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By M.J. Mitchell

Platinum-group minerals (PGM) are recorded from a number of localities along the Waiau River, western Southland, and the south coast of the South Island, New Zealand. At each locality, small amounts of PGMs were recovered as by-products of historical gold mining operations. During the period 1890-1950 an estimated 1000-2000 oz. of "platinum" were recovered from the region, the only area within New Zealand where PGM have been commercially exploited. The PGM suite of southern New Zealand consists of Pt-Fe alloys, IPGE (iridium subgroup, platinum-group elements) alloys, sperrylite (PtAs2), cooperite (PtS)and braggite ((Pt,Pd)S). The composition of Pt-Fe alloy exhibits considerable variation and two compositional populations are recognised. Some Pt-Fe alloy grains are chemically zoned. Iridium is the most abundant IPGE alloy phase and often contains considerable Pt, in contrast to osmium and ruthenium alloys. Cooperite and braggite grains are characterised by extremely low concentrations of Ni. R^~

Jan 1, 1995

By B Tessier

Checking the quality of a blast may be considered as subjective. Checking this quality will require measuring objective parameters. One of them is the resulting fragmentation of the blasted product. Numerous fragmentation æmeasuringÆ systems have been developed and marketed, based on image-processing. This presentation of FragScan will illustrate advantages and difficulties when using such a system. FragScan is essentially defending a policy of large and representative sampling. The purpose is to show how fragmentation is discriminating both productivity and profit of quarry operations on a blast-by blast basis. The next step will then be to ædriveÆ the blasting process to reach a æbetterÆ fragmentation. Other applications require the fragmentation as an essential result: this is the case for large boulders used in structure-reinforcement. Several case-studies have shown that FragScan can be used for quality-control, checking size-distribution of the product according to the requirements of the end-user. Only clear thinking about the precise use of such a æmeasurementÆ will further the success of this task.

Jan 1, 2001

By K L. Silversides, A Chlingaryan, A Melkumyan

Multiple data sources can be fused to improve boundary modelling in stratified deposits such as the banded iron formation (BIF) hosted deposits in the Pilbara Region of Western Australia. Accurate boundaries are essential to produce high quality geological models. Initial models are based on the widely spaced exploration hole data. This creates a high level of uncertainty in areas between the holes, with different interpretations of the boundary equally probable. Including directional information collected in these holes in the models can reduce the number of possibilities. Including data collected during mining, such as blastholes and bench measurements, can further guide the model. This research demonstrates a Gaussian Processes based method of fusing these disparate data sources to better inform the boundaries. Our results demonstrate that when only exploration points are used the model creates a smooth boundary with minimal variation between the holes. Each additional data source refined the model and added additional detail to the boundary. For the blast data, the new detail projects down to the bench below the current bench to allow for a better prediction before mining commences on that bench.

Mar 22, 2022

By J Tibbett, F T. Suorineni, B Hebblewhite

Block caving is an important mining method for the future economic exploitation of large, low-grade, steeply dipping orebodies. While block caving is not a new method, there are still many unknowns surrounding the mechanics driving the process, particularly as we are forced into deeper, higher-stressed and stronger ore deposits. The caving industry is desperate to provide some explanation behind the myths of caving geomechanics to better predict and manage current caves and caves of the future. Large amounts of data are collected to help understand caving, but it is not fully utilised and current approaches for analysing the data are capacity limited. The application of virtual reality and scientific visualisation (VRSV) technology to visualise and analyse block caving is a critical future component in the assessment toolbox. VRSV enables large, complex, multidimensional data sets to be analysed and the power of human visual problem solving processes to be utilised. Block caving is a complex system and needs to be analysed as a system, rather than looking at individual factors one at a time. A software module has been developed at UNSW Australia for use in the advanced visualisation interactive environment for analysis of the block cave mining system (BCMS). This fully immersive, 3D virtual assessment tool shows exciting potential and is used to analyse the BCMS with a close linkage to time (ie the chronological occurrence of data). This tool will enable a true investigation into the cause and effect relations within the BCMS. Current research is investigating Newcrest Mining Limited’s Ridgeway Deeps operation and is aiming to turn some of the cause/effect relationships into increased geomechanics understanding to provide improvements to ground control management. This paper outlines the methods of assessment used to analyse BCMS geomechanics with VRSV and shows the potential of the software module for BCMS analysis.CITATION:Tibbett, J, Suorineni, F T and Hebblewhite, B, 2014. The application of virtual reality technology and scientific visualisation to the understanding of block cave mining systems, in Proceedings AusRock 2014: Third Australasian Ground Control in Mining Conference , pp 195–200 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Nov 5, 2014

Since the initial discovery of phosphate rock resources in North West Queensland in 1966, significant changes in ownership and development direction have occurred. Initially development of the resource involved beneficiation to produce a more saleable grade of phosphate rock. However more recently development has focused on the production of a high analysis fertilizer product on the minesite. These changes have been influenced by economics, industry/government cooperation and a changing phosphate industry.

Jan 1, 1998

By T Sparks

The Collie River catchment, located approximately 200 km south of Perth, covers an area of around 2830 km2 and is the source of run-off to the Wellington Dam, an important irrigation water resource for the Collie Irrigation District. The salinity of the Wellington Dam has increased due to historical clearing and irrigators currently use water with salinity levels approximately twice that of the Murray River in South Australia (Water and Rivers Commission, 2001). The Collie River Salinity Situation Statement (2001), released by the Water and Rivers Commission (now the Department of Water), identified realistic actions that could achieve the salinity reduction target. Subsequent benefit-cost analyses and prefeasibility studies recommended the diversion of the most saline flows in the Collie River away from the dam as an immediate intervention (URS, 2003). The East Branch of the Collie River above the locality of Buckingham (20 km east of Collie) contributes around half of the salt that flows into the Wellington Dam and the diversion and storage of the saltiest flows from the East Branch at Buckingham was identified as a viable option for reducing salinity in Wellington Dam. The proposal had one problem û the water could not be disposed of as quickly as it was diverted. However, in the vicinity of the diversion site were a number of coal mine voids and after preliminary discussions, the Government/Griffin Coal alliance was formed and from this the opportunities have continued. Diverted water would be stored temporarily in an adjacent mine void (Chicken Creek 4 void) and then disposed of to the sea. The disposal options included Western Power CorporationÆs saline discharge pipeline from Collie Power Station, or a new pipeline. The diverted water was also identified as a potential raw source for treatment and use in industry. This has opened up opportunities including desalination, water efficiencies in the power stations, increased reliability of water supply for the power stations, water for new industries, wastewater disposal options and extra water for PerthÆs water supply. In the process of solving the water storage problems the project introduced a range of mine water quality problems û heavy metals and pH û and the Department of Water (DoW) is now working with the mining industry and the Centre for Sustainable Mine Lakes (CSML) to develop treatment and management technologies. The project has received support and funding through the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality (NAP) and it has been possible to accelerate and enhance this project as a result of NAP. The DoW has developed the proposal to an advanced stage and gained approvals for the capital diversion program to go ahead. The partnerships have expanded to include the second mining company, Premier Coal, the Water Corporation, Western Power and the Harvey Irrigation Cooperative. The proposal could feasibly result in a $90 million integrated water management initiative for Collie using the latest technology, mining operations and providing water for value adding industries in the local area. The DoW is not a mining company; however, our experience in managing water in times of shortage, environmental water quality criteria, competition for water and managing community expectations will have the same success factors:consultation and knowing your community and stakeholders, sharing issues and working in partnership can provide results far greater than the initial issue, even brackish water has value, every sector is in competition with each other and has to have a share of the water, an integrated approach can provide opportunities for development in areas of water shortage, and never think of water as wastewater.

Jan 1, 2006

By A Flatten, F Reusch

Recent advances in the disciplines involved in simulating large mining operations provide increasingly precise and accurate methods for the study of cave mechanics; however, in large regional-scale models, hydrological aspects are often neglected or studied independently from the mechanical problem. There exists a great demand for a unified approach to study and simulate both the mechanical and hydrological phenomena that allows for a more detailed understanding of the effects of groundwater flow, dewatering and the impact on block cave mining operations.This paper presents a numerical framework that combines three-dimensional regional-scale hydrological simulation techniques for groundwater flow, together with non-linear continuum–discontinuum rock mechanics models, provides such a unified modelling approach. The underlying simulation technique is based on a coupled parallel solution formulation adopting single-phase fluid flow formulations into a discontinuous, strain softening and dilatant finite element model. This approach is adopted for the presented case study of a realistic block caving example in a simplified unidirectional coupling formulation, to investigate the effects of the mechanical analysis on the hydrological response. Here, particular emphasis is on the non-linear coupling of the deformable and strain-softening solid skeleton and fluid phase; eg the change of hydraulic properties with evolution of damage in the rock mass and large-to-intermediate scale structures due to ongoing caving operations. The importance of discontinuum structures is discussed, as mining-induced fault reactivation significantly influences the hydrological response.CITATION:Flatten, A, Reusch, F and Beck, D, 2016. The application of hydromechanical mine-scale modelling for large block caving operations, in Proceedings Seventh International Conference and Exhibition on Mass Mining (MassMin 2016), pp 341–348 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

May 9, 2016

By Cooper W. C, Stokes M. A

Proterozoic gold deposits in the Pine Creek Geosyncline are at present receiving renewed attention with the opening of old mines and several new discoveries. This important polymetallic province contains occurrences of gold, base metals, tin, tungsten, tantalum, platinum, palladium and aluminium. These resources have been exploited over the past century with periods of major interest during the turn of the century and during the past 20 years. Economically viable resources of predominantly gold, eg Pine Creek, Woolwonga, Brocks Creek and Union Reefs, and Ag-Pb-Zn, eg Woodcutters are currently in development or being mined. A variety of genetic models, ranging from magmatic through hydrothermal to syngenetic, have been postulated in the past for the formation of gold deposits in the Pine Creek Geosyncline. The first discussion on the regional geological factors that control ore deposition in the Brocks Creek-Howley District was by Sullivan and Iten (1952). They recognised that the most important ore deposits are associated with anticlinal and domal structures and that granites may be a controlling factor in the localisation of the mineralisation. More recently a group of authors, Needham and Roarty (1980), Goulevitch (1980), Nicholson and Eupene (1984), Sanger-Von Oepen, Friedrich and Kater, (1988), Nicholson and Eupene (1990) and Kruse, Whitehead and Mulder (1990) have suggested an exhalitive syngenetic origin, or remobilised syngenetic during dolerite intrusion and/or regional deformation, for gold mineralisation, especially those associated with South Alligator Group lithologies (eg Bridge Creek, Mt Bonnie group of mines and Cosmopolitan Howley). Studies carried out at the Bridge Creek and Western Arm Prospects over the last three years suggest that syngenetic models for gold mineralisation are less relevant to gold mineralisation in the Howley District than first thought (Wall, 1989; Partington, 1990). The Bridge Creek prospect has been cited as an example of a syngenetic-syngenetic remobilised deposit (Oepen, Friedrich and Kater, 1988) while the Western Arm prospect is more clearly a vein hosted epigenetic deposit and a comparison of the styles of mineralisation at both prospects will be made. The nature of the gold mineralisation at both prospects will be described and compared, and possible genetic models for gold mineralisation and their relevance to regional exploration discussed.

Jan 1, 1994

By D Laurence

Mining cycles have come and gone and with them there have been dramatic swings in the levels of interest and student entry into minerals-related education programs, hence graduate supply to the industry. So what is the problem? These trends will keep happening and the industry will keep on keeping on – or will it?This paper discusses recent trends in Australian minerals education programs and some international examples, together with some of the more recent initiatives taken by both the minerals education sector and the industry, such as the Minerals Tertiary Education Council (MTEC) and MEA. The real problem is that things will not just keep going the way they have over recent decades – there will come a time when there is no longer a supply of minerals academics available to provide the educational programs; and universities will simply shut down subcritical mass mining programs and invest in the much more lucrative programs such as commerce, law, medicine, etc. By the time this starts to happen it will be at least ten years too late for any last-minute reactive response by industry, if they were to try and avert such a consequence. International experience with mining programs bears out this scenario quite clearly.It is therefore timely for industry individual mines and mine management to take a much more strategic look at their role in the education sector. Sustainable mining also means sustainable minerals education – without one, the other will not function over the long-term. There is a pressing need for long-term strategic buy-in by industry into the education sector – not just for the good times, but also through the tough times. This means much more than a scholarship here or there, but includes such commitments as major industry-university research partnerships; collaborative recruitment initiatives and much more. The paper will discuss a range of such issues, problems and opportunities to address these important issues through strategic, comprehensive, long-term commitments by industry and equally significant and appropriate responses by the education sector. We care – do you?

Mar 21, 2011

By Y Mita, T Iwama, R Inoue, S Ueda

In the iron and steel manufacturing industries, efforts are being made to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, and the transition from a coal-based steelmaking process to that utilising renewable energy is being pursued. An alternative process in which directly hydrogen-reduced iron is melted in an electric furnace is being investigated. It is known that foaming slag reduces heat loss from the steel bath in electric arc furnace, but iron loss due to the suspension of steel particles in the slag is indispensable. To improve the separation of steel particles from the slag, the control of the slag viscosity is important. Although the slag viscosity has been extensively studied, in those studies the slag was considered to be a simple liquid. However, in actual operations, slag is a multiphase fluid consisting of solid, gas and liquid phases. Therefore, in this study, by measuring the sedimentation velocity of titanium, stainless steel and glass spheres in an aqueous glycerin solution containing bubbles generated by the reaction between NaHCO3 and C2H2O4, the apparent viscosity of the gas-liquid fluid was evaluated based on Stoke’s law. It was found that the apparent viscosity of the gas-liquid fluid is larger than the viscosity of liquid phase and depends on both the bubble volume ratio in solution and the density of the falling solid sphere, and the apparent viscosity was different from that previously obtained by the rotation method. The apparent viscosity derived from the sedimentation velocity of solid spheres changed depending on the specific gravity of the ball. This is because the apparent viscosity is derived from the velocity of a ball falling in a static bubble in this method, whereas that is derived from the force applied by a stationary flow in the rotational method.

Aug 21, 2024

By T QUINLAN

A resource estimate uses data obtained by sampling an orebody. An example is described in which a random drilling pattern did not provide a representative set of assays, and the estimated resource was significantly less than the mine production. It is believed that a better estimate would have been made if the exploration holes had been drilled on a regular grid.

Jan 1, 1992

By H Park, D J. Holland, L Wang, Y Matviychuk, Y Lee

Reuse of process water in mineral and coal flotation plants is widespread to effectively reduce freshwater consumption. However, the accumulation of the frother in the recycled process water is a growing problem as high remnant frother concentration often leads to undesirable overfrothing issues throughout the plants. Various approaches have been proposed by others to measure frother concentration, but none of them is used in flotation practice owing to the requirement of timeconsuming sample preparation steps and/or specialist training to operate and maintain. There is a pressing need for the development of a simple and fast frother concentration measuring technique to avoid overfrothing issues and to optimise the flotation process. The present paper presents two promising approaches to measuring frother concentration online. The first approach measures the concentration of alcohol type frothers based on the host-guest interactions between frother molecules and a formulated liquid. This method is simple and fast as it only requires mixing the formulated liquid with the water sample for up to one minute. The potential of this approach was demonstrated by determination of the residual MIBC concentrations at different locations across a coal flotation plant. The second approach measures frother concentration using a solid-phase extraction (SPE) process and a cryogen-free benchtop NMR spectrometer. Using this approach, both alcohol type and polyglycol type frother solutions can be analysed for concentration determination within 30 minutes. It has also been demonstrated that the concentration of individual frothers in a frother blend (ie MIBC and PPG425 in water) can be accurately analysed even in the presence of background chemicals. This technique has otential for real-time measurement of frother concentration as the whole process can be fully automated.

Aug 24, 2022

Dr Eric Bumstead is to be commended for his recent paper on gold analysis, published in the March 1984 Proceedings. It is not often that someone in industry, rather than academia, takes the time to collect and report on such a volume of data, data which is of interest to everyone involved in gold exploration and development.After reading the paper I felt, as a geochemist and as ayer, that there was another side to this whole question of analysis that few people are aware of, i.e. the problem facing a laboratory and how the laboratory can try to give the customer maximum value for money spent.Analyses for gold are carried out for different reasons, depending on the aims of the geologist or metallurgist who presents the samples. These can broadly be separated into three classes, to answer the following questions.1. "Is there any gold in this sample?"2. "Approximately how much gold is there in this sample?"3. "How much gold is there in this sample?"In every case there is a different balance between accuracy and precision, cost and avoiding chemical problems. By "chemical problems", I mean such possibilities as samples containing high levels of sulphides, gold present as tellurides, cyanide being present, contamination with mercury, and other mineralogical oddities, plus problems such as samples containing grease.There is no such thing as one assay to cover all possibilities.Samples in category I come mostly from early stages of exploration.There are often large numbers of samples, their mineralogy is not well known and hence chemical problems could exist, but the explorer wants assays at a minimum level of precision and expects minimum cost. These characteristics do not easily come together, for although the precision required is low, the accuracy required is high at low levels. A small positive result when the true answer is nil could lead to a fruitless search and a waste of money. Conversely, a nil result, when the true answer is a small but significant level of gold, could lead to the passing over of an area that may warrant further work.Because there are conflicting requirements for this type of assay, the methods chosen must be a compromise and different assayers will balance these requirements differently and come to different conclusions. The methods cover sample preparation, assay sample size and variations in assay techniques.

Jan 1, 1984

The Pacific Rim and its environment involves a vast array of natural phenomena, and a vast array of situations which show the impact of man. Almost half the world's population of over five billion live in nations" which border the Pacific, but the concentration is focussed in the North. Great experiments are occurring in this region, the industrialization and energy development in- Japan and China, the growth of Indonesia, (now 168 million - soon 368 million; Brown and Jacobson, 1986), the enormous developments of agriculture and the metals resource base in Australia and China. At the same time, the Pacific Rim does not project images of hopelessness, the mood is upbeat. Over the past decade, incomes have increased substantially in most of the major countries of Pacific Rim (e.g. over the period 1980-86, + 58% in China, + 21% in Japan, + 34% in South Korea; Brown and Jacobson, 1986). In September, 1986, at the general assembly of the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU) in Bern, Switzerland, representatives of over 50 nations approved a new initiative, "The International Geosphere Biosphere Programme: A Study of Global Change". The focus of this new program is "To describe and understand the interactive physical , chemical , and biological processes that regulate the total Earth system, the unique environment that it provides for life, the changes that are occurring in this system, and the manner in which they are influenced by man. The IGBP will be a tightly-defined programme of research, directed at providing fundamental knowledge that will serve as a basis for assessing likely future changes on the Earth in the next 100 years" (ICSU, 1986). For the earth scientist, and all resource scientists, there is an emerging agenda; new priorities are appearing, new questions are being asked. The recent report of the World Resources Institute (1986) focusses on this emerging agenda. Topics which are at centre stage in this report include the following: The environment and human health Tropical deforestation The atmosphere as a shared resource and climates Soil-degradation Rural-urban migrations Food and agriculture The diversity of species-ecosystems Freshwater as a finite resource Coastal areas and resources

Jan 1, 1987

By M J. Ireland, D P. Horne, S J. Simpson

The Sinclair Nickel Project, wholly owned by Xstrata Nickel Australasia (XNA), includes an underground mine, a concentrator, a village, an all-weather airstrip and associated mine infrastructure. The operation is located 70 km north of Leonora in the prospective and historically productive eastern Goldfields region of Western Australia. Xstrata Nickel has successfully developed the Sinclair deposit into a 350 kt/a operation since its discovery in November 2005, with contained nickel metal production to date in excess of 10 600 t, of which 5500 t is from the underground operation.The narrow, continuous, medium-grade Sinclair nickel sulfide deposit accessed by the Phoenix Decline has a shallow 15¦ - 20¦ plunge that is approximately 1000 m long down dip and open at depth to the north. The flat plunge and low-grade nature of the orebody presents challenges regarding the amount of horizontal waste development that can be economically excavated, which in turn affects ventilation, egress, mine services and diamond drilling.The mineralisation is hosted between an ultra mafic hanging wall and a basalt footwall and is being mined using a bottom up, sublevel open stoping method. The stopes are retreated to a central access, filling voids in the process with waste mullock where possible and using cemented mullock fill where end exposure is required. Tight filling the flat dipping hanging wall has proved to be challenging given the angle of repose for the waste mullock fill is steeper than the angle of the hanging wall.Reconciliations of mine performance against the original feasibility study show positive changes and operational optimisations enabling Sinclair to achieve its mining targets in a safe, sustainable and economic manner. This paper discusses the mining operations associated with the first two years of the Sinclair Underground Nickel Project, providing an overview of the various issues encountered and the lessons learnt in the process.CITATION:Ireland, M J, Horne, D P and Simpson, S J, 2012. Overcoming mine design and production challenges at the Sinclair underground nickel project, in Proceedings Narrow Vein Mining 2012 , pp 37-48 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Mar 26, 2012

Agitation leaching data has generally not been analysed to extract the maximum amount of information that is available. Analysis of heap leaching systems has been developing over the last five years to include the underlying rate determining process. This has been found to be diffusion control for all copper leaching; irrespective of whether they are oxide or sulfide minerals. Extension of the diffusion model has enabled better scale-up protocols to be developed. Acid consumption in copper heap leaching operations has been found to be a first-order chemical controlled system. The analysis of the data is relatively straightforward. However the interpretation and scale-up is not as direct as for agitation leaching. The differences in the residence time distributions (RTDs) are required to properly account for the scale-up between test columns and field. The leaching of oxide copper in agitated systems has also been found to be diffusion controlled. However, there are significant differences in the control mechanisms. Initially the leaching control is the supply of acid to the mineral surface. This is limited by the diffusion through the surface boundary layer and is thus subject to the level of agitation. Higher agitation provides thinner boundary layers and faster diffusion rates. Similarly, higher grade material creates a thicker concentration boundary layer and relatively slower leaching. Acid consumption in agitated leach systems is also a first-order system. However, the interpretation of the RTD is easier from batch testing to continuous multiple CSTR series plant operations. Altering the method of acid delivery can significantly reduce acid consumption rates. Predilution of the acid minimises the local acid concentration near the addition point and can reduce the consumption by up to 50 per cent. Modelling of the combined leach rate(s) and acid consumption rates in agitated systems allows comparison of various leaching strategies and selection of the most appropriate. Similarly, the model allows the identification of economic limits to leach recovery; where the cost of acid consumption is greater than the value of the copper recovered. From this analysis selection of residence times for agitation leaching can be determined. The modelling tools are useful in identifying optimum conditions for the leaching process.

Jan 1, 2005

It is indeed a pleasure to be here this morning to open the 4th Mill Operators' Conference. It is no mean feat to organise such an event and I would like to congratulate the committee for the work that they have done. I am sure that the Conference will be an outstanding success. I welcome overseas visitors and hope that they gain and share in the openness of this Conference. There is personal satisfaction for me to speak to you as a mining engineer addressing a large group of metallurgists and mill operators. I would have thought that it would be impossible for a mere mining engineer to inform a metallurgist of anything. I will desist from using such derogatory terms as "xanthate munchers", "bubble makers" and "glorified mathematicians". Terms of endearment as these may not be seen with much equanimity. Such is the warm association that the two professions have enjoyed over the years. The economic climate that we at present face is a major problem to all of us. I wonder how many people here come from mining operations that are in trouble financially or that are cutting back in one form or another. This is the recession that we needed to have. When the world's greatest treasurer can tell us that then we truly have a lot to fear. The present downturn can be seen as a normal adjustment in the cycle of our business. Yet the world does not experience such severe adjustments as frequently as we experience ours. The root cause for the regular adjustments can be placed at the feet of inflation. Until the politicians of this country of ours can come to grips with inflation, we will continue to experience downturns on a 5 to 7 year cycle. This, in my opinion, is the basic reason why we appear to experience more downturns than the rest of the world. We simply price ourselves out of the market. This takes about 5 to 7 years to be highlighted and then we need to make adjustments. However, this recession is worldwide. The adjustments usually take the form of redundancies, retrenchments and early retirements. What is the solution?

Jan 1, 1991

By B Goebel, G Baker

The Australian Magnesium Corporation Limited (AMC) is constructing the worldÆs largest magnesium metal plant at Stanwell, 24 km west of Rockhampton in Central Queensland. The $1.3 billion, 97 000 tonne per year plant is scheduled to commence production in mid-2004. It will produce magnesium from magnesite using the innovative, locally developed AM Process Technology which enables magnesium to be produced at internationally competitive costs. The technology will enable the plant to have the lowest environmental impact of all the available magnesium production processes. The project will meet current world-best-practice environmental and emission standards while on a life cycle analysis, magnesium produced by the Stanwell plant will result in net reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions. Magnesium is the lightest of the structural metals. Its high strength to weight ratio and ease of casting and machinability makes it particularly suitable for the manufacture of light weight automotive components. Reducing the weight of motor vehicles through the use of light weight materials such as magnesium is the current primary means adopted by the automobile manufacturing industry to improve motor vehicle fuel efficiency and the lowering of emissions of greenhouse gases. The Australian Magnesium or AM process has been developed over the past decade by AMC in conjunction with the CSIRO to produce magnesium from magnesite mined at AMCÆs Kunwarara deposit. Over $200 million has been spent developing the AM process, designing, building and operating a demonstration plant at Gladstone and to complete an environmental impact statement and receive environmental approvals as well as funding for the commercial Stanwell Project. The paper outlines the development of the AM process technology, the operations of the Gladstone demonstration plant confirming the process technology, its operating costs and environmental performance. The paper covers the particular attention that was given to minimising the production of CHCÆs, the development of new cover gases for molten magnesium, the minimising of emissions of greenhouse gases and the life cycle analysis of magnesium as a replacement for steel and heavier metals in motor vehicles which confirmed its use resulted in a net reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions. The project received both Commonwealth and Queensland Government environmental approvals by August 2000.

Jan 1, 2002

By Cerutty L

To those who have been engaged in the construction of mining and metallurgical plants during the war and post-war periods, it is quite unnecessary to point out the large increases and violent fluctuations in prices of basic commodities and the steady and persistent rise in labour costs. It may, however, be of interest to present these facts in graphic form, and survey the relative heights of the various maxima and the lead and lag of individual waves. Since Descartes demonstrated for us moderns the analogy between geometric form and algebraic statements, the two-dimensional graph has found widespread application. Mathematicians have developed for our information, if not for our confusion, the triangular diagram and the solid three-dimensional figures, which have proved so useful, at least in the hands of the metallurgists at Port Pirie. The model (Plate 1.) which is exhibited here does not pretend however, to indicate the connection between any three inter-related variables, and it is not proposed to burden members with any abstruse mathematical expression for the irregular surface of the blocks. While time is an ordinate common to all sections of the model, each illustrates separately the variation in cost of some particular quantity between the years 1914 and 1922. It is an easy matter to record such individual variations, but it would be an impossible task to state any equation describing accurately the dependence ot the prices, say, of hardwood or of galvanized iron upon that of labour at any particular point of time. The cost of living curve, which has attained such prominence, if not notoriety, in the last few years, is the result of an attempt to show the mass-effect of the components. It is the difficulty found in "assigning the correct weight to the separate items which makes the aggregate curve somewhat misleading at times.Turning to the model, it will be noticed that each section consists of half a dozen pegs.. The first in each row,that coloured red, represents the cost of some particular quantity, such as bricks, timber or coal, at Broken Hill in 1914. The next peg, that coloured blue, represents proportionately prices for that quantity in Hobart during...

Jan 1, 1922

By G Milligan

This paper describes how water is being planned, managed and used in Queensland as both a precious natural resource, vital for healthy ecosystems, and as a valuable tradeable commodity, necessary to secure economic prosperity. Queensland has been progressively implementing a planned package of water industry improvements agreed by the Council of Australia Governments in 1994. The Water Act 2000 provides the legislative basis for implementing the COAG water reform framework in Queensland and sets out statutory water planning processes. A Water Resource Plan (WRP) is a strategic document that specifies water sharing and environmental flow outcomes across a whole catchment over a period of up to ten years. A Resource Operations Plan (ROP) sets out the details of implementing a WRP, including environmental flow rules, establishment of tradeable water allocations that are separate from land, rules for water trading, rules for operating water infrastructure, arrangements for the release of any unallocated water identified in the WRP, and requirements for monitoring and reporting. Water Resource Planning and Resource Operations Planning are progressing in priority catchments and aquifers across the State. Ways to obtain a water entitlement now depend on whether a WRP and/or a ROP exist in a particular catchment. Water trading provides for the buying and selling of water entitlements on a permanent basis where permitted under a ROP. Details of tradeable water allocations are securely registered on the Water Allocations Register, which is similar to a land titles register. Leasing and temporary transfers of water entitlements are also possible. Water brokers are emerging to facilitate water trading which aims to improve water use efficiency and move water to higher value uses. Queensland is leading the way in the implementation of the COAG water reform framework and the pursuit of sustainable water resource management. The StateÆs progress in this regard is increasing certainty for water users, while ensuring that considerations of equity amongst existing and future users and amongst various uses, as well as considerations of ecological sustainability and the wider community, are all taken into account. The mining sector stands to benefit substantially from these new approaches to planning, managing and using this precious resource.

Jan 1, 2003