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By Potter OE

There appears to have been a swing away from the study of mathematics, the physical sciences, foreign languages and the classical humanities subjects by many students in high schools in Victoria. The same trend is believed to be occurring in other states as well. This has the direct result of many students entering tertiary studies inadequately prepared academically. This is particularly true in engineering and commerce. The position as far as postgraduate training in the areas of concern to the minerals industry is critical with almost no Australian nationals undertaking advanced technological studies.

Jan 1, 1981

By Brown D. N, Troth D. A

Large blast furnaces demand high standards of preparation of feed materials which must meet tight specifications of chemical and physical quality. Measurement of these factors must be expeditious but the nature of the coke, sinter, ores and fluxes and the large tonnages involved requires substantial mechanical sampling plant. The equipment, its operations, and its problems, associated with the 5000 t.p.d. No.5 blast furnace at Australian Iron and Steel Pty. Ltd., Port Kembla, are described and the efficacy of chemical blending achieved in the ore blending yards and sintering operation, is reported.

Jan 1, 1976

The evaluation programme and procedures develop- ed for Saindak porphyry copper-gold-silver- molybdenum deposits located in an isolated area in an extremely and region of Baluchistan are described in detail. Due to its isol .ted location, far removed from supply centres, harsh climate, paucity of water and non-availability of even unskilled labour, Saindak presented problems for which no ready made solution exist- ed. It is hoped that this Paper may be of some value to those in the LDCs who may wish to undertake similar ventures.

Jan 1, 1988

Coal exports are forecast to grow strongly, so that coal is likely to remain very important to Australia for the foreseeable future. However there is no sign that prices or profitability will rise of their own accord. Therefore the intense squeeze on costs will continue for the foreseeable future. This will mean lower manning, more outsourcing and probably an increasing rate of company attrition. As well, the political pressure from the greenhouse debate is only going to intensify and the pressure on the Federal Government after Kyoto is likely to be irresistible.

Jan 1, 1998

The kinetics of chlorination of alumina and bauxite with CO/CI2 mixtures were studied in the range 300-1100°C. The temperature of prior calcination is critical in determining the reaction rates. An optimum chlorination temperature in the range 600°C-750°C was demonstrated such that there is no increase in reaction rates with increasing temperature. This lack of rate sensitivity to rising temperature is largely a function of the influence of gaseous diffusion gradients in the porous alumina together with a progressive decrease in surface area.

Jan 1, 1976

By Hutton W

The Argyle Diamond Mine is the first significant diamond producer in Australia. The project has been developed with new concepts in circuit design, process control technology, organisational development and training. After its first year of operation, the Argyle Heavy Medium Separation Plant has proven extremely efficient in recovering diamonds. Apart from cyclone wear, no major problems have been encountered. Ferrosilicon consumption is well below the design level which is a reflection of the sound design of the medium circuit. An Audit Plant continuously monitors the Heavy Medium Separation Plant tailings for diamond loss.

Jan 1, 1987

By Scaife PH, Cripps Clark J, Cameron DB

Tuyere coke samples have been taken through the tuyere openings of B.H.P. International Blast Furnaces since 1978 with Whyalla No. 2 Blast Furnace taking samples on a regular basis since 1982. The degradation of coke during it's passage through the Blast Furnace can be measured and the relationships between these data, feed coke data and blast furnace operating data demonstrated. Tuyere coke sampling has been useful in revealing misleading external coke testing results and is still the method to monitor directly the performance of coke within the Blast Furnace.

Jan 1, 1987

The transgressive sedimentary sequence of the Notnnea Basin contains rhyolitic lavas and less voluminous mafic and intermediate volcanims of shoshonitic affinities which erupted simultaneously during the late Cretaceous. The shoshonitic volcanism shows a trend from early inafic to younger evolved intermediate lithologies. The rhyolites are consistently calc- alkaline. There is no evidence of 'mixing, of, the two magma types. The shoshonitic volcanism is the result of a short-lived subduction event related to sprcadime in the New Caledonia Basin and involved reactivation of an earlier Mesozoic subduction zone.

Jan 1, 1995

The present geology of the northwest quadrant of the Circum-Pacific is the product of the interact-ions between plates or paleo-plates which have oc-curred since the earliest part of the earth's hist-ory. Almost every possible geologic structures are observable there; stable continents, collision belts, and subduction arcs as well as extensional basins. This suggests that almost all the possible tectonic processes occurred through geologic time and the present overall structure of the Quadrant is no more than a time section of the long lasting tectonic history which the region experienced.

Jan 1, 1990

By H Simpson, C Gimber

The financial evaluation of mining projects drives a whole range of decision-making regarding project viability, project design, operating models and closure philosophy. Net Present Value is a financial assessment approach that is pervasive across the industry and has been widely criticised for driving short-term thinking and leading to poor long-term outcomes and future unfunded closure liabilities. But are there alternative models and what are the impediments to their implementation? This paper aims to outline current and past mine closure practices in the mining industry and questions these outcomes given the changing shareholder investment requirement for alignment with sustainable Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) goals. Examples are presented of closure programs planned and executed in the later stage of the life-of-mine and explores the benefits that could have been realised by integrating these into concurrent production operations. Examples of simultaneous mine development and closure execution and their benefits are presented, and their relevance to corporate investor branding. This paper also discusses the concept of investor project ownership through to sustainable closure and outlines alternative approaches to responsible, sustainable mine closure. We explore the current mining industry divestment practices to remove closure liability from the balance sheet. These underlying financial practices and Net Present Value approach to Mine Closure and alternative approaches are discussed.

Aug 2, 2023

An experienced drill operator is able to make a log of a drill hole defining physical properties of the earth such as hardness or structure as they vary with depth. This log is based on intuition or how the drill æfeelsÆ. Rock characterisation using measure while drilling (MWD) parameters aims at refining this intuition into a package that accurately defines the properties of the subsurface as the drill bit propagates. Subsurface investigation using MWD parameters aims to combine physical drill parameters: Pull down force, rotary speed, penetration rate, torque and vibration in such a way to yield real time rock properties. MWD is investigation in its most primitive form, put simply MWD is merely a physical probe æfeelingÆ what the rock mass is at depth.

Jan 1, 2001

The mill area of PT Freeport Indonesia is located in a valley surrounded by steep natural slope, characterised by extreme topography with mountains rising to above 4500 m within 100 km from the seashore. The valleys are deeply embedded into the mountainous terrain and bordered by steep natural slopes. Vertical or overhanging lime walls are interrupted by steep vegetated screen sections containing accumulated loose material from weathering processes and ancient rock falls and/or debris flows/avalanches. The climate can be best described as alpine subtropical with an accumulated rainfall of more than 5000 mm per year. Occasional snowfalls and superficial freezing above 4000 m elevation leads to heavy weathering of the superficial rock layers and along open joints and fractures. The mill area is a crucial and strategic infrastructure for the entire mining operation which is best characterised as a high density industrial area with facilities including water tanks, power generators, crusher, and concentrating facilities including office buildings and workshops as well as access tracks to the underground mining blocks. Considering the local topography, the restricted space conditions and the number of technical installations, the facilities are likely to be affected and highly vulnerable to rock fall from the surrounding slopes. In order to minimise the rock fall hazard three rock fence barriers area were constructed at the mill area. The 7.5 rock fence barriers were designed with the maximum capacity of 5000 kJ. These are the largest capacity of rock fall barriers ever constructed in Indonesia. The total length of the barriers for the three locations was 126 m. The biggest challenge of this project was the construction of the barrier at West Gulley, which was constructed at 300 m above ground level. For this site, construction access was undertaken using helicopter. This presentation discusses the design of the mitigation structures as well as the construction approach and stages of the barriers. Please note: This paper is abstract only.

Nov 25, 2010

Mining of copper ore is still the most important business in Chile. In order to mine ore with a copper content of less than one percent at Minera Los Pelambres in an economical way, opencast mining is mandatory. Due to the prevalence of avalanches at the mine, the concentrator was located in a stable area, some distance from the mine. As a consequence, the material has to be transported between mine and concentrator by conveyor. A downhill conveyor system has been implemented for more than ten years as the most suitable and most economical ore transport alternative. Due to the length (12.6 km) and inclination (1300 m drop) of the conveyor system, the stresses in the steel cord belt are the dominant design criterion, resulting in a belt quality of ST 7800. Additional dynamic belt stresses during transient operating conditions are avoided by the installation of high capacity adjustable frequency drives. The rating of a single drive unit is 2500 kW. During ten years of operation, several capacity increases have been implemented, from an initial 5800 t/h up to the current capacity of 9900 t/h. This presentation describes the engineering challenges of the implementation of the world's strongest belt conveyor system. Capacity increase measures like the development of new control and breaking strategy, proved by dynamic simulation of belt forces and belt speed scenarios are explained. During this long-term partnership of RWE Power International, the former Rheinbraun Engineering, with Minera Los Pelambres, RWE has been engaged continuously for development work, safety checks, expert opinions and maintenance audits, and giving new impulse to conveyor technology.

May 1, 2010

By W Zhu, J H. Zhao, H Ma

The permeability coefficient is an essential parameter for the study of seepage flow in fractured rock mass. This paper discusses the feasibility and application value of using readily available RQD (rock quality index) data to estimate mine water inflow and grouting quantity. Firstly, the influence of different fracture frequencies on permeability in a unit area was explored by combining numerical simulation and experiment, and the relationship between fracture frequencies and pressure and flow velocity at the monitoring point in fractured rock mass was obtained. Then, the stochastic function generation program was used to establish the flow analysis model in fractured rock mass to explore the relationship between flow velocity, pressure and analyse the universal law between fracture frequency and permeability. The concepts of fracture width and connectivity are introduced to modify the permeability calculation formula and grouting formula. Finally, based on the on-site grouting water control case study, the rock mass quality index is used to estimate the mine water inflow and the grouting quantity. The results show that it is feasible to estimate the fracture frequency and then calculate the permeability coefficient by RQD. The relationship between fracture frequency and RQD and the relationship between structure surface frequency and permeability follow an exponential function. The calculation results are in good agreement with the field monitoring results, which verifies the rationality of the calculation method. The relationship between the rock mass RQD index and the rock mass permeability established in this paper can be used to invert the mechanical parameters of the rock mass or to evaluate the permeability and safety of the rock mass, which is of great significance to the prediction of mine water inflow and the safety evaluation of water inrush disaster management.

Nov 29, 2022

By J Sykes, W Treasure, A Saleem, A Trench, S Ulrich, R S. Davies

Below-ground technical complexity remains a traditional source of project challenge. Above-ground challenges then augment this complexity, including in the domain of commodity marketing. All challenges must be solved to produce quality, saleable, ex-mine product. The situation is further complicated in that technical complexities are not independent of each other, so complexity is best regarded as a system rather than a series of isolated factors. Additional above-ground challenges to mining projects are also increasingly sourced from societal and environmental factors, locally and globally. These challenges not only confer project complexity, but have their source in larger, global wicked problems. Finally, financing and resourcing of projects represents an ever-present challenge for all but the highest-quality mineral deposits. CITATION: Trench, A, Davies, R S, Saleem, A, Sykes, J, Treasure, W and Ulrich, S, 2018. On the sources of complexity in contemporary and future mining projects, in Proceedings Complex Orebodies Conference 2018, pp 65–66 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Nov 21, 2018

By J Purandare, D Murdoch

The goal of the life-of-mine plan is to ensure that while the site is left safe, stable and non-polluting, the landscape is such that optimal use can be made of the site post-mining and closure. However, in the face of evolving shareholder expectations and the current international economic climate, numerous mines are ceasing operations and moving into a care and maintenance phase. These changes bring with them a high degree of community concern, not only about the potential legacy of closed operations, but also those mines that continue to operate.While mines across Australia are committed from the earliest planning stage to develop clearly defined post-mining land use and landform objectives, broader expectations related to these objectives may change and evolve during the life of the operation. This is especially the case where a mining operation has a project approval where the land use objectives are aligned to land capability and land use commensurate to that which occurred premining. CITATION:Murdoch, D and Purandare, J, 2016. Optimising land for beneficial use during and after mining, in Proceedings Life-of-Mine 2016 Conference, pp 166–167 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Jun 28, 2016

By R Pax

Feed ore variability, the major disturbance into a mineral processing plant receives considerable attention operationally, and at research and strategic levels to ensure that the throughput of the ore are maintained at all times whilst encouraging a sustainable approach to recovering the valuable minerals from ore bodies. Effort and insights from mineralogical and processing characterisation (eg. ore hardness) of sub-ore body domains allows sequencing for processing to ensure consistency and throughput for the size sensitive grinding unit processes. Optimising the blast fragmentation has benefit as does pre-concentration using ore sorting. Blending of ore domains with different characteristics is common for operations. In recent years a number of technologies have become available for on-line and more rapid assessment of ore and have been discussed in a recent paper by Cameron et.al. (2016) as an opportunity for further utilisation of mine-to-mill (and mine to product) strategies. Current concepts have focused on extensive characterisation of ores so that current control practices can be realised and made more effective with relatively slow measurements and actuation. CITATION: Pax, R, 2018. Dynamic concepts for mine to mill operation and optimisation, in Proceedings Complex Orebodies Conference 2018, pp 124–125 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Nov 21, 2018

By S Withell, K Sheehan

Whitehaven Coal (WHC) is undergoing a transformative journey, deeply committed to the principles of a High Reliability Organisation (HRO) and the establishment of a mature, interdependent culture founded on psychological safety. This ongoing commitment is not merely aspirational but is supported by performance improvements backed by both quantitative performance data and qualitative evidence of cultural progression. WHC has strategically integrated leading and lagging indicators to target fatal risk. WHC focus areas include an emphasis on strategy and risk appetite, targeted data, informed learning, proactive addressing of fatal risk and the integration of data management and technology.

Apr 16, 2024

By A Gibbs

The mining sector has been a leader in investing in safety improvement initiatives, yet relatively few mining organisations can accurately track the positive effects of these initiatives or identify areas that may require more attention. The consequences of not taking safety seriously are severe, and unfortunately injuries and fatalities are continuing to occur across the mining sector (Brady, 2019). There is a tendency to turn to lag indicators such as All Injury Frequency Rate (AIFR), Total Recordable Injury Frequency Rate (TRIFR), and Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIFR) to track these outcomes. As outlined below these approaches are inherently flawed and a renewed focus is needed on indicators within the control of leaders, indicators that have high predictive validity for future events and data that is used in a way to enable learning and change.

May 5, 2022

By A Gibbs

Culture and leadership go hand in hand, especially when it comes to investing in safety. But the reality is that most safety leaders haven’t been taught the fundamental soft skills needed to lead effectively. In fact, only one in four safety leaders demonstrate effective skills and behaviours. Furthermore, when compared to its peers in other high-risk industries, our research indicates mining has the most room for improvement when it comes to effective safety leadership. In this presentation safety culture, climate and leadership will be outlined. Additionally, research data collected from our clients, across a variety of industries, will be shared to inspire reflection on the value of safety leadership. Finally, strategies to empower leaders and increase safety leadership behaviours will be described.

May 5, 2022