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By R. J. Gochin, M. A. Diaz

A modified Hallimond tube is described which allows the determination of the ultimate recovery R and the flotation rate constant k in a single, continuous experiment. The range of fine particles which can be satisfactorily floated with the modified apparatus can be extended by increasing the length of the bottom part of the tube. Findings suggest that pyrite and arsenopyrite can be separated in alkaline suspension using the so-called F series of collectors. Lime was found to act as a depressant. The collectors operate under pH and dosage control and do not require other depressants. Collectors used in the study were thio-amine (a cationic surfactant) and alkyl propionamide (a non-ionic surfactant)

Apr 1, 1995

Several of the larger copper projects recently built have included a molybdenum byproduct circuit as part of the overall project due to the favorable molybdenum market conditions and overall economic contribution to the project. This paper provides a summary of moly plant flotation practices across a number of both recent projects and historical ones. Modern Molybdenum flotation flowsheets predominantly incorporate self-aspirated cells and forced air cells with nitrogen addition. The paper provides insight into the process considerations, capital and operating costs associated with both of the cell types. It also reviews metallurgical aspects and important safety aspects. Other aspects including instrumentation and degree of automation are also discussed along with overall plant design.

Feb 27, 2013

By George A. Morgan

The production and processing of crude petroleum and natural gas are the dominant economic sectors of the Middle East. The IS countries that constitute the region accounted for 26% of world crude petroleum output, 17% of world natural gas plant liquid production, and almost S% of world dry natural gas production. About 66% of total world crude petroleum reserves and 31 % of total world natural gas reserves are in the Middle East. Transportation and port facilities in the region are geared to expediting efficient and rapid shipment of these materials. U.S.-dollar-denominated export sales of these fuels, estimated at $120 billion in 1989, provide funding for further diversification of the mineral industry. This is usually through development of downstream facilities for producing energy intensive metals such as aluminum and byproducts of the fuels such as petro-chemicals and fertilizers. Earnings from the industry are also channeled by sever-al Governments in the region to mineral industry projects in Africa and elsewhere. A fairly wide range of nonfuel minerals is produced in the region. However, the variety of minerals produced, output levels, and the size of the overall nonfuel mineral economy is dominated by Iran and Turkey. Turkey, with a diverse mineral production and strategically situated between Europe and the Middle East, ranked among the top three world producers of boron, chromite, pumice, and strontium. It was also a significant world producer of magnesium com-pounds, mercury, and sodium sulfate. Iran had generally lower output owing to 9 years of neglect to the mining sector between 1979 and 1988. It was a significant producer of gypsum and fifth in world production of strontium. Despite a very small domestic mineral industry, Israel was second in world production of bro-mine and a significant producer of phosphate rock and potash. Jordan ranked fifth in world production of phosphate rock. Iraq ranked about eighth in world production of sulfur, a commodity of major importance in the metallurgical, petrochemical, and fertilizer industries.

Jan 1, 1992

By Earl L. Fosse

"Preliminary examination of the Khayyam mine indicated that greater reserves of copper might be found by trenching, sampling, detailed geological and topographical mapping, and diamond drilling. The deposit seemed to be a potential source of sulfur, also, for use in the manufacture of paper pulp.Formal examination of the Khayyam mine by the Bureau of Mines was a follow-up of a preliminary examination made by W.S. Wright and the author on October 19-21, 1944. John Reed and W. S. Twanhofel, of the Geological Survey, visited the property during the summer of 1943 and suggested that the prospect be examined further.Preliminary examination of the Stumble-On claim was made July 1-3, 1945, concomitant with the formal examination of the Khayyam mine 11/2 miles to the west.In its program of exploration of mineral deposits, the Bureau of lanes has as its primary objective the more effective utilization of our mineral resources to the end that they make the greatest possible contribution to national security and economy, It is the policy of the Bureau to publish the facts developed by each exploratory project as soon as practicable after its conclusion. The Mining Branch, Lowell B. Moon, chief, conducts pre¬liminary examinations, performs the actual exploratory work, and prepares the final report, The Metallurgical Branch, R. G. Knickerbocker, chief, analyzes samples and performs beneficiation tests. Both these branches arc under the supervision of Dr. R, S. Dean, assistant director.Special acknowledgment is due Robert S. Sanford, acting chief, Alaska Division, Mining Branch, for his help in the preparation of this report and during the project work.The Khayyam property is situated at 550 18’ north latitude and 1320 24’ west longitude on Prince of Wales Island in Southeastern Alaska. (see fig. 1.) The mine adit is 2,350 feet above sea level, near the summit of a mountain ridge, and 2.8 miles in an airline southwest of the head of McKenzie Inlet, a southern branch of Skown Arm. Skowl arm is navigable by ocean-going vessels .to the mouth of McKenzie Inlet, where reefs and rocky islands limit the channel width to 50 yards. Beyond this point the inlet widens to nearly half a mile. Coast and Geodetic Survey chart 8142 indicates from 12 fathoms of water at this narrow neck to more than 30 fathoms throughout the remainder of McKenzie Inlet, The old ore bunker and dock at the head. of the inlet are beyond repair. A new ore bunker and dock would have to be built if a large-scale mining operation were established.The mine can be reached by trail along the western ridge that lies on the west bank of Omar Creek. The trail is approximately 4 miles in length. The grade is rather steep to an elevation of 1,500 feet, but the last 21 miles can be traveled over gentle slopes along the crest of the ridge.Ketchikan is 30 miles by air and 42 miles by water from the head of McKenzie Inlet. Feed, hardware, fuel oil, lumber, and explosives can be purchased at Ketchikan and delivered by boat to McKenzie Inlet. By using an airplane, all small equipment and camp supplies could be using an airplane, all small equipment and camp supplies could be dropped with cargo parachutes near the mine."

Sep 1, 1946

By James R. Boyle

The value of Alabama's nonfuel mineral production in 1986 was $405.2 million, a slight decrease from that of 1985. Alabama was second in the Nation in production of bauxite, crushed marble, and ferroalloys; third b fire clay; fifth in masonry cement and lime; sixth in total clays; and seventh in recovered sulfur. Alabama ranked 19th nationally in value of nonfuel minerals produced. Cement, clays, lime, sand and gravel, and stone were the major commodities produced.

Jan 1, 1988

By Notman, Arthur

THIS is a day of surpluses, some good and some not so good. One can hardly pick up a newspaper, magazine, review or economic treatise without confronting the fact that we have or are threatened with more .of certain goods than we have use for, whether it be corn, wheat, cotton, coal or oil, -lumber, 'leather, newsprint, automobiles, zinc, lead, copper or what not. How did this unprecedented state of affairs arise? Who is to blame? How shall we avoid smothering ourselves in our own production? The voice of the farmer is raised in appeal to the Government to relieve him from the dilemma of his own fertility. In answer the Government employs thousands of experts and spends millions of dollars to aid the farmer. But to what end? To make him still more efficient so that he may produce even greater surpluses? Not satisfied with the result, it spends other millions to prepare vast areas of the arid land of the West for more farmers to cultivate and insure yet larger surpluses. Then what? Naturally another appeal to the Government to fix prices by financing the

Jan 1, 1928

By G. L. Bartlett

"INTRODUCTION The major objective of our research is to help reduce the incidence and severity of coal worker's pneumoconiosis (CWP). To that end, this project is designed to improve our understanding of the processes that lead to pulmonary dysfunction following mine dust exposure, and how those processes might be interrupted or attenuated. The response of the lung ' to inhaled particles is complex, and the course of development of disabling CWP is slow and unpredictable. From among the numerous cellular and molecular interactions involved in the pulmonary response to inhaled particles, this project is focussed on the role that the pulmonary alveolar macrophage (PAM) may play in regulating the activity of fibroblasts.The PAM is the lung cell that has the most immediate and the most obvious interaction with inhaled particles. Within a short period after particles are arrested in the alveolus of the lung, they are phagocytized (engulfed) by these specialized cells. The PAM then has a diverse potential repertoire of subsequent activities. Which reaction actually ensues is determined, in large part, by the nature of the phagocytized _particles. Activated PAMs produce a variety of products that may affect adjacent lung tissue, including superoxide free radical, elastase, collagenase, prostaglandins, platelet activating factor, etc. Those may well be important in the pathogenesis of CWP, but they are beyond the scope of this project. Background information that is cogent to this project has come primarily from investigations using animal models of silicosis and asbestosis. PAMs that have ingested silica particles synthesize and release molecules that control the behavior of surrounding cells. One such mediator is interleukin-1 (IL-1), a molecule that plays a central role in many aspects of the response to injury. It can stimulate fibroblasts (the cells that help to hold tissues together) to release the enzyme collagenase, resulting in breakdown of the structural collagen fibers that support the lung tissue. IL-1 also stimulates fibroblasts to undergo mitosis and to proliferate, which is an initial stage of fibrosis. Certain stimulants cause PAMs to release fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) that are distinct- from IL-1. Under other circumstances activated PAMs synthesize and release molecules that stimulate fibroblasts to accelerate synthesis of collagen fibers, thus contributing to fibrosis. Although these observations provide a valuable precedent for analysis of the mechanisms involved in CWP, their relevance to CWP cannot be assumed since most of those studies involved macrophages or fibroblasts obtained from tissues other than the lung, and because almost none of them have used CMD as the stimulating particles. Therefore, the goal of this project is to learn how exposure to CMD affects the behavior of PAMs, and in turn how products of dust-exposed PAMs affect fibroblasts and the process of fibrosis in the lung."

Jan 1, 1988

By R. K. Agarwal

In this paper, a new technique developed to analyze two-dimensional nonhomogeneous models is described. A simple three-layered medium with a circular hole centrally located in the intermediate layer is considered. The layered sheet is loaded uniaxially perpendicular to the stratification. The Young's modulus of the intermediate layer is lower than that of the outer layers. The stress distribution around the circular hole in a stratified medium is significantly different when compared to the case of a continuous homogeneous medium. The distribution depends upon the ratio of the height of the intermediate layer and the hole diameter. A comparison of stress distribution and procedures for preparation and testing of the model are given. The potential of the technique is outlined. In the process of applying the techniques of stress analysis to problems of rock mechanics, the recent discernible trend has been to postulate highly idealized models of physical situations. As new techniques have been developed, more complicated models have been conceived to simulate mote accurately the physical environment to which the analysis results are eventually applied. In this investigation, a new technique is developed to analyze two-dimensional nonhomogeneous models. The technique is used to determine the stress concentration around a circular hole in a soft material overlain and underlain by a hard material. In mining practice, such situations arise commonly in coal deposits and frequently in bedded or vein-type metallic mineral deposits. DEFINITION OF THE PROBLEM A plate, consisting of three layers with a circular hole in the intermediate layer, is loaded uniaxially, Fig. 1. The variable in the experimental investigation is the height of the intermediate layer, H. The diameter of the hole, D, is kept constant. The stress concentration factors around the periphery of the hole, for various values of H/D, are evaluated using the technique of photoelasticity, Table I. TECHNIQUE OF EXPLORATION Photoelastic analyses of composite models have hitherto been limited to the study of lap and butt joints between glued metals and dissimilar materials.1-3 In mining, Haber and Oudenhoven used composite models to study the stress distribution around a circular hole in two-layered media and the behavior of elastic liners in shallow underground openings.4-5 They used the stress freezing technique devised by Dally et a1.6 The procedure used in this investigation is outlined below: Casting of Layer A: Flat sheets of plastic were cast in a silicon-coated mold using Araldite 502 with hardener 951 in the ratio of 100:8 by weight. After

Jan 1, 1969

By W. E. Uren

The Dominion Coal Board was created by Statute passed on July 17th, 1947, and was brought into effect by proclamation on October 21st, 1947. It is, consequently, a comparatively young body, having been in existence for only eighteen months. Before dealing with the constitution and duties of the Board, it may be well to answer the unspoken question of why it has been considered necessary to single out coal as one specific mineral requiring the continuous attention of a specially created permanent Board. In Canada, coal has been the neglected sister of the more spectacular minerals and it comes as a surprise co many to note that in 1948 the value of the coal produced in Canada was higher than that of any other mineral with the one exception of gold. Coal touches upon our daily lives in many different places of which the public are not generally conscious. As household fuel, it is a necessity of life in this northern climate; as a source of steam, it provides the heat for most of our industries; it is the food of the 'iron horse' chat shuttles our persons and our goods across the land; it is the source of power in many parts of the country; it is the chemical reducing agent chat, in our furnaces, transmutes the metallic oxides to the virgin metal. Coal is, in fact, the indispensable mineral chat forms the corner-stone of our present structure of industrial civilization. Is it, then, such an odd thing that the provision of an adequate supply of coal should be a matter of national interest or that measures should have been taken by government co provide for a constant watch, by a permanent Board, on the supply of co al? ? The Board is the result of the recommendations of the Royal Commission on coal which made a long and detailed study of the Canadian coal problem. It is composed of a permanent Chairman and six part-time members, most of whom have had intimate contact with various phases of the industry.

Jan 1, 1949

By Walter G. Perkins

T SEEMS almost sheer presumption to attempt' to discuss Russia in its present chaotic political and economic condition, and were it not that at least two certain absolute factors are continuously at work, it would be impossible to' even approach the subject with any degree of intelligence. These are the inborn love of peace of the people and the national character of the cooperative movement. The love of peace inborn in the soul of every Russian, the desire to be left alone and to- live his life among his home village surroundings, is probably one of the two greatest factors that will make the continuance of the present conditions of civil war impossible. One army or the other may sweep up and down the country. but the Russian peasant will: remain in his own village if not literally darken out. This love of peace is evidenced by the fact that there is no country where personal safety is greater than in Russia in normal times. I have traveled in many isolated parts, carrying considerable sums of money and persolial equipment that; in itself, would be a fortune to any peasant, and have never even encountered a condition in which the most wildly imaginative person looking for adventure, 01: trouble, could muster up even a suspicion of fear. This statement applies also to Southern Siberia and Northern Turkestan, which are inhabitated by the nomadic tribes of Khirghese origin.

Jan 1, 1920

By S. Merjan

Three papers were presented for discussion at the conference: 1) Instrumented driven steel tube piles at Canary Wharf; author: A. R. Gaba, United Kingdom. The author described the Canary Wharf development in the London Docklands, and in particular, the decision to build over the water by driving open-ended steel piles 25m in length into the sands below the soft estuarine deposits. The tubes were then filled with concrete above the sand plug (usually 17m below pile head). Three trial piles were instrumented with: a) resistance strain guages on the inside of the tubes; b) vibrating wire guages on the re­inforcement of the concrete. The trial piles showed elastic behaviour in five cycles of lateral loading, while the verticle load tests showed a definite bi-linear load-settlement behaviour. The initial stiff portion was a result of frictional staff resistance, both inside and outside the tube, with the soil at the base contributing at higher settlements. Loads were taken to three times working load, with no imminent signs of failure.

Jan 1, 1991

By F. Habashi

Chile is at present the largest copper and rhenium producer and was before World War I the largest nitrate producer. She is also an important producer of lithium carbonate and molybdenum oxide. An important event in the history of the country is the Pacific War of 1879-1883 in which she acquired the northern provinces initially belonged to Bolivia and Peru. In 1888 Chile annexed Easter Island. The Chilean mineral and cultural history is briefly reviewed together with the people who contributed to her development. The present report is the result of a number of academic and industrial visits to Chile during the period 1992 to 2009.

Jan 1, 2011

Increasing depths and mechanization of underground mines have led to the production of large amounts of gaseous and particulate contaminants. Over 100 000 lives have been lost due to methane gas and dust explosions in coal mine workings in both the United States and Canada since 1900. There is, therefore, the need to constantly assess and evaluate the performance of existing mine ventilation systems to maintain safe and acceptable mine environmental conditions. This paper advances research initiatives in the control of methane gas in underground mine environments. It uses the results of continuous monitoring of methane gas concentrations conducted in selected coal mines in North America to assess the effectiveness of existing auxiliary ventilation systems to control methane gas concentrations. The results show that the average quantities of fresh air required to dilute, disperse and remove methane gas concentrations within set levels of one minute varied from 5.43 m3/sec. to 27.97 m3/sec. in the development headings. The average dilution times in the headings studied were less than eight minutes. The calculated dilution efficiencies of the auxiliary ventilation systems in the headings varied from 12% to 139%. These efficiencies ranged from poor to excellent. This implies that the auxiliary ventilation systems were capable of controlling the methane gas concentrations below statutory levels but may not be able to cope with large and unusual methane gas concentrations in the headings. This study is significant in the control of methane gas and coal dust explosions in coal mines.

Sep 1, 2001

By James M. Link

A program was initiated tinder sponsorship of the U. S. Bureau of Mines to investigate pipeline behavior of raw and spent oil shale slurries. Slurries were recirculated in pipeline loops with 150-mm and 200-mm diameter horizontal test sections and a 150 -mm diameter vertical test section. Slurry concentrations from 10 to 60 weight percent were investigated. Critical and deposition velocities were observed. Head losses were measured at various velocities. Rheology measurements were made on representative homogeneous samples from the pipeline. From these data, pipeline energy requirements were predicted by computer and compared to pipeline data. Computer programs were also used to analyze pipeline data for two flow models: 1. Heterogeneous flow regime for coarse, settling slurries 2. Homogeneous flow regime for nonsettling suspensions The economics of slurry transport of raw and spent shale were examined. Cost estimates encompassed a range of pipe diameters to transport a wide range of throughputs of both raw and spent shale. Similar estimates were made for conveyor belt systems to provide a valid cost comparison. Economic comparisons are valid in a general sense, but a specific study must be made to determine the cost advantages of hydraulic transport for a given mine.

Jan 1, 1977

By H. H. Wade, N. F. Schulz

The large quantities of iron-bearing materials, including taconite, semi-taconite,* and other low-grade ferruginous materials occurring in Minnesota and elsewhere, constitute an important potential source of iron. Satisfactory grade and recovery of iron ore concentrate cannot ordinarily be obtained from these ferruginous materials by simple methods of beneficiation. Iron is distinctive in that the free metal and two of its oxides [magnetite (Fe2O3) and maghemite (gamma-Fe2O3) ] are strongly ferromagnetic. The successful magnetic separation of natural magnetite from taconite has already been established on a commercial scale. The iron in semi-taconite, however, occurs largely as goethite (Fe2O3-H4O) and hematite (Fe2O3) which do not respond to ordinary magnetic separation methods. Magnetic roasting converts these iron oxides to magnetite, which can, after liberation, be magnetically concentrated. MAGNETIC ROASTING Hematite undergoes a stepwise reduction when exposed at moderately elevated temperatures to a reducing atmosphere containing hydrogen or carbon monoxide: Fe2O3? Fe3O4 ? FeO ? Fe Since the desirable product in magnetic roasting is Fe3O4, the conversion is halted after the first stage by controlling the reduction potential of the gas mixture with water vapor or carbon dioxide. The reducing gas mixture must be such that the oxygen partial pressure at the solid-gas reaction interface will be maintained intermediately between the oxygen partial pressures in equilibrium with Fe2O3 and Fe3O4 at the prevailing temperature. Because of the rapid increase in decomposition pressure of Fe3O4 with increase in temperature, the practical upper limit of useful reaction temperature is about 1400°F, above which over-reduction usually occurs in atmospheres containing hydrogen or carbon monoxide. On the other hand, useful reaction rates usually occur only above 800°F. Goethite reacts similarly except that the combined water probably has to be driven off thermally before the reduction to magnetite occurs. Iron carbonate must also be decomposed thermally to an oxide before conversion to magnetite. Iron silicates are apparently not amenable to magnetic roasting. The rate of penetration of the reaction toward the interior of a given ore fragment is dependent on the chemical composition and physical structure of the solid. Most ore fragments tested here reduced satisfactorily to 1/4-in. depth in less than 14 min at 1200°F. Some very dense fragments, however, were reduced to less than 1/32-in. depth under the same conditions. Determination of the optimum temperature, gas composition, ore fragment size, or time of exposure

Jan 1, 1961

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

By John E. Trombly

System objectives and design criteria for an in-mine visual personnel paging system are discussed. Display technologies are evaluated and tradeoffs leading to display selection are described. The prototype dispatcher's console, battery/receiver box and visual display assemblies are functionally described. The report includes circuit descriptions, schematics, parts lists and equipment cabinet drawings for the three assemblies. The report concludes with an estimate of the manufacturing cost for each assembly.

Jan 1, 1975

By N. I. Jayaraman

High-pressure shrouded sprays were first tested on a bench to determine air-moving capability and dust collection efficiency. The bench-scale tests indicated that at 500 psi and above, the dust collection efficiency, when sampled downstream of a water eliminator, was about 99 pet for two types of nozzles. However, for the same water flow, the induced airflow was about three times greater in one type than in another. Since the only difference in the nozzles was the spray angle, this factor was important in air movement through a shrouded spray. Full-scale model mine tests were then conducted to determine the reduction in dust concentration behind the line curtain and at the operator position produced by high-pressure sprays in a shroud. The shroud was mounted on top of the boom of a model continuous miner, and high-pressure (greater than 500 psi) sprays were installed inside the shroud. The inlet of dusty air to the shroud was open toward the face and the outlet toward the exhaust line curtain. The high-pressure sprays were compared with conventional sprays mounted at the head of the continuous miner and directing water toward the face. The difference at the operator position (opposite side of brattice) was significant in that, under certain conditions, with conventional sprays an increase in respirable dust concentration of 471 pet was noticed compared with dry operation due to rollback from face. High-pressure shrouded sprays, on the other hand, decreased the dust concentrations at the operator position (opposite side of brattice) by 28.2 pct.

Jan 1, 1981

By J Missen, P Currie, J Bohan, D Clark

AGL is one of Australia’s leading integrated energy companies and the largest ASX listed owner, operator and developer of renewable energy and thermal generation in the country. AGL owns and operates the 2210 MW Loy Yang A power station and adjacent 30 Mt/a brown coalmine in the Latrobe Valley, Victoria. It also supplies coal to the nearby 1050 MW Loy Yang B power station owned by the GDF Suez (Engie)/Mitsui partnership. The mine is currently nearly 5 km long, more than 2 km wide at the operating face and up to 200 m deep. AGL employs a large workforce at Loy Yang and a substantial amount of services are performed on-site by contractors and consultants.GHD provides mine planning, earth sciences, civil/geotechnical engineering, dam surveillance, plant engineering and environmental services to AGL Loy Yang through an alliance framework. GHD is one of the world’s leading professional services companies operating in the global markets of water; energy and resources; environment; property and buildings; and transportation. In addition to GHD’s global footprint, the company also has a significant Victorian presence, including a permanent, well-resourced regional office in Traralgon, approximately 10 km from Loy Yang, as well as a permanent site office.A joint paper on the Loy Yang mine professional services alliance model was written for the AusIMM International Mine Management Conference in 2006 by Woods and Wood. Now ten years on, this paper provides an overview of the present relationship and arrangements, including the continued transformation of the alliance model and maturing of the relationship contract.These are challenging times, with increasing cost and regulatory pressure driving change in the broader energy and resources industry, and locally including both the mining and power sectors at Loy Yang. Flexible models to achieve a balance between internal personnel and access to key external skills, whilst achieving value for money and transparency, is increasingly critical. The right drivers and performance measures are essential, particularly when confronted with potential major technical and environmental risks (considering significant ground failure and fire events that have occurred elsewhere within the Latrobe Valley over the last decade) within a sector that is reducing costs and optimising production.This case study discusses the alliance status and changes, reasons behind adjustments and what the future is likely to hold. The paper also explores the validity of the original objectives and the extent to which they have been achieved. The philosophy of the alliance is to continue closely aligning the objectives of the two companies in the best interests of the Loy Yang site and immediate surrounds/stakeholders. Quality of service, costs, timeliness, health and safety (H&S) and some operational activities (aquifer depressurisation) remain important aspects and are reflected in key indicators for which performance is measured.CITATION:Clark, D, Bohan, J, Currie, P and Missen, J, 2016. AGL energy, Loy Yang and GHD – a further case study in alliancing: ten years on, in Proceedings International Mine Management Conference, pp 321-330 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Jun 22, 2016

By James F. Archibald

Research has been conducted for the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board of Ontario (WSIB) to characterize thin, spray-on lining materials (TSLs), as well as combinations of TSLs and conventional spray supports, and to assess their capacity for inhibiting damage created by mining-induced rockbursts. This study has been performed to assess the capabilities of such support systems for preventing rock and support material damage that often results due to rockbursting. A variety of TSLs and other spray support media were subjected to the effects of simulated rockbursting, through use of explosive detonation trials, to evaluate their damage mitigation capacity. Results have validated that TSLs and variant layer combinations may be as effective as or better than conventional support materials for mitigating rockburst or like damage in highly stressed mine environments. In civil engineering construction, and typically in underground tunneling operations where concrete linings are applied, liner deterioration is a continuing and pervasive problem that often requires expensive and time-consuming rehabilitation effort. The ability of TSLs to provide effective concrete structural reinforcement while providing sustainable resistance against underground or restricted environmental hazards, as with fires or dynamic failure events, may permit wider use of TSLs than is currently foreseen by the mining industry. Significant benefits for use of TSL materials in concrete liner rehabilitation and for concrete material protection have been assessed.

May 1, 2006