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By Eugene O. Binyon

"Belt and shaker conveyors, used singly or as combined units, have for many years been an integral part of many coal-mine haulage systems. The belt conveyor has also been used extensively as a main haulage unit in open-pit iron-ore mines of the Lake Superior district, particularly on the Mesabi Range. Few underground metal mines, however, either in the ferrous or non-ferrous branches of the mining industry, use the conveyors exclusively or even extensively for underground haulage. At present, only five iron-ore mines in the entire Lake Superior district have belt- or shaker-conveyor installations of any significant size. Of these mines, three are in the Crystal Falls-Iron River district of Michigan on the Menominee Range, one is on the Marquette Range near Ishpeming, Mich., and one is on the Mesabi Range near Keewatin, Minn.Results of the studies of tackless haulage in the Lake Superior district will not permit the establishment of any formula to prove or disprove the advantages of belt or shaker systems at all underground mines. The studies do show that trackless haulage can be used to advantage where the proper conditions exist. Advantages are particularly apparent when development can be planned sufficiently in advance of exploitation to permit installation of belts or shakers as part of the development program and where the systems are extended to include haulage in stopes as well as main entries.During the winter of 1947-48, the Bureau undertook a study of all of the underground ore conveying systems known to be in operation in the Lake Superior district for the purpose of making available to the entire mining industry the technologic data developed in the area. Because conditions that led to the installation of the belt and shaker conveying systems were often a function of the character of the deposit or the method of mining, a brief description of those conditions is included in this report.After a preliminary investigation into the extent to which trackless conveyors were employed in the district, it was found that a detailed study at five bites would result in fair appraisal of that method of haulage in the underground iron-ore mines.Each of the five significant installations is described separately in this report. In one instance, however, company policy does not permit identification of the mine wherein the conveying is done. In that instance the operation is designated as mine ""A"".Unless otherwise specified, all tonnage figures quoted herein are gross.The cooperation of officials of all of the companies operating underground mines in the Lake Superior district permitted successful completion of preliminary studies of mining practices and conveying systems.Special acknowledgment is made to R. D. Satterley, general superintendent, and to operating staffs of the Sherwood and Morris mines of the Inland Steel Co. The assistance given by W. D. Whitman, assistant superintendent, and Douglas Tippett, mine captain at the Morris mine, and P. D. Pearson, superintendent, R. O. Marsten, engineer, and W. Johnson, mine captain, at the Sherwood mine, is acknowledged."

Oct 1, 1949

By D Rattray, D Macfarlane, I Robb, N Halpin, G T. Dale

Mining faces many environmental, social and regulatory liabilities of which water management is just one. Others include site rehabilitation, carbon emissions, biodiversity offsets, strategic cropping land, subsidence, and noise and dust generation. Management of these liabilities is commonly seen as a cost of doing business and each is often independently addressed, bypassing the opportunity to reduce costs through integrated approaches. Furthermore, approaches to dealing with these liabilities tend to be constrained by a prevailing culture of engineered solutions and lack of appreciation of risk associated with alternative and hybrid alternative-engineered solutions. Suboptimal outcomes can also be reinforced by rigid regulatory constraints. While the cost of addressing operational liabilities may be a small proportion of overall mine management costs, failure to do so effectively may influence social licence to operate and, as recently demonstrated by the decision of the NSW Land and Environment Court to block expansion of the Warkworth Mine near Singleton, absolute licence to operate.Integration of environmental, social and regulatory liabilities with value-creating and risk-reduction opportunities such as beneficial water use, carbon bio-sequestration, habitat connectivity, keyline farming, improved grazing design and management systems, windbreaks and visual screens, presents opportunities to reduce risk and create value. This potential may achieve overall improved outcomes in both economic and non-economic mine performance criteria.Two case studies in beneficial use of waste water from the mining and coal seam gas (CSG) sectors (which operate under different legislation) will be used to illustrate the potential to address mine development, operational and closure liabilities by understanding opportunities to reduce risk and create value through a holistic water management framework. The technical requirements and alternative approaches to beneficial use of mine water are addressed, along with the direct economic benefits for mine operational costs and opportunities to positively engage communities and build resilience into social licence to operate. Regulatory barriers to achieving improved outcomes will be discussed.CITATION:Dale, G T, Robb, I, Halpin, N, Macfarlane, D and Rattray, D, 2013. Opportunities for integrated mine management to minimise risk and create value, in Proceedings Water in Mining 2013 , pp 227-234 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Nov 26, 2013

By W. B. Boggs

The Noranda smelter was built by Noranda Mines, Limited, from the designs of A. E. Wheeler, consulting metallurgist, New York, for the reduction of ores and concentrates from the Horne mine, and to treat, on a custom basis, ores and concentrates from other mines in the Rouyn district. The smelter is situated at Noranda in western Quebec, about 330 miles directly north of Toronto. Ground was first broken for construction in November, 1925, before the completion of the branch railway into the district, which was not finished until October, 1926. After many difficulties and delays due to the Jack 'of transportation and the severe weather during the winter months, the smelter was started in December, 1927, and the first blister copper was poured on December 17th. The smelter was built throughout in two duplicate units, each with a rated capacity of 500 tons of ore per day. Operations were started with only one unit, and after several months it was found that one unit alone would smelt 1,000 tons of ore per day. At this time only one shaft, No. 3, existed, and its hoisting capacity and the capacity of the original crushing plant were insufficient to supply ore for two units at the increased tonnage. Accordingly No. 4 shaft was sunk and a new crushing plant provided to handle the ore hoisted there. This work was completed in the latter part of November, 1929, and since that time both smelter units have been operating.

Jan 1, 1930

By G. Shore

"The development of a DC resistivity instrumentation system for data acquisition in extreme topography yielded an unexpected bonus in the quality and information content of the type of raw data gathered. Not only were traditionally too-rough areas being investigated systematically for the first time, the unique high-density, multi-directional raw data were providing the opportunity to greatly expand the range of conductive and resistive signatures that could be accurately recognized. Using a true 3-D inversion algorithm, 3-D earth resistivity imagery began to show distinctive anomaly patterns for hydrothermal mineralization at the seldom-visited resistive end of the spectrum, successfully imaging epithermal gold systems in conditions that had defied conventional ground and airborne geophysics for years.The traditional mode of designing a resistivity survey to test a specific target concept was shown to be an unnecessary limitation on exploration thinking when a single sweep acquisition of dense, multi-directional 3-D raw data could effectively provide the all-targets “shotgun” coverage that would take 10 or 12 conventional surveys to duplicate. Exploration planning has the opportunity to move from single steps of trial and error geophysical testing to a mode of mapping everything at the outset, and then sorting out what might be of exploration interest in the results. Survey parameterization becomes the non-technical process of marking an outline on a map and declaring “survey here.” Operational and interpretational reasons for not testing where the exploration interest lies have all but disappeared. With any-terrain capabilities and unprecedented raw data density and overlap to support interpretation of complex conditions, that outline can be drawn through extreme rough terrain, including lakes, cliffs, industrial facilities, and grounded installations to test for generally unknown sub-surface features of potential interest.As more is learned about the larger-scale signatures of ore settings and the district-scale geo-electric imprint of hydrothermal processes on lithology, it appears that the only thing certain about ore signatures is their uncertainty. This is not bad news. New opportunities abound as the advanced 3-D technology allows a first effective look at the previously unexplorable rough terrain or complicated settings, and a second look at areas where older results may now be known to be non-definitive."

Jan 1, 2002

By Morgan M. Sears, Mark Van Dyke, Gamal Rashed, John Rusnak, Khaled Mohamed

"In 2016, room-and-pillar mining provided nearly 40% of underground coal production in the United States. Over the past decade, rib falls have resulted in 12 fatalities, representing 28% of the ground-fall fatalities in U.S. underground coal mines. Nine of these 12 fatalities (75%) have occurred in room-and-pillar mines. The objective of this research is to study the geomechanics of bench room-and-pillar mining and the associated response of high pillar ribs at overburden depths greater than 1,000 ft. This paper provides a definition of the bench technique, the pillar response due to loading, observational data for a case history, a calibrated numerical model of the observed rib response, and application of this calibrated model to a second site. INTRODUCTION Bench mining is a an underground mining technique typically applied to room-and-pillar mines where full seam extraction on development presents an unacceptably high risk of injury from high pillar ribs or where the mining equipment is not designed to extract the full seam thickness. To mitigate the increased risk associated with high ribs and slender pillars, a more modest thickness is extracted from the top of the seam on development. This is followed by grading the floor and recovering the bottom of the seam with or without extraction of the pillars during retreat mining. A mine located in Eastern Kentucky extracts two seams at depths ranging from outcrop to 2,000 ft. In some areas of the mine, Seam A and Seam B are close enough together to be mined simultaneously. Seam A (top) is mined on development 7 to 9 ft. high for the entire length of the panel. On retreat, as each pillar is extracted, the continuous miner is ramped down into the floor (Seam B), two pairs of Mobile Roof Support (MRS) units are set, and the pillars are extracted at the full mining height of 14+ ft. During the pillar recovery process, the floor is extracted in each entry, from a ramp initiated outby the retreat line, sequentially just prior to extracting the lifts from the pillars (see Figure 1)."

Jan 1, 2017

By L. A. Cranson

WHEN I came out of Stanford University in 1922, the out-look for men trained in geology, petroleum engineering, and mining was indeed dismal; in fact, so much so that most of us looked upon our future in those fields as pretty hopeless. Neither our professors nor those men in industry with whom we came in contact gave us any enthusiastic encouragement as to the future of ourselves or the fields we had chosen for our labors. I believe that the attitude of pessimism which saturates everyone about graduation time is lament able and short-sighted, and may often start a young man on his way with an attitude of defeatism. Instead, he should be starting out knowing that he can expect hard work and keen competition, but that the fields of his labours are expanding at an accelerated rate, and that strong, energetic efforts will as always accomplish highly satisfactory results.

Jan 1, 1941

By Hugh M. Wolfin

This Information Circular is an abstract of a manuscript which was completed in June 1933, by Mr. Hugh M. Wolflin, formerly of the U. S. Bur eau of Mines. This abstract has been prepared by Charles Will Wright for presentation at the February meeting of the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers in New York. It has been necessary to omit many of the details and most of the cost data and tables, as well as the illustrations in the original manuscript. As the use of airplanes in mining developments is making such progress and as a publication on this subject to be of greatest value should include the most recent information, it is unfortunate that, due to a lack of printing funds, it has not been possible to publish this manuscript. The purposes of Mr. Wolflin's paper are: (1) To describe briefly what has been accomplished in some outstanding examples by the use of aircraft in the mining and petroleum industries, (2) To record costs, (3) To present available information and suggestions to assist in solving future air-transportation problems in the industries under consideration.

Jan 1, 1934

This report is a compilation of all information obtained in accordance with the requirements of contracts SO122076 and H0232056. A series of eight coal mines were visited to determine their communications usage and requirements. Presently available equipment was surveyed and evaluated to determine its applicability to the needs of the mines. The equipment studied includes that made by the following companies : Anaconda Telecommunications Division Andrew Antenna Bendix Communications Division Collins Radio Group of Rockwell International Executone Communication and Sound Systems Gau-tronics Mine Safety Appliances Company Motorola Communications and Electronics, Inc National Mine Service Company Plessey Communications Systems Corp Pye Electronics Limited Reach Electronics Set Com Corporation Sonex Incorporated Mine visits and in-depth interviews were made alt the following sites: Robena No. 4, Pennsylvania Greenwich Colliery Mines, Pennsylvania Somerset Coal Mine, Colorado Keystone No. 1, West Virginia Harris Mine No. 1, West Virginia Baldwin Underground No. 1 Mine, Illinois Lovilia No. 4 Coal Mine, Iowa Orient No. 3 Coal Mine, Illinois

Nov 15, 1974

Agenda 1.Energy consumption and energy costs ?focus and failings 2.Energy efficiency methodologies, people and supporting tools 3.Energy cost saving case studies from three minerals processing plants 4.The operations team and the supporting role of Operations IT 5.Conclusion: Reducing energy consumption and energy costs There are many good Energy Efficiency Methodologies ?Energy and GHG Emissions, Management Guidance Document, The Mining Association of Canada ?Energy Savings Toolbox ?An Energy Audit Manual and Tool, Canadian Industry Program for Energy Conservation (CIPEC) ?Lean and Energy Toolkit, Achieving Process Excellence Using Less Energy, www.epa.gov/lean ?Energy Efficiency Opportunities Assessment Handbook, www.energyefficiencyopportunities.gov.au

May 1, 2010

By G Gilchrist, S C. Dominy, T Jashashvili, R C. A Minnitt

The grouping and segregation error is one of Gy’s seven errors that cannot be measured in any qualitative manner because of its transient and changing characteristics each time the sample is handled mechanically. Attempts to calculate the mean and variance of the segregation error is considered by some as ‘an exercise in futility’ that would not help us achieve representative sampling. This research is aimed at understanding the process of segregation of dense, finely divided and dilute particulate materials supported in a clean quartz substrate during intense agitation. Several mixtures of fine-grained materials including steel, tungsten carbide and gold grains were used in these experiments. Four hundred grains of each of the minerals and metals at a top size of 2 mm were mixed with approximately 600 g of finely ground quartz material (95 per cent passing 2000 microns) in a 500 ml plastic jar with a sealable lid. The mineral–?metal mixtures were analysed in three steps using microfocus X-ray computed tomography. Step one consisted of rolling the containers on a flat surface in an attempt to concentrate the mineral and metal grains in the core of the supporting substrate; this is a base case that can be reconstructed after each session of analysis. The second step involved gentle and vigorous shaking of the mixtures in order to segregate the denser minerals and metals from the supporting quartz substrate. In some cases, a third step involved splitting the sample through a riffle splitter. Three-?dimensional images of the surface of each grain, its volume and its X-, Y- and Z-coordinates, before and after intense agitation of the container, were interpreted from the reconstruction of the tomographic X-ray data. The spatial analysis of grains using cell declustering and 3D variography provided a useful means of characterising the distribution of the grains in space and the extent to which they had become segregated during the process of agitation. Spatial analysis indicates that in general, grouping and continuity of grains is weakly developed. The modelled nugget effect remains high for most tests, indicating that grains of similar size did not group together strongly. Agitation through rolling provided the best continuity, although not consistently in the long axis of the plastic jar. The nugget effect was consistently highest, and the range of continuity shortest in samples that had been split, indicating that the grouping and continuity were reduced through splitting the sample. Initial results indicate that very little segregation of the minerals and metals occurs in the quartz substrate. This is somewhat counter-intuitive, but suggests that the effects of agitation on mixtures of dense minerals and metals in substrates of lower density do not lead to excessive segregation. Differences in behaviour between dense materials in response to agitation are evident. Grains of different composition and shape did not group and segregate in a predictable manner in response to the agitation methods. Initial results indicate that the degree to which a material groups and segregates relates more to the characteristics of the denser material itself, rather than the agitation method employed.CITATION:Minnitt, R C A, Jashashvili, T, Gilchrist, G and Dominy, S C, 2017. Quantifying segregation of minerals and metals in particulate materials using computed X-ray tomography and variography, in Proceedings Eighth World Conference on Sampling and Blending , pp 173–182 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

May 9, 2017

By Paul J. Guay

This report presents the results of evaluating a longwall mining system specifically designed to extract a very deep web (60 inches or deeper) from a longwall panel. The report includes a productivity and cost analysis comparing the new mining sys-tem with a high capacity conventional longwall operation taking a 30-inch wide web. The analysis shows the new system will increase annual production 44 percent and decrease cost per ton off the face 21 percent. The report also includes conceptual drawings and specifications for a high capacity four-drum shearer and a unique shield type of roof support specifically designed for very wide web operation. The advantages and problems associated with wide web mining are discussed in general and as they relate specifically to the equipment selected for the new mining system. The study concludes by recommending that surface coal loading tests be conducted as the follow-on work.

Jan 1, 1978

By C. Arthur Carlson

"It now becomes my privilege and duty to call to order this fifty-first meeting of the Rocky Mountain Coal Mining Institute. "I bid you a hearty welcome and I know by your attendance at these meetings you will gain a great deal of valuable information, as well as have a wonderful time. "We have been very ably represented by Mr. John H. Emrick as General Chairman, assisted by our good friend Mr. Fred W. Whiteside, our secretary and treasurer. I know they have worked very hard in selecting the various committees, who in turn - by the looks of our program have gone all out to prepare material that should be of great interest to us. I trust we will be attentive to the subjects presented and freely enter into the discussions, also relating our problems and experiences. I am sure this will prove both profitable and beneficial to all present. "The main purpose of these conventions is to become acquainted with each other, renew old acquaintances, talk over our problems, and have a little fun and relaxation from our every day routine. "Let us not forget the manufacturers, the distributors, the operators, or the press because it is through their splendid support that this organization is successful. "Since our last meeting we have gained many new members, whom we especially welcome. We are sorry to have lost a few. I am mindful, at this time, of two very good members from my home state who have passed away, Walter Wetzel, a former president of this institute, and Lee Alger, at the time of his death, Vice-President from Utah. We also lost very recently our assistant Secretary-Treasurer, Everret Davis. These men contributed a great deal to the institute and the coal industry in general. I am sure they are greatly missed by all who knew them."

Jan 1, 1955

The following paper outlines the types of employment immediately available to graduates following their university degree, a discussion on mine manager requirements, mentions career advancement and time frames to achieve this as well as providing some key information regarding student vacation work. The author hopes to educate present graduates, as well as inform students of characteristics to develop the most opportunities in life.

Jan 1, 2006

By J. Clark

The objective of this study has been to determine the state of the art in underground, thin-seam-mining systems, to identify new technology and procedures that would reduce the hazards of thin-seam mining and to recommend areas for further research. The study was carried out in two phases, the first of these being devoted to a survey of authoritative literature. Subsequently, the practices adopted in the various mining countries were analysed and comparisons made to identify machines and methods with the potential for application in the USA. Published figures on US bituminous coal reserves show the high proportion contained in thin seams and US accident statistics demonstrate that the risk is greater in thin-seam operations. A comparison has been made with the experiences of foreign operations. The Phase 11 study proceeded along two separate avenues to examine the distinctive problems associated with seam thicknesses above and below 30 in. Current systems of mining appropriate to seams greater than 30 in were elaborated and compared by means of a simulation exercise in terms of safety, production and cost. For seams below 30 in, less conventional systems, some presently disused, were studied and their potential evaluated; the research and development work necessary to make them viable has been indicated.

Jan 1, 1980

Since early July, domestic producer listings in primary aluminum ingot have been at 53¢ per pound. Dealers, however, lowered their August quotes by 1.8¢-2¢ to 47.5¢-48¢ per pound. BITUMINOUS COAL AND LIGNITE -The wildcat strike of UMWA coal miners which began on June 23 in protest of cutbacks in medical benefits appears to have ended. According to the West Virginia Coal Association on September 7, 1977, all mines in West Virginia were back in operation on September 6 and again on September 7. The Kentucky Coal Association reported approximately 2,500 miners were on strike in eastern Kentucky on September 6, but there was full employment on September 7.

Jan 1, 1977

By J. H. East

THE RIFLE, COLO., oil-shale project of the Bureau of Mines was a facet of the re-search and development activities conducted under the Synthetic Liquid Fuels Act (Public Law 78-290) of April 5, 1944. The principal objectives were to devise efficient methods to mine and retort oil shale and to refine shale oil into usable products, at a total cost low enough that shale oil could supplement the domestic supply of petroleum at competitive prices. The Rifle project included three major divisions: (1) Mining, (2) retorting, and (3) refining. The major functions of the mining program were to supply oil shale to the retorts, to devise mining procedures, and to develop an under-ground-mining method by which oil shale could be produced safely at an unusually low cost per ton. The selected mining procedures and direct mining costs were demonstrated by sustained test runs.

Jan 1, 1964

By J. Drimmer

The past several decades have seen the rapid expansion of multinational mining companies? exploration and production activities around the globe. This trend has resulted from a number of factors, including increased demand for resources as a result of worldwide economic growth, the diminishment of known and proven reserves, rising commodity prices, technology improvements, and the liberalization of investment regimes in developing countries with significant natural resources. With those opportunities, however, come associated risks and significantly increased legal compliance obligations that may be imposed by various bodies. That includes domestic regulations, as well as foreign civil and criminal laws with extraterritorial reach. A failure to adhere to those laws can have dire consequences, including substantial monetary fines and penalties, severe damage to a company?s reputation, and even jail time for individual company employees.

Jan 1, 2010

By J S. J van Deventer

"Conventional wisdom is that gold not assayable is not recoverable or does not exist. There has been no formal study on the possibility that gold assays using advanced spectroscopy such as mass spectrometry and neutron activation could grossly underestimate the gold recoverable by proprietary extraction techniques. Such gold is not considered here to be æinvisibleÆ to detection but rather æabnormalÆ or ædistortedÆ at atomic level. Large-scale extraction of gold from æabnormalÆ ores has not been demonstrated, hence this emerging field still lacks credibility and acceptance. For fear of harming their reputation, few academic researchers or companies are expected to venture into this field until it is well proven. This paper aims to create awareness amongst metallurgists of the potential of æabnormalÆ gold ores by reviewing unconventional observations, the pseudoscience mainly available in non-peer reviewed web sites, and hypotheses for the recovery of ænon-assayableÆ gold, including: the occurrence of high levels of nano-sized gold in clays detectable by high-precision analytical instruments, which represents æinvisibleÆ gold accounts of ambient transmutation of elements, mainly using thermal methods orbitally rearranged monoatomic elements (ORMEs), which are virtually undetectable by conventional means, and their conversion to normal metals the possibility of a æhigh spinÆ state of transition metals the formation of microclusters altering the chemical behaviour of gold and the possibility of clustering with other elements. It is suggested here that gold in ores displays a range of clustering, from ænormalÆ gold amenable to conventional extraction to the ORME state. The concepts of æintermolecular waterÆ in forming complex salts locking up precious metals, electro-dissolution in strong acids, and electrowinning at both the anode and cathode are discussed as a means of treating æabnormalÆ gold ores. It is also possible that the gas phase extraction of gold chlorides under controlled temperature and pressure conditions, as well as transferred-arc plasma fuming of gold through carbothermic reduction of sulfides, could be used as a basis for extraction of gold from æabnormalÆ ores.CITATION:van Deventer, J S J, 2013. Is there gold that we do not recognise?, in Proceedings World Gold 2013, pp 27-34 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne)."

Sep 26, 2013

By Healy T. W, Dixon D. R

The present study 'of pure ZnS and NiS and ZnS (marmatite) by detailed electrokinetic methods has shown that by careful control of experimental parameters much new' information on sulphide-water interfaces can be obtained. Time-dependent processes of alteration of sulphide surfaces are foHowed by electrokinetic methods and indicate that the isoelectric point of the surface depends on elemental sulphur coverage, oxidation product coverage, and the conditions which promote or minimize such reaotions in the presence and absence of activator.

Jan 1, 1977

By Josh Savit

Corporate responsibility already encompasses safety and compliance. No longer will companies be able to use differing standards of care to miners based on the country in which they are working. This is not only an issue of social license, but one of global risk management.