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By S Van Duin, I Porter

This paper discusses how advanced manufacturing technology (AMT), which is fundamentally reliant on and developed via multi-disciplinary skills, has benefitted non-mining industries, and what lessons can be derived from this experience to benefit the mining industry, particularly underground coal mining. Examples of AMT use in æconventionalÆ industry, some drawn from the more than 25 years experience in many different industries of the Automation and Robotics team at the University of Wollongong, are described to show typical benefits, risks and opportunities expected in using AMT. Applying AMT to mining brings many unique challenges and this paper expands on these and then provides practical examples of how a multi-disciplinary team can develop new processes and systems leading to productivity, safety and other benefits for underground coal mining.

Sep 26, 2011

By T Clemens, D Trumm

Adopting environmentally acceptable practices in New Zealand is a crucial requirement for mineral wealth development. Recent planned expansions in the coal industry have increasingly placed mining in the media spotlight. A lack of appropriate national environmental guidelines has resulted in inconsistent responses and assessments of current and prospective mine sites. Such inconsistencies have lead to delays in decisions on developing economic mineral deposits that may have only minor short-term impacts, and have also allowed unacceptable environmental management practices to continue elsewhere.   A research collaboration between CRL Energy, Landcare Research, University of Canterbury and University of Otago aims to provide regulator groups and the mining industry with a unified approach to the requirements of the Resource Management Act 1991, which is the legislation that predominantly drives the nationÆs environmental policies and guidelines. The tangible outcome of this research programme will be guidelines for an integrated decision-making framework based upon robust multidisciplinary science. The result of this unified process will facilitate the development of viable mineral deposits and prevent excessive environmental impacts.   The framework will be derived from a synthesis of four objectives. Objective 1 identifies potential water quality impact. This objective is based on a targeted geochemical study of the lithology and waterways of the West Coast and Southland. Objective 2 categorises the degree of impacts on the ecology of receiving aquatic ecosystems and determines the processes that drive aquatic ecosystem recovery. Objective 3 identifies best strategies to sufficiently manage impacted ecosystems, and to prevent future unacceptable impacts. Objective 4 combines the findings of Objectives 1 - 3 into a standard decision-making framework. The development of this framework development will include wide consultation with representatives of the mining industry and regulator groups. It is anticipated that this multidisciplinary approach will provide a robust and coherent, standardised system that will assist in achieving industry and environmental targets.

Jan 1, 2004

Universities have had a long history in the education of geology graduates, Analysis of this history reveals a record of success, as judged on a world basis. However there have been significant changes in the last 20 years that have impacted on the ability of universities to continue to provide their traditional style of geology education. These changes have increased in the last 10 years. In the teaching side, there has been a change in expectations. Additionally the increasing workload decreases the value of each academic to perform the tasks needed by the new education. In the area of research, the funds provided have continued to decline, in both real and absolute terms, and it is now necessary for universities to seek out funds to pay for their postgraduate research. Additionally, the universities have slipped into the error of what cahn only be termed "academic incest", and research student mobility has decreased to an undesirable level, stifling initiative and new ideas in a number of cases, The only solution is for Government monies to be "directed" - ie that the postgraduate student must leave his or her original university in order to receifve the research stipend/scholarship. On the government front, the government and its agencies have not adequately analysed and recognised the need for the redirection of education and research funds into the needy areas of science and technology, especially those that related to the minerals area.

Jan 1, 1986

By Svensson J

The nickel segregation process is one of the methods for treating nickel oxide ores. In this process nickel oxide ores are heated together with a small amount of the carbonaceous reductants and halides to about 800-950¦C. The reduced nickel segregates onto the surface of the carbonaceous reductants in the form of metallic particles which are recovered by magnetic separation or flotation. Pilot plant tests for the extraction of nickel from nickel oxide ores have been made using nickel segregation process by means of a new roasting installation which is called the "Mechanical Kiln" (2.5m~ x 3m,') with autogenous heating. Nickel oxide ores containing about 2.5%Ni were mixed with 2.5%CaC12 and 2.7%coal, and continuously charged into this installation at the rate of 60kg/h in continuous operation for 30 days per trial.

Jan 1, 1980

By R G. Richards

Although most New Zealand coals are low in ash, there are situations where high ash coals could be won. Not all high ash coals can be upgraded by physical means, since the ash is either inherent in the coal or bound in such a way to make its physical removal either impractical or uneconomic. Nevertheless, the authors believe, the situations where high amounts of ash can be economically removed by physical means to make a saleable product are considerable.

Jan 1, 1979

In the Illawarra District of New South Wales, Mines were traditionally developed from the seabord. The advantages were close access to the working faces and a minimal depth of cover. Travelling times to the working faces have become prohibitive in many cases due to progressive westward development of the mines. As a result, additional vent- ilation shafts were sunk to service existing mines and new mines were established west of the Illawarra escarpment. Mining operations west of the escarpment are now being conducted at an increasing depth of cover and can be effected by gas related problems such as high seam gas emission rates and gas outbursts.

Jan 1, 1983

By M Delaney

Alliancing is a contractual relationship in which organisations with an interest in a project are brought together in an atmosphere of co-operation to produce superior results to benefit all of the participants. Fundamental to the concept is the management of the risks associated with the project. The traditional risk management strategy adopted by clients has been to transfer this risk to others in the belief that this will result in the lowest overall project cost. It is assumed that competition in the market place will allow these risks to be transferred without paying a premium. However, this approach often results in the development of an adversarial climate, a high level of litigation, time and cost overruns and an overall poor project outcome. Under an alliancing arrangement the parties (client, designer and contractor) are aligned through shared interests in the projectÆs success by linking profitability to performance. Under such an arrangement, an atmosphere is created whereby the participants are motivated to focus on cost-savings, pursue best value and to innovate. Successful alliancing can result in highly motivated project teams and realisation of extraordinary productivity and cost-savings flowing from increased efficiencies. The situations in which alliancing can be successful are discussed with particular reference to the Wandoo Alliance which successfully completed the $375 million Wandoo B offshore oil platform in record time and with considerable savings to the project budget.

Jan 1, 2000

By Raczej I, Defant M

Pre-Miocene igneous rocks from the Phili pine island arc are characterised by 87Sr/86Sr and 143Nd/144Nd ratios typical for intra-oceanic island arcs where sediment involvement in the magma genesis was minor. Lead isotopic ratios are similar to Indian Ocean MORB (Mukasa et al., 1986a,b). Pliocene to recent volcanics, however, have more radiogenic Sr and Pb and less radiogenic Nd, except for the volcanics of the Bicol Arc, which have similar isotopic signatures as the Pre-Miocene rocks. We suggest that Pre-Miocene magmas and Bicol-Arc magmas have been generated in response to the subduction of the Philippine Sea Plate, their isotopic characteristics reflecting the composition of Philippine Sea crust. The Bataan arc magmas may reflect the larger amounts of sediments available for subduction in the South China Sea, while magmas of the Mindoro Arc, which are characterised by the most radiogenic Sr and least radiogenic Nd, may have been contaminated by slivers of the Mindoro-North Palawan terrane, which have been carried down to mantle depths after the collision of this terrane and the Philippine arc in Miocene (McCabe et al., 1982). This interpretation implies that Nd (and by inference other REE) can migrate from the subducted slab to the mantle wedge. Thus, variable Nd-isotopic ratios in island arc magmas (e.g. Sunda, Lesser Antillas) may not he a primary feature of the mantle wedge but a consequence of the release of Nd from the subducted slab.

Jan 1, 1987

The discovery of bauxite in 1955 at Weipa on the NW coast of Queensland's Cape York Pen- insula enabled Australia to join the Caribbean and West Africa as one of the major world sources of bauxite. Weipa, today, is the largest bauxite mining operation in the world and holds a significant position on the world bauxite scene as the operation 1. supplies 15 per cent of the Western World's metallurgical grade bauxite requirements, Z. produces 50 per cent of the world's demand for abrasive grade calcined bauxite, and 3. is the world's largest bauxite shipp ing port.

Jan 1, 1978

Production implications of the introduct- ion of electric L.H.D. units in sublevel open stoping and pillar recovery at Rosebery are covered by Faulkner (1982) and Carlton (1982). The following engineering aspects associated with the decision to introduce electric L.H.D.'s are considered here: - Initial requirements for commissioning, including power reticulation at an adequate level to all operating areas. - Conversion of a manual system to radio remote control. - Maintenance backup requirement to ensure that the production potential is realised.

Jan 1, 1982

By B Hall

In feasibility studies the choice of optimum cut-off grade is typically based on an evaluation of tonnage grade curves and manual design of stopes at one or two cut-off grades. In the industry these stope designs are usually based on break-even cut-off grades, but there is little consensus on what cost and price assumptions ought to be included. A new tool for automated stope design has been developed that generates sets of stope shapes for a nominated range of cut-off grades, or depending on the nature of the mineralisation, cut-off values based on net smelter return calculations in the block model. The stope design procedure includes constraints in stope and pillar geometry for the selected mining method and can be used to evaluate sublevel interval and sensitivities to other design parameters in the specific geological and geotechnical environment. These ænested stopesÆ are analogous to ænested pitsÆ in open cut design, and can be used as a key input in the æhill of valueÆ methodology for the evaluation of the optimum cut-off grade in underground design. The results of many consulting studies indicate that a break-even cut-off grade will not be the optimum cut-off grade. A particular benefit of the new stope design tool is that the design rules used to establish stope shapes in the feasibility study can then be used in mine production, in an optimal and repeatable method. This methodology is being advanced in the AMIRA P884 PRIMO project, which is a new research collaboration coordinated by AMIRA International. The project has brought together active research groups in Australia and Canada, with the goal of developing a flexible framework and set of software tools for optimisation in underground mine design.

Jan 1, 2009

By M R. Dehghan, H Mansouri, A Hakami, M A. Ebrahimi Farsangi, F Faramarzi

Today, it is accepted that rock fragmentation by blasting affects loading and hauling operations, and also directly influences on downstream processes such as crushing and grinding. In this research, the influence of rock fragmentation by blasting on the performance of three mills at Gol-e-Gohar iron ore mine No 1 was studied. Firstly, the fragmentation of conventional blast patterns in iron ore (5 × 6 m) was studied using image analysis and the performances of three mills were monitored. Then, a new blast pattern (4 × 5 m) was designed and nine blasts were carried out using this pattern. Increasing the powder factor form 1650 gr/m3 to 2480 gr/m3 by changing the blast pattern design showed that mill throughputs increase five per cent to 30 per cent for the new pattern.CITATION:Hakami, A, Mansouri, H, Ebrahimi Farsangi, M A, Dehghan, M R and Faramarzi, F, 2015. Study of the effect of blast pattern design on autogenous and semi-autogenous mill throughput at Gol-e-Gohar iron ore mine, in Proceedings 11th International Symposium on Rock Fragmentation by Blasting, pp 315–320 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Aug 24, 2015

By A Cranley, A Giblett, S Thacker

The Newmont Tanami Operations are located in the Northern Territory, approximately 550 km north-west of Alice Springs. The Granites process plant commenced operations in 1986 as a 300?000 t/a ball mill / carbon-in-leach (CIL) plant and has undergone numerous expansions between that time and the current day, with project-to-date gold production exceeding 6.5 Moz. Annual plant throughput has exceeded 2.8 Mt/a while processing a blend of open pit material and ore from the Callie Deeps underground mine, with annual gold production exceeding 400 koz. In 2013 the operation processed 1.8 Mt of underground ore for the production of 323 koz of gold.This paper reviews the operation and expansion of The Granites process plant since the mid to late 1980s with particular focus on the gravity gold recovery circuit. The Tanami ores contain significant levels of free gold, and gravity recovery has long been an integral component of the metal recovery process at the Granites plant. The results of ten years of gravity circuit performance analysis and optimisation are presented.CITATION:Giblett, A, Cranley, A and Thacker, S, 2014. Three decades of gold production at the Newmont Tanami operations, in Proceedings 12th AusIMM Mill Operators’ Conference 2014 , pp 209–216 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Sep 1, 2014

As the surrounding environment continues to change and evolve, mine managers face a changing climate of expectations. TodayÆs mine managers must juggle competing pressures to deliver sound social, environmental and economic results. Leadership is a fundamental tool for the effective mine manager. Whilst mine managers require solid technical and operational skills, importantly the manager must be able to engage a workforce, build and retain employees and seize opportunity for growth and development when presented. An important tool for engaging employees in the business at Rio Tinto Aluminium is the business improvement programme. At Rio Tinto AluminiumÆs Weipa mine, the business improvement methodology Six Sigma is used to deliver measurable, sustainable outcomes for the business. The next step in Rio Tinto AluminiumÆs improvement journey is to implement Lean Manufacturing at all managed operations. The operating environment for mine managers continuously evolves and effective mine managers must be flexible and adaptive to meet challenges. Governance and regulation constantly change in an environment of commodity cycles and finite resources. This increases pressure on the economic return achieved by the operation. As such, effective mine managers must be aware of and manage the operating environment û the broader, issues-based environment not just the immediate day-to-day responsibility of mine managing. This includes delivering on safety, community and environmental priorities. At Rio Tinto Aluminium, part of managing the business is via investment in the area of social partnerships to engage employees and the broader community in Rio Tinto AluminiumÆs commitment to sustainability. The Future Reef partnership entered with the Great Barrier Reef Research Foundation in 2005 forms an important part of Rio Tinto AluminiumÆs climate change strategy. This four-year, A$1 million investment funds programmes looking at the effect of ocean acidification on the Great Barrier Reef. The partnership is a unique example of industry and science working together on an area of mutual and national concern. Modern mine managers require a broad set of skills to effectively deliver outcomes. TodayÆs mine managers must make innovative and courageous responses to determine todayÆs strategy for tomorrowÆs future.

Jan 1, 2006

With commodities suffering dramatically low real prices, mining business margins are under intense scrutiny. Unfortunately, management systems developed early this century for manufacturing are driving counterproductive behaviours that choke productivity. The paper and presentation will explain this and present a proven methodology for increasing productivity. This will be supported by operational examples from Australian and American mining management to demonstrate the importance of modern business performance measurement and analysis systems. It will explain the importance of management systems in driving organisational change to sustain superior productivity and margins. The paper will explain why many executives and managers confuse production (a measure of volume) with productivity (which measures efficiency and effectiveness). It will explain how this and other counterproductive managerial and operator behaviours and attitudes are driven by traditional business management systems exacerbated by managerial and consulting fads. The paper will begin with the simple principle that to improve results one needs to first improve the process producing the result û and will show how this is often violated. Improving productivity then boils down to:accurately identifying opportunities using sound, modern measurement, analysis and reporting systems; methodically improving operating and commercial processes, and changing peopleÆs behaviours and attitudes to sustain changes in practices. The paper will include fundamentals of applying sound measurement and analysis to:processes directly, eg cycle time charts and their impact in cyclical (non-continuous) operations commonly used in rock breakage; drivers of productivity; and process results themselves since correct analysis identifies opportunities accurately. The paper will cover the importance of practical leadership and the need to follow a simple, solid plan for changing systems that drive behaviour. Overall, it will highlight use of modern performance Measurement, Analysis and Reporting systems to drive behaviours and improve margins - without capital investment û and make executive and managerial work easier and more effective.

Jan 1, 1999

The sharp deterioration in Au~tralia'S ternn of trade in recent years and the accumulating national debt highlight the need for a restructuring of the economy which is highly dependent upon primary agricultural and mineral commodity exports (figure 1). Table I gives an indication of the value that can be added to raw material by mineral processing. Significantly higher value is added through downstream manufacturing. In 1987, the mining and rural sectors accounted for 47010 and 38010 respectively of total exports valued at $35,782 million (figure 2). The export contribution from minerals comprised $12,266 mil- lion from unprocessed ores and concentrates and $4,668 million from metals and processed minerals including some simple manufactures. Coal accounted for 450/s of total primary mineral exports. Iron ore and alumina are other important mineral exports, while gold and aluminium are major metal exports. (Figure 3) Australia's minerals are now traded in a much more competi- tive and oversupplied market in contrast to the 1960's and 1970's period which was characterised by increasing exports of largely unprocessed ores and concentrates. Since the early 1980's (I cI) resscd )ver~cas nutrkcts and km rununodlity liriccs ha~c hcen the product of excess capacity installed to satisfy a forecast high growth in demand which never eventuated due to the world reces- sion. During this period the emphasis on technology development was focussed on reducing costs through increased production effi- ciencies in order to maintain competitiveness.

Jan 1, 1988

By K Guilfoyle, A Robertson

In the mid-1970s, trucking ore from 400 m depth to the surface was perceived to be the practical and economic limit for metalliferous underground mines. Improvements in truck design and decline development resulted in the economic depth of haul exceeding 600 m by the mid-1990s. Today, mine operators and contractors are planning to use trucks for ore haulage from depths in excess of 1000 m. The authors of this paper estimate that there are in excess of 300 diesel-powered trucks operating in mines in Australia, and that by the year 2005 more than five per cent of these trucks will be æroad trainsÆ (ie trucks towing powered trailers or truck-trailer combinations). This paper examines the road train concept, presents cost and performance data and describes the advantages and disadvantages of the road train system as well as proposing the types of applications for use of road trains in Australian metalliferous underground mines. Truck performance is based on payload and average speed (expressed as tonnes x kilometres per engine hour (t km/h)). A road train with a powered trailer has a large payload capacity and two engines to provide a high ratio of power to gross weight. Thus it is possible to exceed 300 t km/h per cycle for an average haulage gradient of 1:9 compared to 250 t km/h for conventional articulated dump trucks (ADTs). It is likely that road trains in excess of 100 t capacity will have application for level ore haulage at large mines in Australia.

Jan 1, 2002

A combination of the needs of business, employee desires and safety and health considerations is stimulating increasing attention to the time spent by people at work and the timing of that work. Particularly we are seeing: - innovative work schedules for 24-hour mining businesses; and - response from industry to accommodate the needs, even the desires, of employees in return for systems which are more productive and more capital efficient. There appears to be an evolutionary trend for business management to become more sophisticated and responsive to the need for achieving close to best cost work schedules to sustain continuous improvement. The underlying motivating forces driving this trend for improved techniques in organising attendance at, and time spent at work, is the seemingly inseparable combination of technological advance and ever-increasing accumulation of capital. The mining industry has not remained untouched by this thrust for ever-increasing need for best use of labour, to adopt advances in technology and to provide attractive opportunities for putting accumulated capital to work. An essential component of this on-going thrust is a substantial effort by the mining industry to improve the performance of labour by providing most-productive work schedules.

Jan 1, 1996

By D Stow, M Edmondson

Lemington coal mine is operating in an environmentally sensitive area in the Hunter Valley, NSW, Australia. Late in 1999 the southern pit was developed using a series of box cut blasts. After the initial development the area would have been free dug due to the soft, well-jointed nature of the deposit. However, it was decided to trial drill and blast to determine if shovel productivity could be improved to enable an overall mining cost reduction. The initial trial blast results were less than satisfactory with both environmental issues occurring and the desired shovel productivity not being achieved. An audit of the blasts indicated that wet ground and the presence of soft clay inter-bedded with harder rock caused the poor blast results. Also, water-affected explosive product combined with explosive energy loss into soft ground led to flat spots and tight digging in the hard band areas, resulting in the lower dig rates. Lemington Mine and Orica Explosives developed a plan to match the rock with the appropriate explosive type and energy. This resulted in a number of blasts over a six-month period using a new non fuming explosive product, æNovaliteÆ. The results have been excellent with the environmental issues being totally resolved and dig rates improved, enabling reductions in mining costs. This has allowed the mine to continue with their exemplary record of environmental management whilst achieving operational efficiencies.

Jan 1, 2001

By Russell P

Polyurethane resin (PUR) is extensively used in almost all coal producing countries. On the local scene, PUR components suitable for underground application were selected and subsequently, trials were carried out at several coal mines. This paper describes the work at Pikes Gully Colliery (B.P.3Coal), where water flow rates of up to 4.5 m (1000 gallons) per minute, were reduced to 1-1.5 m /minute at the tirst stage of application. Subsequent trials were carried out at West Cliff Colliery (Kembla Coal and Coke). A variety of PUR chemical mixtures were tested in coal ribs and in the roof of intersections and roadways. The trial results are presented with all particular details. Using the PUR injection method, the roof, at the most difficult intersection, was stabilised and 'de-bonded' roof bolts were re-sealed. At Pikes Gully and West Cliff Collieries, 2 tonnes and 3 tonnes of PUR chemicals were injected, respectively. The technique, primarily based on German experience (Bergwerksverband), was used by Delta Control Systems Pty. Ltd. ACIRL was closely associated with the trials, which were monitored by installation of the measuring Stations.

Jan 1, 1986