Search Documents

By Trevor Riters

Advancements in Emerson’s instrumentation technology have brought value and efficiencies to the mining industry. Some think of instrumentation as basic sensors and valves, but with our solutions, we equip operators with real time, accurate, and reliable data that they can use to operate more effectively. Working with Caltrol, an Emerson Impact Partner, we successfully engineered wireless skids for a leach pad to provide precise measurement and control of raffinate solution to many of the large mine sites in Arizona.

Feb 1, 2025

By Francois J. E. Scholtz, Raymond J. Davidson, Peter Greenhalgh, R. Paul Riley

A 1 t/d continuous elution pilot plan is being operated by General Mining at their Grootvlei Gold Mine using the technology developed at the Anglo American Research Laboratories. Flowsheet design and plant erection was carried out by Van Eck & Lurie and completed in December 1989. Following the conclusion of six test runs designed to optimise reagent additions, it was shown that elution efficiencies of 98-99% could be achieved using reagent additions as· low as 16 kg/ton of carbon NaCN and 28 kg/ton NaOH while consistently producing eluted carbon containing less than 50 g/t gold. Significant savings were indicated when compared and power were indicated when com­pared with the traditional batch AARL, Zadra and Micron alcohol elution procedures.

Jan 1, 1990

By Angelina Anani, Nilufer K. B. Akbulut, Sefiu O. Adewuyi

Crucial information about safety, design, and operation can be utilized in underground mines from ground movement data. Communicating the information and exploring new findings can be a challenge in a decade where there is an ever-increasing volume and velocity of data due to advancements in mining technologies. This challenge escalates for geotechnical data as it is multidimensional, depending on the space and the rate it takes place. To tackle this challenge, geotechnical engineers should focus on utilizing simple yet compelling visualization of rock mass data in 3D. Competent visualizations of ground conditions as a Trigger Action and Response Plan (TARP) could ease the communication of safety concerns and the exploration of rock mass displacement and strain surrounding an opening at an underground mine. Therefore, this study focuses on using scientific visualization methods by rendering geotechnical data over the surface of a 3D mesh model to display TARP levels. The study is conducted at the San Xavier (SX) Underground Mine Laboratory’s East decline. The project aims to produce visualizations that optimize the use of geotechnical data in near-real-time.

Feb 1, 2025

By Verya Nasria, William Bent, William Hogan

"The South Hartford Conveyance and Storage Tunnel (SHCST) project is a significant component of the Hartford Metropolitan District’s (MDC) long-term control plan (LTCP), which is overseen by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CTDEEP). This project will address a portion of the MDC’s Clean Water Project (CWP), which will reduce combined sewer overflows (CSOs), eliminate sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs), and reduce nitrogen released into the Connecticut River. The purpose of the SHCST project is to eliminate West Hartford and Newington SSOs, eliminate Franklin area CSOs discharging to Wethersfield Cove and minimize CSO discharges to the South Branch Park River. The locations of each overflow are shown in Fig. 1. In 2010, the district prepared a preliminary design report (PDR) for the SHCST project, which included relief of the Folly Brook trunk sewer and proposed to keep the tunnel boring machine (TBM) retrieval shaft within the city limits of Hartford. Figure 1 shows the 2010 PDR recommended tunnel route. Subsequent to the PDR, the objectives of the SHCST have slightly shifted. In accordance with ongoing revisions to the LTCP, relief of the Folly Brook Trunk Sewer is no longer necessary. Additionally, the MDC has decided to perform less sewer separation in the Franklin Avenue drainage area. To replace the sewer separation, new relief points are proposed within the Franklin area and will be diverted to the SHCST. Figure 1 also shows the current recommended tunnel route (Alignment F). During 2012, the MDC conducted an evaluation of the potential of connecting the proposed North Tunnel (originally proposed as an independent tunnel with its own pump station) into the South Hartford Conveyance and Storage Tunnel. This evaluation concluded that the two proposed tunnels could reasonably be connected together and operated as a single tunnel system utilizing the tunnel pump station at the eastern terminus of the South Hartford Tunnel (Fig. 2). It also was concluded that this alternative was less costly than two independent tunnel systems."

Jan 1, 2014

By Bianca Cruz, Tom Lankiewicz, Kent Sorenson, Karrie Radloff, Elizabeth Deyett, Dayal Saran, Michaeline Albright, Dan Stigers

Biology opens a new frontier for the mining industry. With rising environmental concerns, the need to couple conventional chemical and physical technologies with sustainable approaches is pressing. At Allonnia, we harness microbial processes to create innovative and environmentally responsible technologies with broad applications. The native microbial community (microbiome) remains largely unexplored at most mining sites, unlike the geochemical environment. The exploration of complex biological reactions that could transform mining technology is just starting and holds vast possibilities, spanning bio-cementation, carbon sequestration, ore beneficiation, water mitigation, bioleaching, metals recovery, and more. Allonnia has collected samples from mine sites in Australia, Africa, and North America to characterize the microbiome and uncover the genetic potential present in mineral-rich environments. We are evaluating microbial metabolites that selectively solubilize gangue from various ores. In addition, biological reactions hold promise as tailings stabilizers. Our early efforts illustrate exciting prospects for harnessing biology’s potential in mining.

Feb 1, 2024

By Gregg E. Korbin, Patrick Hamilton

INTRODUCTION The Balsam Meadow Project, presently under construction for the Southern California Edison Company, is located approximately 55 miles northeast of Fresno, in the Sierra Nevada Mountains (Fig. 1). Major components of this project include an underground powerhouse for a 200 MW unit and a high pressure power tunnel/shaft. Site exploration [ ]

Jan 1, 1987

By V. G. Lofftus

Since plant start-up in January 1983, Golden Sunlight Mines, Inc. has implemented several process changes and improvements. Among these are a pulp preaeration circuit and a sand tailings retreatment circuit. The purpose of the preaeration circuit is to reduce reagent consumption during gold dissolution. The sand tailings retreatment circuit was added to recover and process separately pyrite concentrate to maintain acceptable overall gold recoveries with the more refractory sulfide ores. Research and plant operating data along with process and improvement descriptions are presented.

Jan 1, 1987

By Mark J. Zdunczyk

Short Mountain Silica mines the Clinch Formation, an orthoquartzite, for silica sand. The operation is located near Mooresburg, TN, about 80 km (50 miles) northeast of Knoxville. Short Mountain is a local geographic name given to an area of resistant sandstone (Fig. 1). The area is part of the Clinch Mountain system that extends from eastern Tennessee to southwestern Virginia. The thick sandstone unit is more technically called a quartz arenite (orthoquartzite) that forms most of the mountain. In 1980, a Knoxville resident brought the Clinch Formation - Short Mountain in particular - to the attention of the large silica-sand producers as a potential silica-sand mine. Working with a local contractor who owned several hundred acres on Short Mountain, the Knoxville resident contacted interested companies. Many silica companies reviewed the property including Ottawa Silica Co., Pennsylvania Glass Sand Co. (both now US Silica Co.),Unimin Corp.,The Morie Co. and others. AFG Industries was the main market for the glass sand product from this potential mine. It had two plants, both within trucking distance from the site. All the silica sand producing companies, however, declined to develop the site. A few years later, Unimin Corp. decided to drill and evaluate the deposit. From that evaluation, Unimin leased the property but later dropped it. The relatively limited market for the Short Mountain product as well as Unimin’s recent acquisition of Carolina Silica were reportedly instrumental in the company’s decision to let go of the lease. Several other companies-unrelated to the silica sand industry - looked at the site but no one was interested in developing it. In 1986, J.D. Nicewonder, owner of coal mines in Virginia and Kentucky, was approached to investigate the site. Nicewonder began to develop the site with the intent to produce glass sand to supply AFG Industries. In May 1988, the first shipment of sand was trucked to AFG Industries.

Jan 1, 1992

By Yu. A. Polozov, V. A. Lagunov, O. Yu. Lushinkova, Yu. I. Svirskiy, Eh. Ya. Kipko, Roy A. Williams

6.1 PRINCIPLES OF PLANNING GROUTING OPERATIONS FOR SHAFTS, DRIFTS AND TUNNELS The planning of integrated grouting of vertical, inclined or horizontal underground workings in saturated, fractured rock includes the following phases: 1. Planning for the collection and analysis of geological information concerning the characteristics of the struc¬tural deformation(s) that produced the details of the frac¬ture system being studied. 2. Planning for the acquisition of initial hydrogeological information produced by the flowmetric and hydrody¬namic investigations (described in Chapters 2 and 3). 3. Computing the initial engineering calculations of the ex¬pected or planned dimensions of the isolation curtains for each water-producing stratum (fracture zone) and the expected areal spreading pattern of the grout in each of these water-producing horizons. The selection of the lo¬cations, the initial optimal number of holes and the vol¬ume of grout needed to create each isolation curtain also are included in this phase. 4. The selection or development of a grout formula for the specific hydrogeological conditions that exist at the site. 5. Identification of a resource (deposit) required to produce the grouting clay. The planning of grouting operations must be supported by the acquisition of all necessary initial data, which in¬cludes: 1. The geographic location and administrative responsibil¬ity (ownership and regulatory constraints) of the mineral deposit and any peculiar features of the area where ex¬cavation of the underground workings is planned. The surface relief, the hydrographic network of the region, and the local climatic conditions must be evaluated prior to planning for buildings and waste discharges if any. 2. The economic status of the region, the available trans¬portation, the nature of the energy base, the water and heat supply sources, the location of construction mate¬rials suitable for making the grout all must be deter¬mined. 3. The geological and hydrogeological characterization of the work site must be accomplished. 4. The technical features of the shaft(s) and underground works must be characterized. 5. The organization's principal initial design plan features and the construction sequence of all buildings and struc¬tures must be developed. These must be correlated with the organization and schedule for excavating the under¬ground works. The technical characterization of a shaft or of other un¬derground workings must contain information about the purpose of the workings, the design depth, the planned excavation procedures along with cross-sections, and the parameters of the lining, if a lining is required. The geology of the section to be penetrated must include geological data obtained from existing exploration activities at the mineral deposit and conclusions about the shaft ex¬cavation conditions obtained from drilling technical moni¬toring holes and exploration drillholes. The interpreted stratigraphic regime, including the thickness, strike and dip of each stratum, must be shown in cross-section. The tec¬tonics, including all geologic structures, must be presented by cross-sections. The bedding orientations must be used to identify anticlines, synclines, monoclines and faults. The lithologic composition and the drillability of the rock com¬prising the section must be examined. The character of the rock's fracture pattern must be presented. Finally the per¬meability, porosity and storage characteristics of each aqui¬fer must be determined by in situ hydraulic property testing (injection tests or pumping tests, as described in Chapter 3). The fracture pattern of the indurated rock is presented in reports derived from geo-exploration borehole studies and from studies of outcrops on the surface and in all nearby underground workings. The extent of each fracture zone is mapped in three dimensions. The distribution of fracture apertures, the nature of the fractures according to each litho¬logic stratum, and the relationship of bedding planes to each fracture system are all determined. Acoustic logs, downhole cameras, caliper logs, oriented core, and any other appro¬priate geophysical tools available are used to construct the data base for this purpose. The hydrogeological characterization of the geologic section to be penetrated by the workings is based on the analysis of hydrogeological data collected during the drill¬ing and testing of technical monitoring holes and from in¬formation on ground water inflow collected during the ex¬cavation of nearby underground workings, if such workings exist. The hydrogeologic characterization must contain the following information: 1. The identification of all aquifers, their thicknesses and their locations in the section, 2. The distribution of hydrostatic head in the ground water in three dimensions, 3. The coefficient of saturated hydraulic conductivity (per¬ meability) of each aquifer, 4. The porosity and storativity of each aquifer, and 5. The projected rate of water inflow into the shaft, drift or tunnel for each aquifer prior to grouting. This step is used to identify the zones to be grouted.

Jan 1, 1993

By William J. Maloney

Blind drilled shafts are becoming increasingly popular as a secondary and sometimes primary means of ventilation. This is particularly true in the Appalachian coalfields. Some reasons for the rebirth of blind shafts are economics, timeliness, safety characteristics and their inherent independence from underground operations. Blind drilling has had limited use in hard rock and tunneling ventilation. Advances in cutters, bit design, equipment and lining systems have made blind drilled shafts the shaft construction technique of choice for ventilation specialists. History of blind drilling Blind drilling's roots include the Nevada test site, the coalfields of Appalachia and Germany, and the uranium mines of Arizona. Early technology was developed using a variety of equipment mainly of oilfield origin. Shafts completed by oilfield equipment ranged from the shallow 1.5 and 1.8 m (5 and 6 ft) lined shafts on the Nevada test site to two 3 m (10 ft) lined, 222 m (730 ft) deep shafts in Alberta for heavy oil development. Several of these shafts were completed to extraordinary depths. The record, completed in 1969, is a 2.28-m-diam (90-in.-diam), 1875-m (6150-ft) deep shaft, located in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska.

Jan 1, 1993

By H. Kimura

A new technology for ironmaking based on direct gaseous reduction of iron ore concentrate is under development. The process is based on the flash reduction of the concentrate particles in a gaseous reducing agent, such as hydrogen, natural gas, a reducing gas generated by partial combustion of coal, or a combination thereof. This technology is expected to drastically lower CO2 emission and reduce energy consumption by about 38% of the blast furnace requirements. The energy savings are possible largely due to the elimination of pelletization and cokemaking. Process design and simulation using hydrogen as the reductant for iron ore concentrate have been performed. A process flow sheet composed of a flash reactor, heat recovery system, water removal system for purifying recycled hydrogen, and all connecting streams was evaluated using the METSIM software. Ironmaking using two reactors was also designed and simulated, which could reduce the total required amount of hydrogen although it would increase the complexity of the flow sheet and operation.

Jan 1, 2010

By R. M. Schuster

This study attempts to compare the costs of transporting coarse coal by pipeline, versus the more conventional use of belt conveyors. Hydraulic conveying of crushed (not pulverized) coal has not had widespread commercial acceptance. However, there is little doubt that the technology is available, so that, should this method be proven economical for a given application, implementation of this technology will become more acceptable. Hydraulic transport by pipeline between the mine stockpile and the coal preparation plant, for distances normally considered practical for an overland belt conveyor, should be an ideal application. In this application there is no need for dewatering facilities at the receiving end of the pipeline, because, the receiving screens at the plant serve this purpose. Further, clarified water from the preparation plant can be recirculated back to the mine, a plus for water resource and environmental considerations.

Jan 1, 1982

By S. C. Sun

A process was developed to recover coal, clays and pyrite from coal wastes. The process consists of fine grinding followed by coal flotation and pyrite flotation leaving the clays in the flotation pulp. A bituminous coal refuse, containing l0% S-30% C*, was treated by this method to yield a coal product containing 4% sulfur, 10% ash; a pyrite product containing 45% sulfur (84% FeS2), 1% carbonaceous material and a clay product containing 2% sulfur (3.5% FeS2). The coal yield was about 89%. The pyrite yield was about 77%. The process steps may be entirely flotation, or gravity separation (hydrocyclone) may be used to increase the pyrite: coal ratio in the flotation feed. Cost estimation shows a profit of $2.28 per ton of low pyrite grade refuse (Labor, maintenance, overhead and plant depreciation were not included). The development of this process consisted of three parts: 1) exploratory tests, 2) optimization tests and 3) confirmatory tests.

Jan 1, 1968

By Caroline L. Herzenberg

Recently, neutron-induced gamma spectrometry has been introduced and gained provisional acceptance as a method for continuous automated analysis of coal. Instrumentation based on this technique has been under development for and in testing at coal preparation plants and a coal gasifier. To provide a deeper understanding of, and extended capability in applying this method, theoretical calculations have been performed of the absorption of thermal neutrons by various coal compositions, and the thermal neutron capture prompt gamma emission spectra produced by these compositions have been calculated. Selected results of these computer calculations and the computer generated spectra are presented.

Jan 1, 1984

By Deborah Shields

Aggregate is an essential input to every economy, so governments need to ensure a sustainable supply of these resources through planning. There is also a need to shift from a linear economy to a more circular one, in which wastes are recycled rather than landfilled, so as to increase eco-efficiency. The purpose of the Sustainable Aggregates Planning in South East Europe (SNAP-SEE, SEE/D/0167/2.4/X) project is to develop a Toolbox for Aggregates Planning to assist governments and stakeholders in national, regional, primary and secondary, aggregates planning in southeast European countries. The Toolbox comprises documents on stakeholder consultation, data and analysis methodologies, a vision of best practices in aggregates planning and how to build an aggregates plan. The Toolbox will also support ongoing efforts to enhance minerals policy in the European Union (EU) as called for by the European Innovation Partnership on Raw Materials. Industrialized and developing nations see long-term and continued economic growth as essential to the well-being

By P. C. Dagneau

QUEBEC CARTIER MINING COMPANY was incorporated in 1957 to explore and develop low grade iron are deposits in Northeastern Quebec. Four separate deposits were located and identified as being of ore quality and size to support commercial development. Said deposits were located at Lac Jeannine, Mount-Wright, Fire Lake and Mount-Reed. In 1970, in preparation for the replacement of the depleting Lac Jeannine are reserves, construction of an SS-mile railway extension was initiated, towards the newly selected mine site at Mount-Wright. This orebody was selected because the physical and chemical characteristics of the ore were very much similar to those of Lac Jeannine, as well as its huge reserves, estimated at more than one billion tons. In addition to the railroad extension, a mine, concentrator and related facilities were constructed and the new town of Fermont was created. Total investment for the Mount-Wright project exceeded $700 million and initial production commenced in 1976. Quebec Cartier is presently (1992) the leading producer and seller of iron ore in North America at 15,5 million tons and employs some 2,300 people.

Jan 1, 1993

By Phillip Crowson

The annual surveys of corporate exploration expenditures carried out by Metals Economics Group (MEG) show that estimated total spending rose to a record $13.2 billion in 2008 ($14.4 billion including expenditure on uranium exploration). This compares with the previous peak of $5.2 billion in 1997. MEG does not adjust its figures for the effects of inflation but recognizes that the substantial increase in budgets of recent years has not been reflected in a proportionate rise in actual activity on the ground (MEG, 2009). In recent years, costs were boosted by rising prices of fuel and other inputs, and acute shortages of qualified staff and drilling rigs. The inflation rate for exploration substantially exceeded increases in general price levels as measured by national indices. Just how much exploration costs in-creased, however, is probably not widely appreciated. Figure 1 compares the MEG estimates of total annual dollar spending in Australia, Canada and the United States combined with their drilling activity, measured in meters drilled, as reported by national agencies. These three countries accounted for 39 percent of MEG?s estimate of total spending on minerals exploration in 2007 and 40 percent in 2008. Expenditure is shown both in money terms, as reported by MEG, and adjusted to real terms, with the U.S. implicit gross domestic product (GDP) price deflator. The comparison is of index numbers based on 2000 as 100. Comparisons for the individual countries are shown in Fig. 2 to 4. National figures for drilling activity and expenditures cover some minerals like iron ore, coal and industrial minerals (29 percent of Australian spending in 2007 to 2008 and 10 percent of Canadian in 2008) that are not included in the MEG estimates of spending. Such exploration has risen more than the total since 1997 so that the index of drilling activity in the figure may be overstated for recent years on a like for like basis with the MEG data. MEG only includes spending on uranium exploration in recent years whereas the national agencies include it throughout. Figures 5 and 6 com-pare national and MEG estimates for Australia and Canada. No comparable figures are available for the United States. The national estimates have been converted to U.S. dollars at the appropriate annual average exchange rates, and the Australian annual totals have been summed from the published quarterly data. Not only is spending cyclical, but so are unit costs. Australian and Canadian data show that total exploration spending per meter drilled rose by 2.5 to 3 times between 2001 and 2008. These rises may partly reflect increasingly complex drilling methods, and an increased share of assaying and testing in total exploration costs. In Canada, however, diamond drilling accounted for a lower footage of the total in 2005-2007 than in the preceding few years, and spending on exploration, as opposed to deposit appraisal, made up a higher proportion of the total. Figure 7 compares index numbers of exploration spending per meter drilled in U.S. dollars for Australia and Canada. These figures raise a number of questions. First, is the relationship between total expenditure and meters drilled in the three countries for which data are available typical of the global experience? Secondly, has there been a significant change in the make-up of exploration spending in recent years? The Canadian data do not suggest that there has been, but is Canada typical? Has drilling become less important relative to other exploration techniques, or is it just as important as ever in confirming the existence of viable ore deposits?

Jan 1, 2009

By James E. Jones

The coal mining industry is being called upon to vastly increase production in the coming years. Many mining operations will have to prepare an environmental impact report of some kind and all will have to comply with various types of environ- mental regulations. Therefore there is a great need within the industry for access to environmental data, information, and literature. This paper discusses the informational resources available, the current lack of access to these resources, and the Environmental Data, Information and Literature (EDIL) Bank of the Kentucky Institute for Mining and Minerals Research. The bank's major emphasis concerns the environmental, social and economic aspects of producing clean solid, liquid, and gaseous fuels from coal. The data bank promotes information interchange between other related governmental and private projects and the energy development community.

Jan 1, 1976

By T. Murt, C. Oñate

In recent years, environmental considerations have played a prominent role in underground construction projects. The management and disposal of the muck produced by an EPB TBM is an important aspect of this topic. Soil conditioners with higher biodegradability and lower eco-toxicity have been specifically developed to comply with strict regulations in several countries around the world, with the goal of reducing the environmental impact of tunneling on soil, water, and living organisms. This paper highlights innovative sustainable soil conditioners and how they differ from traditional products. Additionally, environmental considerations for TBM projects around the world and in North America will be examined.

Dec 1, 2022

By Howard J. Haselhuhn

"The effectiveness of reagent adsorption onto hematite ore particle surfaces is critical during beneficiation to promote effective selective flocculation and dispersion and increase iron oxide recovery. The relationship between aqueous calcium in the process water and the effectiveness of common iron ore dispersants has never before been studied. The nature of common dispersants was studied in the presence and absence of calcium in the process water. The settling behavior of hematite-rich iron ore at pH 11 was assessed in the presence of calcium and inorganic dispersants: sodium silicate, sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP), sodium hexametaphosphate (SHMP) and organic dispersant ethylenediamenetetraacetic acid (EDTA). It was found that inorganic dispersants are ineffective at a pH of 11 without activating the surface sites of the ore particles with calcium. Organic dispersants, however, were found to be effective with and without surface site activation.IntroductionThe United States produced 54 million metric tons of concentrated iron ore in 2011 (Jorgenson, 2013). Over 8 Mt were produced using a process known as selective flocculation and dispersion (CCI, 2011). The grade of this ore is slowly depleting, making it imperative that processing efficiency improves. To increase processing efficiency, a complete understanding of the effects of chemical reagents in the process must be acquired. This process relies heavily on dispersants to disperse iron oxides from gangue minerals in settling processes. The mechanism that these dispersants use to disperse the ore and its relationship to calcium in the process water has never been studied. The following extended abstract summarizes the relationship between aqueous calcium in process water and the effectiveness of common iron ore dispersants at dispersing hydrated hematite ore. These tests were carried out at a pH of 11, as this is a typical pH used to ensure dispersion in selective flocculation and dispersion processes."

Jan 1, 2015