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SSR Mining Announces Expert Findings on Cause of the Çöpler Incident
DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- SSR Mining Inc. (Nasdaq/TSX: SSRM; ASX: SSR) (“SSR Mining” or the “Company”) provides an update on the February 13, 2024 incident
About this update from Ssr Mining Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":" DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--\nSSR Mining Inc. (Nasdaq/TSX: SSRM; ASX: SSR) (“SSR Mining” or the “Company”) provides an update on the February 13, 2024 incident at Çöpler (the “Çöpler Incident”).\n\n\nFollowing the Çöpler Incident, 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 at Çöpler. After analysis of the engineering design, construction, and operation of the heap leach facility, and comprehensive reverse-engineering of the failure, 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.\n\n\nThe 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.\n\n\nImportantly, 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.\n\n\nRod Antal, Executive Chairman, said: “The independent expert review of the Çöpler Incident has been an important body of work for the Company to determine the cause of the Çöpler Incident. 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. We remain deeply saddened by the profound impact of this tragedy and we remain committed to Çöpler, the local communities and Türkiye.”\n\n\nSSR Mining continues to work closely with the relevant authorities to advance the required permits for the restart of the Çöpler mine. At this time, we are not able to estimate or predict when and under what conditions we...