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About MAC ? The national organization of the Canadian mining industry ? Mining, smelting and refining of base and precious metals ? Mining of iron ore, diamonds, uranium, oil sands, coal and industrial minerals ? Many associate members ? www.mining.ca

Aug 1, 2013

By R. K. Borden

Rio Tinto is committed to proactive mineral waste and acid rock drainage management. Corporate requirements are closely aligned with the GARD Guide principles of early geochemical characterization and prediction followed by selection and implementation of management strategies to prevent or minimize ARD. Each operation is required to design and implement an ARD and Mineral Waste Management Plan. Successful implementation of the plan requires commitment at all levels of the company, from senior management, to geologists, mine planners, environmental staff and equipment operators. Examples of the successful integration of ARD management strategies into mine operations are cited from several mines.

Jan 1, 2011

By G. J. Heferen, A. Pranowo, N. J. Aslin, P. O. Eriksson

Glencore Technology (GT) has over four decades experience supplying stainless steel cathode plates (“cathode plates”) to the electro-refining and electro-winning industry. Cathode plates are typically the single biggest capital investment in a refinery. Refineries may view cathode plates as fixed asset or consumables depending on their operational characteristics. This paper examines the issue of cathode plate life and the strategies and philosophies used by different plants in the management of their cathode plate asset. Some plants operate with their original plates after more than 20 years. Others accept high turnover and regular maintenance as normal operating practice. Reference data are provided on plate life for various operating plants including benchmark plants achieving best-practice plate life and operating cost. The role of the electrode handling equipment on cathode plate longevity is also examined, including latest developments in Cathode Stripping Machine, robotic copper stripping, and full-automation production cranes. The ability to identify and manage the population of plates in service is also critical for maximising plate life and minimising its overall operating cost. This paper discusses a novel and unique RFID system for tracking and managing cathode plate inventory. INTRODUCTION Permanent cathode plates The adoption of permanent stainless steel cathode electrodes in the electro-refining of copper was the most significant process development since the first commercial electro-refineries were built in the late 19th century. It provided significant improvement over the labour intensive and complicated starter sheet system. Copper grows over the permanent cathode blade for a number of days before being stripped, and the permanent cathode can be returned straight back to cells for the next cathode cycle. Glencore Technology (formerly Mount Isa Mines (MIM), then Xstrata Technology) has been manufacturing permanent stainless steel cathode plates from the late 1970s with the birth of ISA PROCESS™, and the Kidd process that came one decade later. Invented and commercialised by Mount Isa Mines, the ISA PROCESS™ was first implemented into Copper Refineries Limited (CRL), Townsville, in 1978. The KIDD PROCESS by Falconbridge evolved in the 1980s and was first implemented into the Kidd Creek Tankhouse, both operations converting from traditional copper starter sheets.

Jan 1, 2019

By Ralf M. Kleine

THE property of Consolidated 1 Discovery Yellowknife Mines Limited, (Figure I) is situated in the Northwest Territories, approximately 50 air miles north of the town of Yellowknife. The mine is reached by a shaft which extends from surface to a depth of 4,000 feet, with working levels established at 1 50-foot intervals. Stopping operations are carried on throughout a vertical range of 2,000 feet, with both shrinkage and cut and fill methods being used, depending on the ground conditions. Production started in 1950 and milling is done in a 1 65-ton per day cyanide plant. During ten months of the year, the property is serviced entirely by air, utilizing charter aircraft from Yellowknife. A 4,000-foot runway near the mine was constructed from mill tailings. This strip is adequate to receive Bristol freighter planes carrying heavy loads. Other servicing is done by Otter aircraft, equipped with skis or wheels for winter and with pontoons for summer operations.

Jan 1, 1962

By Turcotte. Yves-Laurent

Notre conférencier, Monsieur Yves L. Turcotte, Vice-président et Directeur général chez Promaintech Novaxa est diplômé en génie industriel de l?Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières et détient une maîtrise en gestion de projets de l?Université du Québec à Montréal. Il est une véritable sommité canadienne dans le domaine de l?amélioration de la performance des organisations. Provenant d'entreprises manufacturières et de services, il possède plus de 20 ans d?expérience en tant que développeur de technologies, conseiller et formateur auprès d?entreprises. Il a à son actif la réalisation de mandats dans plus de 400 entreprises. Il est reconnu pour sa grande capacité d?analyse et pour trouver des solutions novatrices et profitables aux problèmes des organisations les plus complexes. Aujourd'hui, il dirige Promaintech Novaxa, une division de DMR, qui a célébré son dixième anniversaire en 2006. Cette organisation ayant des places d?affaires dans la région de Montréal, Québec et Vancouver compte plus de 50 professionnels et a une carte de visite dans 16 pays. Les axes d?intervention sont le Management, la Productivité, la Fiabilité, l?Innovation et l?Amélioration Continue.

Feb 1, 2008

By D. J. Robertson

"THE copper smelting operation of the Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting Company, Limited, at Flin Flon, Manitoba, generates a gas flow of 350,000 c.f.m. at n.t.p. This gas stream passes to atmosphere through a 20-foot diameter by 250-foot brick stack, carrying with it an appreciable dust burden in the form of metallic oxide fumes. The flow constituents during the period 1952 and 1953 and •before gas filtration was included in the treatment scheme are shown in Table I. This paper describes the gas filtration treatment which was installed in 1957, using glass cloth media to recover this dust burden, and discusses the associated problem as its treatment for recovery of zinc and cadmium.The metallurgical details associated with the problem are illustrated by a description of the material flow sequence of the Company's hydrometallurgical zinc plant and copper smelter. In this ore processing complex, the zinc plant and copper smelter form an integrated unit within which intermediate zincrich products of each operation enter the treatment circuit of the other."

Jan 1, 1960

By K. Pirapakaran

The Geotechnical Engineering research group at James Cook University has been working closely with all the leading mines in Australia in the area of minefills. They have carried out substantial research and consulting work on the drainage and stress developments within hydraulic fills. The objective of this paper is to summarize their work during the past five years on hydraulic fills. The paper will serve as a one-stop reference, pointing to relevant literature including the authors? own publications, on various issues covering drainage and stress developments within hydraulic fills. More than 15 different hydraulic fills, representing five major mines in Australia, were studied. Their grain size distributions and placement characteristics including permeability, porosity and dry density were studied and comparisons were made with the limited in situ data available in the literature. Stress development within hydraulic fills has been studied to minimize the risk associated with barricades failure. FLAC and FLAC3D were used to model stress developments within the hydraulic fills and were compared against the approximate closed form solutions available in the literature. A laboratory model was developed to study arching effects within the hydraulic fills.

May 1, 2007

By S. K. Shaha, W. Kasprzak, D. L. Chen, J. Friedman, F. Czerwinski

The role of solutionizing conditions within the T6 heat treatment of the cast Al-Si-Cu-Mg alloy with micro-additions of Zr-Ti-V was assessed in terms of their influence on microstructure and mechanical properties. As a solution treatment, a single step process at 485 and 510oC and a two-step process at 510 and 525oC for varying time intervals from 0.5 to 9 h, were examined. In all cases, solution treatment was followed by isothermal aging at 150oC for 100 h. The microstructural analysis showed that the solution treatment changed the eutectic silicon morphology from needle-like, present after casting, to spherical shape in the T6 state and that the extent of changes was strongly influenced by temperature and time. The Cu- and Mg-rich phases completely dissolved during solution treatment while the Fe-containing phase, Al8Si6Mg3Fe, remained partially in the microstructure. The Ti, V and Zr containing phases, Al13Si2Ti3Zr and Al3Si26FeTiV10, present in as-cast state, were partially dissolved during solution treatment, reducing their size by 10 - 48%. The studied alloy reached the maximum ultimate tensile strength of 335 MPa and yield stress of 303 MPa for two-step solutionizing with a total time of 4.5 h. It is concluded that the two-step solution treatment resulted in higher tensile properties than the single-step process.

Jan 1, 2015

By John R. Craynon

Science and Sustainable Development Each of the ?pillars? of sustainable development are directly impacted by mining. We need science to understand exactly how mining contributes to each. Overview of presentation ? History of mining and sustainable development ? Role of stakeholders in measuring/accepting contributions of mining to SD ? Identified ?shortfalls? in understanding mining and SD ? Science needs

Aug 1, 2013

By D. G. Klaren, E. F. de Boer

Self-cleaning fluidized bed heat exchangers have demonstrated unparalleled performance internationally for the implementation of indirect heat transfer in severely fouling fluid environments. The ingenious configuration of recirculated cleaning particles through the tubes of vertical shell and tube heat exchangers provides the ability to solve any problems that arise as a consequence of tube-side fouling during indirect heat transfer to process fluids or slurries. In most cases, the cleaning particles consist of chopped metal wire, however other process-specific materials have been used. In addition to the mitigation of fouling effects, a number of other significant benefits for slurry heating are afforded by the mode of operation of the self-cleaning fluidized bed heat exchangers. Increased turbulence at the slurry/tube interface is imparted by the action of the fluidised particles, resulting in very high heat transfers at relatively low liquid velocities. Furthermore, given the thixotropic nature of most process slurries, the action of the fluidised particles imparts additional shear to the process slurry, resulting in shear thinning effects with a consequent reduction in pressure drop and enhancement of heat transfer across the heat exchanger. The benefits provided by the self-cleaning fluidized bed heat exchanger make it the ideal option for the indirect heating of laterite nickel slurry for High-Pressure-Acid-Leach (HPAL) plants. This article explains the principle and application of the self-cleaning fluidized bed heat exchanger technology for the processing of laterite nickel and cobalt slurries in HPAL plants. It also presents an elegant method to revamp existing direct heated laterite nickel and cobalt processing plants into an indirect heated configuration employing self-cleaning fluidized bed heat exchangers.

Jan 1, 2004

By Louise Corriveau, Bronwyn Azar, Valerie A. Jackson, Luke Ootes, Jeff Harris

We use the results of new bedrock mapping, combined with geochemical point data and airborne radiometric data (in particular equivalent uranium concentrations) to help determine which geological units in the Paleoproterozoic Great Bear magmatic zone (GBmz) contain elevated uranium. The data collectively indicate that the highest primary uranium concentrations are in equigranular granites and subvolcanic/volcanic porphyries. Notably, these rocks host the majority of known uranium-bearing deposits and/or prospects in the GBmz. We speculate that the uranium in these deposits/prospects was derived from nearby, uranium-enriched rocks and was mobilized by much younger, circulating hydrothermal fluids. Sedimentary rocks of the Thelon and Dismal Lakes groups unconformably overlie the GBmz and are known to host unconformity-type and sandstone-hosted uranium prospects. Most likely, the uraniumenriched rocks of the GBmz acted as a uranium donor to these overlying sedimentary basins. The method of investigation employed in this study may be applicable to other ‘granitic’ terrains in order to identify regions with favourable rocks for uranium exploration.

Jan 1, 2013

By S. Espley, T. Nyabeze, D. Beneteau

"Many mentorship programs are available to Canadian mining industry employees. Some are company-led initiatives, whereas others are provided through educational institutions or nonprofit organizations. In 2016, a national survey was launched to gain insight into perceptions of what mentorship is, learn about available programs, and collate experiences with formal and informal mentorship opportunities. This paper outlines survey findings and delivers recommendations to industry for consideration in employee mentorship programs. In addition, mining industry leaders share their mentor/mentee perspectives. The intent of this paper is to bring awareness of best practices that can help employees grow and develop in their profession.RÉSUMÉ Les employés de l’industrie minière canadienne ont accès à de nombreux programmes d’encadrement. Certains sont des initiatives menées par les sociétés, d’autres sont proposées par le biais d’établissements d’enseignement ou d’organismes à but non lucratif. En 2016, une enquête à l’échelle nationale a été lancée en vue d’obtenir des informations quant à la perception de ce qu’est réellement l’encadrement, de découvrir les programmes proposés et de comparer les expériences aux possibilités d’encadrement, officielles ou non. Cet article présente les résultats de cette enquête et fournit des recommandations à l’intention de l’industrie afin qu’elle les prenne en compte dans ses programmes d’encadrement des employés. En outre, des chefs de file de l’industrie minière partagent leurs points de vue conseillers/protégés. L’intention de cet article est de sensibiliser les employés aux meilleures pratiques, ce qui les aidera à évoluer et à se développer dans leur profession. INTRODUCTIONThis paper about mentorship in the mining industry is based on voluntary responses to a cold survey, written and circulated by the authors. In 2016, a link to an online mentorship survey was circulated to males and females in the mining industry with the belief that mentorship programs should be available to everyone. The link was delivered via the authors’ personal networks in mining, the CIM Reporter, Women in Mining (WIM) email blasts, LinkedIn, and Facebook. This paper summarizes the answers to the survey questions. The paper is a follow up to one by the same authors (Nyabeze, Espley, & Beneteau, 2010), which was written to gain insight into why women join and stay in the mining industry, and to learn why the overall representation of women is low."

Jan 1, 2018

By Gordon W. Hines

This paper, dealing with network planning in an industrial complex, discusses the type and size of project that can be handled on a manual basis. After a review of the fundamentals of network planning, and specifically of the Critical Path Method, the author analyses several different types of projects, each with its own characteristics. Some can be handled in conjunction with a computer, but others can be dealt with equally well without one. Among the projects discussed are a blast furnace reline, the installation of a billet mill flying shear, and routine maintenance-type operations.

Jan 1, 1967

By V. Lakshmanan, Dan Mackie, J. Melnbardis

"Crystalline Flake Graphite is a strategic mineral. Since 1954 nearly all North American consumption has been imported from offshore. The Bouthillier Project in Quebec, Canada, is Orrwell Energy's bid to enter the market, with plans to begin production of a 500 TPD operation in 1984.Milling of flake graphite is considered easy, yet more problems have been encountered in flowsheet and plant design than in most other minerals. A fresh approach to existing technology was taken, giving results that are highly satisfactory. The key to graphite liberation without flake deterioration is found to be in autogeneous grinding. In addition to producing marketable coarse graphite by such autogeneous grinding, flotation and tabling, super purity fines can be produced using repeated regrinding, elutriation and flotation. This paper discusses the design of a 500 TPD plant based upon the results obtained from bench and pilot plant studies. INTROOUCTIONWhen the Black Oonald mine at Calabogie Ontario ceased production in 1954 nearly all North American crystalline flake graphite had to be imported from offshore. Orebodies in the United States were too small or too low in grade to be exploited economically.The Houthillier Township near Mont Laurier in Quebec (Figure 1) was a known graphite-bearing area The Orrwell property in that area was delineated in 1957 Some test work including minor footage of diamond drilling was carried out by Italia Copper and the MHM Syndicate prior to 1981 when Orrwell acquired the property"

Jan 1, 1984

By Marcel Vallée

Frequently, costs overruns and defaults in mining project performance result in serious problems and headaches for all project participants and impact on corporate objectives, profits and image and, occasionally, lead to project failure. As mining professional s, we should be very concerned that, in a recent World Bank paper (Weber-Fahr, 2001), geological and technical risks were considered the most important ones facing mining projects. Whenever we manage to reduce or minimize these risks, we are in better position to overcome the environment-, market-, finance- and community-related ones. The causes of this situation seem rather systemic, as a fairly long list of industry problems with new pro jects has been described in industry papers in pas t and recent years. A brief review of industry problems with mining projects will be given first, followed by a review of the basics of the current Quality Management and Continuous Improvement perspectives that have evolved from earlier quality control and quality assurance systems and policies. Particular particular attention will be given to the work of W. E. Deming. As the system approach is an essential part of such policies, it will be described succinctly. Given that poor communications and interactions among geologists, mineral processors and mining engineers/operators ca n seriously affect project efficiency and profitability, these interrelated processes with in the mining systems will be analyzed and modelled and the impacts of such situations will be described through a number of anonymous case histories and examples. A synthesis of Dr Deming's management system, includ ing his Four teen P oints and System of Profound Knowledge, will be prese nted .

May 1, 2002

By C. Jay Hodgson

Hydrothermal systems form on land where and when an impermeable cap-rock unit ( either natural or self-sealed) , a permeable aquifer. and permeable discharge and recharge channels (cross-stratal permeability) develop in an anomalously hot part of the crust. A consideration of the relationship between magmatic and tectonic events in volcanically active areas indicates these conditions arise during: (1) the resurgent doming stage of the resurgent caldera cycle; (2) following movement on the bounding faults of tilted fault blocks ; and (3) as a result of hydrothermal boring associated with the intrusion of major sills. On the assumption that the submarine hydrothermal systems which deposit volcanogenic massive sulphide ores are comparable to subaerial hydrothermal systems, it is suggested that: (1) the horizon of mineralization corresponds to the time period when conditions favour the development of hydrothermal systems, as outlined above; (2) exploration for Cu-rich Cu-Zn-Pb or Cu-Zn ores should be directed to paletopographically high areas near discharge conduits , whereas exploration for Cu-poor ZnPb ores should concentrate on paleotopographically low areas down slope from conduits; (3) deposits with stringer zones lying above normally permeable units may be underlain by regionally extensive weakly mineralized and altered zones (self-seal caps) ; (4.) in the absence of a self -sealed cap, the ore horizon may be underlain by a naturally impermeable unit (e .g. a fine clastic sediment) ; (5) the condition of cross-stratal permeability may be evidenced by features such as dykes. alignment of vari ous magmatic and hydrothermal phenomena, abrupt thickness changes in stratiform units indicative of ponding against syn-volcanic faults, and fault-scarp slump deposits; (6) the condition of high heat flow may be evidenced by near-surface magmatism and steep thermal gradients preserved in metamorphic mineral assemblages.

Jan 1, 1977

By Frederick W. Breaks, Andrew G. Tindle, Julie B. Selway

"Abstract - Rare-element pegmatites may host several economic commodities, such as tantalum (Taoxide minerals), tin (cassiterite), lithium (ceramic-grade spodumene and petalite), and cesium (pollucite). Key geological features that are common to pegmatites in the Superior province of Ontario and Manitoba, Canada, and in other large tantalum deposits worldwide, can be used in exploration.An exploration project for rare-element pegmatites should begin with an examination of a regional geology map. Rare-element pegmatites occur along large regional-scale faults in greenschist and amphibolite facies metamorphic terranes. They are typically hosted by mafic metavolcanic or metasedimentary rocks, and are located near peraluminous granite plutons (A/CNK > 1.0). Once a peraluminous granite pluton has been identified, then the next step is to determine if the pluton is barren or fertile. Fertile granites have elevated rare element contents, Mg/Li ratio < 10, and Nb/Ta ratio < 8. They commonly contain blocky K-feldspar and green muscovite. Key fractionation indicators can be plotted on a map of the fertile granite pluton to determine the fractionation direction: presence of tourmaline, beryl, and ferrocolumbite; Mn content in garnet; Rb content in bulk K-feldspar; and Mg/Li and Nb/Ta ratios in bulk granite samples. Pegmatite dikes with the most economic potential for Li-Cs-Ta deposits occur the greatest distance (up to 10 km) from the parent granite.Metasomatized host rocks are an indication of a nearby rare-element pegmatite. Metasomatic aureoles can be identified by their geochemistry: elevated Li, Rb, Cs, B, and F contents; and by their mineralogy: presence of tourmaline, (Rb, Cs)-enriched biotite, holmquistite, muscovite, and rarely garnet.Once a pegmatite dike has been located, the next step is to assess its potential to contain Ta mineralization. Pegmatites with the highest degree of fractionation (and thus the most economic potential for Li-Cs-Ta) contain blocky K-feldspar with >3,000 ppm Rb, K/Rb < 30, and >100 ppm Cs; and coarsegrained green muscovite with >2,000 ppm Li, >10,000 ppm Rb, >500 ppm Cs, and >65 ppm Ta. Pegmatites with Ta mineralization usually contain Li-rich minerals (e.g., spodumene, petalite, lepidolite, elbaite, amblygonite, and lithiophilite) and may contain Cs-rich minerals (e.g., pollucite, Cs-rich beryl). The ore minerals of Ta are commonly manganotantalite, manganocolumbite, wodginite, and microlite; Ta-rich cassiterite is also commonly present. Tantalum mineralization tends to occur in albitic aplite, mica-rich (lepidolite, cleavelandite ± lepidolite), and spodumene/petalite pegmatite zones."

Jan 1, 2005

By F. Vasilikou

Commercial deployment of Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS) requires field testing of a scale that can stress the geologic reservoirs. One such reservoir of interest consists of unminable coal seams that exhibit favorable characteristics and depositional environments and lower pressure and temperature than other, deeper, reservoirs. Such conditions can reduce compression costs while utilizing the action of adsorption that offers a more effective carbon dioxide (CO2) bonding than free storage or solution. To ensure the success of such tests, a number of parameters should be accurately determined, such as the seam geometry and stratigraphy, coal porosity and permeability parameters as well as optimum injection conditions. In essence the CO2 injection model should be calibrated for the reservoir characteristics using all available data. History matching calibrations are based on gas and water production from existing wells prior to injection. This paper will present reservoir models that were developed for a pilot--scale 907 tonnes (1000 tons) CO2 injection test that was performed in 2009 through one legacy coalbed methane production well in Russell County, Virginia, USA. The model incorporates a number of individual coal seams about 0.3 m (1ft) in thickness located at depths ranging from 300 to 700 m (1,000 to 2,200 feet). Model calibration was performed through history matching to prior production data, and subsequently the model was utilized to develop different injection scenarios. The developed model was used after injection to calculate CO2 plume distribution patterns that were monitored at the injection test. The paper will present model data and assumptions with a special emphasis on the effect of hydraulic fractures and the skin factor to the coalbed methane (CBM) production model.

Aug 1, 2013

By R. H. Chambers, L. Alderman

"The paper is introduced by an examination of the factors which have led to the present world-wide interest in charging preheated coal to coke ovens. Various possible methods of preheating and charging the coal are considered and reasons are given for the adoption of the methods chosen. The design of the pilot preheating plant for the British Coke Research Association is discussed and its influence on the design of the commercial units for the South African Iron and Steel Corporation's plant at Pretoria and the British Steel Corporation's plant at Beighton are explained. Operating procedures on the pilot plant are described, particularly with regard to the charging of the preheated coal. Design features of the commercial installations, engineered by Simon-Carves Ltd., are explained with emphasis on the built-in safety of the control system of the preheating plant, and the particular problems associated with the erection of such plants on working coke oven batteries. Commissioning and operating procedures are described and the problems associated with the integration of the preheating plant into the normal pushing schedule of the plant are discussed. Preliminary operating results with regard to the effect of preheating on coal throughput on the commercial plants and on the properties of the coke produced are given."

Jan 1, 1972

By D. A. Ainsworth

"The first known use of activated carbon dates back to the Ancient Egyptians who utilized its adsorbent properties for purifying oils and medicinal purposes. Centuries later, the early ocean going vessels stored drinking water in wooden barrels, the inside of which had been charred. (However, by modern definition the carbon used in these applications could not truly be described as activated.) By the early 19th century, both wood and bone charcoal was in large scale use for the decolorization and purification of cane sugar.However, it was not until the beginning of the First World War that the potential of activated carbon was really capitalized upon. The advent of gas warfare necessitated the development of suitable respiratory devices for personnel protection. Granular activated carbon was used to this end as, indeed, it still is today.By the late 1930's there was considerable industrial scale use of carbon for both gaseous and liquid phase application and new manufacturing processes had been developed to satisfy the needs of industry. During the 1939-1945 war, a further significant development took place - the production of more sophisticated chemically impregnated carbon for the removal of both war and nerve gases."

Jan 1, 1984