Sterling Mine

Project Highlights:

  • Heap Leach Pad Expansion Design
  • Water Management
  • Geotechnical Assessment
  • Permitting Support
  • Closure/Reclamation

Sterling Mine is an underground gold mine in southern Nevada which recovers gold through heap leaching and a carbon adsorption-desorption-recovery (ADR) plant. Tierra Group team members have a long history at Sterling, starting with heap leach pad final permanent closure planning and closure construction observation (Vector, 2004 to 2005). In 2013-2014, Tierra Group’s team completed design of a heap leach pad expansion and design of a new 20-acre heap leach pad. Design work for the heap leach pads included geotechnical investigations, civil grading, liner design, pregnant solution collection design, and stormwater conveyance. Challenges came from integrating the pad expansion and new pad to fit with existing infrastructure. Tierra Group continues to provide Engineer-of-Record services to Sterling.

Project Highlights:

  • Heap Leach Pad Expansion Design
  • Water Management
  • Geotechnical Assessment
  • Permitting Support
  • Closure/Reclamation

Similar projects

Hayden Operations

Tierra Group implemented a corporate Tailings Stewardship Strategy (TSS) at all of ASARCO Grupo Mexico’s mines in Arizona, USA (Hayden, Mission and Ray mines). Tierra Group conducted a site visit to each site to perform dam safety inspections, interview operations staff,…

VIEW PROJECT

Mt. Todd Dam Assessment

Tierra Group conducted an Independent Technical review of Vista Gold Corp’s Mt. Todd Tailings Storage Facility Expansion in Northern Territory, Australia. Tierra Group assisted the 2025 Mt. Todd feasibility study project providing TSF and waste rock dump design and water…

VIEW PROJECT

Cove Project RIB Geotechnical Investigation

Tierra Group supported proposed Rapid Infiltration Basins Geotechnical Investigation at Au-reka Gold Corporation’s Cove Project in Nevada. Investigation included borehole drilling, test pits, infiltration testing and permeability testing.

VIEW PROJECT

Anaconda Mine

Tailings Storage Trade-Off Study Tierra Group completed trade-off studies evaluating potential TSF sites to store 25 million tonnes of tailings. Trade-off studies included dam layouts, cost estimating, and recommendations for future work. Trade-off study challenges were minimizing costs while still…

VIEW PROJECT

Cerro Negro

Tierra Group was selected to assist Goldcorp with global Tailings Stewardship Strategy (TSS) implementation at all of Goldcorp’s active tailings sites in Latin America (Mexico, Argentina, and Guatemala). Tierra Group worked in conjunction with Goldcorp and another global engineering consulting…

VIEW PROJECT

Contonga Mine

Contonga, a 990 tpd underground Zinc mine located in Perú’s Ancash Region, has been in operation for more than 25 years. Tierra Group team members assisted Nyrstar’s acquisition due diligence team by performing a fatal flaw analysis of Contonga’s Tucush…

VIEW PROJECT

Çöpler Tailings Storage Facility and Heap Leach Facility Technical Review

Tierra Group has a history of annually providing third-party technical reviews for the tailings storage facility and heap leach facility at Anagold's Çöpler Gold Mine in Middle Anatolia, Turkey. Additionally, Tierra Group currently performs independent technical reviews for the rockfill…

VIEW PROJECT

Topia Mine

Topia Mine Phases 1-3Tierra Group supervised the first 3 phases of Geologic Mapping and Instrumentation Installation and developed a Mechanically Stabilized Earth Wall Design at Great Panther Silver’s Topia Mine in Durango, Mexico.

VIEW PROJECT

NioCorp’s Elk Creek | Tailings Storage Facility (TSF) Feasibility Study

Tierra Group advanced the TSF design to a Feasibility Level according to the Canadian National Instrument NI 43-101 and the U.S. Security and Exchange Commission’s Subpart SK-1300 regulation. Tierra Group’s scope of work included a geotechnical investigation, engineering analysis, and TSF…

VIEW PROJECT

Fire Creek Mine

Tierra Group conducted a siting analysis for a new WRSF to support the mine’s future production increase as part of the Preliminary Feasibility Study (PFS). In addition to supporting the PFS, Tierra Group assisted in preparing and submitting several engineering…

VIEW PROJECT

Anglo American Quellaveco Mine | Perú

Tierra Group supervised a geotechnical and hydrogeologic drilling investigation program at Anglo American’s Quellaveco Mine in the Moquegua Region of Peru. Geotechnical Investigation Tierra Group developed a geotechnical and hydrogeological research plan within and near the Quellaveco Pit footprint. This…

VIEW PROJECT

Pierina Mine

Barrick Gold Corporation’s Pierina Mine in Ancash Department, Perú began operations in 1998. A progressive reclamation and closure plan began in 2013.  In 2015-16 Tierra Group developed detailed engineering designs for channels, sediment traps, two 45,000 m3 sediment ponds, water…

VIEW PROJECT