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By H. J. Oterdoom

SMS Group (SMSG) has always been concerned about safety aspects of electric smelter plants for the ferro-alloy and non-ferrous industry. The awareness for safety increased significantly over the past decades and also SMSG contributed with its design features to a safer operation. Today, safety aspects are not only part of the smelter design but also of the overall plant layout. Explosions in electric smelters are rare, but have a huge impact on peoples’ lives, on equipment and on production. For this reason, SMSG wanted to have a better overview of explosions within the smelting industry in order to see if useful statistics could be extracted. Generally, there is a lack of statistics regarding explosions in the electric smelting industry, and not enough information is collected or published. A significant portion of the explosions seems to be water related. Many companies, both operating and engineering, are trying to handle the risks of water, and apply methods to detect water leakages. Installing such a system is a management decision and management has then to make sure the system is properly implemented. The disadvantages and limitations of these systems should be carefully considered and communicated to operators and authorities.

Jan 1, 2015

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 P. O. Parfitt

At the McIntyre mine, there are two distinct operations: a gold mine with narrow veins, mined by cut-and-fill methods, and a copper mine with large, open, long-hole stopes. The application of the Critical Path Method to scheduling work in the copper mine, where it has been used successfully for several years, is de-scribed briefly. This application is relatively simple. Use of C.P.M. has now been extended to the gold mine. To replace the former method of scheduling from bar-charts, a procedure was developed for scheduling automatically. To handle an operation of this size and complexity, a computer was essential. Improved schedules are now being produced, with a saving in time.

Jan 1, 1967

By A. M. S. Hussein, B. E. Rogers

Progressively more stringent emission limits and advances in regulations and enforcement have made air compliance more difficult for metallurgical facilities. This has historically required improved collection and treatment of stack sources. Fugitive emission reductions are now increasingly required to achieve compliance. Typically small in magnitude, fugitive emissions have a disproportionate impact on ground level concentrations, can be visible to the public and can influence workplace health and safety. Moreover, these emissions are complex, as they are spread over multiple sources, distance and time and are affected by various activities and conditions. As such it is difficult to find, define and monitor these emissions and their impacts. This difficulty translates to the design of emission reduction measures and operational requirements. This paper presents an overview or ‘heuristic’ of fugitive emissions management for compliance in existing operations. This includes aspects such as the impact of regulations on project scope, approaches to developing a comprehensive emission inventory, considerations for solution development and the plant’s role in sustaining compliance once achieved. Case studies are presented to demonstrate how portions of this approach have been applied.

Jan 1, 2015

By R. Duinker

"This paper, an update to the 2003 paper titled "Knowledge, Technology and Profit" (Twigge-Molecey, 2003) analyzes 45 "problem projects" from the mining and metals industry over the last eleven years representing $133 billion in CAPEX. The projects have been designated as "problem projects" as they did not meet their owner’s initial expectations for project performance as defined in the paper. This paper explores some of the challenges that were present, through interviews with the knowledgeable individuals that were familiar with the projects and investigations using publically available information. The aim of the exercise was to identify the key challenges faced by the projects, and the contributing factors that led to the project failures so that the lessons can be applied to future projects.The project challenges have been categorized into four themes, technical, organizational, environmental & social and missing "homework" prior to board approval. Of noteworthy interest is that environmental permitting aspects have risen to become a significant and notable contributor to problem projects in 11 years from 2003 to 2014. It is further observed that many projects have been challenged by increasing size and complexity and with execution in more remote locations since the previous paper.It is a reality that every project will face challenges. Some projects are simply more challenging than others, and success or failure of the project is often determined by whether the project team is fully prepared to respond to the challenges. This in turn is largely dependent on whether the project "homework" was adequately completed and considered for all aspects of the project."

Jan 1, 2015

By M-d-N. Gagnon, P. Okono, Y. Bergeron

In the mining industry, decisions regarding the type and number of comminution tests to be completed typically rely on geologists? observations and conclusions when studying drill cores. Given that these decisions are based on visual observations, they are essentially approximate and often inaccurate from a comminution viewpoint, causing a sizeable margin of error in estimating characterization test needs. Consequently, companies are often forced to perform more tests than necessary, requiring a significant quantity of material, and accruing significant costs. Recently, a new device, called the Hardness Index Tester (or HIT), was developed, offering users a low cost in-house mechanism for estimating the comminution parameter A*b and the Bond Ball Mill Work Index at any mine site, with potential applications on fragments up to 25 mm from drill core. In late 2016, Agnico Eagle Mines Limited initiated a trial to investigate if having an HIT device installed in a core repository would make it possible to identify the different rock properties more accurately and determine the number and type of comminution tests required. The application of the HIT was not to replace the standard comminution tests, but rather to generate a high number of comminution and geomechanical parameters for the rock mass. Ultimately, the objective would be to determine the uniformity of the rock mass and, therefore, easily distinguish any potentially problematic zones. With this method, the appropriate number of standard tests could be determined, making the HIT not only an excellent complement to the standard laboratory tests, but also an indispensable device for a geometallurgical characterization. This paper presents the results from the HIT trial using samples from the Odyssey Project, which is a Mine Canadian Malartic property.

Jan 1, 2017

By John E. Udd

"For decades, writers have expressed concern about impending shortages of professionals for Canada's minerals industry. Even under the present difficult economic circumstances, it is anticipated that the supply which will be available will not be adequate to meet the requirements in certain key areas including mining and petroleum engineering. It is evident that, unless further initiatives are taken, shortages will exist for some time.In this paper, the writer reviews information which relates to both the demand for, and the supply of, persons with advanced-level education in minerals-related disciplines. In particular, a summary is made of the information regarding supply which has been collected by the CIM General Committee on Education for many years.In concluding, the writer expresses some personal opinions regarding imbalances between demand and supply and offers some recommendations for future actions.IntroductionLast year, in a paper which was presented at the Annual General Meeting of the CIM in Calgary, the writer presented a review of the situation regarding professionally educated manpower for the minerals industry, and concluded that indications were that the gap between demand and supply was widening and that the situation could be expected to continue. Since that time, the deterioration of the nation's economy has caused an appreciable reduction in demand. Simultaneously, a further annual survey by the CIM has shown that the numbers graduating in certain specializations, notably geology and some of the technologies, are rising very rapidly. One of the great concerns of educators at present is that adequate opportunities may not exist for all of those who are now graduating.The danger of the present situation, then, is that a momentary lack of opportunities may cause potential students to choose alternative careers . Because of the lead-time which is involved, it is very possible that this could result in greater shortages during a period of economic recovery or expansion. Action must be taken to ensure that adequate numbers will be attracted to the industry, and this applies particularly to those who have already made the career decision and who are enrolled in minerals-related programs."

Jan 1, 1982

By W. H. Patterson

The history and experience of early companies in the Islands is illustrated by the typical transactions of Trans-Western from 1959 to date. Trans-Western had entered into farmout agreements with companies strong enough to carry out at least the required minimum exploratory work and then such development as might be warranted. The farmee companies were required to make deposits to guarantee work performance during the first period of validity, i.e. the first 3 years of the 12-year life of the permits, and at the rate of 5 cents per acre. At that time, a good deal of geology was available, as a result of extensive exploration that had been carried on by the Geological Survey of Canada and other geological enterprises, with field parties travelling over and camping on all of those Islands. Trans-Western's farmees then selected, from Trans-Western's priority on 13.5 million acres, what they believed were the lands most prospective of producing large oil and gas discoveries, and, having the right to trim off acreage which they considered less prospective, thereby reducing the acreage of Trans-Western and its farmees to in excess of 5.5 million acres. The farmees then commenced a 3-year program carrying out geological exploration to the required minimum of 5 cents per acre, and with some permanent and many mobile camps.

Jan 1, 1969

By Deborah A. McCombe

"One of the cornerstones of NI43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects is the technical report. The purpose of the report is to provide a summary of the scientific and technical information concerning mineral exploration, development, and production activities on a mineral property that is material to an issuer. The reports must be prepared in accordance with NI43101 and Form 43-101F1 Technical Report and the information must be current as of the date of the filing of the technical report. As these reports provide important information to the investing public, qualified persons preparing these reports should, as much as possible, write in plain, simple language that can be easily read and understood by people who are not geoscientists or engineers. So let’s review some of the common deficiencies with technical reports. Non-current technical report Some of the factors you should consider when determining if your previously filed technical report is still current are as follows: •,Is there new technical information on the property, such as drilling, assays, metallurgical testwork? •,Have you made changes to key assumptions, parameters relating to mineral resources or mineral reserves, or economic analysis? If you have completed the previously recommended work, are your recommendations still current? Similarly, are your report recommendations consistent with what you are telling your shareholders or disclosing in the use of proceeds in your offering documents? For example, if the recommendations in the report consist of further exploration and metallurgical test-work prior to completing a preliminary feasibility study and you have completed the proposed work and are now raising money for a final feasibility study, the report is probably not current."

Jan 1, 2003

By A. Staley, W. J. Cashwell, M. S. Moats

In the 1990’s, Técnicas Reunidas developed the Modified ZINCEX® Process to recover zinc from ores and secondary materials. The heart of this process was the use of solvent extraction to produce purified zinc electrolyte instead of traditional zinc dust cementation. This development was commercialized by Reunion Mining and Anglo American for primary ore at the Skorpion mine in Namibia with the first SHG zinc produced in May 2003. Horsehead Corporation through Horsehead Metal Products, Inc., its wholly owned subsidiary, is presently commercializing the MZP for the treatment of Waelz oxide. This paper will review open source information about the lessons learned and process modifications that have occurred at Skorpion over the past decade. It will also provide an update on Horsehead’s facility being constructed in Rutherford County, North Carolina.

Jan 1, 2014

By J. C. White

"During the early development of the Mattabi Mine in 1970, discussions with the Ontario Government revealed their policy of prohibiting, as much as possible, the development of new, isolated, single-industry townsites. Subsequently, Mattabi located its first housing in the Township of Ignace, which is situated 50 miles from the site of the mine and plant. Over 200 employees now commute 100 miles daily to and from work.This paper describes the experience gained and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of a remote townsite."

Jan 1, 1976

Background ArcelorMittal?s (formerly QCM?s) Port Cartier iron ore pelletization operations 2 side-by-side induration furnaces each producing 578 t/h of cured pellets Firing No. 6 fuel oil and coke breeze (in bed) Very large heat losses to be addressed primarily by gas recirculation

May 1, 2011

By Suzanne Paradis

Geographic distribution ? Deposit economics ? Temporal distribution ? Tectonic settings ? Basin architecture ? Morphology ? Ore-fluid chemistries Key exploration criteria

May 1, 2006

By D. C. Crothers

"What is new in air compressors? A good deal - the designers have been keeping pace with technical developments in related fields and also contributing new techniques of their own. Plant reliability no longer requires bulky slow-speed machines. Even the reciprocating machines, which still provide the most efficient method of compressing air, have been greatly reduced in size and installation cost for a given capacity rating. New materials and fabrication techniques are being used, by most manufacturers, to produce less costly plants in total. Many packaged plants are available, which generally means a more complete assembly for shipment. This type of construction offers savings in handling and erection costs at the site. A warning is in order, however - the extent of packaging in any given plant should be investigated carefully to determine what is included and just what field costs can be realized. A suggested specification has been offered for consideration when studying comparative costs. Rotating machines intrigue many because of their potential as regard fewer wearing parts, higher speeds and hence smaller units, utilizing less expensive drivers, and lack of contamination of the compressed air by lubricants. The inherent shortcomings of these machines - lower •efficiency and capacity control - have been much improved lately, and this type of plant is now becoming quite popular. Noise control, of much concern to everyone, is another development that has received considerable attention.Systems for efficient capacity control and continuous monitoring of compressor operation offer additional reliability and low-cost operation of the modern compressed air plant. Accessory equipment and its effect on over-all plant operation is also considered."

Jan 1, 1972

By C. E. Baltzer, W. H. Harper

"This study has been developed to illustrate the trend and pattern of distribution applying to the quantities and costs of the fossil fuels used, and the related amounts of electricity generated, in the thermal segment of the Canadian electric utility industry.Traditionally, Canada's requirements for electric energy have been preponderantly met by hydraulic power. The need for augmented supplies of thermally generated power has mainly developed since the close of World War Il-in an era that has seen drastic decline in the production of indigenous coal and buoyant expansion in the supply of oil and natural gas. Although coal currently is faced with serious competition from the fluid fuels, the utility industry in particular promises an advancing market for coal, because of its abundant resource, at prices less likely to show sharp increase. For Canada as a whole, this trend has been progressive since 1959, and, unbelievable as it may now seem, the extent of the advance by 1975, particularly in Ontario and the Prairie Provinces, may well be as much, or even more, than the present rate of consumption for all purposes.The text and the tables and charts are arranged to focus attention on: the growth of thermal genera ting capability; the historical trend in consumption of fuel and the related production of electricity; patterns of distribution by types of fuel and thermal capacity; the relationship of steam to other sources of thermal capacity; and the quantities, costs and related percentages of electricity generated by types and kinds of fuel used, both regionally and provincially."

Jan 1, 1966

By M. J. Fairweather

"The nature of minor element values and impurities are important both in the assessment of new properties and in the continuing improvement of operating plants. Impurity elements are frequently present as fixed solid solution impurities in association with the constituent minerals of a deposit or process streams in a concentrator. This paper uses five case studies to illustrate the application of simple regression analysis to the evaluation of minor element distribution in both operating mines and new deposits using analytical information readily available. This information maybe used to determine opportunities for improvements to the performance of an operating mine, to the economic assessment of anew deposit, or to the subsequent planning of an experimental study.IntroductionThe nature of minor element values and impurities are important, both in the assessment of new properties and in the continuing improvement of operating plants. Minor element values often contribute appreciable incremental revenue to a complex base metal deposit. Examples of valuable elements include precious metals, but may also include elements such as indium and bismuth which can be recovered at a profit by smelters provided with the necessary recovery circuits. During preliminary metallurgical studies of a new property there is usually a strong incentive to maximize the recovery of such valuable by-product elements. For example, the extent to which the by-product gold in a porphyry copper deposit is associated with chalcopyrite rather than pyrite may determine theeconomics of developing a new property.The nature of impurity elements in base metal concentrates is correspondingly important in minimizing the penalties which may be imposed by smelters in the treatment of such concentrates. Penalty elements include silica, dolomite (magnesia), arsenic, antimony, mercury, nickel and cobalt. The mineralogical association of these minor elements determines the ability of the mine to remove them in the concentrating process. This paper discusses means of assessing the mineralogical nature of such impurities without the use of sophisticated micro-analytical techniques."

Jan 1, 1997

By E. Laatio, W. McKay

"History of Tara Mines Ltd.Tara Exploration and Development Company Ltd. was formed in Canada by Irishmen in 1953. The discovery of an orebody approximately six miles from the historically famous Hill of Tara in County Meath was a wild dream . Nevertheless this dream became a reality. Tara Mines Ltd. was formed, and the mine developed some 35 miles northwest of the City of Dublin in the Irish Republic.Tara's original drilling program indicated a zinc-lead orebody of approximately 60 million tonnes grading at 10.1% Zn and 2.6% Pb. The terms of the mining lease stipulated that the Irish government would acquire 25% equity interest in the operation. The mine was thus owned 75% by Tara Exploration and Development Company Ltd. of which the principal shareholders were Noranda and Northgate, together with 25% being held by the Irish government. The mine was purchased in March 1986 by Outokumpu Oy, a Finnish mining and metallurgical company, and together with the 25% government stake are the current owners. Outokumpu Analysis on Tara Mines Ltd.Upon ownership Outokumpu carried out a comprehensive analysis on the operation and came to the following conclusions :1. Tara had a good orebody;2. Tara had a skilled, capable, stable workforce;3. Tara's concentrator and processing equipment was adequate to meet requirements;4. Tara's mobile equipment fleet was too old and too numerousin numbers; and5. Tara had too many employees, both staff and hourly paid .With ore reserves of approximately 50 million tonnes and at a planned extraction rate of 2.6 million tonnes it meant that the mine had a lifespan of approximately 20 years. To be a viable operation into the future, the mine had to become more efficient. Operating costs and manpower levels had to be dramatically reduced."

Jan 1, 1989

By Chantale Doucet

L?utilisation du remblai en pâte dans les exploitations en vrac est de plus en plus importante. Puisque la technologie existe pour fabriquer du remblai en pâte sans construire une usine coûteuse, il est maintenant possible d?élargir le domaine d?utilisation du remblai en pâte pour y inclure des gisements filoniens où le besoin annuel de remblai est moindre. Dans certains cas, l?utilisation du remblai en pâte pourrait permettre de réaliser d?importantes économies telles que la réduction de la dilution, la stabilité des ouvertures, la récupération d?une plus grande partie du minerai par la réduction de la taille des piliers et l?entreposage de moins de résidus à la surface. L?ampleur des économies est parfois difficile à chiffrer mais il est tout de même important d?en tenir compte lors de la décision d?utiliser du remblai en pâte puisque ce sont souvent ces économies qui seront déterminantes. Différentes méthodes d?extraction avec remblai en pâte appliquées aux mines filoniennes seront présentées. Des défis et les solutions reliés à l?utilisation du remblai en pâte à la Mine Doyon seront discutés.

Oct 1, 2001

By K. H. Singh, J. N. Szuck, J. A. Riddell

"Hydraulic rock drilling equipment has been in use at Falconbridge over the past two years in both production and development situations. This paper deals with the experience gained in the application of hydraulic drilling in the company's mines and discusses the benefits and problems encountered during their use. The paper primarily focuses on technical, operating, maintenance and economic aspects of the machines, and does not attempt to compare the performances of different machines from the various manufacturers.IntroductionThe Sudbury Operations of Falconbridge Nickel Mines Limited are comprised of five operating mines and two mines under development. All the production comes from underground mines, mostly at depths below 1000 metres. The company, faced with increases in operating costs and difficult mining conditions, has continued to seek solutions with the help of new mining technology.The development of electric-hydraulic drilling machines in Europe had been pursued with great interest and, in 1979, a decision was made to test these machines to prove their technical and economic viability under operating conditions. Since then, a number of electric-hydraulic machines have been evaluated in different situations and currently nine hydraulic machines are being used in the company's various mines. These machines are comprised of two-boom drilling jumbos for development, one-boom machines for longhole drilling and a large-hole-diameter drilling rig for blasthole drilling. One hydraulic jumbo has also been used in a cut-and-fill stope."

Jan 1, 1982

By Graham Sim

Agenda ?The Water Challenge ?Examples from Three Case Studies ?Mine Drainage, 99% recovery ?Mine Drainage, 80% recovery ?Road Dust Control ?Technology Development ? Conclusion Global water challenges Assuring sustainable quantity Improving water quality Reducing energy consumption

May 1, 2011