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The three main types of iron ore deposits in Australia are bedded, massive and residual. Some character- istics of iron ore, important in its process behaviour, are related to its mineralogy which is a result of its geological history. World iron ore resources are extremely large but there are problems in quantifying re- serves, defined as that part of re- sources from which a useable commodity can be extracted economically. The relationship between the discovery and exploitation of iron ore resources and the process of industrialization is examined in historical and present day contexts.

Jan 1, 1976

In recent years rehabilitation of mine sites has become a principal focus of mining legislation in Victoria. In previous eras, managed rehabilitation commenced, if at all, towards the end of mining operations. Planning for rehabilitation works now commences before an exploration licence is granted.The paper gives a brief overview of the requirements for rehabilitation under the Mineral Resources Development Act 1990, Extractive Industries Act 1966, and related environmental planning legislation including rehabilitation bonds and enforcement provisions.A brief review of the current taxation provisions is also included.

Jan 1, 1992

By Kubik K

This paper reviews the historical data on relative height changes of landmasses with respect to sea level for Pacific Rim countries.It discusses existing theories of the Greenhouse effect, and the interaction with the vertical movements of the continental plates which leads to different effects for different places. Possible future scenarios are described and directions for future research and measurement programs are given.Relative sea levels are governed not only the increase of water from deglaciation but also by a range of other factors such as variable water storage in lakes and the atmosphere, thermal expansion of the ocean, ocean currents, and the shape of the ocean and the continents. Sea floor spreading, for example, is ultimately more significant than deglaciation in sea level control but is generally much slower.

Jan 1, 1990

Studies of human relations are being made by a team of psychologists within management and in the community of Kambalda as a whole. Some of the first results are discussed with reference to extensions required in management when it also has to run a mining town. Implications are noted for town planning policies of the attitudes and preferences of the population with regard to housing and to other major planning areas. Some of the theoretical and practical difficulties of 'planning the human ecology' are outlined.

Jan 1, 1973

The papers to be presented in this Session show an interesting range of subject matter. Three discuss specific problems associated with existing mines, one deals with hydrogeological risk evaluation and one uses the impact of mine drainage on an aquifer to analyse a large-scale hydraulic parameter. Paper 1. Environment studies to determine the impacts of re-opening Banska Stiavnica-Hodrusa ore district in Czechoslovakia - Dusan Cababla - Marian Skaviniak. Future developments in established mining areas may have significant hydrogeological implications, especially where the existing mines are to be deepened. In turn this may have an impact in the area of the disposal of ever larger quantities of mine water, particularly, as is often the case, where the quality of this water is poor.

Jan 1, 1988

By Gluch KD

The current Mining Act has been the mechanism for administering and encouraging the State's mining industry through the 1970's up to the present. Although it has been subjected to considerable amendment there continues to be judicial challenge as well as criticism in relation to ambiguity of interpretation. Expansion of the mining industry and pressures placed upon "it by the ever increasing interaction with other land users have highlighted deficiencies in the current legislation and the need for a strong and progressive Act covering the rights and obligations of miners and their relationships with those outside the industry. - It is considered that the most positive results can be achieved by a complete redrafting of Queensland's mining administrative legislation.

Jan 1, 1987

Much of the data required for the evaluation of mine design is obtained from bore cores. It is essential to collect data that is useful and not to overlook features which might have adverse effects upon the mining practices and which might not be readily discernible to the untrained eye when examining bore cores. Interpretation of the data has progressed from the use of single-value properties, such as ultimate compressive strength or Young's modulus, to the utilisation of most measurable quantities. The simulation techniques used employ physical and mathematical models for prediction of mining conditions or strata behaviour. The application and capabilities of these methods to mine design are discussed.

Jan 1, 1977

Interest in mining narrow, vein-type ones has increased world-wide during the last few years despite the fact that prices of metals have not risen in proportion as production costs of mining, such as labour and energy.In many mines, where narrow ones are mined, the mining technique and equipment used have been poorly mechanized. The mining methods have been cut-and-fill or shrinkage stoping. Pneumatic jack-legs have been used for drilling and slushers have been used for loading.The methods that have been used can be called the "first-generation" methods.Work has been very hard for miners. It has been dangerous and exhausting.Production volumes of mines, and a s a result of that, also profits have been low.

Jan 1, 1990

By B Madeja-Struminska

The method of evaluation of the approximate temperature of arising spontaneous fire centre and time of coal self-ignition is presented in this paper. The method uses BystronÆs (1997) model of coal self-heating and measurement of carbon monoxide concentration in the mine air outside the fire centre. Knowledge of the spontaneous fire centre temperature and time of fire beginning allows for more accurate analysis of the fire hazard in the coal mine and allows for adequate time to undertake special fire prevention actions. The method is illustrated by an example from Polish mining practice.

Jan 1, 2005

By Singh RN, Yuejin LI

The problems experienced with longwall mining machinery motivate the development of an expert system for fault diagnosis. The techniques of knowledge representation, database, knowledge base and inference engine guide the selection of the expert systems and languages -"Turbo Prolog"- as exemplified in the case study of hydraulic support. The aim is to hasten future development of a fault diagnosis system and the design of a system to locate and determine the causes of failure of longwall machinery. The system would use its stored case history and other information to make fault diagnoses and suggest appropriate remedies. Consequently down-time would be reduced and production and profitability should increase.

Jan 1, 1991

By Roden S

This paper illustrates that sampling problems and difficulties are as common in an R&D environment as they are in an operating plant. Researchers need to be aware of the potential influence of poor sampling practices and when feasible determine the sampling and analytical precision at the start of any experimentation. Specific problems that have been encountered are discussed and the procedures implemented to overcome these difficulties are described. Examples from projects include the cyanidation of a Au/Ag ore, column leaching of refractory gold and oxide ores, the bioremediation of contaminated sites and the flotation of ore containing native copper.

Jan 1, 1976

By Oboso A, Nakahiro Y, Takenaka Y, Wakamatsu T

As part of the fundamental studies on the recovery of Au by solvent extraction, the synergism of combined extractants on the extraction of An from the sulphuric acid solution containing thiourea was investigated. Extractants tested were di-(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (D2EHPA), tri-n-octylamine (TOA), tri-n-butyl phosphate (TBP), and trioctyl phosphine oxide (TOPO). Four kinds of extractant combinations, D2EHPA/TBP, D2EHPA/TOPO, TOA/I'BP, and TOAITOPO, were tested to clarify the synergism on the extraction of Au in terms of various concentration ratios, diluents, the concentration of sulphuric acid, and the concentration of thiourea.

Jan 1, 1993

The complicated mining-geological conditions in the Kuzbass have led to some difficult mining situations in the past. Now, with historical data, supplemented by geomechanical information and measurements, together with an appropriate kinematic theory, a more reliable basis exists for prediction and control of the geomechanical state during extraction, with caving and with backfilling. Continued progress and improving reliability comes from data banks and computations, and now prediction of geomechanical situations is upgraded by more routing measurements and monitoring. Not only in the Kuzbass, but throughout the USSR, 14 dedicated groups are ready to solve various specific problems of prediction an control of geomechanic situations with assured increase in the quality of mining.

Jan 1, 1991

During the past seven years silver recovery has been increased from 9 per cent to over 61 per cent. The changes in plant practiee which have led to this increase are described. Gold room clean-up procedure has been varied, so that half the additional silver is obtained as pure silver chloride, which.is converted to silver bullion for marketing.

Jan 1, 1964

Traditionally mill operators have been employed with varying educational backgrounds with little if any formal training in aspects of mineral processing. Pasminco Mining-Rosebery, in line with other organisations, saw the need for a prerequisite entry level for operators to enter the industry. After initial discussions between various West Coast Mines personnel, union and government representatives, an industry working group was formed in 1989 with the aim of developing a traineeship suitable for the mineral processing industry. Training and technical representatives from four of the West Coast Mines and TAFE were commissioned with the curriculum development. The resultant course, which is recognised under the Australian Traineeship system, involved an integrated on and off-the-job training program, including 13 weeks of formal off-the-job instruction.

Jan 1, 1991

By Dawes C. A, Mitchell R. A

A process control strategy has been developed for the lead circuit of the lead- zinc concentrator at The Zinc Corporation, Limited (ZC), Broken Hill, Australia. The general aims of the control system were to produce a final concentrate with a zinc content below a certain limit and, at the same time, obtain the highest lead recovery possible. As presently arranged the system involves control of the cleaner feed mass flaw by cleaner diverter tray manipulation and control of xanthate addition based on per cent lead in feed. Generally this approach works well but for abnormal conditions such as very high or law pH the system requires further improvement.

Jan 1, 1983

By Wernick B. J

Recently, the Environmental Engineering Laboratory of the Chamber of Mines of South Africa Research Organization has made signifi- cant progress in the development of more accurate algorithms for assessing heat flow in gold mines. These algorithms have been incor- porated into an overall computer program, ENVIRON, which enables the complete thermo- dynamic analyses of mine ventilation and cool- ing systems to be carried out. Recently, efforts have concentrated on the development of an expert computer system which will guide engineers in the process of selecting the most appropriate environmental control strategy.

Jan 1, 1988

By W Whiten

The determination of mineral composition is necessary in the mineral sands industry. Tiwest has developed a procedure for safe and convenient determination of the mineral composition using a magnetic separation followed by chemical analysis using X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. This then requires the conversion of the elemental assays to mineral compositions. A project at the Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Centre has developed a convenient analysis method for this conversion. This analysis is based on a reconciliation of the of the assays of the sample with the standard mineral assays by making minimal adjustments based on the assay accuracies to both sets of assays. As well as providing the mineral composition it to be tested for other applications and variations of the procedure to be evaluated. Given a range of samples, testing for the accuracy of the assays of the standard minerals, has been demonstrated.

Jan 1, 2001

By Moxon NT

The detonation pressure of ANFO can be significantly reduced by the addition of low density materials such as polystyrene, bagasse, sawdust or perlite. Laboratory and field test results have shown that homogene- ous mixtures of these low density explosives can be produced in a bowl truck and loaded into a blast hole without segregation. The detonation pressure of the mixture can be tailored to suit the material to be blasted by varying the quantity of low density additive incorporated into the mix- ture. Results obtained in the field indicate that these low density explo- sives can lead to significant cost savings without compromising fragmentation or production.

Jan 1, 1988

Graded macadam slag base has been used successfully by the Department of Main Roads, N.S.W., in the construction of Expressways. However, the use of graded macadam in urban conditions introduces problems which can be avoided by the use of material meeting the specification outlined in M.R. Form 744. This paper outlines the rationale behind the technical requirements of the specification for the "Supply of natural gravel or crushed rock for road pavement (bitumen surfaced) M.R. Form 744". A blend of materials produced from slag is proposed as a potential solution for the production of slag base which would be suitable for use in urban construction or maintenance of roads.

Jan 1, 1979