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Faced with low prices and weak demand in an oversupplied market, the Australian coal industry must seek to further reduce its costs. The paper examines minesite competitiveness of the open cut coal industry in Australia with some references to the coal operations of M.I.M. Holdings Limited. The make-up of F.O.R. mine costs is analysed in order to identify where efforts should be directed to maintain competitiveness. The scope for mine site improvements through changes to working practices, the application of new technology and cost management is examined.

Jan 1, 1987

By Menne DM

The carbon-in-pulp (CIp)process has become well accepted and firmly established in the gold industry of South Africa and, at this stage, six large CIP plants are treating close to I million metric tons of material per month. Many small operators are also using CIP and additional large plants are either nearing completion, are on the drawing boards,. or are being considered. The programme of testwork that preceded the acceptance of the CIP process in South Africa was conducted over some eight years and has been previously described'-7. With the start-up of the President Brand CIP plant on 'calcine' in July 1980 and that of the Western Areas CIP plant on repulped filter residues in September 1980, the emphasis on the CIP process switched from pilot plants to these large plants - and has largely remained there. As it has started up, each new CIP plant benefited from the experience gained and the developments made, on earlier plants but, since so few plants have so far been established in South Africa, each new plant and each new design has revealed a further set of conditions to be met and problems to be overcome. However, in the highly collaborative atmosphere of the South African gold-mining industry, the results and observations from the operation of these first plants were shared by all mining groups. This paper will attempt to describe typical developments on, and results obtained from, these new large plants, and will incorporate significant results from the earlier laboratory and pilot-plant investigations.,

Jan 1, 1982

By M-A Van Ende, N Kumar, I-H Jung

In order to utilise the powerful thermodynamic databases for process simulations, a concept called Effective Equilibrium Reaction Zone (EERZ) was introduced to couple thermodynamic database calculations and reaction kinetics. Using the EERZ concept, many process simulation models for steelmaking processes have been developed within the FactSage steelmaking consortium. After validation of the simulation results by comparing with plant data, the simulation models have been applied to improve plant operations. Several success stories of the improvement of real steelmaking operations are shared. A new user-friendly FactProSim software developed for building process simulations is introduced.

Aug 21, 2024

Key incompatible element ratios for metabasalts from the Early Permian Croisilles and Patuki Volcanics, South Island, New Zealand, provide constraints on the tectonic environment in which their precursor ophiolitic protolith formed. Two geochemically distinct metabasalt suites are recognised among both the Croisilles and Patuki rocks. Metabasalts from one suite exhibit the geochemical signatures of depleted tholeiites from oceanic spreading ridges (N-type MORB) or spreading centres in evolved back-arc basins. These N-type tholeiites show high Zr/Nb ratios (Zr/Nb = 37-62) and are depleted in light rare earth elements (LREE)((La/Y)N

Jan 1, 1987

This paper discusses recent ore reserve methodology at the Woodlawn base metal Mine in New South Wales. The ownership of the Mine changed hands in 1987 and a number of revisions to ore reserve practice were instigated by the new operators. While the overall modeling and calculation procedure remained essentially unaltered, the modifications and revised assumptions significantly increased the ore reserve. While general ore reserve procedures are discussed in this paper, it is the impact of these changed assumptions on the reserves which is our main focus.

Jan 1, 1990

By P K. Seccombe

Sulfur isotope data are available for 18 low-sulfide orogenic gold systems hosted by the Lachlan Orogen in eastern New South Wales including those in the northern Hill End Trough (Hargraves, Hill End, Napoleon Reefs, Sofala-Wattle Flat, Stuart Town, Windeyer) and adjacent areas (Bodangora, Lucknow, Springfield), the Gilmore Fault Zone (Adelong, Sebastopol) and those in the Parkes district (Calarie, London-Victoria, Wyoming One-Myall United). Other systems for which data are available include Mongarlowe, Murrumbateman, McMahons Reef and Yalgogrin. The d34S data for many of the larger deposits including Adelong, Bodangora, Calarie, Hargraves, Hill End London-Victoria, Lucknow, Sebastopol, Sofala-Wattle Flat, Stuart Town and Windeyer (Group 1) are all very similar and have average d34S values close to zero per mil. Near 0ë d34S signatures imply that sulfur was sourced from a magmatic reservoir. Furthermore, the large Wyoming One deposit has d34S values significantly below 0ë with the data implying that sulfur was sourced from a fractionated magmatic reservoir. Group 2 deposits include those at Mongarlowe, Murrumbateman, Napoleon Reefs, McMahons Reef and Springfield . These deposits have average d34S values significantly above 0ë. With the exception of Springfield where sulfur was probably sourced from the Hill End Trough, Group 2 deposits are an order of magnitude smaller than Group 1 deposits. The results suggest that many of the larger orogenic-related gold deposits hosted by the Lachlan Orogen in eastern New South Wales derived sulfur and gold as a result of leaching and recycling from a magmatic reservoir. Alternatively, there may have been direct mantle-derived input; however, this is considered unlikely on geological grounds. An EXTENDED ABSTRACT is available for download. A full-length paper was not prepared for this presentation.

Jan 1, 2008

The Golden Cross mine is a Joint Venture between Coeur Gold New Zealand Limited, as Manager, and Viking Mining Limited The mine is targeting Zero Lost Time Accidents as a goal. The Golden Cross operation produces gold and silver from both underground and open pit. The mine is based on an epithermal gold-silver deposit. Treatment of ore is on a campaign basis for each ore type (ie underground or open pit). Milling is conventional SAG Mill and Ball Mill grinding circuit followed by carbon in pulp recovery of gold and silver. All tailing materials are treated through the Cyanisorb process to reduce cyanide levels prior to being discharged into the tailings dam.

Jan 1, 1995

Depressed prices for minerals will force the mining industry to became more efficient. The continuous conveying of pit product is one area in which savings can be made. Conveyors are available, or can be adapted to provide the flexibility and reliability required. Each conveying system will need to be custom designed to suit the particular requirements of the mine. The Australian mining industry must take the initiative and accept the challenge of the new technology.

Jan 1, 1986

The law including legislation such as the Occupational Health & Safety Act 1983 imposes stringent obligations on employers to ensure the health and safety of their employees. The use of pre-employment medical examinations is one tool that employers can use to assess the suitability of a job applicant for a particular position and protect themselves from prosecution or claims for compensation or damages.At the same time, however, legislation such as The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Commonwealth) ("DDA") and The Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (New South Wales) ("ADA") affords protection to individuals against discrimination.

Jan 1, 1998

By A Lu, C Wang

The natural semiconducting mineral rutile and sphalerite exhibited highly photocatalytic activities on degradation of methyl orange under visible light irradiation. The isomorphous substitutions of host metal ions by foreign ions and other defect states in natural semiconductors altered the band structure, decreased the intrinsic band gap, and then made them very attractive for solar energy utilisation. Our study indicated that natural semiconductor minerals might be suggested as a new class of cost-effective and solar light-responsive photocatalyst.

Jan 1, 2008

Consideration of the questions: (i) is it feasible to study groups of processes in a generalised way? (ii) to what extent does purpose affect the form of a process model? (iii) are there any significant, novel investig- ations which can be made by computer simulation? (iv) what long-term developments are desirable in extractive metallurgy? has led to some new broad objectives for research in hydrometallurgical process engineering. Propositions for grouping processes, developing models for different specific purposes, using a systems engineering approach and developing high technology processes are discussed, and the role of computer simulation indicated by reference to particular projects.

Jan 1, 1984

The automatic control of grinding mills for optimum performance is an area of control which can benefit from new control concepts and technology. Economic pressures dictate that the mining industry undertake changes in process design, control system strategy and operations organisation that call for innovative reappraisals of the control system performance necessary to enhance the functions of the process operator. As more dependence is placed on instrumentation the chances of abrupt, total loss of process control through an entire production complex becomes a major concern of the plant manager.

Jan 1, 1978

PAPERS : 1 COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN OF MINE WATER MANAGEMENT - Z KESSERU 2 THE HYDROGEOLOGICAL PROBLEMS OF GROUNDWATER PROTECTION IN MINING REGIONS - V A MIRONENKO 3 WATER MANAGEMENT OF THE MAE MOH PROJECT -òò SIRI CHITCHOB 4 WATER MANAGEMENT AND WATER TREATMENT AT GOLDPN CROSS - M P A WILLIAMS

Jan 1, 1988

By van Eck M, Orr T, Eggleton R. A, Taylor G

The Charters Towers locality has been a historically renowned gold producing region and discovery of new ore deposits during the past decade have renewed exploration interests in the area. Further mineral exploration with conventional techniques is hindered by the presence of Cainozoic sedimentary deposits and volcanic flows overlying a major portion of the basement geology. Mineral exploration thus warrants new, innovative and cost-effective methods to probe beneath the Cainozoic cover in an attempt to discover new orebodies. There is growing awareness of the role of weathering as an agent of chemical dispersion into the cover sediments as well as a producer of supergene deposits in tectonically stable cratons (Butt and Zeegers, 1992). Consequently, landscape evolution coupled with regolith geochemistry is one of the methods increasingly being used to identify relevant sampling media to explore beneath weathered cover sediments and deeply weathered bedrock terrain (Anand, 1993). The aim of this paper is to describe and elucidate the regolith - landscape features of the region and combine geochemistry to assess the pertinence of the same on mineral exploration strategies in the Charters Towers area.

Jan 1, 1997

By R D ROSENTHAL

BHP Iron Ore Ltd's Mt Whaleback is the largest single open-pit iron ore mine in the Pilbara region of Northwestern Western Australia. A division of BHP Minerals, one of three core businesses of Broken Hill Proprietary Company Ltd (BHP), BHP Iron Ore - Newman is a joint venture with minor participants C Itoh Minerals and Mitsui. Mine planning for Mt Whaleback generates detailed sequence plans for a long term forecast incorporating equipment requirements, marketing forecasts, and pit development strategy. Utilisation of several computer packages, both commercially available and site modified, are necessary to achieve such a demanding task.

Jan 1, 1992

By Baoqi S, Zhengbing C, Wenguang L

A new flotation method is introduced for separating zircon from rutile and other Ti-bearing minerals at normal temperature, using a mixture of cationic and anionic collectors without any acid, alkali or fluoride as regulators. By combining the method with gravity concentration and magnetic separation to process the seabeach placer, the technological flowsheet can be simplified and the pollution of environment and the corrosion of acids, alkalis and fluorides on equipment can be removed.

Jan 1, 1993

The mining industry is facing tremendous economic challenges. Fluctuating and depressed commodity prices, the ever-increasing pressure from environmental legislation and the competing global opportunities for capital investment are placing enormous strains on every aspect of the mining business. At the same time, mines are generally becoming older and deeper with all the logistical and rock mechanics difficulties that this entails. In the face of these new challenges the industry looks to technological advances to make operations more efficient and profitable. One approach is to develop and implement highly automated and computerised equipment as part of a trend towards major reductions in the underground workforce. This approach requires more capital investment rather than less and requires a more sophisticated and well-educated workforce with skills which are generally in high demand in society as a whole. It is difficult to see how the benefit that can be gained from such technology can justify the expenditures necessary to make it operate reliably underground on a daily basis. Nor is it easy to foresee how the mining industry, based as it is often in very remote areas, will be able to hire and retain sufficient numbers of people to maintain such fleets of equipment. Another approach, and the one which I favour, is the implementation of much greater control over the whole of the mining process. Mining is essentially a very simple process - we break rock and move it. The most cost-effective means of moving and processing the mining product depends entirely on the way it is broken - it depends on primary fragmentation by blasting. I propose that the way forward for the industry in the face of our present difficulties, is not new technology but is to utilise the level of technology which currently exists in ways which have traditionally been regarded as too difficult or too inflexible - improved fragmentation and the use of conveyors. The technical success of this approach depends on the complete re-design of the ore handling system from the face or stope drawpoint to surface. The fundamental issue which determines the success of this approach is designed fragmentation.

Jan 1, 1995

By Shonhardt JA, Bagster DF

This paper firstly examines the pollu- tion potential of burning colliery wastes. A comparison of two means of estimating the pro- pensity for coal to combust spontaneously is next presented. The use of microwaves, as a new procedure, is discussed in detail, while a comparison of the results is made with a modi- fied adiabatic technique. A number of coals that are known to combust spontaneously was tested, as were some coals that are not consi- dered to have self heating potential.

Jan 1, 1987

The Ertsberg (Gunung Bijih) Mining District is located in the core of the highlands of west New Guinea, an island long recognised as the product of a Cenozoic arccontinent collision. Geologic studies in the Central Ranges of the Papua Province of Indonesia (near Puncak Jaya, 4884 m) have revealed timing relationships, when combined with mechanical considerations, led to a refined model for the tectonomagmatic effects of collisional orogenesis and the formation of the spectacular Grasberg porphyry-type copper-gold (Cu-Au) deposit.   An EXTENDED ABSTRACT is available for download. A full-length paper was not prepared for this presentation.

Jan 1, 2008

By Noakes M. J

Research and development into alternate gold and precious metals adsorbents has resulted in the development of a new technology named the AUROSAVE adsorption process (ARGOSAVE'" for high silver con- tent ores). Adsorbents called VITROKELE'" can be tailored for either Gold I (cyanide leach) or Gold III (halide leach) applications. VITROKELE consists of a chemically synthetic adsorbent carried on an inert substrate, often a polystyrene bead. It is suitable for both in- pulp and in-solution use. VITROKELE adsorbent offers certain advan- tages over both carbon and ion exchange resin adsorbents. This paper describes testwork on Australian ores and commercial solu- tions obtained from operating Australian plants demonstrating the kinetic loading characteristics, elution methods and other operating parameters of VITROKELE adsorbent in the cyanide system. Brief reference is made to VITROKELE in the Gold III system.

Jan 1, 1988