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By M. J. Klishis

This paper presents the findings of a study on roof bolters' hazard exposure. A "micro-analysis" of accident data was combined with ergonomic observations of roof bolter operators to categorize bolting-related injuries and a checklist was constructed. Bolting-related problems were identified as situations that could expose bolter operators to hazards. Approaches to avoid these situations were applied at six mining operations to evaluate specific problems in roof bolting operations. The re-search emphasized the importance of analyzing worker behaviors in the context of mining situations and equipment design problems that lead to human error accidents.

Jan 1, 1995

By Enrique Llewellyn

North River Energy Company a previous subsidiary of Republic Steel Corporation commenced development of the Number One Mine in mid-1972. The mine is located in West Alabama and presently employs a total of 632 people. Production capabilities have increased to 1.4 million clean tons of steam coal per year with the newly purchased Longwall System. Washer recovery averages 57 percent. The seam being mined is the Pratt or Corona with an average height of 52 inches and an average cover of 540 feet. The immediate roof is laminated sandstone and the floor is composed of a hard fireclay. Total production out of the mine is provided to Alabama Power Company under a longtime contract.

Jan 1, 1981

By Steve Kral

The former mayor of Los Angeles, CA is a believer in public transportation but thinks neither his city nor the entire country is spending enough on basic infrastructure. In fact, the United States has fallen behind most other developed nations in improving public transportation, the former mayor said. Antonio R. Villaraigosa was the keynote speaker at the North American Tunneling (NAT) conference, held June 22-25 in Los Angeles, CA. The event, held every two years, is sponsored by the Underground Construction Association of SME (UCA). This years? conference attracted 1,091 underground construction professionals from around the world. The accompanying exhibition continues to grow, attracting 142 exhibiting companies occupying 162 booths. As always at NAT, registered attendees received the proceedings volume of the conference, which contains 132 papers. The proceedings volume, including a CD of the papers, is available from SME for $149 member, $139 student member and $189 nonmember. The book can be ordered from SME, NAT item #400-4, phone 303-948-4225, 1-800-763-3132, or online at www.smenet.org/store.

By J. E. Gray

Before specifications are discussed it may be well to define the term "Mineral Aggregates." Professor K. B. Woods (1) defined "Mineral Aggregate--An aggregation of sand, gravel, crushed stone, slag, or other material of mineral composition used in combination with a binding medium to form bituminous and portland cement concrete, macadam, mastic, mortar, plaster, etc., or alone as in railroad ballast, filter beds, and various manufacturing processes, such as fluxing, etc. " This definition is too all inclusive for the purposes of this paper; therefore, this discussion will be confined to specifications for natural aggregates which means sand and gravel and crushed stone, and limited primarily to coarse aggregate which is aggregate larger than one-quarter inch in size. To the uninitiated, this may seem to be a very limited subject on an unimportant material. However, aggregates are essential in all types of construction. The tonnage and value of these two aggregates produced in the United States during 1959 as reported by the Bureau of Mines were as follows: Sand and Gravel 729,895,000 tons valued at $728,527,000 Crushed stone 581,721,000 tons valued at $824,411,000

Jan 1, 1961

By Peter Zhang, Daniel Su, Bo Kim, Zoheir Khademian

Building on the research results and knowledge obtained from the ongoing National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Gas Well Stability Research, researchers from the NIOSH provided detailed analyses on potential longwall mining and gas well casing interactions at an unconventional shale gas well pad in a West Virginia longwall mine. Following the recommendations from recent research findings, the 5-1/2-inch production casings in all five wells were left uncemented from 4,200 feet below the surface to the surface. Prior to the first longwall panel excavation, NIOSH researchers conducted sophisticated three-dimensional numerical modeling to predict longwall-induced deformations and gas well casing stresses, which were compared with post-first panel and post-second panel mining 40-arm caliper surveys. The pre-mining predictions and comparisons with post-mining 40-arm caliper surveys were presented to all parties involved, including the coal and gas operators, Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP), and West Virginia Department of Mines (WVDOM), prior to the re-entry operation on December 13, 2022. To date, the re-entry operation is a resounding success.

Jul 1, 2023

By Wayne W. Murdy

Since 1993, Newmont has been actively growing through the development of three major foreign mining operations with a fourth under construction. The first project, Yanacocha in Peru began operating in October 1993 at a time when political and business risk in that country was considered high. In 1995, Newmont began operating the Muruntau Joint Venture in Uzbekistan, the first of its kind in the CIS. In early 1996, Newmont started operating the Minahasa mine in Indonesia. Now, in early 1997, Newmont is undertaking the construction of a $1.9 billion project in Indonesia and is completing a feasibility study with our partner for the development of a gold operation in Mexico. All of these projects have been considered "risky" by most standards, and Newmont has been very successful in all of them through risk mitigation programs including utilizing strong and successful in-country partners, concentrating on developing a strong national workforce with minimal expatriate employees, utilizing World Bank, EBRD and IFC financing and building and maintaining strong ties with host governments. This paper describes in more detail, some of the risk mitigation programs that Newmont has used to successfully grow the company through development of major foreign mining operations.

Jan 1, 1997

By Shiro Ishii

When construction sites are in a densely- populated area or near roads, railroad or river, restrictions upon the ways of handling and using explosives such as dynamite and large demolition equipment are being increasingly stringent, in consideration of environmental pollution such as noise, vibration, dust, flyrocks etc., and safety precaution. In view of this, the development of safe and pollution-free technology for demolishing rocks at mines and reinforced concrete structure at building sites is strongly required. To meet such requirements, the demolition by means of expantion of mineral substances has been considered long before. Recently with the demolition technique using non-explosive demolition agent developed by ONODA CEMENT CO., LTD., holes are drilled into substances to be demolished, such as rocks and concrete before-hand. Then, slurry of such agent mixed with an appropriate quantity of water is poured into the holes. It hardens and expands with the passage of time, and the expansive stress reaches more than 3m/m2 in 10 to 24 hours. This expansive stress causes the material to crack. In this article, descriptions of the non- explosive demolition agent, BRISTAR manufactured by ONODA CEMENT CO., LTD., TOKYO, JAPAN, are given briefly with regard to its physical and chemical properties and its method of use; and the way it is used at an actual construction site is reported.

Jan 1, 1982

By William C. Ellis

Underground water is part of a continuing hydrologic cycle, which involves all elements of water occurrence. All groundwater of economic importance is in process of movement through a porous rock stratum from a place of intake or recharge to a place of disposal. Groundwater moves and is contained in fractures in the rock and/or in intergranular spaces of porous formations. Where there have been no water developments by man, groundwater is in a state of approximate equilibrium and the forces of replenishment and discharge are in balance. Thus, groundwater, unlike other mineral resources, is constantly being replenished in most areas at a rate which is measurable and which is important in the planning of its utilization. As illustrated by Figure 1, replenishment of groundwater supplies results from the direct penetration of rainfall through the soil to the water table, by seepage from surface streams or ponds, and/or by subsurface movement from an adjacent groundwater body. Under natural discharge conditions, water is commonly consumed by transpiration of trees and other types of vegetation, by flows from springs, by evaporation from shallow depths below the surface, and seepage into streams that traverse the area.

Jan 1, 1964

By Harry M. Conger

Kaiser Steel Corporation's Eagle Mountain Mine is located in the Colorado Desert, 60 miles east of Indio, California. Concentrates from the mine are shipped by rail 164 miles to the company's steel mill at Fontana, and also to Longbeach, California for export. Temperatures are typical of the lower desert ranging from a high of 120 degrees in the summer to a low of 25 degrees in the winter. The average annual rainfall of about two inches comes mainly as cloud bursts during the summer months. From its inception, the Eagle Mountain Mine has had the problem of breaking its mine rock. Practices followed from 1949 until 1962 were very costly, did not produce uniformly good fragmentation, and were incapable of sustaining high production. During this period, every conventional type of explosive then in use was tried and found to be unsatisfactory for one reason or another. The first slurry test work at Eagle Mountain was started in 195E and finally by 1962, after having tried all the slurry mixtures then available including some "home made" formulas, a metallized slurry was perfected at the mine which overcame all of the disadvantages of former blasting methods.

Jan 1, 1965

By J. D. Goodrich

Success of The Carter Mining Company's safety program can be primarily attributed to "total immersion" of all operating and staff personnel in program design and implementation. Currently, the Company operates two surface coal mines in Campbell County, Wyoming. Total employment is about 440 and current annual production is about 15 million tons. The safety program has evolved from one which was administered primarily by staff personnel (the Safety Department) to one which requires active participation by line management and operating personnel. Lost time accident frequencies have declined from a high of 1.86 per 200K hours worked in 1978 to zero in 1982. Reportable accident frequencies have declined from slightly over 5 to slightly over 2 during the same period. Analysis of program results indicates that the most important achievement by the company has been to gain strong commitment to safe operation by all employees. It is important that program format and content be frequently changed and modified so that: 1) The requirement for safe job performance is communicated well and often, 2) The safe job performance message is trans- mitted in new and interesting ways, and 3) Operating personnel participate in design and implementation of the program.

Jan 1, 1983

By Pedro E. Rengifo

Splicing methods have undergone considerable developments over the last 2Oyears. Continuous conveyor belt service is dependent entirely on the strength and life of the splice to hold the two ends together. Ultimately, belting performance is dependent on the quality, efficiency, and technique of the splicer. As customers demand better belting performance and running tensions increase, the need for splices that perform as efficiently as the belting has increased also. Higher dynamic belt constructions have also dictated the need for "new"sp1icing techniques. Regardless of the belt type used or spliced, one item that is most necessary with all belt types is the quality of the workmanship and standardized splicing methods that employ all of the necessary elements required to ensure reliable field service. This paper will explore the use of Goodyear-issued internal standards for field splicing following the constraints of quality and efficiency for fabric and steel cord reinforced belting. Also included are the 10 most common mistakes made by splicers, Goodyear-issued Field Quality Assurance Standards, and check lists for end users to adhere to the manufacturers' requirements for splicing including materials and specifications for conveyor belt splicing and repairs.

Jan 1, 2004

By Gealy W. Wallwork

The administrative processes of coal mines are becoming increasingly complex. As society evolves into a more complicated structure with greater emphasis on individuality, government regulations reach deeply into every activity in an effort to force individuals into a standardized mold. These contradictory pressures add an extra burden to the administration of a mining operation. Recent years have brought a substantial change in the skills needed by mine supervisors and managers. As a result, a better understanding of the administrative functions is necessary. The mine superintendent has the overall responsibility for the mine; for effective operation he must be sufficiently knowledgeable to oversee all the complex functions that make up the mine. This chapter does not cover all the administrative requirements because of the variation in mine operation and in company policies and organizational structure. It does attempt to identify the administrative functions that would be required at a large mine with a preparation plant. It is assumed that the mine operation is decentralized with very little duplication of functions at the organizational levels above the mine. Thus each function is assumed to be relatively complete at the mine and under the general supervision of the mine superintendent.

Jan 1, 1981

One of the largest mining shows in the world is set take place April 15-18 in Santiago, Chile. Expomin 2008 is expected to attract more than 60,000 professionals from around the world who are involved in all aspects of the mining industry. Expomin has become an important place for mining leaders to meet, organizers said, ?with great expectations for the development of new business in international markets.? This is the 10th Expomin. The event, held every two years, is expected to at-tract exhibitors from more than 25 countries, representing nearly 1,000 companies and more than 3,000 brands related to the mining industry, organizers said. Most all of the world?s largest equipment manufacturers and suppliers ? surface and underground ? will be represented. The importance of the event to the Chilean and international mining industry can be seen by the increase in size of the exhibition ? 13 percent more surface space in 2008, compared with the 2006 Expomin. The exhibit will be broken down into four pavilions, covering 34,054 m2 (355,570 sq ft). An outdoor area for the large mining equipment will cover 16,120 m2 (173,520 sq ft).

Jan 1, 2008

By Randal J. Barnes

The nonlinear network optimization algorithm developed in this paper solves the following mine ventilation design problem: find the location and size of all fans and regulators which minimize the overall system power consumption while satisfying all physical, legal, and operational constraints. This work includes the formulation of the problem within the framework of mathematical optimization, the development of the computational theory, and the creation of an efficient solution methodology. The algorithm has been implemented on a microcomputer, and a small but representative example is included. The algorithm presented in this paper has four limitations. First, the optimization process is for a single point in time: the dynamic nature of a mine ventilation system in an evolving mine is not directly addressed. Second, the topology of the ventilation network is required input information. The mathematical algorithm does not optimize the size or location of the mine ventilation airways; however, the post optimality analysis techniques can be used to aid in topological decisions. Third, the problem is formulated using volumetric flow; thus, heat and moisture transfer are ignored. Fourth, the capital cost of ventilation equipment is not included in the formulation.

Jan 1, 1989

By Donald W. Gentry

Mine valuation is a multifaceted, interdisciplinary process by which the economic viability of an old, existing, or new mining property or venture is determined. The problems associated with arriving at a representative and accurate value for a mining property are complex and numerous, and the procedures utilized in determining these values vary from simple, back-of-envelope calculations to sophisticated mathematical manipulations requiring computer modeling and analysis. Regardless of the complexity or the degree of sophistication associated with any particular project, the evaluation process must ultimately provide management with two basic types of information. First, the evaluation process should indicate whether or not the mining project is economically viable after careful consideration of all engineering, environmental, geologic, and other variables pertaining to the project. Second, the evaluation process should provide management in- formation on the relative attractiveness of the project when compared to other alternatives. In some cases, it may be extremely difficult to supply this information for a project directly. Nonetheless, the evaluation process should and must present all information necessary in a format which can be incorporated into the decision-making process as expeditiously as possible.

Jan 1, 1979

By V Leus, J. Kallioinen

The large size of the modern flotation cells and the high product flow rate from them has increased the importance of optimal flotation of all the particle sizes and of process control. By treating all the subprocesses of flotation separately a new family of flotation cells and a new concept of optimizing the flotation of coarse and fine particles in separate units but in the same row of flotation cells has been developed. The paper discusses the possibility to enhance coarse particle flotation by varying the froth residence time. A function has been developed between the residence time of the froth, air rate and the froth removal rate of coarse apatite particles. The response of apatite flotation to different control variables has been studied and modelled. The results show that the BPL assay response depends not only on the control variable used but also on the feed assay to the cell. There exists an feed assay dependent region within which the froth assay can be controlled by using the froth residence time as the control variable. These regions can be used to tune a rougher-multistep cleaner circuit to optimal.

Jan 1, 1993

By Aldo F. Barsotti

The production and consumption of industrial minerals in the United States traditionally have played important roles in mining and in the supply of the bulk of basic raw materials to the economy. This diverse group of minerals extracted and consumed by a variety of industries accounts, on a weight and volume basis, for most mineral-based products consumed in our economy. Industrial minerals form the bulk of the basic raw-materials feedstock for most of the construction, agricultural, and inorganic-chemical-manufacturing sectors, and a good portion of the transportation, manufacturing, organic chemical, and service sectors of the U.S. economy. In this presentation, I discuss current estimates of the amount and value of industrial minerals mined compared with all mining in 1997. I then present a summary of 1997 production of industrial minerals by several end-use industries. This is followed by a historical perspective of the consumption of industrial minerals as a subset of all basic materials, with special emphasis on the aggregates industry. The presentation concludes with a look at the geographic distribution of industrial mineral operations in the United States and some thoughts about the future.

Jan 1, 1999

By David M. Mchaina, Steve Hardcastle, Michel Grenier

An overview of the process employed to assess arsenic exposure levels at a gold mine is provided together with the recommended control measures. Arsenic and its compounds are regulated in Ontario as designated substances in all workplaces except mines and concentrators. There is a proposal to remove the exemption for mine and concentrators. If the exemption is removed, the mining industry will be required to adopt the proposed exposure Limit of 0.01 mg/m over 40 hours. There are many mines in Ontario which will be affected by this new regulation. To determine the extent of which workers are exposed to Levels exceeding 0.01 mg/m , an assessment program was initiated at the mine. The main objective of the program was to determine the effect of the proposed regulation on underground and surface operations in term of compliance if it becomes Law. The data obtained from the assessment program shared that only 1ML of the workplaces monitored for arsenic indicated levels above the proposed limit of 0.01 ,/yard all workplace levels were below the present Limit of 0.2 mg/m .

Jan 1, 1992

By Karl J. Ellefsen

A geophysical investigation can provide valuable geologic information needed to characterize sand-and- gravel deposits and can be an attractive complement to more common characterization methods such as drilling. Although such investigations have been conducted already, a comparison of the different geophysical methods used in these investigations apparently has never been done. For this reason, a study was initiated by the Mineral Resources Program of the U.S. Geological Survey to determine the advantages and the limitations of different geophysical methods when used to evaluate alluvial sand-and-gravel deposits. The study is focused on those geophysical methods that are commonly available, because these are most likely to be used by industry. Furthermore, the study is focused on surface geophysical methods. Heretofore, four different methods have been evaluated. Three of the four methods-time-domain electro-magnetic (TEM) soundings, frequency-domain electro-magnetic profiling, DC-resistivity soundings-are similar in that they all measure the electrical resistivity of the ground with depth. Ground-penetrating radar, however, maps changes in the dielectric permittivity and for the electrical resistivity with depth. For all, four methods, the objective is to relate the measured physical quantity to the stratigraphy of the alluvial sediments.

Jan 1, 1999

By Solomon S. Katz

As more and more computer software is written for geological mapping applications, the users of the software are discovering the problems of transferring data between the programs, maintaining correct data and integrating maps produced last week with those produced today. One way to deal with these situations is by using a geographic information system (GIs). Last September the USGS and National Academy of Science held a 5-day GIs symposium on integrating technology and geoscience applications (USGS, 1988). It was followed in October by GEOTECH '88 (Peters and Krajewski 1989) which had a session exclusively for GIs applications in the Geo-Sciences. Editorials in Geobyte (Leonard, 1986, 1988) suggested that geographic information systems will be the next major computer programs to be adopted by the mineral industries. As far- back is 1985, the Computer Oriented Geological Society (COGS) printed An Introduction to GIs in their newsletter (Katz, 1985). About 20 years ago, a revolutionary idea occurred in the world of business data processing. It was the idea that all related data be stored in a standard format, in a single place and that all related computer application programs would use the same data.

Jan 1, 1989