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By Moore R

An intensive safety campaign at Mount Isa Mines Limited from 1956 to 1966 saw the lost time accident frequency rate fall to half its original level. A review of the safety programme was carried out in 1967 and in 1968 the Five Point Safety System was introduced. The seven years since its introduction have been years of significant achievement both in production and safety. Improving safety is a fundamental part of Mount Isa Mines Limited's policy and this system has been a major tool in implementing that policy. To be successful personnel need to be prepared and trained for its introduction and subsequently counselled on its use. A carefully prepared programme is required to phase in various aspects of the system and to make use of complementary steps. The system has been a success and it is anticipated that the continued drive to improve the use of principles of the system will further improve safety. It is hoped that this paper will be of value to those personnel concerned with industrial safety in Australia.

Jan 1, 1975

By R Dunne, D Yan

In flotation where a bulk flotation concentrate is produced or a gangue sulfide such as pyrite contaminates a concentrate, residual collector has to be removed from the sulfide surfaces to allow selective separation in a subsequent flotation step. Depending on the sulfide mineral, the main species that needs to be removed when using a xanthate collector is either a metal xanthate or dixanthogen. For the identification of surface species, specific solvents may be used to remove each species û metal xanthates are known to be soluble in acetone whilst dixanthogens are known to be soluble in non-polar solvents such as diethyl ether. Xanthates break down with time, temperature and pH into various decomposition products. The major decomposition product is dixanthogen which can aid flotation but other products such as perxanthate and carbon disulfide can have an adverse effect on flotation. Various analytical techniques can be employed to monitor the formation of decomposition products on the surface of the mineral and in solution. The best of these is ultraviolet spectroscopy as it has diagnostic peaks for decomposition product determination. In this work two approaches were taken to understand the relationship between the flotation of a chalcopyrite and pyrite from an ore containing these two minerals. One approach was to remove the xanthate species with an organic solvent and then use ultraviolet spectroscopy to determine the concentration of dissolved species. The second method involved measuring xanthate decomposition in solution by measuring the residual xanthate concentration using ultraviolet spectroscopy. These experiments confirmed the species adsorb at the surface of the mineral and how these species affect the recovery and grade of the valuable mineral. In both cases pH and temperature were varied and two xanthate collectors (SEX and PAX) were used to study these relationships. These relationships could be applied to industrial flotation systems and allow for more accurate determination of optimal xanthate dosage and hence save on reagent costs.

Jan 1, 2005

ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE INSTITUTE (MR. C. H. MARTIN) IN PRESENTING THE CERTIFICATE TO SIR MAURICE MAWBY, C.B.E.Members of The Institute, distinguished guests of which there are many, ladies and gentlemen, you are welcome. And might I add a special welcome to Lady Mawby and Lady Fisher and to Sir George's only son, Peter, who with his wife, Betty and one of Sir George's three daughters, Helen, are present this evening, and also to Sir Maurice's son, Colin, and Colin's wife, Jay, also in our company.The family presence must surely be a great source of pleasure and satisfaction to all those so intimately concerned.It is hardly necessary for me to state the sole and only reason for our presence here tonight, which is to confer on Sir George Fisher and Sir Maurice Mawby Honorary Membership of The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, and at the same time to acknowledge two people who have rendered great service to the mining industry, albeit tinged with sadness to all of us in the knowledge that from now on their influence may diminish. It is now my pleasure to introduce, although that is hardly necessary, Sir Maurice Mawby, the second member of the duo we honour here this evening, and whose contribution to the mining industry is also beyond assessment.

Jan 1, 1976

By Szymanski J

The problems associated with underground mining continue to grow in size and complexity. As a result mine management is becoming aware of the benefits that can be achieved through the use of computer-oriented tools for system analysis. When such tools are employed in conjunction with benchmarking practices, the drivers of the system that lead to superior performance can more easily be determined. This paper discusses the use of the Simulation Language for Alternative Modelling (SLAM II) in the determination of the drivers of an underground room-and-pillar mining system. The mining operations included in the model consist of extracting, loading and hauling of the coal using continuous mining equipment in a room and pillar system. Equipment specifications and mining techniques used in the model are based upon current methods employed at the existing underground coal mines worldwide. The model developed is capable of adequately predicting the operational performance of the real world system from a statistical point of view. The results from the study show that computer simulation is an excellent tool for evaluating various mine configurations and for gaining a better understanding of the mining systems.

Jan 1, 1995

May I first of all say that I am fully conscious of the great compliment paid to me when I was invited to accept the Presidential Chair for this current year. I realise that it is an onerous task by reason of the fact that the Chair has been occupied in the past by so many able and distinguished men, and I realise also that I have been set a standard which is hard to emulate. "It is my desire however, in accepting the post that I may be able to contribute in some small measure to the further advancement Of the aims and objectives of the Institute and I thank you all for the confidence you have shown in me.Secondly, on behalf of the Company and in my Presidential capacity, I want to extend to each and everyone of you a hearty welcome to Whyalla and I hope that you will all return to your respective fields of endeavour feeling that you have had a most interesting, enjoyabIe and instructive time with us here in Whyalla.In this year of 1951 marking as it does the culmination of the first 50 years of Federation in Australia and yet another half century of human endeavour and progress, we are brought to a point where it is perhaps natural that we should pause, to review what has been achieved, in that span of time, and to look at the tasks ahead.It is no exaggeration to say that the story of Australian development since the inauguration of the Commonwealth 50 years ago has no more remarkable chapter than that of the-growth of its manufacturing industries.Each decade has borne witness to steady and substantial growth of our secondary industries and whilst it is true that our financial well-being still rests heavily on our primary production, we have, as a nation, moved surely in the direction of a more balanced economy. More and...

Jan 1, 1951

Heavy media separation serves to upgrade mill feed and reduce unit operating costs, allowing ores to be mined which could other wise be uneconomic. At the Aberfoyle mine at Rossarden in north-east Tasmania, a simple heavy media operation using a converted Akins screw classifier as a separating vessel, removes barren quartz from mineralised material. At the Cleveland mine at Luina on the west coast of Tasmania a more complex ore mix requires a versatile operation combining hydro-dynamic and static separation equipment to provide an efficient beneficiation circuit. The two operations are briefly described with a background of basic heavy media separ- ation practice.

Jan 1, 1978

By Koch DFA

An electrochemical study of the dissolution of gold in aerated cyanide solution has shown that the dissolution rate is determined b the nature of the surface. A passive film (probably a basic cyanide formed at .o.6 V vs a saturated calomel electrode inhibits both the ca.thodi reduction of oxygen. Some aspects of these retction mechcnisms are discussed together with the-"activating" effect of Thpllium.

Jan 1, 1964

By George CW

Western Mining Corporation (W.M.C.)operate a 30 000 tpa nickel refinery at Kwinana, W.A. using the Sherritt Gordon Process. Following ammonia/air leaching of sulphideminerals and subsequent copper removal, nickel metal is produced as powder by hydrogen red-uction of the ammonium sulphate-rich solution. Batchwise reduction in pressure autoclaves is preceded by an oxidation/hydrolysis step to ensure nickel powder quality.The reduction process is energy intensive, requiring high temperatures and pressures. Present energy requirement is 24 GJ per tonne of nickel reduced. Of this, 95% represents steam and hydrogen consumption and 5% electric power. The design and operation of the red-uction circuit is reviewed, outlining the main areas of steam and hydrogen usage.

Jan 1, 1985

Australia has been a major exporter of LPG since production from the Bass Strait fields commenced in 1970. Export levels have been maintained through the seventies, the bulk of material being delivered to Japan. During this period the use of LPG in domestic markets grew only'slowly and demand was largely met by production from refineries with only shortfall supplies being drawn from naturally occurring sources. The domestic demand is forecast to grow significantly during the eighties as the traditional, automotive and petrochemical uses of LPG are expanded. An increasing amount of naturally occurring production will be directed into these markets. Despite this redirection the current level of exports (about 1.5 million tonnes per year) is likely to be maintained through much of the decade ahead as production from the Cooper Basin and the North West Shelf becomes available.

Jan 1, 1982

By M H. Mian

Much has been published on resuspension of sediments in lakes and estuaries. In general, resuspension has implications on transport and release of contaminants from the sediments. It has been shown that wind-induced waves contribute to erosion of sediments, which are then distributed to various sections of the water body by currents. Empirical equations formulated on the basis of cohesionless sediment behaviour have been applied to the design of a few tailings ponds in different parts of the world, especially in the selection of the necessary depth of water to minimise negative environmental impacts. The paper highlights the shortcomings inherent in these equations using field-measured data from a tailings site in Canada. Laboratory measured tailings properties are used to identify critical shear stresses required to initiate tailings erosion. The influence of cohesion on resuspension of fine-textured tailings is discussed.

Jan 1, 2003

By Kennedy B. J

The 1100 Orebody is the main copper production area of Isa Mine with an output of 390 000 tonnes per four week period and a work force of approximately 260 men per shift. Currently a total of 56 nippers work a three shift, five day week roster to-service crews spread over a strike length of 1000 m and a vertical height of 220 in. A variety of rail and diesel equipment provides shaftto cribroom and cribroomto sublevel work place transport of men and materials. Overall eficiency and safety has been improved with a selected group performing supply, storage, clean-up and "bus runs" throughout the orebody - activities which are further co-ordinated by an FM radio system linking units with a control clerk.

Jan 1, 1977

Vatukoula, the Fijian equivalent of gold rock, is the name of the community embracing the gold mines owned and operated by Emperor Gold Mining Company Ltd., Loloma (Fiji) Gold Mines, N.L., and' Dolphin Mines Ltd. It is situated in the Tavua Goldfields approximately five miles from the northern coast of Viti Levu, the largest island of the Colony of Fiji.The climate is sub-tropical, there being a definite wet and dry season. The wet season is somewhat variable in length but usually extends from December to March, during which time most of the rainfall for the year is recorded.Although the average annual rainfall is 71 in., more than twice this amount has been recorded. Precipitation at the rate of 5 in. per hour is not uncommon and 15 in. of rain has been registered in 24 hours. The mining methods adopted, therefore, had to suit these wet conditions.The occurrence of gold in the Tavua area has been known since 1872, but it was not until 1932 that discoveries were made which led to the formation of the present operating companies. In 1934 the Emperor Gold Mining Company Ltd. commenced operations, followed in 1935 by the Loloma (Fiji) Gold Mines, N.L., and later by the Fiji Mines Development Ltd., now known as the Dolphin Mines Ltd. Up to the end of 1951 these three mines had produced 2,501,688 tons of ore from which 1,277,881 oz. of fine gold and 347,429oz. of silver were obtained, realizing in Fijian currency £13,025,153.The three mines are situated close togeth.er on contiguous mining leases, and, although under common management, are operated as separate en,tities. Since 1944 all the...

Jan 1, 1953

By Roberts JD

The design and installation of a major on-line stores and purchasing system, with built-in maintenance reporting and plant register capabilities, needs more than just close attention to computer design details. When the system must be available almost 24 hours a day to a number of mine stores sites, and is used by a variety of mining staff including engineers and stores clerks, as well as by remote purchasing and office staff, then simplicity of use, availability, fast response times, and other human factors become vital. Critical aspects include easy to use screen design, involving a change from the traditional hierarchical menu system, and fallback and recovery to the last transaction. Business, people and systems objectives need to be established at the preliminary design stage, so that results can be measured and corrective action taken. The amount and type of user involvement and training, at all stages from initial design to systems tuning, has a major effect on people wanting to use the system. Active user participation in systems design, data definition and collection, and use of relevant training material is needed. Project management and design problems can arise in working with database oriented computer staff, and certain design features are found useful in ensuring a responsive, robust overall system.

Jan 1, 1983

As I drove in from the airport on Sunday somebody said `On the right you will see Dun- troon, which is the military training school of Australia.' So I asked the driver, where did they get that name? `Oh,' he said, `from some people who built a house there. That was it's name- Duntroon.' It strikes a note with me because, that's the name of a 12th century castle on the west coast of Scotland where I spend what leisure hours I have and, therefore, it establishes the long connection between Australia and my native land. There is also a story I should tell you about the oil industry and its upsurge in Scotland recently which has resulted in great prosperity. And in Edinburgh, the walls of the banks are bulging-because of the incursion of foreign exchange and other resources.

Jan 1, 1978

This paper considers the opportunities and problems which in-situ leach mining technology presents to the mining industry. These are exemplified by concerns addressed in the development of a proposal to mine uranium by in-situ leach techniques at Beverley in South Australia.

Jan 1, 1988

The coal under the ridgeline is the most valuable part of the known reserve at Solid EnergyÆs Stockton Opencast Mine. Some ridgeline mining had been attempted in the past with mixed results. Solid Energy recognised that significant project planning was required in order to overcome the formidable technical issues associated with mining the area. It also recognised that the local community also had concerns about the potential impacts of this work including the visual impact of changing the topography of the ridgeline and the nearness of the Department of Conservation estate.   This paper outlines some of the risks and challenges that were faced and the management approaches that were adopted to address them.

Jan 1, 2007

"DEEPHOLE " or "Longhole" drilling is the name given to the drilling of prospecting holes with the pneumatic hammer drill. The drilling bit is of the same form, and is prepared in the same way as ordinary rock drill steel, and is extended to the bottom of the hole by sectional hollow rods, through which water is forced.The cuttings from the hole provide a sample of the ground drilled.Deephole drilling was developed at an American mine where the cost of diamond drilling, owing to loss of diamonds, was excessive, and proved very successful, holes being drilled as deep as 220 ft., in limestone, at a cost of one dollar per foot. The use of the method in other mines, and in a variety of rocks, has since been described in the technical literature. From the published descriptions the following data are drawn:

Jan 1, 1930

By Groves J

The sizing and classification circuits at the Mt. Newman Beneficiation Plant have performed satisfactorily. Investigations have been aimed at solving minor problems and achieving small' improvements. Emphasis has been placed on cost reduction rather than metallurgical performance. It has been found that some circuits will give better performance with the sieve bends removed. 1.0 BACKGROUND Mt. Newman. Mining operates a major iron ore mine in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Rainfall is sparse (average 250 mm/year). Current mining is all above the water table. What rain there is tends to run off quickly instead of soaking in. The total operation produces about 30 Mt/ year of saleable product. Most of this product comes from high grade crushing plants where ore from the quarries is simply crushed and conveyed to product stockpiles. About 3 Mt/ year comes from the Beneficiation Plant.

Jan 1, 1984

An integrated approach to risk management to complement insurance is the sustainable way forward for the modem organisation. For risk management to work, its various aspects need to operate interactively, not in isolation from insurance. This is the approach recommended in this paper. The risk management process is a strategic method for reducing an organisation's total cost of risk. Well established and basic risk management techniques will help identify and achieve risk management Objectives.

Jan 1, 1994

By Denholm WT

Current control practice is reviewed for agglomeration processes, including pelletising, sintering and induration; and for smelting processes, including blast and reverberatory furnaces, flash smelting, the intensive bath smelting processes together with converting. The importance of sensors for on-line control and the status of mathematical modelling is discussed.Future progress in automatic control will require improved component specific sensors and the use of validated mathematical models running in parallel with the process. The possibilities in both these areas are reviewed in light of the trends towards more intensive smelting processes.

Jan 1, 1985