Underground mining has resumed at the New Afton mine near Kamloops following a review of the structural integrity of a tailings storage facility.

The shutdown on Wednesday night came after the mine’s deputy engineer of record discovered “geotechnical variances” during a regular inspection on Aug. 9 that required further review by the engineer of record.

“During this inspection, surface variances were identified on the external dam structure,” New Gold president and CEO Patrick Godin said, during a Friday morning conference call. “To be clear, the variances were considered superficial and no tailings or water leaks from the facility occurred.”

“Yesterday, the engineer of record joined his colleagues on site to review data, visually inspect the surface variances and discuss findings and recommendations with the New Gold team. As a result, the engineer of record confirmed that the structural integrity and behaviour is normal and expected.”

The shutdown impacted the Wednesday night and Thursday day shift, with Godin noting work resumed with the Thursday night shift.

“The last two days have demonstrated that our extensive surface-monitoring program is working and is finding potential variances quickly,” Godin added.

“The collaborative process between New Gold, the engineer of record, and other independent consultants has proven effective for answering the safety of our people in resolving potential risk promptly.”

The safety of tailings dams has been a focus of the mining industry in recent years, following several high-profile accidents, including the Mount Polley Mine Disaster in 2014.