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By J B. Taylor

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are being increasingly used by the mineral exploration industry in the search for new ore deposits. A mineral exploration GIS links geological and geophysical data by virtue of their geographic location in a digital map setting. Geological and geophysical data are categorised into a number of themes or layers within a mineral exploration GIS. These layers may include polygonal information such as rock type and tenements, line information such as faults and fold axes, point information such as mines and mineral occurences, and images such as gridded geochemistry and aeromagnetics. A mineral exploration GIS is a powerful tool to help the explorationist comprehend the spatial associations and interrelationships of his/her data. These spatial associations can be integrated with a mineral genesis model, to create a mineral prospectivity map to more effectively target exploration. Arguably a competent geologist who has a good understanding of the genesis of the local ore deposit types and knows their local geology backwards could intuitively derive a mineral prospectivity map. However, in an era of rapid data accumulation from many different disciplines, the ability to assimilate and understand is a huge task for any individual. A mineral exploration GIS enables the explorationist to spend more time analysing data and testing ideas, rather than finding and manipulating data into compatible formats.

Jan 1, 1994

By Y Chen, G Xu, B Albijanic

High concentrations of airborne coal particles is the main reason leading to health and safety hazards in underground coalmines. Water spray is one of the effective methods to suppress coal particles in mine sites, but the use of plain water is not effective enough to capture coal particles. By adding surfactants, coal wettability can be improved which will increase the coal dust suppression efficiency. In this study, a modified sink test was employed to evaluate coal wettability in the presence of two anionic surfactants: sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS). Sink rates were calculated by measuring sink weight over test time. Different surfactant concentrations (0.01 per cent, 0.05 per cent, 0.1 per cent, 0.2 per cent and 0.4 per cent) and two types of water (tap water and deionised water) were selected to investigate coal wettability over three size ranges (0–38, 53–75 and 75–90 µm). The results show that both SDS and SDBS surfactants can lower the water surface tension and improve coal wetting performance. Sink rates increased as the surfactant concentration increased, and surfactant solutions prepared by tap water performed better than deionised water in enhancing coal wettability. Also, coal wettability varied for different coal particle sizes; the smaller coal particles were, the worse the wettability they possessed.CITATION:Chen, Y, Xu, G, Wang, R and Albijanic, B, 2017. Study on coal wettability for dust suppression in the presence of surfactants by sink test, in Proceedings Australian Mine Vent Conference 2017, pp 105–110 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Aug 28, 2017

Particle Mechanics and the Design of Cyclone Tribochargers Triboelectric separation is a dry electrostatic technique that has shown promise in several particle processing applications. A tribocharger uses contact or friction to differentially charge particles of different materials, which are then separated by an electric field. The initial tribocharging process is poorly understood, with tribocharger design and operation largely a matter of trial and error. A better physical understanding of tribocharger operation would therefore be of immense value in the optimisation of triboelectric separation processes. A combination of charge measurements, trajectory modelling and high-speed video has been used to relate charging to particle mechanics in a cylindrical pneumatic cyclone, one of the most effective tribochargers for mineral separation applications, and the preliminary results are presented here. The consequences of these observations for cyclone tribocharger design and operation, and for tribocharger design in general, are discussed.  

Sep 13, 2010

The Golden Cross Mine will be the first underground gold mine in New Zealand to operate since 1952. The development plans, along with the conditions and circumstances presently found in the now ongoing mine development, will be discussed as well as a brief review of planned stoping activity and stoping results to date.

Jan 1, 1991

By D Craw, C Smith, C Rufaut

Oceana Gold (NZ) LtdÆs, Macraes Gold Operation currently has two tailings impoundments, the larger of which covers approximately 75 ha. When an impoundment is temporarily out of use, the surface dries and dust can be blown from the surface to the surrounding area. At present water spraying is used to stabilise the surface, but this is not ideal as Macraes mine can experience water shortages during the summer. This paper examines an alternative method of surface stabilisation using vegetation as a ground cover. The tailings have a low natural fertility, so it is important to determine what will actually grow in the tailings, and whether amendments are necessary. Also important is the effect of the amendments on arsenic mobility in the tailings as the schist rock at Macraes has naturally elevated levels of arsenic. Three plants species, rye corn, barley, and lupin, were grown in metre-deep lysimeters at Macraes mine site. The plants were grown in unaltered tailings, and tailings with one of two amendments added: Bioboost (an organic fertiliser containing biosolids), and superphosphate fertiliser. The leachate from each lysimeter was collected and analysed monthly to determine the extent of arsenic mobility. In addition, laboratory experiments were set up to determine arsenic mobility in tailings with amendments at the centimetre scale.   All plants grew best with the fertiliser amendment, with rye corn growing the best overall. Plants growing in unaltered tailings either barely survived (rye corn, barley) or died (lupin). Plants in the Bioboost amended tailings grew only slightly better than in the unamended tailings. Laboratory experiments indicate that the addition of phosphate fertiliser greatly increases arsenic leaching at the centimetre scale when compared to unamended tailings. The addition of Bioboost only marginally increases arsenic leaching, compared to unamended tailings. This trend has not been repeated in the lysimeter trials on the metre scale over four months. Current results suggest that of the plant types trialed and amendments used, rye corn with superphosphate is the most practical short-term tailings stabilisation method at Macraes.

Jan 1, 2004

Adsorption of Starch on Kaolinite Surfaces

Sep 13, 2010

By C M. Evans, D Thomas

Solid EnergyÆs Wangaloa open cast coal mine was operated between 1945 - 1989, and remained closed and disused until 2001 when SENZ initiated a mine rehabilitation programme. It is nearing the final stages of physical and environmental rehabilitation, aimed at creating an aesthetically pleasing and useful landscape. The final goals of these efforts are to produce an area, which has recreational and educational value. SENZÆs holistic approach to rehabilitation has been undertaken, treating the entire historical mine footprint instead of focusing only on those disturbed areas and the minimum range of issues just to meet with legal compliance. Rehabilitation at the site has included overburden modification with an emphasis on stability, removal and replacement of unhealthy and invasive plant species, and an AgLime amendment to alter soil pH conditions, which would support native plant species. To date, most ongoing activities relate to final planting and plant upkeep, and maintenance of the landform including ongoing erosion control, pest control, environmental monitoring, and research. Environmental quality concerns at the site may be treated by using a combination of methods, including regrading and capping of acid-generating pyrites, soil treatment with AgLime, and passive wetland treatment within existing water courses. Following major works, the mine site area may be opened to the public for recreational activities, interpretive displays on historical mining activities, and observation and appreciation for otherwise unseen geological features. SENZÆs holistic approach to reclamation, rather than treating minor issues, will result in the former mine site being transformed into an asset and the environmental and financial liability associated with the closed mine being discharged. Former mine sites can be turned from environmental liabilities with no recreational or public value (and potentially dangerous to life) into sites that can be safely used by the public for recreational and educational purposes.

Jan 1, 2006

This paper describes the development of an approach to sustainable development for application at the feasibility study stage for a proposed bauxite mine near the community of Aurukun, south of Weipa on the western coast of Cape York Peninsula, Queensland, Australia. The general environment for development was complex in all dimensions. In particular, the socio-demographic profile of the Aurukun community (population 1200) characterised it as being amongst the most disadvantaged communities in Australia. The traditional owners of the area, the Wik and Wik-Way people, were at the forefront in the efforts of Indigenous people in Australia to secure land rights over the past 30 years, and they had previous experience negotiating an Indigenous Land Use Agreement (the Western Cape Communities Coexistence Agreement) with Rio Tinto Alcan, the operators of the Weipa bauxite mine. Through this they had shown a well-founded sense of entitlement with respect to the development of resources on their traditional land. The Queensland State Government had recently cancelled an existing mining lease over the bauxite resource as the holder of the tenement had not fulfilled the terms of a development agreement that had been in place for 30 years. The Government was anxious to avoid any future æbankingÆ of the resource, and had decided to offer tenure to the resource on an international competitive basis, subject to the requirements of the Commonwealth Native Title Act 1993. This would require a negotiation process with traditional owners and potentially involve companies with whom the traditional owners had no existing relationship (typically developed during the projectÆs exploration phase) and who possibly had no project development experience in Australia. As well, the State Government envisaged an approach to development that drew on the significant work that industry and other stakeholders had undertaken over the previous ten to 15 years, commencing with the mining, minerals and sustainable development (MMSD) process. This work was aimed at rectifying acknowledged deficiencies with industry recognition of stakeholder interests, in particular with respect to environmental management and socioeconomic development. The approach adopted aimed to define the strategic community interests and sustainable development outcomes to which the development of the resource would be expected to contribute, and to embody these within an easily usable management structure that could be applied to each stage of project development from feasibility study through to mine closure. The logical framework (AusAID, 2006; ICMM, 2005) was the management tool utilised to order the identified interests and desired outcomes. The structure included components aligned with the key areas of development interest expressed by the community, and the initial baseline sustainable development plan (SDP) developed established component objectives, outcomes, indicative outputs and activities for the feasibility stage of the project. This established an objective framework to guide potential bidders when developing their response to the State GovernmentÆs Request for Proposal. The paper will describe the evolution of the competitive process and the parallel process for development of the SDP. While the institutional environment was politically and socially complex, the use of simple visual representations of the environment and the analysis and ordering of issues, objectives and criteria through methods such as stakeholder analysis and the logical framework approach, enable the development of a dialogue on the contribution that the development of a mining project can make to sustainable community development, and for the development of an agreed program of community support to capture the contribution. The use of the logical framework was found to have good functionality for plan development. Achieving plan outcomes though, is highly dependent on the skill of key project personnel in facilitation, team building, conflict resolution and leadership, as well as their ability to influence the behaviour of key stakeholders with the capacity and authority to require the integration of local economic development criteria in to key project development decisions.

Jan 1, 2009

By R Schlueter, H Mischo

The mining industry is facing a variety of geological, technological and social challenges. Future deposits show a general tendency towards increasing depth with complex ores and decreasing grades. One promising approach to deal with low-grade ores is bioleaching in the form of heap and dump operations. Bioleaching is already a state-of-the-art technique, especially for the extraction of copper from sulfide ores. The next step in the development of this technology will be its application as an in situ technology. First attempts to adapt this technology in underground mining in the form of stoping and block caving have already been made. Both methods have to be carried out adjacent to conventional mining operations and therefore require much effort regarding drift development as well as extraction and transport. The adaption of bioleaching as a borehole mining method is the next step to establish an innovative in situ technique to meet future challenges.The Freiberg University of Mining and Technology established the Biohydrometallurgical Centre for Strategic Elements (BHMZ) to foster interdisciplinary research along the whole biohydrometallurgical process chain. In general, 13 different university institutes and several associated groups with about 30 PhD students are mainly focusing on the extraction of indium and germanium from deposits, tailings and recycling material. One of the core projects within the BHMZ is the design and implementation of an underground in situ bioleaching testing facility.This paper demonstrates the potential of in situ bioleaching under technological aspects. Furthermore, different conditioning methods to increase the permeability of the orebody will be explained, and the BHMZ’s underground testing facility will be presented.CITATION:Schlueter, R and Mischo, H, 2015. Potential and applications of underground in situ bioleaching, in Proceedings Third International Future Mining Conference, pp 205–212 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Nov 4, 2015

By L Langer, R Simcock, M Davis

Rehabilitation of mining sites helps to achieve the purpose 5(2c) of The Resource Management Act 1991 û æavoiding, remedying, or mitigating any adverse effects of activities on the environmentÆ. The environmental outcomes for recent and current mining operations on the West Coast are variable. There are some exemplary mining operations which are restoring or even improving land use and environmental factors in the region, particularly those operated by the larger mining companies. There are also examples of an exploitative mentality where the environment and land have been severely degraded by mining activities. Technology has been developed to prevent a repetition of the historical destruction of the environment through mining. Failure to rehabilitate mined land is no longer acceptable to the New Zealand public in the 1990s and damages the credibility of the mining industry. Examples of successful mine site rehabilitation to pastoral farming and to production or plantation forestry are illustrated from the alluvial gold mining industry. Planning, sequencing of operations, the utilization of sailor plant growth materials, and aftercare are key factors in successful land rehabilitation to these productive uses. There is also a recent focus on restoring indigenous forests and wetlands at both coal and gold mining sites, particularly for mines on or adjacent to the conservation estate. The results of scientific research and efforts by the industry on techniques for rehabilitating rainforest and pakihi wetland after mining are presented, particularly from the Giles Creek Dunoille Coal Mine. There is a need for further research and trials to apply and extend rehabilitation techniques to other geological and environmental situations, particularly to mines in mountainous areas and to difficult environments like the coal measures ecosystems of the plateaux above Westport.

Jan 1, 1996

Study on Mineral Processing for a Cassiterite Ore in Southwest China

Sep 13, 2010

By S Smit, P J. J Strobo

ZINIFEX Century Mine is a zinc, lead and silver concentrate producer. Flotation is the primary method of minerals separation in this circuit. The flotation circuit is quite large with 79 flotation cells. The levels in each of these interconnected cells are controlled at more than 45 level control stations. Due to the multivariable interaction throughout the circuit, good level control was found to be difficult to achieve by just using normal Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) control. As a first step in advanced process control, the FloatStar Level Stabiliser, a multivariable controller developed specifically for flotation circuits, has been commissioned at Century mine to solve the level control problems. The first section of this paper therefore discusses and shows the results and improvements obtained by using the FloatStar level stabiliser. The results and benefits of the FloatStar Flow Optimiser are discussed in the second section of this paper.

Jan 1, 2004

By G Wyartt

Systems such as Davey Bickford’s Daveytronic® SP blast initiation system and electronic detonators have been an integral part of drill and blast activities in Australia for over a decade, with the significant benefits of electronic blasting well documented. Since 2010 the Multiblast feature has been commercially available, which enables eight individual blast patterns (up to 1500 detonators each) to be blasted in the same firing window. Synchroblast has been in active operation since 2012, which allows a blast of up to 4500 detonators – either as a single blast pattern, or several smaller adjacent blast patterns – to be reliably initiated.Multiblast manages blasts separately but concurrently, allowing all blasts to conduct prefiring checks simultaneously from the firing point utilising only one remote blasting unit. Each blast can be selected and fired individually, in a sequence determined by the operator by scrolling through the colour display. Synchroblast automatically detects the blasting configuration, and manages all detonators as a single blast pattern. This simplifies the design and blasting processes for the mining operation.Multiblast and Synchroblast are routinely employed throughout Australia and globally in both open cut and underground operations, enabling optimal productivity due to increased blast volume and reduced operational downtime associated with blasting events.A number of case studies will be presented in this paper, detailing various mining operations that are consistently blasting in excess of 2500 detonators per blasting event as a part of standard drill and blast operations. Blasts over 3000 detonators are becoming more frequent as mine planning departments adapt to this operational capability and flexibility.CITATION:Wyartt, G, 2017. Multi and Synchroblasting – maximising operational productivity, in Proceedings Iron Ore 2017, pp 631–634 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Jul 24, 2017

By D Craw

Uplift of the antiformal ranges in Central Otago, New Zealand , has resulted in the progressive evolution of eluvial placer deposits in tectonic sediments on the range flanks and along their margins. The placers are derived from the reworking of fine-grained gold from the auriferous Manuherikia Group fluvial sediments which covered the basement prior to uplift of the ranges. Gold in the tectonic sediments at Matakanui shows a progressive increase in grainsize in successively younger sediments and nuggets in the youngest gravel sequence are up to two orders of magnitude larger than gold grains in the parent alluvial source. Most of the gold in the tectonic sediments is highly irregular in shape, commonly with delicate surface textures which could not have survived fluvial transport and are indicative of authigenic precipitation. Some coarse grains have been rounded by recycling, and further addition of authigenic gold has occurred. Placer gold values result from both physical and chemical enrichment during sedimentary recycling. Continued range uplift and back-thrusting of sediments on to the ranges results in recycling of earlier formed placer sediments. They also result in further enrichment of gold values through the incorporation of additional supplies of the parent alluvial source sediment The host sediments are widespread along the ranges and are not confined to sites of historic mining activity.

Jan 1, 1992

This paper reviews rehabilitation, closure, and post-closure management of the Tui, Golden Cross, and Martha Mines, all of which are located in the Waikato Region of New Zealand. There was no requirement for rehabilitation of the Tui mine, which was abandoned in 1973. There was a requirement to rehabilitate the Golden Cross mine. Mining at that site ceased in 1997, and rehabilitation is now well advanced. When first approved, there were some requirements for rehabilitation of the Martha Mine, but when reconsented in 1998, those were extended, and in addition a requirement for post-closure management was included. As a result, a Trust, funded by the mining company, has been established to take long-term responsibility for the site following completion of closure. The different rehabilitation/closure requirements at each of these sites illustrates that we have learnt something from the experiences of the past.

Jan 1, 2003

By P J. Minehan

The investigation of the potential of the Webb/Baynes block of the Buller coalfield for anode carbon manufacture has generated much information on the physical beneficiation characteristics of the Buller coals in general. A further 36 drill holes of the block in question and several other samples have been analysed by sink/float analysis, either at a single density or over a range of densities. In addition, many samples have been beneficiated on a laboratory shaking table or by flotation. The ash content can be reduced by a variable factor. The reduction factor of between two and four by sink/float analysts is understandably less for tabling where separation is not perfect. All Buller coals behave similarly, there being greater ash reduction factors for higher ash coals.

Jan 1, 1983

By M Yahyaei, F Vos, J Siliezar

Site-based case studies (including data collected from industrial surveys) and their application in evaluating circuit performance, have a significant role in developing reliable process models. Such models are useful to both plant metallurgists and researchers. Appropriate process models enable the plant metallurgist to assess the impact of different operational parameters on the overall circuit performance. They also provide the researcher with a detailed understanding of process behaviour in response to changes in ore characteristics and process conditions (ie plant throughput, ore competence, ore type). Thus enabling the identification of effective operating factors, and allowing them to be ranked in order of their influence on the process response, which eventually develops into a process control tool in the hands of plant operators.The above approach has been developed and applied at the Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Centre (JKMRC) separately for both comminution and flotation processes. In recent years, the JKMRC has attempted an integrated approach by developing process models that incorporate the impact of upstream processes on downstream processes. This is not possible using the traditional approach of separate comminution and flotation surveys, so conducting integrated plant surveys is crucial for success in developing integrated process models. This paper summarises industrial experience gained while conducting such an integrated plant survey at Glencore’s Ernest Henry Mining operation near Cloncurry in north Queensland. An appropriate approach should be taken to enable the alignment of different requirements from different processes during the plant survey. This, as well as the challenges faced in integrating comminution process models with flotation process models, are identified.CITATION:Yahyaei, M, Vos, F, Powell, M S, Siliezar, J and Perkins, T, 2014. Challenges in developing integrated process models based on industrial survey data, in Proceedings 12th AusIMM Mill Operators’ Conference 2014 , pp 437–446 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Sep 1, 2014

By M Norbert, C Bennett

The Legacy Way Tunnel was constructed from Toowong to Kelvin Grove in Brisbane, and is the first large-scale underground excavation in the Bunya Phyllite in Brisbane. The Legacy Way Tunnel is 4.3 km in length, comprising two mainline tunnels excavated by a tunnel boring machine (TBM) with 46 connecting passages excavated between the mainline tunnels for egress provision and services. The Legacy Way Tunnel passes through two geological formations, the Bunya Phyllite and the Neranleigh Fernvale Beds. The Bunya Phyllite is the dominant formation of the Legacy Way Tunnel, extending for three quarters of the tunnel prior to intersecting the Normanby Fault Zone (NFZ) and the Neranleigh Fernvale Beds. The NFZ forms the contact between the two formations as part of the Brisbane Metamorphics, which underlies the majority of Brisbane City. The development of the geological model and the understanding of the ground’s reaction to tunnelling was an iterative process. The tender phase investigation data has been supplemented with additional design phase investigation boreholes, geophysics and walk overs. Aerial photograph interpretation coupled with borehole data allowed the development of the domains along the length of the tunnel. Early excavations for the spoil conveyor tunnel and borehole data from subsurface instrumentation installation provided the first construction phase data followed by the commencement of tunnel boring machine (TBM) excavation. Routine cutterhead inspections coupled with ongoing reviews of the predicted geology resulted in clear response triggers to selection of segment types while detailed inspections in passage locations provide the initial classifications for segment removals.CITATION:Bennett, C and Norbert, M, 2014. Tunnelling within the Bunya Phyllite of Legacy Way, Brisbane, Queensland, in Proceedings 15th Australasian Tunnelling Conference 2014 , pp 131–140 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Sep 17, 2014

By C Noble, J Webster-Brown

A survey of selected West Coast Streams was undertaken in Summer 2001, Summer 2002 and Winter 2002 to establish the degree of arsenic (As) contamination in waters and sediments downstream of old coal and gold mine workings on the West Coast. Of the catchments studied, Soldiers/Ford Creek and Rapid Stream showed the most significant elevated As concentrations, predominantly in dissolved form, and evidence of AMD or ARD contamination (high sulfate concentrations and/or acidity). The rate and processes of removal of dissolved arsenic from the water column (attenuation) have been studied in these catchments. The Rapid Stream and Soldiers/Ford Creek catchments are directly affected by adit drainage from the Sullivan and Blackball coal mines respectively. Both catchments have high As concentrations in the sediments, with up to 770 mg/kg in Soldiers Creek and 490 mg/kg in Rapid Stream. Dissolved As concentrations are significantly elevated in the neutral pH waters of Soldiers Creek; typically as high as 100 - 200 ¦g/kg, up to 500 m downstream of the main adit discharge (800 ¦g/kg As). Adit inflows to Rapid Stream were acidic and contained 20 - 30 ¦g/kg dissolved As, with relatively high concentrations of arsenic in the stream water in winter (up to 18 ¦g/kg), but not in summer. Analysis of concentration trends and As:SO4 ratios downstream of these obvious As sources confirmed that dissolved As had been actively removed from the water column, but varied seasonally with greater removal evident in summer. Adsorption of arsenic onto iron oxide in the stream sediments is the most likely mechanism of removal. The Snowy River catchment, on the other hand, has relatively high As concentrations in both the sediments and the water column, but there was little evidence of a distinct AMD or ARD input from the Blackwater gold mining area. Preliminary investigation suggests that dilution rather than attenuation is responsible for decreasing As concentrations downstream.

Jan 1, 2003

By R A. M Maddever, P Jeanneau, V Flahaut

Over the entire life cycle of a mine, from early resource evaluation to the blasting of benches, the collection of geochemical data is crucial for the site operator, who must routinely and intensively drill and sample the orebody. This produces huge numbers of physical samples, in turn requiring significant cost and time for their preparation and assay. Moreover, despite best efforts, the sample recovery process is prone to error, which limits the quality of data.The pulsed neutron gamma technique has been used for decades in various industries, in particular oil logging, for its ability to provide direct identification and quantification of elemental concentrations. However, its implementation in logging tools for the mining sector is relatively recent. Built around the latest in technology for optimal spectrometric measurement, a commercial tool referred to as FastGrade™ 100 has been available for a few years and used with increasing success in the mining environment, specifically the iron ore industry, resulting in a reduction in the amount of collected samples. Relying on the physics of neutrons and gamma photons, both of which are particles that penetrate the surrounding bedrock through several tens of centimetres, such spectroscopy tools measure in real-time the composition of a much larger volume than the delimited volume of the drilled material traditionally used for geochemical mapping. Better statistics and reliability of the estimated composition increase the ability to properly and quickly measure drilled holes and allow the substituting of all or part of the sampling and assaying efforts by geochemical log data. Our paper focuses on this technology, known as pulsed fast and thermal neutron analysis (PFTNA). It reviews the main drivers for the design of such a logging tool and discusses how the fundamental characteristics of the technology, in terms of neutrons and gamma interactions, translate into interpretation of the analytical output.CITATION:Jeanneau, P, Flahaut, V and Maddever, R A M, 2017. Iron ore benefits from neutron pulsed geochemical tools, in Proceedings Iron Ore 2017, pp 387–396 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Jul 24, 2017