Search Documents

By N Donnellan

The Palaeoproterozoic Warramunga Formation is notable as the host to the enigmatic, so-called 'Tennant Creek style' mineralisation. These polymetallic (but mainly Au-Cu-Bi) ore deposits typically have a close spatial association with massive ironstone bodies, and frequently also with banded ironstone, known locally as 'haematite shale'. The Warramunga Formation is a polydeformed, turbiditic succession. Partial, or complete Bouma sequences variously comprising lithic arenite, wacke, siltstone, and mudstone constitute a classic flysch sequence deposited as a proximal (sandstone lithofacies) to distal (siltstone lithofacies) fan association. The Warramunga Formation has a substantial component of volcanic detritus and has generally been attributed to an essentially contemporaneous volcanic provenance. However, lithostratigraphic revision (Donnellan, Hussey and Morrison, in press) apparently precludes outcropping volcanic rocks of the Tennant Creek Block, or indeed Inlier, as the source of detritus. Warramunga Formation geochemistry indicates rapid derivation from a fractionated, predominately felsic igneous source (Palaeoproterozoic upper crust) with a minimum of chemical weathering; together with an admixture of mafic material. Warramunga Formation geochemistry cannot, however, be reconciled with that of the Bemborough Formation, which is here taken to be representative of Flynn Subgroup felsic volcanic rocks. Similarly, the Warramunga Formation is geochemically distinct from Flynn Subgroup sedimentary rocks. Geochemistry of the banded ironstone is consistent with its interpretation as Dine-grained turbidites.

Jan 1, 1994

By M Francoeur

Oct 12, 2022

By Johnston R. F

The factors which influence the reduction of chromite are investigated with special reference to Coobina chromite. This was compared with a South African chromite ore. The reduction characteristics are outlined and the reduction kinetics studied Temperature has the most significant effect, followed by particle size, silica addition and type of coal.Electron microprobe analysis of the products indicates that iron in the chromite is first reduced at temperatures above 1100°C, followed by chromium at around 1200°C. At temperatures greater than 1200°C metallic iron and chromium are formed simultaneously and subsequently give an iron-chromium-carbon alloy. It was observed that the metallic carbide contains a small amount of silicon. The decomposition of the chromite spinel was observed to pass through the FeO.Cr2O3, MgO.Cr2O3 and MgO.AI2O3 forms before slag formation. It is concluded that Coobina chromite is suitable for the production of ferrochrome if direct prereduction followed by intensive bath smelting is used.

Jan 1, 1994

By Cocks T

The 15-year long debate between the industry, Government and Aboriginal people about the rights and wrongs of Land Rights, the right of Aboriginal people to control development on their land and the relationship between the parties, has been long and often bitter. It has so far been a war of words and often the truth has been the first casualty. This paper looks at the debate and presents the perspective of Aboriginal people, as well as looking at how the industry and Aboriginal people can work together for everyone's benefit. It addresses such matters as: ò why Aboriginal people believe they have the right to control development on their land; ò the perception that Aboriginal people are anti-development; ò the perception that Aboriginal land is 'locked-up'; and ò how companies can negotiate with Aboriginal people.

Jan 1, 1994

By T Y. Ko, Y S. Kang, S J. Park, J H. Hwang

The lunar subsurface, particularly the lava tubes formed by ancient volcanic activity, presents a promising environment for establishing safe and sustainable human habitats on the Moon. Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs), widely used for excavating tunnels on Earth, offer a potential solution for developing these subsurface spaces. However, the unique lunar conditions, including extreme temperatures, high vacuum, radiation, and the extraordinary strength and abrasiveness of lunar rocks, necessitate significant adaptations to existing TBM technology. This study investigates the feasibility of utilising TBMs for lunar subsurface exploration and base construction, addressing the challenges posed by the harsh lunar environment. We review previous conceptual designs for lunar TBMs, highlighting their strengths and limitations in addressing these challenges. Additionally, we explore innovative excavation methods, such as microwave-assisted rock weakening and undercutting techniques, to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of lunar TBM operations. By evaluating the geological characteristics of the lunar crust and analysing the potential of lava tubes as launching points for TBM operations, this study provides a comprehensive assessment of the technical requirements and operational considerations for lunar TBM implementation. The findings of this research contribute to the growing body of knowledge on lunar base development and pave the way for future human exploration and utilisation of the Moon’s subsurface resources.

Sep 1, 2024

By S Kakara, A Kamaraj, S S. Varanasi, B V. R Mandalika, M B. Shaik

The properties of top slags play a very important role in secondary steelmaking. Fluxes should be chosen based on the ladle furnace (LF) slag requirements like viscosity, melting temperature, sulfide capacity, etc. CaF2 and CaO-Al2O3-based synthetic slags are the most used fluxes in secondary steelmaking to improve slag fluidity and interfacial chemical reactions. CaF2 is obsolete due to fluorine pollution and CaO-Al2O3 based slags have 40–50 wt per cent Al2O3 and 30–40 per cent CaO which is not beneficial for desulfurisation. Yet another drawback is that LF slag disintegrates into fine powder during cooling due to phase transformation C2S (2CaO.SiO2). Hence, there is a need for the development of low melting fluxes with high CaO content and the capability to prevent slag disintegration. The current work studied the effect of 0–9 wt per cent B2O3 on physico-chemical properties and characterisation of LF slags. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses were carried out to identify mineralogical phases present in slag and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis was done to understand the changes in bonds of B2O3 added LF slag. The characteristic temperature of slag was determined by a hemispherical method using high-temperature microscopy. Empirical models were used to calculate viscosity, break temperature, and sulfide capacity. FactSage™, ver 8.2 (by GTT-Technologies) simulations were carried out to find the equilibrium phase fractions and percentage of liquid slag at different temperatures. New phases such as Ca11B2Si4O22 and Ca2B3O5 were formed in LF slag with B2O3 addition. Based on the results, 0.5–1.0 wt per cent B2O3 was found to be sufficient to prevent C2S-driven disintegration of LF slag. Also, the melting temperature and viscosity of LF slag were reduced by adding 3–8 wt per cent B2O3 due to the formation of BO3 planar triangular structure and low melting eutectics in slag. Liquid slag started forming at a temperature as low as 800°C when B2O3 is >6 wt per cent. It was found that the sulfide capacity, viscosity, and break temperature of the slag decreased with increasing wt per cent B2O3. Based on the analysis carried out, B2O3 can be a promising fluxing material in secondary steelmaking, for improving the desulfurisation kinetics and valourisation potential of LF slag.

Aug 21, 2024

By F M. Weir, M Fowler

A discrete fracture network (DFN) approach involves numerical modelling that explicitly represents how defects may be spatially distributed through a rock mass. A DFN is a 3D realisation of the ‘smaller scale’, non-deterministic defects; it is not an attempt to model larger, deterministic structures that should be identified as part of an engineering geology model. The approach utilises structural data in stochastic analyses to give a range of possible models that provides a tool for visualisation and analysis of a rock mass and indicates the potential large-scale slope or tunnel performance and stability.Stochastic fracture modelling for rock mass characterisation has significantly advanced over the past 25 years. With recent improvements to field data collection and computational power, it has become recognised internationally as a valuable tool for modelling some geomechanical problems encountered when designing excavations in fractured rock masses.This paper provides an introduction to the DFN approach, particularly the necessary input parameters and derivation of these from typical structural data sources, such as boreholes or scan line mapping. Of particular importance for engineering applications is validation of the simulated fracture network and techniques for doing so are discussed here.CITATION:Weir, F M and Fowler, M, 2014. An introduction to discrete fracture network modelling and its geotechnical applications, in Proceedings AusRock 2014: Third Australasian Ground Control in Mining Conference , pp 435–444 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Nov 5, 2014

By F Carrick, W A. Ellis, D R. Mulligan, S I. FitzGibbon

"One of the major environmental impacts of mining is the destruction of habitat. The koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) is an iconic Australian marsupial that has been severely affected by land clearing and its decline is continuing. This has placed pressure upon mining companies and government agencies to ensure koalas are managed throughout the life-of-mines - from land clearing through to rehabilitation of post-mining landscapes. This paper reports on the æKoala VentureÆ research partnership between The University of Queensland and Rio Tinto. As part of the Koala Venture program we examined koala use of two types of restored environments: rehabilitated mined land (20 sites) natural regrowth forests (six sites), at Blair Athol Coal Mine in Central Queensland, Australia. Searches for koala scats revealed evidence of koalas in ten per cent of rehabilitated sites (2/20) and 33 per cent of natural regrowth sites (2/6). Two factors were identified as being of greatest importance in facilitating koala recolonisation of restored habitats. Firstly, all recolonised sites were located close to native forest occupied by koalas (mean 135 m ¦ 52). Proximity to source animals is considered crucial to recolonisation of suitably restored habitats. Secondly, three of the four recolonised sites were dominated by koala food trees, most of which were large enough to be utilised by koalas. Availability of suitably abundant food resources is, therefore, also considered crucial. The requirement for these two factors, in combination, is highlighted by the absence of koalas at several sites that contained abundant food trees, but that were distal to areas with source animals, and vice-versa.Our research demonstrates the enormous potential for restoration of wildlife habitat on post-mining lands, even for species with specific requirements such as the koala. Consideration of the ecological requirements of wildlife during rehabilitation planning is critical to enhancing the likelihood of recolonisation.CITATION:FitzGibbon, S I, Ellis, W A, Mulligan, D R and Carrick, F, 2012. Rehabilitating post-mining landscapes for wildlife - A case study from the Koala Venture research program in Central Queensland, in Proceedings Life-of-Mine 2012, pp 319-324 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne)."

Jul 10, 2012

By E Jak, G Khartcyzov, M Shevchenko

The increasing complexity of ore resources and recycled materials in the feed of pyrometallurgical processes present a technical challenge to the metallurgical engineers working on maximising the recovery of the valuable elements and minimising the environmental impact of the processes. To address this challenge, the availability of computational tools that can predict the mass and energy balance in complex systems is required. Then the accurate description of phase equilibria in the complex multicomponent systems describing the chemistry of the pyrometallurgical processes becomes critical for the correct implementation of the indicated tools and facing the outlined industrial challenges. In the present study the distribution of selected elements (Pb, Zn, Fe, As, Sn, Sb, Bi and Ni) between oxide liquid and metal in the ‘CuO0.5’-CaO-AlO1.5 system in equilibrium with Cu metal at 1400°C (liquidus of CaAl2O4) was experimentally studied using the equilibration and quenching technique followed by the electron probe X-ray microanalysis of the resulted samples. The study covered a wide range of effective p(O2) over the system from 10-11 to 10-3.5 (corresponding to formation of immiscible CuO0.5-rich slag). To avoid loss of volatile elements (Pb, Zn, As, Sn, Sb and Bi), a correlation between ‘CuO0.5’ in oxide liquid and p(O2) in open system was obtained first, followed by studying the volatile elements distribution in closed conditions (Al2O3 crucible sealed in SiO2 ampoule), where ‘CuO0.5’ concentration was used as a marker to evaluate the effective p(O2) over the system. The experimental results were then used for the optimisation of the thermodynamic model parameters of the system as part of the integrated experimental and self-consisting thermodynamic modelling research program of phase equilibria in the Cu-Pb-Zn-Fe-Ca-Si-Al-Mg-O-S-(As, Sn, Sb, Bi, Ag, Au, Ni, Cr, Co and Na) gas/oxide liquid/matte/speiss/metal/solids system.

Jun 19, 2024

By E Donskoi

In order to develop downstream processing routines for iron ore and to understand the behaviour of the ore during such processing, extensive mineralogical characterisation is required. To determine mineral associations, mineral liberation and grain size distribution, imaging techniques have to be used. There are two main imaging techniques used for the characterisation of iron ore, ie, Optical Image Analysis (OIA) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). In this article a QEMSCANTM system is used as an example of SEM methodology and results obtained from it are compared against results obtained by the CSIRO ‘Recognition3/Mineral3’ OIA system.Both OIA and QEMSCANTM systems have advantages and drawbacks. Even though the latest QEMSCANTM systems can distinguish between major iron oxides and oxyhydroxides, it is still problematic for QEMSCANTM to distinguish between iron ore minerals very close in oxygen content, eg haematite and hydroheamatite, or between different types of vitreous goethite.QEMSCANTM also can misidentify minerals with close chemical composition, ie haematite as magnetite and vitreous goethite as haematite. In OIA, iron minerals with slight differences in their oxidation or hydration state are more easily and directly recognisable by correlation with their reflectivity. In both methods, the presence of microporosity can result in some misidentification, but in SEM methods misidentifi cations due to microporosity can be critical. Low resolution during QEMSCANTM analysis can significantly affect the textural classifi cation of particle sections.The main conclusion of this study is that, for low iron content ores or tailings, QEMSCANTM can provide much more detailed information on the gangue minerals than OIA. However, for routine characterisation of iron ores with high iron content and containing a variety of iron oxides and oxyhydroxides, OIA is a faster, more cost-effective and more reliable method of iron ore characterisation. A combined approach using both techniques will provide the most detailed understanding of iron ore samples being characterised.

Jul 11, 2011

By M Gwynne

McArthur River Mine is located approximately 50 km south-east of the NT township of Borroloola and approximately 120 km from the Gulf of Carpentaria. The mine hosts a series of layered shallow dipping tabular orebodies, with current reserves of approximately 22 Mt, grading 13.6 per cent zinc, 6.3 per cent lead and 65 g/t silver. Owing to economic considerations, the lower most orebody (No 2 orebody) has been selected for initial mine production. Following the completion of the No 2 orebody, mining will transfer to the lower grade and metallurgically more complex No 4 orebody. The mine employs a total of 235 people throughout the underground and surface areas. The majority of the workforce work a fly-in/fly-out, seven-day- on/seven- day- off roster with 12-hour shifts. Presently, a further 18 contractors are involved in trial mining areas. An apparent dip room and pillar technique has been selected as the primary mining method. Officially opened in September 1995, the current production rate of 1.2 Mt per annum will eventually escalate to 1.5 Mt per annum. Though most production is achieved through the use of conventional loaders, trucks and jumbos, the recent development of methods utilising scrapers, hand held machines and modified jumbos has produced encouraging results in steeper dipping areas of the mine. Initial production has been hindered by several factors including extensive and largely unpredictable faulting, worse than expected ground conditions and difficulties with some mining equipment. Compounded by the relatively thin 3 m ore seam, initial mining resulted in high dilution and poor production. This paper describes the development of unique planning and production systems that were evolved in order to overcome these problems and achieve the targeted production rates and head grade.

Jan 1, 1998

By M Chen, G H. Wang, J R. Zhou, P Yan, W B. Lu

Blast vibration analysis is one of the important topics in the control technology of blast vibration damage. Nowadays, blasting vibration safety standards are based on both the particle velocity and the frequency of vibration and they have been adopted widely and internationally. However, the analysis on vibration frequencies is less studied compared to investigations of peak particle velocity. For the vibration induced by a spherical charge in a viscoelasticly infinite rock mass, an expression of vibration spectrum taking into account the damping effect of rock mass is inferred. Then the attenuation laws of dominant frequencies and centroid frequencies are compared theoretically. For the case of cylindrical charge, dynamic finite element method (DFEM) software of LS-DYNA is employed to analyse the attenuation laws of characteristic frequencies. The research demonstrates that, no matter whether it is a spherical charge or a cylindrical charge, there is a local mutation or fluctuation at some distance when the blast proceeds, while the centroid frequencies conform to a smooth attenuation law. Both the multipeaks structures of vibration spectra and the decay rate difference between high- and low-frequency components contribute to the mutation or fluctuation investigated in this study. Additionally, an increase in longitudinally sonic velocity or the quality factor of rock mass produces an increase in the vibration frequencies, whereas an increase in blast source diameter or the rise time of blast load produces a decrease in vibration frequencies from a spherical charge. In borehole blasting, there is a positive correlation between the vibration frequencies and charge diameter, whereas there is a negative correlation with charge length. And altering the initiation plan will change vibration frequencies to various degrees. Finally, theoretical analysis results were validated by the empirical data from field experiments of Fengning pumped storage power station.CITATION:Zhou, J R, Lu, W B, Chen, M, Yan, P and Wang, G H, 2015. A further study on the attenuation laws of blasting vibration frequency, in Proceedings 11th International Symposium on Rock Fragmentation by Blasting, pp 673–682 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Aug 24, 2015

By L Keeney

Geometallurgy is not a mechanism designed to replace current geological and metallurgical deposit characterisation but an added component required to understand orebody variability. Current geological characterisation approaches focus on understanding deposit genesis aimed at identifying new mineralised regions and metallurgical characterisation determines parameters required for engineering design of processing plants. Geometallurgical integration has the task of drawing on aspects of each stream to enable spatial mapping of performance indices across a deposit. It is a complimentary activity to current practice and adds a new dimension to orebody knowledge. Although the notion of conducting an integrated geological and metallurgical analysis is not a new concept, limited publications exist in the field proposing integrated methods, with several technical issues existing in current geometallurgical integration approaches. An iterative method drawing on existing geological and metallurgical characterisation and new measurement tools and inputs is proposed. The integrated method comprises of discrete components dynamically linked together through iterative feedback loops with each component having a specific purpose achieved by applying a range of data acquisition technologies and statistical tests. The key outcomes of the method are:overcoming the lack of optimised geometallurgical domains relevant to processing performance,development of a rigorous approach to identifying parameters controlling processability,improved protocols for relevant metallurgical test data and sample selection, andability to generate greater data support to enable rigorous geostatistical modelling of geometallurgical attributes. This paper outlines the integrated mapping and modelling method developed and draws on multiple data acquisition technologies applied within the AMIRA P843 GeMIII Project.

Sep 5, 2011

By L Dzinza, K C. Corin, M Tadie

The recycling of process water comes with increased electrolyte concentrations that affect water quality, which may in turn affect the flotation performance of valuable minerals (Hirajima et al, 2016). Electrolytes such as Ca2+, SO4 2- , Mg2+ and S2O3 2- have been surmised to have an impact on the action of flotation reagents such as collectors (Ikumapayi et al, 2012). Xanthate collectors are known to play a significant role in imparting hydrophobicity on mineral surfaces to enhance their flotation. The interaction between minerals and xanthates is well known to be electrochemical in nature. Such redox processes may be elucidated by electrochemical techniques. Since the mechanisms involving the interactions between electrolytes in process water with sulfide minerals and the subsequent adsorption kinetics of collectors are not well understood, this study therefore aims to provide fundamental knowledge to unpack the mechanisms involved when electrolytes interact with Platinum Group Minerals (PGMs) and how these interactions may affect xanthate adsorption. The interaction of sodium iso-butyl xanthate (SIBX) in the presence of electrolytes at increasing ionic strength was investigated by rest potential measurements, to explain the impact of electrolytes on the adsorption of SIBX on PGMs in the flotation process. Rest potential measurements for PdTe2 and PdS were conducted in an air saturated 0.05 M di-sodium tetraborate decahydrate solution, in the absence and presence of SIBX and electrolytes. It was found that the existence of sulfide and telluride on palladium affects the mechanisms in which electrolytes interact with Pd mineral surfaces. An increase in the ionic strength of Na2S2O3, CaCl2 and MgCl2, increased the interaction between the salts and PdS, thus decreasing the extent to which SIBX interacted with PdS. An increase in ionic strength for Na2S2O3 increased the interaction between Na2S2O3 and PdTe2 and therefore decreased the extent to which SIBX interacted with PdTe2. Other salts investigated in this study increased the rate of oxidation of PdTe2 with an increase in ionic strength thereby enhancing the interaction of SIBX and PdTe2. This study has shown that mineral type, electrolyte type and concentration all have an impact on the mechanisms that result in the adsorption of SIBX on PGMs.

Aug 24, 2022

By D Rattray, D Macfarlane, I Robb, N Halpin, G T. Dale

Mining faces many environmental, social and regulatory liabilities of which water management is just one. Others include site rehabilitation, carbon emissions, biodiversity offsets, strategic cropping land, subsidence, and noise and dust generation. Management of these liabilities is commonly seen as a cost of doing business and each is often independently addressed, bypassing the opportunity to reduce costs through integrated approaches. Furthermore, approaches to dealing with these liabilities tend to be constrained by a prevailing culture of engineered solutions and lack of appreciation of risk associated with alternative and hybrid alternative-engineered solutions. Suboptimal outcomes can also be reinforced by rigid regulatory constraints. While the cost of addressing operational liabilities may be a small proportion of overall mine management costs, failure to do so effectively may influence social licence to operate and, as recently demonstrated by the decision of the NSW Land and Environment Court to block expansion of the Warkworth Mine near Singleton, absolute licence to operate.Integration of environmental, social and regulatory liabilities with value-creating and risk-reduction opportunities such as beneficial water use, carbon bio-sequestration, habitat connectivity, keyline farming, improved grazing design and management systems, windbreaks and visual screens, presents opportunities to reduce risk and create value. This potential may achieve overall improved outcomes in both economic and non-economic mine performance criteria.Two case studies in beneficial use of waste water from the mining and coal seam gas (CSG) sectors (which operate under different legislation) will be used to illustrate the potential to address mine development, operational and closure liabilities by understanding opportunities to reduce risk and create value through a holistic water management framework. The technical requirements and alternative approaches to beneficial use of mine water are addressed, along with the direct economic benefits for mine operational costs and opportunities to positively engage communities and build resilience into social licence to operate. Regulatory barriers to achieving improved outcomes will be discussed.CITATION:Dale, G T, Robb, I, Halpin, N, Macfarlane, D and Rattray, D, 2013. Opportunities for integrated mine management to minimise risk and create value, in Proceedings Water in Mining 2013 , pp 227-234 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Nov 26, 2013

By G P. F Chitombo

The dilution of blasted ore with cemented backfill materials has been recognised as a significant factor influencing the economics of some underground metalliferous mining operations. Several mechanisms have been identified as possible causes of fill failures. The purpose of this study was to determine the possibility of damage as the result of one mechanism, that of production blasting adjacent to bodies of cemented hydraulic fill (CHF). A vibration amplitude transfer function has been developed to model the transmission of blast vibrations from the source, through ore, across the ore to CHF interface and into the CHF mass. The model may be applied in the near field. The model has permitted estimation of vibration amplitude at a point in a CHF mass, to which damage criteria may be applied. A number of assumptions and simplifications have been made to render the problem relatively tractable. Ore and CHF material characteristics recorded by a number of authors were utilised to formulate preliminary damage estimations. A simple application of the amplitude transfer model indicated that a zone of plastically deformed CHF would be produced, and would extend to a distance of approximately 0.5 metres from the interface into the CHF. A sensitivity analysis was also conducted, that indicated that the zone of plastic deformation would be more extensive given appropriate conditions. Recommendations for further model development and future laboratory and field investigations have been made.

Jan 1, 1998

By L Abrahamsson

This paper describes results from a gender study for a new mine in Pajala, a small community in northern Sweden. Using a gender perspective, the study examines migration, education, local culture, the labour market, and work organisation as problems and opportunities in the regional context for the planned mine. The most obvious ‘gender issue’ for the Swedish mining industry is the very low percentage of employed women, which is even lower among mining workers. To recruit the best people, a company actively needs to attract both women and men; however, the mining companies find it difficult to recruit women as cultural, labour market and educational traditions as well as the mining companies’ own cultures often make it difficult for women to find work in the mining industry.The Torneå river valley, the region surrounding Pajala, has a gender-segregated labour market and gender-stereotyped culture and few young women live in this traditional and oldish region. Many young people leave the region and this is especially true for women. Compared to the rest of Sweden, there is a low educational level, especially among the men. In the mining companies, as in many other male homosocial workplaces, the workplace culture has strong connections to a certain type of traditional masculinity (laddishness, a kind of ‘macho-style’) and for a long time this has excluded women. ‘Gender’, however, is not only a question of recruiting women to a male-dominated industry. An organisation that discriminates according to gender can become inflexible, hindering communication, learning, innovations and change processes. In mining companies, this can manifest itself in hesitant attitudes among the miners about safety as well as organisational and technological development.This study found that companies establishing a presence in this region should develop a strategy for how to deal with and manage the risks and opportunities in the surrounding society (the regional culture) as well as inside the company (the mining culture). This need to be strategic will also be required of future mining companies as they will face higher demands on safety, gender equality, and technology to become modern, efficient and lean organisations.

Nov 22, 2011

By A Golsby

Although much talked about, social licence to operate (SLTO) is a relatively new concept that has been deemed as one of the four biggest business risks to a mining project over the life-of-mine. There is no accepted single definition of SLTO and this author understands SLTO to be stakeholder perception of the legitimacy of a project, a company or an industry. At a specific site, and across different sites within the same organisation, SLTO ranges through different levels according to stakeholders’ degrees of acceptance in time and space. Management of SLTO is vital for the mining sector but is difficult as it is informal and intangible. Although there are no key performance indicators, there are certain indicators that enable relative measurement of the ‘level’ of the SLTO. Because of the importance of the SLTO, information management during the entire life-of-mine, from exploration to rehabilitation, becomes crucial for the continued operation of a project. This paper identifies ten basic principles for the management of information to support the SLTO.CITATION:Golsby, A, 2014. Managing information to support a social licence to operate, in Proceedings Life-of-Mine 2014 , pp 389–398 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Jul 16, 2014

By K G. van den Boogaart, M Lehmann, U Mueller

Geometallurgical parameters are descriptions of the mineralogy and microstructure of the ore determining its mineralogical and microstructural characteristics. From a conditional geostatistical simulation of such properties, a processing model can compute recovery, equipment usage, processing costs, and thus the monetary value for mining and processing a block with certain processing parameters. The output can be used for optimising mining sequences or finding optimal processing parameters by solving the corresponding stochastic optimisation problem.The approach requires two properties of the simulation not provided by established geostatistical techniques:Many relevant geometallurgical parameters are from non-Euclidean statistical scales such as (mineral) compositions, (grain size) distribution, (grain) geometry, and (stratigraphic type) categorical, which might produce nonsensical values (for example, negative proportions, negative facies probablities, planar grains) when simulated with standard geostatistical techniques.Due to the nonlinearity of processing, the entire conditional distribution of the geometallurgical parameters is relevant, not only its mean and variance. The geostatistical simulation needs to reproduce the joint conditional distributions of all the geometallurgical parameters.The multipoint conditional geostatistical simulation technique discussed here allows for jointly simulating dependent spatial variables from various sample spaces. The technique combines an infill simulation, similar to the one used in multipoint geostatistics, with a new form of distributional regression to estimate conditional distributions of arbitrary scales from different information sources, including training images, training models and observed data. The distributional regression is based on a generalisation of logistic regression and is related to both Bayesian Maximum Entropy geostatistics and high order cumulants.The method ensures that simulated data reside in the set of possible values and honour the characteristics of the joint distribution to be reproduced. The computational effort is substantial, but affordable for a useful application with standard problems: from processing-aware block value prediction and block processing optimisation as shown in the test application to a mathematically completely defined simulated model situation with a complex processing model.CITATION:van den Boogaart, K G, Tolosana-Delgado, R, Lehmann, M and Mueller, U, 2014. On the joint multipoint simulation of discrete and continuous geometallurgical parameters, in Proceedings Orebody Modelling and Strategic Mine Planning Symposium 2014, pp 379–388 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Nov 24, 2014

By P J. Cullen, B P. Banerjee, S Raval

Continuous monitoring of mining impacts on the surrounding environment is a necessary sustainability criterion. Traditional monitoring approaches such as in situ sampling and airborne and satellite-based remote sensing have several limitations. Over the past few decades, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have evolved into popular platforms for remote sensing. UAV-based remote sensing has been successfully applied in different sectors, including agriculture, forestry, urban environments and disaster management. However, the potential of UAVs for mine environmental monitoring has not yet been fully established. This paper envisages the use of UAVs and sensor systems to monitor the environment of future mines.CITATION:Banerjee, B P, Raval, S and Cullen, P J, 2015. Unmanned aerial vehicles for mine environment monitoring, in Proceedings Third International Future Mining Conference, pp 137–144 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Nov 4, 2015