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By J. R. Thoenen

[Before 1914 Germany held a virtual monopoly on the world supply of potash for fertilizer purposes. During the World War, potash shipments to the United States ceased, and recourse was had to domestic supplies. High war-tine prisms stimulated interest in various sources, and domestic production increased rapidly. At the close of the war, resumption of shipments from Germany mad other sources reduced prices to below pre-war levels, and, as a result, most of the domestic procedures ceased operations. This experience demonstrated that a domestic source of potash was necessary but that it must be of such a nature that it could compete in price with foreign sources. As a direct result the potash content of thick]

Jan 1, 1941

By John A. Mathews

It is a great honor to be asked by the Board of Directors of this Institute to deliver the Henry Marion Howe lecture. The invitation carries with it a great responsibility, which I accept with considerable hesitation and with a feeling of unworthiness to perform the duties expected of me in this hour devoted to the memory of the life, character, and work of the late Professor Howe. Many of you recall the scholarly address delivered here a year ago by Prof. Albert Sauveur, and the beautiful tribute he paid to his friend and colleague of many years in the great work of changing the art of iron making into the science of iron. My association with Professor Howe was of brief duration—only one year—and the relation was that of pupil to teacher. My feeling toward him in later years was always that of a humble disciple at the feet of a master. He attained his third academic degree in the year that I was born. I recall the pride I felt when, after entering the steel industry, I received from him, from time to time, letters asking for information or, perchance, asking my opinion, and he was always most punctilious in acknowledging the source of such bits of information in his writings. It was also my good fortune to sit at the feet of another great teacher— Sir William Roberts-Austen, at the Royal School of Mines. I mention him because his name was used by Osmond in coining the word "aus-tenite," which is the subject of this address, and Osmond's suggestion was heartily approved by Howe. These three international metallurgists were the best of friends and delighted to honor the achievements of one another. There are other reasons for mentioning Roberts-Austen at this time. It was an introduction from Howe that opened to me the door of his laboratory as well as of his heart. It was while at Roberts-Austen's laboratory that I worked side by side with William Campbell

Jan 1, 1925

THE solid nonmetallic inclusions that are present to some extent in all commercial steels have been variously designated. In early references they were usually called slag inclusions, and. this terminology is still retained to some extent. On the premise that all nonmetallic matter produced in a metallurgical process is slag, this can be justified. We have come to think of slag, however, in a more restricted sense, and calling these particles slag inclusions is further objectionable because it fosters the erroneous concept that they are actually incorporated portions of furnace slag. Rarely is this true. The term sonims (coined from solid nonmetallic impurities) was proposed many years ago but never came into common use. In general the term "nonmetallic inclusions" seems to be satisfactory and adequate. NATURE AND CONSTITUTION OF NONMETALLIC INCLUSIONS From the standpoint of origin, inclusions fall naturally into two classes: (1) those that occur as a result of reactions taking place in the body of the molten or solidifying metal and (2) those that result from the mechanical incorporation of refractories or other materials with which the steel comes in contact. The former are by far the more numerous and have been called indigenous, natural, or native inclusions. The latter are by their very nature sporadic in occurrence and have been called exogenous, accidental, adventitious, or foreign inclusions. They are often referred to as the "slag stringer" type, though here also the material is not likely to be furnace slag. Substances Found in Inclusions. Nonmetallic inclusions are composed principally of oxides and sulphidea but carbides and nitrides sometimes play an important role. In the case of indigenous inclusions the reactions by which these particles are precipitated from the molten or solidifying steel may be caused by (1) oxidation such as may occur during refining or during tapping and teeming, (2) deoxidation by added alloys, (3) change in equilibrium constants as the steel cools to the freezing temperature, (4) decreased solubility with lower

Jan 1, 1944

By WILLIAM F. McMURRAY, James O. Lewis

The Bureau of Mines is investigating the technology of petroleum and its products, the investigation including well-drilling methods and the transportation, treatment, and utilization of petroleum and of natural gas, with especial reference to the prevention of waste and to increased efficiencyin the development of oil and gas resources in land belonging to or controlled by the Government. During. the winter of 1912-13 the enormous waste of the gas encountered while drilling for oil in the Cushing field, Oklahoma, called forth protests from various sources, and appeal was made to the President of the United States and to the Secretary of the Interior in behalf of the landowner and of the public in general. The facts were wanted regarding the amount of waste and the technical conditions that were responsible for practices causing it. An investigation was ordered and conducted under the direct supervision of the late J. A. Holmes, the first Director of the Bureau of Mines. R. S.Blatchley was sent to investigate the amount of waste going on in the Mid-Continent flelds.s In the latter part of March, 1913, J. A. Pollard and A. G. Heggem were sent to Oklahoma to study well-drilling methods with reference to the waste of gas from wells on Indian lands and to suggest means of preventing the waste of natural gas on such lands. Pollard and Heggem decided that the mud-laden fluid process, which had been used successfully for some years in Texas, Louisiana, and California was the method that would meet the situation most efficiently and economically. The method was accordingly demonstrated in Oklahoma. In 1914 Congress provided for the employment of six oil and gas inspectors to supervise oil and gas mining operations on lands of the Five Civilized Tribes in Oklahoma and to conduct investigations with a view to the prevention of waste. Positions under this appropriation have been held by William F. McMurray, James O. Lewis, Harry D. Aggers, Ralph R. "Weed,George W. McPherson, James C. Fowler, Louis W. Courtney, and Carl H. Beal, the technical work of these men being directed "byW. A. Williams, chief of the petroleum division, Bureau of Mines. After careful and impartial investigation of conditions in Oklahoma, these men also decided that the mud-laden fluid process was the one best adapted to prevent further wastes. In 1915 laws were passed by the State of Oklahoma that provide for the conservation of natural gas and oil, authority being given to the corporation commission to make rules and regulations and to employ agents to enforce them. After hearings and investigations, the corporation commission reached substantially the same conclusions as the Federal agents regarding the importance of the wastes and the best methods of conserving the gas. Technical Papers 66a and 68b were published by the Bureau of Mines in December, 1913, and January, 1914, respectively. Technical Paper 66 deals with the mud-laden fluid process in general and No. 68 with its application in Oklahoma. The interest aroused by these publications has been so widespread that within two years the first editions have been practically exhausted. Rather than reprint these publications, it has been considered advisable to replace them with the present report, which includes the results of more recent investigations. The methods of using the mud-laden fluid are an outgrowth of the rotary drilling system, which was developed in Texas and later employed in Louisiana and California. Some of the principles of the use of mud fluid had been observed and used to a limited extent for a long time in cable-tool drilling. So far as known it was first used successfully with a circulator and cable tools in the Coalinga field, California, in 1906,Harry D. Aggers, one of the contributors to this paper, working on the well. The part of the Bureau of Mines has been to call attention to its merits and to demonstrate its practical use in fields like those of the Mid-Continent.

Jan 1, 1916

By John P. Capp

After World War II the Bureau of Mines studied methods of producing synthesis gas including a plan to gasify coal in place. Consequently, under a cooperative agreement with the Alabama Power Co., Bureau engineers directed a series of experiments that were carried out on the property of the Alabama Power Co. at Gorgas, Ala. The purpose of underground gasification of coal, regardless of method used, is to obtain the energy contained in the fuel for use on the surface, without mining in the usual sense of the term. Underground gasification can be described as (1) a process where coal, in place, is consumed by partial combustion with air, oxygen, steam, or any combination of these to produce a low calorific value gas (80 to 300 Btu per cu ft) or (2) a complete combustion process in which air is used to produce a gas containing carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and considerable thermal energy.

Jan 1, 1963

By John P. Capp

After World War II the Bureau of Mines studied methods of producing synthesis gas including a plan to gasify coal in place. Consequently, under a cooperative agreement with the Alabama Power Co., Bureau engineers directed a series of experiments that were carried out on the property of the Alabama Power Co. at Gorgas, Ala. The purpose of underground gasification of coal, regardless of method used, is to obtain the energy contained in the fuel for use on the surface, without mining in the usual sense of the term. Underground gasification can be described as (1) a process where coal, in place, is consumed by partial combustion with air, oxygen, steam, or any combination of these to produce a low calorific value gas (80 to 300 Btu per cu ft) or (2) a complete combustion process in which air is used to produce a gas containing carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and considerable thermal energy.

Jan 1, 1963

By Sutham Niyomwas

Synthesis of alumina-mullite-silicon carbide composite (Al2O3-Al6Si2O13-SiCw) was obtained in situ by carbothermal reduction of a mixture of kaolin and two different silica sources. The carbothermal reduction was carried out in a horizontal tube furnace under flow of argon gas. The standard Gibbs energy minimization method was used to calculate the equilibrium composition of the reacting species. The synthesized products were mixtures of alumina, mullite and silicon carbide in the form of whiskers. The effects of adding two different silica sources of rice husk ash and silica powder to the mixture of kaolin and activated carbon were investigated. XRD and SEM analyses indicate complete reaction of precursors to yield Al2O3- Al6Si2O13-SiC as product powders, with the SiC having whisker morphology.

Jan 1, 2006

By A. N. Kumar

Two fabrication stages in the manufacture of pipelines are identified as causing significant deterioration of the steel plates, namely cold bending and welding. The objectives of this work include quantitative assessment of the degradation of the quality of the steel plate by the loss of fracture toughness, and an estimation of the safe working pressure. The study was conducted on three API grade steels: X42, X46 and X60. After cold bending by the UO technique, various welding technique were employed for joining of the bend plates along the pipe length. A crack-tip opening displacement parameter (CTOD) was used at the onset of initiation and at the first load maxima as the criterion for assessing the toughness degradation under various fabrication stages and regime (such as WZ, HAZ and parent body). In addition, strength, hardness and impact energy values were determined to check the degree of degradation. Microstructural and microfractographic investigation of the fractured samples were also carried out in the scanning electron microscope (SEM). X60 grade steel plate suffers from CTOD toughness loss by around 38 and 55% after welding and cold bending, respectively, for the conditions studied. A combined effect of the two stages results in a loss in toughness by around 70% for the same steel. In X42 grade, the loss in impact energy ranges from 78 to 35 J due to electrical-resistance welding study (ERW). Crack resistance curves are also obtained for the steels to study the crack growth resistance behaviour and to supplement the information on crack initiation behaviour. The orientation of the pearlite banding, as observed on the fracture plane with respect to notch front and applied loading direction appears to have a strong influence on the microvoid-coalescence mechanism of fracture as well as the toughness values. An integrated analysis of the performance of pipelines, considering all these key factors, is discussed.

Jan 1, 2005

By AN. Kumar

Two fabrication stages in the manufacture of pipelines are identified as causing significant deterioration of the steel plates, namely cold bending and welding. The objectives of this work include quantitative assessment of the degradation of the quality of the steel plate by the loss of fracture toughness, and an estimation of the safe working pressure. The study was conducted on three API grade steels: X42, X46 and X60. After cold bending by the UO technique, various welding technique were employed for joining of the bend plates along the pipe length. A crack-tip opening displacement parameter (CTOD) was used at the onset of initiation and at the first load maxima as the criterion for assessing the toughness degradation under various fabrication stages and regime (such as WZ, HAZ and parent body). In addition, strength, hardness and impact energy values were determined to check the degree of degradation. Microstructural and microfractographic investigation of the fractured samples were also carried out in the scanning electron microscope (SEM). X60 grade steel plate suffers from CTOD toughness loss by around 38 and 55% after welding and cold bending, respectively, for the conditions studied. A combined effect of the two stages results in a loss in toughness by around 70% for the same steel. In X42 grade, the loss in impact energy ranges from 78 to 35 J due to electrical-resistance welding study (ERW). Crack resistance curves are also obtained for the steels to study the crack growth resistance behaviour and to supplement the information on crack initiation behaviour. The orientation of the pearlite banding, as observed on the fracture plane with respect to notch front and applied loading direction appears to have a strong influence on the microvoid-coalescence mechanism of fracture as well as the toughness values. An integrated analysis of the performance of pipelines, considering all these key factors, is discussed.

Jan 1, 2005

By John W. Cahn, David A. Karlyn, Morris Cohen

The massive B(bcc) — am (fcc) transformation in Cu-Zn alloys has been studied isothermally by pulse-heating the retained ß phase from room temperature to the reaction temperatures. The transformation is found to occur only in the single-phase a region of the equilibrium diagram. The massive growth rate is of the order of 1 cm per sec and is constant at each temperature, usually after a delay time of some milliseconds. The delay time depends on the reaction temperature in C-curve fashion, while the growth rate increases monotonically with temperature over the single-phase range. The absence of isothermal massive transformation in the two-phase region does not arise from slow growth rates at such temperatures, but because the reaction cannot get started there. It is proposed that the massive transjormation initiates at small preexisting a particles which have rejected zinc into the surrounding 0 matrix. Only within the single-phase region can these particles consume the excess zinc during diffusion-controlled growth and thereby accelerate to the steady-state massive growth rate. The onset of massive growth marks the end of the delay time, and the growth rate then becomes interface-controlled. These isothermal transformation characteristics explain why the usual composition range for massive-kinetic studies by quenching is so limited. The same principles can be extended to more complex alloy systems by recognizing that the single-phase region in which the massive transformation can occur may not be stable with respect to phases not participating in the reaction. MASSWE transformations are now recognized as a regular class of solid-state reactions involving no compositional change (like martensitic transformations) and no shear displacements (unlike martensitic transformations). The name was first coined by Greninger1 in 1939 to describe the coarse grains of fcc a solid solution generated via a fast reaction from the parent bcc 0 solid solution in Cu-A1 alloys. However, some 9 years earlier, phillips2 had already described a similar transformation in the Cu-Zn system. The fact that the massive a formed as a single phase during drastic quenching from the 0 region of the equilibrium diagram signified that compositional changes were precluded. and the reaction was presumed to take place as in a one-component polymorphic transition by nucleation and growth. Phillips also observed that the occurrence of the massive transformation in the Cu-Zn system was extremely sensitive to alloy composition. For example. in a Cu-37.3 at. pct Zn alloy. the ß — am (am = massive transformation product) reaction was found to predominate and was not suppressed by iced-brine quenching from the 0 region. whereas at compositions greater than 38.3 at. pct Zn the massive reaction did not appear at all. Knowledge concerning massive transformations has bee11 substantially enhanced over the years by Massalski and his coworkers; an excellent summary of his papers and the current understanding of this type of reaction has been published recently by Barrett and ~assalski." he massive transformation product grows in roughly nodular form. often with irregular boundaries but sometimes with almost planar interfaces. The latter may have simple crys-tallographic indices relative to the 0 matrix. or the indices may be complex just as in the case of mar-tensites.'1 Little is known about the existence of orientation relationships between the massive and parent phases. A striking feature of massive transformations is that the massive units start almost exclusively at grain boundaries of the parent phase and frequently propagate on a broad front across matrix grains and grain boundaries of various orientations. Because of the rapid growth rate, it is thought that the interface motion is controlled. not by long-range diffusion. but by thermally activated atom jumps across the transformation boundary.

Jan 1, 1970

By F. Maciosek, D. Denton, J. Johnson

Researchers from the Spokane Research Laboratory of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and personnel from Coeur Silver Valley, Wallace, ID, conducted tests using rock strain strips and Split-Set rock bolts instrumented with strain gauges to monitor wall rock strain at the Galena Mine, Osburn, ID. The objective of the test was to identify whether strain on the rock bolts increased prior to a rock burst. Although results were inconclusive, researchers learned that the Split-Set rock bolts yielded in stick-slip fashion in the highly jointed walls of the stope. The bolts were also bent as stress was redistributed following blasting and subsequent movement along joints in the wall rocks.

Jan 1, 2004

By C. D. Anderson

A variety of processing technologies exist for recovery from both primary and secondary sources of rhenium. Currently, there are no known primary rhenium deposits; thus, the method in which primary rhenium is produced is dependent on the commodity of which it is a byproduct, e.g., copper, molybdenum, uranium, etc. In addition, focus on the recovery of rhenium from secondary sources, such as alloy scraps and catalysts, is continually growing. This paper presents a review of both primary and secondary processing technologies for the recovery of rhenium.

By W. T. Malone, J. R. Williams, R. L. Tiner, J. M. Tinsley

Hydraulic fracturing methods for production stimulation have become a common procedure in the oil and gas industry. Fracturing treatments are performed on wells of various potentials to help increase the production rate. In addition to the desire for increased production is the need to predict what increase might be expected. This knowledge is useful in economical treatment planning to accomplish the desired production goals for the well. Theoretical production increases due to horizontal radial fractures may be calculated using equations developed from mathematical analyses and electrical models.1,2,6 It also is possible to predict theoretical production increases due to vertical fractures using curves developed from electrical3 and mathematical models.8 However, these studies assumed that the vertical fracture height and the formation height were equal, which may not be true." In addition, the final fracture height through which fluid is produced may not be equal to the created height. The development of vertical fracture proppant transport relationships has made unrealistic the assumption that propped fracture height is equal to created fracture height. Through the use of published proppant transport equations,4'12 it is possible to calculate the height of a bed of propping agent deposited in a fracture of a given height. Assuming that the fluid flowing in the fracture moves through only the propped portion of that fracture (i.e., that the un-propped part of the fracture heals) it becomes essential to know how production increase varies with the ratio of propped fracture height to formation height. It should be recognized that future investigation may determine that the fracture does not heal completely and that a highly permeable channel exists over the deposited bed of proppant. The effect of this channel was not considered for the present study. The following analysis of experimental data allowed development of curves to determine theoretical production increases considering fracture height as a variable. Discussion In designing a fracturing stimulation treatment a number of variables must be considered. The size of the treatment, type of proppant used, proppant concentration, treatment fluid properties and well conditions are all factors affecting the dimensions and permeability of the fracture. Production increase due to a vertical fracture is affected by propped length, height, width and permeability of the fracture for a given set of formation conditions. Production increase may be defined as the ratio of production rate after fracturing to the production rate before fracturing at the same pressure differential, pe — pw. The producing rate in an

Jan 1, 1970

By O. M. Schaus

The following is a description of the methods employed at the Eureka-Asteroid mine, which is situated on the Gogebic range, at Ramsey, Mich. The mime is operated by the Castile Mining Co. under the direction of Oglebay Norton & Co. This paper has been prepared in accordance with an outline furbished by the United States Bureau of Mines, and in one of a series, on mining methods and costs covering the principal minim operations throughout the United States. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author acknowledges the assistance of the mining organization of the Castile Mining Co. in the preparation of this paper.

Jan 1, 1930

By William Gleason

While a fleet of 100 t (110 st) haul trucks were busy removing overburden from the open pit mine in the distance, a host of dignitaries, including congressmen and California state representatives, gathered for Molycorp?s official groundbreaking ceremony at the Mountain Pass Mine on April 20. The mine, recognized as arguably one of the richest rare earths deposits in the world, is at the center of Molycorps? strategic ?Mine to Magnets? plan. It aims to secure America?s future supply of rare-earth-dependent technologies by developing a strong domestic rare earth industry. Molycorp identifies rare-earth-dependent technologies as those that cannot be produced without rare earth materials. The list of these technologies is long and growing. It encompasses everything from personal electronics and batteries for hybrid cars to permanent magnet generator wind turbines and national defense applications.

Jan 1, 2011

By Liyuan Chai

In this study, spent grain was used as an adsorbent for the removal of Hg(II) from aqueous solutions, the process parameters such as contact time, solution pH, adsorbent dose, and initial Hg(II) concentration were studied in batch experiments. The initial adsorption process was fast, 91.08% of adsorption occurred within 5 min and equilibrium was reached at around 30min. Adsorption process was found to follow pseudo-second-order kinetics. The equilibrium data were better fitted to Langmuir isotherm than Freundlich isotherm with the maximum adsorption capacity 41.36 mg/g. The structure and component of spent grain before and after adsorption of Hg(II) were investigated using scanning electron microscope(SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray analysis(EDAX), these analysis also confirmed the adsorption of Hg(II) onto spent grain. The results indicated that spent grain had potential as a new inexpensive adsorbent for Hg(II) removal from aqueous solutions.

Jan 1, 2009

The Misima open pit gold mine is a 20Mt per annum operation. Blasthole drilling is used to sample all material at a uniform 5m square pattern, and representative sub- sampling of the blast holes enables assay samples to be collected over the full 10m bench height. Samples are assayed for gold, silver and copper at the Company's laboratory at the mine site and the assays are provided to geologists as a written assay report and on floppy disc. Surveyed blasthole locations and assay results are transferred via personal computers (PCs) to a SUN mini-computer where results are stored by bench, blasthole assays are kriged, and plot files are created. A geologist selects grade boundaries from the kriged data, adjusting the boundaries towards the raw blasthole data where hard boundaries are recognised. Surveyors peg the resultant boundaries in the pit using a system of colour-coded pegs to display the different material types. A daily plan also shows boundaries and face positions.

Jan 1, 1991

By Kenneth McGowan

"The aluminum industry is the 5th largest consumer of energy and the largest consumer of energy on a per-weight basis. Process heating accounts for 25% of the energy consumed to manufacture aluminum. Consequently, the generation of this energy results in the production of a significant amount of CO2 (over 3.75 million metric tons in 2003)1. As a result, the Aluminum Industry Technology Roadmap of 2003 listed the development of improved refractory materials as a goal to reduce energy use and decrease greenhouse gas creation. The result of a R&D effort addressing this desire is the development of patented microporous refractory materials for metal contact applications in all furnace areas including the belly band. It has been demonstrated that this material can reduce energy consumption up to 38% in furnaces and significantly reduce heat loss in launder and trough systems. Furthermore the material developed is non-wetting and remains un-penetrated by metal throughout its lifetime. The material does not contribute to the formation of corundum. As a result, the energy efficiency of an older lining remains intact compared to standard refractory materials which may have an initial high insulating value (such as lightweights and board) or standard dense refractory (even with penetration inhibitors) both of which show a rapid increase in thermal conductivity as the refractory is penetrated with aluminum and formed corundumIntroductionThe aluminum industry is the second largest producer of metal in the United States, behind the iron and steel industry. It is the 5th largest consumer of energy and the largest consumer of energy on a per-weight basis. Process heating is required to melt, hold, purify, alloy, and heat treat the metal and accounts for 25% of the energy consumed to manufacture aluminum. As such, process heating is the second largest energy consuming operation. Smelting, which utilizes an electrolytic reduction process is the largest energy consuming operation1.Most process heating is accomplished through the use of fossil fuels, either directly or indirectly. The choice of fuel is dependent on a plant’s location and fossil fuel availability. Table I shows the processes impacted by refractories and the calculated BTU’s generated by usage of the respective fuels as well as the Metric Tons (MT) of metal passed through each process in 20001."

Jan 1, 2009

By Sheng-li Wu, Guo-liang Zhang, Bo Su

One of the major challenges for the Canadian Gen IV Super-Critical Water-cooled Reactor (SCWR) concept is the selection of fuel cladding materials. The Canadian SCWR concept will operate at a core outlet temperature of 625 oC and 25 MPa of pressure with peak cladding temperature reaching as high as 800 oC. Corrosion resistance is an important factor for material selection. Austenitic stainless steels that contain Cr contents greater than 18 wt.% are generally considered to provide adequate corrosion resistance. In this work, the pressure dependence of the corrosion of austenitic stainless steel 310 containing 24 wt% Cr is assessed at 625 C for exposures of 1000 hours to evaluate the suitability of superheated steam as a surrogate for supercritical water at 25 MPa. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) revealed that 310 exposed to different pressure conditions at 625 oC. (i.e., 0.1, 8 and 29 MPa) had generally the same type of the oxide structure, i.e., a Cr-rich oxide with the spinel structure on outer surface adjacent to the water phase. The material exposed at 8 and 29 MPa had a double layer oxide structure, with the outer oxide layer having a much larger grain size, while the samples exposed at 0.1 MPa showed only a single spinel-phase oxide layer. Cr-depleted recrystallized austenite grains were found underneath the spinel phase oxide. The adjacent large-grained austenite substrate had M23C6 carbides in the grain interior. The implications of these results are discussed.

Jan 1, 2015

By C Dick

Over the past three decades, mining operations have seen a significant increase in the use of contractors for mining, camp management and catering, recruitment, maintenance, power management, and commissioning. More recently contractors have been engaged for stores and logistics, OH&S, environmental, exploration, training etc. In some countries, such as South Africa, the trend is towards total outsourcing of all aspects of a mining operation which is coordinated by the owners’ management team.During the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) more Australian companies considered and/or took on this approach to recruiting for both projects and operations as mining companies were forced to rethink their corporate strategies as commodity prices plummeted to low levels, pushing operations and projects into potentially financially unviable territory.This paper discusses the labour recruitment, commissioning and operating strategy of Western Areas NL (WSA), with the assistance of Independent Metallurgical Operations Pty Ltd (IMO), as it progressed construction, commissioning and operation of the Cosmic Boy nickel concentrator at the Forrestania Nickel Project during and post GFC. The use of IMO contractors allowed Western Areas to mitigate labour cost risk during the uncertainty caused by the GFC and let their management team focus on the task of bringing a new operation into viable and profitable production.

Aug 8, 2011