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Pillar mining methods at the Pasminco Mining Broken Hill Operations are not new. Since mining commenced on Pasminco's leases at the turn of the century virtually every pillar extraction method tried throughout the world has been used. Much of the remaining mineral resource in the Pasminco Broken Hill leases is contained in pillars.However, due to the on-going need for mechanisation with bulk mining methods, and the very peculiar physical circumstances surrounding the formation of these pillars, their exploitation requires the development of a virtually new method based on excavation technology not previously used in the Australian mining industry. Trials of the method are to take place at the southern operations during 1991.

Jan 1, 1992

By Snowden C. T

B Lens Main is a scheelite orebody with an average dip of approximately 15¦ and thickness ranging from 1.5 to 6.0 m. The orebody is overlain by a banded section of ore and waste which tends to slab off if left unsupported. It was originally planned to mine a large portion of this orebody by room and pillar methods, with existing diesel trackless equipment. This, however, proved unsuitable for a number of reasons and the smaller scale method of slot stoping with hand machines and scrapers was employed. The following major problems were encountered. 1. The method was new to the mine and the work force, and had to be commenced quickly using existing or easily obtainable equipment. This is gradually being overcome by training, modification of procedures and introduction of more suitable equipment. 2. The slabbing from the hanging wall had to be controlled, either by support or by mining this low grade section and accepting the resultant dilution. This has been approached in a number of ways, depending on conditions and the method will have to be further modified as different conditions are encountered in new areas.

Jan 1, 1977

This paper briefly reviews the history of mine haulage trucks. It reviews producti- vity limitations with respect to size or speed. Changing haul requirements once again create the need for more flexible mechanical drive power transmission equipment. The new equip- ment however is designed to provide extended life between overhauls as compared with previous mechanical transmissions.

Jan 1, 1981

By Pattinaja MA

Mathematical modelling was carried out to determine the probable convergence and vertical stress patterns around a retreating longwall panel in an underground coal mine in New South Wales. An 'Electrical Resistance Analogue' and a program called 'THREED' based on the displacement discontinuity method were used for the modelling. Parts of the obtained results are presented here and compared with some measurements of convergence at the site. The modelled and measured data agree better qualitatively, than quantitatively.

Jan 1, 1986

There are a number of factors affecting the discovery and develop- ment of uranium in Australia which makes this mineral almost unique and quite different from other minerals. I. The role of the Australian Government, which initially encouraged the discovery by offering rewards to prospectors who discovered deposits that could become economic. 2. At a later stage, the Commonwealth and South Australian Govern- ments prevented the development and production of "new mines" by refusing to grant mining title and refusing to allow sales of uranium by not issuing export permits. 3. The unique property that uranium and its daughter products possessed, i.e. radioactivity, meant that any person who purchased a geiger coun- ter could go prospecting, even though they had no previous experience in prospecting and they had an equal opportunity of discovering a new deposit as a company or independent geologist. 4. Because the exploration/demand for uranium didn't occur until the 1940s very little background geological information or models were available and so the early discoveries tended to become the locus for exploration rather than moving into areas which might on geological concepts lead to exploration programmes based on geological models. Because of the lack of knowledge there was the exchange of geologists from the U.S. Geological Survey and the South Australia Geologist Survey.

Jan 1, 1988

By M I. Pownceby, N A. S Webster, A J. Studer, I C. Madsen, J A. Kimpton, M J. Fisher-White, L Lu

In situ synchrotron X-ray and in situ neutron diffraction-based experimentation have been implemented to characterise the formation of the complex calcium ferrite iron ore sinter bonding phases silico-ferrite of calcium and aluminium (SFCA) and SFCA-I. Experiments were carried out using fine-grained (<20 ¦m) sinter mixtures containing ~77 wt per cent Fe2O3, 14 wt per cent CaO, 3.5 wt per cent SiO2 and 5 wt per cent Al2O3, with diffraction data collected during heating until 1300 - 1350¦C, which was enough to ensure complete melting of the SFCA phases. In the case of the in situ synchrotron experimentation, results showed that altering the nature of the starting sinter mixture (ie substitution of goethite for hematite; substitution of an amorphous Al2O3-based mineral for gibbsite) did not have a significant effect on the thermal stability range of the SFCA phases. It did, however, have a profound effect on the formation and rate of consumption of the calcium-rich ferrite phases C2F and CF, and on the formation mechanisms of SFCA and SFCA-I. The in situ neutron diffraction experimentation is the first described in the context of iron ore sintering, and the observation of both SFCA-I and SFCA formation in the in situ diffraction data represents the first step in achieving the goal of charactering iron ore sinter phase formation in large volumes of industrial sinter starting materials with a wide range of particle sizes (up to 6.3 mm).CITATION:Webster, N A S, Pownceby, M I, Madsen, I C, Studer, A J, Lu, L, Manuel, J R, Kimpton, J A and Fisher-White, M J, 2013. In situ x-ray and neutron diffraction studies of silico-ferrite of calcium and aluminium iron ore sinter phase formation, in Proceedings Iron Ore 2013 , pp 487-494 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Aug 12, 2013

By M Bettison, R Wright, N Taylor

The primary mine planning focus during early study phases of future mining projects is Life of Asset ore production and grade quality, this will always be the situation. While waste schedule optimisation is generally considered in the latter study phases nearing execution for a limited number of schedule periods only and not a true optimisation considering all attributes such as waste destination location, design, cycle time and closure. This can be particularly applicable in large multi-pit bulk mining operations where one approach to meet Life of Asset ore tonnes and grade targets has been to maintain pit development flexibility resulting in large open pit areas and substantial expit Overburden Storage Area (OSA). The value opportunity is to develop a Life of Asset waste schedule source-to-destination optimisation prior to mine development considering all applicable attributes and routinely review throughout the Life of Asset taking account of improved ore and waste knowledge.CITATION:Taylor, N, Wright, R and Bettison, M, 2018. Utilising mine planning to deliver closure landforms through productive movement, in Proceedings Life-of-Mine 2018, pp 96–99 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Jul 25, 2018

By R R. Anand

Recent research by CRC LEME from an Australian mineral exploration perspective, has focussed on regolith architecture and mechanisms of geochemical anomaly formation, within transported regolith. Methods have been developed for the rapid production of regolith-landform maps which is the starting point for understanding regolith architecture in the third dimension. Methods for development of 3D regolith models are less well advanced, and require integration of all available geological and geophysical datasets, but still with a heavy reliance on drill-hole information. The base of the transported regolith û the unconformity û remains the most important regolith boundary for geochemical sampling in transported regolith terrains. A new generation portable spectral logger, employing a broader spectrum can interpret important features from drill chips within the regolith. This allows internal architecture, redox fronts and the all-important interface to be objectively identified. Transported lateritic components can provide vectors to mineralisation in depositional regimes. Palaeomagnetic and new radiometric methods which date individual phases of the regolith provide evidence of different episodes, each characterised by different geochemical dispersion patterns in transported regolith. Along with lateritic residuum, calcrete is prime sampling medium. Calcrete is probably enriched in gold through physical and biological processes, rather than straight chemical processes. In South Australia, the lowermost calcrete layer buried within the depositional regime, especially where it lies directly over the silcrete layer at the buried interface, is the desired sampling medium. Certain gum trees, with deep roots in transported regolith have been shown to record anomalous values of gold and basemetals in leaves, twigs and bark. Anomalous metals in acid-sulfate soil seeps can also provide a window through sedimentary cover in respect of mineralisation in the basement. A number of Yilgarn occurrences of gold anomalies in transported cover, strongly infer hydromorphic and biological mobilisation of gold. This inference is supported by micro-analyses of regolith mineral hosts in hardpans and mottled sediments, which show gold and pathfinder elements prefer to reside in goethite and specific types of clay minerals. This creates anomalies in specific mineral phases. However the inference that that these are sites of mobile or labile metal ions remains enigmatic. Similarly there is inconclusive evidence that selective extractions will provide an anomaly not otherwise detected by conventional total dissolution methods. Hydrogeochemistry is a promising exploration tool for basemetal exploration. The importance of microbes in both the dissolution and precipitation of gold in the Australian regolith is demonstrated. We are on the verge of identifying the functional gene sequence of individual active microbes. A consideration of possible mechanisms for creating anomalies in soils above transported regolith, presents difficulties in facilitating upward movement of ions from the watertable to the surface. Perhaps the best avenues of research lies with surrogate soil gases, and biotic transfers.

Jan 1, 2004

By D Moy, T Carter

This paper outlines the feasibility assessment conducted to explore the possibility of constructing two submarine water supply pipelines beneath the Ma Wan Channel in Hong Kong using either horizontal directional drilling or tunnelling. The Ma Wan Channel is a major shipping channel in the Northwest New Territories, which separates Ma Wan Island from the mainland. The challenges faced by the projectÆs designers included space limitations on either side of the channel, marine department restrictions on construction activity within the channel and selection of a suitable crossing alignment and profile given the channelÆs depth, irregular sea floor topography and complex geology. The existing geological information indicated the proposed alignment would cross granitic and volcanic formations, which would likely be faulted. The primary concerns with horizontal directional drilling were:the length, diameter and depth of the crossing were at the limit of precedent experience in rock; the lack of available space at both the entry and exit sites; and whether the technique would be flexible enough to cope with the anticipated range of ground conditions. The primary concerns for tunnelling were: the possibility of encountering large inflows of high pressure groundwater; andthe possibility of encountering disturbed ground within the fault zones which could flow if not properly treated. As a means to evaluate and mitigate these technical risks for both construction options, a directionally drilled pilot hole was used to investigate the ground conditions along the proposed pipeline alignment. The pilot hole results indicated that either directional drilling or a closed face TBM drive were technically feasible crossing options at a crossing depth of 80 m. The results also indicated that either an open face TBM or a drill blast drive would need to be constructed at much greater depth because of the presence of highly permeable, disturbed ground in mid-channel at this crossing elevation.

Jan 1, 1999

Hydraulic transport of coal has been used for many years on the West Coast of New Zealand to extract small blocks of steeply dipping coal. Recent development at Strongman 2 Mine has seen the use of high pressure monitors to cut coal and a corresponding increase in the scale of production.This paper provides a brief introduction to hydraulic mining, describes the present system used at Strongman 2 and discusses future potential development.

Jan 1, 1998

The New South Wales coal industry is a highly mechanised well organised industry which has developed from an annual production of slightly less than 13 million tons in 1950 to over 33 million tons in 1969. Although continuous miners were not introduced into the mines until 1950, by June 1969 the percentage of coal won by these units was 87.3. The paper describes mining conditions in the various coalfields of the State, their complexities and problems and how these have been dealt with. The introduction of fully mechanised longwall faces has presented a challenge which has been accepted and descriptions of systems in use are discussed. Major expansion of the industry is anticipated to meet the requirements of the growing Australian steel industry, for local power generation and to meet the increasing demands of overseas markets.

Jan 1, 1980

The Highlands Region of Papua New Guinea has 3 major national highways. The locations of these national highways are shown in Figure 1. The Highlands Highway begins at Lae City on the coast and passes through the Highlands towns of Goroka, Kundiawa and Mt Hagen. It terminates at Togoba approximately 10km out of Mt Hagen town. The Enga Highway begins at Togoba and passes through the towns of Wapenamanda, Wabag and Laiagam. It terminates at the giant Porgera Gold Mine. The Southern Highlands Highway also begins at Togoba and passes through the major towns of Mendi, and Tari. It terminates at Koroba station, near the Hides Gas Field. Two separate Feeder roads intersecting the main highway service both the Kutubu Oil Project and the Hides Gas Field. These national Highways play a very important role in the development of Papua New Guinea. Goods and services are delivered to the bulk of the population of the Highlands Region using these highways. Heavy machinery and equipment for the mining and petroleum projects of Porgera, Hides and Kutubu are transported using these roads.

Jan 1, 1997

By N Armitage, C Young

In the dynamic realm of mining health and safety, addressing psychosocial hazards is crucial. Legislative requirements now demand employers navigate this complex terrain, but uncertainty often clouds effective management. The resource industry’s skills in managing physical hazards are showcased in their adaptability in this case study. Integrating the Critical Risk Management framework with organisational psychology, a mining company achieved a transformative breakthrough. They identified and assessed psychosocial hazards and established a sustained and risk based approach to managing these hazards within the workplace. This innovative approach encompasses strategic steps. Key learning from the case study was: - Beyond Bow-tie Analysis: Discover why a linear risk analysis tool, like Bow-tie Analysis, falls short in capturing the dynamic and interdependent nature of psychosocial hazards. - Psychological Safety Power: Learn why psychological safety is vital for gathering accurate data and ensuring control effectiveness. - Dive into how it creates a data-driven foundation for success. - Broadening the Brush: Explore the impact of preloading Broad Brush Risk Assessments, an educational and dynamic hazard-identification tool. Control Mastery: Gain insights into how the Critical Risk Management framework ensures ongoing control monitoring and effectiveness for psychosocial hazards. While this implementation’s outcomes are still in their early phases, promising key indicators such as absenteeism, turnover and cultural engagement have emerged. These metrics are set to experience positive shifts as controls prove adequate. As the conference nears, we anticipate having data to showcase these transformative results. Join us in this illuminating presentation as we journey toward a safer, more psychologically resilient workplace.

Apr 16, 2024

By J Nortier, J Dray

There is no single factor that determines the appropriate capacity for a mining project. It is driven by the size of the resource, the capacity of the market, the availability of capital, the availability of power, the availability of water, and a myriad of other considerations. There is also no single solution to the question of how big the project should be. However, to develop a project, the study team needs to select the configuration options that it regards as the best for the project. To be able to make this selection, the study team should consider the range of available options and do so at a level of detail that gives it confidence in the conclusion but does not lead to multiple detailed design exercises. Having considered the range of options, and with a clear definition of the project owner’s objectives and constraints, the work to be carried into feasibility studies can be focused appropriately. This paper discusses the process of completing strategic mine planning to identify project configuration options to assist in the selection of the processing plant throughput rate (Capacity Study) for a large greenfield open pit mine. The processes described in this paper allow for the basis of design to be set for subsequent studies that meets the objectives at a risk profile acceptable to the owner.

Jun 22, 2022

By D J. Clark, R F. Wright, M D. Goodz

The A1 Gold Mine is a Devonian-age narrow vein high-grade gold deposit located 115 km east of Melbourne. The mine operated almost continuously from 1861 to 1992 producing 442 334 ounces of gold (13.8 t) from 530 436 tonnes from primary gold ore tonnes processed at an average recovered grade of 25.9 g/t Au. The A1 dyke was attributed with a yield exceeding 620 000 ounces (19.3 t) of gold (including gold in alluvial and tailings deposits), and was renowned as one of VictoriaÆs premier mines paying considerable dividends. The orebody was principally in a diorite dyke bulge 150 m long, 45 m wide and 700 m deep and was mined via two vertical shafts. The mine site was closed in 1992 and the site was rehabilitated in 1999. In 2008 - 2009, a diamond drilling program identified various extensions to the host dyke lithology and to gold-bearing quartz vein filled fault zones over a 700 m strike length. The outcome of this study was the establishment of a mine geology corridor four times longer in strike length than the original 1970s model. This opens A1 dyke hosted deposit style to exploration outside the historical dyke bulge and provides exploration opportunity for all similar deposits. Construction of the first 3D geological model has developed new insights on the host rock diorite dyke system and identified various extensions to both host stratigraphy and to gold-bearing mineralised structures. Coarse visible gold in quartz vein mineralisation (>30 g/t Au) and medium-grade stockwork mineralisation (8 - 15 g/t Au) has been intersected within 100 m of the surface and up to 300 m along strike of the nearest historical underground workings. At depth it appears that the mineralisation is continuous with the main dyke body with consideration of minor rotation in the strike orientation and limited reverse thrust faulting showing maximum displacement of 10 - 20 m. Along the A1 mine corridor, between two and five parallel dykes are observed at different drill sections. The gold mineralisation is hosted mainly within the dyke rocks, but where the sedimentary rocks are intensely silicified or are xenolith rafts, the gold mineralisation continues across these sedimentary rock blocks. There has been inference to the role of silicified sedimentary rocks as a second ore host and a bounding material for inflections in fault and vein orientations. In the central 150 m long A1 mine dyke bulge, the extremities are demarcated by four to five parallel dyke fingers (referred to as apophyses) going both north and south. These apophyses are clearly observed both vertically and horizontally between levels No 4 and No 9. The dyke fingers entrap sedimentary rock xenoliths and collectively form the A1 dyke æcorridorÆ, which is quite uniform in overall width from the easternmost contact (footwall) to the westernmost contact (hanging wall). Dyke fingers were assumed to coalesce at depth into a single dyke, but recent drilling shows this feature to repeat in several positions with depth and along strike. Key observations are the relationship between gold grade and fracture density, alteration, sulfidation, host rock morphology û relation of contact shape and fault zones. These relationships allow for the classification of prospectivity indicators and geology as a guide to potential extensions of mineralised zones. Mining geology is contributing to the whole-of-mine life planning and development where decline path, stockpile and infrastructure positions are controlled by geology.

Jan 1, 2009

By T Hicks

Designers of mining facilities play a significant role in defining the overall mine greenhouse gas emissions performance. This demands an appreciation of all the greenhouse gas emissions sources, including Scope 3 emissions, which will form an increasing fraction of the emissions as we transition our generation sources to renewable energy. Traditionally overland conveyors are designed to operate as fast as practical, and through this approach, achieve relative minimisation of: conveyor belt tensions; belt width; mechanical equipment masses; structural steel quantities; and concrete quantities. It is well understood that higher belt speeds reduce capital cost and improve project economics. Operating at higher speeds introduces operating costs through system energy losses and increased wear rates. This paper assesses the life cycle greenhouse gas emissions for a typical iron ore overland conveyor to demonstrate how the design criteria and engineering decisions impact greenhouse gas emissions and project economics. An analysis of the decarbonisation potential and project economics using a range of operational parameters has been completed, developing a marginal abatement cost for each system configuration, creating a basis for integration of low emission overland conveyor designs as part of the broader facility decarbonisation strategy.

Sep 1, 2024

By C Woodall, G Jardine

The Henty Gold Mine, located in Western Tasmania uses innovative solutions to effectively manage a mining operation in an environmentally sensitive setting and has been presented with several environmental awards. Fill is required as part of the mining method to provide passive ground support, minimise rock exposure and ensure maximum recovery of the small but high-grade orebody. The use of the whole portion of leach residue in the backfill reduces the surface tailing disposal requirements. Therefore, High Density Paste Fill (HDPF) has been selected as the most appropriate fill method to meet these objectives. Additional benefits include the minimisation of excess water from fill and the subsequent need for the collection and treatment of water and slimes. There are minimal equipment requirements during placement, thereby optimising mine resources for production. This paper covers the development of a suitable paste fill system to meet the specific needs of the Henty Gold Mine and the successful commissioning of this system for the first time in Australia.

Jan 1, 1998

By E Garbarino, P Molina, V Badino

Given the ever increasing quantity of construction and demolition waste (C&DW), one of the most challenging issues presently facing policymakers and public administrators in Italy concerns how to organise and manage collection and recycling and to understand whether and to what extent recycled aggregate can complement natural building aggregates in a sustainable supply mix (SSM). The paper presents the results of a research aimed at analysing energy and environmental implications of the C&DW recycling chain in the administrative territory of Provincia di Torino in northern Italy. In respect of a population of about 2.25 million inhabitants, the annual production of C&DW in the area under study is 1.8 Mt. A combined geographical information system (GIS) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) model was developed, paying attention to the geographical location, land use, transportation network and avoided landfill: crucial issues for sustainable planning and management. Around 90 recycling plants were classified according to the size, typology (stationary, semi-mobile and mobile) and physical- mechanical characteristics of the recycled aggregate. Under different assumptions relevant to the delivery distance, and considering the typology and grade of recycled aggregate, as well as local availability of natural aggregates, it was possible to evaluate the geographical coverage of aggregates demand and to use LCA in order to identify and quantify energy and environmental indicators.

Jan 1, 2009

By C Glassock, P Tilyard, T Sandeman

Computer simulation is a well accepted tool for modelling the behaviour of large and complex operating systems. It is a particularly useful technique in complex operations where there are multiple interactions between the inputs and outputs of various unit operations. It can be utilised during the early stages of a project as part of the business case definition phase or the early engineering phases, or alternatively to help understand the various options available in an upgrade or expansion. With the design of a new processing plant to handle a different ore type at Lihir Gold Limited (Lihir), there was concern that the existing conveying system could separately handle the increased tonnages. A simulation model was constructed which allowed Lihir to examine the impact on the conveying system of the new process plant, as well as investigate the effect of different trucking options. As is often the case, once the simulation model was built, further understanding of the downstream bottlenecks was able to be investigated, including the sizing of critical equipment.

Jan 1, 2006

By M A. Ohsberg, A C. Robertson

Quarrying in Australia accounts for a total annual production of around 200 Mt/a of sand, aggregate and materials used in construction. This material has an annual value of the order of $2 billion and, combined with transport costs of a further $1 billion, the annual value of quarry products are in excess of $3 billion. Currently all of the production of construction materials in Australia is from open cut quarrying or dredging. This paper focuses on the extraction of material by underground mining methods, termed æunderground quarryingÆ. The paper considers a case study for future underground development expansion of the existing open cut Mt Coot-tha quarry, located 5 km from the centre of Brisbane, Queensland.

Jan 1, 1999