the current maximum available frequency for this type of data collection.
"By taking measurements from both ascending and descending satellite orbit directions, Glencore will be able to resolve any measured movement on its TSFs into both horizontal and vertical components. The typical resolution on the ground is 3 meters x 3 meters with detectable movement resolution in the order of a few millimeters," it added.
While the main focus of the satellite monitoring program will be its tailings dams, the data will also be used at some sites to supplement other terrestrial monitoring techniques which will include open pits, waste piles and areas prone to subsidence.
Measurement data will be provided via a cloud based platform which will ensure continuous provision of information. Results of the monitoring will also be used to support stakeholder engagement and demonstrate the ongoing safe performance of our dams.
Global industry standards
A global industry standard on tailings management was launched Aug. 5 by the United Nations Environment Programme, Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) and the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) following a review in response to the failure of the tailings facility at the Corrego do Feijao mine in Brumadinho, Brazil in January 2019.
The standard, based on five key principles, aims to take a multi-disciplinary approach involving all stakeholders in tailings dams and to support decision-making by operators and key stakeholders throughout tailing facilities' lifecycles, chair of the Global Tailings Review, Bruno Oberle, said.
As the world navigates out of the coronavirus pandemic and the associated humanitarian and fiscal fall-out, markets are waking up to the fact that investors are becoming increasingly ESG-savvy in approach.
Big name funds are auditing their portfolios, and the less compliant a company is the more likely it is to be vetoed until it cleans up its act.
