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By C. F. Gleeson

"Geochemical stream-sediment reconnaissance can be a useful exploration tool from the point of view of rapidly and cheaply evaluating the mineral potential of an area. This is particularly true of rugged and mountainous areas such as are found in Gaspé. For the past two years, SOQUEM has been carrying out such surveys over favorable geological regions in the Appalachians of northern New Brunswick and Gaspe. To date, about 4,000 square miles of terrain has been systematically covered by reconnaissance geochemistry. Jeeps have been used as a means of transportation in the easily accessible areas and a helicopter equipped with a winch has been used to lower crews into the more difficult-to-reach regions. Such surveys have been successful in finding metallic mineralization which otherwise might not have been detected.Electronic computation of analytical information has been used to construct regional metal maps, rolling mean maps and residual metal maps. These maps have helped in evaluating anomalies, in relating the regional geo-chemistry to the regional geology and in comparing the distribution patterns of metals. To date, some 30,000 stream-sediment samples have been collected from the Gaspe region and analyzed for Cu, Pb, Zn and Mn. These analyses are being subjected to computer analysis."

Jan 1, 1969

By Franc R. Joubin, Donald H. James

"THE PROPERTY of Rexspar Uranium and Metals Mining Co. Limited is situated within 3 miles of Birch Island, British Columbia, a village on the C.N.R. main line 80 miles north of Kamloops. The claims extend up the south slope of the North Thompson River valley.Prospecting in the area dates back many years. Fluorite was reported in 1918, lead showings in 1926, and bog manganese in 1929. Diamond drilling in 1942-43 indicated more than a million tons of material containing 20 per cent fluorite and 15 per cent celestite in what is known as the 'fluorite zone'. Marketing and beneficiation difficulties have delayed further development of this deposit.Systematic checking of specimens and drill core by the B.C. Department of Mines and the Geological Survey of Canada revealed low radio-activity in the fluorite zone material. Subsequent prospecting with Geiger counters revealed zones of higher radioactivity a few hundred feet distant from the fluorite zone. The property at this stage came under the development direction of Technical Mine Consultants Limited, who undertook a program of diamond drilling. Of the several radioactive zones located, two have so far rewarded development and appear to constitute low-grade uranium orebodies. These are referred to as the ""Black Diamond"" or ""BD"", and the ""A"" zones -see section. Open-pit mining of the thick, dip-slope orebodies appears possible.General GeologyWalker (1) describes the local rocks as metamorphosed sediments cut by granodioritic intrusives and by greens tone. At the property the sequence is:GreenstoneUnconformity or intrusive contact Trachytic member -tuffs, breccia, flows. Argillite -black, thin, not always present. Schist -thin-bedded sericitic quartzite and siltstone with some calcareous layers."

Jan 1, 1949

By L. V. Bell

"The gold deposits of the Caribou mine are representative of those of the Province of Nova Scotia as a whole. The ore shoots within the deposits, in common with those elsewhere within the Province, are associated usually with interruptions or irregularities in the broader and uniform fold structures. The structural factors localizing ore deposition as applied more specifically to the Caribou mine are demonstrated chiefly by the close relationship of the two principal ore shoots, known as the main orebody and the 'high-grade' vein, with a pitching drag fold developed in the southeast limb of the major northeast-southwest trending anticlinal fold or elongated dome that constitutes the primary structural feature of the Caribou gold district. It is of interest to note that the evidence indicates that this drag fold, in common with other folds subsidiary to the primary fold, formed as a result of movement similar in nature to that which caused the primary fold itself. Presumably, therefore, these folds are coincident in time.The property described here as the Caribou mine is an amalgamation of two adjacent properties formerly known as the Ross and the Nova Scotia Gold, but which since 1934 have been controlled and operated as a unit by The Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company of Canada, Limited. The Caribou mine is situated in the Caribou gold district about 45 miles to the northeast of the city of Halifax and about 6 miles to the north of the Moose River gold district.The history of mining at Caribou dates back to 1867. The first recorded gold production is for 1869. From 1869 to 1933 the gold produced from the mines of the Caribou district aggregated 47,249 oz. from 93,234 tons of ore treated. The grade of the ore on the basis of the gold actually recovered from the district would thus average 72 oz. gold a ton, which, as will be noted from the following, is precisely the grade of the ore treated from the Caribou mine during operations by The Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company. These operations commenced in September, 1934, and milling on a commercial basis was under way during 1938. Since that time production, apart from a short period in 1945 during which efforts were concentrated on development work, was continuous to early in 1947, when the mine closed down owing to exhaustion of the known orebodies. Gold produced from the Caribou mine by The Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company from September, 1934, to the close of 1946 aggregated 43,205 oz. from 90,754 tons of ore milled; the grade of ore treated averaged 0.50 oz. gold a ton. The indicated average grade of O.S oz. gold a ton for the ore of the Caribou district throughout its mining history ranks somewhat higher than the 0.37 oz. a ton average for the ore milled to date from the several gold districts throughout the Province as a whole according to the production statistics of the Provincial Department of Mines."

Jan 1, 1954

By M. J. Nicol

The leaching of gold with thiosulfate solutions in the absence of ammonia and copper ions was investigated using electrochemical and kinetic methods. In sodium thiosulfate solutions, the electrochemical oxidation of gold was hindered and the leaching rate using pure oxygen as the oxidant was very slow. It was found that the addition of a small amount of thiourea or formamidine disulfide to the thiosulfate solution greatly enhanced the oxidation of gold. However, the enhancement to the overall dissolution of gold using dissolved oxygen as the oxidant was limited. This was attributed to the fact that the oxygen reduction process was unaffected by the additives and remained slow, which limited further improvement to the overall kinetics. An alternative oxidant, the ferric EDTA complex having a reduction potential of approximately 0.12 V, was found to be promising. The cathodic reduction of ferric EDTA was fast and reversible at neutral pH. While the ferric EDTA complex was effective in oxidizing gold, it did not appear to significantly oxidize thiosulfate. A thiosulfate solution containing thiourea and ferric EDTA has been shown to quickly dissolve gold in the form of a powder as well as from gold ores. In the leaching with the ores high gold recoveries of above 90% was achieved with the best performance obtained in neutral solutions (pH 6-7).

Jan 1, 2005

By K. T. Aye

An investigation into the leaching of chalcocite and covellite in cyanide solutions at concentrations typically encountered daring gold cyanidation has been conducted. The results indicate that, for both minerals, the extent of leaching is greater under anoxic conditions, but is still incomplete even in the presence of free cyanide ions, with undissolved copper solids remaining in equilibrium with solution species. The speciation of the sulfur and cyanide reaction products in solution are interpreted in terms of the fast formation of a copper(I)- cyanide complexes in solution and a sulfur-rich copper(I) polysulfide solid phase, which then reacts more slowly to produce thiocyanate ions.

Jan 1, 2011

By V. J. Southey

"This paper reviews the history of Wabana Mines from 1892 to 1966, inclusive, in order to clarify the essential factors involved in the achievement of maximum mining efficiency and in the search for an acceptable product to satisfy changing market requirements. It outlines the progressive steps taken to mechanize both surface and underground operations, and forecasts anticipated performance, assuming certain major plans could have been implemented. Results of extensive research in the treatment of the complex ore are discussed. Selected processing alternatives are compared as to feasibility in a summary incorporating estimated capital and operating costs."

Jan 1, 1969

By R. Salimi

Tricalcium aluminate hexahydrate (TCA) is used as filter-aid for security filtration in the Bayer alumina process. TCA is typically produced on-site by mixing Bayer liquor with slaked lime. Specific properties are required from the TCA to ensure adequate filter throughput, lifetime and importantly effective reduction of solid/colloidal impurities from the solution. The effect of reaction time on morphology and particle size distribution of tricalcium aluminate was studied for a batch experiment at simulated process conditions. It was found that reaction time plays a critical role on the morphology, crystal structure (diameter and crystallinity) and particle size distribution. In the early stages of the reaction, nucleation dominates the crystallization process followed by growth dominated by agglomeration up to a mean particle size of 10 µm. The particle morphology shifted from an irregular shape to more spherical throughout the course of the reaction.

Jan 1, 2014

By Y. Buro

The Bachelor Lake gold deposit occupies an ESE-trending, SW-dipping, silicified shear zone with hematitic alteration. It transects NE-trending, steeply dipping Archean volcanic formations and the O'Brien granite. Major W-SW and N- NE-trending faults have affected the ore zone and the emplacement of the granite intrusions. Movements along the WSW set may have opened the fractures filled by the mineralization. Gold is generally associated with pyrite. Its source, whether a granitic pluton or a volcanic sequence, is undetermined, but the granite probably provided the concentrating mechanisms through heat and hydrothermal solutions.

Jan 1, 1984

By J. Cayouette, . Blatter, P. Cousin

The Laronde mill was commissioned in 1988 and has been treating the Laronde Perim ore since 2000. The Laronde plant, situated in the Abitibi region of Quebec, has experienced mill expansions to accommodate 7500 mtpd and to recover gold and silver as well as important amounts of base metals (Cu, Zn, Pb). Ten sequential metallurgical and environmental processes are responsible for metals recovery and process viability. Over 200,000 ounces of gold, 4,5 million ounces of silver, 7000 tonnes of copper, and 78,000 tonnes of zinc are produced annually. In 2008, the Goldex plant began trucking high wade (35-45 Wt Au) pyrite sulphide concentrate (TCGO) for gold extraction at a newly constructed treatment plant, increasing gold output at Laronde by 40,000 ounces. In 2009, the high gold wade Lapa ore processing facilities were annexed to the Laronde plant increasing output by 120,000 ounces of gold. TCGO and Lapa productions are forecasted until 2018 and 2015 respectively, with known reserves of each mine. Today, up to 140 permanent employees run and optimise the Laronde plant operation. As a result, Laronde has intricacies intrinsic to a large and varied operation. The paper will outline the metallurgical highlights, challenges, and future outlook related to the treatment of each ore type (Laronde, TCGO, and Lapa)

Jan 1, 2011

By S. Xu

Magnesium alloy AM50 is of interest to automotive cradle application because of it excellent castability and good ductility. In this work, microstructure and mechanical properties of both low pressure die cast (LPDC) and high pressure die cast (HPDC) AM50 test bars are characterized. Microstructure was examined using optical microscope, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). Phase identifications were performed using energy dispersive x-ray spectrometer (EDS) and TEM diffraction. It has been found that LPDC produces much coarser microstructure than HPDC. At the same time, the HPDC samples are more heterogeneous in microstructure and composition close to grain boundaries. Particles with various dimensions and morphologies of two different intermetallic phases, Mg17A112 and A18Mn5, were found in all the samples. Mechanical tests were performed under conditions similar to those related to an engine cradle application. LPDC samples show lower strength but better creep resistance than HPDC mainly due to the difference in grain sizes and grain boundary microstructure between LPDC and HPDC. Creep curves are well described by the empirical Andrade equation. Tensile-compressive yield and creep asymmetries were found in AM50, i.e. better deformation resistance in tension than in compression. The average yield asymmetry ratio for all the samples is 0.87. Microstructural examinations on the samples tested in tension, compression and creep showed that the deformation mechanisms in AM50 were slip plus twining at temperatures up to 125°C. The examinations indicate the important role of twining in the asymmetry phenomenon. The creep results indicate that dynamic precipitation of the Mg17A112 phase during testing is not the mechanism directly responsible for the creep asymmetry in AM50.

Jan 1, 2004

By D. W. McDonald

Coal mining and railway transportation are so closely en-twined and so dependent one upon the other that the failure of one would mean the total collapse of the other. With this indisputable fact in mind, there is no doubt that the operator of each is deeply interested in the other's success. Railway transportation began at the mouth of a coal mine. The first railway car was the English coal-wagon, a crude box on four wooden trowlets, running on wooden rails and holding 1,600 pounds. This was operated by gravity or horse-power in England to convey coal from the mines to the rivers. The first coal-cars used on Nova Scotia railways were of 4 tons capacity with side doors and "V" shaped centres. Then followed flat-bottom, 4-ton cars that operated on tipples, the car bei.ng held in tipple by a chain passing over the top and fastened on either side. Next came the 6-ton car with drop-bottoms, then the 10, 15, 30-ton cars, and now the modern 50 and 100-ton steel cars, equipped with automatic couplers, brakes, and rachet dumping device. Contrast the first coal-car with a modern luxurious pull-man or a I 00-ton coal and ore car, and you have a record of progress in railway transportation. The development of the steam locomotive was no doubt the greatest factor in this progress, but let us not forget that the foundation of all industrial development was and is coal. and that development in mining and railway transportation should keep abreast.

Jan 1, 1924

By Fiona Campbell

"Modern history is full of breakthroughs in technology, all striving to increase productivity and efficiency. What are the elements that should be taken into consideration in the design and implementation of modern automation systems in a control room? Both industry and international standards are now demanding that Human Factors be considered as part of the design of control rooms to maximize efficiency and minimize the potential of human error which can lead to downtime and a loss of profit as a result of interruptions in production. As the current workforce ages and the younger generation matures, this is also becoming a key element when planning a control room. New standards are helping to address some of these challenges that are facing the mining industry today. With an increased focus on the operator, an intelligent and ergonomic workspace can both mitigate risk and optimize production. Optimization is money. We will examine how to analyze and implement innovative control room planning to maximize mineral processing production and minimize risks that can impact overall production and profit.INTRODUCTIONIn this day and age, optimization of production in an industrial environment is becoming more and more of a challenge. With ever changing technology as well as other external factors, this can be especially daunting. There are several key elements that may not be immediately obvious when planning a control room design or renovation, most notably the role of the human in this environment. Fatigue, stress, distraction, reaction times and situational awareness are all critical in a 24/7 environment. With the growing need to include human factors when considering and designing an optimal work and production environment, it is becoming even more important to design a control room that can address as many of today’s challenges as possible.The standard definition of the word “optimization” is “an act, process or methodology of making something (as a design, system, or decision) as fully perfect, functional or effective as possible.” (www.merriam-webster.com). If we apply this to business, what it really means is finding the most cost effective way to achieve the highest level of performance while considering constraints, both external and internal, by maximizing the desired factors and minimizing undesired ones. Sometimes, however, we can get caught up in the day to day processes, without taking a moment to step back and objectively review what it is we need to achieve, and more importantly, the steps that can facilitate our success."

Jan 1, 2016

By D. S. Robertson, G. E. Nutter, T. P. Podolsky

"IntroductionBasal Proterozoic quartz-pebble conglomerates are found both west of Elliot Lake, in Duncan, Jarvis and Aweres Townships, north of Sault Ste. Marie and to the east and northeast of Sudbury, Ontario. Locally, while well packed and pyrite-rich, they carry little to no uranium. Locally, they carry gold. These features generally are ascribed to variations in the source areas of the rocks.In two other areas of Canada, similar basal Proterozoic units contain quartz-pebble conglomerate beds with uranium.Sakami LakeLocation and HistoryThe Sakarni Lake uranium deposit is found in a narrow, northeast-trending, Archean greenstone belt located 95 miles southeast of Fort George, on James Bay, and 240 miles north of Matagami, Quebec (Fig. 1).The deposit was detected by Inco in 1971, during an airborne EM survey which carried a newly developed Inco spectrometer system flown at 450 feet. Ground investigation, in 1972, resulted in the discovery and sampling of quartz-pebble conglomerate which yielded assays as high as 0.19% U3O8.Extensive field exploration was conducted between 1972 and 1975. Sixty-five diamond drill holes, to a total of 13,969 metres, served to define the extent and economic potential of the conglomerates which extend over a total strike length of about eight kilometres."

Jan 1, 1986

By J. C. Folinsbee, D. R. Derry

"The Property of Opemiska Copper Mines (Quebec) Ltd. is in Levy Township, Chibougamau district, west of Chibougamau and south of Opemiska Lake. The original find was made in 1929 by the late Leo Springer and associates of Prospectors Airways Ltd., following observation from the air of an area of dark rocks in newly burned-over country. Work on the ground discovered three veins of high-grade chalcopyrite in gabbro (No. l, No. 2, and ""North"") and, after several seasons of trenching and diamond drilling, financed by Ventures Ltd., a shaft was sunk in 1936. This work indicated about 280,000 tons of six per cent copper ore to a depth of 500 feet. During this period, the senior author carried out a reconnaissance geological survey over the whole property and surrounding claims, which showed that the veins were in the gabbro portion of a large composite basic sill that had been folded with the enclosing lavas. Owing to the low price of copper and lack of transport work was suspended and the property remained dormant until 1951.In that year the company was re-financed, the property prepared for production, and further exploratory drilling undertaken. The drilling, based on structural indications, located a new vein of which the only previous evidence had been some irregular stringers. This vein, No. 3, was traced by drilling for a length of 2,000 feet and the indicated reserves were thereby increased to about one million tons. An additional vein, No. 4, was intersected in several holes.With this encouragement, plans for production were confirmed, and operations commenced' at the beginning of 1954 on a scale of about 400 tons a day, concentrates being shipped by truck to St. Felicien and thence by rail to Noranda. In the first year of operation concentrates were re-covered carrying 14,047,210 pounds of copper, 76,714 ounces of silver, and 6,259 ounces of gold. The operation is under the direction of J. P. Millenbach, General Manager, with J. M. Thompson as Assistant General Manager and F. G. Cooke as General Superintendent on the property."

Jan 1, 1949

By V. Ushakov, P. Bogdan

Daily production scheduling in a highly dynamic smelter environment has always been a great challenge for the operation management due to a significant amount of uncertainties. Planned and unexpected equipment failures, various energy outages, inaccuracies in flow and mass balancing, manpower availability conflicts and other constraints make the job of daily production planning exceptionally difficult. This paper discusses a general scheduling approach utilized by the production management of the Phelps Dodge Miami Smelter (the Smelter). It also describes logical assumptions and some practical software solutions that have been exploited by the Smelter managers to assist the front line supervisors in dealing with daily planning activities for several years.

Jan 1, 2007

By F. R. Ploeger, J. H. Crocket

"IntroductionRocks in the Kirkland Lake district form part of the Timiskaming Group, a south-facing homoclinal sequence of wackes, conglomerate, trachytic flows and pyroclastic rocks and syenitic intrusive rocks. Hewitt (1963) indicates that the thickest section, about 5 km, of the Timiskaming Group rocks is attained in Lebel Township. Several writers (Thomson, 1948; Hewitt, 1963; Hyde, 1978; Jensen, 1978; and Downes, 1979) have observed that the Timiskaming Group unconformably overlies the Keewatin volcanics, particularly along the northern contact. Recent work by Downes (1979) in McGarry and McVittie townships to the east of Kirkland Lake has shown that much of what had formerly been classified as Timiskaming actually belongs to an older group of rocks, the Larder Lake Group (Jensen 1978).General GeologyA series of fluviatile, braided-stream sedimentary rocks (Hyde, 1978) form the oldest of the three major rock suites at Kirkland Lake. Conglomerates constitute a large proportion of these sedimentary rocks and typically contain a large percentage of a variety of locally derived alkalic rock clasts as well as the distinctive red jasper iron-formation pebbles (Fig. 1a). The associated wacke units can be massive to finely bedded and are interbedded with the conglomerate. They also contain a large alkalic tuffaceous component.Interbedded with these sedimentary rocks are alkalic extrusive rocks, including tuffs, agglomerates, breccias and flows, which represent episodes of fissure and explosive crater eruption (Cooke and Moorhouse, 1969). The tuffs, although dominantly alkalic in composition, are commonly reworked and contain sedimentary features such as graded bedding, scouring and crossbedding (Fig. 1 b). The trachytic flows are massive to porphyritic and outcrop mainly east of Kirkland Lake in the adjoining townships. Altered leucitic porphyritic flows, locally referred to as red and green spotted trachytes, commonly occur."

Jan 1, 1982

By T. Majcherczyk

Shaft lining reinforcing analysis of two shafts under construction has been presented in this study. The first shaft was driven from the surface, while the second was deepened. Mining and geological conditions have been studied with respect to the lining capacity. The improvement of shaft stability comprised two elements, i.e. reinforcement of the shaft lining capacity and improvement of the strength properties of the rock mass. In both tested cases, the particular hazard was connected with non uniform loadings of the lining, which could generate shearing stresses within lining structure. Thus such elements as armored concrete with high strength properties, bolting and injection sealing of the rock mass, and the use of special ring reinforcing the shaft lining have been used in order to reinforce the shaft-rock mass system. Practical conclusions related with new technological solutions, allowing the rock mass and shaft lining reinforcement, have been included for the present study. Practical conclusions related with new technological solutions, allowing for rock mass and shaft lining reinforcement, have been also included to the present study.

Aug 1, 2013

By Gilles Carrière

"The Huntingdon mine of Quebec Copper Corporation is situated 3 miles south of the village of Eastman, in the Eastern Townships of Quebec. The copper deposit consists of several pyrrhotite-chalcopyrite replacement bodies or bands.The first mining operations on the conspicuous surface gossan of the Huntingdon deposit started in 1865. They were suspended in 1883. The .mine was again active from 1890 to 1893 and from 1912 to 1924. These operations were carried to a depth of 500 feet, and it is estimated that some 150,000 tons of ore were extracted, of a grade reported as varying between 3 Yi and 7 per cent copper.In 1950 a program of exploration was initiated in the area of the old mine, and resulted in the finding of 500,000 tons of ore with a grade of 2 per cent copper. A new shaft was sunk to a depth of 1,160 feet, and by February 1954 the mine was extracting 800 tons of ore daily.General Geology and StructureThe mineralized zones are on the west side of a band of altered volcanic rock, locally called andesite, adjacent to a sill-like body of serpentinized peridotite which lies west of the andesite. The bands of andesite and serpentine extend several miles north and south of the mine. Their strike is generally north 15 degrees east, and they dip steeply east. Their widths vary very considerably along the strike, but in the mine area each is about 450 feet wide on surface. They are enclosed in sediments of the Caldwell series, consisting of greywackes, quartzites, slates, and shales. The andesite belongs to the same series, which is thought to be of Cambrian age (1). The ultrabasic intrusive is post-Ordovician.At p\aces along the serpentine contact the andesite shows a pronounced schistosity; it is parallel to the contact and rarely extends farther than a hundred feet from it. No evidence of strong folding or faulting has been found so far in the mine workings. Some apparent distortions and irregularities in the strike of the contact may all be due to the intrusive nature of the serpentine. In the mine area, transgressive tongues of serpentine point southward in the andesite.A few vertical lamprophyre dykes, not more than five feet thick, cut the other formations at right angles."

Jan 1, 1949

By C. S. Simons, D. A. Dahlstrom

"Growing interest in the developing technique of improving the dewatering of filter cakes by the direct application of steam has been apparent during the past year. A number of applications to iron and base-metal concentrates are under study, and intensive work continues on applications to coal cleaning.This paper presents and discusses the data presently available. The effects of material characteristics and operating variables on final cake moisture are examined. Although it is not yet possible to answer all questions regarding the applicability of the technique to specific problems from general data correlations, it is found that the use of these in con-junction with empirical data derived from properly conducted laboratory tests does yield reliable conclusions.Emphasis is placed on the basic economics of the process, and on de-sign criteria for ""steam drying"" filter stations, as applied particularly to metallurgical concentrates. Examples of the use of laboratory tests to solve application problems are given."

Jan 1, 1966

By B. W. Snyder

INTRODUCTORY THE earliest known case of transmission of natural gas by pipe lines was early in the Christian era when the Chinese used bamboo pipes to transport natural gas from surface seepages to heat brine for the recovery of salt. Since that time many materials have been used as conduits-hollow wooden legs, wood stave pipe, day tile, cast iron, and, finally -since about 130 years ago - steel pipe. Even then, this new material came into use rather . slowly for, as recently as 80 years ago, wood pipe was still being used. However, as techniques were developed to take advantage of the properties of steel, this material gradually replaced all ethers for the transportation of gas for longer and longer distances at ever increasing pressures. In 1912, one of the longest pipe lines of its size at that time was built-this was a 16-inch line bringing gas from Bow Island to Calgary, a distance of 170 miles. We have been able to find records of only two ether such lines at that time-one a 185-mile 16-inch line from Vivian, Louisiana, to Little Rock, Arkansas, completed in the summer of 1911, the ether a 280-mile line from West Virginia to Toledo, Ohio. This last ? mentioned line was reported in a magazine article of September, 1912, but no indication was given of its size on completion date. It is apparent, therefore, that modern high pressure transmission of natural gas is a technique less than forty years old.

Jan 1, 1951