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By N. Lecuyer

"During early 1980, pre-production work commenced at the ""Les Mines Gallen"" project, north of Noranda, Quebec. As a result of the acid mine water associated with this property, a major pre-production phase included the installation of a water treatment plant to render the water environmentally suitable.This paper emphasizes the planning, installation and operational factors of the treatment plant necessary to the success of the mining operations and the maintaining of a clean environment.Introduction,T he Gallen Project is a zinc, gold and silver open-pit mining operation approximately 10 kilometres north of Noranda, Quebec. This property has a long history, with initial diamond drilling done in the early 1930s and underground mining taking place between 1953 and 1962. This property was reactivated in 1980, with production scheduled a t a rate of 45,000 ton s per month.Included in the reactivation plans for the property was the installation of a water treatment plant to treat the acidic mine water.Plant DesignThe requirements for the Gallen water treatment plant were two-fold. Firstly, it was necessary to neutralize the acid water and secondly to produce a sludge containing metal hydroxides and sulphates which would be stable when stored, and a clarified overflow meeting governmental regulations to be discharged to the environment.The flow sheet (Fig. I) will explain the process in treatment of the acid water.Acid mine drainage is treated with lime to increase the pH to 9.50. Metals in solution are precipitated as metal hydroxides and the 504 as calcium sulphate. The precipitate slurry is then aerated to convert ferrous iron to ferric iron, which is more stable for storage and disposal.The precipitate is next flocculated with a polymer flocculant and settled in the thickener to produce a sulphate/Hydroxide sludge and a final effluent discharged to the environment."

Jan 1, 1983

By A. W. Chan

"An interactive computer simulation model of conveyor systems used in oil sands mining has been developed to aid in the selection of mining equipment and the evaluation of operating policies. The materials handling links between supply points, such as bucket-wheel excavators and draglines, and demand points such as bins and extraction plants are modelled in such a way that the conveyor model can be interfaced with any combination of these equipment submodels. Detailed calculations of the power demand of each conveyor section based on operating characteristics and conveyor design parameters are included to permit the close monitoring of energy requirements. Various interactive features are incorporated so that an operator can not only monitor, but also control, the mining operations in the model and experiment with different operating strategies.IntroductionThe interactive simulation model of conveyor systems described in this paper is one of a number of detailed computer models being jointly developed by the National Research Council and Canstar Oil Sands Ltd. on the mining equipment and operations used in oil sands mining. Reference I presents an overview of this whole series of models, their interrelationships and the underlying motivation for their development.A network of conveyors constitutes one of the practical ways for transporting mined material in an oil sands plant. The materials handling links between supply points, such as bucket-wheel excavators, bucket-wheel reclaimers and bins, and demand points such as dumps, bins and extraction plants can be represented by a series of interconnected conveyor sections. For example, the fluctuations of the feed rate at the bucket-wheel excavator, the flow of ore material through the conveyor network and the arrival of this material at the extraction plant can be simulated."

Jan 1, 1982

By M. Kuyumcu

With annual production of almost 3.5 million metric tonnes of K20, former East Germany (GDR) was the world?s third-largest producer of potash, ranking behind only the Soviet Union and Canada. More than 80 % of production was intended for export to earn urgently needed hard currency. For this reason, beginning in the 1970s, East Germany began to mine unprofitable hard-salt sources and carnallitite fields, which are geomechanically problematic. In the course of restructuring from a centrally planned to a market economy after German reunification, only two of the nine existing potash mines were classified as economically viable for privatization. All six potash mines in the South Harz Region were closed between 1991 and 1993. The orderly safekeeping of these potash and other decommissioned ore mines and the rededication of mining areas were assigned in 1992 to a German state-owned company GVV founded especially for this purpose. Elaboration in the present documentation covers the local necessity of the type and extent of filling and safeguarding measures. As a result of the remedial measures taken, it was possible to prevent the collapse of cavities and damage to surface facilities. This documentation describes the safeguarding successes to date, with appreciable reduction and stabilization of surface settlement and with significant lessening of seismic events. Also presented are concepts updated to the state of the art for safeguarding of numerous potash mining shafts for long-term effectiveness in separation of the workings and watercourse levels in the cap rock. In the course of 100 years of production, six mining dumps resulted with a total volume of approximately 170 million m3. They consist of up to 95 % of water-soluble salts. Every year, precipitation dissolves up to 500,000 tonnes of this salt, which enters as a highly concentrated solution into watercourses and ground water. Explanation follows of measures for minimization of environmental pollution by covering of dumps and controlled drainage of alkaline solutions from the dumps. Finally, presentation is made of the results of the successful work until now by GVV for reuse of decommissioned mining sites with settlement of new companies for creation of additional jobs and for revitalization of the monostructured South Harz Potash Mining Region.

Aug 1, 2013

By S. M. Bulataovic, D. M. Wyslouzil

"The Martison Lake phosphate-niobium deposit is composed of unconsolidated residuum containing clay and silt-size particles of phosphate, niobium, iron and clay minerals. This paper deals with the laboratory and pilot plant development of the flowsheet and the reagent scheme to treat the Martison Lake ore. The ore, in addition to the complex gangue composition, contained several phosphate minerals including fluorapatite, francolite and florencite. The detailed laboratory and pilot plant evaluation resulted in the development of an effective flowsheet and reagent scheme for the selective flotation of phosphate minerals using a fatty acid circuit, followed by niobium flotation using amine collectors at acid pH. The developed flowsheet included des liming of ore, magnetic separation, and selective P 2 O 5 -Nb 2Os flotation. The main aspects discussed include characterization of the ore, step by step development of flowsheet and evaluation of dfferent modifiers and collectors for P20s and Nb20s flotation.INTRODUCTIONMartison Lake phosphate-niobium ore deposit, located 75 km north of Hearst, Ontario was discovered in the early 70's and has been the subject of extensive technical-economic evaluation in the late 70's and early 80's.The deposit is covered completely by 30 m to 90 m of glacial overburden and is composed entirely of unconso1idated material called residuum, that lies on top of a precambrian age carbonatite intrusive from which the residuum was derived by weathering and natural leaching in situ. The residuum is and irregularly-shaped horizontal lens, 2 km by 3 km in area, and up to 100 m thick, composed mostly of unconsolidated clay and silt-size particles of phosphate, niobium, iron, mica and clay minerals."

Jan 1, 1986

By P .. D. Vaillancourt, D. F. Sangster

Several occurrences of disseminated galena, including a former producing mine, are found in Pennsylvanian fluviatile sandstone of the Salmon River Basin, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. Detailed study of the distribution of these occurrences has revealed that highest galena concentrations are found in sandstone overlying channel-shaped depressions in felsic basement rocks. These buried depressions, in turn, correlate in position with modern streams in areas of basement exposure. This correspondence suggests that the latter are at least partially controlled by an exhumed Pennsylvanian topography. If this is correct, then several other streams in the area, lying on basement, may be used to locate possible undiscovered lead deposits in sandstones of the Salmon River Basin.

Jan 1, 1990

By Melinda Bissinger, Frederic Berube

Environmental considerations are important in the aerospace industry. To that effect, several elements such as engine emission, noise and materials are identified by the industry and the society as requiring significant improvements for future and current products in order to be aligned with current expectations. In this context, the industry is addressing this opportunity by investing significantly in new engineering solutions that will meet greener targets. To this effect, the impact of material choice is significant and will make a difference in the forth coming solutions. Several opportunities to develop more efficient products, quieter aircrafts using materials and manufacturing processes that will be more respectful of environmental considerations exist. The presentation will cover those elements and provide an overview of the upcoming solutions.

Jan 1, 2010

By Sadan Kelebek, Gerhard W. Heinrich, Peter F. Wells, Peter J. Whittaker

"Based on plant mineralogical data & circuit modelling, a pilot plant campaign was conducted at Strathcona Mill to identify options for improving the performance and operating flexibility of the copper-nickel separation circuits. Emphasis was given to options for combined treatment of the two feed streams (primary nickel ore rougher concentrate and copper ore circuit concentrate) to obtain more flexibility in the use of existing column flotation capacities. The pilot test results demonstrated that circuits which incorporated preconcentration prior to column flotation gave the best metallurgical results. Maximum column carrying rates were also related to the preconcentration. Predictions that increased circulating loads from the column scavengers would improve copper-nickel separation performance were confirmed.IntroductionThe copper-nickel separation circuits at Falconbridge's Strathcona Mill produce a high grade (>30% Cu) copper concentrate most of which is treated at the Falconbridge Kidd Creek smelter near Timmins. The remaining nickel concentrate which still contains approximately 20% of the feed copper is combined with other lower grade nickel/copper concentrates and shipped to the Falconbridge nickel smelter. The separation is required because of the limited capacity for copper processing in and downstream from the nickel smelter. Since no nickel is recovered at present in the Kidd smelter, the challenge is to minimize the nickel content of the copper concentrate.At present there are two independent separation circuits treating the rougher concentrates from the copper and nickel circuits as shown in Figure I. The minerals treated are mainly chalcopyrite and pentlandite but there is up to 25% of the copper present as cubanite in the copper ore. The circuits were kept separate because the flotation rates and froth characteristics were very different, probably because of the presence of cubanite and the large difference in the concentrate grades feeding the circuits."

Jan 1, 1995

By Martin Irving

Adding Value to Canadian Diamonds - A Changing Diamond Industry - Diamond Mining - Diamond Manufacturing - Diamond Jewellery Markets - NWT Diamonds Changing Diamond Industry - De Beers ? privatization - Oppenheimers (45%), Anglo-American (45%), Botswana (10%) ? going retail - LVMH joint venture - New Players ? jurisdictions - Canada ? companies - BHP-Billiton - Aber Diamonds

May 1, 2002

By William A. Price

The objective of this paper is to outline the approaches used in British Columbia to address the challenges posed by metal leaching and acid rock drainage (ML/ARD). Challenges include the large financial costs, the need for site-specific assessments, the large information requirements, the need for mitigation measures to be designed and financed in a manner that permits long-term performance, the lack of long-term operating experience, the ongoing changes in many important processes, the need for pro-active detection and resolution of concerns, difficulties in predicting the potential for ARD or significant metal leaching, the need for new tools, and the multidisciplinary, highly specialized nature of the work. Consequently, mines must be planned, operated and closed in a manner that permits regular review, detailed monitoring and adaptive management. Proper consideration of the challenges involved, including a plan of how all outstanding concerns will be addressed, studies to address areas of significant uncertainty and caution in the absence of the required understanding, should ensure environmentally safe practices in the future.

Nov 1, 2002

By V. Ramachandran

The successful advent of solvent extraction (SX) reagents for copper recovery and improvements in electrowinning of copper to produce LME grade A copper cathode have paved the way for the hydrometallurgical treatment of copper oxide and low grade sulfide ores. This has resulted in about 25-30% of the world's copper being produced today by the Leach-SX-EW process. The obvious next step was to develop processes for the hydrometallurgical treatment of copper sulfide concentrates, as an alternative to a typical smelter-refinery complex. The current paper updates the processes that have been developed to date with emphasis on processes that are being commercialized or that are seriously under consideration for commercialization. Most of the discussions relate to the hydrometallurgy of chalcopyrite concentrates, which account for about 70% of the world's known copper reserves. In summary, in the last thirty years, the hydrometallurgical treatment of copper sulfide concentrates has attained full maturity and will be a serious option to contend with while evaluating any future new copper plant.

Jan 1, 2007

By Clifford R. Stanley

"Abstract - Reproducible analyses of representative samples for elements affected by the ‘nugget effect’ is vital in mineral exploration and reserve estimation. Unfortunately, a priori knowledge of what size of sample is representative from a mineral deposit or its dispersion train is commonly unavailable. Use of the simple ‘equant grain model’ and the NUGGET computer program facilitates determination of the sampling parameters that will produce appropriate samples for chemical analysis. Based on Poisson statistics, NUGGET can be used to determine: (1) the ‘effective grain size’ of nuggets in a suite of samples, (2) the level of representativity (precision) that samples with specific nugget grain sizes will exhibit, and (3) the sample size required to obtain a specific level of sample representativity. The program determines these sampling parameters for any element in any mineral, including solid solution minerals (e.g., Au, electrum, Pt-Fe alloy, diamond), and allows assumption of a variety of grain shapes (e.g., ellipsoids, cylinders, parallelepipeds, etc.). Furthermore, it outputs the effective number of nuggets expected in a sample of given size and the percentile confidence bounds on any element concentration affected by the nugget effect.Results from the software allow determination of effective sampling and analysis strategies that minimize the nugget effect in geochemical analysis/assaying used in mineral exploration and reserve estimation. This will not only improve confidence in the resulting exploration results or reserve estimate, but will facilitate estimation of the error associated with any subsequent interpretation or reserve figure."

Jan 1, 1998

In-Country Business Development Agenda ?Siting/Permitting/Operational Planning ?Securing, maintaining, enhancing social license to operate ?Biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services ?IFC Performance Standards ?Environmental, Social, Risk Governance (ESG) ?Climate change plan

Aug 1, 2013

By Joseph Bradley

THROUGHOUT this article, minerals used in the paint industry are designated 'pigments'. They may be classified in two groups: (1) Pigments which are used in the state in which they occur in nature, requiring only mechanical preparation. (2) Pigments which require heating or chemical treatment before use, in order to obtain from them a product of the desired quality or shade of colour. They may be further classified according to colour, as follows: White Pigments .-These include calcium carbonate (chalk, marble), gypsum and alabaster, kaolin-or china-clay, and magnesia. However, the white pigments most extensively used are compounds prepared chemically from minerals containing lead, zinc, titanium, and antimony. The white pigments are of particular importance because, not only are they used by themselves, but they also serve as adjuncts to other colours for the production of special shades. Yellow Pigments.-These are mainly naturally occurring ferric hydroxides, as limonite and bog iron ore, or similar. compounds prepared artificially. Brown Pigments .-Pigments of this group are distinguished for their beauty and depth of colour, and many of them are used in the finest of paintings. Familiar names are sienna, umber, and Vandyke brown. They are for the most part ferric hydroxides, containing varying amounts of water; but the group also includes a manganese brown, which consists chiefly of a mixture of oxide and hydroxide of manganese. Red Pigments.-Chief among this group is ferric oxide, known under various trade-names, such as Canadian red, Persian red, etc., and also the much prized and somewhat rare vermilion. The pigment used is either naturally occurring hematite, de-hydrated limonite, or artificially produced red ferric oxide.

Jan 1, 1937

By L. Treadgold

The KOV, Kananga and Tilwezembe copper-cobalt deposits in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have lain dormant for over ten years due to lack of funding by the State-owned mining company, Gecamines. Nikanor Pic through its operating company DCP has secured the mining titles from the DRC government and has commenced redevelopment of these large copper deposits. DCP plans to produce 250,000 tonnes per annum of LME Grade "A" copper cathode and up to 30,000 tonnes per annum of cobalt salts. This paper describes the geology, re-development of the KOV mine and the two smaller mines, Kananga and Tilwezembe, the design of a new copper-cobalt processing facility and the challenges in refurbishing the associated infrastructure.

Jan 1, 2007

By J. Wild, M. Ounpuu, G. Chevalier

"The requirements for a finer grind at Heath Steele have resulted in the investigation of agitated milling as a cost effective alternative to conventional tumbling ball mills.The grinding unit is a vertically agitated, or stirred ball mill. Grinding occurs as the result of the motion of a single vertical rotor equipped with protruding pins which impart a stirring action to the ball charge. A comparative evaluation of a 30 kW SALA Agitated Mill (SAM), and a 1.5 m x 2.5 m copper-lead regrind ball mill has been conducted at Heath Steele.An overview of agitated milling as it applies to the reduction of sulphide ore will be the primary topic for discussion. Specific parameters including energy efficiency, media consumption, operating costs, and the mechanical aspects of the SAM operation will be presented.Evaluation of the agitated mill has shown that improved grinding performance at much lower work indices than those of the conventional ball mill is possible. Media consumption has proven to be comparable on an average g/kWh basis, but the mechanical availability of the mill has been low.INTRODUCTIONConventional tumbling ball mill grinding has proven to be an energy inefficient process. Energy losses occurring within the ball mill itself can be attributed to particle friction without breakage, kinetic and potential energy losses, plastic and elastic deformation and the production of heat and sound (Lynch, 1977). It can be generally stated that a certain amount of the input energy will be converted to another form as a necessary by-product of particle breakage. Theoretical interpretation of experimental results indicate that the energy required for breaking the ore particles in a ball mill varies between I% and 25% of the total energy input (SME, 1985)."

Jan 1, 1993

By R. R. Stone

"This paper will examine the role of debt and equity in project financing and will illustrate the impact on the return to the project sponsor of each type. Conventional debt sources will be examined, as will product purchaser advances, foreign export-import bank loans and lease financing. The paper will review guarantees, charges against the project, dividend restrictions and other commitments. It will also discuss various features of sales contracts and the degree to which they can assist in securing financing. IntroductionThe cost of bringing new mining projects on stream is escalating significantly more rapidly than general rates of inflation. Reasons for this include the higher costs of safeguarding the environment and ensuring the health and safety of workers. The need to develop properties in more remote areas is also a significant factor. These higher costs have not been matched by increases in metal prices, making the task of financing these projects ever more difficult. At the same time, the imagination of borrowers and lenders seems boundless, and innovative schemes for financing projects are constantly being unveiled.It is probably safe to say that no two projects have ever been financed in precisely the same way and the number of financing options for any project is limited only by the imagination of the sponsors themselves. The objectives of the project sponsor represent the most important factor in determining the scope of possible financial arrangements. For example, the sponsor may wish to maximize over-all company leverage by isolating each of its projects in separate companies. In so doing, it hopes to facilitate more ventures than would otherwise be the case. These objectives point toward true project financing. Additional objectives may be to develop a number of its properties by joint venture and to reduce the amount of debt on the sponsor's balance sheet. Those sponsors whose objectives include minimizing over-all financing costs will wish to increase the number of financial options and, as a result, will not be so concerned with effecting true project financing. This approach may also provide ""greater certainty that tax benefits are utilized quickly."

Jan 1, 1980

By M. Korchynsky

"The key words which characterize vanadium are: unlimited availability, versatility of applications and price stability. The supply of vanadium is assured by diversified sources, distributed all over the globe. The inexhaustible raw materials base is complemented by a strong vanadium industry. Both the fully integrated vanadium producers and converters of vanadium oxide or vanadium-containing slags or residues guarantee an adequate supply, commensurate with the steady growing demand.The major share of the world's vanadium output is being consumed by the steel industry. As an additive to steel, the versatility of vanadium is particularly impressive. A few hundreds of one per cent of vanadium convert plain carbon steel into high-strength, low-alloy steel with more than double strength. On the other extreme, high-speed steels made via the powder metallurgy route show superior performance with vanadium additions as high as 6 or 8 percent. Vanadium is used as a cost-effective alloying addition in steels for high-temperature service, fully alloyed heat-treatable steels, new dual-phase steels for automotive components, rail steels, etc., to mention only a few applications. Vanadium is also an established essential addition for titanium alloys. The chemical industry is relying on vanadium compounds as important catalysts.In spite of a wide diversity of applications and continual growth in consumption, vanadium has exhibited, over the past several decades, a remarkable price stability, free of conjunctural fluctuations. Because of its availability and versatility, it will continue to be one of the key metallic elements for future technologies.Key Features of VanadiumIn attempting to single out the key features of the metallic element vanadium, three descriptive characteristics come to mind: availability, versatility and price stability."

Jan 1, 1982

By Gunther F. Leichtle, James A. Finch, Colin A. Hardie, Cesar O. Gomez

"The recycling of wastepaper has become an important and common process worldwide. Techniques similar to those used in the mineral processing industry are used to produce high quality recycled fibers for use in newsprint. The mineral processing group at McGill University in conjunction with the Pulp and Paper industry (Mechanical and Chemi-mechanical Wood Pulp Network) has adapted one of these techniques, column flotation, for the purpose of deinking wastepaper. This article describes the typical process of recycling wastepaper from a mineral processing point of view. It also presents results from McGill University's flotation column test work at a Quebec wastepaper recycling facility.IntroductionThe recycling of wastepaper has become an important and common process worldwide, including Canada which is now the world's largest importer of wastepaper (CPPA, 1996). Much of the current drive to increase the utilization rate of recovered paper is a reaction to the solid-waste disposal problem that faces many Canadian and U.S. municipalities. The real problem in the disposal of solid waste is not the absolute amount of garbage that must be disposed of each year but this amount in relation to available disposal capacity.Environmental restrictions on the creation of new landfill sites and incinerators (the two main options for disposal of municipal solid waste) have tightened the demand/supply balance in the solid waste disposal market. This shrinking availability of waste disposal sites in the face of increasing population with greater disposal requirements defines the Developed World's solid waste crisis. Not only are there fewer disposal sites available, but the costs of using them is skyrocketing. These factors have increased government regulations mandating recycled paper content in newsprint. Conservation and environmental issues make the current drive for wastepaper recycling a real issue and business opportunity.A key to the success of producing quality recycled fibers from wastepaper is the deinking technology. The production of tissue papers, paper towels and newsprint requires regenerated fibers which are substantially free of ink particles. Of the various options available, mineral processing techniques can offer the most economical, environmentally acceptable and versatile strategies (Yoon, 1993). Today, it is recognized that flotation is one of the most effective processes for removing ink particles in the production of a high quality product. In a collaborative program with the Pulp and Paper industry, the mineral processing group at McGill University has adapted column flotation technology for this purpose. This article will describe the typical process of deinking from a mineral processing point of view (Part A). It will also present some results from McGill University's flotation column test work at a nearby paper recycling facility (Part 8)."

Jan 1, 1998

By David R. Ray, Arthur J. Pyron, William F. Thomann

"Proterozoic plutonic and volcanic rocks in the Franklin Mountains, west Texas, exhibit similar values in average concentrations of equivalent uranium (eU), equivalent thorium (eTh) and equivalent potassium (eK) when compared to Proterozoic igneous rocks of the southwestern United States. Variations of radioelement concentrations for all Proterozoic igneous rocks of the Franklin Mountains range from 1.1 to 357.1 ppm U, 2.1to 259.1 ppm Th and 2.5 to 10.2% K.Recent geologic mapping of the Proterozoic rocks in the Franklin Mountains revealed several types of granites previously unrecognized, and these warrant further exploration for U and Th resources. Fluorite-bearing granites and riebeckite pegmatites are likely targets for further investigation, as these have the highest U and Th concentrations compared to all other granites.IntroductionThis is a summary of the paper presented at the CIM Geology Division Uranium Symposium held in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, September 8-13, 1981. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the distribution of uranium (U), thorium (Th) and potassium (K) in Proterozoic igneous rocks in the Franklin Mountains, and compare radioelement concentrations to Proterozoic igneous rocks elsewhere in the southwestern United States.General GeologyThe Franklin Mountains are located in west Texas and southcentral New Mexico, within the southeastern part of the Basin and Range Province o f the southwestern United States. The Franklins are a complex fault-block range trending northsouth with strata dipping toward the west. Ages of the rocks range from Proterozoic to Cretaceous. Harbour (1972, 1960) provides the most recent account of the general geology of the Franklin Mountains. Most recent accounts of the detailed Pro Proterozoic geology o f the Franklins are provided by Hoffer (1976), Thomann (1980, 1981), Pyron (1980), Ray (1982) and McCutcheon (1982)."

Jan 1, 1983

By Rene Klymowsky, Norbert Patzelt, Egbert Burchardt, Johann Knecht

"The challenge of ""ore bodies getting steadily harder and lower in grade"" was brought to light during the first oil crisis in the 70's. Shortly afterwards, HPGRs appeared on the scene with the promise of saving energy. This combined with developments in wear protection for the rolls ushered in a period of trade-off studies that considered the HPGR as an option to improve project economics or to even make projects feasible at all.Since then, applications of HPGRs at Cerro Verde (Freeport), PTFI Grasberg (Freeport), Mogalakwena (Anglo Platinum), Tarkwa (Goldfields), Boddington (Newmont), Penasquito (Goldcorp), and others have contributed to the creation of a formidable basket of operating experience. Collected through years of successful operation, this information has been used to validate design criteria, scale-up factors and establishing a clearer picture of what ""to do"" and what ""not to do"".This paper compares results from various mining operations using HPGRs in their processing plants. Some of the lessons learnt in different operating environments are reviewed in order to support proper implementation and operation of HPGR's. Some of the development programs that have been initiated to improve wear life of the tyres and to reduce overall operating costs are reviewed. It is timely to summarize today’s experience and analyse its implications for existing and new operations"

Jan 1, 2012