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Oil sands processing generates huge volumes of slurry, known as tailings, that is being stored in tailings ponds. The volume of produced tailings is a very important factor in oil sands surface mine planning, because the available area for dam construction is limited to the lease areas. On the other hand, oil sands operators cannot leave mine sites without reclaiming the tailings ponds. Since most of the reclamation material is generated in either oil sands mining or processing, it is reasonable to include reclamation material requirement as part of long-term mine planning. In this paper, an integrated optimization framework is proposed to maximize the net present value (NPV) of the produced oil sands, with respect to tailings capacity constraints and reclamation material requirements. A mixed integer linear programming (MILP) model is developed to find the optimal solution for long-term mine planning problem. A sample bitumen processing flow sheet is used to formulate the volume of produced tailings, based on Clark hot water extraction method. To verify the proposed model, it is coded in Matlab and run using CPLEX. Run results for real-case oil sands dataset show that the optimal production schedule meets material requirements for reclamation, tailings volume is within tailings capacity range in all periods and the production schedule follows the predetermined horizontal direction.

Feb 27, 2013

By Jack A. McQuiston, Thomas A. Cross

Corrosion of equipment and machinery in the coal industry is usually the result of three main agents: acids, chlorides, and abrasion. Acids and chlorides are especially troublesome in coal preparation plants where soluble salts and sulfur in the coal produce a highly corrosive wash solution. Abrasion is common in all operations where coal is handled or conveyed. Together, the acid-chloride-abrasion combination results in some of the worst corrosive conditions found in any industry. The variety of equipment and structures in the coal industry calls for different corrosion control techniques. Table 1 lists the areas of concern for a number of items. Just as there is a wide variety of corrosion problems, there is a wide array of coating materials available. Tables 2 and 3 are selection charts to provide guidance in narrowing down the choices. Experience has shown that a limited number of coating systems work best on coal equipment and structures. These systems are described in Table 4. The good-better-best designation in the table refers to coating system longevity. Good indicates the least costly and shortest service life. In nearly all cases the lowest annualized cost can be achieved by using the coating system rated best, due to the avoidance of costly repaints and unnecessary downtime. The most expensive coating system, though, is worthless unless the coating system is properly applied. Field inspection to insure compliance with specifications is an important aspect, and is a service available from many coating suppliers. Even the best coating systems require periodic maintenance to achieve satisfactory results. Spot rusting from mechanical damage should be repaired annually to maximize the coatingsystem's results.

Jan 2, 1980

By Eric Konigsmann

"Omai Gold Mines is a large scale open pit gold mining operation located in central Guyana, South America with a 12,000 tonne per day milling facility. Mill operations were initiated in December 1992 with commercial production beginning in January 1993. The entire operation employs approximately 120 expatriates and some 800 Guyanese nationals and is expected to produce in excess of 250,000 ounces of gold per year. The total mineable reserves contain 2.5 million ounces of gold with a projected mine life of twelve years.The milling circuits feature an SABC grinding circuit, gravity concentration and a conventional CIP gold recovery circuit. This paper will review the mill start up and ""run-in"" phase during the first year of operation. Emphasis will be placed on descriptions of start up problems and circuit modifications, mill performance trends in 1993, and personnel training and development. An outlook for 1994 is also given.IntroductionOmai Gold Mines is a large scale, open pit gold mining operation located in the Potaro district of Guyana, South America, some 160 kilometers south of the capital city Georgetown. Although there are numerous small scale gold mining ventures in Guyana, particularly with the dredging operations on the rivers, Omai is the first hard rock, open pit mine to be developed in the country. At present, this mining operation is one of the largest gold mines in South America.The Omai gold deposit has been exploited for over one hundred years. In the late 1800's, a German syndicate used hydraulicing with subsequent gravimetric separators such as sluice boxes and trommel screens to recover gold from saprolite, a soft, oxidized, claylike mineral which covers much of the claim area. Through the early 1900's and up until the 1950's, numerous mining companies including Anaconda Mining Co. Ltd. explored and drilled the Omai deposit but the technology and low gold price of the day made the reserve uneconomic to develop."

Jan 1, 1994

Effect of Anionic Surfactant on Silica Particle Attachment at the Oil-Water Interface Controlling particle attachment is crucial where powdered solids come into contact with oil and water. Particles are trapped in a deep energy well at the oil-water interface, stabilising emulsions. Here it is shown that adding anionic surfactant causes dramatic changes to the bulk and interfacial structure of silica particle-stabilised oil-in-water emulsions. Exposing particle-stabilised drops to surfactant concentrations above the critical micelle concentration enhances the rate and extent of creaming and flocculation. Mixing particle-stabilised emulsions with surfactant solutions causes drop fragmentation. As the surfactant concentration increases, the average drop size decreases and particles are displaced from the interface during the mixing process.

Sep 13, 2010

By Henry John Luna Córdova

El presente trabajo describe el proceso de gestión de calidad en la administración de los derechos mineros a través de la automatización de procesos desarrollados por el Instituto Nacional de Concesiones y Catastro Minero (INACC) organismo público descentralizado del Sector Energía y Minas que administra el Procedimiento Ordinario Minero para el otorgamiento de Concesiones Mineras, el Catastro Minero Nacional y la distribución del Derecho de Vigencia a escala nacional. Entre otras funciones de dicha institución está la creación de una serie de base de datos numérica, que le han permitido optimizar dichos procesos en calidad. Así como en el aspecto de la administración del Derecho de Vigencia y Penalidad, se creó el software para automatizar sus procesos y efectuar el cobro respectivo en las entidades del sistema financiero nacionall. Finalmente en el aspecto catastral, se generalizó el uso de coordenadas UTM (PSAD56) para identificar los derechos mineros, asimismo, se crearon los parámetros de transformación de coordenadas WGS84 a UTM.

Jul 31, 2003

The dissolution of gold in cyanide has been studied, using both chemical and electrochemical techniques. The electro-chemical studies have confirmed that gold may become passive in cyanide solution if its potential becomes more positive than -O· 5 V v. saturated calomel electrode (S.C.E.). The results of the conventional solution rate tests suggest that, although the solution rate is controlled by the rate of diffusion of oxygen at low oxygen and agitation levels, when these are increased the gold may become passive and its solution rate approach a steady value, or even decrease with increasing oxygen level. The passivity of gold has been shown to be of importance in the solution of small spheres of this metal, and in the extraction of gold from a calcined auriferous pyrite concentrate.INTRODUCTIONAlthough it has been appreciated for many years (McLaurin, 1893, 1895) that dissolved oxygen is a necessary adjunct to the solution of gold by the cyanide process, attempts to quantitatively assess its effect have led to conflicting results. For example, Barsky, Swainson, and Hedley (1934) reported that an increase in oxygen concentration improved the solution rate, but Beyers (1936) claimed that such an increase would reduce the rate at which the gold dissolved.By using an electrochemical approach Kudryk and Kellogg (1954) showed that the diffusion rate of either the cyanide or the oxygen was a controlling factor, and that, if the mole ratio of cyanide to oxygen concentration was greater than 10, the solution rate was proportional to oxygen concentration.These results, although they represent some of the most careful work available, were in direct contradiction to the findings of Mills (1951), who found that gold may become passive in cyanide solution, with a resultant decrease in solution rate.

Jan 1, 1963

By A. W. Ruff

The seismic wave produced by an explosive is very important in blasting. A true understanding of the wave is only important when considering possible structural damage to buildings located near the blast, but it is also of primary importance when considering rock fragmentation. Because of the importance of the seismic wave to fragmentation, a finda-mental study of the seismic wave and its effect was made at the Cananea Consolidated Copper Co.'s mine at Cananea, Sonora, Mexico. Strain gages were used to measure the strain in the rock when nearby explosive charges were detonated. The variance in the circuit voltage caused by changes in the resistance of the strain gage was measured with an oscilloscope and recorded with a Polaroid camera. CONFINED DRILLHOLE CHARGES To record the seismic wave from a confined drillhole explosive charge, a gage was cemented to the bottom of a 4-in diam drillhole. The horizontal gage hole and nine horizontal charge holes were drilled perpendicular to the center line of the 2-39 drift and 4 ft above the floor. The gage hole was 29 in. deep, and the charge holes were drilled so that each bottomed 1 in. deeper than the gage hole. The gage was installed with its axis horizontal and parallel to the 2-39 drift. The charge holes had the following horizontal distances from the gage: hole 3, 3 ft; hole 4, 4 ft; hole 5, 5 ft; hole 9, 9 ft; hole 10, 10 ft; hole 14, 14 ft; and hole 15, 15 ft. Figs. 1 and 2 show the relationships of the gage and the charge holes. Charges of 80 pct special gelatin, which weighed 50, 100, and 150 g were exploded in the charge holes and the seismic waves were recorded. All charges were stemmed with 200 g of mud and detonated with an electric blasting cap. Fig. 3 shows the recorded seismic waves. The reflected components of the waves were too weak to be objectional on these records. Table I shows the data taken from the wave forms. The approximate average velocity of a wave with a 9-ft travel distance was 12,900 fps. Since different charge weights were used, it was necessary to scale the data. The scaled maximum compress ion-strain data and the scaled maximum tens ion-strain data are shown in Figs. 4 and 5, respectively. Figs. 6 and 7 show the strain-distance data from Figs. 4 and 5 converted to a 1-lb charge. The results showed that the wave consisted of an initial compression pulse followed by a tension pulse. The amplitude of the tension pulse approached the amplitude of the compression pulse as the distance between the gage and the shot increased. The decay rate of the seismic wave is very important in the evaluation of the blasting characteristics of a rock. When high-amplitude stresses are produced, as in rock fragmentation, the rate of decay is much more rapid than when small amplitude stresses are produced. In underground mine blasting, the burdens are usually not greater than 6 ft and the decay is very rapid. The rapid seismic-wave decay rate in the fragmentation range means that in practice, if the minimum weight of powder is used to break a specified burden, only a very

Jan 1, 1961

Jan 1, 1967

This study was conducted to determine the effects of a machine-mounted scrubber and water sprays on face methane levels. Testing was conducted in the NIOSH ventilation test gallery which was designed to simulate a full-scale mine entry. In the test entry, a model mining machine, equipped with water sprays and a simulated dust scrubber, was located at the face of a 20-ft box cut. Blowing ventilation was provided using a curtain with a 40-ft setback distance. Methane released from a pipe manifold located inby the mining machine was monitored at six locations that were 1 ft outby the pipe manifold. Tests were first conducted to evaluate the effects of using sprays and scrubber separately on face methane levels. Additional tests were conducted to determine how a scrubber used with various water spray systems would affect face methane levels. The use of either sprays or scrubber reduced face methane levels significantly. The combined use of sprays with the scrubber further reduced face methane levels a small amount. Primarily the sprays affected methane levels by changing airflow distribution close to the face.

Jan 1, 2001

The prospect of utilisation of phosphate ores which contain high P2O5 values associated with Al and Fe has produced a great deal of interest over many years. Processing options have generally been based on the utilisation of by-products which were required to offset the processing costs.   This paper presents a range of processing options which have been investigated at laboratory or technical scale on phosphate ores which predominantly consist of crandallite, CaAl3(PO4)2(OH)5.3H2O and millisite, Ca(NaK)Al6(PO4)4(OH)9.3H2O. Christmas Island (Indian Ocean) and Mt Weld (Western Australia) phosphate ores are good examples of such feedstocks. It is expected that these processes may also be applicable to such phosphate ores from other locations.

Jan 1, 1990

By D. Randolph Berry

Volume II contains appendices which explain and document the recommendations of Volume I. The following topics are covered: Appendix A Discussion of Recommended Guidelines Appendix B Worldwide Use of Oxygen Self-Rescuers Appendix C Hypothetical Use of Oxygen Self-Rescuers in Post-1972 Coal Mine Explosions and Fires Appendix D Vibration Testing of SCSRs Appendix E Testing of In-Service Chemical Oxygen SCSRs Appendix F Discussions with Representatives of Underground Coal Mining Appendix G Recommendations for SCSR Storage Containers Appendix H Example SCSR Storage Plans Appendix I Testing of In-Service Compressed Oxygen SCSRs Appendix J 30 CFR 75.1714, 30 Regulations Pertaining to Self-Rescuers

Jan 1, 1981

By R. D. Sharpe

Gypsum wallboard manufacturers in the United States shipped 3.18 billion m2 (34.2 billion sq ft) of wall-board products during 2004 versus 2.93 billion m2 (31.5billion sq ft) in 2003. Following a historic high production of gypsum wallboard products in 1999, production decreased in 2000. But it has steadily increased during2001 through 2004. Wallboard production in the United States increased about 8.6 percent in 2004 from 2003. Following several years of a “building boom” of new wallboard plants and the expansion of the manufacturing capacity of several existing plants, 2004 was a relatively quiet year. However, several new plants and capacity expansions were announced or are in progress during 2004.

Jan 1, 2005

By Bruce Hebblewhite

This paper focuses on the recent achievements and practices developed through the Minerals Tertiary Education Council (MTEC) initiative of the Minerals Council of Australia (MCA), in conjunction with the three partner universities involved in mining engineering education – University of New South Wales (UNSW), West Australian School of Mines, Curtin University (WASM), and University of Queensland (UQ). The collaboration between these partner universities and industry has led to the development of shared course material, cross-institutional teaching arrangements, and development of a number of flexible, distance-based delivery programs. The paper will then move on to future initiatives. Importantly, the exciting challenge is the future initiative planned to cement this collaboration by the formation of a “virtual” national school of mining engineering – Mining Education Australia (MEA). This will provide a common 3rd and 4th year program to all three universities from 2007, involving innovative teaching and learning arrangements, greater student exchange potential and a more significant input by industry into the education process. Such an initiative is not without its challenges, and has a long way to go, before becoming a reality. However, it offers greater attractiveness and marketing potential to prospective students, as well as economic efficiencies, whilst delivering a better quality, and hopefully greater quantity of graduates to industry. It can also form a launching platform for a much greater level of international collaboration, through a proposed International Mining Education Network (IMEN) which is currently being floated amongst a number of international educators.

Jan 1, 2005

By Arel B. McMahan

The U.S. Bureau of Mines investigated 21 mines, prospects, and mineralized sites in and adjacent to a 38,713-acre portion of the 255,058-acre Kingston Range Wilderness Study Area in 1983. The study area is 35 miles north of Baker, CA in the Mojave Desert. Mineral deposits in and adjacent to the study area are in altered carbonate rocks intruded by diabase sills near monzonite porphyry contacts. Monzonite porphyry forms the core of the Kingston Range and underlies about 70 percent of the study area. Sedimentary carbonate rocks are exposed in bands on the north and east boundaries and as isolated roof pendants in the southeastern portion of the study area.

Jan 1, 1986

The principle activities of the Explosives Research Laboratory from July 1, 1961 to June 30, 1962, are described briefly in part 1. Part 2 gives short abstracts of publications that appeared during fiscal year 1962; in general, the research reported in these publications antedates the report period. Part 3 gives the results of an investigation which, although too limited to warrant separate publication, merits presentation in some detail because of current interest in ammonium nitrate-fuel oil compositions.

Jan 1, 1964

By Henry C. Meeves

The Bureau of Mines, between 1956 and 1963, examined 18 major pegmatite districts in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming to evaluate their content of beryllium, a material in short domestic supply that has become increasingly important to modern industry. This examination report includes the salient statistics on the production of pegmatite minerals other than quartz and feldspar; and brief descriptions of 170 specific pegmatite deposits.

Jan 1, 1966

By Jasper L. Stuckey

PYROPHYLLITE, first identified as soapstone,1 later as agalmatolite,2 and finally as pyrophyllite,3 has been known to occur in North Carolina for more than 130 years and has been produced intermittently in commercial amounts for the past 100 years. Pyrophyllite mining, however, has become a major industry in North Carolina only during the past 25 years. North Carolina and California are the chief producing states. Current annual production averages 125,000 tons, of which slightly more than 90 pct comes from North Carolina. Distribution and Geologic Setting: All known pyrophyllite deposits in North Carolina are associated with rocks of the Carolina Slate Belt,4 which is composed of a vast series of metamorphosed volcanic and sedimentary materials, occurring as two zones extending in a northeast-southwest direction across the state. The larger of these zones, lying in the central Piedmont region, varies from 8 to 50 miles wide. The smaller zone lies along the eastern edge of the Piedmont region and is partly covered by coastal plain sediments.

Jan 1, 1958

By Martin Langenderfer, Catherine Johnson, Alexander Douglas

Mine haul roads degrade rapidly due to extreme loads on sub-optimal construction materials. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) are suited to quantify large-area road-network conditions, such as surface roughness, defects, and grade to optimize remediation of poor conditions and reduce overall costs. Mine haul roads present unique challenges, such as material type and edge characteristics, to automatic road detection that often fail, requiring manual road input. This research proposes a new method for analysis using the road center determined by principal curve analysis of a haul truck’s Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) traces; analysis grids were created from this center line. A dense point cloud from UAV photogrammetry was generated, and multiple linear regression analysis was conducted on each individual grid. The root mean square error in each grid indicates the surface roughness, and the change of slope between grids indicates the road grade inconsistencies. This method was applied to 26 road sections, and the results were validated by images taken from the truck operator’s vantage point. Critical defects were identified including excessive pothole formation, corrugation, depressions retaining water, and narrowing of travel lane. The results demonstrate this is a valid method of road identification and quantification of road defects at a mine site.

Dec 19, 2023

By I. A. Mwamba

Titanium aluminide of composition Ti-47.5 at.% Al was prepared by melting titanium and aluminium of commercial purity with additions of precious metals of 0, 0.2, 1, 1.5 and 2 at.% content. The microstructure, hardness and oxidation properties were assessed. It was found that at 47.5 at.% Al, the microstructure of plain TiAl alloys was duplex, consisting of duplex lamellar grains and ? grains. The lamellar grains consisted of alternating lamellae of ? (TiAl) and a2(Ti3Al), with overall aluminium content in the range of 43?47 at.%. The ? grains had a aluminium content above 50 at.%. The addition of precious metals to the TiAl alloy resulted in the formation of a new phase, with a high precious metal content, occurring mostly in the ?phase, without any major change to the microstructure. Increasing the amount of precious metals resulted in an increase of the new phase amount, at the expense of the ? phase. The hardness of the different alloys was around 300HV10. Overall, the research has shown that addition of precious metals to TiAl resulted in a slight increase in hardness and a significant improvement of the oxidation resistance. This shows that alloying TiAl with precious metals, at the addition levels investigated, does not alter the mechanical properties very much, but improves oxidation resistance.

Jan 1, 2012

By G. P. Tomaino

Talc is a layered, hydrous magnesium silicate mineral. It has a soft, soapy feel and typically a smooth texture. Talc is also known for its insulation, heat resistance, chemical stability, oil absorption and strong covering quality. Talc, Mg3Si4O10 (OH)2, has a theoretical chemical composition of MgO at 31.7 percent, SiO2 at 63.5 percent, and H2O at 4.8 percent. However, talc’s chemical and mineralogical composition can vary depending on its geological history/parent rock association. These mineral associations and variable levels are usually chlorite and carbonates (magnesite, calcite and dolomite). Two key elemental substitutions that can occur in the talc crystal structure are iron for magnesium and fluorine for hydroxyl. These compositional differences may limit or enhance the talc’s usage in specific market niches. The United States remains self-sufficient in most grades of talc.

Jan 1, 2005