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By K. Spence

"The notion of “value” has always been a subjective and contentious issue. Indeed, value is in the eye of the beholder. There are as varied methods and practices for valuing property, as there are industries in which they are applied. For example, there is replacement value, insurance value, salvage value, appraised value, book value, and fair market value, to name a few, although in the mining industry, valuations usually refer to fair market value.In the Canadian mining industry, at present, there are no comprehensive regulations or guidelines that specify which approaches or methods are appropriate for use in the valuation of mineral projects. In January 1999, The Mining Standards Task Force of the Toronto Stock Exchange and the Ontario Securities Commission recommended that the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) establish a committee to review and advise on approaches and methodologies for the valuation of mineral properties. Among the approaches to be considered are included the following: the discounted cash flow approach, the cost approach, the option pricing approach and the market comparables approach. In addition, methodologies differ depending on whether the project is at the exploration stage or the producing stage.The CIM Special Committee on the Valuation of Mineral Properties (CIMVal) expects that its final report will form the basis for a Canadian code or standard for the valuation of mineral properties."

Jan 1, 2002

This paper comprises a description of on-stream analysis instrumentation, including sample handling, X-ray optics and data processing. It also includes a discussion of some typical applications of an on-stream analyzer as related to the mineral processing industry. Introduction T WO automatic X-ray spectrometers have been developed for the simultaneous analysis of as many as six elements in a given sample. These instruments, namely the On-Stream Analyzer and the new Vacuum Simultaneous Spectrometer, have been designed specifically for process control in industry where large numbers of static samples or a number of flowing sample streams must be analyzed continuously with both speed and accuracy. This paper is concerned particularly with the application of these instruments for the continuous analysis of dynamic samples. The Instruments The On-Stream Analyzer and the Vacuum Simultaneous Spectrometer are intended to serve industry by offering two basic approaches to the problem of continuous sampling of flowing sample streams. The On-stream Analyzer (Figure 1) is designed for the completely automatic and unattended analysis of flowing sample streams in a programmed cycle of operation.

Jan 1, 1965

By H. O. Seigel

Induced Polarization includes many types of dipolar charge distributions set up by the passage of current through consolidated or unconsolidated rocks. Among its causes are concentration polarization and electrokinetic effects in all rocks and the phenomenon of Overvoltage in rocks containing electronic conductors such as metallic sulphides and graphite. In normal rocks the polarization effects may be usually con-fined within relatively narrow limits and any large departures may be at-tributable to the presence of electronic conductors. In practice, Induced Polarization is measured in one of two ways. In the first a steady current of some seconds duration is passed and abruptly interrupted and the slowly decaying transient voltages existing in the ~round are measured after interruption. This is known as the "pulse", "transient", or Direct Cur-rent Induced Polarization (D.C.I.P.).The second method entails a comparison of apparent resistivities using sinusoidal alternating current of two or more frequencies, generally within the range of 1/10 to 10 c.p.s. Induced Polarization extends the

Jan 1, 1962

By X. Grant Chen, A. R. Farkoosh, M. Pekguleryuz

Nano-scale Al-(Fe,Mo)-Si dispersoids form during solution treatment in grain interiors (intradendritic regions) of cast Al7Si0.5Cu0.3Mg alloyed with 0.3Mo (wt.%). Unlike the Q-Al5Cu2Mg8Si6 and ?-Al2Cu age-hardening precipitates which coarsen resulting in loss of strength in Al-Si-Cu-Mg alloys, these Mo-containing dispersoids are thermally stable and retain their strengthening effect at elevated temperatures. Consequently, the age-hardened Al7Si0.5Cu0.3Mg0.3Mo (wt.%) exhibits high strength and creep resistance at 300 °C.

Jan 1, 2014

By D. M. Richards

"IntroductionThe Highland Valley Copper partnership was formed in July 1986 as a logical result of a mine with a large ore reserve but a small mill, and a mine with a large, modern mill but dwindling ore reserves. The original partnership of Cominco and Rio Algom was expanded in January 1988 to include Highmont Mining Company. During 1988/89 the Highmont mill was moved 7.5 km to adjoin the Lornex mill, becoming the Highland mill in the process, with a nominal capacity of 130 000 tonnes per day.The mine is located near the town of Logan Lake, 220 km northeast of Vancouver, British Columbia and 55 km southwest of Kamloops. The map in Figure 1 shows the general area. Kamloops is a major service centre and is served by two railways, two major roads and a regional airport. The mine site is situated between 1200 m and 1600 m above sea level on the Thompson Plateau. Principle activities in the area, in addition to mining, are cattle ranching and forestry. Ore reserves at the beginning of 1996 totaled 533 million tonnes at a grade of 0.42% copper and 0.008% molybdenum. Ore is mined from two pits — Valley, 3 km northwest of the mill; and Lornex, 1 km southwest of the mill. With 78% of the reserves, the Valley pit is the focus of activity.In order for Highland Valley Copper to remain competitive with a very low grade ore reserve, it has been necessary throughout the mine’s life for new technologies to be embraced as they become available. These have included such diverse technologies as in-pit crushing and conveying, large mechanical drive trucks, computerized truck dispatch and oneman survey instruments. During the next few years, it is planned to introduce two further technologies that are relatively new to both the world at large and the mining industry in particular. These are namely Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and Geographical Information Systems (GIS), both of which are expected to have a major impact on the way mining is carried out in the years to come."

Jan 1, 1997

By Linlin Zhang

Rare earth elements (REEs) are a group of lanthanides elements which have been widely used in the electronic, petrochemistry, metallurgy, and defense industries. Their demand has increased sharply in the past decade with the boom in electronic device production. Some countries now consider them strategic metals for the future and it has been forecasted that REEs may become a dominant contributor to global economy. In the wake of REE exploration, mining and processing, concern has grown over occupational and community health issues and risks. A portion of available literature on this topic however is written in the Chinese language, and thus research information related to health and REE mining is not readily accessible to mineral development planners in countries such as Canada, where REE mining is now evolving. As REEs also represent an important commodity, primarily stemming from Chinese production, it is important to begin to understand the potential health costs related to this mining sector. There are two main objectives of this paper. The first is to present an overview of REE mining with a focus on geological characteristics, global production and uses with particular attention to the main producer: China. The second is to present the results of a literature review (using both Chinese and English sources) on REE mining and health and identifies key occupational and community health issues that require consideration. This paper concludes by identifying some critical issues this sector needs to address to ensure the sustainable development of this mining activity.

Aug 1, 2013

"Yara Siilinjärvi in Finland is the Western Europe's only apatite mine. Annually it produces one million tons of apatite concentrate, which creates 10 million tons of tailings. At the beginning of 2017, Yara replaced their conventional TSF with a new tailings treatment plant, which increased the solids content of the slurry from 45–48% to 66–68%, making it possible to deposit as a paste. This extended the life-span of the current TSF from 2020 to 2035. This paper presents the storyline of the Yara paste plant project. The project began with laboratory testing and then progressed to pilot-scale thickening and beaching trials. After successful pilot trials, the final process design was implemented. Process automation played a key role in the project. An advanced control system is needed to maintain process stability and the desired operation point in various operational circumstances. Since commissioning the paste plant has been running consistently with an underflow solids content of 66-68%, with average beach slope angles of 3.5 degrees in the tailings disposal area. Robust thickener operation also leads to the trouble-free high-density pumping and high availability of the plan. During first year of operation the plant’s availability has been very good, over 97%, and currently, the plant is operated remotely from the main concentrator plant.INTRODUCTION The Yara Siilinjärvi Plant is owned by Yara International, a Norwegian fertiliser company. Yara Siilinjärvi is Western Europe's only apatite mine, and it primarily produces apatite concentrate for its Siilinjärvi phosphoric acid plant. A portion of the concentrate is also dried and shipped to other Yara fertiliser plants. The site annually produces one million tons of apatite concentrate, which creates approximately 10 million tons of tailings. Extending the lifespan of the 1150-hectare tailings storage facility has been studied in Siilinjärvi for a long time. The aim has been to use the same tailings area footprint, without any new land purchases or major dam increases. An important part of the process has been to study the possibilities for using new technologies, especially thickened tailings technology (Ruhanen, 2014)."

Jan 1, 2019

By The Staff

Introduction It is the purpose of this paper to discuss a number of the metallurgical improvements in the technology of copper-nickel ore treatment which have been introduced during recent years in the plants of ?the International Nickel Company of Canada, Limited. In common with other ore treatment processes, the procedure for extracting nickel and copper is changing almost continuous! y. These changes are necessitated by reason of changes in ore grades and characteristics, rising material and labour charges, and the constant drive to maximize metal recovery and to minimize production costs. It is not possible to present a comprehensive list of all the changes made, and only a selected number of the improvements in the milling, smelting, and refining operations are covered. It should be clearly understood that some phases of the procedures described have been pioneered by others in kindred fields and due acknowledgment is given to their foresight and efforts. Articles have been published over the years describing the operations of the International Nickel Company plants and the reader is referred to the Engineering and Mining Journal, Vol. 130, No. 9, November 10th, 1930, and to the Canadian Mining Journal, Vol. 58, No. 11, November, 1937, and Vol. 67, No. 5, May, 1946. Other references are the Transactions of this Institute, 1932, 1938, and 1946; Metals Technology, American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers, February, 1938, and Canadian Chemistry and Process Industries, April, 1940.

Jan 1, 1948

By Roger M. Jones

This paper comments on developments in bulk shipping which will be of direct interest to those who are considering the shipment of dry bulk minerals out of Nova Scotia by water. Various conveying systems, and the slurry system of loading, are considered, and the role of deep water ports as a catalyst to other industries is stressed.

Jan 1, 1971

By The Staff

"IntroductionThe difficulties to be overcome in shaft sinking and development at depth are centred at McIntyre in and around No. 12 shaft. Generally they have been due to increasing pressures and temperatures and to changes in geological structure. This paper describes the difficulties and the measures taken to meet them.No. 12 ShaftEarly in 1932 McIntyre decided to sink an internal shaft from the deepest level, the 3875, to explore and develop known veins extending below that horizon. The location selected was a point 1,500 feet south and 1,000 feet east of No. 11 shaft, the main operating shaft through which the men, ore, and most of the materials are handled Shaft and auxiliary equipment we1e laid out for 3,000 feet, that is to 7,000 feet below the surface. The shaft was to be capable of handling 1,500 tons of ore daily from the lowest level, and was to provide ventilation, compressed air, water, and electric power to service all levels.No. 12 is an internal, vertical shaft extending from the 3875 to the 6825 level and bottoming at 7,007 feet. It is a rectangular, four-compartment shaft, 21 ft. 9¾, in. by 6 ft. 3¾ in. outside the timber (Figure 1).There are two hoisting compartments and one airway compartment, each 4 ft. 10¾ in. by 5 ft. ¾ in. inside dimensions, and a combined manway, pipe, and cable compartment 4 ft. ¼ in. by 5 ft. ¾ in. Levels have been established at 150-foot intervals, pump stations and sumps at 1,000-foot intervals, and. there are two loading pockets, one at the 5525 and the other at the 6900 level.The shaft was sunk in two stages. The first stage, consisting of preparation above the 3875 level and sinking to 5585 feet, was completed by March 31st, 1935. The second stage of deepening the shaft from 5,585 to 7,007 feet was started August lst, 1946, and completed three years later."

Jan 1, 1950

By Y. Rama Murthy, Amit Ranjan, Pankaj Satija, Sunil K. Tripathy

"Chromite ore is one of the essential raw materials for ferroalloy and steel industry. Boula-Nuasahi belt of Sukinda region, Odisha, is the only resource of chrome ore in India. The Indian deposits are typically characterized as ferruginous and siliceous type ores. Chrome ore is generally mined by open cast mechanized mining method in these areas. The run-off-mine (ROM) ore from the various mines is sent to beneficiation plant via stack yard for further up gradation. The chrome ore beneficiation plant (COB) has two major circuits: comminution (feed preparation) circuit and beneficiation circuit. In the comminution circuit, the ore is reduced to <1 mm size ( for complete liberation of chromite) from -220 mm size in stage wise crushing (primary and secondary crusher) followed by screening and single stage grinding in a ball mill. Fraction having size <1 mm is further upgraded in the beneficiation circuit to produce three different concentrates having specific chemical composition and Cr: Fe ratio. The beneficiation plant is a complex circuit comprising of combination of unit operations (spiral concentrator, Floatex density separator, hydrocyclone, wet shaking tables). In the recent years the overall performance efficiency (grade and recovery) of the beneficiation circuit got affected with numerous changes in the run-off-mine ore quality (physical and chemical), mineralogical composition, etc.In this article, attempts made for improving the performance of chrome ore beneficiation circuit is discussed. The approach adopted and practical problems encountered while the process were also highlighted. The results of the trials has shown an improvement in the performance of the cyclone (d50 : 56 µm – 40 µm) and chromite losses into tailing to <12%.INTRODUCTIONChromite has a wide range of application, from refractories to metallurgical industries, and from chemical to non-ferrous alloy industries. Chromium ore (Fe2+, Mg) [Cr, Al, Fe3+]2O4) occurs exclusively in rocks formed by the intrusion and solidification of molten lava or magma which is very rich in the heavy, iron containing minerals such as pyroxene and olivine. With the richness of silica and iron, the chrome ores are broadly classified as siliceous type and ferruginous type. Pure chromite with composition FeCr2O4 is rare because magnesium usually substitutes for ferrous ion and aluminum and ferrous ion substitutes for chromium. Generally the associated gangue minerals are talc, quartz, hematite, goethite, limonite, gabro, serpentine, anorthosite, dunite, pyroxinite, etc. Around 96% of the chromite ore production is consumed for metallurgical applications of which 94% is converted into different grades of ferrochrome i.e., high carbon ferrochrome and charge chrome as shown in Figure 1. Stainless steel being the leading consumer of ferrochrome, any change in the dynamics of the stainless steel industry impacts overall chrome ore demands significantly."

Jan 1, 2016

By W. J. Bennett

WHEN Dr. Horace Fraser, your President, invited me to speak to you today I advised him in confidence that I was leaving my present positions on April 30th. In the circumstances it seemed to me that this audience might prefer to have as its speaker one who wo.uld J1ave a continuing association with the atomic energy programme. Dr. Fraser was kind enough to suggest that my re-marks might he of special interest to you, since I would be able to sum up my views on the atomic energy programme. I hope that I will not disappoint him or you on that score. I am particularly pleased that my last public appearance in my present positions should be at the Annual Convention of the C.I.M. since, as all of you know, a very important part of my work has been in the mining field. As it happens, my first public address on the subject of atomic energy and its raw material -uranium -was made at your Annual Convention in Montreal in April, 1949. It seems fitting that my final address should also be made at this convention -nine years later.

Jan 1, 1958

By R. L. Bruening, J. B. Dale, N. E. Izatt, S. R. Izatt

IBC Advanced Technologies&apos; Molecular Recognition Technology (MRT) SuperLig® products selectively and rapidly bind with target metal ions to remove them from solution. The MRT process can produce a high purity separation product of maximum added value at low cost. This paper discusses applications for MRT in the gold industry, including recovery of gold and silver as well as metal contaminants from various process and recycle streams.

Jan 1, 2011

By A. Himsley

This paper presents a review of the existing ion exchange resin systems for treating unclarified pregnant liquor, with particular reference to uranium extraction. A new concept of a truly continuous ion exchange system is described and operating details are given,of a 0.6.-m (24 in.) diameter pilot plant treating unclarified acid leach liquor.

Jan 1, 1977

By S. Hopkins, J. Nolan, S. Gillis

"Cast in place concrete shaft linings have been used in many salt and potash shafts sunk in North America over the last 100 years. A large number of these shafts have exceeded their initial design lives and as producers look to extend the life of their operational assets, maintenance costs and shaft downtime will, in many cases, continue to rise unless repair work is undertaken. Successfully implementing concrete liner repair schemes in operating salt and potash shafts is complicated due to their age, environment and time constraints during inspection, detailed design and construction. This paper outlines a general approach to the repair of concrete-lined portions of these shafts, based on lessons learned from the authors’ involvement in a recent repair project. INTRODUCTION Prior to the recent boom in potash mine construction many of North America’s potash mine shafts were entering their sixth continuous decade of production (Table 1). Of North America’s salt mines, one has been in continuous production, for nearly nine decades.As would be expected, considering the environment in which these liners operate and the age of the material, the concrete-lined sections of the shafts outlined in Table 1 have been noted by the authors to have lost both cross-sectional thickness and strength over time. Since construction, three principal factors have contributed to this loss in section/strength; (1) physical degradation (impact, freeze/thaw or rebar expansion), (2) chemical degradation from brine/water inflows (Neville 1969; Bothwell, 1972) and (3) overstressing of the liner. These factors may act in combination, in which case they can produce more significant distress than individually. Physical degradation There are three main causes of physical degradation of concrete shaft liners. The first is impact from falling debris/tools or equipment (whether large or small), which may damage specific sections of concrete lining as they fall through the shaft. Impacts tend to damage infrastructure fixed to the shaft liner more than the liner itself, so damage from this mode of failure is usually localised, for example, where bolts fixing a shaft services bracket to the wall have been pulled away, pulling out the concrete around the bolts with them."

Jan 1, 2019

By Grant J. Goddard

"The Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC) has been in operation for over 30 years. Today, and in the future, technology and its application will play an ever more critical role in the company’s business success.The Carol Mining and Concentrating (CMC) division of IOC is energetically applying technology today to enhance performance and results, and is aggressively exploring opportunities to apply technology to support improved business results in the future.A critical area of focus is the application of technology to maintenance management performance. CMC has taken a “back to basics” approach to the fundamentals of maintenance management in 1995 and 1996. In parallel, the mine is aggressively implementing its Vision 2000 maintenance integration plan. This plan is targeted at levering the energies applied to sound maintenance management fundamentals as the company moves to a fully condition based maintenance approach.This paper discusses some of the strategies, key technologies and objectives of theVision 2000 maintenance integration plan at the mining operations of IOC."

Jan 1, 1996

By Roger J. Goodman, Don Riva

"IntroductionCrows Nest Resources Limited (CNRL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Shell Canada Resources Limited, is nearing completion of its first coal project, located in southeastern British Columbia. CNRL shipped over 700,000 tonnes of thermal coal to foreign markets in 1982. With the completion of the metallurgical coal plant in December, 1982, shipments of both thermal and metallurgical coal will increase substantially in 1983 and will approach the anticipated operating capacity of 3.0 million tonnes in 1985. The Line Creek Mine lies some 25 kilometres north of Sparwood in southeast British Columbia (Fig. 1). The open-pit mine is located on top of Line Creek Ridge, with coal being hauled 16 km to the thermal and metallurgical coal preparation plants, situated adjacent to the already existing Canadian Pacific Railway. Most of the coal is moved by 108 car unit trains by CP Rail to coal ports in Vancouver, where it is loaded onto vessels destined for overseas markets. Some smaller scale car load shipments are moved by rail to contiguous markets in the Pacific Northwest. History The southeastern British Columbia area, known as the East Kootenays, is steeped in a rich coal mining heritage, dating back to the latter part of the nineteenth century. Predecessors of Crows Nest Resources Limited were instrumental in developing the rich coal reserves in the area. In 1887, William Fernie, a pioneer-cum-prospector recognized the potential of coal deposits in the East Kootenays. Spurred by the relentless push west of the Canadian Pacific Railway through the Crows Nest Pass area, Fernie recognized that it was just a matter of time before the steam locomotives provided him with his required market. That time arrived in 1897 when Fernie helped to form the Crows Nest Pass Coal Company and coal mining commenced at Coal Creek, near his namesake town of Fernie. During its almost 70-year history, this company produced over 48 million tonnes of steam coal and 8 million tonnes of coking coal. In 1965, the Crows Nest Pass Coal Company was re-named Crows Nest Industries, to better reflect its expanded interests into forest products, and it is the latter company which Shell Canada Resources Limited acquired in 1978. The extensive coal resources of Shell, in both Alberta and British Columbia, were rationalized into one group with the birth of Crows Nest Resources Limited to manage and develop the coal holdings."

Jan 1, 1985

By G. W. H. Norman

"The La Corne molybdenite-bearing veins, discovered in 1915, lie halfway between Amos and Val d'Or near the southwest corner of La Corne township, Abitibi county, Quebec. The Molybdenite Reduction Company, which carried on operations during 1927 to 1930, sank a 200-foot inclined shaft to develop the property and produced about 22 tons of concentrntes from a 30-ton mill during 1929. Hollinger Consolidated Gold Mines, Limited, carried on further underground exploration in 1930. The Molybdenite Corporation of Canada drilled a part of the property in 1938 to 1939 and produced 1 ton of concentrates in 1938. Wartime Metals operated the property from 1942 to July 15, 1945. At this time the mill was enlarged to treat 200 tons daily. Molybdenite Corporation of Canada since July 15th, 1945, have continued the operation of this property and have revised the mill flow-sheet in order to produce both a bismuth and a molybdenite concentrate.The production for the period 1942-1946 is as follows:Total molybdenite production from the mine in the 1942 to 1946 period was about 4,127,400 lb.The La Corne deposit occurs at the northwest contact of a small mass of biotite granite with biotite schist. The form and extent of the biotite granite mass is concealed by a wide sand plain that extends northwest and west from the deposit and overlies bed-rock except in four small outcrop areas. These are spaced 1,000 and 2,000 feet apart along a narrow strip extending 5,000 feet south from the mine. The outcrops suggest that the granite must be at least 1,500 feet wide and 3,000 feet long northeastward. Where exposed in the mine workings the contact dips 70°N.W., but is not a sharply defineable feature due to the presence of numerous granite dykes and tongues in a zone of biotite schist 100 feet wide along the margin of the granite. The biotite schist in the few outcrops that flank the north and south sides of the granite strikes northeast and dips 60° to 70° S.E."

Jan 1, 1954

By P. F. Venus

In December 1977, a large pillar was removed by blasthole mining methods at lnco&apos;s Creighton No. 3 mine. Although the 2,363.000-ton blast was not a size record for a single underground blast at Inco, it did represent a significant departure from conventional blasthole mining. In terms of the application of nominal 6-inch-diameter boreholes underground, coupled with bulk slurry explosives, the magnitude of the blast is considered a first and very important development. The application of large-diameter boreholes in underground operations was first tried successfully in 1973. Since that time over 13/4 million feet have been drilled in this adaptation of an open-pit technique to underground operations. The blast, which required 708 holes, totalling 131,500 feet of drilling, was loaded in a six-week period, using special slurry handling techniques developed jointly by Inco and CIL. Inco operating and engineering personnel consider this application of large boreholes and slurry explosives for blasthole mining a very important milestone in modern mining technology.

Jan 1, 1978

By Fathi Habashi, Ahmet Deniz Bas

"The mechanism of leaching of semiconducting minerals such as PbS, ZnS, UO2, etc., has been the subject of intensive speculation by hydrometallurgy researchers in the early 1950s who assumed the formation of intermediate surface complexes that could be neither separated nor identified by physicochemical techniques. The electrochemical theory of leaching introduced in the late 1960s resolved this problem by comparing the leaching process to a corrosion phenomenon similar to the corrosion of metals. Few years later, experimental evidence showed that anodic and cathodic zones are formed on the dissolving mineral although no electric current is imposed on the mineral during dissolution. A discussion of these findings is outlined.INTRODUCTIONIn the early 1950s researchers realized that kinetic studies for leaching ores are as important as thermodynamic calculations. It was also during this period that the concept of species adsorption on mineral surfaces has dominated the interpretation of the mechanisms of most reactions. This may have been due to the fact that many researchers of this period came from the mineral dressing sector and were influenced by flotation theories. However, when the knowledge of lattice defects and the semiconductivity of minerals became known and their importance in extractive metallurgy was realized, there was a need to explain the leaching reactions in light of these modern theories (Habashi, 1969, 1970). Semiconducting minerals of importance in metallurgy are two categories: the sulfides such as those of copper, lead, zinc, and the oxides such as those of uranium."

Jan 1, 2016