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A new national-scale geochemical survey is under way inAustralia with the aim to provide energy and mineral explorers with state-of-the-art precompetitive data and information about the continentÆs potential resources. This low-density geochemical survey will provide a national geochemical data layer using consistent sampling medium and sampling, preparation and analytical methods. Large-scale geochemical patterns thus revealed are expected to point to new areas of exploration potential. The project is funded under the Onshore Energy Security Program. It is hoped that this new national geoscience dataset will help make Australia a more attractive destination for energy and mineral exploration investments. An EXTENDED ABSTRACT is available for download. A full-length paper was not prepared for this presentation.

Jan 1, 2008

By R. Andre, R. L. Grayson, T. Simonyi

"Results from research directed at determining the reason(s) for the ""rank factor"" in correlations between coal workers' pneumoconiosis incidence and coal seam of employment are presented. Using compliance dust samples collected from two longwall panels operating in coal seams of widely different rank, respirable particles were identified by mineral species under manual scanning electron microscope (SEM) energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) analysis and then further characterized by their physical diameter, general shape, and periphery angularity. Size fractional, mineralogical variations are presented.Of primary significance, the percentage of mineral particles from the higher rank coal seam that were uncontaminated by non-stoichiometric elements for a specific mineral species was twice that of those in the lower rank seam. The relationship held for each mineral species, including quartz. This fact may form the basis for the ""rank factor"" known to exist as well as provide a reason for the contradictory role of quartz and other minerals in previous CWP studies.An important subsequent research priority is now focusing on determining the percent¬age of all respirable dust particles that are minerals versus single-phase organic or multi-phase organic-inorganic complexes. This effort will be accomplished usingautomated SEM-EDX. The mineral purity factor will be developed further, but additional emphasis will be focused on determining the extent of inorganic inclusions in organic particles."

Jan 1, 1988

By R. G. B. Pickering

The South African narrow reef hard rock mining industry has been stuck in a time warp with relatively little change in the mining process in the last century. This paper presents a methodology on how to implement change in narrow reef hard rock mining. It then explores a number of technologies that have been introduced into this mining industry and the impact that they have had on the mining process. The author then presents his view on whether the defined change process has been followed and sets out to identify the most critical aspect of ensuring that change is successfully implemented. Future demand will also be speculated on.

Jan 1, 2007

By Stephen Tadolini

A unique circumstance created by monitoring a pre-driven longwall recovery room permitted measuring the stresses of a coal pillar throughout its entire life cycle in less than a week. A fender pillar, created in approximately the middle of a longwall panel at a depth of 650 ft, transformed from a solid barrier pillar - to a yielding pillar - to a residual pillar as 3 ft slices were methodically removed with the longwall shearer. The complete transformation, or life cycle, took place in less than 12 hours. The stresses were quickly transferred from the pillar onto the standing pumpable concrete supports and into the outby pillars. Roof to floor closure measurements, combined with the timing of the pillar behavior, provides a detailed look at the uncontrollable convergence of underground mine openings. Pillars remain the most important form of ?primary support? and understanding these life cycles is vital for safe and efficient mine design, in both room and pillar and longwall panel extractions.

Jan 1, 2007

By A. W. Easton

INTRODUCTION This presentation will address changing trade patterns in lead and zinc from the mid 1980's to the early 1990's. Lead and zinc deposits are developed where they are found in many parts of the world. As many are not in major consuming areas, there is significant international trade in both lead and zinc concentrates and in refined metal. Forecasts of mine production have been analyzed, primary and secondary refining capacity and future consumption levels have been estimated, to arrive at the changes in trade patterns expected during the next half decade. This paper will first address concentrate and metal trade patterns for lead, then for zinc, and finally some remarks will be made on captive mine/smelter agreements, on regional trade agreements, and on barriers to trade. I would like to note that. there is only a small international trade in semi-fabricated products such as zinc die-cast alloy, zinc oxide, lead oxide or rolled lead and zinc. Most of the world's zinc and lead trade is in concentrates or refined metal. LEAD TRADE PATTERNS Lead Concentrates Six countries are exporters of lead concentrates. Three countries are in the Americas - Canada, Mexico and Peru, with two in Africa - Morocco and South Africa (including Namibia), and Australia. Due to the limited growth in lead consumption and consequent minimum investment in new production facilities expected, mine and metal production levels and future consumption levels are not forecast to change much between now and 1990. Accordingly, the tonnage of lead concentrates exported will remain essentially unchanged from these six countries. In total they have exports of 480,000 metric tonnes (metal content)* and by 1990 this figure is forecast to rise only slightly with the only increase taking place in Mexico. The concentrates are exported mainly to Western Europe & Japan. Apart from these six main lead concentrate exporting nations, a significant change is expected in the United States. In the mid * All concentrate trade figures are based on metal content

Jan 1, 1986

By R. F. Campell, W. L. Jensen

IT is not uncommon for martensitic high carbon steels having a coarse austenite grain size to exhibit microcracks when polished and etched and examined with a microscope, as described by Davenport, Roff, and Bain.' Whether such cracks exist before etching or are the result of acid attack during etching has been debated from time to time. Fig. 1 illustrates the effect of electrolytic polishing, mechanical polishing and etching subsequent to each polish on microcracks produced by oil quenching from 1800°F a steel containing 1.14 pct C, 0.23 pct Mn, 0.33 pct Si, and 0.45 pct Mo. The austenite grain size was 3-4 on the ASTM scale. Grinding on lead laps followed by either electrolytic polishing with acetic anhydride-perchloric acid solution' or mechanical polishing with Linde "B" alumina on "microcloth" (sometimes referred to as Gamal cloth) revealed microcracks without conventional etching, as shown in Fig. la and b, respectively. These same fields, after subsequent etching with saturated picral, are shown in Fig. lc and d, and the cracks are seen to be typical microcracks; moreover, the cracks appear to be broader and longer than before etching. Although the microcracks were revealed by electrolytic polishing alone, the possibility of acid attack was present; however, the mechanical polish was accomplished without any intermediate etching to remove disturbed metal, hence this is regarded as definite evidence that microcracks are present before etching.

Jan 1, 1954

By Michael D. Loy

While the coal industry in general has been slow in accepting automation, the last few years have seen a myriad of products developed by the private sector. These packages run the full gamut from sophisticated geological information systems to line entry discounted cash flow analyses. This paper is an attempt to unravel the confusion that may exist about mining software. Discussions will highlight major differences between software products (such as block vs. grid models, prefeasibility programs vs. Monte Carlo analyses), briefly discuss known vendors, list known package features and touch on hardware requirements. The paper also focuses on the costs of automation (both software and hardware), possible trade-offs, advantages to in-house systems (vs. timesharing), a recommended review/selection process (including suggested RFP format), a test case procedure, when to bring in a consultant, and staffing considerations.

Jan 1, 1983

By M. C. Bétournay, J. E. Udd

"The legacy of abandoned mines in Canada creates issues that impact on both the health and safety of Canadians and the environment. Solutions to the problems of abandoned minesites require a detailed understanding of site conditions, the engineering solutions which may be relevant, and planning for effective use of the land. In this paper, the authors outline the basic thrusts that have been developed at CANMET to address this problem. These include: multiprovincial agreements to develop a national database; methods of site rendering; a ten-year research program to develop engineering approaches; the review of a large number of case studies; and outlining the associated risks. Examples of the applications of this research are provided in the areas of: municipal, provincial, and federal co-operative projects; site-specific applications; and international linkages."

Jan 1, 1997

By Ben Habermann

"The object of the work described in this paper was to increase the understanding of the relation that capillary pressure of a rock, hydro-dynamics, and accumulation of oil in stratigraphie traps have to one an-other. The hydrodynamic oil-water tilt equation is derived by considering the two vector gradients involved: (1) buoyancy of oil in water and (2) hydraulic gradient.Recent theories show the necessity for oil to have a continuons phase in the reservoir rock in order to mi-grate; this fact applies to hydro-static as well as to hydrodynamic conditions. Hydrostatically, the displacement pressure of the rock deter-mines the amount of oil that can be trapped behind a permeability barrier. If the buoyancy of oil in water exceeds the displacement pressure, oil will migrate up-dip; an oil trap will be formed where displacement pressure is greater.In stratigraphie traps the pressure drop caused by moving water is positive when its direction is down-dip, helping accumulation; and it is negative when its direction is up-dip, forcing the oil into the tighter section of the reservoir. Theoretically, pro-vided we have data such as: (1) the displacement pressure of an up-dip permeability pinchout, (2) density difference between the oil and water in place, and (3) the direction and magnitude of the hydrodynamic gradient (if any), the possible extent of a stratigraphie oil accumulation down-dip can be predicted.To test the above theory sample cores from three wells in the Denver Basin were analyzed and the oil column that could be held under hydro-static conditions was calculated. After the hydrodynamic influence was considered, the results were compared with actual field data.The significant fact shown by this investigation is that the calculated oil column in one reservoir very closely approximates the actual extent of the oil column in a well. Also in accordance with the theory, the capillary pressure caused by the buoyancy of the oil column exceeded the measured displacement pressure on core samples from another productive field. For very tight shaly sand and questionable oil shows, the interpretation of data is very critical, as shown by experiments on core samples from a third field."

Jan 1, 1960

Vol. 54 will be sent about February 1 to members who have paid their dues for the current year. Members who do not receive copies within a reasonable time are asked to notify the Secretary.

Jan 2, 1917

By Benedicto Hadad Cintra

In an inflationary environment the need for reduced cost is a daily concern of all industries. The Du Pont do Brasil "Expanded Pattern" method has proven to be an extremely effective means of reducing costs in mining, quarrying and construction operations. Over the past years much emphasis was placed on rectangular drilling patterns where the burdens are less than the spacing. The Expanded Pattern method combining rectangular and staggered patterns, was implemented in 1971 in Brazil after extensive trials in close collaboration with numerous explosives users and Du Pont do Brasil Technical Services Engineers. The best multiple row spacing-to-burden ratio (S/B) was demonstrated to be in the 2 to 5 range and the effective spacing to burden ratio (Se/Be) was found to vary from 5 to 11. These ratios are for the interior of the blast pattern and do not hold true along the front row of holes. Geological rock properties, hole diameter and inclination, explosives energy and loading density, explosives characteristics, blast pattern geometry, bench height and delay patterns along with type and size of digging, hauling and crushing equipment must all be evaluated for each and every operation. The integration of these interrelated parameters, together with sound blasting practices are the basis for the Expanded Pattern method. Color slides and documented case histories will be presented.

Jan 1, 1985

Arrow Energy NL has been operating a number of coal seam gas wells in the Darling Downs region of Queensland. At the time of writing this paper, the region is enduring an extended drought period. The local aquifers are depleting and have not been significantly recharged in over a decade. The local communities (both rural and townships) are struggling to obtain water. Currently, coal seam gas (CSG) operators (under licence) draw water from the coal seams as part of the gas production process and the majority of operators choose to evaporate this water, as it is characteristically brackish to saline in quality and as such must be contained. Although the water produced from one CSG operator is not sufficient to drought-proof the greater area of the Darling Downs, there is potential to supply smaller local areas and contribute to the sustainability of these communities. This paper outlines the work completed by Arrow and its local community partners on the Darling Downs to date, and discusses the application of the produced formation water for:stock watering in feedlots, as a feedstock for coal washing, as a potable water supply for Dalby, as an agricultural water supply for cotton farming, and use as a medium for growing salt-water fin fish.

Jan 1, 2006

By Henry Engelmann

ORES are generally found in the mines mixed with more or less base matter, which renders their treatment by smelting or milling unnecessarily costly. They have to be sorted. Those of a higher grade remain often mixed with substances which might, with hardly a loss of metal and at small expense, be removed by dressing machinery, and a concentrated and purified ore thus obtained, which would bring a far higher price, because it can be reduced by cheaper methods, and, at any rate, at less expense, besides affording a saving of transportation, which in our territories is often an item of no small magnitude. The ores of a lower grade have often to be

Jan 1, 1874

COUNCIL OF EDUCATION OF AIME (Formerly Mineral Industry Education Division) Established as a Division January 15, 1932 Established as a Council February 26, 1957 John C Calhoun, Jr, Chairman 0 Cutler Shepard, Vice-Chairman Thomas A Read, Secretary-Treasurer Dept of Mining & Metallurgical Engrg University of Illinois Urbana, Illinois COUNCIL OF ECONOMICS OF AIME (Formerly Mineral Economics Division) Established as a Division December 15, 1948 Established as a Council February 26, 1957 Louis C Raymond, Chairman Lorin A Cranson, Vice-Chairman Henry T Mudd, Vice-Chairman Adam K Stricker, Jr, Vice-Chairman Paul F Yopes, Secretary-Treasurer U S Bureau of Mines Albany, Oregon

Jan 1, 1957

By V. Rajaram, I. P. Nielsen, H. D. Raymond

The Parachute Creek member of the Green River formation in the Piceance Basin, Colorado, contains vast reserves of oil shale, nahcolite, dawsonite, and other accessory minerals. The dry alkali process of sulfur dioxide removal using nahcolite (naturally occurring sodium bicarbonate) has great potential. A room and pillar mining scheme has been designed to extract a nahcolite zone occurring at a depth of 472 m, from the lease application area of the Yankee Gulch joint venture. Geotechnical parameters affecting mine design will be discussed. A preliminary development plan for mining at the rate of 1000 t/d will be described in detail.

Jan 12, 1979

By H Bateman, I Cawrse, G Carnes, S Cawrse

In developing mineral resources, the focus typically centres on the management of identified social and environmental impacts and compliance with regulatory requirements. However, opportunities to protect and enhance the environment and communities are most effective in the planning and design phases. Achieving the objective of integrating sustainability considerations as an element of design decision making requires that the design criteria be technically sound, relevant to the project and applicable to desired design outcomes. This is particularly important for projects employing virtual teaming, where design engineers may be geographically dispersed and are unlikely to be familiar with site specific sustainability challenges and opportunities. This paper documents the approach taken by BHP Billiton to incorporate sustainability principles, objectives and guidelines in design criteria for the Olympic Dam Expansion (ODX) project. It describes the range of inputs used in defining sustainability objectives which interface in a framework that is dynamic and transferable to other mining projects and to engineering design in general. The Sustainability in Design Criteria document distils statutory requirements, corporate standards, lessons learned and leading industry practice into a single coherent framework that supports engineers to approach problem solving as a holistic and integrated exercise with a long term perspective. The framework also serves to improve linkages between internal stakeholders by fostering greater communication, collaboration and innovation to deliver more sustainable outcomes through the design process.

Jan 1, 2009

By N. Gatelier, T. You, J. C. Kandel

ABSTRACT: Underground hydrocarbons storage is a very specific domain for the designer. He is usually free to adjust the section, shape and layout to cope with the geological and geotechnical conditions. This paper presents a panorama of the geotechnical design of mined underground storage caverns, then lists a number of uncommon features encountered in a storage excavated in Sydney, Australia, the Elgas LPG project that had to face major non-isotropic conditions with numerous local variations, impacting on the achievement of the design profiles. Changes in geotechnical design methodology and practice are examined through this project, now in operation, which will have lasted altogether almost ten years. KEY WORDS: underground storage, geotechnical engineering, stability, methodology, design. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG: Die untertaegige Speicherung von Kohlenwasserstoffen unterliegt in der Planung sehr spezifischen Bedingungen. Der planende Ingenieur hat bei der Dimensionierung und Formgebung der Speicherhohlraeume gewisse Freiheiten, muss jedoch vorgefundene geologische und geotechnische Bedingungen beruecksichtigen. Der vorliegende Beitrag gibt zunaechst einen allgemeinen Ueberblick ueber die geotechnische Planung von bergmaennisch aufgefahrenen Speicherhhohlraeumen. Darueber hinaus werden Besonderheiten betrachtet, mit denen das Elgas LPG-Speicherprojekt in einer bergmaennisch aufgefahrenen Kaverne in Sydney, Australien konfrontiert war. Hierbei ging es um die Beruecksichtigung anisotroper Bedingungen mit zusaetzlichen Heterogenitaeten im Gestein und den daraus erwachsenden Schwierigkeiten, die geplante Hohlraumform zu verwirklichen. Ueber einen Zeitraum von fast 10 Jahren, in denen das jetzt in Betrieb befindliche Projekt unterschiedliche Betriebsphasen durchlaufen hat, wurden verschiedene geotechnische Entwurfsverfahren auf ihre Anwendbarkeit geprueft. SCHLUESSELWOERTER: Untergrundspeicherung, Geotechnik, Stabilitaet, Entwurfsverfahren, Planung. RESUME : Le stockage souterrain d’hydrocarbures est un domaine très spécifique pour le concepteur, car celui-ci dispose d'une large liberté pour adapter les sections, les formes et les implantations aux conditions géologiques et géotechniques de l’environnement choisi. Après un panorama de la conception géotechnique des stockages souterrains d’hydrocarbures par la méthode dite des cavités minées, l’accent sera mis sur un certain nombre de particularités rencontrées lors du projet de stockage de GPL de Elgas à Sydney en Australie, creusé dans de très fortes conditions d’anisotropie du massif rocheux, avec de nombreuses variations locales et toutes les implications que cela peut avoir sur le maintien des formes. L’évolution des approches méthodologiques géotechniques durant la dizaine d'années de développement de ce projet depuis les premières études jusqu'à l'exploitation actuelle est également présentée. MOTS-CLEFS : stockage souterrain, géotechnique, stabilité, méthode, conception.

Jan 1, 2003

By R Berry, J Hunt, T Kojovic

Geometallurgy aids the understanding of orebody variability through the integration of geological and processing information, thereby enabling spatial mapping of processing (eg comminution or separation) performance across a deposit. In order to do this, estimates of quantitative geometallurgical attributes are needed so that continuous downhole profiles can be generated for each attribute, providing vital data for the development of processing domains through geostatistical modelling. However, as traditional comminution tests are high cost and/or require large samples, current practice typically results in insufficient data density and distribution of comminution indices making it difficult to model and map deposit scale variability. The aim of this work was to find a method to estimate comminution indices based on data that is widely available at mine sites. This data includes mineralogy and chemistry of drill core samples, plus logging information such as lithology and alteration. Work to date indicates that comminution parameters such as semi-autogenous grinding (SAG) Power Index (SPI), Bond Work Index (BWI) and A*b (Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Centre (JKMRC) drop weight test (DWT) Index) can be modelled using chemical and/or mineralogical data. The estimated hardness indices can then be propagated into the mine site database and used in the definition of processing domains that map inherent variability across a deposit. The estimates can thus provide geometallurgical inputs for spatial modelling, mine planning and optimisation initiatives.CITATION:Hunt, J, Kojovic, T and Berry, R, 2013. Estimating comminution indices from ore mineralogy, chemistry and drill core logging, in Proceedings The Second AusIMM International Geometallurgy Conference (GeoMet) 2013 , pp 173-176 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Sep 29, 2013

By N. W. D. Davis

"As I have recently carried out some further research on the Navan lead-zinc deposit data while working in Michel David's research team, I should like to add a few comments on the paper- ""Universal Kriging for Ore-Reserve Estimation- Conceptual Background and Application to the Navan Deposit"", by M. Dagbert and M. David (CIM Bulletin, pp. 80-92, February 1976). The first comment is that since this research has been carried out, important new theoretical advances have been made which make for an easier application of geostatistics to the non-stationary case (see Matheron0l). This is the theory of intrinsic random functions of order k. With the aid of this theory, it has been possible to write computer programs which can carry out automatically universal kriging, although so far such applications have been largely confined to automatic contouring and not to mining problems. However, if approached with care there is no reason why these methods should not be applied to mining problems and, in this case, an automatic study has been done on this data."

Jan 1, 1976

Jan 1, 1919