SSR Mining provided an update on the February 13, 2024, leach pad failure incident (the “Çöpler Incident”) at the Çöpler gold mine in Türkiye. The company commissioned Call & Nicholas, Inc. (CNI), an international mining consulting firm that specializes in geological engineering, geotechnical engineering, and hydrology, to conduct an independent review of the heap leach failure. After analysis of the engineering design, construction, and operation of the heap leach facility, and comprehensive reverse-engineering of the failure, the company said CNI determined that the most likely cause of the Çöpler Incident was a deeply rooted flaw in the third-party engineered design of the heap leach pad.
The review found that in the third-party engineered design, the assessment of the test data overestimated the shear strength properties of the liner system at the base of the heap leach, which inflated the calculated factor of safety values in the third-party engineered design. This error resulted in insufficient shear strength along the liner interface to support the as-designed heap leach facility.
CNI also determined that in all material respects, the heap leach pad construction and operation was carried out in conformance with the issued-for-construction engineered design parameters. In addition, CNI’s review did not find any substantiation that excess water, ground vibrations from blasting, nor stacking beyond the design caused the event.
SSR did not name the engineering firm that designed the leach pad.
“Knowing now that the failure was the result of an engineering design flaw, and not the result of a failure in our operation or construction of the pad, provides clarity and some reassurance to the team on the ground as we seek to restart the Çöpler mine,” said Rod Antal, executive chairman, SSR. “We remain deeply saddened by the profound impact of this tragedy and we remain committed to Çöpler, the local communities and Türkiye.”
SSR Mining said it continues to work closely with the relevant authorities to advance the required permits for the restart of the Çöpler mine.