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By J. E. Gill

Introduction During the past summer, detailed geological mapping was extended to cover the entire group of 31 claims owned by Waite-Ackerman-Montgomery Mines, Ltd., and considerable new information was revealed by development and exploratory work underground. These new facts provide a more complete view of the lithology and structure of the area than has heretofore been available. They also necessitate revision of certain interpretations presented last year by Peale (l), and have served to straighten out some of the problems suggested by Porritt (2). The purpose of this paper is to outline in a broad way the relations as now understood and to discuss in detail certain points which should be of interest to members of the Institute. Maps and records by the mine staff have been freely used in arriving at the interpretation presented in the following pages. The writers are especially indebted to Mr. R. V. Porritt, the mine manager, with whom many of the problems touched upon were discussed on the ground and whose intimate knowledge of the geology of the underground workings aided greatly in testing various hypotheses. The writers have profited greatly, also, from close association with Dr. W. F. James during the course of the work. Permission to publish the included data has very kindly been given .by the management.

Jan 1, 1932

By Arthur D. FitzGerald

EDC established an Environmental Review Framework in 1999. Throughout the early fall of 2001, the Corporation held public consultations across Canada to strengthen that framework, leading to a public release on November 15, 2001 of a report summarising the results of these consultations. Following this, the Corporation implemented strengthened environmental review requirements in the form of its Environmental Review Directive, in compliance with legislated amendments to Canada?s Export Development Act that went into effect on December 21, 2001. Over the past few years, there has been a global trend towards an increase in the social and environmental requirements of multilateral/bilateral financial institutions and export credit agencies. More recently, this activity has focussed on capturing institutions that have not yet adopted similar requirements and, more specifically, on developing a convergence of the requirements from institution to institution. This paper describes EDC?s new ERD and some of the initiatives that have taken place or are in process that are moving international financial institutions toward converging their environmental and social requirements for projects in the private sector.

May 1, 2002

By D. KEYS, D. E. Gemmell

The portion of the earth's surface covered by peatlands has been conservatively estimated at over 420 million ha (Kivinen and Pakarinen 1980). It is estimated that there are about 170 million ha of peatland in Canada. New Brunswick contains about 140,000 ha. Harvesting of peat for horticultural purposes has been carried out in New Brunsiwck since 1942. This industry, and the potential for using peat for energy purposes, indicated the need for an accurate assessment of the resource. In 1975, therefore, the New Brunswick Department of Natural Resources began a detailed peatland inventory. Assistance from the Canada Department of Regional Economic Expansion permitted acceleration of this program and field work was completed in 1982. Information gathered by the program will form the basis for a management plan for future use of the resource.

Jan 1, 1984

The control of AG mills fed by ores with harder and softer components can be challenging due to the sensitivity of the mill to the ratio of hard to soft components. The mills at LKAB?s iron ore operations are generally well controlled, but there are periods when the throughput falls off dramatically, due to a loss of mill filling. As the ore is upgraded in the sorting plant through magnetic separation prior to milling, this presents an opportunity to manipulate the feed blend in advance. In order to assess this opportunity, a fullscale mill charge was dumped and assayed by size to quantify the build-up of competent waste in the mills. This was supplemented by pilot and locked-cycle laboratory tests at a wide range of feed blends in order to facilitate the development of an appropriate multi-component AG mill model. This paper reports the experimental campaign requirements and methodologies, as well as the major outcomes from analysis and modelling exercises using the industrial, pilot and laboratory multi-component data.

Jan 1, 2012

By M. R. Julien, A. Maqsoud, J. Martschuk, B. Bussière

Acid mine drainage (AMD) from mine wastes is one of the most challenging environmental problems currently facing the mining industry. When mining wastes have the potential to produce AMD, the effluents produced have to be managed to meet existing regulations on water quality. The LTA impoundment (property of Barrick Gold Corp.) located near Malartic, Quebec, contains sulphide tailings that have the potential to generate an acidic leachate. The closure option selected by Barrick was to construct a cover with capillary barrier effects (CCBE), in which the moisture- retaining layer is made of non-acid-generating tailings. Since its construction in 1996, the cover has been monitored to evaluate its performance. For that purpose, various parameters have been measured, including the volumetric water content and matric suction in the different layers of the cover. This paper presents some of the main results from the monitoring program that started eight years ago. The results show that the cover is able to maintain a high degree of saturation in its moisture- retaining layer, acting as an oxygen barrier. The actual performance of the CCBE on the flat surface of the 60 ha site is better than expected at the design stage. The only concern with the LTA cover is the effect of slopes that can reduce the performance of the CCBE during dry periods. However, these effects appear only for short periods of time, and are limited to very localized areas, so that they do not significantly affect the overall performance of the CCBE and its ability to limit the production of AMD.

Jan 1, 2006

By S. Hunt, S. Jayasekera, J. Kyle, N. Perera, K. Stone

A preliminary investigation has been conducted to determine the conditions for the precipitation of phosphate from the liquor produced after a hydrochloric acid pre-leach and rare-earth recovery from a rare earth containing fluorapatite concentrate from the Nolans rare earth deposit in the Northern Territory of Australia. The results show that at 50oC the phosphate can be precipitated in two stages using limestone to produce a Stage 1 precipitate containing most of the impurities including iron (94%), aluminium (92%), fluoride (98%), uranium (84%) and thorium (94%), followed by a relatively pure Stage 2 dicalcium phosphate precipitate (DCP) containing only 0.05% Fe, 0.05% Al, 0.1% F, 0.01% U, and <0.01% Th. The initial Stage 1 precipitate contained about 25% of the phosphate while the remaining 75% reported to the Stage 2 phosphate precipitate. Depending on the required radioactivity specifications, the amount of phosphate in the Stage 1 precipitate could be reduced. Reagent requirements were 11.4 kg limestone (as pure CaCO3) per cubic metre of solution for the Stage 1 precipitate and 39.7 kg limestone (as pure CaCO3) per cubic metre for Stage 2. The analysis of radionuclide balance indicated that radionuclides deported mainly to the final filtrate (86.4%) compared to Stage 1 precipitate (5.4%) and Stage 2 precipitate (8.2%). Settling and pressure filtration tests indicated the precipitates were both readily settled and filtered. The final moisture contents of the Stage 1 and Stage 2 precipitates were 62.5% and 49.3%, respectively.

Jan 1, 2014

By Ken Steele, Pam Sangster, Myra Gerow

Ontario leads Canada in production of structural materials and ranks third in production of non-metallic minerals. The total value of industrial mineral production in 1997 was $1.6 billion. The province is the leading producer of nepheline syenite, salt, talc, clay products, cement, lime, sand and gravel, stone and a major producer of gypsum and silica. Barite, sulphur in smelter gas, elemental sulphur, tremolite, serpentine, gemstones and peat are also produced. Table 1 shows recent actual industrial mineral production levels in Ontario. Other industrial minerals, including phosphate, petalite, diamonds, wollastonite, vermiculite, kyanite, garnet, graphite, silica, kaolin, dimension stone and anorthosite, have been the target of exploration and development projects. Investment opportunities exist at all levels from grass-root prospect through to production level.

Jan 1, 2001

An Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) was used to measure the surface forces between glass sphere and silica plate in CnTAC1 (n=12, 14, 16, 18) solutions. The results showed the presence of long-range attractive forces that can be fitted to single exponential functions. With a given surfactant, the attractive force increased with increasing concentration, and reached a maximum at the point of charge neutralization (p.c.n.). The decrease in the attractive force above the p.c.n. is probably due to the inverse orientation of the surfactant molecules. A plot of the log (p.c.n.) vs. the number of carbons in the hydrocarbon chains of the Cn TACI homologues showed a linear relationship with a slope of -0.37, indicating that the surfactant adsorption entails a decrease in free energy by -0.85 kT per mole of CH2 (or CH3) group. These results suggest that the adsorption of long-chain surfactants is controlled by hydrocarbon chain association during the process of forming surface hemi-micelles (or domains). Possible origins of the long-range attractions are discussed on the basis of the results presented in this communication.

Jan 1, 2006

By Robert B. Parsons

"Finance Minister Paul Martin&apos;s second budget might be good for Canada&apos;s mining industry in the long run, but the budget raises a number of concerns for the industry in the near term. The budget papers suggest that the 25% resource allowance is not working as intended, and report that the Department of Finance will be reviewing this valuable allowance. The so-called ""large corporations tax"" rate will be increased. This annual tax, which is imposed on a corporation&apos;s capital even when the corporation is not in production, is particularly harmful to the mining sector.IntroductionThe Honourable Paul Martin, in his second federal budget, emphasized spending cuts and made only modest tax changes. However, two of these tax changes could have a serious impact on the Canadian mining industry: the proposed review of the 25% resource allowance; and, the increase in the large corporations tax rate.Personal Tax Measures Personal Tax Rates UnchangedThe government has been under political pressure not to increase personal tax rates. Mr. Martin&apos;s announcement that rates would not change will be popular."

Jan 1, 1995

By R. C. Bryce

"Accident prevention has been an on-going priorty for five years. In 1987, adherence to the ILCI five-star rating loss control program was started, and a first star was awarded. Extensive training programs have been undertaken to establish standard procedures and upgrade employee skills. Due to its location, Selbaie owns and rents housing in the town of Joutel and contracts a busing service to and from the mine. Employees from other areas are lodged in dormitories and fed in the site dining room. Accounting and warehousing services are carried out in efficient fashion. Employee relations are structured to provide prompt resolution of complaints and differences. No lost time due to industrial relations differences has been encountered during the history of the mine.Safety and Loss ControlAll mines are concerned and occupied with a wide range of activities to ensure the safety of its employees. Selbaie is no exception. Programs to achieve success in safety and loss control have been implanted since the start of construction and development at Selbaie and have followed three interesting stages of evolution."

Jan 1, 1990

By Matthew D. Meyer

SMART, an association of surface mining companies formed in 1995 to develop a coordinated approach to technology development for the mining industry, has recognized the need for the establishment of a worldwide database that continuously collects mining equipment data and provides metrics related to productivity and cost. Under the auspices of SMART, Syncrude Canada, Suncor Energy and Albian Sands Energy (three oil sands mining operations located in northern Alberta) have established a pilot project for mine benchmarking. This presentation will include a review of the pilot progress including: ???Data gathering techniques: means of collection and storage, proposed practice for data control and normalization, access to data/reports and format for data. ???Reports/analyses for individuals, across groups, within the total industry pool and publicly. ???Security and confidentiality of information belonging to identified parties. ???Sharing of best practices among members. SMART has identified two key deliverables to ensure success of the project. First, data supplied from surface mines must be validated and normalized to common definitions and then analyzed to provide participating companies with regular reports that allow them to understand their position and resultant opportunities to achieve world-class performance. This model maintains granularity of the data for each operation that can then be recombined into standard comparisons or specific indices as required. The general categories of: operating delays, maintenance downtime, standby, and scheduled downtime, have been used to frame comparisons. Second, participating companies are looking to go behind the indices to identify and share best practices that distinguish particular operations. The spirit of cooperation between the companies involved in the pilot project is meant to be a model for future expansion of the benchmarking project.

Apr 1, 2005

By Catherine N. Mulligan

Thickening of mine tailings is a relatively new concept for their sustainable management. Removal of water from the tailings to form a paste instead of slurry disposal decreases environmental and geotechnical concerns. As the use of these pastes is relatively new, their behaviour requires investigations such as liquefaction and seismic stability, freeze-thaw behaviour, consolidation and leachate characterization. Slurry density, ore type, particle size distribution, specific gravity and environmental conditions can all influence paste characteristics. In this paper, the effect of the above-mentioned parameters is examined. New developments in water removal, and additives (such as flocculating agents, cements, organics, fertilizers, etc) leading to low moisture content tailings are reviewed, and the potential for thickening to enable sustainable management of mine tailings is discussed with respect to storage volume requirement, use of virgin land, consolidation of the tailings, land use after decommissioning.

May 1, 2007

By G. C. Hodgson

Specification and Tests of Rope Wire Chemical Analysis: The range in composition of steel used in the manufacture of wire rope is as follows: Carbon 0 4 to 0.9 per cent Manganese 0 4 to 0.8 Sulphur Not above 0.04 Phosphorus Not above 0.04 The carbon and manganese content are varied according to the gauge of wire to be drawn and the tensile strength required. Generally speaking, best results are obtained from heats where the melt is not of too large a tonnage. The amount of reduction and patenting of the wire is left to the wire maker, who thus has a free hand in meeting the balance of the specification.

Jan 1, 1931

By Zara Hosseini

?Microseismicity ?Seismic Systems ?Intrinsically Safe and Explosion Proof Seismic System ?Case studies: ?Gas Drainage Optimization ?Fault Identification ?Conclusion Seismic Event ?Occurrences in which energy is released in the rockmass creating a series of seismic waves propagating throughout the rockmass ?Can cause a Fall of Ground or CoalBurst Factors creating Seismicity: ?Mining at Depth ?High stress zones ?Major geological structures ?Mining practices and strategies ?Mining activities i.e. drilling and blasting

Aug 1, 2013

By F. W. Gray

A GEOLOGICAL study seeking to determine, for economic purposes, the value of the Sydney coalfield as a source of coal supply. Limitations of the coalfield come under two main heads: (a) Areal extent of the undersea coalfield. (b) The distance from shore at which coal can be mined at a cost of production permitting its profitable sale. Conclusions reached are that the areal extent of seams below the Phalen seam is of. small economic importance, and that non-persistence of these seams in full thickness and quality in the undersea extension of the coalfield will put an end to profitable mining before any limitations connected with distance from the shore-line become operative. With respect to the Phalen seam, non-persistence or deterioration of the seam will become effective in the western part of the coalfield, and less certainly in the eastern part of the coalfield, before operation of limitations by distance from shore. In the central portion of the coalfield, the seam probably persists in commercially workable thickness and quality to beyond the limit of mining set by distance from the shore-line. With respect to the seams above the Phalen seam between the Mountain fault on the extreme western boundary of the coalfield and the assumed termination of the deposition area on the eastern extremity of the field near South Head of Morien, there appear to be only such limitations as arise from engineering approach, distance from shore, sufficiency of strata cover between the sea-floor and the upper coal seams, and quality of the coal (with certain reservations as to the continuity of the upper seams under Sydney harbour and in the Sydney Mines-Little Bras d&apos;Or district). Some of these seams have fragmentary land outcroppings from which their persistence seaward is assumed, and there may be other and still higher seams in the strata column which are entirely submarine.

Jan 1, 1941

By A. Ansari

Standard depressants used in the selective separation of copper and molybdenum sulfides by flotation pose environmental and health hazards. In this investigation, the floatability of chalcopyrite and molybdenite in the presence of six well-characterized lignosulfonates was studied through Hallimond tube flotation and adsorption tests. The results define the physicochemical conditions (lignosulfonate type and dosage, pH, presence of ions) for possible selective separation of molybdenite from chalcopyrite. Dissolved polyvalent cations, especially calcium, appear to serve as "activators" for lignosulfonate adsorption on both minerals. From this point of view, the use of lime as a pH modifier is not always appropriate for optimum selectivity since high dosages of lime to produce high pH tend to indiscriminately depress both sulfides.

Jan 1, 2006

By B. S. A. Tatone

The surface roughness of unfilled rock discontinuities has a major influence on the deformational and hydraulic behaviour of discontinuous rock masses. Although it is widely recognized that surface roughness is comprised of a large-scale (waviness) and small-scale (unevenness) components, most investigations of surface roughness have been restricted to small fracture surfaces (< 1m2). Hence, the influences of the large-scale components of roughness are often neglected. Furthermore, these investigations typically focus on analyzing roughness in terms of two-dimensional profiles rather than the complete three-dimensional geometry, which can lead to potentially biased estimates of roughness. This contribution demonstrates the use of a new optical digital measurement system, based on the principle of triangulation, to digitize a large-scale natural rock discontinuity surface at both outcrop-scale (~6m x 2m) and lab-scale (~100mm x 100mm). Subsequently, the digitized surfaces are systematically analyzed using the three-dimensional roughness methodology proposed by Grasselli to investigate the dependency of roughness on sample window size and measurement resolution.

May 1, 2009

By V. V. Zubkov

The systems of geophysical monitoring have been already put into operation at coal mines and ore mines. Since at present it is rather difficult to conduct mine experiments; it is necessary to start a new step in joining of geomechanics and seismic. The linking geomechanical and geophysical monitoring at coal mines and ore mines today became possible due to progress in development of numerical methods of modeling of stress state and technology for processing of seismic information. This paper describes one potential step in linking geomechanical and seismic monitoring at coal mines and ore mines.

Aug 1, 2013

By Mousa Mohammadi

Due to operational advantage of dragline in simultaneous excavation and back-filling, the equipment has gained vast importance in open-pit mining. Besides, absence of auxiliary haulage units and a myriad of other benefits are also credited in favor of excavation of muck piles by the draglines. However, the aspects of production, productivity and economics are of utmost significance in dragline operation and planning. In this light, the present paper is an endeavor to analyze availability and utilization of dragline operations. The paper presents a good amount of data for 4-draglines operating in one of the major opencast projects in India. The study reveals the trends of availability and utilization of these draglines during last 11-years. Furthermore, the study also highlights the salient reasons for loss of available hours and for idling of the draglines. Some startling information and facts have been illustrated in form of graphs and pie charts.

Aug 1, 2013

By William M. Luff

This paper outlines the regional geology and history of the area, and summarizes the stratigraphy, structure and geology of the Brunswick No. 12 mine area. The Brunswick No. 12 deposit is a stratiform massive sulphide body. It occurs in rocks of the Tetagouche Group, which is believed to range in age from Lower to Middle Ordovician. The stratigraphic sequence, including the stratiform orebody, in ascending order consists of older metasedimentary rocks, augen schist, metasediments, augen. schist, footwall metasediments, the -massive sulphide body, iron formation, hanging-wall metasediments, siliceous tuff, basic volcanic rocks , basic iron formation and a porphyry dyke. This sequence is similar to that at some other deposits in the area. Four phases of structural deformation are known to be present in the Brunswick No. 12 mine area. The first deformation folds (F1 ) and associated faulting are the most important factors in determining the distribution of the massive sulphides. This deformation has resulted in the massive sulphides being separated into four zones: the Main Zone, the West Zone, the East Zone and the V-2 Zone. Brunswick Mining and Smelting Corporation Limited is actively mining, developing and exploring the deposit.

Jan 1, 1977