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By G. van Eck, H. Smit, L. Meyer

The Cook Islands (CI) possesses within its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) a massive field of polymetallic nodules representing one of the world’s largest undeveloped cobalt deposits, along with large quantities of other metals critical to achieving global energy transition targets. In February of 2022 the Seabed Minerals Authority (SBMA) of the CI granted Moana Minerals a license to conduct our nodule exploration program. This paper describes how Moana Minerals chose to approach conducting exploration activities, one of the greatest challenges to Deep Sea Mining (DSM) development and the securing of the social license to advance to eventual mining of the resources, in an unconventional manner. The remote location of the project poses logistical challenges in mobilizing to and operating in the region and is a significant cost driver. Historically, exploration campaigns mobilized large vessels from mainland Europe, the Americas, and Asia as this model works well when contemplating long duration and widely temporally spaced campaigns without the need to revisit. Moana Minerals, when considering these challenges determined a multi-year deep sea mining (DSM) exploration program conducted in such a remote location can be better optimized by the deployment of a smaller yet highly capable “exploration optimized” vessel that is dedicated to the task and is based full time in the Cook Islands. INTRODUCTION The paper describes the challenges of exploration in remote regions including the South Pacific, and how an unconventional consideration of the problem led to the solution. Completion of an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment begins with a detailed environmental scoping study, resource update sampling requirements, and engineering data and sample requirements, which identifies the exploration goals of the project and technology needed to accomplish those goals. The method walks the reader through vessel and technology selection, discusses the challenges of equipment selection considering size and capability, describes the final arrangement, and provides results from the initial exploration campaigns. We followed the project from conception through the shipyard conversion, mobilization, and initial operations in the Cook Islands. The result shows how a smaller vessel with limited budget makes a large impact on the exploration capabilities in the region while building public trust. The Anuanua Moana is the first dedicated deep sea minerals exploration vessel modified with a suite of technologies that allow it to compete technically with existing ships but operate locally in the smaller ports of the South Pacific. The unique combination of size and technical capability gives the Anuanua Moana advantages over other vessels. This paper shows the importance of the Anuanua Moana in the development of offshore exploration strategies in the emerging deep sea minerals space.

Feb 22, 2026

By Robert G. Lundquist

REAM (for Rapid Excavation And Mining) is a method of rock fragmentation by high-velocity projectile impact developed by Physics International Company. This paper reports the results of field testing over the last two years. The success of the method is based on the fact that the amount of rock broken per shot scales nonlinearly with projectile impact energy. Thus, high energy impact yields spectacularly low specific energies for rock breakage. The field work reported used 90- and 105-mm military guns to accelerate 8-1/2 and 10-pound concrete and steel projectiles to velocities of 5000 to 5500 fps. All tests were performed in a competent 25,000 psi granodiorite at Hope Valley, California. During the first year of field testing 26 feet of 13-foot-diameter tunnel were produced with the 105-mm gun. The first 20 feet of this tunnel were line-drilled to aid in producing a stable portal. During the second year the tunnel was extended an additional 29 feet using the 90-mm gun. The 55-foot tunnel was produced by 590 shots. Between 1-1/4 and 1-1/2 tons of granite were broken by each shot. A silenced 90-mm gun was placed underground and the tunnel portal closed with a steel barrier. Overpressures of less than 1 psi were measured on the inside of the barrier, corresponding to an impulse noise of about 170 db. The muck produced was similar to drill and blast muck. Overbreak and ground support problems appeared to be less than with drill and blast. The contour of the tunnel was easily controlled using the 90-mm gun; the tests were also conducted using a 57-mm gun for trimming. Projections indicate that advance rates with REAM will be three to seven times faster than drill and blast, at less than two-thirds the cost. This is based on the development of a fully integrated continuous system and an inexpensive propellant giving a total expendables cost of less than $3 per shot. Other applications of the REAM technology are found in secondary breakage for open pit mining, in drilling large diameter holes, and in underground mining for longwall mining, overhand stoping, and raising.

Jan 1, 1974

By Frank F. Rahne

Butler Taconite, operated by the Hanna Mining Company, is an Iron ore pelletizing operation that is located on the Western end of the Mesabi Iron Range in Northeastern Minnesota. The operation mines low-grade taconite ore and through primary crushing, two stage grinding, magnetic separation, agglomerating and indurating, produces 2.6 million annual tons of high quality, 66% iron pellets. Mining and stripping is done with 13 - M100 trucks and 5 - 12 cu. yd. shovels. The operating processes in the concentrator and pellet plant are primarily con¬trolled through a centralized control room and monitored by a PDP l140 computer. During 1969 and 1970, a re-organization of the Company took place. Through this re-organization, each mine unit was analyzed and studied to determine the proper staffing of the internal departments. At this time, it was decided to continue with further detailed studies of the Maintenance Department with the intent to reduce maintenance costs. Maintenance costs at the time of the re-organization were 38.6% of the total mine operating cost. The preliminary study indicated that the Maintenance Department had a system of maintenance, as a matter of fact, it had a separate system in each sub-maintenance division and in some of the sub-divisions each foreman had a system of his own. Therefore, from the data collected, it was decided to develop one system of maintenance that could be utilized throughout the entire operation. To determine the type of system suitable to all phases of the operation, detailed time and method studies were conducted. All types of maintenance tasks performed at the operation were studied. The data collected was analyzed and the recommended improved methods were reviewed with the Maintenance Superintendent and his staff. The new improved methods that were accepted as feasible, were introduced into the system immediately.

Jan 1, 1975

By Samuel Polinsky, Lawrence W. Bierman, Wayne Perkins

[A column float beneficiation plant using 9, 8.5 foot diameter, cells was constructed by the Simplot Company and the Smoky Canyon Facility in the fall of 1986 and has been in operation since May of 1987. The float beneficiation process was developed jointly by the Simplot Company and the Bureau of Mines (Salt Lake City, Utah) which incorporates the Bureau's bubble generator design and chemistry system based around the reverse float technology, (Albany Bureau of Mines, Application of Carbonate-Silica Flotation Techniques to Western Phosphate Materials, Rule, Dallenbach , Larsen, RI8728, 1982) . This chemistry has been modified by Simplot in both patented and unpatented improvements. The objective of the beneficiation process was to reducethe A1203 content in the overall pipeline concentrate by 0.2 wt z. Therefore, a process stream was identified in the mill circuit which provided an opportunity to isolate and treat 1100 tons per day of poor quality phosphate concentrates The process allows recovery of approximately 15% of the mill concentrates, otherwise unsuitable for fertilizer production. The alternative would have been to waste this ore. Wasting would have resulted in considerable ore loss, increased mining costs and required additional products grinding. ]

Jan 1, 1989

By Richard E. Hucko

The Coal Preparation Division of the Pittsburgh Mining Technology Center conducted an investigation to assess and compare the pyritic sulfur reduction potential of coal-pyrite flotation and high-gradient magnetic separation (HGMS). Tests were run on three coals--an Upper Freeport bed coal, a Lower Kittanning bed coal, and a Pittsburgh bed coal--to establish grade- recovery relationships characteristic of both processes. Representative portions of each coal sample were crushed to two top sizes--nominal minus 35 mesh (0.5 mm) and nominal minus 100 mesh (0.149 mm)--and subjected to conventional froth flotation. The froth product was then beneficiated by coal-pyrite flotation or HCMS to provide a direct technical comparison of the two processes. At minus 35 mesh (0.5 mm), the size normally employed for coal flotation, both coal-pyrite flotation and HGMS effectively separated pyrite from coal, and the performance of the two processes was essentially the same. At a size of minus 100 mesh (0.149 mm) , however, the performance of HGMS exceeded that of coal- pyrite flotation. The separations effected by HGMS were more efficient at minus 100 mesh (0.149 mm) than at minus 35 mesh (0.5 mm). On the other hand, it was concluded that either the effectiveness of coal-pyrite flotation decreases with diminishing top size, or the process has not been optimized to treat material finer than 35 mesh (0.5 mm).

Jan 1, 1981

By H. Copur

Roadheaders have become widely used in underground mining and tunneling operations because they offer the flexibility to excavate soft- to medium-strength rock formations. A critical issue in successful roadheader application is the ability to develop accurate and reliable estimates of machine production capacity and the associated bit costs. Increased pressure to improve productivity and lower costs in the mining and civil construction industries has been the driving force behind the more wide- spread use of mechanical excavation systems. This has caused both industries to move away from the conventional drill and blast methods. Additional benefits of mechanical mining include improved safety, reduced ground support requirements and fewer personnel. These advantages, coupled with recent enhancements in machine performance and reliability, have resulted in mechanical miners taking a larger share of the rock excavation market. Roadheaders are the most widely used underground partial-face excavation machines for soft- to medium- strength rocks, particularly for sedimentary rocks. They are used for development and production in soft rock mining (main haulage drifts, roadways and crosscuts), particularly in coal, industrial minerals and evaporitic rocks. In civil construction, roadheaders are used to excavate railways, roadways, and sewer and diversion tunnels in soft ground conditions. They are also used to enlarge and rehabilitate underground structures. Their ability to excavate almost any profile opening also makes them attractive to those mining and civil construction projects where various opening sizes and profiles are needed. In addition to their high mobility and versatility roadheaders are generally low capital cost systems com- pared with most other mechanical excavators. Because of higher cutting-power density due to a smaller cutting drum, roadheaders can excavate rocks harder and more abrasive than continuous miners and borers.

Jan 1, 1998

By Robert W. Burns

Gentlemen, my subject today is glass reinforced plastics. By definition, this encompasses a wide variety of materials: at least a half dozen basic varieties of polyester, epoxy, and phenolic; virtually infinite compounding variations within the basic groups: literally limitless variations in the amount and the nature of the glass reinforcing. Complicating all of this is the fact that different modes of application of the same material fall appreciably alter' the product's general strength and suitability. These many, many differing materials are what we conveniently call "glass reinforced plastics" or, more simply, fiberglass". This common name is actually a large part of the problem when dealing with fiberglass materials. Far too often a specification is written calling for simply "fiberglass reinforced polyester', based on successful prior use of a polyester laminate. Such a specification is very nearly worthless since such tremendous variation is possible under it. Success of a laminate furnished under such a specification is entirely dependent on good fortune

Jan 1, 1962

By Thomas P. Meloy

Theoretical development of comminution models has come about in the last 10 years. These models assume that the material being broken is homogeneous and that the compression or energy wave is uniform throughout the specimen. Obviously, this is not the case because most comminuted materials are rocks with either many phases and/or definite grain size. The mathematical models deriving the size distribution of daughter fragments resulting from the comminution of brittle, single particles are of two schools. The first model, proposed by Gilvarry in 1961, was based on the concept of volume, surface, and edge flaw activation. The second, proposed by Meloy in 1960, was based on the concept that the crack density is a function of the energy in the comminution wave. The flaw theory has run into increasing theoretical problems and is now being abandoned. On the other hand, the crack density theory has been expanded and has successfully considered the case where there are inhomogeneities in the comminutive wave. However, the main constraint of a homogeneity in the solid being comminuted has hitherto never been overcome. In this paper, a very general derivation of the crack density model is made for inhomogeneous solids by replacing the assumption of homogeneity with an arbitrary function, P(y), which describes the susceptibility of the material to comminution as a function of position. The restraints on this function, P(y), are very broad and, hence, the derivation is extremely general. General use of the equation derived necessitates a detailed a priori knowledge of both the fracture process and of the physical properties of the material being fractured; this knowledge is expressed in open form as, P(y), the linear probability density that a plane of fracture intersects at point y on an arbitrarily oriented line segment of total length xo through the original particle. From these assumptions, a general expression for the cumulative mass distribution of particles resulting from fracture is then postulated. It is: [ ] where, B(x), is a cumulative mass of material finer than size x, r is the average number of crack,, (y), is defined above and xo is the initial particle size. It is shown that suitable assumptions reduce the expression to the theoretical results of Gaudin and Meloy and to special forms of the empirical equations of Rosin-Rammler, Gaudin and Schuhmann. Semi quantitative agreement is demonstrated by Grimshaw with experimental results of a very complex fracture of heterogeneous sandstone blocks. A need is expressed for more theoretical development of P(y), and a more extensive experimental study of both homogeneous and heterogeneous fracture. The full mathematical derivation is presented for the first time in this paper. The general implications of the equation and its application are also discussed.

Jan 1, 1968

By S. Chatterjee

Mining represents the first industry in the United States to have federally mandated training for its workers. Although the topics to be covered are specified in 30 CFR 48, course content is left to the discretion of the individual mine operators. Unfortunately, certain topics to be covered, such as prevention of accidents, are usually mine specific, making it very difficult to use the same course content in every mine. Further, training requirements may change from one mine to another, due to changes in the demographic characteristics of the workers, or changes in job and organizational characteristics. Therefore, if the intention of safety training is to modify the behavior of workers, it is expected that there should be some changes in the content of safety training programs in order to address the specific requirements of individual mines, or at least mines of similar worker and job characteristics. This study has been directed towards the development of a systems-based procedure for conducting a needs analysis. A special effort was made to understand the psychology of worker behavior by analyzing worker reactions to various organizational and job characteristics.

Jan 1, 1994

By Richard Thomas Newcomb

The trend towards proportionately rising volumes of surface mining through- out the world and especially in the United States has led some observers to predict that the future of underground mining is quite limited. Certainly, the simple extrapolation of current trends1 gives evidence of a compelling sort for the hypothesis that technological progress is proceeding at a faster pace in surface than in underground mining. This paper attempts to examine the basis for these predictions by searching the historical record on differential rates of productivity as these are observed in iron ore and coal mining. In recent years economists have discussed "technology gaps" among industries or segments of the same industry, by which they mean that mechanisms for invention and its diffusion are faulty or retarded in such a way that feasible cost-cutting innovations are not applied or developed, even though technicians regard them as practical.2

Jan 1, 1968

By A. E. Michon

I am Alfred E. Michon, Vice President- International for Burlington Northern Inc. I work for BN's holding company and my responsibilities include co-ordinating the activities of our eight subsidiary companies as they relate to international commerce--an increasingly important aspect of the overall business of our company. Until last April, I was President of the Fort Worth and Denver and Colorado and Southern railroads, subsidiaries of BN. Prior to that, I headed the marketing and pricing area of BN's coal transportation business. Based on my experience in the energy industry, both domestic and international, I would like to discuss the world-wide trend towards the reliance on low-sulfur coal in lieu of natural gas and oil for the generation of electricity. Since pontification on the energy scene world- wide is best left to consultants with scenario-spitting computers, let me in- stead emphasize this trend through two examples. First I will describe the regulatory and economic factors which have encouraged the replacement of natural gas by low sulfur coal as a boiler fuel in the US. BN's investments in track and equipment were instrumental in this conversion. Secondly, I will show how this same combination of factors has created a large demand for steam coal in the Far East. Again, our company's strategy is to facilitate conversion to coal overseas through timely and sufficient investments.

Jan 1, 1982

By William Gleason

"Komatsu has been on the cutting edge of autonomous mining for the past 30 years and the company remains at the forefront of the technology that is changing from concept to a full-fledged reality.In 1996, Komatsu America Corp. (KAC) purchased a controlling interest in Modular Mining Systems; a move that enabled both companies to expand their product lines. It was through this effort that Modular helped to deploy the first autonomous haulage system (AHS) — the Komatsu FrontRunner system. In January 2008, the first commercial implementation of the FrontRunner system occurred at Codelco’s copper mine in Chile. Since then, Komatsu has put more than 130 haul trucks into seven sites on three continents to haul copper, iron ore and oil sands and its equipment has moved 1.8 Gt (2 billion st) of material with zero lost time incidents attributed to Komatsu’s autonomous trucks. The 1.8 Gt (2 billion st) is the most of any commercial mining autonomous haulage system and there is more to come. In November, Komatsu announced that an additional 150 autonomous haul trucks will be deployed to the Canadian oil sands over the next seven years.Komatsu has continued to pioneer autonomous haulage development, creating a range of autonomous options that includes semiautonomous and teleremote options all the way up to a haulage vehicle that stole the show at the world’s largest mining equipment trade show.In 2016, Komatsu advanced the concept of driverless haul truck to a new level when it displayed its Innovative Autonomous Haulage Vehicle (IAHV) at MINExpo in Las Vegas, NV. The concept vehicle is the first mega class haul truck designed to be fully autonomous, without an operators’ cab included on the vehicle.Unlike other haul trucks, the vehicle was developed exclusively as an unmanned vehicle designed to maximize the advantages of unmanned operation. Among other advancements, it was designed to distribute equal load to the four wheels, both when the vehicle is loaded and unloaded, and adopt four-wheel drive, retarder and steering. Komatsu said it is aiming for high-performance shuttling of this vehicle in both forward and reverse travel directions, thereby eliminating the need for K-turns at loading and unloading sites."

Dec 1, 2018

Contents

Jan 1, 1985

By Fred D. Wright, Stefan H. Boshkov

12.1-BASIC AND PARAMETRIC CRITERIA IN THE SELECTION, DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF UNDERGROUND MINING SYSTEMS STEFAN H. BOSHKOV AND FRED D. WRIGHT The criteria governing the selection of an underground mining system relate to several factors the importance of which varies with geographic location, the state of development of the industrial technology, the economic climate in the Nation and, perhaps, in the world-all these as functions of time. Thus, the best choice of a mining method depends upon sets of definable and undefinable values for numerous factors that may be considered fixed at the precise point in time. Subsequent changes in economic and/or technological developments may necessitate modification or complete revision of the existing mining system. A classification of criteria for selecting a mining system must be based on the broadest definitions. Specific cases may present simple solutions or pose very intricate questions, the answers to which are frequently based on judgment rather than explicit logically reasoned and derived results. Specific criteria may be of negligible consequence in some instances and of overriding importance in other cases. It would be foolhardy to attempt to point out, in the limited space available, all possible variations and interplay of factors, as well as to define the setting in which this interplay can take place. The reader is, therefore, referred to the case histories described in the subsequent parts of this section where actual practice will point out the variability of the problems encountered in the selection of a mining method. A popular thesis suggests that the proper approach to selecting the method of mining should be rooted in the inverse solution, whereby the limitations of the various methods in use serve as criteria to eliminate most of these methods from consideration in the specific case. This narrows the ultimate selection to one or perhaps two most appropriate methods. At this stage, a critical comparison analysis will lead to the ultimate choice. Although such a negative approach un¬questionably is valid in discarding obviously inapplicable mining systems from consideration, it falls short in defining the best system, which in practice quite often turns out to be a variation of a textbook standard, or a combination of two or more such standards. Because the deployment of capital and manpower over a long-term commitment closely follows the selection of the mining system, the decision-maker can well afford to spend a great deal of time and effort in evolving the optimum solution for the peculiarities of his specific case. Within the basic engineering tenets of economy and safety to which the design of a mining system must adhere lie numerous factors of constraint which may be grouped, somewhat arbitrarily but for ease of discussion, into several categories. The criteria that enter into the choice of a mining method derive from the following groups of factors: 1. The shape, size and spatial position of the ore deposit.

Jan 1, 1973

By J. Bilant, B. Carlson, N. Gow

High Pressure Grinding Roll (HPGR) technology has been evaluated to replace tertiary cone crushing at Coeur Rochester operations (Coeur Rochester, Inc.) as an opportunity to improve silver recovery. In 2016 and 2017, onsite and third-party pilot programs were initiated to evaluate the impact of metallurgical recovery and heap leach performance of crushed product generated by an HPGR. In 2018, Forte Dynamics evaluated the HPGR laboratory metallurgical data from Coeur Rochester and all third parties to develop field-scale leach curves based on new crushing scenarios. The laboratory recovery test work data was consolidated and scaled to field conditions to determine projected heap leach performance. Based on the metallurgical testing conducted, the replacement of current tertiary cone crushers with HPGR technology has the potential to increase Coeur Rochester’s silver recovery rate by 8%, from 61% to 69%, and shorten the overall timing of silver recoveries from 20 years to just over two years. INTRODUCTION The Rochester mine, and associated valley fill heap leach facilities is an open-pit silver and gold mine located in Pershing County, Nevada, approximately 26 miles northeast of the city of Lovelock. In 2017, Rochester produced approximately 4.7M troy oz silver (Ag) and 51k troy oz gold (Au). Ore mined at Rochester is either fed directly to the primary X-Pit crusher, crushed at an in-pit crusher system, or placed directly onto a heap leach pad as run-of-mine (ROM). Both crushing circuits are comprised of three stages of crushing to produce a nominal 3/8” ore. Primary crushing consists of jaw crushing while secondary and tertiary crushing are composed of varying cone crushers. Historical recovery rates of crushed Rochester ore average 61.4% Ag and 95.9% Au over a period of 20 years [1]. These rates were derived from third party verification of in-house metallurgical test results, crusher production and heap leach production results from 1986 through 2004 in a private report for Rochester produced by KD Engineering Co., Inc. Recovery rates are regularly verified by compositing daily samples of ore delivered to each leach pad from the X-pit crusher, in-pit crusher, and/or ROM. A proportionate split of each sample is used to generate monthly composites for metallurgical analysis utilizing column leaching and bottle roll leaching. These tests are run in a manner analogous with production conditions and deliver test results that provide expected heap leach performance. As the Rochester oxide deposit has been mineralogically and metallurgically consistent, the gold and silver recovery trends have also been consistent over the life of the project. In 2016 and 2017, onsite and third-party pilot programs were initiated to evaluate the impact of HPGR technology to metallurgical recovery and heap leach performance of crushed product in an open circuit configuration, as a potential replacement for the currently in place tertiary cone crushers. During these years, HPGR was evaluated in three phases of test work.

Jan 1, 2019

By S. N. Gurulaxmi, Veerendra Singh

The abstract discusses the increasing consumption of manganese ores and the need to utilize low-grade ores and rejects. The study focuses on developing a low-cost process using a cupola furnace to recover manganese values from these resources. The process involves smelting ore blends to produce high MnO slag and pig iron. The study investigates various factors to improve iron reduction and separation from MnO-bearing slag. The results show that the process can produce slag with MnO > 35% and Fe(t) < 5% using low-grade Mn ores. The process also achieves Fe reduction between 50 and 70%. The cupola furnace offers advantages like low cost and ease of operation, making it suitable for processing low-grade ores and rejects to produce synthetic MnO-enriched products for various industries.

Apr 1, 2022

By L. Yan, N. Damiano, J. Bickson, E. Bauer, D. Yantek, B. Whisner, M. Reyes, J. Srednicki

Built-in-place (BIP) refuge alternatives (RAs) are designed to provide a secure space for miners who cannot escape during a mine emergency. Heat and humidity buildup within RAs may expose miners to physiological hazards such as heat stress. To minimize the risk of heat stress, Title 30 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), or 30 CFR, mandates a maximum allowable apparent temperature (AT) for an occupied RA of 35°C (95°F) [1]. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has conducted extensive research on the thermal environment of occupied RAs intended for use in underground coal mines. NIOSH research has demonstrated that a fully occupied BIP RA can exceed the AT limit by >5.6°C (10°F) in mines with elevated mine strata and air temperatures. In this circumstance, an RA cooling system could provide a solution. This paper provides an overview of test methodology and findings as well as guidance on improving the performance of a cryogenic air system prototype by optimizing the flow rate, increasing the tank storage capacity, and improving the efficiency of the heat exchanger of the cryogenic system. This may enable BIP RAs to meet the 35°C (95°F) AT limit in mines with elevated temperatures. The information in this paper is useful for RA manufacturers and mines that may choose to implement a cryogenic air system as a heat mitigation strategy. INTRODUCTION The apparent temperature inside an occupied RA could be significantly affected by the surrounding environment’s thermal conditions, such as mine air temperature and mine strata temperature. Apparent temperature (AT) is a temperature-humidity metric for the perceived temperature caused by the combined effects of air temperature, relative humidity (RH), and air velocity. It is used to assess the perception of indoor temperatures. Depending on factors such as geographic location and season, mine air temperature, relative humidity, and mine strata, temperatures can vary significantly [2]. RAs located in cold mines may pass the 96-hour 35°C (95°F) AT limit test that poses a challenge for RAs located in hot mines. One solution in these cases is that the occupancy of the RA could be derated (i.e., the RA occupancy could be reduced) to ensure the AT limit is not reached. However, this would require mines to purchase additional RAs to accommodate all personnel in the mine. For mines with high temperatures (above 26.7°C or 80°F), the occupancy might have to be reduced so much that the necessary number of additional RAs would be impractical. In these cases, RA cooling systems could provide a solution.

Jan 1, 2019

By Albert Hofstra, Joel Leventhal

The gray, dark gray and black colors of the sediments and the presence of pyrite in the Carlin, Jerritt Canyon, Horse Canyon, Betze, and Gold Acres sediment-hosted disseminated gold (SHDG) deposits indicate that these rocks are not oxidized with respect to carbon and iron sulfide. Both ore and non-ore host rocks generally are dark colored. Analyses for noncarbonate carbon (usually called organic carbon) in samples from SHDG deposits and related unmineralized rocks indicate that these rocks contain from a few tenths to a few percent carbon. We use the term noncarbonate carbon because, strictly speaking, organic carbon denotes carbon that is bound to hydrogen. However, the carbon present in SHDG deposits and related rocks has very little hydrogen chemically bound to it. Rocks with less than 2% organic carbon are usually gray in color. The dark colors in our samples are due to the relatively high temperatures that these rocks have experienced relative to organic matter maturation. We confirm the results of Nelson et al. (1982) that previous reports (for example, Radtke and Scheiner, 1970) were incorrect in reporting significant amounts of humic acids, extractable hydrocarbons (bitumen) or "carbonaceous" material. We believe these reports had problems with contamination or misdirected emphasis. Our samples consisted of unweathered rocks, collected mainly from mine cuts (benches, trenches, cores) and put into glass containers or wrapped in aluminum foil to avoid contamination. Only a few samples were collected from natural outcrops. We were careful to avoid samples in proximity to blast holes that were packed with ammonium nitrate and diesel fuel ("ANFO"). Contamination by ANFO may explain some of the previous reports of hydrocarbons, pyrobitumens, humic acids and anomalous nitrogen. When we were collecting samples, it was apparent that in addition to lithologic and color differences, the surface appearance of the rocks was distinguishable: "preg robbing" material that had a sooty surface; "graphitic" rock with a shiny surface; and more ordinary rocks that had a flat gray or black appearance. [Preg robbing is a term for ores that adsorb gold from the milling circuit; the graphitic material had not been x-rayed to actually identify graphite.] We hoped that laboratory study of these samples would show some fundamental differences that we could relate to ore genesis. Even though these sample types appeared different in the field, we could not distinguish any differences in thermal maturity (see below). Normal petroleum/organic geochemical laboratory procedures (solvent extraction, Rock-eval, pyrolysis-gas chromatography) failed to yield much information because the carbon was over-mature relative to oil and gas generation. Rock-eval results show less than 20 (± 20) mg of pyrolizable hydrocarbons per gram organic carbon (and an indeterminate Tmax) indicating that the organic matter in these deposits is burned-out relative to petroleum generation [with an H/C (atomic) ratio of less than 0.41. Because of the non-definitive results from standard organic geochemical methods, x-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy were used to characterize the carbon. Prior to XRD, samples were treated with HCl and HF acids (1) to remove quartz that has a peak near 26° [20] at the position of the 002 peak of graphite and (2) to concentrate the carbon to a level detectable by XRD. The residue was put on a colodion mount and analyzed by XRD. The XRD analyses yielded a broad peak at 26° [20]. The shape of this peak indicates that the carbon is more thermally mature than anthracite rank coal but less mature than crystallized graphite. Based on XRD results from the literature (Landis, 1971) that are calibrated to metamorphic facies, results from our samples correspond to pumpellyite-actinolite to lowermost greenschist facies conditions, probably

Jan 1, 1990

By Sadegh Elyasi

TBMand roadheader are two dominating excavation machines in underground tunnelling projects. The performance of these two tunnelling machines has been reviewed and analysed individually by many researchers from multiple points of view. However, there are almost no studies that have made an extensive comparison between these two machines, mostly from financial points of view. The current study is intended to characterize both financial and technical status of these two mechanical tunnelling machines in one of the biggest coal mines in Iran. The main objective of this study is to define the best method and equipment that meets a predefined economic goal, which is mainly to maximize the net present value. To this end, a technical and financial model based on the geomechanical and financial parameters involved in the project has been prepared and the financial part of the project has been carried out by applying COMFAR III financial analysis software. Subsequently, a sensitivity analysis of the model was conducted in order to evaluate the effect of involved parameters on the project. According to the results, a roadheader has better economic justification than a TBM, while the TBM has a better advance rate than the roadheader.

Feb 12, 2021

By Clark B. Risler

Conveyors constitute a critical artery, essential to the successful operation of most ore processing plants. Technological progress is permitting the recovery of metal from low grade ores which previously could not be worked economically. Significant in this progress are improved material handling techniques highlighted by the frequent and successful application of conveyors. From the standpoint of the plant manager the successful conveyors are those he never hears about. They continue to economically transport the loads applied to them, requiring only routine maintenance attention. When such conveyors are subjected to closer scrutiny you will find that they have been carefully selected and engineered to perform the required function under the anticipated conditions. Among the primary elements in a conveyor drive are the electrical motor and the speed reducer. The selection of these elements can be aided by the systematic consideration of several factors. These factors which focus attention on the critical operating conditions, will be individually evaluated and their effect upon the selection of the electrical drive system and speed reducer analyzed.

Jan 1, 1958