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By R. Weideman, M. Le Roux, F. B. Waanders, Q. P. Campbell, E. Fosso-Kankeu, D. Moyakhe

"*Paper written on project work carried out in partial fulfilment of B.Eng (Chemical Engineering) degreeSynopsisSpent coffee grounds were transformed into biochar using a hydrothermal method. Some of the biochar product was pre-treated through surfactant impregnation with sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) to enhance its adsorption capacity. The non-treated(NT) and pre-treated(PT) biochars were characterized using FTIR spectroscopy and SEM-EDS analyses, which revealed that the products had the potential for adsorption of heavy metals from solution and confirmed the successful impregnation of biochar with SDS surfactant. The two adsorbents were then used for the removal of cadmium from solution and the adsorption behavior and capacity determined through adsorption isotherm, kinetic, and thermodynamic studies. It was found that the cadmium was adsorbed in several concentric layers on the surface of the adsorbents through a chemisorption mechanism. The PT biochar was identified as a superior adsorbent, with a capacity of qe = 10.67 mg/g compared to the NT biochar with qe = 4.82 mg/g. The adsorption of cadmium onto the PT biochar was further determined to be spontaneous and endothermic. It was therefore concluded that the PT biochar shows potential as an adsorbent and could be considered for implementation in the treatment of metal-polluted effluents. IntroductionCoal mining operations are notorious for producing large amounts of waste tailings, which are disposed of in the form of a slurry on tailings dams. This inadvertently contributes towards environmental problems (Jin, Mansour, and Thomas, 2017). Heavy metals are one of the most common pollutants that originate from solid mine waste disposal facilities, and these can leach into groundwater supplies, contaminating them and rendering the water unsuited for human consumption (Salomons, 1995). Cadmium occurs in conjunction with metalliferous ores and can cause severe damage to agricultural soils and drinking water supplies in the vicinity of mining sites (Dudka et al., 1995). It has a tendency to migrate into the surrounding vegetation, which in turn can cause harm to humans and animals when consumed (Marquez et al., 2018)."

Jul 1, 2019

By C. Legote

"This paper investigates the conditions leading to the indefinite termination of production in four critical primary panels at an underground coal mining operation, the observed shortcomings in the mining approach, and the proposed strategy to mine through the affected panels. Initial assessment of the abandoned panel conditions indicated time-dependent strata failure,(i.e. bolted roof failure overrunning intersections), which occurred from mere minutes to up to four weeks post-production, with and without prior warning of failure. This prompted the constant re-supporting of back areas, which raised safety and productivity concerns. Investigation of the initial mining conditions revealed that the failures were due to a critical combination of factors, the chief of which was isolated horizontal stress. Other factors that were initially overlooked by the mine (i.e. influence of hydraulic stress, misinterpretation of borehole data), resulted in the conditions being described as abnormal. Remedial actions were determined, and in so doing, a new strategic approach was formulated to thoroughly address all failure concerns. The four panels were explicitly planned to serve as the main intake and return airways for the recently commissioned secondary ventilation shaft, as well as providing access to millions of tons in proven coal reserves. It is thus imperative to mine the panels. A feasibility study showed that the proposed strategy set for implementation would be financially viable. Paper written as project work carried out in partial fulfilment for BEng(Mining Engineering) degree"

Jan 1, 2015

By F. J. Plaul

The dominating technologies for steelmaking are the basic oxygen furnace (BOF or LD process, Linz-Donawitz) and the electric-arc furnace (EAF). The main iron input materials for both are liquid iron as hot metal, or solid iron as pig iron, DRI (direct reduced iron), HBI (hot briquetted iron) and scrap. Hot metal, pig iron (i.e., solidified hot metal) and DRI/HBI are virgin iron materials, which have to be produced from iron ore by so-called ironmaking technologies. The family of ironmaking technologies includes three process routes: blast furnace, smelting reduction and direct reduction. Driven by steadily increasing costs of raw materials in the last two decades, the sector has seen a number of new developments in ironmaking technologies, developments based on fluidized-bed technology. The main advantage of a fluidized-bed technology is that fine iron ore can be directly charged to the process without prior treatment; it does away with agglomeration and its concomitant cost, a step practised in blast-furnace, COREX® and MIDREX® processes. With Posco of South Korea, Siemens VAI Metals Technologies has successfully developed the FINEX® process, a smelting reduction based on the direct use of iron ore fines to produce hot metal. The key technology is the four-stage, bubbling fluidized-bed-reactor system, in which fine iron ore is reduced to DRI fines in a countercurrent flow with a reducing gas generated by coal gasification. Beside surveying the current state of the art, this paper discusses the technological principles of smelting-reduction and direct-reduction processes. The status of FINEX® and the outlook for further developments are described. Crucial to the successful development of the new ironmaking technologies for the direct use of fine ore was the scaling up of the fluidized-bed reactor system, which demonstrated new design features.

Jan 1, 2009

By Rajendra Singh

Underground depillaring of contiguous coal seams/sections is a difficult problem, which becomes even more complex if the interburden/parting between them is thin. Conventionally, the depillaring with caving of contiguous seams/sections is done in descending order. However, if the parting is thin, the influence of the top sections/seams working over the standing pillars of bottom the sections/seams becomes extremely important for the safety and optimal exploitation of coal. Field investigations were carried out at Nowrozabad East mine where superimposed pillars of the Johilla top section were depillared above the developed pillars of the Johilla bottom section with a 3 m thick parting between the two sections. The competency of the 3 m thick parting (which consists of alternate layers of shale, sandstone and shaly sandstone) was improved by reinforcement (underpinning). The strata control investigations did not show any considerable instability problem of the 3 m thick reinforced parting and pillars of the bottom section due to top section depillaring. On the basis of this field investigation and a laboratory study on simulated models, simultaneous extraction of both the sections, along with reinforcement of the parting, was suggested for the geomining conditions of the Johilla top and bottom sections. Adopting the suggested simultaneous depillaring process, two sub panels of Johilla top and bottom sections have successfully been extracted without any strata control problem. This paper presents this case study along with the results of the strata monitoring conducted to evaluate performance of the underground structures during the field trial.

Jan 1, 2004

By R. Degel

Keywords: Pyrometallurgy, DC furnaces, electric smelter, FeCr, FeNi, FeMn, Si metal, ferro-alloys, platinum production, circular furnace, energy recovery system In 1906, the first submerged-arc furnace was supplied by SMS Siemag. Since then, the division has become established in various industries such as ferro-alloys and non-ferrous metals, and in numerous other special applications. During the evolution of this technology, more efficient units with longer lifetimes were developed. Today, especially the potential of DC-based smelters, raises worldwide attention, with some projects having already started to implement this kind of technology. This paper evaluates SMS Siemag?s general viewpoint regarding the potential application of DC smelter technology and possible options for the ferro-alloy and non-ferrous industry. SMS Siemag is currently executing a FeCr project in Kazakhstan, where four of the world?s largest closed-type DC smelting furnaces, with a power input of 72 MW, will be installed. These furnaces include the latest technological features of modern DC smelters, which are described in this paper. SMS Siemag has started a long-term research and development project allowing a direct comparison of AC versus DC technology on a large scale, using a recently installed 1 MVA test furnace at the IME at the University of Aachen, in Germany. For open-type ferro-alloy and Si-metal furnaces, SMS Siemag has developed an energy recovery system, which is presented in this paper.

Jan 1, 2011

Threshold blasting involves the use of small amounts of high explosive to break and fragment hard rock without having to evacuate mining personnel. The method is easily assimilated and effective in rockbreaking, but requires rigid control on drilling, charging and timing. Current underground trials are aimed at fine-tuning the amount of explosive energy and blast hole geometry to allow the firing of multiple sets of shot holes in a continuous manner. Through correct procedures, the after-blast fumes, dust and fly rock can be contained so as to provide a safe working environment. Threshold blasting hugely reduces the volumes of explosives used in mining and brings to maturity the potential of the process begun by Alfred Nobel when he introduced nitroglycerine, and later dynamite, to mining. Its key contribution is its enabling of continuous mining operations with well understood and relatively low cost technologies. The use of batch blasting, employing large burdens holds the greatest potential for delivering high flow rates of ore at minimal cost. There is good potential for rapid evolution of the concept.

Jan 1, 2002

By Martin Banda, Gift C. Chisakuta, Moses Chabinga

KCM made a major modification to the Nchanga Tailings Leach Plant (TLP) changing the circuit from feeding post leach thickeners in parallel with leach discharge for solid ?liquid separation to a Counter Current Decantation (CCD) configuration utilising most of the existing equipment. The new circuit is aimed at improving copper recovery from approximately 70% to 79% through enhanced wash efficiency. The re-introduction of CCD circuit at elevated throughput of 46 000-tpd design was made possible due to the EIMCO E-Duc technology design which is an auto-dilution system that enhances solids settling rate. Commissioning (manual operation) which accommodated on-going operational requirements was phased and completed in January 2004. The circuit stabilised in subsequent months and in March alone an all time record copper recovery of 81.8% was achieved which contributed an extra 779 tonnes copper above the plant?s projected production plans. 100% of the project cost was paid back by end of April 2004 This paper discusses the work involved and the challenges faced during the re-commission

Jan 1, 2005

Keywords: Pyrometallurgy, furnace, Lonmin, platinum, PGM, UG2 Lonmin, earlier than any other primary platinum producer, had to deal with the concentrating and smelting of UG2-rich ores and concentrates respectively. Smelting was performed at a fairly modest scale compared to its industry peers in the Platinum Group Metals (PGMs) industry, and was focused on smelting concentrates obtained through low mass pulls while still maintaining high recoveries at its concentrators. Lonmin gradually smelted larger quantities of UG2 concentrates. Initially two 2.3 MW Infurnco furnaces were commissioned in 1982, followed by three 5 MW circular 3-electrode Pyromet furnaces in 1991. Deep electrode immersions and moderately high hearth power densities were used in all the designs. Lonmin decided to continue with circular furnace technology when it planned its new high-intensity No. 1 Furnace. Neither Lonmin nor the technology supplier and EPCM company foresaw the challenges that scale-up would bring when applied to the smelting of UG2-rich concentrate blends. Superimposed on the high chromite content, was the low base-metal loading, mineralogical difficulties, and fine particle size that came with milling of all concentrates (especially UG2 and recycle materials within the smelter). Through a process of fundamental diagnoses of furnace run-outs and wear patterns observed during repairs, the main challenges operating this high-intensity furnace were identified as sulphur vapour corrosion of the copper coolers, uneven and unpredicted movements of refractory bricks with associated copper cooler lift and matte tap-block movement, the formation of three-phase ?mushy? zones, high refractory and tap-hole wear rates, uncertainty in matte level and associated insufficient matte buffer height, and high furnace operating temperatures. These factors seldom worked in isolation and will be explored in more detail in the paper. The variability in furnace feed characteristics led Lonmin to re-design Furnace No. 1, to invest in back-up furnace capacity, and to invest in improved monitoring and control. These improvements consisted of online and high-frequency off-line feed chemistry and mineralogy monitoring, online pressure monitoring of water-cooled circuits, an alternative matte liquid level measurement in the furnace, and electrode immersion estimation. Improvements were also made at the converters by installing and utilising optical spectral analysis of the converter flame to characterise converter behaviour and achieve the desired iron end-point for white matte. This paper also briefly discusses the current and future expansion plans, as well as ancillary operations at the smelter such as flue-gas handling and materials handling.

Jan 1, 2011

By Donald Leroux, Simon Gariépy, Luc Lachance

"Quantitative information about the quality of metal balance results is often overlooked when making important plant production planning decisions. Not only is this common omission made in a context where many measurements taken in and around mineral processing plants carry significant errors, but it also conflicts with the AMIRA P754 Code of Practice for Metal Accounting. The fact that metal balances are typically published without any indication of data quality may give the wrong impression that the measurements are unquestionably accurate. While it is true that statistical data reconciliation can improve the confidence intervals of redundant variables, there is no data processing technique that brings them down to zero at a finite cost. In this paper, we review the entire data flow, starting from field instruments to metal accounting-based decision-making to show how measurement errors are transmuted into business risks associated with production planning. Necessary conditions for first exposing then quantifying such business risks are stated. Pitfalls to be avoided are also discussed. Finally, a simplified risk assessment and management procedure which considers the quality of metal balance results are applied to a polymetallic mineral processing plant. INTRODUCTION Each and every mineral processing plant has production reporting obligations. In this paper, we are concerned with metal accounting reports (Morrison, 2008) where saleable metal flows and inventories are estimated and published. These metal accounting reports are delivered to a variety of stakeholders who use them for internal management purposes (day-to-day plant production planning, plant operation optimisation, capital spending, etc.) as well as for external management (royalty settlements, tolling agreements, etc.). Hence, there should be no doubt that spotless metal accounting is instrumental to high-quality corporate governance (Gaylard et al., 2014) of mining and metallurgical companies. To this extent, one would have expected industry-endorsed standards to have emerged a long time ago. However, the lack of an accepted set of standard procedures for metallurgical accounting was explicitly recognized as an industry-wide problem only in August 2001 during an SAIMM workshop held in Cape Town, South Africa. Discussions that followed this workshop led to the initiation of the AMIRA Project P754, “Metal Accounting and Reconciliation”, in 2003."

Jan 1, 2015

By T. Wettainen

Malmberget town is located in northern Sweden, approximately 70 km north of the Arctic Circle. Parts of the town overlie more than 20 iron orebodies, consisting mainly of magnetite with smaller quantities of haematite. The mine is operated by the mining company LKAB. Mining started in the 17th century, but not until the railway to the coastal city of Luleå was completed in 1888 did large-scale production commence. Around 1920, mining proceeded underground and today sublevel caving is the only mining method used. Sublevel caving causes subsidence of the ground surface, and buildings and residential areas have been relocated due to the mining activities for more than 50 years. The number of seismic events accompanied by strong ground vibrations is now increasing. In 2008 the mine received a permit from the Environmental Court of Sweden to increase production to 20 Mt of crude ore per year. A prerequisite for the permit was that the mine conducts a number of investigations regarding the environmental impact on the residents of Malmberget. One of these investigations concerned how seismicity will change as production increases and what measures could be taken to reduce inconvenience to the town residents. Today the mine possesses an extensive seismic monitoring system with more than 180 underground and surface geophones. For this study, eleven seismically active volumes in Malmberget mine were identified, and for each of them, a yearly future maximum magnitude interval was estimated based on the current production plan. Relationships between historical seismic events and measured ground vibrations in the town of Malmberget were established, and future ground vibrations caused by expected seismic events were estimated using a probabilistic approach. The outcome was the number of intervals of expected ground vibration per year and per monitoring point. Possible measures to reduce inconvenience for the town residents include blast restrictions, sequencing, and possibly preconditioning. The ultimate long-term solution is an almost complete relocation of Malmberget town. This process has recently been formalized and LKAB is taking an active part in realizing this goal.

Jan 1, 2014

Published experimental data on thermodynamic behaviour of cobalt-containing slags have been reviewed and used in validating a recently developed thermodynamic model. The results from the exercise show that the model provides a reasonably good description of behaviour of cobalt in multi-component slag systems. The models for cobalt containing slags, matte and oxide solid solution phases were incorporated into CSIRO?s multi-phase equilibrium (MPE) package, which was used to calculate the equilibrium distribution of cobalt between matte and slag phases under various conditions. The results agreed well with the experimental data. Furthermore, the good agreement between the calculation and the plant data indicates that the operating conditions of industrial smelting and converting processes are close to equilibrium. Two diagrams showing the effects of slag chemistry and SO2and O2partial pressures on the distribution of cobalt between phases were generated for conditions similar to smelting and converting processes. These diagrams provide some useful guidelines for developing new strategies to improve cobalt recovery.

Jan 1, 2004

By D. Schreuder

Conditions in the South African market relating to atmospheric emission control has changed dramatically over the last 10 years. Companies have become more responsible, environmentally aware, and have to comply to more stringent environmental limits set by legislation. This paper describes briefly the current best available atmospheric pollution abatement technologies relating to particulates, acid gases, NOx, acid mists, aerosols, mercury, dioxins and furans. Mention is also made as to the best practices for product work-up and waste product disposal.

Jan 1, 2006

By L. Sahu, S. Bhattacharya, S. Dey

"An ideal procedure to determine the limits of flotation-based separation, as is the case with washability analysis for density separation, does not exist. Therefore, a procedure called release analysis, considered to be the counterpart of the washability process in density separation, was developed to evaluate the flotation characteristics of coal fines. Since flotation is a complex process it is necessary to know the maximum recoverable yield that could be achieved at a target ash level and what could be obtained by release analysis. Due to a number of limitations in the initial procedures, modifications were recommended by various researchers to generate an optimum separation curve. This paper presents a review of, and a discussion on, the chronological evolution of release analysis methodology over the decades. Notwithstanding the availability of a standardized release analysis procedure, such as BS 7530, the paper highlights the critical parameters involved in the procedures, such as coal type, feed characteristics, choice of reagents and dosage, operator bias, and design features of the flotation cell IntroductionCoal is a heterogeneous substance consisting of various combustible constituents (macerals) and associated mineral matter. The kind and abundance of the various macerals present in the coal, such as vitrinite, semivitrinite, exinite, and inertinite, determine the type of coal. As macerals are formed by biological degradation of different parts of the plant material, they have different properties based on their original composition. Coal cleaning processes are dependent on the differences in physical properties between the coal components (the macerals) and also between the macerals and the mineral matter. Thus the cleaning characteristics of the coal might vary from one type to the next. The cleaning processes influence the distribution and the concentration of macerals in the various size and density fractions of the cleaned product."

Jun 1, 2019

By J. D. Bosman

The problems associated with squeezing rock conditions in tunnels are well known and have been extensively investigated in the past. Although squeezing conditions are predominantly found in tunnels developed in weak rock types it has been noted at the No. 6 Shaft of Hartebeestfontein Mine where the host rock consists of hard, brittle quartzites. This paper investigates typical time-dependent deformation mechanisms in the rock at Hartebeestfontein Mine. The paper will focus on observations made in a strike-orientated tunnel that intersected weak quartzite layers, that were sandwiched between two competent quartzite beds. The observed squeezing mechanism is dominated by creep along bedding planes with a soft talcaceous infilling that behaves in a clay-like fashion when saturated in water. Stress-induced deformation processes, some distance into the sidewall of the excavation, force the already fractured periphery of the excavation into the void. A laboratory study of the creep of intact rock and discontinuities collected at this site was conducted to characterize the time-dependent behaviour. The difference in creep rates between the two types of quartzite found at this site is described in the paper. Creep tests performed on the talcaceous infilling material found that its presence allows substantial shear creep along discontinuities. Attempts were also made to simulate the squeezing mechanism observed underground with numerical techniques. Due to the discontinuous nature of the mechanism described above, a viscoplastic displacement discontinuity technique was used as it allowed for the explicit simulation of discontinuity creep. The results of the modelling and how it compared with the observed behaviour are described in the paper. Environmental impact statement The work described in this paper will not cause any new, or contribute to any existing, hazards confronting the environment.

Jan 1, 2000

By M. J. Leeuwner

Computational fluid dynamic (CFD) modelling is used to research the complex flow structures that exist in a hydrocyclone. By simulation of a two phase (water and air) flow system, the internal flow and multiphase interactions are investigated. The suitability of CFD modelling as a design tool is further evaluated by examining the effect of varying device dimensions. Three hydrocyclone geometries, used in previous studies, are specified. A transient simulation approach, which employs the Reynolds Stress Model as turbulence model and the Volume of Fluid model as multiphase model, is followed. Results are validated qualitatively against experimental measurements from the previous studies. Keywords: CFD modelling, hydrocyclone, Reynolds stress model, multiphase flow

Jan 1, 2008

By E. H. Myrhaug, K. Aasly, T. Malvik

Quartz is one of the main raw materials for the carbothermic production of ferrosilicon and silicon metal. The ideal process is written: SiO2 + 2C = Si + 2CO The real process is much more complicated, depending on the quality of the raw materials. Several research projects have been carried out on quartz for the (Fe)Si process during the last 50-60 years. One of the important properties that have been discussed in this review is the volume expansion that takes place between 850 °C to 1000 ºC and explosive disintegration for some quartz types. No final and definite conclusions have been made but several reasons have been mentioned: The influence of the phase transformation to tridymite, which takes place within the same temperature interval, has been discussed in several papers. Alkali impurities have been mentioned as a critical factor for this transformation to take place. Other researchers have mentioned mica impurities as a critical factor for the behavior of the quartz at these temperatures. Studies of fluid inclusions in quartz was reported in some papers focusing on the volume expansion of these during heating as a source of explosive disintegration, especially along planes of healed micro fractures that often contain vast numbers of such inclusions. Several methods for investigations of the important properties of quartz have been presented and these provide a good basis for the further research on quartz raw materials.

Jan 1, 2007

By B. D. Paphane

Since the commissioning of the Tati Hydrometallurgical Demonstration Plant (HDP), which produces Ni and Cu cathodes as well as Co salt from sulphide concentrate employing Activox® technology for leaching, no kinetic data has been generated from the plant under normal operating conditions, from start-up to steady state. Therefore, this study seeks to determine the rate of reactions in the leaching circuit with a view to obtaining kinetic data for the system under the current operating conditions. Within the five-compartment autoclave operating at temperatures of 105°C to 110°C and 1100 kPa pressure, the extraction of Ni, Cu, and Co ions into solution is achieved through the oxidation of the sulphide concentrate using approximately 50 kg H2SO4 per ton, 10 kg NaCl per ton, and 1.21 kg O2 per kilogram of S2-. The autoclave reactions showed complex kinetics, with the reactions proceeding via some intermediate(s) before the formation of products. The results suggest that the reactions were dependent on the size of the metal ion of interest and the concentrations of the metal ions in the Tati concentrate as well as in chloride leaching. The order of the leaching rate constants was Fe2+ > Cu2+ > Ni2+ > Co2+ in all the compartments studied. The rates of leaching were also found to decrease as the concentrate moves from compartment 1 to compartment 4. For compartments 1 to 3, leaching was observed to be preceded by dilution of the repulp liquor (copper raffinate). The leaching rate for compartment 5 was slightly lower than that of compartment 1 but higher than the rates of compartments 2, 3, and 4 for all the metals studied. Keywords kinetics, hydrometallurgical plant, Activox

Jun 1, 2013

By J. Forwood

The Youga gold mine in Burkina Faso, West Africa, is scheduled to produce first gold in the third quarter of calendar 2007. The project is expected to produce 540 000 oz of gold over 6.5 years, from a conventional open pit carbon in leach mine. The direct capital cost of the project is US$47 M. Etruscan Resources Inc, a Canadian based gold exploration and development company, holds 90 per cent of the project company Burkina Mining Company SA (BMC). The state of Burkina Faso is free-carried for the remaining ten per cent of BMC. RMB Resources Limited, of Melbourne Australia, has arranged a US$35 M project finance facility for BMC (the Borrower) as the majority of funding for the Youga project development. The loan facility was provided by RMB Australia Holdings and Macquarie Bank Ltd (the Lenders) each as to 50 per cent in the lending syndicate. The Lenders also provided a gold hedging facility to guarantee a minimum price for the project's gold production. Burkina Faso is a francophone country, part of the Economic and Monetary Union of West Africa (UEMOA). The project financing is the first such facility to be arranged for a mining project in Burkina Faso, with little or no precedent available in other UEMOA countries. Therefore, while the Youga gold project is forecast to be a robust project applying conventional mining and processing methods, a number of legal, technical, commercial and social issues required identification, evaluation and resolution before the loan could be established. This paper describes that evaluation process and the resolution of these issues. In-house experience and expertise in both the Lenders' and Borrower's teams has facilitated a greater understanding and `ownership' of the issues and hence provided comfort with risks which might not normally be taken in conventional project developments and project financings. As a result, blanket external reviews were not required by the Lenders. A long-standing relationship between Etruscan and RMB Resources also facilitated solutions to a number of issues. Nevertheless, a degree of flexibility by the Lenders, the Borrower and Etruscan was required to successfully close the financing.

Jan 1, 2007

By D. H. Diering

The paper takes the reader into the depths of a modern ultra-deep South African gold mine and gives a perspective on the vertical and horizontal extent of the tunnel networks in such a mine. Depending on the mine design layout employed, tunnels once excavated are subjected to various levels of stress change over their life time, and the support requirements are explained. It is suggested that shotcreting is the only viable ultra-deep level support medium, and after looking at the latest developments, the logistical problems are put forward. In an effort to overcome most of these problems, the South African ultra-deep mining industry embarked on a collaborative research programme in 1998. The importance of tunnelling and in particular tunnel support as a critical technology for future successful ultra-deep level mining is stressed. While not yet fully ?on top of? these problems and challenges, our industry is now fully addressing them and we expect to make significant progress during the next 4 to 5 years.

Jan 1, 2000

By D. S. Richards

Computers have revolutionized the collection of data on modern mines. Never before has it been possible to collect data from all aspects of the mining value chain at rates now common. With this has come a new challenge. Deriving information from these copious amounts of data and disseminating it. This problem is being exacerbated by technical software systems, which use proprietary and binary data formats that severely inhibit the flow of data and information both across departments and the larger organization. Generally this had led to data duplication and data redundancy. The Gemcom Enterprise Mining System (GEMS) makes use of industry standard, secure and open databases for all its data objects. It manages multiple users accessing the same bits and bytes in the database, preventing data duplication and redundancy. Developed in the Microsoft BackOffice ® environment, GEMS is also able to leverage the enormous amount of tools available in this environment, whether it’s for e-mail notification, reporting or data capture. Microsoft’s® Active Server Pages are one of these tools. These are standards used to create dynamic and interactive web pages with links into databases and many other objects. The real example outlined in the text, demonstrates how a user anywhere in the world is able to login to a web page and run a query that returns a report with vector plots of performance for the user-selected time frame. As integration is tightened between the various components of the mining value chain, the importance and reliance on ASP pages will grow as the need for management information tools develops. Keywords: mines, computers, ASP, GEMS, integration, Microsoft, Management Information.

Jan 1, 2003