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The An Shan iron ore deposit is the biggest low-grade oxidised iron deposit in China. Over the past ten years, about 120 SLon verticalring-pulsating high gradient magnetic separators units have been installed in An Shan to process oxidised iron ore. This paper describes how several plants have upgraded their old technologies to new technologies with SLon magnetic separators as the key equipment for controlling tails grades, including using reverse flotation as the key technology for iron concentrate cleaning, These plants have been modernised with beneficial results at low cost.

Jan 1, 2009

By N L. Turner, D J. Robinson, A J. McFarlane, N M. Chapman, L L. Kuhar, R L. Meakin, R Martin

A number of geometallurgical tests have been developed within the AMIRA P843A Geometallurgical Mapping and Mine Modelling (GeMIII) project, an interdisciplinary collaborative research project involving four research groups and over 20 global mineral companies. Researchers at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) have been focusing on the development of predictive hydrometallurgical indices for the GeMIII project via rapid, small-scale, cost-effective tests and protocols for comparative ranking of attributes relevant to leach performance. One of the focus areas has been the development of a leaching scheme for determination of the mineralogical deportment of copper in a large number of samples for geometallurgical applications.Various leaching schemes have been used over the last 20 years to identify the mineralogical deportment of copper. Typically, weak sulfuric acid and cyanide are used to target copper oxides and æsecondaryÆ copper sulfide minerals, covellite, chalcocite and bornite, respectively. Residual copper is assigned to chalcopyrite and/or bornite. Adaptations of this scheme have included the use of a weak organic acid to target oxides or ferric sulfate to target secondary copper sulfides. Testing of the weak acid/cyanide scheme in the GeMIII project using head and residue QEMSCAN mineralogical data analysed with a statistically reliable comparison method indicated that the inferred mineralogical deportment from various leaches could differ markedly from the theoretical or assumed value. Based on this initial work, test development and leach tests on samples from multiple sites has resulted in the development of a scheme to target copper oxides, chalcocite, covellite, bornite and chalcopyrite. This paper presents results from leach tests conducted on a large sample suite from two pits in a Cu-Au ore deposit with results calibrated using mineral liberation analyser (MLA) mineralogical analysis. This study has assisted in the development of a protocol for determining the mineralogical deportment of copper in a large number of samples for geometallurgical applications.CITATION:Kuhar, L L, McFarlane, A J, Chapman, N M, Meakin, R L, Martin, R, Turner, N L and Robinson, D J, 2013. Calibration and testing of a geometallurgical leaching protocol for determining copper mineralogical deportment, in Proceedings The Second AusIMM International Geometallurgy Conference (GeoMet) 2013 , pp 177-186 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Sep 29, 2013

Many mining companies aim to integrate sustainability principles into their new projects. There is an intention for improvement, but frequently this results in little more than 'business as usual' projects that retrospectively categorise controls for environmental and social risks as sustainability initiatives as part of a public relations exercise. The successful implementation of sustainability requires a change of mind-set and behaviours at an organisational and personal level. In addition, sustainability incorporates a very wide range of interests and technical disciplines. One of the key challenges is in understanding how and when to pull these diverse threads together within a project or organisational process. This paper will explore a number of themes: What does it mean to implement a project in accordance with sustainability principles? How far beyond 'business as usual' is it reasonable to go, and what is the business case for this? Why do the intentions for sustainability sometimes fail and how can we prevent this happening in future? People are instrumental in delivering sustainability; how do we embed sustainability thinking into their behaviours and decision-making? The approaches that have been taken to integrating sustainability in design; what has and has not worked and some of the barriers to integrating sustainability into design? The authors will discuss these themes drawing on case studies from URS' experience in integrating sustainability into large projects. The authors will discuss the need for: a strategic approach which provides a simple framework for tactical decision-making and the consequences of taking tactical decisions in the absence of this framework, alignment of the project team and promotion of a culture of innovation, a shift from a risk/compliance mentality to an opportunity identification mindset, and a systematic approach to integrating sustainability into project design processes.

Jun 1, 2010

By H J. Ross, R K. Beatson, T J, W R. Fright

Traditional method of explicitly defining three-dimensional (3D) ore-waste and geological boundaries relies heavily on a time-consuming process of manual digitisation. This method of modelling can be best described as surface modelling, as complex surface geometry is built up by digitising points that lie on the surface. With the advent of fast 3D interpolation methods, however, construction of geological surfaces using volume functions is now a practical alternative to explicit modelling of surfaces. Unlike explicit modelling, surfaces contained in volume functions are not explicitly defined or digitised. Instead the existence of surfaces in the volume function is implicit, thus the process of modelling surfaces from volume function is called æimplicit modellingÆ. Based on recent advances in fast scattered data interpolation methods, implicit modelling first defines a continuous three-dimensional function that describes the grade or rock distribution. This volumetric function is interrogated for a grade value, or a geological surface, thus allowing the extraction of the 3D object to be automated and eliminating the need to manually digitise surfaces. Since the function is continuous throughout space and does not depend on a mesh or grid for its definition, the extracted geological or grade wireframes can be constructed at any desired resolution in the specific volume of interest. The volume modelling method can work on scattered drillhole data of any data density, including processing combined information from dense grade control data as well as sparse resource drilling. It offers distinct advantages over surface modelling, including: being able to wireframe geological objects that may take days to digitise in tens of minutes; substantial improvement in modelling accuracy; and the ability to generate conditional models rapidly allowing mining risks inherent in geological modelling to be examined.

Jan 1, 2003

By Cai S, Zhou C

The requirement of mineral resources is increasing as the economy is continually increasing in China. The mining practices of various complex sulphide deposits and precious metal deposits, and the treatment of mine tailings and other industrial solid wastes, have greatly improved fill quality in the metal mines. From early-1980s, high density slurry fill, paste fill of total tailings, low density slurry fill with addition of silicate gelling agent, etc has been studied and applied, and some progress has been achieved. Today, mine tailings, slag and power plant ash are widely used as fill materials in mining. A number of cemented fill mines equipped with large capacity trackless mining machines are in production. Recently, The 3rd Chinese National Symposium on Mining with Backfill, 1995 has been held, the progress of fill technology in mines has been exchanged and summarised. In the paper, some aspects of fill technology used in the metal mines of China are briefly introduced and some applications of fill research work are presented.

Jan 1, 1998

By M Franklin, C Puglisi, S Fitch

Implementation of a well planned and executed Management Operating System (MOS) can result in widespread improvements to operational performance but its success relies heavily on the investment by and engagement of the larger workforce with the project. Over the seven month period of the Telfer MOS project, significant improvements were achieved; a 20% increase in monthly hoisted tonnes from the open stope and sublevel cave operations and a 45% increase in square metres of ore extracted from the narrow vein operation. The Telfer MOS was undertaken with the intention that the project wasn’t solely about producing new tools, it hinged on the investment and behaviours of the personnel affected by these tools and alterations. To ensure that the project ran smoothly, the Byrnecut senior leadership team and their operators were heavily involved in the project’s development. In the initial stage, Telfer’s MOS project determined that the quality and accuracy of the information received in the form of radio calls to mine control and completed operator plods was questionable. This required an overhaul of the data collection and verification process in the form of altered operator plods, which was then cross referenced with the operator’s radio calls to mine control. Once the data collection and verification process was implemented, the Telfer team was then able to produce several tools with the aim of providing visibility to the data being captured and its implications. These tools allowed the mine foremen to determine whether equipment was being under-utilised and where they should focus their production efforts to meet monthly targets. Whilst the initial underground project is now complete, the implementation of MOS across the entire site is ongoing with significant operating improvements occurring.

Mar 15, 2021

The article, as written, represents a short account of the treatment of the base bullion from the Broken Hill ores, as carried on at Port Pirie, for the recovery of lead, silver, and gold, and for the treatment of by-products. Appended is a short description of the chief facilities of plant which have been adopted to overcome the main difficulties in the refining of lead the Howard press and stirrer. The article is within the limit prescribed by the regulation for the prize offered by the Australasian Institute of Mining Engineers, comprising 30 pages, containing an average of about 200 words per page, exclusive of analyses, photographs, and sketches.The writer desires to thank those to whom he is indebted for their- kindness in affording him every facility possible to obtain the information which he required for the success of such a paper-viz., Messrs. Robertson, Leavens, and Gronow, of the Broken Hill Propritary Co. Limited, at Port Pirie, and Mr. Crowther, of the Adelaide School of Mines, to whom he is indebted for photographs. The difficulty of obtaining fair samples of gold drosses, and the inability to obtain particulars of fuel consumptions, prevents the paper from being as complete as one would wish. The limited length precludes detail, except in more important parts.

Jan 1, 1907

By N Lefebvre, M Jakeman, R Aseervatham

Semi-arid regions suffer from two afflictions; evaporation may exceed precipitation by multiples of two or more and variations in precipitation can be both extreme and difficult to predict. Many Australian mines are situated in semi-arid areas where communities are reliant upon locally sourced water or special purpose infrastructure is built as part of the mine construction. As the question of climate change looms, issues related to future water supply and sustainable water management become increasingly important. Across Australia several mining operations co-exist in a single surface water and/or groundwater catchment area. The management of water on a mine by mine or a community by community basis is illogical and must be reconsidered based on a single water catchment and a whole-of-community basis. Mine water should be considered on a full life cycle basis where the quality is assessed for specific mine site applications. This paper addresses technical challenges that include surface water and groundwater supply in semi-arid regions, operational water in the mining industry, beneficial uses of water, water economics and demand management. In much the same way as emissions trading evolved into a multi-stakeholder forum, mining regions offer scope for innovative thinking in water supply and reuse. In addition, this paper considers a number of initiatives taken by Australian mining companies that are entering a prefeasibility stage and contrasts these initiatives against the established success within a South African mining region. The challenges and potential solutions to this initiative are presented for future consideration.

Jan 1, 2006

Upgrading of Indonesia's Bauxite by Washing Method There were eight bauxite samples used in this research, three samples from Kijang contain total SiO2 18.36 - 29.16 per cent, Al2O3 40.12 - 48.36 per cent, Fe2O3 4.27 - 5.13 per cent, one sample from Tayan, contains total SiO2 4.69 per cent, Al2O3 38.95 per cent, and Fe2O3 19.67 per cent, and four samples from Mempawah contain total SiO2 33.5 - 44.8 per cent, Al2O3 29.8 - 35.9 per cent, Fe2O3 7.29 - 9.88 per cent. All of those bauxite ores have not fulfilled the requirement for Bayer process yet; therefore simple up-grading using a rotary drum scrubber is needed. The scrubbing process was carried out with time variable up to 60 minutes with solid percentage applied was 50 per cent and rotary speed was set up 30 rev/min. The bauxite was washed by following steps: scrubbing, screening, drying, and finally it was analysed to show chemical content. The washed bauxite produced has size fraction that is retained on the 1.7 mm of screen opening. The result of the research shows that the higher alumina content of the raw bauxite, the longer washing time is needed moreover the higher quality of the washed bauxite is produced. The highest alumina content of the washed bauxite was 53.67 per cent with the alumina recovery was 89.66 per cent and the concentration ratio of 84.80 per cent was achieved within 20 minutes of washing time of the raw bauxite (Al2O3 48.36 per cent). The washed bauxite resulted from this research is suitable as a raw material for Bayer process.

Sep 13, 2010

Societal expectations about how the industry operates and treats its people will be a key driver in the development of the Australian mining industry over the next 20 - 30 years (Moffat, Mason and Littleboy, 2009). Understanding these expectations will be critical in maintaining what much of the minerals industry calls its 'social licence to operate', or its public acceptance or approval. Yet what constitutes this social licence is poorly articulated, with little published research exploring the concept at a local operational level or at the national level in Australia or internationally. This research aimed to explore the societal expectations of the mining industry in Australia and test a participatory methodology to articulate them. Three workshops were conducted with a sample of 24 members of the 'Australian voting public' to explore community objectives for the onshore exploration and mining industry, and the underlying expectations for how the industry should operate in the future. Qualitative analysis of this data revealed three overarching objectives for the onshore mining industry held by participants. They thought that the industry should: advance Australia's national interests (including social well-being); minimise environmental impact, and; act in a socially responsible manner. Within each of these three key themes, or objectives, a number of tensions were evident in the views of participants regarding the trade-offs they are willing to make to secure economic benefit from mining, as well as the basic conditions for socially acceptable mining. These data provide an insight into the conditions for a national social licence in Australia for the mining industry, and the means for its realisation.

Jun 1, 2010

By G Pizarro, O Miranda, D Rosales

In panel/block caving mines, large amounts of information are collected at the operations. This information includes grades and extracted tonnage, fragmentation, lithology, design of stopes and main infrastructure, geotechnical information, overbreak progress, seismicity, numerical modelling and many other mine variables. To improve the reliability of the production plan it is required to integrate the mine data into one platform. In this paper, the logic of a new technological platform is presented for analysis, modelling and design in panel/block caving mines. The platform includes an acquisition system for mine data and geotechnical information, a back-analysis module for calibrating statistical models and a module of visualisation of the results. The application and benefits of the platform is illustrated for mining induced seismic risk for panel/block caving mining operation. The platform can be used in the mine design and planning processes and is useful for reducing uncertainty in the mining business of panel/block caving operations.CITATION:Miranda, O, Rosales, D, Pizarro, G and Vallejos, J, 2016. Development of an integrated platform for the analysis, modelling and design in panel caving mines, in Proceedings Seventh International Conference and Exhibition on Mass Mining (MassMin 2016), pp 237–240 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

May 9, 2016

By R M. Arellano, D M. W Harney, M Makhuvha

Mineral resource and ore reserve estimates are founded on two sources of data: tonnage and grade. The tonnage is a product of volume and density; both of which are estimates. Density impacts numerous operational factors, which include, but are not limited to, mine design, mine planning, equipment selection and operational performance. Hence, density is a significant parameter and its determination requires similar care as the measurement of grade. Selecting an appropriate method to determine density, and ensuring its rigorous application, thus reduces risk and can improve operational performance, which in turn increases profit margin.Different Anglo American sites use a variety of practices and protocols to determine density, which is highly dependent on the physical characteristics of the orebody, local conditions and historical practices. Also, individual sites sometimes execute the same method in a slightly different way, which may also affect the outcome of the measurements. In order to gain a better understanding of how density is determined at Anglo American projects and operations, a review of these techniques was undertaken. The objective of the study was to identify and share good practices across the company, as well as to look for improvement opportunities, where applicable. Ten different methods of measuring density, applied to nine different commodities, were identified and described. An additional technique was recently developed by Anglo American Technical Solutions. The core pycnometer is a large gas displacement pycnometer capable of measuring density at high accuracy on full pieces of intact core.This paper provides an overview of methods used to determine density within the Anglo American Group, including quality control and quality assurance aspects. It is not the purpose of this paper to identify a preferred method, but to highlight the importance of choosing the best suited practice for a project or mine site. In addition, a case study comparing two different density determination methods applied to the same rock samples from the Los Bronces Copper mine was undertaken and the results of that study are presented here.Selecting the most appropriate method to determine density and comparing results from two or more techniques against each other, together with other suitable quality control procedures, is considered to be of utmost importance for all mining operations and exploration projects.CITATION:Makhuvha, M, Arellano, R M and Harney, D M W, 2014. Determination of bulk density in Anglo American plc, methods and impacts, with a case study from Los Bronces Mine, in Proceedings Ninth International Mining Geology Conference 2014 , pp 85–96 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Aug 18, 2014

By K Rees

In the ideal world of an underground mining engineer, all narrow vein orebodies would be perfectly straight and continuous, thus would be a dream to mine. However, this is usually not the case. Narrow vein orebodies generally occur in association with shear zones and while shear zones do form linear trends, they most commonly preserve undulating expressions that need to be closely monitored, particularly when overprinted by post-formed structures. The surge in mines using fibrecrete as a primary form of ground support effectively reduces the time available for geological interpretation down to a 30 minute window between bogging and shotcreting. Thus, if the quality of the data collected is not up to scratch, then there is only a limited ability to reassess using 2D face photographs. To negate this, Xstrata Nickel AustralasiaÆs Cosmos mine has upgraded its data collection procedure. Geological information is now collected using photogrammetry survey, producing 3D images of the drive. Once created, the digital image of the drive is loaded into Vulcan, thus enabling geological interpretation to be carried out along entire drives, between levels and in association with all other data (eg drill holes, seismic data, etc). In addition to this, the 3D image can be used to accurately model the location of the ore, enabling stoping panels to be confidently positioned to maximise grade and minimise dilution. However, with the focus at Cosmos changing from narrow vein mining, to bulk mining methods in a more geotechnically complex terrain, the use of the 3D images has become paramount in understanding the structural geometry. Continual interpretation of the data has enabled drive profiles to be maintained through the increased use of ground support in poor ground and the redesign of development to enable optimal intersection of structures. Nevertheless, while the collection of quality data is important, it is only the effective use of the data, which enables significant gains in understanding.CITATION:Rees, K, 2012. The benefits of using photogrammetry in the geological interpretation of the Cosmos nickel mine, in Proceedings Narrow Vein Mining 2012 , pp 145-148 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Mar 26, 2012

By A Grigg, L Hackett

Alcoa operates two bauxite mines at Huntly and Willowdale, located within the jarrah forest south-east of Perth in Western Australia. Ore reserves are shallow but extensive, and mining pits averaging around 20 ha in size are distributed across a mining region in a mosaic pattern, linked to a centrally-located crusher by a radiating network of haulroads. A mining or crusher region is defined partly in terms of economic haul distances, and new regions are opened once the current regions’ reserves have been mined. Since commencing in 1973, the Huntly mine has constructed and progressively closed three previous mining regions and is presently in a transition from the fourth and current region of McCoy to the new region of Myara. At present rates of production, approximately 450 ha is cleared, mined and rehabilitated each year.The value of topsoil in returning a diverse mix of native jarrah forest plant species and supplying nutrients, organic matter and soil biota to rehabilitated areas has long been recognised. Managing the topsoil resource is therefore a critical element in the success of rehabilitation outcomes, but the distribution and dynamic nature of mining operations pose significant planning and logistical challenges. The regionalised approach to mining at Huntly also presents a range of issues for what are, in effect, soil management plans for episodic mine closure. The nature of mining and rehabilitation operations are described, together with the planning processes that Alcoa follows to quantify, track and report on soil movement. A case study of the Huntly mine demonstrates that an integrated operational and life-of-mine planning process is essential for successful and cost-effective mine rehabilitation.CITATION:Hackett, L and Grigg, A, 2014. Topsoil management for long-term mine operation and closure – a case study from Alcoa's bauxite mining operations in south-west Australia, in Proceedings Life-of-Mine 2014 , pp 609–614 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Jul 16, 2014

Four data sets are required to put constraints on the tectonic evolution of the southern rim of the Pacific Ocean basinI . data bearing on the dispersal of the major Gondwanaland continental fragments and the birth of the Southern Ocean,2. data bearing on the interaction of the Pacific Ocean basin lithosphere with the South American, Antarctic, and Australasian continental masses,3. data bearing on.the evolution of the Scotia Sea floor, and 4. data bearing on the evolution of the various continents, microcontinents. and volcanic arcs.

Jan 1, 1990

The Bureau of Mineral Resources has been engaged in regional geological and geophysical field work in the Alligator River and Cobourg Peninsula area since 1971, following the discovery of major uranium deposits. Geophysical work commenced with a regional airborne magnetic and radiometric survey which was followed up by some helicopter and ground work in August 1973. The interpretation of the earlier radiometric work is presented in conjunction with the results obtained from the follow-up work. Analyses of 100 outcrop and drill core samples collected have provided basic information on the physical properties and concentrations of uranium and thorium in various rock types. The uranium determinations were made by X-ray fluorescence and delayed neutron analysis, good agreement being obtained between the two methods. X-ray fluorescence was the main analytical technique used because of its ability to produce both uranium and thorium determinations.

Jan 1, 1975

Callie underground gold mine is part of the Newmont Tanami Operations, and is now the primary provider of ore to the Granites processing Mill. The Callie underground mine has produced in excess of 7.6 million tonnes (Mtpa) of ore, since production began in 1998, with a current production rate of 1.9 Mtpa. Callie underground uses sublevel open stoping with extraction through a combination of primary and secondary stopes. The primary stope filling strategy utilises cement aggregate fill (CAF) to allow full recovery of secondary stopes. The Callie backfill operation has had a continuous testing program in place during this time, which has resulted in a great deal of information available for post fill analysis. All CAF placement into primary stopes for Callie has been via surface boreholes and this has given Callie mine an understanding of some of the issues related to borehole design, type of linings to use depending on angle, depth and quantity of fill into stopes. Finally backfill barricades at Callie have undergone a number of changes during the time to optimise the design based on whether CAF or sand fill is used. This paper discusses the CAF backfill practices and testing methods used for backfilling operations at Callie.

Jan 1, 2005

By P Velletri, N Gaylard

The management of wear surfaces in mining operations has remained largely unchanged since the inception of mining. Sacrificial wear liners are installed on the inside of chutes, hoppers and other equipment used to transfer bulk ore to protect the asset from abrasive wear caused by the flow of material. These liners are generally replaced at fixed intervals which may be determined based on historical wear rates or may be driven by other maintenance requirements for that asset. This approach does not always yield satisfactory results, especially for critical assets where the impact of downtime on production can be substantial. For such assets, a condition-based maintenance strategy has the potential to significantly increase productivity and reduce the total cost of ownership associated with the asset. However, for such a strategy to be successful, timely information on the actual condition (remaining thickness) of the wear liners is essential. This paper describes the development and implementation of a wear monitoring system that can be used to remotely and continuously report on remaining liner material thickness in real time. It details some of the challenges that were overcome when developing the system, including the design of a patented thickness measuring system that can be used in a variety of liner materials and is tolerant to the presence of ore on the wear surface. The paper also explains how a cloud-based approach enables data from the wear sensors to be integrated into external systems such as a data historian, which has been demonstrated through a collaborative project with one of the largest iron ore producers in the Pilbara. This ability to combine real time liner thickness information with other data sources, such as throughput, provides the foundation for the transition to a condition-based maintenance strategy.

Nov 8, 2021

By G Corder

Even though most major operating companies in the minerals industry have Board-level endorsed sustainability principles and objectives, design engineers typically have no mechanism that allows them to implement those objectives in their work. In addition, the existing project management systems do not readily deliver the innovative solutions needed to address key sustainability issues, such as those related to significantly reduced carbon emissions, minimal environmental impacts, and maintaining the societal ‘licence to operate’. SUSOP® (SUStainable OPerations) is an approach for the integration of sustainable development principles into the design of mineral processes, which has been developed through the Co-operative Research Centre for Sustainable Resource Processing (CSRP). Somewhat analogous to the well entrenched HAZOP (Hazard and Operability) studies, SUSOP® is a holistic, systematic and rigorous mechanism for identifying and assessing sustainability opportunities and risks at each stage of project development - from corporate planning, through design and operation, to decommissioning and rehabilitation – without compromising financial rigour. SUSOP® was developed, tested and enhanced through its application to real case studies in the minerals industry. This development path provided significant insights into the process of identifying and evaluating opportunities for improving an operation’s contribution to sustainability and its long-term business case.This paper will discuss the need for a methodical approach for integrating sustainability principles into mineral processing plant design, present the key elements of SUSOP®, and outline its development path through real case studies. In addition, the reasons why such an approach will have growing importance into the future will be raised.

Aug 8, 2011

IN this paper an attempt is made to describe the sluicing operations on the tin fields of north-eastern Tasmania. No claim is made to completeness, for much of the ground has already been covered, and nothing is to be gained by needless repetition. On this account some portions of the subject have obviously received but scanty attention in order that others may be rather more fully dealt with; for instance, figures referring to the accuracy of various methods of valuing alluvial deposits, particulars of efficiencies, and water duties on both overburden and drift; also, the system of recording water distribution, &c.The plans of the tin-streaming shed, sluice and feed·race, and overburden tail-race represent types of the most modern design.The principal alluvial deposits being worked at the present time are situated either in the ancient or modern bed of the Ringarooma river or its tributaries. This river flowed in a north-easterly direction, receiving numerous tributaries on either bank, and finally emptying into Boobyalla harbour. The most important of these tributaries, from a mining point of view, are the Cascade, Main creek, Weld and Frome rivers (which unite just before joining the modern Ringarooma), Wyniford river, and Bradshaw's...

Jan 1, 1911