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By L. Trytten, S. Bass, P. Nawrocki, J. Mercer

The Sherritt Fort Site nickel refinery and fertilizer plant has been operating continuously since 1954. The ammonia leach process uses ammonia and sulphuric acid, producing nickel and cobalt and an ammonium sulphate byproduct. One of the features of an ammonium sulphate based process is the aggressive nature of ammonium sulphate to concrete and structural steel. After six decades of operation, portions of the structural steel and concrete at the Sherritt facility have become degraded. Infrastructure replacement programs started in earnest more than a decade ago with pipe racks and electrical infrastructure, and have now progressed into building steel. Replacing and repairing this infrastructure within the tight constraints of an operating plant poses several difficult challenges. This paper will outline the approach taken to accomplish this difficult work, and discuss key learnings from the ongoing program.

Jan 1, 2015

By Oliver Bowles

Cementing materials of mineral origin were well known to the ancients. Ordinary lime and gypsum plasters were the first to be recorded by historians. The next development was the discovery that certain limes would set under water, but the hydraulic property was not definitely attributed to the presence of clay in the limestone until many centuries later. The Romans advanced a step nearer to modern cement in the development of 'pozzuolana', a mixture of volcanic ash or trass with hydrated lime. The silicate of aluminium in the volcanic rock combined readily with the lime, forming a hydraulic mortar or cement which was widely used. Natural Cement In Europe (1) No further progress was made in the art of manufacturing cement for several centuries, during which the Roman Empire declined and passed away, and the Anglo-Saxon race slowly and painfully evolved through the Middle Ages an ever-increasing prestige. An Englishman, John Smeaton, is credited with the honour of the next important development, for he employed a little-known cementing material-natural cement-in constructing the Eddystone lighthouse in 1756. It was called 'natural' cement because it was made from a natural rock with no additions of other materials. The process consisted of calcining an argillaceous limestone at a comparatively low temperature and grinding the product to a fine powder. Care was exercised to keep the temperature low, and any material burned to the clinkering point was thrown away, although such material was, as learned at a later time, Portland cement.

Jan 1, 1933

By W. E. Armstrong

Gypsum was first exploited as ?a commercial proposition in this province by the Union Mining Company which, in 1900 opened quarries on the east shore of Lake Manitoba, near the present site of Gypsumville. This company established a mill at the head of Portage Bay on the lake, and the manufactured plaster was carried by the companies boats to McArthur's siding on the Whitemouth river near Westbourne, Man., from which point it was distributed. In 1904 a reorganization took place and the Manitoba Gypsum Company Limited bought out the original company, and operated the original mill for about one year when it was destroyed by fire. There were many factors which rendered the operation of a mill at the quarries very difficult; lack of rail transportation for bringing in supplies, and the impossibility of local power development made manufacturing costs very high. Satisfactory distribution could not be affected because of water transportation and poor terminal facilities at McArthur's siding. For these reasons the new mill was built at Winnipeg, where cheaper power and better distributing facilities permitted the industry being placed in a better position. The company continued to bring the gypsum rock by steamer to Totogan, from which point it was transported by rail to Winnipeg. This period was one of steady expansion as the product became better known and more universally accepted as a wall finishing material. Unfortunately, in 1909, this new mill was destroyed by fire, causing a serious set-back to the company, at a time when the steady growth of the western market gave every promise of the industry being placed on a profitable basis.

Jan 1, 1925

By P. J. Le Roux

"Mining worldwide and definitely in South Africa, is constantly under pressure to reduce its cost structure so as to sustain profitability. In underground gold mines where an open stope mining method is employed, dilution often has a significant effect on the viability of sustaining profits. Target Mine practices Open Stope mining Method and it was found that in some open stopes dilution was in excess of 10%, which has a significant impact on the sustainability of the mine.Dilution in excess of 10% can result in the reduction of the recovered grade from 5,5 to 4,5 grams per ton (g/t). The reduction of 1 g/t in recovered grade results in a potential loss of about ZAR21 Million per month bases on a gold price of ZAR240 000 per kilogram. Based on Life of Mine projections the potential loss of income could be as much as ZAR3,3 Billion. A reduction in dilution would have the opposite effect. There are a number of factors which affect dilution of which falls of ground in open stopes is a major contributor. The falls of ground can be attributed to a number of factors such as beam failure as a result of a larger than normal expected roof area (hydraulic radius too large), poor ground conditions, and poor blasting. The cost of damage to or loss of trackless equipment as a direct result of the falls of ground in open stopes, is very significant. The review of financial figures has indicated that this could be as high as ZAR491 million. This combined with the added cost of transport, hoisting, secondary blasting, milling and plant treatment costs of ZAR293 results in an estimated opportunity loss of ZAR784 million.Currently there is a significant amount of data available in the mining industry which could be effectively used to develop suitable back analysis techniques but to date this has not been used effectively. If dilution can have such an impact on current and future mining ventures then the optimization of back analyses for the prediction of dilution in open stoping could assist significantly in the reduction of dilution in massive open stopes. Rockmass classifications, geotechnical information, blast techniques, blast design, the stress strain environment and hydraulic radius all have an effect on, or play a role in the evaluation of dilution. Each of these factors will be taken into consideration to ultimately determine a measurable or calculated percentage of dilution in massive open stopes.The amount of overbreak in an open stope can be determined by subtracting the planned stope volume in m3 from the actual measured final stope volume in m3, which is obtained from the CMS (cavity monitoring system). This is in turn divided by the planned stope volume in m3 to determine the percentage overbreak. The CMS wireframe is imported into the geological model and its grade re-evaluated. From this the actual percentage dilution for this open stope can be determined. The dilution obtained can result in a major reduction of recovered grade for the open stope, but can also increase the recovered grade. The latter is normally the exception rather than the rule.When analysing data from Target mine the following was achieved:• Using 11 years of data a method of measuring and predicting the percentage dilution in open stoping was developed. This took into account rock mass quality, stress-strain state, and the hangingwall hydraulic radius (size of stope hangingwall exposed).• Implementation of this prediction method resulted in a reduction in falls of ground in open stopes. The benefit of this was a reduction in the damage to mechanised equipment resulting from less falls of ground which had a positive effect on the profit margins of the mine. As a direct result the recovered grade from the open stopes increased due to the reduction in the amount of dilution.• A design criterion, Dilution Stress-Strain Index (DSSI), was developed which allows the user to calculate, with certainty, the stability of the open stope and determine if m"

Jan 1, 2015

By C. A. Clark

The Chagres Smelter is located 80 kilometres north of Santiago - Chile, in the middle of an agricultural valley which is also one of the poorest districts in the country. This condition sets the main focus for the smelter's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes, which ultimately aim at building self sustainable social and economic capital in accordance with the local capacities. With the help of Anglo American's SEAT (Socio Economic Assessment Toolbox), a corporately developed instrument designed to help the operations understand the needs of the communities and the impacts of those operations, the Chagres Smelter implemented several programmes, such as the CETTA (Experimental and Applied Technology Transfer Centre) programme. This project started in 2003, and consists of creating a centre for the transfer of sustainable techniques and skills for the small agricultural and livestock producers that live in the rural areas near the Chagres Smelter. Its main impacts are: Improved production quality (goat cheese and bee honey) and access to relevant markets, improved training and self-sustainability levels of producers, enhanced socio-economic level of the District's inhabitants by improving their income earning opportunities and technical knowledge, creation and promotion of a local brand as a symbol of quality products from the valley and a positive environmental impact of good breeding and native flora protection practices in the area. Other relevant social programmes are the 'Environmental Strivers', which created a recycling centre in the community; and the 'Beautiful Valley" project, which provides management knowledge and skills to local youngsters and leaders who can contribute to finding solutions for local environmental needs.

Jan 1, 2007

By N. R. Thornton

This paper discusses the rapid growth in the application of instrumentation for metallurgical process control. It covers such methods as ultrasonics, pulp density measurements, on-stream X-ray analysis and reagent control, as well as the expanding use of computer control and data acquisition.

Jan 1, 1971

By Smortchevskyk N. J.

THIS paper describes the electrical features of the locomotive now (August, 1962) under construction for Craigmont Mines. Intended for non-specialists, it avoids details of design and calculations interesting to electricians only. The paper is divided into three sections. The first deals very briefly with the mine layout and with operating conditions -existing and expected. Reference is made to economic considerations leading to the selection of the type and size of locomotive, as well as to traction diagrams and the calculations. This material is not included in the paper because of its length and because it does not represent anything new. The second section deals with engineering and economic considerations and shows, in some detail, why the A.C. system was chosen. The third section describes the basic components of the locomotive, including the voltage regulator, the rectifiers, the control arrangement and the filter, and deals with considerations affecting the selection of their rating and design. A concluding sub-section describes, very briefly, the track and trolley details and the power distribution switchgear.

Jan 1, 1963

By C. W. Taylor, F. L. Martin

"THE DICTIONARY defines Metallurgy as the ""science or art of separating metals from their ores and refining them for use"". In these days, however, such a definition is not detailed enough.The modern science of metallurgy is based on two fundamental sciences, physics .and chemistry, and is sub-divided into two major fields: Process Metallurgy and Physical Metallurgy. These fields of metallurgy are now so comprehensive and involved that even the graduate metallurgist has to specialize in one or the other.In recent years, the relatively new science or technology of non• destructive testing has also entered the industrial scene, with tremendous impact and ramifications. So much so that, certainly, no .discussion on metallurgy can be complete without including some reference to it.Obviously, one paper cannot hope to cover in detail the relationship of the whole science of metallurgy to the mining industry. Consequently, only a very brief reference will be made to the field of Process Metallurgy, our major concern being with Physical Metallurgy and Non-Destructive Testing."

Jan 1, 1960

By E. A. Brown

"IntroductionBACK IN THE nineteen-thirties, when Eldorado was a private company and was preparing to become Canada's first radium producer, the Mines Branch in Ottawa did much work on the development of chemical processes for the Port Hope refinery (1).In 1945, after the Canadian Government had taken over Eldorado for •atomic energy reasons, the Mines Branch was called upon again, this time to help out by looking into ways and means of improving ore treatment methods for the mine at Great Bear Lake. A group of technical men was assembled to devote full attention to this work, which was known as the Eldorado Project.Three years later, in 1948, the Government decided to reopen the development and operation of uranium properties to private enterprise.Since it is a function of the Mines Branch to assisit private development of Canadian mineral resources, this new uranium policy made it important for the Branch to be in a position where it could provide up-to-date services, technical assistance, and information relating to treatment of radioactive ores, mineralogy of radioactive ores, and assay methods for radioactive ores.At the same time, .because of the demand for increased uranium production, lower grade ores had definitely come into the picture, ores that might be of decidedly lower grade than, say, Eldorado pitchblende, and of entirely different nature."

Jan 1, 1953

By R. J. A. Fricker

IT is the purpose of this essay to give a reasonably complete description of shaft sinking under a rock pentice in a small Northern Ontario gold property. Hallnor is in many ways an exceptional mine, but the sinking operations here described are but typical examples of the excellent practice for which Canadian mines and mining engineers are justly famous the world over. The worth of the subject lies, therefore, nor in its originality, but in its soundness; not in the spectacular, but in the economical and safe. Attention is particularly drawn to the excellent safety record and to the exceptionally low overall sinking cost. INTRODUCTION Prior to April, 1939, the Hallnor No. 1 shaft had been sunk vertically to a depth of 997 feet below the surface. It is a three-compartment shaft, 19 ft. 10 in. by 7ft. 7 in. outside the timbers (see Figure 1).

Jan 1, 1941

By K. Raht

LEAD poisoning is perhaps the oldest and, until recent years, the most misunderstood of all industrial diseases. Hippocrates appears to have recognized a relationship in the colic experienced by a patient who worked with metals, and the ancient literature is filled with references to the colics and 'dry bellyaches'. The colic and other sequalæ following drinking of lead-bearing waters and, particularly, wines has excited possibly more comment in the older medical literature than any other ætological factor. It was not until1656, when Stockhusen definitely connected the colic of the workmen with the fumes given off in the process, that the true danger to those working with lead was recognized. Unfortunately, something over 200 years elapsed before industry took any note of Stockhusen's discovery; it remained for Legge and Goodly and investigators of the early 1900's to forcibly educate their profession and industry to the manner in which lead gained entrance to the body. The work of Legge and Goodly was published in 1912 and the clearness with which these investigators presented the scientific data which they had accumulated will mark this volume as perhaps the first and most important contribution to our modern knowledge of the subject. It also ushered in a period when, in the short space of thirty years, lead poisoning has been reduced from one of the most baffiing and widespread o industrial diseases to one which can be anticipated and controlled. The next great contribution came in 1926 with the publication of the work of the Harvard group. Here, for the first time, was the physiological behaviour of lead laid bare, and it is to the discoveries of these authors that we owe our modern treatment of lead poisoning.

Jan 1, 1941

By H. M. Woodrooffe

This paper deals with the laboratory facilities at the Mines Branch for carrying out research in the industrial minerals field, and also reviews current programs in ceramics and construction materials, in non-metallic minerals and in the milling of industrial minerals. It then discusses the application of these pro-grams to industrial problems.

Jan 1, 1967

By Dr. O. M Solandt

CANADA is not an old country we are just now planning to celebrate our lOOth Anniversary. Nonetheless, we have already developed some well-established traditions. One of the minor traditions is the standard speech on the need for more research and development in Canadian industry. I am sure that you have all listened to it many times -I certainly have given it more than once. Much as I am tempted to honour this tradition by repetition, I shall only give you a thumbnail sketch of the ancient address for the benefit of any unfortunate visitors who have not heard it before, and also to provide a base for some further ideas that I want to leave with you. Briefly, the traditional story is that, for a variety of historical and environmental reasons that I shall not attempt to describe in detail, research and development in Canada has grown up in a pattern that is ill adapted to foster the expansion of our manufacturing industries. The story continues by saying that research in the universities is of excellent quality but that we are very short of money to meet the expanding needs

Jan 1, 1965

By Alvaro Diaz

Introduction, who is Teck Red Dog and Quebrada Blanca Mines Uniqueness of environment Arctic versus High Altitude Conditions Logistical challenges People and Stakeholders Conclusions

May 1, 2013

By P. J. Urso

"The coal reserves of the Crow's Nest Basin in British Columbia have been known since the late 1860's. The 51.0-million-long-ton (over 15 years) sale of low-volatile coking coal to Japanese steel mills, as finalized in 1968, establishes the importance of these coal reserves in the world markets.In the early stages of the exploration program, which began in January, 1967, emphasis was placed on deter-mining the reserve of underground low-pitch coal within the No. 10 or Balmer seam of the Kootenay coal forma-tion. The finding of low-cover reserves in excess of 100,000,000 tons altered the initially planned underground program. Extensive tests were performed, establishing the excellent coking characteristics of the open-cast Balmer coal. Due recognition was given to the ultimate reclamation costs of mined lands and associated spoil areas.t was determined that, to achieve the costs desired, a high productivity was necessary, requiring large mining equipment. Operating criteria were set out, based on producing 4.2 million tons of clean coal per year. To optimize recovery, the preparation plant feed size was fixed at Yi in. x 0. The initial basic design capacity of the plant was 1,000 tph. The washing plant is composed essentially of four separate cleaning sections: a dedusting section; a multi-stage heavy media cyclone section; water cyclones; and flotation cells. Subsequent to the basic program, additional sales were made of 6.0 million long tons over the initial three-year period and the plant capacity was raised to 1,400 tph through the addition of a 400-tph coarse-coal treatment section. All wet coal products from the fine coal plant will be dried in a 70-tph (water) heat dryer. A unit-train concept of coal transportation between the mine site and the Westward Terminals at Roberts Bank has been negotiated with the Canadian Pacific Railroad. Facilities at the port will include a 4,000-tph rotary car bumper, 400,000-ton clean-coal stockpiles, and a bucket reclaiming system having a total ship-loading capacity of 6,000 tph."

Jan 1, 1969

By W. G. Miller, J. D. Scott, D. C. Sego

ABSTRACT The influence of using different extraction processes (caustic versus non-caustic) on thethixotropic strength of oil sands fine tailings is examined, as is the influence of adding a coagulant tocaustic fine tailings. The thixotropic strength of fine tailings at large void ratios manifests itself as a bonding or gel strength that has been widely noted both in the laboratory and in the field. This gel strength has a significant influence on preventing the initial consolidation or settlement of fine tailings. Differences between the fine tailings’ thixotropic strength development are explained based on their physical and chemical characteristics.

Jan 1, 2010

By Alyson Morley

The mining sector in Canada is facing significant challenges to develop a competent workforce, including increased technical and logistical operational demands, and the imperative to promote local content. There is an increasingly unpredictable labour pool which can be aging, or have skill shortages, or non-aligned skills. As globalisation continues, companies also require efficiencies during operation across various locations. AMEC has met these challenges in the global oil and gas sector by developing our Capability Development and Competence Assurance (CDCA) program. CDCA is applicable across all process industries, including mining. CDCA supports simultaneous consistency and flexibility by defining competence at task level, with corresponding best practice blended training programs, and evaluation criteria and processes. CDCA then defines role profiles mapped to local task definition. When combined with web-based technology, this granularity allows us to manage high volume workforces, while retaining individual learning plans and progression, aiding job satisfaction, and employee retention.

May 1, 2007

By P. Tracy

An advanced real-time monitoring system, called a "Tapblock Diagnostic System" is under development to help furnace operators manage the operation and maintenance of their tapblocks. The life of a water-cooled tap block in a smelting furnace ranges from several months to several years, depending on the operating conditions. Tapblocks are typically replaced at regular maintenance intervals; a strategy based largely on historical records and not on the actual condition of a particular tapblock. The Tapblock Diagnostic System monitors the tapblock throughout its life and accumulates probable wear events to help the operator assess the residual integrity of the tapblock. Benefits of this system include the ability to provide early warnings of tap block wear to provide improved safety and maintenance planning. Using cooling-water flow together with copper and water temperature measurements, the system performs calculations that compare the present tapblock performance with the expected operating envelope using a multivariate statistical method (Principle Component Analysis). The operating envelope is pre-calculated for a wide range of operating conditions using transient thermal modeling (Computational Fluid Dynamics). A state indicator in the form of a green, yellow and red light is used to inform operators of the tapblock performance and health status.

Jan 1, 2007

By J. W. Reynolds

Introduction The Sullivan mine, at Kimberley, B.C., is the principal source of ore for the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company of Canada, Limited. Current production amounts to about 2,500,000 tons of lead-zinc ore a year. With approximately 1,600,000 feet of percussion drilling and 700,000 feet of diamond drilling being carried on each year, any improvements in drilling practice are important. Testing of new equipment and drill bits is a major function of the Testing Department at the mine. Tungsten carbide bits have been the subject of many tests since 1947 and have been used in operations since 1948. This paper details with the methods of testing and gives comparative data on performance and costs for tungsten carbide bits as compared to steel bits. Operational use of tungsten carbide bits started in April, 1948, and the extent of application has increased considerably since that time. The scale of employment is illustrated in Table I, which also shows other statistics on the use of carbide bits. Up to the present time eighteen types of carbide bits or tipped steel, as made by six different manufacturers, have been tested. In general, one supplier's bits have been used in operations, but some large-scale operational tests have been carried out with other types. The types tried are shown in Table II. To date they have been, the subject of 33 tests, covering the destruction of 804 bits over an observed footage of 42,586 feet.

Jan 1, 1951

By Paul B. Batten

Shutdown is a generic term for what may be called an Outage, Turn Around (TAR) or Overhaul etc. Running a plant shutdown well has always been key to the financial contribution of a mine. However, something important has changed. The post pandemic reality is that it is harder to retain workers and many of those near retirement just didn’t come back to work. This is creating a shortage of experienced people and a workforce that changes employers easily. We are seeing the impact of this manifested in the erosion of established maintenance and supply chain processes that now struggle to yield the plant runtime that could once be taken for granted. The scope, cost and duration of a shutdown varies widely depending on the nature of the work and the equipment being renewed. The PM of an electric shovel might require a week of downtime and cost $100,000. A gold plant may need to go down for 3 days when its time to change mill liners and cost $500,000. A turnaround in a refinery can take more than a month and cost multi millions. Despite the huge differences.

Jan 1, 2023