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By F. Awotwe-Appiah, P. Koshy, J. Dankwah, J. R. Dankwah

This research investigates the generation of an effective carbonaceous material from waste ‘pure water sachets’ and their subsequent utilisation as reductants for the reduction of the Opon Mansi iron ore. Composite pellets of Opon Mansi iron ore and pulverised carbonaceous material generated from waste pure water sachets were heated from room temperature to 1200 °C in a gas fired furnace for seventy minutes. The reduced pellet was analysed chemically for its oxygen and carbon content using a LECO Oxygen/Nitrogen and LECO Carbon/Sulphur analysers, respectively. It was observed that nuggets of metallic iron were readily produced with the carbonaceous materials acting as an effective reductant and source of chemical energy. XRD analysis of waste ‘pure water sachets’ revealed that the polymer was semi-crystalline with peaks that were identical to those of high density polyethylene (HDPE). Gas emission behaviour of the iron ore-PWS pellet was studied in a horizontal tube furnace at 1200 °C using an infrared gas analyser; the results revealed an exhaust gas rich in the reducing gases CO and CH4 along with CO2.

Jan 1, 2015

By W. E. Oching, M. M. Ghomshei

Attracting and retaining workers in mining industry has become an uphill battle to many mining companies. As workers with significant experience retire, it is getting more difficult to attract not only new workers but also top talent to the mining industry to replace professionals exiting the workforce. To make matters worse, students’ enrolment in the post-secondary mining programs in Canada and USA is continuously declining year after year for reasons not directly linked to job market. This raises a question of how can the future needs of mining be met? This paper focuses on avenues for collaboration of industry and educational institutions to meet the current and future needs of mining. It provides effective approaches that mining institutes can engage with program advisory committees, role of the mining industry in supporting both faculty and students, how to harness the benefits of diverse workforce in the country and use of innovative technologies to attract young workers in mining. This work presents Human Resources (HR) professionals with tools that they can use to hire and retain skilled workers with strong interest to work in the mining industry. It also provides HR professionals with an opportunity to re-evaluate their restructuring practices during economic downturns as they reduce number of employees on temporary or permanent basis. The paper stresses the need of working together of the mining stakeholders including mining industry, academic institutions, First Nations’ communities and provincial(state) and federal governments to meet the current and future demands of mining as the industry experiences shortage of labour and low students’ enrolment in post-secondary mining programs. It is shown that mining educational institutes can enhance their programs and recruitments through establishing a better communication with all stakeholders. This communication can be facilitated by creating a national advisory board, to work with all mining programs at the national level for sustainable mining.

Jan 1, 2023

By R. O. Burt

The original flowsheet of the TANCO mill consisted of a simple two-stage gravity circuit for the recovery of the tantalum concentrates. With decreasing grade and grain size of the tantalum minerals, considerable modifications to the circuit have been required. This paper discusses the various recent improvements carried out 011 all stages of the flowsheet, which have resulted in a 10% increase in recovery. Future improvements, including on stream analysis, and the possibility of tantalum flotation , are also discussed.

Jan 1, 1979

By Eric Barnard, Andreas Nashitati, John Tero, Guy Deschênes, Setta Mbalamba, John Rajala

The Otjikoto Mine, owned at 90% by B2Gold Corporation, is located 300 km north of Namibia’s capital city of Windhoek. The reserves from the open pit mine, estimated at 25.9 million tons with an average grade of 1.28 g/t Au, contain gangue minerals, pyrite and pyrrhotite, and have an estimated 10 year mine life. The feasibility study included an optimisation of gold leaching using CSTR for the original design. The results of the test work were used to establish the design criteria. Gravity tails from three composites (drill cores), representing the major ore types, were used. The XR3 sample (gravity tails) contained 0.32 g/t Au, while the XR2 and XR1 gravity tails samples (used for variability) contained, respectively, 0.30 g/t Au, and 0.47 g/t Au. The optimum leaching conditions were: a pre-treatment of 7 h at pH 10.5 with 100 g/t lead nitrate, DO > 5 ppm followed by cyanidation at 300 ppm NaCN, pH 10.0, DO > 5 ppm for 48 h. The gold extraction was 91.5% (97.2% overall extraction gravity/leach) and the cyanide addition was 0.57 kg/t NaCN. Increasing the DO to 16 ppm did not show any economic benefits. No pre-treatment or a 4-h pre-treatment reduced the gold leaching kinetics. The XR2 and XR1 gravity tails samples had gold extractions of 92.9% and 92.3%, respectively. At the plant scale, an 11 h pre-treatment is used followed by 42 h cyanidation with 250 ppm NaCN and an average DO of 8 ppm and 230 g/t lead nitrate in 2016. The cyanide addition was 0.49 kg/t NaCN. The commercial operation started on February 28th, 2015. The overall gold recovery and production were 98.4% and 145,696 ounces for 2015 and 98.1% and 166,286 ounces for 2016. It was found that retention times, gold content of leach residues and cyanide addition are comparable for the lab and the plant. Details of the Otjikoto process flowsheet are discussed in this paper along with the results of the lab leach optimisation test program and the plant leach circuit performance and improvements.

Jan 1, 2017

This paper deals mainly with the modernization in the coal loading system at the loading piers of the Dominion Coal Company, Ltd., Sydney, Nova Scotia. The history of the operation is briefly outlined, and the construction of the Company's new pier is described in considerable de-tail. Particular attention is paid to the bins and conveyors, and to the loading tower. The paper concludes with a description of the S.S. Cape Breton Miner, built specifically for the coal trade, and the unloading facilities at Lakeview, Ontario. Coal Shipping at Sydney C OAL from the mines operated in Cape Breton by the Dominion Coal Company, Limited, has been shipped from the International Piers, situated on the east side of Sydney Harbour, for over sixty years. There were three piers, of which two were active-ly used in the shipping of coal until 1964. Nos. 2 and 3 were high piers about 600 feet long, of wooden construction throughout. They were founded on' rock-filled cribs and creosoted piles driven into the harbour bottom, and each had two decks which carried standard-gauge railway tracks.

Jan 1, 1965

By W. Hunka

PACIFIC PETROLEUMS, Ltd. first discovered commercial quantities of gas in the Peace River area in 1952. Development of gas wells in this area is quite ex-pensive due to low penetration rates. To improve the economics, the potential of the wells in many cases had to be increased. At that time, well stimulation was still in its infancy in Canada and in this area, in particular, no treatment of any consequence had been attempted. Therefore, trial-and-error was the only means available to determine the stimulating technique that would give optimum results. Various fluid treatments were available and these were used wherever the application was warrant-ed. This paper covers acid fracture and explosive treatments as carried out on various gas-bearing horizons.

Jan 1, 1958

By W C. Shakespeare

The Ontario Committee on Taxation is making a comprehensive study of taxation in the Province of Ontario, and in this connection has received representations concerning mining taxation from a number of interested parties. Some of the more important recommendations on mining taxation are reviewed in this article. Introduction FOLLOWING the appointment of the Federal Royal Commission on Taxation, the Ontario Government, effective in November, 1962, appointed the Ontario Committee on Taxation to review taxes and revenues available to the Province of Ontario and its local governments, to co-operate with the Royal Commission on Taxation and with any other bodies of enquiry appointed by other provincial governments, and to make such recommendations as it sees fit to the Prime Minister of Ontario and the Executive Council. The members of the Committee are: MR. L. J. SMITH, F.C.A., Toronto, (Chairman) MR. ERIC HARDY, Toronto DR. R. CRAIG MCIVOR, F.R.S.C., Hamilton MR. CARL A. POLLOCK, Kitchener MR. R. BREDIN STAPELLS, Q.C., and Toronto. Like its Federal counterpart, the Royal Commission on Taxation, the Ontario Committee has held public hearings, has received written

Jan 1, 1965

By J. M. Cummings

DURING the past year, the writer has investigated the treatment of a variety of British Columbia tungsten-bearing ores. Much of the test-work described in this paper was carried out in collaboration with Mr. A. G. Lyle in association with the British Columbia War Metals Research Board at the University of British Columbia. The remainder was completed in the laboratories of the Department of Mines at Victoria. Two mills in the Province are at present treating tungsten ores. Descriptions of these are included through the co-operation of Messrs. S. Gray (1) and A. A. Almstrom (2). MINERALOGY, OCCURRENCE, AND SPECIFICATIONS In the present paper, attention is directed solely to scheclite, inasmuch as known occurrences of other tungstcn minerals in British Columbia are of mineralogical interest only. The properties of scheclite are listed below: Percent W03 .. 80.6 Tenacity ...... Very brittle Çrystallization Tetragonal Lustre ........ Vitreous to resinous Cleavage ...... Good in 4 directions Magnetism ... Non-magnetic Specifie gravity 6.05 Diaphaneity .. Transparent to translucent Hardness. . . . . . 4.5-5.0 Scheelite may contain as much as ten per cent of molybdenum in solid solution, but most of the specimens from British Columbia examined by the writer were relatively pure.

Jan 1, 1943

"An unparalleled growth in the Canadian coal industry in 1970 coincided with increasing awareness by Canadians of their environment and their geography with its accompanying transportation factors. R and D on coal moved with greater emphasis toward solving problems in these areas as well as continuing with strong interest in coal preparation, carbonization, combustion, ""weathering'', spontaneous ignition, storage, exploration and geology. Long-range ""basic"" research was not forgotten in that work continued on coal-based carbons, coal chemistry and agrobiological uses for coal. This paper reviews the status of these many areas of coal research at the beginning of the seventies and takes note of some of the more significant legislation and projects brought to the author's attention. No attempt is made to itemize or to describe in detail all the worthwhile projects, many of which are reported elsewhere."

Jan 1, 1971

By J. A. C. Ross

Introduction To enlighten those who may be wondering where anyone could find sufficient data to write a paper on underground concrete work, the author would like to explain that, at Copper Mountain, we have found it necessary to line numerous headings with a layer of concrete in order to keep them in a safe and serviceable condition. The majority of these headings are scram drifts and ore-pass raises. This paper will therefore deal, in the main, with the methods of and reasons for placing concrete in these headings. During recent years, radical changes have been made in the methods of mining ore at the Copper Mountain mine. After considerable experimenting, a mining system has been developed making use of diamond drills for primary breaking and transfering such broken ore through scram drifts with slusher hoists. With the advent of scram drifts, it soon became apparent that some substantial means of reinforcement and protection for the scram drifts themselves would be necessary. Since the orebodies in this mine are cut by numerous dykes or faults, and often both, it was anticipated that some means of support would be required where headings necessarily passed through these incompetent zones. Further, as experience was gained, scram drifts were driven into pillars and in close proximity to old workings so as to recover the maximum amount of ore. In such places, the ground is often severely fractured, either as a result of previous mining or from the effect of excessive rock pressures.

Jan 1, 1950

By M. Maley, S. Burling, R. Ring

ABSTRACT The numerous global uranium deposits vary significantly in mineralogy, grade, and textural characteristics; therefore, information from traditional (or conventional) sources on the fundamentals of leaching uranium and gangue minerals is not always applicable when studying particular ores. Empirical studies can be effective in understanding leach systems and can lead to improvements in process design but there remains a lack of fundamental understanding necessary for ongoing process optimization as ore bodies continue to vary. ANSTO Minerals has undertaken a work program to address several fundamental questions about uranium leaching, including the unexpected impact for some ore types of leaching at high oxidation potential.

Jan 1, 2012

By Champoux. G., E. Ghali, W. Zhang, G. Monteith, A. -M. Lafront, G. Houlachi

The efficiency of the electrowinning process of zinc depends on the performance of oxygen evolution reaction, anode quality and corrosion resistance of lead anodes. Original surfaces of rolled commercial lead-silver anodes were examined using conventional polarisation methods in acid zinc sulfate electrolyte with manganese sulphate at 38 °C. The self-discharge method (potential decay) following 5 h polarisation at 50 mA cm-2 was considered to evaluate electrochemical activity, oxygen overpotential and anode stability. The influence of silver content is compared to that of the microstructure, the fabrication process and the composition of the corrosion products. Polished anode samples have also been examined for microstructural and corrosion performance studies. The experiments show that the duration of the plateau at 1600 mV versus SHE, the potential level (active corrosion state/stationary state) and the rate AEco/At during the decay could be a good indicator to compare the corrosion rates of the anodes in industrial zinc electrolytes.

Jan 1, 2008

By H. C. Cooke

Those who have followed the geological developments in connection with the copper deposits of Quebec will recall that on many properties the sulphide bodies occur as replacements of fault breccias or tuff breccias, and exhibit a pronounced distaste for the more massive lavas. At the same time the rocks around the ore-bodies are profundly altered, first by addition of silica and sericite, later by conversion of these minerals into chlorite. It has been known for some years that at the Amulet and Waite-Ackerman Montgomery mines these conditions do not prevail. At both mines the ore-bodies are replacements of massive lavas, and at the Amulet they are associated with a very peculiar rock christened ?spotted dog', or 'dalmatianite'. Accordingly, when in 1929 the writer had the opportunity to make a further examination of these properties, two problems presented themselves for solution. The first was to determine, if possible, the conditions under which massive lava, rather than breccia, is replaced by the sulphide masses; the second, to find out the exact nature of dalmatianite and its relations to the sulphide bodies. The first of these problems is believed to have been solved; the second has been found very complex, and will require further work before it is satisfactorily settled.

Jan 1, 1930

By E. P. Williams

"Prince Edward Island, Canada's smallest Maritime Province, is located in the southwestern part of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The Province is more or less centrally located in the Maritimes Basin, a large intermontane basin within the Appalachian orogenic belt. The Maritimes Basin is subdivided into sub-basins and uplifts which exhibit two dominant structural trends: east and northeast. The Basin is known to be petroliferous because of the seeps, shows, oil shales and albertite found in southern New Brunswick and northern Nova Scotia and the gas and oil produced from the Stony Creek field near Moncton, New Brunswick.Permian beds are exposed on the Island, mostly along sea-cliffs. A maximum thickness of about 5,000 feet of red beds -shales, sandstones and conglomerates -make up the sequence. Over most of the Island, the Permian section is much thinner. Four key wells (Mississippian tests) and several shallower tests have been drilled. The Pennsylvanian-Mississippian section thickens rapidly off the Port Hill Uplift at the northwest, where it is less than 4,600 feet thick, and continues to thicken to about 20,000 feet in the Cumberland Basin at the southeast. Geological and geophysical data combine to give us the structural picture of the deeper beds.Prospective reservoir rocks are primarily in the Missis-sippian Horton and Windsor groups. Prospects are:-1. on or over structural highs in the basement; 2. on anticlines or fault highs; 3. over or peripheral to salt domes or salt-core anticlines; 4. at truncation pinchouts of Mississippian prospective beds; 5. in basal sandstone or granite wash on the pre-Carboni-ferous basement; and 6. in facies traps at changes from sandstone to shale or porous to tight carbonate rocks."

Jan 1, 1967

By R. E. Dye

Introduction Research concerning all phases of hoisting practice, but more particularly the causes and prevention of hoisting rope deterioration and the improvement of safety dogs 158 for shaft conveyances, has been carried on intensively for the past three years in the Province of Ontario. Prior to the hoisting accident at the Paymaster mine on February 2nd, 1945, there had been no fatalities in the Province due to a hoisting rope failure. It was probably on this account that little original research on hoisting problems had been undertaken here and that the mining industry had been content to look to British, South African, and United States investigators for new developments in this field. Except for the Paymaster accident this might still be the case since, in any industry, it is apparently necessary for a serious accident to occur before any extensive programme of preventive research is launched. When this accident occurred, the Government of Ontario, with the close co-operation of the Paymaster officials and the mining industry as a whole, took immediate steps to determine the cause. A five-man, non-industry committee, selected from the Faculty of the University of Toronto with Dean C. R. Young as Chairman, was appointed by the Government, and a three-man Committee consisting of R. D. Parker, General Superintendent of the International Nickel Company of Canada, Limited, R. L. Healy, General Manager of Wright Hargreaves Mines, Limited, and R. E. Dye, General Manager of Dome Mines, Limited, with the latter acting as Chairman, was appointed by the Ontario Mining Association.

Jan 1, 1948

By Brad Gunn

Our program has been dictated by the necessity of broadening our markets through converting potash chemicals to fertilizers more in demand than potassium chloride. To this end, we have undertaken studies on methods of preparing potassium sulphate or potassium magnesium sulphate by rather simple conversion. When mixtures of sodium and magnesium sulphates are reacted with potassium chloride, the ratio of sodium to magnesium is quite pertinent. A range of ratios has been selected and the conversions of potassium chloride to sulphate have been assessed by cyclic operations. Results from experimental procedures for producing potassium nitrate are also avail-able. The influence on recovery for systems including organic solvents is assessed for a variety of situations.

Jan 1, 1971

By Derek V. Ellis, Jack L. Littlepage

"Marine ecosystem effects ar1smg from the discharge of man-generated wastes to the sea can be schematized as: acute poisoning, chronic poisoning, enrichment, suffocation, temperature effects, salinity effects, toxin bio-concentration, changed production rates and changed species equilibria. A professionally designed site-specific monitoring program to check for such effects can not only safeguard the marine ecosystem from degradation, but it can also protect the industry involved from unanticipated remedial action after expensive construction has been undertaken. Monitoring programs should consist of three steps. Step 1 is an ecosystem survey which should be undertaken prior to final design of the discharge system and submission of applications for permission to discharge, because there can be considerable cost savings in obtaining information at an early stage in development. Step 2 involves location of the effluent field at the time of starting discharge, and analysing its dispersal behaviour. Step 3 consists of ecosystem monitoring with sampling stations and specific tests based on the accumulated prior information."

Jan 1, 1972

By Philip W. Johnson, Charles D. Haynes

"Abstract - The coalbed methane industry has become a prominent source of domestic natural gas, with its technology having evolved over the past 30 years. Whereas most coalbed methane wells are able to produce without major interruption over their economic lives, wells operating in an underground mining area are subject to being mined-through. If mine-through occurs, the productivity of the well is at least compromised, and may even be terminated. The economic consequences of mine-through may be relatively simple if mineral ownership and extraction rights are common for the coal and coalbed methane. However, if ownership is not common and a superior coalbed methane lease exists, the coalbed methane ownership must be compensated for lost production caused by mine-through. This paper presents a relatively straightforward method to calculate the value of the lost production caused by the mine-through. It uses technology from mining and petroleum engineering, as well as simple economics and financial management techniques.Sommaire - L’industrie de la production de méthane houiller est aujourd’hui une source importante de gaz naturel domestique dont la technologie a considérablement évolué au cours des trente dernières années. Bien que la plupart des puits de méthane houiller peuvent être mis en production durant l’entièreté de leur vie utile sans interruption majeure, les puits implantés en périphérie de mines souterraines sont sujets à être recoupés par ces dernières. Un tel recoupement peut compromettre, ou même mettre fin à la production d'un tel puits. Les conséquences économiques du recoupement par une mine souterraine peuvent être relativement simples quand les droits miniers et les droits d’extraction sont détenus en commun pour le charbon et le méthane houiller. Si toutefois ces droits ne sont pas détenus en commun et qu’il y a eu octroi d’une concession de méthane houiller de qualité supérieure, les détenteurs du méthane houiller doivent être compensés pour la perte de production résultant du recoupement par une mine souterraine. Cet article présente une méthode relativement simple pour calculer la valeur des pertes de production suite au recoupement par une mine souterraine. Cette méthode fait appel aux technologies de l’industrie minière et pétrolière ainsi qu’à des techniques simples d’économie et de gestion financière."

Jan 1, 2006

Uranium mining remains controversial in many parts of the world, especially in a post-Fukushima context, and often in areas with significant uranium resources. Although nuclear proponents point to the relatively low carbon intensity of nuclear power compared to fossil fuels, opponents argue that this will be eroded in the future as ore grades decline and energy and greenhouse gas emissions (GGEs) intensity increases as a result. Invariably both sides fail to make use of the increasingly available data reported by existing uranium mines through sustainability reporting ? allowing a comprehensive assessment of recent trends in the energy and GGEs intensity of uranium production, as well as combining this with reported mineral resources to allow more comprehensive modelling of future energy and GGEs intensity. In this study, detailed data is reported for numerous uranium mines around the world, including production, energy and GGEs intensity and reported mineral resources. An important aspect included ? arguably unique and never before published ? is the relationship between ore grade and recovery, which is crucial in future projections of uranium mining. Overall, the paper shows the importance of continuing to improve reporting by the uranium sector as well as the ability to analyse key trends and future projections in energy and GGEs intensity of uranium production.

Aug 1, 2013

By Y. O. Fortier

"ForewordTHE Arctic Archipelago and northern Greenland contain an orogenic region that is as much as 300 miles wide and over 1,400 miles long. It occupies much of what was formerly classified with the Arctic Plains and grouped with other plains and lowlands of Canada as one main geological division. It is proposed that this folded region be designated the Innuitian Region and be recognized as one of the main geological divisions of Canada.Canada's main geological divisions (see Geological Survey of Canada, 1947) have been considered as consisting of a central shield, largely surrounded by plains that separate it from eastern and western mountains. The plains include the Interior Plains, the St. Lawrence Lowlands, the Arctic Plains or Low-lands, and the Hudson Bay Lowland, which is in the central part of the Shield. Plains and mountains are, strictly speaking, physiographic terms, but because mountains are generally folded regions and plains are generally made of undisturbed strata, such terms are useful vehicles to express the fundamental make-up of the land. Nevertheless, it is preferable to use the terms Appalachian and Cordilleran 'Regions' rather than 'Mountains', as those geological divisions are not exclusively made of mountains.Because of the lack of more definite information, the 'Arctic Plains' have included, in the past, regions with plateaux two to four thousand feet above the nearby sea, mountain ranges reaching approximately 10,000 feet above sea level, and regions of folded strata."

Jan 1, 1955