Search Documents

By Sheldon P. Wimpfen

SHELDON P. WIMPFEN The measure of the success of any mining operation is the size of the difference between sales realization and cost of product, including operating, sales, administra¬tive, capital and others. Evaluation of a mining project necessitates projecting costs and sales realization as accurately as possible. Possible variations in specific cost elements and sales prices must be considered. To accomplish this, project studies should include giving effect to possible fluctuations to determine the break¬even points with varying costs and prices. Development of cost data is never an easy task. Mining is characterized by a great variety of conditions which result in still more variables. Achieving realistic figures as of any specific time involves consideration of changes, which may be frequent, in labor-contract terms and equipment used, variations in working condi¬tions and mining practices, and changes in mineralization and metallurgy. The purchasing power of the dollar, which has been declining persistently, also affects the situation at any given time. The only thing that can be said of costs, with certainty, is that they will change. With this in mind, the "guideline" data in this section are offered for the use of the mining engineer. It was provided for the most part by representative companies, whose contributions are gratefully acknowledged. In reviewing the tabu¬lations and other material it is of course necessary to remember that the data presented are valid only for the time periods specified, and will change with changing economic conditions in any other. 31.1-CAPITAL COST OF PLANTS Plant capital costs are set forth in Tables 31-6 and 31-7 by year of construction. To estimate capital cost of plants built in future years, various cost bases and indexes are utilized. Design and Construction Manpower: Monthly Salary Ranges, January, 1970 Project manager $1,400-82,600 Project engineer1,000- 1,500 Project design engineer1,050- 1,800 Senior engineer1,000- 1,700 Senior design engineer1,100- 1,700 Senior engineering designer1,000- 1,300 Layout draftsman750- 1,000 Detail draftsman650- 1,000 Material engineer900- 1,400 Construction-project manager1,500- 2,500 Project engineer1,500- 2,500 Construction superintendent 1,500- 2,500 A rule of thumb in design work is one man-month per drawing. The number will vary for each specific plant. For a recently constructed 30,000-tpd (tons per day) copper concentrator, 1,800 drawings were made. Design should provide for the addition of milling units when these may become justified in relation to investment markets and life of the deposit.

Jan 1, 1973

By Zachary E. Wedding, Zach Agioutantis

Excavation of underground openings results in the redistribution of the in situ stress into the rock adjacent to the opening. Stress redistribution depends on opening geometry, pillar geometry, material properties, possible confinement, and constitutive models describing the behavior of adjacent rock. This paper presents typical pillar stress distributions for elastic and yielding pillars as a function of opening geometry, material properties, and material constitutive models and highlights the differences between them. Stress distributions are compared with empirical strength profiles that have been developed for coal pillars as well as actual pillar geometries documented for stone pillars.

Jul 1, 2023

By K. C. Kocsis

"Diesel-powered equipment has allowed the mining industry to raise production rates and significantly improve productivity, as it is rugged, mobile and reliable, but its widespread use in underground mines has generated concerns regarding the exposure of mine workers to harmful diesel engine exhaust gases and particulate components such as diesel particulate matter (DPM), which has recently been classified as a human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. The agency expressed further concerns that workers’ exposure to high DPM concentrations can increase the risk of cardiovascular, cardiopulmonary and respiratory illnesses. Three emerging technologies could have the ability to replace dieselpowered equipment and remove DPM from underground mines: fuel-cell-powered mining equipment, battery-powered mining equipment and advanced material handling systems. This paper reviews them and assesses whether they have reached the point where the pollutants emitted by diesel-powered equipment can be removed from underground mines through the introduction of zero-emission mining equipment and power systems. Information is also provided from the results of a feasibility study, including a detailed cost benefit analysis, carried out at six Canadian and nine U.S. underground mines, which looked at the possibility of replacing diesel-powered production equipment with fuel-cell-powered equipment. The remarkable pace at which battery technology is progressing is also reviewed, and the feasibility of replacing diesel-powered mining equipment with battery-powered equipment is assessed. IntroductionHazardous pollutants in underground mines. Why is it important to remove diesel particulate matter (DPM) from underground mines? Over the past 40 years, diesel-powered equipment has allowed the mining industry to achieve rising production rates and major improvements in productivity, as the diesel engine is an economical source of power and diesel-powered equipment is usually rugged, mobile and reliable. On the negative side, the toxicity of some diesel exhaust gases is well known (Grenier et al., 2001), and the widespread use of diesel-powered equipment in underground mines has generated increasing concerns about the occupational exposure of mine workers to harmful diesel engine exhaust gases and particulate components such as DPM. Diesel equipment also entails other hazards like heat and humidity. Exposure to excessive heat can cause heat illnesses, such as heat rash, heat exhaustion and heat stroke (Donoghue, 2004; Roghanchi et al., 2016), and a hot and humid underground environment negatively affects the efficiency of the workforce, which may result in a decline in production output (Roghanchi et al., 2017)."

Jan 10, 2017

By Xiyu Gao, Yi Yang, Mark I. Pownceby, Shuiping Zhong, Miao Chen

In the present study, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy were used to investigate the effect of chloride ions on chalcopyrite bioleaching and chemical leaching at 25 °C. The leaching results show that the addition of chloride ions suppressed the dissolution of chalcopyrite in both chemical and bacterial leaching. In chemical leaching, the solution redox potential in the experiment without Cl− stayed in a range more suitable for chalcopyrite dissolution compared with experiments with Cl− . In bioleaching, the bacteria activity was suppressed by Cl− leading to low dissolution rates of Cu. Surface morphology and chemical speciation studies confirmed the formation of potassium jarosite on the surface of the chalcopyrite leach residues. In addition, S K-edge XANES indicated the formation of trace amount of elemental sulfur and covellite on the mineral surfaces.

By Francis Martino

Just as coal producing mines are faced with various handicaps which control the quantity of coal produced and sold, the subsequent user of that product is faced with parameters that impact the optimum utilization of coal. Traditionally, the industry focused on the quantity of mineable coal in a reserve. The mine planning development was primarily concerned with two important criteria: (1) safety and (2) the productive efficiency in a quest to produce the lowest cost coal.

Jan 1, 1982

By Morgan M. Sears, Gamal Rashed, Michael M. Murphy, Brent Slaker

In this study, a parametric study was conducted using FLAC3D numerical models to examine the impact of oblique loading, generated from seam dip, on the strength and the failure propagation pattern of a stone pillar using two simplified geometry types. In type 1, the sidewalls of the pillars were assumed to be perpendicular to the roof and the floor, while in type 2, the sidewalls of pillars were assumed to be vertical. The complex pillar geometry in dipping mines was frequently modeled using these two geometries. To capture a complete picture of the effect of seam dip on pillar stability, the modeled width-to-height (W/H) ratio of the pillars, in situ stress field, and pillars roof/floor interfaces were systematically varied to account for the potential distribution of values for these parameters across the underground stone mines in USA. Results from the numerical modeling indicate that dipping pillars have reduced strength compared with horizontal pillars. Also, an asymmetric failure propagation pattern could be obtained depending on an interaction between the W/H ratio, seam dip, in situ stresses, and pillar geometry.

Feb 5, 2021

By H. Fayed

Froth flotation technology is the backbone of the minerals pro-cessing industry where minerals are concentrated by selective separa-tion; either direct or in-direct flotation. In direct flotation useful minerals are conditioned to become hydrophobic (water-repellant) and attach to air bubbles while impurities (non-useful particles) remain in water. The hydrophobic particles are transported by air-bubbles to the top froth (foam) layer in flotation tank which can be removed as a concentrate. There are many factors that controls this selective separation process such as: particle’s degree of hydrophobicity, size, mass loading, air holdup and bubble size distribution. Turbulent fluctuation of the slurry in the tank is another important factor that controls the collisions rate between particles and bubbles and hence attachment rates. The turbu-lent fluctuations are measured by the local distribution of turbulent dissipation rates. Conventional flotation machines are restrained by residence time of the slurry that is about 3-5 minutes that results in a large footprint and limits the capacity of flotation plants. The designers of conventional flotation machines try to reduce the footprint of flota-tion tank by scaling up the flotation machines to increase plant throughput. The scale-up process reduces the specif power consump-tion and the local distribution of shear rates and turbulence dissipation rates. This scale-up results in a larger mean bubble size and lower particle-bubble attachment rates.

Feb 1, 2023

By D. L. Misterek, E. J. Slebir, G. W. Ring, M. A. Laird

INTRODUCTION In 1973, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) initiated a 10-year program of research on tunneling technology for future highways as a part of a larger Department of Transportation effort on tunnels. The objectives of the FHWA program are to: improve tunnel design technology, reduce costs, minimize adverse environmental impact due to construction, increase the rate of construction, and assure the maintenance of a safe and attractive tunnel environment. The program is divided into four research tasks designed to solve tunneling problems identified by the engineering and field offices of the FHWA. These tasks are as follows: 1. Cut-and-Cover Tunneling 2. Site Investigations 3. Ground Movements - Prediction and Control 4. Highway Environmental Criteria for Tunnels In order to provide input into Tasks 2 and 3, the FHWA is sponsoring an investigation and testing program by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to instrument and monitor two sites in the second bore of the Eisenhower Memorial Tunnel located on Interstate Highway 70 at Loveland Pass approximately 97 km (60 miles) west of Denver, Colorado. The tunnel will be approximately 14.0 m (46 ft) in diameter when excavated. The study is designed to generate data on: (1) changes in the state of stress, and movements during and after tunneling, (2) tunnel lining design requirements, (3) developing a

Jan 1, 1976

By Richard E. Otoo, Evan J. Owen, Virginia T. McLemore

Disruption in critical minerals supply chains has resulted in the evaluation of various types of mineral deposits for critical minerals potential. Much of the study on critical minerals focuses on occurrence and characterization, but little research has addressed what concentrations of critical minerals in a mineral deposit are required to make an exploration target into an operating mine. Understanding the cut-off grades of ore deposits being actively mined is one criterion to determine if concentrations in an exploration target are high enough. Cut-off grade is defined as the minimum amount of mineral contained in a ton of ore that is sent to the processing plant. Among many factors, cut-off grade depends upon the size and type of the deposit and mining operation, the processing technique, and market prices. This research does not aim to define cut-offs for determining if a mineral deposit is economic. Rather, it defines estimates of concentrations of critical minerals that could be considered good enough for further exploration. For example, ~2% total rare earth oxide (TREO) is the cut-off grade for Mt. Pass carbonatite, but 500 ppm TREO could be an exploration target for coals.

Feb 1, 2025

By G. Pan

Although geostatistical techniques have been widely accepted as the standard methods for reserve calculations in the mining industry, the production data of many mines frequently differ from geostatistical estimations based on exploration and development drilling. The discrepancies in recovered metal amounts, commonly in the range between 10% and 30%, are related to different factors. Major causes vary from mine to mine. A common cause, however, is the ignorance of important geological constraints in reserve modeling. Three major factors appear to be related to such an unfortunate fact: 1) modelers are over-confident on geostatistical techniques, 2) it is difficult to establish geological models, and 3) mine schedules are too tight to allow detailed geological modeling work. Defining mineralization envelopes has been a major effort in geological modeling. Past experiences have showed that geological modeling is much mo~ demanding than the choice of sophisticated kriging estimators. Since building envelopes for complex ore bodies can be extremely tedious and time-consuming, computerized approaches are badly needed for mine modelers. A comprehensive procedure reported here is referred to as probability-assigned constrained kriging (PACK), which includes a built-in method for defining 3-d mineralization envelopes. The modeling technique is fast and accurate for complex precious metal deposits. The technique is demonstrated on a gold deposit. The estimation results are compared with blast-hole based production panels, showing that the estimated tonnage is 2.2% larger than the actual production and the average grade is 2.6% lower.

Jan 1, 1994

By R. J. Jula

The process of treating granular activated carbon for return to service in the recovery of gold in Carbon in Pulp and Carbon in Leach circuits has been investigated. Carbons from four U.S.A. mines, one Canadian mine and one South African mine were characterized before and after regeneration. The use of thermal gravimetric analyses demonstrated the presence of inorganic compounds on the surface of the carbon. Thermal regeneration was investigated using factorial' analysis to determine the effect or interaction of furnace temperature, retention time and the use of supplemental steam. The operation of acid leaching prior to or after gold elution was investigated. The effect of water quenching, regenerated carbon was also studied. From the data obtained in this investigation, guidelines are given for effective regeneration operation.

Jan 1, 1985

By S. Garcia

The Minera Yanacocha operation presents various operating challenges, due to the complex structure of several heaps interconnected with ponds and gold recovery plants. A comprehensive process model has been developed in order to better understand the effects of certain operating parameters on issues such as water usage and inventory. An integral component of the water/mass balance of the process is a model of each heap that describes the flow and chemical behavior based on the individual characteristics of the heap. A computational fluid dynamic (CFD) software framework is used to model the individual heaps. The structure, calibration and validation of the model are described. Several examples demonstrating application of the process heap model are presented for the La Quinua heap. The effects of loss of solution flow to the heap (i.e., pump failure), increased cyanide levels in applied solutions and higher copper head grades on the process operation and balance are investigated with model simulations and compared to the baseline operating conditions. An example of estimating gold production and inventory based on projected heap loading plans is provided.

Jan 1, 2010

By Jerry C. Tien

China?s remarkable levels of economic growth during the past three decades have lifted almost 300 million people out of poverty. This amazing achievement has placed an increasing demand on energy and minerals, especially coal, which supplies 68.7 percent of China?s energy (June 2011). It is estimated that China mined more than 3 Gt (3.3 billion st) of coal in 2010, three times as much when compared to merely 10 years earlier. Such an impressive achievement does not come without major costs ?? including concerns with mine safety and an increasing number of occupational illnesses due to fast growth. This article reports on one of the major safety concerns in China?s coal mining, dust and dust control practices, and known cases of caol worker?s pneumoconiosis affiliated with prolonged exposure to excessive coal dusts. The exact size of China?s mining industry is not known, but it is estimated the coal industry is at least five-million people strong, and the metal and nonmetals industry probably employs another three million people. To meet increasing energy demand, China mined more than 3.1 Gt (3.4 billion st) of coal in 2010 from its 15,000 plus coal operations1, most of which are small- to medium-sized operations with annual coal productions ranging from a few thousand tons to 300 kt (330,000 st). These small coal operations are typically in remote areas, inadequately engineered, poorly ventilated and still using rudimentary drilling and blasting mining methods employing antiquated mining equipment and, presenting safety concerns, i.e., methane and dust explosions.

Jan 1, 2011

By Robert R. French

Commercial grade gypsum beds up to 16 feet thick is present in southwestern Indiana. The major deposits are found at a depth of 350 feet to more than 500 feet below the surface. The ore body averages about 75 to 95 percent gypsum. Two companies are currently exploiting a deposit which underlies an area of several square miles near Shoals, in Martin County. Another deposit has been located in southwestern Owen County but has not been developed. The Indiana Geological Survey is currently drilling in Greene County and is considering further exploratory work in Perry end Dubois Counties.

Jan 1, 1965

By G. J. Trezek

The use of polysilicates for treating heavy metals in soils and mining sludges is discussed. Results of the treatment are given for soil contaminated in a metal scrap yard operation and for copper mining processing sludges. The types of metals of concern are arsenic, lead, copper, nickel, cadmium, and zinc. The application of the treatment is predicated on the mixture and relative concentrations of the metals as well as the material matrix. Reductions in soluble concentrations (STLC or TCLP) of one to two orders of magnitude can be achieved with relatively small additions of silicates and cementitious materials.

Jan 1, 1992

By R. B. Hoy, Stanley J. LeFond, Unni H. Rowell, K. Reckling, Derek G. Fullerton

In 1989 natural industrial diamonds counted for 55% of the world's natural diamond production. Australia is currently the leading producer (35%). Zaire is the second largest producer (19%). of what is primarily industrial grade rather than gem grade. Botswana (17%) is third, with the former USSR (15%) fourth, and the Republic of South Africa (8%) fifth. Diamonds are also mined in Angola, Namibia, the Ivory Coast, the Central African Republic, Ghana, Tanzania, Guinea, and other African countries. In the Western Hemisphere, Brazil is the principal producer, with some production from Venezuela and Guyana [(Fig. 1)]. A very small output of diamonds is mined today in India, which was the first source of commercial production. In the United States, efforts at commercial diamond mining have been confined to a small area near Murfreesboro, AR. The first diamond was found in a pipe there in 1906. Small scale trial mining has not, however, proved economical. Since diamonds were first discovered more than 2,000 years ago, only about 380 t have been mined. In order to obtain 1 g (5 metric carats) of diamonds, it is necessary to remove and process approximately 25 t of rock. Recovering this small percentage involves a combination of highly developed techniques in mining and extremely sophisticated processes in diamond recovery. END USES Diamonds are used for two unrelated end uses: gem diamonds are jewels of great beauty, while industrial diamonds are essential materials of modem industry. Although imitation stones are substituted for the gem diamond, none of these matches its properties sufficiently well to offer real competition. Synthetic industrial diamonds are now of a quality and size that permit them to be substituted for natural diamonds in numerous industrial applications. For example, synthetic diamonds are available today in sizes up to 100 stones per carat (1.2 to 1.4 mm). In addition, polycrystalline synthetic diamond inserts, such as De Beers Syndite", General Electric's Compaxa and Stratapax", and Megadiamond's Megapax" have replaced natural diamonds in turning tools, mining and oil drilling bits, and dressing tool applications. Industrial Diamonds The diamond is by far the most important industrial abrasive. As recently as 50 years ago, consumption of industrial diamonds was less than that of gem diamonds, but since that time, industrial use has grown to a position of great dominance. During the six-year period 1929 to 1934, the material produced for industrial use amounted to about 74% by weight of the world's total output of diamonds. In 1989 the percentage of natural industrial diamonds mined in the world was 55%. When synthetic industrial diamonds are added to the natural industrial diamond figures, this percentage becomes 87% of total world diamond production including gems, near gems, industrial, and synthetic stones. The many uses responsible for these significant increases are dependent on the properties of the diamond, including hardness, cleavage, and parting, optical characteristics, presence of sharp points and edges, and capacity for taking and maintaining a high polish. The utilitarian role of the diamond was confined primarily to lapidary products until the industrial revolution, which created the first demand for diamond as an industrial tool. In 1777, a British inventor and instrument maker, Jesse Ramsden, used a diamond to cut a precision screw for an engine that he had invented. The first authentic description of industrial diamonds being set in a saw was recorded in 1854 by a Frenchman, Durnain. Eight years later a Swiss watchmaker, Jean Leschot, developed the first diamond drill bit for use in a hand operated machine, which was employed to drill blastholes in rock. In 1864, diamond bits were put to their severest test up to that time in the construction of the Mont Cenis Tunnel in the Alps. A few years later a steam-powered diamond drill with a speed of 30 rpm was able to penetrate rock at the modest rate of 0.3 m/hr. As the industrial revolution gained momentum on both sides of the Atlantic, metal replaced wood and machines replaced people. Thus the foundation was laid for precision engineering and the recognition of diamonds as an indispensable tool of industry. The next major demand for industrial diamonds came after World War I with the development of cemented carbide cutting tools. Diamond was found to be the most effective medium for finishing and grinding the new ultrahard metal. This discovery rapidly increased the demand for industrial diamonds. The availability of inexpensive diamond material inspired tremendous research into applications. By 1935, the first successful phenol-resin grinding wheel containing diamond had been marketed. Soon afterward, the metal-bonded and vitrified diamond wheels were produced, and, as the matrices and bonds that held the diamond grit in place began to improve, the popularity of diamond grinding wheels grew. The outbreak of World War II, and the accompanying increase in use of hard-metal tools in the munitions industry, increased the demand for industrial diamonds. Since about 1950, the development of ultrahard ceramics, semi- conductor materials, plastics, and exotic metal alloys has further consolidated the diamond's position as an indispensable tool of industry. Only diamond is hard enough to cut these superhard materials with the precision, speed, and economy that industry demands today. Special machines equipped with industrial diamonds are used to remove bumps from concrete runways and highways and to modify highway surfaces in order to prevent skid accidents. Many skids are caused by hydroplaning, a phenomenon that occurs when the roadway is wet. Tires mount a film of water and virtually lose contact with the road surface. Diamond machines cut neat, narrow

Jan 1, 1994

By J. J. Kellar

The near-infrared (NIR) (12,000-4,000 cm-1) region of the electromagnetic spectrum, between the mid-infrared and visible, has often been viewed by spectroscopists to be of limited utility. This is unfortunate, and recently the use of the NIR has increased greatly, primarily for the quantitative analysis of food and agricultural products. However, many other areas of application of NIR spectroscopy remain unexamined. In this paper a novel use of NIR in the area of flotation chemistry is demonstrated. Specifically, it is shown that NIR/Internal Reflection Spectroscopy (IRS) can be used to quantify collector adsorption reactions in-situ.

Jan 1, 1990

By D. W. Alexander

Researchers from the U.S. Office of Mine Safety and Health Research (OMSHR) of the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) completed field trials during coal mine rescue contests using simulated gas detectors in place of placards. The gas monitor simulator (GMS) devices replaced static, paper placards to deliver gas concentration data. Eleven teams were observed during the field contest, which was approved by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). GMS devices were given to three team members (the captain and both gasmen). Observation of teams revealed that team members changed behavior by acknowledging and sharing information more often while using the GMS. As a result of this research, it has been demonstrated that under the existing contest format, the newly developed GMS device may be used with no adverse impact on team contest performance. Furthermore, when GMS technology advantages are used, contest realism is improved. In the future, competency assessment may be incorporated.

Jan 1, 2012

By Leon Y. Sadler

Equations which predict the unsteady-state response of the continuous froth flotation cell to changes in operating conditions are necessary for the rational design of an automatic flotation cell control system. Unfortunately application of automatic control to froth flotation separation equipment has lagged behind application to other types of separation equipment (for example distillation columns, absorbers, liquid-liquid extractors, etc). This may be due partly to the unavailability of suitable mathematical models for predicting the dynamics of continuous mechanical froth flotation cell. This paper presents the results of a comparison of four dynamic flotation models (in transfer function form) using the same set of unsteady-state continuous flotation data. One of the transfer functions tested has been presented previously in the literature (1), another (2) has been accepted for publication, and two are given here for the first time. In addition, data are presented which confirm earlier findings that the mixing in the rotor-stator type cell is nearly perfect. The specific purposes of this paper are to: (1) provide the automatic control systems designer with several alternative dynamic mathematical models of the continuous mechanical froth flotation cell (2) give some idea of the relative a¬bility of each model to predict unsteady-state behavior by fitting each model to the same set of experimental stimulus-response flotation data and (3) provide more insight into the macro-mechanisms prevailing in the continuous mechanical flotation cell. The dynamic models which are presented and tested here all relate the time variation of the concentration of a given floatable mineral in the tailings to a time-dependent disturbance in the same floatable mineral concentration in the feed to the flotation cell.

Jan 1, 1972

By D. M. Sloan

While surety capacity for the mining industry continues to shrink, States are demanding greater financial certainty for closure/post closure obligations. To combat these demands, larger mining companies are pursuing a Mining Surety Reinsurance Program that requires a significant up front capital contribution. This paper outlines an alter-native program for middle market mining organizations. The program utilizes a “Blended Finite Risk” environmental insurance solution with surety acting as the “front” in states where insurance is not an acceptable form of collateral. Marsh proposes creating separate programs for each State requiring surety. The reason for separate programs stems from each states’ different surety rules. Insurance companies typically require at least $5 million in future value remediation liabilities for finite risk programs. Since most middle market mining companies have obligations that fall below this threshold, the Blended Finite Risk Program contemplates combining several companies closure/post closure liabilities to accomplish the minimum amount required by the insurance company. Why use a Blended Finite Risk Program? One of the primary benefits is the financial assurance that funds will be available for planned remediation. For example, the financial assurance may be required by a government agency. The certainty may help facilitate a merger or acquisition. Additionally, the funds may be part of a CER-CLA PRP settlement. In all cases, the insurer providing coverage would be a secure independent 3rd party. A Blended Finite Risk Program also provides a long-term solution – up to 30 years and in some select cases longer. The benefit to a state or the BLM is the removal of financial uncertainty. An insurance company writing the policy would have an AA or AAA balance sheet. The hardening of surety markets coupled with the tightening of financial assurance requirements in many states have necessitated the posting of 100% collateral. This program substantially reduces these collateral requirements.

Jan 1, 2004