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By Manqiu Xu, Andrew Lee, Frederick D. Ford, Cara Wercholaz

"Platinum-group minerals (PGM) typically occur in such low concentrations that quantitative mineralogical evaluation is difficult or impossible. The FEI MLA system used by Vale Base Metals Technology Development has been successfully employed to produce large PGM data sets that are statistically robust. The MLA Sparse Phase Liberation mapping routine produces false colored images that accurately document mineral textures, including intergrowths between various platinum group minerals and between PGMs and other tellurides and sulfides. MLA PGM search results can be used in conjunction with mineral chemistry to calculate platinumgroup element distribution to minerals and the MLA PGM images can be used to produce model grade-recovery curves.INTRODUCTIONThe platinum-group minerals (PGM) found in Sudbury area deposits have been extensively catalogued and reviewed by many authors including, but not limited to: Farrow and Lightfoot (2002), Cabri and Laflamme (1984; 1976) and Cabri (1981). The PGM list currently used has 12 minerals summarized in Table 1. As noted by Farrow and Lightfoot (2002), platinum-group minerals in Sudbury are dominated by tellurides, bismuth-tellurides and arsenides, with an absence of platinum-group element (PGE) sulphides or ferro-platinum alloys such as tetraferroplatinum - PtFe."

Jan 1, 2011

DynoMiner APS Delivery Systems Overview ? New Design of DynoMiner APS-M2 ? Stand alone or attach to Cargo type 10,000 lb (4536 kg) emulsion bins. ? Hose reel w/200-ft (61-m) by 1-inch I.D (25-mm) hose capacity, power rewind. ? Increased water and trace capacity. ? Hose reel and gassing offered as options. ? New Flow Meter ? DN-100: aluminum body, UHMWPE rotors. ? Will be offered as an option. ? APS Nomenclature ? Proposed changes ? DynoMiner APS and APS-M1 to become DynoMiner APS Drifter ? DynoMiner APS-M2 to become DynoMiner APS Stoper. ? Both to have optional gassing / flow metering.

May 1, 2004

By L. W. Vigrass

Porous and permeable rocks deeply buried in sedimentary basins contain immense volumes of hot water with the potential to supply low-grade heat energy. A part of Canada with sizeable potential for low-grade geothermal energy is the northern Williston Basin of southern Saskatchewan. In this region, the University of Regina has conducted a geological study investigating the feasibility of producing large quantities of warm water suitable for space heating in the Regina - Moose Jaw area. The study has shown that the most favourable geothermal reservoirs are in the Basal Clastic Unit (Cambrian Ordovician), which, at an approximate depth of 2,000 metres has predicted temperatures of 71°C to 74°C. We anticipate sustainable flow rates from these reservoirs of 100 to 300 ms/hr. The water contains about 150,000ppm of total dissolved solids, mostly sodium chloride. It is anticipated that the sulphate content will be 3,000 to 6,000 ppm, that the dissolved oxygen and hydrogen sulphide content will be small, and that the waters will be neutral to slightly alkaline. It is anticipated that the piezometric level will be 46 m below the ground surface for reservoirs in the upper part of the Basal Clastic Unit and 141m below the ground surface for the lower reservoirs of the unit. Plans are to build a low-grade geothermal research, testing and demonstration facility at the University of Regina. To be a practical demonstration, the facility will have to handle very large volumes of water. Because of high salinity, the water will be re injected into a subsurface reservoir. We do not anticipate insurmountable problems because of salinities or as a result of corrosion provided that the waters are not aerated during handling

Jan 1, 1979

By D. P. Tripathy

A supply chain encompasses all the activities associated with the flow and transformation of goods from the raw materials stage(extraction), through to the end user. Supply chain management (SCM) is the integration of these activities through improved supply chain relationship, to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage and it rests on its ability to provide the right goods and services when and where needed. The supply chain is the vital component of any company?s value chain which links the operating processes to its supplier and customer. The globalization of business promises to offer new and unique challenges for the supply chain competencies of most firms. Challenges will also increase in the environmental aspects of supply chain often referred to as ?Green Issues?. The supply chain of mining industry comprises of the flow of material and information from the mine site, to processing and loading for transport, to the customer. However, due to recent changing environmental requirements affecting mining and mineral processing operations, increasing attention is given to developing environmental management (EM) strategies for the mineral supply chain. This paper focuses on: ? Environmental factors leading to the development of an extended environmental supply chain, ? Additional challenges presented by the extension, ? Performance measures appropriate for the extended supply chain, ? Developing a general procedure towards achieving and maintaining the green supply chain.

May 1, 2006

By A. Sheikh, S. Hardcastle

"Various methods of leaching are being used by Denison Mines Ltd. Uranium Operations. This study was designed to investigate the flood leaching operation of two parallel inter-connected stopes contained by pressure bulkheads. The teaching muck piles, created from large scale uppers production blasts, are aerated by compressed air lines laid beneath the pile prior to blasting.A SFr, tracer gas, injection technique has been employed to determine the post-blast integrity of the single-ended air distribution system. SF6 was injected into the compressed air line feed to the stopes and collected at borehole exhausts from the stopes in grab-sampling bags. Analyses of the air samples were performed with a gas chromatograph.The system was designed to give a sufficiency of oxygen to sustain bacterial activities used to enhance the leaching recovery in the muck piles. The results obtained indicated that there is a minor anomaly in the distribution system that may not be critical to the operation. Compared to an idealized case, the over-all efficiency of aeration throughout the muck is estimated at over 85%."

Jan 1, 1988

By B. P. Simser, R. K. Brummer, A. Mortazavi, P. P. Andrieux

"A large-scale panel destress blast was fired at Brunswick mine in the fall of 1999 in order to reduce the ground stresses in a critically important neighbouring mining region. This work, sponsored by the Mining Division of CAMIRO and Brunswick mine, consisted in heavily choke-blasting — and subsequently leaving in place — a massive waste sulphide pillar in the southwest end of the 1000 m level. This paper describes the approach and design methodology used to try to maximize breakage in the rock mass in the area to destress, while minimizing damage to critical infrastructures in the vicinity. The loading operations, as well as the results of the blast — in terms of its field performances, as recorded by near-field blast vibration monitoring equipment, visual postblast assessments and measured impact on the regional stress field — are discussed as well. A brief comparison between the measured stress changes and inelastic numerical modelling of the test site is also presented.Un tir à grande échelle de relâchement des contraintes dans un pilier a été effectué à la mine Brunswick à la fin de l’automne 1999 dans le but de diminuer les contraintes de terrain dans une très importante zone de production adjascente. Ces travaux, financés par la division minière de CAMIRO et la mine Brunswick, consistaient à tirer violemment sans aucune face libre, et à laisser en place, un pilier de sulphures massifs au sud-ouest du niveau 1000 m. Cet article décrit l’approche et la démarche conceptuelle utilisées pour tenter de maximiser les fractures dans le pilier visé, tout en minimisant les dommages collatéraux à des infrastructures critiques se trouvant dans les environs immédiats. Les opérations de chargement des explosifs et les résultats du tir — en termes de ses performances, telles qu’évaluées par de l’équipement de monitoring rapproché des vibrations de tir, d’observations visuelles, et de son impact sur les contraintes de terrain locales — sont également discutés."

Jan 1, 2003

By P. Choquet, F. Miller

"The development and testing of a simple low-cost gauge for measurement of tension in a cable bolt grouted in a borehole are presented. Its principle is based on a resistance wire which is wound on a 70 cm length into the spiral grooves of the wire strand cable bolt. Readings are then taken by a robust automatic data logger with a several day autonomy or by a portable readout. In order to have a complete profile of tension along the cable bolt, a number of tension gauges can be installed along its length.This paper provides a description of the development and laboratory calibration of the tension gauge and addresses the two modes of loading for a cable bolt in a rock mass, namely pure tension and shearing at a joint location.In the second part of the paper, four field tests in underground and open pit mines are reported. The first test was used to substantially modify both the gauge and the readout unit principles while the other tests which are still on-going show a very satisfactory behaviour of the modified version of the tension gauge. IntroductionCable-bolting is often used as ground support in Canadian mines for a variety of applications. In underground mines, cable bolts can be installed vertically at the back of cut and fill stopes or in an inclined fashion in the walls of large open stopes. Alternatively, cable bolts at Mines Gaspe (Noranda Inc.) are used in a fan-shaped pattern from a drill drift to stabilize the inclined roof in 25 m wide open stapes. This new application oriented our research efforts toward the design of a novel instrumentation to monitor the efficiency of most commonly used 5/8-inch cable bolts."

Jan 1, 1988

By V. N. Rampton, C. F. Gleeson

"Exploration results over three overburden drilling anomalies defined by the Ontario Geological Survey in 1981 in the Kirkland Lake area, Ontario are presented. The anomalies come from lowland areas where overburden is thickest. By mapping the bedrock and surficial geology, by prospecting, humus sampling and shallow till sampling over the surrounding upland surfaces, one can initially evaluate such overburden drill anomalies without costly reverse circulation drilling. The drilling should follow, if necessary, only after surficial base data has been obtained. Preliminary work on these three properties has defined the presence of at least two styles of gold mineralization. One occurs in silicified zones in intermediate volcanics closely associated with northwesterly trending faults and shear zones. The second occurs in quartz-carbonate alternation zones in volcanics intruded by quartz-feldspar porphyry dykes. IntroductionThe three examples presented in this paper present first-hand information on an approach to the follow up of several geochemical anomalies that were found by the Ontario Geological Survey when they carried out reverse circulation overburden drilling as part of the Kirkland Lake Initiative Program (KLIP) in 1980 (Routledge et al., 1981). The initial approach is relatively simple, systematic, and cost and technically effective. It readies the properties for further exploration, or conversely, it could downgrade the properties as viable gold targets."

Jan 1, 1987

By D. M. Doyle, P. J. Hannon

"The Canada/Nova Scotia Mineral Development Agreement (M.D.A.) is a subsidiary of a five-year Economic and Regional Development Agreement, signed on June 11, 1984. The objectives of the M.D.A. are to strengthen and diversify the Nova Scotian mineral industry and to coordinate federal and provincial policies and programs. The agreement outlines the activities and responsibilities of each government, including the division of the cost (60:40, federal: provincial) between governments. The agreement established a framework for joint planning to avoid overlap or duplication of programs.The M.D.A. programs are broadly divided into five sectors (Table 1 and Fig. 1): Geoscience, Minerals Technology, Development, Firm Specific and Public Information. Each sector is administered by a subcommittee composed of one federal member and one provincial member. The subcommittees report to a Management Committee. The Canada/Nova Scotia Mineral Development Agreement (M.D.A.) Management Committee is made up of Dr. Jack Reeves from EMR and Dr. Richard Potter from the NSDME.The Geoscience subcommittee, co-chaired by Peter Giles (NSDME) and William Poole (EMR), manages the regional geologic, geochemical and geophysical studies in the province. Included in this sector are studies into mineral deposits and the basic geological relationships between mineral deposits.The Mineral Technology sector is co-chaired by the authors, Don Doyle (CANMET) and Pat Hannon (NSDME). This sector of the M.D.A. conducts studies into mineral processing, sampling, deposit byproduct commodities and project feasibility analysis."

Jan 1, 1987

By R. F. Lynch, F. E. Goodwin, A. F. Skenazi

"The Gal/an alloy has been developed for continuous galvanizing of steel. The choice of the eutectic zinc-aluminum alloy with addition of misch metal gives a coating with specific characteristics as far as structure, analysis, surface chemistry and surface morphology are concerned. The performance of the uncoated Galfan coating is superior when compared to conventional galvanized particularly for corrosion resistance and ductility. For coil coating applications, these two assets are of the utmost importance but in order to benefit from these two advantages, good paint adherence and high resistance to edge creep and blistering have to be obtained. Despite Galfan's unique features compared to other zinc based or aluminum zinc based coatings, existing pretreatments and painting conditions are used with only minor modifications in order to assure good adherence and edge creep resistance. With compatible processing, Galfan can outperform galvanized and Galvalume as a substrate for coil coating as is demonstrated with various test results.IntroductionThe technical and commercial development of Galfan, a 95% zinc-5% aluminum-0.1% lanthanum-cerium hot-dip coating for steel, has been rapid. From its identification as a promising coating in late 1980, it has evolved from a research product to a fully commercial product with over 100 000 metric tons of coated sheet produced to date, and another 90 000 tons, at minimum, scheduled for 1986. The great majority of tonnage produced to date has been coil coated for use in building panel , appliance, and similar applications. Much technical work has been done to determine the suitability of Galfan for these applications and the proper way of processing sheet for best results. The present state of knowledge is discussed in this paper, along with some recent applications which are given asexamples"

Jan 1, 1987

By E. Douglas, V. M. Malhotra

"This report presents the results of a laboratory study undertaken to evaluate ground granulated blast-furnace slag from Algoma Steel Corporation, as a replacement for Portland cement in cemented mine backfill. The evaluation was based on the results of compressive strength tests performed on cylinders cast from mixtures made with a granulated blast-furnace slag and tailings from four different mines in the Sudbury basin. Various percent¬ages of slags and various binder to tailings ratios were used.Tests results show that, in terms of compressive strength, the slag performs as well or better than Portland cement as the binding agent in cemented mine backfill. Lime was found to be a poten¬tially good activator for ground granulated slag in mine backfill applications.A field test was conducted at one of the mines, consisting of placing a mixture of 95.5% ground granulated slag and 0.5% lime into a stope, and inspecting the floor slab as it hardened. The slag performed as expected, considering the backfill mixture proportions used and the preparation of the test site."

Jan 1, 1989

By Matthew A. Baumann

Tooth-wear on mining shovels requires continuous monitoring. Worn teeth impede excavation performance, increase energy usage, and increase the risk of lost or broken teeth and adapters. A machine-vision-based automated tooth-wear monitoring system is presented. The system employs a rugged boom or stick-mounted camera to capture images of the shovel teeth. An onboard computer processes the images in real-time to determine the length of each tooth. The current wear state is available via a network-accessible log for on-demand status updates. By continuously recording tooth length changes over time, the logs can be used to estimate wear rates and patterns, permitting comparisons between different G.E.T. configurations, operator behaviour patterns, or material types. This detailed, quantitative data permits site-specific optimizations to wear packages and maintenance scheduling. Automating wear monitoring offers the crucial wear information necessary to minimize maintenance costs and reduce unscheduled downtime. A 37-day field trial in a copper-gold mine demonstrated the ability of the system to measure tooth lengths, compute wear rates, and detect differences in tooth wear based on their position on the bucket.

Nov 1, 2011

By M. C. Bétournay

Mine site infrastructure for storage and delivery of hydrogen must be standardized and acceptable for routine and safe industrial use before fuel cell technology is adopted as a major power source. An initial study reviewed possible options for production, storage and delivery of hydrogen for underground equipment. The high level review included assessment of economic, operational, technical, and health and safety risks. Following this review, a subsequent theoretical study to select typical minesite infrastructure and for construction at an operating research mine is outlined.

May 1, 2007

By K. J. Griffin, G. W. Rosval

"In our increasingly competitive market, attempts to improve productivity by increasing axle loads have placed more severe demands on rails. CP Rail thus requires stronger, tougher, and more wear-resistant rails from steel manufacturers. The choice of any rail steel is always a compromise between technical and economic factors. The technical assessment of a candidate rail consists of laboratory and field testing. Laboratory evaluation of rail steels cannot adequately model many service conditions and must, therefore, be supplemented by long-term field testing. The field testing conducted on CP Rail is the subject of this paper.Long-term, in-track, assessment of candidate rail steels begins with the selection and re-laying of a test curve representative of the intended service with both the candidate rail and a control rail steel (i.e. the present intermediate or premium rail standard). The wear performance of the candidate rail is evaluated, in relation to that of the control rail, using data obtained with a rail profilometer developed by the Research and Development Department of CP Rail. Qualitative observations are also periodically made to evaluate the relative susceptibilities of the two rail types to surface defect formation. Testing continues until stable metal loss patterns are achieved. Relative life predictions are then made and detailed monitoring of the test site is discontinued.CP Rail's in-track assessment program for premium rails has resulted in the establishment of a new CP Rail premium rail standard - low-alloy, head-hardened, rails have replaced high alloy rails. The wear/fatigue lives of these new premium rails exceed those of our previous standard by more than 50%, and they also exhibit excellent weldability. CP Rail will continue to evaluate new premium and intermediate strength rail products."

Jan 1, 1988

By A. R. Miller, M. C. Bétournay, D. L. Barnes

"A number of successful proof-of-concept projects have been carried out to replace conventional power application, such as diesel and rechargeable batteries, in underground mine vehicles. This has led to the development and testing of the world’s first fuel cell production vehicle, a mine locomotive. A fuel cell loader is being built and tested.This paper provides an insight into other projects that are being carried out. Some are related to further underground applications, and some to further research, such as refueling options, power plant durability, and vehicle automation.Also outlined is an evaluation of the overall mining applications and advantages this technology can bring to underground mining, including the facilitation of automation and tele-remote operation."

Jan 1, 2003

By N. W. Kirshenbaum

"The Marconaflo slurry system was originally developed to reduce costs and solve technical problems in the marine transport of mineral cargoes. In the short time since its inception, it has been found to offer economies and advantages for land-based and in-plant materials handling. This efficient method of reclaiming and slurrying particulate materials at very high pulp densities can be directly utilized in a wide variety of mineral process systems. These include: storage-reclaim applications, where even cohesive, compacted materials can be reclaimed from settled storage ""on demand""; the growing number of hydrometallurgical operations wherein slurried materials are processed to extract or yield metals; certain applications associated with pyrometallurgical treatment; and as a means of augmenting the performance of conventional mineral dressing equipment, such as thickeners.INTRODUCTIONIn the continuing effort to lower costs of producing minerals and extracting metals, the field of handling and transportation often receives too little attention from those engaged in the mining and winning of ores and metals. This comment, which pertains to ferrous and non-ferrous as well as to non-metallic producers, is especially pertinent to products having relatively low value, where transport costs can be a major portion of the delivered selling price to the minerals receiver.One method which was developed recently for the purpose of reducing costs and solving technical problems in marine transport and handling of mineral cargoes is the MARCONAFLO slurry system. A notable feature of this system is its versatility; in addition to its use in marine transport1*, some of its diverse applications have included the mining and reclaiming of tailings2 and in-plant materials handling3. As the concept and fundamentals of this system have been well explained previously4,5, the mechanics of the system will not be elaborated upon here. Rather some specific ways in which MARCONAFLO can be applied to processing and extraction will be explored."

Jan 1, 1973

By R. G. Hamm

A brief outline covering the shovels and draglines in use in the open-pit mines of Western Canada, including British Columbia, Alberta and the Yukon, is given, followed by the procedure for the selection of the correct wire rope for each application. Such fa ctors as wire rope constructions, lay directions and types of cores are mentioned. Once the correct wire rope has been selected, there are variousfactors that can affect the service fife ofthe rope and the reduction ofdown-time during rope change-overs. Factors such as hairpin winding, types of Becket loops, and shovel drum and bail adaptors are described.

Jan 1, 1979

By I. S. Thompson

"Exploration properties form a continuum from grass roots to those with favourable geology, geochemical and/or geophysical anomalies, mineralization, showings (prospects), and finally to those with defined mineral deposits. Often, properties exhibit a composite of these categories.The most problematic to value are properties or deposits that are not economically exploitable at the time of the valuation due to a lack of exploration, insufficient grade or tonnage, poor mining conditions, or the imposition of socio-economic, environmental, or legal constraints.Various acceptable methods of valuing the range of all such mineral properties or deposits are reviewed. Some less appropriate methods are also discussed."

Jan 1, 2002

By K. Schrijver, G. Beaudoin

"Four occurrences of galena-cemented sandstones, exposed in the Lower St. Lawrence - Gaspésie area, are described. They constitute a new, insufficiently explored type of deposit in Quebec.One mineralized body, a minor occurrence, is hosted in Lower Devonian rocks deposited in an estuarine, intertidal river channel during a marine regression; major cements are dolomite and sulphides. Another occurrence, a drilled prospect, is hosted in Upper Silurian rocks deposited unconformably on Cambro Ordovician basement during a marine transgression. With galena and quartz as main cementing minerals, it is similar to some well-known, economic sandstone-lead deposits. A third and fourth, a drilled prospect and a minor occurrence, are hosted in Upper Cambrian rocks deposited on continental slopes. In both, sulphides mainly occupy a secondary porosity. The differences between the third and fourth occurrences are: (1) cementing translucent minerals (carbonates and barite in one; chlorite in the other); (2) chronology of final subsurface dissolution (prior and subsequent to sulphide precipitation, respectively); and (3) important fracture porosity only in the barite-bearing deposit.The diversity of the four occurrences, and the unequal geological knowledge of their respective features, prohibit the formulation of uniform guidelines for further exploration.IntroductionThe attention of the mineral exploration community is drawn to four occurrences of galena-cemented sandstones (Fig. 2A) in the Cambrian of the Taconian Orogen and in the Siluro-Devonian basin of the Lower St. Lawrence and Gaspésie area (Fig. 1). In view of the fact that sandstone-lead deposits (Bjerlykke and Sangster, 1981) are, or have been, mined in several countries (e.g . Laisvall in Sweden: see Rickard et al., 1979; Largentiere in France: see Foglierini et al., 1980), the mere presence of occurrences in Quebec indicates that the mineral potential of some parts of the Appalachians requires further evaluation.Exploration for the deposits considered here is essentially restricted to geological methods and drilJing (e.g . Mainguet Suares and Samama, 1969), since the response to geophysical methods is virtually nil, at least in the initial, surficial stage of an exploration program. As the particular disciplines of geology utilized in exploration depend a great deal on the geological setting of a mineral occurrence, the diversity of the Quebec deposits is of prime importance. Therefore, the four occurrences (Fig. I, Table 1) studied by the authors are herein briefly described with emphasis on their stratigraphic and tectonic setting, and on the evolution of pore space and sequential occlusion of pores and fractures. Prior to further research in and around the occurrences, now in progress (e.g. Beaudoin, 1987; Beaudoin et al., 1987), it is hoped that the following outline will be useful to the explorationist."

Jan 1, 1987

By G. Hausen, H. Micka

"Modern signal and power electronics made adjustable-speed AC drives technically feasible and reliable and economically attractive. Cycloconverters are discussed as a proven technology for mine hoists. \IntroductionUntil rather recent technical and commercial advances in power and signal electronics, DC motors were used almost exclusively for applications requiring continuously adjustable operating speeds and torques. More recently, the significantly higher efficiency and the accordingly lower operating costs of AC motors gained importance. An effective and efficient speed control of AC motors requires the control of AC voltage and frequency. Table 1 shows typical applications of adjustable-speed AC drives.CycloconvertersOf particular interest to the mining industry are cycloconverters for hoist drives. The cycloconverter represents by far the simplest, most efficient and most economical means of converting a constant-voltage, constant-frequency supply into an adjustable-voltage, adjustable-frequency supply as required for the speed control of AC drives operating in the frequency range to half of the utility frequency.Cycloconverters feeding synchronous motors or induction motors are ideally suited for slow-speed direct-coupled drives."

Jan 1, 1988