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By Jean Habimana

Complex and distinct geological units spread along the 7-mile long 30-ft inside diameter Upper Rouge Tunnel CSO Control Project in Detroit, Michigan. Its construction is divided in two tunnel construction packages: The South Tunnel, to be driven in finely laminated weak TG Limy Shale, will be excavated by a shielded TBM with precast concrete segmental lining, while the North tunnel, predominantly in a relatively more competent geologic formation Antrim Shale, will be excavated by a main beam TBM with a two-pass lining system. The adits and deaeration chambers will be excavated by sequential excavation method. This paper addresses the process of selecting excavation methods and lining systems for shafts, tunnels, connecting adits, and deaeration chambers.

By V. V. Lvov, L. S. Chitalov

"The purpose of the research is intensification of physico-mechanical ore properties determination for ball grinding processes in comminution circuits. The research presents comparative studies aimed at intensification of Bond Ball Mill Work Index (BWi) determination, such as testing technique of Ahmadi and Shahsavari, Berry and Bruse, Gharehgheshlagh, Horst and Bassarear, Kapur, Magdalinovich. The subject of the research is a test procedure of apatite-nepheline, copper-nickel, gold-sulfide and iron ores for the Bond ball mill index. The Bond Ball Mill Work Index for the material firstly was determined by standard Bond test methodology. Two the most promising testing techniques - Ahmadi and Kapur testing techniques - were modified. For the Ahmadi technique it was proposed to pay attention to the circulating load, which should be stabilized on the value of 250% as fast as possible. Two methods were put forward to quicker stabilize the circulating load. For the Kapur technique it was proposed to use empirical coefficients, which is determined especially for the apatite-nepheline, copper-nickel, gold-sulfide and ores. The modified Ahmadi and Kapur techniques require no more than two cycles of ball grinding to determine BWi (while normally 6-8 cycles are required) and less than 5 kg of initial feed. The suggested modified Ahmadi and Kapur techniques allow to intensify the physico-mechanical ore properties determination for ball grinding processes and BWi test costs considerably, which makes them useful for mass sampling and monitoring strength properties of ores entering a concentrating mill. INTRODUCTION When designing concentrating mills, the choice of the technological scheme for ore pretreatment, particularly the type, quantity and size of the main process environment, the determination of optimal grinding conditions and the calculation of equipment load are carried out by preliminary studies of grinding in semi-industrial or laboratory-scale plants. Semi-industrial tests on full-scale plants provide the most reliable information for calculating specific loads for equipment. However, this requires a significant amount of ore samples, a high labor costs and the pilot plants. Thence the most researchers performed grinding tests with small laboratory equipment using small ore samples."

Jan 1, 2018

By A N. Kasnanto, D A. Sims, J Pocoe, B Pulungan

In this case study we compare the sampling quality of diamond drilling (DD) and reverse circulation (RC) drilling at the high sulfidation Purnama gold–silver (Au-Ag) deposit located in northern Sumatra, Indonesia.There was a systematic bias of 23 per cent gold metal under-call in the diamond drilling based Ore Reserve estimate compared to the mill reconciliation over three years of production. The RC based Grade Control data and mill production data were in much closer accord. Investigation led to quantification of the significantly reduced sampling imprecision (or improved precision) of RC drilling samples relative to diamond drilling samples and the determination of a grade bias between the drill types caused by sample volume and metal distribution in the mineralisation. An infill RC drilling program was undertaken to improve data density across the pit for inclusion in the Mineral Resource estimate. This subsequently increased Au metal in the estimate by 16 per cent.The sampling imprecision of primary diamond drill sampling is rarely tested. Duplicate sampling can be used to quantify sampling imprecision at each stage of subsampling. In diamond drilling it is tested at the primary sampling stage via second half core sampling, while RC sampling is tested with field duplicate sampling at the rig. Duplicate data can be compared in a number of ways to determine imprecision including Thompson-Howarth plots which quantify imprecision to allow comparison between different methods and protocols. Comparing sampling imprecision between data sets and data types allows determination of optimum drilling and sampling protocols and can reflect upon the underlying validity of Mineral Resource input data and estimation outputs.CITATION:Sims, D A, Pocoe, J, Kasnanto, A N and Pulungan, B, 2017. Why combine reverse circulation and diamond drilling in Mineral Resource estimation at Purnama?, in Proceedings Tenth International Mining Geology Conference 2017, pp 413–422 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Sep 20, 2017

"Pilot plants for pressure hydrometallurgy represent special design and project execution challenges. Over the past twenty years, Zeton has designed and fabricated a variety of world-class pressure hydrometallurgical pilot-plant facilities, and this paper discusses design considerations and strategies related to such projects. Project execution methods are also discussed, and guidance is given for the selection of materials of construction and for the selection of appropriate pressure and temperature design points for pressure hydrometallurgical pilot equipment. The paper concludes with a discussion of the need for process similarity with future commercial operations and the realities of pilot-scale equipment.INTRODUCTIONThe process technology developer or owner and the designer/fabricator of a new pilot-plant facility are faced with some difficult technical choices even after the decision to build a dedicated plant has been taken. A pilot-plant project is usually on the critical path of a large commercial project involving investments many multiples greater than the capital cost of the pilot plant. Schedule savings in the design, manufacture, and commissioning of the pilot plant or in a rapid completion of the experimental program can be disproportionately beneficial to the overall development project. However, inappropriate shortcuts resulting in major oversights can be disproportionately problematic.A number of considerations and suggestions for both the project execution approach and the process engineering design of pressure hydrometallurgical pilot-plant facilities are presented as a guide for potential owners and operators of new pilot-plant equipment and facilities."

Jan 1, 2012

By F. Calizaya

The Western Mining Training and Translation Center is a consortium of four universities devoted to developing educational and training projects to reduce the incidence/accident rates in the mining industry. The center consists of Missouri University of Science and Technology, Montana Tech, the Colorado School of Mines and the University of Utah. It is fully funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The center manages 15 educational projects and one translation project. Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (HIRA) for Small Mines is an educational project managed by the University of Utah. The objectives of this project are to identify critical mine hazards, assess risks; outline procedures to reduce accident/incident rates in small mines in the western United States and to train mine workers and super-visors on HIRA in each participating mine. To accomplish these objectives, the HIRA personnel visited 15 small mines in Utah, Colorado, Nevada and California. At these mines, most operators were employing independent contractors to perform several tasks ranging from drilling, blasting and mucking of rock at the work site to hauling ore to a processing plant. The operation of diesel-powered equipment was one of the major tasks performed by the contractors. This article presents three case studies in which contract workers performed a number of tasks with no reportable incidents but did so unsafely. It also highlights the training received by most contractors, the constraints imposed upon them and the safety hazards to which they are exposed most frequently.

Jan 1, 2008

By Cathy Aimone-Martin, Brent Meins

A comprehensive instrumentation program was implemented at the Howland Hook Marine Terminal on Staten Island, NY during proximate underwater rock blasting in 2014. Forty-two blasts took place over a 4-week period to deepen the 1200-ft (366 m) Berth 3 from -45 ft (-14 m) to -50 ft (-15 m) MLW to accommodate Post-Panamax vessels. Approximately 86,000 yd3 (65,752 m3) were blasted 120 to 9 ft (37 to 2.7 m) from the wharf to a total depth of -57 ft (-17.4 m). Pre-blast planning included developing and implementing a comprehensive monitoring plan and setting vibration and strain limits to protect the wharf. The plan outlined methods to measure vibrations on five corners of four concrete deck sections, on five concrete-filled pipe piles just below the pile cap near deck corners, and in bedrock adjacent to pile sockets. Water overpressures were measured near instrumented piles for 19 blasts closest to the wharf. A total of 19 geophones were secured to the wharf structure and buried 12 ft (3.7 m) in drilled holes.

Jan 1, 2016

By Gupta R. C

Syria has about 500 million ton deposit of minerals having 34 per cent iron content with alumina and silica as major impurities. Efforts were made to see the feasibility of concentration by four different methods involving washing, high intensity magnetic separation, reduction roasting and magnetic separation and acid leaching technique. It was observed that the reduction roasting with magnetic separation yields a concentrate with high iron (62.3 per cent) content without requiring water which is a scarce raw material in the region. The paper concludes that the detailed study may be made following this route to optimise the process Parameters.

Jan 1, 1999

By N. J. Sather

The history of the Bunker Hill mine dates back to August 26, 1885, when Noah S. Kellogg found the outcrop of the Bunker Hill orebody on the hillside of Milo Gulch above the present town of Wardner, Idaho. A small concentrator was erected in 1886, and before the railroad came, the mine output was transported by mule teams to the head of navigation on Coeur d'Alene Lake. After ten years of production, an interest was purchased in the Tacoma smelter at Tacoma, Wash., to which the entire output was shipped. In 1916 and 1917, a modern lead smelting plant and refinery was erected, and a modern electrolytic zinc reduction plant was built in 1927-1928 by the Sullivan Mining Co. which was 50 pct owned (and now totally owned) by the Bunker Hill Co.

Jan 6, 1961

By D. L. H. Bulbring

The removal of a cylindrical core from thick-wall sections for creep analysis by the relatively new Weldcore® process represents a very exciting methodology for obtaining more representative creep damage data from large engineering structures. The cylindrical core that is removed, representing about 60% of the wall thickness, leaves a substantial removal site that needs to be repaired. This paper presents data pertaining to taper Friction Hydro Pillar Processing as an alternative repair technique for filling the core removal site. Process parameters were evaluated with special attention being paid to the effect of downward force on process response variables, weld defects, and mechanical properties of 10CrMo910 steel. Process temperature and torque response as well as total process energy input were also considered. This paper also assesses the static and dynamic performance of this repair technique. The influence of a varying downward force and the occurrence and position of discontinuities were quantified. Downward force was shown to have the most notable effect on weld joint dynamic performance and was found to be related to the process temperatures achieved in close proximity to the weld interface.

Jan 1, 2013

By Yi Luo

In the study of the topographical effects on surface movement due to underground longwall mining, the factors that affect the incremental horizontal displacements are identified using 10 collected cases. Based on this study, the angle of surface natural slope is the major contributor to the incremental horizontal displacement while the total movement is also playing an important role in some cases.

Jan 1, 1996

Observed mineral assemblages in the Mt. Lyell copper deposit can be correlated with phase equilibrium investigations in the systems Cu-Fe-S and Fe-Zn-S. The trend of crystallization (or paragenetic sequence) of the ores is reflected in a progressive increase in the Cu: Fe and metal: sulphur ratios of the assemblages. This trend agrees with the regional zoning of the district. Tentative relationships between the paragenetic sequence, sulphur vapour pressure, and temperature are presented graphically. The absence of a suitable geological thermometer prevents precise elucidation of the range of temperatures and pressures which existed during crystallization.INTRODUCTIONRecent phase equilibrium investigations of metal-sulphur systems at the Geophysical Laboratory, Washington, D.C. provide valuable information on the stability relations of a number of important sulphide minerals. This data, when applied to natural ore deposits, may be expected to clarify two special problems which confront the ore petrologist seeking to interpret observed data in terms of a particular physical and chemical environment of ore deposition. These two problems are the sequence of formation of sulphide minerals (commonly designated the paragenetic sequence) and an elucidation of the range of temperatures and pressures which existed during crystallization. The object of this paper is to make such an interpretation of the copper mineralization of the Mt. Lyell district, Queenstown, Tasmania.The following abbreviations are used in this paper:py = pyrite, cp = chalcopyrite, en = cubanite, bn = bornite,cc = chalcocite, cv = covellite, dg = digenite, id = idaite,po = pyrrhotite, v = sulphur vapour.GEOLOGICAL SETTING AND MINERALIZATIONThe general geology of the Mt. Lyell district is well known through the recent work of Wade and Solomon (1958). The host rocks are a series of quartz-chlorite-seri-...

Jan 1, 1963

Early strategic mine planning includes decisions over the organisation of work and workforce accommodation. These decisions involve significant commitments that affect not only employee quality of life but also the impacts and relationships with existing local communities. Strategies for workforce accommodation are characteristically community-based (either as purpose-built company towns or integrated within existing local communities) or commuter (fly-in, fly-out) mine camps. The quality of accommodation underpins the fulfilment, morale and motivation of employees. This is not only relevant to productivity and safety, but also to recruitment and retention, particularly with the current onset of a significant human resources crisis. In the event that communities exist in proximity to a proposed mine then the accommodation strategy selected can influence the value-adding potential for the sustainable development of such communities. This early planning is particularly challenging where mine locations are isolated and/or face significant economic, social and political adversity. This paper draws upon a case study review of five large mining projects implemented in three South American countries, selected to cover a range of scenarios and accommodation strategies. The review aims to advance our understanding of the complexity of the underlying planning issues. Each scenario considered the prevailing environmental, social, economic and political situation, together with the adopted accommodation strategy. The case study review aimed to identify lessons learned and to make recommendations for advancing mineworkersÆ accommodation planning practice.

Jan 1, 2006

By M Stevens, M P. Simpson, J L. Mauk

The Karangahake deposit was the second largest producer of gold-silver bullion in the Hauraki Goldfield, New Zealand. New mapping of a 2 + 3 km (6 km2) area demonstrates that hydrothermal alteration surrounds productive veins. Wallrocks proximal to veins are intensely altered and alteration decreases toward the margin of the system.   At Karangahake, distinct zonation of adularia, calcite, epidote, illite and illite-smectite surrounds gold-bearing lodes with unaltered rocks containing magnetite and plagioclase occurring on the margins. Adularia, illite, illite-smectite, and calcite zonation defines hydrothermal alteration extending 2 km to the east of productive lodes. Epidote and adularia zonation occurs proximal to veins. The adularia zone compares well to potassium/thorium studies conducted in the area. Illite zonation is well developed to the east of the veins grading into interstratified illite-smectite containing 5 to 40 per cent smectite 1.5 km from the Maria Lode. Calcite is restricted to the east of the study area occurring in 18 per cent off surface samples. Less altered rocks containing plagioclase and magnetite occur distal to veins. The magnetite occurrence compares well to aeromagnetic studies conducted in the area.   Adularia and coexisting adularia and albite indicate the host rocks were highly permeable. Epidote, illite, illite-smectite and previous fluid inclusion evidence implies temperatures graded from >240¦C in the core of the system to approximately 150¦C on the periphery. The alteration association of quartz, adularia, calcite, pyrite, chlorite, illite and illite-smectite reflects a near-neutral to weakly alkaline water. Calcite occurrence and the absence of zeolite imply the fluid contained significant dissolved CO2.

Jan 1, 2005

By William R. Yernberg

In October 1999, Liebherr-America, Liebherr Construction and Liebherr Mining Equipment held anopen house at its Newport News, VA, plant. The open house was held to celebrate the company’s50th anniversary and to demonstrate the new TI 272mining truck. Attending the open house members of the media, vendors and company representatives from all over the world. In his introductory comments, company president Peter Eller announced Liebherr’s dedication to expanding its presence in North America. Liebherr now has 30 dealers across the United States. As part of the open house, a brief history of Liebherr was presented, beginning with its creation in1949. Liebherr engineering and sales representatives were available to answer questions.

Jan 1, 2000

By Verne E. Hooker

Stress-relief techniques and instrumentation have been developed through many years of research in the Federal Bureau of Mines and successfully used to determine the in situ state of stress in rock. This paper describes the drilling equipment and accessories for use with the Federal Bureau of Mines three-component deformation borehole gage. Operation and calibration procedures for the deformation gage are discussed in detail. Site selection and overcoring procedures are included to provide a complete working knowledge for surface or underground applications.

Jan 1, 1974

By L. F. Elkins

In 1946 Littlefield, Gray and Godbold published a thorough geologic description of the West Edmond Hunton Lime reservoir, located in Central Oklahoma, and discussion of its early performance.l They stressed implications of the nature of the reservoir rock on performance to be expected with production both by natural means and by pressure maintenance with gas injection. The essence of their analysis was that presence of an extensive interconnected system of fractures and solution channels constituting about 10 percent of the total reservoir void space in otherwise very low permeability reservoir rock would result in severe channeling of naturally encroaching water or injected gas through the fractures with little or no benefit to ultimate recovery of oil. Considerations were in progress to unitize the reservoir for pressure maintenance by gas injection. Some other engineers involved in the project had considerably different opinions at the time regarding continuity of fractures and regarding effects of such fractures on performance. The field was unitized Oct. 1, 1947. Subsequently, pilot gas injection tests were conducted in four areas of the field; large scale waterflooding was conducted in two parts of the field in the Bois d'Arc or Upper Hunton; and pilot waterflooding was conducted in the Chimney Hill or Lower Hunton. Full scale water-flooding is now in progress in the Chimney Hill section where it is oil productive. The primary purpose of this paper is to divine some of the secrets of this reservoir through analysis of all aspects of its performance, with the hope that it will be of help to engineers and operators in developing and operating other low permeability fractured reservoirs. In part, this considers variance of actual performance from some widely used conventional reservoir engineering assumptions. For brevity, other aspects of unit operation and its benefits to the owners are not discussed. Oil and Gas in Place For unit participation, net pay in the Bois #Arc defined by the gross SP anomaly on electric logs totalled 2,100,000 acre-ft in the 30,000-acre reservoir. Development of West Edmond predated modem logging techniques that now would be used to determine "net" or "productive" pay. In Fig. 1 this log pick is compared with detailed core analysis and core descripfion by Littlefield et a1.l for one well identified as A on the index map in Fig. 2. Not all of the gross Bois #Arc section had oil staining, but all cores with measureable intergranular permeability were stained. (The committee selection of the Bois d'Arc SP interval also includes the Frisco section as identified from cores by Littlefield.) The Bois d'Arc is oil productive throughout the entire 600-ft monoclinal accumulation from the eastern upstructure erosional pinchout to the west-side oil-water contact. (See Littlefield et al.l and McGee and Jenkins for geologic detail.)

Jan 1, 1970

By J. J. Bouillon

"Located in the northwestern portion of the Abitibi greenstone belt, Les Mines Selbaie is a copper-zinc (silver and gold) producer. Felsic tuffs host three are zones. Composed of sulphide veins and breccias, they are not exhalative massive sulphide deposits, except, probably, for the massive pyrite (fragments and lenses) localized close to the top of the volcanic sequence.The total of all (mineable and mined) ore in the three zones presently outlined on the property, is of the order of 29.9 x 106 tonnes with average grade of 0.63 g/t Au, 37.02 g/t Ag, 1.21% Cu, 1.91% Zn.The ore reserve calculations and the daily production procedures are computerized to various degrees. The data handling process is highly computerized.Various geophysical methods are, and have in the past, been successfully used on the property. The ""mise-à-la-masse"" surveys were used to perform the geological interpretation of an underground deposit (A-2 zone). Presently the PULSE-EM surveys are performed in all surface and underground exploration drill holes."

Jan 1, 1990

By AIME AIME

THE 130th Meeting of the Institute was held in Birmingham on Oct. 13 to 15, with visits to other mines and districts before and after. The last visit of the Institute to Birmingham was made in 1888, thirty-six years ago, and vast development has been made in' the district since then. With proverbial southern hospitality compounding over this period of years the welcome given to the Institute was such that .it is difficult to express properly the gratification and appreciation of the visiting members and the officers of the Institute. The Birmingham News in an editorial said: Birmingham is duly appreciative of the presence of these gentlemen, not because they are all distinguished in their great services in the mining and metallurgical world, but for the further reason that our interests are very largely wrapped up in their deliberations. Birmingham is one of the great industrial centers of America. Their discussions are of vital concern to all of us.

Jan 1, 1924

By F. K. McKean

Abstract A discussion of the difficulties involved in the production of a clean molybdenite concentrate introduces the paper. There is a brief description of the various methods for producing molybdenite that will fit marketing specifications, and it is shown how these methods are nor suited to the milling of ores containing small quantities of bismuth and copper. A process that was developed in the ore testing laboratories of the Bureau of Mines at Ottawa for the La Corne mill of the Molybdenite Corporation of Canada is described in derail and some results from pilot plant operation of this milling scheme are tabulated. A description of the La Corne mill, where the writer supervised the introduction of the process on a commercial scale, adds to the interest of the paper. In conclusion, there is a review of the conditions necessary for proper operation of the flowsheet. An attempt is made to show how the process might be satisfactory in other problems similar to that at the La Corne mill. Introduction The production of a molybdenite concentrate, free from impurities and high in grade, has been a difficult task when milling some types of ore. Whereas ordinary flotation techniques will produce acceptable concentrates of the baser sulphides, in many cases they will not serve in the treatment of molybdenite, for this mineral must be of optimum grade and purity to bring the best prices, or to find a market at all . Faced with the necessity of meeting stringent specifications, the mill operator has been forced to employ expensive processing methods, and to be satisfied with low recoveries, in order to make grade with his product. The most objectionable and common impurities found with molybdenite are: (a) gangue minerals and iron sulphides, which lower the grade; and (b) copper, bismuth, or antimony, which are deleterious in the final uses of the molybdenite products. It is difficult, and sometimes impossible, to market a concentrate with over 0.5 per cent of any of the latter impurities, or with a grade much below 90 per cent MoS2. Various methods, which have been highly successful in specific applications, have been developed to meet the problem of producing a suitable concentrate. All of them, however, have certain defects precluding their use when treating ores of a nature different from the one for which they ? were designed. The writer has developed a process for molybdenite ores having an objectionable impurity content. A description of the procedure involved, and of the La Corne mill of the Molybdenite Corporation of Canada, where the process has been adopted, should be of interest to flotation operators.

Jan 1, 1947

By Arthur M. Langer

Since the promulgation of the first Federal Asbestos Standard by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in 1972, other federal agencies have modified the standard to better carry on their own unique missions. The instruments used to identify and measure asbestos, the sampling protocol, and the criteria used to define asbestos, have been modified to some degree. The Mine Safety and Health Administration regulates and controls asbestos dust in the mining and mineral commodity industries. However, crushed stone and processed ores contain mineral fragments that are frequently difficult to distinguish from asbestos. Mineral nomenclature, instruments for particle analysis, and sampling strategy must be accommodated to some degree to make asbestos control workable and meaningful. Precedent in other agencies has made consideration of these changes possible. Newly identified amphibole asbestos minerals have further complicated the agency?s regulatory charge. Changes in its Asbestos Standard are now being considered. Crushed taconite ore in the Eastern Mesabi highlights many of these issues. ©2008 Published by Elsevier Inc. Keywords: Amosite; Grunerite asbestos; Crocidolite; Riebeckite asbestos; Tremolite asbestos; Actinolite asbestos; Winchite asbestos; Richterite asbestos; Arfvedsonite asbestos; Fluor-edenite asbestos; Asbestos defects; Cleavage fragment; Mineral habit; Mesabi amphiboles

Jan 1, 2008