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By A Innis, A Bye, B McCarthy, S Glover

Technology adoption in the mining industry has been steadily increasing over the past decade, driven by the need to improve operational efficiency, safety, sustainability, and profitability. As mining companies wish to implement solutions to improve mining safety and productivity, various technologies are being integrated into mining operations to enhance processes, reduce risks, and optimise resource utilisation. Adoption of new technologies such as autonomous trucks requires a strong focus on foundational operational technology (OT) and a systems-thinking approach. OT support is critical however, OT is traditionally not considered or integrated into standard maintenance activities. Consequently, sourcing and applying service support to OT systems in real-time has posed significant challenges to date. Neglecting the monitoring and upkeep of these operational technologies and equipment can lead to a host of adverse consequences. Operating instability becomes more prevalent, necessitating reactive measures, and the vulnerability to cybersecurity threats increases significantly. To address OT monitoring and maintenance challenges, a systems wide mindset and remote support discipline must be utilised. Remote operations support refers to real-time, 24/7 monitoring, control and support of site OT: network, production systems, maintenance systems, enterprise systems and mobile and fixed plant through a single interface remote from site. The presence of a disciplined team, grounded in a systems-oriented approach, is of the utmost importance to remote monitoring, given the intricate interdependencies of OT systems. The ability to understand the relationships among multiple systems, coupled with the capacity to distinguish between symptoms and root causes, assumes a pivotal role in operations. Through diligent monitoring and the astute understanding of system thresholds, remote operations support can actively identify and alleviate constraints, in turn, serving as the enabler for transformative advancements in technology output.

Sep 1, 2024

By De Janti VP

The automation and centralized monitoring of longwall type underground mining is presently an important subject matter of research in France. The purposes are :to improve safety and working conditions to increase productivity.to improve efficiency in machine operation through continuous "health monitoring". to make winning possible in difficult seams.

Jan 1, 1985

By De Cuyper J

Laboratory testwork has been performed on ancient residues from the cyanidation of a previously roasted gold-containing pyrite and arsenopyrite ore. By grinding to 95 per cent minus 60 microns, and after a strong aeration conditioning of the pulp, a gold recovery of approximately 67 per cent was obtained by cyanidation. This recovery was brought up to 80 per cent by leaching with thiourea, after a preleaching step with sulphuric acid under severe conditions of acidity and temperature. To avoid excessive capital costs bound to such processes, it was decided to investigate the possibility of applying flotation after grinding at a size similar or finer than the one used for the leaching tests. The method turned out to give interesting results because of the natural flotability observed at pH values lower than two for particles rich in gold present in the residue. After two cleaning steps, a final concentrate, representing around one weight per cent of the feed, was obtained with an approximate gold content of 350 g/t, representing a batch recovery of gold of about 50 per cent. Apart from sulphuric acid, whose addition was very high (flotation slurries at 25 g/l H2SO4), other reagents were not found necessary. Additional flotation tests were carried out to examine whether the recycling of the cleaner tails was justified but the gain observed appeared insufficient.

Jan 1, 1993

By J de Vries

Arthur Page, a past President of AT&T said:All businesses in a democratic society begin with public permission, and exist by public approval. Product stewardship in its most basic form is simply risk management applied to the products we produce. Conceptually it may be considered as a more expansive approach to many existing safety, heath and environmental programs. Key differences include the extension of responsibility beyond the direct control of management, and consideration of the implications your products and processes have on the broader community, as opposed to the confines of an individual mine site or operation. This paper reviews the processes used by Orica Ltd to manage its product stewardship program. OricaÆs product stewardship program is expansive and supports activities and business that range from manufacture and delivery of commercial explosives and sodium cyanide to mines throughout the world, supply and operation of municipal water facilities, and manufacture and distribution of consumer products such as household paints and adhesives. We highlight the development of the program through experience both good and bad, and by use of case studies to illustrate how an active product stewardship program is an effective business risk mitigation strategy.

Jan 1, 2006

By de Brodtkorb MK

Late Cenozoic ore deposits "Precious and base metal-rich" and " Sn-Ag-polymetallic"of Northern Puna are associated either with Middle Miocene dacitic volcanic-dome complexes or with Upper Miocene dacitic-andesitic volcanic centers. Ore mineralogies and their related volcanism are discussed. A strong link is observed between the Cenozoic Metallogenetic Province of Northern Puna and the Southern Bolivia Tin and Polymetallic provinces.

Jan 1, 1995

By S Robinson, A Turner, R Dale, C Butler

"Sandfire Resources NL- (‘Sandfire’) DeGrussa definitive feasibility study (DFS) identified geometallurgy as a major factor in achieving optimum plant performance at the DeGrussa mine. A geometallurgical initiative was created to proactively investigate this issue, and a key initial achievement was the 2013 paper by Condon et al (2013) on developing a working geometallurgical model from first principles. Significant advancements in Sandfire’s geometallurgical understanding since that publication now shape how information is presented and communicated.The main geometallurgical parameters so far identified as critical factors affecting plant performance are Cu:S ratio, iron sulfide mineralogy, talc carbonate content and sphalerite content. Apart from specific mill strategies, geometallurgical issues have been managed through communication between departments and strategic run-of-mine (ROM) pad management.This paper uses the current theories of geological evolution of the volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposit at DeGrussa, to discuss the variability between the orebodies C1, DeGrussa (sea floor mounds) and C4, C5 (sub-sea floor replacement) to highlight the different issues each orebody is expected to encounter when processing.A zone of altered low-grade mineralisation surrounds the main orebodies at DeGrussa, referred to as a halo. Talc minerals are often patchy within this halo and often cause significant recovery issues during processing. This halo has been successfully modelled using MgO as a proxy. The ability to model the talc material assists with both identifying potentially problematic zones for processing and geological interpretation of the ore deposits evolution.Early in geometallurgy studies at DeGrussa it became apparent that it would be useful to identify processing performance prior to mining. This necessitated the incorporation of specific sulfide species into the mining block model. These attributes are interpolated from the logged sulfide estimates allowing a clear picture of the abundance of each mineral type within a defined area.In conjunction with the block model a geometallurgical factor (GMF) graph was developed, identifying sulfide mineralogy based upon mineral assays. These two recent additions to the model provide a clear picture of the nature of the ore sources that will be presented to the processing plant.The future of geometallurgy at DeGrussa will see these tools used to aid mine scheduling with a view to further improve processing recoveries.CITATION:Butler, C, Dale, R, Robinson, S and Turner, A, 2016. Geometallurgy – Bridging the Gap between Mine and Mill: a Case Study of the DeGrussa Geometallurgy Program, in Proceedings The Third AusIMM International Geometallurgy Conference (GeoMet) 2016, pp 77–88 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne)."

Jun 15, 2016

By J A. de la Torre, I R. Cerna, G K. Karadjian

The La Colorada underground mine in Zacatecas, Mexico is a mechanised cut-and-fill silver mine with a capacity of 1250 t/d. The project focused on training the mine’s experienced operators for a fleet of underground trucks, through the use of a training simulator. The project was run by the simulator vendor, in collaboration with the mine’s maintenance, safety and production management.A training program was created targeting maintenance reduction, productivity improvement and increased utilisation and availability. Operators were first acclimatised to the simulated environment, had their current performance baselined, then received targeted coaching, with the process repeated to reinforce learnings. Concurrently, production, maintenance, and safety data was being measured in the real world to measure skills transfer. Due to limited telemetry available from the equipment, many of the data points for the project were sourced from maintenance logs, and accounting data.Equipment failure data measured from unscheduled maintenance records showed an overall 6.5 per cent decrease in unscheduled maintenance following the implementation of the training program. This rate of reduction correlated with the significant decrease in equipment abuse behaviours measured within the simulator during this period. Additionally, overall maintenance activities showed a significant decrease, confirming that reductions in unscheduled maintenance were not achieved through increases in scheduled maintenance. The reduction in equipment damage also increased availability and utilisation of the truck fleet. This highlights that the maintenance improvements not only reduced maintenance costs, but made the fleet available for more production. Moreover, the variability of the operator performance was decreased by 86 per cent, and the difference between their best operator and the worst is less than the baseline; this showed a gap where machine abuse, productivity and cost are impacted directly.This project illustrated that even small-scale mining operations with an experienced operator workforce can achieve positive return on investment (ROI) from simulation-based training. It also highlights that in the absence of equipment telemetry, alternative data sources such as accounting data and maintenance logs can be used to quantify ROI from training.CITATION:Karadjian, G K, de la Torre, J A and Cerna, I R, 2017. Innovations in underground hard rock operator efficiency – through simulation-based training technologies and processes, in Proceedings 13th AusIMM Underground Operators’ Conference 2017, pp 53–58 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Oct 16, 2017

Indiscriminate surface disposal of coal waste in New South Wales has created a serious fire hazard and increased air pollution.A survey of numerous dumps, as well as particular investigations of one badly-constructed dump, showed that factors conducive to ignition and propagation of fires in waste dumps were high contents of combustible material (coal, pyrite, wood. paper. grease), size segregation leading to ready movement of air and moisture shape of the dump (e.g. protruding sections or porous junctions), high ambient air temperatures, bush fires, and even deliberate lighting.Control methods applied in the past tended to be haphazard and unsuccessful. Under Australian conditions the technique recommended for control of existing dump fires, based on experimental work, is to spray the dump with a chemical fire retardant (e.g. a 2 per cent solution of sodium tetra borate and ammonium phosphate), to cover the dump with a suitable soil, and to seal the surface with a I per cent solution of aluminium sulphate or sodium metasilicate. The recommended method of dump construction to prevent fires is to level and seal the site, to construct a firebreak around the dump area, and to build a rectangular dump with minimum size segregation and compacted surfaces.

Jan 1, 1971

The earliest suggestions that some metallic ore deposits might have resulted from seafloor volcanic exhalation seem to have been those of Elie de Beaumont in 1847 and Henry de la Beche in 1851. In 1885 Tinoco, and Bouglise and Cumenge, independently investigating-.the manto copper deposits of the Boleo district of Baja California, proposed that these had formed on the seafloor by precipitation from "hydrothermal submarine emanations". Some twenty years later the Japanese geologists Kukuchi and Tsujimoto (1904) put forward the idea that the Kuroko ore- bodies were seafloor volcanic sinter deposits and in 1919 this was re-affirmed by Ohashi. In 1909 the English geologists Thomas and MacAllister postulated a similar origin for some of the gold deposits of Mount Morgan in Queensland. Between the wars the great European economic geologists Niggli and Schneiderhohn both clearly recognized a class of seafloor hydrothermal deposits. The idea rose again immediately after the Second World War in a very clear statement by Hegeman in 1948, which was followed by contributions by Ehrenberg and Kraume and their co-workers on the submarine volcanic origin of the Meggen and Rammelsberg orebodies in 1954 and 1955 respectively. In 1955 the present writer, quite unaware of early or contemporary work on volcanic exhalative ore deposits, proposed a volcanic sedimentary/diagenetic origin for the stratiform base metal ores of SE Australia. In doing so the writer emphasized the probable importance of island arc volcanism, suggested that some "metallogenetic regions" of ancient terrains were in fact old island arc systems, that the composition of the ores might be related to the composition of the associated volcanic rocks and that such ores would be tied to volcanic stratigraphy. Ideas on relations between volcanism and stratiform ore genesis have thus been evolving over.a period of some 140 years and, beginning with the observations on Baja California in 1882, work round the rim of the Pacific has made an important contribution over a period of more than 100 years.

Jan 1, 1987

By Liu C. H, Juang Y. F

Coal/gas outbursts were one of the rather difficult safety problems faced in the coal mines of this Country, with coal fields characterized by frequent disturbances of folds, faults and pinch-offs. With average mining depth about 500m below surface, several such accidents occurred with up to 500 tonnes of coal outburst. In recent years, after a series of improving countermeasures had been undertaken, gas outburst accidents had been greatly decreased. The characteristics of gas outbursts in Taiwan coal mines include relating to coal petrography, mining depth and the other deformation forces. All these have been investigated, trying to determine the parameter of outbursts under natural conditions. The preventive countermeasures include predicting tests, de-stressing boring in coal seams, the emergency procedures during outbursts and certain improving options.

Jan 1, 1988

By Parsons A. E

The application of known pelletizing tech- nology was successful in the agglomeration of zinc concentrate into pellets of minus 6mm siz- ing using fine zinc calcine and sulphuric acid as binder. Subsequent roasting trials conducted in a 0.3 m diameter fluid bed reactor, showed that the pellets satisfactorily withstood hot physical abrasion during fluidization. Fines generation was low and the pellet calcine was hard, possessing excellent handling properties. Results of laboratory scale static pellet sinter- ing tests showed conclusively that the deterior- ation in sinter physical quality experienced with fine calcine was not apparent when the calcine was added to the mix in pellet form. Based on the results of small scale exper- imental work, a one tonne per hour pilot plant was constructed and operated. Several thousand tonne of pellets were produced-for fluid bed roasting in Badische Analin and Soda Fabrik (B.A.S.F.) turbulent layer (T.L.) roasters previously designed for roasting iron pyrite concentrate. Continuity of the T.L. fluid bed roasting operations was achieved when the waste heat boilers were replaced with atmospheric coolers and thus eliminated the problems of gas flow restrictions. Sinter plant trials were conducted over a period of two weeks with the addition of pellet calcine to the sinter feed. Results showed a marked improvement in sinter plant performance, and as a result of better bed permeability, increased sinter production was achieved, with- out significant deterioration in sinter quality.

Jan 1, 1974

By Stewart R, Manson RA, Haig DW, Perembo RCB, Kruman B

Since the advent of plate tectonic modelling, the Ramu-Markham valley has been thought the site of a classical island-arc/conti- nent collision zone. In this interpretation the units south of the Markham Valley are held to be island are / micrcontinental mate- rial accreted to Australia and those north of the valley are thought to represent a separate Finisterre island-arc terrane. Recent remapping by the Geological Survey of Papua New Guinea shows: (1) there is no terrane boundary along the Ramu-Markham valley (2) the Finisterre Volcanics are probably part of either a fore-arc sequence or oceanic plateau obducted onto a microcontinent/ volcanic-arc composite terrane, accreted to the continental Australian plate. A new tectonic model is proposed for northern PNG and involves: (I) Eocene to Late Oligocene subduction below a microcontinent remote from Australia to produce the Sepik are and related intrusives, the Finisterre Volcanics (fore-arc or possible oce- anic plateau), together with the Alife blueschist. (2) obduction of the Sepik arc in Late Oligocene-Early Miocene times over the advancing Australian plate. This resulted in crustal melting, some of the products of which are the Mid- dle to Late Miocene Akuna and Bismarck intrusive complexes of the Maramuni arc. (3) obduction of the Finisterre Volcanics began in Early Pliocene times and continues today. (4) post-Middle Miocene mineralisation is the result of melting after obduction of the Sepik microcontinent.

Jan 1, 1997

By Cudmore JF, Rowlands D

Incidents associated with spontaneous combustion of coal have resulted in the loss of many lives and considerable capital and equip- ment. Nevertheless, the factors controlling the propensity of coal to spontaneous combustion are not clearly understood and there is a need for research to study the effects of rank, petrog- raphy, moisture contents, etc. This has been attempted in a study of the propensities of selected Queensland coals to spontaneous combustion. An adiabatic calori- meter was constructed to study the self-heating of a large number of coals. Chemical and petro- graphic analyses of the coals were determined and an attempt was made to relate these propert- ies to the self-heating characteristics of the coal. The results show a strong relationship between rank and self-heating characteristics and that petrographic composition of coal may also be of importance. Some observations on the application of the laboratory results to the practical situation are made as are recommendations for future research.

Jan 1, 1981

By Isobe K, Muchi I, Hsieh YS

Theoretical and experimental studies have been made-to clarify the physical and chemical behavior of the tuyere combustion zone of blast furnace. Gas streamlines around this zone were visualized by the use of the two-dimensional equip- ment. Close agreement between the observed stream- lines and the calculated ones is found. The three- dimensional experimental studies have revealed that there exists a so-called dry zone in the neighbor- hood of the raceway and the trickling liquid be- haves approximately like a continuum. A kinetic model is develdped to describe the behavior of coke combustion in the tuyere zone. The model is based on the reaction kinetics, the differential balances of heat and mass, and the mechanics of gas flows. Regarding-the-axial distribution of gas composition in the tuyere zone, good agreement is obtained be- tween the model prediction and the data observed in a working furnace by the other investigators. Cal- culated results-show that the maximum consumption of coke occurs at the intermediate region of the raceway. For the blowing of oxygen-enriched or high -humidity blast, the position at which the maximum consumption of coke occurs is shifted toward the tuyere nose. Similar effect is found when the par- ticle diameter of coke in the tuyere zone is de- creased. The solid flow pattern around the tuyere combustion zone was visualized by the use of the two-dimensional equipment in which the sublimation of dry ice particles in front of the tuyere was

Jan 1, 1981

By G Pasin, F Wirfiyata, G Khomaeni, W Valery, A Maclean, A Jankovic

The grinding circuit at PT Newmont Nusa Tenggara (PTNNT) – Batu Hijau mine consists of two SABC (semi-autogenous milling, ball milling, pebble crushing) trains, including four 20'?×?33'6? ball mills that have been lined with steel liners since the commissioning of the plant in 1999. During 2011 and 2012 an industrial trial was conducted to evaluate Poly-Met liners (a combination of rubber and steel liners). These new liners were installed in two of the ball mills (ball mills 1 and 2) and operated in parallel with ball mills 3 and 4 with steel liners.The objective of the trial was to compare the plant performance with the Poly-Met and steel ball?mill liners with regards to wear life, mill throughput, grind size and total unit costs. The trial was conducted over the entire life of the liners. The evaluation methodology implemented consisted of frequent spot sampling around the ball mill circuits, complete surveys/audits in both ball mills, and detailed analysis of process data. This paper presents the results of the industrial trial and main conclusions.CITATION:Maclean, A, Wirfiyata, F, Khomaeni, G, Jankovic, A, Pasin, G and Valery, W, 2014. Ball mill Poly-Met liner evaluation at PT Newmont Nusa Tenggara – Batu Hijau mine, in Proceedings 12th AusIMM Mill Operators’ Conference 2014 , pp 255–262 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Sep 1, 2014

By Rosengren KJ

Geotechnical conditions often have a critical influence on the design of new open pit and underground mines, but they are often considered of secondary importance in relation to other factors, such as detailed geology, orebody geometry and grade distribution. As a result, geotechnical studies may not be carried out during early project investigations or, at best, may be given only superficial attention, often to the overall detriment of the project. Technically and economically, it is logical that geotechnical studies should be integrated with geological investigations as soon as it becomes evident that the particular deposit may prove to be economic. The paper discusses the use of geotechnical information in the selection of mining methods and mine design for underground mines and for wall design and assessment of excavation characteristics in open pit mines. It then considers methods of obtaining the relevant data, with particular reference to exploration boreholes. Selected case studies on the application of geotechnical data to mine design are Included.

Jan 1, 1986

By Gardner H. J, Wadsley m. W

Bauxite from the Weipa and Andoom (North Queensland) deposits was treated to provide a low-iron raw material for high- alumina refractories or aluminium chloride manufacture. The operation involved passing crushed, calcined bauxite continuously through a single laboratory shaft furnace. Consecutive sulfidation and chlorination of the iron minerals within the furnace resulted in a beneficiate containing less than 2% (wt.) Fe203 and by-product ferric chloride con- taining only traces of aluminium.

Jan 1, 1979

Development of the Davcra flotation cell has continued over the past seven years. Preliminary testwork on single cells has now been extended to a com- plete Davcra flotation circuit, to cells ranging from 5 to 400 tons per hour capacity and to cells operating on a variety of materials. Operation of both test and production units has shown the Davcra cell to be competitive with conventional flotation machines. It offers a lower capital cost installation than conventional cells and in addition has a number of. operating advantages, particularly in its adaptability to automatic control.'

Jan 1, 1971

By Wilson R. G

The Bulli and Wongawilli Seams, the two principal sources of coking coal for the Port KKembla steelworks of Australian Iron and Steel Pty. Ltd., vary in rank and in type over the Southern and -South Western Coalfields. The Bulli Seam, ranging widely in type, produces coke varying from weak to strong. The Wongawilli Seam, more consistent in type, produces coke of more consistent strength, but considerably less strong than that from the best Bulli Seam coal. Plans of seam variation show the regional trends in rank and type for each sear. The strongest coke is derived from coal containing between 45 and 55 per cent vitrinite, m.m.f. This is obtainable from the Bulli Sean in a zone embracing Bulli and Appin Colleries.

Jan 1, 1969

By A Keogh, P Allen, P Stoker

"An EXTENDED ABSTRACT is available for download. A full-length paper was not prepared for this presentation. Private equity (PE) firms are comparatively free of mandatory requirements for the level and scope of due diligence applied prior to making investment decisions in minerals projects when compared to listed entities, sovereign funds or financial institutions adopting the Equator Principles (Equator Principles Association, 2013). While this freedom allows for flexibility, agility and innovation in making investment decisions, it can also expose PE firms to material risks that may impact their ability to successfully list the projects or attract later financing.Financial institutions and investors with mandatory due diligence and disclosure standards may refrain from investment in or acquisition of a project if it fails to meet various performance requirements. There are many high-profile projects that have suffered significant write-downs on book value after acquisition because specific non-mining issues were not adequately assessed. Thus, a PE firm may be left with an asset that is difficult to divest and incapable of securing development finance.PE firms can manage this risk by being aware of the growth trend in the adoption of ‘international standards’ in addition to host nation standards and legislative requirements. This paper outlines key issues for PE firms to address to maximise the chances of obtaining funding or successfully taking an exploration or mining project through to listing or divestment. Two steps are required: identification of gaps in performance and priority matters of interest to financial institutions and development of action plans to ensure that the priority requirements are met or capable of being met.A PE firm can set its project for success by understanding the social and environmental performance requirements of international standard financiers and by setting the project on the right path to meeting these requirements, and thus making it an attractive investment.CITATION:Allen, P, Stoker, P and Keogh, A, 2015. Setting for success – private equity exploration and mining project buy-in to listing and divestment , in Proceedings PACRIM 2015 Congress, pp 93–100 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne)."

Mar 18, 2015