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By Brian Lewis

"IntroductionThe leaching method selected for the dissolving of uranium ore depends in part on the physical characteristics of the ore, as well as the uranium mineralization. There are two main methods of leaching employed in uranium circuits in North America, one being ""Carbonate Leaching"" on sandstone, and pitchblende type ores, and ""Acid Leaching"", on quartzite type ores.This chapter deals with the acid leaching of uranium ores found in the Elliot Lake area, using sulphuric acid, for the leaching reagent, and ""pachucas"" for the contactor.The basic leaching process involves the pregrinding of the ore and the mixing of the ore with hot sulphuric acid, the mixture is air agitated, the air being used to oxidize the ore as well as produce agitation. The chemical reaction is as follows: Uranium Oxide + Sulphuric Acid = Uranyl SulphateThe following equations show the actual dissolution of the ""Hexavalent Uranium"", which show that more than one ion or complex of uranium is possible.Uranium DissolutionsI. UO, + 2H-(UOJ + H,O2. (UO,) + SO, = -UO, SO, (Uranyl Sulphate)3. UO, + SO,-(UO, (SO,),)=4. (UO, (SO,),)= -(UO, (SO,),)'Test work carried out in the laboratory as well as in the plants has determined the most efficient methods of extracting the uranium from the ore. A very important factor that has to be determined during initial test work are the amount of acid consumers in the ore. Within the Elliot Lake orebodies are minerals such as chlorite schist, diabase, and basement material, all very high acid consumers, consuming up to 1000 lbs. of acid per ton of ore. Of these minerals only the chlorite schist contain any uranium at all.The following are the operating parameters that have to be controlled in the plant:I. sulphuric acid concentration2. temperature of the mixture3. agitation4. liquid solid ratio5. reaction time6. particle size of ground ore"

Jan 1, 1989

By F. G. Smith

Abstract Laboratory methods are now in use whereby the temperature and pressure during the crystallization of hydrothermal minerals can be determined. The techniques include the use of the decrepitation method of studying liquid inclusions, and electrical measurements of pyrite. The determinations are sufficiently accurate that the data can be used in solving a variety of ore deposition problems. Within the last year, several new laboratory techniques have been developed in the Geochemical Laboratory of the Department of Geological Sciences, University of Toronto. The results of several tests of ore by these methods have proved to be useful in treating some problems which previously were considered unsolvable. It is now possible to determine the temperature of deposition of most of the minerals in a hydrothermal ore deposit, also the depth below the surface during deposition. Measurements can also be made of the reopening history of a complex ore. The temperature-pressure determinations depend upon the fact that minerals deposited from a hydrothermal solution always trap a small amount of the solution at the time of crystallization. The solution, being predominantly composed of water, has a density which depends upon the temperature and the pressure prevailing during crystallization. After ore deposition is complete, erosion and isostatic uplift finally exhumes the vein. During this slow fall in temperature and pressure, the solution contracts and a gas bubble appears. If the trapped solution in the mineral is examined, the gas-liquid ratio records the density of the solution at the time the mineral was deposited (except for a slight change in the volume of the mineral). The thermal expansion and compressibility of water and water solutions are known to a sufficient degree that, if the gas /liquid ratio can be determined, the temperature-pressure relations during deposition can be calculated.

Jan 1, 1949

By RAYMOND C. HARTVIKSEN

The Drumbo Mine is located near Highway 401 between Woodstock and Kitchener in southwest Ontario. The tabular flat-lying gypsum bed is between 1.5 to 2.4 m thick and is situated near the base of the Salina Formation, about 116 m below surface. The mine is owned and operated by Westroc Industries Limited. The 3.8 m diameter shaft was drilled using a Hughes CSD 820 drilling rig and a liner sinking technique new to the North American continent. The shaft was completed in the fall of 1977, and remaining facilities were finished in the fall of 1978. Gypsum production started in December 1978, employing the conventional room-and-pillar method of mining.

Jan 1, 1984

By J. F. MacGregor, M. Hou, D. Hodouin

"RésuméDe nouvelles méthodes efficaces sont maintenant devenues nécessaires pour traiter les quantités massives de données en temps-réel que collectent les ordinateurs industriels modemes. Les méthodes statistiques multi variables comme l'analyse en composantes principales et la projection sur des structures latentes sont des méthodes analytiques bien adaptées aux données industrielles bruitées et mal conditionnées. L'efficacité de ces méthodes est illustrée sur des données historiques collectées dans une usine de broyage et de flottation. Trois cent cinquante observations de quarante quatre variables de procède ont été utilisées pour démontrer les aptitudes de ces méthodes pour l'analyse préliminaire de données, la classification des régimes opératoires, le contrôle de qualité et la modélisation empirique des precedes.AbstractBecause of the availability of powerful industrial computers which collect huge amounts of real-time data in mineral processing plants, there is a need for efficient methods to extract relevant information from them. Multivariate statistical techniques, such as principal components analysis (PCA) and projection to latent structures (PLS), are well suited to analyze these large sets of noisy and ill-conditioned data. The power of PCA and PLS is illustrated on historical data from a grinding and flotation plant. Three hundred and fifty observations of forty-four process variables are used to show the capacity of these techniques for preliminary data analysis, classification of operating regimes, process monitoring, and process empirical modelling."

Jan 1, 1993

By Yin Wang, Lin Li, Zhongwei Bi, Like Wei, Wen Li, Shaogang Li, Bin Zhang, Hongjie Li

Presently,Many long-wall fully-mechanized faces in shallow depth coal seams are below room and pillar goaf in Shendong mining area. When the working face is advanced out of concentrated coal pillar in upper room and pillar goaf, strong strata behaviors often cause support crushing accident. Aiming at a support crushing accident which happened in Shigetai coal mine of Shenhua group in Shendong mining area, this paper analyses the stress transfer process while mining out of concentrated coal pillar by numerical simulation software FLAC3D. According to the feature, simplifying the roof of upper room and pillar goaf as supporting-beam structure explains mechanism of large area collapse in room and pillar goaf roof. Based on the feature of supporting-beam structure, deep-hole blasting concentrated coal pillar technology is proposed to control the strong strata behaviors in Shigetai coal mine. The blasting control effect is confirmed through characteristics of strata behaviors, growth circumstance of ground crack and multi-point extensometer monitoring results. By using control technology, Shigetai coal mine has been successfully avoided support crushing accident.

Jan 1, 2015

By J. H. Walsh

IN THE DEVELOPMENT of procedures for the separation of minerals, the choice of reagents for flotation is frequently determined by the extent to which a given mineral is wettable by water. Measurements of the contact angle of an air bubble on wet mineral surfaces are often used in the laboratory to estimate the wettability of the surface. For the results of these measurements to be reproducible, the surface of the mineral must be polished to a mirror-like smoothness and must be free from oily contamination. Elaborate procedures for preparing mineral surfaces have been developed by Wark ( 1) and Taggart (2), and these procedures have been generally accepted as adequate for their purpose. The polishing techniques, how-ever, have certain inherent disadvantages which make it impossible to assess the effects of polishing, entrained abrasive, and adsorbed gases on the wettability of the mineral surface.

Jan 1, 1957

By G. E. Bogin, C. Strebinger, J. F. Brune

"Evidence shows that methane gas emanates from the mined-out area or gob of a longwall coal mine and can travel towards the working face, posing an explosion risk. Since the gob consists of varying levels of compacted rock, many researchers have modeled fluid flow through the gob as a Darcy-type porous media with a specified porosity and permeability. When studying methane gas explosions near the gob fringe, the Darcy flow assumption may not be applicable to describe the methane flame interaction with the gob. Computational fluid dynamic studies were performed modeling methane flame propagation across a simulated gob which was modeled as both a Darcy porous medium and as discrete rock objects with varying sphericity. Modeling the gob as a Darcy porous medium results in unrealistic methane flame propagation since the porous media assumption does not consider any differences in rock size and/or distribution. Additionally, the porous media model does not allow for ignition within and subsequent flame propagation through the porous medium, which must be modeled to understand the potential for methane gas explosions in the gob area. Modeling the gob as discrete rock objects produces more realistic methane flame dynamics and agrees with experimental observations. Modeling results show flame propagation across circles, hexagons, and squares, meant to represent rock rubble in the gob, produce different levels of turbulence which affects methane flame propagation velocity. This research demonstrates that modeling methane gas explosions in a longwall coal mine environment, specifically near the gob area, requires modeling obstacles, such as rock rubble, as discrete physical objects to capture the complex coupling of fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, and heat transfer. INTRODUCTION Although there are methods to mitigating methane accumulations in a longwall coal mine, explosive gas zones (EGZs) of methane and air may exist and pose an explosion risk to nearby miners and equipment (Brune, 2014) (Karacan, Ruiz, Cote, & Phipps, 2011). In the event of an explosion, the resulting methane flame and pressure wave can be catastrophic as evidenced by the Upper Big Branch explosion in 2010 that killed 29 miners (Page, et al., 2011). Since the mining process is transient, it is difficult to determine exactly where these EGZs exist, but investigative reports show in many cases, these EGZs can be near the working face, behind the shields, or within the gob area (Brune, 2014) (McKinney, et al., 2001). Additionally, miners have recounted seeing flames moving back and forth within the gob and under the roof supports (McKinney, et al., 2001) and in other cases, anecdotal evidence of hearing small pressure pops deep within the gob area (Brune, 2014)."

Jan 1, 2019

By M. J. MONEA

Canada's only economic high-swelling bentonite deposit is mined in Wilcox, Saskatchewan, by A vonlea Mineral Industries Limited. The bentonite resulted from devitrified and altered volcanic ash released during the Laramide Orogeny. Volcanic ash was deposited in a pre-Cretaceous basin that was formed by salt solution collapse structures. Sedimentary rocks in the Wilcox area belong to the Snakebite Member of the Upper Cretaceous Bearpaw Formation. Bentonite beds are 61 cm, 46 cm and 30 cm thick; these are separated by 365 cm and 182 cm of shale respectively. Saskatchewan bentonite is used primarily in the oil well industry.

Jan 1, 1984

By T. W. Cavers

The Dwight-Lloyd sintering machine was the answer to the flue-dust problem of the copper blast-furnace smelter. Then came concentration by flotation, which threatened to eliminate the blast furnace from the smelting field altogether, and again the sintering process solved the problem. As is well known, the sintering process is dual in its function; it expels sulphur from the charge and it converts a powdery material into nodules or chunks that hold together. The charge is ignited on top just as it passes over the edge of the first suction box, and the oxygen of the air that is drawn downward through the charge breaks up the sulphide and oxidizes about fifty percent of the sulphur. The heat produced by this reaction in the upper stratum of the charge ignites that lying immediately below, and, when the pallett has travelled the full length of the machine, the tire has reached the graces and the fine concentrate has changed its characteristics by being partially fused and has become a more or less solid mass. When the Granby Company was smelting its ore as mined, one small D-L machine was adequate for the treatment of the flue dust, but as soon as the policy of smelting the concentrate was adopted, it became necessary to add two large machines to the sintering plant. The three sintering units, of which two are 42 in. by 396 in. and the other 42 in . by 264 in. in hearth area, have a combined capacity of from 370 to 450 tons (dry) of charge per day. The capacity varies directly as the hearth area. The sinter produced is about 88 per cent of the dry charge, or 325 to 400 tons per day. The sintered fines returned for resintering average between 30 and 35 per cent of the charge, but this is not as great a disadvantage as might appear, since the addition of hot fines improves the burning qualities of the mixture. From 50 to 54 per cent of the sulphur is eliminated in the sintering operation.

Jan 1, 1934

By John A. Hudson, Xia-Ting Feng, Joseph S. Y. Wang

Evolution over decades and progress over last five years have been made in many topics of interests to rock mechanics, geosciences, physics, and multi-disciplinary interactions in underground research laboratories and development facilities, as well as in underground energy recoveries and environmental assessments. Rock mechanics and geotechnical engineering advances are associated with quantifications of disturbed/damaged zones and rock alternation and bursting processes and creation of underground spaces and accesses associated with deepening of shafts and lengthening of tunnels. Geophysics and earth sciences advances are associated with continuing collections of seismic, electromagnetic, and gravitational data and conducting various thermal, hydrological, mechanical, chemical, and biological investigations, both separately, simultaneously, and in different coupled ways. Astroparticle and underground physics advances are associated with many long term experiments to detect rare events and needs for increasing larger and deeper halls to accommodate next generation detectors, shielings, and isolations. There are also increasing interesting in underground settings to explore multidisciplinary and inter-disciplinary sciences and technologies. Energy and environmental sciences and assessments have evolved from traditional oil and gas focuses to recent activities associated with green resources and alternative recovery/disposal strategies. The evolution and progress of these interdependent and related fields are discussed in this quadrennial Congress.

Jan 1, 2015

By S. Akhlaghi

In many electronic/optoelectronic devices, interaction between the metal stack and solder is undesirable. If a reaction happens, a nonuniform joint containing spikes and voids is likely to form and as a result the heat dissipation deteriorates significantly, which in turn, leads to the degradation of the bond. In the present work the interaction between Ti/Mo/ Au metallization system, which was sputter deposited on AlN substrates, and Pb-Sn solder was studied by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Also, an EDX system was used to trace the changes in chemical composition of the layers after solder tests. The microstructural examinations show that the Ti and Mo layer from the Ti/Mo/ Au metallization system are not impermeable enough and thus Ca from the surface of the substrate moves all the way up to the interface of Au/Mo and forms an intermetallic at the interface, which grows over time.

Jan 1, 2006

By Guichao Wang, Geoffrey M. Evans, Graeme J. Jameson

"In this paper we present a new method for studying the detachment of particles from bubbles in a rotating turbulent eddy. The eddy is formed in a wall cavity in a two-dimensional water tunnel with transparent walls. When water flows through the tunnel, a vortical flow field develops in the cavity. The properties of the eddy can be modulated by changing the free-stream velocity of the water in the tunnel. Bubbles are pre-loaded with one or more particles in a fluidized bed flotation device located beneath the vortex cavity. Loaded bubbles are released one at a time into the cavity, and the motion of the bubbleparticle aggregate is studied using a high-speed video camera. The diameters of the particles and the bubbles, and the number of particles initially attached to the bubble, can be varied. The trajectories taken by the bubbles are quite complicated. In some cases, the bubble moves to the centre of the eddy, and particles rotate around its axis. If the rotational speed is sufficient, particles may detach due to centrifugal force. However, other modes were observed, including inertial detachment due to rapid changes in direction of the surface of the bubble, because of changes in trajectory of the bubble as a whole, or because of pulsations and oscillations of the bubble surface. Clusters of bubbles held together by particles were seen to form and reform. In the traditional explanation for the detachment of particles in flotation cells, it is assumed that particles detach from bubbles rotating in an eddy due to centrifugal force (Schulze, 1977). Although the conditions assumed in Schulze's theory may exist, it is only one of a range of phenomena that can lead to the detachment of particles from bubbles in a turbulent vortex.INTRODUCTIONThe recovery of particles by flotation methods is dependent on the particle size. The recovery in the existing flotation machines reaches a peak for particle size, typically in the range of 20 to 100 µm. This size range varies as a function of the particle’s properties (type and composites). For coarser particles, the recovery drops very quickly (Gaudin, Groh & Henderson, 1931; Jowett, 1980). If the upper size limit can be increased for flotation, dramatic savings in the grinding energy can be achieved."

Jan 1, 2016

By Xu Wang, Yizhe Zhang, Yangge Zhu, Xiao’ou Xia, Fangming Liu

"The progress of lean magnetite preconcentration in China was introduced in this paper, such as using coarse crushing to reject tailings, and multistage grinding, multistage magnetic separation. The applications of “more crushing and less grinding” process and equipment in lean magnetite preconcentration could reduce production costs effectively. The related analysis and study on concrete cases were carried out in this paper.INTRODUCTIONIn the case of the slowdown and weak recovery in the global economy, bulk commodity prices fell sharply in 2015. Take iron ore's prices for example, about 60% grade iron ore's import prices in China from about $65 per ton at the beginning of 2015 fell to about $42 per ton in the end of the year, down by about 35%. But iron ore resources are non-renewable resources, with the continuous development and utilization of mineral resources, high grade iron ore resources will be exhausted gradually. Accompanying with the economic recovery iron ore prices after this fall is bound to return to its value to maintain a high level.The development and utilization of resources is gradually turning to the low grade iron ore. Restricted by technical development level and disadvantages of lean iron ore resources, the cost of utilization lean iron ore resources is relatively high. Making full use of their rich lean ore resources has become many countries' important strategy to get rid of dependence on foreign countries' ore. Over the years with the development and progress of lean magnetite mineral processing technology in China, the production number of concentrator has been greatly improved.As the world's largest steel producer and consumer countries, ensuring a stable and continuous supply of iron ore is particularly important for the healthy development of China's iron and steel industry. Chinese iron ore production and import data in recent years are showed in Table 1.With the expansion of iron and steel production, iron ore demand has also been a phenomenal growth. Taking 2013 for example, China's crude steel production is about 780 million tons in 2013, accounting for about half of the world's total output of crude steel. At the same time, China is also the first major iron ore import countries whose iron ore imports in 2013 was about 820 million tons, an increase of about 10%. The degree of external dependence is very high. In some years, the cost of China's iron ore imports was even more than $100 billion, and second only to oil’s import cost in all bulk commodities."

Jan 1, 2016

By Saba Gharedash

In this study the results of a series of numerical simulations which are conducted for one of the tunnels of the Mashhad metro line 2 project are presented to evaluate the role of tunnel face support pressure and soil strength parameters on deformation of tunnel lining and face deformation. To achieve this goal, comparative numerical simulations of a mechanized tunnel advance in soft non- homogeneous soil on top of the ground water table and beneath the building are conducted and sensitivity analysis is performed. Development of a step by step tunnel construction process is modeled using a three dimensional finite difference model (FLAC3D) taking into account all the relevant components of shield tunneling. In order to understand the mechanism of the effects of a variety of support pressures on face deformation and lining stresses, numerical simulations are conducted. It is found that the use of different face supports causes a considerable influence on the forces of tunnel lining. In addition, it is revealed that building weight help to change the stress paths and the stress distributions in the tunnel lining.

Aug 1, 2013

The tensile test results of as-cast A356.2 grain-refined alloy castings show that the tensile strength can be improved by strontium modification (`SrM'), superheating at 900°C OM, and melt thermal treatment of the Sr-modified alloy melt (`SrMTT'). Both SrM and SrMTT processes can greatly improve the ductility (percent elongation) of the as-cast alloy. During solution heat treatment at 540°C, eutectic Si particles undergo fragmentation, spheroidization, and coarsening, thereby affecting their morphology. The effects of solution heat treatment on the tensile properties of the variously treated A356.2 alloy castings can be summed up as follows: the yield strength of the castings is significantly improved after 8 h solution heat treatment due to the precipitation of Mg2Si, after which it remains more or less the same with the further increase in solution treatment time up to 80 h; the ultimate tensile strength is also greatly improved within the first 8 h of solution heat treatment and then remains at the same level thereafter, up to 80h of solution treatment. The improvement in UTS is attributed to Mg2Si precipitation, dissolution of Si within the aluminum matrix, and changes in the Si particle morphology (spheroidization). The ductility of the as-received grain refined non-modified (`NM'), grain refined and superheated at 900°C (`SH'), and melt thermal-treated grain refined (`MTT') A356.2 alloy castings can be improved considerably with solution heat treatment e.g. from ~6% in the as-cast non-modified casting to ~10% after 80 h solution treatment.

Jan 1, 2011

By Amin Saravari, Jamal Jafari, Abbas Sam

"The fourth concentrate production plant includes the comminution systems and the medium-low intensity magnetic separators (LIMS). Based on different conditions, two types of materials are fed into the plant. Type A: 70% of mine ore and 30% of reject materials from magnetite plant and type B: 100% of mine ore. The goal of the present study was to increase the iron grade and the blain number with low sulfur content in final concentrate as the pellet feed. An appropriate pellet feed should have more than 67% of iron, less than 0.1% of sulfur and a Blain number of more than 1800 cm2/g. The Fe, S and Blain no. amounts for the present concentrate are 66.6%, 0.95%, and 500 cm2/g (feed type:A) and 67.8%, 2.3%, and 450 cm2/g (feed type: B), respectively. In this research, the plant improvement efficiency was evaluated by changing the feed particle size distribution and using the flotation system. Laboratory experiments were designed based on the three circuits:1) LIMS (Low Intensity Grinding Rolls) feed grinding-LIMS test-flotation test2) LIMS feed grinding-flotation test-LIMS test3) LIMS concentrate grinding-flotation testThe best results were obtained using the first circuit at the LIMS feed size (d80) of 132 ?m. The processing results using the circuit no. 1 (feed type: A), showed a LIMS concentrate with 69.8% of Fe and 0.36% of sulfur. In this case, the final concentrate (after flotation) with Fe grade of 70.3%, sulfur content of 0.07% and Blain no. of 1571 cm2/g were obtained. In case of the feed type of B, the LIMS concentrate with Fe grade of 68.7%, and sulfur grade of 1.6% was achieved. Also, the Fe and sulfur contents were 69.3%, and 0.4% respectively with a Blain number of 1112 cm2/g. According to the obtained results, it was suggested that a LIMS feed comminution along with a LIMS and flotation systems are necessary to achieve an appropriate iron and sulfur grades with an acceptable blain number. To reach a concentrate Blain number as a pelletizing feed, a High Pressure Grinding Rolls (HPGR) system at the end of the processing line was recommended."

Jan 1, 2016

By S. Kapusniak

Specialist Machine Developments (SMD) is a design and manufacturing company involved in the design of Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV?s), ploughs, trenchers and mining machines for use in submerged environments. Established in 1971, the company has made over 500 vehicles for subsea use. These range in size from small remotely operated swimming vehicles with a weight of less than a tonne to heavy duty seabed crawling machines with a weight of up to 310 tonnes (in air). Primarily, these machines have been designed for offshore vessel-based applications, but the machines are equally suited to other submerged mining applications onshore. Many onshore deposits can technically and theoretically be mined using currently available submerged mining ROV technology. Similar equipment to that in use subsea could easily be fast-tracked into use to extend the life of opencast mines facing severe hydrological problems. It could also easily be used to mine vertical ore-bodies where the stripping ratio has become uneconomical due to increasing depth. In some cases mining ROVs could even be suitable for use as the primary extraction method for a new mine. Exploration and extraction techniques used in oil and gas gradually developed and moved from land to offshore in the middle of the last century. Are we about to witness a similar shift with other minerals? This paper describes the design concepts of submerged mining equipment, targetted subsea mineral deposits, the suitability of submerged mining ROVs for onshore deposits, limits to their application and parallel research and development activities which will help to accelerate the use of such equipment in the emerging submerged mining sector.

Aug 1, 2013

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 G. M. Ritcey, B. H. Lucas

In the conventional alkaline leaching of concentrate containing nickel, copper and cobalt, copper is usually removed from the system, prior to nickel reduction, by sulphide precipitation. A new process is described for the selective extraction of copper and separation from cobalt and nickel, using liquid-liquid extraction. General Mills LIX-63 dissolved in a kerosene diluent is the extractant. Trace amounts of co-extracted cobalt and nickel are easily removed by a scrub treatment, and copper is recovered from the extract by sulphuric acid stripping, thus providing a solution amenable to the oroduction of electrolytic copper. Estimated processing costs are included together with a proposed flowsheet.

Jan 1, 1972

By Scott A. Trebilcock

Nautilus Minerals Inc the world?s leader in exploration and development of deep ocean mineral resources is today focused on the recovery of high grade copper-gold from in seafloor massive sulphide mineralization. These mineralized belts, analogous to land based volcanogenic massive sulphides (VMS) deposits are located near tectonic plate boundaries of the Western Pacific and around the world. Nautilus; first development project is Solwara 1 located in benign waters in Papua New Guinea. Since 2006 the company has completed detailed environmental and geological studies at Solwara 1, culminating in a number of world firsts, including the first Environmental Permit for a deep ocean mineral project and the first NI 43-101 compliant seafloor massive sulphide resource statement. Nautilus has relied heavily on proven deepwater technologies from the oil and gas industry in the design of the first mineral extraction system. Pipeline trenching units, workclass ROVs, deepwater production risers and drill cutting removal systems will all be adapted at Solwara 1. Key contractors to the project have all been selected for their deepwater experience, creativity and determination to launch this new industry. Innovation is at the forefront of Nautilus? success to date. This paper gives an overview of the Solwara 1 development and describes the exploration and production technologies adapted for seafloor mineral extraction.

May 1, 2010