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By Sean Dessureault

Information technology (IT) initiatives in the past have tended to be sold on their ability to maximize resource output and return on capital by using assets more effectively and efficiently. Many IT projects fail, not delivering return on their investment. This is known in the IT industry as the ?productivity paradox,? where increasing investments in IT do not result in comparable increases in productivity. Experiences and studies of most business sectors reveal that this paradox is rooted in the false assumption that more IT spending automatically results in financial benefit, whereas the true source of benefits is in how effectively IT is used. Most business sectors have accepted that the reengineering of processes is required to gain the full benefits promised of IT. A mining operation has organizational processes similar to most business sectors but unique operational processes. The lessons of changing business practice in more common business processes such as inventory control and customer-supplier relationships can be adequately transposed into a mine. The unique operational processes in mines, in turn require unique redesign efforts. Several enabling information technology opportunities have recently become available, such as more integrated mine production management systems and tactical manger training simulators. This paper reviews the latest IT products and ou lines the processes and kinds of change that will be required in order to benefit from these new investment options.

May 1, 2002

By Zoë Mullard

Just as a mine has a lifecycle, employees working within the mining sector also make several transitions throughout their career, from initial recruitment to retirement from the industry. Throughout the employment lifecycle, employees bring skills and knowledge that significantly contribute to the global economy. These skills are developed through education, professional training, coaching and through hands-on experience. Despite the current economic conditions and the demand for minerals, the mining industry is facing a substantial skills shortage due to the disparity between the number of new workers entering the mining industry and a largely ?graying workforce?. Although educational programs continue to evolve to attract people with a wide range of skills, the diversity of jobs and the strains of working in remote mining operations continue to present challenges for recruitment and retention of employees. This gap also presents challenges around knowledge transfer at a corporate and mine-site level; employers will require cultural and techno-sociological approaches to ease through these transitions. At the same time, there has been an explosion of social media tools that facilitate information sharing, cross-organizational collaboration, distance learning and knowledge capture. These tools have become increasingly popular in the last few years and their applications vary widely. The mining sector has started to adopt these tools for a number of purposes, including opportunities to harness social media to enhance human resources interactions, outreach and oversight. This paper will outline several case studies that explore leading practices for how the application of new media can assist organizations and individuals as they progress through their careers. This paper will illustrate how new social media communication technologies can be used to increase employee engagement and build organizational capacity in the mining industry. The paper will also include strategies for how to implement social media to enhance human resources applications and will cover ideas for monitoring and evaluation.

Aug 1, 2013

By E. Watkins, J. C. LeRoy, A. Vivyurka

"TAILINGS REVEGETATIONWelcome to the Revegetation Session. My instructions are to introduce the Speakers and to provide a general introduction.I do the latter with humility not only because of a lack of personal experience or because tailings revegation is not well established technology, but because any general statement on a country or industry as diverse as the Canadian Mining Industry is bound to be wrong somewhere.Laying aside normal standards of accuracy I proceed as follows:In considering the question of tailings revegetation, one asks two basic questions:1. What ought to be done?2. What can be done?The first question can be broken down into three kinds of criteria or objectives:a) Legislativeb) Technicalc) AestheticThe first I leave to the politicians and the last I will avoid. Aesthetics is the philosphy of taste. It is concerned with the appreciation of things rather than what they really are. It is much easier to get into an argument on aesthetics than to get out of it feeling you have said something of consequence.Technical criteria can be divided into the following sub-objectives: 1. To isolate the tailings basin so surrounding land is not degraded. The first step here is stabilization of the surface to prevent wind and water erosion."

Jan 1, 1975

By B. Tiryaki, M. Ayhan, O. Z. Hekimoglu

"This paper discusses the aspects of tracking cutters related to the computer-aided design of shearer drums. A comprehensive computer analysis of drum dynamic parameters for multi-tracking tool arrangement is not presently available, as the current computer programs mainly consider the aspects of single tracking. Despite the fact that the single-tracking arrangement is recommended for efficient cutting, some major drum manufacturers have been seen to persistently adhere to multi-tracking, probably due to a lack of information. Further studies in this field are believed to contribute greatly to the current understanding of the computer-aided design of shearer drums.A number of laboratory simulation trials and long-term underground investigations were carried out in detail on tracking cutter arrangement, and an equation required for a computer program was derived. The results obtained from computer assessment of dynamic parameters for drums with multi-tracking arrangement were found to be in accordance with those of the underground trials, indicating the validity of the equations. The procedure adopted for the computer appraisal of the shearer drums designed with a multi-tracking concept, as described in this study, is therefore recommended to be considered in the currently employed computer programs."

Jan 1, 2003

By N. Vayenas, G. Yuriy

"The combination of a predictive reliability assessment model and discrete-event simulation can be an effective methodology to study the impact of equipment failures on the capacity of production systems in mines. In our case, a predictive reliability assessment model using genetic algorithms is combined with a discrete-event simulation model to analyze mine equipment systems.Discrete-event simulation involves modelling of real-life systems based on variables and events that occur or change at distinct points in time. The Simul8 simulation software, by Visual Thinking, is used in this research. It is a two-dimensional (2D), discrete-event simulation/ animation software tool for creating realistic depictions of manufacturing and materials handling systems.The simulation model developed for the purpose of this research represents a typical two-level, sub-level stoping section of an underground mine in the Sudbury region in Ontario, Canada. This 2D model was created to assess the impact of equipment failures to a mine’s production throughput. In more detail, using mean time between failures (MTBF) data of scooptrams derived from a reliability assessment model based on genetic algorithms, LHD failures are incorporated into the simulation model. These failures cause production interruptions to the development cycle and consequently loss of hauling capacity.Another purpose of this research work is to demonstrate how low-cost simulation tools such as Simul8 can be successfully applied to model underground hard rock mining operations. The research discussed in this paper is carried out by the Laurentian University Mining Automation Laboratory (LUMAL)."

Jan 1, 2005

By T. A. Rickard

FROM AN OLD MANUSCRIPT THE text for this contribution to the history of the Patio process is a page taken from a Spanish manuscript of Bartholomé Arzaj Sanches y Uela, now in the possession of the library of Brown University (see Figure 1). I owe the photographic print to the courtesy of the librarian. The date, as will be seen, is 1577. The subject is the treatment of silver ores at Potosi, in old Peru, but in modern Bolivia. The group of drawings (see Figure 1) is entitled "Arrangement of the machines in which the ores of silver are ground on the bank of Potosi, the one of two batteries and the other of one". First, top-left, we have the sketch of a "machine of one battery" operated by a water-wheel. From this mill the water runs in part along an aqueduct supported by pillars to the two-battery mill and in part down the hillside, where men are at work with "tubs, which are called cochas, in which are washed the charges of ore and amalgam". Along the top of the page are shown the "various offices in which are stored the copper, the salt, the ucha [llama dung, used for fuel], the lime, and other materials for the re-duction of the ores". To the right of these are "apartments and warehouses in which is stored the ore brought down from the mountain"?the cerro de Potosi. Through the arched portal come the "sheep [llamas] on which is brought down the ore". To this is added a reference to "the second gate, which closes the whole works". On the level above the aqueduct are seen six men carrying skin-bags that contain water. This is being sprinkled on the ore. On the extreme right are six more of these water-carriers. Next comes the two-battery mill. The mortero, or mortar, is marked on the right. Another description says, "Stone, on which the stamps crush the ore, which is called a mortar". To the left of these are indicated "screens of wire in which the ore is sifted after it has been crushed". Farther to the left, near the ore-washers, is a "shed, in which is placed the metallurgist to test the ore of the boxes". Along the left side of the page are sundry buildings, one of which is labelled a "shed in which are placed the cones of silver". Near it, lower, to the right, is the "furnace, in which are roasted the sulphides to facilitate treatment". Farther to the right is the "place where the Indians mix the charges of sulphide ore, which is called a buitron". Alongside is a "buitron in which the charges are prepared for reduction". Inside is a container, to which are attached the words "measure, called topo" On the extreme right is "another buitron in which the Indians mix the ores with their feet, as well as the heaps for the preparation of the reduction". Near the bottom, on the extreme left, is the "chapel where the holy sacri¬fice of the mass is celebrated". Under the first buitron is the "place where they dry the moist ores, called pãpear".

Jan 1, 1935

By Nehad Elsafty

It is always necessary to expand existing buildings, so that they could meet the growing societal needs. Compared with demolishing them and then constructing new ones, the expansion of existing buildings could not only reduce project cost, but also save the use of energy and raw materials in projects. Therefore, it is widely adopted in most under-developed countries. However, the expansion of existing buildings is not an easy task. It has been involved with a lot of issues in defining the scope of work, planning landscape, managing construction activities, etc. This paper investigates the potential challenges in expanding existing buildings. The project of expanding the Al-Agoza Hospital, one of the biggest and oldest hospitals in Cairo, Egypt, is selected as a case study. In the case study, the project documents have been carefully reviewed. The project engineers and the health-care professionals working in the hospital have been interviewed. This way, the point of views from the owner, the architect/engineer, and the contractor have been taken into account. Several lessons are learned through the discussion with these people. The results from this paper are expected to provide pieces of useful advice and suggestion for the expansion of existing buildings in the future.

Aug 1, 2013

Research on alternative lixiviants for gold is ongoing; however few people have looked at complete flowsheets. Alternative lixiviants are typically applied at concentrations 50 to 100 times those required for cyanidation. The higher concentrations make lixiviant recycle a vital part of the process. In addition it is no longer feasible to rely on lixiviant destruction to produce lixiviant free clean water for recycle to the comminution circuit. Ausenco has worked with Barrick to integrate reverse osmosis into the thiosulfate RIL processing flowsheet that forms the basis of the plant upgrade currently being constructed at Barrick’s Goldstrike autoclave facility.

Jan 1, 2014

By Abdelkabir Maqsoud

Different management options and rehabilitation strategies are available for mine wastes that produce acid mine drainage (AMD). One of them consists in building a cover with capillary barrier effects (CCBE) on the tailings to limit the availability of oxygen, an essential component of the chemical reactions leading to the generation of AMD. Prior to cover construction, a monitoring strategy must be established to evaluate the response and performance of the cover system. The key parameters to monitor should include matric suction and volumetric water content in the CCBE, oxygen flux (and/or oxygen concentration) through and below the cover, and the main meteorological parameters for the impoundment. In this paper, different techniques available to measure the targeted parameters are described and their main properties are given. Recommendations (based on existing cases) on the location and the number of monitoring stations and on the measurement frequency for each monitored parameter are also proposed.

May 1, 2007

By C. Xiao, F. Mohamm, A. Borsoi

"Nitrogen compounds produced by cyanide destruction and/or blasting are often a cause of concern for environmental compliance and at times, for water re-use in metallurgical circuits. Natural attenuation in tailings ponds and wetlands is not always sufficient to ensure compliance and/or achievement of overall water management objectives. This paper provides a general overview of active treatment methods for nitrogen management followed by an investigation of selective adsorption combined with electro-oxidation as the potential treatment method for thiocyanate. Results from bench scale treatability study are presented. The concept of holistic assessment of nitrogen management at mine sites using Risk Adjusted Life Cycle Cost is introduced and discussed in the context of gold mining operations using sodium cyanide.INTRODUCTION Unlike metals, nitrogen compounds present in mine waters originate entirely from anthropogenic sources rather than mineral deposits. Table 1 summarizes the main sources of nitrogen compounds reporting to mine wastewater.The best management practice related to the use of ANFO involves minimizing contact between ANFO and water, control and monitoring of blasting to reduce the occurrence of misfires, and reducing the consumption of blasting reagents for a given ore body. The most common practice for the management of NaCN is the incorporation of cyanide destruction in the metallurgical flowsheet and the use of tailings impoundments and holding ponds for natural attenuation of cyanide destruction residues such as NH4-N and CNO. At most mine sites there is no active management of NO3-N and SCN in wastewater. While current practices have produced satisfactory results, new enhanced methods to manage nitrogen compounds at mines are needed due to: 1) Increased scrutiny over the adverse effects of nitrogen compounds released into the environment; 2) New effluent standards; and 3) The shift away from wet tailings towards dry stack systems resulting in diminished natural attenuation and dilution of nitrogen residues prior to effluent discharge or water re-use in mineral processing."

Jan 1, 2017

By G. L. Zhu, Y. F. Wu, H. Nagaumi

A novel eutectic-type alloy Al12Si-HTC with high thermal conductivity has been developed by strict chemical composition control and heat treatment. The thermal conductivity of the alloy is about 30 % higher than that of current commercial Al12Si alloy. The Al12Si-HTC alloy has a silicon content of 10~12 wt.%, which provides excellent castability. Trace element strontium or calcium is added to modify eutectic silicon, and contents of transition elements such as copper, manganese are controlled in a low level. By appropriate heat treatment, thermal conductivity of the castings increases by 7.5 % and finally reaches 172 W/(m·K). It is found that eutectic silicon modification which makes average particle size finer than 2µm plays a dominant role in improving thermal conductivity, as well as further spheroidization of eutectic silicon and reduction of lattice defects in a-Al microstructure in subsequent heat treatment process. The alloy is successfully applied to produce a certain communication enclosure with complex finned structure by die casting process in industrial scale. The results of numerical simulation and thermal analysis experiments show that when manufactured by Al12Si-HTC alloy, the surface temperature of chips in the enclosure is reduced by 2.0~4.5 ? and the temperature distribution is more homogeneous compared with traditional Al12Si alloy.

Jan 1, 2015

By L. Chunpongtong

ABSTRACT The mining limit in oil sands is regulated by the ratio of total mining volume (ore, interburden, and overburden) one has to mine per volume of bitumen in place (TV/BIP). This paper presents a mathematical solution for creating the most economical pit outline where the TV/BIP ratio upper limit is 12, by combining mining economic theory and the Lerchs-Grossmann (LG) algorithm.

Jan 1, 2014

By L. Chunpongtong

The mining limit in oil sands is regulated by the ratio of total mining volume (ore, interburden, and overburden) one has to mine per volume of bitumen in place (TV/BIP). This paper presents a mathematical solution for creating the most economical pit outline where the TV/BIP ratio upper limit is 12, by combining mining economic theory and the Lerchs-Grossmann (LG) algorithm.

Jan 1, 2014

By D. Beneteau, D. Milne

"Advances in technology provide educators with valuable tools to enhance their teaching and efficiently deliver content to larger audiences. University educators are often encouraged to become more “research intensive” and to increase student enrollment. Faced with these pressures, there is a tendency to use technology to improve teaching efficiencies rather than to enhance existing teaching approaches. Practical learning in applied engineering courses would suffer greatly if hands-on experience is not emphasized. This paper discusses advantages and limitations of new technologies applied to learning, and methods to incorporate more hands-on experiential teaching techniques to applied mining engineering courses.RÉSUMÉ Les avancées technologiques fournissent aux éducateurs des outils intéressants pour rehausser leur enseignement et livrer efficacement de la matière à de grands auditoires. Les éducateurs universitaires sont souvent encouragés à devenir plus « axés sur la recherche » et d’augmenter l’inscription d’étudiants. Face à ces pressions, il y a une tendance à utiliser la technologie pour améliorer l’efficacité d’enseignement plutôt que de rehausser les approches existantes d’enseignement. L’apprentissage concret dans les cours d’ingénierie appliquée souffrirait grandement si l’accent n’est pas mis sur l’expérience pratique. Le présent article discute des avantages et des limitations des nouvelles technologies appliquées à l’apprentissage et des méthodes pour incorporer plus de techniques expérimentales pratiques aux cours de génie minier appliqué."

Jan 1, 2016

By G. E. Agar, W. B. Kipkie, R. A. Tenbergen

"This paper describes the successful pilot plant testing of a flowsheet, developed at Inca Ltd.&apos;s J. Roy Gordon Research Laboratory (JRGRL), for improved separation of the constituent minerals in a bulk copper-nickel concentrate.The flowsheet utilized the fact that xanthate concentration on the mineral surfaces is the most important variable affecting the high lime separation and that reduction of the xanthate concentration could be affected by an oxidative conditioning stage.When the adsorbed xanthate was reduced to a suitably low level, chalcopyrite and pyrrhotite could be floated to leave a high-grade nickel concentrate as the residue. Sodium cyanide was added to the froth product 10 depress pyrrhotite and any remaining pentlandite. The temporary depression of chalcopyrite by the sodium cyanide was overcome by introducing a conditioning step following cyanide addition . The advantages of the flowsheet; improved copper-nickel separation, operation without heating of the pulp, production of both high-grade nickel concentrate (29.5% Ni, .26% Cu) and copper concentrate (<0.5% Ni, 30% Cu) were all realized.IntroductionLaboratory test work undertaken at Inco and described previously(1) has demonstrated the importance of low xanthate concentrations on the mineral surfaces in the copper-nickel separation at the Copper Cliff mill.It was determined that oxidation of the separator feed (a cleaned bulk concentrate, grading about 11% Cu and 11% Ni) to lower the xanthate concentration on the mineral surfaces prior to separation significantly improved the quality of the separation (CI 4)*, particularly when no cyanide is used, but also when cyanide is added. As well, it was found that the oxidation permitted a pentlandite-pyrrhotite separation - the oxidation step brought about a decrease in the flotation-rate of pentlandite leaving pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite largely unaffected. Consequently, it was possible to produce a highgrade pentlandite product (30% Ni, 0.3% Cu) at ~83% Ni recovery , as well as a high-grade copper concentrate (0.5% Ni, 30% Cu at -96% Cu recovery)."

Jan 1, 1985

By Lorrie Fava

Two needs in the mining industry, to enable overall process improvements, are open systems and network connectivity in underground mines. The Pando project, a collaboration between Symboticware, Vale and Xstrata Nickel, and supported by CEMI, addresses these issues, and leverages the solution platform to deliver intelligent applications. An open system is one that uses publicly available standards for its key interfaces. Vendor-neutrality and ease of information flow are two main benefits that result from the use of open systems. By facilitating the interoperability of systems, open systems allow information to be available when and where it is needed for decision support. Network connectivity in underground mines is typically limited, with hotspots in strategically chosen areas that are relatively static. Mobile equipment moving through a mining work cycle experiences intermittent connectivity; in this situation, seamless remote equipment monitoring is impossible. The Pando project establishes an open technology platform, adhering to the IREDES and OPC UA standards. It enables the collection and integration of information generated by mobile equipment? seamlessly while there is a network connection, and as a store-and-forward gateway to manage intermittent connectivity. The platform capabilities are leveraged to support embedded intelligent applications. This open platform, the SymBot, is a rugged hardware and software device. The platform complies with open standards for industrial automation and systems interoperability. The SymBot platform is capable of providing advanced real-time decision support at the device level, and is designed to be remotely configurable. Applications being developed through the Pando project include engine monitoring, a dynamic load weighing system, machine location monitoring and automated activity monitoring including production and maintenance reporting.

Oct 1, 2010

By H. G. Rushton, A. S. Romaniuk

"The opening chapter of this volume, by A. Ignatieff, places in perspective Canada's coal resource base as part of the world scene. This chapter will focus on the Canadian scene.Units of measurement in this report are in the International System of Units (SI) as approved for official use by the Canadian Standards Association and Metric Commission Canada. These units have been adopted by the Mining Association of Canada and the Coal Association of Canada. To assist with the shift to metric units these two associations have published ""Metric Practice Guide for the Canadian Mining and Metallurgical Industries"", 1978(1J, Appendix ""A"" lists some useful conversion factors along with SI prefixes. The last official assessment of Canada's coal resources and reserves was done by the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources and presented in Report ER 79-9 ""Coal Resources and Reserves of Canada"", published in December 1979 and authored by H.U. Bielenstein, L.P. Chrismas, B.A. Latour and T.E. Tibbetts(2). The Geological Survey of Canada has a continuing project concerned with coal resource assessment as does CANMET, whose concern is with coal reserve assessment and coal quality. As well, Alberta's Energy Resources Conservation Board (ERCB) has a continuing assessment program for coal in Alberta and publishes an annual reserves report, the current issue of which is cited as reference No. (3). The difference in resource and reserve terminology as used by EMR and ERCB has a major effect on derived tonnages for Alberta. This difference will be discussed later. In 1982 the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources produced a map titled ""Canada-Coal""<4J which outlines coalfields and illustrates coal import and export movements for the years 1981and1980. A copy of this map is contained in the map pocket of this publication. Two other resource assessment reports are noteworthy, the first is ""Coal Resources of Southern Saskatchewan: A Model for Evaluation Methodology"", by J.A. Irvine, S.H. Whitaker and P.L. Broughton<SJ which is one of the major outputs of a joint federal-government study of southern Saskatchewan's lignite deposits. (Another output from this same study' is the Geological Survey of Canada's SASCO file, a computer processable file holding borehole and coal quality data.) The second is ""Deep Coal Resources of the Interior Plains, Estimated from Petroleum Borehole Data"", by G.D. Williams and M.C. Murphy(6) which identifies coal resources from nearly 4,000 petroleum exploration boreholes distributed uniformly over an area spanning Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia."

Jan 1, 1985

By G. S. Hume

Introduction Core drilling of the bituminous sands of northern Alberta has been carried on by the Mines and Geology Branch, Department of Mines and Resources, under the supervision of the Director, W. B. Timm. This was part of the Dominion Government&apos;s wartime investigations, which included an agreement with Abasand Oils, Limited, for the study of commercial possibilities of obtaining oil from the bituminous sands. The drilling programme, commenced in 1942 by the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company of Canada, was continued in 1943 and subsequently by Boyles Bros. under contract with the Mines and Geology Branch. Several areas have been investigated and one of these, the Mildred-Ruth Lakes area, &apos; herein described, is of special importance in that it contains a sufficiently rich and large deposit of bituminous sands and bitumen beds to warrant consideration of commercial developments for the production of oil. The Steepbank Area, East Side of Athabaska River The Steepbank area, on the east side of Athabaska river in township 92, about twenty-two miles north of Fort McMurray, was selected for drilling in 1942 because previous investigations by Ells indicated it was one of considerable promise both from the standpoint of having reasonably rich bituminous sands under relatively light overburden and also having an excellent tailing disposal and plant site for large-scale operations in proximity to Athabaska river. The drilling done in 1942 and 1943 was largely exploratory, and, when it was found that the southerly part of township 92 had only low-grade material, closer drilling was done in 1944-45 in the richer, more northerly part.

Jan 1, 1947

By K. J. R. Ford, Botz. M. M.

Porphyry copper ores are frequently a source of low-grade gold ore, but gold in these ores is often associated with significant levels of cyanide-soluble copper. Cyanide leaching of such ores increases flowsheet complexity and operating costs, and requires thorough planning to satisfy environmental requirements for tailings disposal and mine closure. This paper presents a review of the chemistry of cyanide leaching of gold-copper porphyry ores, carbon adsorption phenomena and means of removing base metals from leach solution. The primary economic drivers behind the processing of such complex ores are also analyzed.

Jan 1, 2011

By Corinne Boone

CO2e.com, LLC - launched in November 2000 - aims to be ?the global hub for carbon commerce.? CO2e.com is a subsidiary of the Cantor Fitzgerald Group, one of the world?s leading brokerage firms Recent Investor in CO2e ? Mitsui & Co. Alliance with Cantor Fitzgerald Environmental Brokerage Services Group (CFEBS) Offices in London, Toronto, Tokyo, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Connecticut, Houston Primary Goals/Benefits of ET § Goals of Emissions Trading: ? Permit Industrial Growth/Expansion ? Promote Economic Efficiency and Flexibility in Meeting Air Pollution Standards § Benefits of Emissions Trading: ? Enhance Air Quality w/o Economic Stagnation ? Encourage Development of New Technology ? Foster Most Efficient Use of a Limited Resource -- Clean Air § Contributes to Sustainable Development and objectives of UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol?.

Nov 1, 2002