2248 9. CONCLUSIONS • The comparative discussion and case analysis of commingling implementation at Antamina have enabled the identification and selection of strategic alternatives that maximize the economic, environmental, and social value of the project. • The use of decision trees and scenario evaluation has facilitated informed decision-making, taking into account technical and economic feasibility as well as regulatory and environmental constraints. • The integration of commingling into strategic mine planning has proven to be a key tool for optimizing waste rock and tailings management, achieving a significant reduction in capital costs (up to 30%), greater efficiency in land use, and an extension of tailings storage facility (TSF) life. This approach has also aligned operations with international sustainability standards (GISTM) and strengthened risk management, contributing to operational continuity and long-term reduction of environmental impacts. • The Antamina experience demonstrates that structured case discussions and the application of comparative methodologies are fundamental for strategic planning, as they allow anticipation of challenges, validation of solutions through pilot testing, and adjustment of operational parameters based on real outcomes. Thus, commingling is consolidated as a transformative practice in modern mining, fostering more robust and sustainable decision-making for the development of long-life mining assets. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors express their sincere gratitude to Antamina for their invaluable support. Special thanks are extended to the Tailings Strategy Management team and the Long-Term Planning team for their collaboration and insights. REFERENCES Boshoff, J. et al. (2023). A case study on the commingling of tailings and waste rock at a Brownfields open cast mine in Ghana. University of Alberta. Burden, R., & Wilson, G. W. (2023). Commingling of waste rock and tailings to improve “dry stack” performance: Design and evaluation of mixtures. Minerals, 13(2), 295. Deza, N., & Montes, K. (2022). Mecanización del desmonte en Compañía Minera Antamina: Propuesta para capturar el valor tangible e intangible de la mecanización. Compañía Minera Antamina. Green Policy Platform. (2024). Knowledge Gaps Report: Environmental Aspects of Tailings Management (January 2024). ICMM. (2020). New global industry standard on tailings management. International Council on Mining and Metals. Ulrich, B. & Coffin, J. (2015). TMW 2015 – Combined Tailings and Mine Waste. Minemax. (2015). Why mine planning is all about collaboration. Minemax News. Wheaton Precious Metals. (2015). Antamina Project overview.
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