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Courses in chemical engineering and metallurgical engineering at the University of Queensland were compared and the main difference was found to be the greater emphasis on the application of chemical engineering fundamentals, particularly chemical thermodynamics, to specific processes in the metallurgy course. This reflects the distinctive features of extractive metallurgical processes which are not common in other chemical engineering processes and which justify the study of extractive metallurgy in its own right. B.Sc. courses in metallurgy provide one way in which the specialist knowledge of extractive metallurgy can be taught. General metallurgy courses are considered to be preferable to those restricted solely to extractive metallurgy since graduates of a general course have a wider choice of employment, while excessive emphasis on extractive metallurgical applications in chemical engineering courses could reduce the non-specific nature of these courses. Postgraduate diploma and higher degree programmes are avenues for non- metallurgists to acquire knowledge of the discipline.

Jan 1, 1984

One of the major changes in the resource industry in the nineties has been the re-internationalisation of the industry. The history of the resource business has been one of companies from the developed world utilising the cash flows from their operations to explore and develop mines in less developed regions of the world. This resource development has progressively generated wealth and economic development, which in turn, has led to a new generation of exploration and mining projects. In South America, Chile had led the way in a mining resurgence, now closely followed by Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela and Peru. Although Chile has long had a significant copper mining industry, the pre-nationalisation phase was driven by American capital; the current phase has been spearheaded by R.T.Z. - B.H.P. at Escondida with Canadian junior companies, in particular, providing major speculative impetus. The Australian junior companies have not been significant in South America.

Jan 1, 1995

By Hall S. F, Quast K. B Newell R, Ketteridge I. B

For the past six years research funded by the State Energy Research Advisory Commit- tee of South Australia has been conducted at the South Australian Institute of Technology, School of Mining and Metallurgy on South Australian lignites. A major part of this work has been a study of the potential bene- fication of Bowmans lignite using hydrometal- lurgical techniques. The Bowmans lignite de- posit is the largest of its type in South Australia and is a major energy reserve for the state. The utilization potential of this deposit is reduced by its very high insitu NaCl content which presents serious problems for any process. Previous research conducted by Readett and co-workers (1984a & b) has shown that NaCl is amenable to extraction using simple batch water leaching operations. This leaching has been successfully described using a two stage diffusion model derived from first principles based on a simple diaphragm cell.

Jan 1, 1987

By Dawson RD

For the past 45 years, the casting of refined lead ingots by The Broken Hill Asso- ciated Smelters Pty. Ltd. (B.H.A,S,) at Port Pirie has been mainly by use of manually operated rotary casting wheels of Newnam design. This style of operation was quite satisfactory as far as standard of product was concerned, but was manually intensive and a relatively high cost operation. With most other large scale lead producers already using automated-casting equipment, an investigation which commenced in 1966, progressed through stages of enquiry, design and development until the present plant commenced trial operations in late 1973, and fully operative in late 1974. While certain features of the plant are sed on overseas practices the plant was signed and built within Australia to BRAS ecifications. As constructed it consists two almost identical casting lines each pable of producing 25 kg ingots at 25 tonnes r hour using straight line casting machines d automated stacking weighing and strapping

Jan 1, 1975

By Doyle J

The direct method of gas content determin ation developed by McCulloch and Diamond of the U.S.B.M. has been adapted to estimate the gas content of coal seams from slim exploration borecores in the Southern Coalfield. Emphasis has been placed on the measurement of this parameter without the physical destruction of the core which is required for subsequent chemical analysis. In field and laboratory equipment is simple and inexpensive. It enables the determination of lost and desorbed gas from a fresh geological core. Residual gas is not measured but is considered to be relatively low and of no consequence in ventilation considerations. Results to date show good correlation with those obtained from underground face samples. Gas contents from the mined seams varying from 2 m3/tonne to 14 m3/tonne have been measur- ed with this apparatus. Gas desorption characteristics of South Coast coals have been found to closely follow exponential mathematical Models.

Jan 1, 1983

By E Mroczek, M Climo, B Carey, M P. Simpson

"An EXTENDED ABSTRACT is available for download. A full-length paper was not prepared for this presentation. The composition and volume of geothermal fluids in New Zealand offers considerable potential for the extraction of various metals and minerals, as well as being a source of heat energy, steam and gases, and for use in generating electricity. While extracting products from geothermal fluids is technically feasible, positive economics is the key driver for commercial success; however, there is no assessment of this opportunity that identifies simple, cost-effective processing technologies and provides a greater understanding of the economic viability and barriers for implementing such technologies. The methodology that will be used to evaluate the commercial opportunities for New Zealand is discussed.CITATION:Mroczek, E, Simpson, M P, Climo, M and Carey, B, 2015. From waste to wealth – mineral extraction from geothermal brines, in Proceedings PACRIM 2015 Congress, pp 133–138 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne)."

Mar 18, 2015

The Charters Towers 1:250 000 Gravity Data Set represents a new initiative of the Department of Resource Industries (DRI, formerly Queensland Department of Mines) to provide high quality regional gravity data over areas of the State that have high potential for new mineral discoveries. The Department has adopted a strategy to upgrade geophysical data to complement the ongoing Regional Geological Mapping Program (RGMP) of this Department and in areas where the data would be of most benefit to the mineral exploration industry. Part of this strategy is to ensure that these data are released within 6 months of data collection.The 1989 Charters Towers survey was completed as a joint project with the Bureau of Mineral Resources, Geology and Geophysics (BMR), and is the first regional geophysical data acquisition project undertaken by the DRI. Prior to this survey, the only gravity data in this area dates from the B MR regional surveys carried out between 1960 and 1967.

Jan 1, 1990

By R Dimitrakopoulos

Optimisation and mathematical formulations for open pit design and long-term production scheduling have been available since the 1960s. There are two main concerns in the application of existing mixed integer programming (MIP) models in open pit mines: a. the feasibility of generating both optimal solutions and practically mineable scheduling patterns and b. the inability to deal with in situ variability in orebodies and account for uncertainty. In dealing with these issues, a general open pit production scheduling method for multi-element deposits is presented and subsequently used to optimise the long-term production schedule in a nickel laterite deposit. The application shows the weaknesses of MIP formulations in terms of generating optimal solutions as well as practically feasible mining patterns. The application of the same formulation in the presence of in situ orebody variability and uncertainty uncovers a major reason for deviations of scheduled production from actual production, and outlines additional limits of traditional optimisation formulations as well as future needs.

Jan 1, 2003

The Mount Isa mine in North West Queens- land produces a total of nearly 10 million t/yr from separate copper and silver lead zinc orebodies. Sampling information is mainly obtained from diamond drilling on 30 to 40 metre centers in both types of orebodies. For the copper orebodies the majority of the core is analysed for copper content using a non-destructive bulk analyser developed by the Australian Atomic Energy Commission. The diamond drill core in the silver lead zinc orebodies is usually sam- pled as sawn half core and assayed in the com- pany laboratory using a variety of methods dependent upon the level of metal content and/or the elements required. Underground development is sampled where additional information is required to improve the ore reserve estimate. The copper areas are sampled using a standard 2.0 m by 2.0 m chip sample of the wall. The chips are taken on a 250 mm spacing. Lead areas are sampled using a 100 mm wide by 4 mm deep channel over intervals determined by the area geologists. The massive, irregularly shaped copper ore bodies are mined as large sublevel open stopes and pillars. Ore reserve estimation on both a production unit and global scale is routinely carried out using a geostatistical system developed in-house and running on a Sperry 1100 mainframe computer. Copper grade, tonnes and the Kriging var- iance are estimated at points on a user defined grid. The Kriging program uses 10 m assay composites from diamond drill core and underground chip samples. One average (rela- tive) variogram is used throughout the main copper orebodies. The validity of using an average variogram was verified by the original geostatistical study undertaken in the late 1970's.

Jan 1, 1987

By Morgan B. D

Since the mid 1950s, limonite deposits of a new type have been found in the northwest of Western Australia. The deposits consist of extensive fossil valley fillings up to several hundred feet in depth, of medium to high grade limonite, frequently containing limonitized fossil wood, and of Mesozoic or Tertiary age. The distribution of the deposits is closely linked with hilly outcrops of Archaean and Proterozoic jaspilite in the headwaters of the old valleys, from which the iron has been derived by leaching, and presumably re-precipitated by a process not unlike that which operates in forming bog iron deposits. Due to the relative resistance of tlie limonite to erosion, the rejuvenation of streams in the area in recent times has left limonitic remnants as mesas up to· several hundred feet above the levels of the present creeks, the courses of which generally are adjacent to or within a few miles of those of the old limonite filled valleys.The Robe River limonite deposits are the largest of this type known and can be traced for approximately 130 miles along the old stream, over 30 sq. miles of limonite remnants remaining at the present time.The present quantity of limonite in this system alone is probably in excess of 5,000,000,000 tons, and the original quantity must have exceeded four times this tonnage when allowance is made for erosion.Some thousands of millions of tons of this material contain in excess of 54 per cent Fe, with approximately 10 per cent combined water. The chief impurities are SiO2 and Al2O3, and minor elements are not present in objectionable amounts. A portion of these deposits was extensively tested by The Broken Hill Proprietary Company Limited (the B.H.P. Co. Ltd.) during 1962-1964. Most of the data presented in this paper are based on the work done on these deposits which are typical of those discussed. The overall problem of the origin of the limonite is discussed. It is apparent that the limonite originates from the jaspilitesof Archaean and Proterozoic age which form the highlands at the upstream ends of the deposits. The iron oxide has been chemically and/or mechanically derived from these jaspilites and deposited by one or more of the following mechanisms.A.-Chemical-sedimentary mainly by biological agenciesB.-Replacement of fluviatile sediments by iron-charged watersC.-Clastic sedimentary processesD.-Lateritization of fluviatile sediments.These various mechanisms are discussed; the authors favour machanismA.Manuscript received' at The Institute, 14th July, 1964.

Jan 1, 1964

By G McCullough, B Mutsaers, J Jessop

"*This is an abstract only* Geometallurgical initiatives have demonstrated considerable value to operations that have trialled them. However, it is extremely difficult for these initiatives to become properly embedded into the operations and for that value to be realised on an ongoing basis.This paper will explore some of the historical reasons why this is the case. Some of these reasons include the limited tools available to manage an integrated operation. These, in turn, have resulted from poor communications infrastructure, inadequate sensor capability and the way technical mining software has evolved over the last 30 years.This paper will then investigate how the evolution of technology in recent years can help overcome these constraints and compare progress with similar industries.CITATION:McCullough, G, Mutsaers, B and Jessop, J, 2013. Obstacles to embedding geometallurgy decision-making into operations and how to increase maturity of this critical capability, in Proceedings The Second AusIMM International Geometallurgy Conference (GeoMet) 2013, pp 139-140 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne)."

Sep 29, 2013

By M W. Chen, I Canbulat, S Saydam, C G. Zhang

The height of fracturing (HoF) measures the propagation distance of continuous fracturing from the mining horizon and is also termed the height of cracking (Hebblewhite, 2020; Khanal et al, 2019) or hydrologically the height of groundwater drainage (Tammetta, 2013). In longwall practice, HoF is an important predictive indicator for assessing the dewatering effect of panel extraction on the shallow aquifer and surface flows. The HoF determination is basically dependent on field measurement works, typically using surface extensometer, borehole televiewer imaging, piezometer monitoring, packer testing, borehole breakout logging, and isotopic tracer monitoring (Brown and Walsh, 2022; Corbett, 2022; Hebblewhite, 2020; Holla and Armstrong, 1986; Mills and O’Grady, 1998; Walsh et al, 2022a, 2022b). These methods or tools have been widely applied to observe rock fracturing and groundwater responses to longwalls at Australian coalmines, for example, Dendrobium Mine (Brown and Walsh, 2022; Walsh et al, 2022b), Appin Mine (Walsh et al, 2022a), and Springvale Mine (Corbett, 2022). In Chinese mines, borehole televiewer imaging and packer testing are more frequently used due to convenient instrumentation, quick testing, and not requiring long-term maintenance of the instrumentation boreholes. The HoF determination also involves further raw data interpretations, for which specialist software for data extraction and quantitative criteria for bounding the fracture transition and termination are necessary. By combining the measured fracture distribution and longwall parameters regarding panel geometry and geological settings, several HoF models have been developed for conceptualising the understanding of strata depressurisation and providing mine engineers fast calculation tools for HoF prediction. The Mackie model considered the height of fracturing as the upper bound of fractured zone and revealed that within the fractured zone there are highly connected fractures and accordingly porosity enhancement and groundwater depressurisation, where the fracture network can be less transmissive from the mining horizon up (Hebblewhite, 2020). The fractured zone shares similar fracturing regime but different heights in varying models: HoF is 30 to 58 times of the mining height (t) based on Australian, Soviet and UK experience (Kendorski, 1993, 2006), and 21 to 33 t according to the field measurements in NSW Central Coast, Australia (Galvin, 2016). Some Australian longwall mines adopt Ditton model (Ditton and Merrick, 2014) (Equations 1.1 and 1.2 in Table 1) sourcing from NSW coalfield experience for HoF prediction, while Liu model (Liu, 1981) (Equations 2.1 to 2.4 in Table 1) developed from 27 coalmines in China is frequently used by Chinese coalmines.

Nov 29, 2022

By Willis I. L, Stevens B. P J, Stroud W. J

The Early Proterozoic metamorphic rocks of the Broken Hill (BH) Block have been recently subdivided into sixteen formations and four groups (Willis et al., 1983b, Stevens et al., 1983). This stratigraphic subdivision has relied upon recognition of distinctive mapped rock units and "associations" of mapped rock units, which characterize particular lithostratigraphic units. The rock units and rock unit associations define local ordered sequences which can be compared and correlated, thereby establishing the stratigraphic succession. In the Clevedale homestead, Thackaringa, BH City, Bores Mine-Freyers mine, Silver King mine, and Brewery Well areas, coherent stratigraphic successions have been interpreted. These areas illustrate the regional variability of the stratigraphic succession and facies changes within individual stratigraphic units. Stratigraphic type sections are located in the Thackaringa, Bores Mine-Freyers mine, Silver King mine, and Brewery Well areas. The principles of stratigraphic interpretation applied in the BH Block can be used in other areas of Willyama Supergroup outcrop such as the Euriowie, Olary and Mount Painter Blocks. The general technique may also have applicability to other highly deformed and metamorphosed terrains.

Jan 1, 1983

By B G. Blacka, O Salisbury, K W. Mills, R G. Jeffrey

Whitehaven Coal Limited operates an underground longwall mine near Narrabri, New South Wales. The mining horizon in the Hoskissons Seam is overlain by a 16–20 m thick unit known as the Digby Conglomerate, a unit that is sufficiently massive to have potential to cause a windblast during first caving at the start of each longwall panel and periodic weighting throughout the panel. A program of hydraulic fracturing has been successfully used to precondition the conglomerate strata to increase its caveability at the start of each panel. This paper presents a system of temperature monitoring that was used successfully to measure hydraulic fractures at Whitehaven confirming their rate of growth, orientation and interaction with previously placed hydraulic fractures.CITATION:Mills, K W, Blacka, B G, Jeffrey, R G and Salisbury, O, 2014. Temperature monitoring of hydraulic fractures used for preconditioning massive conglomerate strata to reduce windblast, in Proceedings AusRock 2014: Third Australasian Ground Control in Mining Conference , pp 189–194 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Nov 5, 2014

An integrated computer system (the Short Term Mine Management System) has recently been developed by B.H.P. Steel Long Products Division in Whyalla, South Australia for use in their open pit iron ore mines.The system incorporates blast design, comprehensive blasthole data handling, grade coilrol, stockpile scheduling and management and reconciliation within a single, user friendly computer package. The blast design system allows the blasting engineer to design the layout of holes for a production blast using geological information projected from the bench above to aid in appropriate blasthole positioniog in particular rock types. The grade control system allows mining blocks to be designed and evaluated from blasthole information using interactive graphics processes. The handling, storage and reporting of blasthole survey, assay and geological logging data forms an integral part of this system. Stockpiles can be constructed from a number of mining blocks to reach a specified target grade using the stockpile management system. Although not yet integrated, the reconciliation system will reconcile stockpiles back to mining blocks and to the geological model.

Jan 1, 1990

The cost-effectiveness of blasts involving radiating blastholes is cur- rently restricted in the following ways. (a) Significant percentages of potential explosion energy are not being liberated; the collar sections of some charges are being dislocated and/or desensitised by the detonations of adjacent earlier-firing charges. (b) If the minimum charge spacing is too small, detonation of an early- firing charge can initiate an adjacent charge sympathetically, thereby eliminating the benefit of any intended inter-charge delay. (c) The overall distribution of energy is poor. Appreciably better fragmentation would be achieved if current drill- ing patterns were to be replaced by staggered fans/rings having a toe spac- ing : burden ratio of about 4 : 1. This wide-spaced pattern would enable a higher percentage of the potential energy to be released, would reduce the incidence of sympathetic detonation and would provide a superior overall distribution of this liberated energy. If improved fragmentation is not required, the proposed fan/ring design should allow a significant expansion of the blasthole pattern with consequential cost savings in drill- ing, explosives and initiation.

Jan 1, 1988

Mining regulatory authorities worldwide mandate frequent inspection of winder ropes used in shaft-equipped underground mines and ski lifts. Visual inspections are effective in identifying and assessing the type and severity of damage found in the exterior of the rope. In addition, electromagnetic or permanent magnet-based methods are used to identify broken wires, corrosion damage and other anomalies that occur anywhere within the core of wire ropes made of steel, which is a ferromagnetic material. The magnetic methods yield the loss of metallic area due to wire breaks and other damage in the ropeÆs section as well as local flaws that give rise to discontinuities in the magnetic field. The quantitative measurement of the loss of metallic area is indirectly related to the loss of breaking strength that is commonly used as a rope discard criterion. The ropes used in a mine winder in the Goldfields of Western Australia are inspected using Meraster 120B permanent magnet-based rope tester and their condition is assessed against published discard criteria.

Jan 1, 2003

By Bilbrey J. H

Land utitized duxting the past 45 yeans by the mining industty in the United States con all puxpos ez to tal4 neatly 4 million sexes. Ob this axes, 13 pexeent is used bon dL4posal ob bLne -sized mtinexal wastes dL4eaxded by one milling plants. These wastes, especi- ally the inactive taLeLng4 ponds, xequixe some type ob stabULzation to pxevent aix and watex pollution. Because these tailings ponds axe locat- ed undex wideey vaxyting etLmctLe conditions and thetix physical and chemi- cal ehaxactexti5tLes axe not constant, many methods have been developed by the Fedexal Buxeau ob Mines and oXhex inve4- ttigatoxs box 4tabLtLzLng taLtLngs. This papex detfnea.e4 the magnitude ob the pxoblemz associated with the xeelametLon ob milling plant wastes and discusses the vaxtious methods that have been developed and used. Data bxom selected Buxeau o4 Mines taboxato&y xeseaxch pxojects and a s.abAJLzetLon field txtial axe pxesen.ed.

Jan 1, 1976

By G Chitombo, A Perryman, A D. Campbell, J White, B Hollis

This paper describes the development and implementation of an optimisation tool developed as part of the Mass Mining Technology (MMT) Project. The tool, known as the SLC Schedule Optimiser, is capable of optimising the schedule of development and production activity for a sublevel cave, given a fixed draw strategy, for the life of the mine.This paper starts by describing the development and production scheduling problem for a sublevel cave, the geotechnical constraint that a schedule of activities must adhere to, and outlines the pre-existing manual planning procedures used to produce schedules.Following this, the paper then outlines the optimisation tool developed, describes the changes to the planning process it has enabled and finally quantifies the improvement to operations this tool has brought using Glencore’s Ernest Henry Mining Operations as a case study.CITATION:White, J, Perryman, A, Campbell, A D, Hollis, B and Chitombo, G, 2016. Life-of-mine development and production scheduling optimisation for sublevel cave operations, in Proceedings Seventh International Conference and Exhibition on Mass Mining (MassMin 2016), pp 133–138 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

May 9, 2016

By R Morrison, P Walters, B Adair, V Jokovic

‘Grade Engineering<sub>®</sub> is an integrated approach to coarse rejection that matches a suite of separation technologies to ore specific characteristics and compares the net value of rejecting low value components in current feed streams to existing mine plans as part of a system-view’ (Walters, 2017). Two of these technologies are directly recoverable through screening stages: Natural Deportment and Induced Deportment. The potential for taking advantage of “Natural Deportment” by size following blasting and crushing has been demonstrated for a range of ore types. Simple and low cost screening can in some cases generate a fine product with improved grade and a lower grade oversize which can be directed to leach or to waste. Where an ore body consists of many different ore types, the traditional approach of blending to metal grade will often add to complexity of treatment, which will reduce the effect of “natural deportment” by size.CITATION: Jokovic, V, Walters, P, Adair, B and Morrison, R, 2018. Applying enhanced grade engineering to complex ore bodies, in Proceedings Complex Orebodies Conference 2018, pp 21–23 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Nov 21, 2018