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By Fr. -W. Bach

In the past years the enormous weight saving potential of magnesium sheet has been demonstrated by various research projects all over the world. It has been shown magnesium flat products can benefit automotive, aviation, machine tool and consumer electronics industries. Major material problems such as poor formability, corrosion resistance and high production cost still inhibit the application of magnesium sheets in large scale production. The present contribution outlines achievements in casting and rolling technology. The authors developed an adapted strip casting process in which near-net-shape rolling feedstock of several wrought alloys has been produced. During the rolling process, various parameters were varied in order to modify the microstructure and surface quality of sheet. Several temperature cycles, strains, lubricants, roll surface structures and roll coatings have been analyzed. The sheets were examined and tested in deep-drawing experiments. Suitable rolling schedules have been developed for standard and modified wrought alloys. The study concludes with an overview of current industrial solutions and an estimation of the potential cost savings that might result from the adaptation of the process that has been developed.

Jan 1, 2006

By C. S. Touchard, F. Bourgeois, L. Cassayre, Julcour-Lebigue C.

Developing a hydrometallurgical process that can overcome the refractory nature of chalcopyrite (CuFeS2) to leaching still eludes the minerals industry, despite major research efforts spanning decades. The several leaching experiments of this ore in sulfuric acid tend toward the same conclusion that the precipitation of elemental sulfur or iron containing species are the main dissolution inhibitors. Describing both the electrolyte composition and the various solid phases in equilibrium for the Fe-H2SO4-H2O system is essential to overcome this issue and to find an operating window. According to the thermodynamic models and to the thermodynamic data, we demonstrate, in this study, the need to use the Specific ion Interactive Theory (SIT) model to describe complex electrolytic systems through a limited number of parameters. Hence, the binary interactions for our case study have to be defined and estimated. This work develops a methodology to determine these parameters of the SIT model up to 90°C and an acid concentration of 1 mol/kg from published data for H2SO4-H2O and Fe(II)-H2SO4-H2O sub-systems or from new experimental data for the Fe(III)-H2SO4-H2O one. This method will eventually be applied to copper systems to lead to a thermodynamic description of the complete CuFeS2-H2SO4-H2O system. INTRODUCTION A leaching process consists in the dissolution of a solid phase into an aqueous medium in order to extract compounds of interest. It is a key step in the hydrometallurgical processes used in the primary production and recycling of metal components. One of the main leaching issues is the formation of passivating layers on the surface of solid particles, whose consequence is a partial or total hindrance of the dissolution. The leaching of chalcopyrite (CuFeS2) in sulfuric acid is a prime example. No industrial solution for the atmospheric pressure leaching of this ore has been developed to date because of passivation phenomena caused by the formation of elemental sulfur or iron-containing precipitates on the surface of the particles (Li, Kawashima, Li, Chandra, & Gerson, 2013). In the 1970s, the Pourbaix diagrams established for the Cu-Fe-S-H2O system at 25°C for low concentrated solutions (Garrels & Christ, 1965; Peters, 1976) agreed that copper and iron are fully dissolved at high potential and in acidic medium (pH < 4). However, they neglected the many stable solid phases that can form in these conditions. In addition, the Pourbaix diagrams of chalcopyrite in water, calculated with two recent databases (FactPS and Thermoddem 2017) associated to FactSage and PhreeqC softwares respectively, show large discrepancies at 75°C (Figure 1). Indeed, at high potential, FactSage predicts the formation of goethite FeOOH at a pH value of 1, while PhreeqC predicts the formation of jarosite (H3O)[Fe3(SO4)2(OH)6] for pH greater than 2.5.

Jan 1, 2019

By Qian Liu

Mining in highly stressed ground conditions has been an increasing challenge at the Brunswick Mine. Two large regional pillars were established on the 1000 m Level to support the ground for safe extraction of the surrounding ore. The South Regional Pillar contains about 5 million tonnes of ore and the North Regional Pillar has about 3 million tonnes of ore. In the fall of 2000, mining activities were suspended following a series of ground movements around the South Regional Pillar along weak geological structures. After extensive geotechnical investigations, a decision was made to carry out a mass destress blast in the West Ore Zone (WOZ) to cut the principal stress across an area of 135 m along strike and 86 m high. At the end of July 2001, the WOZ mass blast was successfully initiated. Following this success the mine decided to take a similar approach to destressing the North Regional Pillar (NRP). The final mass blast was taken in early February 2003. Advanced blasting technologies, including state of the art electronic detonators and blast simulation, played an important role in achieving the successful blasts. The high precision of delay timing and long delay duration of the electronic detonators ensured accurate and reliable initiations of over 800 blastholes in the WOZ mass blast. Orica?s DMC_Blast (Distinct Motion Code) simulation code was used to study different blasting blocks for the desired timing in the initiation sequence. This paper describes the process of applying electronic detonators in complex blasts, and discusses how blast simulation results were interpreted to guide engineering design of the mass blasts.

May 1, 2003

By Roger K. M. Bellows

The last coal-fired power plant to be built in Canada came into operation in 1994. Since then, Canada?s electricity requirements have grown substantially but no new coal-burning plants have been built. This country has abundant resources of coal from coast to coast, but in recent years, this has not affected our choice of fuel. In many other countries this is not the case, and the use of coal is growing rapidly. Although this presentation covers the topic from an Alberta perspective, some of the conclusions can be extrapolated to the rest of the country, and perhaps even to other countries. The coal found in the Alberta plains is particularly attractive because of its low cost and low sulphur content. Yet coal is no longer the fuel of choice, and a long-standing provincial government policy to favour coal for electricity generation has been ignored for more than a decade. Considering the lack of good alternatives, it seems obvious that we should look to coal as our primary energy source in the generation of electricity and for other industrial applications. This paper discusses some of the reasons that coal has fallen out of favour, particularly with respect to electricity generation. The significance of the deregulation of the electricity industry will not be ignored. In addition, the author will offer his opinion on the question of what it will take in order for coal to once again become the favoured fuel.

May 1, 2001

By Xing-Liang Sun, Xian-Min Han, Zheng-Guo Zhu

The study on the material properties of frozen soils in China was being developed quickly in the past decades of years, because of the increase of the engineering constructed in frozen soil regions on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, and numerous research results were achieved mainly about strength and deformation behaviour and constitutive models of frozen soils. Studies have shown that the deformation procedure of frozen soils is irreversible; therefore, it is more appropriate to research mechanical properties of frozen soils by means of damage mechanics theory. In this paper, an elasto-viscoplastic anisotropic damage model is presented by introduction of Perzyna viscoplastic equation into analyzing the deformation of frozen soil. In addition, an anisotropic damage evolution equation is obtained by means of extending non-viscous damage to viscous damage. Triaxial tests at different strain rates are chosen to illustrate the application of this model, and good agreement between experimental data and numerically simulated results is obtained. The calculated results indicate that, under the same conditions, the damage at higher strain rate is less than that at low one. So the phenomena are explained from damage mechanics that the frozen soil has larger elastic modulus and shear strength at higher strain rates, and explained from mechanism that the emergence and development of micro-cracks in the body of frozen soil can be to some extent retarded at higher strain rates.

Jan 1, 2015

By J. K. Szymanski

"RÉSUMÉPour maintenir de bonnes performances technique et économique dans l’exploitation par chambres vides (open stope) il est primordial d’assurer un contrôle efficace des limites réelles des chantiers d’abattage. C’est pour cette raison que, de plus en plus souvent, les opérateurs miniers utilisent un dispositif de laser (Cavity Monitoring System: CMS) qui permet de mesurer les dimensions réelles de chantiers en vue de calculer principalement la dilution et les pertes du minerai ainsi que d’autres paramètres. Malheureusement, il n’existe présentement aucune méthodologie commune, qui permettrait d’interpréter ces résultats selon les mêmes critères pour faciliter d’évaluations juste et précise de la réalisation par rapport à la planification en vue d’en apporter de corrections, dans les différentes opérations minières, si nécessaire. Dans la première partie du présent article on discute les principales séquences d’exploitation utilisées dans l’extraction par chambres vides. Par la suite, à l’aide des sections transversales et longitudinales on illustre toutes les phases des travaux miniers. Ceci en vue de permettre au lecteur de comprendre mieux c’est qui peut se passer effectivement dans les chantiers d’abattage. Par après on donne les définitions générales de principaux facteurs de performance technique. Finalement, l’exemple numérique, élaboré à partir des résultats de l’arpentage au laser effectué par la mine Bousquet 2 dans un chantier d’abattage, donne les détails concernant les définitions ainsi que les valeurs de nombreux facteurs de performance technique, qui pourraient être utilisés, par après, par les opérateurs miniers dans le suivi de leurs exploitations souterraines."

Jan 1, 1997

By Martin Grenon

This paper presents two case studies where fracture set orientation was quantified using three methods: a simple fracture pole grouping, a Fisher distribution and a Kent distribution. The three fracture orientation representations were then used as inputs for kinematic slope stability analysis. Differences showed up in the probability of sliding for all instability modes considered.

Aug 1, 2013

By L. C. Johnston, J. N. Gills

This paper reviews the basic reactions of the blast furnace and the open hearth furnace, and then discusses the quarrying and sizing requirements of the limestone feed for each. Particular emphasis is placed on the lime-stone at Irish Cove, now being mined under an agreement between Scotia Limestone Limited and Dosco Steel Limited. The drilling and blasting operations are described, along with loading and haulage, plant flow, water supply, power supply and transportation facilities.

Jan 1, 1967

By D. F. Scott

"DEFINITION OF THE REGION AND ITS BOUNDARIESTHE REGION of Western Canada covered by this re-port lies between the Precambrian rocks of the Canadian Shield and the structurally deformed rocks of the eastern Cordillera, extending northward from the international border to the 60th parallel. It is some 487,000 square miles in area, with a total sedimentary fill of about 535,000 cubic miles0>. It includes parts of the prairie provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta and the northeast corner of British Columbia and forms part of the geological region known as the Interior Platform, commonly referred to as the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin. The bedrock comprises carbonates and evaporites of Paleozoic age that lie on Precambrian crystalline rocks and are over-lain by a relatively thick blanket of Mesozoic and Tertiary elastic rocks. The nearly flat-lying bedrock, covered by a thick mantle of glacial drift, forms the Interior Plains physiographic province."

Jan 1, 1970

By G. A. Peebles

"This paper describes the various types of radiometric instruments and the techniques of their operation for grade control, sampling, assaying and probing drill holes at Eldorado Nuclear's uranium mine in northern Saskatchewan. Modifications that have been made to these instruments are discussed, and suggestions are made for the development of more refined and specialized radiometric equipment."

Jan 1, 1969

By C. D. Smith

Numerous studies have shown the potential of air rate profiling to significantly improve the flotation performance of a bank of cells. To date many profiles have been implemented; balanced, increasing, decreasing and combinations of these. Previous work has typically shown using an increasing air rate profile, where the air rates are increased proportionally to each cell down the bank, yields a higher grade for a given recovery compared to other profiles. Air rate profiling can then be thought of as having two distinct components; determining the correct distribution of a given volume of air and, perhaps more importantly determining the correct total volume of air to add to the bank. To date no method for this second component has been established. In an alternative technique the air rate to each cell is adjusted in order to optimise the air recovery from that cell. Air recovery is the fraction of the inlet air which overflows the weir of a cell as unburst bubbles. The peak in air recovery (PAR) is a robust measurement that indicates optimal performance for the operating conditions in the cell, and sets the PAR air rate. By doing this for each cell in the bank, the optimal total air rate to the bank and the optimal distribution of that air can be simultaneously determined. In this study plant trials evaluated different air rate profiles, and profiling based on PAR. The total air rates to the bank for all profiles tested were approximately equal, allowing direct comparison. The results showed that the highest cumulative mineral recovery was achieved by operating at air rates which gave the PAR for each cell down the bank. Different distributions of the same total air rate to the bank gave the same cumulative upgrade ratio, but lower cumulative recoveries. In this study, the increase in cumulative mineral recovery, at the same upgrade ratio, was more than 33%. Peak in air recovery (PAR) based optimisation of air rates to banks of cells and to the individual cells has been shown to significantly improve flotation performance as it simultaneously determines the optimal air rate to the bank, and the optimal distribution of that air.

Jan 1, 2009

By B. Fang

Electrochemical behavior of an X-80 pipeline steel, including frequency-sweep electrochemical-impedance spectroscopy (EIS), time-sweep EIS at a constant frequency and open-circuit potential (OCP) monitor, was investigated using four-point bending specimens subjected to a stress-corrosion cracking (SCC) test in a near-neutral pH environment, The capacitive loop became smaller with test duration, revealing an increase in the corrosion rate, The resistance obtained in the constant-frequency EIS test showed two regions, of which the region with a remarkable decrease in resistance transformed into a region of slow decrease, whereas the capacitance increased with test time indicating that iron dissolution was fast at first, and then a corrosion product or film formed and covered the surface, leading to the pitting formation.

Jan 1, 2005

By D. T. A. Symons, M. M. Kapnistos

"Gravity profiles were established over five known Middle Silurian pinnacle reef s in Lambton County, southwestern Ontario. The profiles were approximately 3 km long, with stations every 60 m. Four fairly recent technological developments were used which now make the gravity method relatively efficient and inexpensive compared to the techniques available two decades ago. These are: (1) a La Coste-Romberg model G gravimeter to measure the gravitational attraction with a sensitivity of 0.01 mgal; (2) a Sokkisha model B-2 semiautomatic engineers level to measure the station elevations with an accuracy of 0.5 cm; (3) a Huntec FS-3 hammer reflection seismograph to determine the overburden thickness to an accuracy of ± 7%; and (4) a modern microcomputer to process the data sets and mathematically filter the gravity values. Thus, two men can measure and analyze approximately 1 km of profile per day and obtain the residual gravity profile to an accuracy of ± 0. 05 mgal. Positive gravity anomalies of 0.17 to 0.72 mgal were observed along all five profiles that approximately delineate the dimensions of the known pinnacle reefs, which have an average height of 120 m, diameter of 1500 m and depth to top of 575 m. The relative ease of the gravity survey method makes it a cost-effective technique for hydrocarbon exploration in southwestern Ontario. IntroductionPinnacle reefs are important sources of oil and gas. Although the pinnacle reefs in southwestern Ontario are small, they may contain commercial pools of oil and gas because of their proximity to refineries. They are also useful for subsurface storage of gas to meet the winter surge in gas demand.At present, geophysical exploration for new pinnacle reefs is done primarily by relatively expensive seismic methods, which are also limited in southwestern Ontario by prohibitions on blasting. Gravity methods of exploration were attempted more than two decades ago in this region. (Pohly, 1954); however, the level of technology at that time made the method marginal in sensitivity and quite expensive. Several subsequent developments- gravimeters with greater sensitivity and operating ease, ""self-levelling"" levels for elevation control, hammer seismic reflection units for determining overburden thickness and portable microcomputers for efficient data analysis-have significantly improved the precision and cost effectiveness of the gravity method. Five known pinnacle reefs were selected in Lambton County, southwestern Ontario (Fig. 1), to test the effectiveness of integrating these developments to locate and define additional reefs. Isolated reefs were chosen to avoid the problem of the gravity effect s of one reef interfering with those of a neighbouring reef. The surveys were facilitated by choosing reefs with a concession road passing directly over them ."

Jan 1, 1980

By N. P. Hristov, L. V. Kuzev

"A simulation study of the fill factor of a drum mill was conducted using two types of grinding media: balls and tetraballpebs. Each medium was composed of equal number of grinding bodies having equal weight but different shape. The difference was in the density of the two grinding media.Standard spherical grinding bodies (balls), which were used in practice, and equivalent (by weight) grinding bodies in the shape of spheroidal tetrahedrons (tetraballpebs) were studied. The simulation was conducted in a module of a 1.2 m diameter drum mill, whose length exceeded twice the diameter of the corresponding grinding body. The grinding balls had a few percent (3 to 6) higher fill factor than the grinding tetraballpebs in the same shell.Vertical sections of the grinding medium were taken across the studied shell module along its axis. They showed the location of each grinding body in the fill volume. Defects in the packing of the grinding bodies and the contacts between them and with the inner surface of the shell were also show. Differences in the contact points of the balls and the tetraballpebs were noted. For the tetraballpebs, we observed contacts both between the spherical surfaces and with the edges and vertices of the grinding bodies.The topography of the grinding media is shown visually.INTRODUCTIONThe grinding balls have been studied extensively. It is the traditional grinding medium in ore processing industry. The parameter characterising the grinding medium is its density. It is the mass of the grinding medium per unit of volume. The parameter may have a range of values. It depends on:• The physical properties of the material they are made of;• The shape of the grinding body;• The dimensions of the body;• Size distribution of the grinding bodies in the grinding media.In comminution, the fill factor of the mill shell is the process parameter that is representative of the grinding medium. Some publications have indicated the disadvantages of ball grinding. For example, Wu, Xiang, Glen, and Duan (2008) note in the analysis of the mechanism of grinding that the balls are not the best grinding media and disadvantages include among others:• Easy over-grinding resulting from the point contact between the balls;• Attrition surface is the smallest in the grinding media;• Poor selective exposure of minerals resulting from the accidental and often significantly more powerful impact on the feed;• The grinding efficiency drops as the fineness of grind is increased;In the Handbook of mineral processing, Polkin (1950) noted that the shape of the grinding bodies determines the volume of the void spaces therein and therefore the shape affects the grinding efficiency per unit of volume of the grinding medium."

Jan 1, 2016

By H. E. Grier, H. H. Aronson, H. F. Coffer

"Nuclear explosions are currently being planned for use in oil and gas production, the recovery of oil from oil shale, gas storage and copper leaching. The current status of each of these projects is discussed, with emphasis on the economics of each application. The first commercial application of nuclear explosives will be in gas stimulation. Project Gasbuggy will be rapidly followed by two additional shots, also related to gas production. These three events, each in a different formation, will be described in this paper with a discussion on their significance to the world's oil and gas industry. The use of nuclear explosives in oil and gas stimulation should be a standard accepted practice within a few years. Calculations based on explosions in media such as tuff, alluvium, granite and dolomite predict large increases in productivity when nuclear devices are used in tight, thick formations. The broken-up rock resulting from the explosion becomes the new well bore, with a production rate of six to twelve times that of a normally completed well.Also included in the paper is a discussion of the real or possible problems associated with nuclear explosive engineering. The only major foreseeable problem is the seismic shock wave. This limits the size of explosive which can be used near important surface structures. A discussion is included on the radiation problem, which we believe to be largely psychological in the case of contained explosions."

Jan 1, 1968

By Jiuhua Xu, Yuling Xie, Fenglei Bie, Neng Jiang

"Abstract - The Xiaoqingling Mt. area is one of the most productive gold districts in China. The gold-bearing quartz veins are controlled by a series of east-west shear zones within the Archean Taihua Group, and related to the late Yanshanian (Cretaceous) granite. The major metallic minerals are native gold, electrum, pyrite, galena, chalcopyrite and sphalerite, with gangue minerals dominated by quartz, sericite, ankerite, and calcite. The host rocks are mainly amphibolite, plagioclase gneiss, and migmatites. Principal alteration is sericitization, silicification, pyritization, and carbonization.There are four generations of hydrothermal quartz in altered rocks of gold deposits. The earliest generation of quartz, (Q1), occurs in altered amphibolite gneiss and migmatite, and typically contains fluid inclusions with halite crystals (type A) and two phases, (L+V), of fluid inclusions (type B). The salinities of type A inclusions are 32 wt% to 52 wt%, with dissolution temperatures of halite crystals being from 155°C to 465°C. The second generation of quartz, (Q2), occurs as a fine-grained aggregate associated with sericite, and has small (less than 3 µm) type B inclusions. The third generation of quartz, (Q3), occurs in mylonitic, intensively altered rocks and specially beresite (a type of rock composed of quartz, sericite, and pyrite) near the veins, and contains large amounts of CO2-rich fluid inclusions (type C-fluid inclusions with liquid CO2 and type D-fluid inclusion with high density CO2). The CO2 contents of type C range from 72.6 to 87.4 mol% in gas phases, and 35.7 to 68.3 mol% in liquid phases, based on Laser Raman analysis. The homogenization temperatures of fluid inclusion type A and C are from 215°C to 380°C, and from 210°C to 325°C, respectively. The minimum trapping pressure of fluid inclusions is estimated as 80 MPa to 170 MPa for type A, and from 57 MPa to 190 MPa for type C, which approximate to those of fluid inclusions in vein quartz.The ?18O of quartz are from 10.4‰ to 11.0‰ for Q3 of altered rocks, and from 10.7‰ to 12.8‰ for stage I quartz. The calculated ?18O of fluid inclusions varies from -1.3‰ to 6.0‰. The ?D of fluid inclusions ranges from -67‰ to -59‰ and from -81‰ to -48 ‰, respectively. It is concluded that the water in the hydrothermal fluids both reacting with wallrocks and precipitating orebodies could have been mainly of magmatic and/or metamorphic nature. However, local meteoric water might have been important in late mineralization, because of a distinct oxygen-shift toward the meteoric water. The ?34S values for pyrite of the ores range from -7.1‰ to +7.1‰, with an average of +2.9‰. Those of other sulfides (chalcopyrite, galena, and sphalerite, range from -12.5‰ to 8.3‰. The ratios of lead isotopes for galena of the ores are: 17.06 to 17.31 (206Pb/204Pb), 15.43 to 15.74 (207Pb/204Pb) and 37.58 to 38.45 (208Pb/204Pb). In summary, ore-forming fluids in the Wenyu-Dongchuang gold deposits may have originated from a mantle and/or lower crust source, and ore materials were derived from the Precambrian basement, the Taihua Group."

Jan 1, 1998

By Darryel Boucher, Thomas W. Leadbeater, Raymond Langlois, Joshua Sovechles, McGill University, Zhoutong Deng

"Spiral concentrators are used to upgrade ore based on the density difference between their component minerals. This simple flowing film gravity separator is of interest for the processing of large amounts of material, as found in the iron ore industry. Addition of wash water at different points on the trough of the spiral affects the grade and recovery of the valuable concentrate by affecting the flow of particles within the thin slurry film. This paper shows how radiolabelled hematite (-355+300 µm) and quartz (–1,180+1,000 µm) tracers were used to determine the particles’ behaviour within the slurry film with and without the addition of wash water. The results presented provide a detailed particle flow pattern around a wash water addition point and its effect on the trajectory and velocity of the particles. This information is of interest in building knowledge about spiral wash water injection parameters such as injection location, direction, flow rate and nozzle orifice type (affecting jet shape and velocity).INTRODUCTIONSpiral concentrators are density based separation devices. They are extensively used in the upgrading of iron ore, fine coal and minerals sands (sources of ilmenite, rutile, zircon and monazite) (Wills & Finch, 2016). A spiral unit is composed of a channel of specific profile formed as a helix of 3 to 7 turns around a central structural post. The feed pulp is composed of 15 to 45% solids with particle size from 75 µm to 3000 µm (Wills & Finch, 2016). Throughput of a single spiraling trough can be up to 8 ton per hour and multiple trough unit (up to four trough) can process up to 30 ton per hour for a footprint of around 0.7 m2 (Palmers & Vadeikis, 2010). They are low cost concentrators considering manufacturing of their trough via polymer reverse molding. The energy intensity of a spiral plan is notably small considering the throughput and is mostly related to pulp pumping and final concentrate dewatering."

Jan 1, 2016

By H. R. Banks

SHORTLY after the commencement of operations at the Sullivan concentrator, the use of a pilot table was instituted in order to present a visual control of various products by showing the amount of galena still present in the tailing from several stages of flotation. Among the products so treated, the final tailing was later included. It was sratifying to note that very little free galena was escaping, but a fine streak o a whitish mineral appeared at the concentrate zone. This mineral was identified as cassiterite. The amount was small and the newly recognized component in an already complex ore was considered primarily as of academic interest. However, the problem of recovering a usable metal was intriguing and, as opportunity presented itself in temporary lulls in research on Sullivan and other ores, the concentration of tin was a useful &apos;bit of knitting&apos; to go on with. It was recognized from the start that the bulk of the mill tailing would have to be floated and the residue subjected to gravity treatment. Since one of the predominating features of Sullivan concentration operation has been the necessity of fine grinding, the problem of gravity concentration was thereby intensified. Several batch runs were made, and sufficient pulp was treated to produce about one ton of final tin concentrate assaying 67 percent tin. The overall recovery was under 30 percent and the estimated profit at full tonnage was only marginal. Testing was resumed several years later, when the price of tin again appeared attractive, in an attempt to develop a more compact plant with better recovery of tin. The weakness of the original plan of concentration was the large number of tables required to treat a feed so low in tin.

Jan 1, 1941

By Louis Frost

The coal-mining industry of Nova Scotia, particularly of the island of Cape Breton, today faced as no other industry with economic problems calling for progressive engineering with production on an economic basis, must soon enter upon a phase of reorganization wherein all factors conducive to the cost of producing coal relative to the prolongation of the life of the collieries with the ultimate winning of the maximum submarine area must be closely reviewed. Bearing this in mind and applying the process of elimination to coal-mining costs generally, we are left with only three channels through which we may approach the problem of cost reduction in producing coal: (a) intensive mechanization (b) reduction in the cost of labour (c) reduction in the cost of materials. Assuming that mechanization has reached an economic stage and that labour costs have reached an economic limit, we must turn our attention to the general material costs, which may be classified as &apos;live&apos; and &apos;dead&apos; costs. The former take in all things which can be accredited with a fractional depreciation and written off the balance sheet over a period of years. On the other hand, the ?dead&apos;costs-of which the cost of supporting the underground workings form part must be completely written off: for these, no return may be expected, other than the economic return in the reduction of the cost per ton of coal produced.

Jan 1, 1928

By Robert Strachanm

The East Kootenay coal-field, situated close to the boundary between the provinces of Alberta and British Columbia, is composed of four small areas locally called the Crow&apos;s Nest Pass, the Upper Elk, the Flathead and Crown Mountain, and comprises an area of about 3 78 square miles. From eleven to twenty-five seams have been exposed of two feet and over in thickness, with a total thickness of about 200 feet of coal, and reckoning about one hundred feet to be workable, gives an estimate of coal available of about thirty-seven billion tons. The coal is a high-grade bituminous, occasionally tending towards anthracite, and the majority of the seams furnish a. very good quality of coking coal as well as an excellent steam coal. The coal-field is found in the mountain ranges in long narrow strips. The age of the fonnation and the thickness of the covering beds have had considerable influence on the character of the coal, and lateral pressure and disturbances in the process of mountain-building have wrought great changes. With such an abundance of coal, it has been a disappointment that the East Kootenay field has not figured larger industrially. So far only one portion of the coal-field has been utilized. This is the Crow&apos;s Nest, where, in 1898, the Crow&apos;s Nest Pass Coal Company commenced development. Access to the coal seams was easily obtained, the mountain creeks having eroded away the covering, and mines were driven into the coal seams. In that year about ten thousand tons of coal were produced from the mine at Coal Creek.

Jan 1, 1924