Construction of a tailings storage area at Goro Nickel Mine, Kwe West Bassin, New Caledonia. Credit: Barsamuphe/Mining Technology

Inmarsat is partnering with Knight Piésold U.K. to deliver tailings dam monitoring, analysis, and real-time management capabilities for the mining industry. The collaboration agreement with Knight Piésold UK — a member of the international geotechnical, tailings management and engineering consulting group — will combine Inmarsat’s satellite-enabled Internet of Things (IOT) solution, with Knight Piésold’s consultancy.

Inmarsat’s solution collects data from a range of  sensors via edge connectivity such as LORAWAN (Long Range Wide Area Network), before it is transferred across Inmarsat’s L-band satellite network to a single cloud dashboard. This helps enable mining companies and national regulators to gain a comprehensive view of the status of their dams with granular metrics such as pond elevation, piezometric pressures, inclinometer readings and weather conditions. The solution also features sensor-agnostic capabilities, so it should work with both existing sensors and new devices.

“We have been working with Knight Piésold’s UK practice since 2017 to develop an approach to tailings dam monitoring that supports smarter, safer and more regulated mining practices,” said Inmarsat Enterprise President Paul Gudonis. “Following successful trials we are pleased to be able to bring what we believe to be a truly disruptive solution to market. We know that the industry is committed to zero-harm and by teaming with Knight Piésold to launch this tailings dam solution, this is another step towards achieving complete health, safety and operational success in the mining sector.”