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By K. Himbeault, D. Campbell, N. C. Garisto, D. A. Orava, A. Rosaasen

"The level of scientific knowledge about the effects of contaminants is increasing and changes in environmental monitoring are likely to allow for the assessment of environment effects particularly to the aquatic environment. This paper provides an overview of recent developments in this area which include the environmental effects monitoring program for pulp and paper operations, the assessment of the Aquatic Effects of Mining (AQUAMIN) program, the Aquatic Effects Technology Evaluation (AETE) program, and the review of the federal Metal Mining Liquid Effluent Regulations (MMLER). The paper also provides a look forward at the direction of environmental monitoring of mine projects in Canada. IntroductionEnvironmental monitoring programs provide a wide range of data to environmental management systems, regulatory authorities, and stakeholders. The data obtained are used to demonstrate that operations are in compliance with regulatory environmental protection requirements, and provide the scientific basis for assessing the effectiveness of environmental protection measures. Environmental monitoring requirements for mine projects are established based on the type of operation, site specific issues and concerns, and the requirements of regulators and mine proponents.The level of scientific knowledge regarding the potential effects of contaminants on the receiving environment is increasing, and in particular with regards to the receiving aquatic environment. Regulatory controls regarding the protection of fish, fish habitat, and fishery resources are being reviewed with regards to their adequacy, and the environmental effects monitoring program on the pulp and paper industry is expected to provide useful data relevant to those types of operations. These developments are of interest to mine proponents as it is presently expected that an environment effects monitoring program will be developed specifically for the metal mining industry under a regulated environmental effects monitoring program as part of the Fisheries Act. This paper reviews recent developments in this area, and provides a look forward on the future directions of environmental monitoring programs."

Jan 1, 2000

By F. Chachula, A. Molinaro

"Sulphide mineral flotation operations continuously strive for a balance between mineralogy, mineral liberation, circuit conditions and reagent solutions to maximize the production rate and recovery of payable metals. The Taseko Gibraltar copper – molybdenum mill operations underwent an extensive project focusing on the fundamentals to identify the effects of process conditions and mineral liberation to improve the bulk circuit copper – molybdenum recovery efficiencies in the bulk flotation circuits. This discussion will provide process data that demonstrates; 1) fundamental relationship between mineral liberation to recovery and grade, 2) flotation circuit condition testing and optimization, 3) reagent combinations resulting in efficient/economical mineral recovery, and 4) the development of a xanthate free reagent solution. The data presented and discussed will also touch on flotation parameters including pH, retention time, kinetics and the effect on bulk circuit recovery performance.INTRODUCTION Taseko's is the owner (75%) and operator of the Gibraltar copper-molybdenum mine, located in south-central British Columbia, the second largest open pit copper mine in Canada and the largest employer in the Cariboo region. Taseko restarted Gibraltar in 2004. From 2006 until 2012, the company invested ~$700 million to expand and modernize the operation which was originally scheduled for demolition when the company acquired it in 1999. In the spring of 2011, construction commenced for Gibraltar Development Plan 3 (GDP3). GDP3 included the construction of a standalone 30,000 ton per day concentrator, built adjacent to the existing 55,000 ton per day facility. The new design capacity of Gibraltar was designed to be 85,000 tons per day. An integral part of the project was a new molybdenum recovery facility. In addition to the new concentrator, the mining fleet was upgraded with a new mining shovel, production drill and ten haul trucks (Taseko, May 2015). In May of 2015, the Company completed an updated mine plan for Gibraltar featuring a 50% decrease in strip ratio. This new mine plan was a result of a detailed, six-month engineering study and forms the basis of an updated NI 43-101 compliant reserve (Taseko Announces Improved Economics At Its Gibraltar Copper Mine, 2015). The new mine plan took into account lower milling costs as a result of the modernized processing facilities (Taseko, May 2015)."

Jan 1, 2018

By W. B. Paton

Introduction For several reasons the accident history of Flin Flon has been quite unlike that of any other mine in northern Canada, and very much unlike that of the average American metal mine. Towards the end of 1928, the mining project that is now Flin Flon, and that is now in the very: forefront of Canada's big producers was launched; but, metaphorically, it was launched in a tempest of mining troubles. Each branch of the mammoth enterprise was beset with extraordinary difficulties, and the Safety Department had its relative share. Difficulties in Accident Prevention The unusually rugged contour of the plant site made roads, and even moderately safe pathways, out of the immediate question. The project established an industrial outlet for depression-stricken areas which hitherto had been essentially agricultural; but through that outlet poured labour whose working atmosphere had been the bald prairie, labour that knew nothing of safety consciousness, labour that had to be moulded to industrialism, labour in the raw. A considerable length of the ore-body lay under the eastern section of Flin Flon lake. Open-pit methods were adopted to work the upper limits of the ore-body, and consequently the eastern section of the lake had to be dammed and pumped dry. The subsequent difficulties and hazards created by silt deposit cannot be fully visualized. And, finally, there was a geographical hindrance: the ore-body was partly in the Province of Manitoba and partly in the Province of Saskatchewan. The workmen's compensation problem became intricate. Insofar as accident prevention is concerned, Flin Flon's young industrial life may be conveniently divided into three distinct periods, namely: (a) Construction (Nov. 1928-June 1930) (b) Tuning up, and production till the strike (June 1930-June 1934) (c) Production from the strike till the present time At the peak of construction, due to the usual labour fluctuations of big jobs, there was a weekly turnover of about a hundred men. A very large percentage were Central Europeans, most of whom could neither read nor write English. Consequently, an organized safety programme was out of the question.

Jan 1, 1935

By A. E. M. Warner, A. Vahed, P. J. Mackey

"Since early 2015, the price of nickel has dropped from the region of US$6/pound to current levels of around US$4.60/pound (March 2017), reflecting several market factors, but principally due to lower demand from China. Under such conditions, nickel companies have been under pressure to contain operating costs. In addition, labor and energy costs will continue to rise, while nickel ore grades will likely continue to drop. All major companies now accept the need for climate change action and consequently efforts are being made towards lowering carbon-based emissions. Nevertheless, meeting these challenges can also contribute to higher operating costs without parallel innovative developments - which at the same time, under current conditions, major companies are tending to curtail. In this paper, several productivity improvement opportunities to reduce unit operating costs at nickel sulphide and nickel laterite plants are reviewed. Opportunities include: (a) process technology and energy-type selection, production capability, optimization of process intensity and implementation of newer technologies; (b) improved productivity, equipment availability including maintenance best practice; (c) energy savings and recovery opportunities and use of energy surveys and, (d) process modeling and improved scheduling. Such improvements along with an uptick seen in nickel demand going forward should better position the world nickel industry.INTRODUCTION Nickel is an essential metal to modern society, primarily through its use as an important ingredient in stainless steel. Thus, stainless steel finds vital applications in food preparation facilities, as well as important uses in transportation and industrial applications. Canada has always played an important role in nickel production and nickel metallurgy. In the 1940s and 1950s, Canada supplied over 90% of the world’s nickel. However, this proportion has declined considerably to around 10% of the world nickel supply today. Still, Canada remains an important nickel supplier and contributor to nickel extractive technology. Due to the importance of nickel to society, nickel demand is expected to continually rise. On the other hand, nickel companies have been under pressure to contain production costs amid languishing nickel prices. While demand projections show nickel growth, there are uncertainties in actual levels of future market growth. Ore grades are dropping, while labour and energy costs, which are key cost contributors are rising, hence efforts to lower production costs will generally require innovative approaches."

Jan 1, 2017

By W J. Dyck

Past attempts to establish an integrated steel industry on the West Coast of Canada have been unsuccessful for at least three reasons: (a) insufficient reserves of a suit-able iron ore supply; (b) a relatively small local market for iron and steel; and (c) the non-availability of an economical process to produce primary iron on a small scale. Today, the reserves of economically mineable ore deposits are ample to support a steel production of 100,000 to 200,-000 tons per annum. The local market has increased so as to be able to absorb most of this capacity. With-in the next few years, a small integrated steel plant, including the "H-Iron" direct iron ore reduction process for electric furnace charge stock production, will be able to show a profitable operation. Introduction

Jan 1, 1963

"Accelerated expansion of Western Canada's metallurgical coal industry has again stimulated considerable exploration activity in the Rocky Mountain Foothills Belt and influenced much of the R&D related to transportation, processing and carbonization. Preparation R&D has included further pilot-plant work on desulphurization, spherical agglomeration and modified compound cyclones (which are also proving themselves in other mineral beneficiation studies). Combustion research, aside from increasingly stressing control of combustion source pollution, has directed special attention to lignite PF firing and problems arising from lignite ash. Studies directed toward the non-fuel utilization of coal have centered on such diverse topics as active carbons, carbonaceous filter media, plant nutrients and industrial applications of humic acid derivatives. In addition, a number of long-range research projects related to such matters as coal chemistry and pyrolysis have been actively pursued, and further attention has been given to improved sampling techniques and analytical methods."

Jan 1, 1969

By V. J. Southey

"This paper reviews the history of Wabana Mines from 1892 to 1966, inclusive, in order to clarify the essential factors involved in the achievement of maximum mining efficiency and in the search for an acceptable product to satisfy changing market requirements. It outlines the progressive steps taken to mechanize both surface and underground operations, and forecasts anticipated performance, assuming certain major plans could have been implemented. Results of extensive research in the treatment of the complex ore are discussed. Selected processing alternatives are compared as to feasibility in a summary incorporating estimated capital and operating costs."

Jan 1, 1969

By P. D. R. Maltby

"The Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy has undertaken to host the XIV International Mineral Processing Congress to be held in Toronto at the Royal York Hotel from October 10 to 16, 1982. The theme of the Congress will be ""Worldwide Industrial Application of Mineral Processing Technology."" The program will include 10 sessions and numerous field trips to the different mining areas of Canada.For prospective authors, the preliminary program includes sessions on,1. Flotation - plant practice, equipment design, simulation, control and economics.2. Comminution - plant practice, equipment, design, simulation, control, wear, energy consideration and economics.3. Round table seminar on large grinding mills.4. Round table seminar on modern and future plant design.5. Mineral processes to recover precious metals.6. Mineral processes to recover energy minerals (coal, uranium).7. Mineral processes to recover industrial minerals.8. Round table seminar on the environment and ecology and how the different countries cope with associated problems.9. Materials handling with an emphasis on agglomeration techniques ereconentration methods, solid-liquid separation.10. Open session to deal with topic emerging from general demand."

Jan 1, 1980

By W. G. Miller, J. D. Scott, D. C. Sego

ABSTRACT: As part of an overall study of properties and processes influencing consolidation of oil sands fine tailings resulting from different extraction processes, self-weight consolidation tests were per-formed. Fourteen 2 m and 1 m high standpipe tests were instrumented to monitor the rate and magnitude of consolidation of seven fine tailings materials. Tests provided valuable information about the variation of consolidation related to differences in fine tailings material properties that result from a change in bitu-men extraction process (caustic versus non-caustic). In addition, the effect of adding a coagulant to caustic fine tailings was measured. Test results are presented and discussed in terms of consolidation rate long-term volume decrease, compressibility, and downward drainage. Non-caustic fine tailings had fasterinitial consolidation, which is important in tailings ponds for reducing storage capacity and returning decant water at a faster rate to the extraction plant. Similar results were obtained for caustic fine tailings with a coagulant addition. However, long-term settlement of the different fine tailings appears to con-verge to a similar value over time because it is then governed by effective stress.

Jan 1, 2011

By A. E. Cameron

The curve of coal production in Nova Scotia over the past forty years shows a definite maximum reached in 1913. Continued production to this maximum will require a greater tonnage per man-day, and this means there cannot be any increase in total man power used in the operations. There are still large reserves of coal but much of it will require washing or beneficiating to make a usable product. By-product recovery based on the present product ion is relatively satisfactory. Further development of secondary industries requires adequate markets for the bulk materials produced by the processing. It also requires access to other raw materials as well as markets for the principal product of the operations. Scientific investigation and research are needed to prove the quantity and value of lower grade or poorer quality coals, and methods for their recovery and utilization. Economics of further processing of present and future production must be investigated beforehand, if a successful development is to be assured. Such development cannot be expected largely to replace present markets. Production of coal for genera l use must continue to form the major function of the coal industry of the Province. Costs per ton must decrease, or subsidies or other assistance must increase, if the industry is to survive. Costs of investigation and research and costs of capital outlay for further development muse be met.

Jan 1, 1944

By Paul W. Shelley, Daniel J. Hodges

The mining industry is undergoing a period of rapid transformative change.  This is the result of the social and financial accountabilities that the industry is faced with because of the world’s desire to cap average temperature increase to 1.50C above pre-industrial levels (UNFCC, 2016).  To limit global warming to 1.50C, greenhouse gas emissions must peak before 2025 at the latest and decline 43% by 2030.  In hard rock mining, comminution is identified as the major energy consumer, being responsible for 40-60% of the electricity use.  It follows that comminution is the major greenhouse gas emission process of the mine.  All effort is being made to radically reduce the carbon emissions of comminution. Grinding media plays a large role in the energy consumption and carbon emission story.  In recent years industry practitioners have attempted to quantify the grinding media carbon footprint.  This paper makes a definitive contribution to that discussion.  The grinding media carbon footprint is quantified in Scope 1, 2 and 3 emission terms in the context of a grinding media supplier.  Major emission contributors, steel, natural gas and electricity are discussed in detail.  The steel industry transition is a key factor. The paper will explore the steel industry transition and its effect on grinding media manufacturing.  The carbon footprint of heritage steel process routes are analysed and compared with the process routes of the future.  Emerging steel making technologies are presented and discussed.  The future of the steel manufacturing and procurement route for grinding media is proposed. This narrative allows for a comparison between the heritage carbon footprint and the future carbon footprint of manufactured grinding media.  Of equal importance is the opportunity of reducing the grinding media carbon footprint in the field.  The paper explores possibilities of reducing the grinding media carbon footprint at the customer site.  Media in use options are presented that take account of the mineral characteristics, the mill dynamics, and the product metallurgy to optimise both carbon footprint and media performance. It is intended that this is a landmark paper in the discussion of the carbon footprint of grinding media.

May 4, 2025

By Martin Grenon

This paper presents two case studies where fracture set orientation was quantified using three methods: a simple fracture pole grouping, a Fisher distribution and a Kent distribution. The three fracture orientation representations were then used as inputs for kinematic slope stability analysis. Differences showed up in the probability of sliding for all instability modes considered.

Aug 1, 2013

By G. Scott Zimmer

Mine planning at Cassiar consists of an annual cycle of projection, control, evaluation and revision following completion of annual diamond drilling during the summer months . The inherent difficulty in evaluating fibre grade and distribution, combined with a high-wall phase or push-back mining system, requires continuous modification to designs and schedules based on a cumulative evaluation of equipment performance and prediction versus production. To expedite the planning sequence, a mini-computer system has been introduced which allows emphasis to be placed on optimizing designs, exempting personnel from manual calculations and tabulations.

Jan 1, 1978

By R. Drozd

"The Bui/moose Mine is in the northeast coal area of British Columbia, and less than $300 million was spent to bring this 2.3 million-tonnes-per-year metallurgical and thermal coal mine into production by November 1, 1983, one month ahead of schedule. The project is an unincorporated joint venture undertaking, with Teck-Bullmoose Coal Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Teck Corporation, holding 51%, Lornex Mining Corporation holding 39%, and Nissho-lwai (Canada) Ltd. holding 10%. Bullmoose Operating Corporation will be the manager and operator of the project. This paper will broadly cover the history and exploration work on the property, the geology, open-pit mining plans and equipment, the preparation plant flowsheet from breaker station to clean coal silo, the 35 km highway truck haul, the railroad loadout system, manpower requirements, approvals and permits, and general financial arrangements. Introduction The Bullmoose Mine Project is located about 87 km by road south of Chetwynd, B.C. and consists of an open-pit coal mine, a plant facility in the Bullmoose Creek valley below the mine, and a separate rail loadout facility on the British Columbia Railway Branchline near the new town of Tumbler Ridge some 35 km by road to the east. The plant will be capable of producing a total of 2.3 million tonnes per year (mty) of washed metallurgical and thermal coal. Long-term metallurgical coal contracts for high-quality, medium-volatile, bituminous coal have been signed with nine Japanese buyers for 1.7 mty, and the balance of0.6 mty will be for thermal coal production. Plant construction began in the spring of 1982, and in May 1983, preproduction waste and overburden removal in the mine was started. The plant began tuning up in October and was fully operational by December 1983. Metallurgical coal began moving to the coast in unit trains during November, and first vessel loading at the Ridley Island port began in late December 1983."

Jan 1, 1985

By Adrian Dance

Barrick Gold Corporation?s wholly owned subsidiary, Barrick (Granny Smith) Pty. Ltd. operates the Granny Smith operation in Western Australia and has been operating a SAG/ball mill (SABC) circuit for a number of years processing a blend of secondary crushed, open pit and underground material. With closure of the open pit in 2008, Granny Smith was considering different options to process underground only material at a lower throughput. Using the existing equipment available on site, a number of circuits were evaluated by Metso Process Technology & Innovation (PTI) through modelling and simulation. A single stage SAG mill circuit was selected based on power requirements and operating efficiency. In April 2008, Granny Smith started operating their SAG mill in single stage, processing primary crushed feed and using their existing pebble crusher for scats. Smaller cyclones were used to control the final grind size. PTI surveyed the new single stage circuit in July 2008 under normal and high rock load conditions to show the effect on final grind size. Granny Smith continued to operate this circuit until the end of 2009, when alternate feed sources resulted in a return to the complete SABC circuit at a higher tonnage once again. The variable speed, single stage SAG mill proved itself to be very efficient and flexible option to process the hard underground Wallaby Deeps material. This paper will review circuit performance following the conversion to single stage in comparison with the full SABC circuit.

Jan 1, 2012

By N. Campbell, W. T. Orvine

The metalliferous deposits of British Columbia are largely confined to that portion of the Cordilleran province lying west of the Rocky Mountain trench. Massive sulphides in the coastal area carry important copper •values together with lead and zinc and are composed mainly of pyrite which replaces schists or shear zones. The massive sulphide ore of the interior, on the other hand, contains lead and zinc with little copper. Pyrrhotite rather than pyrite is... the dominant metallic and deposition took place through selective replacement of sedimentary beds.

Jan 1, 1960

By D. G. F. Hedley, F. Grant

"In 1958, the Ontario Department of Mines appointed a committee to study the accident situation and mining methods used in the uranium mines in the E1liot Lake district. This committee reviewed the existing knowledge on mine design, pillar support and roof spans and came to the conclusion that scientific knowledge had not yet reached the stage of producing rational design procedures which would reduce the dependence on trial-and-error methods. Since that time, the Mining Research Centre has made numerous stress measurements in two mines to define the pre-mining and pillar stresses. A comprehensive series of tests has been done in the laboratory to measure the compressive strength of the rock; a geological survey of the region has been made to evaluate tectonic stresses; and a survey was done on mining conditions with regard to stable and unstable pillar configurations. This information has been used to evaluate pillar design as effected by pillar width and height, depth below surface, extraction and pre-mining stress fields. The resultant design of pillar widths and corresponding extraction as the depth increased is in line with past and present experience in these mines. The information available on roof stability is still insufficient to design stable stope spans with the same degree of confidence; experience and trial-and-error methods are still required."

Jan 1, 1972

By E. Laatio, W. McKay

"History of Tara Mines Ltd.Tara Exploration and Development Company Ltd. was formed in Canada by Irishmen in 1953. The discovery of an orebody approximately six miles from the historically famous Hill of Tara in County Meath was a wild dream . Nevertheless this dream became a reality. Tara Mines Ltd. was formed, and the mine developed some 35 miles northwest of the City of Dublin in the Irish Republic.Tara's original drilling program indicated a zinc-lead orebody of approximately 60 million tonnes grading at 10.1% Zn and 2.6% Pb. The terms of the mining lease stipulated that the Irish government would acquire 25% equity interest in the operation. The mine was thus owned 75% by Tara Exploration and Development Company Ltd. of which the principal shareholders were Noranda and Northgate, together with 25% being held by the Irish government. The mine was purchased in March 1986 by Outokumpu Oy, a Finnish mining and metallurgical company, and together with the 25% government stake are the current owners. Outokumpu Analysis on Tara Mines Ltd.Upon ownership Outokumpu carried out a comprehensive analysis on the operation and came to the following conclusions :1. Tara had a good orebody;2. Tara had a skilled, capable, stable workforce;3. Tara's concentrator and processing equipment was adequate to meet requirements;4. Tara's mobile equipment fleet was too old and too numerousin numbers; and5. Tara had too many employees, both staff and hourly paid .With ore reserves of approximately 50 million tonnes and at a planned extraction rate of 2.6 million tonnes it meant that the mine had a lifespan of approximately 20 years. To be a viable operation into the future, the mine had to become more efficient. Operating costs and manpower levels had to be dramatically reduced."

Jan 1, 1989

By T. Mulja, Michel Boily, Anthony E. Williams-Jones, Pierre Pilote

"The Preissac-Lacorne batholith is composed of suites of early metaluminous calc-alkalic gabbroic to granodioritic intrusives, three late peraluminous monzogranite plutons and numerous Li, Be and Ta-bearing granitic pegmatites. The Lacorne pluton is dominated by biotite and biotite + muscovite monzogranites containing abundant Be and Ta-bearing granitic pegmatites (40-80% volume). The pluton is surrounded by swarms of unzoned or poorly zoned spodumene-rich pegmatite dykes. The La Motte pluton is composed of biotite monzogranites, biotite+ muscovite monzogranites and rare muscovite + garnet monzogranites. Li, Be and Ta-bearing pegmatites are less abundant than in the Lacorne pluton and are commonly associated with molybdenite bearing quartz-muscovite-K-feldspar veins. In the Preissac pluton, muscovite + garnet monzogranites and muscovite + biotite + garnet monzogranites are the dominant rock types. The pluton rarely contains granitic pegmatites and these are generally barren. However, numerous molybdenite bearing quartz and quartz-feldspar-muscovite hydrothermal veins are observed.Li, Be andTa-bearing pegmatites display a crude spatial zonation around their parent monzogranites. Spodumene-rich pegmatites are generally unzoned or poorly zoned and are confined to the surrounding metasedimentary or metavolcanic rocks or crop out in the early gabbroic to granodioritic intrusives surrounding the monzogranites. Ta and Be-bearing pegmatites are usually concentrated towards the margins of their parent monzogranites. The highly fractionated nature ofmonzogranites (high Rb/Sr, low K?Rb, Ba?Sr, Zr/Nb ... ), their peraluminous composition (corundum normative and muscovite bearing) and the numerous occurrences of Ta and Be-bearing pegmatite dykes represent important criteria for the exploration of fertile granites."

Jan 1, 1990

By N. Morrison, I. Holl, R. Welyhorsky, A. Hempstock

ABSTRACT: The Victor diamond mine is located in the James Bay lowlands, 90 km west of the First Nations village of Attawapiskat. The project was the first of its kind in northern Ontario. The process plant was designed to produce a 95 to 98% by weight diamond concentrate through three stages of comminution, dense medium separation, and proprietary X-ray technology for final recovery. The plant was commissioned over a period of six months, commencing prior to substantial completion of construction. Through effective planning of the commissioning phase, the Victor mine start-up was safely completed nine months ahead of schedule.

Jan 1, 2011