Search Documents

By M Scoble, A Ostry, J Shandro

Mining companies are not ill-informed on the topic of community health. There have been a number of research studies that have illuminated community health issues associated with mining, especially in the western Canadian province of British Columbia. However, what is missing amongst the literature is the perspective of mine managers and mining executives on this topic. This is important as mine managers and executives face a number of issues related to community health and are under pressure to consider the topic in more detail. This paper presents results from an exploratory qualitative investigation based on grounded theory research techniques into current community health considerations from the perspectives of mine executives and mine managers working in Western Canada. Interviews were conducted between February and May 2012 with 11 mining versus ten mining executives and managers who represented operating mines or mining umbrella organisations in Western Canada. Participants report on general community health issues that are perceived to be important, the perceived role that the mining sector should play?in contributing to community health and how this differs in Western Canada as compared to locations abroad, and?risks companyÆs face in making community health contributions. This paper concludes by drawing attention to pressing health needs that are present in Northern, rural and Aboriginal populations in Western Canada and provides a platform for future research initiatives focused on improving the health and well-being of communities associated with the mining industry. CITATION:Shandro, J, Scoble, M and Ostry, A, 2012. Community health considerations from mining executives and managers in western Canada, in Proceedings International Mine Management 2012, pp 97-104 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Nov 20, 2012

By S. E. Cook

This article uses the case of the Royal Bafokeng Nation to argue that royalties and dividends from mineral resources, if managed well, can provide direct benefits to the surrounding community even while the state collects its share of mining revenues through taxation. The key to this model is the effective management of the resource income flowing into community coffers. Where some of this income may fund urgent interventions in the community, a portion of the income can also be used to establish an intergenerational wealth fund to meet the needs of future generations. As a depleting resource, minerals like gold and platinum are not a sustainable source of income, and must be replaced over time by more regenerative income streams. These strategies and dynamics are manifest in the Royal Bafokeng Nation?s status as both community and quasi-municipality, a labour hosting and a labour sending community, a mine operator and a mine owner. The Royal Bafokeng Nation also owns one of South Africa?s largest community-based investment companies, which channels revenue derived from platinum deposits into a broad investment portfolio that in turn funds an aggressive social development program for 150,000 people living in twenty-nine rural villages.

Jan 1, 2013

By L. Wilson, M. Kotzel, T. Pienaar

An empirical equation is presented for the maximum airblast from unconfined charges. This has been tested at a number of sites and with charges ranging from 0.1kg to 311kg. The equation is developed to predict community response to potential explosive test range sites and the testing has added to our knowledge of the effectiveness of mitigating measures. The first site had 10m to 15m high walls that were intended to ameliorate the airblast. These walls functioned to a limited extent and reduced the airblast levels by 2dB to 5dB. The airblast was affected somewhat by topography. Noise levels at the nearest residences exceeded 130dB for charges larger than 1kg, whereas the vibration levels were very small. Formal complaints were received where the airblast level exceeded 128dB as per conventional expectations. Pedestrians and pets in the suburbs were startled by the blasts, emphasizing that the community response is much more sensitive to noise and airblast than vibration levels. The maximum airblast levels were too high for this site to be used on a regular basis. At another site, the airblast levels were significantly increased downwind by up to 10dB due to a moderate wind. A third site, at a quarry, produced unconfined airblast levels beneath the derived limits, but are much higher than the normal quarry blasting. By involving community forums there were no complaints, possibly due to desensitization by the normal blasting activities. The study has highlighted new areas for research in understanding the effect of noise, air blast and vibration on the low cost and informal housing typical in South Africa

Jan 1, 2011

By Sarah Wilson, John Kaplin

Plans are underway to extend commuter rail service underground into downtown San Francisco. The Salesforce Transit Center (STC) was completed in 2018 and will serve as a new transit hub, including a commuter rail station after two future connecting tunnel segments are completed. The northern segment, known as the Caltrain Downtown Extension (DTX), which will extend the rail line from its current terminus at 4th and King Streets to the STC, is currently in Preliminary Engineering. The southern segment, the subject of this paper, is a 1.6-mile tunnel known as the Pennsylvania Avenue Extension (PAX), which is currently in the pre-environmental planning stage, with alternative alignments under evaluation including single bore versus twin bore options. This paper discusses project challenges, including highly variable tunneling conditions in soil and rock, a congested urban project site with limited space for construction staging, alignment crossings of large existing buried infrastructure, and complicated interfaces with future and existing rail operations.

Dec 1, 2022

By J. C. White

"During the early development of the Mattabi Mine in 1970, discussions with the Ontario Government revealed their policy of prohibiting, as much as possible, the development of new, isolated, single-industry townsites. Subsequently, Mattabi located its first housing in the Township of Ignace, which is situated 50 miles from the site of the mine and plant. Over 200 employees now commute 100 miles daily to and from work.This paper describes the experience gained and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of a remote townsite."

Jan 1, 1976

By Ludmila Vieira da Silva Matos

O presente artigo investigou como a condição de operação das zonas de resfriamento em máquina de lingotamento de placas contribui para o desempenho de lanças air mist. Tal investigação foi realizada no laboratório da Spraying Systems Brasil a partir das premissas de projeto de uma nova máquina de lingotamento e um novo conceito de lança air mist: menor consumo de ar comprimido, amplo turndown e qualidade de cobertura por toda a curva de operação do resfriamento. As curvas de performance foram montadas para diferentes condições de utilização de ar comprimido: de 1,5 a 4,5bar de pressão constante. Cada lança teve das vazões mínimas às máximas de água ensaiadas. A qualidade do perfil do jato produzido foi verificada para cada ponto das curvas obtidas, em mesa de distribuição no laboratório da Spraying Systems. Com as imagens em mãos, foi possível selecionar aquelas condições de vazão de água e pressão de ar comprimido com melhores perfis de jato e cobertura. Como resultado, a fabricante da máquina pode validar e/ou modificar a curva de trabalho de resfriamento da máquina e garantir as melhores condições do perfil do jato e uniformidade de resfriamento.

Oct 1, 2019

By Ricardo Tadeu Meneses Sodré

Principalmente após a crise mundial de 2008, as grandes empresas brasileiras focaram na redução de custo como fator de sobrevivência, buscando manter, em contrapartida a produtividade e qualidade dos produtos. As normas brasileiras ABNT NBR ISO 55000/1/2, combinam atividades sistemáticas, coordenadas e práticas pelas quais uma organização gerencia de forma organizada e sustentável seus ativos tangíveis e intangíveis e sistemas, seu desempenho, bem como seus riscos e custos associados. A norma trata do ciclo completo do ativo, desde a concepção até o seu descarte. A implantação de uma norma deste porte requer compromisso de toda organização, principalmente da alta direção, no intuito de correlacionar os objetivos do negócio com as atividades de manutenção. O ponto principal é entender que a Manutenção é parte de um ciclo mais amplo que trata de todo o ciclo de vida do ativo, logo a Manutenção está contida dentro da Gestão de Ativos. O trabalho visa mostrar de maneira prática como a ArcelorMittal Tubarão está se estruturando para uma implantação futura da ABNT NBR ISO 5500X. Tal estruturação engloba atividades estratégicas, táticas e operacionais de alto nível visando à elevação da maturidade em Gestão de Ativos.

Aug 7, 2018

By Samuel Canchaya

Los paquetes medianos y grandes de software a minería contienen en sus módulos de estimación de reservas alguna forma de análisis variográfico geoestadístico. En esa perspectiva, el presente trabajo señala la optimización de métodos tradicionales utilizados en dicha estimación a través de los conceptos y parámetros de la caracterización variográfica y estadística psra así minimizar las limitaciones de los métodos tradicionales.

May 25, 1998

The lignite mines in the Latrobe Valley of Victoria/Australia have been using continuously operating mining systems for more than 50 years. The relatively small bucket chain dredgers of the early years have been progressively displaced by bucket wheel dredgers with increasing size, increasing capacity and increasing service weight. The large machines for the new open pit Loy Yang have a bucket wheel outreach of 46m, an effective capacity of 3350 bm' coal/h respective 2500 bm' overburden/h and a serv- ice weight of approx. 4500 t. The time between signing of con- tract and starting of operation for these machines is at least four years. The high service weight, the resulting high capital invest- ment and the long period for design, design review, manufac- turing, erection and commissioning of these machines directed the SECV to investigate a possible application of compact dredgers for the Latrobe Valley.

Jan 1, 1989

By Sergio Sarmiento

La utilización de los espacios cedidos por las Comunidades Campesinas del entorno de la compañía minera Catalina Huanca y la complicada geografía desarrolllada en estas zonas andinas, generó la búsqueda de métodos de disposición de relaves alternativos y seguros en el desarrollo de sus operaciones mineras. En ese sentido, el presente texto señala la búsqueda de optimización de los relaves y su disposición en proporciones adecuadas para que cumpla con una granulometría adecuada de finos y áridos, de forma que se obtenga una mezcla homogénea que logre una masa de alto grado de cohesión al ser compactados y así minimizar los impactos de los relaves en el medio ambiente.

Oct 21, 2015

By Flann R. C

A small modification to current industrial practice should lead to better nickel powders for use in alloying, electroplating, and powder metallurgy. Nickel powder compacts sold for alloying are not always suitable for electroplating applications, since some presently used commercial powders will expand on sintering. Further, such nickel powders are unsuitable for use in the production of powder metal parts, because of expansion during heating of the near-net-shape preforms. Research in these laboratories has enabled the elimination of expansion, and led to techniques for the production of compacts suitable, in particular, for commercial use in both alloying and electroplating. The techniques include: powder pretreatment, cold pressing and sintering, hot pressing, and hot pressing and sintering. In this way compacts are readily prepared with densities of at least 93 per cent of solid nickel, and these, when used as anodes in Watts general purpose and bright baths, give both cathode current and plating efficiencies of 90-98 per cent.

Jan 1, 1979

By E. P. Fahrenthold, K. E. Gray

Introduction Brine reservoirs along the Texas and Louisiana Gulf coasts are currently under study to investigate the technical and economic viability of production wells designed to extract methane gas in solution. The effect of well pressure drawdown on reservoir rock and associated overburden material is important to well performance predictions and the analysis of potential subsidence problems. Consequently a series of compaction tests have been conducted on sandstone and shale cored from a test well drilled near Hitchcock, Texas, in order to determine the variation of mechanical properties to be expected over the producing life of the formation. Previous Work The referenced tests are part of an extended study of geopressured-geothermal reservoir behavior, including compaction (Jogi, Gray, Ashman, and Thompson, 1981 and Jogi, Kalra, Gray, and Thompson, 1981) and creep (Thompson, Jogi, Gray, and Richardson, 1981) tests of reservoir rock and related reservoir performance studies (Rago, Okhuma, Seperhnoori, and Thompson, 1985). Recent work has considered the nonlinear constitutive behavior of sandstone (Fahrenthold and Gray, 1985 and 19861, while additional experimental work is reported here. Geological structure and composition of the Hitchcock field from which the core samples were obtained is discussed by Light (1985). Experimental Procedure Compaction tests were conducted on cylindrical cores, nominally 2.75 inches in length and 2 inches in diameter, with independent control of the axial, confining, and pore pressures. Axial and radial deformation of the samples were measured in tests over a range of effective stress states expected to develop over the reservoir lifetime. The term effective stress as used here refers to the algebraic difference of the total stress and pore pressure, with compression taken as positive. Three types of compaction tests were conducted on the sandstone. In the uniaxial tests, axial total stress and radial strain were held constant as the pore pressure was reduced, similating one dimensional compaction which may occur during reservoir depletion. In the triaxial tests, radial total stress and pore pressure were held constant as the axial total stress was increased, duplicating conventional rock compaction test procedures. In the pore pressure drawdown tests, axial and radial total stresses were held constant while the pore pressure was reduced, in order to investigate differences in sample response to mechanical and pore pressure loading. Compaction tests were also conducted on shale material obtained from the reservoir overburden. The field coring process provided few consolidated shale sections sufficiently large to allow preparation of samples with the dimensions described above. With additional attrition during sample preparation of this brittle material, ultimate yield of the coring effort was limited. The few available samples were tested in uniaxial and triaxial tests similar to those described above. The use of displacement transducers to measure sample deformation avoided the difficulty of strain gauge installation on this material. Test Results The sandstone and shale both demonstrated nonlinear stress-strain behavior, with hysteresis and residual strain present upon unloading. Polynomial interpolation of the stress-strain curves was used in the calculation of incremental values for the loading and unloading moduli. Figures 1 and 2 show example axial effective stress-axial strain curves for triaxial tests conducted on sandstone and shale samples. The figures plot incremental stress and strain variables, defined as deviations from the state of prestress to which the sample was subjected. The state of prestress was varied between tests in order to investigate material behavior over the entire stress and strain space of interest. Tables 1 and 2 give the incremental moduli (Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio) as a

Jan 1, 1986

By G. Coetzer

"Prior to operating a non-recovery coke pilot plant, it was critical to ascertain coal cake stability during the loading of a 1 m3 coal cake into the oven. Various compaction parameters were verified and established on a small laboratory-scale compaction machine to obtain a coal cake of acceptable stability. These parameters include cake density, cake surface moisture, transverse strength (force applied perpendicular to the original compacted coal cake layers), and applied force to the coal cake. This work determined the behavioural characteristics of the coal while being compacted either with a full-sized or a 1/3-sized compaction plate in a 9 kg capacity mould. Two different coals were evaluated, namely Waterberg semi-soft coking coal (sscc) and Oaky North hard coking coal.The target wet cake density of 1 100 kg/m3 (79% of 1 400 kg/m3 relative density) was achieved for Waterberg sscc, with a particle size d50 varying between 0.6 mm and 1 mm, utilizing the 1/3-sized compaction plate in the laboratory-scale set-up, with 11.6% surface moisture and 92.2 t/m2 commercial equivalent applied force. For Oaky North hard coking coal, a wet cake density of 1 189 kg/m3 (85% of 1 400 kg/m3 relative density) was achieved at a surface moisture content of 12.3% and at a lower applied force than that for Waterberg sscc, i.e. 78.5 t/m2.Coal cakes of acceptable strength, and therefore sufficient stability for further processing, were obtained for all materials evaluated during this study.Further studies should be conducted to determine the effect of zeta potential during the compaction of coals.IntroductionExxaro Resources has successfully installed and commissioned a world-class stamp-charging horizontal 1 t electrically-heated pilot-scale coke oven at its Metallurgy Services facility. Prior to operating the coke non-recovery pilot plant, it is essential to ascertain coal cake stability during the loading of a 1 m3 coal cake into the oven. The design of Exxaro’s pilot plant is such that the coal cake is pushed inside the oven by means of a pusher plate, rather than through a ‘spoon’ feed mechanism, such as is found in industrial horizontal coke ovens. The pusher plate loading mechanism dictates that the coal cake should possess high stability and inherent strength during loading into the oven, owing to frictional forces exerted by the oven floor. In order to obtain a coal cake of acceptable stability, various compaction parameters needed to be verified and established on a small laboratory-scale compaction machine."

Apr 1, 2019

By G. Coetzer

"Prior to operating a non-recovery coke pilot plant oven, it was essential to ascertain coal cake stability during the loading of a 1 m3 (1 m × 1 m × 1 m) coal cake into the cold pilot-plant oven by a pusher mechanism. Previously established laboratory-scale compaction parameters, to obtain coal cakes with sufficient stability, were employed during the loading tests of the coal cakes. Two different coals were evaluated, namely Waterberg semi-soft coking coal (sscc) and Oaky North hard coking coal.It was demonstrated that lower applied compaction forces (14%) can be utilized during 1 m3 compaction, in comparison to laboratory-scale tests, to obtain similar wet cake densities, owing to differences in the effect of frictional forces. Wet cake densities for Waterberg sscc improved slightly (3%) to 1.13 t/m3 when utilizing 79 t/m2 applied force for a 1 m3 coal cake, in comparison to laboratory-scale tests. Similar results were obtained for Oaky North hard coking coal, with a 6% density increase to 1.27 t/m3 at a similar applied force. Porosities decreased by 13% and 32% for Waterberg sscc and Oaky North coal, respectively, when 1 m3 compaction was compared to laboratory-scale tests. An opportunity exists to further decrease the porosities of Waterberg sscc during compaction, whereas acceptable compaction parameters were achieved for Oaky North hard coking coal. Most major vertical cracks and the partial collapse of coal cakes were mitigated, and high-stability coal cakes were obtained that could be successfully loaded into the pilot-plant coke oven by a pusher mechanism.Factors contributing to the instability of the coal cake during loading into the oven, such as vertical cracks, are (i) the cubic geometry (1 m3) of the coal cake, (ii) friction exerted by the oven floor, and (iii) mechanical problems, such as a misalignment between the pusher machine feeder plate and the oven floor. IntroductionOperation of the stamp-charging horizontal 1 t electrically heated coke pilot-plant oven at Exxaro Resources requires coal cake stability during the loading of a 1 m3 compacted coal cake into the oven. In this case, a pusher plate is utilized to push the coal cake into the oven over the oven floor. This is in contrast to a ‘spoon’ or bottom plate feeding mechanism as found in industrial horizontal coke ovens. The pusher plate loading mechanism dictates that the coal cake should possess high stability and inherent strength owing to frictional forces exerted by the oven floor. In order to obtain a coal cake of acceptable stability for the 1 t coke oven, various compaction parameters need to be verified and established."

Apr 1, 2019

By D. B. McGilvra

ANY mining operation in the Altiplano of the Andean range presents problems and imposes obligations on the mining company not usually met with in the United States. The Aguilar mine is in a sparsely populated, semiarid region, 50 km by road from the Argentine State railroad station of Tres Cruces, Jujuy, Argentina. In starting an operation in such a location it becomes necessary for the mining company to prepare first for the needs of the required force of workmen and their families. This program calls for houses, schools, hotels, water, electric power, laundries, post offices, police

Jan 1, 1947

Nautilus Minerals and Neptune Minerals are betting that the next great metals rush will take place more than 1,500 m (5,000 ft) below the sea. Nautilus is the first company to commercially explore the ocean floor for gold and copper seafloor massive sulfide (SMS) deposits. Its main focus is the Solwara 1 Project, a polymetallic copper, gold, zinc, silver deposit that is under 1,600 m (5,200 ft) of water off the coast of Papua New Guinea in the western Pacific Oceans? Rim of Fire. Nautilus Minerals, in a joint venture with Placer Dome (now Barrick Gold), began its exploration of what would become the Solwara 1 area in 2005 with side scan sonar and dredge sampling. The dredge and grab sampling confirmed the grade tenor of earlier sampling by scientific research programs. The 45 dredge samples aver-aged 10.8 percent copper, 3.7 percent zinc, 224 g/t (6.5 oz/st) silver and 13.7 g/t (0.4 oz/st) gold. Nautilus has since staked out more than 300,000 km2 (115,800 sq miles) of tenement licenses and exploration applications in the waters off Papua New Guinea, Fiji, New Zealand, Tonga and the Solomon Islands. That is an area about the same size of the United Kingdom. Interest in Nautilus and its projects has grown tremendously since its inception. The company is now listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. It has raised more than $300 million and spent more than $23 million on exploration. The company has gained the backing of mining majors such as Teck Cominco, Epion, Anglo American and Barrick Gold. It is positioned to become an emerging producer in 2010. Teck Cominco recently agreed to exercise share purchase warrants to acquire three million additional common shares of Nautilus at a price of US$15 million. This will take Teck Cominco?s shareholding to approximately 7.2 percent of the issued shares. Teck Cominco will conduct and manage a ship-based exploration program that will run in addition to the exploration that was already planned for 2008.

Jan 1, 2008

By Jury C. G

A decade of expansion and high production targets have led to changes in the number and structure of the Mount Isa Mines Limited work- force. Falls in labour turnover and absenteeism are correlated with two demographic variables, improved selection and placement procedures and home purchase facilities. Some results of recent population surveys are presented and discussed in terms of future housing needs and potential employment problems encountered by school leavers.

Jan 1, 1974

By Walter Smith

Environmental Quality Committee ?EQC was created in 1995 to facilitate dialogue between industry and northern communities and help build the understanding of the industry in those communities. ?EQC is made up of representatives from 32 northern communities. ?Meet regularly with Cameco to discuss on going and new projects. ?Tour mine sites on a yearly basis.

Nov 1, 2011

This listing of members is arranged to show company affiliation The primary breakdown is by state or country, then by company name and political subdivision At the end of each major group is a general list showing members affiliated with schools or colleges and those who did not indicate any company affiliation The listing, for countries outside United States, is broken down generally by continents and alphabetically within the continent by countries The various countries are indexed on the preced¬ing page *-The asterisk indicates members available for consulting work Anyone desiring to be listed with AIME as available for consulting work can do so by sending a written request to the office of the Secretary.

Jan 1, 1952

Optimisation of an open-pittable orebody raises many questions relating to the operation, corporate objectives and orebody characteristics. Often the `black box' is expected to provide instant answers to many complex questions. The aim of this paper is to pose some commonly asked questions that arise during an optimisation study, and to try to provide some answers. The questions are aimed at typical objectives that affect the project and are of primary concern with the decisions that affect its course during the various development stages.

Jan 1, 1997