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By G. Stafford Whitby

N ATURAL gas is found in several provinces of Canada, particularly Ontario, New Brunswick, and Alberta. The largest producer is Alberta, and there the most important field is the Turner Valley, where some low-gravity crude oil and naphtha are associated with the gas. Last year there was produced from the Turner Valley field an average of 3,462 barrels, or about 450 tons, of oil a day. The gas flow from the wells in this field bears such a high ratio to the oil which comes from them that, despite the enforcement of a measure of conservation, it amounted to the vast quantity of 6,000 tons a day, or more than 2,000,000 tons a year. Prior to the application of any conservation measures, the gas flow was at one time of the order of 12,000 tons a day. The heat content of one ton of the gas is almost equal to that of two tons of coal. A certain amount, say, 10 per cent," of the gas is used in Calgary and surrounding towns and in re-pressuring the Bow Island gas field, but the greater part of it goes to waste. What are the possibilities of making use of this waste gas, in whole or part? The possibilities of using it profitably as fuel for domestic and industrial purposes have undoubtedly been carefully considered by the Company which now distributes a part of the gas to cities and towns in Alberta. But the relative sparness of the population and the cost of pipe lines makes such possibilities strictly limited. There are, however, distinct possibilities of making use of at !east a part of the gas for the production of a variety of chemical products and of liquid motor fuel. The present paper is devoted to outlining some of these possibilities. About three-quarters (by weight) of the Turner Valley waste gas consists of methane, the lightest and, chemically speaking, the simplest of hydrocarbon gases. The remaining quarter consists of heavier hydrocarbon gases-ethane, propane, and butane. Formerly, naphtha was separated from the well gas by a simple process of self-refrigeration. The gas coming from the wells at a pressure of, say, 1,200 to 1,800 lb., was passed through simple cylindrical vessels fitted with baffles and known as 'separators'. The pressure was allowed to drop to, say, 300 lb. in the separators, and the cooling effect secured by this expansion brought about separation of the naphtha. The naphtha thus obtained was 'wild', that is, it had a high vapour pressure owing to the presence in it of dissolved and liquefied gas. In order to reduce the vapour pressure to a level at which the naphtha could be shipped, this gas was removed either by distilling it out through a 'stabilizing' column or, according to the practice at many wells, merely by allowing the naphtha to 'weather' in open tanks (heated by coils if necessary) until the gas had been driven off in to the air.

Jan 1, 1936

By H. Mindivan

In the present study, the feasibility of recycling AA6061 Al alloy chips by a combination of ciyomilling, cold compaction and hot extrusion processes was investigated. Furthermore, the effect of Al powder addition to the recycled Al alloys chips on the mechanical properties was investigated. The characterization of recycled Al alloys was made by structural examination and mechanical tests (hardness, compression and dry sliding wear tests). The results indicated that by increasing wt. % of Al powder added to the recycled Al alloy chips the studied properties (the density, hardness, compressive strength and wear resistance) increased due to reduction of porosity in the recycled Al alloys.

Jan 1, 2011

By John J. Laffin

"Nova Scotia Department of Mines and Energy Throughout the history of Nova Scotia, trends in the production and use of its coal resources have resulted in major impacts on the economy and society of the province. Current trends in coal demand locally, nationally and internationally are having and will have an increasing positive effect on Nova Scotia over the next twenty years-in terms of energy supply, job creation and general economic development. Coal for electrical generation is an immediate and key objective of Nova Scotia's energy plan; and, in the long term, coal-derived fuels will meet the province's needs for transportation fuels. Demand for metallurgical coal is also expected to increase, especially if the merchant coke plant currently under investigation becomes a reality.Meeting these coal supply and utilization objectives in the face of increasing environmental, social and economic constraints poses a tremendous technical challenge. Work has begun on projects to expand coal production capacity and to adapt new technologies for coal preparation and utilization to the specific needs of Nova Scotia; much more work will be required in the coming decade in order to succesfully tap this resource.IntroductionThe energy problem facing Atlantic Canada has a few unique features not found in the rest of the country. Canada, as a whole, has access to a diverse mix of energy resources, including crude oil, natural gas, coal, hydro and uranium, with the result that crude oil supplies only about 40 per cent of Canada's primary demand. In contrast, foreign crude oil dominates Atlantic Canada's energy mix, supplying over 70 per cent of the primary energy demand.This results in important differences in various sectors. Nationally, about 5 per cent of the electricity is generated from oil whereas last year in Nova Scotia approximately 40 per cent of the electricity generated was from imported oil. Residential, commercial and industrial space heating, and industrial process heating in Atlantic Canada was almost 100 percent dependent on foreign oil. This is in sharp contrast to the situation in central and western Canada, which have access to secure domestic natural gas, oil and hydro electricity."

Jan 1, 1982

By C. A. Roloff

Demands for increased grinding production, lower-grade are and limited capital have resulted in ever larger grinding mills, some as large as 36ft (/1 m) in diameter and 12,000 hp (8,950 kw). The result is often f ewer machines per plant, with a greater dependence on each machine. To meet these reliability requirements, manufacturers of mills, drives, castings and other components have had to be innovative and creative in their design. Only by thorough review of past designs and practices and by model studies confirmed in field tests can the manufacturer have full confidence in the product. Because of the great interest in large mills, a short review of larger machines is presented. This discussion covers material feeding, bearings, the rotating element, drive trains and material discharge.

Jan 1, 1979

By R. D. Brown

The Federal Government's White Paper on Tax Reform received further major criticism in the reports of the Committees of the House of Commons and the Senate, which recently completed a lengthy review including public hearings of the government's proposals. These reports both criticized the emphasis placed by the White Paper on its concept of tax equity rather than on a system which would promote economic growth. However, the Finance Committee of the House of Commons was prepared to accept, with modifications, a number of the White Paper's key reform proposals. The Senate Finance Committee was more critical of the basic thrust of the tax reform program and recommended that a modification of the existing tax system would be more appropriate to Canada's needs. Both Committees re-commended a more favourable treatment of mining income than that originally proposed in the White Paper, and to some extent both Committees suggested proposals that were even more favourable to the industry than those set out in Finance Minister Benson's amended proposals made in August of this year. This article out-lines the principal recommendations and comments in the reports of both the House of Commons Committee and the Senate Finance Committee.

Jan 1, 1971

By Douglas H. Brown

Cadmium and other 'minor' metals in Canada tend to remain inconspicuous given the prominence of the country's massive production of other minerals. This same reality is reflected in the accuracy and deficiency of quantitative data concerning the sources of supply and demand for these metals. It is the intent of this paper to identify the nature of some of these difficulties and to reconstruct a more accurate description of Canada's production and consumption of cadmium, based on the results of recent surveys undertaken by the Mineral Policy Sector of Energy, Mines and Resources Canada and Noranda Sales Corporation Ltd.

Jan 1, 1978

The theory and practice of sampling of particulate material have been the focus of a continued attention on the part of the mining industry worldwide for almost a century now, because of its critical importance at all phases of a mining project, from exploration (bulk sampling, assaying) to production (grade control) and marketing (quality control). A powerful, complete theory was put together by P. Oy (1968 to i982), but its applications to gold ores have met with limited success to date, due to the inadequacy of its sampling variance and minimum sample mass determination formulae to the challenging case of gold ores. This paper presents a research project completed at Inco Exploration and Technical Services Inc., using a geostatistical approach, to shed light on the results of P.Gy's theory, and adapt them to the case of particulate gold ores. After a reminder of Gy's formulae and a simplified demonstration of the generic form of Gy's and more traditional formulae, an empirical approach, based on sampling experiments from four gold deposits, shows how Gy's formulae must be corrected to adjust to the case of gold ores. The generality of the results formula is then substantiated with a geostatistical analysis of the problem. A parameterized formula results, and indications are given on how to fit its parameters to experimental data. Application guidelines and charts to fit any case and budget are presented, along with a detailed practical example.

Jan 1, 1991

By D. M. Baird

"THE Island of Newfoundland lies on the extreme eastern edge of the continent of North America and at the extreme northeastern end of the Appalachian geological province. Its belonging to the Appalachian province is shown in the geological history of the region and in the rock types and structures.Geosynclinal sedimentation in early and middle Palaeozoic times was interrupted by Taconic and, more profoundly, by Acadian, mountain building activity. Mid-Palaeo-zoic intrusions range from masses of serpentinized ultrabasic rocks to granite batholiths. A Carboniferous overlay of continental and shallow, drying sea types covers the earlier developed complex. Local basins in these times were filled with products of the erosion of tl1e earlier rocks, and, locally, grew the right kind of vegetation to make thin, discontinuons seams and pockets of coal. Post-early Pennsylvanian history is one of erosion and pene-planation with renewal of movement along many of the older fault systems."

Jan 1, 1960

In this paper we present the results of preliminary investigations into the applicability of new laboratory scale tests for the prediction of operating gap and specific throughput in high pressure grinding rolls (HPGR). The work is a part of the CAMIRO HPGR research program being conducted at the University of British Columbia, which aims to develop a suite of small-scale tests and procedures for the selection and sizing of HPGRs. A focus of the presented study is to test sample types in terms of their terra-mechanics based characteristics and relate them to specific throughput and gap results from pilot HPGR testing on the same samples.

Jan 1, 2012

By I. M. Gordon, J. Blackshaw

"Run-of-mine ore is reduced to 4 per cent on 4 mesh (3/ 16 inch), using four stages of dry crushing. The mill feed is then reduced to 2 per cent on 48 mesh and 60 per cent through 200 mesh, using one stage of ball milling in cyanide solution. During the subsequent treatment about one-tenth of the tonnage is removed as a table concentrate and ground to 77 per cent through 325 mesh. The size of the mill tailing is 66 per cent through 200 mesh.Four stages of ore reduction began when the dry crushing plant at No. 26 Shaft came into operation at a maximum rate of 440 tons an hour on July 31, 1941. A detailed description of the crushing plant was published in C .I .M. Trans., Vol. LVI, 1953.One-stage ball milling in cyanide solution came into full operation on January 11, 1938. The ball milling plant had a capacity of 4800 tons daily when reducing mill feed at 2. 7 per cent on 1/ 4 inch to 54. 3 per cent through 200 mesh. Primary grinding to 60 per cent through 200 mesh commenced May 22, 1945, when the feed was 3 per cent on 4 mesh. Under these conditions the capacity of the ball milling plant is estimated at 4300 tons daily. A description of the 11 Hollinger Crushing and Grinding Plant"" by D. C. McLaren was published in the Canadian Mining Journal, June 1944.The concentrate grinding circuit using a 7 x 15 low discharge ball mill and a 19-foot diameter bowl classifier with a 6-inch centrifugal pump to close the circuit began operating in the ball milling plant on October 24, 1939."

Jan 1, 1965

By J. S. Moretzsohn, D. F. Graham

"Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)was acquired over the Carajás Mineral Province, within the rainforests of the Amazon, which hosts the world’s largest Fe-ore deposit(Santos, 1986). Significant chemical weathering exists in this humid environment. PrevalentAu mineralization is thought to be generally associated with deformation zones in Archean schists.Radar data have proven to be very useful as an aid to geological mapping in the tropical rainforests of the Amazon Basin in Brazil. In these densely vegetated areas, a sense of regional structural trends is obtained as a con-sequence of the sensor/terrain geometry. The top forest canopy is the main terrain reflector of X-band radar energy, and consequently is the main terrain surface feature expressed in processed radar imagery. Radar is important for extending t,he continuity of mapped structural lineaments. Differential weathering is related to variations in radar image texture which is used to infer gross lithologic variations and relative age relationships of major rock units. Specifically, quartzites and banded iron formation are highlighted in the radar imagery due to their unique tonal and textural appearance, in contrast to schists, gneisses and metavolcanic rocks. As tropical areas are typically enveloped in cloud or mist, radar data are invaluable in providing information for logistical planning of field mapping activities."

Jan 1, 1997

By Dean Gerhardt

Why the need for proactive loose detection? ?? Past history of ground falls in Saskatchewan mines prompted research into new techniques for ground control. ?? Traditional tools for ground assessment (i.e. visual inspection, sounding with scaling bars) are not proactive and can often be time consuming. ?? Need existed for a system that was non-evasive, time efficient, and could be managed by a single operator. Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) immerged showing the greatest potential.

May 1, 2008

By J. E. Hawley

"The zinc-lead deposit of the Lake Geneva Mining Company is on lot 7, con. VI, Hess township, Sudbury district, Ontario, about 10 miles northwest of the northern rim of the Sudbury Basin. Though a relatively small deposit, it shows some rather interesting relations to cross-cutting, pre-ore, quartz diabase dykes, which merit description.The deposit was discovered in October 1924 by J. H. Collins beneath iron-stained drift and oxidized sulphides. This proved to be the northwestern extremity of the orebody, the remainder of which extends southeast below swampy ground. Exploration began in 1927. In 1928 a vertical shaft was sunk to 250 feet and a level established at 235 feet. Later the shaft was deepened to 400 feet and new levels opened at 315 and 375 feet. In 1943 an inclined winze was sunk below the vein from the 315-foot level to a vertical depth of 640 feet, and two additional levels were opened at 525 and 615 feet respectively.The geology of the area has been described by T. T. Quirke (1), F. F. Osborne (2), F. J. Alcock (3), and Ralph Tuck (4). Private reports have also been made by Carl Tolman, J. E. Gill, and K. W. Fritzsche. Tuck's paper, covering the work completed to 1930, gives a detailed account of the character of the ore and enclosing rocks.Up to May 1944, when the property was closed, all ore above the 375-foot level and a small tonnage from below this elevation had been removed. Ore mined from 1941 to 1944 yielded the following:"

Jan 1, 1954

By K. J. Fair, G. Van Weert, J. E. Schneider

"IntroductionCyanidation is the principal process for extracting gold from ores . Many primary gold ores, however, are partially or totally refractory in the conventional cyanidation process.Considerable success has been achieved with new gold leaching techniques, such as intensive cyanidation, pressure cyanidation, carbon-in-leach cyanidation, etc. These techniques however, do not offer substantial gains in gold extraction from refractory pyrites.The more drastic pretreatment processes such as roasting, chemical oxidation, autoclave oxidation, and bacterial oxidation all utilize oxidation to break down the structures of pyrite and arsenopyrite. This generally renders the gold amenable to cyanidation.Comparative cost studies indicate that the oldest commercial pretreatment method, i.e. high temperature roasting, is currently the least expensive option if the sulphuric acid can be sold. It operates with air at atmospheric pressure and is characterized by fast reaction rates. For an alternative hydrometallurgical con centrate treatment method to be competitive, it too should operate with air at atmospheric pressure and with fast reaction rates. The NITROX process meets these conditions."

Jan 1, 1986

By W. W. Bake

INTRODUCTION IN IN JUNE, 1943, the main pillars of the Beattie Mine glory hole failed, allowing over a million yards of wet clay and debris to flow into the mine, completely filling all workings to within seventy feet of the 3rd level. The resulting Job of clearing these workings and rehabilitating the mine represents a unique and hazardous operation, seldom, if ever, previously encountered in Canadian mining. The purpose of this paper is to describe one phase of this operation -that of cleaning and rehabilitating the mine from the 6th to the 9th level -to outline briefly the events which led up to this work and to describe the techniques and costs involved. It will be noted that such costs, methods, and performance figures as are dealt with in this paper refer only to work in the internal shaft and adjoining workings from the 6th to the 9th level, previous work having been done under other supervision and management. The Beattie mine is in Duparquet township, northwestern Quebec, twenty miles northwest of the town of Noranda and twenty-three miles southeast of the town of La Sarre. The mine and the town of Duparquet, which it?supports, are accessible by highway from Noranda throughout the year. Production at the Beattie mine began in May, 1933, and up to June, 1943, twenty-one million dollars in gold and silver had been recovered from five and a half million tons of ore.

Jan 1, 1951

By A. Grimod

The European Guideline ETAG 027 - 2008 (?Guideline for European Technical Approval of Falling Rock Protection Kits?) defines the procedures to test rock fall barriers. Nowadays, this guideline is essentially the only test and construction framework utilized by manufacturers and it is also starting to enter in the mentality of designer who can clearly specify the performances of rockfall barriers. ETAG 27 (and the related European Technical Approval and the CE marking) represents a milestone for the rockfall barrier market, because it gives the possibility to compare the performances of different fences and it ensures the quality of the certified product. For these reasons ETAG 27 presently constitutes the base for tenders all around the world. Although rockfall barriers are in common use, designers and consultants do not have a clear overview of the real performances and the technological limits of these structures. The first problem can be solved using ETAG 27 criteria, which allow designing rockfall barriers at ultimate and serviceability limit state. Even though ETAG 27 uses crash tests performed with the Service Energy Level (SEL) and Maximum Energy Level (MEL), design with these concepts is not obvious or in common acceptance. Some preliminary questions must be solved. When can these energy levels be correctly applied? In the case of rockfall simulations, what probabilistic approach must be used for the evaluation of the barrier? Unfortunately ETAG 27 does not give any information or tests relating to the technological limits of the fences. Therefore some important questions arise. How do the site specific aspects of installation affect the barrier performance? What is the behaviour of the barriers under extreme conditions? And finally, the main question lies in the background: what is the functional reliability of ETAG 27? All of the above questions require comprehensive answers, which is consistent with the experience of designers, installers and producers. Officine Maccaferri S.p.A., with its 130 year experience in the field of rockfall protection, collected a large number of case histories with barriers impacted by single or multiple blocks, debris flows, and snow avalanches. Throughout these case histories and in accordance with a recent Italian standard code, it has been possible to implement a reasonable design approach that considers the efficiency of the barrier, the uncertainties of the input data, and the fore

Aug 1, 2013

By E. H. Dudgeon

In order to make increased use of automation in copper smelting, it is evident that a useful first step .world be the accurate determination of the copper end point in the converter operation. After laboratory tests, the copper end points in a copper converter at Gaspe Copper Mmes Ltd. were determined without reference to melt samples or other observations. The results indicated that the rapid measurement of the S02 level in the gas released from the converter has potential as a new and independent method of determining the copper end point in converter operation.

Jan 1, 1966

By Z. Huda

The effect of various percentages of cold-working and recrystallization on the microstructure and hardness of commercially-pure aluminum plate, has been studied. The 'A critical deformation for the aluminum, has been determined. Experimentation involved cold rolling and recrystallization processes followed by quantitative metallographic practice and the hardness measurements. The raw material chosen was a plate of commercial aluminum which was cold rolled to different percentage of cold-work and then recrystallized by heat treatment at 150°C. The critical deformation percentage of aluminum was computed to be around 30% of cold-worked.

Jan 1, 2007

By J. C. Gathje

Newmont acquired the Phoenix Project through the acquisition of Battle Mountain Gold in 2000. Shortly after the acquisition, Newmont Metallurgical Services (NMS) and Nevada Operations began development work on a process to Pressure Oxidize (PDX) precious metal rich copper concentrates from Phoenix using the Lone Tree PDX facilities at Valmy, Nevada. The high precious metals content of the Phoenix concentrate - Au up to -300 g/t and especially Ag, up to -1700 g/t - led Newmont to the development of a High Temperature PDX process that achieves high cyanide leach recovery of Au and Ag, from the PDX solids, without the requirement for a messy and expensive "lime boil" or sulphate destruction process. Base metals content in Phoenix concentrates range from: 15-25 % for Cu, 1-10 % for Zn and 0-2 % for Pb. Excellent solution extraction of Cu and Zn is achieved while Pb is precipitated in the PDX residue. In addition to achieving high Au and Ag recovery this process produces very clean PDX discharge liquors that require minimum effort to remove contaminant metals and PDX solids that have superior settling and filtration characteristics. All of these factors contribute to lower capital and operating costs for the overall process. This paper describes the laboratory and PDX pilot plant developments for this process.

Jan 1, 2004

By G. L. Palmer

"Abstract- ln 1986, anomalous sampling results for heavy minerals were obtained at various sites in Namaqualand on the west coast of the Cape Province. Drilling in 1987 at Graauwduinen penetrated up to 35 meters of heavy mineral-bearing Tertiary sands which extend several kilometers inland from the coast. The heavy mineral suite includes ilmenite, rutile, leucoxene, zircon and monazite, along with garnet, pyroxene and amphibole. Three deposits are recognized, two of which comprise the resource to be mined by Namakwa Sands Limited, a recently formed Anglo American Corporation subsidiary company.Mineable reserves in excess of 500 million tonnes have been delineated, sufficient to sustain mining for over 35 years at projected production rates. During the feasibility study, on-site investigations included test mining at various sites to assess mineability and to provide material for metallurgical testing in a pilot plant located at the site. Ilmenite produced at the mine will be smelted at a new facility to be built at Saldanha Bay . Saleable products comprise titania-rich slag, pig iron, zircon and rutile.During the exploration phase, company environmental guidelines were established and monitored. The feasibility study incorporated a Class 1 Environmental Impact Report, the contents of which were made public following the principles of the Integrated Environmental Management legislation."

Jan 1, 1994