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By R. A. Campbell, R. R. Rogers

"AbstractThe experiments described show that crude bismuth metal containing up to 5 per •cent lead, 0.14 per cent silver, 0.015 per cent copper, 0.02 per cent iron, .and small amounts of antimony, nickel, and tin may be refined to a bismuth content of 99.98 per cent by distillation followed by chlorination. It also is shown that bismuth trichloride of high ,purity may be produced by passing chlorine over hot •crude bismuth metal and allowing the resulting vapours to •condense in a cooler .part of the system.IntroductionBISMUTH is used in the production of alloys and pharmaceuticals. During 1952, the New York price for the refined metal was $2.25 per pound in ton lots.Some months-ago a Canadian producer requested the Mines Branch to investigate methods of refining the bismuth which they had been producing. Their crude product had been selling for $1.50 to $1.70 per pound and it was desired to increase its purity to at least 99.98 per cent so that it could be sold for $2.25 per pound."

Jan 1, 1955

Presentation Outline ERM ? corporate profile Background to sustainability reporting GRI G3 Guidelines (Oct 2006) Best practice examples Contact information ERM ? corporate profile Over 35 years of experience World?s largest all-environmental consultancy* 130+ offices in 40+ countries; 3,200+ professional staff Worked with >50% of the Global Fortune 500 (FY07) Annual turnover > US$500 M (FY07) 2008 Environmental Advisor of Year** Offices/Staff ? Canada (5/50) and US (65/1,350) *Source: Engineering News Record: July 2, 2007 ** Source: Acquisitions Monthly: December 2007

May 1, 2008

By G. A. Sutton

This paper, describes a case example from San Manuel mine, where in situ copper leaching of the supergene zone was done over a 14 year period (1986–1999) in conjunction with underground and open-pit mining operations of a copper porphyry deposit. In 1993–1994, testing of well fields was done to determine the amount of copper that would be recovered from in situ leaching of the supergene zone, which was composed primarily of chrysocolla and copper-clay minerals. It was determined that the leach fluid would reach 70% (‘sweep efficiency’) of the copper minerals and that 75% of them would be leached for a recovery of 52% of the acid soluble copper. However, the final results from Zone 6, which had the longest leach history, showed that approximately 42% of the acid soluble copper was recovered, indicating that the `sweep efficiency’ was closer to 55%. Comparison of drill-core assay data from two holes, one drilled before (ARM158) and the other after (SMO9607) leaching, also indicate that approximately 42% of the acid soluble copper was recovered. The discrepancy between the predicted (52%) and actual (42%) recovery is probably related to a combination of factors, including difficulty in maintaining fluid saturation, channeling effects and gypsum precipitation. INTRODUCTION In situ copper leaching at the San Manuel mine, Arizona, was initiated in 1986. It was recognized that some of the copper oxide resource was not going to be economically recoverable by conventional open pit and heap leach methods using solvent extraction and electrowinning (SXEW). A high stripping ratio would be required to access part of the resource. At the time, in situ leaching was becoming popular in the uranium industry but the approach was virtually unknown in the copper industry, especially not at a large scale.

Jan 1, 2019

"In today’s world of complex projects, where engineering and execution are supported by a high level of project management and systems, how critical is the human factor in design engineering. Based on his involvement on a variety of projects, Tony Lipiec will relate his experiences as the impact of 4 factors: the ‘team’ involved in the design and execution of the project; the project and information systems supporting the project; the impact of scope, time, and budget; and finally the selection of the proper success criteria to judge the project and the people who have enacted the project.The discussion of the team will relate to the quality of people and the impact of their knowledge, attitude and experience. It will also look at the relationships and interests of the various stakeholders. Decision making and taking responsibility will be discussed.Supporting the team are the management, document and information systems. The value that these systems bring to the project as a whole will be examined. How project size impacts the applicability of the systems will be discussed.Scope, time and budget are recognized as critical. Reference will be made to the interplay between these components which are vital to project success. The issue of iterative design and whether it is necessary will be considered together with the development of supporting technical information.Finally the selection of the proper success criteria and the awards provided to the team can have a big impact on the final, production success of the project. The author will discuss his views on the impacts of these on EPCM projects."

Jan 1, 2016

By G. Avramovic-Cingara, H. J. McQueen

The microstructure of commercially pure aluminum was investigated by using polarized optical microscopy (POM), orientation imaging microscopy (OIM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. Specimens were deformed in torsion at 400°C and equivalent strain rate of 0.1 s-1, to various strains of 0.2, 0.5, 1, 4, and 6. The results indicate that POM can usefully reveal grain and subgrain structures over a large field in aluminum. TEM is most suitable to study dislocation substructure and evolution of subgrains. While TEM microscopy and OIM are capable of resolving individual subgrains, OIM can not reliably distinguish subgrains with small misorientations, particularly in samples with low strain. On the other hand, the OIM technique is very useful in the analysis of many regions surrounded by high, medium, and low angle boundaries (HAB, MAB, LAB). Various misorientation maps were studied using different data processing methods. The analysis revealed that the subgrain size is relatively insensitive to strain. The fraction of low LAB ( < 5°) decreased and HAB (>15°) increased conversely with increasing strain, whereas MAB (5-15°) remained stable. The development of an increasingly bimodal grain boundary misorientation distribution is consistent with the predominance of dynamic recovery (DRV) in the evolution of microstructure, combined with geometrical dynamic recrystallization (gDRX), now called grain-refining DRV.

Jan 1, 2006

By N. Dahata

B206 aluminum?copper alloy has a potential for wider use in the automotive industry due to its light weight and relatively superior mechanical properties as compared to aluminum-silicon alloys. The possibility of casting this alloy via Lost Foam Casting (LFC) has not been investigated in detail. Therefore, the effects of foam types (T170B standard untreated EPS and T175-brominated EPS), coating types (Styro Shield 5553 and Styro Shield 5554), copper level (4.5 wt % and 5.0 wt %) and titanium levels (0.5 wt % and 0.25 wt %) were related to fillability, microstructure and microporosity. The metal velocity in T175 EPS pattern was higher than that in T170B EPS pattern. For T175 EPS pattern, the total solidification time was 3% higher and the loss of temperature for decomposition of EPS was lower than those in the case of T170B EPS pattern. The grain size, porosity level and maximum pore size were quantified using Light Optical Microscopy (LOM) and image analysis. The casting with T175 EPS pattern showed larger grain size relative to that with T170B EPS pattern. The porosity level and the maximum pore size decreased significantly when the titanium level was increased from 0.05 wt % to 0.25 wt %.

Jan 1, 2007

By G. H. Faye

The prospect of obtaining high-grade concentrates from Canadian pyrochlore ores is rather unlikely, and experimental beneficiation pro-cesses ?appear to have yielded products in the range of 3 to 20 per cent N&apos;b205? A possible solution of the problem is to find an economical chemical method for recovering high-purity Nb2?05 from such concentrates. A technically feasible but economically unproved process is outlined in this paper, in which the concentrate is decomposed by an acid attack and the oxides of niobium and tantalum are isolated and then separated by liquid-liquid extraction. The solution of the ore is adjusted to 7 M HF-5 M HNO3 and the niobium and tantalum are extracted from this solution with methyl isobutyl ketone. The mixed oxides of niobium and tantalum are recovered from the oxdanic phase and dissolved in 0.5 M HF-1.0 M HNO3. Tantalum is extracted preferentially from this solution with methyl isobutyl ketone, leaving niobium in the aqueous phase. By the use of this process it is possible to produce niobium pentoxide and tantalum pentoxi.de in 99.5 per cent purity with a recovery of approximately 95 &apos;per cent, under lab-oratory conditions.

Jan 1, 1957

By Edouard Masengo

A long dyke will be constructed in a lake with rockfill placed by end dumping method. Its crest will be at elevation 521.5 m compared to the nominal lake level at 520 m. In the first portion, its height will vary from 1.5 m on a 35.1 m thick tailings layer to 18.3 m on about 0.5 m of tailings. In the second portion, the dyke will be built on native silty clay and will vary from 18.3 to 15.2 m in height. The tailings consist in stratified layers of fine-grained soils showing lateral and vertical segregation. The tailings are compressible and may develop excess pore water pressure on loading. The tailings overlie a thin layer of relatively soft native silty clay. The till beneath the silty clay is considered incompressible compared to the material above. After construction, as the tailings and silty clay consolidate, pore water pressures will dissipate and dyke stability will improve. Since dyke stability will increase with time, the primary concern is its stability during construction. As a result of construction activities, three potential modes of failure were identified and recommendations were provided regarding the measures that should be undertaken to increase dyke stability during construction.

May 1, 2003

By R. A. Gannicott

Trend surface analysis was used to investigate the geochemical dispersion patterns of Si, Ai, Fe, Mg, Ca, Na, K, Ti and Rb in the footwall of the Seneca massive sulphide prospect in southwestern British Columbia. Surfaces for various element ratios were also produced to see if the distributions of the elements are related to each other. Trends developed by the elements redistributed during hydrothermal alteration may be difficult to detect for various reasons, such as too few and widely separated sample points, random analytical errors or local variations in rock chemical composition that are not related to regional trends. Trend surface analysis is useful to distinguish regional trends from local fluctuations. The computer program used in this study is capable of calculating surfaces up to the 6th degree polynomial, but provides for automatic termination when the variables in the equation for successive surfaces become effectively collinear. With the relatively small number of data points used (21 samples) in this study, such termination occurred after the quadratic surface. Results show that, at the Seneca prospect, Mg and K increase, and Na and Ca decrease, toward a common centre which corresponds closely with the best drill-core intersections of ore. The centre is interpreted as a volcanic vent and as the source of mineralization . Quadratic surfaces for element ratios show that K/Ca decreases and Fe/Mg increases away from this vent. Thin-section and X-ray diffraction analyses indicate that these variations reflect sericitization of plagioclase and an increase in the Mg content of chlorite near the vent. The mineralization , rock types and element dispersion patterns at the Seneca prospect are similar to those reported for volcanogenic massive sulphide deposits at Bathurst, New Brunswick, and in the Hokuroko district of Japan.

Jan 1, 1979

By Jamal Asfahani

Abstract - Natural gamma ray well logging, an effective tool in geophysical prospecting, is used to investigate the radioactive and phosphatic layers in the Khneifiss mine in Syria. The interpretation of the gamma ray measurements, using numerical methods of analysis developed previously and applied successfully in some phosphatic areas in Syria, make it possible to define precisely the phosphate thickness from place to place in the study area. This technique has been successfully applied while studying seven boreholes in the area. Sixty-three core samples from phosphatic layers in the boreholes have been analyzed, using gamma ray spectrometry for the determination of P2O5 , U, Th, and K. Good correlation between P2O5 content and U concentration has been found. The total count gamma logs correlate reasonably well with the U core analysis, suggesting that radioactive equilibrium exists in the U decay series. These gamma logs can be therefore used effectively to quantitatively map the distribution of P2O5 and U. The characteristics of both subsurface phosphatic sand and phosphatic rocks have been investigated and outlined using a statistical approach. The affinity of uranium to some trace elements such as V, Sr, Cu, and Ni has been verified using correlation matrices of these elements.

Jan 1, 2002

By Alfredo Bambaren

First Encounters between Communities and Mining 1. Importance, meaning and process 2. Antamina?s study case 3. ?Self-organization? theory (NLP) 4. The story we tell, the values we live 1. Importance, Meaning and Process ? First encounter stays in mind as a model. ? First encounter means foundation. ? First encounter builds the story.

May 1, 2010

By Niels Verbaan, Ron Molnar, David Dreisinger

"An acidic chloride leach solution was generated from the treatment of an ore containing the following value elements: silver, gold, indium, gallium, copper, zinc and lead. Iron was also co-extracted into solution as a ferric chloride species. Iron extraction was a significant component of the overall acid consumption of the leaching process. The recovery of iron by solvent extraction and water stripping was investigated. Tri-butyl-phosphate (TBP) was very effective at recovering iron from the leachate. The water strip solution could be decomposed to produce ferric oxide (hematite) and hydrochloric acid for recycle via hydrothermal hydrolysis or pyrohydrolysis.INTRODUCTION The Malku Khota deposit is situated in the eastern part of the Bolivian Altiplano at elevations between approximately 3,800 and 4,580 meters above sea level (Figure 1). The project is located 98 km east-southeast of Oruro, and 85 km south of Cochabamba in a relatively remote area."

Jan 1, 2016

By Alan B. Morrow, William A. Poe

"Minerals processing operations are constantly challenged with improving production rates, yields, energy efficiency and process stability. Advanced Process Control has proven to be an effective tool for improving operations by capturing the full process capabilities consistently. However, the velocity of applying the technology as well as the sustainment of these significant benefits has been hampered by the usability of the software and adaptability of the applications.Some of the new technology developments that improve the usability and adaptability of advanced process control include:• modern and intuitive user interfaces,• customizable models to support unique process behavior,• fast and flexible OPC connection tools,• automated model building,• integration with first principles dynamic models and• improved performance monitoring.This paper will briefly discuss the new technology developments that have improved the usability and adaptability of advanced process control and how this can affect minerals processing operations.In today’s environment, Minerals Processing plant managers continuously face new challenges and requirements including:• higher energy efficiency,• increased run lengths,• reduced product quality variability,• reduced emissions,• higher availability, and• lower operating costsOperating a unit to meet these challenges in real time is not easy for operators and conventional process control systems. However, innovatively using existing technologies in Minerals Processing plants can improve operations on a minute by minute basis and reap significant benefits.Advanced Process Control (APC) can extract the maximum performance benefits from existing equipment while respecting plant operating constraints. Expensive capital projects to upgrade equipment are not always necessary. Advanced Process Control can deliver significant economic benefits by maintaining the plant at its most profitable point as conditions change."

Jan 1, 2016

By G. T. Lapidus, A. Garcés, O. J. Restrepo

"Colombian nickel laterites have historically been processed by pyrometallurgy. However, due to the depletion in ore grades, alternative processes are required. Hydrometallurgical processes, such as pressure acid leaching, have been proposed as alternatives to extract nickel from deposits with suitable characteristics. Such a leaching process requires high concentrations of acid to achieve acceptable extractions, and is not selective. In this study, an alternative aqueous alkaline glycine system has been employed to evaluate the leaching behaviour of a Colombian nickel laterite which contains 1.15% Ni, 0.12% Co and 41.1% Fe. Additionally, the effect of the addition of chloride ions, the use of a reducing agent and the application of a pre-treatment to improve the extraction of nickel were evaluated. Extractions of 4.63% Ni, 42.16% Co and 0.33% Fe were obtained using a 1M solution of glycine at pH 9. In addition, an increase in nickel extraction from 4.63% to 25.68% was achieved by applying a pre-treatment to the sample. The results show that even though nickel dissolution was much slower than in acid leaching, it was selective over other metals such as iron, proving the proposed method to have potential as a process for the extraction of nickel from Colombian laterites.INTRODUCTION Before 2010, most of the industrial operations used pyrometallurgical processes for the extraction of nickel, mainly in saprolitic regions of deposits, with greater contents of the metal. Nevertheless, due to the gradual depletion of such deposits, different hydrometallurgical processes have been studied as alternatives to process those nickel laterites with low grade and those which present problems of refractoriness due to the presence of acid consuming materials (McDonald & Whittington, 2008; Oxley & Barcza, 2013; Wang et al., 2012). However, such leaching processes require high concentrations of acid to achieve acceptable extractions and they are not selective. Facing lateritic nickel ore deposits containing high levels of acid consuming materials, an alkaline leaching medium becomes an advantageous alternative over acidic media, due to the increase in selectivity and decreased corrosiveness and reagent consumption (Tanda, Eksteen, & Oraby, 2017). Unlike conventional acidic reagents used for metal recovery, alkaline reagents can selectively dissolve the desired metal, leaving in the solid residue other elements such as iron, magnesium and aluminum, which are problematic in subsequent stages of metals separation and recovery. Furthermore, there are no serious corrosion problems associated with alkaline leaching, even at higher reagent concentrations, or at elevated temperature and pressure (Ntumba Malenga, Mulaba-Bafubiandi, & Nheta, 2015)."

Jan 1, 2017

By H. McIntire, R. Preston, D. Roberts

"Repeated 3D terrestrial digital photogrammetric surveys were conducted on hard rock mine pillars to characterize damage during secondary mining. Damage was quantified by measuring Depth of Failure, DOF, from spalling material and crack intensity, D21. These damage values were then correlated to visually assessed Pillar Damage Ratings and numerically estimated pillar loads. Measured damage, particularly Depth of Failure, correlated well with Pillar Damage Ratings. Numerical predicted pillar stress vs. damage exhibited the expected trend with shorter pillars being stronger. High resolution photographs and 3D models were also used to characterize damage mechanisms, which were found to be structurally constrained. INTRODUCTIONThe Doe Run companies Southeast Missouri Operations consists of six room and pillar lead mines (Brushy Creek, No. 29, Casteel, Buick, Fletcher and, Sweetwater) (The Doe Run Company, 2014). The mines are hosted in the Carbonates and Shales of the Viburnum trend with mining depths varying from 180 to 300 m. Pillars are commonly cut square with widths varying from 7 to 9 m and heights generally between 5 and 18 m, resulting in extraction ratios between 80 and 85% (Roberts et al., 1999). Figure 1 presents an idealized stratigraphic section through the Viburnum trend and Figure 2 shows a plan view of the five areas spanning the three mines included in this study."

Jan 1, 2015

By Pierre Giasson

"Les avantages de l&apos;électricitéLe thème de la réunion 1982 de l&apos;ICM District No. 2: "" Le défi des années 80 pour l&apos;industrie minière de la Côte-Nord"" exprime trè s bien la réalité . En effet, la récession économique qui touche présentement tout le monde industrialisé, frappe de façon particulièrement sévère le marché du fer et de l&apos;acier. Il est donc primordial pour les industries minières de la CôteNord de minimiser leurs coûts de production. Comme on sait, une bonne part des coûts de production est directement reliée à la consommation d&apos;énergie.Si on retourne en arrière de quelques années, les prix des produits pétroliers étaient beaucoup moins élevé s que maintenant . Par exemple: A Philadelphie, en janvier 1930, le prix de l&apos;huile no. 6 (bunker C) était de 1.22$ le baril. En 1940, le prix mondial du pétrole brut se situait aux environs de 1.80$ le baril et augmentait très lentement jusqu&apos;en 1973. A la mi-octobre 1973, l&apos;organisation des pays exportateurs de pétrole (O.P.E.P.) surprend le reste du monde en annonçant que le prix du brut grimpe à S.12$ le baril. .. on connaît la suite.On sait qu&apos;au point de vue énergétique, le nord du Québec est l&apos;une des régions les plus avantagées au monde. Malgré le fait que notre climat soit plutôt défavorable, nous sommes assurés d&apos;une alimentation électrique à toute fin pratique éternelle, contrairement aux autres régions du globe. En effet, l&apos; hydro-électricité ne représente que 2.S070 de toute l&apos;électricité produite dans le monde.Une bonne partie de l&apos;énergie consommée dans les industries minières de la Côte-Nord est utilisée pour produire la vapeur. Or, il y a plusieurs avantages à produire de la vapeur à partir de l&apos;électricité:1. Le prix d&apos;achat d&apos;une chaudière électrique peut être moins de la moitié de celui d&apos;une chaudière à carburant fo ssile.2. Le prix de l&apos;électricité est plus bas que celu i des autres sources d&apos;énergie disponibles dans notre région.3. Hydro-Québec offre un programme spéci al de subventions et un prix garanti de l&apos;électricité, inférieur de 10070 à celui de tout autre combustible (1982).4. Souvent il est possible d&apos;utiliser l&apos;énergie hors pointe à un coût minime.S. L&apos;espace requis pour un chaudière électrique est beaucoup moindre. Par exemple: une chaudière d&apos;une capacité de 120000 Ibs/hre ne demande que SO pi? de plancher, c&apos;est-à-dire un cercle de 8 pieds de diamètre comparativement à environ 600 à 700 pi2 pour une chaudière au ma zout.6. Aucun espace n&apos;est requis pour l&apos;entreposage du carburant.7. Aucun espace n&apos;est requis pour la cheminée.8. Il n&apos; y a que très peu de pièce s mécaniques, donc ces chaudières demandent très peu d &apos;entretien .9. Les chaudières électriques ne génèrent aucune pollution, donc on n&apos;a pas besoin d&apos;équipement coûteux de contrôle de la pollution.10. Ces chaudières sont extrêmement rapides. En effet, on peut passer de zéro à la production maximum en moins d&apos;une heure si la chaudière est froide et en quelques secondes seulement si la chaudière est à sa température d&apos;opération.11. L&apos;efficacité de ces appareils est au moins de 9S% par rapport à 80-8S% pour les chaudières au ma zout. De plus, cette efficacité demeure la même quel que soit le niveau de production de la chaudière. Il faut faire attention ici: les manufacturiers proposent des rendements de 99% et plus, mais ceci ne tient compte que des pertes de chaleur à travers l&apos;enveloppe, et de l&apos;énergie nécessaire au fonctionnement de la pompe de circulation. Il faut ajouter à cela l&apos;énergie perdue à cause de la vidange qui varie selon le type de chaudière et selon la qualité de l&apos;eau d&apos;alimentation.12. Ajoutons simplement que ces appareils sont très facile à opérer du fait qu&apos;il n&apos;y a aucun système complexe à manipuler.Cependant, il y a un inconvénient non négligeable à utiliser l&apos;électricité comme source d&apos;énergie: comme on ne peut pas emmagasiner l&apos;énergie électrique, nous sommes à la merci du fournisseur."

Jan 1, 1985

By B. McFadzean, J. Taguta

In order to recover minerals by flotation, the sub-processes of collector adsorption onto the valuable minerals followed by bubble-particle attachment should occur efficiently. This paper investigates both of these sub-processes for various thiol collectors and their mixtures onto base metal sulfide minerals. The aim of the work was to investigate whether there is a correlation between the strength of the collector interaction with the mineral and the subsequent bubble-particle attachment. The collector-mineral affinity was measured experimentally using an isothermal titration calorimeter in order to determine the molar enthalpy of adsorption for each collector-mineral system. The bubble-particle attachment was measured using a microflotation device which essentially determines the hydrophobicity of the mineral. Sodium ethyl xanthate (SEX) and sodium diethyl dithiocarbamate (DTC) and mixtures thereof were used as collectors with either single minerals or binary mixtures of pyrite and chalcopyrite, respectively. The adsorption enthalpies of the collectors were interpreted with reference to the chemical structure of the collector molecule and showed that the greater the positive inductive effect of the collector, which may be qualitatively related to their pKa, the greater their affinity for the mineral surface. In the microflotation studies, recoveries were strongly related to the alkyl chain length but there was no correlation between the enthalpies of adsorption and the flotation recoveries. When mixtures of collectors were used there was clear evidence of synergistic effects and in the case of DTC/xanthate mixtures it is possible that this synergism is related to a DTC promoted oxidation of xanthate to dixanthogen. When mixtures of pyrite and chalcopyrite were used the flotation recovery and enthalpy of adsorption of SEX onto the individual pyrite particles in the mixture increased substantially compared to the case of pyrite alone. Mechanisms are proposed to interpret these important observations.

Jan 1, 2016

By H. Stocker, C. E. Makepeace

"This paper presents the statistical analyses of several sets of data acquired in several programs of sampling of radon daughters in uranium mines. The measurements were taken over periods of days or weeks for given locations or location occupations within these mines. Because the sampling applies to specific intervals of time and specific locations, a method is suggested f or the eventual application of a monitoring program which would be suitable on an annual basis for these locations. The present data and analyses thereof are not justifiably applicable to a monitoring regimen on an annualbasis, without a number of additional assumptions.The aim of the present analyses of concentration measurements is the determination of the minimum number of measurements required to achieve an annual radon daughter exposure estimate, for individual workers, having an error no greater than 50% at the 95% confidence level. The criterion of accuracy is taken from a statement in the American National Standard, Radiation Protection in Uranium Mines (ANSI NI3.8-I973), and is currently used, in somewhat modified form, as a guide to uranium mining licensees in Canada. Uncertainties associated with occupancy time are ignored in the present analysis. IntroductionOne of the principal aims of any scheme of radiation protection is that of improving the accuracy of exposure estimation for workers. The example presented here is from the area of radon daughter exposure estimation for uranium miners. The conventional means of estimating workers&apos; exposures is grab sampling of radon daughter concentrations combined with occupancy time weighting in the various work and travel locations. Uncertainties exist in each of these components, and in an environment of highly variable radon daughter concentrations (such as an active uranium mine) one is always uncertain as to the representativeness of the grab sample (compared to the average concentration) unless a sophisticated monitoring scheme has been implemented based on previous experience in such an environment.Improvements in the accuracy and precision of employee radon daughter exposure records depend, primarily, on three factors;"

Jan 1, 1980

By Jose A. Jimenez

"Mining operations generate an enormous amount of data that is difficult to organize, analyze and act on. These data require an extremely broad range of experts to investigate and manage the cross-disciplinary information. The data collects in paper files, diverse databases, historians, stand-alone applications, and excel files. This collection of sources represents everything from monthly, weekly, or daily inputs to real-time feeds or sporadic unscheduled entries. With the operational complexities ever increasing and fewer engineers per mine, an efficient operation is becoming more and more challenging. Engineers are typically burdened with data collection, clean up, and administrative efforts leaving very limited time for engineering assessment and/or optimization analysis. Often optimization becomes limited to the analysis of equipment uptime through existing field automation systems. A great portion of the field data is tucked away in historians seldom reaching those engineers who might leverage the data. Few mine operators have the time or budget to re-architect their operations data collection or management practice, so solutions must enable improvements without requiring expensive or time-consuming implementation. This presentation highlights examples where the aforementioned challenges are addressed using a solution framework designed to enable: 1) data integration and connectivity, 2) monitoring and opportunity recognition, and 3) engineering workflow automation. The initiative extends the concepts and success proven in the automation market segment to all disciplines across the mine operations. INTRODUCTIONThe mining industry by its very nature spends a great deal of its capital on equipment maintenance and replacement. In addition, periodic shutdowns due to equipment failure are typically very costly in terms of interrupted operations. Keeping mining equipment running at peak performance and avoiding costly shutdowns can make a huge difference in the overall return from mining operations. Today, information can be make available that can go a long way towards spotting equipment issues and permitting timely intervention to avoid costly unplanned shutdowns. That said, gathering all of the information from numerous points on many different pieces of equipment necessary to enhance overall equipment effectiveness presents its own daunting issues."

Jan 1, 2016

By T. Hadley, Northern Minerals Ltd, C. S. Griffith, T. A. Safinski, K. H. Soldenhoff, M. Fainerman-Melnikova, A. Manis

"ANSTO Minerals and Northern Minerals have been working together since 2012 on the process flowsheet development for the Browns Range project for the recovery of the heavy rare earths (Dy – Lu, + Y). Initial efforts were directed toward defining the most efficient and direct flowsheet for the Preliminary Feasibility Study (PFS), issued in June 2014, then towards the Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS), issued in February 2015. These goals were achieved by undertaking comprehensive laboratory and continuous piloting programs. Further improvements to the flowsheet following the DFS have been made. This publication provides an overview of the evolution of the process flowsheet based on these laboratory and piloting programs from the PFS through the DFS and beyond.INTRODUCTIONNorthern Minerals Ltd (Northern) has been working on developing their flagship project at Browns Range for the recovery of the heavy rare earth elements (HRE, Dy – Lu, + Y). The project is located in the north of Western Australia as shown in Figure 1. The Total Mineral Resource at the project is currently estimated at 8.98 Mt @ 0.63% total rare earth oxides (TREO) comprising 56,663 t of contained TREO using a cut-off grade of 0.15% TREO. Of the Total Mineral Resource, 58% is classified as Indicated Resource, with the remainder in the Inferred Resource category.The deposit is characterised by breccia-hosted, hydrothermal, HRE-rich, xenotime mineralisation. The main gangue mineral associated with the xenotime is quartz. The distribution of rare earths (RE) observed for the xenotime mineralisation at Browns Range is presented in Figure 2. Extensive test work has shown that the xenotime can be readily beneficiated to between 20 – 40% rare earth oxide (REO) using a process consisting of crushing and grinding, followed by magnetic separation and flotation steps. Continuous piloting of this process was conducted on ~80 t of trench-sourced ore in late 2013 at SGS Perth, to produce ~2 t of ~20% REO mineral concentrate (MC) for hydrometallurgical testing. The composition of the MC produced during piloting is presented in Table 1."

Jan 1, 2016