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By Donald A. Cranstone

Donald Cranstone holds B.Sc. (Honours) and M.Sc. degrees in Geology from the University of Manitoba and a Ph.D. in Economic Geology from Harvard University. He has worked as a mine geologist, a provincial geological survey geologist and as a senior exploration geologist. He joined what is now the Minerals and Metals Sector of Natural Resources Canada in 1971, where he has been a commodity specialist for gold, for copper and another 28 metals. He is a senior mineral economist, currently engaged in analysis of mineral exploration and discovery success in Canada and of the future of the Canadian mining industry. Abstract This paper examines the history of Canadian non-petroleum mineral production. The outlook over the next 25 years, for mining in Canada and in each province and territory, is reviewed. The outlook for mining in Canada and in most provinces/territories is favourable, but problems seem likely in a few jurisdictions unless new orebodies are brought into production. In terms of exploration potential, Canada consistently ranks among the top three countries in the world. Over the last eight years, Canada has consistently been second only to Australia as a destination for exploration investment. For the first time, Canada is ranked in terms of total mineral production, including coal and construction materials, relative to all the countries of the world including countries of the former communist bloc.

May 1, 2001

By R. F. Favreau, R. A. Morin, G. W. Kuzyk, P. J. Babulic, N. J. Tienkamp

"Atomic Energy of Canada Limited is constructing an Underground Research Laboratory (URL) as part of a comprehensive program to evaluate the concept of nuclear fuel waste disposal deep in crystalline rock formations. Careful blasting methods have been used to minimize damage to the excavation surfaces. Good wall quality is desirable in any excavation. In excavations required for nuclear waste disposal, the objective will be to minimize blast-induced fractures which may complicate the sealing requirements necessary to control subsequent movement of groundwater around a sealed disposal vault. The construction of the URL has provided an opportunity for the development of controlled blasting methods, especially for drilling accuracy and optimization of explosive loads in the perimeter and cushion holes. The work has been assisted by the use of blast simulations with the mathematical model Blaspa.This paper reviews the results of a recent project to develop a controlled method of full-face blasting, and compares the observed field results with the results of a blast simulator called Blaspa. Good agreement is found between the two, and the Blaspa results indicate quantitatively how the blasting may induce damage in the final excavation surface. In particular, the rock in the final wall may be stressed more severely by the cushion holes than by the perimeter holes. Bootleg of the rock between the perimeter and cushion rows occurs when the burst out velocity imparted to it by the explosive loads in the perimeter holes is inadequate. In practice, these findings indicate that quantitative rock stress and rock burst-out velocity criteria can be established to minimize wall damage and bootleg. Thus, blast simulations become an efficient way to design controlled blasting and to optimize quality of the excavation surf ace."

Jan 1, 1989

By Lo-Sun Jen

Introduction ? Canada is one of the largest miners and explorers in the world and is a world leader in the production and export of many key mineral commodities ? Canada has a stable political regime and a competitive investment and business climate ? Canada is endowed with mineral resources, advanced technology and management know-how ? Canadian stock exchanges are the world?s leading centres for raising equity financing for exploration and mining projects anywhere on the globe As with some other countries, Canada has experienced a recent decline in major mining developments

May 1, 2002

By A. A. Ruitenberg, C. J. Morrissy

"The Lake George antimony deposit comprises a system of stibnite-bearing quartz veins that cut Silurian greywacke and slate. The stibnite-bearing ore zone is in part enveloped by a uraniferous zone.The ore-bearing quartz vein system occupies an easterly striking, gently north-dipping fracture system that cuts across north-northeasterly trending gently southwest-plunging, tight Acadian (early Middle Devonian) folds. This vein system continues at depth into a siliceous skarn zone intruded by altered granite porphyry dykes, which constitute probably a late phase of the Hawkshaw granitoid intrusion to the north.Most of the ore occurs in a northeast-plunging, trough shaped vein structure that formed where the vein system (gently north-dipping) intersects the axial surf ace zone (steeply northwest-dipping) of an Acadian synform. The trough shaped structure resulted from deflection of the fracture zone (containing the vein system) by competent beds.Emplacement of the quartz-stibnite veins was preceded by, and is in part penecontemporaneous with, the formation ofa micaceous-argillaceous alteration halo, which in turn intersects a patchy biotite alteration zone.The hypabyssal intrusions associated with the Lake George deposit probably represent a late phase (early Carboniferousr) of the nearby Hawkshaw intrusive granitoid complex. IntroductionThe Lake George Antimony Mine is situated 40 km southwest of Fredericton and 2.5 kin north of Lake George, New Brunswick (Fig. 1). The mine is owned by Consolidated Durham Mines and Resources Ltd.Shaw (1940) described the early history and development of the mine. In subsequent years, available drill cores were relogged by several geologists. Much new information became available when an extensive diamond drilling program (Kidd , 1970) was started by Consolidated Durham Mines and Resources Ltd. in 1970. A study of the geology and economic potential of the deposit was made by Glover (1973). Abbott and Watson (1975) made a study of the ore mineralogy. Available drill cores were relogged and a preliminary study of the fracture system in the mine was made by G.A. Pierce and A.A. Ruitenberg during 1976. Outcrops in the area sur rounding the mine are extremely sparse.Between 1976 and 1979 the present authors made a detailed study of the mine workings, available drill core and regional structure in the vicinity of the mine, with results set forth in this paper. The regional geologic setting of the deposit, the geometry and structural controls of the ore zones, and the mineral zonation and rock alteration are emphasized."

Jan 1, 1980

By S. Esfahani, M. Barati, K. Danaei

"Substituting Portland cement with slag cement is one of the most economically attractive uses of slags. For this application, high cooling rates are required to form an amorphous structure. However, this is counteracted by the need to use small coolant flowrate to allow recovery of slag thermal energy as high quality heat to the coolant fluid. Therefore, a relationship between cooling rate of slag and its structure is essential to recover the heat effectively while making an amorphous slag.A modified Single Hot Thermocouple Technique (SHTT) was employed to investigate the crystallization behavior of slags by plotting their TTT (Time-Temperature, Transformation) diagrams. Seven different slag compositions containing CaO, SiO2, Al2O3, MgO were prepared at varying basicity (CaO/SiO2 =0.5-1.4).The results indicate that with increasing basicity, the TTT curves of glassy to crystalline transformation shift to the left which means higher crystallization tendency. This agrees with the fact that with the increase of basicity, the Si-O bonds are weakened, which in turn facilitates the re-ordering and crystallization of the silicate structure."

Jan 1, 2014

By D. Mark Richards

Highland Valley Copper is a large open pit copper mine in the southern interior of British Columbia. Machine guidance technology using the Global Positioning System (GPS), was first implemented at the mine in late 1996 for blast hole drill navigation. The purchase of a third BE49R drill in 1998 completed the change to GPS navigation for all the mine?s drilling. The acceptance of this technology was almost immediate at both the operator and management levels. With the purchase of a new P&H 2800 shovel in 1997, the opportunity was taken to extend GPS navigation to a shovel. Due to communication restrictions, this was not as successful as envisaged. In late 1999, following a cost benefit analysis, a three-shovel trial of Caterpillar?s Computer Aided Earthmoving System (CAES), was initiated. The trial was successfully concluded in June 2000 and a further two shovels were equipped. Acceptance of this system has been very good at all levels, which has undoubtedly contributed to its success. In September 2000, CAES was extended to the dozer fleet with the purchase of a new track dozer. The CAES equipped dozer is used for pit production and project work. It is planned to extend CAES to the rest of the shovel fleet in 2001, along with a production front-end loader and one or two more track dozers.

May 1, 2001

By R. D. Studer

"The Snow Lake massive sulphide deposits are hosted by Aphebian volcanic rocks of the Flin Flon - Snow Lake greenstone belt, which in this area were deformed and metamorphosed to the amphibolite facies during the Hudsonian orogeny. All the known deposits occur in felsic rocks a short distance below the contact with an overlying mafic rock unit.The Stall Lake copper deposit occurs close to the top of an explosive felsic volcanic sequence. Rocks stratigraphically underlying the deposit have been hydrothermally altered by the mineralizing fluids. The sulphides were probably deposited from submarine volcanic vent(s) on the flanks of a felsic dome. The ore has been tightly folded, flattened and elongated parallel to the northerly trending lineation of the surrounding rocks during the several periods of deformation. Strike lengths of the lenses range from 60 to 300 feet and plunge-to-strike ratios are as much as 15:1.Ore lenses 1 to 4 typically consist of massive coarse-grained pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite and pyrite. A stratigraphically higher lens differs in that it contains fine-grained pyrite and chalcopyrite, with an increase in sphalerite toward its hanging wall. The No.4 orebody has a distinct footwall alteration zone characterized by brecciation and abundant chlorite-staurolite-garnet schist, with minor kyanite, anthophyllite, cordieriteand anhydrite, as well as sulphide minerals. Chemically, the alteration zone is distinguished from the unaltered felsic rocks by Na20 depletion and Mg-Fe enrichment.IntroductionThe Stall Lake copper deposit is located aproximately 4 miles southeast of Snow Lake in northern Manitoba (Fig. 1). The Snow Lake district has been a producer of gold (Rex, Bingo, Laguana and Nor-Acme Mines) and, since the fifties, of copper and zinc from deposits of Hudson Bay Mining & Smelting Co., Ltd . The district is located near the eastern limit of the Flin Flon - Snow Lake greenstone belt, which contains Amisk metavolcanic rocks of Aphebian age."

Jan 1, 1982

By J. J. Brummer

"A reconnaissance geochemical survey, using the stream sediment technique, is described. The survey covered an area of about 400 square miles, in the Seal Lake area of central Labrador, underlain by basaltic flows, diabase and metadiabase sills, and sedimentary rocks. Previous work had indicated numerous small copper occurrences within the Seal Lake group of rocks. Stream sediments were tested for the readily extractable copper content and total heavy metal content. The results of the copper survey did not yield any new data on the distribution of copper mineralization. Results of the total heavy metal survey attracted attention to a remote portion of the area (Ten Mile Lake), which had hitherto been regarded as having no economic interest. The anomalous values found, suggested that zinc mineralization should occur in this region. Geological mapping indicated that the rocks exposed belonged to the Letitia Lake Group, which is older than the Seal Lake Group exposed to the east, which contains the copper mineralization of the district.Investigation of the area lead to the discovery of: (1) uneconomic lead-zinc mineralization; (2) radioactivity extending over a considerable area. Evaluation of the radioactive rocks led to the discovery of columbium-thorium mineralization in amphibolite and in diopside-actinolite schists along a contact with intrusive alkali syenite.Thus a geochemical survey, which was planned to evaluate a copper province, resulted in the discovery of lead-zinc-columbium-thorium mineralization."

Jan 1, 1960

By J. J. Barakso, S. J. Horsky, H. V. Warren

"A review of past and present biogeochemical studies is given. Early and more recent analytical procedures are described and compared. Tables 1-5 give silver concentrations in various organs of some plant species at different localities. Table 6 and conclusions provide guidelines for exploring for silver using biogeochemistry.IntroductionBiogeochemistry has been shown to be a useful tool in the search for gold deposits, especially those of the disseminated type (Warren and Barakso 1982). The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that biogeochemistry can also be of assistance in searching for silver concentrations buried by as much as twenty feet of overburden without inflicting any damage on the environment."

Jan 1, 1984

By N. Saracoglu, R. H. Wallis, J. E. Betz, F. L. Jagodits, B. R. Krause

"Geophysical test surveys were conducted with various methods (EM, lP, gravity and magnetic) over the McClean uranium deposits of the Canadian Oxy- lnco Joint Venture. The result s were assessed to judge the contribution each method might make toward further discoveries of graphite-associated uranium occurrences.The best drill targets have proven to be discontinuities in graphitic conductors and locations where the tatter are intersected by fracture zones in the Athabasca. The tests demonstrated that the preferred combination of geophysical survey s is horizontal loop EM to locate graphitic conductors in the basement and VLF-EM to locate the fractures.IntroductionThe discoveries of the McClean North and South uranium deposit s (Fig. 1) are essentially geophysical successes resulting from drilling MaxMin delineations of INPUT airborne electromagnetic responses (Saracoglu et al., 1983). After the initial discovery in 1979, various geophysical methods, techniques and instruments were employed to test their effectiveness in this environment and to guide exploration for other deposit s of a similar nature in the remainder of the 260 km2 property.The McClean uranium deposits lie below 150 m to 180 m of overburden and Athabasca Group. Radioactive signatures might be expected; however, the Athabasca Group acts as a barrier to radioactive emanations. Fortunately, the uranium mineralization is associated with graphite in the crystalline basement. Prior drilling of ground electromagnetic anomalies confirmed that EM surveys could locate and out line basement graphitic conductors. However, as there were many anomalies, most of which could not reasonably be expected to be associated with uranium , there was need to identify additional parameters, related to mineralization, which could be detected geophysically and used to narrow the search."

Jan 1, 1986

By J. R. Morris, A. E. Ball, G. W. Kuzyk

"AECL Research has constructed an underground laboratory for the research and development required for the Canadian Nuclear Fuel Waste Management Program. The experimental program in the laboratory will contribute to the assessment of the feasibility and safety of nuclear fuel waste disposal deep in stable plutonic rock.In 1988, AECL extended the shaft of the Underground Research Laboratory (URL) from the existing 255 m depth to a depth of 443 m in cooperation with the United States Department of Energy (USDOE). The project, which involved carrying out research activities while excavation and construction work was in progress, required careful planning. To accommodate the research programs, full-face blasting with a burn cut was used to advance the shaft. Existing facilities at the URL had to be modified to accommodate an expanded underground facility at a new depth. This paper discusses the design criteria, shaft-sinking methods and approaches used to accommodate the research work during this shaft extension project.IntroductionThe Underground Research Laboratory (URL), a major geotechnical research facility, has been developed by AECL Research, 120 km northeast of Winnipeg, Manitoba. The URL is part of the Canadian Nuclear Fuel Waste Management Program (CNFWMP), which is assessing the concept of nuclear fuel waste disposal in a vault deep in stable plutonic rock of the Canadian Shield (Hancox, 1986). The URL provides a representative environment to conduct a wide variety of geotechnical research relevant to nuclear waste disposal. Extensive characterization and monitoring programs were carried out prior to construction and will continue during operation. The operating phase experiments began in 1989 and will continue until the year 2CXXl (Simmons, 1990). Figure I shows the present extent of the URL facilities and the proposed future development."

Jan 1, 1991

By Jucheng Wang

Unplanned open stope dilution is a major cost factor for many mining operations, even though significant advances in empirical and analytical approaches for estimating stope dilution have been made. Many factors that influence hanging wall dilution are still either ignored or assessed in purely subjective terms. Undercutting the stope hanging wall on both the overcut and undercut development are well recognized factors which contribute to hanging wall instability and dilution. In many mines, undercutting the hanging wall breaks the integrity of the rock mass that may form along continuous foliation or bedding planes parallel to the stope hanging wall contact, reducing stability. This undercutting also increases the zone of destressed or relaxed rock that may potentially fall into the open stope as dilution. An approach is introduced for quantifying the effect of undercutting on potential stope dilution. An extensive database of stope case histories has been collected to look at dilution from Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting operations (HBMS) in Flin Flon.

May 1, 2002

By Norman Lecuyer, Jacque Nantel

"The Chadbourne Project, located within the limits of the town of Noranda, Quebec, will make use of backfill materials to fill the voids left by the mining of stopes and pillars. A series of tests were conducted on different mixtures of slag and pyrrhotite tailings materials to evaluate their properties. The tests are described and some pertinent results are given in the paper.IntroductionThe Chadbourne Project is located in the centre of the Town of Noranda, Quebec, with houses as close as 120 m from the blasting operations. The ore is mined using the vertical crater retreat method. The voids left by mining activities will be filled. A program of pillar recovery will follow.Considering the proximity of houses and the need to recover pillars, the backfill program must be carefully laid out. No subsidence can be tolerated on surface.With these objectives in mind, a test program was undertaken by Nantar Engineering Limited and Queen's University to evaluate the possible ba ckfilling alternatives available to Chadbourne. One of the possibilities retained was the use of a backfill composed of broken slag material from the Horne Smelter and pyrrhotite tailings deposited on the Horne's pond a number of years previously.The back fill used at the Horne Mine until the mine closed in 1975 was composed of a mixture of 97% granulated slag and 3% pyrrhotite tailings. The tests leading to its use underground at the Horne Mine were described by Patton in 1952. The structural properties of the Horne backfill were ""intuitively"" known; it was agreed by all at the Horne Mine that the backfill was behaving remarkably well. Some were labeling it ""the best backfilling material in the world"". Its strength was said to be that of a weak concrete. All of the preceding indicate that the Horne backfill had never had its structural and other properties determined in the laboratory."

Jan 1, 1983

By Andrew Young

A Question Murray Dodge ?Inco Stobie Maintenance ?I visually inspect my hoist ropes every day and seldom find anything. Is there a better way to do the inspection?? Based on HRIA research activities, the answer would seem to be ?yes?.

May 1, 2006

By D. Milne

Laser profilometers exist for obtaining very accurate two and three dimensional profiles of joint surfaces. The application of this technology is not commonly applied to the collection of field data on discontinuity surface roughness. Rugged and portable field devices are not commonly used and the value of the possible field data that can be collected has not been well recognised. This paper reviews commonly used field techniques for assessing discontinuity roughness, discusses the value of this data and presents a new laser profilometer design for field application.

May 1, 2009

By Paul Stothart

Context ? Industry is active in urban, rural, and remote regions ? Faces a range of environmental challenges and ?social license? issues ? There are also Aboriginal and northern issues ? Also very active internationally, with associated challenges ? Environmental/social groups often target the industry ? The important contribution of the industry should not be overlooked Useful Minerals and Metals Minerals are intrinsic to the residential, municipal, communications, and transportation infrastructure of modern life. Examples: Hybrid motors - nickel hydride batteries Water purification systems ? nickel, rare earth elements Catalytic converters - cerium Screens and monitors - several rare earth elements Clean electricity - uranium Circuitry - gold, copper, aluminium, lithium, titanium, silver, cobalt, zinc Instruments - copper, silver, nickel, cobalt, copper, brass Protective products ? zinc, calcium carbonate, sulphur

May 1, 2008

By Marcel M. Djivre

The paper will outline the methods and test procedures including the evaluation criteria currently used at the Materials Testing Laboratory (MTL), Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, a laboratory approved by the Ontario Minister of Labour for the purpose of testing or examining mine shaft ropes or other hoisting appliances. Also for Canadian mines the paper will suggest proposed criteria to be used at MTL for the evaluation of ropes used in "ultra-deep" single-lift shafts. Most of the methods and test procedures currently used at MTL were adopted during the revision of the CSA Standard G4, Steel Wire Rope for General Purpose and for Mine Hoisting and Mine Haulage to be published most likely in year 2001. In this latest or sixth edition of CSA Standard G4, a new Clause 14 has been added outlining the requirements for in-service destructive testing of steel wire ropes for mine hoisting applications. The existing fifth edition of CSA Standard CAN/CSA -G4-92, which is intended for the manufacturing of new ropes, includes requirements for raw materials and construction features for round strand and flattened strand rope, and locked coil rope in bright and galvanized finish.

May 1, 2001

By N. D. MacFarlane, D. J. Mossman

"The Nemeiben Lake ultramafic complex, in the Churchill Province of the Canadian Shield in north-central Saskatchewan, is a small I. 6-km circular plug largely composed of high-alumina pyroxene cumulates forming a series of grossly concentric layers of clinopyroxenite, websterite and wehrlite. Minor dunite and gabbro are present in the northwestern part of the pluton.Disseminated primary magmatic pyrrhotite, pentlandite, chalcopyrite, magnetite and chromite occur throughout the intrusion. Sulphides occur in proportions of economic interest in the northern outcrops. A secondary assemblage of fine-grained oxides, sulphides and native metals occurs in serpentinized and uralitized peridotites and pyroxenites. Primary opaque minerals are largely altered to marcasite, violarite and hematite. The ores represent a primary magmatic assemblage extensively modified by metamorphism and, to a lesser extent, by supergene alteration.The complex intruded an Early Aphebian supracrustral succession during the waning stages of the Hudsonian orogeny. The metamorphic peak during Hudsonian time reached middle to upper amphibolite facies, granitized the country rocks and contributed to the partial amphibolitization of the ultramafic pluton.The Nemeiben complex has a number of features in common with the zoned intrusions of southeastern Alaska, including: the diopsidic composition of clinopyroxene, highly magnesian olivines, ubiquitous primary magnetite, relatively high alumina content of clinopyroxenes and the unlikelihood that associated gabbroic rocks are derived from a magma common to the ultramafic rocks. However, at Nemeiben, orthopyroxene occurs as a widespread postcumulus phase and, to a lesser extent, as a cumulus mineral. This fact, together with geochemical data on whole-rock and mineral compositions, indicates a tholeiitic parentage.The nickel-copper deposits of the Nemeiben Lake ultramafic complex are not currently economic, although standard technology for recovery of sulphide minerals in the clinopyroxenite (and websterite) would probably be adequate. Most ore minerals in the altered peridotites belong to the fine-grained secondary assemblage of opaques due to the formation of retrograde hydrous silicates and are probably too fine grained for standard recovery methods."

Jan 1, 1982

By Poul Hansen

"In mid-1986, a world-class mining enterprise was created in Highland Valley, British Columbia, bringing together the copper mining operations of Lomex and Cominco . In 1988, Highmont joined the new partnership.Highland Valley Copper is the largest copper mine in North America in terms of both tonnage mined and tonnage milled, and it is one of the largest in the world. Due to its relatively low ore grade its production of copper in concentrate ranks about ninth in the Western World.The current eighteen year mine plan is based on ore reserves of 761 million tonnes. The daily milling rate is 133 000 tonnes. At the end of mine life, a total area of approximately 6500 hectares will have been disturbed. At this time, vegetation has been established on about 600 hectares and while work will be done during the operating years, it will not be until the end of mine life, about 2008, that the last half of the land can be reclaimed and revegetated.Once final reclamation has been accomplished, Highland Valley Copper will have completed its "" temporary use of the land"". In the meantime, about 1250people have had employment for about 50 000 man years, at wages ranking among the best in Canada.IntroductionTo provide and sustain our way of life, we need steel, copper, aluminum, zinc and many other minerals.To sustain mining, we must have adequate ore reserves and replacement of reserves as they are mined. Each year the search becomes more difficult as more of the Earth's surface is investigated and depo sits are mined. This calls for aggressive and sustained efforts.In British Columbia, past and present mining activities have disturbed less than one-tenth of one per cent of the land.With today’s technology, mining operations can be substantially reclaimed and thus complete the cycle of ""A Temporary Use of the Land""."

Jan 1, 1992

By Patrick Andrieux

Numerous rock blasting design methodologies have been developed over the years, relating either to the primary objectives of blasting, such as the size distribution of the blasted material, or to its undesirable side effects, such as damage to the remaining rock mass. All existing methodologies, while of use, do have serious shortcomings. The question remains whether further improvements can be achieved in the field of practical rock blasting engineering. One approach that seems to hold promise is the relatively new matrix-based rock engineering systems (RES) methodology. It has been conceptually demonstrated that RES could be efficiently adapted to blasting. A brief overview of rock blasting design techniques and their main shortcomings is followed by the basic concepts governing rock engineering systems and a discussion on their pertinence to blasting. The paper concludes with a review of current efforts to develop a useful practical blast design tool using RES. SOMMAIRE Le potentiel d?application des systèmes d?ingénierie du roc aux tirs à l?explosif. De nombreuses méthodologies de conception d?abattage du roc à l?explosif ont été développées au cours des années, qui ont adressé soit les principaux objectifs des tirs, comme par exemple la granulométrie du matériel dynamité, soit ses effets secondaires indésirables, tels les dommages au massif rocheux. Toutes les méthodes existantes fonctionnent dans une certaine mesure et sont utiles - elles sont cependant pour ainsi dire toutes affectées par des limitations ou défauts plus ou moins sévères. La question demeure quant à savoir si des améliorations supplémentaires peuvent être apportées dans le domaine de la conception pratique des opérations d?abattage du roc à l?explosif. Une approche alternative qui semble prometteuse est celle relativement récente des systèmes matriciels d?ingénierie du roc (?Rock Engineering Systems?, ou RES). Il a été démontré de manière conceptuelle que les RES ont le potentiel d?être adaptés aux opérations de sautage. Une brêve revue des principales techniques de conception des tirs à l?explosif est suivie d?un énoncé des principes de base gouvernant les RES, ainsi que d?une discussion sur leur pertinence aux opérations de tir. Cet article conclut avec la revue d?un projet de recherche axé vers le développement d?une méthodologie de conception des tirs à l?explosif basée sur les RES.

May 1, 2002