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By A. W. Laughlin

Analytical costs are a major part of exploration programs in developing nations which may lack adequate laboratories. Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS), a variant of atomic emission spectroscopy, can reduce exploration analytical costs and can provide the analytical results in <1 minute. CPI is now marketing battery-powered, backpack mounted analyzers, using LIBS to analyze for many elements of interest to the explorationist. LIBS is well suited to the analysis of elements in industrial minerals. Limits of detection in ppm for some of these are: Li-1, Be-2, Na-100, B-33, Sr-10, Ba-300, Cs-1, K-500, Fe-500, Mg-500, and Ti-500.

Jan 1, 1999

By D. Kump

The Bullfrog Mine is an underground goldmine that uses the underhand-cut-and-fill mining method. The portal was established on June 18, 1991. Mining is expected to be completed by the summer of 1999. This paper starts by discussing what it took to get from nothing to 2000 tons-per-day backfill, and ends with a hindsight commentary on things that did and did not help.

Jan 1, 1999

By G. Biles

The Eskay Creek Mine, a high-grade gold and silver underground mine in northwestern British Columbia started operations in late 1994. For the first three years of operation, ore was crushed to minus 2 inch; blended to satisfy smelter terms and direct shipped to smelters in Japan and Canada. Before commencing the above operations, preliminary evaluations had indicated that an extremely complex metallurgical facility, requiring a large capital investment, would be required to recover the precious and other economic metals. Subsequently markets for raw ore were identified and underground mining and ore transportation operations, at a nominal production rate of 300 tonnes per day, were commenced. Exploration diamond drilling in 1995 and 1996 discovered additional lower grade mineralized zones, which are less economic or uneconomic as direct shipping ore. Testwork demonstrated that these lower grade zones could be upgraded to marketable concentrates in a simple flotation mill. The mill was built in 1997 and has been in operation since late 1997. The mining rate now has increased to 400 tonnes per day including 250 tonnes per day of the direct shipping ore and ISO tonnes per day of the mill ore. Prime Resources Group Inc. wholly owns the Eskay Creek Mine. Homestake Canada Inc. owns 50.6% of Prime&apos;s shares and manages and operates the mine on Prime&apos;s behalf. This paper discusses the mining and milling operations as well as ore shipment and smelter contracts&apos; administration.

Jan 1, 1999

By A. K. Kyllo

The use of Composite Furnace Module cooling systems has been shown to give improved refractory performance in a number of above bath locations in WMC flash furnaces. To test the behaviour of modules in contact with a melt, a set of instrumented modules have been installed in the reaction shaft of a. nickel flash furnace. The location was chosen to provide a suitably harsh environment to ensure rigorous testing, while still allowing relatively easy access for module installation. The modules were continuously monitored to provide information on the module performance, as well as the temperature in the shaft itself. The shaft temperature showed significant transient behaviour, which resulted in heat fluxes through the modules ranging from 10 to 92 kW m-2. The modules were capable of handling the highest heat flux with no risk of the coolant boiling. This paper details the design and operation of the modules over a period of seven weeks.

Jan 1, 1999

By S. Uihteenmaki

Pyhasalmi is a massive sulfide orebody located in central Finland. The mine has been in operation since 1962. The flotation concentrator produces Cu, Zn, Pb and pyrite concentrates. The plant has used an on-stream analyzer for process control since 1968. The original analyzer has overlived a few generations of minicomputers, but the analytical parts are essentially unchanged. The on-stream analyzer is a critical component in plant process control system, which has made Pyhasaltni one of the pioneers in the art of computer control and optimization of flotation plants. The paper summarizes the experiences gained from the use of the high performance elemental analyzer system and the proven benefits from the use of on-stream analyzers at a complex sulfide flotation. The aging analyzer is approaching the end of its useful life. A new state of the art analyzer system is undergoing testing at Pyhasalmi.

Jan 1, 1999

By Zajber A, Kulchen R, Letzel D, Weyer A, Schwellenbach J

The search for modem casting plant concepts today focuses more and more on the harmonisation and optimisation of overall concept lines to obtain a continuous quality control and reduce the cost of production (Figure 1). Fin I As far as continuous casting plant concepts are concerned, this specifically requires an optimal adaptation and flexible operation when converting liquid steel into a directly processable product without any in-between treatment. Continuous casters need to fully satisfy the requirements of both the upstream steelmaking facilities as well as the downstream rolling facilities.

Jan 1, 1999

By E. F. Schnitzer, P. J. Wampler

During 1996 and 1997, Oregon experienced flooding on a scale not seen in many years. Some gravel pits located near rivers experienced erosion and, in several cases, breaches between the gravel pit and the river. Initial evaluation of several sites that experienced breaches indicates that impacts to the river system are complex and vary significantly from site to site. The impacts to the adjacent river system may be viewed as both positive and negative. Several floodplain-mining sites in Oregon located in areas of historic river flow have reverted to active riverbed. In many cases, state and federal fisheries biologists and university researchers see the resulting increase in channel complexity and habitat as favorable. The Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries – Mined Land Reclamation Program (DOGAMI-MLR) is performing additional studies of the impacts to the off-channel areas that resulted from the 1996 floods. More data is needed to make sound floodplain decisions regarding mining.

Jan 1, 1999

By G. Achurra

The products of the smelting of copper concentrates in an El Teniente Converter (CT) are a high grade matte, analyzing 74-76% Cu; and a highly oxidized slag, typically containing 15-20% Fe3O4 and 4-10% Cu. The El Teniente Division of CODELCO¬CHILE has developed a slag reduction-cleaning process, that is practised in a tilting, horizontal furnace, to recover copper from these slags. The El Teniente slag cleaning process has been successfully implemented at the El Teniente Caletones smelter and various other smelters in Chile: Today, eight such slag cleaning furnaces, each with a capacity of 800-1000 tonnes/day, are in operation in Chile. This paper discusses basic laboratory research and industrial tests that led to substantial reductions in the slag cleaning cycle time and the specific consumption of fuel and reductants. Simultaneously, the slag cleaning off-gas quality was improved. Based on the experimental results, recommendations were made to improve the practice of the El Teniente slag cleaning process. The recommended modifications have been fully implemented at the Caletones smelter.

Jan 1, 1999

By Larry M. Southwick

Extraction of gold and other metals from ores suspended in liquid slurries often involves gases (such as oxygen) as a participant in the reaction. An important factor then in setting the rate of extraction can be mass transfer of the gas into the liquid and/or solids. A number of recent studies have indicated that as solids loadings increase, mass transfer rates of gas into solid-liquid mixtures decreases. This would seem to imply that lower solids loadings would be beneficial to increased reaction rates. However, since it is the solids which are being reacted, a most intriguing paradox is created. More solids should lead to more surface area to react, but it seemingly also provides less gas to react. So is the reaction faster or slower as solids loadings increases? The creation of this paradox is imbedded in how mass transfer and reaction data is collected and measured, how it is analyzed and correlated, and finally on the rate controlling steps in the reaction. An alternative analysis of these studies is presented which clarifies and eliminates the paradox. The analysis applies to water slurries as used in gold or other metal leaching processes or in bio-hydrometallurgy, as well as to molten metal/solid/gas mixtures such as might be encountered in submerged gas injection.

Jan 1, 1999

By M. A. Vera

This paper proposes a simple two-parameter model for the typical inverse relationship between recovery and flotation concentrate grade. The model is based on the mineralogical limitations imposed by the material properties. One parameter (R*) describes the proportion of metal content which is floatable, and the other (b) is the rate at which the fastest floating particles are being contaminated by the other less valuable particles present in the mineral system. One significant feature of the recovery-grade curve is that initial recovery (i. e. R ? 0) is at the purest attainable mineral grade, (but as recovery rises the cumulative grade of the concentrate tends to the feed grade. The ideal recovery-grade curve for a particular mineralogical system can be obtained by release analysis: the release analysis curve determines the maximum or limiting separation efficiency. The model proposed in this work is similar to the linear recovery - cut-off grade model of Dell (1), but has the advantage of describing the whole curve.

Jan 1, 1999

By J. Marc Coolen

Marrowbone Development Company operates a large drift mining complex in the central Appalachian coal field. In 1997, five continuous miner supersections produced close to 9 million tons of raw plant feed. All production is from the Coalburg seam, a 5 to 10 ft thick coal seam with multiple coal benches and shale binders. The immediate roof lithologies consist of laminated shales, sandstones, or a mixture of sandstones and shales. The mine area is bisected by the regional Warfield anticline and associated Warfield fault. Mining conditions vary considerably due to frequent changes in seam and roof geology. The following geological categories can be distinguished: 1) presence of coal riders in the immediate shale roof, 2) excessive seam slopes around the Warfield fault, 3) splay faults associated with the Warfield fault, 4) zones of abundant slickensides, 5) abrupt roof lithology changes (sandstone - shale), 6) splitting and merging of different benches of the Coalburg seam, 7) sandstone washouts, 8) excessive roof dilution, 9) pillar sizing problems due to seam anomalies (soft fireclay binders). Several examples of these features are discussed in detail. Also, their relationship to roof fall occurrences is evaluated. Early recognition of potentially adverse geological conditions is of prime importance for the economic viability of the mining plans. Detailed core drilling in advance of the mining faces and coordination of the core data with underground mapping are the main forecasting tools.

Jan 1, 1999

A new system for granting access to mineral rights is proposed in the recently released White Paper, ?A Minerals and Mining Policy for South Africa?. Official policy states that ?Government?s long-term objective is for all mineral rights to vest in the State for the benefit of and on behalf of all the people of South Africa?. In order to achieve this objective, government is presently investigating the feasibility of imposing a financial or tax-related disincentive to holding mineral rights. The paper aims to present the pros and cons and to examine the alternatives which will cause minimal disruption to the minerals industry in the period during which mineral rights are transferred to the State. South Africa is a country whose economic and political history is embedded in the development of its mineral resources and has inherited a system which cannot simply be wished away. Hasty or radical decisions will compound the problem, rather than provide a lasting and widely acceptable solution. Mineral rights ownership and its impact on access to mineral deposits are discussed. Taxation as a possible economic disincentive is also evaluated. Finally, the value of mineral resource related information as a prerequisite to mineral policy decisions and as an alternative to mineral rights taxation is emphasized.

Jan 1, 1999

By Glenn A. Gruber

The conditioning of phosphate flotation feed with anionic flotation reagents was identified as a high- priority research topic during a beneficiation work- shop sponsored by the Florida Institute of Phosphate Research (FIPR). FIPR subsequently solicited research proposals to identify the mechanisms of reagent adsorption, to determine scale-up relationships for conditioner design, and to investigate the effect of conditioning variables on reagent adsorption and flotation performance. The two-year research project was awarded to Jacobs Engineering. Somasundaran, Inc., the University of Florida Mineral Resources Research Center, and the U.S. Bureau of Mines assisted Jacobs. Two mechanisms of anionic collector adsorption were detected by spectrographic analyses and confirmed by microcalorimetric measurements. The mechanisms provided a sound technical basis for the empirical practice of conditioning phosphate flotation feed at a high percent solids. Tests performed in laboratory and pilot-scale agitated tanks indicated that power intensity may be used as a reliable scale-up parameter for anionic conditioning of phosphate slurry. Excessive agitator speed during conditioning was found to be detrimental to anionic flotation performance. Some dimensional ratios of anionic conditioners were found to be consistent with good utilization of agitation energy. Laboratory conditioning and flotation tests demonstrated that adsorption of collector onto phosphate and the subsequent recovery of phosphate in anionic flotation were significantly influenced by the quantity and quality of water used in conditioning. Conversely, the quality of water used in flotation was more influential on the recovery of quartz in the concentrate. A comprehensive survey of anionic conditioners and conditioning practice in the Florida phosphate industry was also performed during this project. The study clearly showed that flotation testing with laboratory conditions typical of scientific research gives different results than laboratory testing with simulated plant conditions. The effects of test conditions on laboratory test results should be carefully considered by investigators planning and conducting applied research.

Jan 1, 1999

By Michael P. Foose

In 1994, more than 41 of the approximately 160 coal-fired, electrical- power plants within the six-state Ohio River Valley region used flue-gas desulfurization (FGD) units to desulfurize their emissions, an approximately 100% increase over the number of plants using FGD units in 1989. This increase represents a trend that may continue with greater efforts to meet Federal Clean Air Act standards. Abundant limestone resources exist in the Ohio River Valley and are accessed by approximately 975 quarries. However, only 35 of these are believed to have supplied limestone for FGD electrical generating facilities. The locations of these limestone suppliers do not show a simple spatial correlation with FGD facilities, and the closest quarries are not being used in most cases. Thus, reduction in transportation costs may be possible in some cases. Most waste generated by FGD electrical-generating plants is not recycled. However, many FGD sites are relatively close to gypsum wallboard producers that may be able to process some of their waste.

Jan 1, 1999

By G Brewster

The Eagle on the Hill tunnels form part of an upgrade of Mt Barker Road, 15 km to the southeast of Adelaide. The upgrade significantly improves safety and reduces delays on this major road, which winds steeply through mountainous terrain. The twin tunnels each spanning 15 metres run in parallel for a length of 480 metres. The tunnels are excavated in slightly weathered high strength slates and very high strength quartzites of the Saddleworth Formation on the western margin of the Mount Lofty Ranges. Steeply dipping slate cleavages and the high fracture ratio result in many slope stability problems in the project area. The level of geotechnical investigation undertaken prior to the calling of tenders for the project was extensive. This included the excavation of a pilot tunnel along one of the tunnel alignments, which allowed accurate mapping and rating of the rock, resulting in an increased level of confidence during the tender process. One of the features of the winning alternative tender design was the use of canopy tubes, flexible steel ribs and shotcrete to replace up to 40 metres of deep portal cuts in unstable rock with driven tunnels. Slope stability issues were overcome with the use of rock dowels and shotcrete. The support concept allowed the safe driving of the tunnel portals with as little as two metres of overburden. The design incorporated lining drainage and criteria for fireproofing based on European experience to ensure the ability of the tunnels to remain stable in the case of a severe fire incident. The support design allowed for maximum flexibility with a range of support types able to deal with the varying ground conditions. Design development and support refinement continued throughout the tunnel construction phase with close liaison between the designer and the constructor. Monitoring and review of feedback from the construction site by the Sydney based design team was easily achieved by means of electronic transfer of photographic and survey information, telephone and fax communication and regular site visits. The contractor for this project is Macmahon Concrete Constructions Joint Venture (MCCJV) and the designer is Connell Wagner. Excavation commenced in January 1998 with tunnel breakthrough having been achieved in early-August 1998 and mid-September 1998 respectively. Concrete lining construction is scheduled for completion in April 1999.

Jan 1, 1999

By W. J. Spat

Political risk is an integral part of the mining business in Northern Andean countries. Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela all have a higher than average political risk compared with other South American countries. Successful operations in such contexts require: 1. Good political risk information; 2. A thoroughgoing political risk management plan; and 3. A strategy to deal with political risk perception on the part of the investing public. Obtaining quality political risk information, developing a political risk management plan, and addressing political risk perception are the foci of this work.

Jan 1, 1999

By O. Nakai

In the copper electrorefining process, the quality of the starting sheet is one of the basic factors for producing high quality copper cathodes. A highly automated and advanced facility for the production of copper starting sheets was constructed at the Toyo Copper Refinery in 1992, bringing various improvements into an automatic stripping system using stainless steel mother blanks. In 1998, the refinery expanded the tankhouse by another 128 commercial cells, and introduced 64 polymer concrete cells in a first stage conversion. As a result, the Toyo Copper Refinery now has the capacity to produce 103,200 t/y of cathode copper. Construction has led to great improvements in the materials handling facilities and computer associated short-circuit detection technology. This report summarizes the improvements made in the quality of the cathodes and in plant productivity.

Jan 1, 1999

By James A. Morrison, Stephane Carayol, Paul H. Madsen

The Rio Piedras Alignment Section 7 of the Tren Urbano is currently being constructed beneath a historic commercial section of San Juan. Different portions of the section are being constructed using open cut, cut-and-cover, New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM), Earth Pressure Balance Machine (EPBM), and as tacked drift mined support system. The combination of complex geology, low ground cover, and several innovative construction methods present many challenges to the ground control program. Mining and construction sequences were first developed to minimize ground movements and risk of damage to structures. A unique compensation-grouting program was developed to improve the ground, limit settlement, and recover settlements incurred due to mining.

Jan 1, 1999

By J. G. Nalven

On July 1, 1999, most domestic metal mines will have to report releases of toxic chemicals into the environment for the first time as required by SARA Title 313. Some of these reportable releases will appear huge in relation to reports by other industries. The reasons for the potentially large reportable releases, special considerations for mining operations, and strategies for dealing with the reports are described. Data composited from experience with several mining companies is presented in the context of a typical gold mine.

Jan 1, 1999

The Airport Link Railway utilises innovative solutions to a number of issues associated with underground development and transport infrastructure planning. It is typical of the major change underway in the countryÆs rail and air transport industry. It involves the private sector providing transport facilities in competition with the public sector, a convergence of planning and transport imperatives, the use of the most technologically advanced engineering practices to minimise construction impacts on the community and a commercialised way of developing and maintaining railway infrastructure and services.

Jan 1, 1999