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On March 28, 2026, the tailings storage of the Red Gold Mine in Zimbabwe, a proprietary project of Xinhai Mining, was completed and put into operation. Commencing construction on January 10, 2026, and finishing on March 28, the construction of this tailings storage took only 77 days, 33 days ahead of the original schedule. The completion of the tailings storage has provided complete supporting guarantees for the concentrator of the Red Gold Mine. So, what enabled Xinhai Mining to efficiently complete this gold mine tailings storage project in just 77 days? Let's find out together.
The Red Gold Mine Tailings Storage in Zimbabwe is a flatland-type tailings storage — built on flat terrain without relying on mountain slopes. Although this type of tailings storage is relatively difficult to construct, it has a wide adaptation range and can flexibly match the terrain around the concentrator. The project adopts a four-sided dam design, meaning dams are built around the entire storage body, which can fully intercept tailings, ensure storage safety, and effectively improve the utilization rate of the storage capacity.
In terms of anti-seepage, we use High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) geomembrane as the core anti-seepage material, supplemented by geotextile for auxiliary protection. HDPE geomembrane has the characteristics of puncture resistance, aging resistance, and strong anti-seepage performance, while geotextile can protect the geomembrane from wear by sharp debris. This dual protection prevents tailings leakage and pollution. With a capacity of 400,000 cubic meters, the main purpose of this tailings storage is to provide professional tailings storage supporting services for the gold mine concentrator and to realize the standardized disposal of tailings.
Tailings storage is an essential part of gold mine production; without it, the concentrator cannot be put into normal production or operate stably. After the completion of this project, the problem of tailings disposal for the local concentrator has been completely solved, and the commissioning progress has been guaranteed.
1. Precise Control of Construction Progress
The completion of the tailings storage was 33 days ahead of the original schedule, which is inseparable from precise progress control and scientific construction scheduling. From the first day of construction, we formulated a detailed construction plan, followed up on the progress, and optimized the process every day to ensure the efficient advancement of each link, and finally completed the project ahead of schedule.
The construction period coincided with the Spring Festival, but all construction personnel did not flinch at all. They united as one and stuck to their posts, ensuring the smooth progress of the project with a sense of responsibility and dedication, while also showing the team cohesion and professional quality of Xinhai people.
2. Equipment Investment and Professional Operation
To ensure project quality, we invested more than 22 sets of large-scale mechanical equipment, including excavators, dump trucks, and road rollers, with a total earthwork excavation and transportation of more than 400,000 cubic meters, and laid more than 50,000 square meters each of geomembrane and geotextile. Each piece of equipment is operated and maintained by a dedicated person, and each process is strictly inspected to fully guarantee the project quality and build a solid safety line for the tailings storage.
3. Overcoming Difficulties and Responding to Local Climate with Professionalism
Overcome difficulties and fulfill the mission: During the construction period, we encountered adverse climate impacts such as heavy rainfall and strong winds. Heavy rainfall is prone to causing earthwork collapse and water backflow, while strong winds affect the laying accuracy of the geomembrane. Relying on professional experience, Xinhai conducted hidden danger inspections and formulated emergency plans in advance, built drainage ditches and reinforced slopes on rainy days, and scientifically adjusted the construction sequence on windy days to accurately overcome climate difficulties.
1. One-Stop Service with Seamless Connection
As a full-industry-chain service provider in the mining industry, Xinhai Mining can provide one-stop services for tailings storage projects, from tailings testing and scheme design to project construction and later operation and maintenance. This avoids the inconvenience of separating design and construction and conducting multi-party connection and communication, which is more conducive to the efficient advancement of the project.
2. Compliance Qualifications and Customized Services
Xinhai Mining holds dual qualifications: Grade A General Contracting for Mine Engineering and Grade B Design for Metallurgical Mine Engineering, and can undertake Class 1-5 tailings storage projects, ensuring compliance and authority. For each project, Xinhai adheres to a customized "one mine, one policy" approach, tailoring dam, anti-seepage, flood discharge, and backwater system schemes based on the local geology, tailings characteristics, and climate conditions of the project site. For example, in the Red Gold Mine in Zimbabwe, while planning the construction sequence and anti-seepage layout, we complied with the local environmental protection policies of Zimbabwe to avoid approval risks in advance.
3. Core Technology + Control Capability
The anti-seepage system adopts a dual protection system of HDPE geomembrane and geotextile, which doubles to block tailings leakage and meets the environmental protection requirements of green mines. The dam construction uses layered compaction and precise positioning technology, combined with seepage drainage and consolidation technology, to improve dam stability and adapt to complex climates such as heavy rainfall and strong winds.
During the construction process, each process, including earthwork excavation and transportation, dam filling, and anti-seepage laying, is inspected by professional personnel. Unqualified processes are not allowed to enter the next link, ensuring zero quality rework throughout the process and guaranteeing the long-term safe operation of the tailings storage.
4. Rich Experience in Overseas Projects
Xinhai Mining has been established for more than 30 years, during which it has undertaken projects in more than 100 countries around the world and provided services for more than 2,500 mines. Our team has rich experience in overseas construction, understands regional climate and geological characteristics, and can design tailings storage according to the local environment to adapt to complex overseas scenarios.
5. Intelligent Operation and Maintenance + Full Lifecycle Service
After delivery, we provide full lifecycle services, including dam stability monitoring, operational data analysis, and regular safety assessments, using big data to predict potential risks. An intelligent monitoring system is deployed to track real-time data such as dam displacement, seepage pressure, water level, and rainfall, realizing remote linkage alarm, empowering digital operation, early warning of risks, and ensuring the long-term safe and stable operation of the tailings storage. At the same time, it supports later heightening, expansion, and technological upgrading to extend the service life of the storage and meet the long-term production needs of customers.
days of overcoming difficulties and 33 days of early performance — the successful completion of the Red Gold Mine Tailings Storage Project in Zimbabwe is a testament to Xinhai Mining's professionalism and strength. In the future, Xinhai Mining will continue to improve service quality and refine technology, injecting Xinhai's strength into the global mining development. If you are looking for a contractor for your tailings storage project, please contact Xinhai, and we will provide you with professional services!
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