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By H. Hejny

The objective of the project is to construct and operate a pan-European underground drainage and minewater management research centre, which would be the hub for data gathering and dissemination in real time of new data to users for analysis and interpretation, as well as serving as a model for consistency, for other centres at key water management sites throughout Europe which would feed data in real time through the hub. The data from the centre will be essential for informing River Basin Management Plans arising from the EU Water Framework Directive, which is an important driver for the project. The implementation of this Directive sets out a requirement for all Member States to develop River Basin Management Plans for all water resource systems. The facility would be a major contribution to sustainable water management in Europe.

Jan 1, 2007

By M. Doucet

The introduction of high-nickel anodes to CCR in 2006 resulted in an increase of nickel in anodic slimes. Removal of the nickel in these slimes to below 3.0% is necessary in order to prevent slag viscosity problems in the subsequent pyrometallurgical step. A lower specification of 0.5% was chosen in order to minimize Ni losses to the slag and to recover this nickel as NiSO4. A 2-stage autoclave process, which was patented by CCR in 1992, was chosen to treat the high nickel slimes. Laboratory and plant?scale tests were performed in 2004 in order to validate the results of this process with the present slimes. These results along with corrosion tests were used to design two brick-lined autoclaves. These autoclaves were installed in October 2006 and successfully commissioned within 8 weeks. A "Design of Experiment" test program was performed in 2006 on an alternative autoclave process that reversed the cycles in the patented process. The effects of temperature and acid content were modeled using the results. The alternative process will be validated with the new autoclaves.

Jan 1, 2007

By D. Loring, J. Almgren

Climax Molybdenum Company’s Henderson Mine is a large panel caving molybdenum mine located about 43 miles west of Denver, Colorado. Three Joy M120-72-880 fans are installed in parallel on the No. 1 exhaust shaft. Throughout the mine’s history, ventilation changes such as the completion of the No. 5 exhaust shaft have decreased the utilization of these fans. To optimize fan performance they have been run with the full complement of 16 blades, down to as few as four blades. Since the completion of ventilation upgrades associated with the Henderson 2000 project, one surface fan has been operated under normal conditions with 10 or 12 blades. With the completion of a new network model of the Henderson ventilation system, a tool was built to develop fan curves for possible future fan configurations and predict future fan performance. This paper describes the tool and its use at Henderson.

Jan 1, 2007

By L. J. Park, A. D. Thomas

Gladstone Pacific Nickel Limited (GPNL) is proposing to develop the Marlborough nickel deposit in central Queensland and the Yarwun Refinery in Gladstone, Australia. The project proposes to connect the two sites with a DN 500, single pump station slurry pipeline, transporting up to 4 Mtpa of nickel laterite ore as slurry 180 km from Marlborough to Gladstone. Slurry viscosity is a key parameter influencing pipeline design. Not only is the slurry viscosity relatively high, requiring pumping at low concentrations, around 30% by weight, but the viscosity (yield stress and plastic viscosity) increases with shearing or agitation. It is argued that the viscosity changes can be analysed in terms of total energy input, including energy input during grinding. The slurry viscosity is therefore expected to increase along the pipeline and the pumping concentration must be low enough such that the increase in yield stress does not cause transition to laminar flow towards the end of the pipeline. The base viscosity of two ore types is determined using a rotational viscometer for minus 212 micron slurries. Viscosity variations with ore particle sizes of d99 212, 425 and 600microns are investigated. For each of these particle sizes the expected increase in viscosity during pipeline transport is simulated on a laboratory scale by agitation with a turbine mixer in a baffled container to give the same equivalent unit energy input as will occur in the pipeline. Tests were also conducted on the d99425 micron slurry in a 2.7 metre diameter DN 200Wheelstand, rotated for the 23 hour transit time and at a similar relative velocity as in the pipeline. Based on the Wheel stand test results the yield stress is expected to increase by a factor of 3.1during pipeline transit. The preliminary design allows for a reduced pumping concentration to accommodate this increase in yield stress towards the end of the pipeline.

Jan 1, 2007

By C. Dechert, J. Norwood

Compañia Minera Antamina, Peru has recently completed a fifth year of operation of their 301-km concentrate pipeline. The pipeline was commissioned by PSI in May of 2001. The Antamina pipeline is generally accepted as one of the most complex slurry pipeline operations worldwide. The pipeline transports an average of 1.6 million tonnes of copper and zinc concentrates from the Yanacancha mine site at an elevation of 4 155 metres above sea level (masl) to the port of Huarmey at an elevation of 62 masl. Currently ten different types of concentrates are being transported as separate batches. The pipeline traverses oneof the most rugged areas in the world. It utilizes three different pipe diameters, and four remote valve stations to optimize the hydraulic design. PSI has recently completed an overall operational audi tof the Antamina pipeline. This paper evaluates the operational effectiveness of specific design features and operating philosophies, implemented during the engineering phase, over the last five years of operation.

Jan 1, 2007

This article focuses on TurkeyÆs gold potential with respect to exploration, development and operation after 1985. Apart from TurkeyÆs geology, which offers a substantial number of volcanic-associated gold (Ag) and gold-copper (Au-Cu) projects, there are numerous other factors which make the country a favourable place for mining. Turkey has a mining history which goes back to pre-Roman times and an excellent mining code which ensures security for long-term production. In the country, the Government and local villagers are very positive and the country works extremely well logistically with excellent road and telecommunication links. The opportunities for new discoveries in Turkey are very high. Moreover, Turkey has its eyes turned west as it moves towards joining the European Community and it is no surprise that international companies believe it has got its timing as well as its partner relationship right. Newmont, Teck Cominco, BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, Eldorado Gold, etc all have direct or indirect interests in Turkey, as do an increasing number of midtier and junior exploration companies. Turkish Koza Gold Mining is the first Au producing company of Turkey. The Eldorado Gold owned 245 t Kisladag Au deposit in Western Turkey is currently also producing Au. In the meantime Anatolia Minerals Development is advancing the 131 t resource at the C÷pler Au deposit in North Eastern Turkey. These are significant world-class deposits. Further encouragement for investment in the Au mining sector has been provided by the introduction of a new mining law in 1985. Foreign investments in the country were encouraged and have seen a rapid increase in the last two decades. Gross domestic product (GDP) growth is in excess of five per cent per annum, inflation is down from 70 per cent to single figures, the budget deficit has been cut by 40 per cent to 11 per cent and industrial output and productivity are increasing rapidly. Turkey is politically and economically stable, is a member of the European Customs Union, has a supportive mining legislation, is highly prospective and under-explored and hosts significant recent gold discoveries.

Jan 1, 2007

By Wei Zheng

A pulverized coal fired power plant is being built in Osceola, Arkansas, along the Mississippi River. The subsurface soil conditions consist of a certain amount of very soft clayey silt and clay underlain with a medium dense sand layer and a dense sand layer. The site has been raised four to five feet with fill material consisting of sand and gravel. Consolidation settlement due to the fill is expected to cause negative shaft resistance (downdrag) on the pile foundations. The site is located in a high seismic hazard area - the New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ). The liquefaction analyses indicated that there is a high liquefaction potential in the medium dense sand layer. Load tests are needed to determine the shaft resistance and the end bearing of each soil layer for design purpose. Two types of pile foundations ? augered pressure grouted displacement pile (APGD) and partial augered pressure grouted displacement pile (P-APGD) were considered for this project. Ten pile load tests, including five compression tests and five tension tests, were performed for three different areas. Strain gauges were installed for the compression tests. The APGD and P-APGD piles were installed side by side for comparison. In addition, three additional dynamic tests were performed to supplement the information from the static load tests. Load deflection curves for the compression tests were predicted, and the failure loads were interpreted using four different methods. The shaft resistance and the end bearing were determined from the strain gauge data and were used to back calculate the ultimate capacity. The back-calculated capacities are in good agreement with the predicted failure loads; they were further verified with the tension load test results.

Jan 1, 2007

By L Reynolds

Oceana Gold (New Zealand) Limited (OceanaGold) has commenced mining operations at the Globe-Progress mine in the Reefton Goldfield, an area that historically produced 2.1 million ounces of gold from underground quartz lode deposits. During the construction phase of the operation, advanced exploration programmes targeting near-mine prospects commenced. The focus of this ongoing exploration is the discovery of near surface, refractory gold deposits that are amenable to open-pit mining methods and treatment through the Globe-Progress process plant.   One such discovery is the Supreme deposit, located along strike approximately 3 kilometres to the south of the Globe-Progress mine. The Supreme area was tested extensively with diamond drilling in 2006, defining a deposit with similar mineralisation styles and grade to the Globe-Progress deposit. The mineralisation comprises a central core of gold-bearing quartz veins, locally containing visible gold, surrounded by a more extensive halo of refractory, disseminated gold associated with an arsenopyrite-pyrite sulphide mineral assemblage. Three subparallel mineralised structures host the mineralisation. These structures are highly oblique to the country rock orientations, extending approximately 250 metres along a northeast-southwest strike and at least 220 metres down-dip, with an average thickness of 12 metres and moderate dip to the southeast. Records of historical workings indicate that mineralisation extends further down-dip and remains open at depth. 5175 ounces of gold were mined historically at the Supreme deposit. OceanaGold have defined an Inferred Resource for the Supreme deposit of 0.84 million tonnes at 1.46 grams per tonne for a total of 40 000 ounces (at a 0.8 grams per tonne cut-off). Higher-grade zones of mineralisation exist within the deposit and further drilling is planned to test the extent, continuity and geological controls of the mineralised structures.

Jan 1, 2007

By B. Derin, T. Uzunoglu, O. Yücel

In this study, reduction behaviours of Turkish chromite concentrate (48 % Cr2O3, 13.30 % FeO, 18.33 % MgO, 12.37 % Al2O3, 5.76 % SiO2) and nickel oxide by Fe-C alloy in graphite crucible were investigated. In the first stage of experiments, steel scraps were melted in graphite crucibles and were saturated with carbon at 1600 °C and 30 min. In the second stage, mixtures of different amount of chromite concentrate, nickel oxide and flux additives (CaO,SiO2 and CaF2) were charged into the graphite crucible containing the Fe-C alloy and heated to 1600 °C for different reduction times (0-180 min) under argon gas. The highest Cr and Ni con-tents in alloys were found as 11.41 and 14.37 % and the highest Cr and Ni recoveries were found as 88 and94 %, respectively at 180 min.

Jan 1, 2007

By S. Asano

Hydrometallurgical processes for treating copper sulfide concentrates have attracted considerable attention over thirty years and many processes have been developed. However there have been still problems in those processes because of difficulties of iron removal and high purity copper production with low operating cost. Although SX-EW is highly cost effective method, it is difficult to process the chalcopyrite. Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd. (SMM) conducted a review of hydrometallurgical copper concentrate processing and has successfully developed a novel process for the hydrometallurgical production of copper from copper concentrate. In this process, copper sulfide is leached by chlorine gas under atmospheric pressure. Most of hydro metallurgical processes can leach only some of chalcopyrite under atmospheric pressure then they need high pressure leaching facility like autoclave. In this process, copper in chalcopyrite can be leached completely by controlling oxidation reduction potential and chloride ion concentration. Cu(I) ion in leached liquor is separated from Fe(I!) ion by SX using TBP then pure copper powder is produced by electrowinning. Results in batch and continuous testworks and pilot plant tests at Niihama Research Laboratories are presented in this paper. Cu2007

Jan 1, 2007

By J Ramezani, K Faure, N Mortimer

Western New Zealand can be regarded as a rifted continuation of eastern Australia. Detailed studies of units previously considered to have trans-Tasman correlations are being undertaken within the FRST Programme Mineral Wealth of NZ and its EEZ to test specific connections, and thus add to the exploration framework of NZ. Correlation of two major episodes of granitic magmatism are currently being investigated. These represent the oldest (mid Paleozoic) and youngest (Early Cretaceous) magmatic events that conjoined Australia and New Zealand are believed to have in common.

Jan 1, 2007

By Ke Yang

Drilled shafts are widely adopted as the foundation for sound walls. However, there has been a lack of uniformity in design and analysis methods and design criteria, in terms of factor of safety against ultimate capacity failure as well as the allowable deflection. In order to establish a uniform design methodology for the drilled shafts supporting sound walls in cohesive and cohesionless soils, respectively, a database of full-scale lateral load tests on fully instrumented drilled shafts was collected. Based on the compiled database, existing design methods and design criteria of laterally loaded drilled shafts were evaluated. Broms method and COM624P (or LPILE) are suggested as the design methods for drilled shafts supporting sound walls in both cohesive and cohesionless soils. Additionally, the corresponding design criteria, including factor of safety and permissible deflection, for both design methods are recommended. Two full-scale lateral load tests on fully instrumented drilled shafts were subsequently conducted in Colorado to further verify the design recommendation. A comprehensive geotechnical investigation program was also carried out at the two new lateral load test sites that included pressuremeter test, SPT, as well as laboratory triaxial consolidated undrained tests and direct shear tests on the soil samples taken from the lateral load test sites. The test results obtained at these two load test sites were employed to validate the recommended geotechnical design and geotechnical testing methods for the drilled shafts supporting sound walls.

Jan 1, 2007

By M. Potesser

Higher prices for natural gas or oil have motivated the copper industry to reexamine the modes of oxygen and oxy-fuel burner usage at operating plants. With rising energy costs and the growing importance of environmental protection, burner usage and burner operations have become the focus of several investigations and optimization efforts. One possible approach to lower energy usage is through combustion using tonnage oxygen. When such oxygen is used, the flame temperature increases and operational efficiency is improved. As well, with the correct technology, due to the presence of lower levels of harmful substances such as NOx in the off gas, there is improved environmental performance. As regards copper production, furnaces are employed for both concentrate smelting or for melting and casting operations. The use of tonnage oxygen in concentrate burners for smelting provides for a higher thermal efficiency. For furnaces employed for melting, air-operated burners may in fact have an initial advantage because a long radiant flame is typically generated, thus providing for a higher degree of heat transmission. This paper describes the new experimental burner chamber of Messer Austria GmbH which provides for testing of the combustion of natural gas with oxygen or oxygen-enriched air and the use of special water cooling ducts that simulates a metal charge during melting, The operational effectiveness of the burner is determined from temperature and off-gas analysis data. The paper also discusses future trends in burner technologies including a new patented burner. Cu2007 - Volume III (Book 2) The Carlos Diaz Symposium ou Pyrometallurgy Edited by A.E.M. Warner, C.J. Newman, A. Vahed, D.B. George, P.J. Mackey, A. Warczok Toronto, Canada,

Jan 1, 2007

By J. Humphrey

Introduction The weight of a Mining Truck can be affected by field modifications, the selection of items like tires, rims or even the conditions in which it operates. Truck performance and the compliance with a number of ISO standards, e.g. braking, steering and ROPS are dependent on truck weight. It is critical that truck owners understand the impact of changes in weight1. What makes this even more difficult for owners to evaluate is that there is no standard terminology or definitions for Mining Truck weights. This paper discusses and defines weight terminology, how it applies to performance and standards and the impact on the application of Mining Trucks.

Jan 1, 2007

By Zephaniah Varley, Dominic Parmantier, Paul Schmall, Richard Martin, Red Robinson

Sequential excavation of the Beacon Hill Station has been accomplished in highly complex and inter-layered sand, silt, and clay soils with multiple perched groundwater tables. Successful excavation has required the installation of a deep dewatering well system used to depressurize sand layers above and within the excavated tunnel faces. In addition, the presence of sand layers in the crown of the Platform Tunnels required jet grouting at depths of up to 49m (160-ft). This paper discusses the design intent, construction, and effectiveness of the dewatering system and the selective jet grouting of sand horizons and shaft break outs for the successful construction of the deepest SEM station excavation ever completed in the United States.

Jan 1, 2007

By D C. McPhail, S L. Rogers, J Brugger

Using iron- and sulfur-oxidising bacteria to catalyse the breakdown of sulfides that host the gold is an important biological method for the pretreatment of refractory gold ores. Following this biological treatment a combination of chemical and physical methods are used for leaching (such as the cyanide process) and concentration (such as carbon-in-pulp or electrowinning) of gold. Although these methods are well accepted by industry, they harbour limitations in the processing of low-grade refractory ores, and regulatory agency/public acceptance of cyanide use. Thus, it is beneficial to industry to develop environmentally friendly, cost-efficient leaching and concentration techniques that are based on micro-organisms. This may soon be possible by adapting the results of recent regolith geoscience research, which has shown that micro- organisms are capable of driving a biogeochemical cycle of gold dispersion, transport and reconcentration in the supergene environment. The indigenous microbiota in biologically active soil microcosms from a number of Australian sites are capable of solubilising up to 80 wt per cent of the gold contained in these materials during 50 days of incubation. Studies using molecular microbial techniques have shown that a metallophilic bacterium, Ralstonia metallidurans, is present in biofilms on gold grains from a number of Australian sites. R metallidurans is capable of actively accumulating gold from solution, suggesting that the bacterium may contribute to the formation of secondary gold grains and nuggets. Identifying the biochemical and physiological pathways that lead to the dispersion and accumulation of gold in regolith, and quantifying the reaction kinetics of these processes may thus lead to the development of industrial bio-processing capacities for gold-containing ores.

Jan 1, 2007

By J. Lui

At its Copper Cliff Smelter, bulk nickel and copper concentrate is processed in two Inca flash furnaces and Peirce Smith converters to produce Bessemer matte containing 0.6%Fe. After slow cooling and Matte Separation, Bessemer matte is converted into three main products using magnetic separation and flotation technology: (1) a nickel containing chalcocite concentrate (MK); (2) two types of copper containing nickel sulfide (ME and MR); (3) metallics (MYN). MK is further processed in the Inca top blowing bottom stirring MK Reactor to produce semi-blister copper containing ~4%Ni and ~3±1 %S. The semi-blister copper is then purified in the multi-purpose vessels (MPV) to produce blister copper by reducing Ni, Fe and S content through oxidation. High melting point NiO is formed inside the MPVs. The accumulation of solid NiO and other oxides requires periodic cleaning by adding reductant and furnace matte, a unique process called "washout" at Inca. For many years, the reductant used for the "washout" process has been 15%Si Ferro-silicon. With increasing cost and limited suppliers for 15%FeSi, alternative reductants were pursued. This paper summarizes the development and commercialization of new alternative reductants for MPV "washout".

Jan 1, 2007

By Stephen Hodgson, Ken Brouwer

September 2005, Northern Dynasty Mines announced the discovery of a new, high-grade deposit at its Pebble project in southwest Alaska. The product of insightful geological investigation, Pebble East, as it is now known, is quickly growing into one of the most significant copper deposits in the world. Preliminary analysis shows it could reduce the U.S. copper supply deficit by a third. The new deposit has also altered Northern Dynasty’s view of how Pebble should be developed. This article describes the Pebble project as it is currently understood and outlines the work planned for the next several years.

Jan 1, 2007

By A B. Christie

In Northland, Coromandel, Taupo and Canterbury, weathering and hydrothermal alteration of Cenozoic volcanic rocks has resulted in the formation of various types of clay deposits. Subtropical weathering of rhyolite in the Matauri Bay area (Matauri and Mahimahi deposits) in Northland has formed high quality halloysite deposits. The Matauri Bay halloysite is mined and processed to produce reputedly æthe world's whitest clayÆ that commands a high price in niche ceramic markets. In the Coromandel, some argillic alteration zones contain kaolinite clays (at Hahei) and advanced argillic alteration zones contain kaolinite-gibbsite-pyrophyllite assemblages (at Pumpkin Hill and Lookout Rocks). In addition to known halloysite and kaolinite clay deposits, there is also economic potential for smectite clays produced by hydrothermal alteration of volcanic rocks. Bentonite (mainly ferriferous-beidellite) is mined from weathered basaltic ash in Miocene lake beds at Coalgate in Canterbury.   We have compiled interim mineral deposit profiles for bentonite in basaltic ash, halloysite in rhyolite, kaolinite in altered rhyolitic rocks, kaolinite-gibbsite-pyrophyllite clays in advanced argillic alteration zones and for smectite clays in argillic alteration zones. These deposit profiles include geological and mineralogical attributes, which are linked to the underlying volcanic, hydrothermal and weathering processes that have produced the clay minerals from their source volcanic rocks. Further work on refining the deposit profiles includes characterising the composition of selected deposits to determine spatial trends in mineralogy and geochemistry.

Jan 1, 2007

By J. Suarez Condezo, E. Herrera Alarcon

The Ilo Smelter Modernization Project will require treating the slag from the Peirce Smith converters in Slag Cleaning Furnaces using pig iron technology. Currently the slags from the converters show variable magnetite contents. The copper contained in this slag is recovered in Reverberatory Furnaces, where the smelting rate was improved due to the high silica content of the converter slag. Preliminary industrial tests where developed to clean the slag from converters using pig iron. The results showed that the magnetite content has a significant influence in this process. This work describes the actions that are being implemented in the converter operation to control the magnetite content in the slag in order to maintain the high copper recovery of the smelter when the new facilities are commissioned. This task will demand a strong control of both the slag chemistry and converter practices in order to get the copper recovery considered as the design criteria (~97.4%).

Jan 1, 2007