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By H. Ehnes

"“Industry 4.0” – “Mining 4.0” - perhaps you have already heard of these terms? These keywords signify the next stage of industrial production. The internet and production technologies are growing closer together. Machines can communicate with one another, wherever they may happen to be located. The “Internet of Things” is the appropriate term. But what does SAFETY 7.0 mean? It is both brand new and traditional at the same time. It also has to do with the success of companies, with efficient production. And yet there is a great deal more at stake. It has to do with our lives and our safety – the supreme commodity in this world. What exactly SAFETY 7.0 means, what the number 0 stands for and the meaning of the number 7, and what this all has to do with mining will be explained in the following article. Mining is a fascinating undertaking. Mining is indispensable for a country’s economic development, whatever that may concern: infrastructure, energy supplies or raw materials for industrial production. Mining has brought forth many technological developments and innovations that can currently be found in our daily lives. Mining is impressive, grandiose and repeatedly fascinates mankind with its immense dimensions. Miners throughout the world still work hard and, for this reason, are bound to one another in a special way. In mining, every man looks out for the other; you have to be able to rely on each other. That creates a strong bond. The other side of the coin is that mining and disasters belong to normality in the media and thus also in our perception. Accidents at work and even catastrophes occur in mining, quarries, or raw material operations almost on a daily basis somewhere in the world. They are often associated with extremely serious injuries, or even a fatal outcome, for the miners affected and, in turn, dramatic consequences for the families of those involved. It could be in China, India, Russia, or somewhere in Africa, Asia or America – it mostly does not happen in front of our door or in our neighbour- hood. Perhaps because of this in the daily concert of negative headlines, we do not register these catastrophes any more in our minds. We write them off under the heading “Nothing special”, since there are, day in day out, more terrible news items about wars, civil wars, famines, or ecological disasters. Things only really change if there is a dramatic number of deaths or when we are personally affected, close by in the vicinity, or can witness the rescue action live. In Europe, these three mining disasters in particular have recently generated media resonance:"

Jan 1, 2016

By George A. Mealey

Caving mining methods that are based on a planned caving of rock above and/or at times surrounding the material being mined can be classified in three broad categories: longwall mining, sublevel caving, and block caving. Each of the three methods involves a distinct technology as well as art of operation. Each requires a relatively large, regular, and predictable ore body. As a rule, the effect of mining results in some form of impact or change on the surface. Operationally, underground caving methods are characterized by high productivity as well as a high percentage of extraction of the mineral being mined. A key element for the productivity of this form of mining is the ability to standardize the various elements of work taking place underground. Therefore, work-men may perform a specialized role rather than function as all-around miners. Further, the nature of the mining methods lend them to a high level of mechanization. Operations and manpower can be centralized into a relatively small area where supervision can be concentrated and therefore be more effective. Productivity as well as safety benefits thereby. The caving method is unique in that the exploitation openings are deliberately destroyed by the process of mining. Rock mechanics principles focus on the ensurance and the propagation of the cave as well as the continuance of the mine openings designed to extract the broken ore. As a rule, production operations are designed to maintain a steady, continuous flow of ore from the extraction areas. This steady flow rather than an intermittent flow tends to promote good caving action as well as reduce hangups.

Jan 1, 2008

By G. Folmo

Allis Mineral Systems' GRATE-CAR agglomeration/induration/reduction process is currently being operated to process ilmenite at Tinfos Titan & Iron KS in Tyssedal, Norway. In this process, balled ilmenite concentrate is fed to a traveling grate where pellets are dried and preheated, using fully oxidized kiln exhaust gas. Hot preheated, semi-indurated pellets are fed directly to a ported kiln where reduction of the ilmenite's iron oxide fraction occurs in the presence of lump coal. The reduced pellet sand coal char are discharged from the kiln to an indirect rotary drum cooler. Cooled pellets and char are screened and magnetically separated prior to their further processing in a downstream smelting operation. The pellets are melted and the titanium dioxide and iron are separated. Operation commenced in late 1986.

Jan 1, 1992

By Terry R. Guilinger

A minitest of the new potassium chloride-potassium carbonate two-stage in situ uranium leach process has been carried out at the Intercontinental Energy Corporation (IEC) Zamzow project site in South Texas. Substantial quantities of high concentration uranium were produced indicating the viability of the leach solution. The test results yield information regarding the reservoir dispersivity, the average cation-exchange capacity of the formation, and the distribution coefficients describing carion-exchange reactions. The test a1 so indicates permeability anisotropy and the existence of disturbed flow fields. The research was partially funded by the U.S. Bureau of Mines.

Jan 1, 1984

By Chee S. Theng

As the 2018 president of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration Inc., I am pleased to present the 2018 issue of the Transactions of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration Inc., Vol. 344. A significant portion of the contribution that we make as a professional society is the publication of professional and technical papers that accelerate the advancement of scientific knowledge and enable the transfer of technology. Communication within the mining community is the key to a successful society. This technology exchange continues a tradition that dates back to the 1871 meeting of 22 mining engineers in Wilkes-Barre, PA, that resulted in the founding of the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers (AIME). Those individuals envisioned that these transaction volumes “would form a most valuable and greatly needed addition to our professional literature.” This volume fulfills that pledge. The 2018 Transactions consists of a total of 59 technical papers, encompassing all 25 papers published in 2018 in the Technical Papers Section of Mining Engineering (Vol. 70) and all 26 papers published in 2018 in Minerals & Metallurgical Processing (Vol. 35). Additionally, this volume contains 8 papers that are being published for the first time in this issue. The papers presented in this volume were written by some of the most distinguished professionals in the industry worldwide. All of the technical papers were peer-reviewed. The process of review and publication requires much hard work by authors, reviewers and our Publications staff. As the 2018 president of SME and on behalf of all our members, I would like to extend our gratitude to all whose volunteer efforts contributed to the publication of this volume. The new year brings an exciting change. The publication of Transactions will cease with this volume. Instead, our Minerals & Metallurgical Processing journal has the new name of Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (MME), and Transactions as well as the Technical Papers Section of Mining Engineering are incorporated into MME. The journal is published in partnership with Springer Nature, and all SME members have free electronic access to the journal.

Jan 1, 2018

By Osvaldo A. Bascur

Standards and technology for bringing information to the desktop have greatly evolved in recent years. The benefits to be realized depend on how these new tools are embraced at the performer level. A key operating challenge is to ensure cooperative effort is geared towards the most efficient achievement of identified operating and corporate objectives. Presentation, application and database layers are emerging in successful client/server applications, the three-tier architecture.

Jan 1, 1996

By Georgene Renner

With more than 800 booth spaces sold and 540 exhibiting companies displaying their wares, there was something for everyone on the exhibit floor of the 2014 SME Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City, UT Feb. 23-26. The following is a sample of what was offered at the 2014 meeting.

By J. C. Norman

The United States was the world’s largest producer and consumer of boron compounds during 1995. According to estimates from the US Geological Survey(USGS), boron mineral concentrate and chemical production in the United States totaled an estimated 1.1 Mt(1.2 million st) yielding 602 kt (663,000 st) of B2O3 for an estimated value of $462 million. This level of production exceeded 1994 revised production figures by about 9%. The United States continued to provide nearly all its own boron supply while maintaining a strong position as a source of sodium borate products and boric acid to foreign markets. During 1995, about 900 people worked in domestic boron mines and plants, about the same as in1994. USGS estimated total world production of boron during 1995 to be about 3 Mt (3.3 million st), yielding about 1.6 Mt (1.8 million st) of B2O3. World production in 1995 was about equal to revised 1994 levels.

Jan 1, 1996

THE QUARTETTE Mine near Searchlight, NV, a mine that first operated in the 1890s, could begin processing ore again by September. Jetco Enterprises Inc. plans to work through the tailings and ore close to the surface followed by plans for an openpit mine. It is one of at least three new mining efforts in the region, the Associated Press reported. Another is north of Searchlight, with yet another across the Colorado River in Arizona, east of Bullhead City. Gold mining is rare in southern Nevada. The area generally lacks the rock type that contains gold deposits. Restrictions on federal wilderness areas and protections for the desert tortoise also play a role. Gold veins in the region are generally small and erratic in length and height, Bill Durbin, a geologist and chief of southern Nevada operations for the Nevada Division of Minerals told the Associated Press. L.R. Tad Tinnell, president of Jetco Enterprises, has long eyed the mine. From 1993 to 1995, he explored and drilled on the property, which was still owned by Searchlight Mercantile.

Sep 1, 2013

By T. Gelpe

A digital simulator of classification and grinding circuits is used to evaluate the performances of various flowsheets. For a given flowsheet configuration, unit processes dimensions and operating conditions, the simulator calculates the steady-state values of the process variables. A supervisory algorithm is implemented in the simulator to determine the conditions which meet the required criterion on operation, tonnage and product quality. Calculation illustrations are proposed for the design of wet and dry grinding circuits. The performances of various arrangements of cement clinker and sulphide ore grinding flowsheets are evaluated and discussed.

Jan 1, 1983

By M. R. Shahan, W. R. Reed, S. Klima, T. W. Beck

"Testing was conducted to determine the ability of foam to maintain roof coverage in a simulated longwall mining environment. Approximately 27% of the respirable coal mine dust can be attributed to longwall shield movement. Developing controls for this dust source has been difficult. The application of foam is a possible dust control method for this source. Laboratory testing of two foam agents was conducted to determine their ability of foam to adhere to a simulated longwall face roof surface. Two different foam generation methods were used; compressed air (CA) and blower air (BA). Using a new imaging technology, image processing and analysis utilizing ImageJ software produced quantifiable results of foam roof coverage. For CA foam in 3.3 m/s (3.3 m/s (650 fpm)) ventilation at 3 minutes after application, 98% of agent A was intact, while 95% of agent B was intact on the roof. At 30 minutes after application 94% of agent A was intact while only 20% of agent B remained. For BA in 3.3 m/s (3.3 m/s (650 fpm)) ventilation, the results were dependent upon nozzle type. Three different nozzles were tested. At 30 minutes after application 74-92% of foam agent A remained, while 3-50% of foam agent B remained. CA foam seems to remain intact for longer durations and is easier to apply than BA foam. However, more water drained from the foam when using CA foam which demonstrates that BA foam retains more water at the roof surface. Agent A seemed to be the better performer as far as roof application is concerned. This testing demonstrates that roof application of foam is feasible and is able withstand a typical face ventilation velocity, establishing this technique’s potential for longwall shield dust control. INTRODUCTION NIOSH personnel have visited many longwall operations at various geographical locations in the U.S., conducting benchmark surveys to characterize current operating practices and dust control measures in use. Sources of respirable dust generated from the longwall face have been identified as: intake (10%), stage loader (20%), shields (27%), and shearer (43%) [1]. Dust generated from the shearer, armored face conveyor, and the stage loader can mainly be controlled by water sprays and increases in ventilation air quantities, however, research has demonstrated limited effective controls for dusts generated by shield movements [2]. One possible approach to mitigating shield dust generation is to apply a layer of water or foam to the shield-roof interface. Once this interface is blanketed with foam or water, dust will be less likely to become airborne and contaminate the airways over the personnel walkways. Though water is an abundant and common dust control measure, roof applications have limited success because water is unable to remain in-place in adequate quantities for the necessary duration between application and shield advance. Past and current testing of foam for material properties has shown that it has longer applicability times, ranging from 10 to 60 minutes [3] and has shown better performance for dust control, ranging from 19-96% improved efficiency over water [4, 5, 6, 7, 8]. The majority of this foam dust control research has focused on dust control efficiency at the longwall shearer or continuous miner cutting drum."

Jan 1, 2017

By Katherine Hynard, Colin Eustace

Suboptimal decisions introduced during the mine planning process are generally a consequence of both a myopic view of planning objectives as well as time and resources available to convert longer-term plans into execution plans. Erosion of strategic mine plan value in conversion to execution plans is likely to amount to billions of dollars each year. When integrated with operations data feeds, simulation and optimization tools can be used to preserve the value in the strategic mine plan. Optimization models are capable of both automating production of execution plans and improving performance. This reduces the manual burden of revising plans while improving alignment with long-term production objectives. Simulation models can also support the process of developing effective execution plans by providing forward visibility of mine operations performance. They can also be used to test the robustness of optimized execution plans and response to operational variability and disturbances.

May 1, 2025

By M. Gaft, G. Panczer, R. Reisfeld, L. Nagli

Laser-induced luminescence and breakdown spectroscopy methods appear to be a good tool for real-time evaluation of dolomite content on moving belt. The distinctive feature for time- resolved luminescence is Dy3+ emission in apatite, which is excited by 251 nm laser light and detected with delay time of 5 ms and gate width of 1 ms. The distinctive features for breakdown spectroscopy are 604 nm line of F and P in apatite and 518 nm line of Mg in dolomite. The representative sampling of more than 200 pebbles has been studied by both methods. By luminescence method 100% of dolomite will be identified, while approximately 15-20% of apatite with extremely week Dy3+ luminescence may be mistakenly counted as dolomite. By breakdown spectroscopy the identification is 100% correct both for dolomite and for apatite.

Jan 1, 2002

By R. M. G. S. Berezowsky

An atmospheric ammoniacal thiosulphate leach system was developed to recover gold and silver from residues of the ammoniacal oxidation leaching of sulphidic copper concentrates. Extractions of 88 - 95% Au and 83 - 98% Ag were attained within 2 to 4 hours at 40 - 60°C in thiosulphate leaching of the oxidation leach residues of Manitoba chalcopyrite concentrates analyzing 24.6% Cu, 0.18 oz/ton Au and 4.26 oz/ton Ag and a complex British Columbia chalcopyrite/tetrahedrite concentrate analyzing 18.5% Cu, 0.27 oz/ton Au and 276 oz/ton Ag. Parameters affecting the Au and Ag solubilization included thiosulphate, ammonia, and cupric ion concentrations, temperature, retention time and the degree of Cu extraction and sulphide oxidation in the primary oxidation leach. The precious metals were recovered from the thiosulphate liquors by zinc dust cementation.

Jan 1, 1979

By Kewal K. Kohli, Richard E. Thill, Syd S. Peng

The results of unpublished investigations into surface subsidence from coal mining in the Northern Appalachian Coalfield are summarized. These investigations were carried out by various coal companies and the State of Pennsylvania in the sixties and seventies. Subsidence data were collected and analyzed from 10 room-and-pillar panels in 5 mines in the Pittsburgh coal seam. Results show that angle of draw ranges from 26° to 33° and subsidence factor from 0.42 to 0.72; surface heating generally occurs beyond the edges of the panel, the amount and extent of which vary; waviness occurs in the subsidence profile if a substantial number of pillar stumps are left in irregular patterns; interpanel effect is significant; time-dependent subsidence exists, but varies for different panels; and surface slope does not seem to affect the amount of subsidence.

Jan 1, 1982

By Martin Langenderfer, Catherine Johnson, Alexander Douglas

Mine haul roads degrade rapidly due to extreme loads on sub-optimal construction materials. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) are suited to quantify large-area road-network conditions, such as surface roughness, defects, and grade to optimize remediation of poor conditions and reduce overall costs. Mine haul roads present unique challenges, such as material type and edge characteristics, to automatic road detection that often fail, requiring manual road input. This research proposes a new method for analysis using the road center determined by principal curve analysis of a haul truck’s Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) traces; analysis grids were created from this center line. A dense point cloud from UAV photogrammetry was generated, and multiple linear regression analysis was conducted on each individual grid. The root mean square error in each grid indicates the surface roughness, and the change of slope between grids indicates the road grade inconsistencies. This method was applied to 26 road sections, and the results were validated by images taken from the truck operator’s vantage point. Critical defects were identified including excessive pothole formation, corrugation, depressions retaining water, and narrowing of travel lane. The results demonstrate this is a valid method of road identification and quantification of road defects at a mine site.

Dec 19, 2023

By T. R. Ellis

"Editor’s Note: This is an expanded abstract. The full report is available on SME’s website at http://www.smenet.org/publications-resources/ resources/sme-valuation-standards-tutorials.The author has three goals for this review of mineral valuation standards internationally.1. To place the SME Standards and Guidelines for Valuation of Mineral Properties (SME Valuation Standards) and International Mineral Property Valuation Standards template (IMVAL Template) within the global context of existing mineral valuation standards.2. To review the current status of harmonization of each International Mineral Valuation Committee (IMVAL) member’s mineral valuation standards (or code) with the IMVAL template and suggest remedies for issues found.3. To suggest future enhancements for the IMVAL Template and SME Valuation Standards, and to suggest future roles for the IMVAL and SME committees. From the author’s review, Ellis draws the following conclusions.The SME Valuation Standards comprise a minimum set of principles-based standards and guidelines for developing and reporting valuations of mineral properties (including petroleum properties) for public and private use, subject to jurisdictional requirements. The standards are also designed to provide mineral valuation guidance that supplements application of the International Valuation Standards Council’s International Valuation Standards (IVS) and the U.S. government endorsed Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP), published by the Appraisal Foundation.The SME Valuation Standards is the first set of valuation standards developed by a minerals institute adopting and modifying the IMVAL template. As a result, the SME standards are essentially totally harmonized and otherwise aligned with the IMVAL template. IMVAL was initially conceived in 2012 as a discussion body to aid harmonization of each member’s valuation standards, by modifying to function the same. IMVAL primarily developed the IMVAL template, published in July 2016, to produce an agreed reference framework of essential mineral valuation guidance content as the goal for harmonization of the Australasian Code for Public Reporting of Technical Assessments and Valuations of Mineral Assets (VALMIN Code), The South African Code for the Reporting of Mineral Asset Valuation (SAMVAL) and the Canadian Standards and Guidelines for Valuation of Mineral Properties (CIMVal standards and guidelines). The harmonization would result from each mineral valuation standards committee modifying its standards to operate similarly to the IMVAL template, producing valuation reports with similar content and value for the same mineral property. The template is also available for other bodies to adopt and modify for their regional setting’s needs, as SME did, or use as a convergence goal when updating an existing standard."

Jan 2, 2018

By James E. Lawver

Part I describes the general geology of the Florida deposits. As the lucrative Bone Valley Formation is depleted, replacement production will move progressively into areas of total Hawthorn production. The reserves of the immediate future are a mixture of two distinct ore types referred to as the upper (high grade) zone and the lower (low grade) zone. The upper zone is somewhat similar to the Bone Valley Formation that has been Florida's source of production for the past 100 years and will respond favorably to present beneficiation practices. By contrast, the lower zone ore contains significant quantities of dolomite that must be removed in order to produce an acceptable grade pebble or flotation sized product. Part II reviews past practice and describes future trends in mining and ore transportation. This presentation (Part III) is confined to the problems of beneficiation, waste disposal, and environmental regulation.

Jan 1, 1983

By Michael Forbes, Rick Jeuken

The challenge of managing geological uncertainty in mine planning is central to optimizing resource extraction while minimizing risks and costs. This paper introduces a novel approach to coal mine planning by integrating chance-constrained programming to address the uncertainty inherent in mining operations. The main takeaway from this work is the demonstration that focusing on reducing the variance of high-quality coal blocks, rather than low-quality ones, can lead to better blending outcomes, higher profitability and more efficient resource utilization. The study presents a case study of a coal mining operation, using chance-constrained programming to manage the uncertainty surrounding coal property predictions, specifically the predicted coke strength after reaction (CSR).

Jan 1, 2025

By Mustafa Kumral, Mehmet Balci

Strategic mine planning focuses on cutoff grade selection, capacity planning and block sequencing. Despite significant knowledge accumulated, potential value can be added to mineral sourcing by addressing various aspects. A case study on a metallic deposit with a lognormal grade distribution examines if grade/metal distribution influences cutoff grade selection. Six data sets with different shape and scale factors, but the same ore tonnage and metal quantity, are analyzed. Results indicate deposits with lower shape and scale factors are more sensitive to metal price and discount rate changes. The study also investigates the effect of economies of scale (EoS) on project value, focusing on the ratio of variable cost to total cost (capacity factor). Two regression analyses are conducted for optimal capacity planning and cutoff grade selection. The first shows capacity planning is highly sensitive to the EoS of mining and mineral-processing costs, with grade variability and metal distribution being negligible. In the second analysis, grade variability and EoS of mineral processing costs are vital for cutoff grade selection.

Sep 1, 2024