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By Marc Lavigne

"The Lac Knife graphite deposit was estimated, as part of a feasibility study, using a geostatistical ore reserve estimation method: ordinary kriging. Based on the geology and its interpretation, the results of a variogram study, and the statistical parameters of the grade distribution of the core samples and the composites through the mineralization, the deposit was divided into three separate zones (west, centre and east), and each of these zones was then analyzed and kriged independently.The geological ore reserve estimation results of ordinary kriging are compared to the results of a conventional method (sections) used previously. The two methods gave almost similar reserve figures. The conventional method provided a +2% estimation for tonnage and + 10% for grade because it ignored the spatial relation between sections and samples, and ordinary kriging gave a more accurate longitudinal definition of the deposit.Finally, the paper concludes with the advantages of proceeding with ordinary kriging, namely: higher flexibility (change of cut-off grade), better deposit resolution and enhanced selectivity for the design of the open pit.IntroductionWithin the context of a complete feasibility study for the Société d' Exploration Minière Mazarin Inc., specialists of the Mines and Geology Division of Roche Ltd., Consulting Group, defined a modelling method appropriate to the graphite deposit of the Lac Knife property near Fennont. Many patterns were considered. Based on the geology of this deposit, the planned mining method, the statistical parameters of grade distribution and the variogram study, the process of reserve estimation retained was to use the ordinary kriging in a selective way. It was required because the geometry of the deposit is such that it was unthinkable to apply ordinary kriging without restrictions.This paper gives a detailed explanation of the observations and interrogations which led to the choice of this ore reserve estimation method, and the calculation procedure itself."

Jan 1, 1991

By Marc Tardif

"The way alarm information is provided to an operator can make a huge difference in the minutes following an upset. Process alarms are often looked at as a way to help avoid catastrophic failure and serious accidents. But knowing that mineral processing is so energy consuming and that raw material is not consistent, all small upsets should also be seen as a catastrophe because they can have significant impact on product cost and quality.This paper will demonstrate how it is possible to use data from process alarms to provide operators with real time, value added information that will help them take the right decision at the right time and in turn, reduce unplanned downtime by 20 to 80% and incidents by up to 50% (number and cost),and optimize energy and capacity usage.In the era of Big Data, living in a world where we are submerged with information, one of the biggest challenges is to find the right information at the right time.Alarm rationalization projects will often focus on alarm quantity, but alarm quality is also very important. It is possible, by following a simple 6-step process to turn “alarms” into truly valuable information for operators. Based on known standards (ANSI/ISA 18.2 and EEMUA 191), this process will capture the knowledge of the best and most experienced operators and process engineers, and make it readily available to everyone, right on time, when it matters the most.INTRODUCTIONWhen spending some time in a modern control room, it is easy to notice the huge quantity of information that is available to the operator. Modern operation stations feature multiple screens with HD capability. These screens display information like process display, history trends, alarms and events list, maps with geo-located information, images from live cameras, etc. However, it is harder to assess whether all this information is really helping operators: Is all the information relevant? Are process screens overcrowded? Is the information easy to understand? Does the operator know what to do with all the information? Are there too many alarms?"

Jan 1, 2016

By Alexandre Desbarats, Michel David

"All optimum pit design studies start from the geological are reserves inventory, the estimated grades of all blocks of potential are within the interpreted limits of the deposit. The actual optimization procedure is then carried out on block valuations based on these estimated grades. Thus, the relevance of any pit design can be seen to depend directly on the ore reserve estimation . To insure a proper pit design, a first step would be to use a geostatistical reserve estimation technique such as kriging, however, this is not enough. A frequently neglected fact is that the blocks of ore estimated during the planning stage of the mine are usually considerably larger than those on which the ore-waste selection will be made at the time of mining. Experience in the exploitation of large low-grade deposits has shown that large blocks, estimated to be are, when mined selectively in smaller blocks, often yield significant amounts of waste material. This phenomenon, known as internal waste, is a function of the variability of the grades, the size of mining unit and the amount of sampling information on which ore-waste decisions are made.In this study, it was proposed to consider the effect of internal waste caused by selective mining, on. pit design, using geostatistical methods to predict the tonnage and grade of recoverable reserves within large blocks.Optimum pits obtained using a block valuation formula taking into account the recoverable reserves within large blocks were compared with optimum pits obtained using a conventional block valuation formula. It was found that the optimum pits obtained by the proposed method had the highest total valuations and thus were, in fact, ""more optimum”. These pits were characterized by greater are tonnages at a lower average grade, the additional ore more than compensating for the drop in grade. It was also found that the consideration of internal waste in pit design could considerably alter pit limits in marginal areas of the deposit.It was concluded that selective mining had a significant, potentially critical, impact on the design of optimum pits especially in the case of large low-grade deposits."

Jan 1, 1984

By P. A. Mascaró, N. Chacon, A. A. Cecchi

"This document shows the development of a system called the “On-line charge level determination in SAG mills” (abbreviated as Jc). The Jc variable has certainly been difficult to measure due to the relevant number of factors and variables that affect the grinding phenomena inside semi autogenous (SAG) mills. To assess the feasibility stage of the proposed system, it was necessary to carry out two tests in different sized SAG mills, 38´ × 22´ and 36´ × 15´, respectively. In each test, the system was configured with a battery of sensors of the following types: (1) strain gauge, (2) accelerometer, and (3) gyroscope. The first step involved for charge level determinations was to determine kidney foot and shoulder by means of a study of the energy-impacts on shell structures. The second step consisted of correlating the measured grinding operational variables with the actual charge levels obtained from SAG mill crash stops. This system development is extremely useful and relevant for providing approximations about mass balances inside SAG mills. It will be a suitable tool for explaining “tonnes per hour” variations and determining optimal points under various operating conditions.INTRODUCTIONThere has been a growing necessity for technologies capable of obtaining “on-line data” of the main comminution variables in order to increase throughput. Computer systems have taken an important role in providing important solutions by means of processing on-line device signals (commonly referred to as monitoring). In semi autogenous (SAG) milling, there are many examples of monitoring devices that allow the operational staff to obtain detailed information both mechanically and electronically inside a grinding circuit. In this context, a new technology has been developed to obtain “Jc total charge (%) online” in two different SAG mills called Vibro-Energy® System.As part of the analysis performed by JKsimMet® the Jb/Jc was estimated because it has an important impact on SAG mill throughput. Different scenarios were simulated and contrasted at various theoretical Jb/Jc values in a baseline circuit (Figure 1)."

Jan 1, 2016

By W. M. Moon, Hugh G. Miller, C. -S. So

"Digital image processing and enhancement techniques have been applied to airborne gamma ray spectrometry data from Sudbury, Ontario. These results have been correlated and compared with the available geological maps to evaluate their usefulness for identifying lithological units. Digital processing allows the correlation of various data sets, and different combinations of images can be tested and viewed as a composite image. Composite images with pseudocolours provide an opportunity to analyze and correlate information that is not otherwise apparent in individual images. Principal component analysis has been applied to the gamma ray spectrometry data to evaluate their efficacy and relative information contents of the measured and computed data. The results of this study indicate that the combined radioelements image (obtained by combining the radioelement image and the ratio images) is effective for defining areas of relative concentration of a specific element in near surface materials. Furthermore, the composite radioelements image (produced by combining three separate radioelement images) and composite principal components image reflect large-scale lithological variations. IntroductionThe Sudbury area is a unique geological structure located in the southern Canadian Shield (Fig. 1). Because the area hosts economically significant nickel-copper deposits (Pye et al., 1984), it has been surveyed in great detail by geological and geophysical methods. In order to obtain meaningful geological infonnation about the Sudbury area, several studies have been carried out with the application of innovative mathematical techniques for geophysical modelling, and attempts have been made to integrate the multisensor geophysical data available for the area (e.g. Gupta et aI., 1984; Moon et al., 1988; Singh et al., 1993). The main objective of this paper is to apply digital image processing and enhancement techniques to airborne ganuna ray spectrometry data in order to determine their usefulness for regional geological mapping."

Jan 1, 1994

By R. S. Adhikari

This paper presents an innovative computer vision method for condition assessments of bridges with multiple defects in bridge elements using digital images. This work utilizes 3D model of existing bridges and overlays digital images on 3D model to simulate on-site visual inspection. The analysis of element condition index (ECI) of bridges requires information about the severity and extent of defects in elements. In general, ECI is evaluated manually during routine bridge inspection considering the severity of dominant defects. The evaluation of ECI with multiple defects needs to be addressed with consideration of dominant defect as well as the interaction among defects. However, Image-based quantification techniques largely depend on geometry of objects (i.e. shapes). Shape vectors of a given object change as they are translated, rotated, and scaled with different magnitudes. This work considers shape preserving algorithms such as, affine and projective transformation for proper image alignment. Semi-automated approach for detection and quantification of concrete distress such as cracks and spalling are considered for the defects analysis. The proposed methodology ensures the consistency in reporting ECI and eliminates the shortcoming of traditional approaches.

Aug 1, 2013

By I. Farr, P. Quinn, H. Mani

"Difficulties in the flotation of Inca's ultramafic ores at the Thompson Mill are related to the presence of serpentine slimes and some floatable rock minerals. Serpentine slime coatings depress pentlandite recovery while rock flotation decreases concentrate grade. Carboxy methyl cellulose (CMG) has been shown to promote sulphide flotation and to reject floatable rock.To improve ultramafic ore flotation, CMC addition in the rougher stage was studied in a laboratory scale column. Batch tests were conducted in the lab and followed up with continuous testwork at the Thompson mill. At 0.5-1.0 g CMG per kg ore, pentlandite recovery is increased by 5-10% in rougher flotation, pentlandite/rock selectivity is improved and pentlandite/pyrrhotite selectivity is unaffected.IntroductionAt Inca's Manitoba Division, two distinctly different sulphide ores are processed at the Thompson Mill, primarily by froth flotation. The sulfide ores are contained within the Thompson Nickel Belt and currently there are two operating mines, Thompson and Birchtree. Sulphide mineralization in both mines is simple, consisting of pyrrhotite (both monoclinic and hexagonal), pentlandite, and minor chalcopyrite. Both deposits are hosted by metasedimentary and metavolcanic rocks with variable ultramafic rock associations. Ultramafic rocks are mostly serpentinites: magnesium rich rocks composed predominately of serpentine. There is little serpentinite at the Thompson mine, while mineralization at Birchtree is closely associated with significant ultramafic rocks.Excellent recoveries of pentlandite (Pn) and chalcopyrite (Cp) are achieved at the Thompson Mill when processing ore from the Thompson mine. In treating the ultramafic associated Birchtree ore, nickel recoveries are some 6 to 8% below that achieved with Thompson ore. Furthermore, a typical concentrate from Birchtree ore contains more rock and is higher in MgO content. The presence of rock in the concentrate is related to free floatable rock species as well as rock locked with sulfides. The reason for the difference in flotation responses of these two ores has been the subject of on-going re-search."

Jan 1, 1998

By Robert W. Plummer

"This paper describes the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) as a tool for mineral exploration by using the Eskay Creek area of northern British Columbia as an example. Data entry, analysis and output are discussed. Examples of some of the capabilities of the technology are presented.The main benefit of the technology is being able to perform complex and sophisticated searches of large and diverse data sets to highlight exploration targets. A GIS is a powerful data management tool that can be used in mineral exploration. It is a computer based system that is designed for the collection, storage and analysis of objects and phenomena where geographic location is an important characteristic. The main function of the GIS is to produce information for the geologist from a variety of sources (geology, geophysics, geochemistry, mineral deposits and so forth) quickly and efficiently. This allows the geologist to examine large amounts of data in a fraction of the time than can be done using conventional manual methods."

Jan 1, 1992

By B. R. McEwen, A. N. Samis, J. H. Gray

"The Quebrada Blanca Copper Mine is an open pit copper project located at 4200 m elevation in the Chilean Andes. The deposit is a world-class supergene enriched porphyry with a mining reserve of 89 Mt of 1.3% copper. The supergene zone will produce 6.3 Mt of ore per year for more than 15 years to produce 75 000 t of cathode copper per year.This paper will review the project geology the computer model ling of the deposit, the mine planning process and the property production scheduling. With copper production .fixed by the onsite electrowinning capacity, the planning and scheduling aspects to optimize the project NPV will be discussed. Some of the logistics, equipment. personnel and process difficulties of operating a mine at 42()() m elevation will also be described. IntroductionProject DescriptionThe Quebrada Blanca Copper Mine is an open pit copper project located in the northern part of the Chilean Andes. The project is based on the supergene enriched portion of a porphyry deposit which has a mining reserve of 89 million tonnes at 1.3070 copper. Below the enrichment blanket, the protore represents a further resource.All ore will be leached, the higher grade material will be crushed and stacked for thin layer heap leaching, and the lower grade and oxide material will be dump leached as run-of-mine material. Solvent extraction and electrowinning will be used to produce 75 000 tonnes of cathode copper per year. Power will be supplied by a 40 MW on-site diesel generating plant with the waste heat being used for process heating. The leaching operation will operate in excess of 15 years and may be followed by open pit mining and conventional ore concentration of the underlying primary sulphide mineralization.Because of the dry location water will be piped 37 km from a ground water source at the Salar de Michincha. Water requirements will be approximately 1.5 million m3/year. The operation will eventually employ approximately 550 people on a 7-day-on, 7-day-off rotation with two twelve-hour shifts per day with an on-site camp. Busing will be provided to the port city of Iquique."

Jan 1, 1994

By Xianglin Yang, Hong Zhong, Jingjing Xiao, Guangyi Liu

"The selective adsorption of a flotation collector to a mineral plays a crucial role in enhancing the hydrophobicity of targeted mineral particles for attaching air bubbles in pulp. The recent progress of the structure-reactivity relationship of flotation collectors, the characterization methods for mineral surfaces with adsorbed collectors and their commercial application are reviewed in this paper. Particular emphasis is placed on the density functional theory (DFT) for understanding the reactivity of new collectors, the surface analysis techniques including time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS), in situ scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) and atomic force microscope (AFM) to characterize mineral/collector interface, and the flotation technologies for optimizing recovery of valuable minerals. Especially, the recently developing collectors such as Gemini, alkoxyalkylthiourea, dithiourea, amide-hydroxamate and oximido-thiol surfactants, and their specificity to given minerals are evaluated. Based on this crucial review, it is evident that the structural modification approaches for minerophilic or hydrophobic groups, and combined surface analysis approach for further understanding the adsorption mechanism of collectors on mineral surfaces will lay a solid foundation for the future development of flotation collectors. INTRODUCTIONIn mineral processing, flotation is the main process for separation and recovery of valuable minerals from the ores contained them (Fuerstenau et al., 2007). One of the key requirements in flotation process is to increase selectively the surface hydrophobicity of the targeted minerals by collector adsorption so that these mineral particles can preferably attach to air bubbles in a slurry or pulp (Fuerstenau et al., 2007). Flotation collector is a kind of functional surfactant, which is composed of polar and non-polar groups (Somasundaran, & Wang, 2006). Non-polar portion, commonly being linear, branch or ring hydrocarbon group, is termed hydrophobic group. The polar portion, exhibiting strong affinity to mineral surfaces, is known as minerophilic group (Nagaraj, 1988). According to mineral types including saline, oxide and sulfide minerals, flotation collector divides into sulfide and oxide mineral collectors. For efficient recovery of valuable minerals from the refractory complex ores, insights into the adsorption mechanism, hydrophobic model and subsequent flotation approach of flotation collectors have been regarded as an indispensable issue in mineral processing."

Jan 1, 2016

By Kari Niiranen, Andreas Boehm

LKAB (Luossavaara-Kiirunavaara AB) is operating underground iron ore mine, with three beneficiation and pelletizing plants in Kiruna, Northern Sweden. The wet low intensity magnetic separation (WLIMS) is regarded as the crucial part of silicate mineral separation from the ore. The Kiirunavaara iron ore deposit shows a rather low content of silica (ca. 2.3 to 3.3 % SiO2) but the silica grade is expected to increase in the deeper parts of the deposit. This can be problematic in the case of DR pellet quality with an average silica grade under 0.75 % SiO2. A laboratory scale methodology was developed for the systematic characterization of the ore for mineral processing with the focus on silicates at the Institute of Mineral Processing, University of Leoben. This methodology is combining mineralogical, geochemical and process mineralogical characteristics. Automated mineralogy (QEMSCAN) was used to study the modal mineralogy, the distribution of silicate minerals in different particle size classes after comminution, the deportment of silicon (Si) between various silicates and degree of liberation and intergrowth of magnetite and silicates. Based on the mineralogical investigations, actinolite, phlogopite and even quartz and albite are the predominating SiO2 bearing minerals in the ore. The important result of the investigations was the discovery of two separate subtypes within the high silica ore type B2 based on their mineralogy and mineral processing characteristics. The crucial part of the investigations of intergrowths and liberation of magnetite results was the magnetic separation tests carried out with the Davis magnetic tube. The binary intergrowths of magnetite and the silicate minerals (mostly actinolite) are the most common type of mineral association discovered. The significant characteristics in the intergrowths of magnetite and actinolite are the fine-grained magnetite inclusions in actinolite which may end up increasing the SiO2 grade in the magnetite concentrate despite magnetic separation.

Jan 1, 2016

By D. H. Whiting, A. J. Sinclair

"The San Antonio gold mine, in the Archean Rice Lake Greenstone Belt, was in continuous production from 1932 to 1968, during which period the mine yielded 1.35 million ounces (41 985 kg) of gold and 195,000 ounces (6065 kg) of silver from 4.88 million tons (4.44 Mt) of ore for average grades of 0.28 ounces per ton (9.0 g/t) gold and 0.04 ounces per ton (1.3 g/t) silver. After the 1968 closure, several publications appeared implying that gold grade of ore decreased with increasing depth.Recent observations by the authors show that the relatively low grades in the middle levels of the mine are controlled geologically. However, the reduced average are grade in the lower levels of the mine was due to inadequate mining control that led to a high level of dilution. The similarity of geological factors such as vein styles within structural domains, variations in mining control, recent ore muck sampling results and lithogeo chemical profiles all indicate the similarity of ore in both upper and lower levels.Strict mining control should yield improved grades of gold for future production from the lower levels at San Antonio, in contrast with the production grades of the late 19605that represented extensively diluted ore. High-quality production records are an essential component in re-evaluating a past producer, particularly where workings are accessible. Poorly founded conclusions which cannot be checked by access to workings can have a negative impact on the evaluation procedure."

Jan 1, 1990

By B. Das

"Computers have been used extensively in the mineral industry in exploration, reserves calculation, mining technology, mineral processing, etc. With respect to coal mining, there are also various applications for evaluating rock slope stability of open pits, design of open pits, underground operations, mine ventilation, ground control, data processing and management information, operations control and certain technological applications. Mine ventilation appears to be the field in underground coal mining touched on most; on the other hand, underground coal mining methods evaluation is represented only sparingly.It is therefore essential to review the status of the computer in underground coal mining methods evaluation in order to define its scope for further application. The paper discusses the roles of the mining engineer, programmer, computer operator and analyst as well as that of the computer. The important parameters will be identified and discussed along with their application for different underground coal mining methods, with their individual unit processes. Mainly, longwall face operations have been covered. Although many models have been of academic interest, they can be considered as important steps in a transition stage which will be followed by more practical applications for computers for underground coal mining method evaluations in the future. This calls for a coordinated effort from all concerned."

Jan 1, 1981

By Yves C. Lizotte, Malcolm J. Scobie

Blast fragmentation is affected by the physical and mechanical characteristics of the rockmass as determined by geology as well as the explosive energy, the partition of this energy, the actual amount of energy transmitted to the rockmass, the blast geometry and the detonation sequence. This paper reviews studies of the influence of geology on blast fragmentation, particularly structure, i.e. the in situ or inherent fragmentation arising from rock discontinuities. Prior structural studies have mainly been limited to comparing equivalent diameters of the in situ blocks with the size distributions of the blasted material. No criteria exist to integrate structure into blast design. This paper reviews on-going studies of the blasted fragment shape and size observed in different rockmasses aimed at analyzing geological control over blasting. Digital photoanalysis was applied {o measure size and shape distributions, to correlate results with block size distributions and shape parameters of the inherent fragmentation. An integrated and comprehensive fragmentation assessment procedure which accounts for geological control is proposed. The potential of this research is to provide a greater understanding of the true contribution of explosives to fragmentation, the effects of fragment shape on system productivity and the reduction of blast-induced damage.

Jan 1, 1994

By Bertrand Wolfman, William E. Stanley

"This paper reviews the traditional mine accounting systems, including ""custodial accounting"" and unit costing, and then suggests that the use of flexible budgets represents a more suitable method of reporting costs in order to assist the mine manager in improving productivity. Examples of various applications are given to show that the result is a clear reporting structure.Custodial Accounting is Emphasized in Traditional SystemsTraditional mine accounting has been mainly concerned with the accuracy of financial reporting to ""head office"" for the use of the directors and the company's bankers and shareholders. This is often called custodial accounting and it represented the main purpose of accounting when first developed in Europe hundreds of years ago. This important development permitted the establishment of enterprises which were separated from their owners because they could rely on accurate financial reports of management's stewardship.As custodial accounting is fairly broad and historical in nature, it is often not very useful to the mine manager for ongoing monitoring of performance of mining, milling, maintenance, and other support and staff groups. In spite of the considerable investment in accounting staff and computer support, many accounting systems have not been upgraded so that they accurately reflect workplace performance on a weekly or monthly basis.Budgets are Often FixedMany mines today also still emphasize fixed budgets. Thus, the mine plan which is set in the fall of one year is converted to a monthly tonnage and detailed dollar budget for periods of up to sixteen months in the future. The only certainty in this plan is that actual events will differ; timing, mix of mining methods and production volumes will differ on a monthly basis.Unfortunately, the fixed budget has no capability to reflect these operational changes. It is frozen for the full year. The result is that actual results will inevitably be compared to an outdated target."

Jan 1, 1982

By W. Almdal

"To compete in the ever expanding global market, companies must continuously improve. Benchmarking, a tool that can help determine where the best areas for improvement are, is more than comparing measures, it is comparing how business is carried out and how decisions are made. The key to success is in integrating benchmarking results into the organization, so that those most affected by the results own them and are empowered to use them as a positive change agent. This is a necessary step to achieving substantive change to practices and achieving optimum performance improvement. IntroductionBenchmarking is a powerful tool that can assist in the continuous goal of improvement. Benchmarking is more than comparing productivity rates or unit costs, it is seeking out best practices and assimilating them into a business to provide a positive change agent.Benchmarking is a continuous process - is time consuming, labour intensive, and requires a lot of discipline. There are no easy answers and no easy solutions, just a lot of work. The results, however, are nothing short of spectacular. More and more companies are adopting benchmarking practices because it is a key tool of the learning organization and will become part of the way business is done, part of the way it is managed. Business must change to stay ahead or to get ahead and benchmarking can accelerate the process of business change. Improvements in an organization can happen faster and more effectively with a benchmarking approach."

Jan 1, 1994

By C. Beaudry

Outline ? General Geology of Frieda River Project Area ? Exploration History ? Geology of Porphyry Deposits ? Porphyry Resource ? Update of Nena Deposit and High-Sulfidation Mineralization ? Nena Resource

May 1, 2006

By Pierre C. Vieillescazes

MIGA: Unique Multilateral Risk Mitigator ?A World Bank Group agency established in 1988 to promote and facilitate sustainable foreign direct investment in emerging coufacilitate countries ntries (north(north--south and southsouth south--south) ?Guarantees equity and debt and many other types of investments against non-commercial risk. ?Can cover the following type of risks: ?Expropriation ?Breach of Contract ?Currency Transfer and Inconvertibility ?War and Civil Disturbance ?Non-Honoring of Sovereign Financial Obligations

May 1, 2010

By Liangtian Liu, Tie Ou, Guangqiang Li, Chenghuan Yu

For stabilizing the production of containing nitrogen steels, a study on nitrogen absorption behavior of killed molten steel has been carried out by means of the RH vacuum device in which nitrogen was used as a driving gas. The results showed that there was an increase of nitrogen content in molten steel under vacuum processing but the rate of nitrogen absorption was slowed down by the surface active elements. Therefore, a kinetic equation for nitrogen absorption of molten steel with apparent first order reaction was derived by constructing a modified model in which the adsorption of closed surface site was taken into account. The experimental results confiimed that the calculated values agreed with the observed ones. This model is suitable for the prediction of nitrogen adsorption operation for containing nitrogen steels.

Jan 1, 2004

Concentrator Improvements -1990-1995Back to Basics ?pilot plant versus plant opportunities identified ?understand process fundamentals & baseline -1996-2000Point ?C?Projects ?strategy to improve global competitiveness ?structure implemented to generate & drive ideas ?capital investment for life of mine asset renewal - 2001-200?Six Sigma Methodologies ?emphasis on data, measurements & analyses ?dedicated, highly trained personnel on projects 1990-1995 Improvement Phase??Philosophy??back to basics?approach?understand what each piece equipment needed to do?understand reagents, control variables?confirm operating strategies ??probe, stabilize, institutionalize??test theories, confirm with lab and plant trials?process stability (equipment reliability, controls)?enhanced operator guidelines, operator training?focus on continuous improvement?optimize existing equipment capability?stop looking for ?magic?solutions 1990-1995 Improvement Phase??Technical?finer grind, same equipment?optimize media size/shape to grinding application?balanced available ball mill power to applications?lowered cyclone feed densities where possible?improved selectivity, same equipment?balanced available cells to applications?streamlined process (eliminate process steps)?added cleaning stages where required?understanding pulp/mineral surface chemistry?lowered flotation pulp densities 1990-1995 Improvement Phase??Effort?numerous studies to understand process?liberation and mineralogical characterization?pulp and mineral surface chemistry?flotation kinetics and entrainment?extensive internal and external manpower?Brunswick, Noranda Technology Centre?CanMet, AMTEL, MinnovEx, Lakefield Research, McGill University?small capital expenditure

May 1, 2002