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The uranium ore processed by the McClean Lake Operation is co-mineralized with niccolite, rammelsbergite and gersdorffite (nickel arsenides). During the strong acid leach process, the majority of the reduced arsenic is oxidized and liberated into the lixiviant solution as As+5. Following uranium extraction, the residual raffinate solution, enriched in As+5, reports to the tailings preparation process. In this process, Fe+3 is first added and mixed with raffinate (pH~1) to achieve a Fe+3/Astotal molar ratio of at least 3. This is followed by two stages of neutralization, using slaked lime to achieve a solution pH of 4, and approximately 7.5, respectively. Synchrotron based x-ray absorption techniques (XANES, EXAFS) applied to neutralized raffinate solids and tailings samples collected from the tailings management facility provide evidence that arsenic has been precipitated as a poorly crystalline form of the mineral scorodite (FeAsO4?2H2O).

Aug 1, 2010

By S. E. Wolfe

The presence of helical ribs in smooth-bore round pipe results in the transport of granular solid particles m water at a much lower velocity than required to transport the same solids in a smooth pipe. The helical motion imparted to the flowing mixture effectively returns settled solid particles to the main stream. The flow may be stopped and restarted without difficulty. Due to the lower velocity required for satisfactory transport large power savings are realized. Also: due to lower velocity, the wear on the pipe walls is much reduced. For satisfactory performance, the ribs should have a high angle relative to the long axis of the pipe and the lineal spacing between adjacent ribs should be modest.

Jan 1, 1967

By L. T. Munn

"IT IS NOT necessary here to dwell on the fact that sulphur is currently in short supply. It may be well, however, to •point out that this •storage is not merely a temporary condition, but that, judging by trends in world consumption of sulphur, it may •be anticipated that requirements will double in the next ten years.Even with improved techniques for mining elemental sulphur in the United States and the new finds in Louisiana, there is much concern as to how these future sulphur requirements can be met. It appears necessary to .turn more and more to other sources than elemental sulphur for •additional production. The three major alternative sources were:(1) By-product sulphuric acid •from smelter gases.(2) Sulphur and sulphuric acid from iron sulphides.(3) Sulphur from hydrogen sulphide contained in natural gas. The Jumping Pound sulphur plant of the Shell Oil Company of Canada, Limited, is designed to produce sulphur by the •third of these methods.Jumping Pound is a natural gas field about 20 miles west of Calgary where Shell has a number of producing wells."

Jan 1, 1952

By Brian W. Mackenzie

"This paper briefly outlines the characteristics which should be considered in assessing the economics of mineral exploration, and illustrates such an assessment by using data from the Canadian base metal sector. Implications for the sector are found to include the following:(1) base metal exploration has the potential to create a substantial amount of new wealth;(2) investment incentive for exploration under current conditions is not unattractive over-all;(3) because of existing taxation policies, there is much more incentive for large companies to explore than for smaller enterprises;(4) succesful exploration is sensitive to the size, financial resources and organizational structure of the exploration entity;(5) the general level of recent exploration expenditures should be adequate to maintain the current rate of production and perhaps to support very modest growth; and(6) there is an important opportunity for growth in the sector.The findings of the study suggest that government policies should be made more flexible, in order to take into account the risks associated with exploration and with price fluctuations in the base metal sector. Recommendations are also made concerning improvements in provincial regulations for disclosure of exploration information."

Jan 1, 1981

By R. W. Bruce, K. W. Downes

"IntroductionSULPHUR production in Canada from all sources for the year 1953 amounted to about 375,000 tons. Except for 16,000 tons of elemental sulphur derived from natural gas, this production was in the form of by-product pyrites, liquid sulphur dioxide, and sulphuric acid. In the same year, Canadian industry imported 359,000 tons of elemental sulphur from the United States. The cost, including transportation charges, to Canadian consuming plants ranged from $35.00 to $45.00 per long ton, depending upon location.Although most of the sulphur consumed is used in the oxidized form it is often most convenient to buy sulphur in the elemental form, and convert it to sulphur dioxide or sulphuric acid in situ as required. This is because elemental sulphur is easily shipped and stored, weighs only half as much as an equivalent quantity of sulphur dioxide and one-third as much as the corresponding quantity of sulphuric acid, and is readily converted to these forms in a sulphur burner. A process, therefore, which could economically recover elemental sulphur from sulphide ores would be most attractive.Since the turn of the century, notable improvements have been made in extractive metallurgy, but until recently only limited attention has been paid to the possibilities of elemental sulphur recovery. This has been due to the plentiful supplies of cheaply mined Frasch sulphur which have been available on the world markets."

Jan 1, 1955

By R. D. Lawrence

"Suggestions have been made that the appraisal of mining assets using discounted cash flow techniques should be based solely on proven and probable reserves in reliance upon the widespread international recognition of uniform resource definitions. Following a review of general accepted valuation principles, a survey of the literature and, most importantly, a review of real transactions in the open market, it is clear that valuators should not be constrained by the growing acceptance of modern mineral resource codes. On the contrary, valuation practitioners should be encouraged to examine all classes of mineralization and, after making due allowance for risk, to utilize all mineral resources as a basis for determining fair market value.INTRODUCTIONGreat strides have been made recently in achieving an international consensus on mineral reserve and resource definitions and classifications. The Australasian JORC code, the CIM code in Canada, the SME proposal in the United States and even a proposed code from the United Nations have all brought the objective within reach.Unfortunately, this success has led to another problem for mineral valuators. Certain securities regulators, tax collectors and their ilk have begun to expound on the opinion that discounted cash flow projections carried out to calculate net present values that would form the basis for a valuation determination should be based solely on proven and probable reserves. The author disagrees with this position. This paper examines the subject from four points of view:"

Jan 1, 2003

By John Kostuik

"This paper discusses the outlook for uranium resources, and comments briefly on the measures needed to meet market objectives. Areas of recent exploration interest are also discussed.THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER has capably described the truly phenomenal growth in demand for energy from all sources. The basic factors -population growth and industrial development -which will create energy demand are so fundamental to national economies that the ascending energy demand curve will be little affected by short-term factors.Because of the economic and practical advantages of nuclear power and the degree of present acceptance by electric utilities, there is no doubt that uranium will be a principal source of primary energy in industrial countries -and this will happen within a decade. Indeed, during this period it will be the fastest growing source of energy, capturing, for example, more than half of the electric utilities' expansion in the United States by 1980. The ready availability of energy sources from domestic and foreign resources is so essential to industrial nations that the long-range outlook for their adequacy is of prime importance. There has been international concern about the availability of uranium resources at reasonable cost to adequately support and foster the development of the nuclear power industry. Canada, fortunate in having established reserves and a potential in excess of any forseeable domestic demand, can confidently look forward to being a principal supplier to the industry."

Jan 1, 1969

By S. J. Prout, J. M. Lang, D. Lascelles, K. Sarinas

"There is a growing demand for ore characterization methods to support metallurgical development programs from a true geometallurgical perspective. Today, there are multiple automated mineral analysis systems on the market, many of which are based on conventional mineral liberation data. However, liberation data can be limited when assessing the floatability of a mineral to predict its recovery as it doesn’t consider the surface area available for collector absorption and bubble attachment; whereas mineral exposure measurements can. Using the First-Order Rate equation to predict the recovery versus time of variously exposed particles, a model has been developed to predict the recovery of copper sulphides at a particular grind size. This model provides the opportunity for the prediction of copper recovery and grade from multiple, small-scale samples. These predicted values can be imported into resource modeling software, and guide the domaining of geometallurgical units within the ore body. Data has been analyzed from various global copper porphyry systems and compared with actual flotation testwork.IntroductionAs part of the development of a mining project, resource estimation primarily focuses on the definition of the quantity and grade of the ore in the deposit; as the project evolves from preliminary economic assessment through to feasibility, the geological model is usually further populated with hardness and recovery data.The CIM Definition Standards (2011) identifies measured mineral resource as the part of a mineral resource for which quantity, grade or quality, densities, shape, and physical characteristics are estimated with confidence sufficient to allow the application of “modifying factors” to support detailed mine planning and final evaluation of the economic viability of the deposit as an asset. The modifying factors include, but are not restricted to, mining, processing, metallurgical, infrastructure, economic, marketing, legal, environmental, social and governmental factors.With market fluctuations, many investors in the mining industry have become more and more risk averse which has increased the demand for more reliable data to support these modifying factors. This has led to the widespread use of geometallurgy and statistical analysis to better inform the resource estimation. Geometallurgy is used to characterize ore variability and is especially useful for highly variable or strongly zoned deposits, several close deposits that will be milled together, projects requiring complex or new metallurgical approaches, brownfields or sight-of-mine exploration, expansion projects that exploit new, deeper or adjacent reserves, and projects with significant legacy drill core that are being re-evaluated due to new economic circumstances."

Jan 1, 2018

By J. E. Reeves, J H. Morgan

Certain non-metallic minerals are used widely as fillers in the manufacture of many Canadian products. The first part of this paper deals in a general way with deposits of such minerals and their mining, with the concentration and preparation of the minerals for market, with specifications of the consumers, and with methods of control of the products to meet the specifications. The second part of the paper de-scribes talc as a specific example of mineral filler. Its production and uses in Canada and the possibility of producing higher grades of talc are discussed. Some suggestions are made for meeting the needs for mineral fillers as Canada's industry expands. RELATIVELY few people are sufficiently aware of the vast and important role that is being played in our everyday lives by mineral fillers. Many kinds of paints, papers and plastics, to mention three major classes of industrial products, are literally loaded

Jan 1, 1961

By M. Gauthier, A. C. Brown

"Monometallic zinc mineralization associated with marbles of the Grenville Supergroup in the Mont-Laurier Basin of Quebec is found to be stratiform and to occur (1) within limited zones of dolomitic marble and (2) more precisely along contacts between these marbles and adjacent metaclastic units. Massive sphalerite with accompanying pyrrhotite and pyrite is the prime exploration target, and commonly gives rise to good geochemical anomalies, but generally weak and ambiguous geophysical responses. Disseminated sphalerite in dolomitic marbles may signal proximity to interesting massive mineralization, although, due to weathering, this broadly disseminated mineralization may not be detected easily on outcrops. It is concluded that the western and possibly the eastern margin of the Mont-Laurier Basin constitute favourable areas for continued exploration.IntroductionThe Grenville Supergroup marbles of Ontario, Quebec and New York State host numerous occurrences of zinc mineralization (Fig. I) , several of which have been periodically mined since the beginning of this century (Fig. 2). The Balmat Edwards district of New York is the giant of this depo sit-type, with the production since 1915 of some 20 million tons of ore grading 10% zinc, and acknowledged current reserves of approximately equal tonnage and grade. At present, there is renewed interest in the potential for similar mineralization throughout the Grenville Supergroup, and this paper outlines some of the geological, geochemical and geophysical guidelines that may be employed in the search for new ore. The geologic guidelines are derived especially from lithologic and stratigraphic features which survived intense, multiphase deformation and metamorphism.Although major portions of the extensive Grenville Supergroup hold potential for zinc mineralization, the present study is confined to a known zone of mineralization in the Mont-Laurier Basin of Quebec. Concurrently, we are compiling information on the regional metallogeny of the basin so that our conclusions can be applied to areas of similar Grenville Supergroup host-rocks elsewhere."

Jan 1, 1980

By A. Boucher, D. Marcotte

"Abstract- The accepted practice for the estimation of thin (2D) vein deposits recommends the use of the grade x thickness service variable (i.e., the accumulation). Grade estimates are obtained indirectly by the estimated accumulation/estimated thickness ratio. This practice stems from the varying support (thickness) problem and the resulting non-additive nature of the grade variable. We compare the actual performance of the direct grade estimation approach used by some practitioners to that of the indirect approach using accumulation. Our simulated and real data indicate that the direct approach is more accurate for point grade estimation where the grade-thickness correlation coefficient is positive (and vice-versa). Moreover, the relative gain of the direct method increases with the (positive) correlation coefficient. This finding contradicts common thinking that the indirect approach should be the preferred method where grade-thickness correlation is strongly positive. Also, for a given positive grade-thickness correlation, the relative gain of the direct method increases with the coefficient of variation of the grade and thickness. Résumé - L’estimation de veines minces (2D) minéralisées est normalement réalisée à l’aide de la variable auxiliaire épaisseur x teneur (i.e., accumulation). Les estimés des teneurs sont alors obtenus indirectement du rapport accumulation estimée/épaisseur estimée. Cette pratique découle du problème du support variable pour la teneur, l’épaisseur de la veine, qui fait que la teneur est alors une variable non-additive. Nous comparons les performances de l’estimation directe de la teneur, utilisée par certains praticiens, à celle de l’approche indirecte. Pour l’estimation ponctuelle des teneurs, nos données simulées et réelles indiquent une meilleure justesse de l’approche directe quand la corrélation teneur-épaisseur est positive (et vice-versa). De plus, le gain relatif de la méthode directe s’accroît avec la valeur de cette corrélation (positive). Ce résultat contredit l’opinion répandue que l’approche indirecte devrait être utilisée en présence de forte corrélation positive de la teneur et de l’épaisseur. Nous montrons également que pour une corrélation positive teneur-épaisseur donnée, le gain de l’approche directe augmente avec les coefficients de variation de l’épaisseur et de la teneur."

Jan 1, 2001

By A. Tohn, L. May, Adham. K.

The path from process conception to commercial implementation poses significant technical, economic, and sometimes political challenges for every project team. Solving the technical challenges typically distinguishes successful projects from those that fail. Here, the authors provide an outline for technical success based on lessons learned from years of experience in process design and R&D. Challenges faced by new technology developers, with regard to design and definition, are described. Experience-based methods to avoid missteps are shared. Special emphasis is placed on the selection of viable unit operations, definition of known and unknown parameters, experimental screening of options, and piloting for scalable design information. Use of computational models to define, assist, and interpret the pilot operations and results are described. Furthermore, the value of active collaboration amongst the design, research, and owner team is demonstrated.

Jan 1, 2011

By D. A. Livingstone

"INTRODUCTORY REMARKS BY PANEL CHAIRMAN - D. A. LIVINGSTONEThe mining industry has progressed significantly from the dusty mines and mills of decades past to the modern processing complexes of today, and improved technology has made great strides in eliminating debilitating lung discuss. More recently, the public's environmental awareness is also working to enforce more stringent regulations and controls in tl1e matter of dust in working places.There are numerous excellent texts and handbooks outlining the principles of collection of dust produced in the various unit operations entailed in the crushing, screening and the transport of ore. However, it is painfully obvious that dust emanating from belt return idlers and scrapers, take-up pulleys, skirting, larger and deeper chutes, clean-up operations, etc., which I choose to refer to as fugitive dust, presents some seemingly unmanageable difficulties, or at least difficulties inordinately costly to correct. Possibly static electricity is adding to the difficulties. In my view, these problems are magnified in many of our B. C. operations where ore from open pit mines in cold climates is frequently crushed in unheated buildings, thereby precluding the simple and obvious use of water sprays for dust suppression.It is hoped that the presentations and discussion which follow will emphasize some of these unusual problerr.s and suggest corrective measures, either tried or planned."

Jan 1, 1976

By H. F. Maulson

For the benefit of those who are not familiar with the history of the western Provinces-Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta-as regards our natural resources, a few words of explanation may be in order before taking up the consideration of the Mines Act of 1930. In 1867, The British North America Act was passed by the Imperial Parliament. That Act, which is our constitution, created a union between the provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Upper and Lower Canada (now known as Ontario and Quebec respectively) under the name of the Dominion of Canada. Provision was made therein for embracing other parts of Canada from time to time. That portion of Canada which today comprises the Provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta and the lands to the north of them, was then known as Ruperts Land and the North West Territory. In the year 1670, King Charles II had granted by Letters Patent to Prince Rupert and his associates, known as ?The Governor & Company of Gentlemen Adventurers of England, Trading into Hudson's Bay?, commonly known as the Hudson's Bay Company, the lands and territories therein described, being roughly all the lands adjacent to and west of Hudson's bay; also the gold and silver to be found or discovered therein and other rights as more fully described in said Letters Patent. The land so granted was called 'Ruperts Land'.

Jan 1, 1930

The influence of joint orientation and joint persistence, on the mechanical behaviour of jointed rock masses under uniaxial compression, has been studied systematically. The joint inclination angle ß was varied from 0° to 90° with an increment of 15°. The joint continuity factor k was taken as 0.2, 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8. The peak strength, Young’s modulus, the complete axial stress-axial strain curves, the cracking process and the characteristic of the fragments, were investigated. It was found that the anisotropic response of the jointed specimens was governed by the micro-mechanism, such as crack initiation, propagation and coalescence, crack opening or closing, and frictional slip of cracks or joints. With the increase of joint continuity factor, the axial stress-axial strain curves change from single-peak to multipeak, the peak strength and Young’s modulus decrease. The specimens with medium joint inclination angle (30°,45° and 60°) has lower energy dissipation and strength due to stepped or shear failure, while specimens with small and large joint inclination angle (0°, 15°, 75° and 90°) has higher energy dissipation and strength due to axial cleavage or crushing failure.

Jan 1, 2015

By L. Jiang

The evolution of twinning in an AM30 Mg alloy was examined by uniaxial tension and compression testing at temperatures from ambient to 250°C and a strain rate of 0.1/s. The samples were cut along the extrusion direction from extruded AM30 Mg alloy tubes. Specimens deformed to various strain levels were examined by optical microscopy and electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) techniques. The results indicate that the initial extrusion texture plays an important role in the formation of different types of twins and that the twinning behavior also depends on the strain path. Contraction and double twinning are the dominant twinning mechanisms in uniaxial tension, while extension twinning prevails in uniaxial compression. The different twinning behaviors are shown to be responsible for the sharply contrasting strain hardening characteristics of the experimental flow curves.

Jan 1, 2006

By J. E. Gill

THE 1938 season was marked by a distinct lull in exploratory activity in the Province of Quebec. Quebec was not unique in this respect, but the condition appears to have been more acute here than in most other parts of the Dominion. Various causes may be suggested to account for this. The general disturbance in political and economic conditions throughout the world has certainly had an adverse influence. Uncertainty induced by changes in the mining laws of Quebec in 1937 contributed. A third cause was the belief, now held by many, that the easily accessible deposits in the main producing belt extending eastward from. the Rouyn district have now all been found and that new discoveries in this field will henceforth come more slowly and more expensively. A fourth is the lack of conspicuous success by companies and individuals who have interested themselves in less accessible areas to the north, notably the Chibougamau district. A fifth, the unattractive appearance, as viewed on published geological maps, of the vast area extending northward to Ungava bay and Hudson strait. A sixth, the attraction of such speculative funds as were available to the Northwest Territories, where spectacular finds were reported in the fall of 1937. Whatever may be the relative importance of these causes, languor in exploration will ultimately be reflected in production returns. This appears, therefore, to be an opportune time to take stock of the general position of the Industry in the Province and to consider ways and means of counter-acting those conditions which are now impeding, or will in the near future impede, its expansion. At the request of the Institute Secretary, Mr. Carlyle, I have prepared a brief summary of accomplishments to date and a discussion of some of the geological aspects of the problem.

Jan 1, 1939

By Michel Masse

1. A battery-powered wireless mesh network for dynamic diesel machinery tracking and operating status monitoring. 2. A real-time ventilation model and fan speed optimizer. 3. An OPC server for information interchange. 4. OPC linkage to existing control infrastructure. 5. A Human Machine Interface (HMI) providing data archiving, trending and reporting. 6. Live MS-Excel to interrogate the simulation, controls and optimizer. 7. The battery-powered network mesh also provides SCADA functionality to route optimized setpointsto the fans and automated regulators not linked to PLCs.

Feb 1, 2008

By J. S. DeLury

Introduction The problems of metallogenesis are largely related to those concerning the origin of igneous rocks, which, in turn, are involved with the question of crustal mechanics. Many ore-bodies are genetically related to associated intrusive and there is an equally close association apparent between igneous intrusion and crustal deformation. The problem of ore-deposition is concerned, therefore, with the fundamental problems of geology. For a long time speculations regarding crustal movements rested largely on the contraction theory and its associated conceptions. Vertical movements were considered to be all important and horizontal movements secondary to them. Magmas were pictured as rising more or less vertically in the crust and were believed to form in vertically disposed magma-chambers or reservoirs. The principle of magmatic differentiation seemed to offer the best explanation of the origin and association of diverse rock types and it seemed also to require the existence of quiescent magma-chambers for the admittedly slow process of differentiation. Accumulating evidence of the importance of horizontal movement in the crust, has, along with other considerations, discredited the contraction hypothesis and many of the inferences that go with it. The same evidence may require some change in the prevailing conception of the origin of the various types of igneous rock and of the mechanics of intrusion. Geologists are now at sea concerning some of the vital and fundamental problems of the crust, and the field is open for speculation. The writer is developing a hypothesis which seems to permit an explanation and? a correlation of earth structures and phenomena. If it rests on a firm foundation, the hypothesis, because it is fundamental, is certain to have a profound bearing on the problems of economic geology. It is for this reason that an outline of the hypothesis is offered at this time. Only a few of its economic bearings are foreseen at this time and these will be indicated.

Jan 1, 1932

By P. A. Tichauer

Arbitration is a flexible method for dispute resolution that gives control to the disputing parties while still maintaining a clear and well-structured decision making process. It responds to the desires of the parties for a resolution that is fair, binding and enforceable and is guided more by pragmatism, efficiency, effectiveness and equality than by a need to comply with the legal procedures and practices of any single country or jurisdiction. Arbitration is particularly well suited for the resolution of disputes pertaining to international commercial agreements which are often present in the metallurgical sector. This paper provides a simplified outline of the features and advantages of arbitration as well as commentary regarding certain prerequisites in order for arbitration to be binding and enforceable.

Jan 1, 2015