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By N. A. Karl, D. R. Wilburn

"This summary of international mineral exploration activities for the year 2016 draws upon information from industry sources, published literature, SNL Metals & Mining (SNL), an offering of S&P Global Market Intelligence (New York, NY), and specialists in the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Minerals Information Center. Three types of information are reported and analyzed in this annual review of international exploration: 1) budgetary statistics expressed in U.S. dollars provided by SNL; 2) regional and site-specific exploration activities that took place in 2016 as compiled by the USGS and 3) regional events and legislation that affected exploration activities including economic, social and political conditions, which were derived from published sources and discussions with USGS and industry specialists. Commodity and regional compilations are presented in this summary. Because multiple sources were used to develop commodity and regional compilations, statistics may vary depending on the source and type of data that are being reported. The SNL data summarize budget estimates for worldwide exploration activities in 2016 for 30 nonfuel mineral commodities and metal alloys, based on company surveys. Surveys focused on precious metals (gold, platinumgroup platinumgroup metals (PGMs) and silver), base metals, (cobalt, copper, lead, molybdenum, nickel, tin and zinc), bulk commodities (bauxite, chromite, iron ore, manganese, phosphate and potash) and other commodities (aluminum, antimony, diamond, graphite, heavy-mineral sands, lithium, niobium, rare-earth elements (REEs), scandium, tantalum, tungsten, uranium, vanadium and yttrium). Information on uranium exploration activities was included in SNL’s survey for the first time in 2007. Data on lithium, niobium, phosphate, potash, REE and tungsten were compiled for the first time in 2010, and scandium, vanadium and yttrium were added in 2014 because of their increased topical significance. Since 1999, companies with exploration budgets of $100,000 and greater were included in the SNL surveys. SNL budget estimates exclude coal, and oil and gas. The 2016 SNL mining company survey compilation was reported by SNL to include an estimated 95 percent of the world’s nonfuel mineral exploration budgets. The 5 percent that was not covered was accounted for by companies that chose not to participate in the SNL survey, private companies that do not publish their budget data and government-funded exploration activities."

Jan 5, 2017

By R. D. Pehlke, J. V. Gluck

AS a portion of a general study of liquid-metal thermodynamics, high-temperature galvanic cells were used to study the effect of added dilute solutes on the activity of zinc in dilute solution with molten bismuth in the range 450° to 650°C. 1,2 The cells were of the type The experimental procedures have been described previously.1 In the course of studies conducted in the bismuth-rich corner of the systems Bi-Zn-Au and Bi-Zn-Cu, marked discontinuities were observed in the electromotive force-temperature relations for a number of the experimental compositions. Above the discontinuity temperatures, the relations, which were linear, exhibited slopes similar to the binary alloy of the same mole fraction zinc, as shown in Figs. I and 2. Below the discontinuity temperatures, the slopes were markedly different, but the relations remained linear. In general, as the amount of the third eletnent was increased, the slope of the lower portion of the relations tended to become less positive. The slopes of electromotive force-temperature relations reflect the entropy of mixing of zinc and, therefore, the occurrence of a discontinuity marks the transition between two different equilibrium situations involving the solution of zinc. A number of other investigators3-5 have used such observations to determine liquidus boundaries in binary alloys. Since the upper portions of the ternary electromotive force-temperature relations of this study had the same slopes as the binary alloys, the discontinuities are interpreted as marking the transition between the single-phase liquid region and the underlying two- and three-phase regions. Reference to the Zn-Bi equilibrium diagram6 confirms that the binary alloys were single-phase liquids at the experimental temperatures. Fig. I shows the electromotive force-temperature relations for the alloys containing Bi-Zn-Au and Fig. 2 shows similar relations for the Bi-Zn-Cu alloys. In the lower portion of each figure, the temperature of the discontinuity is plotted vs the mole fraction of the added solute at the various levels of zinc concentra- tion. Cross-plots from these curves at constant temperature permitted the construction of the partial liquidus surface isotherms shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

Jan 1, 1967

By R. R. Wells

This report summarizes the results of preliminary mineral-dressing studies by the Bureau of Mines on five samples of copper-bearing ore from various Alaska de-posits. The work on each sample was not extensive enough to warrant individual publication. The results, however, indicate the possibilities and limitations of concentration of the respective ores. The information therefore may be helpful in future development of these ore bodies. Four of the five samples tested were submitted to the laboratory by engineers of the Bureau of Mines as part of the examinations and survey investigations of strategic-mineral deposits in Alaska. This program is conducted to assist development of mineral resources in the Territory and particularly to aid economic exploitation of marginal or complex ores. The fifth sample was submitted by engineers of the Defense Minerals Exploration Administration.

Jan 1, 1956

By H. William Zeller

The U.S. Bureau of Mines evaluated the effects of two iron-based fuel additives on diesel particulate matter (DPM) emissions. The 5.6-L, six-cylinder test engine is typical of engines used in underground mines. One additive, ferrous picrate, did not measurably affect exhaust emissions. This report is mainly about a ferrocene-based additive that reduced DPM between 4 and 45 pet., depending on engine operating conditions. The report concludes that the DPM reductions were caused by the catalytic oxidation properties of a ferric oxide coating that developed inside the engine's combustion chamber. The ferric oxide coating also decreased gas-phase hydrocarbons and O2, but it increased CO2 and NOx, The increase in NOx, of about 12 pet, is considered the only adverse effect of the ferrocene-based fuel additive. The results suggest that the effectiveness of ferrocene was partially offset by increased sulfates because of the high-sulfur fuel used. Recommendations for continuing fuel additive research are presented.

Jan 1, 2010

By Wilbur S. Burbank, Robert G. Leudke

The impressive western San Juan Mountains of Colorado were carved by Pleistocene and Recent erosion from a thick blanket of Tertiary volcanic rocks that rests upon a basement of metamorphic, sedimentary, and igneous rocks ranging in age from Precambrian to Tertiary. These rocks record a long, complex, and fairly complete sequence of geologic events that have affected the region through much of geologic time. The geologic history of the region includes several periods of deformation, erosion, and igneous activity; closely associated with two of these periods were two periods of mineralization. The older of these was related to Late Cretaceous-early Tertiary (Laramide) intrusive activity, and its deposits occur in the older sedimentary units. The younger, of later Tertiary age and related to the widespread middle Tertiary extrusive and intrusive activity, is the chief concern of this paper. Tertiary volcanism built a great plateau surrounding the San Juan volcanic depression, a complex of subsided crustal blocks in the vent areas. The Silverton and Lake City cauldrons, nested within the larger depression, were domed by resurgent magma that created keystone grabens along the distended crests of the domed floors and many postcauldron radial and concentric fractures, dikes, and intrusive plutons within and marginal to the cauldron sites. The postvolcanic evolution of large quantities of gases, chiefly carbon dioxide and water, propylitically altered the rocks in and around the volcanic depression prior to the younger period of ore deposition. The ore deposits, localized mainly in the radial and concentric fractures about the cauldrons and in the associated graben faults, include fissure veins, chimneys, replacements, and disseminations in volcanic and underlying basement rocks. Fissure veins, constituting the major economic source, yielded precious- and basemetal ores. Most veins are compound with sphalerite, galena, and chalcopyrite; some veins contain silver-bearing arsenical sulfosalts and free gold. These minerals occur in predominantly quartz gangue. However, gangues composed of several manganese silicates and carbonates and relatively· barren of metals are abundant locally and probably originated by alteration of rocks at roots of faults and fissures during evolution of carbonatic solutions. The bulk of the ores are hypogene and probably had their source in deep parent magmas of the shallow eruptive rocks. Total production since the early 1870's has exceeded half a billion dollars in recovered metals, with a ratio of precious- to base-metal values of about 3 to 2. Since 1930, improvements in metallurgical treatment and mining techniques have increased the base-metal yield.

Jan 1, 1968

"INTRODUCTION Early in 1936 the Interstate Oil Compact Commission and other groups interested in forecasts of demand for petroleum requested the Bureau of Mines to make a physical inventory of crude-oil stocks in the United States, Accordingly, the 74th Congress appropriated funds for conducting such a survey during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1937. In the discussions and hearing 2/ relative to the need for the survey, the opinion was expressed that crude oil held in storage for long periods had lost so much of its gasoline content that the economic significance of total stocks should be discounted materially. Therefore, a primary objective of the survey was to make a physical inventory of the crude oil held in storage above ground and to determine the quantities and characteristics of the light fractions contained in the various stocks."

Sep 1, 1938

By O. T. Berge

Development and production from open cut mines continued its vigorous growth trend during the year 1968. Material handling and transportation were again exposed to the use of larger equipment with shovels, trucks and front end loaders leading the way. Highlights of World Mining Activities Africa: The Anglo American Corp. opened a new high-grade copper mine in Zambia during the year. In Angola, the Companhia Minera do Lobita planned a 3 million ton iron ore production for 1968 from new mines which will ultimately produce 5 million tons per year. A feasibility study of Bethlehem Steel Co., for the development of large high- grade iron ore reserves in Gabon, was in final stages of completion this year and Pickands Mather and Co. continued its investigation of iron ore deposits along the Ivory Coast.

Jan 2, 1969

By S. McGinn

The Brunswick Mine Diesel Particulate Filter Study was one of several research projects initiated by the Diesel Emissions Evaluation Program (DEEP). The study was carried out at Noranda?s Brunswick Mine in Bathurst, New Brunswick by Noranda Technology Centre and Brunswick Mine personnel with the collaboration of Natural Resources Canada - Canada Centre for Minerals and Energy Technology (CANMET), National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Andreas Mayer of VERT, and diesel particulate filter (DPF) system suppliers. The study began in early 2000. Field evaluations continued for 20 months. The final report?authored by Sean McGinn?was submitted to DEEP in the Autumn of 2003.

Jan 1, 2004

By Q. H. Forbes

"The high injury rand fatality rate in coal mining, as compared with other industries, has caused the mining industry to become more and more interested in accident prevention methods.The prevention of accidents in the mining industry is probably not as simple a problem as it is in other industries, but if the experience of coal mining companies who have taken up the work of accident prevention seriously during recent years means anything, there is little doubt that most mining companies car improve their accident records very materially.Such results can be obtained in practically all instances without adding to production costs. In fact, there is little doubt that a well-organized program of accident prevention Will bring about a 'material production cost reduction due to increased efficiency, lower labor turnover, fewer delays due to accidents, better satisfied workmen, and a direct saving in compensation costs as well as many other items of expense.The more closely a. person is connected with the work of accident prevention, the more he becomes a believer in the value of amity in human relationships and the more he is able to exercise a spirit of toleration, fairness, justness, and helpfulness toward the problems of others, whatever those problems may be. Human nature responds to just these expressions of good willAnother great and invaluable effect of working for safety, is the fact that it is building up in the mind an appreciation of that which is constructive and, conversely, in opposition to that which is destructive In other words; the person who is sincerely striving to prevent accidents because they are destructive, costly, tad injurious, is subconsciously training his mind to look on any proposition from a constructive point of view. Working for accident prevention and safety is about the finest social training any person can have. It does not make a Person a financial Wizard or an executive genius, but it does make for the highest type of citizenship.While humanitarian reasons alone should be sufficient to maze accident prevention work an important factor in every mining organization, there are other reasons as well, since it has been proved conclusively that there can be no efficiency and economy without safety, as somebody pays when safety is lacking. Every safety device pays dividends; every safety application evaded is an assessment and a loss. Dangerous conditions are the most expensive and extravagant conditions in or about a coal mine. The economic gains are of considerable interest to all coal mining companies and this is brought about as before stated--through decreased compensation rates, the reduction of labor turnover, etc."

Dec 1, 1930

By Herbert Tomlinson

The United States Bureau of Mines has engaged in a study of the conditions under which coal mine accidents, resulting in the loss of life, limb, or time to the injured person, occur from falls of roof and coal. This publication is devoted to the results of a study conducted in the coal mines of the Book Cliffs and Wasatch Plateau coal fields of Utah. To show the necessity of this study, a statement of the fatalities that have occurred during the period 1928-1930, inclusive, in the bituminous mines of the United States and of Utah, is presented (Table 1), followed by a brief description of this Utah district, its coal beds and immediate roof, thickness of cover, dip of coal beds, methods of mining, supervision, roof testing and timbering for roof support, all of which are factors in any plan devised for preventing accidents from falls of roof and coal.

Jan 1, 1932

By Herbert Tomlinson

The United States Bureau of Mines has engaged in a study of the conditions under which coal mine accidents, resulting in the loss of life, limb, or time to the injured person, occur from falls of roof and coal. This publication is devoted to the results of a study conducted in the coal mines of the Book Cliffs and Wasatch Plateau coal fields of Utah. To show the necessity of this study, a statement of the fatalities that have occurred during the period 1928-1930, inclusive, in the bituminous mines of the United States and of Utah, is presented (Table 1), followed by a brief description of this Utah district, its coal beds and immediate roof, thickness of cover, dip of coal beds, methods of mining, supervision, roof testing and timbering for roof support, all of which are factors in any plan devised for preventing accidents from falls of roof and coal.

Jan 1, 1932

By A. E. Ketler

This report describes a variety of coal mine lighting projects which were funded by the Bureau of Mines in order to obtain underground lighting experience in support of new lighting requirements for underground coal mines. Low coal and high coal, narrow and wide entries, conventional and continuous mining, ac and dc power, bituminous and anthracite, and machine mounting and area lighting were some of the variables covered in this program. Also evaluated was the OCENCO fluorescent caplamp.

Jan 1, 1979

By K. C. Mills, E. T. Turkdogan

A number of investigators1 6 have noted the presence of a liquid miscibility gap in the Fe-Sn binary system. However, the first attempt to measure the

Jan 1, 1964

By Corwin L. Cooper

This paper, describing; the milling and cyanidation methods and costs at the Yellow Aster gold mine, is one of a series of papers being prepared by the Bureau of Mines on bold milling practices in the United States. Acknowledgments Acknowledgment is made to the executives of the Anglo American Mining Corporation, Ltd., for permission to publish this article, and to A. W. Frolli, manager, and other members of the company staff, for assistance` in preparing the, paper.

Jan 1, 1936

By Holt L. Farley

This report describes the development of an electronic system which detects unsafe slack and overload conditions in underground mine hoist ropes. The Slack and Overload Rope Protection System (SORPS) includes a fail-safe load cell inserted between the rope and the conveyance, and an accelerometer mounted on the conveyance. Signals from these transducers are telemetered via a radio link to the hoist control room, where they are combined with drum speed and chair status in a microprocessor-based decision and display unit. Abnormally high external force levels are detected as discrepancies between rope tension and cage acceleration; conveyance weight is inferred continuously. Hazardous conditions are displayed to the hoist operator, along with general hoist status. The system has been tested in a working mine for approximately two years. The report contains specifications, design data and field test experience generated under the SORPS program. It also includes information on dynamic modeling, vibration environment, the status of existing slack detection systems, and applicable control strategies.

Jan 1, 1983

By Yao Zhou

Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the international seabed area (Area) and its resources are the common heritage of humanity (CHH). Patent rights can be incompatible with the CHH doctrine and its underlying principles because patent holders might charge unjustifiably high prices to license patented technology for exploring and exploiting the Area’s resources (creating a "patent holdup" situation), might choose not to license, or might license exclusively when doing so would contravene CHH principles. However, a reasonable patent licensing regime can contribute to sharing the benefits derived from the Area and promote environmental sustainability. Provisions of the UNCLOS that stipulated compulsory technology and financial transfers were removed in the 1994 Agreement relating to the Implementation of Part XI of the UNCLOS but to promote equity and sustainability I propose a voluntary licensing regime modeled on the concept of reasonable and non-discriminatory patent licensing that has been used in other contexts. The International Seabed Authority or another entity will need to coordinate and promote this licensing regime through governance of intellectual property derived from the Area. This proposed approach can better effectuate the CHH doctrine and its underlying principles.

Sep 1, 2014

By Rainer Kahrger

This paper is a follow-up to the paper presented at the SME meeting in April of 1996. Since then, the El Abra facility has been started up, 9 months ahead of schedule, and has processed about 45 million tons of ore and produced over 700 million pounds of copper. For those unfamiliar with the El Abra materials handling and leaching facilities, a brief overview of the facility is provided. The paper will then deal in detail with such aspects of Conveyor 103, the long regenerative overland conveyor, including: actual running resistance starting and stopping procedures emergency brake test at 10,000 t/h Additionally, we shall take the opportunity to report on a catastrophic culvert collapse in October 1996, which stopped the conveyor abruptly at full speed and under high load condition, causing a belt breakage. We would like to use this opportunity to thank the management of El Abra and Cyprus Amax for providing assistance and allowing us to present this paper. The El Abra team deserves a great compliment for building this one billion dollar facility in record time in a remote area of a high-altitude desert with no existing infrastructure, and for bringing it so quickly up to full operating capacity. The El Abra management had to assemble a completely new operator team. Considering the above circumstances, it took a great effort by all involved to achieve success. The official performance test which was required by the lending banks was successfully concluded in November 1997.

Jan 1, 1998

By Glenn A. Hazen

This report presents a stress investigation of four coal pillars located under two depths of cover. Each coal pillar was instrumented with ten load cells designed to measure coal pressure during initial and secondary mining. The problem considered was one of uniform triaxial stress as a large coal pillar was loaded under a thick limestone bed. Special attention was given to pillar design procedure. Unconfined uniaxial compression tests were conducted for coal specimens 7/8 in., 2-1/8 in., 3 in., and 4 in. square with length to square side ratios of 1/2, 1, 1-1/2, and 2. Stress-strain curves were recorded. Six specimens were tested at each size. Results show that a coal pillar is composed of an inner zone which is highly loaded plus a region around its perimeter which has lost its elastic strength. The bearing capacity of a coal pillar consists of elastic and crushed coal response: The failure strengths have been determined and will be useful in coal recovery, mine design, and mine safety.

Jan 1, 1975

By Olli Haavisto, Juha Timperi

"Accurate on-line assays of mineral slurries are the basis for effective operation of flotation circuits. Typically the elemental content measurements are obtained by an X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzer, which samples the process lines and performs the analysis concurrently line-by-line. For a more frequent measurement of each slurry line the XRF measurements can be complemented with reflectance spectrum information. In reflectance spectroscopy the absorbance properties of the slurry in the visible and near-infrared wavelength range are analyzed. The advantage of reflectance spectroscopy is that measurements can be obtained quickly and simultaneously from several slurry lines. However, since the shape of the spectrum is only indirectly affected by the slurry elemental contents, frequent calibration of the measurement against the XRF analyzer is necessary. This study elaborates the combination of reflectance spectrum analysis with XRF. Results of laboratory tests for different slurries are presented and the operation of the system in a copper-zinc flotation plant is demonstrated.IntroductionElemental analysis of mineral flotation slurries is the most important factor in evaluating the performance of concentration processes. Timely on-line assays are also used as the basis for controlling the circuits and ensuring that the grade and recovery targets are reached. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) is the dominant technology in on-line elemental slurry analysis, and typically centralized XRF analyzers are used. The advantage of a centralized analyzer is that one measurement probe can be used to acquire the data from several slurry lines. This reduces the overall operating cost of the system when compared to distributed analyzer system design with several measurement probes requiring maintenance and spare parts. Slurry samplers are installed in the interesting process flows and representative sample flows are brought to the analyzer, where the slurry is further sampled and measured consecutively by the XRF analyzer. Due to the centralized structure of the analyzers and consecutively measurement of the sampling lines the sampling interval per slurry line can be relatively long. In larger concentration plants with several sampling lines a typical assay interval is in the range of 10-20 minutes."

Jan 1, 2016

By W. R. Hibbard

Evidence is presented which confirms previous findings that models of solution strengthening depending solely on lattice parameter changes are incomplete. Direct evidence for the Suzuki interaction of chemical effects was obtained from alloys with constant lattice parameter, for which solution strengthening was nearly independent of temperature from 300° to 20°K. SOLUTION hardening principles have been reviewed recently by Parker and Hazlett.' In addition, the interactions of dislocations and solute atoms were reviewed by Cottrell.' It is not proposed to review this information again here, but to refer only to those details which are pertinent to the developments which have occurred since these papers were published. Literature Survey To set the stage, it has been known for some time that solid solutions are stronger than the pure parent metals, and that the strength increases with increasing amounts of alloying element. One of the most extensive earlier investigations was that of Lacy and Gensamer,3 who reported that the solid solution strengthening of iron is a power function of the composition, that the relative strengthening is a function of the solubility limit, and that the rate of strain hardening is a function of the amount of solution hardening. Thus, the slope of the plastic portion of the stress-strain curve increases with increasing yield strength. An approach to the development of principles resulted from work by Gulyeav,4 who reported that the strengthening effect of solid solution alloys is periodic in character when plotted as a function of the atomic number of the solute. A more quantitative approach was to relate the amount of solution hardening to the lattice parameter of a solid solution. This was done quite early by Norbury,5 and later by Brick, Martin, and Angier,6 Frye and Hume-Rothery,7 and French and Hibbard. This relationship is only approximate in character. The next development was to relate the amount of solution hardening to lattice stress, as proposed by Frye and co-workers.9 They calculated what they called ionic overlap from the lattice parameter changes represented as a change in volume, using Bridgman's hydrostatic compression equation. The resulting correlation was somewhat improved as compared to the simple correlation with lattice parameter. The next step was carried out by Dorn, Pietrow-sky, and Tietz,10 who suggested an effect of valence differences in addition to the effect of lattice parameter. Their proposed parameter shows flow stress as a single valued function of the concentration and a relationship involving these two atomic variables. In addition, they contributed new data on the temperature dependence of solution hardening which indicated that it was a strong function of temperature for aluminum alloys. Allen, Schofield, and Tate11 carried the valency effect even further by reporting data indicating that with a given solvent element the stress-strain curve is a function of electron density, entirely neglecting the size factor, which varied by a factor of two. This evidence led to a quantum mechanical calculation by Cottrell, Hunter, and Nabarro,12 based on the formation of a dipole around an edge disloca-

Jan 1, 1959