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There are circumstances where the ordinary techniques of experimental variography in geostatistics û now in common use despite their recent origin û are not quite successful. This paper describes a new addition to the geostatisticians tool kit developed by one of the renowned leaders in the field to cope specifically with these circumstances. Possible application of this technique will be outlined when it will be seen that there are still problems remaining to be solved in its use for economic evaluation of deposits with irregular mineralisation.

Jan 1, 1984

By S J. Loach

Geological reconciliation is an indispensable part of BHP Billiton’s Western Australian Iron Ore (WAIO) operations. Since 2009 our reconciliations have been calculated in a single, centralised sequel-server database. This system draws data from across our operations and calculates a hierarchical sequence of reconciliation factors that span the company from the smallest grade control (GC) block to the whole of WAIO. It then presents the results using sophisticated graphical reporting tools.The initial motive for developing WAIO’s reconciliation system was to meet corporate compliance and public reporting requirements. The ability to validate our resource and reserve models by comparing their estimates of tonnes and grade with production figures remains the system’s principal function; however, as the system has matured, we have significantly developed its ability to support the improvement of various technical activities within the business. For example, the system can now calculate and report reconciliation factors for different resource classifications, short-term planning models and geometallurgical estimates.More recently, great emphasis has fallen on the system’s ability to detect and warn of possible geological issues that may pose a risk to either production schedules or product quality. We envisage a future where automated analysis of our large historical data set will enable high-risk conditions within future mine plans to be detected and highlighted.In all of these ways geological reconciliation plays an important role in contributing to this company’s financial and operational resilience.CITATION:Loach, S J, 2017. The development and future of BHP Billiton’s Western Australian iron ore geological reconciliation system, in Proceedings Iron Ore 2017, pp 415–422 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Jul 24, 2017

By D Craw, I M. Turnbull, R J. Norris, N Mortimer

The Otago Schist is being subdivided on a regional scale into structurally, metamorphically and lithologically distinct blocks. Differences between blocks are subtle, and difficult to map in the field. Boundaries are late-metamorphic or immediately post-metamorphic in origin, and are different from later brittle faults which disrupt the schist. Mapping of late-post-metamorphic structural discontinuities has direct application for basic grassroots exploration in the Otago Schist. The mineralised (and currently mined) Hyde-Macraes Shear Zone forms a regional scale boundary between a block dominated by politic schist and a block with massive psammitic schist, pelitic schist, and minor greenschist and chert. The HMSZ forms a metamorphic discontinuity, with garnet and biotite in the underlying schist, and neither index minerals apparent in the overlying schist. The HMSZ is also a structural boundary between domains with differing lineation orientations. The HMSZ can not yet be traced along strike to the northwest to the Rock and Pillar Range, where the only major discontinuities recognised are the Caples-Torlesse boundary and a normal fault separating low grade from high grade schist. Structural and lithological discontinuities in the Dunstan Range break the range up into distinct structural blocks, two of which are separated by the gold-mineralised Rise and Shine Shear Zone.

Jan 1, 1999

By G B. Douglas

Lime-based neutralisation has long been the remediation treatment of choice for acidic mine pit waters. While suited to the attenuation of acidity, lime-based neutralisation may be difficult to implement efficiently due to variation in quality and the partial loss of neutralisation efficiency due to armouring. Large volumes of gypsum-bearing sludge may also require mechanical dewatering and transfer to final voids prior to resumption of in-pit mining or closure. Thus, operational costs may be substantially higher than primary neutralisation alone. Lime production also results in large greenhouse gas (CO2) emissions.Hydrotalcites (HT) are a class of Mg-Al layered double hydroxide minerals with the composition Mg6Al2(CO3 )(OH)16.4H2O. A range of other divalent and trivalent cations may also readily substitute for Mg (eg Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn), Al (eg Fe, La, Ce) and metalloids/oxyanions (SeO42-, AsO43 -/CrO42 -, MnO4-) for CO3 into the hydrotalcite structure. A common feature of acid mine pit waters, often overlooked in assessment of potential remediation options, is the frequent predominance of divalent and trivalent cations as a consequence of partial decomposition of both ore and gangue minerals during in-pit wall rock leaching. Thus, given the presence of substantial divalent and trivalent cations in acidic mine pit waters, an opportunity exists to exploit and in effect work harmoniously with the prevailing pit water composition to form a polymetallic hydrotalcite.The utility of hydrotalcites in the remediation of acidic mine pit waters lies in their ability to incorporate a wide range of contaminants; instantaneous formation, often in a single step; simple post-treatment solute composition; rapid settling; low sludge volume; and the potential to form ore-grade precipitates potentially amendable to reprocessing to (partially) recover remediation costs. Examples of hydrotalcite formation as a method to remediate contaminated acidic mine pit waters at laboratory-scale to full-scale will be presented.CITATION:Douglas, G B, 2015. Whither lime? In situ hydrotalcite precipitation as a method of remediation for acidic mine lakes, in Proceedings Tailings and Mine Waste Management for the 21st Century , pp 97–104 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Jul 27, 2015

By A Woodley, A N. Danoucaras

In 2012 the Bureau of Meteorology, under the banner of the Water Accounting Standards Board, released the Australian Water Accounting Standard 1 (AWAS 1). This standard has been in development since 2007 with key milestones being the release of the Preliminary Australian Water Accounting Standard in 2009 and the exposure draft of the Australian Water Accounting Standard in 2010. Throughout this period, the Minerals Council of AustraliaÆs Water Accounting Framework has developed concurrently with the Australian standards and the standards have informed elements of the framework. However, the framework is not identical to the standard as the objectives between the two are different. The objective of the Water Accounting Framework is to create consistency in water reporting of the minerals industry and to assist companies reporting to corporate sustainability initiatives. The objective of AWAS 1 is to provide information to water management bodies to facilitate decisions about the allocation of water resources. Companies are to report on an annual basis - not only physical flows of water but contractual requirements to supply and obtain water - regardless of whether the transaction has been fulfilled in the reporting period. In contrast, the Water Accounting Framework only reports on flows that have physically happened. The paper will provide summary information on aspects of AWAS 1 that are most relevant to the minerals industry, show the alignment and differences between AWAS 1 and the Water Accounting Framework and explain how to obtain the information for the AWAS 1 reporting statements.CITATION:Danoucaras, A N and Woodley, A, 2013. Alignment and differences between the Australian Water Accounting Standard and the Water Accounting Framework for the minerals industry, in Proceedings Water in Mining 2013 , pp 85-90 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Nov 26, 2013

The Australian Centre for Minesite Rehabilitation Research (ACMRR) was established through a mining industry initiative to meet the need of industry, governments and the community for sustainable systems for land affected by exploration, mining and mineral processing activities. The Centre, which is a consortium of the major groups associated with mining rehabilitation research in Australia, has a focus on both strategic research and technology transfer and combines a wide range of multidisciplinary skills covering engineering and the physical and biological sciences. The paper briefly describes the goals, structure, expertise and research and technology transfer activities of the Centre. The major research program areas of waste rock dump and final void stability, acid mine drainage, tailings disposal, and remediation of ecosystem reconstruction are described in the context of national priorities.

Jan 1, 1995

By Scales PJ, Ralston J

Fine coal particles have been examined with respect to dustiness and its connection with various physical and chemical properties. It appears that a given coal will tend to be dusty ifthe moisture content is low and if the inert maceral content and overall rank are high. The hydrophobicity ofa coking coal (Young-Wallsend) and a steaming coal (Blair Athol) was examined in detail by a dynamic contact angle technique. The YoungWallsend coal had a higher contact angle, on average, than the Blair Athol sample. This result has important implications for dust suppression and associated processes.

Jan 1, 1986

Application of Discrete Element Method for Simulating Feeding Conditions and Size Reduction in Cone Crushers

Sep 13, 2010

Maori economic development still remains an enigma to many people some 157 years after the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. It has only been in the last decade as a result of increasing pressures from Maori to recognize and settle grievances arising from the Treaty and the resulting compensation issues that "mainstream" has begun to sit up and take notice. While Treaty settlements such as the Tainui, Ngai Tahu and Fisheries settlements have gained prominence as a source of economic potential for Maori, there are significant existing assets owned by Maori worth an estimated $4.6 billion that add an exciting new dimension to Maori contribution to New Zealand's enterprise economy.   Despite the fact that many claims have yet to be resolved, Maori are clearly shifting from grievance to development mode as evidenced by their focus on capacity building through education, strategic alliances nationally and internationally and the significant growth of nett asset worth of Maori interests in a number of industry sectors.   In essence, Maori provide a large un-tapped economic potential in New Zealand. The years of relative economic obscurity appear to have wetted their appetite for positive growth and economic independence. Given current trends, it would not be unrealistic to expect the asset base of Maori to double in value over the next decade and to see the emergence of Maori owned Corporates not only within the New Zealand economy but also trading actively in the global market place.

Jan 1, 1997

Two structurally and mineralogically distinct sulphiderich veins cross-cutting the disseminated sulphides of the Nairne Pyrite Member appear to be products of local remobilization of sulphides under fracture-induced free energy gradients during regional metamorphism and tectonic deformation.The contrasting mineralogy of the two vein types may have arisen as a result of differences in the structural orientation of the veins and!or the relative ages of the veins.

Jan 1, 1969

By Munro P. D

Eh-pH measurements were taken on an industrial zinc reverse flotation process at Brunswick Mining and Smelting Corporation Limited. Laboratory zinc reverse flotation testwork on samples of the feed to the industrial process produced Eh-pH data which were similar to the data from the industrial process.Later, the Eh-pH data from the industrial process were compared with data from a pilot plant scale zinc reverse flotation process at Mount Isa Mines Limited. After comparison with the data from Brunswick Mining and Smelting Corporation, deficiencies in the pilot plant Eh-pH data could be recognised and corrective actions were taken for the pilot plant. A robust pilot plant zinc reverse flotation process was obtained with consistent performance at the expected level.The implications of these findings for a range of processes are also discussed.

Jan 1, 1988

Jan 1, 2004

By K A. Bunker, A D. Campbell, E Ah Mu, A R. Penney

The Ernest Henry mine is a transverse sublevel cave (SLC), which is relatively unique due to the 45 degree inclination of the orebody. To economically recover ore, each sublevel is horizontally offset from the previous level by around 25 m, depending on the orebody geometry. Mine development, slotting and initial production within this zone occurs in a high stress abutment that increases in magnitude at depth. These areas are seismically active and close to the hanging wall where cave propagation is yet to initiate. High stress conditions and the close proximity to the cave seismogenic zone results in challenging geotechnical conditions in the step out zone of each level and requires management of hazards including stress driven rockfalls, rock bursts and pillar failure.This paper outlines how these hazards were forecast using numerical modelling and geotechnical monitoring. Risk management techniques included dynamic ground support design, development of a new mine layout and extraction sequence as well as delayed re-entry into seismically active areas. Ongoing monitoring, instrumentation measurements and field observations were used to track the effectiveness of the controls.Future production levels are forecast to experience increasing stress and seismicity, which will increase demand on excavations and installed ground support. Ensuring the techniques and controls for monitoring, measuring and mitigating stress and seismic hazards are enforced is essential for continued safe production.CITATION:Campbell, A D, Bunker, K A, Ah Mu, E and Penney, A R, 2016. Managing stress and seismicity in an inclined sublevel cave, in Proceedings Seventh International Conference and Exhibition on Mass Mining (MassMin 2016), pp 319–328 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

May 9, 2016

By Hayward SB, First DM

The Maragorik Prospect represents a partially eroded Pliocene acid sulphate style epithermal gold system hosted within the Sigule Volcanics and Riet Bed sediments which is inferred to have formed from a degassing porphyry body at depth. A regional sinistral rotation provided by transform faults associated with the opening of the Manus Basin imparts a dilational character to mineralised NE trending faults formed parallel to the Warangoi Graben. A controlled-source audio magneto-tellurics (CSAMT) survey has identified E-W trending buried conductors which may represent alteration formed within dilation zones. While some gold mineralisation occurs within vuggy silica at Palang Hill, the target is auriferous enargite (luzonite)-bearing breccias from the LK1 and Gureki areas.

Jan 1, 1991

The Government signalled its intention in the Economic Statement on 17 December 1987 to improve the fairness of the taxation system and to facilitate the process of economic adjustment by: removing tax concessions that benefit some taxpayers at the expense of other taxpayers,ensuring that those who can afford it shoulder their fair share of the tax burden,securing a revenue base which will provide sufficient resources to maintain effective social services,reducing artificial protection and concessions that discriminate against some sectors, and encouraging confidence through an economic environment with a medium-term orientation. The Government has clearly stated to all sectors that tax preferences will be phased out and businesses need to look inwardly to their investment policies if they are to survive in an open economy. This paper will address the effect of these Government objectives on the taxation structure for all forms of mineral exploration in New Zealand. The present tax structure will firstly be analysed, in particular setting out the tax advantages available to the industry. The effect of changes to the tax system within the recent past which relate to mineral exploration will then be examined. Finally the paper will address the question of possible future changes, particularly in the light of Government's intention to move towards a tax system which does not provide an advantage for any one sector of the economy.

Jan 1, 1988

By R L. Brathwaite

As part of an investigation of the deep structure of the Waihi Basin, an extensive set of resistivity measurements was recently collected by DSIR Geology & Geophysics. The objective of this work is to map deep resistivity changes throughout the Waihi area in order to contribute to a better understanding of the regional geophysical structure. This research is also aimed at improving techniques for locating 'deposits of epithermal mineral resources, and helping to establish their origin and genetic relationship to fossil geothermal systems.   The results indicate that the basin south of Waihi is underlain by an extensive layer of low resistivity, modelled as a 5ohm-m layer several hundred metres thick. Lake sediments (mudstones), as exposed in the south western part of the basin, near Waitawheta, are the most likely source of this low resistivity layer, although hydrothermally altered clays and/or elevated temperatures are other possible causes. Strong northeast trending anisotropy is also observed, implying structural links from Waitawheta through to Golden Valley. The observed resistivity pattern is consistent with a æburied calderaÆ or æfaulted depressionÆ structural model for the basin, as inferred from gravity and magnetic data.

Jan 1, 1991

By J Benn, V Kuznetsov, G Timms, A Spain

Earthen covers are now widely used in the mining industry to control the generation rate and/or release rate of low quality drainage from piles of sulfidic minewastes. Covers are usually designed to reduce the water infiltration rate and in some cases may also reduce the oxygen flux to the underlying sulfides. Engineered covers have only been used since the 1980s, however, and there is very little field data on their performance in the longer term. This lack of information has implications for the degree of confidence that can be placed on the predictions of the environmental impacts of sulfidic minewastes, for the acceptance of close-out criteria by regulatory authorities and for the financial liability of the mining industry. Covers were placed on sulfidic waste rock dumps at the abandoned Rum Jungle uranium mine during 1984 - 1985. These covers were designed to reduce the water infiltration to less than five per cent of incident rainfall by both water shedding and storage-release mechanisms. Regular monitoring by the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) demonstrated that the covers performed better than the design criterion for around ten years, but infiltration rates have subsequently increased. There is a 66 per cent probability that the infiltration rate now exceeds five per cent of incident rainfall. The cover on the largest pile, WhiteÆs heap, was sampled in pits dug at eight locations. Sampling was carried out at the end of the monsoonal wet season and again at the end of the ædryÆ season. This, together with laboratory testing, enabled cover performance to be assessed against five criteria: design, construction, cover material characteristics, physico-chemical characteristics and biological characteristics. We are of the opinion that the design of the cover was suitable to achieve the objectives of stability, water shedding, storage-release, and provision of a substrate for vegetation growth. Over most of the surface of the heap, the construction of the covers, drains and erosion prevention structures was in accordance with design specifications. However, several small and localised bare patches on the upper surface of WhiteÆs heap coincide with a reduced cover thickness, which is likely to have been due to poor construction in those patches. The construction of covers on minewastes is dependent on an adequate source of material meeting design specifications. From our limited examination, it appears that there was shortage of material for each of the three zones û a lower impervious clay layer, the moisture storage-release layer and the upper erosion-resistant layer for vegetative growth. An indication of this was that the upper layers in some areas were observed to be thinner than specified. We are of the opinion that this shortage of suitable material has been responsible for some of the changes observed ten years after emplacement. Physical and geotechnical testing indicated that the cover materials no longer meet the original specifications. In particular, the permeability at the 8 locations was found to be greater than specified, by up to several orders of magnitude. The higher permeability may explain the higher observed rainfall infiltration and moisture content of the waste rock. This increased permeability appears to be due to a combination of biological and physical processes û galleries formed by termites and ants and an extensive system of shrinkage/desiccation cracks formed by the development of a polygonal blocky structure involving the entire lower clay layer. The desiccation cracks may fill with coarser illuviated materials and form a conduit through which roots access the underlying waste rock. Measurements were made of oxygen flux into the heap as cover layers were excavated in the pits. They indicated that the full cover currently reduces the oxygen flux to 20 - 23 per cent of that into bare waste and that this reduction seems to be proportional to the cover thickness. It was also found that the oxygen flux into the cover is about four times higher at the end of the dry season than at the end of the wet season and that the difference is due primarily to the difference in moisture content of the cover. Recommendations are made for the design and construction of covers.

Jan 1, 2003

INTRODUCTION ò World coal production, Exporters and Importers òNew Zealand Exports, Markets and Products ò Types of Markets and Price Setting ò Bench Mark Prices and Exchange Rate ò Transport ò International Marketing - Key Factors ò Coal New Zealand , the Challenges

Jan 1, 1996

Australia's iron ore industry is entering a challenging period with the development of new orebodies, the introduction of new products and the push for further downstream processing. In addition, the recent price reductions for iron ore exports have intensified the focus on reducing capital and operating costs. To assist in these areas, CSIRO is expanding its research capabilities, including the incorporation into CSIRO of the Mineral Processing Laboratories in Perth, which were previously managed by the WA Department of Minerals and Energy. In addition, a large part of the $24.4 million expansion of CSIRO's Pinjarra Hills laboratories in Brisbane will be devoted to enhancing iron ore processing research, providing purpose built laboratories and large process bays.

Jan 1, 1999

By E Ah Mu and C R Lilley, A D. Campbell

Cave propagation is a complex process due to interacting variables such as mine geometry, rock mass heterogeneity and complex structural networks and stress fields. The Ernest Henry sublevel cave (SLC) is directly below an open pit, which provided an opportunity to observe and measure rock mass failure as the cave initiated and propagated through the pit wall. This paper describes interaction between the open pit and SLC as well as rock mass failure mechanisms observed from the start of the SLC to surface breakthrough.Cave propagation and slope failure mechanisms were found to be governed by intermediate structures, while the cave shape was largely controlled by cave-scale faults. The open pit, production-level geometry and production draw strategy were also important factors for cave and subsidence growth. Cave propagation was episodic and asymmetric in shape due to the orientation and relative position of geological structures, combined with the effects of the increasing SLC geometry and drawdown from the underlying production levels. The precursors and failure mechanism of a 2.5 Mt wall collapse are also reviewed in detail.Cave growth was simulated using a 3D, non-linear, discontinuum finite element model coupled with Newtonian Cellular Automata. Model results are compared to field observations and monitoring data to determine the accuracy of forecasts and compared models versus actual rock mass response during cave propagation.CITATION:Campbell, A D, Ah Mu, E and Lilley, C R, 2016. Cave propagation and open pit interaction at the Ernest Henry Mine, in Proceedings Seventh International Conference and Exhibition on Mass Mining (MassMin 2016), pp 311–318 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

May 9, 2016