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By Henrique D. G. Turrer, Robert F. Winterfield, Jobe E. Wheeler, Marcello R. Cru, Baojie Zhang, Pedro P. Pinto

Efficient particle classification is essential to enhance gravity and magnetic separation stages in one iron ore beneficiation plant. This study investigates the use of high-frequency screens to process finely ground iron ore, focusing on two size cuts: 400 μm and 100 μm. Pilot-scale trials were performed on four ore blends using a full-scale screening unit. A total of 48 tests were conducted, evaluating the effects of panel aperture, solids concentration, wash water, and feed particle size distribution. Results showed that wash water improved efficiency by up to 5%, while a solids concentration near 40% w/w delivered high separation performance with minimal ultra-fines in oversize streams. Apertures slightly larger than the target cut sizes yielded better precision in particle separation. Feed particle size distribution had limited impact on efficiency. The investigation successfully identified optimal screening conditions, including aperture selection, to achieve the most effective separation performance for downstream concentration processes.

Feb 22, 2026

By JIAQI JIN, Joe Milbourne, Maoming Fan

Gold is very important to support the financial system, and to be used in industries of the jewelry, high-tech fields such as electronics and aerospace, etc. Gold is mainly extracted from three types of ores: primary ore (vein gold), placer (alluvial gold) and associated ore. Cyanide was widely used in gold ore flotation to depress gangue minerals and leaching/cyanidation. The process of extracting gold from gold ore, its separation and flotation concentrate, specifically through a technique called cyanidation or cyanide leaching. This method, which has been dominant since the 1970s, utilizes a dilute solution of cyanide to dissolve gold from the ore. While effective, the use of cyanide raises environmental and safety concerns due to its high toxicity. Cyanide spills can have severe environmental consequences. This has led to the exploration of alternative, environmentally friendly reagents. This paper discusses processing results using the alternative flotation depressants such as sodium sulfite (Na2SO3), etc. to produce a goldrich flotation concentrate for sale to a smelter or as feed to an alternative leaching agent. and methods to extract gold from ore without relying on cyanide.

Feb 22, 2026

By Alistair James, James Alcorn, Chaitan S. Sandhu, Andy Small

The Risk-Informed Decision Making (RIDM) working group is a group of industry professionals formed under the joint initiative undertaken by United States Society of Dams (USSD), Tailings Dam Safety Committee and Canadian Dam Associations (CDA) Mining Dam Safety Committee (MDC). The working group was organized to develop a guideline on implementation of a RIDM process relating to the design of mining water dams and Tailings Storage Facilities (TSF). Since its formation in 2022, the group has completed a literature review of more than one hundred (100) cross industry publications on applications of RIDM in mining water dams and TSFs, has held two industry workshops in Niagara Falls, Ontario in 2024 and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in 2025 to capture industry input relating to the understanding and application of RIDM. The working group has subsequently formulated a process that constitutes good industry practice as it relates to application of RIDM in mining dams and TSFs. The authors, through their engagement and leadership in the working group and facilitating the two industry workshops in 2024 and 2025, are of the opinion that the successful application process of RIDM across Canada and United States (U.S.) is still not clear to many industry practitioners. There is confusion over terminology, good versus poor RIDM, and in some cases reluctance to use the RIDM terminology. This paper addresses critical knowledge gaps identified in the RIDM implementation for mining water dams and TSFs through three years of stakeholder engagement. It provides clarity of the process via a joint position statement and implementation roadmap, resolves terminology confusion, and documents contradicting industry opinions to promote adoption of good RIDM practices in Canada, U.S. and beyond.

Feb 22, 2026

By Rebecca Boakye, Zohreh Kazemi Motlagh, Virginia T. McLemore

The most significant uranium (U) deposits in New Mexico are sandstone-hosted deposits in the Morrison Formation (Westwater Canyon Member), where >169,500 short tons of U3O8 were produced from 1950 to 2002. In addition, >9076 pounds of vanadium (V, a critical mineral) and some molybdenum (Mo) were produced from these deposits. These and other U deposits (limestone-hosted, U-veins) in New Mexico also contain critical minerals. Critical minerals are mineral resources that are essential to our economy and whose supply may be disrupted; many critical minerals are 100% imported into the U.S. Some sandstonehosted, limestone-hosted, and U-vein deposits are elevated in heavy rare earth elements. One sandstone-hosted sample contained 0.3 ppm Re (critical mineral), 659 ppm Se and 408 ppm Mo. The arsenide five-element vein deposits in the Black Hawk district are mineralogically and texturally complex, low- to moderate-temperature, hydrothermal, structurally-controlled, Ag-Co-Ni-Bi-As bearing carbonate vein systems with local minor elements. Mineralized samples from Black Hawk contain up to 9970 ppm Ag, 8540 ppm As, 5690 ppm Co, 72,400 ppm Ni, 57 ppm Bi, 165 ppm Sb, and 32,600 ppm U.

Feb 22, 2026

By Vanessa Viterbo, Lia Walker, Hassan Khaniani, Vitor Viterbo

Fatigue is a major contributor to haul-truck incidents in mining, with up to 65% of fatigue-related events associated with operator drowsiness or microsleep episodes, Williamson et al. (2011) and Caterpillar (2007). This study examines whether operator fatigue produces measurable and repeatable signatures in haul-truck telemetry. Eight confirmed fatigue-related disengagement events were analyzed using 20-minute telemetry windows centered around the incident. Statistical descriptors, Z-score normalization, first- and second-order derivatives, sliding-window variability, and cross-signal correlations were extracted from engine speed, throttle position, fuel rate, ground speed, and brake indicators. A logistic regression classifier was trained and evaluated using leave-one-event-out cross-validation. The model achieved a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) area under the curve (AUC) scores of 0.75–0.79, demonstrating consistent discriminative capability. A characteristic shutdown sequence characterized by sudden throttle collapse, fuel-rate decay, RPM reduction, and unbraked coasting was observed across all events, indicating operator disengagement rather than mechanical malfunction. Earlywarning indicators appeared 90–500 seconds before shutdown in the events analyzed, suggesting practical potential for real-time fatigue prediction. These findings provide initial evidence that telemetry-based fatigue detection is feasible and could enhance safety in mining operations.

Feb 22, 2026

By Justin Reed, Sara Bewley, Dwight M. Kinnes, Maryam Sadeghi, Ed Hart

This study compares wet gravity and dry magnetic separation for preconcentrating an allanite-rich rare earth ore from the Halleck Creek deposit. Material in the –300/+86 μm size range was treated to define a flowsheet that maximizes total rare earth oxide (TREO) recovery. The ore is dominated by feldspar and quartz, with hastingsite, an iron-bearing aluminosilicate. Because hastingsite’s density and magnetic response closely match allanite, it is difficult to reject using conventional methods. Two separation approaches were evaluated: MG12 spirals for gravity concentration and an Induced Roll Magnetic Separator (IRMS) for dry magnetic upgrading. MG12 spirals performed well in the rougher stage but provided limited gains when used as cleaners. When IRMS was applied as the cleaner stage, TREO grade and recovery improved substantially, showing that a dry magnetic cleaner circuit can effectively replace the wet gravity cleaner step. MG12 spirals remain suitable for highcapacity rougher duty, but dry magnetic separation delivers higher selectivity, simpler operation, and eliminates water use—offering a more efficient and sustainable preconcentration route in water-constrained environments.

Feb 22, 2026

By Christopher Newman, Andrew Minckley

With underground stone operations developing in deeper and more geologically complex conditions, accurate pillar stability analysis becomes for the evaluation of engineering design. This paper provides engineering-based recommendations for applying LaModel to evaluate multiple-level room-and-pillar stone mines in both shallow and deep cover. It provides practical guidance on model calibration using field observations, selection of input parameters, and interpretation of results to inform design and operational decisions. The analysis demonstrates LaModel’s effectiveness in simulating pillar load transfer, stress redistribution, and failure mechanisms in complex mining geometries where empirical methods may be inadequate.

Feb 22, 2026

By Gavin Erickson, Lucas R. Moore, Clint Stoddard, Garret Bryant

As global mineral feed grades decline, phosphate beneficiation faces mounting challenges. Chief among these being achieving high recoveries of industry quality concentrates from ores of decreasing quality. Apatite, a critical mineral for meeting global fertilizer demand, remains the primary source of phosphorus and is typically recovered through beneficiation by multi-stage flotation. However, traditional saponified fatty acid collectors lack the selectivity needed to beneficiate these lower quality ores, which are containing a higher concentration of more complex gangue minerals. Enhancing collector performance is essential to the industry moving forward. This study introduces a novel alkyl polyglucoside based surfactant designed as an additive for conventional fatty acid systems. Its incorporation significantly improves the grade recovery in direct apatite flotation, even at low concentrations. Flotation results as well as surfactant properties will be discussed.

Feb 22, 2026

By Ruari Soutar-Dawson, Fisher Wang, Alan Boylston, Michael Denzel

Vertical stirred mills are increasingly used for fine grinding applications in the mineral processing industry due to their high energy efficiency. Thus, modeling power draw is of great interest proven by the effort in previous work including analytical models. In this contribution the development of a DEM-CFD coupled model is presented to determine power draw under different operating conditions. These include grinding media filling level, shaft speed and fluidization as well as changes in grinding compartment configuration. An extensive test program on an especially equipped test mill is initiated to validate the model.

Feb 22, 2026

By Xiaozhen Song, Ashish Ranjan Kumar, Shimin Liu

Diesel particulate matter (DPM) presents considerable occupational health hazards in large-opening underground mines (LOUM). Previous studies have primarily focused on single-factor ventilation optimization, while this study innovatively integrates booster fan configurations and loading truck placements utilizing a coupled CFD turbulence– particle tracing model. Three distinct ventilation scenarios were simulated to evaluate their effects on DPM dispersion and dilution efficiency. Results indicate that dual booster fans substantially enhance airflow distribution, increasing air exchange efficiency; The migration pathways of DPM closely align with airflow trajectories, and air turbulence is the predominant factor influencing particle behavior within LOUM; Loading truck placement critically influences local DPM accumulation; Airflow effectiveness diminishes markedly with distance from booster fans, causing stagnation at distant working faces. The coupled CFD approach accurately captured airflow–particle interactions, offering valuable insights for optimizing mine ventilation strategies and effectively mitigating miners’ exposure to DPM.

Feb 22, 2026

By D. R. McConnell

The seafloor in the US Pacific OCS and EEZ is enriched to varying degrees in critical and economically important minerals such as nickel, manganese, cobalt, copper, zinc, REY (rare earth elements plus yttrium), titanium, vanadium, antimony, gold, and silver. These mineral deposits take the form of polymetallic nodules on the seabed, cobalt rich ferromanganese crusts on seamounts and ridges swept clean of sediment accumulation, and seafloor massive sulfides formed by hydrothermal systems at geologic plate spreading centers and volcanic margins. Each of these mineral deposits form on or near the deep ocean seafloor where water depths are typically 4000 m to 5500 m and on the seamounts and volcanic arcs that rise from these depths. Commercial interest in deep sea mineral deposits and the potential for collecting or mining them began in earnest in the 1970s but has been heightened in the last 20 years as the international framework for developing these minerals in International Waters has matured that has coincided with forecasted rapid rising demand for minerals to supply energy and manufacturing needs for the green economy. Compilation reports published by academia, government, and private companies are reviewed to assemble data and assess the prospects for deep sea marine minerals in the US Pacific OCS and EEZ. Key compilations were made by the Circum-Pacific Council and USGS in the 1980s and 1990s. These, together with recent (2023) efforts by USGS to compile geochemical data from USGS affiliated marine research sampling cruises from the 1980s and 1990s, historical data maintained by NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), and recent publicly disclosed results from ISA contractors are used to inform the known occurrence and prospectivity for polymetallic nodules, cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts, and seafloor massive sulfides in the US Pacific OCS and EEZ.

Feb 22, 2026

By Xiaozhen Song, Ashish Ranjan Kumar, Shimin Liu

To investigate the influence of boreholes, fans, and curtains for large opening underground mines (LOUM), we conducted a field survey for LOUM with the survey data serving as the numerical modeling inputs using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models. Five different CFD modeling results were obtained with different borehole, box fan, and curtain setting conditions. The results indicate that most air quantity directly escapes through outlet 1 after coming into the inlet, causing a huge loss of airflow; volumetric air exchange index (VAEI) and minimum hours of fully exchanging the air (MHFEA) measure air exchange efficiency, with zone 2 of case 5 having the highest VAEI; The borehole minimally affects zones 2, 3, and 4, but drastically alters airflow direction in zone 1; The box fan enhances airflow to zone 2, improving ventilation efficiency and increasing VAEI; Curtains have little effect on distant working faces but influence airflow near inlets and outlets. This study provides a foundation for future research on the influence of boreholes, fans, and curtains, as well as optimizing their placement and effectiveness in face ventilation.

Feb 22, 2026

By Marko Oosthuizen, Charl P. Botha, Lidia Auret, Annelette Malan, Marthie de Leeuw

Flotation performance is affected by upstream disturbances (e.g., mineralogy, water quality, flow rate) and controlled variables (e.g., pulp level and air addition). Process disruptions can lead to undesired conditions, such as pulp overflowing flotation cells (with insignificant/absent froth, and thus no valuable mineral concentration). Early detection and appropriate intervention of pulping events improves concentrator performance. An approach to real time flotation pulping event detection by means of convolutional neural networks is presented, including a case study of the industrial application of this technology on three flotation banks.

Feb 22, 2026

By Jordan Scheremeta, Sudhir Tripathi, Mahfooz Alam

Injection leaching can improve leach ore recovery by displacing retained solutions, enhancing ore wetting, and creating new flow paths for efficient solution collection. This paper presents a method to assess the feasibility of injection leaching in finer-grained, potentially contractive ores (from a geotechnical slope stability perspective) using limit-equilibrium (LE) slope stability analysis and static deformation modeling. LE models were carried out by assigning peak undrained strengths to the heap leach ore material, and modeling the excess pore pressure induced during the injection leaching process using spatial function in Slope/W. Static deformation modeling was completed using the software Fast Lagrangian Analysis of Continua (FLAC) to evaluate the potential for deformations due to the excess pore pressures induced during the injection leaching process. A constitutive model was used to represent the geomechanical behavior of the leached ore material, which enables the prediction of deformation and potential stability issues resulting from excess pore-pressure induced during injection leaching process. The two-pronged approach provides a practical method to assess geotechnical impacts and guide data-driven decisions in injection leaching operations.

Feb 22, 2026

By Emily Rose

The concept of risk management is applied to multiple aspects of the mining lifecycle including safety, mine design, business plan—anything that affects getting the ore to the mill for production. However, risk management is not a topic that can readily be taught in universities. Many situations require knowledge gained from experience to know how this impacts current and future operations. Recent graduates, who must develop and apply decisions based on geotechnical monitoring, likely have not developed “operational experience” and may not be aware of options and typical applications. Thorough resources that explain different monitoring systems, and when and how to implement them, are available for geotechnical professionals. Accessibility to this information can often cause information overload, leaving one unsure of where to start, without knowing where to start. This paper is intended to serve as a high-level overview of development practices, levels of risk, and risk tolerance for entry-level geotechnical and mining professionals who do not come from a geotechnical background. Summarized detail on typical monitoring practices, types of instrumentation, and how to communicate what the data indicates to key stakeholders are provided.

Feb 22, 2026

By Tania Schmid, Marco Portal Valdivia, Sandra Nowosad

Today’s mining industry faces rapid transformation driven by automation, climate responsibility, and ESG demands, requiring more than technical expertise. Future mining engineers must blend engineering excellence with key human skills such as communication, leadership, resilience, empathy, adaptation to change, curiosity and lifelong learning. Based on two recent surveys, one to senior leaders with over ten years of experience in the mining industry and a second, focused on understanding the perceptions of young professionals, this paper explores which skills become core competencies by 2030 for navigating complexity, leading responsibly, and enabling sustainable transformation. Furthermore, it also examines how educational institutions can adopt strategies to foster the development of these critical skills, preparing future mining talent for evolving challenges.

Feb 22, 2026

By J-P Strydom, J P. Z, S. Schafrik, M. Beck, Z. Agioutantis

Developing a method to accurately determine the weight and distribution of the load within a shuttle car bed eliminates the need for manual activation of the flight chain. Accordingly, this experimental study characterized the thermo-mechanical response of two unique load cells in force shunt, implemented as an engineering control to quantify load position and distribution without human intervention. The influence of environmental and installation conditions on the measurement accuracy was quantified and determined to be indirectly dependent on the characteristics of the material load cells that are mounted to.

Feb 22, 2026

By Enrique Rubio Esquivel, Matías Fuentes Bustamante

The transition from open pit to underground mining represents a key strategic challenge in modern mine planning. This paper presents a multicriteria and multivariable methodology to plan such a transition, integrating technical, economic, environmental, and social considerations. The proposed framework focuses on risk reduction (de-risking) through the identification of alternative development paths, the use of stochastic simulation to model geological and technical uncertainty, and different mining strategies such as methods, production rates, sequence, etc. for ultimate underground implementation. The study summarizes the limitations of traditional planning methods—which usually treat the open pit and underground mine designs as independent processes—, also often it considers a single mining method and production rate for the underground option. Instead it is proposed an integrated approach that leverages synergies between both mining methods and scalable production rates. Also the proposed methodology incorporates the definition of critical variables (geotechnical, economic, and social, among others), the construction of multiple operational and technological transition paths, and the evaluation of each path under criteria of economic attractiveness and practical do-ability (capacity to be executed). Using simulation tools (SIMPLAN for operational performance and SIMVAL for economic evaluation), probabilistic distributions of the different path are obtained, enabling the quantification of the project’s Value at Risk (VaR). A subsequent multicriteria analysis weights the expected profitability against the feasibility of execution of each alternative, producing a decision matrix that provides a framework for evaluating the different project path. As a result, the proposed approach identifies OP→UG transition strategies that maximize business value by capturing remaining resources while minimizing financial and operational risks. Finally, strategic conclusions and recommendations for the industry are provided, emphasizing the importance of early transition planning even challenging the open pit sequencing of the latest push backs by introducing early underground operations. Future work includes strengthening the methodology—such as integrating real-time analysis and adaptive decision-making—and providing recommendations for its application in various mining operations. In summary, this paper delivers a technical and professional framework to guide mining companies on when and how to carry out a successful transition from open pit to underground mining, balancing resource recovery with financial, operational, and social security.

Feb 22, 2026

By Bahadir Ergener, Angel Maria Tobar Escudero, Sandra Nowosad

Modern mining companies are increasingly turning to integrate digital technologies and circular economy (CE) principles to increase the sustainability of their operations. The so-called “mine of the future” is envisioned as a smart, integrated system where technologies such as automation, artificial intelligence, digital twins, and real-time data analytics work in harmony with human decision-making and environmental responsibility. Already in 2018, McKinsey and Co. identified that the three drivers that would define a technology-enabled change in mining would be technology, including digital, analytics and automation, management systems able to identify the potential and value of the new technologies, and the culture and capabilities of the organisation, leaning to more agile and responsive organisations. From the three drivers, in the last five years most developments have been centred in the first one. Yet despite rapid advances, the adoption of new technologies across the industry today remains uneven and often slower than expected. Furthermore, it has been identified that the problem on the technology uptake often relay on the lack of operational readiness, process incompatibility or misalignment, and resistance to change within the mining operation. At the same time, leading companies like Rio Tinto, BHP, and Anglo American have each launched major digital transformation programs. Rio Tinto, for instance, operates one of the world’s largest autonomous mining fleets and has integrated digital technologies across nearly all its operations (Rio Tinto, 2025). BHP is actively investing in information and communication technology (ICT) development as artificial intelligence, big data analytics and robotics, and has partnered with battery companies to pursue circular economy initiatives. Only in 2024, their ICT spending reached US$ 438.3 million (Global Data, 2024). Anglo American has rolled out its FutureSmart Mining™ framework, explicitly aligning innovation with circularity and sustainability goals (Anglo American, 2025). The accelerating pace of change across leading mining companies along with the uneven adoption in the technology uptake clearly state how digital transformation is no longer just about implementing new tools, instead it requires a fundamental shift in how people, processes, and culture are aligned. Addressing only the technical layer, while neglecting the human and organizational dimensions, leaves transformation efforts fragile and unsustainable. As the industry must act decisively to close this gap, the true test of transformation is today centred in changing behaviours, mindsets, and systems. Even at the listed leading companies, initiatives have encountered cultural and structural resistance that are relatable to the industry in large: siloed departments fail to collaborate, procurement teams focus on upfront costs rather than lifecycle value, and operators are often excluded from early-stage planning, reducing buy-in. In many cases, a lack of communication or failure to link technology to real operational bottlenecks leads to disengagement at the ground level. This friction reveals a broader issue: mining organizations have historically treated technology and culture as separate domains, when in fact they are deeply interdependent. To address this, the authors propose a systems engineering approach focusing on the mining operations as a complex socio-technical system composed of people, processes, and technologies. Systems engineering offers tools and frameworks for mapping interactions, aligning incentives, designing for feedback and adaptation, and integrating change across organizational boundaries. Specifically, besides technical requirements, it demands treating culture not as an afterthought or side-effect, but as a design variable that must be intentionally shaped alongside infrastructure and workflows. This paper explores how this approach can be applied in practice, by analysing a real-world case scenario where resistance to innovation was overcome not by technical capabilities alone, but through alignment of stakeholder incentives, thoughtful communication, and cultural integration. A particular focus is set on the adoption journey of the Powerbit X, a drill bit technology with significant potential for operational and environmental gains.

Feb 22, 2026

By Issac Douglas, Sheila Devasahayam, John S. Thella, Manoj K. Mohanty, Jeremy Prishmont

The flotation performance of Sodium O, O-diisobutyl Di thiophosphate (referred to as reagent A) was compared with Aerophine 3418A (referred to as reagent B) for floating a complex copper ore grab sample (Ore A). Preliminary test results indicated a cumulative copper concentrate grade of 10.19% with a recovery of 86.31%, which was achieved with reagent A from a feed consisting of 5.32% Cu. The grade and recovery achieved using reagent B are 9.11% and 87.85%, respectively. A comparative analysis based on the preliminary test results indicated that reagent A’s performance is better than that of reagent B at lower concentrate grades, specifically below 12% Cu. However, the flotation performance is better for reagent B at higher concentrate grades (>12% Cu). A more detailed study was conducted to optimize the grade-recovery performances achievable from both reagents on a complex low-grade copper ore sample (Ore B) from Western USA. Test results indicated a copper concentrate with a grade of 5.5% Cu and 78.59% recovery was obtained with reagent A compared to 4.31% Cu and 62.04% recovery with reagent B from a feed consisting of around 0.25% Cu.

Feb 22, 2026