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The Annual General Meeting of the Institute was held in Kelvin House, Johannesburg, on Wednesday, 22nd August, 1973. Dr J. P. Hugo (President) was in the Chair. There were also present 64 Fellows, 20 Members, 5 Associates, 3 Students, and 34 Visitors, making a total of 126. The President declared the meeting open at 4.05 p.m. OBITUARIES The President: It is my sad duty to announce the death of the following members of the Institute C. Boocock, R. J. G. Moore, M. P. Pearse, and A. I. Sussman, all Fellows, and W. T. Dalling, a Life Member. As a mark of respect to the memory of the deceased and in sympathy with the bereaved, I ask you to rise and observe a few moments' silence. MINUTES Die President: Item twee op die agenda is die bekragtiging van die notules van die jongste Algemene Vergadering van die Instituut. Daar die notules in die Augustus uitgawe van die Joernaal gepubliseer is, vra ek u toestemming dat dit as sulks bekragtig word. Toestemming verleen. WELCOME TO VISITORS The President: It is my very great pleasure to welcome all the distinguished guests who have honoured us with their presence this afternoon; in particular, a hearty word of welcome to the Honorary President of the Institute, Mr Plumbridge, the President of the Chamber of Mines. You are doubly welcome here, sir, and we thank you for your presence. Also to that old member and stalwart, the Honorary Vice-President of the Institute, Mr Tommy Gibbs, the Government Mining Engineer-you're very welcome, Mr Gibbs. Then, we are particularly privileged this afternoon to have an Honorary Member with us, the Minister of Mines for Rhodesia, Mr Dillon. You will recall that he honoured us with his company last year. Mr Dillon, we are very appreciative and hope that this is now a standing arrangement. We are also honoured by the presence of some thirteen Presidents, Vice-Presidents, or Chairmen of our sister scientific and technical organizations. I shall rapidly read their names, but they must all feel assured that they are very welcome here today. Firstly, one of our own Past Presidents and members, Mr Geoff Goode in his capacity as President of the Associated Scientific and Technical Societies of South Africa; Mr L. R. Robinson, President of the South African Institution of Mechanical Engineers, and Mrs Robinson; Mr G. Goedhals, President of the South African Institute of Electrical Engineers ; Dr Antrobus, President of the Geological Society of South Africa, and Mrs Antrobus; Mr T. V. Dean, Vice-President of the Institute of Land Surveyors of the Transvaal, and Mrs Dean; Mr R. M. Stroh, President of the Mine Ventilation Society of South Africa; Mr Ken Steele, President of the Association of Mine Managers, and Mrs Steele; Mr Mike Gericke, President of the South African Council for Professional Engineers; Mr R. G. Matthews, President of the Institute of Mine Surveyors of South Africa; Mr P. H. Pettifor, President of the Institute of Production Engineers, London, and Mrs Pettifor ; Dr Nico Stutterheim, Chairman of the South African Institute of Chemical Engineers, and Mrs Stutterheim; Professor F. A. van Duuren, Chairman of the Engineers' Liaison Committee in Pretoria; also, I haven't spotted him but I trust he is here-Mr Alex Bain, who is Chairman of this Institute's Witbank/Middelburg Branch. To one and all, ladies and gentlemen, a hearty word of welcome. Not last on our list, a word of welcome to Mr Eric Boden, the Manager of A.S. and T.S. We also have with us I trust, Dr Deist, and his good lady-Dr Deist will be figuring in our proceedings later this afternoon. Also Mr Barcza and Mrs Barcza. Mr Bareza, a former President of the Institute, also has a task to perform. Then, I hope two of our student prize winners are here-Mr Beetge and Mr Painting. Then we also have Mr Roberts, who is welcome in his capacity as co-author with Dr Deist. Then, last of all, a hearty word of welcome to Dr Helen Glen (I am not sure whether she has arrived yet, but she is certainly due to come)-the new Honorary Editor of the Institute's Journal. MEMBERSHIP The President: I have pleasure in announcing that, their names having been published in accordance with By-law 5.2.2, the following have been elected by Council to membership in the following grades Fellows: W. G. Jayes and F. K. Wright Members: D. W. Penman, A. W. Bryson, and D. L. Gibbs Graduates: R. J. Adey, J. P. Bond, R. C. Dunne, G. M. Entwhistle, J. M. Rendu, J. P. S. Turner, and A. P. van Jaarsveld Associates: A. Ellis, B. R. Hambly, A. J. Johansen, and G. W. Tregoning

Jan 10, 1973

The Institute was founded in 1894 as the Chemical and Metallurgical Society of South Africa. In 1904 it was reconstituted as the Chemical Metallurgical and Mining Society of South Africa and in 1956 it became the South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. The objects of the Institute are to advance the science and practice of mining and metallurgy, to afford opportunities for the interchange and recording of knowledge of mining and metallurgy and to ensure high standards of professional conduct and competence. Membership benefits include monthly issues of the Journal of the Institute, monthly General Meetings at which papers are read, symposia, excursions to mining and industrial concerns and the use of club facilities at Kelvin House. Technical journals received on an exchange basis are available to members at the Johannesburg Public Library. The current membership of the Institute is over 1,400. Membership applications are accepted from suitably qualified persons and the requirements for entrance to the various grades of membership are summarised below. Members shall be not be less than 30 years of age, shall be university graduates in pure or applied science or shall produce evidence to the satisfaction of the Council that they have successfully completed a co-ordinated course of study in pure or applied science of at least three years' duration at an approved university or institution deemed by the Council to be of equivalent status. Members shall have been employed in senior technical positions in important mining or metallurgical undertakings for at least five years or they shall have practised as mining or metallurgical consultants for at least five years. They shall be practising their profession at the time of application. Entrance fee R4.00; Annual subscription R14.00 (town), R12.00 (country). Letters of designation: M.S.A.lNST.M.M. Associate Members shall be not less than 25 years of age and shall be university graduates in pure or applied science, or shall have successfully completed co-ordinated courses of study in pure or applied science of at least three years' duration. They shall have been engaged in work of an approved technical character in the mining or metallurgical industries, of which not less than two years shall have been in positions of responsibility. A candidate shall be practising his profession at the time of his application. Entrance fee R2.00; Annual subscription R12.00 (town), R10.00(country). Letters of designation: A.M.S.INST.M.M. Affiliates shall be not less than twenty-five years of age, and shall have been engaged in positions of responsibility in, or associated with, the mining or metallurgical industries for periods of not less than three years. If, however, the candidate for admission to the higher grade of Affiliate, is at the time of his application, already a Student member, he need satisfy the Council only that he is, at the time of his application, engaged in a position of responsibility in or associated with the mining or metallurgical industries. In all cases the applicants shall satisfy the Council that they are fit and proper persons to become Affiliates. Entrance fee R2.00; Annual subscription R12.00 (town), R10.00(country). Graduate Members shall be not less than 21 years of age and shall be university graduates in pure or applied science, or have completed co-ordinated courses of study in pure or applied science of at least three years' duration at an approved university or institution. They shall not remain Graduate members after attaining the age of 30 years without the persmission of Council. Entrance fee R1.00; Annual subscription R7.00 (town), R6.00 (country). Students shall be persons not less than 18 years of age who are being educated or trained in a manner approved by the Council, to occupy a technical position in or associated with the mining or metallurgical industries and who, furthermore, shall not have attained the qualification required for a higher grade of membership. They may remain Students until they have obtained the necessary qualifications for transfer to a higher grade of membership, but not after the end of the Institute's financial year in which the attain the age of 28 (twenty-eight) years. They shall then transfer to a higher grade to retain membership of the Institute. The Council may relax the provisions of this clause in such cases as it considers appropriate. Entrance fee nil; Annual subscription R3.00 (town), R3.00 (country). Other. The Council has the power to elect to the grade of Member or Associate Member candidates who may not fulfil all the requirements for entrance to these grades but whose status, professional achievements and practical experience in mining or metallurgy justify such election. Applications. Requests for membership application forms should be addressed to the Secretary: South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, P.O. Box 1183, Johannesburg.

The Institute was founded in 1894 as the Chemical and Metallurgical Society of South Africa. In 1904 it was reconstituted as the Chemical Metallurgical and Mining Society of South Africa and in 1956 it became the South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. The objects of the Institute are to advance the science and practice of mining and metallurgy, to afford opportunities for the interchange and recording of knowledge of mining and metallurgy and to ensure high standards of professional conduct and competence. Membership benefits include monthly issues of the Journal of the Institute, monthly General Meetings at which papers are read, symposia, excursions to mining and industrial concerns and the use of club facilities at Kelvin House. Technical journals received on an exchange basis are available to members at the Johannesburg Public Library. The current membership of the Institute is over 1,400. Membership applications are accepted from suitably qualified persons and the requirements for entrance to the various grades of membership are summarised below. Members shall be not be less than 30 years of age, shall be university graduates in pure or applied science or shall produce evidence to the satisfaction of the Council that they have successfully completed a co-ordinated course of study in pure or applied science of at least three years' duration at an approved university or institution deemed by the Council to be of equivalent status. Members shall have been employed in senior technical positions in important mining or metallurgical undertakings for at least five years or they shall have practised as mining or metallurgical consultants for at least five years. They shall be practising their profession at the time of application. Entrance fee R4.00; Annual subscription R14.00 (town), R12.00 (country). Letters of designation: M.S.A.INST.M.M. Associate Members shall be not less than 25 years of age and shall be university graduates in pure or applied science, or shall have successfully completed co-ordinated courses of study in pure or applied science of at least three years' duration. They shall have been engaged in work of an approved technical character in the mining or metallurgical industries, of which not less than two years shall have been in positions of responsibility. A candidate shall be practising his profession at the time of his application. Entrance fee R2.00; Annual subscription R12.00 (town), R10.00 (country). Letters of designation: A.M.S.INST.M.M. Affiliates shall be not less than twenty-five years of age, and shall have been engaged in positions of responsibility in, or associated with, the mining or metallurgical industries for periods of not less than three years. If, however, the candidate for admission to the higher grade of Affiliate, is at the time of his application, already a Student member, he need satisfy the Council only that he is, at the time of his application, engaged in a position of responsibility in or associated with the mining or metallurgical industries. In all cases the applicants shall satisfy the Council that they are fit and proper persons to become Affiliates. Entrance fee R2.00; Annual subscription R12.00 (town), R10.00(country). Graduate Members shall be not less than 21 years of age and shall be university graduates in pure or applied science, or have completed co-ordinated courses of study in pure or applied science of at least three years' duration at an approved university or institution. They shall not remain Graduate members after attaining the age of 30 years without the persmission of Council. Entrance fee R1.00; Annual subscription R7.00 (town), R6.00 (country). Students shall be persons not less than 18 years of age who are being educated or trained in a manner approved by the Council, to occupy a technical position in or associated with the mining or metallurgical industries and who, furthermore, shall not have attained the qualification required for a higher grade of membership. They may remain Students until they have obtained the necessary qualifications for transfer to a higher grade of membership, but not after the end of the Institute's financial year in which the attain the age of 28 (twenty-eight) years. They shall then transfer to a higher grade to retain membership of the Institute. The Council may relax the provisions of this clause in such cases as it considers appropriate. Entrance fee nil; Annual subscription R3.00 (town), R3.00 (country). Other. The Council has the power to elect to the grade of Member or Associate Member candidates who may not fulfil all the requirements for entrance to these grades but whose status, professional achievements and practical experience in mining or metallurgy justify such election. Applications. Requests for membership application forms should be addressed to the Secretary: South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, p.a. Box 1183, Johannesburg.

The Institute was founded in 1894 as the Chemical and Metallurgical Society of South Africa. In 1904 it was reconstituted as the Chemical Metallurgical and Mining Society of South Africa and in 1956 it became the South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. The objects of the Institute are to advance the science and practice of mining and metallurgy, to afford opportunities for the interchange and recording of knowledge of mining and metallurgy and to ensure high standards of professional conduct and competence. Membership benefits include monthly issues of the Journal of the Institute, monthly General Meetings at which papers are read, symposia, excursions to mining and industrial concerns and the use of club facilities at Kelvin House. Technical journals received on an exchange basis are available to members at the Johannesburg Public Library. The current membership of the Institute is over 1,400. Membership applications are accepted from suitably qualified persons and the requirements for entrance to the various grades of membership are summarised below. Members shall be not be less than 30 years of age, shall be university graduates in pure or applied science or shall produce evidence to the satisfaction of the Council that they have successfully completed a co-ordinated course of study in pure or applied science of at least three years' duration at an approved university or institution deemed by the Council to be of equivalent status. Members shall have been employed in senior technical positions in important mining or metallurgical undertakings for at least five years or they shall have practised as mining or metallurgical consultants for at least five years. They shall be practising their profession at the time of application. Entrance fee R4.00; Annual subscription R14.00 (town), R12.00 (country). Letters of designation: M.S.A.INST.M.M. Associate Members shall be not less than 25 years of age and shall be university graduates in pure or applied science, or shall have successfully completed co-ordinated courses of study in pure or applied science of at least three years' duration. They shall have been engaged in work of an approved technical character in the mining or metallurgical industries, of which not less than two years shall have been in positions of responsibility. A candidate shall be practising his profession at the time of his application. Entrance fee R2.00; Annual subscription R12.00 (town), R10.00 (country). Letters of designation: A.M.S.INST.M.M. Affiliates shall be not less than twenty-five years of age, and shall have been engaged in positions of responsibility in, or associated with, the mining or metallurgical industries for periods of not less than three years. If, however, the candidate for admission to the higher grade of Affiliate, is at the time of his application, already a Student member, he need satisfy the Council only that he is, at the time of his application, engaged in a position of responsibility in or associated with the mining or metallurgical industries. In all cases the applicants shall satisfy the Council that they are fit and proper persons to become Affiliates. Entrance fee R2.00; Annual subscription R12.00 (town), R10.00(country). Graduate Members shall be not less than 21 years of age and shall be university graduates in pure or applied science, or have completed co-ordinated courses of study in pure or applied science of at least three years' duration at an approved university or institution. They shall not remain Graduate members after attaining the age of 30 years without the persmission of Council. Entrance fee Rl.00; Annual subscription R7.00 (town), R6.00 (country). Students shall be persons not less than 18 years of age who are being educated or trained in a manner approved by the Council, to occupy a technical position in or associated with the mining or metallurgical industries and who, furthermore, shall not have attained the qualification required for a higher grade of membership. They may remain Students until they have obtained the necessary qualifications for transfer to a higher grade of membership, but not after the end of the Institute's financial year in which the attain the age of 28 (twenty-eight) years. They shall then transfer to a higher grade to retain membership of the Institute. The Council may relax the provisions of this clause in such cases as it considers appropriate. Entrance fee nil; Annual subscription R3.00 (town), R3.00 (country). Other. The Council has the power to elect to the grade of Member or Associate Member candidates who may not fulfil all the requirements for entrance to these grades but whose status, professional achievements and practical experience in mining or metallurgy justify such election. Applications. Requests for membership application forms should be addressed to the Secretary: South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, P.D. Box 1183, Johannesburg.

The Institute was founded in 1894 as the Chemical and Metallurgical Society of South Africa. In 1904 it was reconstituted as the Chemical Metallurgical and Mining Society of South Africa and in 1956 it became the South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. The objects of the Institute are to advance the science and practice of mining and metallurgy, to afford opportunities for the interchange and recording of knowledge of mining and metallurgy and to ensure high standards of professional conduct and competence. Membership benefits include monthly issues of the Journal of the Institute, monthly General Meetings at which papers are read, symposia, excursions to mining and industrial concerns and the use of club facilities at Kelvin House. Technical journals received on an exchange basis are available to members at the Johannesburg Public Library. The current membership of the Institute is over 1,400. Membership applications are accepted from suitably qualified persons and the requirements for entrance to the various grades of membership are summarised below. Members shall be not be less than 30 years of age, shall be university graduates in pure or applied science or shall produce evidence to the satisfaction of the Council that they have successfully completed a co-ordinated course of study in pure or applied science of at least three years' duration at an approved university or institution deemed by the Council to be of equivalent status. Members shall have been employed in senior technical positions in important mining or metallurgical undertakings for at least five years or they shall have practised as mining or metallurgical consultants for at least five years. They shall be practising their profession at the time of application. Entrance fee R4.00; Annual subscription R14.00 (town), R12.00 (country). Letters of designation: M.S.A.INST.M.M. Associate Members shall be not less than 25 years of age and shall be university graduates in pure or applied science, or shall have successfully completed co-ordinated courses of study in pure or applied science of at least three years' duration. They shall have been engaged in work of an approved technical character in the mining or metallurgical industries, of which not less than two years shall have been in positions of responsibility. A candidate shall be practising his profession at the time of his application. Entrance fee R2.00; Annual subscription R12.00 (town), R10.00(country). Letters of designation: A.M.S.INST.M.M. Affiliates shall be not less than twenty-five years of age, and shall have been engaged in positions of responsibility in, or associated with, the mining or metallurgical industries for periods of not less than three years. If, however, the candidate for admission to the higher grade of Affiliate, is at the time of his application, already a Student member, he need satisfy the Council only that he is, at the time of his application, engaged in a position of responsibility in or associated with the mining or metallurgical industries. In all cases the applicants shall satisfy the Council that they are fit and proper persons to become Affiliates. Entrance fee R2.00; Annual subscription R12.00 (town), R10.00(country). Graduate Members shall be not less than 21 years of age and shall be university graduates in pure or applied science, or have completed co-ordinated courses of study in pure or applied science of at least three years' duration at an approved university or institution. They shall not remain Graduate members after attaining the age of 30 years without the permission of Council. Entrance fee R1.00; Annual subscription R7.00 (town), R6.00 (country). Students shall be persons not less than 18 years of age who are being educated or trained in a manner approved by the Council, to occupy a technical position in or associated with the mining or metallurgical industries and who, furthermore, shall not have attained the qualification required for a higher grade of membership. They may remain Students until they have obtained the necessary qualifications for transfer to a higher grade of membership, but not after the end of the Institute's financial year in which they attain the age of 28 (twenty-eight) years. They shall then transfer to a higher grade to retain membership of the Institute. The Council may relax the provisions of this clause in such cases as it considers appropriate. Entrance fee nil; Annual subscription R3.00 (town), R3.00 (country). Other. The Council has the power to elect to the grade of Member or Associate Member candidates who may not fulfil all the requirements for entrance to these grades but whose status, professional achievements and practical experience in mining or metallurgy justify such election. Applications. Requests for membership application forms should be addressed to the Secretary: South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, P.D. Box 1183, Johannesburg.

Colloquium and General Meeting were held at Kelvin House on 19th May, 1971, the theme being 'Modern trends in coal mining practice.' Mr V. C. Robinson (President) was in the Chair. The Colloquium was attended by 205 delegates and was opened by the President at 9 a.m. OBITUARY The President: 'It is my sad duty to announce the death of C. C. Cullen, Fellow, who joined the Institute in 1946 and passed away on 15th March, 1971. As a mark of respect to the memory of the deceased and in sympathy with the bereaved I would ask you all to rise and observe a few moments silence'. ELECTION OF SCRUTINEERS The President: 'In terms of Clause 9.4 of the By-Laws I now call for the nomination of seven Corporate Members to act as scrutineers of the ballot for Council'. Messrs V. C. Robinson, Prof D. D. Howat, Dr J P Hugo, D. G. Maxwell, J. K. E. Douglas, R. J. Adamson and P. Lambooy were nominated by P. W. J. van Rensburg and seconded by P. A. von Wietligh. The President: 'Are there any further nominations? If not I declare these gentlemen elected.' MEMBERSHIP The President: 'I have much pleasure in announcing that the names of candidates, having been published in accordance with By-Law 5.2.2, Council has elected them to membership of the Institute in the following grades: Members: Douglas Edward King, Bryan Rudolph Scott, James Gregor Phimister, Anthony David Walters. Graduates: Cornelius Johann Muller, Marthinus Stephanus Mulder. Associates: John George Everson, Colin Robert Llewellyn Davies. Students: Francois George Enslin Beetge, Ewald Boshoff, Christiaan J. Cloete, Christopher John Davies, Cameron George Elvin, Kenneth Eric Field, Johannes Louis Fourie, Hans Gert Gastrow, Peter John Ledger, James Robert William Lindsay, Kynaston Lloyd McDonald, Richard Peter Mohring, Arthur Leslie Painting, Matthias Arthur Pascall, Ian Neil Sinclair, Donald Allan James Ross-Watt. MEMBERS TRANSFERRED TO A HIGHER GRADE From Member to Fellow: Peter Norman Roberts. From Associate to Graduate: Alfred Eric WaIter Fletcher. From Student to Graduate: Wilfried Pierre de Villiers, Edward Emile Eichenberger, William Alan Nairn, Lodewyk Johannes de Jager, Colin Henry Obray, John Grenig Rees. COLLOQUIUM The President opened the proceedings and introduced Mr N. W. S. Schumann as the overall chairman for the day. The following papers and contributions were presented: FIRST SESSION: Chairman R. C. J. GOODE. Paper: 'Problems encountered in the operation of a new colliery' by P. M. C. Wilson and A. A. Oakes. Contributors: D. J. Moloney, G. R. Canny, I. G. Evans, R. B. MacGillivray, Dr F. G. J. de Jager, M. J. Deats, and N. Zolezzi. R. B. MacGillivray Mr President and gentlemen, I would like to congratulate the authors on presenting a most interesting paper on a very important subject. After several attempts at finding suitable reserves to extend the life of Welgedacht Exploration Company's Utrecht Colliery a block of coal rights was acquired south west of the town of Utrecht. A study of these reserves showed that they would enable a satisfactory return on capital invested to be achieved. It was decided therefore to open up what is now called the Zimbutu section of Welgedacht Exploration Company, to produce 41 000 metric tons of coal per month. The decision to open this section was taken in August, 1968 and due to certain allocation requirements it was necessary to bring it into production by the 1st of January, 1970. Fortunately a fair amount of statistical data had been collected prior to August, 1968 from the old Utrecht Colliery in anticipation of opening a mine and a fairly detailed rechnical report had been prepared. As a result the dead line was only missed by four days. Main features of the Design A feasibility study was carried out on three possible shaft positions and the final position was selected from these three on economic grounds. As the coal seam at the selected shaft position was only 21 metres below the surface it was decided to sink two twin incline shafts to enable rapid establishment of through ventilation and alternative hauling arrangements for quick development. This also allowed the final vertical ventilation shaft to be placed at some distance away to avoid the nuisance of fan noise. Second outlet requirements are also very well met by these twin inclines. Again on the basis of economics and also due to the uncertainty of roof conditions it was decided to use hand loading methods underground. However, to allow for future possible conversion to mechanised loading, should this become economical through rising wages, a conveyor belt was installed in the hauling shaft. This conveyor belt is fed from an endless rope haulage in the east companion by means of tipplers, a bin and a feeder. The main development heading was left clear for the future installation of a conveyor belt which would afford easy conversion to mechanisation.

A Colloquium and General Meeting was held jointly with the Mine Ventilation Society of S.A. in Kelvin House, Johannesburg, on 17th November, 1971, the theme being "The Economics of Mine Ventilation". Professor D. Howat (President) was in the chair. The Colloquium was attended by 150 delegates and was opened by the President at 9.00 a.m. MEMBERSHIP The President: "I have much pleasure in announcing that the names of the candidates, having been published in accordance with By-Law 5.2.2, Council has elected them to membership of the Institute in the following Grades: Fellows: Frederich-Wilhelm Volk, Peter Bennet Columbine. Members: Allan Colin Lawrence, Karel Anton van Gessel, Christopher Robert Harrison, Christopher Michael George Wartley, Frank Heinrich Deist, Ralph Morris, Benjamin Johannes Nolte. Associates: Wolf gang Freidrich Gottsman. TRANSFERS From Member to Fellow: Hugh Edward Keith Alien. From Graduate to Member: Errol Vincent Bosman, Christopher Roderick Stewart Needes, Bernard Wessels Holthousen. From Student to Graduate: David Robert Fleming. I welcome the new members to the Institute and congratulate them on their election. CO-OPTION TO COUNCIL The President announced that at the Council meeting held on 5th October, 1971, it was agreed, in terms of Rule 3.9 to co-opt Dr T. B. Beeton to Council. COLLOQUIUM The President welcomed visitors and members. He stressed that the discussion would be informal and that any contributor requiring publication should submit his contribution in writing. He then thanked the authors for providing pre-prints of the papers. After the President had concluded his opening remarks, he asked Professor J. de V. Lambrechts to act as Colloquium Chairman for the day and he, in turn, introduced the three Session Chairmen namely, Dr A. Whillier (Chamber of Mines and President of the Mine Ventilation Society); Mr M. Barcza (Managing Director, Corner House Laboratories); and Mr L. W. P. v.d. Bosch (Chief Consulting Engineer, Union Corporation). The following papers were presented: "Fan efficiency investigation on mines of the Union Corporation, Ltd." by J. A. Drummond. Published in the Journal Feb. 1972. "The design of underground cooling towers" by A. Whilliel'. Published in the Journal, Oct. 1971. "Some aspects of the design of cooling plant installations" by R. Hemp. Published in the Journal, Nov. 1971. "The planning of ventilation and refrigeration requirements in deep mines" by D. F. H. Grave and R. M. Stroh. Published in the Journal, Dec. 1971. "Cooling power of underground environments" by D. Mitchell and A. Whillier. Published in the Journal, Oct. 1971. At the conclusion of the three technical sessions the Symposium Chairman commented as follows, indicating that he would prepare a written summing up at a later stage: "The tone of the colloquium has had a sincerely practical note about it. It would have been a pity if the ventilation experts talked only theory and little practice. This practical theme has, I am sure, made the colloquium interesting to both ventilation men and others whose daily tasks do not touch so closely on this fascinating subject. This practical theme was in evidence through all the papers and contributions. Some of you may have felt that there was not enough emphasis on the word 'economics' as advertised in the broad title of the colloquium. I do not think this was really a valid criticism because as someone said 'it all boils down to Rands in the end!' So whether it was a case of low fan efficiency, poor design of cooling towers, wrong planning or low human efficiency due to high heat stress. . . it all boils down to money saving and therefore economics, whenever improvements are forthcoming. The title of the colloquium was thus not misplaced. The views of senior mining men on the production side are appreciated. Let us say that this exchange of views between ventilation engineers and those who have to take the final decisions and spend the money, should prove to be most rewarding." Professor Lambrechts finally thanked the Session Chairmen and everybody who had helped to make the colloquium a success and the meeting closed at 4.0 p.m. In a subsequent written summing up, the Colloquium Chairman gave the following as his impressions of some of the highlights which emerged from the papers and discussion thereof: (The names indicate the authors only). Drummond: It was hinted that the time had arrived to consider the introduction of a South African fan test code which would be better suited to local conditions than the currently acknowledged B.S.S. code which, however, is seldom enforceable in practice. In this connection also, there was prominent reference to the thermodynamic approach of McPherson. Wide variations in the quality of maintenance of, and repair work on, fans were stressed. It was mooted that ventilation engineers responsible for estimating the basic duty specifications for large fans, frequently played safe by overestimating the pressure required, thus ensuring that there would not be a shortfall in air volume delivered. This usually meant reduced fan efficiency and it was suggested that decision makers seemed to lay more emphasis on volume of air delivered than on real eco-

Gold Fields is the world?s fourth largest gold producer with operations in South Africa, Australia, Ghana and South America. All of Gold Fields? South African Operations are located in the Witwatersrand Basin and are intermediate to deep level underground mines exploiting gold bearing, shallow dipping tabular orebodies, which have collectively produced over 50 kt (1,608 Moz) of gold over a period of more than 100 years. Although the use of Monte Carlo as a business tool was introduced in 1964, it has only been in the last 30 years that it has gained increasing acceptance within the mining industry. However, the application thereof has been mostly limited to determination of risk in project areas. This paper however, considers the possibility of using Monte Carlo simulations to asses the underlying ?Root Cause? criteria critical to the operations management of existing mining operations. Currently, working operations have a distinct advantage over project areas as they have a wealth of historical information at hand. This, in turn, can be utilized to model distributions and relationships that can be used in Monte Carlo simulations, the results of which can be analysed to determine areas of concern. Projects can then be set up to ameliorate the effects of these and in turn reduce the risk of not achieving the operational targets. It is here that it must be stated emphatically that it should be the ?root causes? and the associated relationships that need to be emplaced within the model in order to achieve results that reflect the true causal relationship. The paper outlines possible sources of ?root cause? relationships and considers the outcomes of these in a case study on a large South African Gold Mine.

Jan 1, 2009

Hydrometallurgical processing of complex ores and concentrates is becoming increasingly important as the mining and metallurgical industry seeks to exploit mineral deposits that are difficult to treat using conventional mineral processing and pyrometallurgical technologies. Mineral processing is often challenged by the difficulty or inability to separate valuable minerals into marketable concentrates. Hydrometallurgical processing, using selective leaching technology, can often ?chemically beneficiate? such difficult deposits. Pyrometallurgical treatment of base metal concentrates is capital intensive and subject to ever more stringent environmental control. Hydrometallurgical processing is generally lower in capital cost for an equivalent metal production rate and avoids the gas and dust issues associated with pyrometallurgical processing. The possibility of by-product recovery may also increase with hydrometallurgical treatment. Two examples of new technology or flowsheet development for treatment of complex ores and concentrates are used as illustration. These include the El Boleo process of Baja Mining for recovery of copper, cobalt, zinc and manganese from a complex clayey ore and the PLATSOL? process for recovery of copper, nickel, cobalt, platinum, palladium and gold from a bulk sulphide concentrate.

Jan 1, 2009

By R. Hewer

Transition metals have been widely used in medicine throughout history. The medicinal use of metals extends back to the earliest recorded history when the Chinese used gold as treatment for a variety of ailments. The ancient Egyptians used copper to sterilize water and mercury was reportedly used by Hippocrates in 400BC. Thereafter, numerous other metals have been used as treatment throughout the centuries. For example, zinc sulphate was used as an emetic in the 17th century and zinc oxide was used to treat epilepsy in the 18th century. This use of metals, and numerous other instances, which have been well described in Sneader 2008,1 make for interesting reading but largely occurred prior to the advent of rigorous scientific method. Therefore, although there are exemptions, most therapeutic applications of metals prior to the modern age lack scientific grounding and have been found to be mostly ineffective. Of more relevance are metal-based medicines approved by regulatory bodies (i.e. Food and Drug Administration; FDA) that are in current use as therapeutic drugs. There are presently a large number of metal-based drugs that are approved for use by the FDA ranging from over the counter medicines, such as bismuth subsalicylate for gastrointestinal problems, to prescription drugs such as lithium carbonate for the treatment of manic depression. The list of metal-based medicines approved by the FDA not only incorporates base metals but also includes precious metals. Platinum complexes have been found to be potently active against several different types of cancers while gold complexes have shown application as treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). With the well-established foundation that exists for metal-based medicines, it is imperative to continue exploration into new therapeutic areas. The precious metals; gold, ruthenium and platinum, continue to attract scientific interest in the field of biomedicine and have been widely researched. Scientific studies conducted on gold complexes have demonstrated the potential of this metal for the treatment of HIV/AIDS, cancer and malaria. These diseases are also specific health concerns for developing nations; countries where disease has devastating impact. Within South Africa alone, an estimated 5.7 million people are infected with HIV/AIDS,2 approximately 7 000 new cases of malaria are reported annually, and it is projected that 1 in 4 persons will develop cancer. Continuous development of therapeutic drugs to combat these diseases is therefore apriority, and the exploration of gold-based compounds for this purpose is warranted.

Jan 1, 2009

By J. A. L. Napier

The evaluation of stress distributions and deformations in the vicinity of tabular mine layouts has been carried out routinely for many years using the displacement discontinuity boundary element method (DDM). In this approach, mine layouts are approximated as irregular shaped planar cracks (or slits) where the ?width? of the crack, corresponding to the excavation height, is assumed to be negligible compared to the in-plane, lateral dimensions. Early implementations of this approach have employed square element tessellations with constant displacement discontinuity component values. This is generally restrictive when considering the analysis of irregular pillar layouts or the intersection of fault planes with excavations. This paper describes a general revision of this approach in which triangular or quadrilateral element shapes are introduced in conjunction with higher order variations of the displacement discontinuity shape functions. This facilitates an accurate evaluation of detailed stress and displacement components close to excavation surfaces and allows the investigation of local damage and failure behaviour associated with particular geological structures such as weak parting bands or weak layers. A method to embed these features in an efficient and accurate multi-level solution scheme is described. This formulation can be extended to allow the analysis of shallow-depth pillar layout problems, facilitating the assessment of the interactive response and stability of shallow depth pillar layouts. A simple deformation model is introduced to facilitate the assessment of pillar failure and bursting potential in shallow mine layouts. The computational techniques described here have been implemented in a computer code called TEXAN (Tabular EXcavation ANalyser) and are illustrated by the simulation of a particular multiple reef pillar mining problem in a shallow depth platinum mine.

Jan 1, 2007

By U. W. O. L Vogler

"The behaviour of rocks depends on their material properties, and therefore it is important that these properties are determined by relevant and reliable laboratory testing methods. The ISRM Suggested Methods are very important documents in this regard, and a draft suggested method exists for the determination of the ’complete stress-strain curve for intact rock in uniaxial compression’. The method specifies the required geometry of specimens and the required testing procedures. The research described in this paper involved the determination of complete stress-strain curves for two materials, one exhibiting the Class I characteristic, and the other the Class II characteristic. To obtain a better understanding of the deformation behaviours in the post-peak region, tests were carried out on specimens of both material types with different length-to-diameter ratios. The results showed that the geometries of the test specimens influence the stressstrain curves in the post-peak region. The implication is, therefore, that the numerical values obtained for the slopes of the post-peak graphs are not material constants, but are geometry-dependent. Explanations for this behaviour are given. These findings have important implications regarding the use of post-peak data, for example for blast fragmentation considerations, and for evaluation of rockbursting potential. The research findings are based on a limited amount of laboratory testing, and should be confirmed by further testing. IntroductionThe most common approach for studying the behaviour of rock is by compression testing of cylindrical specimens in the laboratory. Rocks respond to forces by deforming and eventually breaking. The strength and the deformation characteristics are derived from the stressstrain curves produced. Standard shapes and sizes for the test specimens and standard loading rates are recommended in the Suggested Methods of the International Society for Rock Mechanics (ISRM) and the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards. In spite of these standards, there remain certain aspects of testing which require further attention. The research described in this paper deals with deformation and failure behaviour of rock materials using stiff, servocontrolled testing equipment. The particular objective was to test the premise that the behaviour of cylindrical rock specimens in the post-peak region of the stress-strain curves does not reflect only a material characteristic, but is influenced by the height-to-diameter ratio (the geometry) of the rock specimen. An additional objective was to investigate the effect of the stiffness of the test equipment on the outcomes of tests."

Jan 1, 2016

By M. M. Hajdasinski

The internal rate of return (IRR) is one of the most popular project evaluation criteria in the mineral industry, as well as in other industrial sectors. Analysis of its assumptions reveals, however, that this criterion does not function in the way it is supposed to. The search for a new criterion that would reflect the true rate of return (TRR) of an investment project or the true borrowing rate (TBR) of a borrowing project has led to the development of several approaches, yielding, for the same project, generally different values of the interest rate in question. Two of those approaches have been selected as the most representative and practical. Each has been presented in two variants, and subsequently analysed. As a result, it is shown that the various approaches to the TRR/TBR are all consistent with the net present value (NPV) criterion, and that each can serve as an independent project evaluation instrument, provided its assumptions can be regarded in a given situation as realistic enough.

Jan 1, 1987

Palabora Mining Company is operating a copper block cave mine in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. The mine was developed in the late nineties with a target ore reserve of 220 million tonnes of carbonatite at 0.69% copper. At 30,000 tonnes per day the operation had an estimated life of mine of approximately 23 years. Cave induced open pit side wall failure occurred in late 2004 with 130 million tonnes of waste reporting to the bottom of the open pit. This failure resulted in potential sterilization and dilution of the ore reserve and subsequent reduction in life of mine. Physical and numerical modelling indicated potential losses of up to 30% of the original ore reserves. Cave Management tools based on throughput principles are utilized to manage the failed waste ingress and ensure an optimum life of mine. Extracting the maximum rate possible, as soon as draw points are commissioned, with the view of achieving the highest production in the short term, is any mining operation?s goal as more money is required sooner. This approach, of course, improves the cash flow but presents a risk in the cave propagation profile as overall draw control is compromised. At Palabora it is evident from a Mineral Resource Throughput Management (MRTM) point of view that maximum production in the short term is not the solution. If high production rates are achieved and the profile of the cave is not manage correctly, this results in failed waste reporting to draw points earlier with adverse effects on grade. This would effectively and significantly shorten Palabora?s Life of Mine. The applications of good MRTM principles are required to assist the value chain for sustained profitability. The process commenced with change management paving the way for a better understanding and a holistic view for all role players.

Jan 1, 2007

By S. A. Abdel Sabour

Strategic decisions in the mining industry are made under multiple technical and market uncertainties. Therefore, to reach the best possible decision, based on information available, it is necessary to integrate uncertainty about the input variables and model financial risk of the project?s merit measures. However, this provides few useful insights to decision-makers unless accompanied by modelling management responses to uncertainty resolutions. It is widely acknowledged that conventional decision-support methods based on static, no-change, discounted cash flow (DCF) techniques such as net present value (NPV) and internal rate of return (IRR) tend to provide inaccurate value estimates. This could mislead the strategic decision-making process and result in significant value losses. This paper aims to model financial risk related to uncertainty about market variables such as metal prices and foreign exchange rates. Other sources of risk that are related, for example, to geology and production costs are not considered in this work. The article outlines a flexible financial model that integrates uncertainty about market variables and management flexibility to react to uncertainty resolutions into mine project valuation using a real-options valuation technique based on Monte Carlo simulation. Significance of information generated from this simulation-based flexible valuation model to the strategic decision-making process is tested using an illustrative case study of a Canadian mining project. The project is a typical multi-metal, open pit mine that produces copper and gold. In this case, there are three uncertain market variables, which are: copper and gold prices and US$/CAN$ exchange rate. Financial valuations are carried out using both the conventional static DCF method and a flexible real-options model. In the flexible model, management flexibility to decide whether to go ahead with the next expansion or terminate production operations is integrated. Results show how the flexible financial model can enhance the decision-making process.

Jan 1, 2009

By B. Aydin, A. S. Aloglu, S. Kahraman, E. Saygin

"The coal strength parameter is used in operations such as the selection and design of mechanical excavators and coal crushing/grinding equipment. However, coring or cutting prismatic specimens from coal for the standard strength tests is difficult, and sometimes not possible. For this reason a method for the indirect determination of coal strength from easy tests would be useful. In this study, the predictability of coal strength from the needle penetration test was investigated. This is a very easy and practical test method. Point load and needle penetration index (NPI) tests were carried out on coal specimens from Çayirhan coalfield in Turkey. The point load indexes were converted to the uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) values by using the general conversion factor. The UCS and NPI values were evaluated using regression analysis. A strong linear relationship was found between the two parameters. The conversion factor for the UCS-NPI ratio is 0.35 for the tested coal samples. It is concluded that the UCS of coal can be predicted from the NPI.IntroductionKnowledge of coal strength is important for the selection and design of mechanical excavators and coal crushing and grinding equipment. Uniaxial compressive strength of coal is used in designing pillar dimensions in room and pillar mining. Coals always contain bedding planes and cleats; they are also brittle and fragile. Therefore, coring or cutting prismatic specimens from coal for the standard strength tests is difficult, and sometimes not possible. For this reason, a method for the estimation of coal strength from easy tests would be useful.The needle penetration test is a nondestructive index test that is applicable both in the field and the laboratory and does not require any special sample preparation. The test has been used for the estimation of physical and mechanical properties of weak or soft rocks (Okada et al., 1985; Yamaguchi et al., 1997; Takahashi, Noto, and Yokokawa, 1988; Uchida et al., 2004; Aydan et al., 2006; Aydan, Watanabe, and Tokashiki, 2008; Aydan, 2012; Erguler and Ulusay, 2007; Park, Obara, and Kan, 2011; Ulusay and Erguler, 2012; Aydan and Ulusay, 2013; Aydan. Sato, and Yagi, 2014). This study investigates the predictability of coal strength from the needle penetration test."

Jan 1, 2017

By F. Lombard

We consider in this paper the use of a modified version of Hotelling?s statistic in the analysis of particle size distributions. The statistic can be adversely affected by the presence of outliers among the data. We propose a competitor to the statistic that is based on ranks, and hence is less sensitive to outlier effects. The results of a Monte Carlo study suggest that the rank test is highly competitive with the Hotelling test in its ability to detect differences between two mass size distributions. The calculation of the rank statistic is explained in detail and its application is illustrated on two sets of data.

Jan 1, 2012

By S. Potgieter-Vermaak

The main mineral components of the so-called heavy sands (or black sand) are the titanium, zirconium and iron-bearing minerals, rutile, zircon and illmenite, accompanied by various minor and trace amounts of silicates or phosphates, often present together with the rare earth elements. The investigated samples originated from Richards Bay Minerals (RBM) in South Africa, which is jointly owned by BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto, the largest titanium slag producer in the world. The present study focused on the characteristics of samples originating from various points in the separation plant. The heavy-mineral fractions and concentrates of a representative suite of samples were investigated using various analytical techniques to establish the differences in morphological and elemental compositions at the different points in the plant. These techniques included: reflected light microscopy, micro-raman spectrometry (MRS), scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM/EDX) and structural and chemical analyser (SCA). All samples comprised a heterogeneous population of zircon and rutile grains with diverse physico-chemical properties, expressed by large differences in colour and trace element chemistry of single grains. The elemental composition proved the presence of the rare earth elements that appeared to coexist with both Ti and Zr minerals. The percentage of grains hosting inclusions, such as anatase, monazite, quartz, spessartine, augite, epidote and actinolite, varied for each sample and could be uniquely characterized by Raman investigations. Keywords: heavy mineral sands, micro-ram an spectrometry, elemental analysis

High pressure grinding roll (HPGR) technology is used in an increasingly diverse range of applications, predominantly iron ore , gold and diamonds. KHD Humboldt Wedag HPGRs are applied world-wide, and consistently prove to be well designed and reliable operating units, with their performance meeting the pre-set standards. This publication summarizes some of the features and experiences for recent applications in treatment of copper ore, coarse iron ore, and gold ore. Summary data of roll surface wear life and operating data are given, together with operational observations. In addition, effects of feed segregation and truncated feed are discussed, as well as the implications of a product recycle flow sheet.

Jan 1, 2012

By C. Kelley

For years urethane screen surfaces have been used in a wide range of wet screening applications where openings as fine as 75 microns and coarser have been used. In dry screening operations these same urethane screen surfaces have been relegated to only the coarser separation ranging from 1.0 mm and larger. The purpose of this paper is to expose the reader to new developments in both screen surface and screening equipment technologies, which allow an end user to consider urethane screen surfaces for dry screening operations where separations as fine as 75 microns are required. These technologies allow an end user to realize the inherent advantages of urethane in wear resistance while also realizing the benefits that a high open area urethane screen surface can bring. These benefits include non-blinding characteristics and feed capacities, which rival that of traditional stainless-steel woven wire mesh screen surfaces. The paper will highlight the features of this patented urethane screen surface technology and the screening machines in conjunction with which they are used. There will also be a presentation of several case studies of commercial installations where these technologies are utilized. These case studies are from the mineral sands industry; therefore relevance to the conference is direct and not inferred. Included in the paper will also be constraints, which must be taken into account when considering urethane screen surfaces such as temperature and chemical attack. This paper will expose potential end users to a possibility of using screens to achieve extremely accurate size separations in applications where screens were previously not considered. The paper will explain and demonstrate that prior concerns of screen surface blinding, high screen surface consumption rates and large screen surface area requirements can be eliminated by proper utilization of high open area urethane screen surfaces.

Jan 1, 2007