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By P Cameron

Many products and technologies have been developed from outcomes of research projects carried out by the Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Centre (JKMRC). When these products and technologies are applied to the design and optimisation of blasting, comminution and separation, improvements in profitability can be realised. In 1970 Alban Lynch promoted two practical ideas to improve plant operations: Ore and equipment properties can be separated allowing experience with one type of ore or equipment to be transferred to other types of ore and equipment. If this experience was encapsulated in a mathematical model, then these properties could be combined and used to simulate (ie to design and to optimise) complete mineral processing circuits. Many problems associated with scale-up from laboratory to industrial equipment could be eliminated by experimental work on full-scale equipment in the plant. Many JKMRC research projects have focussed on the development of models of unit operations in mineral processing and their application to process simulation. Models of comminution and classification developed at the JKMRC have been used since the early-1980s. Ore characterisation techniques developed to support these models are licensed world wide through JKTech. The application of comminution modelling techniques to blasting, which optimises the process feed size distribution is used in Mine-to-Mill? projects. The advances in the understanding and modelling of froth flotation over recent years have provided the opportunity for integrated ore characterisation and process optimisation from resource to product. JKMRC project outcomes often provide proven opportunities for the mineral industry to improve performance and productivity. JKTech was established in 1986 to commercialise and market the most promising outcomes and thus ensure their continuing availability to the mineral industry. These include: commercial software (JKSimMet, JKSimBlast and JKMetAccount); monographs (Comminution and Blasting); technologies (Mine-to-Mill? and flotation optimisation); and hardware products (JKFrothCam, JKJetLift? and the Mineral Liberation Analyser). This paper summarises these technologies and their benefits.

Jan 1, 2002

By Wagland D. G, Guo H

The Mt Whaleback orebody is in a complex geological regime. A good understanding of geological structure is essential during the design and implementation stages. The amount of information on the rock-mass condition available at the design stage is considerably limited. It is essential to validate the rock-mass properties used in the design during implementation. It is important to achieve integrity of the final pit wall during development and to maintain the integrity until the end of its designed life for safe and economical extraction of ore. The original geological model is updated by way of on-going detailed geological face mapping. Original design is reassessed and is modified based on any significant variations to the previously evaluated geotechnical conditions. Information gathered during design implementation provide tools for effective management of the pit walls. Controlled blasting techniques are employed in the final limits blasting. Presplit blasting is used in most limits blasts. Presplit helps to maintain the integrity of the wall by venting excessive gases from the limits blast. This helps to reduce bedding dilation by gas penetration. Also, it helps to define the design batter for the operators for final batter trimming. Pyritic shale needs special attention during blasting due to its reacting nature. Cablebolting is applied in selective areas to secure small-scale potential instabilities. During the development phase, pit wall monitoring instruments are installed. These instruments are used to monitor the performance of the wall during and after excavation of the slope.

Jan 1, 1995

Triboelectric Separation - Beneficiation of Coal The performance of triboelectric separators is highly sensitive to the selectivity of the particle charging process. This paper presents a quantitative study on triboelectric coal beneficiation. The performance of different charging media was studied. Stainless steel was identified as having a work function between that of coal and silicate gangue and found to be the optimum charging medium for coal beneficiation. Recent results from separation tests were performed where silicate gangue was separated from crude coal using a parallel plate free-fall separator are illustrated.

Sep 13, 2010

The Effect of Molecular Weight on the Adsorption and Efficacy of Polysaccharide Depressants

Sep 13, 2010

By Lovett EP, Johnson CR, Dunlop GA

Seven streams of a low tonnage pilot plant operation on Cu/Pb/Zn ore from the Golden Grove Project were continuously assayed using an AMDEL In-Stream Analysis (ISA) system. The ISA instrumentation is briefly described as is the calibration procedure employed. The successful application of this instrumentation in the dynamic environment of a pilot plant operation is discussed. The operational sequence of the Golden Grove pilot plant is outlined along with the original project objectives and how they were achieved by the implementation of ISA. Results for the different complex flowsheets used are discussed, followed by the perceived benefits of installing such equipment in this operation.

Jan 1, 1986

Iron ore in the Pilbara Region of Western Australia varies in composition giving iron ore a range of densities. An accurate density figure of the material leads to accurate calculations of production throughput. Density studies of two separate iron ore mines were conducted in the Pilbara. Procedures and results are reported here.The Pilbara Region of Western Australia has a number of iron ore operations. Two mines have conducted density studies of their materials. The purpose for the studies was to determine an accurate in situ bulk density that could be applied to volume and tonnage calculations of the operation. It was identified that density was one culprit causing calculation variations. Density is an important figure used to estimate ore reserves, equipment requirements, production rates and indirectly costs and sales revenue. One study was conducted at Rio TintoÆs Robe River Mine based near the town of Pannawonica. Its Mesa J orebody is currently being mined and is a low-grade deposit of goethite and hematite (Burnham, 2003). A separate study was conducted at BHP BillitonÆs Yarrie Mine situated north of Newman and east of Pardoo. Its orebody consists of high grade formed by a supergene enrichment of cherty material and a burial metamorphism to produce hematite (Richardson, 2002). The method used to determine density was by large-scale samples using the pre-mining in situ volume of the material and the weight in tonnes after mining.

Jan 1, 2003

By Brady B. H

Increasingly, consideration is being given to the nominal `outcomes' of degree courses in engineering, including mining engineering. These are concerned not only with knowledge and technical understanding but also with capabilities in the professional application of engineering principles to problem solving, multi-disciplinary teamwork, communication and life-long learning. This paper discusses concepts of education, professional formation and training and the associated development of competencies in applying knowledge, understanding and technical insights and skills to new situations. In developing guidelines on preferred attributes and competencies in graduate mining engineers, a survey was conducted of a range of industry personnel involved in selecting graduate mining engineers. The results not only clarified the spectrum of competencies sought but also provided valuable detailed views to assist in defining a mining engineering curriculum. Considering a greater concern with the development of more `well-rounded' graduates, the implications are discussed with regard to teaching and assessment activities and the time demands on academic staff when a `coaching' role is emphasised. In line with international and Australian moves in engineering education, notions on education of mining engineering graduates in Australia are under review. The results will provide continuing challenges to all involved.

Jan 1, 1997

By Dickson B. L

Groundwater geochemistry is controlled by chemical interactions with aquifer rocks, and offers a powerful geochemical exploration technique for locating concealed mineral- isation. Techniques are applied for identifying constituents of aquifers using the compositions of their groundwaters, collected from the surface through drill holes, water bores or springs. Even slowly moving groundwaters have passed through large volumes of rocks which surround any sample site. Products from these rock-water contacts modify the groundwater. By relating water composition to the minerals from which the dissolved species may have been derived, geochemical exploration information is obtained for a significantly larger zone than is represented by drill hole rock samples. In this paper we describe some solution chemical tech- niques we are applying in mineral exploration, particularly in areas of Australia where ground- waters are highly saline and contain enhanced concentrations of trace metals. EQUILIBRIUM MODELS FOR SALINE GROUNDWATERS Central to our technique is the assumption that in low rainfall regions, aquifer rocks and contained groundwaters are in chemical equili- brium. Solubility calculations then allow us to predict upper limits to the soluble products of groundwater interaction with aquifer rocks and to identify minerals with which the groundwater is saturated. Whilst equilibrium calculations require input of concentrations of all dissolved species, they are actually based on "activity" of dissolved species rather than the analysed concentrations. Unless waters have very low ionic strengths (a measure of total dissolved solids), activity of a solute is not equal to its analytical concentration but equals concentration multiplied by an "activity coefficent". Several methods exist for calculating mineral solubilities. The ion-association model, commonly used in programs such as WATEQ (Truesdell and Jones, 1974) and later deriv- atives such as MINTEQ, assume the formation of complex ions such as MgSO4(0), CaCl+, which are described by formation constants. Activity coefficients are obtained by the extended Debye

Jan 1, 1988

Selection of the mining method and most appropriate mine layout for deep open cut coal mines is discussed, giving particular attention to the types of mines expected to be developed in the future in Australia. Because of the more complex nature of these operations a large number of alternatives for mine design are available, and the constraints associated with these designs are discussed. Potential problems to be overcome are identified to allow setting of realistic targets for maximum output and build-up production rates.

Jan 1, 1981

In taking the chair at this meeting of the Australasian Institute of Mining Engineers, I feel it my duty to thank you for the honour you have conferred upon me by electing me President for the current year, especially as Bwken Hill is the birth place of the Institute and myself one of its foundation members. I will now endeavour to entertain you for a short time with a few reminiscences of Broken Hill from its inception. Beyond the fact that the mines on the Broken Hill lode have paid to their shareholders in dividends and bonuses no less a sum than £896,500, created and maintained a city of 25,000 inhabitants. supplied a large proportion of the revenue on the railways of a sister state, and made their influence felt throughout the 'commercial centres of the world, very little, I regret to say, is known by the general public as to the form, extent, or vastness of the ore bodies, or the mode of occurrence of the various classes of ore which have been found to exist in them. It has occurred to me that a short paper by the senior mining manager on the line of lode might prove interesting. There has been great difficulty in getting some of the figures relating to the field, the total output of metals from the Broken Hill mines not being obtainable from the Mining Department in Sydney j but an inscription on the foundation stone of the Technical College recently opened in this City, sets forth that the Broken Hill Mines started in 1880...

Jan 1, 1903

By I F. Bell, K P. Hammerschmid

Well planned and executed environmental management plans can reduce life-of-mine operating costs and the need to deal with major environmental issues at the time of mine closure. With proper planning during the exploration, feasibility and execution phases of a project, final closure costs can be reduced. The reduction of closure costs should be considered during exploration and initial feasibility studies and when process facilities, waste rock dumps and tailings impoundments are designed. During the mining of the resource, closure cost reduction will depend on effective and efficient environmental management plans for ongoing land clearance, segregation of mine waste materials, management of mine site water and workshop wastewaters, and the establishment of progressive rehabilitation strategies. These issues are the responsibility of planning, production, technical support and maintenance personnel at an operating site. The successful implementation of environmental plans will ensure that all impacts are reduced and that closure issues with major cost implications are addressed prior to closure of the mine.

Jan 1, 1995

Although geophysical methods of prospecting have proved indispensable in the search or oil deposits elsewhere; it is only 'in recent years that they have been used to any significant extent in Australia. The increase in their use has been quite remarkable over the past two or three years, due in Sao small measure to the encouragement given by means of Commonwealth subsidy. There is no doubt that the use of' geophysical methods will coxi-tinue to increase and this increase could be greatly accelerated as and when oil is discovered in commercial quantities,This review of their use A in Australia and the remarks and statistics are confined to work on the mainland. There has been, a substantial amount of geophysical work in Papua, but as operating conditions are so very different to the mainland Papua has been regarded as a separate province.

Jan 1, 1962

A Study on Process Mineralogy and Mineral Processing of Complex Carbon-Bearing Cu-Pb-Co-Ni Multi-Metal Sulfide Ore by Bulk Flotation

Sep 13, 2010

Here, in what is partly a review and partly a personal viewpoint, I take stock of changes in emphasis and comprehension on the subject of basaltic volcanism in the decade that has passed since the completion of the landmark Basaltic Volcanism Study Project (1981). I concentrate attention on the relatively neglected physical-volcanology aspects (in 1988 it was still possible to publish a 340-page book on flood basalts with barely any mention of physical mechanisms).I adopt the useful unifying concept of "volcanic system" to embrace the invariably-present intrusions as well as the volcano; I consider controls exercised by magma-supply rate and modulator-mechanisms on the nature of the system;I emphasize that sheeted-intrusion complexes, consisting either of dikes or inclined sheets (depending on the ability of the system to expand laterally) occur in all eroded major systems and fuel geothermal systems; I show how constraints set by cooling of narrow intrusions cause such complexes to be wedge-like and produce considerable rotations; I consider the role of the level of neutral buoyancy in making magma chambers possible, causing lateral subsurface magma flow and localizing intrusions, while the LNB itself can be accentuated by intrusions; and I examine the possibility that underwater systems could have very different internal structures from systems on land.

Jan 1, 1990

By Dobos SK

The Black Ridge Gold Deposit is located in the northern part of the Clermont Goldfield, which is situated at the boundary of the Bowen Basin and Anakie Inlier, Queensland. The goldfield comprises a series of NNW-trending semi-isolated basins, which are tectonically aligned with the Denison Trough, the west-most division of the Bowen Basin (Fig. 1-1).The main stratigraphic units in the deposits in younging sequence are the Anakie Metamorphics, the early Permian Blair Athol Coal Measures, the late Permian(?) White Section, and the Tertiary basalts which are regionally widespread, and intruded by abundant mafic and felsic plugs.

Jan 1, 1990

By Leach B. G

A geostatistical study was made of diamond drill hole intersections within 18CC stope block at the C.S.A. Mine, Cobar, N.S.W. The stope block is located in 18CC orebody which is a massive sulphide - multiple vein, Copper-Zinc type, lacking clear definition on gangue mineralogy, base-metal assays and total sulphide considerations. Of the variograms constructed for inter- section width and copper, lead and zinc grades and accumulations, only zinc displayed behaviour amenable to model fitting and kriging procedures. Zinc grades were calcu- lated for sub-blocks comprising the total stope block and comparison with equivalent grades determined by traditional methods showed them to be generally less extreme in the highest and lowest grade sub-blocks. The total-block grades derived by the two methods were almost the same. It is suggested that the failure of copper to show variogram continuity might reflect the difficulty in defining the actual 18CC orebody, a proposition which is supported by the poor continuity in the variogram of horizontal width. In the case of lead the poor continuity may be due to the frequent manner of occurrence of galena as coarse grained patches of limited extent. The results of the study, did not provide a convincing reason to depart from the traditi- onal methods of grade estimation at the C.S.A. Mine.

Jan 1, 1979

lbis new concept in geology is introduced by a reinteipretation of the Archaean stratigraphy of the greenstone belts of the Yilgarn Craton of Western Australia. Evidence is presented to show that the recorded Archaean succession of the Eastern Goldfields Province is composed of two distinct groups of mafic/ultrarnafic and felsic igneous rocks which, together with sediments, form alternating sequences represented by Cycles 1 to 4; Cycle 5 consists entirely of sediments. Recorded stratigraphy for the Murchison and corre1atives of the Southern Cross Subprovinces conform to this pattern. The five basic components are referred to as Unit 1 to Unit 5. A major erosional unconformity between Units 3 and 4 extending across the Craton is identified as a locus of potential major gold occurrence, including fossil placers, where suitable structural situations exist; Units 1 and 3 are identified as potential hosts of gold and nickel deposits; Units 2 and 4 for gold and base metals.

Jan 1, 1994

Vatukoula, the Fijian equivalent of gold rock, is the name of the community embracing the gold mines owned and operated by Emperor Gold Mining Company Ltd., Loloma (Fiji) Gold Mines, N.L., and' Dolphin Mines Ltd. It is situated in the Tavua Goldfields approximately five miles from the northern coast of Viti Levu, the largest island of the Colony of Fiji.The climate is sub-tropical, there being a definite wet and dry season. The wet season is somewhat variable in length but usually extends from December to March, during which time most of the rainfall for the year is recorded.Although the average annual rainfall is 71 in., more than twice this amount has been recorded. Precipitation at the rate of 5 in. per hour is not uncommon and 15 in. of rain has been registered in 24 hours. The mining methods adopted, therefore, had to suit these wet conditions.The occurrence of gold in the Tavua area has been known since 1872, but it was not until 1932 that discoveries were made which led to the formation of the present operating companies. In 1934 the Emperor Gold Mining Company Ltd. commenced operations, followed in 1935 by the Loloma (Fiji) Gold Mines, N.L., and later by the Fiji Mines Development Ltd., now known as the Dolphin Mines Ltd. Up to the end of 1951 these three mines had produced 2,501,688 tons of ore from which 1,277,881 oz. of fine gold and 347,429oz. of silver were obtained, realizing in Fijian currency £13,025,153.The three mines are situated close togeth.er on contiguous mining leases, and, although under common management, are operated as separate en,tities. Since 1944 all the...

Jan 1, 1953

The following is an outline of the main metallurgical process developments which have occurred at Port Pirie during more than 100 years of smelting. Emphasis is placed on those process developments which evolved from research and development at Port Pirie, rather than those based upon purchased or established technology and straightforward plant engineering. Most processes involved have undergone major change and improvement through the efforts of Port Pirie staff. A culture of metallurgical research and development evolved strongly during the years when G K Williams made such a great impact, and continued for half a century. This culture involved strong links with external research bodies, particularly universities. A near complete bibliography of these developments is provided, together with a listing of patents. Research and development by The Broken Hill Associated Smelters Pty Ltd commenced in 1918 at South Melbourne, and after transfer to Port Pirie in 1921, continued there until 1989. Three periods of highly successful innovation resulted ù that of G K Williams into the 1930s, the post-war period until about 1962 and the period with developments led by Denby H Ward from about 1970 to 1985.

Jan 1, 2000

The paper examines the possibility of applying the monolithic packing technique developed in the UK to the division of wide development drivages in Australia, so enabling double entries for longwall retreat panels to be created from shortwall units. The monolithic pack of the UK therefore becomes a monolithic partition in this proposed Australian application. A method developed for the analysis of the load development in packs installed behind longwall advancing faces is adapted and used to predict the support performance of the monolithic partition. Conclusions are made regarding partition construction and possible rates of advance.

Jan 1, 1986