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By G. S. Hume

FOR MANY YEARS Canada lived in the hope of attaining a substantial production of petroleum and natural gas that, to geologists familiar with the sedimentary basins of this country, seemed an entirely reasonable expectation. There have been surges of exploration activity stimulated by oil and gas discoveries and development such as occurred in Turner Valley. However, it was not until the Leduc field in Alberta was found in 1947, and the significance of that discovery was realized, that the search became really intensive and continuons. Expansion now has become a matter-of-fact attitude based on results which would have been considered impossible of achievement a few years ago.

Jan 1, 1957

By L. M. Dwarkin

Introduction Avital factor in the success of any coal mining operation is the method of roof support employed. A coal seam in? place has been described as the filling in a geological sandwich and the process of mining as the art of snatching the filling from the midst of the sandwich. The difficulty of this task can be appreciated -in the realization of the tremendous weight bearing on a coal seam due to overlying strata; a weight that can exert pressures of several thousand pounds per square inch. Over the years that mining has been carried on, methods have been evolved by arduous trial and error, making possible the successful extraction of billions of tons of coal. However, these time-proven methods are not enough. The constant demand for faster and cheaper production, the necessity of mining under increasingly difficult conditions, and the requirement for higher standards of safety, call for ever better and more efficient roof support. A recent and very promising development in answer to this need is that of Roof Bolting. Roof Support in General Before proceeding to the subject proper, a brief discussion of the older roof support methods is of value in illuminating the difficulties involved and the problems to be solved.

Jan 1, 1951

By A. J. Brown

This paper presents an economic evaluation of resin ion exchange and solvent extraction for the purification and concentration of uraniferous solutions derived from sulphuric acid leaching operations. Capital and operating costs are related to the uranium tenors of pregnant solutions. The conclusions drawn herein apply only to cases where resin and liquid ion exchange are technically feasible process alternatives. It is shown that solvent extraction is economically favoured for pregnant solutions at tenors greater than 0.90 gpl U3O8. Pregnant solutions with tenors below 0.35 gpl U3O8 are best treated by resin ion exchange. Between these concentrations, the economics are marginal and the favoured process is indistinguishable within the limits of accuracy of this study.

Jan 1, 1979

By R. J. R. Welwood, F. J. Grebenc

"Brunswick Mining and Smelting Corporation Ltd. (controlled by Noranda Mines Limited) operates two lead-zinccopper- silver mines approximately 20 miles inland from Bathurst, N.B. The principal No. 12 orebody is mined by underground methods; the second, the No. 6 orebody (6 miles away), is recovered by open-pit mining. No. 12 underground operations ar•e in two parallel massive sulphide orebodies about 400 ft apart, dipping at 75 to 80 degrees and plunging almost vertically. The initial mining phase involved longhole open stoping from the 1550 level to the crown pillar, with main levels at 150-ft intervals and sub-levels between at 75 ft. Stope dimensions average 120 ft long, 100 ft wide and 400 ft high, with alternate rib pillars as well as sill and crown pillars. Initially, ore was transferred through scram drifts below each stope by means of 125-hp electric slushers and 72-in. folding scrapers, being delivered to gravity ore-pass collection •systems feeding a primary jaw crusher below. Later, track and trackless drawpoints were utilized below most longhole open stopes and pillars. Rib pillars were recovered by longhole methods, with large blasts into a central slot and undercut, after adjacent stopes had been filled. Waste-rock stripping from No. 6 open pit has been supplied to No. 12 stopes as backfill, by means of gravityfill raises.In 1968, the decision was made to mine the remaining ore zones by mechanized cut-and-fill methods, utilizing Load-Haul-Dump equipment. Currently, approximately 60 per cent of No. 12 mine production comes from mechanized cut-and-fill mining. As before, backfill is supplied from No. 6 open pit stripping waste rock, which has been crushed to minus 6 in. The ultimate objective is to supply virtually all production requirements by mechanized cut-and-fill techniques. The No. 6 open pit, which commenced production in 1966, covers an area of 1,500 by 1,200 ft, equivalent to 41 acres approximately. Ramp roads are graded at 8.5 per cent. Each mining bench is 36 ft high and the ultimate pit will consist of 14 benches for a final pit depth of 504 ft. Present depth is 180 ft."

Jan 1, 1971

By G. Granata, C. Tokoro, M. Matsuoka, K. Horiuchi

"Given the high demand of copper and the lack of new high-grade deposits, low grade copper ores containing copper oxides and refractory sulfides need to be processed as well. However, in order to recover copper from refractory copper ores, the leaching performances should be improved. In this study, we investigated the effect of the mechanical activation in the leaching of copper from covellite. The influence of a mechanical treatment by planetary ball milling on leaching rate in sulfuric leaching media was evaluated by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), mineral liberation analysis (MLA) and X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS). Results showed a significant increase in copper leaching from around 50%up to 100% along with an improvement of the leaching kinetics when using planetary ball milling. XRD spectra showed the disappearance of the covellite peak from (101) face, thus suggesting the amorphization of covellite associated with the use of planetary ball milling. XAFS results showed that the coordination number of Cu changed from 6 to 3, thereby confirming the effectiveness of the mechanochemical effect.INTRODUCTIONDuring the last decades, while the copper grade in copper ores has been decreasing, the concentration of impurities such as arsenic tends to increase, thus requiring for the processing of low grade copper ores. For a suitable processing of copper minerals, hydrometallurgical processes are preferable due to the lower costs, the lower environmental impact and the easier implementation (Watling, 2006). However, for an economical recovery of copper, the leaching performances must be improved.Among the recent advancements in leaching technologies, the mechanochemical activation allows for an improvement of the leaching performances by means of high-intensity grinding(Mohammadabad et al., 2016). In the first place, the improvement is the result of the dramatic decrease of particle size, which results in an increase of the mineral surface area and the consequent enhancement of leaching kinetics. Furthermore, the intense mechanical stress due to the high-intensity grinding could induce the rupture of the crystal structure producing a decrease of crystallinity. Such changes of the mineralogical structure, also known as mechanochemical effect, can lead to more leachable mineral, thereby resulting in a greater dissolution of copper. Last but not least, whereas the mineral surface might undergo passivation during leaching, the high-intensity grinding can continuously refresh the surface of the mineral, thus exposing portions of unleached bulk mineral."

Jan 1, 2017

By D. G. Crosby

This paper defines the Canadian offshore areas, comparing the juridical continental shelf with the physical one. The question of jurisdiction and ownership is dealt with, and the setting out of resource administration lines to divide areas of federal and provincial administration is explained and illustrated. Offshore activity is reviewed and prospective areas for future work are mentioned.

Jan 1, 1969

By D. B. Dreisinger, D. G. Dixon, G. Nazari

"The kinetics of chalcopyrite leaching in acidic ferric/ferrous sulfate media under atmospheric conditions in the presence of pyrite has been investigated. It has been found that pyrite samples from different sources affect the rate of chalcopyrite leaching differently. A strong correlation between the amount of silver associated with the pyrite and its effectiveness has been noted. In this study, improvement of the catalytic properties of pyrite such that all pyrite samples accelerate the rate of copper extraction regardless of their sources is demonstrated, and a detailed discussion of the mechanisms involved in the process of chalcopyrite leaching in the presence of silverenhanced pyrite is presented. INTRODUCTIONIt is well known that chalcopyrite resists leaching in sulfate media. It has been proved that pyrite facilitates the leaching of chalcopyrite (Berry et al., 1978; Dixon et al., 2008; Mehta and Murr, 1983; Muñoz et al., 2008; Nowak et al., 1984, Tshilombo, 2004). Considering the catalytic effects of pyrite on accelerating the kinetics of chalcopyrite leaching, Dixon and Tshilombo (2005) have developed a new process, known as Galvanox™, which has several advantages over other hydrometallurgical processes. Galvanox™ runs under atmospheric conditions, so it requires only low-cost leaching tanks. The sulfur yield at this temperature is high (>95%) which leads to low oxygen consumption and low sulfuric acid generation. The operating temperature is below the melting point of sulfur which eliminates the use of surfactants. This process also does not require fine grinding. Reaction 1 shows the overall leaching reaction in the Galvanox™ process.CuFeS2 + O2 + 2 H2SO4 = CuSO4 + FeSO4 + 2 S0 + 2 H2O (1)Complete copper recovery from the Galvanox™ process can be achieved at a considerably higher rate than other atmospheric ferric sulfate leaching processes (Dixon et al., 2008). Recycling pyrite and recovering copper from tailings with the Galvanox™ process have also been evaluated in continuous pilot leaching campaigns (Dixon et al., 2007)."

Jan 1, 2012

By V. Songmene, R. Khettabi, J. Masounave, R. D. Njoya

L'augmentation régulière des règlements environnementaux et de la sécurité au travail deviennent de plus en plus strictes. L'usinage fait partie des opérations industrielles qui peuvent causer des problèmes de santé au travail et sur l'environnement. La plupart des particules de poussières produites pendant toutes les opérations d'usinage à sec ou lubrifie causent des nuisances environnementales graves. Le travail propose étudie l’influence des paramètres de coupe, des alliages et des états des matériaux sur la formation des copeaux et sur la génération de poussière lors de l'usinage à sec. Deux modes d'usinage (le fraisage et le perçage) sont abordés. Une loi reliant la ténacité des matériaux aux émissions de poussières est proposée. Les effets des matériaux et de leurs conditions, ainsi que des procédés d'usinage sur la génération des poussières ont été mis en évidence. Des mécanismes de formation de poussières sont identifiés et reliés à la formation des copeaux.

Jan 1, 2006

By T. Feldmann, G. P. Demopoulos

The feasibility of chloride leaching processes depends on interfacing them with cost-effective HCl regeneration technologies. This paper summarizes the most important findings of research conducted in the past 3 years concerned with a novel process to regenerate high-strength HCl from concentrated CaCl2 solutions at temperatures below 100°C, via reaction of CaCl2 with H2SO4 resulting in the formation of calcium sulfate phases (gypsum, a-hemihydrate or anhydrite). From constant supersaturation semi-batch experiments in pure solution it was found that the crystal growth rate of hemihydrate, and hence the particle size, was influenced by the rate of reagent (Ca2+, SO4 2-) supply to the reactor. Additionally, growth studies of DH in presence of impurities (K+, Mg2+, Sr2+, Ba2+, Fe2+/3+, Al3+, La3+, Y3+, F- and PO4 3-) showed that specifically Sr2+ and PO4 3- are taken up during crystal growth. Furthermore, it was found that decreasing water activity (via different HCl/CaCl2 concentrations) and increasing temperature reduce the metastable life-time of DH and HH by increasing the phase transformation speed. The DH/HH transformation was identified to be dissolution-precipitation based, while HH to AH is a topochemical process. Finally, continuous experiments on bench scale are underway to confirm the feasibility of the process to obtain super-azeotropic strength HCl with up to 9 mol/L (~30wt.%) from 5 mol/L CaCl2 (~40wt.%) solution.

Jan 1, 2014

By J. H. Pee, Y. J. Kim, H. U. Lee, G. H. Kim

The general recycling process of tungsten scrap to produce tungsten raw materials (tungstic acid, ammonium paratungstate (APT) and WO3) have been carried out by the oxidation, milling, sodium-fusion, dissolution, and extraction processes. Many studies on the high temperature oxidation of tungsten scrap have investigated various aspects such as swelling kinetics, fracture resistance, and the effect of alloying composition. However, the accelerating factors on the scrap oxidation rate during oxidation were not considered here. In general, oxidized products were fused with sodium carbonate or sodium hydroxide to produce Na2WO4. Later in the process, solid Na2WO4 was dissolved in water. This process required considerable reaction time and was a costly process. Therefore, the aim of this study was to increase the solubility of solid oxidized products to produce Na2WO4 solution by hydrothermal reflux method. Na2WO4 solution was used to produce CaWO4 and H2WO4 by general chemical reactions with calcium chloride and hydrochloric acid. Ammonia solution was also added to the tungstic acid to produce APT. In this study, the effect of ammonia addition on the APT precipitation process was investigated in detail.

Jan 1, 2015

By B. A. Monkman

"IntroductionONE OF :THE most effective methods by which the construction industry is combatting mounting building costs is by making increased use of lightweight materials, thus reducing the dead load to be carried •by structures. This applies to non-metallic materials as well as to metallic ones, and particular attention has been given to developing lightweight aggregates for use in concrete.The use of lightweight aggregates is not new and, in fact, dates back to the Roman Empire, when pumice was used in the walls and domes of the Roman buildings. More recently, and up to a decade or so ago, the demand for these aggregates was met from deposits of volcanic cinders, pumice, scoria, etc., and from the by-products of blast furnaces and coal burning boilers. However, these sources of supply are no longer sufficient to meet the demand, for transportation costs pretty well restrict the use of the natural lightweight aggregates to the western cordillera regions where the deposits of these materials occur, and the use of expanded slag aggregates to the areas neighbouring the plants where slags are produced. As for cinders, the supply has been greatly reduced by the conversion of industry to fuel oil, natural gas, and powdered coal, and the large stockpiles which existed previously have been pretty well exhausted.Industry's approach to the problem of a decreasing supply, in the face of an increasing demand, has been characteristically direct. The solution has been to construct plants whose sole .purpose is to produce economically an acceptable light-weight aggregate from materials close at hand."

Jan 1, 1955

By Witold J. S. Ostrowski

Stabilization of water-bearing sediments by the freezing method for shaft sinking has been used for over 80 years on the European Continent. The real application of this method in Canada started with the development of the potash mines in Saskatchewan during the past fifteen years. The great depth to which it is applied creates a number of problems which have to be seriously considered by engineers in order to produce a safe and economical design. Freezing depth, thickness of the ice wall, number of the freeze holes, capacity of the freezing plant, pre-freezing time, etc., are the most important points which have to be established. Recent field experience in freezing to great depth in the Saskatchewan area is immensely interesting and important for further development of our potash mining and the application of the freezing method.

Jan 1, 1967

By G. D. Garland

"IntroductionALTHOUGH the presence of rock salt in the Carboniferous basin of northern Nova Scotia has been known for at least one hundred and twenty years, and salt has been mined at Malagash continuously since 1919, certain characteristics of the deposits make exploration by drilling or surface examination difficult. The surface rocks of the basin are, in general, of Pennsylvanian age, while the salt occurs in the Mississippian Windsor group. The latter rocks are brought to the surface only along anticlinal folds, or as irregular fault blocks. Because of the limited areal extent of these Windsor exposures, and their complicated internal structure, geophysical surveys, especially gravimetric, can be of considerable aid in outlining the more favourable areas.The present paper describes the results of recent investigations by the Dominion Observatory, in cooperation with the Nova Scotia Department of Mines. It includes a regional study of that section of the Cumberland basin lying between Springhill and Malagash ( Figure 1), and a much more detailed survey of the immediate vicinity of the Malagash deposit itself. This deposit had been studied by Miller (6, 7) with the torsion balance nearly twenty years before, and a direct comparison between the results given by the two types of instruments is therefore possible."

Jan 1, 1955

By J. Bouchard, A. Clapperton, L. Ebacher, N. Singh

"Canadian Royalties Inc. owns and exploits the Nunavik Nickel project: a copper and nickel deposit in Nunavik, Quebec. Froth flotation is used to produce nickel and copper concentrates. As is the case at other operations, the presence of magnesium is detrimental to the flotation products. In the past year, the exploitation of a new deposit has increased magnesium in the feed. Thus, it has been challenging to meet the required ratio in the final nickel concentrate. In search for a consistent solution for this problematic, an empirical flotation simulator making use of selectivity curves was developed. The circuit was expressed as a system of linear equations, which considered the distribution of copper, nickel and gangue minerals in the different streams. The relative quantities of each mineral are given by the separation efficiency curves of the various banks in the circuit. Three sources of data were used to calibrate the simulator: historical plant data (metallurgical balance), infinite dilution bench-scale flotation tests, and direct sampling of flotation cells. The calibrated separation curves were used to predict the recovery of the different species based on a single mineral recovery. Validation of the simulator showed good fit for the valuable minerals. The simulator was then used to infer the optimal operating conditions of the flotation circuit to optimise magnesium oxide content of the nickel concentrate. Simulation of two re-arrangements of the circuit gave a promising solution with a Fe:MgO ratio 2.42 times higher than the minimum value.INTRODUCTION Canadian Royalties Inc. owns and exploits the Nunavik Nickel project: a copper and nickel deposit in Nunavik, Quebec. Figure 1 shows the location of the mine site. After crushing and grinding, froth flotation is used to produce nickel and copper concentrates. The flotation circuit is designed with multiple stages consisting of bulk copper/nickel flotation, copper/nickel separation, and a separate nickel circuit (bulk float and cleaning)."

Jan 1, 2018

By Allan A. Este, Bruce Arthur

"Rio Algom's Stanleigh Mine and Mill Operation Was' officially started up in August 1983. In September 1982, Rio Algom contracted Estonix International Inc. from Lively, Ontario, to develop and implement two innovative programs: (1) Work Renovation Planning, and (2) Systems Performance Training. This paper deals with the development and implementation of these two concepts relative to the plants technology from start-up to present and the exceptional results achieved. This paper discusses how a small but motivated workforce resulted in the smooth transition from startup to full production. It also deals with how these concepts were applied elsewhere in the organization which permitted a successful transition and downsizing of the over-all operation.IntroductionRio Algom Limited produces uranium in Elliot Lake, Ontario. In the late 1970s Rio Algom entered a contract with Ontario Hydro to supply uranium from its Stanleigh property, which had been idle since 1960. The mine was subsequently upgraded, and a new modem mill was designed and built, commencing operation in 1983.From then until September 1990,Rio Algom had three producing mines and mills in the Elliot Lake area. Quirke mill, with a capacity of 6350 tonnes per day, operated continuously from 1968. The Panel mill with a 3000 tonnes per day capacity, operated since 1979. Stanleigh mill continues to operate under long-term contracts, although at a production rate about 25070 lower than its rated capacity of 5000 tonnes per day.Both the Quirke and Panel mills, although not entirely similar, were conventional uranium mills utilizing crushing, grinding, leaching and ion exchange. As such, and in keeping with the traditional management style, there was a rather large mill operating workforce, which utilized a line-of-progression job classification system."

Jan 1, 1993

By M. Zamalloa, P. J. Mackey, P. Coursol, Y. Prévost

"Over the last decade or so, the availability of commercial thermodynamic modelling packages, such as FactSageTM, have been utilized to help the plant optimize slag chemistry and to minimize slag handling issues that can arise, such as those due to a process upset, for example, by undue feed variability. This paper illustrates an extension of the application of this software in examining a large range of NCV operating parameters, such as the %Fe/SiO2 ratio in the slag and the level of minor gangue components in the slag including CaO, Al2O3, ZnO, MgO, and PbO. The conditions influencing the slag liquidus range of NCV slag are discussed with respect to the overall process chemistry.Given that a sufficiently low %Fe/SiO2 ratio is used in NCV slag, most components such as CaO-ZnOPbO- Al2O3-MgO, in small concentration, all contribute to lowering the NCV slag liquidus. Considering the present level of these minor components, the NCV can operate consistently at 1200°C if the %Fe/SiO2 is between 0.6 and 0.8 in the slag. Using the type of phase diagrams presented in this paper, it is possible to develop different Noranda reactor/Noranda converter operating strategies adapted to the feedstocks available at Xstrata mines/plants or from other sources. The NCV is unique in that a fayalite-based slag is employed for high-efficiency continuous converting with excellent operating results."

Jan 1, 2007

"INTRODUCTION Secondary mine ventilation has been hamstrung by the availability of fans that satisfy many competing operational factors. The sometimes legislated requirement of adequate volume to the working face, the minimisation of excavation required to fit the selected secondary fan and the power requirements of various operational phases has, in the past, not been satisfied with just one system. The new system being introduced overcomes all these competing requirements in one simple unit with an added bonus of being very durable without loss of performance when wear occurs on the impeller. Existing Operational Situation Several studies (e.g., CIPEC, 2005; LCG Energy Management Group, 2009) have found that between 42% and 49% of mining energy costs are associated with mine ventilation, depending on the type of mine and the equipment used. If we then look at the general breakdown of installed power of the secondary fan to primary vent fans, the ratio is around 2:1. Thus the total energy costs of the secondary ventilation represents about 25% of the overall mining energy costs. It is of interest to note that the cost of running a typical two stage axial vs the cost of purchasing and general maintenance cost of the same fan over a 10 year period, the breakdown will be conservatively in the order of 40:1.The currently available secondary ventilation axial fan have one duty curve at any given time. Generally this can be changed manually within the motor power parameters but requires a minor outage and removal of the fan to do the pitch adjustments. As the bag vent ducts grow longer, the supplied air reduces to a point where inadequate air is supplied to the working face. This is exacerbated by underground equipment putting additional resistance in the heading and further reducing the supplied air at the working face. This shortfall is normally corrected by the installation of an additional fan in the system to overcome losses in the bag system but comes at a cost of production as the heading needs to be shutdown to install the second fan. This also means that the heading is supplied with excessive air on the shorter runs with a wastage of fan power."

Jan 1, 2019

By S. E. Kesler, C. M. Moore, J. C. Van Loon

The possibility that chlorine and fluorine form complexes with ore metals, thereby having a strong effect on the mobility of these ore metals during late magmatic and hydrothermal processes, suggests that the abundance of chlorine and fluorine in igneous rocks could be used to distinguish intrusions that have generated ore deposits. The simplest and most economical measure of this chlorine and fluorine is the water-leachable chloride and fluoride that is released from fluid inclusions in the rock during crushing of the sample. In order to evaluate the possible use of this technique, measurements of water-leachable chloride and fluoride were made with selective ion electrodes on samples from nine intrusive complexes. There does not appear to be any simple relation between the abundance of chloride and the presence of mineralization. Fluoride values in mineralized intrusions appear to be higher than those in barren intrusions.

Jan 1, 1973

By A. Pearson, F. A. Auld, S. O. Colbeck

"""The theory of buckling of shafts and Steel tunnel-linings"" was published by E. Amstutz in 1970 and commented on by S. Jacobsen in 1974. The authors have revised and enhanced Amstutz’s work to address Jacobsen's comments on its limitations and to extend its validity over a wider range of pipe/shaft geometries, including those commonly found in deep mine access shafts. The author has looked at Amstutz’s assessment of strengthening with flexible shear anchorages and adapted the theory of non-linear shear deformation response of bolts to develop a method of assessing increased buckling capacity utilising the full plastic shear capacity of studs. INTRODUCTION “Amstutz Buckling” refers to the buckling of pipe embedded in concrete under external uniform pressure. In terms of a mining environment, this relates directly to the design of a watertight shaft. This load case will commonly occur where a main shaft is cast against a geostatically stable primary liner and the only load applied to the final shaft is that of a uniform ground water load. Ernst Amstutz wrote his first paper on buckling of pressure-shaft steel linings in 1950 and subsequently improved his theory (Amstutz, 1970), which was then widely adopted for use within the industry. Years later, an alternative approach (Jacobsen, 1974) was proposed. Within his paper Jacobsen critiques Amstutz work, identifying some mathematical inconsistencies and highlighting limitations of the theory imposed by approximations adopted by Amstutz. Despite these limitations Amstutz work has still been used as the favoured design theory for use in the mining industry. In reviewing this body of work the author realised that with the advent of readily available computing software it was possible to adopt an iterative approach using Amstutz approximate formulae to find a solution to the original precise formulae, thus eliminating the limitations highlighted by Jacobsen The shear deformation to load characteristics of bolts has long been established (Crawford & Kulak 1968) and used for the plastic design of bolted connections in shear. This relationship is directly transferable to the design of shear studs, typical properties are well known, and actual values easily established in simple lab tests. The author has taken this relationship and modified Amstutz theory (Amstutz, 1970) for shear anchored strengthened liner buckling, to give a more efficient solution, using readily available material properties."

Jan 1, 2019

By M. H. MacLeod

"IntroductionTHE ORE PASS raise system at the H.B. mine as contracted by the Patrick Harrison Company consisted of two raises 6 ft. by 10 ft. in section •at 60 degrees to the horizontal. No. 88-88 raise, the longer of the two, was a straight raise 690 feet long, with access only from the bottom. In addition, this raise had two branch knuckle-backs only one of which was driven by. the Patrick Harrison Company. The other, known as 88-89 raise, was 540 feet long with knuckle-backs at 280 feet and 410 feet. Its access, also, was from the bottom (see Figure 1)."

Jan 1, 1954