Skip to main content

Huckleberry Mine

Project Overview

The Huckleberry Mine is an open pit copper/molybdenum mine located in west-central British Columbia, owned by Huckleberry Mines Ltd. (HML). Their tailings pond nearing capacity, HML built a new tailings pond (TMF-3) approximately 4km from the mill building to accommodate extended mine life until 2019.

Project Scope

JDS Energy & Mining was retained by HML in early 2013 on a design-build, self-perform contract basis for the Cyclone Sand & Water Management project. The project scope included full detail engineering, procurement, and project & construction management, in the following areas:

  • Over 12km of HDPE pipeline to transport tailings from the existing mill building to a Cyclone Sand Plant (CSP) building, which separates out the coarse sand from the tailings stream. The sand is stored in a sand pad adjacent to TMF-3 and used to raise the tailings dam, in order to contain rising pond elevation. This system required installation of 2 booster pumps in an existing building: a 600hp rougher tailings pump and a 200hp scavenger tailings pump.
  • Cyclone Sand Plant including cyclopac, piping, sump pump, electrical systems and pre-engineered steel building.
  • Concrete drop boxes to support above slurry systems.
  • A new reclaim water barge at TMF-3, associated E-house and refurbishment of an existing reclaim water booster pump house.
  • 5km of HDPE pipeline for the reclaim water system.
  • Over 2km of HDPE pipeline and pumps at 3 new seepage control ponds located adjacent to TMF-3.

JDS also to managed the installation of a 5.5km 13.8kV overhead power line to support the new infrastructure. The project was completed on time and under budget with no lost time injuries.

Company
Huckleberry Mines Ltd.

Location
Houston, British Columbia

Value
$13M