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By W. C. Joughin

A risk evaluation model has been developed that enables the quantification of expected injuries and economic losses resulting from rockfalls associated with a support system in a given geotechnical environment, which is described in Part I (Joughin et al., 2011b). Part II presents the validation of the risk evaluation model. Underground mapping of joints and rockfalls was carried out to provide data for field calibration of the model. This survey was limited to small rockfalls, due to the relatively short period of mapping. Therefore the model was also correlated with rockfall and rockfall injury data collected by mine personnel. The analyses showed that the model provides a reasonable estimate of the expected frequency and size of rockfalls and the frequency of rockfall injuries, but further work is required to enhance the model. Three case studies are presented, which show the benefits of improved support systems from both economic and safety perspectives. This work has demonstrated that the risk evaluation model and the software developed are immediately useful, but further work is required to develop and improve the tools.

Jan 1, 2012

By J. Dvorácek

Mine water poses a significant problem in lignite coal mining. The drainage of mine water is the fundamental prerequisite of mining operations. Under the legislation of the Czech Republic, mine water that discharges into surface watercourse is subject to the permission of the state administration body in the water management sector. The permission also stipulates the limits for mine water pollution. Therefore, mine water has to be purified prior to discharge. Although all mining companies operate mine water treatment plants, there is hardly any utilization of the final effluent. The high expenditure involved in the more sophisticated methods of mine water treatment has fuelled the search for the commercial utilization of the effluent.

Jan 1, 2012

By G. L. Gomes-Sebastiao, W. W. de Graaf

"Gomes Sand is a quarry operation that produces sand and aggregate for the construction industry. The quarry is experiencing inconsistencies in the fragmentation and poor pit conditions as a result of poor drilling and blasting practices. This results in excessive downtime in the load and haul and crushing processes.A benchmarking exercise of the blasting practices was conducted to evaluate the effect of the inconsistency on the mining cycle. After changes in the blasting practices the downtime was reduced, which improved the crushing plant utilization by 4.9%. The improved blasting practices and more consistent fragmentation decreased the average number of loads lost each month due to jaw crusher blockages from 9.2% to 3.9% of plant throughput. The change in blasting practices also improved pit conditions. IntroductionGomes Sand is a quarry operation that has been in operation since 2009, producing sand and stone for the construction industry. The quarry was experiencing unacceptable blasting results. The repercussions included uneven pit floors, large amounts of oversize rock (>500 mm), and inconsistent fragmentation.The blast results affected the load and haul operations as well as the efficiency of the crusher. This resulted in downtime in the daily operations, and consequent production and revenue losses.The crusher product should have a top size of 50 mm. A blast fragmentation of <50 mm would improve the downstream operations and the crusher throughput.An investigation into the blasting practices was carried out to assess whether the downstream delays can be eliminated by improving the blast results. The exercise included:* Assessing if the designed blast layout is adhered to on the bench* Observing the quality and control of drilling* Observing the charging procedure of the blast-holes* Benchmarking the fragmentation consistency of the blasted rock using current blast design and practices* Analysing the throughput of the crushing plant* Investigating the power consumption of the crushing plant and determine if a change in blasting practices will affect this* Evaluating the hours spent by the hydraulic hammer on secondary breaking."

Jan 1, 2017

By W. J. C. Pothas

This paper describes the state of the art in backfilling techniques used on East Driefontein Gold Mine. Areas covered are the preparation plant, the distribution plant, the pipeline network and finally placement techniques. The in-situ performance of placed backfill has been assessed by the Chamber of Mines Research Organization, and results to date will be shared. Details of the backfill expansion programme that will enable this facility to be made available to all working places are included. Benefits obtained by the introduction of backfilling are described, together with certain management aspects to be considered in the control of quality and quantity of support supplied via a pipeline.

Jan 1, 1988

By P V. Savage, T Glück, RCA Minnitt, C Bothma

Manganese Metal Operations ?Manganese Metal Company (MMC), a subsidiary of Samancor BHP Billiton, has two production facilities for electrolytic manganese metal in South Africa and produces a range of about 44 Mn metal products. ?The company is accredited with ISO 9000 and uses Six SigmaTM for continuous improvement. ?The control of the process relies on the effective functioning of approximately 250 different control loops at 50% automation.. ?Approximately 50000 samples are analysed every month. ?There are pyro, hydro and physical unit operations for the production of electrolytic manganese metal flake and value added products ? [ ]

Jan 1, 2005

By G. van der Westhuizen, F. E. du Plessis

Ticor South Africa operates a dry mill at the town of Empangeni in the province of KwaZulu-Natal on the east coast of South Africa. The dry mill processes a non-magnetic mineral stream constituting rutile, leucoxene and zircon as major minerals, and minor quantities of ilmenite and other non-valuable minerals. For plant control and optimization, continuous ‘real time’ information about the mineral and chemical compositions in various plant streams is required. The current practice is to take samples at regular intervals and submit them for mineralogical(grain counting) and chemical analyses. However, these methods are time consuming, and in the case of manual grain counting, tedious and operator dependent. Until now an on-line or real-time instant mineral quantification system, which will be of great value in a plant operations environment, has not been available. Blue Cube Systems has developed a mineral quantification system using spectral mineral analysis. It measures and quantifies the composition of mineral samples instantly, providing consistent data in real time. A series of process stream samples from the dry mill mentioned above were used to evaluate the Blue Cube Systems instant mineral quantifier. This article will •describe the procedure of setting up and evaluating the Blue Cube Instant MineralQuantifier equipment •present its results, and •discuss the intended applications.

Jan 1, 2003

By K. Cole, D. Mesa, P. Brito-Parada, M. R. van Heerden

Turbulence in mechanical flotation cells, achieved via an impeller, plays a key role in keeping particles in suspension, dispersing air bubbles, and promoting particle-bubble collision. However, studying the hydrodynamics of a flotation cell is not a simple task, due to the complex nature of flotation systems which are opaque, turbulent, multiphase and polydisperse in terms of particle and bubble sizes. In this paper we study the impact of impeller design modifications on the hydrodynamics of a continuously overflowing bench-scale flotation tank. To this end, two different impeller designs, with and without a stator, were assessed using Positron Emission Particle Tracking (PEPT). This allowed the authors to determine, for the first time, the effect of an impeller design on the behaviour of both hydrophobic and hydrophilic particle tracers. It was experimentally observed that the use of a stator modifies the hydrodynamics within the flotation cell, distorting the lower mixing loop that is characteristic of axial impellers. The role of the stator in dissipating turbulence results in reduced particle velocities outside of the impeller-stator region. These results have important implications for flotation cell design and are discussed in the context of the impact that different designs have on particle movement, flotation hydrodynamics and, ultimately, flotation performance. The data set generated is also extremely valuable for modelling and validation purposes. Keywords: Flotation, flotation tank, impeller design, rotor, stator, PEPT, hydrodynamics

Jan 1, 2020

By Peter N. Calder, Alan Bauer

The complexity of modem open pit load-haul-dump systems is described, and the need for realistic working models is pointed out. Both standard and probabilistic simulation procedures are discussed, probabilistic simulation being indicated as the more powerful and practical technique. Acquisition of the necessary pit operating data required for simulator construction and general modelling procedures are described. Finally, results from a typical open pit simulator are used to indicate the scope of the technique.

Jan 1, 2014

By M. C. van Eeden, R. Vermeulen, K. B. Le Bron

This paper presents the lessons learnt during the transition from an open pit method to a sub-level open stoping method at the Koidu Limited kimberlite pipe. These learnings may assist other mines with planning, both from a practical implementation perspective (layout, charging up challenges), and a method for estimating potential dilution and stability challenges associated with the interaction between the surface and underground excavations. Predictive geotechnical stability modelling was successfully applied to highlight potential failure zones, which allowed modification and enhancement of the mining layouts and quantification of the potential dilution of the kimberlite from indicative instabilities.

Sep 1, 2025

By J. D. Austin

Currency fluctuations affect the rand revenues of all exports of mineral commodities, as well as influencing their price on local markets. Of the more than 50 mineral commodities produced by South Africa, about 75 per cent derive 40 to 100 per cent of their revenues from exports. . Although supply and demand are largely beyond its control, management can maximize its revenues despite fluctuating overseas prices and exchange rates by using the right market at the right time. Management can operate in the futures markets, which involve a specific commitment to deliver a specific quantity of a standardized commodity at a set time in the future and at a price that is determined on a futures exchange in open auction; or management can use the options market, in which a producer can insure against the risk of a falling price by taking out a put-option, which gives the holder the right (but not the obligation) to sell the commodity at a stated price at an agreed time in the future. In the forward markets, management has three available tools; forward currency transactions, trading of currency options, and money market hedges. Revenues, currencies of exchange earnings, purchasing power of the rand, and world price trends are shown in over 40 diagrams and tables for the main mineral commodities produced in South Africa.

Jan 1, 1984

Stochastic methods are normally invoked / used to assist with the understanding of risks, when there is uncertainty around a particular outcome. Uncertainty implies that there is a risk that the desired outcome will not be realized. Stochastics and probability theory has long held out the promise to answering this need, but has often been maligned because of its misuse. This paper takes a critical look need for Monte Carlo simulation to project risk evaluation and highlights what is considered to be the fundamental issues that should be thoughtfully considered to avoid the abuse of this technique. The upside of avoiding the abuse of this technique will be the wider acceptance by practitioners that it is a credible technique to quantify this important aspect of valuation.

Jan 1, 2007

By I. Zemanek, A. Rozsypal

Mrazovka tunnel was excavated under one building whose subsurface space was not possible to reinforce against additional settlements induced by digging. In the presented contribution the risk analysis, warning levels and results of deformation measurements are described. Lespace souterrain d‘un des bâtiments sous lequel le tunnel Mrazovka a été creusé n‘a pu être renforcée contre l‘affaissement supplémentaire provoqué par l‘emplacement du tunnel. Le matériel présenté décrit l‘analyse des risques, le niveau des limites et les résultats des mesures des déformations. Der Untergrund eines der Gebäude, unter dem der Tunnel "Mrazovka" ausgeschachtet wurde, war es nicht möglich, gegen nachträgliches Setzen zu versteifen, hervorgerufen durch die Untertunnelung. Im vorliegenden Beitrag sind Gefahrenanalyse, Grenzwerte und Ergebnisse von Deformationsmessungen beschrieben.

Jan 1, 2003

Knelson concentrators are commonly used to recover fine liberated gold in gold processing plants. The decision to employ a gravity gold circuit consisting of centrifugal devices such as Knelsons is primarily taken on the results of GRG tests, among other considerations. While the GRG test is considered a material characterisation test, which is useful in the design stages, its use in evaluating the performance of an existing unit is questionable. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that it is time consuming and costly. This paper examines the validity of the GRG test for performance evaluation and discusses alternative test work that can be performed to evaluate the performance characteristics of an operating machine. Principles that are useful in selecting optimal operating parameters, such as optimal fluidising water flow rate for a given ore/machine combination, are also discussed and illustrated with laboratory and plant data.

Jan 1, 2007

By R. I. Klintworth

The multi-reef area of Cooke 3 Shaft provides a unique mining challenge on account of the very thin middlings between the pay bands and the marginal values of the reef. It is uneconomic or impractical, because of the excessive heights, to mine the middlings using conventional stoping methods. The development of suitable mining methods is discussed with particular emphasis on the control of water inflow and the policy of not jeopardizing or sterilizing other reef horizons by the mining method implemented. No definite solution is currently available, but with the aid of instrumentation, computer analyses and mechanized mining equipment, the mine continues to attempt to maximize extraction and profits.

Jan 1, 1988

By H. M. Dus, D. J. Smith

Resistivity tests indicated that, at temperatures lower than 1450°C, reducing agents alone, as well as burdens consisting of high-carbon ferrochromium and reducing agents, exhibit wide differences in resistivity. These differences are less pronounced at elevated temperatures. The resistivity of a reducing agent and the volume fraction it occupies are important factors controlling the resistivity of burdens of high-carbon ferrochromium. A mathematical model is formulated to describe the dependence of the resistivity of mixtures of conducting and insulating particles on the particle sizes and the volume fraction occupied by the conducting phase. The resistivity of burdens of high-carbon ferrochromium is high if the particle size of the reducing agent is larger than that of the other components of the burden. A number of reducing agents showed small variations in their reactivity towards chromite ore in the solid state. However, with chromite ore in the liquid state, reduction proceeded more rapidly with reducing agents occupying larger volume fractions. During the smelting of manganese ore, high initial rates of reduction were observed for reducing agents that had a high reactivity towards carbon dioxide and a high content of volatile matter, and that occupied a large volume fraction. High liq&apos;uid-state reactivities were observed for reducing agents occupying a large volume fraction and having a Iow degree of graphitization.

Jan 1, 1980

By C. Bergmann, V. Ross

The concept of underground ore processing, in which valuable ore and waste are separated at a coarse particle size to improve the economics of operations and minimise the environmental impact, seems attractive from a sustainability perspective. Perceived benefits of such an operation include energy and cost savings due to a reduced hoisting load, a reduced footprint of surface operations, and using material for backfill that has not been contaminated by process chemicals. Progress in the South African mining industry in this area has however been below expectation, and opportunities for underground processing in deep, narrow reef operations were therefore explored by an Excel-based simulation with sensor-based sorting (SBS) as concentration technology. Various PGM mining scenarios incorporating factors such as the mining rate, depth of operation, and effects of dilution and particle size on the metallurgical efficiency, were compared. Whilst these initial results can be regarded as indicative only, they have shown that the economics of such an operation are driven by selective mining at significantly higher rates than achievable with conventional methods. Also, the cost of preparing, conveying and placing rock backfill will need to be lower than that of hoisting waste and depositing it on a surface dump. Another aspect to be addressed is whether ore sorting machines would be able to operate under harsh conditions underground and what provision would need to be made to ensure their efficient operation. Further investigations should focus on refining costs, incorporating environmental considerations in the modelling of economics and sustainability, and compare greenfields with brownfield scenarios. Keywords: Ore sorting, hoisting, backfill, mining rate, economics simulation

Jan 1, 2020

By M. Lange

The postulation that primary platinum group metal (PGM) matte will chemically react with magnesia-chrome bricks when temperatures exceed 1500°C was tested. Magnesia-chrome brick samples were heated in contact with matte at 1300°C to 1750°C for 30 minutes, after which the refractory samples were analysed using reflected light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The samples were all completely penetrated by matte. As the temperature increased the matte also penetrated the fused aggregate grains and disintegrated them. The chromium concentration of the matte inside the refractory samples was found to be slightly higher than that of the bulk matte. At temperatures of 1500°C and higher, MgO, FeO, and magnesium-rich silicate crystals could be identified in the matte directly adjacent to the refractorymatte interface. Phase relations clearly indicated that chemical reactions take place between primary PGM matte and the magnesiachrome refractory material at temperatures above 1500°C, but that these reactions are more complex than expected from FactSAGE® calculations.

Jan 1, 2014

By B. Genc

Improving student success rates without compromising the quality of graduates is one of the biggest challenges expanding university programmes are facing in South Africa. By establishing a new Mine Design Laboratory (MDL) for higher learning in Mining Engineering, the School of Mining Engineering at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits Mining) has achieved one of the important goals in its five-year strategic plan, i.e. to improve throughput in all years of study. Although the establishment of the laboratory has been a costly exercise, results so far have shown an improved success rate in most subjects taught in the facility. This paper outlines the design and equipment of the laboratory, the facilities incorporated, a comparison with the old laboratory, and the performance of students?all of which indicate how important it is to have proper facilities to improve the teaching of, and learning by, large classes. Through this initiative, Wits Mining has taken an important step that will contribute to addressing the skills shortages in the mining industry.

Jan 1, 2012

By E. Uslu

The kinetics of the reduction of chromite from the LG-6 layer of the Bushveld Complex in Fe-Cr-C alloys were studied in the temperature range 15OO°C to 1680°C under an inert argon atmosphere. The rotating cylinder technique was used, and the rotational speed of the chromite cylinder ranged from 0 to 1000 r/min. The melt consisted of 30 to 80 per cent chromium and 2 to 8 per cent carbon. The initial chromium-te-iron ratios of the melts varied between 0,42 and 4,95. The reduction of chromite spinel was analysed in terms of the decarburization of the metal. It was found that decarburization increased with an increase in the temperature, the carbon content of the bath, and the rotational speed of the cylinder up to 400 r/min, after which it remained almost constant. Decarburization also increased with an increase in the chromium content up to about 50 per cent chromium but, at higher chromium contents, it decreased. In the early stage of the reduction, up to about 30 minutes of reaction time, the liquid-state mass transfer of oxygen was found to be the most likely rate-determining step. The apparent activation energy was calculated to be 84,864 kJ per mole of oxygen. In the later stage, diffusion of iron and/or chromium in the solid state is the most likely rate-determining step. The apparent activation energy for the diffusion was calculated to be 471,18 kJ/mol.

Jan 1, 1991

By Y. Sagawa

The Hishikari Gold Mine consists of epithermal vein type Au-Ag deposits, each of which has several veins standing almost in parallel each other and inclining 70 to 90 degrees. The veins have 1 to 3m widths and are extracted mainly by drifting and bench stoping with waste rock fill. The Hishikari has tried to optimise the stope dimensions by the Potvin’s Stability Graph Method, which is well known as an easy and effective tool to design appropriate stope dimensions. The method, however, has some limitations of application due to its simplicity so that it has been used only in limited cases. The authors developed a new numerical approach, based on 2D FEM solu-tion for the stability analysis. As a result, it has been possible to solve the Hishikari situation. The authors also introduce the concept of the design approach and compare the results obtained by us-ing the approach with the database of the Stability Graph Method for validation. La mine d’or Hishikari se compose de gisements d&apos;Au-AG avec des types de filons épither-maux dont chacun a plusieurs veines qui sont presque parallèle les unes par rapport aux autres et sont inclinées de 70 à 90 degrés. Les veines ont de 1 à 3 m de largueur et elles sont principalement extraites en creusant et en abattant des bancs de roches encaissantes. Hishikari a essayé d’optimiser les dimensions du chantier d’exploitation avec la méthode de graphique de stabilité de Potvin, bien connue comme un outil facile et efficace pour avoir des dimensions de chantier d’exploitation appropriées. Toutefois, la méthode a certaines limites d’application dues à sa sim-plicité de sorte qu’elle a été utilisée seulement dans des cas limités. Les auteurs ont développé une nouvelle approche numérique, basée sur la solution 2D FEM, pour l’analyse de stabilité. Par conséquent, il a été possible d&apos;expliquer la situation de Hishikari. Les auteurs présentent le concept de l&apos;approche et ils comparent les résultats donnés en l&apos;employant avec la base de données de la méthode de graphique de stabilité pour la validation. Die Hishikari-Goldmine besteht aus Au-Ag-Ablagerungen mit epithermalen Adern, die jeweils mehrere Adern aufweisen, die mit einer Neigung zwischen 70 und 90 Grad nahezu parallel zueinander verlaufen. Die Adern haben eine Breite von 1 bis 3 Metern und werden überwiegend durch Vortrieb von Stollen und Bergversatz abgebaut. Hishikari hat versucht, die Abmessungen des Abbauorts durch das Potvins Stabilitätskurvenverfahren zu optimieren, das als einfaches und effizientes Mittel für die Erzielung angemessener Abmessungen des Abbauorts bekannt ist. Das Verfahren weist jedoch aufgrund seiner Einfachheit einige Anwendungsbeschränkungen auf, so dass es nur in einigen Fällen benutzt worden ist. Vor diesem Hintergrund haben die Autoren einen neuen numerischen Ansatz entwickelt, der hinsichtlich der Stabilitätsanalyse auf der 2D-FEM-Lösung beruht. Dadurch wurde es möglich, das Problem von Hishikari zu lösen. In diesem Dokument stellen die Autoren die Grundlagen des Ansatzes vor und vergleichen die erzielten Resultate durch Benutzung der Datenbank des Stabilitätskurvenverfahrens zur Validierung.

Jan 1, 2003