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By George W. Bain

Mr. Geo. W. Bain: Dr. H. C. Cooke's discussion of 'The Geology and Mineral Deposits of the Harricanaw and Bell River Basins' possesses many of the elements of a good political address; perhaps his long residence in Ottawa has some bearing upon his method of discussing geological work. The three essential parts of the address are all included. First, the plank - "Contributed discussion on the Geology and Mineral Deposits of the Harricanaw and Bell River Basins"; second, the personal attack upon the opponent, to show antipathy to the opponent as well as to his ideas; and third, controversion of a number of statements, which have been made to appear as planks of the opponents platform, even statements and work which are in no way connected with one under discussion. In the following pages, I will confine my attention to a defense of my work in the Harricanaw and Bell River basins, leaving discussion of the other areas mentioned by Dr. Cooke until results of the re-surveys are published. It is intimated that it was impossible to make a geological examination of an area of 1,600 sq. miles on a scale of four miles to the inch (base map supplied) in three and a half months, because "the area is accessible only from the railway along the northern edge together with a few roads close to it, and from rather wide separated streams?. There is one way, known to most geologists, whereby a place can be reached other than by railway coach or motor boat, and that the oldest of all -- walking. Most of the region was reached in this fashion. The boundaries of all the 18 townships included in the map are surveyed, nine are divided into lots, and the north-south and east-west centre lines of most of the others are surveyed and have mile-posts placed.

Jan 1, 1927

By Z. D. Hora

Air hough diatomite is known in many parrs of British Columbia, deposirs of mineable size have only been found in the area between Kam/oops and Quesnel in the sourh-cenrral parr of rhe province. Ar Quesnel, commercial producrion has continued since 1950 from diatomite lenses up ro 35m rhick. OCCURRENCES of diatomite are reported from many parts of British Columbia, but deposits of mineable size are known only from the area between Kamloops and Quesnel. Only Quesnel deposits have yet reached the production stage. Commercial production dates back to 1950, and up until 1979 approximately 22,700 tonnes of diatomite had been produced. Most extracted diatomite was processed until 1980 by Crownite Industrial Minerals Limited in Quesnel to produce an oil absorbent and animal bedding. Smaller shipments are used to make insulating bricks on the lower mainland. Deposits near Quesnel extend 40 km along the western bank of the Fraser River from Quesnel to Alexandria; most production has come from Lots o. 6132 and 906. Di atomite is present as discontinuous lenses up to 35 m thick. Diatomite beds Industrial Minerals in Canada are of Upper Miocene age and are overlain by plateau basalts. Diatomite consists almost exclusively of Melosira granulara diatoms that are usually very small and mixed with variable amounts of clay, ilt and volcanic ash. In recent years, extensive beds of diatomite were identified near the confluence of the Chilcotin and Fraser rivers. Diatomite in this locale is a part o f the Upper Miocene to Pliocene Chilcotin Group of sedimentary rocks that are overlain by olivine basalt and related luffs. A deposit near Red Lake is situated 50 km northwest of Kamloops. Diatomite beds occur in the Tranquille Series of Eocene age and are similar in composition to those in the Quesnel area. The Red Lake deposit is abo ut 4 m thick but its areal extent is only a few tens of hectares.

Jan 1, 1984

This paper discusses three case studies conducted at Highland Valley Copper mine (HVC) that illustrate operational improvements and insights which resulted from using the McGill University gas dispersion sensors. In the first study, the superficial gas velocity (Jg) sensor was used to implement a gas profiling control strategy for the rougher, scavenger and first cleaner cells in the Cu/Mo separation circuit. The data showed a 40% reduction of down-the-bank Cu recovery at constant Mo recovery which resulted from operating the cells at the target profiles. In the second study, the bubble size analyzer was used to better understand two mechanisms of bubble formation in the two flotation columns that make up the final Mo cleaning stage: the conventional rubber-sleeve sparger and the Microcel(TM) system. The data showed a considerable reduction of bubble size in the Microcel column which resulted in a significant increase in concentrate quality (1-2% Mo absolute) and a dramatic (4-5 fold) increase in concentrate production rate compared to the typical operation. The estimated economic benefit resulting from the improved column flotation operation was an overall 4% increase in Mo circuit recovery. In the third study, real-time measurements obtained from the gas holdup and bulk density sensors were used to infer the pulp density (% solids) in a rougher cell of the bulk flotation circuit. Validation tests demonstrated that this approach provides reliable pulp density measurements. Although promising, more work is required before implementing this approach at HVC.

Jan 1, 2009

By O. Lundhede

Today, systems and machinery usually are designed to meet only one specific customer?s requirements. One reason for this is that underground automation and smart functions are often developed tightly together with a customer. This is natural, since risk and cost can be shared between the customer and the supplier. Nevertheless, when the automation product develops and the market increase this will cause problems: The highly specialized products will not fulfill the next customer?s demands. In order to cope with this problem, Atlas Copco works towards a common platform. Instead of designing solutions for specific customers, we will lift the abstraction and focus on standardized modules. These modules, or function blocks, can then be combined in a large variety of configurations. The benefits of combining modules into products are, for example: increased flexibility when options are available for many machines; easier commissioning and maintenance since less different spare parts and tools are needed; and easier operation since the user interfaces have a similar look and feel. This paper will present the ongoing work towards standardized modules. We will discuss how our Rig Control System (RCS) allows for modular design at Atlas Copco. RCS has number of standardized modules that are used in different surface and underground mining and tunneling equipment. These modules are also used for optional products such as, drilling, radio-remote control, and telematics systems.

Aug 1, 2013

By Richard E. Barrett

SOME YEARS AGO I was associated with a mining operation which, because of its isolated location, burned wood for heating purposes. Year after year the tractors and tucks hauled the cordwood in from the edge of the ever-growing clearing. Each year the cartage costs became greater. The degree to which transportation distances affect the economics of fuels obviously varies with many factors, but the main criterion is the amount of heat a unit weight of the fuel will produce. For in-stance, wood is limited in most cases to a haulage distance of a few miles. Coal can be shipped hundreds of miles, whereas petroleum and gas ?can be transported thousands of miles. The world is now on the brink of having a new fuel -uranium. It has the virtue of being so concentrated that transportation costs can, for all practical purposes, be disregarded.

Jan 1, 1958

By M. A. Hararah, T. Neesse, M. G. Farghaly, G. Proellss, P. Kaniut, W. Rubarth

ABSTRACT: This paper presents two new options for hydrocyclone control. Volume split control using a control valve in the overflow is applied for the stabilization of separation results at changing feed conditions. Controlled water injection to the conical part of the cyclone leads to the reduction of fine particles in the underflow. Hydrocyclone monitoring in both cases is performed by optical sensors that indicate the spray angle of the underflow. Applications in mineral processing for desliming, classification in closed-circuit grinding, and dewatering are demonstrated.

Jan 1, 2011

By M. Reda

Because of the adverse environmental effect of Chromate, Molybdate ions had been investigated as replacement for Chromate and the results had shown not to be encouraging. Film deposited from peroxopolymolybdate (from reaction of Molybdenum meta, with excess Hydrogen Peroxide), are more robust than that deposited from molybdate solutions. This was shown to be due to higher fraction of Mo (IV) and Mo (V) that form from Mo (VI) in the peroxopolymolybdate deposited film than the film deposited from Molybdate solutions. The peroxopolymolybdate film contains 40% un-hydrated molybdic acid, tetraperoxodimolybdate and tetra peroxo tetra molybdate. The protective properties of peroxopolymolybdate were shown to be due to the effectiveness of the un-hydrated molybdic acid.

Jan 1, 2010

By G. R. McMeekin

"THE TOPIC suggested for my contribution to this Symposium was ""Lead-Zinc Smelting - 40 Years of Pollution Control"". The history of the development of smelting industry at Trail and the control of sulphur dioxide could make quite an interesting historical study. However, in the field of environmental control, the public is not particularly interested in what you did yesterday, but rather what you are doing today and what you are planning to do tomorrow. I can't fault this approach, but because there are some subject lessons that history can demonstrate, I would like to tell enough of the story (under three headings) to bring a focus on matters of contemporary concern in regard to public relations and ecology. The three general headings suggested are: (1) time before the capture of by-product sulphur; (2) the capture of sulphur; and (3) the ecological and public relations conclusions from these."

Jan 1, 1972

By T L. Horsley

This paper deals with the drilling and blasting methods employed at the Cassiar mine, which is located just south of the B.C.-Yukon border. It covers both the "pit" and "peak" mining operations. Specific problems, such as working in frozen ground, are discussed, and the breaking characteristics of the various rock formations are outlined. The paper concludes with a brief mention of the equipment used in the operation, as "~ell as an outline of the breaking costs. Introduction T HE Cassiar asbestos mine is located just south of the British Columbia -Yukon border high on a spur of McDame mountain. Chrysotile asbestos fibre occurs in a faulted enlargement of a serpentine sill lying conformably be-tween a series of sedimentary beds and volcanic flows which dip at 45 degrees into the mountain. One end of the orebody is eroded by a cirque in which a layer of permanently frozen ore and waste talus lies at the end of the mining benches. The topography at the mine is steep, with no flat areas. Roads, dumps, and areas for crushing,

Jan 1, 1965

By J. B. Boniwell

The INPUT electromagnetic prospecting system was originally developed by Dr. A. R. Barringer in an effort to increase the sensitivity and penetration of airborne EM methods. Although brought to an operational state some several years ago, it is only through relatively re-cent modifications and testing that some of the potential of the system has been fully realised. This is brought into perspective by some recent results over known ore deposits and geologic environments.

Jan 1, 1967

By M. Matthias

A study, part of a doctoral dissertation (Matthias, 1991), was conducted during 1987 and 1988 to establish the means by which professionals assess and maintain their competence during the various stages of their careers. The study elicited responses from fifty-nine subjects representing engineering, pharmacy and medicine (twenty subjects from engineering, nineteen from pharmacy and twenty from medicine) on their perception and assessment of continuing competence. The findings revealed a wide variation of how professionals perceived their continuing competence and the means they adopted to keep current. The implications of the study are significant for adult education practice and theory building. The author strongly believes that now, more than ever, engineers must take ownership of their careers and professional development activities. While management and supervision have a key role to play, it is the engineer, who is ultimately responsible for the scope, planning and implementation of her/ his professional development needs. An example from one high technology company will illustrate these points.

Jan 1, 1999

By P. H. Tolcher

Canada, as the Free World's largest mine producer of zinc and the third largest mine producer of lead, has a vital interest in the future growth in demand for these metals. This paper traces the development of lead and zinc consumption in the last two decades, both on a total-Free-World basis and by major market areas. How Canada, as a major mine producer, has shared in this growth is also indicated. In addition, future consumption for both metals in the current decade of the 1970's is fore-cast. The demand these projections will make on Free World mines, particularly on Canadian mines, is examined. Some of the opportunities and challenges the Canadian mining industry will likely face during this period are also dealt with.

Jan 1, 1971

By G H. Reavely, The University of Western Ontario Department of Geology

The lower Middle Devonian Sylvania Sandstone occurs in the sub-surface in the western part of Mal-den township, Essex county, Ontario. The formation is composed of well rounded, frosted quartz grains with a silica content varying from 42 to 93 per cent and the grains are cemented by carbonate, constituting up to 57 per cent of the rock. This sand-stone is not a homogeneous bed but is divided by strata rich in carbon-ate cement. The thickness of the Sylvania in Malden township varies up to a known maximum thickness of 88 feet. The lower contact with the chert-bearing Bois Blanc formation is sharp but the upper contact with the Amherstburg formation (Detroit River group) exists as a transition by a gradual downward increase in quartz grains. The Sylvania would seem to outcrop in the lake bottom near the mouth of the Detroit River dipping to the north along a broad anticline the axis of which follows the Detroit River. Just south of Amherstburg, a local east-west trending

Jan 1, 1961

By R P. Douglas

During 1955, Cominco commenced an exploration pro-gram in northern New Brunswick; in the following year, what is now the Wedge mine was discovered. The mineralization is mainly pyrite, with associated chalcopyrite and minor amounts of sphalerite and galena. The property was brought into production at 750 tons per day in early 1962. The ore is trucked 10 miles to the Heath Steele concentrator, where a copper concentrate grading about 19.5 per cent is produced and shipped to the Japanese markets through the port of Dalhousie, New Brunswick. Introduction THE Wedge mine, owned by The Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company of Canada Limited (Cominco), is located in the Newcastle-Bathurst area of New Brunswick. It is 42 miles by road northwest of Newcastle and 37 miles southwest of Bathurst (Figure 1). The mine is located on the north side of the Nipisiquit river in one of the more mountainous areas of the Province, the local relief rising to 1,500 feet above sea level. There is an almost complete forest cover of mixed hardwoods and conifers -the val-leys and hillsides being covered by balsam, spruce and pine, the swamps by cedars and black spruce and the highlands by mixed hardwoods.

Jan 1, 1965

By E. R. Olson

The introduction gives not only a historical background but also touches on shaft sinking and surface construction and gives some general information on the Potash Conservation Regulations which the Saskatchewan government introduced in 1969. It also gives information on the corporate and local organization of Alwinsal Potash.

Jan 1, 1972

By H. Huang, R. N. Gow

Acidic treatment of enargite (Cu3AsS4) dissolves both arsenic and copper from the mineral and then attempts to separate them in the leach solution. The reactivity of enargite was examined in acidic to neutral solutions, over the pH range 1-7, to determine a potential range for co-dissolution. Enargite mineral samples from Butte, MT and Quirivilca, Peru were used as working electrodes in a cyclic voltammetry corrosion cell setup, which were then cycled multiple times over -1000 to 1000 mV. Surface reactions and transitions were characterized using in-situ Raman spectroscopy, which were then compared to updated EH-pH diagrams for the copper-arsenic-sulfur-water system from a previous study done under alkaline conditions. The region of co-dissolution is limited to > 600 mV vs. SHE and pH < 1 under the proposed diagram.

Jan 1, 2014

By E. J. Wasp, T. L. Thompson, T. C. Aude

The paper will deal with some of the more important technical aspects of slurry pipelines as they apply to the mineral field. In addition, the use of these technical concepts in arriving at realistic economic figures will be discussed.

Jan 1, 1970

By Lionel A. York

This paper outlines the type of water-bearing formations encountered in the Prairie Sediments and describes a method for effectively sealing these zones in order that shaft-sinking operations may be carried out with safety. Details are given of the procedure for carrying probe holes ahead of the shaft bottom. These probe or grout holes are employed for establishing a series of overlapping grout covers around the proposed shaft excavation to safeguard against large inflows of water during sinking. The pattern and length of grout covers cannot be standardized, and each cover needs to be specially designed to suit the varying ground conditions. In order to provide effective protection through the Prairie Sediments, the number of holes in any one cover would not be less than 8, and possibly as many as 64 would be required in certain zones. The length of covers would vary from 100 ft. to 250 ft. Emphasis is placed on the need for obtaining accurate geological and water information from exploratory holes, drilled in the shaft vicinity, in order to effectively plan all grout covers.

Jan 1, 1964

By Minghui Li

China is the largest coal producer in the world. In 2012, the coal production in China is 3.65billion tonnes, accounting for approximately 49% of global coal production. The raw coal production in 2012 was 3.8% more than the year 2011. 56% of total raw coal has been washed. The increase in raw coal production also promotes technology to be developed and brings separation capacity become larger and larger in coal processing in China. At present, over 40 extra-large scale coal preparation plants (each plant has capacity of more than 10 Mtpa) are in operation in China, the largest one is 32.5 Mtpa. Heavy medium separation are widely used in new built coal preparation, the washing limit for thermal coal feed lower and lower, the equipment selection tends larger which brings the whole washing system simplified, the local equipment developed and manufactured are more and more used. By discussing designs of several typical thermal coal preparation plants and coking coal preparation plants in China, this thesis introduces the current design of China?s extra-large coal preparation plants, and sums up the prevailing design features and trends of extra-large coal preparation plants.

Aug 1, 2013

High Pressure Grinding Rolls (HPGR) are said to be a good option in new grinding circuits. Due to their low energy consumption compared to other grinding systems such as SAG milling, there is a strong incentive to check their behaviour for certain ore types. With rising energy prices the operation will become even more beneficial in future. As published in the past, the HPGR is claimed to increase the liberation of the valuable mineral component within an ore. An investigation at the research centre of Polysius was conducted to substantiate the liberation behaviour in finish grinding operations. A pilot scale HPGR test unit (POLYCOM MAGRO) with a roll diameter of 950 mm and processing capacity of 80 t/h was used. Grinding tests were completed with a screen and a two stage drying air separation process (SEPOL). Analysis included standard screen analysis, fractional XRF and modern MLA technology. A technique was developed to oppose the amount of produced slimes (resuming bad flotation) against the positive effect of producing high mass fraction at flotation-easy sizes. The paper shows how effective the use of a dry grinding separation could be in terms of production of mass of liberated metal.

Jan 1, 2012