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By Brad Thrall

"Viceroy Resource Corporation of Vancouver, B.C. has recently developed the Brewery Creek Mine, an open pit heap leach gold mine 55km East of Dawson City in Yukon, Canada. Mineable reserves are 17.1 million tonnes of ore grading 1.45 grams/tonne, containing 24.8 tonnes (797000oz) of gold. Ore processing employs the heap leach technology using run of mine ore. 1996 highlights included construction of 158,000 m2 of leach pad, placing 1.9 million tonnes of ore at a grade of 1.46 gpt on to the leach pad, construction and successful commissioning of the ADR plant, and pouring of the first gold bar on November 15th.Permitting this mine has drawn significant attention because the heap leach technology, while proven in other jurisdictions, has not been used in Yukon where winter site temperatures routinely reach -45 C for extended periods.IntroductionFollowing a comprehensive governmental and public review of the proposed project, a Class A Yukon Water license was issued in August, 1995. Construction started in 1995 and leaching commenced in October 1996. The Brewery Creek Mine is in Yukon, the home of the Klondike Gold Rush nearly 100 years ago. This is the only part of Canada not glaciated in the Wisconsin advance so there is oxide ore resulting from about 80,000 years of weathering -unique in Canada. Discontinuous permafrost is present on site and has required special consideration in the design. Winter temperatures dip below minus 50 C, demanding an approach to mining and leaching that is different than in more temperate climates.Project DescriptionThe mine comprises 8 shallow, largely oxidized gold deposits along a 7km corridor. An 8 year mining program will extract 17.1 million tonnes of ore grading 1.45 grams/tonne, containing 24.8 tonnes (797,000 oz) of gold. The strip ratio will be 1.35: 1. Overall gold recovery is projected at 78%. There will be 2.3 million tonnes of ore placed on the pad annually, with an average of 2.57 tonnes (83, 000 oz) of gold recovered per year. Because of the cold winters, the mine will operate approximately 210 days per year, while the leaching process will operate on a year round basis. Run of mine ore is placed on the heap 150 days per year. The recovery process utilizes conventional sodium cyanide leaching , carbon adsorption, caustic desorption, and on-site smelting. Peak employment during mining is 145 and winter staff is reduced to 45."

Jan 1, 1997

By K. P. Wright

"Twenty-five years ago, there were about thirty-two gold mines operating in Canada; nine of these have been in continuous operation since then and are still operating. Three of these are part of the Dome Group. Operations of these three and of the newer mines in the Group are referred to in discussing process development over the last twenty-five years.Of the Dome Mines Group, Dome Mines Limited, Sigma Mines (Quebec) Limited, Campbell Red Lake Mines Limited, Detour Lake Mine and Kiena Gold Mines Limited, three have been in continuous operation for the last twenty-five years. Dome has operated for seventy-seven years; Sigma about to complete fifty years, and Campbell approaching forty. Overall, milling processes are virtually the same as they were twenty-five years ago. Tota1 go1d production from the three mines has hardly changed; 1960 production, 416,700 ozs. versus 411,300 in 1985. Milling costs have risen by a factor of six or seven and gold price from $35/oz. in 1960 to $322 in 1985.Basic flowsheets are relatively unchanged. Sigma is an all cyanidation mill grinding in cyanide solution; Dome operates gravity concentration and cyanidation; Campbell gravity concentration, flotation, roasting and cyanidation. All three use Merrill-Crowe zinc precipitation.Detour and Kiena are two examples of the major change in gold processing in the last twenty-five years - carbon-in-pulp. This process has brought along with it other changes, such as, carbon stripping and reactivation, electrowinning, and induction furnace melting. Modern mill design with its use of outside thickeners and agitators, bulk handling of reagents, instrumentation, etc., has made a radical change in operating conditions and appearance of the new plants."

Jan 1, 1987

By Pierre Rocque

The Red Lake Mine is located approximately 600 km northwest of Thunder Bay. This 545 tpd (600 tons/day) underground narrow vein gold operation is set to produce in excess of 14.8 tonnes (475,000 ounces) in 2001 at a cash operating cost below 75 U$/oz. The high-grade nature of this deposit (>55 g/t or >1.6 opt) coupled with its complex geological environment and relatively deep location dictated the choice of a very selective primary mining method, Mechanized Overhand Cut and Fill. In addition to geological challenges, mine design issues such as material handling, ground stability and requirements for yieldable ground support are also discussed in this paper.

Oct 1, 2001

By Christopher F. Gleeson, Roger D. Thomas

"Abstract - Wawa has long been a center of mineral exploration activity and diamonds have been reported in the area since the 1930s. However, diamond exploration did not begin in the area in earnest until 1991. In 1993, Sandor Surmacz and Marcelle Hauseux of Saminex began a prospecting program in the area which culminated in their discovery of the "Sandor" diamond occurrence in an outcrop on the east side of the Trans-Canada Highway. They subsequently optioned the property to Spider Resources Inc. who obtained the necessary exploration permits from Algoma Central Corporation and undertook an exploration program. The diamonds at the "Sandor" diamond occurrence are hosted in the matrix of a spessartite dike composed of actinolite, biotite, and albite. Of the 64 similar dikes that have been sampled and analyzed to date, eight have been found to contain a total of 231 diamonds. Most of the diamonds are of high quality, although they are small.The dikes are non-magnetic and do not have any other geophysical characteristic that can be used to differentiate them from the adjacent country rock. All of the dikes discovered to date have been found by prospecting or by geological mapping by the Ontario Geological Survey. The dikes do not contain pyrope garnet or chrome diopside, two of the commonly used kimberlite indicator minerals. Instead, low Mg, high Cr, Zn-rich chromite, and ilmenites of variable composition, some of which lie within the field of kimberlitic Mg-ilmenite compositions, characterize the diamondiferous dikes. A regional-scale till sampling program for heavy minerals, and geochemical analysis of the <0.177 mm fraction, was used to further define the areas of occurrence of the spessartite dikes and to indicate additional areas for diamond prospecting. Heavy minerals in till that were most useful include: actinolite, chromite, and ilmenite. Geochemical analyses of the dikes show them to contain elevated concentrations of Ni and Cr and to be enriched in Ba, Co, V, Ca, Fe, and Mg relative to the surrounding rocks. Elevated concentrations of Ni and Cr in till occur overlying and down-ice of known lamprophyre dikes."

Jan 1, 2000

By Jaeheon Lee, Junmo Ahn, Jiajia Wu

In this project, low grade copper ore samples were obtained from two mining sites in the US, and they were chalcopyrite-rich (sample A) and conichalcite-rich (sample B) ore. Copper grades were 0.6% and 0.4% for the two samples, A and B, respectively. Leaching experiments were conducted by bottle roll tests for 24 hours, and various lixiviant systems were applied. Methanesulfonic acid (MSA) and glycine were used as alternative lixiviants to sulfuric acid. Oxidants including ferric ion and hydrogen peroxide were tested. The results showed the copper extraction of sample A increased after adding 1 g/L ferric ion in sulfuric acid and MSA solution, from 20% to 36%, but further increase was not observed with higher ferric ion concentration. The copper recovery increased significantly with H2O2 concentration, and over 80% copper recovery was obtained with 10% H2O2. For sample B, the copper dissolution kinetics were relatively fast and reached the maximum value in five hours. Around 60% copper were extracted in sulfuric acid and MSA solution. Copper recovery slightly increased after adding ferric ion and H2O2. Glycine is a weaker lixiviant for both samples, the copper extractions were 36% and 4% respectively. INTRODUCTION Chalcopyrite is the most abundant copper sulfide mineral on earth, and it is one of the most refractory copper minerals regarding chemical processing. The declining copper grade and depletion of copper oxide deposits stimulate the development of hydrometallurgical process to extract copper from chalcopyrite. The dissolution of chalcopyrite by ferric ion is normally illustrated as Equation (1) and (2) (Dutrizac & MacDonald, 1974): CuFeS2 + 4Fe3+ → Cu2+ + 5Fe2+ + 2S0 (1) CuFeS2 + 4Fe3+ + 3O2 + 2H2O → Cu2+ + 5Fe2+ + 2H2SO4 (2) However, slow kinetics are usually observed from chalcopyrite leaching at ambient temperature and pressure. Researchers attribute the slow kinetics to passivation during chalcopyrite dissolution, and different passivation products are also proposed (Klauber, 2008). In recent years, many efforts have made to develop new methods to extract copper from chalcopyrite, such as utilizing bacteria or stronger oxidant (Zhao et al., 2015; Ruiz-Sánchez & Lapidus, 2017).

Jan 1, 2019

By Khosrow Ebrahimi

We document the occurrence, mineralogy and firing properties of magnesite from hydrothermal deposits in the upper Cretaceous ophiolites of Eastern Iran. These deposits occur as thin veins of nearly pure cryptocrystalline magnesite with only trace amounts of quartz, calcite, and dolomite. Ratios of CaO/SiO2 in the bulk ore are variable. The composition of dead-burned magnesite from these deposits, calcined at different temperatures and durations, is predictable from phase equilibria. Textures of the calcined magnesite were studied by SEM; results show that the principal impurites produced during calcination are forsterite, monticellite, merwinite, dicalcium and tricalcium silicates, and that these are located principally at triple junctions of the periclase crystals. The size of periclase crystals increased with temperature and duration of calcination and the amount of periclase-periclase grain contacts was reduced by increasing the concentration of impurities in the starting products. EPMA show: 1) that CaO and FeO contents in periclase increase steadily with an increase in the CaO/SiO2 ratio and the FeO content of the bulk ore, respectively, and 2) that limited solid solution exists between impurites. This study demonstrates that high quality dead-burned magnesia refractories can be produced from the Iranian magnesite with low CaO, SiO2 and FeO contents.

May 1, 2004

By Yves-Laurent Turcotte

Notre conférencier, Monsieur Yves L. Turcotte, Vice-président et Directeur général chez Promaintech Novaxa est diplômé en génie industriel de l?Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières et détient une maîtrise en gestion de projets de l?Université du Québec à Montréal. Il est une véritable sommité canadienne dans le domaine de l?amélioration de la performance des organisations. Provenant d&apos;entreprises manufacturières et de services, il possède plus de 20 ans d?expérience en tant que développeur de technologies, conseiller et formateur auprès d?entreprises. Il a à son actif la réalisation de mandats dans plus de 400 entreprises. Il est reconnu pour sa grande capacité d?analyse et pour trouver des solutions novatrices et profitables aux problèmes des organisations les plus complexes. Aujourd&apos;hui, il dirige Promaintech Novaxa, une division de DMR, qui a célébré son dixième anniversaire en 2006. Cette organisation ayant des places d?affaires dans la région de Montréal, Québec et Vancouver compte plus de 50 professionnels et a une carte de visite dans 16 pays. Les axes d?intervention sont le Management, la Productivité, la Fiabilité, l?Innovation et l?Amélioration Continue.

Feb 1, 2008

By Keith R. Vining

Solid fuel, usually coke or anthracite, is commonly added to ground iron ore fines in the pelletising process to reduce the amount of burner fuel required and the maximum firing temperature, while maintaining pellet strength and the productivity of the pelletising plant. However, the use of coke and coal contribute to the production of greenhouse gases (eg carbon dioxide) and are a source of NOx and SOx emissions. Utilising wood biomass / wood char is one methodology CSIRO Minerals is investigating as an alternative to coke and coal, as it is a renewable energy source that is very reactive, has a low ash content and the potential to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases from the iron and steel-making process. Previous work has established that charcoal can effectively replace coke in the sintering process (Lovel et al, 2005), and the following experimental work aims to demonstrate that it can also provide an adequate replacement for coke and coal in the pelletising process. The paper presents the results of an experimental testwork program comparing the behaviour of fired pellets containing traditional solid fuels and charcoal. The physical properties of the pellets are compared in terms of their compressive strength, tumble and abrasion indices and the reduction properties. A qualitative assessment of the pellet microstructures is also presented.

May 1, 2007

By Ron Board

"Probably the only thing that can he said about conveyor belt scales without fear of contradiction is that they have been responsible for as much or more puzzlement, argument and frustration than almost any other piece of equipment commonly found in ore processing facilities. To be sure, there are certainly a good number of satisfactory installations, some of these having been achieved through forethought and careful consideration in the early stages of plant design, while others seem to owl their success to what seems to be little more than good luck or white witchcraft; and it might also appear that black witchcraft or other gremlins are solely responsible for the poor performance of many belt scales that enjoy well-designed installations with apparently good operating conditions.This paper is intended to acquaint users with the major operational reasons why belt scales seem so fickle (and downright ornery too), and establish some reasonably simple test standards against which the performance of scale hardware can be measured. Then it shall be shown how the design flexibility of electronic scale systems can offer particular advantages in overcoming some of these everyday problems in a practical way, and without undue inconvenience to plant operations."

Jan 1, 1975

By P. P. Andrieux

The recovery of the Zone G crown pillar, located between the bottom of the open pit and the top of the underground workings at the Raglan Katinniq Mine in Nunavik, started in the summer of 2008 and should be completed by the end of 2009. This article describes the rock mechanics-based approach implemented to design the recovery of this valuable block of ore. The stereophotography-based ShapeMetriX3D technique was first used to provide a comprehensive assessment of the various joint sets that comprised the pillar. Then, the statistical distributions obtained for the dip, dip direction, spacing and persistence of these sets were used in conjunction with the geometry of the large-scale faults present in the area to build and run a series of explicit rigid numerical models. Each of these models had a slightly different jointing geometry, randomly constructed from these statistical distributions. Incorporating in a properly formulated numerical model the variability of some of the input parameters has allowed the engineering team to assess in a rational and reliable manner the likelihood of success of the proposed mining method and sequence.

May 1, 2009

By Kenji Koga

In order to derive the population distribution of gold nanoparticle morphologies as a function of size, highresolution electron microscopic (HREM) observations and structural analyses were done for over 4000 particles (3-18 nm) grown by an inert gas aggregation (IGA) source using helium. To obtain structural features threedimensionally and not to skip high-contrast images, twenty photos were taken for each particle by changing tilting angle of a specimen holder in combination with the through-focus procedure. For the reliable structural determinations, HREM images and their tilting sequences were directly compared with multislice-simulation results for icosahedral, decahedral and face-centered cubic morphologies, and finally the population distribution of each morphology was obtained as a function of size. In the present sample, icosahedral particles were dominantly populated over the whole observed size range and decahedral particles with non-spherical truncated bi-pyramid shape were secondly dominant. Even though a large number of sampling has been done, few crystalline particles were observed.

Oct 1, 2003

By René Lefebvre

Numerical simulations of the physicochemical processes related to acid rock drainage (ARD) in the Sugar Shack South rock pile of the Questa Mine were performed with the TOUGH AMD simulator. The objectives were to 1) identify the main processes responsible for observed present-day conditions, 2) provide an estimate of gas phase humidity transfer, and 3) give a preliminary indication of the potential impact of closure involving the installation of an alluvial soil cover. Modeling results indicated that the mine rock geometry (thin layers placed along steep mountain slopes) favors the onset of strong thermal air convection. Simulations also indicate that resloping the piles would not significantly reduce convection and oxidation. For simulation purposes, a potential cover with the permeability range of a local alluvium was investigated and found to be of questionable effectiveness since its permeability can exceed the value of 3x10-13 m2 required to prevent thermal air convection and reduce ARD.

Nov 1, 2002

By G. Papachristodoulou, O. Trass

"Performance data for both wet and dry grinding of materials have been obtained in this novel, planetary ring-roller mill over wide ranges or operating conditions. The Szego mill consists of a stationary cylindrical shell inside which grooved, radially mobile rollers rotate, driven by a central shaft. The mill has several internal design variables such as number, diameter and length of rollers as well as size, shape and pitch oi helical grooves. It is compact, has a high specific capacity, modest power consumption, and can grind many materials down to ultrafine powders. Illustrative data on product fineness and mill power consumption are given along with results from studies on grinding kinetics.INTRODUCTIONThe extensive use and importance of grinding as a unit operation, coupled with the rather low energy efficiency of conventional equipment provide a challenging incentive to investigate novel methods of comminution. Yet, most current development work is taking place in mill performance modelling and optimization, or with various detailed improvements rather than in the field of new equipment development.This paper is a report on the development of a ring-roller mill invented by the late L.L. Szego which embodies several novel concepts. The mill has a broad range of applications, may be operated wet or dry, and can grind materials down to ultrafine sizes with modest energy consumption. It has been developed by General Comminution Inc. in close cooperation with the University of Toronto."

Jan 1, 1986

By Andy Cole, Ken Thomas, Stephen Durn, Jacques McMullen

"The roasting and gas handling circuits of the Barrick Gold’s new Roasting Facility at the Goldstrike Mine in Nevada, USA incorporate well proven technologies in a unique combination. During the design of the plant, every effort was made to utilize the best available technologies from the perspective of capital, environment and operating costs.Product from the up-stream dry grinding circuit requires roasting to maximize gold recovery. The roaster utilizes Freeport-McMoRan whole ore roasting technology with pure oxygen as the oxidizing gas. This process was chosen based on its proven application on Carlin-type “double refractory” ores. Double refractory is indicative of the gold being difficult to direct leach due to a combination of pyrite encapsulation and the carbonaceous preg-robbing of the ore.A very extensive gas cleaning train follows the roaster and comprises direct cooling, dust scrubbing, indirect cooling, wet electrostatic precipitation, mercury scrubbing, SO2 scrubbing, CO incineration and NO, reduction before venting to the atmosphere.The roasted calcine is quenched, neutralized and then thickened before leaching in the carbon-in-leach-circuit.INTRODUCTIONBarrick’s strategic development plan integrated the production of gold from Goldstrike’s carbonaceous ore reserves by 2000. A due diligence review of carbonaceous ore processing options was initiated during the second half of 1 996. Processes considered included autoclaving followed by a proprietary ammonium thiosulfate leaching process, fine grinding/autoclaving as practiced then by Santa Fe, and whole ore roasting as practiced by then Independence Mining and Newmont. The objective by year-end was to recommend the most robust and economical process for Goldstrike’s carbonaceous resources. In the fall of 1996, a detailed review of roasting as a processing alternative for Goldstrike was initiated."

Jan 1, 2001

By W. K. Gowans

The Sullivan Concentrator treats a complex sulphide ore consisting mainly of galena, marmatite and pyrrhotite. The ore carried minor values in silver, antimony, bismuth, indium and tin. The products of the concentrator are lead, zinc, iron and tin concentrates. The minor metal values other than tin are recovered from the concentrates by the refining processes in the smelter at Trail.The concentrator was completed in 1923 and first operated with a capacity of 2,500 tons per day. In the years 1926 to 1929 changes to equipment and buildings brought the operation up to 5,500 tons per day and then, in the years 1935 to 1945, the daily tonnage was raised to 8,500 tons. After 1945, the rising insoluble content of the ore made it necessary to consider the construction of a Sink-Float plant. At this time consideration was also given to the construction of a new crushing plant underground to replace the rolls crushers and cone crushers located at the concentrator. By 1949, construction of the Sink-Float plant was completed along with a new underground crushing plant, and an electric haulage way between the underground crushing chamber and the Sink-Float plant. The ore was hauled in forty 14-ton car trains which discharged into a 3,000 ton receiving bin by means of an air operated five car rotary dumper. With the start up of the,Sink-Float plant, a 1 ½ ft. by 12 ft. Hardinge rod mill was also brought into operation. The Sink-Float plant made it possible to treat 12,000 tons/day of mine run ore with up to 40% of this being rejected as float.

Jan 1, 1975

By P. Dyas, H. Zouitt, D. M. Smith

"Falconbridge Copper's Lac Shortt gold mine is located in northern Quebec approximately 300 km northeast of Val D'Or and 100 km west of Chibougamau (Pig. 1). Engineering for the mill commenced in early 1983 with a feasibility study. The plant was commissioned in the fall of 1984 at a capital cost of approximately $12 million. Design capacity was 750 tpd which was increased in the fall of 1985 to the current level of 1200 tpd.The ore at Lac Shortt is free milling, grading an average of 5.5 g/t gold which is finely disseminated throughout the host rock. Pyrite at 3 to 5% by volume and traces of copper mineralization are also present.Some of the latest gold processing techniques known at the time of design were incorporated into the mill. These include carbon-in-pulp, pressure stripping, electrowinning of pregnant solution and induction furnace refining. The plant also features several innovations such as a unique interstage carbon retention screen in the CIP circuit and the outdoor location of the cyanidation feed thickener, mill solution tank and reagent storage silos despite -40° Celsius winter temperatures.This paper describes the current mill process and discusses some of the problems encountered during the first two years of the plant's operation. CRUSHINGThe Lac Shortt surface crushing facilities are located in a separate building, isolated from the wet processing circuits for dust and noise control reasons. The crushing plant equipment was originally utilized at the Manibridge operation in northern Manitoba where it had been designed to operate at 135 tph. However, at Lac Shortt a rate of only 80 tph has been achievable to date, mainly due to the hardness and frequently slabby breakage characteristics of the ore. Therefore, in order to meet fine ore requirements at the current mill throughput of 1200 tpd, the crushing circuit is run seven days a week. 24 hours a day. Availability has been averaging 65%."

Jan 1, 1987

By Barrick Pierina, John Frostiak, Igor Gonzales, Kenneth G. Thomas, Ken Manning

"1.0 SummaryThe Pierina deposit was acquired in August 1996 when Barrick Gold Corporation purchased Arequipa Resources, a junior mining company with extensive land positions in Peru. At the time of acquisition, Arequipa had developed two exploration tunnels and drilled 9 exploration holes on the property. Metallurgical tests, conducted on samples taken from the tunnels and the exploration holes indicated that the ore was amenable to heap leaching. Barrick’s exploration team recognised from the outset, the potential of the mineralisation and convinced Barrick’s senior management that this was indeed a world class deposit that should be pursued. On November 25, 1998, the first dore was poured at Pierina, 27 months from the time of acquisition. During that period Barrick completed its exploration programme, prepared a development plan including capital and operating costs, production profiles and cash flow forecasts, and a schedule to develop a mine and construct a leach pad and gold recovery plant, including all supporting infrastructure. All permits and environmental approvals were obtained and all necessary land was acquired. The project was completed on schedule and under budget. This was the first greenfield mine development for Barrick outside of North America.This paper details, mainly, the research and development, engineering, construction and commissioning of the metallurgical process facilities.2.0 The Develonment ProgrammeImmediately after the acquisition, Barrick began the process of gathering information required to prepare a project development plan. Kilborn Engineering was retained to assemble all of the information collected and collated into a development plan document. This document was completed by June 16,1997. The objective was to bring the mine into production as quickly as possible with critical activities identified as follows:"

Jan 1, 2000

By C. E. Baltzer

This is the fourth in a series of coal technology reviews being prepared. in accordance with a recommendation voted by the Coal Division C.I.M. in session at the Jubilee Meeting, Vancouver, 1948, that the Department of Mines and Resources be requested to arrange for publication by the proper Government authority of a Quarterly Review of Coal Technology for distribution among those concerned in the production and use of coal in Canada. Copies of the first review, which appeared in the November, 1948, BULLETIN, pp. 612-614, of the second review in the June, 1949, BULLETIN, pp. 272-275, and of the third review in April, 1950, BUL-LETIN, pp. 1,9?3-196 (also, respectively, in Transactions, Vol. LI, 1948, pp. 262-264 Vol. LU, 1949, pp. 117-120, and Vol: LIU, 1950, pp. 133-136), were distributed by the Dominion Coal Board and are still available on request. In this review, the first in the series in the field of combustion, development and trends during the period approximately from World War II to the present time are described and therefore the presentation is general. Later reviews will particularize developments in relation to the range of coals available in Canada.-ED. INTRODUCTION THE utilization of coal in heat and power producing equipment has become of paramount importance to the coal industry in maintaining stable and profitable markets. In the past, the chief concern was with mining, transportation, and overall supply problems, but modern conditions demand interest in and knowledge of all phases of the product, from coal in situ to its ultimate disappearance in the form of products of combustion. Even the last mentoined factor has caused complications, as is shown by current widespread activity in the field of smoke abatement

Jan 1, 1951

By E. M. Watkin

"Land directly disturbed by hard rock mining activities in Ontario and Quebec was surveyed in 1974 as part of a country-wide assessment, (Murray 1977). Some 15, 000 hectares, or 5 7 square miles, are listed as having been disturbed by overburden removal, waste rock and tailings deposition (Table 1) in the region. That area represents sixty-eight per cent of the total area which ha1; been disturbed by mining in central and Atlantic Canada. Assessment of disturbed areas was undertaken using LANDSAT-1 and LANDSAT-2 satellite imagery. Certain limitations of the technique were recognized but the data obtained were considered a relatively acceptable assessment of the extent of disturbed areas larger than ten hectares.Approximately ten per cent of the land disturbed by mining in the two provinces has been reclaimed to varying degrees. Indeed, this proportion is correct for the country as a whole. As pointed out by Ripley, Redmann and Maxwell (1978), some of the land was disturbed long before environmental concern 01· reclamation were ever considered. In numerous instances reclamation will remain impossible until presently active operations are closed. Nevertheless, these authors feel such figures make it clear that reclamation has not been a high priority in Canada in the past. Canada is a vast country, and there has been little pressure toward efficient use of all land space. Most mining operations occur in areas distant from the country's population centres. Under these circumstances, therefore, the pressure to reduce the environmental impact of mining is much less than in the more densely populated areas of Europe and the eastern United States, where such activity can occur in or adjacent to large metropolitan areas."

Jan 1, 1980

By David Whalen

Mobile equipment in oil sand mining operations experience more maintenance problems than similar equipment in other surface mines, due to soft underfoot conditions. Oil sand properties are known to vary with temperature, bitumen content and previous loading cycles. One of the challenges is the widely variable underfoot pressure which supports shovels and trucks. In the case of a heavy hauler driving on in-pit roads, each tire is supported by a different ground stiffness resulting in an apparent uneven surface. Driving over uneven ground causes twist in the truck frame, which is transmitted to the dump body. Through a finite element analysis of a haul truck dump body, it was shown that slight frame twists produce localized stresses in the intersections of the floor stiffeners. These stresses are at times greater than those resulting from the maximum ore weight and are primarily responsible for cracking in these intersections. Syncrude maintains high quality haul roads, which are constructed of gravel, and makes every effort to keep the shovel pit roads as smooth as possible. This problem cannot be avoided through operational practices only and must also be accounted for in the design of haul truck bodies.

May 1, 2003