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The ore treatment expansion programme at Mount Isa Mines required the erection of a new lead-zinc concentrator to be known as No. 2 Concentrator. This concentrator was designed by Western-Knapp Engineering Company in conjunction with staff of Mount Isa Mines Limited. Metallurgical design followed conventional wet milling practice, but the size of many plant units is larger than previously used at Mount Isa. The. total capacity of the new plant is 150,000 tons per four weekly period, and the plant is designed to operate in two equal parallel sections.Erection was contracted on a turnkey basis, and the plant was commissioned as a production unit on 23rd June 1966.The existing concentrator, No. I, was converted to treat all copper ore, and the total capacity of the two plants is now 390,000 tons per four weekly period.

Jan 1, 1968

Mr Kapp's paper helps considerably to clarify the subsidence/mine geometry relationships in New South Wales. It is in the best tradition of the presentation of field investigations such as has built up internationalknowledge over the years.The Author has plotted in Fig. 10, the maximum subsidence developed over each of a number of panels of different width/depth ratios and concludes that the maximum possible subsidence over a super critical extractionarea is around 0.65 of the mining height and that this is reached with the critical width/depth ratio of extraction of around 1.5.Although, as Mr. Kapp says, the maximum possible subsidence in the UK can reach 90% of the seam thickness extracted the more usual figure for the first seam is up to 80%. It has also been found in the UK that with shallow workings such as those at Kemiro Coliery the critical width of extraction is 2.0 or more times the depth.

Jan 1, 1981

By K C. Williams, A W. Roberts, J D. Prigge

For stockpile design, the flowability and structural interfaces are critically dependant on the stress conditions throughout the pile. Historically, the predictive methodologies for stress determination have been too conservative, which adds inefficiency to the stockpile reclaim interface selections, especially for live reclaim stockpile systems. In addition, accurate pressure profiling throughout stockpile is essential to correctly design the stockpile support structures, which are buried within the stockpile. Such buried structures include trestle legs or columns to support load-out conveyors or the roof of bulk storage sheds. Improved methodologies with respect to the development of the hoop stress condition which exists in material ædrawn-downÆ within the stockpile has been developed. This hoop stress approach has significantly improved the live capacity prediction to over 90 per cent accuracy and improved rathole structure prediction within live reclaim stockpiles. Additionally the methodologies in estimating the vertical and circumferential stress variation acting on buried stockpile structures have been significantly progressed, with experimental testing shown good agreement with the theory.CITATION:Williams, K C, Roberts, A W and Prigge, J D, 2013. Recent developments in stress analysis and live reclaim prediction within iron ore stockpiles, in Proceedings Iron Ore 2013 , pp 501-510 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Aug 12, 2013

Regions with extensive reserves of brown coal but with inadequate deposits of hard coal provide a particularly suitable field for the application of brown coal petrology.In fact, this discipline is indispensable where brown coal is to form the basis for high-quality products of upgrading. Both chemical and physical analyses are required in addition to the techniques employed in coal petrology, but it is the macropetrographic and the microscopic investigations that are of decisive and specific importance.Foremost among the methods of upgrading brown coal is briquetting. From the raw materials aspect the biochemical rank of coal (i.e. the type of deposit) and the coal variety (i.e. the lithotype) exert a marked influence on briquette strength. These are also the significant factors in the suitability of a brown coal for high temperature carbonization; here the demands on coal quality are even more exacting if adequately sintered and therefore high-strength lump chars are to be obtained. The principle applies also to the char from low temperature carbonization. There are close relationships between the tar yield and the remission of the coal.The reflectivity measurement therefore provides a rapid method for evaluating the suitability of a brown coal for low temperature carbonization. Similar correlations have been established between the content of extraction bitumen (raw montan wax) and the remission. Petrological investigations show that the quality of the coal bitumen is a function of the type of deposit and of the lithotype.

Jan 1, 1968

By J Wallis

The stability of a raise bore is often assessed using the rock mass classification system published by McCracken and Stacey as a modification of the Q system. Often the assessment is done using a spreadsheet to manipulate geotechnical log(s) of boreholes. This paper discusses the inherent difficulties with this approach. Recent work by others to provide guidelines to the classification system is discussed. A recent example of the design and raise bore performance at Macraes Gold Mine, New Zealand is presented. A key issue is that a visual assessment of the drill core and/or core photographs is necessary to æground-truthÆ the classification.

Jan 1, 2008

Investigation on Multicomponent Semi-Autogenous Grinding

Sep 13, 2010

A study of the swelling behaviour of a single batch of high-grade iron ore pellets during hydrogen reduction in a fixed bed showed that the extent of swelling is governed by the nucleation and growth of crystalline iron protuberances from the wüstite grains. Over the reduction temperature range 650 to 1000°C, it was found that substantial degrees of swelling can occur at temperatures in excess of 850°C, and significant variations in the swelling behaviour of individual pellets from different bed levels are observed under these conditions.The results are discussed in terms of a recent swelling theory and shown to be in general agreement.

Jan 1, 1978

Geophysical anomalies result from the passage of hydrothermal fluids through rocks. Interpretation of these anomalies, when integrated with available geological and geochemical data, assists the construction of a conceptual model of the original hydrology of the system. The original extent of a geothermal system is often indicated by the distribution of low resistivity argillic clay alteration. Quartz-adularia vein deposits, silica sinters or stockwork (often mineralised) cause local increases in resistivity. Appropriately chosen electrical techniques can therefore be used to help target such structures. Airborne magnetic surveys have also proven useful in New Zealand epithermal exploration, because hydrothermal fluids destroy magnetite causing extensive demagnetisation anomalies. Ground magnetic surveys can sometimes be useful for geological interpretation on a local scale. Positive gravity anomalies may occur as a result of mineral precipitation (silica or calcite) in high porosity host rocks, while negative gravity anomalies can result from hydrothermal fracturing and leaching of relatively dense host rocks. The relative merits of these geophysical techniques as used in the exploration of epithermal mineral prospects are discussed, with particular reference to the Hauraki Goldfield. The preferred method for defining zones of quartz veining/silicification is vector or tensor gradient resistivity. Exploration strategies and technique refinements are suggested as a means of improving the resolution of potentially mineralised target structures, in a more efficient and cost effective manner.

Jan 1, 1993

By G J. Lyman

In sampling a process stream, conventional sampling theory deals only with the variation of the analyte content and neglects the impact of the variation in the mass flow on the sampling variance, whether the sampling regime is time-based or mass-based. This is an obvious simplification of the real state of affairs and it is worthwhile to study this impact via simulation.With a facility to simulate large (long) random functions having some thousands of points in the function and the ability to impose covariance functions on the mass flow and analyte variations, such a study is possible. It is also possible to evaluate the impact of correlation between analyte content and mass flows.This paper describes a limited study of the variance increase due to mass flow fluctuations over the usual sampling variance due to analyte variation during the sampling period. The bias in the sampling result is determined for specific modes of correlation. Simulation methods are used as they are the only means by which a sampling result can be compared to the true assay for the lot; in the physical circumstances of mineral process analysis, it is never possible to determine the true process stream assay.CITATION:Lyman, G J, 2017. The impact of the weighting error, in Proceedings Eighth World Conference on Sampling and Blending , pp 311–318 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

May 9, 2017

By J Williamson, M Griessmann

"An EXTENDED ABSTRACT is available for download. A full-length paper was not prepared for this presentation. The Watershed tungsten deposit is located in the Hodgkinson Province of north Queensland, Australia. The deposit is hosted by Siluro-Devonian flysch-type meta-sediments of the Hodgkinson Formation, which were subjected to four major deformation events. Mineralisation has occurred syn- to post-D4 and is related to the intrusion of S-type granitoids of the Permian Whypalla Supersuite.Watershed is located within a regional NW–SE-striking melange zone composed of brecciated and intermixed arenites and shales. The major NW–SE-striking Tullah fault zone is situated in close proximity to the east of the deposit.The Watershed deposit occurs within a tightly folded upright anticline with NW-plunging fold axis. The anticline contains a major package of coarse-grained to conglomeratic arenite, which harbours the Watershed mineralisation. Several alteration styles occur within the arenites, of which Fe-poor calc-silicate alteration dominated by clinozoisite/epidote is the most significant. Less widespread but locally important alteration styles comprise garnet-dominated calc-silicate alteration, albitisation and sericitisation. The arenites are enveloped by unmineralised carbonaceous shales and shale breccias.Tungsten mineralisation occurs solely as molybdenum-poor scheelite and can be found as three styles: disseminated mineralisation in calc-silicate altered arenites, vein-style mineralisation with quartz-albite-scheelite veins and minor but high-grade mineralisation in albitised felsic dykes.Contact metamorphic rocks and geophysical data indicate the proximity of an underlying granitic body. It is believed that this granitic body was the main driver of the hydrothermal system generating the Watershed deposit. An early mineralisation stage caused the selective calc-silicate alteration of the arenites, while a second stage caused the vein-style high-grade mineralisation. The folded shales enveloping the arenites worked as an effective barrier that kept the mineralising fluids in a confined rock volume.The scheelite mineralisation at Watershed is open to depth, with a granite-hosted porphyry or greisen-style mineralisation anticipated below the current resource.CITATION:Griessmann, M and Williamson, J, 2015. The calc-silicate-hosted Watershed tungsten deposit, far north Queensland, Australia , in Proceedings PACRIM 2015 Congress, pp 545–550 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne)."

Mar 18, 2015

ZINC concentrate, produced at Zeehan by flotation from Read Rosebery ore, is also dried and roasted at the same place for the production of a calcine suitable for use in the electrolytic zinc process at Risdon, Tasmania.DRYINGThe concentrate, dewatered to 12% moisture by an American filter, is fed into a dryer, the type of construction of which is similar to that of a duplex Edwards furnace. The dryer is 45 ft. long and 14 ft. wide, and has two rows of nine rabbles each, the two pairs nearest the firebox being watercooled.The longitudinal distance between rabble-centres is 4 ft. The rabbles are rotated at a speed of 3 r.p.m. by a I5-h.p. motor. Zinc concentrate is introduced by a screw feeder, consisting of two parallel-blade conveyors, revolving in opposite directions at aspeed of 31 r.p.m.Draft is supplied by a Sirocco fan, 15 in. intake, operated at 1340 r.p.m. by a 10-h.p. motor. The dust carried by the exit gases is removed in a wooden scrubbing tower, 3 ft. 6 in. x 4 ft. 6 in. x 27 ft. high, to which the fan delivers, and down which water issprayed.Wood (eucalyptus timber) is used as fuel, the consumption per ton of water evaporated being 0.55 :ton. Zinc concentrate from the dryer passed either to trucks for shipment or to Herreshoff furnaces. The portion for shipment is withdrawn at a point half-way down the furnace, being loaded on to a belt conveyor for transfer to railway trucks. The moisture at this point is 7% to 8%.

Jan 1, 1927

The success of smooth blasting essentially depends on geological condition of rock. Also, in the perimeter hole, borehole pressures with light, well-distributed explosive loads are important to minimise overbreak. In order to simulate perimeter holes with scaled model test, the borehole pressure was considered as a factor of scale. Hydraulic oil pressure is applied as borehole pressure instead of using explosives and detonators in order to remove the undesirable effects of detonators in an experimental set-up of just two perimeter holes in a tunnel blast. The borehole pressure on a perimeter hole is nearly reproduced with hydraulic pressure which is generated by non-electric detonators in the hermetical cylinder.

Dec 6, 2010

The Archaeozoic Willyama Complex at Broken Hill has suffered several periods of deformation and metamorphism. New structural and petrological information together with that available from the literature gives a picture of the metamorphic evolution of the Barrier Ranges. Several epochs of metamorphism are recognized, and potassium-argon dating of minerals has been applied with limited success to the resolution of these epochs.INTRODUCTIONAdvancements in the mineral industry at Broken Hill over the past eighty years have been accompanied by a continual striving towards increased understanding of both the geological history of the Barrier Ranges and the environment of the Broken Hill ore deposits. However, although many detailed studies of selected localities and particular-aspects of Broken Hill geology have been carried out recently, the regional geology of the Barrier Ranges as a whole has received little attention from a petrological viewpoint since the pioneer investigations of Mawson (1912) and Browne (1922). There still remains a great need for regional surveys combining field studies of the habits, structures and outcrop relationships of the various rock types with laboratory investigations of their chemistry, mineralogy and microscopic ,fabrics. Recording observations arising from three brief visits to the Broken Hill area during 1959 and 1963 may stimulate further surveys.During one of these visits, the generosity of the Zinc Corporation Limited in providing field transport and geological guidance enabled the writer to collect material and study field relationships and appearance of the various rock types at numerous localities covering most of the Willyama outcrop. A complete study has not been conducted...

Jan 1, 1963

By M Begbie, R J. Norris, D J. MacKenzie

The Otago Schist is crossed by numerous deformation zones that formed in the latter stages of metamorphism and uplift of the metamorphic belt. These deformation zones are long (tens of km) linear features at the regional scale, and are generally narrow (km scale or less). Many of these structural zones separate schist domains with different rock types and structural/metamorphic histories. The Hyde-Macraes Shear Zone is one such deformation zone, and this zone hosts the active Macraes gold mine. The Rise & Shine Shear Zone, 80 km NW of Macraes, is also enriched in gold and has been mined historically. Mineralisation in both these shear zones occurred during the transition from ductile to brittle deformation as the schist belt was uplifted from greenschist facies metamorphic conditions. Recrystallisation of quartz and micas in the early stages was overprinted by cataclasis, with sulfide and gold precipitation throughout. Many of the other late metamorphic deformation zones formed under similar greenschist to sub-greenschist facies conditions, with similar overprinting of recrystallisation textures and folds by more brittle textures such as breccias. Under these conditions, originally regionally pervasive deformation at the highest metamorphic grades was evolving towards more focussed high strain zones at lower temperatures and pressures. Shear zones initially focussed fluid flow along microshears and mineral grain boundaries, resulting in 1 to 100 m scale alteration and replacement in the host schist, with only local development of quartz veins. Fluid flow was not controlled by open fractures, and the rate of fluid movement was probably slow and pervasive. After uplift into the brittle regime, the schist belt underwent tectonic extension. Extension was accompanied by development of swarms of steeply dipping veins, with localised mineralised normal faults. Hydrothermal fluid flow throughout this uplift history was a normal consequence of late stage devolatilisation of the metamorphic belt. Hence, all late metamorphic deformation zones should be considered prospective for gold accumulation.

Jan 1, 2005

By P M. Hancock

The West Coast contains one of the world's giant placer gold deposits with production since the 1860s totalling some six million ounces (present day value NZ$ 3.6 billion). The deposits have been worked variously by hand, ground sluicing, hydraulicking and/or elevating, blocking out, deep leading and bucketline dredging. Since the sharp gold price rise of 1979 - 1980 gold production has increased steadily (in spite of the closure of the Kaniere dredge) to some 30 000 ounces (933 kg) in 1984. Production is primarily from some 100 medium scale mining, operations treating 50 - 200 000 m3 of auriferous late Pleistocene fluvial gravels year. In spite of their economic value the deposits remain only poorly investigated and many fundamental questions relating to the origin and formation of the deposits remain unanswered. This paper attempts to describe the geology of the deposits and outline a genetic model for their formation, and then discusses some of the economic aspects and current limitations and opportunities of the growing alluvial gold mining industry of the region.

Jan 1, 1985

Geological maps, data, and prospectivity analysis relevant to mineral exploration in New Zealand have recently been released. Regional-scale geological mapping is increasingly available for the country through the QMAP 1:250 000 Geological Map of New Zealand programme. Published QMAP sheets Greymouth, Wakatipu, Waitaki and Dunedin cover large areas of interest for mineral exploration companies. The QMAP geological data are also available in digital form for use with other digital datasets using GIS software. Crown Minerals, in cooperation with GNS, have completed two gold prospectivity studies; the first covering mesothermal gold in the South Island, and the second encompassing epithermal gold in northern New Zealand. These studies have defined areas of interest for these two mineralisation types and assembled geological, mineral occurrence and production, geochemical, geophysical, topographic and cultural data into projects for use with GIS software. Included are the results of prospectivity modeling for gold using these data and specific mineralisation models. The prospectivity studies and relevant data are freely available on CD through Crown Minerals and are intended to encourage mineral exploration in New Zealand.

Jan 1, 2003

The areas of concern lay in the processing of, and the subsequent hearing into, Waihi Gold's resource consent applications to extend Martha Mine. The proposed amendments to the Resource Management Act 1991 might see the introduction of contestability in the processing of applications - which would have assisted Waihi Gold; and the use of commissioners to hear the applications, with a right of appeal to the Environment Court on points of law only. It is also proposed to have major applications heard directly by the Environment Court. If Waihi Gold's applications had been heard at first instance by the Court, the delays in time and associated costs would have been reduced. However a hearing by commissioners only would not have been satisfactory, there being no right of appeal against the conditions of consent, which if implemented as granted by the Councils would have had a significant impact on the costs associated with the extended project.

Jan 1, 1998

By J T. Woodcock, G J. Sparrow

A sample of pyrrhotite flotation concentrate pulp assaying 15.3 g/t Au, which had been prepared from an old tailing dump, was treated to extract the gold. Examination of the concentrate with an SEM showed that exposed or free native gold, 5- 40 ¦m in diameter, was present but no locked gold was observed. Direct cyanidation of the concentrate to extract the gold showed that the flotation reagents present inhibited gold extraction. A range of pre-treatments was used to overcome these effects. Direct cyanidation for 48 h extracted only 26 per cent of the gold, indicating possible contamination of the gold in the concentrate with flotation reagents. Pre-treatment of the concentrate pulp by aeration for 24 h, or by 72 h aeration with an addition of 3.65 kg/t of sodium sulphite, gave little improvement in gold extraction by subsequent cyanidation. Pre-treatment by filtration, or by aeration with 12.5 L/t 100 volume hydrogen peroxide, followed by cyanidation for 48 h gave gold extractions in the range 67-77 per cent. Combining filtration and an aeration period with hydrogen peroxide addition raised the subsequent cyanidation extraction of gold to 88 per cent, giving a tailing assaying 1.5 g/t Au. Re-cyanidation of some of the dried tailings from the initial tests extracted most of the remaining gold giving a tailing assaying 0.5 g/t Au. This indicated that most of the gold was available for dissolution by cyanide. The poor dissolution of gold by cyanidation of the untreated concentrate was attributed to the presence of flotation reagents. It was shown by UV spectrometry that xanthate-containing compounds were present in the solids fraction of the original pulp and that they were partly removed by pre-treatment. MIBC was also present, and dithiophosphate, which was used in the flotation step, was also probably present. The results indicated that the improvement in gold extraction after filtration and oxidation of the original pulp was due to partial removal of the flotation reagents, and illustrates the detrimental effects that residual flotation reagents can have on the extraction of gold by cyanidation of a flotation concentration.

Jan 1, 1990

The greater part of this paper comprises the material used in a lecture delivered to the South Queensland Branch of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy in September, 1949. It contains little in the way of original matter, its main purpose being to call attention to the need for research into the properties of Queensland coals and to indicate some of the lines such investigations might profitably follow.Since the lecture was given the Powell Duffryn (1949) 1 report, which has made an excellent start along these lines, has been printed. This report is, however, only a beginning, though a big one, and there is ample room for many years of work along similar lines.The paper is based largely on the work of de Jersey (1946, 1949)2,3,4,5 and Jones and de Jersey (1947)6, but these workers in turn owe a debt to the work of many British and American investigators, too many to enumerate. The subject is a very large one-to deal with it fully would require not a paper but a book; all the author can hope to do is to discuss very briefly some of the main lines of investigation and indicate some of their applications.The reason for selecting Queensland coals in particular is the widespread ignorance of the extent of the coal resources of that State and the almost complete ignorance, to within the last year, of the modern industrial purposes to...

Jan 1, 1950

By Matthew I. G

A new process for leaching zinc sulphide concentrates with gaseous mixtures of SO2 and O2 in aqueous solution is described.The reaction of SO2/O2 with Rosebery, Mt. Isa, Broken Hill and Elura zinc concentrates yields zinc and iron sulphates, elemental sulphur and some sulphuric acid. Rates of zinc extraction are controlled by a surface chemical reaction without apparent interference from the elemental sulphur layer for SO2 concentrations up to 9 per cent in the gas phase. Pyrite in concentrate exerts an activating effect, possibly through galvanic interaction with the sphalerite. Metal extractions are dependent on SO2 and O2 tenors of the gas, particle size, and the acidity and zinc content of the solution, but are independent of the ferric ion level. Extractions also reach maxima at about 85°C.Generation of acid may be prevented by conducting the reaction in the presence of ferrous iron and at acidities of 40 g/l or greater. Zinc and iron levels in Elura lead concentrate may be reduced by leaching with SO2/O2.

Jan 1, 1981