Search Documents

By W. R. Reed, J. A. Organiscak

Haul trucks have the potential to generate large amounts of respirable dust. This respirable dust has been shown to be a health hazard to personnel, especially if it has a high silica content. Lack of dust sampling data from haul trucks prompted the completion of a study to quantify respirable dust concentrations. These field studies were conducted measuring instantaneous respirable dust at stationary locations from passing haul trucks at a stone quarry and at a coal mine site. Fugitive dust levels from haul trucks were analyzed to characterize dust dispersion. This analysis indicates safe following distances for haul trucks and other heavy equipment to avoid overexposure of respirable dust from the lead haul truck.

By Mathew Avery, Colby Barrett

In November 2016, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake caused more than 100,000 cubic meters of rock and debris to tumble down and bury the transportation infrastructure below Ohau Point in New Zealand. All routes between the northern and southern portions of South Island were severed. To undertake the rebuilding efforts, the New Zealand government established North Canterbury Transport Infrastructure Recovery (NCTIR) – an alliance to repair the road and rail networks between Picton and Christchurch. NCTIR’s aim was to have the road open by Christmas 2017, but work also continued into 2018 to complete a number of safety improvements along the highway. The presentation will review the initial remediation attempts, the necessity to re-evaluate the original efforts, the need to incorporate techniques that were “outside-the-box” and different from traditional methods, and the logistics and planning that were required to complete the work safely. INTRODUCTION Shortly after midnight on Monday 14th November, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the small South Island settlement of Waiau in North Canterbury, 100km north of Christchurch. The quake was the largest in New Zealand since the magnitude 7.8 Dusky Sound earthquake in 2009 (GNS 2016). While shaking was widespread with over 15,000 recorded ‘felt reports,’ the worst shaking occurred about 50 seconds after the quake rupturing started. The energy of the tremor progressed north over several minutes with surface rupture recorded on a total of 21 faults. The length of all the fault ruptures combined was close to 100km (GNS 2016). The degree of ground shaking was high, recorded as Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale (MMI) Level 8 – Severe. This level of shaking causes considerable damage in ordinary buildings with partial collapse including fall of chimneys, factory stacks, columns, monuments, walls, etc. At a human level, people experience difficulty standing; while furniture and appliances shift. Geologically, the damage depends on the geological setting. In Kaikoura and the surrounding area, especially the coastal highway State Highway 1, north and south of the town, many of the slopes consist of over steepened weathered, fractured greywacke. During the quake, the shaking caused significant and widespread damage with a total of 26 major slips (and many smaller slips); closing both State Highway 1 and the Main North Rail Line between Picton and Christchurch.

Jan 1, 2018

In order to appreciate fully the place of palaeontology within the general framework of the geological sciences, consideration must be given to the time, about 150 years ago, just before the study of fossils was beginning to be applied to geological problems. At theend of the eighteenth century, almost all geologists recognised that fossils were the remains of animals and plants that had lived at the time when the rocks in which they occur were formed. It was also realized that many-some geologists thought all-rocks hadbeen formed under water, but as regards the order of succession in which these rocks had originated, and the relative ages of rocks found in different parts of the world or even of one country, only the haziest and most contradictory ideas existed.Around the turn from the eighteenth to the nineteenth century, a widely taught system of theories was that of the German professor, Abraham Gottlob Werner, who believed that the surface of the earth had once been covered by a universal ocean at whose bottom all rocks had been deposited. As the level of this ocean gradually subsided, older rocks-so Werner taught-are now generally found in the mountains or at great depth below the younger rocks; this was his "Primitive Division" which included granite, gneiss, schists, slates, basalt, porphyry and other igneous and metamorphic rocks, all of which he believed to be of sedimentary origin. Younger rocks, according to Werner, were formed at successively lower levels as the water receded. Next in age he placed a "Transition System" of limestones and greywackes; still younger the so-called "Floetz Division," which included sandstone, limestone, gypsum, salt, coal, but also some basalt, porphyry and other rocks; youngest were the alluvial deposits of recent clays, loams, sands and gravel. Thus, in the Wernerian system the age of a rock was determined on the basis of its petrographic properties and the height of its occurrence relative to sea-level.Here and there these ideas survived well into the nineteenth century. As late as 1825, Charles Darwin listened to lectures by Professor Jamieson, one of the last proponents of Wernerian theories in England. The fact that entirely different kinds of fossils occurredin rocks which were regarded as contemporaneous did not worry the theoreticians.It is, therefore, noteworthy and significant that the value of fossils for the interpretation of geological events was demonstrated to the geologists by an engineer and surveyor, WiIIiam Smith, who, although no professional geologist, has often been called the "Father of English Geology." His professional work, which was mainly concerned with drainage and irrigation projects, took Smith to all parts of England, where he sometimes journeyed as much as 10,000 miles in 11 year. Smith was a keen observer and, unhampered by theoretical speculations, he noted the occurrence of fossils and collected specimens wherever he went. Before long he realized that the same kind of fossils followed each other in successive layers of rocks in much the same way in different parts of England, and soon he was able, by looking at fossils collected by other people, to tell from what...

Jan 1, 1950

By L. Nahai

Iran's petroleum industry is nearly 50 years old and the oldest in the Near East. According to published figures, Iran ranks third in production and reserves in the Near East. These reserves (including probable reserves) are estimated at 35 billion barrels and constitute about 11 percent of the world's total. Iran is the sixth largest producer of crude petroleum in the world. The 1961 output of more than 430 million barrels was 5 percent of total world out-put for the year. In the same year, Iran ranked fourth among world petroleum exporters, providing 8.4 percent of total world exports.

Jan 1, 1963

By Henry M. Harris

The roll forming of oxide powders was studied in a Bureau of Mines investigation to find the conditions and parameters required to make satisfactory ceramic strip. High-quality porous or dense alumina, zirconia, and porcelain shapes were made by sintering strip roll-formed at room temperature from powders containing minor amounts of binder and water. Strips with thicknesses of 0.04 to 0.08 inch and bulk densities from 40 to 90 percent of theoretical densities were made. The parameters most important to formability were particle size, condition of the powders, and roll gap. Other factors affecting quality were speed and surface condition of the rolls, amount and type of binder, water content, and sintering conditions. Ceramic strip was formed at rates up to 78 feet/minute, which is 13 to 23 times faster than reported by previous investigators, and forming was done in a simple and inexpensive roll unit. Reshaping the strip was possible by cutting, grinding, shearing, and stamping. The following innovations were developed that allow roll processing not normally possible with ceramic powders: (1) Fine-sized powders were made into strip by preparing these as partially sintered granules; (2) thick strip was formed by pressure feeding powders into the rolls; (3) flexible strip was made using a rubber-base bonding agent; (4) corrugated strip was formed on shaped rolls; and (5) porcelain strip was densified and reduced in thickness by rerolling while hot.

Jan 1, 1970

The Fraser Range is composed dominantly of basic pyroxene granulites derived from basalts, many of which appear to have been vesicular and pillowed. Acidic and basic garnet-bearing granulites are important in the west, and acidic granulites and narrow anorthosite layers are dominant in some regions east of the Fraser Range. An extensive flat-lying olivine gabbro sheet cuts the granulites, and in places has been converted to spineI-bearingmeta-gabbros and pyroxene granulites. The granulites of the Fraser Range (Proterozoic) are separated from the gneisses and schists of the goldfields regions (Archaean) by the Fraser Fault, over which there is a large gravity anomaly (gradient 20 milligals per mile). Some of the problems associated with the concentration of Cu, and Ni liberated from mineral lattices during metamorphism, and other principles of metal concentration in granulite terranes, are discussed. The recognition of vesicular and pillowed zones, even though highly metamorphosed, is of fundamental importance.

Jan 1, 1969

By J. Thompson

Paper written on project work carried out in partial fulfilment of B. Eng (Mining Engineering) degree A study into the stability of strike gullies at TauTona mine was to be carried out. In reaching the conclusions to follow, a three-stage process was followed. ?A literature study as well as discussions with management and workers alike to gain their inputs and perceptions. ?An ESH Department survey into the history of transgression from proper mine standard in TauTona strike gullies. Unfortunately records were found to be scarce and obscure and the importance of better inter-departmental recordings cannot be stressed enough. ?An underground survey of 11 pre-selected gullies distributed in both the UCL and LCL reef horizons. This stage is to carry the greatest weight in the points to be brought forward in this report. The process highlighted and ranked the following areas as the most critical role players in the deterioration of strike gullies: ?Poor blasting practice ?Sub-standard siding depth and lead-lags ?Split sets ?Off line gully development ?Adverse geological features. The following has been suggested to the mine to help reduce strike gully instability. ?Where possible, maintain lead-lags below 7 m?else increase the siding depth to suit. ?Decrease the gully width standard to 1.2 m (especially in ?high risk areas?). ?Discourage drillers from drilling side holes in gully face blast pattern. This will allow for time in which tendon support can be kept up to date. ?Ensure split sets are installed 1 m behind the gully face so as to prevent opening up of fractures. ?Utilize the centre split set in the 1:2:1 pattern to maintain the proper gully line. ?When adverse conditions prevail, it is necessary to apply a special support plan not only to the panel face, but also (just as importantly) to the gully as well. Shotcreting of the gully hanging is a suitable long-term consideration for providing the additional a real coverage needed. List of Abbreviations [CL Carbon Leader M/O Mine Overseer UCL Upper Carbon Leader FOG Fall of Ground LCL Lower Carbon Leader H/W Hanging Wall ERR Energy Release Rate F/W Foot Wall WDL Western Deep Levels ESH Environmental Safety and Health ]

Jan 1, 2002

By C. L. Schneider, C. O. Gomes, R. P. King, J. A. Finch, D. Lin

Discussion is presented by Prof. King and Dr. Schneider of the paper by Lin, Gomez and Finch published in Trans.IMM C, vol.104, 1995, p.C155-C161. They conclude that the correction procedures used for simulated observations of simulated capped spheres are not reliable when applied to mineralogical data and that their relative ranking should not be extrapolated to other situations. Properly regularised solutions obtained with the use of appropriate kernels can be safely used for routine mineral liberation work and can be calibrated accurately against real mineralogical samples in the laboratory

Jun 19, 1905

By David M. Spatz

The way people interact, collaborate, learn and improve can have a profound impact on a company’s efficiency, performance, productivity and return on investment. This is the motive behind corporate efforts today to replace the traditional hierarchical structure with team-oriented organization. The increased importance of communication and collaboration during the past 20 years has been propelled by rapid advances in technology and increased availability of information. Companies must take advantage of the information that is required for competitive performance and for the continued production of quality products. So it is essential that outstanding communication, cooperation and collaboration take place among multidisciplinary specialists assigned to work together to solve common problems and achieve common goals. Companies are searching for ways to increase knowledge transfer and learning, particularly among people who work on related topics. This will improve efficiency and quality and reduce redundancy and costs.

Jan 1, 2000

By M. Sharafodin, A. A. Hassanipak

Abstract - The essential aims of additional borehole drilling are to improve the reliability of grade and tonnage estimates in each reserve class and to increase ore tonnages. The "GET" function presented in this paper considers strategies for achieving both of these goals simultaneously, and therefore is advantageous for selecting sites for additional boreholes. The "GET" function is either a linear or a non-linear product of three variables G, E, and T: f(G,E,T,) = G??E??T??where the values of any or all of the exponents ?, ?, and ??may differ from unity at the discretion of the user. G and E are the average estimated block grade and the average estimation error for ore blocks in one vertical column, and T is the compounded ore thickness within the column. To illustrate its utility, the GET function has been used for determination of the most advantageous sites for additional drilling in the Shah-Kuh Pb-Zn deposit in west central Iran.

Jan 1, 2004

This publication summarizes, for all interested parties, the research, development, and demonstration in-house projects programed by the Bureau of Mines for fiscal year 1979 (October 1, 1978--September 30, 1979) under its Nine Health and Safety Research program. The objective of these projects is to provide an ordered and sequenced series of advances toward the Bureau's overall goal of providing the system technology required to create a healthier and safer working environment for the Nation's miners.

Jan 1, 1979

By G. A. Calboreanu

One way of cost reduction is attained when using materials with improved erosion ? corrosion resistance. For many years hard irons successfully answered the Mining Operation needs however application ranges were limited due to the low chemical resistance of such alloys. Corrosion resistance of any hard iron increases when microscopically homogenizing chromium and generating passivation conditions throughout and between all metallographic phases. Chromium distribution of the new material called Max10 was analyzed with EDS ? energy dispersive spectroscopy. At critical depleted chromium carbide ? matrix interfaces chromium increased to 31.72% which is well within passivation levels. Generally the corrosion resistance of high chromium hard irons provided by Metal Casting Industry is limited to 0.5% sulfuric acid and 28 PPM ionic chlorides. Such restrains increased when using Max10 to 2.0% sulfuric acid and 100 PPM ionic chlorides. Max10 contains 35% carbide volume fraction, has excellent corrosion resistance within pH = 1.15 ? 13.6 while fracture toughness under plain - strain conditions and Mode I opening is KIC = 20 KSI.(inch)1/2. Wear rate was calculated with the pin-on-disk apparatus using a diamond indenter per ASTM G99 recommendation. After years of research, experimentation and implementation the Max10 castings were service installed in slurry pumps and mixing equipment. In some applications the life time of slurry pumps manufactured in Max10 tripled versus previously used materials.

Jan 1, 2012

By Stephen C. Tadolini

The U.S. Bureau of Mines, in cooperation with the Cyprus- Plateau Mining Company, has conducted research to provide an alternative to traditional secondary support systems in a two-entry, yield pillar gate road. As recent as two years ago, it was impossible to imagine a gate road supported solely with internal high-strength resin-grouted cable supports that would virtually eliminate the necessity for crib or concrete external supports. The support system evaluated consisted of 1.6-m (5-ft) full-column resin-grouted bolts and 4.8-m (164) long cable supports installed in conjunction with wire mesh and "monster-mats." Cable loading and roof deformations were monitored to evaluate the behavior of the immediate and main roofs during first and second panel extractions. The stress and loading histories for the panels and yield pillar were monitored to evaluate the stress transfer and pillar performance in conjunction with the roof and floor behavior. The test results indicated that the designed support system successfully maintained the roof during the extraction of two longwall panels and dramatically reduced the cost of secondary support. This paper will describe the theory of a cribless support system, the advantages of cable supports, and present the pillar, roof, and floor measurements made to assess the support performance during longwall retreat mining.

Jan 1, 1995

By K. E. Brown, J. P. Brill, A. R. Hagedorn, T. C. Doerr

A recent correlation for multiphase vertical flow by Hagedorn and Brown1,7 has been used to examine the effect of numerous variables such as pipe size, gas-liquid ratio, liquid flow rate, liquid viscosity, liquid surface tension, oil API gravity, water cut, etc., on flowing pressure gradients. Most previous correlations were derived by using a form of the general energy equation which assumed negligible changes in kinetic energy. Under certain flow conditions this can lead to serious errors in predicting pressure traverses. Examples of traverses calculated both with and without the kinetic energy term are included here. The Chew and Connully correlation for calculating changes in viscosity with changing pressure and temperature has been extended so that the effect of a changing viscosity with depth on pressure gradients can also be predicted. Examples illustrating the effect of tubing size show the importance of this correlation in determining pipe sizes for initial well completions. Limitations on production rates in small pipe sizes from excessive friction losses can be predicted with greater accuracy. The combined use of a vertical-flow correlation with a horizontal-flow correlation provides a method for determining the maximum flow rate possible from both flowing and gas-lift wells. Examples are included to illustrate application of the combined use of vertical and horizontal-flow correlations in optimizing production rates and minimizing excessive costs from over injection of gas in gas-lift wells. INTRODUCTION The problems of multiphase vertical and horizontal flow are immediately encountered in any producing well. Fig. 1' shows three stages of production: flow in porous medium, vertical flow and horizontal flow. All three stages affect the production rate from a well. If we are confronted with a particular well and consider only the variables involved in the vertical and horizontal stages of Fig. 1, we should be capable of calculating the flowing bottom-hole pressure necessary to produce a particular flow rate. A change in any of the variables results in a new solution to the problem. Recent approaches in developing horizontal and vertical-flow correlations have improved to the extent that the solution can now be obtained with more confidence than previously. VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL FLOW CORRELATIONS Since Poettmann and Carpenter's' original work in multiphase vertical flow, there have been many additional vertical-flow correlations developed which have greatly improved the accuracy of pressure-loss calculations. These

Jan 1, 1967

By Maurice J. Peterson

The applications of optical spectrochemical methods of analysis for determining trace impurities in metals are described, and the need for developing analytical procedures capable of accurately determining fractional parts per million of impurity elements in metals is stressed. Factors which determine sensitivity of detection and means to extend sensitivity levels in spectrochemical methods are discussed. Examples from the current literature illustrate the diversity of spectrochemical techniques that have been applied to the analyses of varied sample types, Many of the methods use preconcentration procedures to increase sensitivity limits. A bibliography containing abstracts of recent methods in included. Optical spectrochemical analysis is based upon the measurement of radiant energy emitted by atoms of the elements to be determined when a sample is subjected to a suitable source of excitation. The behavior of the valence electrons during excitation, usually by an arc, spark, or flame, produces radiant energy of specific wavelengths. This is recorded as spectral line images on a photographic film or plate by the spectrograph; for direct-reading instruments, the spectral lines are detected with photomultiplier tubes. The spectral lines result from the excitation of atoms in the sample. Each variety of atom produces its own characteristic set of lines, thus serving to identify the elements in the sample. Increased concentrations of elements in the excited sample results in increased blackening of the spectral line images.

Jan 1, 1961

By Bijan Taheri, Behrouz Maghsodi, Monireh Heshami, Reza Kohan

A common problem recently encountered with the increase in the rate of input feed at Enrichment Plant 2 of the Sarcheshmeh Copper Complex is the loss of value to the tails, translating to lower recoveries. The feasibility of the direct transfer of part of the high-grade concentrate from rougher stages to an appropriate position along the circuit was studied, and two positions were proposed for direct transfer of the concentrate. One position was the feed flow into cleaner cells, and the other was the feed flow into the recleaner cell. The results indicated that transferring the concentrate from the first unit of the rougher stage to the feed flow into the cleaner cells was feasible, with no limitations, while the second position required the installation of a set of hydrocyclones. It was found that the transfer of concentrate to the proposed positions not only addressed the problem of limited cell capacity, resulting in debottlenecking of the circuit, but also improved metallurgical separation efficiency up to 1.4%.

By Cosmin Carpinisan, Erich J. Hofmann, Stephen J. Hall

"Since presenting a technical paper regarding their unique capabilities in Forged Steel Mill Gearing at the SAG-2006 Conference, Australian heavy engineering company Hofmann Engineering has pioneered a number of new manufacturing processes and design concepts for components of large comminution equipment. These include: 1. Novel design improvements for HPGR Rolls with forged steel tyres and a unique patented tungsten carbide insert designed to improve wear life, enhance autogenous layer build-up, and to reduce breakage & chipping under load. 2. Development of forged fabricated Mill Heads using rolled & welded high-tensile steel plate as alternatives to cast conical mill heads. 3. Insitu Girth Gear measurements for profile and wear via portable 6-axis CMM. 4. Gear and Pinion designs to AGMA-6114 for SAG mills of 38’-40’ diameter to 24MW and for Ball Mills of 26’ diameter to 18MW. The paper presents case studies from the Australian heavy manufacturing facilities of Hofmann Engineering, combined with news of their new gear manufacturing and gearbox overhaul facility in Canada."

Jan 1, 2012

By R. G. B. Pickering

The purpose of this report is to chronicle the interaction between Anglo Platinum and Sandvik Tamrock during the development and application of Long Hole drilling as a viable, practical method of narrow reef mining. Appendix I identifies the people from Anglo Platinum and Sandvik Tamrock who participated in the project. Experiments in long hole drilling and blasting were conducted in a number of mines during the late 1950s and early 1960s. Some of the advantages envisaged were: ? The face would require no daily examination ? No barring down or immediate face support required ? No sockets to clean ? Only a few well drilled holes rather than large numbers of short blast holes ? Avoidance of poorly-marked holes, inaccurate drilling and improper charging ? Better supervision and better face advance. Holes 50 mm in diameter were drilled parallel to the stope face by pneumatic rock drills from advance strike gullies. Holes were charged with amon gelignite cartridges. All holes were traced with detonating cord to ensure propagation of the explosive along the entire hole length. Rock was blasted onto a rolling scatter pile. A number of reasons have been cited for the failure of this mining method. The two most important were: ? problems in controlling hole deviation which was exacerbated by the fractured ground ? difficulty of charging up holes in fractured ground, due to relative movement of rocks along fracture surfaces over the hole length. The idea of drilling a few long holes parallel to the face rather than a large number of short blast holes perpendicular to the face was an attractive option to mechanize narrow reef mining. This particular project started in 1998. Initial trial The Union Section of Anglo Platinum purchased a Solo H 606 RA long hole drilling rig from Sandvik Tamrock in 1997. In order to evaluate long hole drilling as a basis for face mechanization. The Solo series of drill rig was selected because it combines high drilling performance and good drilling accuracy with high versatility with a compact size. The mining method proposed by a consultant to Anglo Platinum was based on the current trackless mining method practised by Union Section. The trackless mining method is better described as a trackless development and transport method. Reef strike drives were installed approximately 40 metres apart on dip using trackless equipment. Reef was mined using hand-held pneumatic rock drills and scraper winches and the excavation was supported by sticks and crush pillars at the top of the panel. Rock scraped from the panel was loaded by Lad Haul Dumps (LHDs), trammed to an inclined haulage, and loaded into trucks for transport to the surface. It was intended that the Solo would drill from the bottom advance strike drive to the top advance strike drive. Blasted rock would still have to be scraped from the panel. It is also difficult to understand how well the support would have survived. In the initial motivation it was stated that drilling accuracy was of the utmost importance. Previous work by Sandvik Tamrock had shown that, in other parts of the world, 20 metre long holes could be drilled with a deviation not exceeding 100 mm provided that: ? holes were collared with low thrust pressure ? operating percussion pressure was kept low -often not ? exceeding 10 MPa ? drilling was to be with tubes, not rods. In early 1998 initial trials with the Solo H 606 RA were inconclusive; attempts were made to drill 40 metre long holes from one advance strike drive to another. Difficulty was experienced in measuring hole straightness and accuracy, there was no survey of the holes, and no blasting was done to expose hole barrels. A long hole mining system was then defined, with a corresponding face mining system, which led to the design of a test programme for the Solo drilling rig. Earlier experience at Telfer The proposed face mining system was based on a mining method that is practised at Telfer Gold Mine in Western Australia. Telfer has a series of domed reefs that dip at angles of less than 20° to more than 40°. The ore bodies are all thin, with widths from 0.6 metres to 0.8 metres. Figure 1 shows the face layout. Experience at Telfer indicated the following: ? The spacing and size of the dip pillars should be based on the rock mechanics of Union Section ? The length of the face is determined by the ability to correctly position the blast holes. Positioning of blast holes is a function of hole straightness and hole direction. Blast holes in Telfer were drilled 64 mm diameter with retrac bits from Sandvik. Extension steel was T38 by 1.8 metre lengths. A guide rod was fitted immediately behind the bit. To achieve greater accuracy' operators drill at relatively low percussion and thrust pressures. Results show that very good accuracy is achieved in 20 metre stopes and only fair accuracy in longer stopes. In 34 metre long stopes 10-15% of the holes are not sufficiently accurately positioned and have to be re-drilled. All blast holes are

Jan 1, 2006

By C. G. Anderson

Today, with a stringent economic and environmental climate prevailing in the copper business, there is increased interest in evaluating new processing alternatives for production. Hydrometallurgical pressure oxidation of copper concentrates is one of the more viable approaches and several technological candidates have emerged. Of these, an overlooked but, ironically the first industrially proven methodology, utilized nitrogen species catalyzation in the oxidizing pressure leach system to produce copper via SX/EW. Given its many inherent process advantages, this may prove to be a feasible process alternative for the future. In this paper, the history of the system and its application to copper concentrates and ores will be outlined. In particular, a novel methodology for effective recovery of precious metals from chalcopyrite concentrates will be discussed. Finally, the perceived economics of chalcopyrite concentrate treatment with this unique industrially proven process will be delineated.

Jan 1, 2001

By Barnard Foo

Topics of Discussion ?Location ?Production & Mining Operation ?Mineralization ?Mining Method ?Rock Mechanics Issues ?Ground Control Problems ?Numerical Analysis ?RockmassBehaviour ?Conclusions & Recommendations ?Discussion

Feb 1, 2008