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By Michael T. G. Brown

Syncrude Canada Ltd. has recently completed construction of its ambitious tar-sand mining and processing facilities at Mildred Lake, Alberta. The Syncrude site is approximately 48 km (30 miles) north of Fort McMurray near the west shore of the Athabasca River. The Syncrude operation involves the open-pit mining of approximately 270,000 tonnes (300,000 tons) of tar sand daily using draglines and a conveyor system. Bitumen is extracted from the tar sand, upgraded to oil-gas and transported to refineries in Edmonton and other locations for final processing . The Beaver Creek Dam forms part of the mining facilities for the Syncrude tar-sand mining operation. Water from Beaver Creek is diverted from the open-pit mine site south to the Athabasca River via Ruth Lake and the Poplar Creek Dam. General site layout is shown on Figure I . Design of the dam was completed by R. M. Hardy and Associates Ltd. of Edmonton, Alberta (now Hardy Associates (1978) Ltd) . Construction was undertaken during the summers of 1974 and 1975 under the direction of Canadian Bechtel Limited, managing contractors for Syncrude Canada Ltd. Total length of the dam is approximately 2.8 km (1.7 miles), with a maximum height in the order of 16 m (50 ft) The Beaver Creek Dam is located in a broad, flat, poorly drained valley. About 50 per cent of the site is covered with treeless peat deposits, which ranged in thickness from in excess of 5 m (15 ft) at the east end of the dam to less than 1 m (3 ft) at the central portion. The peat deposits overlie Pleistocene meltwater sediments on top of clay/clay shales of the Clearwater Formation and the tar sands of the McMurray Formation. The peat deposits and high groundwater levels at the site combine to make the excavation and construction of a conventional rolled clay cutoff impractical. For these reasons, the slurry cutoff trench technique was utilized to produce an efficient and effective seepage cutoff under various sections of the Beaver Creek Dam .

Jan 1, 1979

By J. E. Dodge

Tasu, currently an open-pit operation, services the primary crusher from two areas by ore-pass raises. The problems encountered and advantages gained are discussed. Mine equipment and operating practices are covered, together with blasting practices, line drilling and the pre-shearing necessary to stahilize the pit walls.

Jan 1, 1968

By Fidelis T. Suorineni

HydraboltTM is a Swellex-type dowel support element developed and manufactured by New Concept Mining in South Africa. Like Swellex, the HydraboltTM is a folded tube which can be inserted into a larger diameter hole without pushing. It is then activated by injection of high pressure water which inflates the folded tube to intimate contact with the walls of the borehole at a set pressure, normally 25 MPa. Unlike Swellex however, the set water pressure at the end of the inflation is maintained throughout the life of the dowel. An integral non-return valve makes this possible. The HydraboltTM is being investigated as a possible stress change measuring cell. This paper presents the results of closed form solutions, numerical modeling and laboratory test to date. Preliminary results indicate that the HydraboltTM can be used as a stress change monitoring cell in addition to its conventional role as a rock mass reinforcing element. If successful, the HydraboltTM will supplement microseismic monitoring systems in rockburst-prone ground conditions where they will give quantitative stress change data for both mine design model calibrations and means for proactive safety measures.

Oct 1, 2010

By J. G. Schofield, R. C. Francki, K. M. Donaldson, F. E. Ham

"Developments in pyrometallurgical technology have led to larger furnaces operating under more intense process conditions. In order to maintain the reliability of these furnaces, which are frequently single-line units, the design of the refractories, cooling systems and bindings has become more critical. Traditional thermal and chemical requirements for the refractory to resist slag attack must still be carefully determined. The larger, modem furnaces have placed a new emphasis on the structural properties of the refractories as well as their thermal properties to suit the extensive cooling systems. Based on operating experience, supported by computer models, the refractories and bindings are designed to work together to accommodate the thermal expansions and contractions in order to minimize permanent furnace growth and the risks of leaks. IntroductionElectric furnaces are used extensively in smelting copper and nickel ores and concentrates. Laterite nickel ores and high-magnesia copper, nickel and platinum sulphide concentrates are smelted virtually exclusively in electric furnaces to accommodate the high melting point of the slags produced. Although a number of smelting processes using oxygen-enriched and/or preheated air have been developed to replace reverberatory furnace smelting of conventional copper and copper-nickel concentrates, (lnco, Noranda, Outokumpu, Mitsubishi) electric matte furnaces remain a strong process alternative for these concentrates, either as the primary smelting vessel or for cleaning the slags produced from these processes.The development of large, high-powered furnaces has been an important factor in the growth of electric smelting technology, as evidenced by the list of operating matte and ferronickel furnaces shown in Table I. Because the compressive forces required to maintain a tight, leak-free furnace increase with furnace dimensions, the selection and design of the furnace refractories, cooling systems and bindings require increased attention."

Jan 1, 1993

By Yin Wang, Lin Li, Zhongwei Bi, Like Wei, Wen Li, Shaogang Li, Bin Zhang, Hongjie Li

Presently,Many long-wall fully-mechanized faces in shallow depth coal seams are below room and pillar goaf in Shendong mining area. When the working face is advanced out of concentrated coal pillar in upper room and pillar goaf, strong strata behaviors often cause support crushing accident. Aiming at a support crushing accident which happened in Shigetai coal mine of Shenhua group in Shendong mining area, this paper analyses the stress transfer process while mining out of concentrated coal pillar by numerical simulation software FLAC3D. According to the feature, simplifying the roof of upper room and pillar goaf as supporting-beam structure explains mechanism of large area collapse in room and pillar goaf roof. Based on the feature of supporting-beam structure, deep-hole blasting concentrated coal pillar technology is proposed to control the strong strata behaviors in Shigetai coal mine. The blasting control effect is confirmed through characteristics of strata behaviors, growth circumstance of ground crack and multi-point extensometer monitoring results. By using control technology, Shigetai coal mine has been successfully avoided support crushing accident.

Jan 1, 2015

By G. Bonin, A. Jamal, G. Preciado, S. Gillis

"Accurate, easy to obtain, and reliable methods of measurement are the cornerstone of shaft and tunnel developments - during their sinking, operation and maintenance, or in some cases, remediation. This paper presents a new methodology to capture existing shaft conditions in such a manner that they can be transferred from the field to a digital copy, where they can be stored and used for engineering design purposes in a space not directly affected by the costs associated with schedule and equipment performance. The methodology utilizes basic principles of excavation alignment (plumb lines and survey instruments) while adding modern LiDAR, geolocation and survey control tools that can more completely capture the surrounding environment. The complete cycle of collection, processing, and delivery of pertinent information underground can take under an hour. During sinking, capturing data as a live stream measurement and being able to assess the alignment of the shaft liner can be critical to meeting rigid design tolerances. As sinking progresses, small changes in alignment or liner deviations can be captured and immediately corrected. Likewise, post-construction as-built conditions can be recorded and digitized, which will allow the mine personnel to compare the proper working condition to the actual condition years later. Observed changes can be identified and planned as future shaft repair works. This methodology has been developed and successfully deployed during the on-going sinking works of the two shafts at the Jansen Potash Project in south-central Saskatchewan and is described in greater detail in this paper.INTRODUCTION Light Detection and Ranging (or LiDAR) scans of the BHP Jansen Production and Service shafts during construction identified sections of both shafts where the internal radius of the temporary primary liner was insufficient to accommodate the tolerances of the permanent liner that was to be installed inside the temporary liner. These locations are referred to as “tights”. The “Tights Removal Program” was designed to collect high resolution point clouds of the shaft, using stringent survey control, that could be compared to the design profile to generate a heat map of locations for removal of up to 75 mm of steel-fiber-reinforced, 70 MPa concrete liner. This work was all on critical path, which made it valuable to save time on the schedule. Because concrete removal was a time-intensive task, it was essential to locate and remove only the concrete that would encroach on the planned permanent liner, while attempting to maximize the amount of cutting time. Removal was carried by a road header attached to a Brokk(R) 160, a small multi-attachment demolition machine."

Jan 1, 2019

By Y. Mitsuda, Y. Kayanuma, T. H. Okabe, M. Miyake

A new process to recover platinum group metals (PGMs) from automotive catalyst scrap using metal vapor was developed. To improve the efficiency of the acid dissolution process of PGMs, metal vapor of reactive elements such as magnesium or calcium were contacted with spent automotive catalyst. It was expected that metal vapor would react with metal selectively and form intermetallic compounds. The specimen of the spent catalyst was treated at 1173 K for 3 h, and it was then dissolved in aqua regia for 1 h to recover PGMs. After the reactive metal treatment, 88% of Pt, 81% of Pd, and 72% of Rh in the catalyst scrap was dissolved, while only 77% of Pt, 69% of Pd, and 38% of Rh was dissolved from untreated scraps.

Jan 1, 2004

By PAUL L. DEAN

Industrial mineral deposits are widespread in Newfoundland and Labrador and a variety of commodities are produced. The province has the only pyrophyllite mine in Canada and also produces asbestos, gypsum, silica, barite, limestone, gemstones, cement and other structural materials. Large reserves of these and other industrial minerals are known and several deposits are likely future producers. Most producers are wellestablished and have large tonnages of ore reserves.

Jan 1, 1984

By B. A. Watters, G. A. Parslow, F. H. Mcdougall

Carbonate-rich rocks occur at several localities within the Flin Flon volcanic sequence of the eastern Amisk Lake area. The rocks occur in two areas: as a group of small occurrences on islands within Amisk Lake and as two much larger linear belts running parallel to the regional structure east of Amisk Lake. Mineralogically, the rocks consist of talc and Ca-poor ankerite with occasional graphite. Segregation of these minerals and colour variation impart a well-defined planar fabric to the rocks and where the units are fairly continuous (e.g. Mosher Lake), their trend and attitude suggests a concordant relationship to the volcanics. Major and trace analysis of22 samples confirms the presence of two types, with one type being represented in each of the two areas. Most of the elements studied can be used to characterize the two groups, but three elements in particular give a clear separation: Mg, AI and Ni. Recalculation of the major element analyses, on a water and carbonate-f ree basis, indicates that one group (large concordant bodies with high MgO, high Ni and low AI20.J is altered ultrabasic material of peridotitic or dunitic composition. Because no relict igneous material is observed, and the contacts are apparently very sharp, it is possible that the hydration-carbonization process occurred simultaneously with intrusion, .in a closed system. The other group (small occurrences with relatively low MgO, low Ni and high AI203J represents alteration of basaltic rocks. AIthough some analyses suggest the introduction of calcium, as carbonate, along with the volatiles, the major oxides have remained remarkably stable during the alteration process(es).

Jan 1, 1981

By R. D. Brown

"AbstractOver the past five years, tax rates in the Canadian mining industry have skyrocketed upward across Canada, as both federal and provincial governments have sought to increase their share of mining revenues.However, the past few years have not only brought high tax rates to the industry, but also a number of important new federal and provincial tax incentives.In large part, these incentives ~ special credits or reduction in tax for carrying out specific exploration, processing or other activities - have helped to moderate the adverse effects of the higher tax rates and have provided inducements for exploration and processing activities which might not otherwise have been undertaken.However, the effectiveness of certain of these incentives can be questioned: our over-all tax structure now consists in large part of punitively high marginal rates with some extraordinarily generous but capricious tax reductions for specific activities and may not be in the best long-term interest of either the industry or the nation.A rational tax structure, with moderate and stable tax rates, together with reasonable incentives confined to activities specifically requiring them, could be a more effective spur to investment than the present tax and incentive jungleIntroductionIN THE YEARS since federal tax reform, the mining industry in Canada has faced a continued escalation in its tax burdens as federal and provincial governments have leapfrogged each other in imposing new and higher taxes on the industry. The result has been that marginal tax rates imposed on mining and processing activities throughout Canada have jumped to hitherto unparalleled levels."

Jan 1, 1977

By Richard Dawson

Increasing global demand for coking coal has initiated several new coal mine developments in northeast BC. These developments are able to take advantage of the currently under utilized infrastructure that was put in place during the 1970?s and 1980?s for the Quintette and Bullmoose coal mines; which includes the Town of Tumbler Ridge, a 1,000km rail line to the coal terminal at Prince Rupert and a road system providing highway access to the town site. Coal within the two foothills regions of BC (north-east and south-east) is mined by open pit truck/shovel methods. Optimized mine plans require a thorough understanding of Rocky Mountain structural geology, attention for access in steep terrain, and a related understanding of the geotechnical conditions that control the stability of pit slopes and waste dumps. Thus there is a requirement to properly integrate mine planning with geotechnical engineering considerations. Many of the technical issues are well understood from experience during the past 30 years of Western Canadian coal mining. The challenge is to ensure that the mine plans are able to take full advantage of these lessons learned. The paper will focus on mine planning and geotechnical design issues to do with high angle-of-repose waste dumps and steeply bedded footwall slopes to illustrate the advantage of properly recognizing the important stability control issues during the early stages of engineering evaluations. Case histories from the existing and planned coal mining operations will be presented.

May 1, 2006

By Jared Onyirimba, Jim Viellenave, Hal Demuth, Dale Verran, Chad Sorba, Errol Lawrence, David Bronkhorst

As outlined within the Denison Mines Corp’s (“Denison”) Pre-Feasibility Study ("PFS") completed in late 2018, additional work is required to increase confidence and reduce risk associated with the application of the In-Situ Recovery (“ISR”) mining method at the Phoenix deposit, located on the Wheeler River Uranium Project (“Wheeler River” or the “Project”) in northern Saskatchewan. The successful application of ISR in any geological environment largely hinges on three fundamental requirements, 1) permeability (of the deposit), 2) containment (of the mining solution) and 3) leachability (of the mineralization). Denison has designed several staged technical programs to progressively reduce risk associated with these requirements as the Company advances the Project toward a Feasibility Study (“FS”) and Environmental Impact Assessment (“EIA”). This paper will discuss the scope and results of certain technical programs being undertaken as the Company aims to develop the first ISR mining operation in the Athabasca Basin.

Jan 1, 2020

By T. B. Williams

Most geologists have felt the need of a longer base than is ordinarily available when using a Brunton compass or other convenient instrument for taking strikes and dips in the field. To overcome this difficulty a lath or stick with straight parallel sides is frequently used. This accessory adds to the accuracy of the work, but it is a decidedly inconvenient one for the geologist to carry, especially if he be heavily loaded or is travelling on horse-back or through thick brush on foot. The writer has abandoned its use in favour of a sturdy two-foot carpenter's rule. The rule preferred is manufactured by J. Rabone and Sons, Birmingham, England. It is provided with a good level-bubble set in one of the limbs, and a scale, of the protractor type, graduated to five degrees through 180 degrees, attached to the main joint at the middle of the rule. (See Figure 1). For an instrument of its kind it is very accurate, and, in addition to the uses mentioned below, it 'is a handy thing to have around any camp. It is frequently used when plotting roughly in the field and for a protractor when one is not available. When not in use it may readily be carried in the top of the high-boot or legging. Ordinary strikes are measured as illustrated in Figure 1, the compass being held against the rule, which is in a horizontal position. Dips may be measured in a corresponding way by holding the Brunton compass against the extended rule, which is thus used merely as a straight edge. It is usually much more convenient, however, to ? use the rule only for this purpose, in which case one foot of the length rests as a straight-edge against the rock surface. This adaption is shown in Figure 2.

Jan 1, 1929

By S. Fox, Y. Fujita

Increasing demand for rare earth elements (REE) is expected to lead to new development and expansion in industries processing and or recycling REE. For some industrial operators, sending aqueous waste streams to a municipal wastewater treatment plant, or publicly owned treatment works (POTW), may be a cost effective disposal option. However, wastewaters that adversely affect the performance of biological wastewater treatment at the POTW will not be accepted. The objective of our research is to assess the effects of wastewaters that might be generated by new rare earth element (REE) beneficiation or recycling processes on biological wastewater treatment systems. We have been investigating the impact of yttrium and europium on the biological activity of activated sludge collected from an operating municipal wastewater treatment plant. We have also examined the effect of an organic complexant that is commonly used in REE extraction and separations; similar compounds may be a component of newly developed REE recycling processes. Our preliminary results indicate that in the presence of Eu, respiration rates for the activated sludge decrease relative to the no-Eu controls, at Eu concentrations ranging from <10 to 660 µM. Yttrium appears to inhibit respiration as well, although negative impacts have been observed only at the highest Y amendment level tested (660 µM). The organic complexant appears to have a negative impact on activated sludge activity as well, although results are variable. Ultimately the intent of this research is to help REE industries to develop environmentally friendly and economically sustainable beneficiation and recycling processes.

Jan 1, 2016

By K. Thuro, S. Schneider, H. Kasling, P. Ellecosta

"One of the most important methods for material testing is the characterization of the hardness, which is defined as the resistance of a material to the penetration of another one. The methods according to Brinell, Vickers, Rockwell and Knoop are today the most common and standardized tests for metal. As they are developed for predominantly ductile materials like steel, they can’t easily be applied to rocks which react much more brittle under indentation. But just as steel, rock is composed of different minerals and has a specific microstructure. Its mechanical parameters are connected with the particular grains, their cohesion and interlocking, just like steel.The abrasivity of rocks and the accompanied wear of drilling tools today are mainly determined by simple and fast laboratory tests such as the Cerchar abrasivity test or the rubber wheel test. Such laboratory tests are good tribological tests, but there are limits. The Cerchar abrasivity test for example has weaknesses in extreme cases, that mean soft or very hard rock types. This leads to an underestimation of abrasivity, e.g. in poorly lithified sandstones or very hard, fine grained and extremely abrasive rocks. As mentioned, hardness characterizes, depending on the type of deformation, predominantly plastic (metal) or elastic properties (rubber). Rocks are in the range between these two extremes. Since the rock drilling process can be seen as a kind of penetration process on macroscopic and microscopic scales, we picked up the idea to characterize the interaction of rock materials and TBM-disc-cutters with hardness tests. In addition, this supports for a better understanding of the wear process on disc cutters. We used the hardnessdisparity concept after Cardu & Giraudi (2012) because wear can be understood as the interaction between the wear part and the material which causes the wear (tribological system). Several rock-forming minerals and some fine to coarse-grained monomineralic and polymineralic rocks were tested. In contrast to Cardu & Giraudi, we used in the first step of investigations the method after Vickers with loads up to 294.2 N (HV 30), depending on the estimated hardness to get bigger indentations and therefore as well information about the cohesion and interlocking of the minerals/grains. We also tested several associated disc cutters. First results show that with higher loads (HV 5 - 30) and at least 15 indentations, we get a structural hardness in fine-grained rock samples, which allows a good characterization of the elasticity and brittleness. Nevertheless, for the coarse-grained rock samples we need up to 40 indentations for a good characterization. Using this method, a prediction of disc cutter wear is feasible taking into account the hardness of the disc cutter steel. In this paper, we would like to present this approved method in material sciences to derive an additional parameter for the characterization of rock abrasivity and wear."

Jan 1, 2015

By J. Ji, A. Shi, B. Grcic

Floating copper minerals selectively against iron minerals such as pyrite has been challenging for most copper and copper/gold deposits, and many operations continuously strive to maximise copper recovery whilst meeting target concentrate grades. Maximising grade is achieved by selectively floating copper minerals and rejecting pyrite. This challenge is to minimise copper and gold losses in the roughers if this approach is used. A flotation testing program was conducted by Bureau Veritas Minerals on a high-level pyrite bearing copper/gold ore sample to establish the potential to reject pyrite in the rougher stage, but also maximise copper and gold recoveries, and ultimately final product grades. The test program included feed characterization, rougher and open-circuit cleaner flotation as well as locked cycle flotation tests. The main variables tested for achieving selective flotation of copper and gold were collector type and pH control, through lime addition. Grind sizes used in the rougher and cleaner tests had been established from previous test work. The collectors tested were SIPX, Aerophine® 3418A, Aerophine® 3421, Aerophine® 3422, Reagent S-11192 Promoter, Reagent S-11193 Promoter and FloMin C4150. The two best performing collectors were then tested in open-circuit cleaner tests, with the optimum conditions examined further in locked cycle tests. INTRODUCTION Bureau Veritas Minerals Metallurgical Division was retained by Eldorado Gold Corporation to perform a metallurgical testing program on a high-level pyrite bearing copper/gold ore sample from a gold- copper porphyry deposit to optimize flotation reagent scheme to improve gold and copper recoveries and copper content in the concentrate. The test program included feed characterization, rougher and open-circuit cleaner flotation as well as locked cycle flotation tests. Initially, various collectors were screened in kinetic rougher tests, and over a pH range of 8.5 (i.e the natural ore pH) up to 11.5, using a primary grind size of 80% passing 120 µm. The collectors tested were SIPX (sodium isopropyl xanthate), Aerophine® 3418A, Aerophine® 3421, Aerophine® 3422, Reagent S-11192 Promoter, Reagent S-11193 Promoter and FloMin C4150. The enrichment ratio, which is the ratio of copper to sulfur in the concentrate to that in the feed, was used as proxy for rating selectivity (i.e. degree of pyrite rejection or depression).

Jan 1, 2019

By C. S. Touchard, F. Bourgeois, L. Cassayre, Julcour-Lebigue C.

Developing a hydrometallurgical process that can overcome the refractory nature of chalcopyrite (CuFeS2) to leaching still eludes the minerals industry, despite major research efforts spanning decades. The several leaching experiments of this ore in sulfuric acid tend toward the same conclusion that the precipitation of elemental sulfur or iron containing species are the main dissolution inhibitors. Describing both the electrolyte composition and the various solid phases in equilibrium for the Fe-H2SO4-H2O system is essential to overcome this issue and to find an operating window. According to the thermodynamic models and to the thermodynamic data, we demonstrate, in this study, the need to use the Specific ion Interactive Theory (SIT) model to describe complex electrolytic systems through a limited number of parameters. Hence, the binary interactions for our case study have to be defined and estimated. This work develops a methodology to determine these parameters of the SIT model up to 90°C and an acid concentration of 1 mol/kg from published data for H2SO4-H2O and Fe(II)-H2SO4-H2O sub-systems or from new experimental data for the Fe(III)-H2SO4-H2O one. This method will eventually be applied to copper systems to lead to a thermodynamic description of the complete CuFeS2-H2SO4-H2O system. INTRODUCTION A leaching process consists in the dissolution of a solid phase into an aqueous medium in order to extract compounds of interest. It is a key step in the hydrometallurgical processes used in the primary production and recycling of metal components. One of the main leaching issues is the formation of passivating layers on the surface of solid particles, whose consequence is a partial or total hindrance of the dissolution. The leaching of chalcopyrite (CuFeS2) in sulfuric acid is a prime example. No industrial solution for the atmospheric pressure leaching of this ore has been developed to date because of passivation phenomena caused by the formation of elemental sulfur or iron-containing precipitates on the surface of the particles (Li, Kawashima, Li, Chandra, & Gerson, 2013). In the 1970s, the Pourbaix diagrams established for the Cu-Fe-S-H2O system at 25°C for low concentrated solutions (Garrels & Christ, 1965; Peters, 1976) agreed that copper and iron are fully dissolved at high potential and in acidic medium (pH < 4). However, they neglected the many stable solid phases that can form in these conditions. In addition, the Pourbaix diagrams of chalcopyrite in water, calculated with two recent databases (FactPS and Thermoddem 2017) associated to FactSage and PhreeqC softwares respectively, show large discrepancies at 75°C (Figure 1). Indeed, at high potential, FactSage predicts the formation of goethite FeOOH at a pH value of 1, while PhreeqC predicts the formation of jarosite (H3O)[Fe3(SO4)2(OH)6] for pH greater than 2.5.

Jan 1, 2019

By Robert B. Parsons

"During hard times, the focus on tax issues makes a slight change in direction. Mining companies contemplate the tax treatment of transactions and circumstances which are the product of a difficult financial environment. Some of these issues are discussed in this month&apos;s edition of Tax Notes.Every industrial sector in Canada is undergoing a major restructuring of some form, and the mining industry is not an exception. The longest recession since the Great Depression continues to affect the economy. Mining firms seek to bring their debt/equity ratios into line, and try to replenish depleted retained earnings by selling assets. This month, Tax Notes briefly examines some of the tax issues which are generally encountered during the course of such a restructuring process.Debt SettlementOne question which commonly arises during hard times concerns the tax treatment of a "" gain "" realized by a debtor on the settlement of a debt. Consider, for example, a simple situation where a creditor wants to protect itself from further losses, and makes a deal with the mining company to accept a cash payment of $8 million in full settlement of a $10 million loan. In financial terms, the debtor has made a $2 million gain on the settlement of the debt. What is the tax treatment of that gain?The Income Tax Act (the Act) contains provisions in section 80 of the Act and in section 5400 of the Income Tax Regulations which deal specifically with this question. First of all, it is noted that the $2 million gain is not brought directly into income for tax purposes. However, as indicated below, the gain could affect the debtor&apos;s income indirectly to the extent that certain of the debtor&apos;s tax pools must be reduced by the amount of the gain."

Jan 1, 1993

By Sylvain Castonguay, Sylvain Pilon

"Operator competency is an important factor in the safe and successful operation of today’s complex processes. Competent process unit operators deliver superior performance and results. In greenfield projects, operator competency is particularly critical, as the lack of specific operations experience must be offset with proven practical knowledge and skills to avoid mistakes that can cost millions in terms of start-up delays, production losses and equipment damage. It is, therefore, important to know precisely what competencies are required for a project or site, and what any gaps in operator competency need to be addressed and improved. The success of plant commissioning, start-up and sustainable operations is directly tied to operator competency. The significant investments required for new projects, the exploitation of more challenging ore bodies, and the increasing complexity of plant operations have placed renewed emphasis on the need for competent operators. Furthermore, many large capital projects are being developed in remote regions, often with ties to the delivery of social benefits for the local population in terms of jobs, training and other development opportunities. While automation and processing technologies have helped do more with less, indicators now point to a bottleneck in human performance limiting operational results.Automation industry development in managing abnormal situations, including solutions for simulation and operator training, has produced applications to provide customized and flexible training methods. This paper will discuss tools to automate the operator competency process in order to guide trainers to effectively teach, measure, control, provide feedback, and monitor operator skills. Today’s competency management solutions can be effectively applied throughout the course of an operator’s professional life, as a guide to hiring new operators, for developing competencies to support operations, and also to develop and refine best practices and share lessons learned."

Jan 1, 2016

The total current inventory of mature fine tailings is estimated to be nearly 850 million m³. Pressure has come to bear on the industry to accelerate its tailings management practices and prevent this inventory from steadily growing. The present paper describes the treatment, management and reclamation of fluid fine tailings. New technologies being evaluated include: i) Thin layered - fines dominated deposits, ii) Deep - fines dominated deposits, iii) Fines enriched sand deposits, and finally iv) water capped disposal in end pit lakes. A brief overview for each of the methods of treatment and disposal for fluid fine tailings is provided.

Aug 1, 2013