New Pipeline

for Tailings disposal

Bougainville Copper is to build a pipeline to carry tailings from its Panguna concentrator to Empress Augusta Bay on the west coast of Bougainville Is land. This changed method of disposal is approved by the Government. The pipeline will carry about 130,000 tonnes of tailings per day for 31.7 km, through mountain and valley terrain, across rivers and swamp-like country.

It will cost about K 65 million (about SAIOO million) in Janu ary 1987 terms, and construc tion will be completed by May 1989. A joint venture to act as Project Manager has been

formed between Minenco and the Bechtel Corporation. Cur rently, tailings disposal uses the natural flow of the Jaba River to carry about 60% of the tailings to Empress Augusta Bay the remaining 40% settles along the river valley where it has formed extensive, and in some places, deep tailings deposits. This disposal method is both expen sive to manage and has a limited life.

Tailings disposal via the pipe line has real benefits from both the operational and environ mental points of view. Due to a number of factors the impact of direct disposal of tailings on