Search Documents

By T. G. Joseph

ABSTRACT: The Canadian oil sands provide some of the harshest mining conditions in the world. Asoperations demand ever bigger tools, the toll on large mobile mining equipment is high, with structurallife often half of that expected. Soft ground conditions predominantly lead to fatigue failure scenarios, poor stability, and inconsistent payload evaluations. These challenges are not solely a concern for Canadian oil sands mines; there are far-reaching implications for surface mining equipment in any poor ground-operating environment. This paper focuses on the basics of payload evaluation, motion response and a simple estimate of structural life for haulers.

Jan 1, 2011

By F. W. Gray

Foreword: It is not my purpose, in this address, to write the history of the Geological Survey of Canada, which has from time to time been reviewed by the officers of the Survey itself, and by men more competent than myself to handle so large a subject, but rather to set out some of the reasons for the regard in which the Survey is held by our Institute, the body best qualified to speak for the mining men of Canada. And, a further purpose is to publish the desire of our Institute that the work of the Survey shall be maintained at the highest pitch of efficiency the resources of our country. will permit, because to scrimp expenses on the Survey is 'to save at the spigot and lose at the bunghole." A historical examination of the grounds on which it may be asserted the Geological Survey has been, and still is, of fundamental economic value to our country, discloses a prescience on the part of the forefathers of Canada, calling for our admiring gratitude, and reveals a unanimity among the real leaders of Canadian thought, on the value of geological knowledge, that is impressive in its continuance dawn to this date. There seems always to have been before our people the realisation that large stretches of Canada are unfitted for agricultural settlement, and that our glaciated areas, the barrens and tundra of the North, and our extensive mountain ranges, had promise of compensating mineral content which the geologist and the prospector, labouring together through the years, would disclose. The Geological Survey is one of Canada's oldest public services, distinguished by an unimpaired tradition of honourable and useful labour. Founded in 1843, under William Edmond Logan, not yet 'Sir William', one year after the Act of Union, it was directed by him until 1869, or into the early years of Confederation, so that the early years .of the Survey were also, politically, the formative years of Canada, as we know her today.

Jan 1, 1932

By P. J. Morgan, E. Wolmarans

The selection of the main mineralised zone (MMZ) concentrator milling circuit has followed a comprehensive route over the preceding 10 years. Many knowledgeable parties have contributed and assisted in developing the milling circuit according to the best available information. The final selection of the flow sheet was completed after DRA conducted a techno-economic study on four possible comminution circuits ranging from conventional crushing and ball milling to fully autogenous (AG) milling. The results from all the above mentioned work indicated that it is possible to treat the MMZ ore at the desired throughputs to the desired grind sizes in a fully autogenous grinding circuit. The flow sheet was designed to treat the main mineralised zone (MMZ) arising’s from both underground and open cast operations and incorporates a fully autogenous grinding (AG) circuit. Commissioning of the 375ktpm concentrator at Nkomati Nickel began in August 2009 with the first ore reporting to the mill on the 15th of September 2009.

Jan 1, 2012

By Eugene F. Mehr, Dennis C. Martin

"Development of the final slope for the 340 m (1200 ft) high hanging wall at Cassiar Mine precipitated an area of deep seated instability involving an estimated 17.6 million tonnes. The deformation mechanisms involved squeezing of soft deformable serpentinite rocks in the toe which caused planar sliding and graben toppling of the stronger sedimentary rocks in the middle and upper sections of the slope. Although movement rates up to 150mm/day were recorded, by understanding the controls on failure, the mine was able to install a suitable monitoring system and complete the open pit with only minor loss of the mineable ore. Accelerated mining was required in the last full year of operation. This paper describes the deformation behaviour, failure mechanisms and back analysis results for the failure. The monitoring systems and operational aspects related to the failure are also presented.IntroductionCassiar Mine is located in steep mountainous terrain in northern British Columbia approximately 1200 km north of Vancouver (Fig. I). During the final mining phase of the open pit, instability developed in the approximately 340 m high hanging wall (east wall) slope. A unique graben toppling mechanism was identified based on detailed assessment of slope monitoring data and visual observations. Comprehensive slope monitoring enabled mining to continue even though movement rates as high as 150 mm/day were being recorded. Three-dimensional limit equilibrium back analyses and numerical modelling have been used to assess the various controls on the slope movements and to understand the failure mechanism."

Jan 1, 1993

By B. D. H. Knights, N. B. du Preez

The recovery of the economy of the Democratic Republic of Congo has allowed for the rapid increase in production of copper from this region, while the increased price of cobalt continues to support the recovery of that country’s economy. This has enabled the modernization of the process technology used, particularly the change from direct electrowinning of copper to solvent extraction-electrowinning. With this change has come a variety of technical challenges in optimizing the recovery of cobalt from these sources. In this paper, we discuss aspects of the flowsheets for the production of cobalt from the ores of the DRC and Zambia, highlighting the technological improvements that have been made. Following this description of the practice, we assess the challenges of further improving the recovery and purity of cobalt from these sources. INTRODUCTION The African Copperbelt (Figure 1) is by far the biggest producer and holds the greatest reserves of cobalt (Sheed, 2015). However, the ores of this great mining region are extracted primarily for their copper content, and cobalt is a by-product. The ratio of copper-to-cobalt is between 6 and 20 to 1, with the ores from the DRC richer in cobalt than those from Zambia. The overall supply of cobalt, shown in Figure 2, is increasing due to an increase in demand for its use as a battery material. Cobalt is used in superalloys, hard metals, pigments, catalysts magnets, tyre adhesives, lithium-ion rechargeable batteries, and wear-resistant coatings, amongst others. Although these generic categories persist, Figure 3 shows how the relative usage of cobalt is changing due to the uptake of electric vehicles in China and Europe. Cobalt is a key element in lithium-ion batteries, and because it is widely anticipated that electric vehicles will be legislatively encouraged, it is anticipated that the demand for cobalt will rise. This anticipated increase in demand resulted in an increase in the price for cobalt, to which suppliers responded over-eagerly, and the price has dropped dramatically in the first few months of 2019, as shown in Figure 4. However, there is a clear cycle of price peaks in cobalt’s history.

Jan 1, 2019

By J. A. Beesley

This paper reviews contemporary international law concerning the seabed, current developments in the United Nations on the seabed, and the main outstanding problems. It emphasizes the importance that the Canadian government attaches to this area.

Jan 1, 1969

By Jacque Turgeon, Gontran Foy

"The Mineral Research Centre of the Quebec Department of Energy and Resources has worked extensively on the development of a dry process to extract pure mica flakes from a phlogopite ore. The liberation of mica from the gangue is effected basically by impact crushing, and the ground ore is screened into several fractions, each having a fairly narrow range of grain size. Each sized fraction is then fed to an air separator where heavy grains are separated from light flaky grains. Heavy fractions are returned to hammer mills where gangue minerals are ground finer and blocky mica particles are exfoliated. A second stage of screening is performed and each fraction is sent to an air separator. This sequence is repeated until mica products are virtually free of gangue. These different fractions are then treated in a cage mill in which mica flakes undergo a more orderly exfoliation along cleavage planes. The ground mica is again submitted to a final screening stage, after which each fraction constitutes a final commercial product.This process permits the recovery of about 70% of the mica contained in the ore. The over-all process will be described along with technical details of each unit operation. Recent work on a wet grinding method to produce very fine mica will also be discussed.IntroductionRecords of production of mica in Quebec date back to 1886. Production has been more or less continuous since that time, with peak activity during the war years. Production was interrupted in 1966, but started again in 1972 when Marietta Resources and Laviolette Mining and Metallurgical Corporation started their joint operation in Canton Suzor, northwestern Quebec. Mica deposits of more or less importance exist in different parts of Quebec, of which three have attracted attention in recent years: the Canton Suzor deposit, the Canton Lamy deposit and the Canton Chasseur deposit. The Suzor orebody was first identified by Carl Faesler in 1936, who described the rock as ""brown biotite in flakes half an inch in diameter, with interstitial augite, apatite and feldspar""."

Jan 1, 1982

By A. C. Hatton

Doped SrCoO3.8 was found to be a promising material for use as a cathode component in intermediate temperature SOFCs. In this work, strontium cobaltite ceramics doped with 10 mol% to 90 mol% samarium were synthesized using the glycine nitrate process in order to study the electrical conductivity and thermal expansion at temperatures of up to 800°C. As-synthesized powders were deagglomerated, pressed and sintered at temperatures ranging from 1100-1250°C. The effect of temperature and composition on electrical conductivity and thermal expansion are presented and discussed.

Jan 1, 2005

By W. M. Tupper

Municipal governments recognize the importance of aggregates in the local economy and the need to manage this resource in the interest of the public good. They have encountered problems with regulating the industry and the dichotomy between the urban need and the rural source. They have suffered from a lack of financial benefit, an adequate aggregate inventory, provincial strategy, economic information and public understanding. A provincial strategy for ensuring the availability of aggregate supplies to developing areas of the Province is essential. The Province should also be responsible for licensing, research, technical expertise on rehabilitation, public education and financial assistance. Upper-tier municipalities (regions or counties) should assume responsibility for resource management, including resource availability, demand characteristics, truck routing, phasing of resource development and sequential land-use planning. Area municipalities (towns and townships) can best determine the social and environmental impact of a specific aggregate development proposal and should therefore have the primary responsibility for the location of new pits and quarries. They should also have the authority to supplement provincial regulations concerning operating standards and the phasing and standards of site rehabilitation.

Jan 1, 1978

By Jose R. Hernandez-Aguilar

"This paper revisits data from previous studies (Hernandez-Aguilar, 2010, 2011) to better understand the link between metallurgical performance and bubble size (Db) in the collection (pulp) zone of full-scale flotation systems. To obtain conclusive evidence exclusively related to the collection zone, the experiments were designed in those studies to control both the bubble generation method and the influence of the froth zone on the overall metallurgical performance in industrial and pilot-scale flotation columns. The results showed that generating small (1 mm) bubbles had a significantly higher beneficial effect on the recovery of coarse (> 75 µm) particles compared to the effect on fine (< 16 µm) particles. It was observed that, under certain practical conditions, the recovery of liberated coarse particles was close to zero, but could be recovered almost completely by reducing bubble size. The evidence revealed an apparent inconsistency of the so-called “k–PSb” model: at constant froth recovery, increasing Sb did not always result in higher recovery, as the model predicts. Overall, the evidence showed that it was not the Sb but the bubble size that proved to be a more reliable link to metallurgical performance. Only under highly suboptimal bubble size conditions (Db = 3 mm) did the froth zone seem to play a role, possibly reflecting an effect of pulp-zone bubble size on froth stability. However, for the most part, both the bubble generation method and the froth zone played inconsequential roles. An empirical model that better describes the kinetics of particle collection is proposed.INTRODUCTIONStudies showing the link between metallurgical performance and the interactions of bubbles and particles in the collection (pulp) zone of industrial flotation systems are scarce. A common belief among a number of mineral processing practitioners considers that “small” bubbles are favourable to recover “small” particles and that, conversely, “larger” bubbles are more efficient at floating “coarse” particles. However, perceptions like this are often substantiated by anecdotal evidence rather than by rigorous data analysis. What is the optimum bubble size for a particular case, how operating conditions can be adjusted to control a target bubble size, and whether the bubble size needs to be changed in the first place to optimize the operation of a flotation plant are questions that usually remain without solid answers.The studies reported by Hernandez-Aguilar (2010, 2011) were, in part, performed to test the effect of bubble size on flotation response and, thus, help address some of the above questions. The focus of the studies was to optimize the metallurgical grade-recovery performance of the Cu-Mo separation plant at Teck’s Highland Valley Copper mine (HVC). The outcome was compelling and significantly valuable: consolidated production data showed that in 2008 – the year when the recommendations from the studies started to be implemented – the Mo plant recovery was 89%, and gradually increased to 92% and 94% in 2009 and 2010, respectively, along with an increase in Mo concentrate grade. (Note: these production figures were not included in the publications quoted above; however, they were shown during an oral presentation at the 43rd Annual Meeting of the Canadian Mineral Processors in 2011.)"

Jan 1, 2016

By M. M. C Jiménez, D. C. Buzzi, D. C. R. Espinosa, J. A. S Ténorio, G. F. R Oliveira

In this work the extractive and selective capacities of solvent extraction synergistic systems to recover nickel and cobalt were evaluated. The liquor used was from the high pressure acid leaching process (HPAL). Initially the industrial liquor, processed from lateritic ores, was analyzed to identify the concentrations of the metals. Experiments of synergistic solvent extraction were performed later. The extraction liquid-liquid was carried out with a mixture of Cyanex 272 (CY) and Ionquest 290 (IQ) extractants. The process was executed with the temperature of 65 ºC, pH of 5.2 and the ratio aqueousorganic 2:1. Systems of 80% kerosene and CY 20%, CY 16% - IQ 4%, CY 12% - IQ 8%, CY 8% - IQ 16%, CY 4% - IQ 16%, IQ 20% were studied during 20 minutes. The results of this paper showed that the mixture of these two extractants doesn’t improve significantly the recovery of nickel and cobalt from liquor.

Jan 1, 2014

By M. S. Greenfield, E. Cocchiarella, S. Chubbs

"At Dofasco sNo.4furnace a variation of the basic oxygen steelmaking process, Klockner Oxygen Bottom Maxhutte (K-OBM), is used to produce steel. Large amounts of hot gases and particulate are evolved during the oxygen blowing phase. A quencher and a venturi scrubber are used to collect over 99.5% of the particulate. In 1990, the authors investigated the effect of foamy slag on the particulate emissions from the furnace. The amount of lime added early in the oxygen blowing cycle was reduced, making the slag more viscous and foamy for a six minute period. Instantaneous particulate emissions were monitored throughout the blow by analyzing quencher and venturi scrubber water samples. Particulate emissions were reduced up to 59% during the foamy slag period.IntroductionThe reduction of the amount of waste generated or control of emissions at source is at the top of the ""3R"" hierarchy of waste management (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle). Process and operating practice changes are often the most economical ways to control emissions. At Dofasco, they investigated the effect of operating practice changes, specifically the formation of a foamy slag, on particulate emissions from steelmaking furnaces. They wanted to determine if a foamy slag changed the quantity and nature of the fume evolved from the K-OBM furnace over the oxygen blowing phase.The Basic Oxygen Steelmaking ProcessesThe basic oxygen steelmaking process (BOP) generates large quantities of very fine metal oxide fume during the production of steel. In this process, scrap steel and molten iron (hot metal) from blast furnaces are charged into a steelmaking furnace. Then pure oxygen is injected and a lime flux added . The oxygen reacts with carbon dissolved in the molten iron to form carbon monoxide. Oxygen lances can have secondary nozzles which introduce oxygen above the bath. This secondary oxygen, known as post-combustion, bums some of the carbon monoxide radiating the heat back to the bath. Particulate and gases rich in carbon monoxide are ejected from the furnace during the oxygen blowing phase and are collected by a gas cleaning system. Typically, more than 99.5010 of the particulate is scrubbed from the gases by high energy venturi scrubbers or electrostatic precipitators. The oxide sludge or dust collected may have elevated zinc and lead which is unsuitable for recycle to blast furnaces. Due to the presence of these undesirable elements, treatment and disposal of steelmaking oxide dust is difficult and costly."

Jan 1, 1993

By C. Pichler, S. Luidold, C. Wagner, C. Sagadin, D. Kreuzer

Engineers and scientists have been combating the attack upon refractory materials of molten metals/matte and slags for hundreds of years. The details in many cases are still questionable or at least debatable. The corrosion is a major concern for furnace operators as refractory wear or failures inevitably results in reduced production efficiency and furnace reliability. Also the cost to industry is considerable and only a thorough understanding of all the complexities of the process will help to minimize that cost. One of the critical questions to overcome is the correct selection of refractories for the individual process steps to provide long and predictable refractory life together with high furnace availability. To understand the nature of the reactions involved in refractory corrosion, it is crucial to determine the complex thermo- chemical equilibria of the reactions occurring between the refractory materials and the process phases. A simulation model coupled with commercial software like FactSageTM is demonstrated aiming to understand the corrosion mechanisms between refractories and the molten process phases and draw implications for improving the performance of refractories and refractory lifetime. INTRODUCTION The extraction or recycling of valuable materials, e.g. metals, can be done by two main routes, pyro- and/or hydrometallurgical processing, depending on the chemical behavior of the used ore, scrap or pre-treated concentrate. Sometimes it is also necessary to use both process routes for the extraction or the recycling of valuable materials. In the case of a pyrometallurgical treatment, the usage of refractory materials is inevitable. This is mainly caused by high temperatures, prevailing during processing. The interaction between refractory material and slag, metal or matte leads to different reactions and interactions. As a main result corrosion of the furnace lining (refractory material) takes place. Hence, recurring furnace shutdowns occur for renewing the refractories. This leads to reduced production efficiency. Such refractory lifetimes are between some hours and decades, depending on the processes.

Jan 1, 2019

By Robert A. Gault, T. Scott Ercit, Mehmet F. Taner

"Abstract -Vanadium mineralization occurs in oxide-rich horizons within the layered gabbro zones of the upper parts of the Bell River Complex, Matagami, Québec and the Lac Doré Complex, Chibougamau, Québec. The vanadium-rich horizons are well defined on the ground and in aeromagnetic surveys by their high magnetic susceptibility; consequently, magnetic susceptibility can be an indicator of vanadium mineralization. The main oxide minerals are ilmenite and titanian magnetite, containing 20% to 70% of volume and the ratio of titanian magnetite to ilmenite is relatively constant, ranging from about 1:1 to 2:1. Their sizes are less than 5 µm to greater than 1 mm to 2 mm, occurring as coarse- to medium-grained subhedral crystals intergrown with cumulate silicate minerals (plagioclase, pyroxene, etc.). Electron microprobe analyses indicate that the ilmenite grains are mineralogically and compositionally homogeneous and have low V contents (average 0.18% equivalent V2O5). In contrast, the titanian magnetite grains are inhomogeneous, consisting of trellisworks of ilmenite lamellae in Ti-poor, V-rich magnetite [less than 2 wt% TiO2, and 1.41% equiv. V2O5 (1.16% V2O3) for 20 analyses]. Thus, the magnetite is the principal ore mineral of vanadium; it hosts vanadium in the form of V3+, not V5+, as is commonly and erroneously reported. We have also devised a flowchart for the beneficiation of vanadium-titanium ores. Sommaire - La minéralisation de vanadium se trouve dans des horizons riches en minéraux oxydés de la partie supérieure des zones de gabbros lités des Complexes de la Rivière Bell, Matagami, Québec et du Lac Doré, Chibougamau, Québec. Des horizons riches en vanadium ont été bien définis sur le terrain et dans les levés aéromagnétiques par leur susceptibilité magnétique élevée; conséquemment, la susceptibilité magnétique est l’indicateur directe du contenu en vanadium. Les principaux minéraux oxydés sont l’ilménite et la magnétite titanifère, contenant 20% à 70% du volume et le rapport de magnétite titanifère à ilménite est relativement constant, allant d’environ 1:1 à 2:1. Leur dimension varie de 5 µm à plus grande que 1 mm à 2 mm, apparaissant sous forme de cristaux subidiomorphes, de grains grossiers à médiums, intercroissant avec la gangue silicatée (plagioclase, pyroxène, etc.) de la texture de cumulat. Les analyses à la microsonde électronique montrent que les grains d’ilménite sont minéralogiquement et chimiquement homogènes avec un faible contenu en V (moyenne 0.18% équiv. V2O5 ). Contrairement, les grains de magnétite titanifère sont hétérogènes, contenant des lamelles d’ilménite en "trellisworks"; ces grains sont pauvres en Ti et riches en V pour la portion magnétite de la magnétite titanifère [surtout contenant moins de 2 wt. % TiO2, et en moyenne 1.41% équiv. (1.16% V2O3) pour 20 analyses]. Ainsi, la magnétite est le principal minerai de vanadium; elle renferme du vanadium sous forme de V3+ et non de V5+, tel qu’il a été communément et à tort rapporté. Nous avons aussi défini un "flowchart" pour la bénéficiation des minerais de vanadium-titanium."

Jan 1, 1998

By R. S. Boorman, L. J. Surges

"Ore reserves at Brunswick Mining and Smelting totalled 101(106) tonnes grading 97 grams tonne-1 silver at the end of 1981. Silver is recovered as a byproduct in the copper, lead and bulk concentrates and is lost to the zinc concentrate and plant tailings. Recovery of silver for the year 1981 was 58,5%. The loss of potential revenue is in excess of Cdn $50(106) year-1 at current silver prices and milling rates.Silver is known to occur in solid solution in galena and as tetrshedrite. Evidence indicating the identity and significance of a third silverbearing mineral assemblage is reviewed and the distribution of silver losses is detailed. Characteristics of each the carrier which may be responsible for observed distribution, including size, surface quality, liberation and composition are considered, and the third carrier is shown to have possible implications for improved silver recovery by other Canadian producers as well as by Brunswick Mining.Silver tetrahedrite tailings distributed tailings and losses occur as coarse, free and as very fine unliberated galena in losses of the third carrier are between the zinc concentrate and are concentrated in the finest size fractions. Process alternatives for enhanced silver recovery by physical and chemical means are reviewed."

Jan 1, 1983

By H. J. Handewith

"After having performed qualitative and quantitative tests on nearly 550 rock specimens from tunnel projects throughout the world and comparing the results with actual boring in eight distinctly different rock types which varied in compressive strength from 12,000 to over 34,000 psi, it has been concluded that any rock -andesite, granite and even taconite -can be machine-bored. The question is -can it be bored economically? The intent of this paper is to delineate the investigative needs to accurately and reliably answer this question. A piece of NX core in the hand represents less than 50 per cent of the worthwhile geologic information that could have been obtained from a given core hole. A thorough site investigation by competent personnel can gene-rally foretell to what extent, if any, varying geologic conditions will hinder machine progress.A laboratory testing technique has been developed that has been correlated well (80 to 120 per cent) with actual boring results. This technique will be discussed in detail. Rock cutter life is a function of the penetration rate and the forces required to sustain that rate. Cutters are now, and will be for .some time to come, the single, most expensive consumable item involved in continuous tunneling in hard rock. It is by strict attention to predicting these rates and forces that tunneling costs can be optimized."

Jan 1, 1970

By B. Daniels, A. Tieu, W. Yan, B. Ren, M. Vijay

"Plasma or thermal sprayed coatings are becoming more widely used in a wide range of industrial applications. The preference to use thermal sprayed coatings is mainly attributed to its superior wear, and corrosion resistant properties akin to hard chrome but without the harmful health implications of chrome in the coating process. Specifically, High Velocity Oxygen Fuel (HVOF) plasma sprayed Tungsten Carbide & Cobalt (WC/Co) coatings are presently being tested on aircraft landing gear. This coating can be efficiently applied and is highly resistant to corrosion and wear. However, HVOF coating&apos;s durability also makes it difficult to be stripped for inspection and overhaul. Current coating removal methods usually involve a multi-step process whereby the coating must undergo diamond wheel grinding, chemical dipping, grit blasting, ultrahigh pressure (UHP) 380 MPa (55 Kpsi) water blasting, and subsequent chemical dipping, depending on the type and thickness of the coating. As explained by Yan, et al [l]"" a unique method has been developed for removing HVOF coatings with the use of only water. The method consists of modulating a stream of water at a pressure of only 69 MPa (10 Kpsi) with ultrasonic waves to generate a forced pulsed waterjet. The resulting cyclic loading of the hard coating due to the impact of the water pulses easily causes it to flake off the substrate. This paper will briefly describe the fundamentals of the forced pulsed waterjet technique with an emphasis on insitu applications of the removal of various plasma and HVOF coatings."

Jan 1, 2006

The cost benefits of controlling dilution of extracted ore have been very well understood by miners and mining professionals for many years. However, as we strive towards more mechanization, the dilution factor has been compromised in order to fit ?equipment? that is better suited to provide improved safety and productivity. Alternately, the drilling and ground support is accomplished by handheld drilling. In 2007, a short study, commissioned by CAMIRO (Canadian Mining Industry Research Organization) on the safety of hand held drilling vs. mechanized drilling, concluded that the risk of injury with handheld drills was seven times greater than with mechanized drills. Armed with this data, MEDATech Engineering proposed to the CAMIRO group to fund development of a ?MICRO Bolter?.

May 1, 2009

By Robin E. Goad

?Located 160 Km northwest of Yellowknife, NWT, Canada Current winter road access ?New all-weather road planned ?Power within 22 km ?Hwy to Edmonton 80 km south Close to existing infrastructure

May 1, 2006

By Hector Monette

"AFTER SPENDING a lifetime in the mining industry it is normal that one should be concerned with the future of his profession, especially if he is directly responsible for the education and formation of future mining engineers. It is not necessary to insist on the importance of mining for Canada and for the entire world to prove the necessity of the Mining Engineer. A statement was made by Zay Jeffries, former vicepresident of General Electric Co., and here I quote: ""Even though minerals without man are of no moment, man would not be man as we know him without minerals ... ""minerals are as essential to the life of social man as food is to man himself"". This certainly expresses magnificently the purpose of the mining profession. These are the reasons why I have accepted to present my views on the future of the Mining Engineer. If I express some concern it is not because I feel that there is any danger for the profession to disappear; men will always respond to a challenge and this can be found in the extraction of minerals as well as in any other field of human endeavour. However, the first big question concerns the competitive position of Canada in the world of mining. To be made available to Canadians and to the rest of the world, all this tremendous potential mineral wealth that our country has been so generously endowed with by nature must be gained from the earth's crust at a competitive cost. Otherwise it will never become ore and will have no value. Let us not forget that although minerals are discovered, mines are not found but are made. So let us be more efficient mine makers. To accomplish this end, it is the duty of the different responsible organizations at all levels - be they governmental, para-governmental, public or private institutions - to do their utmost to assure the profitable development of our mineral wealth. The University has an all-important role to play in preparing all the specialists required by this intricate machine that mining is. All the different disciplines of engineering, health, social and -managerial sciences are needed for the good functioning of the mining industry. Although they are all essential, some will play a more important role as a member of the structure. In this discussion it is the role of the most important member, the mining engineer, who is actually responsible for the extraction of the minerals from the earth's crust that must be established. From this we will then be able to analyse his responsibilities and try to suggest the mining engineering program most suitable to prepare this engineer for his future role."

Jan 1, 1972