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By Fair A, Oxenford J

Syncrude Canada Ltd operates one of the largest open pit mines in the world at Fort McMurray in northern Alberta, Canada. In 1993, Syncrude mined and processed 131.2 Mt of oil sands to produce 67.0 MBbls of synthetic crude oil (SCO). This represents approximately 13 per cent of Canada's crude oil requirements. In addition to the oil sand mined, Syncrude moved approximately 96 Mt of overburden ahead of the mining operation in 1993. Since start-up in 1978, Syncrude has had outstanding success in improving the safety and reliability of its operation. Much of this success has been achieved by reducing risk through the application of new and improved technology. This improved safety and reliability has resulted in, among other things, very significant improvements in operating costs and profitability. This paper discusses some of the technology applications that have been introduced at Syncrude to reduce risks to people, equipment, operations and the environment. Three specific examples will be discussed in detail to demonstrate how reductions in risk have greatly improved the operation.

Jan 1, 1994

By D Johansson, C Yi

Blasting techniques are widely used to fragment rock masses into smaller pieces. Numerical modelling is an efficient method employed by many researchers in the blasting field. It is difficult for a conventional continuum-based approach such as the finite element method (FEM) to model the rock fragmentation by blasting and the expansion work on the rock by explosive and its detonation products. In this paper, the particle blast method (PBM) was employed to model the behaviour of the detonation and a bonded particle model (BPM) was used to model the brittle material to be blasted. A mortar cylinder with a centrally placed hole for the explosive was modelled and the results were compared to the experimental data. The blast process from crack initiation to fragment formation was analysed. The influence of coupling ratio on fragmentation was also investigated.CITATION:Yi, C and Johansson, D, 2015. Discrete element modelling of blast fragmentation of a mortar cylinder, in Proceedings 11th International Symposium on Rock Fragmentation by Blasting, pp 793–798 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Aug 24, 2015

Miners and mineral explorers are concerned at the increasingly hostile environment being generated towards their industry and their profession. There is little official or public recognition that the mining industry is essential for the maintenance of the country's standard of living; a large part of this hostile feeling is caused by the assumption that mining destroys large tracts of our attractive countryside. This paper presents a historic review of the impact on the countryside of the major land using groups commencing with the Polynesian migration. European farming practices, subsequent expansion of the urban dweller and the land management practices of the two Government Departments, Lands and Survey and New Zealand Forest Service who between them control half of the total land area, are discussed. Estimates of total land area to date, directly and indirectly affected by mining have been calculated and a broad estimate of 18 000 ha or 1/1500 of total land area is indicated; current annual mineral production requires some 240 ha. These gross areas take no account of subsequent land rehabilitation, its improvement upon the original in some cases and the recreational, historic and aesthetic areas gained. Comparisons are then drawn with some current land practices in New Zealand.

Jan 1, 1977

By N Weerasekara, M Bird, M Yahyaei, M M. Hilden, M S. Powell, J Franke, P Toor

The combination of new tools with a more rigorous approach to understanding the interaction of mill liners with overall mill performance and economics, forms the basis of an integrated approach to liner management. Based on accurate liner wear measurements, some (limited) physical mill inspections and surveys, accurate calibration of the mill load and analysis of process data, a whole new approach to liner selection, relining intervals and mill control is proposed. Collection and analysis of this information in operating mills illustrates the mill performance improvement which can be attained through this careful measurement and modelling approach.A more holistic approach to liner management is proposed, including a broadening of the current work to cover the potential benefits of improved relining technologies and predictive liner wear modelling. CITATION:Powell, M S, Hilden, M M, Weerasekara, N, Yahyaei, M, Toor, P, Franke, J and Bird, M, 2012. A more holistic view of mill liner management, in Proceedings 11th AusIMM Mill OperatorsÆ Conference, pp 95-104 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Oct 29, 2012

By Zichenko ZA, Volkov SV, Shaluhina LM, Emelyanov AF

A method of selective gold recovery from black sands has been elaborated which is based on the liquid phase low temperature chlorination of materials. A liquid agent mixture of sulphur monochloride S2C12 and sulphur dichloride SC12 is used. This method ensures the gold extraction either in the state of AuC13.SC14 complex salt solution or as metal. The kinetics and main physico-chemical parameters of the process (eg density, solid: liquid ratio, temperature) have been investigated. The materials investigated were quartz-insipid ride samples with low sulphur and high iron (up to 70 per cent Fe2O3) contents. Gold recovery is 96 - 99 per cent at temperatures not exceeding 100¦C. Most of the associated minerals remain in the cake. To obtain metallic gold, the resulting solution of the AuC13.SC14 salt after leaching is reduced by hydrazine with subsequent annealing. The elaborated method is remarkable for small energy expenditures owing to low process temperature and a high gold dissolution rate. The solution of sulphur chlorides and other reagents are used in closed cycle.

Jan 1, 1993

By M Saghaeian, A H. Baladastian, A Dehghani Ahmadabadi, V Sheikhzadeh, R Hejazi

This research was done to reduce silica from mixed hematite concentrate of Barfkar Iron Ore Sample and increase Fe grade using reverse flotation method (Depressing Hematite and floating Silica). The used sample in the reverse flotation tests was a mixture containing two types of hematite concentrates (Spiral cleaner concentrate and Slon-VPHGMS cleaner concentrate) with the percentage of 16 per cent and 84 per cent, respectively. Fe grade of two samples was 59.31 per cent and 57.52 per cent and SiO2 grade was 5.83 per cent and 6.71 per cent, respectively. After mixing, the Fe and SiO2 grade of the mixed sample was measured at 58.10 per cent and 6.20 per cent. For flotation tests, effect of variable operational parameters including feed size distribution (d80 = 130 microns and d80 = 53 microns), pulp solidity (25 per cent and 30 per cent w/w), pH (9.70, 10.20 and 11), Sodium silicate as a dispersant (500, 1000 and 2000 g/ton), Starch as a depressant (500, 1000, 2000 and 3000 g/ton) and EDA as a collector (180, 300, 400 and 500 g/ton) were investigated. For evaluating the influence of Sodium silicate and Starch dosage, initial flotation tests were performed on the main sample (d80 = 130 microns). These two parameters had no significant effects on the yield, Fe, and SiO2 grade of flotation concentrate based on test results. In the next step, screen analysis was carried out on the main sample for mineralogical studies. Accordingly, the suitable size distribution for releasing Fe and SiO2 particles was smaller than 53 microns. Therefore, the sample was crushed until d80 = 53 microns. Then, supplementary tests were performed on the crushed sample for studying the pH range, pulp solidity, and EDA collector dosage. After doing silica removal flotation tests based on the designed pattern and comparison of the results, the conditions consisting of size distribution d80 = 53 microns, pulp solidity 25 per cent, pH 10.20, Sodium silicate 1000 g/ton, Starch 1000 g/ton, and EDA 500 g/ton was selected as optimum values. In the last test, Fe and SiO2 grade was measured at 60.00 per cent and 3.93 per cent, respectively, and Fe recovery was obtained at 74.93 per cent.

Aug 24, 2022

By M Camarda, A Pirson, F Vasconcelos, J Mesquita

ArcelorMittal Prijedor is a goethitic iron ore mine located in the north-west of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which mainly supplies ArcelorMittal’s European subsidiaries. Annual production of the asset stands at the level of 1.5–2.1 million tons of iron ore product which is sent to ArcelorMittal Zenica steelmaking plant. Two types of products with approximately 50 per cent Fe are generated in Prijedor through a process composed by crushing, screening, and magnetic separation stages. Within this process one of the tailings produced is called ‘ultrafines’. The ‘ultrafines’ product corresponds to the desliming hydrocyclones overflow in Prijedor plant, which is classified in a size fraction below 25 μm and corresponds to about 5 per cent of feed. This material is richer in iron than the coarser size fractions of the ore but do not present a good performance in concentration processes. In this way, several studies have been carried out during the last years to find solutions to use the ‘ultrafines’ material without success. In this context, the possibility of dehydroxylate the goethite contained in the material transforming the mineral into hematite and thus increasing the iron grade of the final product was investigated. During the research, several dehydroxylation tests with different temperatures and time of exposure were performed. Using dihydroxylation process at temperatures higher than 800°C it was possible to produce a material with 43 per cent Fe from the original 39 per cent Fe ‘ultrafines’ sample. In addition, the dehydroxylation tests confirmed that goethite becomes completely transformed into hematite at 400°C (with an exposure time of 60 mins) and material is completely sintered at 1200°C. A simulation study based on dehydroxylation tests results showed that it would be possible to use a ‘ultrafines’ product with Fe grade higher than 45 per cent to produce a material with 50 per cent Fe through a complete dehydroxylation process.

Sep 18, 2023

By D Liu, M Edraki, L Berry

The presence of clay minerals slows down the settling rate and mitigates compact consolidation efficiency in tailings dewatering. The increasing use of saline water in many plants, affects the dewatering performance and presents the mining industry with new concerns. Efficient tailings dewatering is a great challenge due to the complexity character of tailings, especially clay mineralogy, clay content, and water chemistry. In this study, existing studies of the effect of different affecting parameters, such as pH, ionic strength and polymer flocculants, on clay aggregation behaviours are reviewed. The settling behaviours of three types of commonly observed clay minerals in tailings, kaolinite, bentonite, and illite, are also investigated in saline water with different water salinity as a case study. The settling rates of clay minerals are found to be affected by water salinity, clay type, clay content and polymer dosage levels. High salinity water hinders the settling of kaolinite but assists the settling of bentonite and illite through formation of different aggregation structures.The current work has indicated that strategies to promote more rapid dewatering could include adjusting flocculant type or level, water salinity and salt balance, and tailings solid content levels. Implementing dewatering strategies may require a more detailed knowledge of the effect of surface chemistry on the nature and strength of the clay inter-particle forces. This study discusses the research gaps on how to better manage clay-rich tailings in saline water and identifies new research directions. The development of a water management model, supported through in-line monitoring data to predict and manipulate of the surface chemistry of the clay component of the tailings could be a new direction to manage the issues associated with clay minerals in the process of dewatering and tailings management. Mine planning (water use requirements, operating costs) could benefit from more detailed studies on dewatering of clay-rich tailings in saline water. CITATION:Liu, D, Edraki, M and Berry, L, 2018. Improving the dewatering efficiency of clay-rich tailings in saline water, in Proceedings Mine Waste and Tailings Stewardship Conference 2018, pp 476–484 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Jul 23, 2018

A recoverable uranium resource, shown to be suitable for in situ leaching, was discovered at Honeymoon in South Australia in 1971. Exploration of the deposit was carried out during the period from 1973 to 1979. Uranium mineralisation occurs in a coarse-grained unconsolidated sand aquifer located in the Yarramba Palaeochannel at a depth of approximately 110 m. Following initial development during 1979 to 1983 and the construction of demonstration leach facilities, the Project was put on hold. Southern Cross Resources purchased the Project in 1997. Government approval was received in March 1998 for the operation of on-site demonstration leach and recovery facilities while an Environmental Impact Statement was prepared and a 1000 tpa commercial production plant was designed. The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was released in June 2000 and operation of the test facility was completed in August 2000. Acceptance of the EIS by Commonwealth and South Australian state governments was announced on 20 November 2001. A Mining Lease was granted over the area of the proposed ISL operation on 8 February 2002. Operation of the Project is entirely dependent on using highly saline underground water resources to supply process and human needs. The management of discharge streams from the plant by re-injection was approved. The Honeymoon demonstration plant was the first adaptation of the solvent extraction process to highly saline in situ leach solutions. As such, it incorporated a number of unique operating and installation features. The trial period enabled optimisation of the process chemistry, additives and management and serves as an invaluable base for the proposed plant design and future operation. This paper discusses the nature of the uranium occurrence, the effect of saline water on the leach process and equipment, project design and environmental considerations, the requirements for disposal of discharge streams to minimise the impact on the arid environment and the requirements for rehabilitation following project completion.

Jan 1, 2002

By J Arola, B Kettunen, W M. Bond

Separation of fine and coarse particles as separate streams prior to flotation, and their differential treatments, could substantially increase recovery and reduce collector consumption. A series of simulations was carried out to quantify the benefits from plant scale implementation of such a treatment at the Ispat Inland flotation circuit (Minorca mine). The study involved detailed plant sampling and sample analysis to generate the data needed for simulation studies. Samples were taken from all the streams from flotation feed to final concentrate, as well as cell lips and cell pulp. Sampling was repeated for the second ore blend that was processed by the plant during different periods of a year. Sample analysis involved sieve analysis and size by size chemical analysis for total iron, magnetic iron and silica. Raw data were mass balanced, and flow rates within the circuit were calculated. Mass balanced data were used to calculate model parameters representing the existing conditions. Usim Pac was used for both mass balancing and simulation studies. Available pilot and bench scale data were utilised to define the modified flow sheet and expected performance. The simulated flow sheet included classification of flotation circuit feed by hydrocyclones. While the coarse fraction followed the existing flow sheet, the fine fraction was sent to a magnetic separator. Magnetic and rougher flotation concentrates were combined to form the final concentrate. Two simulations for each blend were carried out. The first one assumed that there would be no change in size by size kinetic behaviours of both gangue and magnetite due to this modification. This was named as the worst case scenario, in which particles had a longer residence time due to reduced flow rates within the flotation cells. The second scenario anticipated that there would be an increase in recoveries of gangue and magnetite going into froth launder due to more efficient use of collector in absence of fines. Results showed that pre-classification of flotation feed could improve the flotation recovery by 0.3 - 0.5 per cent, with the major benefit being significant reduction (40 - 60 per cent) in the amount of collector used.

Jan 1, 2005

At the Waikato North Head Ironsand operation, NZ Steel Mining Ltd is using a Bucket Wheel Excavator û shiftable conveyor mining system to excavate Titanomagnetite bearing sand and clay. The system utilises two Bucket Wheel Excavators with a two level shiftable bench conveyor and common trunk conveyor to deliver the material to a processing plant. The system was commissioned in November 1984 and has proved itself to be a high capacity, low cost method of excavating. Techniques of handling high sand faces have been developed and the conveyor layouts are going through a process of change to cope with the variable geo technical conditions and remain within: the characteristics of the excavators. The safety requirements for operating the system have been of a high standard and the experience has increased the confidence of the Company and the Mines Department Inspector's, for the first Bucket Wheel Excavator Mining system in New Zealand.

Jan 1, 1986

By M Yahyaei, M S. Powell

Mineral processing plants have become large and complex, generally through progressive expansions. Addition of a pre-crushing stage to conventional Semi-Autogenous-Grinding (SAG) and ball mill - crushing (SABC) circuits has introduced a complex materials handling system coping with +200 mm particles. Application of High Pressure Grinding Rolls (HPGRs) and implementing hybrid comminution circuits (ie, HPGR-SAG mill) requires proactive control of the feed size distribution to each unit. Application of Vertical Tower Mills (VTMs) and other fine grinding equipment to achieve a finer grind size, while maintaining the throughput, requires splitting the feed evenly between parallel units. Many of the conventional comminution circuits (ie, staged crushing and screening followed by staged ball milling) must deal with the transition from open pit ore, which is generally altered and soft, to underground ore, which is intact and hard, requiring existing crushers to produce a finer product to unload the ball mills.This paper presents common process improvement opportunities which have been identified during a number plant process reviews conducted by the authors in Australian and international operations. The operation of comminution circuits to known and accepted standards, which is explained in this paper, could improve the performance of circuits by between 5 and 10 per cent, generally at no capital cost and often at a lower operating cost. The performance improvement can be realised as throughput increase, a finer product size, or reduced operating costs (ie, energy saving, low maintenance, less consumables).Process optimisation opportunities presented in this paper include: enhancing materials handling and storage to avoid segregation; standard operation of screens to reduce misplaced materials; proper feeding arrangement and control of crushers to increase their utilisation; preparing proper feed for SAG mills to reduce grind size; splitting the feed evenly between parallel equipment to improve utilisation, and controlling operation of classification units to improve energy utilisation.CITATION:Yahyaei, M and Powell, M S, 2018. Production improvement opportunities in comminution circuits, in Proceedings 14th AusIMM Mill Operators' Conference 2018, pp 233–248 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Aug 29, 2018

By F Rashidinejad

Iran has had an active mining sector for some 7000 years. Exceptional in terms of its mineral diversity, Iran produces 62 minerals, and is ranked among the world’s 15 most mineral-rich countries. Many people around the world know Iran as one of the major petroleum exporters. Oil and natural gas dominate Iran’s economy, and oil exports provide the principal source of income, contributing more than 80 per cent of foreign exchange earnings. Transformation of Iran from an oil exporter to an independent country to oil has been on the table for many years, even before the Islamic Revolution of 1979. Development of the Iran’s mineral industry is one of the major replacements for petroleum exports. In the last decade, Iran invested billion dollars in the mining and mineral industry sectors and to increase the added value, tried to export processed minerals instead of the raw materials. In accordance with the ‘20-year Perspective 2025’ that targeted by the Supreme Leader, Iran will be a country with the first rank in economy, science and technology in its region. The objectives over this perspective include briefly increasing annual production to 55 Mt of crude steel, 800 000 tonne of copper cathode, 1.5 Mt of aluminium, 200 Mt mineral products, 300 000 tonne of zinc and 5 000 kg of gold. These goals are achievable in normal circumstances, but concurrency of the 20-year Perspective 2025 with commencement of the UN Security Council sanctions against Iran, frustrated objectives of the perspective, at least the ones related to the mining and mineral industry sectors. This paper tries to elaborate the development programs and following challenges for the mining activities of Iran by 2025.

Nov 22, 2011

By N Petropoulos and M J Thurley, E Righetti, M Wimmer

Fragmentation in sublevel caving (SLC) is vitally important. Both gravity flow and any downstream processes are affected. Reasonably coarse fragmentation may lead to larger draw bodies (isolated extraction zones) and hence potentially higher primary ore recovery and depressed/delayed waste rock inflow from above. Fewer flow disturbances are expected by mitigating oversize. In addition, it requires less boulder handling and reduces wear and possible hang-up problems in orepasses. To assess the present-day functionality of large-scale SLC, a multiyear, comprehensive measurement program was initiated. It covers the main elements for SLC, namely blast function, fragmentation and gravity flow. The present paper focuses on fragmentation measurements. An image acquisition system was used to document the drawpoint and the load-haul-dump (LHD) bucket for each mucking cycle. At the beginning, four buckets (about 70 t total) were sieved to validate the results of both 2D and 3D image analysis techniques. The fundamental and specific problems are discussed herein. At the moment, fragmentation of the SLC rings is evaluated using a quick rating system and a 2D fragment delineation software. The results enable a description of fragmentation and its variation during mucking but also – combined with the gravity flow measurements – conclusions on the fragmentation for different parts of the SLC ring. Possible influences on flow disturbances and ore recovery/dilution are investigated. The recent findings allow a better understanding of breakage and flow and support future process improvements.CITATION:Wimmer, M, Nordqvist, A, Righetti, E, Petropoulos, N and Thurley, M J, 2015. Analysis of rock fragmentation and its effect on gravity flow at the Kiruna sublevel caving mine, in Proceedings 11th International Symposium on Rock Fragmentation by Blasting, pp 775–792 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Aug 24, 2015

By R C, K L. Rees, J S. J van Deventer

In contrast with previously published models for the carbon-in-pulp (CIP) process, the model proposed in this paper incorporates film transfer, intraparticle diffusion, simultaneous leaching, preg-robbing, the loading of multicomponent species, and the effects of fouling and changing cyanide levels. The rationale behind this comprehensive model is that changes in fouling and competitive adsorption along a CIP cascade affect the profiles of gold loading. As it is impossible to quantify all these non-ideal factors, a method is proposed whereby an imaginary species is postulated so as to combine all the competitive effects. A plant survey at the Telfer mine has shown that the mass loss due to a gravimetric analysis of the fouled carbon could be used directly to quantify this competitive effect. The degradation and consumption of cyanide along the Telfer CIP cascade enhance the loading of copper on to the carbon, which should be taken into account when modelling the gold profiles. It appeared that the effect of cyanide itself on the loading of gold was negligible compared with its effect on the copper. Evidently much more research is required on this topic in order to optimise CIP operations exposed to constantly changing conditions.

Jan 1, 1998

By I C. Carrasco, V G. Mirada, J F. D Domingo, F S. Leite

This paper investigates ore loss and dilution produced by rock movement in bench blasting. A total of four blasts, in which electronic detonators have been used, were monitored in Cobre Las Cruces Open Pit Mine (FQM Ltd) in Gerena (Sevilla, Spain). Rock motion has been obtained in 137 points of the free face and 6 points inside the block. Multiple liner regression has been applied to predict rock motion and estimate ore dilution as a function of hole coordinates, rock contacts, powder factor/hole, amount of explosive per blasthole, burden, spacing, hole length, stemming length, explosive energy, hole row, subdrilling, blast sequence, stiffness ratio, blasthole distance to free face, rock density and Young’s modulus. The model is statistically significant with a determination coefficient over 0.8. Rock motion measurements in 31 more points have been used to validate the model and to show a reduction in ore dilution.CITATION:Domingo, J F D, Leite, F S, Mirada, V G and Carrasco, I C, 2015. Dilution, ore grade and blast movement calculation model, in Proceedings 11th International Symposium on Rock Fragmentation by Blasting, pp 71–78 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Aug 24, 2015

By B Wong, R G. Coleman

In flotation, the selection of the size, number and type of cell for a particular duty depends on two important factors. Firstly, the required flotation residence time and secondly, the physical constraints of how much concentrate can be recovered for a given froth surface area and concentrate lip length. The residence time is influenced by ore type and characteristics such as liberation, kinetics and reagent dosage. The amount of concentrate that can be recovered for a given froth surface area and lip length depends on ore type and other characteristics such as particle size, specific gravity and mineral grade. Residence time is determined through a combination of laboratory-scale test work and design scale-up factors. However the critical froth transport parameters such as froth carry rate and froth lip loading cannot be determined in a laboratory. This is because the froth is scraped during a laboratory flotation test and thus does not exhibit natural behaviour, and it is not possible to scale-up froth transport distance or air rate. These values are generally compared via calculation to rule-of-thumb maximum values to establish if these values will be exceeded by the flotation cell selection.This paper first reviews these critical froth transport parameters and then discusses actual parameter values across diverse operating sites, with varying cell duties, cell sizes and types, orebodies and particle sizes. These values are compared against the industry rule-of-thumb to test the applicability of the rule-of-thumb to actual performance. Options are also presented for adjusting these parameters in operating flotation cells.CITATION:Coleman, R G and Wong, B, 2018. Flotation launder design and the measurement of critical froth transport parameters, in Proceedings 14th AusIMM Mill Operators' Conference 2018, pp 353–362 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Aug 29, 2018

By G E. Smith, G N. Lye

Wall control blasting practices are necessary to reduce the impact of blasting on mine faces but can also have a significant negative impact on mine productivity and operating costs. The conventional practice in deep open pit mines is to use so-called trim blasts adjacent to pit walls. To provide burden relief these trim blasts have fewer rows than full production blasts and are fired to a cleared free-face; hence they are termed æunchokedÆ. This practice leads to scheduling constraints on the pit operations and can cause ore dilution due to excessive muckpile movement. The use of such trim blasts stems from the perception that increased wall damage results from æchokedÆ blasts. These concerns are based on the unproven assumptions that blast vibration levels and explosive gas penetration increase with increased blast burden and face confinement. This paper describes work undertaken as part of a major investigation into wall control blasting at the KCGM Fimiston Mine, Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. It details a study to assess damage effects due to blast burden. Borehole air pressure measurements and borehole video camera inspections were done behind a series of single blastholes drilled with varying burden distances, as well as behind a dedicated trim blast and a full production blast. It was found that the measured damage effects, including visible rock cracking, dilation, and the limited extent of gas penetration behind the blastholes, did not vary significantly with burden or blast type for the cases tested. This result was in complete agreement with detailed vibration measurements conducted by Blair and Armstrong (2001) during the study, which found that vibration was independent of blast burden. As a result of these investigations, changes to the blasting practices at the mine were implemented. Dedicated trim blasts and free-face blasting have been replaced by modified production blasts and the practice of æchokingÆ blasts has been introduced. This has resulted in a significant improvement in productivity and cost savings without compromising pit wall integrity.

Jan 1, 2001

By T Gill, A Faragher, B Scott, V Kakebeeke

In 2000, after six year intensive exploration for high-grade haematite deposits, Rio Tinto included the channel iron deposits (CID) as a specific iron ore target in the Hamersley Province iron ore exploration program. The exploration model was simple and based on the then current understanding of CID genesis. Fundamental to the model was an interpretation that CID deposits after their final accumulation stage could be entirely concealed in their channels. Inversion to mesas and therefore exposure of the CID profile would only occur in areas where the modern drainages follow the ancient and have significantly incised their current bedrock. The model took encouragement from observations at Bungaroo Creek, where large CID accumulations occur in a deep valley incised in the Wittenoom Formation concealed below recent valley fills derived from the surrounding BIFs. Also, in the headwaters of the Yandicoogina system CID occurs below a more recent cover of calcrete and clay. After a number of failed or partially successful attempts, exploratory drilling in 2002 in the Caliwingina valley in the northern Hamersley Range identified significant CID mineralisation. Subsequent drilling programs from 2003 onwards revealed the presence of a large CID system, which stretches from the middle reaches of the Caliwingina Creek to deep under the sediments of the Fortescue Valley, a channel length of more than 30 km. Although the drilling is still somewhat sparse, the geological resource estimation suggests that Caliwingina is presently the third biggest CID system of the Pilbara (after Yandicoogina and Bungaroo Creek) and is of comparable size to the premining Robe River system (1.6 Bt), with comparable Fe-grades to the Yandicoogina global resource grade (57.7 per cent Fe). Large detrital and canga deposits overlie the Caliwingina CID, or interfinger with it, and although the economics of these are presently unfavorable, could ultimately present a low-grade iron resource of slightly smaller size to the CID mineralisation at Caliwingina Creek. Together with the recently discovered Serenity and Solomon deposits, as well as Cabbage Gum Bore and other smaller occurrences, the Caliwingina Creek deposit is part of a major new CID district in the central Hamersley Ranges, approximately halfway between Yandicoogina and Robe River. Although exploration in this new district is still underway, the preliminary indications are that this area will provide a total CID resource well over 3 Bt, and is on a par with the major known CID systems in the Hamersley Province.

Jan 1, 2009

Five types of mineral resource were known in the sedimentary cover of the oceans and seas floors prior to the 1980's :1) hydrocarbon fields including some very large zones of oil and gas accumulation; 2) "Red Sea" type thermal oozes with increased concentrations of noble metals; 3) ferromanganese nodules; 4) concentrations of metallic sulphides ("Black Smokers"); and 5) cobalt-bearing ferromanganese crusts on the summits and slopes of seamounts. Since then, the so called "White Smokers", containing sulphides of copper and zinc, have been discovered. The ore horizons (manganese, copper, nickel and other metals) of the sedimentary cover of deep-sea basins comprise a sixth type of mineral resource in the oceans. These horizons have not only a theoretical, but also a principal economic significance

Jan 1, 1995