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By J. F. J. Thomas

"AbstractBoth the quantity and quality of waters available as raw materials are important to Canadian industry and to the national economy. The huge demands of many Canadian industries is illustrated by tabulated figures, based on the 1950 Canadian production of certain products, and on United States figures for the gallons of water required to produce a unit quantity of each product. It is suggested from comparison with American survey results and figures that Canadian industrial water consumption is 1 to 11/2 billion Imperial gallons per day. Since present information on Canadian usage is meagre and it is not certain that American survey results can be directly applied to Canadian industry, this estimate must await confirmation in future studies.The hydrologic cycle and the principal factors affecting the quantity and quality of water, namely, climate and season, topography, geology, vegetation, and human activities, are discussed and the principal salts dissolved in water which affect industrial use are enumerated.The present survey studies by the Mines Branch on water quality are outlined. Besides chemical analyses of municipal water supplies within a watershed, periodic sampling and analyses of major surface waters for a one-year period is being carried out. The importance of studies on seasonal variation in quality is stressed by comparing the dissolved salts in various river waters with river flow. Figures showing such relationships in the Rideau river and Ottawa river at Ottawa, the Columbia river at Trail, B.C., and the Battle river at Unwin, Sask., are presented. Different rivers show different quality changes with changing flow, and possibly only after long-term studies can the relationships be predicted.Quality studies on water may be as important as studies on many other raw materials. The quantity of the raw material, water, is not inexhaustible nor is the quality indestructible, and more realization of its importance, followed by conservation and intelligent use, is desirable."

Jan 1, 1952

By B. Wasmund, B. Haneman, G. Sheehan

Success in implementing new technology for metallurgical processes is not a foregone conclusion: This paper includes a survey of 23 new technology-based metallurgical plant start-ups, in which the authors have identified 7 successes, 9 difficult start-ups, and 7 failures. Success is defined not only as meeting the schedule and budget to the end of mechanical completion; the key goal is a fast ramp up to the full design production level, with minimum plant and equipment modifications required after start-up. This paper sets out the key factors that underlie achievement of a quick production ramp up curve, as determined from the authors' project experiences and a quantitative analysis of over twenty metallurgical plant start-ups, both pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical. Thorough test-work and pilot plants, plus appropriate scale-up to the full commercial plant, are key determinants of success in implementing new technology in metallurgical processes. Another critical factor is the number of new elements and their interactions. Project phasing is also particularly important for new technology projects, with appropriate review after each phase to develop a risk mitigation plan for the subsequent phase. New technology projects need committed champions to advance the project in the face of sceptics, but also require dispassionate and unbiased experts to ask the hard questions. As a project evolves, it is important to periodically question the appropriateness of assumptions, as well as to re-assess the relevance and completeness of data from test-work I pilot plants I industrial analogues. Sufficient human and financial resources are required to complete the often arduous implementation phase. During the ramp-up period, the operation generates little positive cash flow; however, significant expertise and capital are required for the de-bottlenecking projects that are often necessary to reach the plant's design output level.

Jan 1, 2011

By Hoeve. J.

"In the unconformity-type uranium deposit at Midwest Lake, mineralization is associated with extensive host rock alteration, which affects the metamorphic basement as well as the overlying Athabasca Group sandstones. Host rock alteration is manifested by (I) transformation of clay minerals [kaolinite into illite and chlorite (sudoile)]; (2) bleaching due to removal of hematite from the lateritic paleoweathering profile and the overlying red bed, Athabasca Group sandstones; (3) loss of coherence of the sandstone resulting from corrosion of quartz cement; and (4) in the immediate vicinity of high-grade ore, development of a clay envelope due to residual enrichment of clay minerals caused by massive dissolution of quartz. Clay mineral transformation and bleaching are the most prominent and the most widespread alteration effects, forming haloes that extend for several kilometres along the strike of the mineralized structure and also constitute distinct alteration pipes that rise f or several hundred metres above the unconformity to be truncated at the present top of the bedrock.Although the two haloes are largely congruent features, cross-culling relationship s indicate that clay mineral alteration represents an earlier phase in the history of the deposit than the large-scale bleaching that gave rise to the superimposed bleaching halo.Because clay mineral alteration and bleaching are intimately tied to the mineralization and extend well beyond the limits of the actual orebodies, host rock alteration may be used as an ore guide in exploration and drill-hole evaluation. In this application a third hydrothermal discharge centre was identified, as yet untested for are, which is located between the hydrothermal centres associated with the two known orebodies of the deposit.It is estimated that host rock alteration may enlarge a potential drill-target by a factor 10 - 20X. Information on the configuration of bleaching haloes can be obtained from systematic core logging, whereas diagnostic clay mineral alteration is readily identified by means of automated, quantitative XRD techniques."

Jan 1, 1984

By Stopford Brunton

For many years it has been accepted as axiomatic that the greater number of 'veins' or 'leads' in the gold districts of Nova Scotia are of the 'interbedded' type. The corollary to this hypothesis is that the vein or lead will have a continuous hanging-wall of one kind of rock, and a continuous footwall of the same or another kind of rock; but the essential point is that the foot and hanging walls are, according to this theory, both continuous and of uniform composition throughout; and that the vein or lead conforms to the bedding of the adjacent strata. With regard to the deposition of the gold in the rocks, the probability is that the key of the problem is contained in a statement by E. R. Faribault, of the Geological Survey of Canada: "The combined effect of cleavage, jointing, and stratification is to cause the rocks, especially the quartzites, to break into rhombohedral blocks". It is essential to comprehend that the rocks of the Province are no doubt folded into anticlines and synclines; but also it must be fully realized that the gold deposits and pay-shoots do not depend so much upon these as upon the fractures resulting from the disturbance caused by the intrusion of granite masses, and controlled by the combined effect of cleavage, jointing, and stratification. These fractures would form the channels through which the ore-bearing vapours and solutions would rise, and at the junctions of these fractures, where the fracturing was greatest, the easiest passages would be afforded to the ore carriers, with the result that the ore-shoots would be found at or near the intersections of fractures. It is a significant fact that in at least thirteen different districts throughout the Province, operators have at various times remarked upon the occurrence of rich ore at the intersection of 'leads,' 'veins,' 'beds,' etc.

Jan 1, 1928

By A. A. McDonald

Anode casting has been in operation for two years in Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting's Flin Flon smelter. The new plant allows all casting to be done on one shift and so achieves considerable labour savings. The equipment and operations are described. Some important features are as follows: very consistent anode weights by the use of the load-cell controlled casting ladle; excellent mould life ; very low reject rate; and trouble-free take -off tower. Some of the start-up problems are described and an outline is given of the main operator functions. Data on labour, propane and maintenance costs are presented.

Jan 1, 1977

By W. T. Sampson

Introduction The Kirkland Lake (Ontario) property of Wright-Hargreaves Mines, Limited, - consists of four claims. The two main shear zones or 'breaks' of the Kirkland Lake camp extend through three of these claims, for a distance of approximately 3,500 feet. These claims are on the northeast side of the original lake. The water in this section of the lake has now been replaced with mill tailings. The degree of success of any completed undertaking, especially in the mining industry, reflects the personnel involved. I state with pleasure that the successful deepening of No. 5 winze from 6,400 feet to 7,272 feet was largely due to the co-operation and skilled workmanship of Shaft Captain J. Myelde and his efficient 'leaders'. This winze was sunk at a time when it was most difficult to obtain experienced shaftmen, with the result that the crews did not wholly consist of experienced men (although their desire to learn shaft sinking soon gave good results). This condition added greatly to the responsibilities and duties of those in charge, whose first consideration was for the safety of those engaged in the work, and I take great pride in recording that the entire sinking programme was completed without a lost-time accident. Location of Winze Due to the information obtained through deep diamond-drill holes collared below the 6,000-foot level being of sufficient importance to warrant further exploration, it was decided to deepen the existing No. 5 winze rather than sink another winze. This decision meant that the sinking must be co-ordinated with and proceed simultaneously with operations in the winze, where mining was being carried on between the 3,900-foot and 5,100-foot horizons, inclusive.

Jan 1, 1948

By A. Warczok, C. M. Diaz, A. Bergman, T. Utigard, M. Barati

The world wide consumption of energy is steadily increasing and by 2030 it is forecasted to grow by another 50%, leading to mounting political and economic pressures. For any pyrometallurgical operation, it is therefore paramount to investigate and implement methods to decrease the use of energy. In the pyrometallurgical processing of steel, copper, nickel and other high temperature metals, a large amount of energy is lost in hot off-gases, molten slags, mattes and molten metals. Most of this energy is generally lost during the cooling and solidification steps with very little focus on energy recovery or reuse. In this paper we will quantify how much energy is contained in the various slag streams, then review previous attempts and methods employed to recover some of this energy, and finally evaluate some novel technologies that could potentially be employed.

Jan 1, 2011

By E. You

The concentrator at Kennecott Utah Copper currently has 4 lines with a configuration of one SAG mill feeding two ball mills. The slurry that reports to each ball mill will vary resulting in an unequal load of material. This configuration contains two separate sumps that receive material from a distribution box relying solely on natural slurry flow to feed each sump. The unequal split to each mill results in one mill receiving a greater amount of material. This will result in the equipment on one mill reaching limitations that may affect product quality and the operation of the equipment near maximum. The parallel mill in this condition will often have additional capacity that can be used but cannot be utilized due to the unequal split. The major consequences of this issue result in reduced throughputs and metal recovery. To resolve this condition an advanced control strategy was implemented to control the split in April of 2002 using equipment that was in place.

Jan 1, 2007

By John E. Callahan

"A stream sediment geochemical survey covering an area of 13.000 sq. km near Churchill Falls. Labrador. was conducted for Brinex (British Newfoundland Explorations Ltd.) prior to partial flooding by the Churchill Falls power project. Stream sediments (minus 80-mesh) were analyzed for Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, Ag, Mo. U and Mn, and the heavy mineral, nonmagnetic fraction (minus 60-mesh) for Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, Ag, Mo, Ba and Mn. A binocular examination of the concentrates for sulphides and pyrope garnet was done on the heavy mineral concentrates. The concentrates were also examined for fluorescent minerals.Two distinct areas with high trace-element values indicate the need for follow-up studies. The first is in an area of gabbro erratics containing massive and disseminated sulphides (pyrrhotite, pyrite and minor chalcopyrite) on the western edge of the survey area along the Esker Road. The second, largest area (several hundred square kilometres) is anomalous in U and Mo and associated with felsic intrusives (Red Wine Complex?), syenites. granite gneiss and sedimentary rocks (Seal Lake Group?).The binocular study showed that almost 15% of the heavy mineral concentrates contained pyrite and no other sulphides. This indicates that this technique may be worthwhile in determining the presence of sulphide minerals in stream sediments from glaciated environments. The only fluorescent mineral observed in the study was zircon."

Jan 1, 1981

By James F. Kelly

"Research and development on the production of liquid fuels from coal is rapidly expanding worldwide. AImost every industrialized country is engaged in coal liquefaction research and process development. In Canada, the federal government, through CANMET, is actively supporting coal liquefaction research and development in a number of areas.A review of the basic principles and some of the processes in the production of liquid fuels from coal is presented with reference to the characteristics of the Canadian coal resource base. An overview of the CANMET coal liquefaction contract program is presented and specific results from the batch autoclave studies carried out with Saskatchewan lignite and Nova Scotia high-volatile bituminous coals are discussed. The development of a laboratory-scale continuous-flow coal liquefaction unit at the Energy Research Laboratories of CANMET to investigate the co-processing of coal and bitumen/heavy oil is also described.IntroductionThe CANMET coal liquefaction program is made up of two interrelated parts. The first part consists of the research and development work being carried out at the Energy Research Laboratories near Ottawa, Ontario. The second focuses on contracted research and development as part of the Coal Conversion Program of Energy, Mines and Resources Canada. The long-term objective of the liquefaction program is to contribute to Canadian liquid fuels production through the definition, research, development and demonstration of different coal liquefaction technologies for the Canadian marketplace.In coal liquefaction, the main objective is to produce liquid hydrocarbons with a higher hydrogen-to-carbon (HIC) ratio than the coal feedstock while reducing heteroatom (S,O,N) content, removing mineral matter and minimizing gas production. Typical atomic HIC ratios for a variety of Canadian fossil fuels are shown in Figure I. Canadian coals have about 500/0 of the HIC ratio present in tar sand bitumens and heavy oils and only about 20% of the ratio available in methane. In general, the cost of synthetic fuels production is related to the cost of hydrogen and, therefore, to the increase of HIC ratio between feedstock and products. On this basis, the production of liquid fuels from coal would be expected to be more costly than liquid fuels produced from bitumens and heavy oils. However, for mined tar sands and some heavy oils this difference tends to be offset by the large sand content (>90 mass %) of tar sand bitumens and the increased production costs of viscous heavy oils. For example, it can easily be shown that for equal weights of distillate <525°C) yield, current coal liquefaction processes required between two and three times less mined coal by weight than the mined tar sand s required for the most technically advanced processes proposed for bitumen upgrading."

Jan 1, 1981

By J. van Huyssteen, M. Cantor

Newmont Ghana Gold Limited&apos;s Ahafo Operation has matured from its project ramp up stage into steady state operations after three years of operation. Management focus has shifted from addressing construction and commissioning problems to optimization and improvement. This focus change has coincided with the introduction by Newmont of a Continuous Improvement (CI) program across the company which provided a project management methodology that can be used in the execution of smaller scale projects. This paper focuses on the application of CI principles at the Ahafo Plant through the discussion of several case studies that demonstrate how these principles are applied.

Jan 1, 2011

By Staff

"The Weyburn Oil Field, located 80 miles southeast of Regina, Saskatchewan, was discovered by Central-Del Rio Oils Limited, in January, 1955. As of January 1st, 1959, the field had 357 wells capable of producing an estimated total of 45,100 barrels of oil per day.Highly portable, economical, drilling rigs are used to penetrate the pay at a depth of 4,400 to 5,100 feet. Presently, the complete drilling operation for an average field well, including drilling, coring, testing, and running casing, requires 12 days. Drilling procedures are conventional for a field of this depth and no serious problems exist. Central-Del Rio core the productive section of all their wells, which provides valuable information for well completions and reservoir studies. Production casing procedure is to set through the zone and perforate the productive inter-val. This was found advisable due to the lensing nature of the porosity and permeability throughout the reservoir, and to the high connate water saturation encountered in the tighter sections of the reservoir in the north and northeast areas of the field.Although a few wells in the field have produced naturally by flowing or pumping without acid treatment, it has generally been necessary to acidize the wells to make them commercial producers. To date, acid treatments appear to effect better stimulation of the limestone reservoir than fracturing treatments. Perforation sealing balls have been used as an aid in selectively treating all of the perforated interval.The majority of the field is on pump, producing at a low gas-oil ratio. The main part of the field has water-free production, with most of the water being produced in the north and northeastern area. Salt-water disposal is now available in the field through two disposal wells completed in the Basal Blairmore sand.The Midale Beds ""Marly"" and ""Vuggy"" zones form the principal reservoir, which is a stratigraphic trap, with the north and northeast edges terminated by a porosity and permeability pinch-out and the south-west and west edges bounded by water-laden porosity. There is no evidence to date of a gas cap. The reservoir apparently is producing on a fluid-expansion-type mechanism. The increasing water production in wells on the southwest and west edges of the field indicated water encroachment from these directions, and suggests some recovery energy may be available from this source.The total probable ultimate remaining recoverable reserves have been estimated at° 332,469,000 barrels of oil. Markets have not been able to keep up with the rate of development of the medium crude re-serves. However, it is felt strongly that substantial additional markets for Weyburn medium crude will be developed by the producers in the near future at realistic wellhead prices."

Jan 1, 1959

By Claudio Acuña, Sergio Romo, Gerardo Fuentes

The leaching kinetics of a zinc concentrate in autoclave reactors were studied. A sample of concentrate from Bolivia, with typical mineralogical characteristics of the Andes region, was used. A concentrate containing 49% zinc and 145 ppm of silver from Minera Viacha was characterized chemically and mineralogically (atomic absorption, X-ray diffraction, and SEM microscopy) and tested in bench scale reactors. Two types of autoclave batch reactors were used at 40 bars of oxygen pressure and three levels of temperature (150°C, 200°C and 250°C). The solid to solution leaching ratio was 1:10 (10% sulphuric acid concentration). The effect of the particle size of the concentrate on the leaching kinetics was studied (P80: 145 and 45 µm). Iron from the leaching solution was removed by precipitation by increasing the pH in order to generate a clean solution for zinc electrowinning. The zinc solution was used to evaluate the feasibility of cathode production at the laboratory scale. Zinc extractions with higher liberation (P80 = 45 µm) reached up to 98%. Ground concentrate with finer sizes resulted in agglomeration and the use of dispersing agents did not improve slurry mixing. The leaching solution contained 55 g/L zinc and 7 g/L iron; it was purified by precipitating iron. The precipitation was evaluated using sodium hydroxide and ammonium hydroxide. In the first case, a colloidal suspension of ferric salts was formed while in the second case, different iron compounds were precipitated. The precipitate obtained with ammonium hydroxide had better filtering properties. Electrowinning was carried out using two types of cathodes (stainless steel and aluminium) and solutions purified with ammonium hydroxide. Zinc cathodes formed on stainless steel presented a better physical quality than those formed on aluminium.

Jan 1, 2015

By D. Holz

In this work we present a novel level set-based model for the real-time simulation of soil deformations. A level set defined by a signed distance function and sampled in a regular 3D grid represents and tracks the soil volume under deformation. Moving away from classical 2.5D heightfield representations of soil to a full 3D volume representation allows for improved tracking of cutting tool operations and the simulation of near-vertical or vertical soil faces. The proposed level set representation furthermore provides a versatile mathematical platform for modeling additional effects such as soil slip, and does not suffer from the sampling limitations of commonly used heightfields. Cutting forces applied to the tool are simulated via a formulation based on the Fundamental Equation of Earthmoving, modified to support inclined soil surfaces and transient states of tool motion. Discretisation of this 2D cutting force model with respect to the tool surface allows capturing the effects of irregular 3D terrain shapes on blades and buckets. The surcharge created during cutting operations is tracked in the form of particles and included in the soil failure force computation. We make use of an adaptive, hybrid level set-based and particle-based soil deformation scheme, which allows the soil deformation to be simulated in real-time.

Aug 1, 2013

By Robert D. Brown, Robert B. Parsons

"The mining industry may have survived the October 28 federal budget relatively unscathed, but the same certainly cannot be said of the petroleum sector-and many mining men are left wondering if their industry will be the next one to be singled out for special attention, as federal and provincial governments seek additional revenues and pursue nationalistic or provincial policies.Higher taxes, higher prices, a potpourri of ""incentives"", and a -""Canadianization"" policy mark the principal features of the new National Energy Program released by the government along with Finance Minister MacEachen&apos;s budget address.This month, Tax Notes examines the federal budget. with appropriate emphasis on the National Energy Program and its possible future implications forthe Canadian resource industries.IntroductionMost of the Canadian mining industry (tar sands miners excepted) heaved a sigh of relief on the evening of October 28, 1980, as Finance Minister MacEachen confounded the prophets in his budget address by not raising personal or corporation taxes and by making only relatively modest changes in the general tax system. Instead, he concentrated on a sweeping new energy policy. Unfortunately for that important sector of Canada&apos;s mining industry which is involved in mining the country&apos;s vast tar sands reserves, either now or in the future, the National Energy Program that was introduced along with the budget &apos;has serious implications."

Jan 1, 1981

By B. Burke

Magnesium and its alloys are attractive materials for use in automotive and aerospace applications because of the low density and good mechanical properties. However, difficulty in forming magnesium and the limited number of available commercial alloys limit their use. The present paper reviews the efforts to improve the attractiveness of magnesium through non-traditional processing, and presents preliminary results of current work on producing magnesium alloys via powder metallurgy P/M. P/M can be used to alleviate the formability problem through near-net-shape processing, and also allows unique chemical compositions that can lead to new alloys with novel properties. The feasibility of producing magnesium powder metallurgy products utilizing the industrially dominant process of mixed powder blending, uniaxial die compaction and controlled atmosphere sintering was investigated. An alloy composition based on the commercial Mg alloy AZ31 (3% Al, 1% Zn) was used to facilitate comparison to similar wrought products. The optimal processing conditions (compaction pressure, sintering time and temperature, and quenching temperature) were found to maximize sintered density and mechanical properties.

Jan 1, 2007

By T. E. Wakefield

"Final Galloway (stage) designs for vertical drill and blast shaft sinking projects evolve from complex thought patterns which integrate operational processes, systems and methods of communication, power supply, drilling, blasting, ventilating, mucking, supporting, surveying, dewatering, sealing, concrete lining and shaft furnishing. Attention to ergonomic design detail at the shaftsman / structure interface is at the heart of safe and successful multi-deck working platforms. For economy the end product must have a low mass to reduce suspension rope end loads to be able to use smaller suspension hoists and have lighter headframe structures, be robust to withstand concussion damage, be easily constructible on site, be maintainable in the shaft barrel, and comply with safety and legislated standards. This paper’s ambition is to describe a systematic design framework and sequenced thought process that delivers a product that is engineered with excellence, illustrated by making use of two designs that evolved during recent Galloway projects, one destined for a large diameter man/material shaft, the other for a ventilation shaft. The stage engineering iterative process starts with mapping permanent and sinking hoisting layouts, followed by laying out horizontal deck plans, mostly constrained by the permanent shaft purpose and configuration, whilst maximizing openings to enable muck to be removed rapidly for the best sinking cycles. Concurrently the designer needs to understand the chosen sinking methodologies in conjunction with crewing to determine the number of decks and fix their spacing. Insufficient access to move and line up formwork, set reinforcing rods and pour concrete in the confined spaces of the stage is an inherent major risk to be mitigated. An iterative and integrative process follows for the primary configuration which delves into increasing design detail, accommodating all other methodology influences, resulting in 3D layouts for further risk assessment, review and fine tuning by seasoned shaftsmen. INTRODUCTION Documented colliery shaft sinking practice from the late 1800’s makes reference to purpose built walling (bricked lining) cribs with floors suspended in sinking shafts, thereby allowing shaft lining to proceed concurrently with the excavation. Improvements were made by Sir William Galloway who introduced two decks supported at the corners by angle irons. The sinking stage, or Galloway, has developed substantially over time to be the in-barrel heart of the sinking operation, with overwhelming complexity for those who have to design one for the first time."

Jan 1, 2019

By A. A. Brant

BECAUSE of its simplicity, the dip needle is widely used for locating magnetic rock formations in drift-covered areas. Although it responds only to strong magnetic disturbances, it has the advantage that surveys with it can be carried out rapidly, at relatively low cost, by untrained operators. More accurate surveys can be made with a much more sensitive instrument known as the magnetometer, but this must be operated by a specialist and the resulting survey costs are much higher. Mining men use the dip needle for the location of magnetic ores or mineral deposits associated with magnetic rocks. In certain districts, a survey with the dip needle may aid in solving geological structure. In the Little Long Lac and Crow River gold camps of Ontario, it has recently been used for these purposes. In interpreting the results of a dip needle survey, an understanding of the chief magnetic and mechanical factors determining the dip recorded by the needle is definitely necessary. For example, many observers locate a magnetic body by the highest dip values, apparently unaware that these frequently may not lie directly above the body. It should also be realized that a careful dip needle survey may yield information regarding the dip, breadth, and perhaps depth, of the magnetic body. Moreover, the observer should know when numerous closely-spaced dip readings are necessary, and when the dip may be measured at more widely separated intervals. The purpose of the following article is primarily to describe the factors affecting the registration of the dip needle, with a view to aiding investigators in a more accurate and complete interpretation of their results. To explain the cause of magnetic disturbances (anomalies) and the action of the dip needle, a knowledge of certain fundamental magnetic terms is necessary.

Jan 1, 1938

By C. P. Browning

Copper, as far as we know, was the first metal used by man, and due to the fact that it occurs in many places in the &apos;native&apos; state, and also to the ease with which it may be shaped, it has played an important part in the evolution of civilization. Copper tools with inscriptions dating back to 6,000 B.C. are known in Egypt, where the metal probably got its start as a useful material in human hands. Just how far back the use of copper in Canada dates is difficult to say, but it was in use by the Indians in the Lake Superior country long before the arrival of the first white man. For many generations the Eskimos also have used copper derived fr0m deposits of the native metal found in the Coronation Gulf district. Due to the metal&apos;s many unique qualities, imperishable with age, ancient implements and utensils are apparently as good today as when they were made, having withstood the onslaught of time probably better than objects of any of the other base metals. Copper alloys so well with other metals that today it is second only to iron in its industrial value. Even at the beginning of the eighteenth century the world&apos;s production of copper was probably not more than seven thousand tons a year, with Great Britain producing three-fourths of this. One hundred years ago the mines of the United States, Chili, Mexico, Canada, South Africa, Australia, and Tasmania, which now produce about nine-tenths of the copper of the world, were totally undeveloped. Ln 1926 the world production of copper was approximately 1,658,000 tons, which was seventy thousand tons greater than in the preceding year; but growing demand absorbed the increased production, so that the stock of rough copper throughout the world is comparatively small. Of this huge tonnage of the metal, Canada produced four percent, two-thirds of it emanating from British Columbia, nearly one-third from the Province of Ontario, and the balance from Quebec.

Jan 1, 1927

Although Canadian bentonite is competitive in quality for most uses, it has not been accepted for the pelletizing of iron ore concentrates. In 1962, Canada consumed about 10,000 tons of imported bentonite for this use. By the end of 1965, the planned domestic consumption for this purpose alone will probably be more than 100,000 tons a year, valued at about $3 million. Consequently, a challenge exists for the establishment of a Canadian source of high-quality bentonite for pelletizing. Such a bentonite would also be suitable for the two other major applications -well drilling and foundry use. Brief mention is made of such topics as the identification, 1noperties, occurrences, exploration, applications, technology and laboratory testing of this clay. In particular, the type of bentonite in demand, the geological horizons warranting exploration, and simple preliminary test methods are discussed.

Jan 1, 1964