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By Donna lynne Anderson

This report documents the status of a laser-based underground guidance system for tracking and controlling the movements of underground mobile mining equipment. This research is part of a multiple project effort at the U.S. Bureau of Mines to increase mine safety and efficiency by developing technology for computer-assisted mining. Guidance systems, which can track and control the movements of underground mining equipment, are essential during computer-assisted mining operations. A continuous mining machine at the Bureau's surface test facility served as the test-bed for initial development and experimentation of this guidance system. Subsequently, a continuous mining machine in an underground mine served as the platform for in-mine experimentation The first section of this report includes details of the laser sensors, communication network, and computer hardware. The next section includes experimental results, which show the system capable of accurately tracking and controlling the tram maneuvers of a continuous miner underground. The final section discusses conclusions and recommendations.

Jan 1, 1992

By P. Dupeuble

Diaphragm walls, owing to their method of construction are discontinuous structures. A new technology for the construction of joints between panels has been developed. This new process allows for the construction of diaphragm walls with mechanical and watertight continuity.

Jan 1, 2010

By Arthur L. Hall

The purpose of this symposium is to challenge industry to better air classification, and as a first step toward fulfillment, to spotlight three fairly recent, aerodynamically designed, highly efficient air classifiers. This discussion does not intend to imply that present practice is bad. Actually, when present air separators are used for the jobs for which they were originally designed, they give high production and uniform operation, with a minimum of maintenance. The customers of nonmetallic mineral pigment producers, however, are making increasing demands for finer products, such as 99.9 pct -20µ, which appears to be beyond the economic capabilities of standard air separators industrially used over the last 10 to 30 years. Here is an actual example. A 10-ft diam pebble mill is in closed circuit with a conventional 12-ft diam centrifugal air separator, grinding 20-mesh wollastonite to a series of fine grades up to 99.97 pct - U.S. No. 325 mesh (44µ). Fig. 1 shows variations in fineness of mill discharge (or air separator feed), recycle for regrinding (or air separator tails), and product as measured by a wet rotating sieve test. For example, when the mill is turning out a product 80 pct -325, the mill discharge or separator feed is 30 pct -325, and the coarse tailings or recycle is only 5 pct -325. Hence 25 pct of the 30 pct available is accepted as product. This is efficient separation, and the ratio of recycle to feed is only about 2: 1. How- ever, to make a product testing 99.97 pct -325 the separator feed is 62 pct -325 and the coarse tailing 60 pct -325. In this case the recycle ratio is about 13: 1 and the economic limit to produce fineness has been substantially reached with this given equipment and process arrangement.

Jan 10, 1957

By Brad Sampson

Project Ownership ?Discovery Metals Limited ?ASX (DML), BSX (DML), AIM (DME) ?Market Cap AUD 195M ?Key assets ?Boseto Cu ?Dikoloti Ni The Boseto Copper Project ?Location ?Setting ?History ?Status ?Future

May 1, 2010

By B Belle

Dust sampling is pivotal in estimating the ‘dose’ of dust exposure and in deriving dose-response curves in epidemiological studies. Over the last half century, gravimetric sampling has been the fundamental means for dust exposure monitoring using recognised respirable size-selective standards. In Australia, a gravimetric sampling technique has been followed since 1983 using the Higgins-Dewell (HD) type cyclones (AS2985). The re-emergence of ‘Black Lung’ or Coal Workers Pneumoconiosis (CWP) in Queensland, Australia has re-kindled the need for better understanding of personal dust monitoring, compliance determination, accuracy, timeliness of sampling results and dust control systems. Reporting dust levels in real time empowers miners and operators to take immediate action to avoid being exposed to excessive airborne dust. Two decades of intensive research in the USA has led to the introduction of gravimetric based continuous personal dust monitors (CPDMs) called PDM3700 as compliance tools. The new real-time mass based sensor is a continuous mass based dust monitor using the Tapered Element Oscillating Microbalance (TEOM) principle and is regarded as significantly superior to the current gravimetric sampling methodology.Recently the overall respirable dust standard in USA coalmines has been reduced from the historic 2.0 to 1.5 mg/m3. This paper provides the results of a comparative pairwise study of an existing gravimetric sampler and the PDM3700 carried out in 3 different Australian underground mines. The field results consistently suggest that there is a significant ‘measurement bias’ between the current gravimetric HD sampler and the PDM3700 monitor operated using a similar HD type cyclone. The results show that the currently used cyclone measurements are approximately 59 per cent higher than the ‘auditable’ PDM3700 monitor data at the current compliance limit of 3 mg/m3. Based on a review of the extensive data collected, the differences can in part be attributed to the aerosol size selectivity of the samplers with the current gravimetric sampler used in mines, collecting more larger sized particles (D90 of 15 µm). This finding has significant consequences for historic exposure results and their use in medical surveillance programs, as well as the current approach to non-compliance determination.CITATION:Belle, B, 2017. Pairwise evaluation of PDM3700 and traditional gravimetric sampler for personal dust exposure assessment, in Proceedings Australian Mine Vent Conference 2017, pp 87–92 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Aug 28, 2017

By Edgardo Orderique

El presente texto describe el modelo de desarrollo del proyecto minero Antapaccay, de forma que cada etapa en el proceso de determinación de reservas, sea rigurosamente evaluada y estimada. La secuencia comprende el programa de taladros exploratorios, explicación geológica y mineralógica del yacimiento, interpretación y modelamiento geológico, modelamiento de leyes, definición de parámetros de optimización del pit, generación del pit final, planeamiento estratégico de fases de minado y secuencia anual del mismo, siguiendo el objetivo de maximización del NPV. Asímismo, se explican los aspectos de medio ambiente y relaciones comunitarias.

Sep 9, 2007

An examination is made of some of the consequences of a magmatic gas phase developed during a late stage of differentiation of an acidic magma. Elements possessing halides with high partial pressures (Sn, Mo, W) may be removed from the magma by distillation into gas bubbles in the manner suggested by Fenner (1933). The common chalcophile elements are not affected by this mechanism, but form sulphides which may become attached to rising gas bubbles by one of three distinct mechanisms. The gas bubbles may then carry the sulphides upwards and concentrate them in some favourable locus, giving rise to an ore-forming fluid. The process would operate selectively upon different sulphides and is capable of providing an explanation of the paragenetic succession observed in ore deposits as well as other important geological criteria of ore genesis.INTRODUCTIONThere is a widespread belief among contemporary geologists that a large and important class of ore deposits is genetically related in some way·to acidic igneous rocks. This class includes the tin-tungsten-molybdenum-bismuth type of mineralization as well as a variety of sulphide deposits.A basic problem confronting explanation of the genesis of these deposits is the manner in which trace elements which were originally widely dispersed in granitic magmas were segregated therefrom and concentrated into economic mineral deposits.The principles underlying the formation of one group of minerals deposits (pegmatites) related to granitic magmas ate reasonably well understood, largely due to the labours of Goldschmidt and his school. However, many geologists have noted that there appears to be some sort of fundamental discontinuity between pegmatite formation and the origin of the more common hypogene ores, particularly sulphides.Accordingly it has been suggested that these ores...

Jan 1, 1956

By H Han, W Wang, E Zhou, D Duan

"In this study, physical, chemical and microscopic characteristics of high phosphorus oolitic hematite were studied firstly. Based on which, the new methods of high phosphorus hematite used in the æsolid state reduction by rotary hearth furnace - magnetic separationÆ and iron nugget by rotary hearth furnace direct reduction processes were discussed. The results showed that high temperature, low basicity and high carbon content is conducive for the apatite in iron ore to reduce into molten iron, but not conducive to the removal of phosphorus. Through optimisation of process parameters, dephosphorisation rate of high phosphorus hematite is more than 60 per cent by æsolid state reduction roasting-magnetic separationÆ process while that is up to 80 per cent by iron nugget process. This study can provide theoretical and technical basis on economical and rational use of high phosphorus oolitic hematite.CITATION:Han, H, Duan, D, Zhou, E and Wang, W, 2013. New methods for high phosphorus oolitic hematite dephosphorisation by direct reduction process, in Proceedings Iron Ore 2013, pp 391-396 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne)."

Aug 12, 2013

By B. A. Eaton

The subject of many discussions and technical papers in the last 20 years has been the prediction of the well-bore pressure gradients that are required to induce or extend fractures in subsurface formations. The subject merits this attention because of the frequently recurring problems that arise from an inability to predict fracture pressure gradients. Encountered in several common types of operations in the oil industry are problems associated with the prediction of formation fracture pressure gradients. When wells are being drilled in both new and old fields, lost circulation is often a very troublesome and expensive problem. Complete loss of circulation has been disastrous in some cases. Many times, such disasters could have been avoided if techniques for calculating fracture pressure gradient had been employed in the well plans, and if casing strings had been set, and mud weight plans had been followed accordingly. In areas of abnormally pressured formations, the prediction of fracture gradients during the well-planning stage is extremely important. In fact, it is as important as the prediction of formation pressure gradients, which has received a great deal of attention in recent years. There are several published methods used to determine fracture pressure gradients. However, none of these methods appears to be general enough to be used with much reliability in all areas. In 1957, Hub-bert and Willis published a classical paper that included the development of an equation used to predict the fracture extension pressure gradient in areas of incipient normal fau1ting.l Overburden stress gradient, formation pore pressure gradient and Poisson's ratio of rocks were the independent variables that were shown to control fracture pressure gradient, the dependent variable. In 1967, Matthews and Kelly published another fracture pressure gradient equation that is different from that of Hubbert and Willis in that a variable "matrix stress coefficient" concept was utilized.3 Later the same year, Costley wrote about a similar idea.5 Goldsmith and Wilson used a least-squares curve-fitting technique and field data from the Gulf Coast area to correlate fracture pressure gradient with formation pore pressure gradient and formation depth.' They noted that the fracture pressure gradient increased with increasing depth while the pore pressure gradient remained constant. In each of these cases, the problem for which a solution was sought was to determine the bottom-hole pressure gradient required to initiate or extend a fracture. Results of the previous work show that fracture pressure gradient is a function primarily of overburden stress gradient, pore pressure gradient, and the ratio of horizontal to vertical stress. There is argument for a fourth variable in that in many cases breakdown fracture pressure gradient is greater than the fracture extension pressure gradient. However, if the fracturing fluid is able to penetrate the formation through the pores or existing cracks, there is very little

Jan 1, 1970

By H. D. Outmans

A method has been developed for determining the relative water wet-tability (fraction of the surface wet by water) of porous media. This method involves the adsorption of methylene blue dye from an aqueous solution onto the solid surfaces of rock contacted by the injected dye solution. Experiments on Berea snndstone cores have shown that water-wet cores adsorb a large amount of dye from solution. In oil-wet cores, however, the injected aqueous dye solution is prevented from contacting the adsorptive surfuces by a film of oil and virtually no dye is adsorbed. This method was tested by experiments on mixtures of water-wet and oil-wet sand. Using the dye adsorption method, it was possible to determine quantitatively the fraction of water-wet and oil-wet sarzd in such mixtures. The dye adsorption test is readily applied to determinitrg the relative water wettability of fresh oilfield cores. The cores are not extracted before testing. Observed values of the wettability of field cores tested to date have varied from 100 to 6 per cent water wet. INTR OD UCTIO N Recent articles1 ' have emphasized the important role that wettability plays in almost all phases of reservoir rock behavior. It has been shown that wettability has a profound effect on the interstitial water saturation, residual oil saturation, capillary pressure, relative permeability, waterflood behavior, and resistivity index of oilfield cores. A quantitative investiga- tion of the effect of wettability on these core properties is severely handicapped by the lack of a simple technique for measuring the wettability of a porous medium. If such a technique were available, it would provide investigators with a means of gaining insight into the distribution of phases within a core. A number of qualitative methods of estimating wettability are known. These include contact angle measurements, flotation tests and studies of displacement pressure: imbibition7 and relative permeability data.' Using these tests, it is usually possible to classify a core as water-wet, oil-wet, or some intermediate degree of wettability. One recently proposed method involving measurement of nuclear magnetic relaxatione offers promise of determining quantitatively the fractional wettability of cores. The equipment is rather elaborate and necessary treatment of the cores before testing probably alters the natural wettability. This latter point also applies to most of the cited qualitative methods. This paper presents a new technique for determining water wettability of cores; it is based on measurements of the dye adsorption capacity of the core. This method has the advantage of requiring relatively simple equipment and involves minimum handling of the core before testing. It is important to distinguish between the various concepts of wettability referred to in the literature. The term "wetting" is defined by Bartell as that phenomenon which occurs when a solid and liquid phase come in contact in any manner so as to form a solid-liquid interface. A preferentially water-wet solid is defined by Jennings in terms of the advancing contact angle in the solid water-oil systems. Brown and Fatt regard fractional wettability as the fraction of the total surface area that is preferentially oil-wet or water-wet. However, none of these definitions adequately describes the type wettability measured by the dye test. This calls for the introduction of a new term, "relative water wettability", which we define as the fraction of the total surface area of a core contacted by injected water. DESCRIPTION OF METHOD The ability of a porous medium (especially the clays) to adsorb large quantities of surfactants, dyes, etc., is well known. It is reasonable to assume that a substance can be adsorbed from solution onto a solid surface only if the solution contacts the surface. In this connection Shapiro" has shown by experiments on silica gel that completely dry gel will adsorb methyl red dye from a benzene solution. On the other hand, if a film of water more than several molecules thick is present on the silica gel, the adsorption capacity of the gel for the dye is drastically reduced. Thus, a study of the dye adsorption capacity of cores should give some clue as to the fluid distribution on the surface of the core. TEST OF METHOD As a qualitative check on this theory, dye adsorption tests were run on similar Berea sandstone cores (Table 1, Cores 1-5). Cores saturated initially with water and flooded with 0.01 per cent aqueous methylene blue adsorbed 0.58 mg dye/gm of core. Similar cores saturated initially with water, driven to irreducible water with oil, and then flooded with the same dye solution also adsorbed 0.58 mg dye/gm of core. Another core, treated with a 5 per cent Dri-Film solution, dried and saturated with oil (Soltrol) adsorbed no dye when the dye solution was injected. These tests confirm

The design of excavations in high displacement mining environments requires consideration of both the load and displacement capacity of the ground reinforcement and support systems. This paper is a case study on the design of point anchored rebar bolts using laboratory tests and field trials at the Ridgeway Deeps block cave. A laboratory testing program was carried out to measure the mechanical properties of the Strata Control Systems R27 Secura resin bolt which is currently being installed on the extraction and undercut level at the Ridgeway Deeps block cave. The aim was to quantify elastic, plastic and energy parameters for various bolt, mesh and plate systems. Experiments were performed on bar segments, bolt/plate systems, and bolt/plate/mesh/resin systems. The mechanical properties were calculated from tensile tests with a 500 kN Avery machine. Load-displacement data was collected from four different testing configurations. The laboratory results are compared with underground measurements and observations of bolt performance.

Nov 25, 2010

By Darrell L. Beddard

Pile driving started October 29, 1993 and was completed on January 27, 1994. Field work included driving piling from ground surface at one site and at or near proposed footing elevations for the remainder. Piles were driven to specified tip elevations or the elevations directed by the Project Manager. In an attempt to address what installation technique(s) performed the best, several methods were used, including varied predrilled depths, open ended piles, closed ended piles, and the use of both impact and vibratory hammers. Piles were driven closed ended where possible to study the feasibility of this option to reduce construction costs associated with pile cleanout. Piles were driven to different depths to measure capacity variations. The 24-inch (610 mm) diameter piling were driven in one piece while the 42-inch (1.07 m) diameter piling was driven in two segments. A total of 79 piles were driven for the four sites, 74 of the 24-inch (610 mm) diameter and 5 of the 42-inch (1.07 m) diameter. Various hammers were used to determine which hammers provided viable solutions to the potential problems anticipated in the design phase. Hammer selection was based on the driveability studies. Equipment included a 175 ton (1.56 MN) crane, support crane for pile stabilization, crane mounted auger drill, offshore leads, Delmag D30-32, D46-32, and D62-22 diesel hammers, an HPSI 2005 single acting hydraulic hammer, a Foster IHC S-90 double acting hydraulic hammer and a Kencho VM2-25000AII vibratory hammer with the weights set to produce 17,500 pound-inch (1.98 kN-m) of eccentric moment.

Jan 1, 1996

By Mike Muchard

STATNAMIC load testing augmented with embedded instrumentation has been successfully used to obtain structural and geotechnical design information on large diameter spun cast concrete cylinder piles on many large marine construction projects. The paper focuses on one particularly interesting large marine project involving a new bridge to St. George Island, Florida where instrumentation and STATNAMIC load testing was used in conjunction with static load testing on high capacity piles. The information presented includes embedded instrumentation measurements taken during pile fabrication (post-tensioning), during pile driving, during static load testing, and STATNAMIC load testing. As much of this data is the first of its kind on concrete cylinder piles, it is exciting to present the foundation industry with this additional insight as to the behavior of this pile type and the accuracy of the methods used to test them.

Jan 1, 2005

By M. -C. Noël, G. P. Demopoulos

In this work the formation and environmental stabilization potential of arsenate-containing fluoroapatites is considered. In particular in this research various compounds were precipitated from synthetic solutions containing fluoride, arsenate/phosphate and calcium by varying different parameters-temperature, Ca:As ratio, pH, and P:As ratio, and aging time. The results obtained helped determine the operating window that should be used for the formation of highly crystalline fluoroapatites, in particular svabite (Ca5(AsO4)3F). It was found that svabite has a specific pH range of precipitation, with lower pH yielding CaF2 and calcium arsenate compounds such as CaHAsO4•H2O. At higher pH, a mixture of svabite and johnbaumite (Ca5(AsO4)3OH) precipitated, yielding a less stable material. This range of precipitation varied with the concentration of arsenic in the starting solution, and widened with higher initial concentrations of Ca2+, AsO4 3- and F-. Furthermore, svabite/fluoroapatite solid solutions were formed by using the same procedure as svabite but replacing some of the arsenate in solution by phosphate. The increase in phosphate content yielded a gradual change in morphology and crystallinity. Work on stability evaluation is currently under way.

Jan 1, 2014

By Gianni Bartolacci, Patrice Nadeau, Szatvanyi. Gerard, Carl Duchesne, Claude Chrétien

"Combustion is used throughout the mineral processing industry to produce steam in boilers, to dry concentrates in rotary dryers, and to apply heat treatments in pyrometallurgical furnaces. Tight combustion control is very important in latter type of furnace since the combustion conditions directly affect final ore quality. However, achieving tight combustion control is not straightforward since most of the flames encountered in industry are turbulent non-premixed flames, they are affected by several unmeasured disturbances and are often produced by burning several types of fuel simultaneously, some of them coming from other parts of the plant. A novel method is proposed in this paper to improve process and product quality control as well as to optimize the combustion conditions based on digital flame color images. Multivariate Image Analysis and Regression is to used extract the flame color characteristics from images to predict the solids discharge temperature of an industrial rotary kiln. It is shown that this method yield extremely good 10 minutes ahead forecast of the temperature and should lead to a substantial reduction in product quality variability as well as in fuel consumption.INTRODUCTIONFuel-fired furnaces are often used in the mineral processing industry for various purposes, such as for the production of steam (utility boiler), in conjunction with rotary dryers to dry mineral concentrates or in pyrometallurgical processes for induration, roasting, and so forth. These furnaces are necessary in the supply chain from the mine to the metals, but their operating costs are constantly rising due to the fluctuations in fuel prices. Moreover, these processes are now targeted by the Kyoto Protocol since they are energy intensive and they produce significant amounts of CO2 and other pollutants such CO, NOx and SO2. To achieve both a reduction in operating costs (i.e. fuel consumption) and in pollutant emissions while maintaining or improving product quality, one needs to have a very good control of the combustion process."

Jan 1, 2005

By Wayne Rogers, Kell Monro, Arthur Pacunana

The Phu Kham Copper-Gold Operation (PKM) is a large-scale open pit mine located in northern Laos. It was developed and is operated by Phu Bia Mining Limited (PBM) a Lao-registered subsidiary company of Australian incorporated, PanAust Limited. Production commenced at Phu Kham in 2008. Since the second half of 2016, there has been a significant increase in ore hardness and this has negatively impacted the PKM concentrator and resulted in lower SAG mill throughput rates. Over the remaining life of mine, the changing ore body and increase in ore hardness is forecast to continue as the pit deepens and the availability of softer blending ores reduce. To manage this risk, PKM initiated a Hard Ores Management Program to determine the most effective way to improve the mill throughput of harder ores. This involved conducting a number of innovative and process control driven blasting trials to optimize run-of-mine (ROM) fragmentation and other blasting outcomes. From 2016 to 2017, the performance of high powder factor blasting, electronic detonators and fast timing, high velocity of detonation (VOD) explosives, double-priming, and deck blasting, were individually and systematically assessed. The success of each blasting trial was then based on a ‘value for money’ criteria. This criteria is a cost / benefit analysis that weighed-up the additional cost to implement the trial against the measured improvement in mill throughput. Electronic and high VOD 90:10 emulsion:ANFO blasts were determined to have the best value for money, achieving an increase in mill throughput of 54% compared to baseline. This paper discusses how the implementation of an innovative and process control driven blasting trial methodology was able to successfully manage the hard ore challenges at PKM. In addition, this success was achieved without any major cost implications, safety incidents or process plant set-backs.

Jan 1, 2018

By Bruce Geller

Attending the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) meeting and exhibit has become an annual tradition for many in the mining industry. Similar to last year’s synopsis, this report is an overview of the 2003 conference from the eyes of a consulting mineralogist. It is supplemented by conversations with other participants. And it examines the conference handouts. Certain segments of the mining industry have seen improvement throughout the year in terms of metal prices, stronger demand and renewed interest by the investment community. Other segments continue their decline due to depressed commodity prices, higher oil prices, a continued weakness in the global economy and war uncertainties. SARS was known to the world, but it was not a Toronto epidemic during PDAC. In short, this year’s PDAC was permeated by an air of anxiety about the Middle East.

Jan 1, 2003

An effective electrowinning process in hydrometallurgical industry requires fluoride levels in the base metal solution to be less than 10 mg/l. Selective removal of the fluoride ions from base solution is thus desired, if fluoride was added to control calcium and magnesium in the circuit. Consequently, adsorption of fluoride onto activated alumina was studied in a batch and a column set-up. The effects of base metal solution pH, temperature, initial concentration and flow rate on activated alumina performance were investigated in either a batch or column configuration. A two-level factorial experimental design was implemented in studying column dynamics. Results demonstrate that activated alumina is an effective adsorbent for selective removal of fluoride from base solution. In the batch operation, fluoride was removed to values below the maximum allowable concentration (10 mg/[l]) when pH was = 8. In the column adsorption step at 55°C and 600mg/[l] initial concentration, up to 16 bed volumes were processed before breakthrough level was reached. Desorption step using 1% sodium hydroxide solution achieved an elution of 8 bed volumes. The activated alumina (AA) had a capacity of 8.65 gF/[l]AA at the 10mgF/[l] fluoride breakthrough level during the column adsorption test. Keywords: Fluoride; activated alumina; adsorption; recovery; regeneration.

Jan 1, 2009

A subsurface study of the Maria Lode and associated hydrothermal alteration of andesites within the Karangahake epithermal gold-silver deposit defined the local evolutionary sequence in the once active geothermal system.   Some implications for mining of epithermal deposits arise as a result.

Jan 1, 1984

Mining Systems and Technology - Synchronous Electric Drives for Grinding Mills

Sep 13, 2010