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By G. W. H. Norman

INTEREST in the mineral possibilities (gold, copper) of northern Quebec, north of the Quebec-Cochrane branch of the Canadian National railway, has centred for many years in the Chibougamau district (see Figure 1). Since 1934, however, promising gold discoveries in the Rose Lake-Florence River section, 115 miles southwest of Chibougamau lake, have widened the interest, and prospectors have examined other parts of the country between Chibougamau lake and Bell river and the surrounding districts. The object of this paper is to !resent an outline of the geology, and to describe the mineral deposits, o part of this region, or, more specifically, of the part embraced by the Opawica-Chibougamau and Waswanipi map-areas(l), which include the districts about Chibougamau lake and Rose lake-Florence river, where mineral deposits are now in course of development either by surface or underground work. Early discoveries, developments, and explorations in the Chibougamau district are well summarized in the report of the Chibougamau Commission, published in 1911(2). The Commission discredited previous optimistic accounts of mineral discoveries in the area, made initially in 1903, but at the same time they expressed the opinion that, from a geological standpoint, the district promised a reward to diligent and intelligent prospecting. Their general conclusion-that prospecting in the area was not then (1911) commercially advisable in view of its inaccessibility and other handicaps shifted interest from the district until, some years later, valuable discoveries were made in the Rouyn area, and aircraft widened the field of successful exploration. During the past ten years or so, considerable energy has been spent in promoting the development of the district. The net result has been the discovery of a number of prospects, the majority of which have been explored only by trenching and, in most cases, diamond drilling.

Jan 1, 1936

By N. A. Duke, R. L. Carpenter

Abstract - The West Meliadine area is underlain by structurally interleaved panels of mafic and minor ultramafic metavolcanic rocks and metasedimentary rocks that occur along the northern margin of the Neoarchean Rankin Inlet greenstone belt. Three structural and metamorphic domains are recognized: (1) the easterly Wesmeg domain; (2) the central Barracuda-Ridge domain; and (3) the westerly Peter Lake domain. The Wesmeg domain is characterized by a series of southeast-trending, north-dipping, foliation-parallel panels of greenschist facies mafic metavolcanic and metasedimentary rocks. The Barracuda-Ridge domain is comprised of greenschist to amphibolite facies mafic metavolcanic rocks that define an east-northeast-trending structural grain. The Peter Lake domain consists of amphibolite facies mafic metavolcanic rocks and minor metasedimentary rocks intruded by a monzonite pluton. West Meliadine hosts the economically significant Wesmeg gold deposits, as well as other important gold showings across the Barracuda-Ridge and Peter Lake domains. The geological setting of the Wesmeg gold deposits resembles that of a break or fault zone. The Pyke Break is a major geophysical discontinuity (>65-km strike length) and is the first-order structural control on gold mineralization at West Meliadine. It is several kilometers wide and characterized by polyphase deformation and shear zone development accompanied by lode-gold mineralization. In general, gold concentration is related to quartz and iron-carbonate veining, iron sulfides (mainly arsenopyrite and pyrrhotite), and accompanying silicate alteration minerals that overprint favorable chemical and structural traps late in the history of deformation.

Jan 1, 2004

By John M. Gordon

DURING and after 1949, various groups of British mining engineers came to the Dominion Coal Company, Limited, at Sydney, N .S., to see at first hand the Dosco MINER ( 1). These visits culminated in 1952 with the ordering of four Dosco Miners by the (British) National Coal Board on an experimental basis through their Experimental Expenditure Funds. Others are now on order. The first machine was delivered in February, 1953, and, after slight alterations to suit the different power supply, the machine was made ready to work. Due mainly to the size of the machine, new rules and regulations governing its operation had to be put into effect and it was not until April, 1954, that the machine was put underground. It started to produce in June of that year. The three others were delivered early in 1955. The authors were sent to England by the Dominion Coal Company to install and demonstrate these machines and to work with the Coal Board engineers to- further interest in the machines in the British coal fields .

Jan 1, 1956

By M. R. Khalesi, S. Bellec, C. Bazin, D. Hodouin

This paper proposes a classification model to predict the split coefficient of gold ore particles as a function of the particle size and gold content. The model is calibrated and validated using data obtained from the sampling of an industrial grinding circuit. Model calibration is based on a complete simulation of the circuit and involves parameters related to the gold grain distribution in the ore as well as a grinding and liberation model. Since cyanide is added into the studied grinding circuit, assumptions related to gold dissolution in the mills are made to allow simulation results which reflect industrial behaviour patterns.

Jan 1, 2011

By W C. Shakespeare

The Ontario Committee on Taxation is making a comprehensive study of taxation in the Province of Ontario, and in this connection has received representations concerning mining taxation from a number of interested parties. Some of the more important recommendations on mining taxation are reviewed in this article. Introduction FOLLOWING the appointment of the Federal Royal Commission on Taxation, the Ontario Government, effective in November, 1962, appointed the Ontario Committee on Taxation to review taxes and revenues available to the Province of Ontario and its local governments, to co-operate with the Royal Commission on Taxation and with any other bodies of enquiry appointed by other provincial governments, and to make such recommendations as it sees fit to the Prime Minister of Ontario and the Executive Council. The members of the Committee are: MR. L. J. SMITH, F.C.A., Toronto, (Chairman) MR. ERIC HARDY, Toronto DR. R. CRAIG MCIVOR, F.R.S.C., Hamilton MR. CARL A. POLLOCK, Kitchener MR. R. BREDIN STAPELLS, Q.C., and Toronto. Like its Federal counterpart, the Royal Commission on Taxation, the Ontario Committee has held public hearings, has received written

Jan 1, 1965

By B. Stettner, J. Asante, S. Abraham

The levels of nitrogen in steel produced in various metallurgical vessels vary significantly. For example, the tap nitrogen levels in steel produced in the BOF are around 4Oppm, as compared to 70-100ppm in both DC and AC electric arc furnaces. Given the pressing need to reduce nitrogen levels in steel to satisfy customer demand, IPSCO Inc. has gained considerable experience in controlling nitrogen levels in steel over the course of the last three years. Hence, a cost effective process has been developed through an intensive nitrogen control program from steel melting in the EAF through to the continuous slab casting stage. This paper describes the practices employed at each stage of the steelmaking process that have enabled IPSCO Inc. to reduce and control nitrogen levels in steel.

Jan 1, 2004

By Scott A. Trebilcock

Nautilus Minerals Inc the world?s leader in exploration and development of deep ocean mineral resources is today focused on the recovery of high grade copper-gold from in seafloor massive sulphide mineralization. These mineralized belts, analogous to land based volcanogenic massive sulphides (VMS) deposits are located near tectonic plate boundaries of the Western Pacific and around the world. Nautilus; first development project is Solwara 1 located in benign waters in Papua New Guinea. Since 2006 the company has completed detailed environmental and geological studies at Solwara 1, culminating in a number of world firsts, including the first Environmental Permit for a deep ocean mineral project and the first NI 43-101 compliant seafloor massive sulphide resource statement. Nautilus has relied heavily on proven deepwater technologies from the oil and gas industry in the design of the first mineral extraction system. Pipeline trenching units, workclass ROVs, deepwater production risers and drill cutting removal systems will all be adapted at Solwara 1. Key contractors to the project have all been selected for their deepwater experience, creativity and determination to launch this new industry. Innovation is at the forefront of Nautilus? success to date. This paper gives an overview of the Solwara 1 development and describes the exploration and production technologies adapted for seafloor mineral extraction.

May 1, 2010

By Egbert Burchardt

The challenge of "ore bodies getting steadily harder and lower in grade" was brought to light during the first oil crisis in the 70's. Shortly afterwards, HPGRs appeared on the scene with the promise of saving energy. This combined with developments in wear protection for the rolls ushered in a period of trade-off studies that considered the HPGR as an option to improve project economics or to even make projects feasible at all. Since then, applications of HPGRs at Cerro Verde (Freeport), PTFI Grasberg (Freeport), Mogalakwena (Anglo Platinum), Tarkwa (Goldfields), Boddington (Newmont), Penasquito (Goldcorp), and others have contributed to the creation of a formidable basket of operating experience. Collected through years of successful operation, this information has been used to validate design criteria, scale-up factors and establishing a clearer picture of what "to do" and what "not to do". This paper compares results from various mining operations using HPGRs in their processing plants. Some of the lessons learnt in different operating environments are reviewed in order to support proper implementation and operation of HPGR's. Some of the development programs that have been initiated to improve wear life of the tyres and to reduce overall operating costs are reviewed. It is timely to summarize today?s experience and analyse its implications for existing and new operations.

Jan 1, 2012

By Malcolm Scoble, Nick Vagenas, Greg Baiden

Recent advances in underground communications technology have demonstrated the feasibility of teleoperation and automation in underground metal mines. One major challenge lies in the automation of underground mobile machines from surface, with the potential to reduce significantly the need for human involvement in underground operations. This paper reviews the evolution of underground metal mining automation, principally related to the development of teleoperation and automation of mobile mining machines. Examples of prototype systems are given and the associated benefits that have been observed are reviewed.

Jan 1, 1997

By M. Girard, E. Bourricaudy, M. Ashbury, M. Canizares, A. Mezei

Liquid-solid separation and slurry handleability relate directly to commercial plant ramp-up success or lack thereof. The paper provides a well-proven approach for testing, scale-up and commercial application of difficult processes. Emphasis is placed on practical applications of rheological concepts developed both academically and empirically. The cause-effect relationship between the process chemistry and possible physical implications on the metallurgical plant operability is presented in a simple, direct form. Examples include recent results in areas of mineral processing and extractive metallurgy. Technical process risk factors and their mitigation are included in the discussion.

Jan 1, 2011

By H. O. Lien

Among the known iron deposits in Canada, many are of low grade and require beneficiation to produce an acceptable blast-furnace feed. Some of the deposits have never been considered for commercial exploitation due to the lack of a suitable concentrating process. A number of deposits of this type are located in Northern Ontario. The problem in upgrading these deposits is three fold. Firstly, the iron occurs as a mixture of magnetite and hematite. Secondly, the grain size of the material can be fine to very fine. Thirdly, the complex mixture of gangue minerals, which consists invariably of silica, flaky silicates and carbonates, slimes excessively on fine grinding. Algoma's efforts to concentrate these iron-bearing materials culminated in the development of a "Selective Flocculation and Desliming Process" employing slimes removal as the sole beneficiation technique. The process was applied successfully in the laboratory using two stages of grinding and a total of seven deslimings. Prior to the removal of slimes, the iron-bearing fines were selectively flocculated from a thoroughly dispersed pulp using a modified starch as flocculant, Sodium silicate was employed as dispersant. An attempt was made to optimize some of the process variables using material from one specific iron formation near the town of Geraldton in Northern Ontario. The preparation of the starch proved most critical. This matter, and the method used to evaluate the degree of breakdown of the starch molecule, are therefore discussed in some detail.

Jan 1, 1978

By C. D. Anderson, C. G. Anderson, P. R. Taylor

"Rare Earths have become critical for our energy and materials driven society. While primary production must ramp up to fill growing demands, the recycle of these strategic elements must also be initiated. This paper will outline the potentials of and metallurgical technologies employed for Rare Earths recycle from various secondary sources.INTRODUCTIONWhen investigating the recovery of rare earths from secondary sources it is necessary to understand the nature of the sources to be processed. As of 2009, the USGS reports the distribution of rare earths by end use, in decreasing order, was: chemical catalysts 22%, metallurgical applications and alloys 21%, petroleum refining catalysts 14%, automotive catalytic converters 13%, glass polishing and ceramics 9%, rare earth phosphors for computer monitors, lighting, televisions 8%, permanent magnets 7%, electronics 3%, and others 3% (USGS, 2011). Additionally, it is reported that the amount of recycling was quite small and consisted primarily of rare earth magnet scrap, although with the sharp increase in the price of rare earths, and the potential shortage in supply, focus in this area is continually growing. Thus, the opportunities, whether realistic or not, are extremely vast in the recycling of rare earth containing materials. The following subsections will present methods proposed for the recycling of rare earths based on the feed material type.RECYCLING OF RARE EARTH MAGNETSCurrently, investigations are ongoing in the area of recycling production scrap and end-of-life materials in the rare earth magnet industry. The following techniques illustrate potential methods for the recovery of rare earths from secondary RE magnet sources.Recycling of Rare Earth Magnet Sludge by Selective ChlorinationDuring the production of neodymium magnets, a by-product of production is the so called “magnetic sludge”. This by-product contains high amounts of neodymium, thus a process for the recovery of Nd has been proposed. In this process the Nd present is selectively chlorinated/distilled by the addition FeCl2 via the following reactions."

Jan 1, 2012

By T. Gerritsen, R. MacRosty, R. Pula, P. Gebski, W. L. Ying

Furnace run-outs can cause extended furnace downtime for repair, while leaks or more severe failures in the cooling system can lead to brick hydration or in severe cases, steam explosions. These incidents can result in lost production, damage to equipment, injuries and casualties. To prevent such incidents, reliable and accurate techniques to monitor the critical components of the furnace such as refractory lining, furnace structure, taphole integrity and main water circuits are required. This paper describes several advanced methods that have been developed to assess the condition of furnace integrity, refractory lining, tapholes and cooling water circuits.

Jan 1, 2015

By M. Aushouri, S. H. Mansouri, N. Aminizadeh

A thermo-chemical model of the Peirce-Smith copper converter has been developed to predict the molten temperature. The primary assumption of the model was that all matte, slag and gaseous phases in the converter were in thermal and chemical equilibrium. In this model, the matte components were considered only as copper, iron and sulfur elements. In the slag making stage, all the reacted iron was converted to fayalite. The reaction rate of iron and oxygen in this stage was considered to be constant. The converter temperature was calculated by heat balance over time. The model was validated by a detailed comparison with measured industrial data. A good agreement was obtained. The converter temperature depends on process parameters such as oxygen efficiency and molten emissivity.

Jan 1, 2007

By C. H. G. Bushell, G. Brown, C. J. Krauss

1N FLOTATION, copper sulphate is used universally for the activation of sphalerite and marmatite and, to some extent, for the activation of other minerals. The copper activated surface readily adsorbs standard collectors such as the xanthates and dialkyl dithiophosphates whereas untreated zir~ sulphide does not. With the host of reagents available, making a mineral float is seldom difficult. The problem is to achieve selective flotation. In zinc flotation, the great value of copper sulphate results from its ability to activate zinc sulphide preferentially to gangue minerals. At the Sullivan Concentrator of The Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company of Canada Limited, the most abundant gangue mineral in the lead-zinc ore is pyrrhotite, and the zinc mineral is marmatite of somewhat variable zinc to iron ratio. For this Cominco study, selectivity between marmatite and pyrrhotite was therefore the most interesting aspect of copper sulphate activation.

Jan 1, 1961

"Developing markets for western metallurgical coal have continued to stimulate considerable exploration activity in the Rocky Mountain foothills and to influence major segments of a wide-ranging carbonization R&D pro-gram. Adjunct studies have included expanded petrographie investigations.Coal preparation has• been principally directed toward utilization of prepared small coal and was, like much of the year's combustion work, strongly influenced by concern over atmospheric pollution. Particular attention has been given to desulphurization and to the suppression of pollutants in combustion systems.In the area of non-fuel utilization of coal, interest has centered on plant nutrients and on a series of coal-based carbons which, inter alia, possess utility as filtration media.Other projects included the development of improved sampling and analytical methods, investigations into the effect of storage on coal proper-ties and R&D in solids pipelining. In addition, a significant volume of basic 'uncommitted' research has been maintained."

Jan 1, 1968

By Wm. F. Wuest

INTRODUCTION THE Western Canada sedimentary basin has one feature in common with the Precambrian Shield area: it also was a great chemical laboratory. The mining industry of Canada exploits the end products of chemical experiments that occurred on the Shield during periods of repeated disturbances in Precambrian times. The petroleum industry on the other band exploits what also appears to be the final results of chemical experiments that took place throughout all of post-Precambrian up to Tertiary times. Since the subject of this paper is a factual study of Alberta well waters, no attempt is made to answer significant questions pertaining to the probable role waters play in the generation of oil, or to the significance of the effects of structure and depth on waters. Data from several hundred well-water analyses were compiled by the writer in a series of charts and diagrams, of which those included in this paper are representative. Early studies indicated the possibility that outstanding anomalies in general concentration of waters and in greatly increased concentration of elements such as calcium, magnesium, bromine, and iodine for example, might be expected from wells that produced oil or were in the immediate vicinity of producers. The water analyses from wells which? were drilled at a later date did not confirm this possibility, and it is suggested that, aside from their initial value to the petroleum engineer or to. those interested in the commercial possibilities of brines, no definite significance as an aid in oil discovery can be attributed to water analyses.

Jan 1, 1951

By John Canterford

Quay Magnesium Limited (QMG) listed on the Australian Stock Exchange in late September 2004 having raised approximately A$30 million with the object of designing, constructing, commissioning and operating a 15,000 t/a magnesium alloy production facility in Nanjing, China, Site construction commenced in February 2005 with installation of all major components completed by the end of October 2005, Hot commissioning was simultaneously commenced with the final stages of installation, leading to the first stage of continuous ingot casting by mid November 2005, Since that time ramp-up to the name plate capacity has been undertaken, This presentation highlights some of the more significant technical and logistical hurdles that have had to be overcome in order to meet the high quality product specifications required by a range of QMG customers.

Jan 1, 2006

By John Convey

This paper, a follow-up to an earlier study, gives the history of Canadian developments in mineral processing from 1921 to the fall of 1964. It deals extensively with comminution and flotation, and then goes on to cover the fields of gravity concentration, magnetic concentration, cyanidation, the processing of uranium ores, and instrumentation. Several outstanding examples of installations are given. The paper concludes with a discussion of present-day trends in mineral processing. Introduction T HE history of the developments in mineral processing in Canada from its earliest times to 1920 has already been published by one of the authors (1). The present paper is thus a logical follow-up to bring this history to date. From 1834 to 1920, mineral processing in Canada, as elsewhere in the world, was in its formative stage. This, however, prepared the ground for developments that have resulted in a mining empire from the Atlantic to the Pacific, a mining empire which could be said to be almost on par with that in the United States.

Jan 1, 1965

By C. M. Anson

Introduction The prosperity of any country today is dependent upon the efficiency and growth of its primary steel industry. The ?march of the United States of America to its present commanding position in world affairs parallels the growth of its steel industry. The remarkable growth of that industry was possible only because bountiful providence endowed that country with adequate supplies of the raw materials necessary for steel making -coal and iron ore. If we accept this hypothesis, and surely we must, then to what extent can we envisage the future of our own country? This symposium deals with the most important of the raw materials required for steel making -iron ore. If we are blessed with a bountiful supply of iron ore, then surely a glorious future awaits only our taking advantage of that blessing. It is becoming increasingly evident that Canada has immense iron ore deposits. It is my privilege to make you acquainted with one of these, one that can only be classified as among the more important ore reserves in the world. I refer to the Wabana ore deposits in Newfoundland. Location These deposits lie under the floor? of Conception bay, off the east coast of Newfoundland. They consist of a series of beds which outcropped for a distance of about three miles on the northeastern shore of Bell Island, dipping at approximately 8° toward the northwest. This three-mile outcrop is the only key to the occurrence.

Jan 1, 1951