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By A N. Kusnanto, D Sims, L Henim, S Crispin, J Hertrijana

The high sulfidation Purnama Au-Ag deposit located on the Indonesian island of Sumatra entered production in mid-2012 following a two-year program of construction and development. Discovered in 1997 following a regional stream sediment geochemical sampling program by the Normandy Anglo Asia joint venture, it is the first and largest deposit in G-Resource’s Martabe Project to enter production and is the centrepiece of a series of six deposits totalling 8.1 Moz Au and 73.8 Moz Ag in Mineral Resources (G-Resources, 2013a).In 2011 investigation into the controls of high-grade mineralisation in isolated parts of the deposit identified a potentially significant mineralisation style which had not been previously recognised or accommodated in the resource model. An extensive investigation of core and logging data followed to confirm the distribution of the somewhat unusual mineralisation style – a sedimentary-like cavity infill of very high-grade auriferous pyrite within the steep hydrothermal breccia feeders to the system. With the bulk of mineralisation located within the adjacent volcanic sequence and sandy-matrix phreatomagmatic breccia surrounding the feeders, the lack of constraint for high-grade intersections in the hydrothermal breccia zones had potential to significantly impact the mine plan in the lower sections of the planned pit through overestimation of local gold grade. Combined with new data emerging from grade control drilling and infill resource drilling in the pit, a program of reinterpretation of the deposit was initiated to update the geological and alteration framework underpinning the resource model. The result has improved the economics of the project and added metal to the Ore Reserve for Purnama.CITATION:Sims, D, Henim, L, Hertrijana, J, Kusnanto, A N and Crispin, S, 2014. Remodelling the Purnama deposit – an interpretation case study from G-Resources Martabe Project, Indonesia, in Proceedings Ninth International Mining Geology Conference 2014 , pp 229–236 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Aug 18, 2014

By J Loeb, D Thornton

Blast movement measurement is a key component of grade control, enabling mines to carry all of the precision involved in locating ore blocks, through a chaotic blast, to production. A monitoring system was developed about ten years ago so that mine operation personnel can measure three dimensional movement in every production blast. Research has shown that blast movement is always highly variable with a significant non-deterministic component. The consequence is that modelling will be inaccurate and therefore optimal ore recovery can only be achieved by direct measurement of blast movement.Three dimensional movement vectors are measured at discrete locations in the blast. If blast movement is only measured at one location in a blast pattern, data is severely limited and has all of the inherent inaccuracies of modelling a variable population. It is intuitive that the accuracy of defining the post-blast ore block mark-ups are proportional to the number of movement measurement locations, however increasing the number of monitoring locations causes increases to the direct operating costs of the mine.A cost-benefit analysis is used to explore the optimal number of monitoring locations. Using the method described in this paper, an automated selection of the number and location of blast movement monitors are analysed against the value of recovered ore compared to the control, for each trial.CITATION:Loeb, J and Thornton, D, 2014. A cost benefit analysis to explore the optimal number of blast movement monitoring locations, in Proceedings Ninth International Mining Geology Conference 2014 , pp 441–450 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Aug 18, 2014

By E J. Sellers, A Cocker

Movement of the fragmented rock mass is an inevitable consequence of open cut blasting. Uncontrolled, unaccounted movement from blasting commonly causes ore loss and dilution from waste mixing. Therefore, the prediction of the post-blast location of both ore and waste is vital in grade control and of direct interest to mining geologists. Direct measurement techniques have matured significantly over the past decade, but their use remains expensive and labour intensive. Access and safety issues are further disincentives to regular movement monitoring. What is needed is a combination of direct measurement to establish baselines and reliable predictive modelling.The W H Bryan Mining and Geology Centre of the University of Queensland has pioneered 3D blast movement modelling using ‘physics engines’ to handle in-flight collisions and predict the final resting place of blasted material. Open cut metalliferous mines are a demanding environment for this style of modelling as they can involve complex geometries and variable buffering, which leads to inconsistent confinement. A version of the model designed to deal with these complexities is under development. A well-controlled field trial was needed to validate this new version.A validation trial was completed at a gold mine in South-East Asia. The aim was to increase throughput by increasing the blast powder factor without losing grade through dilution and mixing with waste. Four blocks were blasted to identify the effect of bench height and face confinement on ore movement, fragmentation and process throughput. The powder factor and blast timing were kept constant. Movement of the broken rock was measured by placing blast movement monitors at known positions in the block and then locating them after the blast. The majority of sensors were recovered, providing a unique insight into blast movement dynamics and generating a substantial data set for model validation.The model (called ‘MetaMove ‘) was calibrated for one blast and applied to investigate the extent of grade loss and possible mitigation strategies. Conventional mining techniques that involved firing across the strike of the orebody, and no post-blast boundary adjustment of the ore/waste boundaries prior to digging, were found to cause up to 44 per cent loss of high-grade ore, depending on the grade distributions. Post-blast adjustment of the ore/waste boundaries can negate this loss. The model indicates that altering timing and ensuring that the block boundaries are well confined can further constrain the movement of ore/waste boundaries. Thus, the model can be successfully applied to minimise grade dilution and limit misclassification of ore as waste whilst using higher powder factors to increase mill throughput. Application of a calibrated model to move ore/waste boundaries prior to digging will enable the production geology team to add significant value to the mining operation.CITATION:Cocker, A and Sellers, E J, 2014. Modelling blast movement for grade control at an open cut gold mine, in Proceedings Ninth International Mining Geology Conference 2014 , pp 377–386 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Aug 18, 2014

By G D. Matthews, M E. Haylett, S Khosrowshahi, A Weeks

In narrow orebodies the use of ordinary kriging (OK) may pose certain limitations when used for grade control modelling. The smoothing effect of kriging, by its very nature, cannot retain or accurately characterise the dispersion (variability) that is inherent in gold deposits. This dispersion is a critical component of determining the desired level of ore loss and dilution.Fixed block model positions used in OK, and all estimation approaches, within a grade control process may never align with the ‘true’ ore boundary. This may lead to excessive ore loss and dilution, especially within narrow lodes.Using a risk-based approach to ore block design based on the geostatistical method of conditional simulation (CS) can highlight the differences achieved when an alternative method to OK is used for grade control modelling. By using a mesh of nodes and the application of a ‘transfer function’ to the simulation models, the position for ore contacts can be better assessed than when using fixed blocks in OK. Therefore, the value of various ore block boundaries can be better analysed by objective assessment of ore loss and dilution for a given minimum mining selectivity (selective mining unit or SMU), even in narrow lodes.A case study of a narrow vein gold deposit, comparing the results from an OK model and a CS model shows that whilst both models show similar trends – waste, low-grade, and high-grade regions are the same in both cases – the simulation model can provide greater insight for optimal definition of the mineralisation boundary.CITATION:Haylett, M E, Weeks, A, Matthews, G D and Khosrowshahi, S, 2014. Ore block design in narrow vein gold deposits – estimate or simulate?, in Proceedings Ninth International Mining Geology Conference 2014 , pp 421–424 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Aug 18, 2014

By J Paradis, K Dudgeon, M Topping

At Newmont’s Jundee Operation, exploration and resource geologists collaborated to produce an open pit resource model. Using a variety of modelling and estimation techniques but no new data, an uneconomic underground target was converted into a potentially economic open pit evaluation. During an industry downturn, it is more important than ever to efficiently share expertise, ideas and resources to problem solve and produce meaningful project outcomes. The two departments brought together different methods and ideas, and the process showed that certain methods worked better than others in different situations, thus the appropriate method was applied to each part of the evaluation. The results were used to create new procedures and improved lithology modelling and resource model estimations. Adaptability of the geology departments and collaboration such as this are key to ongoing improvements and future mine life at Jundee.CITATION:Dudgeon, K, Paradis, J and Topping, M, 2014. Cook open pit model – the hurdles: how we leapt, lunged, stumbled and overcame them, in Proceedings Ninth International Mining Geology Conference 2014 , pp 169–174 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Aug 18, 2014

By P F. Hodkiewicz, J de Lacey, M Stewart, R Lane

"Implicit modelling is an approach to spatial modelling in which the distribution of a target variable is described by a unique mathematical function that is derived directly from the underlying data and high-level parametric controls specified by the user. This modelling approach may be applied to discrete variables such as lithology (after converting the discrete codes to numeric values) or to continuous variables such as geochemical grades. This paper discusses the estimation of continuous (grade) variables using implicit modelling.One of the underlying engines of implicit modelling for producing this mathematical function description is the radial basis function (RBF). In essence, the RBF is a weighted sum of functions positioned on each data point. A system of linear equations is solved to derive weights and the coefficients of any underlying drift model coefficients. Once derived, the RBF may be solved for any unsampled point or averaged over any volume to provide an estimate of grade. It is possible, for example, to query the RBF on a regular grid to derive an estimate of block grades. Given the ease of creation of an RBF, and its ability to predict grade, the question arises as to how the grades derived from the solution of an RBF compare with grade estimates derived from conventional geostatistical interpolation methods (eg ordinary kriging (OK)).The purpose of this paper is to describe in lay terms: the basic structure of an RBF the role of parametric choice in the solution of RBFs and how this influences the character of the solution the fundamental similarities and differences between RBFs and conventional geostatistical estimators.Using a high-resolution conditional simulation, we show that in many situations RBF and OK estimates are very similar.CITATION:Stewart, M, de Lacey, J, Hodkiewicz, P F and Lane, R, 2014. Grade estimation from radial basis functions – how does it compare with conventional geostatistical estimation?, in Proceedings Ninth International Mining Geology Conference 2014 , pp 129–140 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne)."

Aug 18, 2014

By K Ehrig, C Lower, V Liebezeit, M Smith, E Macmillan

"Minerals, minerals, minerals. Elements occur in the earth as minerals. If local physical, chemical and structural conditions are conducive to concentrating these minerals to sufficiently high abundances in the earth’s crust, a mineral deposit will form. If technology is available to extract metals from the minerals economically, then you have a mineral resource that will be mined and processed. Determining which minerals are present and quantifying their abundances, textural characteristics (grain size and shape) and how they are intergrown with each other is the realm of the mineralogist. Geologists use this mineralogical data to understand how the mineral deposit formed, how to find high-grade zones within the deposit and where to find other mineral deposits. Metallurgists use this data to design, operate and optimise processing facilities to extract metals from the minerals. The types, quantity and precision/resolution of the mineralogical data required by geologists and metallurgists are different, but are not mutually exclusive of each other. Fortunately, measurement technology is available that is relatively rapid, high volume and low cost, thus enabling ore and gangue mineral characterisation at a historically unprecedented scale of a mineral resource.CITATION:Ehrig, K, Liebezeit, V, Smith, M, Macmillan, E and Lower, C, 2014. Geologists and the value chain – how material characterisation by modern mineralogy can optimise design and operation of processing facilities, in Proceedings Ninth International Mining Geology Conference 2014, pp 5–14 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne)."

Aug 18, 2014

By G Love, S Maher

In Victoria’s onshore Gippsland Basin, geology is driving brown coal developments, and geologists are key decision-makers. Prompted by volatile energy prices and the likelihood of a carbon constrained future, significant work has been carried out on the next generation of technologies to be applied to this giant resource. These include new-generation gasification technologies, coal conversion processes yielding products as diverse as diesel and fertiliser, drying technologies producing thermal and metallurgical coals and in situ conversion processes. However, coals aren’t coals, and brown coal available for new projects will have different quality parameters and mining economics from that currently mined.New projects are likely to be developed on coals with moisture contents averaging 60 per cent and corresponding low energy values. Whilst ash values will be low, averaging just 5 per cent (dry basis), this will at times approach 10 per cent, which is a level that would challenge the installed-generation technologies. Sulfur values will average 0.4 per cent (dry basis), but at times exceed 0.6 per cent, requiring technologies that address the potential for sulfur dioxide emissions. Whilst localised high levels of the fluxes iron (>1 per cent dry basis) and sodium (>0.3 per cent dry basis) would increase fouling of installed technologies, they may be suitable for selected next-generation technologies.Project viability for this next generation of technologies will be strongly influenced by mining cost, and geologists are playing a role in identifying higher-value coal. At its simplest, this is being achieved for open cut mines through regional, vertical strip ratio assessments, which are considered a first-order proxy for mining cost. Follow up assessments are incorporating mining and processing cost, coal quality penalties and product revenues. At a regional scale, it is informing the likely location and relative timing of future mine developments, as well as thinking around rehabilitation strategies, infrastructure and land-use planning.For deeper coal, factors like macro permeability, the ability to isolate seams from aquifers, groundwater chemistry, pressure temperature conditions, connection with groundwater recharge and in situ biota are being used as vectors to in situ coal conversion opportunities.Matching coal to the next generation of technologies has benefited from regional-scale geological studies of coal quality and mining economics, and has benefited from early engagement between geologists, technology developers and project proponents.CITATION:Maher, S and Love, G, 2014. Matching brown coal to the next generation of Latrobe Valley projects, in Proceedings Ninth International Mining Geology Conference 2014 , pp 77–84 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Aug 18, 2014

By R Hargreaves, C Morley

The authors often see problems on mine sites that are due to insufficient feedback between technical discipline silos as the realities on the ground fail to inform the models and plans used to drive resource exploitation. Resource modelling, reserve definition, life-of-mine planning, short-term mine planning and scheduling, mine operations and beneficiation operations are all processes that inform each other, but in many instances feedback between these processes occurs in an ad hoc way and only after problems have come to light.Universal reconciliation uses a multidisciplinary approach across the entire mining value chain to identify both opportunity and loss of value and to maximise operational performance. This paper will look at the operational effectiveness of universal reconciliation and will outline the important elements that make it successful, including how to map out the detail underpinning modelling, planning and execution processes. We do this by documenting the physical processes, logical work practices, organisational roles and responsibilities, data origin and quality, working assumptions and information management practices at an operation. The results quickly show how misinformation and assumption causes suboptimal decisions to be taken, where inefficiencies exist and what the opportunity is to remedy these issues.A universal reconciliation study opens up an opportunity for stakeholders to reassess how the operation should be run and how operational effectiveness should be measured. Clear envelopes for reconciliation become obvious and questions about the practicality and data quality can be addressed.A reconciliation code of practice is a key element of a successful universal reconciliation project and the authors outline the important aspects that will provide an operating model, showing the effectiveness of the resource and reserve modelling, the practicality of the mine planning and scheduling practices, how well the mine operations team are executing these schedules and how effective the processing area is given what it is fed. Most importantly, a system that allows operations time to react before the losses become systemic and that is based on identifying early warnings from hard data when these processes start to wobble is outlined. Finally as a case study, the revenue and cost benefits resulting from universal reconciliation diagnostic projects for nine mine sites is documented.CITATION:Hargreaves, R and Morley, C, 2014. Universal reconciliation – a multidisciplinary approach across the entire mining value chain to identify loss of value and maximise operational performance, in Proceedings Ninth International Mining Geology Conference 2014 , pp 411–420 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Aug 18, 2014

By T Berryman, C Adams, L Griesel, C Buxton

The Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines (KCGM) schedule model is used for short- to medium-term planning and scheduling at the Fimiston Open Pit Mine (the Superpit). The model bridges the gap between grade control models, which are generated one to seven days prior to mining, and the annual Resource and Reserve model update that is used for budget and life-of-mine plans. The schedule model uses close-spaced grade control data (up to 20 000 m drilled each month) as well as resource definition drilling to estimate production volumes three to six months ahead of current mining. From this, a rolling 12 week mining and processing schedule is generated on a monthly basis. As the KCGM operation is mill and sulfur constrained, the schedule model needs to be an accurate predictor of ounces as well as tonnes, gold and sulfur grades. The process must also be time efficient in order to meet monthly planning and reporting deadlines. Due to the large amount of new data generated each month, model updates using conventional interpretation and estimation techniques have proven to be impractical and too time consuming. This paper will examine the evolution of the Superpit schedule model process over time, recent improvements and the effect of different model outcomes on short- and medium-term mine planning.CITATION:Griesel, L, Buxton, C, Adams, C and Berryman, T, 2014. The superpit schedule model – A time-efficient data-driven estimation for short- and medium-term planning, in Proceedings Ninth International Mining Geology Conference 2014 , pp 397–410 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Aug 18, 2014

By J Taylor, A Dubowik

To increase the efficiency and improve the quality of diamond drilling at Olympic Dam, mine geologists have adapted and modified common practices in order to overcome the challenges imposed by such a unique environment. Mine geologists have to take into account both the complex geology during the diamond drill hole design phase, as well as incorporating diamond drilling into the larger-scale scheduling process already employed at Olympic Dam. This study seeks to explore how such modifications have evolved over time.The geology of Olympic Dam influences the design process of diamond drill holes, particularly due to the variation of lithology and alteration, as well as the presence of magnetite and major structures within the orebody. Exclusion zones are used to manage interactions with existing and planned mining activities, and their size is dependent upon the geology of the area. Specific deviation checks are used to monitor the deviation of diamond drill holes with respect to these?zones.The highly interactive environment of Olympic Dam requires unique planning for diamond drilling, resulting in the production and implementation of both long- and short-term schedules. Long-term schedules are targeted at determining drilling locations and ensuring drilling is completed prior to stope planning, while short-term schedules aid in enabling access to ensure timely set-up of drill sites. Estimated drilling rates, determined by expected lithologies and historical data, feed into the short-term schedule to assist in managing the operation and minimising the downtime of diamond drill rigs. A mine geologist is appointed as a diamond drill coordinator to organise and manage diamond drilling at a scheduling and operational level, streamlining the entire process.Analysis of historical data shows a strong correlation between implementation of the aforementioned practices and improved drilling rates. This study shows the importance of adapting universal tasks to particular environments and circumstances. Mine geologists at Olympic Dam continue to acquire knowledge to further improve the modified drilling practices as operational requirements, production pressures and economic factors change.CITATION:Taylor, J and Dubowik, A, 2014. The evolution of diamond drilling practices at Olympic Dam, in Proceedings Ninth International Mining Geology Conference 2014 , pp 271–280 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Aug 18, 2014

By J Channell, G Phillips

"The Chesney deposit, located 4 km south-east of Cobar consists of three copper-gold rich shoots that lie within a larger, copper dominant lode. A fourth gold rich shoot is located adjacent to the main deposit. The deposit exhibits a strong structural control on mineralisation, as brittle deformation during subvertical extension provided the requisite structural traps to precipitate sulfides from solution. It is postulated that the Great Chesney Fault acted as a fluid conduit, conveying fluids to the site of orebody formation. The continual supply of fluids resulted in cyclic brittle deformation when the fluid pressure exceeded the lithostatic pressure and the tensile strength of the Great Cobar Slate.Evidence supports the hypothesis that ore deposit formation was controlled by: a supply of mineralised fluids transported along the Great Chesney Faulta suitable location for the mineralised fluids to accumulate, accommodated by vertical extension and dilation in certain locationsthe creation of suitable structural traps to capture the sulfides. These traps formed as a result of fault-valve behaviour. Understanding the controls on mineralisation enables prediction of the location of other deposits with similar emplacement history, or extensions of current deposits.CITATION:Channell, J and Phillips, G, 2014. Understanding mineralisation controls – a case study of the Chesney deposit, in Proceedings Ninth International Mining Geology Conference 2014 , pp 301–312 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne)."

Aug 18, 2014

By T Wellman, G Sternadt, R Hingston

The 335 000 oz Wilber Deposit is located within the Meekatharra-Wydgee Archaean greenstone belt in the Murchison District of Western Australia. The deposit comprises high-grade gold mineralisation hosted within a steeply west-dipping quartz lode, which lies within a broader (20–60?m) north-east striking shear zone envelope. Locally, the northerly-trending host rock geology includes greenschist facies high-Mg basalt (albite, actinolite, chlorite, biotite, calcite, zoisite, muscovite and titanate) intruded by at least two generations of felsic to intermediate porphyries (albite, actinolite, zoisite, chlorite, sericite, biotite, quartz and titanate). The Archaean rocks are cross-cut by a number of east–west striking Proterozoic dolerite dykes (biotite (50 per cent), albite, carbonate, epidote, titanate and actinolite) that are interpreted to have intruded pre-existing regional structures. The entire mine package is cross-cut by a system of shallow north-east-striking, north-west-dipping, barren quartz veins that commonly contain large (up to 30 cm), euhedral, smokey quartz megacrysts.The north-east-trending lode lies within a 3 m wide shear zone and varies from a single discrete 0.5 to 4 m wide laminated, massive or brecciated quartz-carbonate vein to multiple laminated veins up to 1 m wide within the shear. The veins exhibit strong boudinage, with cross-cutting quartz-carbonate seal veins in the boudin necks. The boudin necks often contain pink calcite. The shear zone fabric wraps closely around the boudin necks proximal to the vein, becoming more lode parallel distal to the vein. The lode is offset by a north to north-north-west trending fault.Mineralisation occurs as free gold within the quartz carbonate veins, with accessory sulfides including pyrite ± chalcopyrite, ± galena ± sphalerite. Fuchsite is observed in the veins, as laminar wall rock inclusions, with visible gold commonly associated with the wall rock laminations.Gold grades range from less than 1 g/t within the hosting shear zone, either at the margins or interstitial to the veins, to approximately 30 g/t in the single vein, and up to greater than 60 g/t in the multiple vein areas. Gold is commonly visible and disseminated throughout laminated, breccia and massive quartz veins, although laminations show the highest concentration of gold grains.CITATION:Hingston, R, Wellman, T and Sternadt, G, 2014. The geology of the Wilber Deposit, Andy Well Gold Project, Murchison District, Western Australia, in Proceedings Ninth International Mining Geology Conference 2014 , pp 55–64 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Aug 18, 2014

By R O’Sullivan, D Taylor, J G. McLellan, B Miller

The Mount Isa copper deposit is located adjacent to the city of Mount Isa, Queensland, and lies within a series of Palaeoproterozoic to Mesoproterozoic Superbasins. The deposit is hosted almost entirely within the Urquhart Shale (US), a unit of the Mount Isa Group sediments and part of the Isa Superbasin. The copper mineralisation is separated into two distinct orebodies: the X41 mine (1100 and 1900 orebodies) and the Enterprise mine (3000 and 3500 orebodies). The orebodies are situated in the hanging wall of the major controlling structures, the Paroo Fault, which has juxtaposed older basement Eastern Creek Volcanics against the younger Mount Isa Group sediments cf 1655 ± 4 Ma. Conjecture remains over the exact timing of this thrust event. However, it is clear that inflections on the Paroo Fault have a close association with the orebodies and are an important structural feature in the mineralisation of the Mount Isa copper deposit.The life-of-mine is reducing steadily and new geomechanical modelling techniques were employed to target structurally controlled mineralised zones in three dimensions. Following a structural review of the mine using underground mapping, structural data and core shed observations, a conceptual 3D mine model was constructed utilising existing data modelled in MineSight®. This conceptual model included all the main lithological units and structures. The conceptual model aimed to test the effects of deformation on the main lithological and structural components of the system and attempted to highlight areas of anomalous stress and strain that may indicate a higher likelihood of fluid focusing and mineralisation potential. This project was focused on testing the latter stages of a D3 event (NE–SW compression) and D4 event (SE–NW compression), which are considered to be responsible for the current location of the mineralisation.The fully coupled 3D finite element analysis models resulted in highlighting anomalous patterns of stress and strain and subsequent fluid flow as a result of the two deformation events. The NE–SW D3 simulation provided the best correlation with the known distribution of mineralisation. This event also indicated several areas on the Paroo Fault and within the US that have potential to host further areas of mineralisation. The SE–NW D4 simulation provided less of a correlation with known mineralised zones. However, this event may have been responsible for post mineralisation re-mobilisation of copper on a relatively small scale. Areas of maximum shear strain, shear stress, volumetric strain and fluid flow correlated well with areas of minimum principal stress and provided the best overall match with known mineralised zones. Furthermore, several additional highlighted areas provide a high potential for further discovery of copper mineralisation. Recent exploration drilling north of the Enterprise mine 3000 orebody, utilising geomechanical modelling as part of the targeting criteria, intersected copper mineralisation, providing further validation of the modelling results.CITATION:McLellan, J G, O’Sullivan, R, Miller, B and Taylor, D, 2014. Geomechanical modelling of the Mount Isa copper deposit – predicting mineralisation, in Proceedings Ninth International Mining Geology Conference 2014 , pp 197–206 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Aug 18, 2014

By G Fahey, S Rose

"Mining geology as a defined profession is only about 100 years old. The successful modern mine geologist needs to be a multidisciplinarian, but also needs to maintain a focus on the key outputs of the role. The technical skills needed in the role have increased as mining methods move to increasingly mechanised techniques. As well as being the guardian of the orebody and ensuring minimal dilution to expected ore grades, the mine geologist should be competent in the 12-point mine geology process. The mine geology process should include:a statement of purpose (a ‘mission statement’)geological mapping/logging system that supports consistent and regular geological data collection, storage, and interpretationsampling system that can produce representative samples and fits in with the mining scheduleassay database with relevant controls to ensure only ‘clean’ data is loadedsimple quality assurance / quality control (QA/QC) system for samples and assays, with a response process to react to out of specification resultsconsistent method of exporting, visualising, processing and interpreting assay data to create mining blocksdevelopment sign-off system so that all development and stoping is controlledproduction tracking system to monitoring and reporting what ore and waste volumes have been moved from the face, to any intermediate stockpiles, the run-of-mine (ROM) pad and into the crusherreporting system for daily, weekly and monthly reporting of tonnes and gradesdocumentation so that the grade control system has simple, but effective descriptions of how it works, who has responsibilities, and authorities, and be easily maintainedreconciliation system to compare resource and reserve to grade control and to mined and milledtraining system so that the geology team can quickly become competent.In this paper, the authors discuss the requirements of each point, and comment on common shortfalls observed by them over several years’ experience on producing mines worldwide.CITATION:Rose, S and Fahey, G, 2014. Modern mining geology, in Proceedings Ninth International Mining Geology Conference 2014 , pp 461–466 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne)."

Aug 18, 2014

By R Sterk, B Reid

The Konongo Gold Project is located on the western margin of the 125 Moz Ashanti Gold Belt in Ghana, West Africa. It is situated 60 km along strike of the world-class mineral system at Obuasi and is interpreted to lie on the same controlling regional shear system.The project is operated by Signature Metals, a subsidiary of the Liongold Corporation, and is managed and funded by the Liongold Corporation.Historic underground operations at Konongo produced 1.6 Moz Au at a head grade of 11.8 g/t Au, from eight operations spread along 16 km of the shear system. Mining focused almost exclusively on free-milling gold in quartz, ignoring the gold-bearing sulfide mineralisation associated with the quartz veins. Underground mining ceased in 1986.In 2013, Signature Metals re-focused the program at Konongo to assess the viability of mining the sulfide ore sustainably. This led to the first campaign review of the historic underground data and resource potential since mine closure. The Obenemase mine was the first of the eight operations to be assessed as part of this campaign.Large amounts of legacy data have survived for Obenemase and several historic resource estimations have been completed based on these data. The data typically consisted of hand-drawn sections and plans, and ledgers of commonly incomplete drilling and sampling data. Some drill core have been lost over time, but a large amount of quarter-core and half-core as well as pulps and rejects are still available. Previous resource estimates had a low confidence value because all the available assay and geological data were integrated effectively with the estimates, resulting in a lack of understanding of both grade and geological continuity.This project built a new geological model for Obenemase that greatly enhances the understanding of the controls on mineralisation using a thorough approach of re-surveying, re-cataloguing and re-logging. This model led to an increased degree of confidence and a subsequent upgrade of resource classification, and created several previously unrecognised strong exploration targets. The resulting resource estimates increased the value of the project by 100 per cent.This paper emphasises and highlights the importance of a well-understood geological model on the confidence of a resource estimate and how this may directly impact on the project’s ‘bottom line’.CITATION:Sterk, R and Reid, B, 2014. The Konongo Gold Project, Ghana – an example of how geology makes all the difference to a resource estimate, in Proceedings Ninth International Mining Geology Conference 2014 , pp 467–476 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Aug 18, 2014

By Airong Zhang

El presente texto señala los elementos importantes de una licencia social para realizar operaciones mineras en un determinado territorio. En ese sentido, el desarrollo de este proceso permitirá que las comunidades dialoguen con los inversionistas y a su vez les otorgará confianza en el camino de la exploración minera. Para ello, se muestra un ejemplo aplicado a una comunidad minera denominada Queensland, Australia donde a través de doce encuestas desarrolladas durante 12 meses, se percibío la trascendencia no solo de la gestión, sino el contacto de las comunidades y las compañías mineras y evitar conflictos sociales.

Aug 1, 2014

By J Ta’ala, M Handyside

Mechanical sampling from conveyors has historically been a staple in the iron ore industry when information related to chemistry, sizing and moisture is required. In order to comply with ISO 3082:2009, samples can be taken either on a mass or time basis provided no bias is introduced by periodical variation in quality or quantity. With the introduction of mechanical sample carousels, you also have the opportunity to collect samples on a mass or time basis. In order to optimise automatic sample stations in a changing production environment, BHP Billiton Iron Ore (BHPBIO) has developed a simulation model that enables the various combinations of mass–mass, mass–time, time–time and time–mass to be investigated.The sample station model can utilise actual (variable) feed rates to achieve high resolution and enables the simulation of sample size variation. Cutter speeds and other settings can then be adjusted to better optimise the performance of the sample station with regards to optimal sample size as well as ensuring the sample station is in compliance with ISO 3082. The model can also assist process engineers in adjusting settings to better optimise the sample station and reduce unwanted events such as blockages. The model can be easily modified to conform to various sample station designs. This paper demonstrates the use of the model and the benefits that can be achieved.CITATION:Handyside, M and Ta’ala, J, 2014. Simulating time versus mass basis?sampling, in Proceedings Sampling 2014 , pp 155–164 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Jul 29, 2014

By P J. Jacobs

FORACO is the third-largest global drilling services company, and recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. The company’s historical roots are in French-speaking West Africa, delivering hydrogeological drilling services to resource companies, villages and regional centres. Today, FORACO operates over 300 drill rigs in more than 20 countries.The Asia Pacific region of FORACO runs a fleet of 37 late model drilling rigs servicing the diamond drilling, reverse circulation, coal, coal seam gas and hydro drilling sectors.FORACO Australia has extensive experience delivering large diameter coring (LDC) samples to the resource community. In the past three years, the company has been involved in six 8? coring projects in a variety of geographies and geologies, including iron ore, coal and uranium. FORACO has developed proprietary equipment and techniques to deliver cost-effective LDC samples with outstanding core recovery.The FORACO LDC sampling system is hands free, with mechanised rod and corebarrel handing to minimise the risk of manual handling injuries. Sample volumes are six times PQ (the common industry standard for large core samples), with core recoveries consistently above 96 per cent in extremely difficult formations.Eight inch coring is a conventional coring system suited to hole depths up to 150 m. For deeper applications, FORACO has recently invested over $4 M in a 6? wireline coring system capable of achieving depths of 300 m.CITATION:Jacobs, P J, 2014. Large diameter core sampling, in Proceedings Sampling 2014 , pp 71–76 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Jul 29, 2014

By G J. Halstead, R C. Steinhaus

The True Pipe® in-line sampler was developed in an attempt to address the need for a mechanically reliable and correctly designed sampler to suit one-dimensional pressurised slurry pipelines, often found in metallurgical process plants but for which no reliable and representative sampling solution as yet exists.The design, whose operation is based on the principle of symmetry, is described by Dominique François-Bongarçon (2005) with the synchronous opening and closing of relevant valves. It representatively isolates portions of the particulate material stream at predetermined intervals for effective extraction of primary increments for subsequent sample compositing.Theory of Sampling applicable solutions have proven elusive in flowing pressurised particulate material streams, with various attempts to date not having formulated a viable, mechanically reliable and acceptable design.Compliance to sampling theory is critical, and a number of tests were conducted where certain operating parameters were altered to determine their influence and sensitivity on sampling representativeness.The results of the initial series of tests performed on a carefully designed rig are presented, with additional work discussed for necessary investigation in the near future.Getting closer to a robust, economic and correct design for this challenging application in the minerals industry may now not be that far away. Plant management staff will see improved metallurgical mineral balances around their process plants and significantly reduced sampling discrepancies, particularly in tailings applications. Improved quality control is now possible where, due to plant head room constraints, classical cross stream sampling methods cannot be employed.CITATION:Steinhaus, R C and Halstead, G J, 2014. True pipe sampler – a correct design utilising the principle of symmetry in pressurised slurry particulate streams, in Proceedings Sampling 2014 , pp 127–134 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Jul 29, 2014