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The increasing global demand for rough materials forces almost every mine to look at the mechanisation in their processes. This will not onlyimprove performance but with safety issues becoming more and more prevalent, the need for the introduction of mechanisation technologies to mining applications is essential. Ongoing developments are occurring in almost every field, ranging from basic developments to specialised mining. Mechanical tunnelling and shaft sinking have set the standards regarding safety, profitability and environmental protection. Different machine types and working principles have been developed to suit the geological and hydrological requirements of tunnelling projects worldwide. Continuous activity in research and development leads to constant optimisation of tunnelling performance.

Jan 1, 2008

The advantages of coordinate geometry in design and construction of underground works are apparent for reasons of flexibility, security, computer operations, survey error analysis, and the use of numerical techniques for setting out and checking works. Integration with National or State survey systems is useful in the long term, both at design, construction and future works stage. Equipment and methods are available which permit "absolute" monitoring of structures and strata over long periods,to close toler- ances. This work can be carried out in the limiting urban environment. Rapid data acquisition by semi-automatic devices, or photogrammetry, utilizing electronic data processing is capital inten- sive, but provides more data than analogue surveys (i.e., setting out centre lines) and becomes more attractive with increased labour Costs.

Jan 1, 1976

During the past three years there have been several parties prospecting for oil in the Stat6 of Queensland, and It was: gratifying to read the newspaper headlines last Christmasabout the discovery of oil in the Moohie Nol Well. This discovery was not only a welcome Christmas present for Australia but marked up another success for the seismicmethod in exploration for oil.The purpose of this paper is to discuss the operationaI aspects of seismic work in Queensland with-emphasis on shot-haledrilling. The paper is based upon the experience of one particular seismic survey which began in December of - 1959 and is still inoperation. This survey is being conducted by the Petty Geophysical Engineering - Company of San Antonios, Texas, and the Queensland area involved is in the general vicinity of Quilpie, Dlackall and Charleville.

Jan 1, 1962

Petroleum exploration and development is vitally important for the future well being of Australia. The Australian petroleum exploration/development industry is alive but not so well. A combination of.:factors point to the industry requiring a much more mature effort in both short and longer-term planning to ensure greater success and effectiveness for petroleum discoveries and development. While many petroleum exploration companies are competently run, there are far too many which will be lucky to survive, even though their exploration areas are highly Prospective.

Jan 1, 1983

By Van Rensburg C S J

The options that are open to engineers for cooling mines are limited and are primarily dependent upon the thermophysical properties of coolants. These properties are carefully analysed in the context of cooling mines and a comparison is drawn among Ammonia (R717), Monochlorodifluoromethane' (R22), Dichlorodifluoromethane (R12) and Water (R718). From this comparison the extent of Ammonia's superiority as refrigerant is Evident.

Jan 1, 1988

Extensive infrastructure construction works were required for the development of the underground and open-cut coal mine at Ulan to a production capacity of 5 million tonnes of steaming coal per annum. The Ulan Mine development project was constructed in a two year period at a cost of $240 million. The infrastructure component included the construction of the mine site building works, civil works and 150km of railway, valued at $105 million. These works were successfully completed under a construction management agreement within two years. The separate elements of the project are described in detail in the paper.

Jan 1, 1983

The first step in the mining and processing of nearly any mineral ore is comminution. Since the oil embargo of 1979, the mining companies have been striving to reduce energy consumption and costs. The first serious step was the introduction of in-pit crushing in the early 1980s. With in-pit crushing accepted as a standard design mode, the energy saving emphasis turned to comminution practices. A great deal of attention has been focused on blasting and grinding. The one step that has not been addressed is the primary crusher. This paper will address the opportunities for comminution improvement through optimisation of the primary crusher.

Jan 1, 2004

By Westcott PC

The development of a coal project must pass through a number of phases, taking it from a preliminary evaluation through to detailed mine planning. For each phase the cost of data acquisition and associated mining studies increases exponentially for linear improvement in confidence levels. Within each mine planning phase there are four main activities. These are the economic ordering of reserves, the development of optimum mining strategies, mine design and scheduling and finally the estimation and analysis of costs. The development of the optimum mining strategy is one of the most critical aspects of a mining evaluation and the application of economic criteria at this stage of the project is vital to the successful generation of an optimised mine design. A recommended method is the concept of Economic Ratio (ER) which expresses the likely cost of mining from a given location in a deposit in terms of the value of the product likely to be recovered. The most economic mining strategy will be to mine areas from low economic ratio to high economic ratio within the constraints of reasonable equipment application. When selecting equipment a particular machine should not be selected solely on comparison with other machines in isolation, but the total application must be analysed. In the final selection the decision should be based on whether or not it has a beneficial effect on overall project economics. The economic assessment must take into account the time value of money, so the real cost can be determined with adequate provision for capital and operating costs over different time spans.

Jan 1, 1983

In order to formulate appropriate and useful education and training policies and practices, it is crucial to firstly consider the demographic environment of our workforce-and the direction in which it is (known to be) heading. We can predict with a degree of certainty, that the role and influence of training on the future survivability of organisations will- become increasingly critical. This will be particularly relevant for those industries and organisations which are technologically based. The ad-hoc use of training is and, will no longer be appropriate. Organisations must move toward the on-going use of a dynamic education and training strategy based on an effective staff development programme, which meets the short and medium term needs of the organisation. The Technisearch approach is based on maximizing the efficacy of training and learning. The package provides.a total service to meet clients training needs using educational techniques geared to adult learning. it stresses the importance of ongoing research into industrial adult training and its effectiveness in improving skills and productivity. Current research on roles of supervisors in the Australian workplace and the development of the Supervisory Behaviour Questionnaire. (SBQ) indicates the need for a proper framework within which the objectives of training can be addressed.

Jan 1, 1986

I know the theme of the Congress is "The 21st Century - Mining for Mankind" but I hope you will understand why my address touches upon some near-term issues as well. With the world oil market the way it is at present, "the long term" seems to be next week and no one is even sure what will happen tomorrow! So I am going to take a little licence with the theme of the Congress and talk about some fundamental issues that have much to do with the current uncertainties. The ways in which these issues are resolved and the role governments elect to play in the next few years will determine both the shape of the petroleum industry in the 1990s and beyond and the success with which we can confront a growing and inevitable future dependence on OPEC oil resources. But just in case you are not familiar with what has been happening in the petroleum industry recently and why the future seems more uncertain than ever, let me show you the gyrations in oil prices over the past 13 years, and remember that it is only another 13 years or so years to the 21st Century.

Jan 1, 1986

By S M. Stewart

Industry, especially extractive industry, must now give serious attention to the impact its operations have on the natural environment and on the economic, social, and cultural context within which it operates.   While this obligation is statutorily managed, there has been a recent shift towards a culture of self responsibility. Industry is now talking about earning its ôsocial licence to operateö and the importance of maintaining the ôtriple bottom lineö, thus adding environmental and social performance to the usual financial criteria used to measure organisational performance. The social context within which companies operate has also become more sensitive with industry responding to a growing public expectation that it conduct itself in a way that strives for sustainability by operating and developing in a way that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.   There are glowing accounts of industries engaging and collaborating with the communities within which they are based. In amongst these are also some disasters which result from cultural assumptions, industry created dependencies and the failure to attain community buy-in despite significant investment by the industry involved.   There are also remarkable stories of communities, and action groups within communities, being a significant catalyst for positive change of their natural, cultural and social environment. In amongst these stories there are also accounts of long and drawn out battles; adversarial situations where no one wins; a litany of mistrust, tricks and tactics, with the better resourced party ultimately achieving its primary objectives at the cost of the other (and at the cost of any potential fruitful, mutual relationships).   So what makes the difference in achieving the positive rather than negative outcomes? The answer lies in the way the outcomes are achieved. Building relationships based on good communication, respect for divergent views, mutual understanding, and the development of trust and empathy, makes it possible to identify shared goals and objectives that best meet the needs of all parties.   Research indicates the mining industry is making good progress in developing policy and commitment to community development and engagement but that, ætranslating commitments into improved practices at the site level remains one of the industryÆs toughest challengesÆ. (Australian Government - Community Engagement and Development Handbook October 2006 @ page 49.)   This paper considers the merits of a process of community collaboration and what it has to offer in terms of meeting that challenge.

Jan 1, 2007

Modern Management Systems for Higher Margins By Malcolm Roberts, Catalyst for Corporate Performance Ltd Malcolm Roberts put the case for changing systems in order to change behaviours and attitudes and improve productivity. ""The key to lifting margins is changing systems."" A system is anything that drives ways of doing things. Sometimes these are formal, and documented, and sometimes they are not. Improving productivity The way to dramatically improve performance is to use the systems. Roberts stressed that if systems and processes are under control, the benefits of automation are huge. If they are not, the benefit of automation will be lost. To improve productivity, you need to: ò identify what to change in the process, ò use the proven methodology to systematically improve the process, and ò change what people do - change work practices.

Jan 1, 1997

The Australian lead-zinc industry faces a future in which the world market is likely to show at best only minimal growth and in which there will be increasing competition. Its production facilities use mature technologies employing expensive labour and increasingly costly energy in a country which demands the highest standards of environmental performance. Returns on investment are already unsatisfactory.Technology for survival would appear to indicate a need not only for more efficient capital, labour and energy usage combined with improved environmental performance, but also flexibility to handle more complex materials than the traditional, virtually single metal concentrates. This offers the potential for improved overall economics from the mine onwards, but will demand efficient separation and by-product recovery processes.In the lead industry these problems are being addressed in several emerging technologies. With zinc, the situation is less clear.

Jan 1, 1985

The ongoing need for improved fuel economy, longer engine life, reduced emissions and greater power output has driven the need for lower charge air temperatures. Cuamins will introduce a split loop, single water pump approach to low temperature aftercooling (LTA) in 1987 with the introduction of its 1492 kW (2000 BP) 16 cylinder K Series engine. The LTA system selection process considered performance, durability, fuel economy, and total engine installed cost. The split loop system selected takes full advantage of the engine cooling characteristics to provide optimum charge air temperatures at all speeds, loads and ambient temperatures. Computer simulations and engine tests were used to determine performance for each charge air cooling alternative. The split loop system chosen offers many advantages compared to the other alternative systems studied which included air-to-air and dual loop (two radiator, two water pump) systems.

Jan 1, 1986

ON milling plants, where a large number of slime samples are collected each day, considerable work is involved preparing them for the assayer. The usual practice (as the material usually passes a 150-mesh screen) is to place the sample on a 30-mesh screen an 1 brush it through on to a cloth below. The sample on the cloth is mixed and a portion taken out for the assayer. A simple apparatus that would rapidly disintegrate and prepare these slime samples for the assayer was needed. The manufacturers of assayers' supplies appear to have overlooked apparatus for this class of work. To overcome the tedious preparation of slime samples by the above method, the writer devised the apparatus shown in the accompanying drawing (Fig. 1). It will be seen that the apparatus is a combination of a modified household flour sifter and a riffle sampler.The apparatus is made up in two parts, the top half consisting of a screen box carrying the disintegrator, and the bottom half a, riffle divider, the joints between the two being a slip-in fit. A lid is provided for the screen box. The disintegrator consists of an open drum, to which are soldered three rows of spring steel fingers. Each row has a number of steel fingers which, on rotation, press against the semi-circular screen in the screen box, forcing the slime particles through.To operate the apparatus an 8-in. sample tin is placed under each spout of the divider. The sample of slime, which is about 2 lb. in weight and usually in lumps, is placed in the screen box, the cover replaced, and the drum rotated about half-a-dozen times by means of the handle.The disintegrated sample is divided by the rifle divider into two portions, which are found in the tins under the spouts of the apparatus. One of these samples is taken, mixed on a sheet, and sent to the assayer.

Jan 1, 1922

By Bailey H. W

Power supply for remote mining developments is compared with supply to the general public with the conclusion that the private power plant operator has many opportunities to minimise his costs which are not open to public utilities. The main features of diesel, gas turbine and steam power plant and the limitation upon their application which may be imposed by the fuels available and the local conditions at remote sites are outlined. Reference is made to the value of joint examination by the mining engineer, metallurgist and power engineer to decide how to make best overall use of capital, labour and energy in co-ordinating the design of power and process plant and in setting no more than adequate standards of reliability and efficiency. Fluctuations in world markets make it difficult to plan mining operations to a firm time base. Suggestions are made to minimise the financial risk in forward expenditure upon power plant which in large sizes due to longer construction time may have to be ordered before a final decision is taken upon the mining development it is to serve.

Jan 1, 1973

By A G. L Pratt, C Rossetti

The implementation of mass mining methods for large metalliferous deposits has led to the development and application of increasingly sophisticated automation and condition monitoring technologies in these mines. This technology aims to increase safety, equipment utilisation and monitoring of critical aspects of the underground ambient and geological environments. The communications networks required to support these aims and their associated technologies have evolved accordingly, and have done so in a demanding underground environment. The evolution of communication infrastructure for large underground mines has developed from basic analogue telephony to high-bandwidth optic fibre based systems. The latter is now the media of choice. More recently the developments in wireless broadband equipment designed specifically for underground environments have emerged to satisfy the needs of automation for mobile equipment and shaft conveyance communications. The use of internet protocols for industrial control and monitoring has led to the application of ethernet-based backbone networks as a standardised approach. There may also be a need for the integration of range of communications platforms in a mining operation to realise the full advantages offered by automation and condition monitoring technologies. As a result the design of the communications backbone networks for underground mines has started to become the domain of information technology professionals. Without these networks, the analysis of equipment utilisation is often not possible. The improvements that can be brought about by æsweating the assetsÆ and the transmission of business critical information are the most significant benefits of an integrated communications system. These benefits far outweigh the costs of strategic planning, subsequent specification and implementation of communication networks themselves. Future developments in mining systems and communications technology will continue to drive the demands placed upon communications networks as an essential mass mining infrastructure item. This paper outlines the benefits of secure high bandwidth backbone communications networks for mass mining operations and the need for a high degree of strategic thought and demand forecasting in the planning stages for these operations.

Jan 1, 2008

Diversity is a key strength for Western Mining Corporation. An international corporation with assets of about $A10 billion, WMC is engaged in both mining and downstream processing of minerals including nickel, gold, alumina, copper and talc, as well as having interests in oil and gas production and agricultural fertiliser. The company is focusing on several core commodities that will maintain its strength in the years ahead. Although most current mineral assets are within Australia, it plans to have 25 per cent of its operations off-shore by the turn of the century, and be a major producer in at least six core commodities. WMC's strategic and management focus has shifted from a regional approach to a commodity focus so that it can more readily cater for different markets with differing sensitivities. This document is an ABSTRACT ONLY - no paper was published for this presentation

Jan 1, 1996

By Morrison J

Considerable confusion is to be found in the methods of estimating mineral reserves. The solution appears to be more cooperation between industry and government to agree upon a classification system with guidelines to overcome the problem of the many variable factors affecting reserves. The classification system proposed by the United States Bureau of Mines and the United States Geological Survey (USBM/USGS) together with the guidelines similar to those suggested by the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy/Australian Mining Industry Council (AusIMM/AMIC) is recommended for reporting mineral reserves to government.

Jan 1, 1979

The Pacific Rim countries of Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Fiji, Philippines and Solomon Islands will be reviewed from an equity investors perspective. The following areas will be covered: ò Country risks ò Exploration spending and activity ò Project development ò Taxation ò Relative cost of doing business ò Environmental considerations ò Political/bureaucratic situations ò Capital raising ò Equity markets as a source of funds ò Developing market funds The aim of the paper will be to outline the most attractive areas for investment by equity and private funds plus documenting the changes needed in the less favourable countries if they are to attract investors.

Jan 1, 1995