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By J. F. J. Thomas

"AbstractBoth the quantity and quality of waters available as raw materials are important to Canadian industry and to the national economy. The huge demands of many Canadian industries is illustrated by tabulated figures, based on the 1950 Canadian production of certain products, and on United States figures for the gallons of water required to produce a unit quantity of each product. It is suggested from comparison with American survey results and figures that Canadian industrial water consumption is 1 to 11/2 billion Imperial gallons per day. Since present information on Canadian usage is meagre and it is not certain that American survey results can be directly applied to Canadian industry, this estimate must await confirmation in future studies.The hydrologic cycle and the principal factors affecting the quantity and quality of water, namely, climate and season, topography, geology, vegetation, and human activities, are discussed and the principal salts dissolved in water which affect industrial use are enumerated.The present survey studies by the Mines Branch on water quality are outlined. Besides chemical analyses of municipal water supplies within a watershed, periodic sampling and analyses of major surface waters for a one-year period is being carried out. The importance of studies on seasonal variation in quality is stressed by comparing the dissolved salts in various river waters with river flow. Figures showing such relationships in the Rideau river and Ottawa river at Ottawa, the Columbia river at Trail, B.C., and the Battle river at Unwin, Sask., are presented. Different rivers show different quality changes with changing flow, and possibly only after long-term studies can the relationships be predicted.Quality studies on water may be as important as studies on many other raw materials. The quantity of the raw material, water, is not inexhaustible nor is the quality indestructible, and more realization of its importance, followed by conservation and intelligent use, is desirable."

Jan 1, 1952

By K. N. Subramanian

Previously reported work on total oxidative leaching of chalcopyrite concentrates ha s shown that high copper extractions are obtained at 210°C and 0.4 MPa oxygen pressure. A simple integrated flow sheet using pressure leaching, solution treatment involving precipitation with a calcium base, and electrowinning to produce wire-bar-quality copper is described. Reagent and energy requirements developed from this work indicate that the process could be attractive for small operations where a smelting-refining complex cannot be justified.

Jan 1, 1978

By B. R. Richards, B. G. W. Robinson

"This paper shows how metal values can be profitably won from a comparatively small and remotely located but high-grade orebody. To do so is not uractical for a large mining company, with its necessarily high overhead of services and organization essential to a large producer.To evaluate, develop and profitably exploit a limited but defined ore deposit becomes only a problem of determining the dollars required to win the dollars available. This paper will record how this was carried out during 1965 and at the same time describe the history, development and production plant of this property."

Jan 1, 1966

By H. G. Warrington

Abstract As part of the active development programme pursued by Dominion Magnesium Limited since 1945, a modern extrusion plant was erected and has been in operation for about twelve months. The only source of nigh purity magnesium in the world, Canadian metal is produced by metallurgical processes within the frame-work of the mining industry, which gives a different viewpoint to every phase of production from other world suppliers of commercial grade metal whose operations are based on chemical industries and techniques. The superior properties of corrosion resistance and grain refinement have aided a programme of standardization, reducing the number of alloys supplied in extruded form from seven to four as an aid to economic production. The first big step was the development of a general purpose alloy known as AZ?21x covering all decorative and medium stressed applications, which will supersede two older alloys. Sales approaching a million feet in this alloy show that it bids fair to become the 'mild steel' of the magnesium industry, its applications ranging from terrazzo floor strip to textile machinery and television mast components. In the high stressed field, metallurgical features preclude low-cost extrusion of the older high-strength alloys, but recent development of a magnesium alloy containing zirconium promises an easily workable metal. Hitherto produced by expensive chemical additions, research now shows that the alloy can be produced by metallurgical means, which may make this alloy available for a wide range of commercial applications. Thus the future development programme for extruded products in the form of tube, bars, shapes, and structural angles and channels may evolve two alloys to cover all applications for strengths up to 52,000 lb. per sq. in. Such standardization is the result of taking advantage of the physical and metallurgical properties of high-purity magnesium instead of accepting techniques based on metal produced by older processes.

Jan 1, 1951

By T. Y. Chong, J. A. Folinsbee

Since milling began in 1909, the PJV Dome mill has been expanded several times, to the current throughput of 11,500 tonnes per day. PJV recovers free gold using crushing and grinding followed by gravity concentration. The remaining gold in the gravity tails is recovered by cyanide leaching followed by Carbon-In -Pulp processing. Prior to 1993, cyanide tailings were impounded in the tailings pond where cyanide was allowed to degrade naturally. Effluent was discharged seasonally during the summer and early autumn to maintain the water balance. In 1993, an Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) was designed and constructed for the purpose of removing dissolved metals and suspended solids. In 1997, an INCO SO2/Air cyanide destruction process was added to the ETP. Even though the ETP was successful in meeting the cyanide, metals and total suspended solids (TSS) discharge limits, often the treated effluent failed to pass toxicity tests. Following successful laboratory and plant scale testing, the addition of the chelant EDTA (ethylene diamine-tetra-acetic-acid) was commenced in the 1999 operating season. To date, discharged effluent has passed all toxicity tests. This paper describes the evolution of the ETP from its early conception to the various phases of upgrade needed to meet the MISA discharge limits.

Jan 1, 2005

By Karl J. C. Harries

"12.1. NO DEPRECIATION/GAAPAll calculations and computations relating to the Royalty shall be carried out in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles consistently applied to the extent that such principles are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Schedule and the agreement attached hereto, it being specifically agreed that nothing herein contained shall permit, or be construed to permit, the Operator to deduct any amount for depletion, depreciation, amortization or any deduction that represents a non-cash outlay.Comment: In cases like net profit royalties where recoupment of prior expenditures is permitted, care should be taken to avoid any implication that depreciation may also be taken. It is only logical and equitable that Property Owners should not be permitted an apparent ability to “double dip” with respect to deductions. A provision like this example should accomplish the task. It will be noted that the example specifically contemplates that the negotiated arrangements will prevail over any requirements of GAAP. Accordingly, if the parties agree to an unusual formula for recoupment, it will not be set aside to accommodate GAAP requirements. Under GAAP, revenues and expenditures are accounted for on an accrual basis. In addition, it specifically prohibits the taking of non-cash deductions, which is in keeping with the concept of recoupment.Although in some ways the example states the obvious and could be considered redundant, its presence, especially in provisions contemplating recoupment, makes it clear to the financial people that there may well be some variations from normal practices dictated by GAAP, while at the same time confirming the availability of GAAP to fill any voids.The accounting profession often makes the caveat that application of GAAP is an “art”, not a “science”. GAAP do not provide a cure-all and can create problems that will have to be addressed. For example, GAAP contemplate that asset costs are to be reduced by investment tax credits, which can cause a problem for a payor with more than one mine."

Jan 1, 2003

By Robert D. Irvine

"Enhanced concern for protection of the environment and attendant actions by environ-mental regulatory authorities in support of this concern are influencing, to varying degrees, the demand and supply of a range of industrial minerals in a number of jurisdictions. These influences take a variety of forms.In this paper, the author seeks to delineate certain broad trends which are occurring relative to industrial minerals and the environment and then, through a series of examples, to outline opportunities, developments, and impacts respecting a number of industrial minerals produced and consumed in Canada and the United States."

Jan 1, 1996

By Stefan Boshkov

THE ADVENT of mining at great depth has brought to the fore the question of stresses around mine openings. The many-pronged attack on this problem is certified by the accelerated appearance, in the mining literature, of articles on various topics related to this subject (1). Whereas it may be agreed that we, of the mining profession, have fallen woefully behind in research and the development of an understanding of this important facet of the general problem of mining, it must also be accepted that the analysis of the stresses in a mine structure is usually more complex than is the case in the majority of structures encountered and dealt with in civil engineering. Whereas homogeneity and isotropy are readily acceptable for most metals, such properties are but crudely approximated in rocks. Whereas the external loads on a structure in civil engineering may be readily determined, those on a mining structure are subject to ?conjecture. Whereas the limits of the structure may readily be defined in civil engineering, the boundaries of the mining structure are, in most cases, indeterminate, and subject to intelligent guesswork, at best.

Jan 1, 1956

By W. B. Boggs

A paper describing the Noranda smelter was presented at the 1930 annual meeting of the Institute (1). A lacer article appeared in the Trans-actions of the A.I.M.&M.E. in 1933. Since that time there have been many changes and improvements in plant operation and it is the abject of this paper to give an account of developments up to the beginning of 1939. The Noranda smelter was built originally for a capacity of 30,000 tons a month. At present, the average tonnage being treated is 110,000 tons a month, the tonnage of custom ores alone amounting to almost the total rated capacity of the original plant. This increase has been accomplished by increasing the capacity of the reverberatory furnaces from 700 tons of solid charge per furnace day in 1928 to 1,500 tons per day at the present time. In 1935, it appeared chat the limit of furnace capacity had been reached at about 1,300 tons of charge per day because of the short life of the sprung silica arches. However, the adoption of the suspended magnesite roof, which had been developed at the Flin Flou smelter of the Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting Company, overcame this difficulty and it is believed that the limit of the capacity of the present reverberarory furnaces has not been reached. A brief account of the changes to equipment in the various departments will be given, followed by a description of the more important features of present smelter practice.

Jan 1, 1939

By Eric D. Monrad

Supply chain simulation modeling is taking on a more prominent role in mining project planning and decision making. Transportation costs for the supply chain can form a significant component of the overall cost to provide product to the end customer. In recent years, computing power has increased, simulation software has advanced, and simulation specialists have become even better equipped to provide sophisticated analysis and recommendations. This has led to a virtuous cycle of owners expecting and supporting data-driven analytics, which drives further advancement. This paper discusses developments in supply chain planning and two case studies from recent simulation modeling analyses.

May 1, 2013

By Ginger Gibson

As an occupational culture, mining comes with its own set of rules, agendas and values. Yet mines often also operate in the traditional territories of indigenous communities, with whom specific agreements are negotiated that commit to respect culture, economy and environment. Mines in these locations employ extremely diverse workforces whose value systems often come into conflict in on-the-job relationships. Adaptation of individual worker attitudes and industrial operating culture thus both need to occur if there is to be the negotiation of a workable relationship. This paper will discuss ways that NWT diamond mines have adapted to their workforce, to ensure that rights and cultures of their diverse workforce can be respected. Historically, the concept of culture has been dealt with solely through the forum of ?cross-cultural? workshops. Gibson presents a model of a new type of ?cultural-engagement? workshop based on the top ten cross-cultural conflicts that actually arise at a remote mine-site. This model helps managers, team leaders, and workers to tackle in-mine conflicts that arise based on differing value systems of aboriginal and non-aboriginal workers and management. In addition, Gibson suggests that the concept of culture must be more rigorously applied throughout the mine structure and not discussed only in the forum of the cross-cultural workshop.

May 1, 2007

By D. Purdie

"This paper aims to remind researchers, designers, operators, and managers about the benefits of seeding in the design of precipitation stages in their flowsheet. Including a high density solids (HDS™) process encourages the precipitating solids to form on the surface of existing precipitated particles. This paper discusses the application of the HDS technology at Kennecott Smelter, where the authors have witnessed significant improvements in settling and filtration rates. The authors have also applied this technology at various smelter bleed treatment plants worldwide with similar improvements in precipitation and filtration rates. HDS is a registered trademark of De Nora Water Technologies. RÉSUMÉ Cet article a pour objectif de rappeler aux chercheurs, aux concepteurs, aux exploitants et aux administrateurs les avantages de l’ensemencement dans la conception des étapes de précipitation de leur schéma de traitement. L’introduction d’un procédé des boues haute densité (procédé HDS™, de l’anglais high density sludge) encourage la formation de substances solides précipitantes à la surface des particules précipitées existantes. Cet article porte sur l’application de la technologie HDS à la fonderie Kennecott, où les auteurs ont observé des améliorations importantes au niveau de la vitesse de sédimentation et de filtration. Ils ont également appliqué cette technologie à diverses usines de traitement des rejets liquides des fonderies dans le monde entier, et ont constaté des améliorations similaires en termes de vitesse de précipitation et de filtration. Le procédé HDS est une marque de commerce déposée du fabricant De Nora Water Technologies.INTRODUCTION In 1966, the lead author worked as an assistant smelting metallurgist for the Tsumeb Corporation Limited copper and lead smelter in Tsumeb, Namibia. The smelter produced copper and lead, as well as cadmium and arsenic trioxide as byproducts. The cadmium was concentrated in the lead blast furnace off gas dust, and was collected by a baghouse. The baghouse dust was leached with dilute sulfuric acid (H2SO4) in a batch process. The iron and arsenic in the solution were oxidized with potassium permanganate (KMnO4) and basic ferric arsenate (BFAS; Fe(AsO4)x(SO4)y(OH)z·wH2O) was precipitated using milk of lime. The cadmium was cemented from the purified solution using zinc dust."

Jan 1, 2018

By G. Danko, C. Lu

"High temperature and humidity at the working negatively affect safety and health in deep and hot underground mines. It is necessary to predict during design the dynamic changes in temperature with heat and moisture emitted into the mine ventilation-thermal-humidity (VTH) system from various sources such as auto-compression, wall of strata, mining equipment and workers. Currently available mine ventilation and climate models are either furnished with a simplified, step-change-type (SCT) model for thermal solver (such as in Climsim, VnetPC, Minevent, MFire, etc), or with more advanced models to account for the “thermal history effect” (also known as thermal flywheel effect), such as in Ventsim and MULTIFLUX. The goal is to quantify the modelling error caused by the lack of variable thermal history component in the SCT model. Two models are compared: one with and one without the thermal history component in long, single airway examples with long-term climate simulations for 20 years assuming an input air temperature with daily variation. The examples illustrate the magnitude and the time-lag phase of the variation of the modelling errors with space, time and model conditions. Large errors are shown in the order of +14°C and –7°C errors, persistent for long time periods, up to 20 days in one example.INTRODUCTIONIt is important to predict the heat and humidity distributions during the design of hot and humid underground mines for the safety and health of the workers. The feasibility of extracting a rich deposit in great depth may depend on the extent of ventilation and mine climatization for maintaining an acceptable working environment. The cost of ventilation and cooling may be substantial, up to 40–50% of the total energy cost of mining (Clausen, 2017). The accuracy of model solution is important in view of the low profit margin in mine feasibility for deep and hot mines. Safety and health of the miners, the primary concerns, are therefore inherently connected to finding ever better solutions in simulation methods and ventilation control techniques."

Jan 1, 2019

ABSTRACT It is critical that historical processes and concomitant exposures to specific nickel substances be understood because some diseases linked to inhalation of certain nickel-containing substances have a long latency between first exposure and disease onset, and because nickel substances vary significantly in their toxicological properties. A discussion of the smelting history and related processes at Vale Canada’s (Inco’s) Copper Cliff, Ontario, smelter is integral to the understanding of these processes. The post-1950 processing history, equipment, propensity for aerosol formation, operational procedures, and ventilation controls used by Vale Canada in roasting, smelting, converting, and copper-nickel separation is discussed.

Jan 1, 2013

By D. Sammut, F. Houllis, J-L. Huens, J. Moyes

The Intec Gold Process has been developed as a halide-based alternative for the recovery of gold from refractory sulphide deposits. The halide medium allows sulphide oxidation and gold extraction to be performed concurrently at moderate temperature and atmospheric pressure sourcing oxygen from direct air injection. The dissolved gold is loaded onto activated carbon and stripped in a conventional Zadra circuit. High gold extractions have been achieved from a range of refractory gold concentrates at laboratory scale, which has led to a continuous locked-cycle pilot plant program. The pilot plant operated at >99% availability, with a maximum of 96.5% gold extraction from a concentrate containing 58.6 g/t gold. >99% of the dissolved gold was loaded onto carbon at up to 1% w/w, with no loss of carbon activity detected over five loading/washing/elution cycles. This paper describes the process and presents both laboratory and pilot plant results as well as economic data from two costing studies.

Jan 1, 2005

By The Staff

Development of the Eldorado Mine THE pitchblende-silver deposits of Great Bear lake, Northwest Territories, were discovered by Gilbert LaBine in 1930. The property owned by Eldorado Gold Mines, Limited, consists of 53 claims situated, for the most part, on LaBine point, on the northeast shore of the lake. The Company also holds a group of 10 claims on Dowdell point, 7 miles to the southeast of the main group and across Echo bay. The fractures traversing the ridge on LaBine point can be readily seen from the air. Lack of overburden and the scantiness of vegetation leave rock exposures which are visible for miles. The years 1931 and 1932 were spent largely in staking, prospecting, and examination of the outcrops. A small Diesel plant was shipped to the property in 1932 and underground operations were started. Entry was made into the ore-body by means of an adit. A 20-ton mill was completed in the winter of 1933-34, and since then operations have been continuous, except for temporary shut-downs for additions to the mill. TRANSPORTATION The mine is situated 28 miles south of the Arctic Circle and is reached by an air route of 1,140 miles from Edmonton. The water route follows the course of the Mackenzie River system from Waterways, Alberta, the end of steel, and is approximately 1,450 miles in length. Two portages, at Fort Smith and on the Bear river, respectively, are necessitated by the occurrence of fast water. Transportation was one of the major problems to be solved, and Eldorado Gold Mines, Limited, found it necessary to embark upon both water and air freighting on its own account. The Company now operates a Bellanca 'plane with a payload of 4,400 pounds, and a complete water transportation system. The latter was established some years ago by the Northern Transportation Company and it is still operated under that name, but the Company is now a subsidiary of Eldorado. Modern steel boats, oil tankers, and barges were added to the fleet this season. The greater part of the ore shipments are made by water, aircraft being used for this purpose only when occasion demands. Freight rates have been greatly reduced by direct ownership of carriers. For example, water-borne freight is now quoted 'to the mine at $ll0 per ton, as compared with $240 per tan four years ago.

Jan 1, 1938

By Pedram Sahba

In today?s emerging economy, pooling resources is a growing trend to reduce overall system costs. Two important resources of every maintenance department are repair shops and spare parts. In this work, we consider a system consisting of mine drills at multiple areas in a mine. In each area, a number of identical drills are operational. When a failure occurs, the defective component should be repaired in a designated repair shop. The failed component can be replaced immediately if a spare part is available. Otherwise, the drill is down until a component is repaired and put back into service. In this paper, the effect of pooling resources is examined, and the conditions under which it is beneficial to pool the resources are investigated. In addition, determining the optimal number of stand-by units, equipment or spare parts, in each case is of interest.

May 1, 2013

By Mory Ghomshei

As fossil fuels become depleted over the next century, it is imperative that Canada and other countries examine ways to transition to other sources of energy, particularly renewable resources. A critical obstacle to developing Canada?s renewable energy resources is the scarcity of infrastructure to wheel the generated electricity to a viable market. For each megawatt of renewable electrical power, a maximum of 1 km of connecting power line is typically feasible. This means that hydropower, geothermal, and wind power projects with capacities up to 100 MW must be located within a maximum of 100 km of a main power line in order to be economically viable. With a total length of about 1200 km, the proposed Northern Gateway oil pipeline project creates an excellent opportunity to become a corridor that can seed renewable energy projects in Northern British Columbia and Alberta. Utility companies must build new infrastructure to provide the electricity for constructing and operating the proposed pipeline. The pipeline and linked power line infrastructure therefore, should be designed and built with consideration to create an energy highway to the significant renewable energy resources, such as hydro, wind, and geothermal, in the vicinity of the proposed pipeline. Some of the important renewable energy resources in northern British Columbia can be developed in connection with the proposed pipeline. It is estimated that close to 2,500 MW of commercially viable wind, geothermal and run-of-river power resources are present in the proximity of the proposed pipeline corridor. While oil flows westward from the Alberta bitumen fields, the generated green power can flow eastward to help the Canadian oil sand industry to offset as much as 10 Megatons of carbon emissions per year. The generated carbon credits are equivalent to 75% of the emissions associated with extraction of the 525,000 barrels per day of oil from oil sands, intended to be carried by the pipeline.

Aug 1, 2013

By Roger Potvin

Abstract The demand for pure zirconium and titanium metals in Germany increased considerably during the war. Pure zirconium was used in flash bulbs, in vacuum tubes, and in time fuses for bombs, where it has a decided advantage because it gives no gas in burning. Under the form of alloy, it was used with other rare elements for making substitutes for platinum; it was also used as a scavenging agent in high-grade steels. Metallic titanium was mainly used in connection with the manufacturing of special alloys. The authors were sent to Germany by the Department of Reconstruction and have investigated the German process developed for producing these rare metals. They describe the procedure and special equipment used for their commercial production in Germany during the war. General Metallic zirconium and titanium were .produced on a commercial scale in Germany by the thermal reduction, with metallic sodium, of potassium fluozirconate and titanium chloride, respectively, using a mixed potassium and sodium chloride flux. According to the information gathered, the sole German producer of these rare metals in pure form was the Deutsche Gold und Silber Scheideanstalt (commonly called Degussa), at their Werk II, 215 Gutleutstrasse, Frankfurt/Main, which was visited by the authors on September 18th, 1945. As far back as 1934, Degussa was carrying on active research on the manufacture of zirconium, and nearly one ton of the pure metal had been produced before September, 1939. Concurrently, a quite similar process was worked out for the recovery of titanium and it was in commercial operation in the year 1938, during which the production totalled about half a ton (metric). The demand, especially for pure zirconium, increased considerably during the war, attaining a total of about 48 tons during the period October, 1939, to the end of 1944, and reaching a peak of more than 15 tons in 1943. In 1944, the plant was slowed down due to the frequent and disastrous bombing by the Allies, especially in March and September.

Jan 1, 1946

By C. H. Sleeman

"The Iron Ore Company of Canada constructed a beneficiation complex in Sept-Iles, Quebec, to concentrate and pelletize earthy red hematite iron ores from the Knob Lake area. The plants were scheduled for initial production during the first quarter of 1973.Many problems have been experienced to date. Difficulties in controlling the process, excessive mechanical failures, design deficiencies and manpower-staffing problems have caused an extended start-up. The problems are now essentially solved and, with the completion of some additional minor modifications, it is expected that the plants will be producing premium iron ore pellets at or near rated capacity within the next immediate period."

Jan 1, 1976