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The Burragorang Valley lies approx. 95 km by road south west of Sydney and some 35 km west of Camden. It is over 80 km in length and varies in width from 3 km to over 16 km. Geologically, the history of the Burragorang Valley is of interest. It was referred to by early geographers and N.R.M.A. booklets as the largest sunken valley in Australia. This description is incorrect as it is a water worn valley formed by the dissection of an uplift in the south western portion of the large Sydney Sedimentary Basin. Ages2 ago there extended right across the Blue Mountains, a continuous tableland into which the Nattai, Wollondilly and Cox's Rivers have carved out the formation of the Burragorang. This dissection together with other valleys such as the Megalong, Jamieson and Grose, formed part of the eastward drainage pattern of the uplifting tableland into the Pacific ocean. The lapse of time since the streams in the Burragorang began their work of erosion can

Jan 1, 1976

The Department of Resource Industries regulates and oversees safety and environmental standards for the mining and related industries in Queensland, and provides scientific support through its effort in the geosciences.The geoscientific data base accumulated over more than 120 years is very large. Therefore, accessibility to and utilisation of the data base in the most effective manner is an issue to be addressed in terms of modern information technology. The Department has developed a strategy whose implementation is progressing rapidly.

Jan 1, 1990

By Wilson AC

Permian coal from Western Australia's only producing coalfield at Collie is the dominant fuel used in generating electricity for the State's interconnected grid. Collie coal is sub-bituminous, non-coking and has a low ash, medium volatiles and high moisture content. The seams were laid down in a fluvial basin which extended beyond the Collie Basin and included the Wilga and Boyup Brook Basins at least. Adjacent parts of the southwest Yilgarn Block are prospective for Collie-type basins. In the past few years significant deposits have been delineated within the Perth Basin, specifically on the Vasse Shelf and in the Hill River area. In the former area high quality steaming coals are correlated with the lowest coal bearing member at Collie. The seams are amenable to underground mining and because of their high quality, the coal may have export potential. Sub-bituminous coal deposits of Jurassic age are present in the Hill River area. Exploration has down-graded the prospectivity of the Carnarvon and Canning Basins for sub-bituminous near-surface coal deposits. Tertiary lignite deposits are present in palaeo-drainage systems in the southern part of the State and their potential for development is being evaluated.

Jan 1, 1986

By Clarke B. N

The Olympic mine is currently and development to 1988. The mine practice is, and number of factors. Dam copper-uranium-gold undergoing construction start production in May ventilation design and will be determined by a These include: 1. Mining method and degree of mechanization. 2. Presence of radon emanating material. 3. High virgin rock temperatures at relatively shallow depths. 4. High ambient air temperatures in Summer.

Jan 1, 1988

By M Binks

This paper presents a case study that describes the selection, development, engineering and construction of a process plant for the biological oxidative pre-treatment of a refractory pyrite-arsenopyrite gold ore flotation concentrate. Prefeasibility and feasibility study resource modeling, metallurgical testwork, and environmental and engineering studies are outlined. Options considered for oxidation of the ore, which examine cost, risk, operability, recovery, engineering and environmental aspects are compared, with particular reference to pressure and biological oxidation. The BIOX« biological oxidation process was selected as the preferred oxidation process and the flow sheet for this process is presented. Selection of the BOIX« process resulted in special requirements for the feed preparation circuit, residue treatment and disposal, materials of construction and engineering. Use of a biological process in ore treatment also introduces particular process and engineering risks the management of which are discussed.

Jan 1, 2004

In 1972, metallurgical testwork on Renison ore indicated a significant proportion of low specific gravity, tin-barren material ideally suited to heavy medium separation (HMS). Further technical and financial studies provided adequate economic justification and in December 1974 the Renison HMS plant was cannissioned. Initial operations were interrupted by the imposition of tin production quotas for three months in 1976; they were also beset with difficulties particularly with regard to mechanical wear. During the first two operating years much develognent work was carried out including installation of a pyrrhotite flotation bank in the medium recovery circuit, investigations into various wear-resistant materials and the use of atanised rather than milled ferro-silicon. By 1977/78 financial year satisfactory performance had been achieved and since then the average floats rejection has been 18.8% of the total ore treated with an associated tin loss of 2.96%. Developnent has nevertheless continued during the last three years, principal modifications being the installation of larger aperture desliming screens and improvements to the overdense cyclone circuit.

Jan 1, 1978

The Ranger Project Area covers 78.6sq km and is approximately six km east-west by 14km north-south (Fig. 1). The area is known to con- tain two uranium orebodies, Ranger No. 1 and No. 3, two uranium occurrences, Anomalies 4 and 5 and three significant radon anomalies, Ranger 18, 19 and 48. The Ranger No. 1 and No. 3 Orebodies con- tain approximately 120 000 tonnes of U308 in highly chloritised metasediments of the Lower Proterozoic Cahill Formation. The orebodies occur as suboutcrop and exhibit significant radiometric anomalies. These occur within approximately 400m vertically of the projected unconformity with the sandstone of the Middle Proterozoic Kombolgie Formation. Oxidised and reduced uranium minerals occur in quartz-rich schists containing variable muscovite, chlorite and sericite and in the chloritic matrix of chert breccia. Secondary uranium minerals namely saleeite, metatorbernite and gummite associated with earthy iron oxides occur from the surface to 50m depth in No. 1 Orebody and up to 80m depth in No. 3 Orebody. Below the oxidised zone, uranium occurs as pitchblende finely disseminated throughout sequences of quartz muscovite chlorite schist up to 150m thick and as open space fillings in zones of structural deformation. The uranium-bearing schists directly overlie up to 300m of dolomite and magnesite containing minor interbedded schist units and are themselves overlain by approximately 2 000m of more micaceous schists of the upper part of the Cahill Formation. Regional metamorphism has occurred to at least amphibolite facies and has been followed by retrograde metamorphism to a greenschist facies equivalent. The metasediments are intruded by granitic pegmatites and dolerites. Uranium is associated strongly with chlorite of which there are at least five textural varieties. Not all of the various generations of chlorite have associated uranium. Graphitic schist horizons occur which are often less than one metre thick and discontinuous. These are best developed at the base of the quartz chlorite schist sequence where uranium grades up to 1 000ppm U may extend for several hundred metres beyond the main ore zone. Uran- ium is not common in the carbonate sequences and only occurs in chlorite segregations in disrupted zones. The unoxidised ore contains sulphides, mostly pyrite, which are low in abundance (

Jan 1, 1984

Mount Isa Mines Ltd. annually extracts 5.6 million tonnes of copper ore from the 1100 Orebody. All production is by longhole open stoping, with an increasing emphasis on pillar recovery. Drilling and blasting prac- tices have been modified to allow more efficient pillar extraction, with the evolution of a "core and shell" approach. Blast design occurs at the stope design stage, while individual blast preparation is based on detailed ring plans. A programme of blasting research involving surface and under- ground vibration monitoring and fragmentation assessment has been car- ried out in conjunction with production personnel. Drilling and blasting practice in the orebody must continue to evolve with continued research, to suit changing conditions and take advantage of new technology.

Jan 1, 1988

By Chia A. H

This paper presents an overview of the development and operation of the PT Adaro Indonesia coal mining project. This operation is an initial two million tonne per annum mine, located in South Kalimantan, Indonesia.The paper places emphasis on some of the more unique infrastructure development and operational challenges that exist in such a remote location environment.A brief summary is also given of the Indonesian coal industry, its direction and position as a significant coal producing competitor for Australia.

Jan 1, 1992

By Walton DR

It is self-evident that the availability of well qualified and experienced people to manage mining operations is vital to the success of an individual mine and to the ability to develop new mines either in Australia or overseas. For larger operations the term "mine manager" is here used to denote a range of positions within an individual company. Thus "mine managers" may be people managing individual mines at one geographic location with overall management provided by other "mine managers" in the roles such as mine super- intendents, production managers, general managers, etc. Smaller operations may have only a single level of management nominated as "mine manager".

Jan 1, 1980

EnergyAustralia is a state-owned corporation in the state of New South Wales, whose responsibility includes ownership and management of an electricity distribution network. Expansion of the high voltage distribution network in the Sydney central business district (CBD) includes the requirement to run an additional five 132 kV feeders over 1.7 km from south of the CBD to a new 132 kV substation in the northern section of the CBD. A driven tunnel is currently being excavated in Sydney sandstone beneath Darling Harbour to contain the new 132 kV feeders. Tunnel construction methods involve both roadheader and tunnel boring machine (TBM) excavation. This paper describes the design development of the cable tunnel, discusses the use of a geotechnical baseline report as an integral part of the contract documentation and provides an update of the current construction works.  

Jan 1, 2008

By Sandvik

Fine grinding in an air-swept ball mill working in closed circuit with a forced vortex air classifier has been investigated first in continuous laboratory and then in industrial scale. Results from the laboratory circuit have shown significant influence of mill load (powder filling) on the capacity of the circuit. In laboratory scale the mill load was measured and controlled by a weighing platform placed under the complete mill set-up. The mill load of the industrial air-swept ball mill has till now been controlled by measuring the power consumption of the mill motor. Thus, it was necessary to operate far from the range of optimal mill filling. To improve the circuit performance, alternative ways of mill load measurement were investigated. An important factor was investment cost, as many fine grinding mills operate in relatively small circuits that do not wan-ant large investment. In this case the task was accomplished by using a piezoelectric strain transducer, which detected strain changes in the mill shell. It was installed in the midpoint of the shell, where the highest deformation was obtained. As the transducer was on the top position, it indicated compression, and on the bottom position it measured tension. By taking the difference between the readings, it was possible to calculate total strain variations, directly proportional to the mill load. The signal from the transducer was sent to a control room via a cordless infrared communication system, employing a microprocessor control card, which could further regulate other operating parameters of the circuit according to the software model. The installation required very low investment cost and provided simplicity of application as well as stability and reliability of characteristics under severe industrial condition. The measurement system made it possible to optimise the mill load and thus increase the production from 3.2 to 3.7 dh (15 per cent), and stabilise the circuit operation.

Jan 1, 1995

By Cecala AB

For 20 years the US Bureau of Mines has been researching strategies for improving the physical, social, and psychological work environment of the miner. The products of this program have shown that a consistent link exists between safety and productivity, and the key to this link is the use of effective human factors and management practices. There are specific research findings from the research projects of the Bureau on ergonomic design of mining equipment, redesign of tasks (especially materials handling) to minimize back injuries, human resource management techniques for increasing safety and productivity, and improved shift rotation schedules. Current research is continuing these themes with new applications to high technology mining systems, including computer assisted extraction devices and mine monitoring.

Jan 1, 1991

Porgera is located in the Central Highlands of Papua New Guinea. Porgera Joint Venture treats a high grade epithennal gold deposit. Most of the gold occurs as submicroscopic particles in a sulphide matrix although there is some quite coarse free gold. Anticipated gold production is 900 000 oz per year for the first six years of operation.Stage I of the treatment plant consisted of a concentrator and leach/CIP Circuit. It was commissioned in August 1990. Design throughput was 1500 tpd with an anticipated gold recovery of 60 per cent. Throughput achieved was actually 1850 tpd with an average gold recovery of 69 per cent. CIP tails were accumulated in a pond awaiting retreatment by pressure oxidation.

Jan 1, 1992

By Collins D. N

The Olympic Dam Copper Smelter Acid Plant is a hybrid plant capable of producing sulphuric acid from either sulphur burning, metallurgical gases or a combination of both. Commissioning of the Acid Plant on sulphur burning commenced in early April 1988 and commissioning on combined sulphur burning and metallurgical gas commenced in August 1988. During commissioning on sulphur burning a number of acid spills occurred due to balancing of tower flows and control of acid dilution. A number of other significant problems were encountered including failure of boiler gaskets, failure of strong acid pumps seals, the fracture of the teflon dilution water injector and the subsequent failing of the acid circulation pump, tank steel failures and various instrumentation problems. The Commissioning of the Acid Plant on metallurgical gases commenced in August and with the exception of the production of oleum in the boiler economizer was relatively trouble free. Oxygen Plant commissioning commenced in May 1988 and was without significant incident. An outline of the basic equipment for the Acid Plant and Oxygen Plant is presented together with aspects associated with the commisisoning of both plants.

Jan 1, 1989

The relationship between the permeability of coal to a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide, and the permeability to methane and carbon dioxide separately is described in this paper, along with the analysis of the differences in permeabilities of coal to methane and carbon dioxide.

Jan 1, 1989

By Conley R, Payne I

The Vickery Coal Mine commenced open cut mining operations in May 1991. All overburden and interburden is drilled and blasted for excavation by dragline or hydraulic excavator. The mode of operation adopted from the feasibility studies requires that throw blasting of the overburden be used to assist dragline productivity.This paper reviews the development of the drilling and blasting practices with particular emphasis on the throw blasting of the overburden and optimisation of costs. This review includes analysis of the pre-production drilling and blasting feasibility studies by comparison with actual results.

Jan 1, 1992

Currently there is considerable interest in the production of DRI in Western Australia to take advantage of intense interest from the Asian market. Most DRI is produced using gas-based processes and is used as a feedstock in electric arc steel furnaces, otherwise known as mini-mills. This paper critically examines the technical and economic issues of various gas-based DR processes available today and recommends the most effective and attractive processes suitable for Western Australian iron ores.

Jan 1, 1996

The Olympic Dam mineral discovery by Western Mining Corporation (WMC) in South Australia has been shown to contain one of the world's largest known deposits of copper and uranium; gold and silver are also present. Development of the deposit jointly by WMC and the BP Group is awaiting commitment, with planning based on initial production of gold in 1987 and copper and uranium in 1988.

Jan 1, 1985

By Till M, McGee WA

The Hermit Islands are situated at 145¦ E 1 30'S in the Bismarck Sea approximately 200km WNW of Manus Island. They are dominated by basalt flows, one of which yielded a K/Ar isotopic date of 3.4 + 0.05Ma. All basalts examined were olivine-bearing, but one sample also contained hornblende. Although many outcrops were weathered, no evidence of pervasive hydrothermal alteration was observed on any islands and non-weathered rocks are petrographically fresh and many retain glass.

Jan 1, 1990