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By Richard H. De Voto

The McDonald gold project and two satellite gold deposits near Lincoln, MT were discovered in the early 1990s. They contain at least 307.9 t (9.9 million oz) of gold and 933 t (30 million oz)of silver. The McDonald gold deposit alone contains 223.9 t (7.2 million oz) of gold reserves that can be open-pit mined and processed by cyanide heap leaching at a projected cash operating cost of $6.10/g ($190/oz). The deposit is predominantly oxidized with no chance of acid production. It can be mined, operated and reclaimed with minimal permanent environmental disturbance other than the creation of an open-pit filled with a fresh-water lake that would support trout.

Jan 1, 2000

This publication is designed to be helpful in promoting health and safety in tunneling and related operations. The format has been selected and arranged to provide a condensed guide for safety personnel, inspection and investigative agencies, design and project engineers, and others responsible for the health and safety of workmen. All the precautionary measures recommended are based on actual conditions observed, from investigations of fatal or serious accidents, and from research conducted to find ways and means of alleviating hazards and unhealthful conditions. Many of the recommended rules are included in State laws and in the general safety requirements of the construction industry. Explanatory, descriptive, and qualifying information has been largely omitted in this publication to keep basic data in more useful and compact form. Included in the appendixes are special precautions for gassy (methane atmospheres) tunnels and tunnels where petroleum products are encountered.

Jan 1, 1968

The mineral matter has been isolated from a selection of Australian bituminous coals using low temperature (radio-frequency) oxidation or hydrogen peroxidation techniques and the species present identified by x-raydiffraction. Quartz, kaolinite, and a range of mixed layer clay minerals are the dominant constituents of the coals studied, with carbonate, sulphate, and phosphate minerals abundant in some samples. The clay bands thatoccur within these coal seams contain similar mineral assemblages to the coals themselves, but the lutites that form the inter-seam strata have a markedly different mineralogy, characterized by abundant quartz andillite and a low kaolinite content.The kaolinite is thought to have formed chiefly by interaction of silica and alumina in the waters of the coal swamp, aided by the catalytic action of organic acids, while most of the other clay minerals are probablydetrital. The absence of illite from Australian coals is not fully understood, but it may reflect the action of organic acids on the detritus in the swamp, coupled with deposition in freshwater rather thanmarine conditions. Pyrite, although present in some coal samples when fresh, may undergo oxidation during storage to form a number of sulphate minerals, some of which may interact with any calcite present toform gypsum.The mineral matter assemblage in the coal determines to a great extent the fusion characteristics of the ash.Unless abundant carbonates are present, coals with kaolinite-rich assemblages have a very refractory ash, while those rich in chlorite or montmorillonite have ash fusion temperatures between 1000 and 1300°C. Theinfluence of the minerals on coal preparation and coking properties is also brieflY discussed, as well as the potential of mineral matter studies in coal seam correlation.

Jan 1, 1978

By D Syme

In the middle of 2000, BHP Billiton implemented a Six Sigma Plus business improvement program known as Operating Excellence. It was developed based on a business bottom line initiative to deliver 35 - 40c/share and was one of the BHP Billiton strategies to deliver $2 earnings per share and a longer term $40 share price (BHP share price). Cannington is a silver, lead and zinc mine owned and operated by BHP Billiton. Through implementing Six Sigma Plus Cannington wanted to:have in-house capabilities to change and improve; tailor for the needs of each business unit and department; have æSharing of its KnowledgeÆ as a tool for improvement and have a competitive edge across Cannington û to be better than our competitors; learn from and leverage off the successes of improved safety and prior business improvement efforts; and ensure networking and sharing of information have common measurement systems across all assets. As with most business improvement programs û Six Sigma Plus was met with some degree of skepticism, especially given the amount of resources involved. After 18 months, much of this skepticism has been replaced with enthusiasm as peopleÆs understanding and acceptance of its fundamental concepts are being realised. The idea behind Six Sigma Plus is that it combines sound technical solutions with high acceptance by those who need to work with or implement the change. The future vision for Six Sigma Plus is that it become part of what we do at Cannington û just like safety and environment û so that Six Sigma tools and methodologies are used in our every day work.

Jan 1, 2002

By Paul Harvey

Following initial discovery in 1991, BHP Billiton Diamonds Inc opened Canada?s first diamond mine, the Ekati Diamond Mine TM (Ekati) in the Northwest Territories on October 14th, 1998. Four short years later on November 29th, 2002, saw the opening of North America?s first underground diamond mine - the Koala North mine. Nestled between the original Panda open pit and the new Koala pit which is in the early stages of production, Koala North represents the only underground kimberlite mining venture in arctic conditions outside the new underground mines being developed by ALROSA in the Yakutsk region of eastern Russia. Extensive underground kimberlite mining has been practiced in the Republic of South Africa for much of the 20th century and continues today. Underground mining represents a key component of the long term business plan for the Ekati. As various open pits reach their economic limit, continued recovery of high value ore at depth is dependent upon the ability to productively mine the kimberlite pipes by underground methods. As a function of its location, size, and value, the Koala North pipe is ideally positioned to host the first underground mine at Ekati . In addition to being a production source for the operation, Koala North is designed as a learning mine, from which to gain valuable experience in preparation for the potential mining of other larger, higher value pipes by underground methods in the future. Fortuitously Koala North was available for development so the learnings could be integrated into the Panda mine design prior to completion of the Panda pit. Establishing our first underground diamond mine, and applying the open benching mining method in arctic conditions brings a unique combination of mining challenges together in a harsh climate and remote environment. This paper examines the design and establishment of the Koala North mine. Discussion includes experiences gained from the first year of development, production start-up, and provides a brief overview of our potential underground future at Ekati .

May 1, 2003

By A. Lebedev

Application of dynamic simulation for a base metal processing plant is discussed. The plant receives ore of variable quality from two pits and blending had to be applied to maximise recovery. The plant employs multiple stage crushing, screening, dense media separation, two-stage milling, flotation and further filtration. Stockpiles and bunkers are used in the plant to cater for breakdowns and operating delays, the latter being appropriately incorporated in the model. A detail dynamic simulation model was constructed from the rock face to the filtration plant to assist the plant design, notably with definition of the ore blending method, sizing storage capacity and in-plant conveyors. The plant model was broken down to capital equipment items and various feed types and mass balances were tested to ensure that the production target is met. The dynamic simulation tested the proposed blending method, identified bottlenecks, produced risk profiles for all strategic storage facilities and overall helped minimise the project risks and improve confidence in the plant design. Keywords: Dynamic simulation, ore grade, blending, capacity, risk profile, throughput, utilisation

Jan 1, 2020

By A. v. E. Conradie, I. Nieuwoudt

Comminution and flotation circuits are frequently perturbed by disturbances, such as feed particle size variations, ore hardness and varying mineral liberation, which can have a significant impact on the recoveries and grades. Although advanced control strategies can neutralize many of these disturbances, few such systems have been implemented at present. One reason is that it is only recently that the requisite sensor systems have been developed and used to control froth flotation systems. Another is owed to the complexity of these non-linear interactive systems. In this paper, a plant-wide control strategy is considered, wherein both unit operations have a single overall control objective. The automated design of the controller is based on an advanced evolutionary algorithm viz., Symbiotic, Memetic Neuro-Evolution (SMNE), for developing neural network controllers in a reinforcement learning framework. A rigorous phenomenological comminution and flotation model was used to develop suitable neurocontrollers, which used all possible sensor inputs and available manipulated variables. The neurocontroller managed to identify optimal or near-optimal operating conditions consistently and showed robust performance in the presence of significant disturbances. The results suggest that evolutionary reinforcement learning offers a very competitive approach towards the development of integrated non-linear controllers for mineral processing plants. Keywords: neural networks, control, flotation, comminution, evolutionary reinforcement learning

Jan 1, 2003

By John Frostiak

"Kahama Mining Corporation Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Barrick Gold Corporation, poured the first dore bar and filtered the first concentrate produced at the Bulyanhulu mine on February 28, 2001. This event marked the completion of the initial development of the Bulyanhulu Mine – Barrick’s first mine located outside of the Americas.Bulyanhulu is a 2,500 tpd underground mine located in the Lake Victoria gold belt of northern Tanzania. Gold is recovered as a gravity concentrate and smelted on site to produce dore bars or collected in copper concentrate that is shipped to offshore smelters. The facilities were constructed to meet Canadian standards. Unit operations include single stage crushing, SAG milling, gravity recovery, flotation, thickening and dewatering. Tailings are converted to paste and returned underground as paste backfill or pumped to the surface tailing site. The surface paste tailing disposal system is believed to be first of its kind in the gold industry. Paste disposal has several advantages over slurry, including lower dam construction costs, reduced water losses, and lower reclamation costs. This paper describes the facilities and discusses the challenges faced during development and construction including logistics, lack of infrastructure, recruiting and training, security, and social issues as well as initial operating results.INTRODUCTIONBarrick Gold Corporation completed the Bulyanhulu mine development in 2001. Capital cost of the project was US$280 million. The mine produced 241,575 ounces from start of milling to year end at a total cash cost of $197 per ounce. Numerous challenges were overcome in the mine’s development due to the general lack of infrastructure in Tanzania and the mine’s location some 1200 km inland by road from the port of Dar es Salaam."

Jan 1, 2003

By D. Bois, P. Keating, J. Lemieux, M. A. Vallée, M. Allard, R. S. Smith, L. Z. Cheng, M. Chouteau, D. K. Fountain

"As part of a larger research program, a number of MEGATEM airborne electromagnetic (EM) test flights were flown over the Gallen massive sulfide deposit in northwest Québec. A particularity of this test site is that a major part of the ore body was extracted before the MEGATEM survey. Therefore one of the purposes of this study was to verify the ability of the system to detect the remaining massive sulfides below the water in the open pit. The open pit is also surrounded by a metallic fence, and a power line is present in the vicinity. A large part of the case study involved accounting for the impact of infrastructure and acidic water on the survey, which will help in the interpretation of airborne EM responses in complex exploration situations.The Gallen deposit was also previously flown with the INPUT and GEOTEM airborne EM systems before the major exploitation period. A comparison between the results from the different survey results allows estimation of the physical properties of the Gallen deposit, which is a relatively poor conductor.A new method for removing the power line signal shows amplitudes with a smaller residual associated with the emanating fields, and more compact, cleaner responses associated with induced currents. This will make it easier to identify bedrock conductors close to power lines"

Jan 1, 2007

By Bill Linville

During calendar year 1972, the Bureau of Mines was engaged in some 20 major areas of research for the development of new and improved efficient methods of conservation and utilization for petroleum and natural gas, oil shale, and coal. Made up of numerous projects described in this report, the program was carried out through research performed at research centers and laboratories in the field supervised and supported by administrative personnel of this Bureau of the Department of the Interior. Based un this research, 186 technical reports were published by the Bureau or others, and numerous other reports were prepared for Federal agencies, State agencies, and organizations engaged in cooperative research programs with the Bureau.

Jan 1, 1973

By Y. H. Cheng, D. M. Lewis, V. Castranova, M. W. Barger, J. K. H. Ma, J. Y. C. Ma, W. F. Xin

Bis-basic ethers off fluorene and fluoren-9-substituted derivatives such as tilorone have been reported to inhibit silica-induced fibrosis in rats. The potential antifibrotic potency of 2,7-bis (diethylamino) ethixy fluorine fluorenone (F-9-H.H), fluorenoxime (F-9-one), and fluorenol (F-9-ol) was F-9-axime > F-9-one ~ F-9-H,H > F-9-ol. Since the release of reactive oxygen species and growth factors from alveolar macrophages (AM) in response to silica exposure has been linked to the development of pulmonary fibrosis, the present study was carried out to determine the inhibitory effects of these compounds on rat AM activity in vitro. The following parameters were monitored: (1) cellular viability; (2) zymosan-induced respiratory burst activity (superoxide and hydrogen peroxide release, chemiluminescence, and oxygen consumption) of AM; (3) drug binding to AM; and (4) lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated interleukin- I (IL-1) release from AM. The bis-basic ethers, at 40 did not affect cell viability when incubated with AM for 30 min, but significantly inhibited zymosan-induced macrophage respiratory burst activity. The inhibitory effect of these agents was F-9-oxime > F-9-one ~F-9-H,H > F-9-ol. Binding of these drugs to AM was time and dose dependent, and exhibited the following binding affinity: F-9-oxime > F-9-one > F-9-H,H > F-9-ol. F-9- oxime was shown to inhibit LPS-stimulated IL-I release by AM in a dose-dependent manner. This inhibition of IL-1 release by AM cannot be explained as a decrease in viability. In addition, these drugs were also shown to impair human fibroblast proliferation in response to serum stimuli without impairing cell viability. These results indicate a positive correlation between drug binding to AM or other cell types and their inhibitory effects on cellular activities including oxygen consumption, superoxide release, hydrogen peroxide secretion, chemiluminescence, IL-I release, and proliferation. The ability of-these bis-basic ethers to modify AM and fibroblast functions in vitro suggests that further investigation of their reported antifibrotic potency in vivo is warranted.

Dec 1, 1996

By Lumley G, Rowlands D

The overburden slusher (OS) is proposed as a stripping tool that is expected to find application in overburden stripping operations including open cut coal and oil shale mines. OS is expected to combat the effects of increasing depth on the productivity of conventional dragline stripping.Although previously developed stripping techniques have included the use of drag scrapers the OS is sufficiently different as to constitute a new stripping method.A study undertaken at the University of Queensland during 1985 is believed to be the first major study on the use of the OS and preliminary economic results are very encouraging. It appears that the OS has the capacity to remove overburden at a cheaper unit cost than the equivalent powered dragline stripping machine at any comparable depth of overburden. The OS is not adversely affected by increasing stripping depth to the same extent as a dragline. In addition, the action of the OS machine allows for the lowering of spoil face angles, thereby reducing spoil slope stability problems encountered in deep open cut strip mines.

Jan 1, 1986

By Robert Gannicott

??A mining company without the burden of operating a mine ??Management focused on marketing a high-quality, run-of-mine range of Canadian diamonds ??Robust revenue stream ??Specialist diamond knowledge ??Canadian exploration and development expertise ??BUT ??Single asset revenue base from depleting ore reserve ??Limited influence on production plans

Apr 1, 2005

By M. Grodner

Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) is an electromagnetic geophysical reflection technique that maps reflections associated with a change in electric properties of the target medium. It can thus be used to map the geometry of geological features and fractures as these can have different electromagnetic properties to intact rock. GPR was used successfully to determine the position and nature of the fractures in the tunnel sidewall, in the area of the simulated rockburst experiment. By comparing the radar scans acquired before with those acquired after the blast, it was possible to determine which fractures were reactivated by the blast and where new fractures were developed. It was found that the mining-induced fractures that formed during the development of the tunnel were re-activated by the simulated rockburst, as indicated by their increased reflectance on the radar scans. In addition, several new tunnel sidewall parallel fractures developed in the area of the blastholes. GPR thus clearly shows how and where the fracture pattern changed as a result of the blast and contributed to the understanding of the mechanisms of damage associated with the blast, and perhaps rockbursts in general.

Jan 1, 2001

Pillars in underground limestone mines are required to support the overburden and provide a safe, stable working environment for mining personnel and equipment. Pillar stability was assessed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in underground limestone mines in the Eastern and Midwestern United States. It was found that current mine layouts have been successful in providing support to the overburden, while a small number of isolated pillar failures were observed. The stable pillar layouts and failed pillars were plotted on a chart that demonstrates the relationship between pillar width-to-height ratio and pillar stress. The results show that pillar failures occurred at the lower range of width-to-height ratios and can occur at relatively low stress levels. Zones indicating the potential risk of pillar instability are shown on the chart, based on hazards associated with the onset of rib spalling, large angular discontinuities and unconfined pillars. The chart can assist limestone mine planners to evaluate potential instability in current or new pillar layouts that are similar to those included on the stability chart.

Jan 1, 2008

By A. Nuric, S. Nuric, L. Kricak, M. Negovanovic, S. Mitrovic

"SynopsisRotary drilling with rolling tricone bits is the most widely used method for drilling large-diameter blast-holes in large surface mining operations. This drilling method is applicable to a wide range of soft to hard rock materials. This paper presents a fuzzy model for predicting the penetration rate of tricone rotary blast-hole drilling. The model is based on data obtained during the drilling of blastholes in rocks with various uniaxial compressive strengths in the Veliki Krivelj open pit mine, Bor, Serbia. The model was developed using the fuzzy logic toolbox of MATLAB with the Mamdani inference system. The fuzzy model was tested with 23% of the total dataset. The results obtained show the high reliability of predicting the penetration rates. Although there are possible limitations in applying the model to other open pit mines because of differences in rock properties, the prediction methodology applied in this paper can be used in many other predictions of the penetration rates.IntroductionAccording to Tamrock, rotary blast-hole drill operations depend on four important elements:•,Torque in the drill string drive sufficient to turn the bit in any strata encountered•,A high bit loading capability (pulldown force) sufficient for optimum penetration•,An air volume sufficient to remove chips generated during the drilling and to provide cool air to the drill bit bearings•,The selection of the proper type of bit for the material being drilled (Tamrock, 1984).The effects of rock mass parameters on the choice of the type of tricone bits were investigated by Kricak (1997)."

Jan 1, 2015

By R. Poisel, C. Scavia, Preh A., W. Roth, M. Pirulli

ABSTRACT: Two methodologies for the three-dimensional simulation of the run out of rock avalanches are presented: one based on a granular approach and the other based on a continuum equivalent approach. An evaluation of the possible run out area of the Oselitzenbach landslide (Carnic Alps, Austria) has been carried out applying the two methodologies. The combined use of these two approaches makes it possible a comprehensive assessment of the run out area. RESUME: Deux méthodologies pour la simulation tridimensionnelle de la propagation des avalanches rocheuses sont présentées: la première est basée sur un modèle de type granulaire et la deuxième sur un modèle du continu équivalent. Une évaluation de la propagation éventuelle de l’avalanche de Oselitzenbach (Alpes Carniche, Autriche) a été réalisée en utilisant les deux méthodologies. Les résultats obtenus montrent que la combinaison des deux approches rend possible une analyse plus complète de la phase de propagation. KURZFASSUNG: Für die dreidimensionale Modellierung eines Felsmassensturzes (sturzstrom) werden zwei Methoden, eine granulare und eine kontinuumsmechanische Methode, vorgestellt. Beide Methoden wurden zur Abschätzung der Ausbreitung (runout) der Massenbewegung Oselitzenbach (Karnische Alpen, Österreich) herangezogen. Die kombinierte Anwendung beider Methoden ermöglichte eine umfassende Beurteilung des möglichen Ausbreitungsbereichs.

Jan 1, 2003

In the context of sustainable development, the Minerals Council of Australia (2010) states that 'investments in minerals projects should be financially profitable, technically appropriate, environmentally sound and socially responsible'. In other words, the business of mining can only be sustained if these criteria are met.   Science and technology plays a major role in all four of these criteria. This paper will present the technology and innovation emerging from the Minerals Down Under National Research Flagship which brings together CSIRO and more than ten of Australia's leading universities to work with industry to drive efficiency, productivity and environmental performance. This work is required if the Australian minerals sector is to thrive and continue to deliver national benefit in the face of increased global competition, declining ore grades, depleting ore deposits, increasingly constrained national resources (land, energy, water and people) and changing societal expectations.   Science and technology to reduce emissions and water use, discover greenfields resources, enable deeper mining operations and transform mineral processing are described. Technology is presented as an enabler of sustainability: a means to this end but not as an end in its own right.

Jun 1, 2010

This paper contains an account of some creep tests on electrolytic lead and some of its alloys. The stresses used in determining creep were 500, 350, and 200 lb. per sq.' in. The alloys contained silver, bismuth, tellurium, antimony and zinc respectively. All were castin vacuo, and tested "as rolled." Tests were done also on electrolytic lead which had been cast in air.The electrolytic lead contained 0.0005% total impurities.The preparation and vacuum casting of this lead have been described in a previous paper in this series. The preparation of the alloys, and the air casting of the electrolytic lead, are described in the next section.EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE.Every effort was made to keep the vacuum-cast specimens from contact with the atmosphere throughout their history.The ingots were stored eIther in a vacuum desiccator or immersed in heavy oil. The creep specimens were coated with vaseline except during rolling, etching and photography, which involved exposure to the atmosphere for about 45 minutes all told.It is not claimed that vaseline is a perfect shield against the intrusion of atmospheric gases. Possibly during the months that some tests were in progress the gases diffused through the vaseline and gained a limited access to the lead.Nevertheless, the use of vaseline gave protection that brought the tests nearer the ideal at which the author aimed, *Research Fellow, Dept. of Metallurgy, University of Melbourne.

Jan 1, 1936

In general, the metallurgical industry has so far been slower than the chemical industry to adopt ion exchange materials for industrial processes. The atomic energy industry presents a marked exception to this general situation, and the literature shows a rapidly increasing use of ion exchange techniques for the recovery of atomic energy metals on scales ranging from the ultra micro up to that of the largest mining operations. In many cases, the processes used would be equally applicable to more common metals and it is hoped that this review will be of interest to metallurgists outside the specialised atomic energy field. The review is intended to describe developments of ion exchange processes made during the last three years. Earlier studies have been summarised by Kunin and Preuss (1956) and Roland (1957). In order to restrict the number of references discussed, purely analytical procedures have been omitted and only those processes which have been conducted on a reasonably large scale or which, from their nature, areclearly capable of being upscaled, have been considered. The paper is divided into five main sections concerning respectively:Water treatment and effluent disposal.Metal recovery and purification.New ion exchange materials.New ion exchange equipment.Membrane cells.WATER TREATMENT AND EFFLUENT DISPOSALA high proportion of atomic reactors, and particularly those of American design, are cooled by water which is...

Jan 1, 1961