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The development of Western Mining Corporation's first commercial gold heap leaching operation is described. The laboratory testwork requirements for determining the amenability of ore to heap leaching techniques is discussed. Heap construction and operating practices are described; and production statistics and operating parameters are presented. It is shown that for a specific low grade gold ore a treatment cost optimization can be performed. Taking cognizance of the ore grade, percentage gold recovery, operating costs, and the gold sale price, it can be determined whether Carbon-In-Pulp (C-I-P) or Heap Leaching should be employed as the extraction process. The examples presented in this paper refer specifically to Kambalda and should not be used in themselves as generalities.

Jan 1, 1987

The banded iron formations "jasper bars," jaspilites, banded hematite quartzites or banded ironstones, etc., as they have. variously been termed in Western Australia, constitute one of the most striking features of the Pre-Cambrian in this State. They occur in at least two distinct divisions of the Pre-Cambrian, viz., in horizons interbedded with quartzites, shales and thin bedded dolomite in the N~llagine (Proterozoic) Series; and amongst the Older Pre-Cambrian rocks, associated with the metamorphosed sediments of the Jimperding-Chittering Series, the Yilgarn Whitestone Series and the Mosquito Creek Series, and interbedded with metamorphosed basic lavas, tuffs and sediments of the Older prenstone or Kalgoorlie Series.In the Hamersley Ranges in the north-west of Western Australia banded ferroginous cherts are well developed amongst the horizontal sediments of Nullagine Age. These iron formations have recently sprung into prominence as they have been found to form the host rocks for important deposits of· blue asbestos. They are closely comparable with the unique crocidolite-bearing banded ironstones of the Cape Province, South Africa, and have been described elsewhere in some detail by the writer. (1) t .The banded iron formations with which it is intended to deal principally in the following pages, form most abundantly in the Central and Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia where they form portions of the Older Greenstone or Kalgoorlie Series of auriferous rocks. In these regions their chemical inertness and physical hardness provide considerable resistance to the agents of erosion and consequently they frequently stand out in strong topographic relief in otherwise monotonously flat or gently rolling country. These banded-iron formations have proved of considerable direct economic importance in the goldfields and in other portions of the State because of thei!! associations with 'gold, iron -and to' a lesser extent, manganese; whilst indirectly because of their peculiar nature, form and topographic prominence, etc, they have been of tremendous assistance to the field geologist both in the practical application of methods of geological mapping and in the' elucidation of geological structures. Finally, they have recently acquired a new importance in the specialised search for ore-bearing lodes or for structural information over areas of soil-covered country, as their form and composition make them ideal subjects for the use of either electrical or m!1-gnetic methods of geophysical prospecting.

Jan 1, 1941

Development of aggregate resources for use in structural concrete has been encouraged in Japan to support infrastructure improvement and national land conservation. Natural aggregate is a valuable resource necessary for sound economic development, and its importance is growing. After completion of aggregate mining projects, planting and afforestation are implemented. But sandy soil in excavation sites is not optimum for the growth of vegetation, and many years are needed before forests are restored. Planting techniques should be improved to support efficient reforestation in a shorter period of time. For this purpose, problems hampering growth of vegetation must to be solved through application of physical and physicochemical techniques to ensure that the environment and the ecosystem will be conserved in project sites.

Dec 6, 2010

By N A. Sikwa, L M. van Niekerk, G N. Ndlovu

In June 2012, Lucara Diamond Corporation officially commissioned its Karowe Diamond Mine in Letlhakane, Botswana. The processing plant circuit incorporates variable speed autogeneous milling, a first for African diamond processing - only previously practiced in Russia. The paper discusses the basis for the selection of milling against the more traditional circuits incorporating crushing and scrubbing. It covers early commissioning challenges of operating a mill in an æalien environmentÆ with no immediate reference plant to look up to for bench-marking.The paper describes how these challenges were overcome and learnings quickly incorporated into the mill operating philosophy for maximum diamond liberation and minimum product damage. The plant was commissioned in three months and by August 2012 the production ramp up had reached name-plate capacity. The feed to the mill has varied from highly weathered material to extremely hard kimberlite and the operating philosophy had to be optimised for the full range of ore types. While more work is required to stretch the mill operating envelope coupled with other circuit additions to improve liberation of fine diamonds at minimum capital expenditure, the mill has, to date, performed to its billing.CITATION:van Niekerk, L M, Ndlovu, G N and Sikwa, N A, 2013. Commissioning and operating an autogeneous mill at Karowe Diamond Mine, in Proceedings MetPlant 2013 , pp 215-228 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Jul 15, 2013

Wetting Characteristics of Mineral Surfaces - Contact Angle Measurements through Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Sep 13, 2010

A President, soon after he is appointed, sees looming ahead of him the Presidential Address; and in something approaching despair wonders what he can possibly talk about which might hold the interest of his audience. After various casts about, it occurred to me that perhaps prospecting, and more particularly prospecting in Australia, might provide a subject. This is because, 'in the first place, 'prospecting is passing from the stage of chance surface discovery to that of systematic search applying scientific methods to theproblems involved, and in the second, it is the section of the industry with which I have been concerned through much of my: working life. As it makes an address of this sort more interesting if it includes specific reference to actual experience, I hope you will bear with me in such references to actual prospecting as I may use to illustrate the argument. Prospecting has always carried the glamour of sudden wealth. The picture of the prospector engaged, perhaps for years, in fruitless search suddenly coming on riches beyondhis hopes is, deeply etched in the Australian imagination. In few other places has the fervour of prospecting run higher than it did in Victoria in the generation beginning little more than a century ago following the discovery of gold.People arrived from overseas in great numbers. Most of them proceeded to: the goldfields. They moved in thousands from new find to new find. In 'so doing' they determined much of the course of the State's development. The experience of prospectors led them to formulate all sorts of theories little impeded by awkward facts, to account for the apparently unpredictable occurrence of gold.The ideas which men followed, occasionally to success, and which they were prepared to back with all they had were strange and, various, many stories are told of them.

Jan 1, 1959

By Robson W. D, Irwin D. A

In November, 1932, an investigation of silicosis was undertaken at the, McIntyre Porcupine Mine, Schumacher, Ont., atfer a discussion of the problem with Sir Frederick Banting and his, staff. As a result it was decided to carry on dusting experiments with animals at the mine in a manner that would duplicate as far as possible actual industrial conditions.At that time 50, guinea pigs were placed in the crusher nouse tunnel of the mill where a considerable quantity of fine dust, containing approximately 35 per cent., of free silica, was being constantly produced. These animals lived in this atmosphere for periods up to one year, and, while on autopsy large amounts of dust were found in the lungs, not a single case of silicosis had developed. These negative results suggested, among other things, that the mine gases might be a predisposing factor in the production of silicosis, and the results of this investigation led us to undertake the study of the hydrogen-ion concentration of the condensate of the atmosphere, both in the mine and in various sections of the mill.The C02 combining power of blood serum on a series of 400 miners was also studied at this time. While these results were inconclusive, the variation in the hydrogen-ion concentration of the condensate between the surface and underground atmospheres encouraged us to investigate the effect of neutral, weak acid and alkaline solutions on the solubility of silicious materials. Gye and Purdy were the first to point out that the chemical reaction and not the physical presence of silicious material was responsible for the production of the fibrosis in silicosis. This work was investigated by Gardner and Cummings who showed that the tissue reaction to quartz was definitely proportional to the size of the particle. They found that 1-3 micron particles of quartz produced an acute proliferative fibrotic response while the 10-12 micron particles produced only a foreign body reaction up to a period of three years. It is accepted that the dangerous silica particles retained by the lung are under 5 microns in diameter. We assumed that if the solubility of the silicious material retained in the lung could be reduced sufficiently by the addition of some non-toxic element or compound the usual fibrotic respohse would be modified. We found that the addition of certain compounds to silica would reduce its solubility in the beaker to a slight extent. But these compounds, when mixed with quartz...

Jan 1, 1945

IN 1906, soon after his arrival in New Zealand, a brief article was prepared by the writer on "The Salient Features of the Economic Geology of New Zealand," for the Journal of Economic Geology. In November, 1907, a somewhat similar paper, entitled "The Mineral Wealth of New Zealand," was read at the Royal Colonial Institute in London. The present contribution to the Transactions...

Jan 1, 1909

Au-Ag Recovery from Complex Ore by Flotation

Sep 13, 2010

A commercial Philips X-ray Fluorescence (X.R.F.) analyser was converted to an experimental instrument suitable for determination of the accuracy to be expected of X.R.F. on line analyses of concentrator slurries. Problems with stability of slurry sample presentation were eliminated by a number of minor modifications.By the use of multiple linear regression techniques instrument calibration equations including error terms were determined for copper flotation feed slurries. Results indicated that the accuracy of copper and iron analyses of flowing slurry samples could approach that of static pressed powder samples.Possible means of reducing the error terms to a level of at least that of pressed powdel' samples involve alternative methods of compensating for the per cent solids in the slurry, Design is under way for installation of a plant unit.

Jan 1, 1968

Refractory gold ores have been the subject of intensive metallurgical study in order to achieve more efficient recovery of contained values and at the same time to minimise environmental impact. Considerable innovative gold processing technology was introduced in New Zealand last century, the most notable being the first successful commercialisation of the cyanidation process by the Crown Mines Company at Karangahake in 1889. The Karangahake gold-silver deposit was second only +to the Waihi Martha mine in total bullion production from the region with active mining from 1882 until about 1920 and sporadic production between 1930 and 1944. Reevaluation at Karangahake with associated metallurgical testing has continued since that time becoming particularly active in the last decade as a result of increasing gold prices. Gold processing technology is reviewed and results of some recent test work are presented and discussed in the context of Karangahake history and future development possibilities. This work confirms the variability and complexity of the Karangahake deposit both mineralogically and metallurgically and suggests flotation followed by new and innovative smelting is the most appropriate processing route for the recovery of gold from the high grade ore which could be produced from the Karangahake workings in moderate tonnages.

Jan 1, 1993

Several glacial episodes have been distinguished in the Shotover Valley. These produced fluvioglacial aggradational deposits downvalley from the terminii, commonly with well-preserved terrace treads, as exemplified near Skippers. Chronological links can be determined between the Shotover tills and sediments and assessed equivalent deposits in the Wakatipu Basin/Kawarau Valley region through axial valley profiling. Constructed relationships suggest older Shotover events were probably large and left little detrital deposits within the valley. In contrast, the younger advances were smaller and valley-constrained. They are modelled as being wholly of Waimea or Otira Glaciation age, advances from the latter period producing the visually distinctive flights of terraceremnants. Both the terraces and the inner gorge, now occupied by the Shotover River, have been extensively worked for alluvial gold. Enrichments in the former environment have predominantly been as bottom or intermediate lags produced during degradation phases of catchment erosion. Surface lags have been locally targeted. Placer mining in terrace areas involved both tunnelling and sluicing techniques. In the modem river the greatest concentrations were on the schist or false bottoms, although flood gold has always contributed to the returns. Placer mining techniques here were highly variable.

Jan 1, 1998

Waitemata Tectonic Event(25 Ma ago) created a subduction system from the northeast of Northland, causing: (1) the emplacement of the Northland Allochthon (24-23 Ma) which provided argillaceous limestone and serpentine to Northland, and minor copper to both there and East Cape (located off Northland then); and (2) Northland volcanism (from 22 Ma), which lacked economic mineralisation. The Kiwitahi Tectonic Event (1714 Ma) caused: (1) a realignment of volcanism - from coastal western Northland, to west of the Hauraki Plains (Kiwitahi); (2) a start to the migration southwards from Northland of (a) the Alpine Fault System towards Marlborough today, (b) subduction towards Cook Strait, and (c) volcanism towards Taranaki-to-Bay of Plenty (initially through Coromandel, Kiwitahi, and offshore west coast); and (3) a start to rhyolitic volcanism & associated hydrothermal activity. The latter caused epithermal mineralisation, providing in Coromandel the best known North Island metalliferous deposits. Andesitic volcanism has been active in both of these two contrasting, subequal belts since 22 Ma. Rhyolitic volcanism and hydrothermal activity was wholly restricted to the eastern Marshall Belt, with an abrupt limit to economic mineralisation at the Volcanic Divide (within Hauraki Plains) and a major change there to basaltic volcanism of the western Searle Belt. The Kaimai Tectonic Event (5-1.5 Ma) caused: (1) a temporary reversal in volcanic migration in the Searle Belt, and a duplication of rhyolitic & hydrothermal activity at Waihi (Marshall Belt); (2) the rotational rifting of both the Central Volcanic Region (by 30¦) and the Hauraki Rift (10¦), causing major curvature of the North Island and New Zealand, and the transfer of the offshore subduction system from Coromandel to East Coast; and (3) an effective end to Coromandel mineralisation. Post-Kaimai Volcanism (1.5-0 Ma) included: (1) andesitic volcanism in the Searle Belt, yielding the western coastal titanomagnetite deposits; and (2) andesitic, and rhyolitic & hydrothermal activity in the Marshall Belt - the latter providing geothermal energy, sulphur, and pumice/perlite deposits. Post-Subduction (Intraplate) Volcanism (10-0 Ma) developed in a steadily expanding northwest region of relative tectonic quiescence, as subduction and its volcanism migrated southwards. Intraplate volcanism was predominantly basaltic, providing excellent aggregate; but less common rhyolitic & hydrothermal activity provided geothermal potential and mercury at Ngawha and at Puhipuhi, and halloysitic clays of extreme brightness elsewhere in Northland. This volcanism has reached as far SE as Mayor Island, providing an early New Zealand mineral resource - obsidian.

Jan 1, 1997

By Kanau JL, Kilgour I

This paper describes the metallurgical processes at the 80 000tpd Ok Tedi Mining Limited concentrator, which treats copper- gold ore by single-stage crushing, SAG and ball milling and flotation to produce over 500 000tpa of concentrate. Plant and process developments, including installation of column cells, reduction of fluorine in concentrate, use of sulphidisation and process control improve- ments are also discussed.

Jan 1, 1991

The Mount Lyell Mining Field is Australia's chief productive source of copper. It is situated near Queenstown, on the western flanks of the West Coast Ranges, about 20 miles from the west coast of Tasmania (Fig. 1).The following observations on the mineral composition of the copper ores of the Mount Lyell Field are based on a...

Jan 1, 1939

By J Bresnahan, D Kepert, R Murray, R Neroni

Stratigraphy of the Hamersley Province in Western Australia, featuring alternating units of banded iron formations and shales with contrasting electrical properties in a mostly gently undulating shallow-dipping layered geometry, is particularly favourable to airborne time-domain electromagnetic mapping techniques. Manipulated vertical cross-sections of modelled conductivity obtained from laterally constrained one-dimensional inversion of SkyTEM304 data enable the exploration geologist to interpret weathering profiles, shallow-dipping stratigraphy and steep structures, all of which are crucial aspects of bedded iron ore deposits genesis models.The Cobra Project is located 14 km east of the NNW-trending Menindee Fault Zone, which defines the western margin of the Hamersley Province, Western Australia. The region comprises an extensive plateau of Brockman Iron Formation cut by a series of horst and grabens with a regional dextral strike-slip component. The 150° striking horst and grabens and associated 060° striking conjugate faults have approximate frequencies of 400 and 2000 m, respectively, and control the bulk of the iron mineralisation. Syn to late 150° trending dykes in part intrude the faults.In the Cobra region, elucidating the structurally dislocated stratigraphy without closely spaced drilling is very challenging. Geological mapping is hindered by the paucity of mappable stratigraphic markers within the banded iron formations and kinematic indicators. Airborne magnetic and remote sensing data sets highlight the dense lineament network, but provide limited assistance in quantifying relatively small apparent displacements, or distinguishing faults from dykes with reasonable confidence.Interpretation of modelled conductivity cross-sections generated from laterally constrained one-dimensional inversion of airborne electromagnetic method (AEM) data offers invaluable insight where the quality of mapping or drilling is wanting. Subsequent targeted field checking and infill drilling validated the geological model interpreted from the integration of these data sets.The AEM technique alone cannot decipher the complex geological environments often present in the Hamersley Province but can facilitate effective iron ore exploration by focusing precious field time and assisting structural and stratigraphic interpretations in areas with sporadic and shallow geological data.CITATION:Murray, R, Neroni, R, Kepert, D and Bresnahan, J, 2017. Using airborne electromagnetics to solve a structurally complex geological puzzle in the Hamersley Province, Western Australia, in Proceedings Iron Ore 2017, pp 269–276 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Jul 24, 2017

By G Veillette, B Parker, S Hart

This paper provides a history of the challenges that were experienced while treating both the clayey oxide gold ores and the supergene copper-gold ores at the Boddington Gold Mine during the period 1989 to 2001. However the bigger challenge was to find a process flow sheet that would allow the economic treatment of the large low-grade competent gold-copper resource that underlies the oxide and supergene gold resource. Metallurgical test work and engineering studies on this resource started in the mid 1990s and culminated in the approval in 2006 of the 35 Mtpa Boddington Expansion Project to treat this material. The process flow sheet provides the basis of an energy efficient comminution circuit that includes high pressure grinding rolls and a treatment circuit with gravity separation, flash and conventional flotation to produce a precious metal low-grade copper concentrate followed by cyanide leaching of the rougher-scavenger and cleaner tailings streams. The treatment circuit allows maximum removal of copper minerals prior to cyanide leaching and so provides an environmentally responsible tailings disposal circuit.

Jan 1, 2007

By G A. Ekama

This paper describes a novel system for the biological sulfate reduction (BSR) of acid mine drainage (AMD) using primary sewage sludge (PSS) as carbon source in an upflow anaerobic sludge bed (UASB) reactor configuration. A UASB reactor was operated at a temperature of 35¦C and it received PSS (1875 mg/L COD) augmented with sulfate (1500 mg/L SO42-). The experimental results indicate that a high treatment efficiency was achieved at more than 90 per cent sulfate reduction at a liquid hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 13.5 h. In this study, the effects of various operational parameters were also investigated. The effect of a biomass recycle stream from the top to the bottom of the sludge bed was found to initiate rapid BSR from the bottom of the bed. Profile tests showed that effective and immediate sulfate reduction was achieved as soon as the influent entered the reactor. From these results, it can be concluded that the UASB configuration using PSS as energy source would be a viable method for the BSR of AMD.

Jan 1, 2009

By R L. Brathwaite

As part of an investigation of the deep structure of the Waihi Basin, an extensive set of resistivity measurements was recently collected by DSIR Geology & Geophysics. The objective of this work is to map deep resistivity changes throughout the Waihi area in order to contribute to a better understanding of the regional geophysical structure. This research is also aimed at improving techniques for locating 'deposits of epithermal mineral resources, and helping to establish their origin and genetic relationship to fossil geothermal systems.   The results indicate that the basin south of Waihi is underlain by an extensive layer of low resistivity, modelled as a 5ohm-m layer several hundred metres thick. Lake sediments (mudstones), as exposed in the south western part of the basin, near Waitawheta, are the most likely source of this low resistivity layer, although hydrothermally altered clays and/or elevated temperatures are other possible causes. Strong northeast trending anisotropy is also observed, implying structural links from Waitawheta through to Golden Valley. The observed resistivity pattern is consistent with a æburied calderaÆ or æfaulted depressionÆ structural model for the basin, as inferred from gravity and magnetic data.

Jan 1, 1991

By Warren L. J

The effectiveness of shear-flocculation as a method for upgrading simple mixtures of ultrafine (1-11 \lm) scheelite and garnet was evaluated. Statistical methods were used in the design and analysis of the main test program.The stirrer speed, stirring time, and initial weight ratio were all found to have significant effects on both the recovery and grade of the floes produced. The particle sizes also had an effect on the final grade. There were several important interactions between factors which also affected the results. Optimum conditions for shear-flocculation were established, and under these conditions about 80 per cent of the scheelite could be recovered at a grade which depended on the composition of the starting mixture. Starting with mixtures containing 10 and 50 per cent scheelite, the best final grades were between 20 and 50 per cent and between 70 and 90 per cent respectively, the actual value depending on the particular combination of particle sizes.

Jan 1, 1977