At the time, the mine's owner, Heathgate Resources, blamed the spill on a "computer logic error".
The spill occurred when the plant's fluid-distribution control system lost power during a maintenance exercise. According to a report released by the mine operations designer, software-based safety mechanisms designed to shut down pumps moving fluid into the plant failed, causing pipes to rupture.
"After a detailed assessment of the incident it is now clear that the problem was caused by a computer programming error that has since been corrected," said Heathgate Resources spokesperson Stephen Middleton, back in January.
That report appears to have left out several crucial details. Closer scrutiny from investigators in recent weeks following new spills has revealed more about the incident.
Greg Marshall, chief mines investigator with the South Australian Department of Mines and Minerals, said the software was behaving as it was designed to but blamed human programming error for the spill.
"What should have happened -- and the software was in place to do this -- was that when the well field software no longer received a signal from the process plant it should have shut down the pumps, but there was an incorrect setting in that software," Marshall said.
South Australian government investigators are not blaming human negligence for the incident. Marshall said evidence indicates the software was not set correctly by an operator during its service period.
Nevertheless, the mine's operators have increased security protecting the well field software from unauthorised use.
Community concerns about the mine's safety following further spills at the mine have prompted the South Australian Government to direct the Environmental Protection Authority to lead an investigation into the plant's operation.
The government investigation team is currently examining a hazardous-operations assessment of the Beverly mine conducted by a private contractor. The assessment will contribute to the investigation team's final report.
For now it appears unlikely the findings of the report will be made available to the public.
