Reference number : GC-2017-Q1-01775, amendment number : , agreement type : G, recipient legal name : Deutsch, Clayton (University of Alberta), recipient country : CA, recipient province : nan, recipient city : Alberta, recipient postal code : nan, program name english : Discovery Grants Program - Individual, program name french : Programme de subventions à la découverte - individuelles, program purpose english : Natural resources are an endowment that all Canadians wish to preserve and develop in a sustainable and responsible manner. Of particular importance to Canada and local interest to Alberta are the oil sands of the McMurray Formation. Mining engineering has historically focused on understanding the reserves and economically optimal extraction of those reserves. The management of the material entering processing facilities is important, but the management of the waste streams is of increasing importance. There has to be room for the material in tailings ponds. Concentrations of contaminants, the size distribution of the solids, the strength of the material and other properties must be understood and managed. This calls on a wide cross section of engineering and other disciplines. This research lies in the interdisciplinary region between geoscientific characterization and engineering design: the quantification of geological variability and the transfer of that through the entire process. The focus of this proposal is the calculation of numerical models that are suitable for management of all input and output material streams in a mining operation. Site specific characteristics will be addressed including regulatory requirements, data collection, value of information, and optimization of planning to ensure all constraints are met. 
 
The anticipated outcomes of the proposal are primarily peer reviewed scholarly publications presenting methodologies for managing mined material through the entire process, improved multivariate geostatistical modeling techniques, case studies demonstrating multistream mine management and decision making under uncertainty. Equally important outcomes are the highly qualified students and researchers who will move into university positions, research labs and company settings to continue implementation and undertake further research. This research will be important to senior technical staff at mine operations, other researchers and government regulators. The innovative developments planned in this proposal will provide a framework for improved resource management, short and long term mine planning, and anticipating and mitigating against plant upsets. These developments will provide tangible economic benefits to mine operators and to Canada. The research will primarily benefit the mining industry; however, other industries such as the upstream oil and gas, environmental and hydrogeologic fields are likely to adapt certain results in research and application., program purpose french : Natural resources are an endowment that all Canadians wish to preserve and develop in a sustainable and responsible manner. Of particular importance to Canada and local interest to Alberta are the oil sands of the McMurray Formation. Mining engineering has historically focused on understanding the reserves and economically optimal extraction of those reserves. The management of the material entering processing facilities is important, but the management of the waste streams is of increasing importance. There has to be room for the material in tailings ponds. Concentrations of contaminants, the size distribution of the solids, the strength of the material and other properties must be understood and managed. This calls on a wide cross section of engineering and other disciplines. This research lies in the interdisciplinary region between geoscientific characterization and engineering design: the quantification of geological variability and the transfer of that through the entire process. The focus of this proposal is the calculation of numerical models that are suitable for management of all input and output material streams in a mining operation. Site specific characteristics will be addressed including regulatory requirements, data collection, value of information, and optimization of planning to ensure all constraints are met. 
 
The anticipated outcomes of the proposal are primarily peer reviewed scholarly publications presenting methodologies for managing mined material through the entire process, improved multivariate geostatistical modeling techniques, case studies demonstrating multistream mine management and decision making under uncertainty. Equally important outcomes are the highly qualified students and researchers who will move into university positions, research labs and company settings to continue implementation and undertake further research. This research will be important to senior technical staff at mine operations, other researchers and government regulators. The innovative developments planned in this proposal will provide a framework for improved resource management, short and long term mine planning, and anticipating and mitigating against plant upsets. These developments will provide tangible economic benefits to mine operators and to Canada. The research will primarily benefit the mining industry; however, other industries such as the upstream oil and gas, environmental and hydrogeologic fields are likely to adapt certain results in research and application., agreement title english : Numerical Modeling of Variability Through Mining, Extraction and Tailings Management, agreement title french : Numerical Modeling of Variability Through Mining, Extraction and Tailings Management, agreement number : RGPIN, agreement value : 205000.0, agreement start date : 2017-05-10, agreement end date : nan, description english : nan, description french : nan, expected results english : nan, expected results french : nan, additional information english : Grant or Award spanning more than one fiscal year. (2017-2018 to 2022-2023), additional information french : Subvention ou bourse octroyée s'appliquant à plus d'un exercice financier. (2017-2018 à 2022-2023), owner organization : nserc-crsng, owner organization title : Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada | Conseil de recherches en sciences naturelles et en génie du Canada