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By Costa

The fly-in-fly-out (FIFO) mining model has significant implications for the industry as it plays an important role in fulfilling the economic, social and workforce needs of the contemporary mining industry. It has increasingly been adopted in countries such as Canada and Australia, but is the current nature of the FIFO model challenging the place women have achieved in the mining workforce? Research in the mining and oil and gas industries reveals that major sources of stress for fly-in-fly-out mining workers are the times of parting and of reunion, the challenges in defining roles within the family, parenting, and conflict between spouses over the use of the leave time and money. So how are women in the industry coping with the FIFO schedules and consequent intermittent relationship with families and partners? How is the mining industry adapting to recruit and maintain female employees in FIFO operations? This paper describes an exploratory study conducted in Canada, which intended to provide some initial insights that might help us answer the questions above. There are several inferences made from this exploratory study. It is clear that FIFO poses significant challenges for both female and male workers. It is largely seen as rigid, extremely challenging for employees with young families and workers who are single mothers, and it is generally incompatible with starting a family and caring for small children. FIFO creates severe stress on relationships and on workers psychological well-being. It seems to be indeed harder for women, since they are often in lower paying positions and therefore have less financial reward for the FIFO lifestyle. On the other hand, FIFO creates the opportunity for young women, including Aboriginal women, to jump-start their careers, as well as opportunities for mature women to work while pursuing other personal interests during their time off. This paper concludes with recommendations to improve the FIFO system in order to increase the ability of mining companies to hire and retain women

May 1, 2006

This briefing was sponsored by the Bureau of Mines to summarize ongoing and recently completed chromium-chromite research and resource assessment activities by the Bureau. Through the series of 18 presentations compiled herein, Bureau personnel covered a wide range of topics including U.S. chromite and chromium trends and usage patterns; foreign and domestic resources; and research activities on mineral characterization and beneficiation, chemical and pryometallurgical processing of chromite and chromium-bearing wastes, new low-chromium alloy and coating substitutes, corrosion- and oxidation-resistant stainless steels, and chromium-containing refractories.

Jan 1, 1986

By T. Hadley, E. Catovic

"Northern Minerals Limited’s (ASX: NTU) flagship project is the Browns Range Rare Earth Project (the Project) located in Western Australia, consisting of a number of deposits with high value, heavy rare earth elements, in particular yttrium, terbium, and dysprosium. The deposits are dominated by xenotime mineralisation, which occurs within hydrothermal silicified and hematitic breccias. The Company delivered an initial JORC compliant resource estimate for the Project at the end of 2012 of 10,500 t of contained total rare earth oxides (TREO), which was increased to 28,084t of contained TREO in October 2013 and further enlarged to 47,997 t of contained TREO in February 2014. Concurrent with the growth of the Project resource base, significant progress has been made in developing the metallurgical process for the beneficiation and extraction of rare earth elements (REE’s) from the xenotime mineralisation. Development of the beneficiation circuit evaluated several process options and selected whole-ore flotation and magnetic separation, followed by flotation (hybrid circuit) as the two preferred flowsheets to pilot, following encouraging results on the bench of 83% and 86% recovery to a 20% TREO mineral concentrate respectively. Several downstream hydrometallurgical extraction flowsheets were evaluated. However, the following two preferred process flowsheets were ultimately selected for further detailed investigation during the prefeasibility study: 1. Sulphation bake, water leach, purification, oxalate precipitation, and/or calcination to produce a mixed RE oxide; 2. Sulphation bake, water leach, phosphate precipitation, caustic conversion, HCl leach, and oxalate precipitation to produce a mixed RE oxalate. Excellent heavy rare earth oxide (HREO) extractions (~ 90%) from beneficiation concentrates were achieved on the bench for both circuits, however flowsheet 1 was ultimately selected as the preferred flowsheet to pilot due to lower capital and operating cost. A mixed rare earth oxalate (42% TREO) or oxide (92% TREO) can be produced with low levels of Th and U of 3 ppm and 6 ppm respectively."

Jan 1, 2014

Thallous chloride and cadmium metal were recovered from a thallium-cadmium concentrate by a method suited to the treatment of small batches. Differences in oxide solubility and control of pH were employed to separate the thallium and cadmium. The cadmium metal produced by zinc reduction analysed better than 99.95 per cent Cd and thallous chloride of high purity was precipitated from solution.

Jan 1, 1969

By George W. Toth

Uranium in situ leach mining has recently emerged as a viable alternative to conventional miring techniques. The cost implications of in situ mining are therefore of increasing interest to mining paracticioners as well as public officials. This report presents the results of an assessment of uranium in situ leach mining costs through the application of process engineering and discounted cash flow analysis procedures. A computerized wasting technique, termed a cost model, was developed through this effort to facilitate rapid cost analyses. Application of this cost model will generate mine life capital and operating costs as well as solve for economic production cost/lb. U308. Conversely rate of return may be determined subject to a known selling price. The data bases of the cost made! have been designed to reflect variations in Texas vs. Wyoming site applications. The results If applying the model under numerous ore deposit, operating, wellfield and extraction plant conditions for Texas and Wyoming are summarized in the report. Sensitivity analysis of changes in key project parameters have also been tested and reported.

Jan 1, 1981

By R. G. K. Morrison

By arrangement between the Ontario Mining Association and Messrs. John Taylor & Sons, Mining Engineers, 6 Queen Street Place, London, E.C.4, the writer was engaged for a period of not more than three months to report on the rockburst situation in Ontario mines. This was later amplified, by mutual agreement, to include, at the expense of detail, visits to the larger camps where rockbursts had not occurred, to get a general picture of conditions and to discuss the subject with operators in their respective areas. Scope of Activities Visits were paid to the following properties for the purpose of enquiry and discussion; the underground workings of those mines marked with an asterisk were visited on one or more occasions: KIRKLAND LAKE * Macassa Mines, Limited * Kirkland Lake Gold Mining Co., Ltd. * Teck-Hughes Gold Mines, Limited * Lake Shore Mines, Limited * Wright-Hargreaves Mines, Limited Sylvanite Gold Mines, Limited Toburn Gold Mines, Limited EAST KIRKLAND & LARDER LAKE Upper Canada Mines, Limited Chesterville Larder Lake Gold Mtng Co., Ltd. Kerr-Addison Gold Mines, Limited Omega Gold Mines, Limited PORCUPINE * Hollinger Consolidated Gold Mines, Ltd. * Mcintyre Porcupine Mines, Limited * Dome Mines, Limited * Buffalo Ankerite Gold Mines, Limited Paymaster Consolidated Mines, Limited Preston East Dome Mines, Limited Pamour Porcupine Mines, Limited Broulan Porcupine Mines, Limited Hallnor Mines, Limited Naybob Gold Mines, Limited Delnite Mines, Limited Moneta Porcupine Mines, Limited DeSantis Porcupine Mines, Limited Coniaurum Mines, Limited SUDURY lnternational Nickel Co. of Can., Ltd. * Falconbridge Nickel Mines, Limited LITTLE LONG LAC AREA * Little Long Lac Gold Mines, Limited MacLeod-Cockshutt Gold Mines, Ltd. Hard Rock Gold Mines, Limited Bankfield Consolidated Mines, Limited Magnet Consolidated Mines (1936), Ltd. à PICKLE LAKE AREA * Central Patricia Gold Mines, Limited * Pickle Crow Gold Mines, Limited UCHI LAKE * Uchi Gold Mines, Limited McKENZIE ISLAND AREA Gold Eagle Gold Mines, Limited * McKenzie Red Lake Gold Mines, Ltd. * Cochenour Willans Gold Mines, Limited RED LAKE * Howey Gold Mines, Limited Hasaga Gold Mines, Limited Madson Red Lake Gold Mines, Limited

Jan 1, 1942

By W. W. Adams

In mining coal, the Nation's principal mineral fuel, loss of life has been much lower recently than in earlier years when coal mining contributed so heavily to the industrial-accident death toll in the United States. Particularly notable has been the relatively small number of deaths during the past few years compared with the number that occurred 20 or 30 years ago. Reports received by the United States Bureau of Mines, covering all commercially operated mines that were active during all or any part of the calendar year 1935, showed that accidents during that year had resulted in the loss of 1,242 lives. This death toll, although regrettable, represents a material improvement over the industry's experience during most years prior to 1935, and especially over the industry's worst year, 1907, when 3,242 men were killed. Fewer lives were lost in 1933, when 1,064 men were killed at work, than during any year for which complete figures are available.

Jan 1, 1938

By G. F. Kuncir

The analysis described herein evaluates the Bureau of Mines Program for Advancing Mining Technology - Oil Shale in terms of the economic benefits which may be derived for the Nation as a result of its successful research and development efforts. On the basis of postulated oil shale production scenarios, benefit-cost ratio indicators are computed for the program elements as they apply to surface, underground, and modified in situ oil shale mining systems. Eight value indicators are used to measure the Program's beneficial impact on the future oil shale industry in relation to planned research and development costs. These are: capital cost savings, operating cost savings, labor savings environmental quality maintenance cost reduction, reduction in production costs, byproduct production benefits, total production benefits, and additions to recoverable reserves. Program costs are aggregated from 1974 through 1987 and major benefits are accrued from 1982 through 2040. Both cost and benefit streams are discounted to mid-1975 present value.

Jan 1, 1977

By T S. Cochrane

This paper is based on observations made during a recent visit by the writer to three of the dust research laboratories .in West Germany, each .of which is mainly concerned with studymg the composition and character of the respirable dust produced in mines or at industrial sites. The three institutes are discussed as regards their orgamzat10n and duties, their methods of dust sampling and analysis, and recent trends in research and development. An extensive bibliography completes the paper. Introduction A RECENT trip to Europe to attend international conferences m Austria and m Belgium gave the writer the opportunity to visit a number of research laboratories and mines in Western Europe. The visits to the dust research laboratories in West Germany are the basis of this report. In Germany, cooperative associations formed prior to and since the turn of the 20th Century to promote the safety and welfare of their workers have recognized the effects of airborne dust on the general health of the labour force.

Jan 1, 1964

By Zhang Libo, Peng Jinhui, Zhang Zhengfu, Fu Mengbi, Han Yamei

In this paper, results of a novel synthesis method of carbon-coated LiNi113Mn113Co11302 cathode material for lithium-ion battery are reported. The carbon coating was produced from a precursor, glucose, by microwave-pyrolysis method. The structure, morphology and electrochemical performance of the bare and carbon-coated LiNi113Mn113Co11302 were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and charge-discharge tests respectively. The L8(27) orthogonal experiments were carried out to optimize LiNi113Co113Mn1130z/C technological conditions. The conditions of the orthogonal experiments were that the glucose content were 1.5 % and 4 %, the holding time were 15min and 30min, the heating temperature were 400 °C and 500 °C and the solvent were H20 and CH3CH20H. The main experiment target include specific capacity at 0.1C and 0.2C, Capacity retention rate, medium voltage attenuation rate and The fifth discharge medium voltage. The data were analyzed by Minitab 14 statistics software. The results of analysis of variance indicated that the most influential factor was the glucose content despite of discharge rate. Secondly, the effect of the solvent was equivalent to the holding time.

Jan 1, 2013

By A J. Nick, I I. Townsend, J M. Schuler, J D. Smith, R P. Mueller, L Sibille, K Leucht, J J. Fox

The first steps for in situ resource utilisation (ISRU) on target bodies such as the Moon, Mars and near-Earth asteroids (NEA), and even comets, involve the same sequence of steps as in the terrestrial mining of resources. First exploration including prospecting must occur, and then the resource must be acquired through excavation methods if it is of value. Subsequently a load-haul-dump sequence of events occurs, followed by processing of the resource in an ISRU plant, to produce useful commodities.While these technologies and related supporting operations are mature in terrestrial applications, they will be different in space since the environment and indigenous materials are different than on Earth. In addition, the equipment must be highly automated, since for the majority of the production cycle time, there will be no humans present to assist or intervene. This space mining equipment must withstand a harsh environment which includes vacuum, radical temperature swing cycles, highly abrasive lofted dust, electrostatic effects, van der Waals forces effects, galactic cosmic radiation, solar particle events, high thermal gradients when spanning sunlight terminators, steep slopes into craters / lava tubes and cryogenic temperatures as low as 40 K in permanently shadowed regions. In addition the equipment must be tele-operated from Earth or a local base where the crew is sheltered. If the tele-operation occurs from Earth then significant communications latency effects mandate the use of autonomous control systems in the mining equipment. While this is an extremely challenging engineering design scenario, it is also an opportunity, since the technologies developed in this endeavour could be used in the next generations of terrestrial mining equipment, in order to mine deeper, safer, more economical and with a higher degree of flexibility. New space technologies could precipitate new mining solutions here on Earth.The NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Swamp Works is an innovation environment and methodology, with associated laboratories that use lean development methods and creativity-enhancing processes to invent and develop new solutions for space exploration. This paper will discuss the Swamp Works approach to developing space mining and resource extraction systems and the vision of space development it serves. The ultimate goal of the Swamp Works is to expand human civilisation into the solar system via the use of local resources utilisation. By mining and using the local resources in situ, it is conceivable that one day the logistics supply train from Earth can be eliminated and Earth independence of a space-based community will be enabled.CITATION:Mueller, R P, Sibille, L, Leucht, K, Smith, J D, Townsend, I I, Nick, A J, Schuler, J M and Fox, J J, 2015. Swamp works – a new approach to develop space mining and resource extraction technologies at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center: prospecting, excavation, load, haul and dump for in situ resource utilisation, in Proceedings Third International Future Mining Conference, pp 297–304 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Nov 4, 2015

By I. R. Kramer

I. R. Kramer (Martin Co.)—In a recent paper Nakada and Chalmers24 reported some observations of effects of surface conditions on the stress-strain curves of aluminum and gold single crystals. It is of interest to compare these observations with the results published previously in this journal and to comment on their general conclusions. In brief, Nakada and Chalmers concluded that the removal of the surface layer of a prestrained specimen lowered the stress-strain curve for aluminum but not that for gold. Further, they concluded that the surface work hardening of aluminum is confined to a depth not more than l0-3 cm. In our results25 published previously, it was pointed out that when prestrained specimens of aluminum and gold were polished to reduce the thickness upon reloading the initial flow stress decreased markedly. Further if a sufficient amount of metal was removed, the yield point failed to appear. With continued application of the load the stress-strain curve became coincident with that of the virgin crystal. We have found this behavior in some 100 determinations to hold consistently for gold, aluminum, and copper in both single and poly-crystalline specimens. The amount of strain required before the curves coincided depends upon the amount of metal removed but it is usually less than 0.01. This type of behavior is the same as that reported for metarecovery by other investigators.29 For aluminum specimens which have been prestrained and then heated to temperatures above 50°C we have consistently found that the stress-strain curve was typical of the orthorecovery28 type. In this case the stress-strain curve always lies below that of the virgin specimen. With respect to Ref. 24 the curves for aluminum are always below that of the virgin curves, while those for gold become coincident. This observation indicates at least for aluminum that the specimens must have been heated to a temperature high enough to cause recovery by an alteration of the internal dislocations. In addition, a recovery would be expected because of the removal of the surface work-hardened layer. Nakada27 had reported that, with his particular apparatus in which a perchloric acid polishing solution was used, the temperature of the specimen increased 65°C. The curves presented in Ref. 24 for gold do not permit one to detect the initial flow stress upon reloading after the surface-removal treatment. In fact, contrary to the method used by Nakada and Chalmers, the change in the stress-strain curve produced by a surface-removal treatment cannot be described in terms of a decrease in stress at strains much higher than that at the initial flow stress because of the coincidence of the curves at the higher strain values. With regard to the depth of the work-hardened surface layer, our data show for aluminum single crystals (7.5 by 0.3 by 0.3 cm) that the initial flow stress remained constant after 12 x 10-3 cm had been removed from the thickness. This depth was independent of the prior strain. For gold crystals this depth is somewhere between 10 x 10-3 and 20 x 10-3 cm. Y. Nakada (author's reply)— Kramer states,28 "for aluminum specimens which have been prestrained and then heated to temperatures above 50°C, we have consistently found that the stress-strain curve was typical of the orthorecovery28 type. In this case the stress-strain curve always lies below that of the virgin specimen." However, Cherian et a1.26 discovered that aluminum polycrystals annealed at 32" and 100°C showed the metarecovery behavior. They showed that the orthorecovery behavior did not appear until the crystals were annealed at 150°C. Kramer suggests28 that the drop in the flow stress of aluminum crystals after the surface removal by electropolishing24 may be due to the recovery caused by the temperature rise which may occur during the electropolishing.27 However, as indirectly stated in Ref. 24, the current density used in these electro -polishing experiments was 0.15 amp per sq cm. According to ref. 27, this current density should cause a temperature rise of only 40°C. This may cause the metarecovery but not the orthorecovery. Furthermore, as stated explicitly in Ref. 24, the surface removal was accomplished by chemical etching as well as by electropolishing. The results were the same for both electropolishing and etching. During the etching, the specimen temperature did not rise above 35°C. Some aluminum crystals were placed in water at 35° C for 30 min. These crystals did not show the decrease in flow stress. Therefore, it is quite clear that the flow-stress drop after the surface removal is not caused by a high-temperature recovery. However, as Kramer points out,28 it is quite possible that the internal dislocation structure may have been altered because of the removal of the highly work-hardened surface layer. However, how much this rearrangement contributes toward the flow-stress decrease is not known at present.

Jan 1, 1965

By O. Llewellyn Jack

From September 1978 to December 1983, ESD Corporation (formerly a Division of FMC Corporation) undertook the development and testing of a bidirectional auger under contract with the U.S. Department of Energy. Underground testing began in August 1981 at Peabody Coal Company's Marissa Mine near Marissa, Illinois. The auger was developed to increase mine production and coal recovery without increasing land subsidence. It bored 4-foot-diameter by 10-foot-deep holes into pillars on 7-foot centers (each hole recovering 5 tons). All operating during this test was performed by maintenance personnel with the goal of finding ways to increase the machine potential. The maximum excavation rate achieved was 1.4 tons per minute. It was concluded that the concept of drilling short holes to extract coal from underground pillars without surface subsidence was practicable with a wheel mounted auger, but that more power was desirable for this mine, and that the hydraulically driven augering system that provided experimental versatility was not sufficiently reliable for production use.

Jan 1, 1983

By Frederick A. Mumpton

Recent findings by medical workers on the association of certain zeolite minerals with the high incidence of pleural mesothelioma in two small Turkish villages have caused considerable excitement both in medical circles and in the synthetic and natural zeolite businesses. The 42 cases diagnosed between 1970 and 1977 in one community of 600 population in a region of altered volcanic tuff represent a virtual epidemic of this rare malignancy which normally strikes only about one person in a million. Cancer workers around the world expect that detailed environmental and epidemiological studies of the disease in these areas will shed considerable light on the cause of this particularly lethal form of lung cancer. Scientists and engineers developing uses for zeolite materials in industry and agriculture, however, are justly concerned that the preliminary results available on this situation will be used by environmental and regulatory organizations to label an entire group of miner- als as carcinogens on the basis of what is little more than circumstantial evidence. Although there is no question as to the large number of cases of mesothelioma in these areas of central Anatolia, the work to date has suffered from a lack of sound geological and mineralogical input. Ataman (1) stated that a "correlation" exists between mesothelioma and zeolites in this region; however, the geological data needed to document a direct relationship between the presence of zeolites in the volcanic tuffs surrounding the villages in question and the rate of malignant lung disease in the inhabitants have g been obtained, nor has evidence that suggests a cause-effect relationship between zeolites and cancer been reported. To provide fundamental information on the distribution of zeolite minerals in areas of central Turkey where high incidences of pleural mesothelioma have been reported and to evaluate from first-hand knowledge the published reports and news releases of medical workers engaged in assessing the problem, the following investigation was made.

Jan 1, 1979

By A. C. Fieldner

THE Bureau of Mines has received many requests for Information concerning the methods its laboratories use for analyzing coal and coke and determining their heating value. The fuel investigations now conducted by the Bureau of Mines are an outgrowth of the work undertaken at the Government coal-testing plant erected in 1904 at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, and the methods for proximate and ultimate analysis of coal used by the Bureau of Mines are based on those originally adopted by the chemists of the coal-testing plant and followed in the subsequent chemical work of the Government fuel-testing plants at St. Louis, Mo., Norfolk, Va., and Pittsburgh, Pa. The many valuable suggestions and criticisms received from N. W. Lord, director of the School of Mines, and from E. E. Somermeier, professor of metallurgy, of Ohio State University, at that time, are greatly appreciated; development of many of the methods for the proximate and ultimate analysis of coal now used by the Bureau of Mines is chiefly clue to these men.

Jan 1, 1951

By Richard E. Gertsch

If you believe that the goal of the space program should be a permanent, manned presence in space, then you believe in space mining. Historically, mining has been an integral part of the frontier. For the space frontier, mining is absolutely necessary. Any large-scale space facility must be built from materials mined in space. The reason is simple: the cost of getting material off the earth overwhelms all other costs. The cost of launching a pound of material from earth into low earth orbit ranges from $5000 to $10,000. Multiply this number by three to get to geostationary orbit. With the added expense of landing on the moon, an object is worth more than its weight in gold. Most space projects are impossible if materials must be hauled out of earth's enormous gravity well. For example, habitats (large structures in free-fall that simulate earth's gravity) and massive solar power satellites will take millions of tons of material to construct. Transportation economics alone dictate space as the source for oxygen, construction materials, and metals, among others. Space mining is not concerned with introducing materials for terrestrial use. The need for materials in space is infinite. The challenge for the mining industry is enormous.

Jan 1, 1991

By Raquel Costa, Aldino Campos, Frederico Carvalho Dias, Pedro Madureira, Patrícia Conceição, Ana Filipa Marques, Andreia Afonso, Maria Ana Martins, António Calado, Luísa Pinto Ribeiro

Since its formation in 2004, the Task Group for the Extension of the Continental Shelf (EMEPC) has been collecting hydrographic, geological and geophysical data to support the extension of the continental shelf beyond 200 NM. In 2008, the EMEPC acquired a 6,000 m rated ROV named "Luso" and has been cooperating with several national and international institutions to increase and improve its operational capabilities to conduct research on deep-sea minerals. The Portuguese continental shelf corresponds to a broad area of the seafloor encompassing different physiographic domains: the mid-Atlantic ridge system, abyssal plains and numerous seamounts. From 2008 to the present, the mid- Atlantic ridge and seamounts have been the most visited sites with the ROV "Luso". Several hydrothermal vent sites are known to occur along the mid-Atlantic ridge to the south of the Azores archipelago and mostly within the Portuguese EEZ. Vent fields were also discovered in the extended continental shelf, namely the Rainbow and the Moytirra sites located to south and to the north of the Azores archipelago, respectively. The most studied seamounts correspond to those forming the Great Meteor chain and the Madeira- Tore rise. All these visited sites are related either with the occurrence of polymetallic sulphides or cobalt rich Fe-Mn crusts and the opportunities to further pursue their exploration will be discussed.

Sep 1, 2014

By Alan A. Campoli

OD March 20, 1989, a meeting was held at the U.S. Bureau of Mines Pittsburgh Research Center at the request of Senator Pete V. Domenici of New Mexico. The purpose of the meeting was to engender a technical relationship between the National Laboratories and the minerals industry. During the meeting, the Director of the Bureau of Mines, T S Ary, suggested that since the Bureau is the focal point for mining research in the United States, it would be appropriate for the agency to act as the liaison between the National Laboratories and the minerals industry. As the first step in this process, the author was selected to perform a 6-month investigation to better define the proper role of the Bureau in this area. As part of the investigation, the mining and mineral-related technology available at 21 major U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Research Laboratories was reviewed. It was assumed that the broad range of scientific and technical areas covered DOE research would provide fertile ground for mining-related technologies. It was hoped that the applicability of DOE research to this liaison effort would be indicative of Federal laboratories in general.

Jan 1, 2011

By J. G. Pippenger

Rio Tinto Coal Australia (RTCA) developed the Meandu Mine in Queensland, Australia in 1983 to supply thermal coal to the adjacent and newly constructed Tarong Power Station (TPS). In designing the mine, RTCA selected Meandu?s best economic reserves for a 27-year life based on station owner Tarong Energy Corp.?s (TECs) estimated life for TPS. That 27-year plan changed dramatically in the early 2000s when TEC approved life extensions to TPS?s four existing units plus construction of a fifth unit. After reviewing Meandu?s remaining reserves, RTCA decided the nearby Kunioon reserve offered the more economic option for maintaining deliveries beyond 2010. Those plans changed again in 2007 when TEC chose to purchase the Meandu Mine and nearby reserves. TEC then selected Thiess Pty Ltd. (Thiess) to continue operating Meandu until the new mine at Kunioon could be developed. After assuming operation of the mine in 2008, Thiess began a review of Meandu?s remaining reserves and found considerable coal available with economic potential. Working jointly with TEC, Thiess performed several analyses on Meandu and subsequently the Kunioon coal reserves. The results changed TEC?s decision from expediting Kunioon?s construction to instead continuing Meandu?s operation for up to 15 additional years.

Jan 1, 2011

By Tim O’Neil

More than 5,300 mining professionals from around the world attended the SME Annual Meeting and Exhibit, March 1-3 in Denver, CO. Seventy three technical sessions highlighted innovative technologies and applications for the development of mineral resources. And the exhibit featured 421 companies worldwide and 632 exhibit booths. The 1999 SME Annual Meeting had 10% international attendance. Professionals from outside the United States were guests at the first SME International Reception.

Jan 1, 1999