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In 1992, the United States economy grew at a rate of 2%. The Gross Domestic Product rose to $5,946 billion. With 257 million people - 635,000 in mining including petroleum - the United States has more than 100 million dwelling units and more than 190 million licensed motor vehicles. New private housing starts rose I 1 % to 1.2 million units. New car production rose 4% to 5.7 million units. Truck and bus production rose 20% to 4 million units. The rate of inflation was 3.5% and the prime rate of interest was 6.25%. The Producer Price Index (1982 =100) was relatively unchanged from 1991 as follows: fuels and related products and power 80, metals and metal products 119, chemicals and allied products 126 and nonmetallic mineral products 117. Energy Imports of crude and refined petroleum, costing $50 billion, rose 3% to 455 Mm3 (2.9 billion bbl). Domestic petroleum production fell 1 % to 582 Mm3 (3.5 billion bbl). Petroleum supplied about 41 % of US energy, natural gas 24% and coal 23%. Coal production, 60% from surface operations, rose 1 % to 914 Mt (1 billion st). About 78% was used to generate electricity and 3% was coked. Exports valued at $4 billion included 57 Mt (63 million st) of metallurgical coal and 39 Mt (43 million st) of steam coal. Ura¬nium mining, including recovery from phosphates, fell 18% to 3 kt (3300 st) U308.

Jan 1, 1993

By Gordon M. Miner

When I was originally invited to speak to this audience on the subject of the future supply of precious metals I was somewhat apprehensive and suggested that the Program Chairman select someone with more credentials. He declined and the results of our conversation gave me cause to reflect and recall the opportunities I have had over the years and how fortunate I have been to be associated with so many successful companies and knowledgeable people affiliated with the precious metals field. I discovered that since 1935, 1 have worked in or visited most of the gold and silver camps in the United States; have been a leaser of a gold mine in Mohave, California; have both lost and made money in the silver futures market; have worked for two of the greatest precious metals companies in the United States - Homestake Mining Company and Hecla Mining Company, have spent a considerable amount of time in precious metal related discussions with men like Don MacLaughlin, Paul Henshaw, Dick Stoehr, Abe Shoemaker, Bill Love, Phil Lindstrom, Simon Strauss, Herbert and Bunker Hunt and many others. It is those exposures and experiences that I draw onto discuss the subject at hand.

Jan 1, 1980

By Jerry Demchuk, Allan Flemming, Stephan Day

Luscar Ltd. is currently developing open pit mining plans for the Telkwa Coal Project. Most waste rock is predicted to be non-acid generating but a proportion (less than 20%) is potentially acid generating. The waste management plan includes in-pit and ex-pit disposal of blended and till-capped waste rock, segregation and in-pit encapsulation of strongly potentially acid generating materials, and in-pit underwater disposal of coarse and fine tailings. The paper will present the steps used to design the waste management plan including the development of geochemical design criteria using various tests and theoretical and practical knowledge of waste behaviour.

Jan 1, 2000

By T. P. Meloy

Understanding the illusive nature of the catastrophic failure of brittle solids is difficult. Proposed is a hypothesis of crack cessation. If, during catastrophic failure, cracks in a brittle solid stop before terminating on a preexisting crack, this hypothesis suggests that the slope of the size distribution curve will be lower. Moreover, this hypothesis suggests that when cracks stop, negative valleys and negative comers appear. Furthermore, particle shapes also change with particle size. While the hypothesis is unverified, it suggests that crack cessation could play a role in the comminution process.

Jan 1, 1996

By P. A. K. Wilkinson

This paper is concerned with the development of an in situ recovery of boric acid from a deep-seated colemanite deposit in California. The deposit contains 147 million tons of borate ore containing 6.4% boron oxide (B203). It is the largest undeveloped colemanite deposit in the United States and because of its unique occurrence and grade, in situ extraction appears to be the most economic viable process. The paper covers the geological, mineralogical, hydrological, well-field development, and extraction considerations leading to the initial pilot plant and subsequent demonstration plant phases of the project. Market potential aspects and preliminary economics of the project are also covered.

Jan 1, 1987

By Sol Ribakoff

In 1973, the Subcommittee on Contracting Practices, U. S. National Committee on Tunneling Technology, National Academy of Sciences, under the able chairmanship of A. A. Mathews, Engineering Consultant, now residing at Kaunakokai, Hawaii, undertook the task of developing recommendations for improving the performance of underground construction work, reducing the costs of such work and minimizing the adverse atmosphere in which owners and contractors were performing their respective functions. The author of this paper and C. F. Palmetier, a highly qualified engineer, were thereupon appointed as staff assistants to the Subcommittee, to conduct a study of existing practices and relationships in Western Europe and in the United States, to formulate recommendations, for consideration by the Subcommittee and the participants in a future workshop, as to desirable improvements in United States contracting practices and relationships. The study, conducted during 1973 and 1974, involved personal interviews of a total of 162 owners, engineers, contractors, lawyers, and educators throughout the United States and in 7 European countries, the analysis of 178 replies to questionnaires sent to individuals and firms involved directly or indirectly in construction, and a workshop, near Napa, California, attended by 53 representatives of all segments of the construction community. The resulting report, entitled "Better Contracting for Underground Construction", was submitted by the Subcommittee to the National Academy of Sciences, which approved its publication in 1974 by the National Technical Information Service. It may be obtained from that Service at Springfield, Virginia, 22161, as Accession No. PB-236 973. It was recognized-during the course of the study that while contracting practices and owner-contractor relationships were the

Jan 1, 1981

By Rubén Pavón] [H.

Mexico, that for various years held the second place among the elemental sulphur producers in the world, now occupies the fourth position. Nevertheless, taking advantage of the recent increase in the international prices of the metalloid, it is expected that Mexico recovers its traditional position producing, for the first time, over two million tons of sulphur during 1974. Drawing from material stockpiled during the last years sales are expected to reach 2.5 million tons, at excellent prices in the foreign markets, but not so in the domestic ones where prices have remained practically static since 1955, in spite of substantial escalation of production costs. Of the two sources of elemental sulphur in Mexico, the frasch process extraction from the salt domes of the Tehuantepec isthmus where the most important reserves are located - is the one that shall have an important increment. An increase of production of lesser magnitude is expected from sour gas, since sulphur recovery plants wilI go on stream toward the end of the year in the new oil fields recently located in the State of Chiapas. Two Mexican corporations are expanding and improving rational Frasch extraction operations. Together with Petroleos Mexicanos' sulphur recovery from sour gas it is estimated that production during 1975 shall reach 2.5 million tons and, consequently, supply the domestic market and generate an important sum of foreign currencies.

Jan 1, 1974

By Bhaskar B. Thapa

The design of the Caldecott 4th Bore, located along State Route 24 in Oakland, California, is based on the principles of the New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM). Typical NATM initial support design practices used in Europe were adapted for this project to account for U.S. conditions and requirements, such as degree of experience with NATM construction, the prevailing contractual environment, and preferences for contractual simplicity. Key design features are: (1) support selection criteria based on ground behaviors and ground conditions; (2) a prescriptive design with allowance for support adjustments based on observations during construction; and (3) organization of support requirements into only four major support categories, while permitting some adjustment for variations in ground behaviors and conditions using a few subtypes and additional support measures.

By S. Sener

In this investigation, the changes in the grindability of both ulexite and colemanite related with the different structural modifications created by the heat treatment were examined with respect to work index (Wi). The effects of the heat treatment temperature and time on grindability index were also investigated. It was observed that, heat treatment significantly affected on the grindability of ulexite. The work index of original ulexite was found 7.11 kWh/shton and decreased to 3.5 kWh/shton level within 200-480°C for 60 minutes. On the other hand, the work index of original colemanite was found as 6.48 kWh/shton and no appreciable change was observed when heated up to 320°C. Thermally assisted comminution can be used to improve the grindability characteristics of ulexite. Besides, the different behaviour of ulexite and colemanite under heat treatment can be used for their separation. The artificial mixture of ulexite and colemanite could be separated with over 90% recovery by utilizing their different grindability characteristics by thermal treatment, semi-autogeneous grinding and screening.

Jan 1, 1999

By Robert E. Barry

For new coal-fired power plants, federal regulations require that emissions of sulfur dioxide be limited to 1.2 pounds for every million BTU'S burned. This is equivalent to coal with a sulfur content of roughly 0.7 percent for Eastern bituminous coals and roughly 0.6 percent for Western sub-bituminous coals. The states and their political subdivisions are free to apply more stringent standards and to develop implementation plans covering existing and new units. Most Western-sub-bituminous coals contain less than 1% sulfur and hence their use, in many cases, will allow a utility to meet the regulations. However, there are problems in using such coals in furnaces designed for Eastern bituminous coals, and furthermore it will take many years to open mines and provide transportation facilities to utilities which are now burning coals with a higher sulfur content. Moreover, pending federal legislation would outlaw strip mining on land to which the federal government owns the mining rights. Those utilities who, for one reason or another, intend to continue burning Eastern bituminous coals with sulfur contents in excess of 1 percent are faced with removing SO2 from the stack gases. The alternative of utilizing coal gasification where the sulfur is removed prior to burning in a power plant is still in the early stages of development. Therefore, a large number of processes are under development for SO2 control.

Jan 1, 1974

By O. D. Christensen

The Carlin Trend is a 60 km (38 mi) long northwest alignment of epithermal, sediment-hosted, disseminated gold deposits. Collectively, these orebodies contained more than 620 t (20 million troy ounces) of gold. The Carlin deposit, located near the center of the Trend, has become the "type" deposit of this class. There are, however, significant differences between the individual deposits. Six subdistricts can be distinguished, based upon geographic, structural, lithologic, alteration, mineralization style, and geochemical characteristics. They are, from northwest to southeast, the Bootstrap, Bluestar-Goldstrike, Lynn, Maggie Creek, Rain and Bullion (Railroad) subdistricts. Regional Geologic Setting The Carlin District is located centrally within the Great Basin Geologic Province. Host rocks for the deposits include sedimentary units that range in age from Ordovician to Mississippian, as well as a Jurassic-Cretaceous granodiorite stock. During the Early Paleozoic, the area that is now Nevada lay along the western margin of the North American continent. A westward-thickening wedge of sedimentary units was deposited offshore in a eugeoclinal basin; these vary from continental shelf carbonates toward the east to fine-grained siliceous clastic and cherty units to the west. Tectonic activity associated with the Antler Orogeny in Late Devonian to Early Mississippian time resulted in the eugeoclinal Western Assemblage rocks being thrust as much as 140 km (90 mi) eastward over time-equivalent transitional to miogeoclinal Eastern Assemblage rocks along the Roberts Mountains Thrust fault system. The leading edge of the Roberts Mountains Thrust plate formed the emergent Antler highland from which siliceous clastic sediment, eroded from the overriding eugeoclinal rocks, was shed eastward into the adjacent foreland basin. Erosional products derived from the overthrust plate are termed the Overlap Assemblage.

Jan 1, 1987

By Ihor A. Kunasz

Lithium minerals occur predominantly in pegmatites that contain mineral assemblages derived from the crystallization of post- magmatic fluids or from the metasomatic action of residual peg- matitic fluids. They have been the traditional sources of raw material for ceramic and chemical industries. With the discovery of the Searles Lake deposits, brines became new sources of lithium, and, today, two brine deposits satisfy nearly one-half of the free world demand for lithium chemicals. Indeed, lithium production from pegmatites has been superseded by brines sources. In the United States, the brines of Clayton Valley, NV, have been exploited since 1964 by Cyprus Foote Mineral Company, a subsidiary of Cyprus Minerals Company. In Chile, Sociedad Chilena de Litio Ltda., an affiliate of Cyprus Minerals Company, is now producing lithium carbonate from the brines of the Salar de Atacama. Recently identified brine deposits suggest that these may well become the prime sources of lithium chemicals. In Bolivia, the government is negotiating the rights to exploit the brines of the Salar de Uyuni. The Salar del Hombre Muerto in Argentina is being evaluated as a future center of chemical production. The brines of the Great Salt Lake of Utah, the Smackover Formation, and the Imperial Valley geothermal field have been defined as important resources of lithium. In Tibet, high concentrations of lithium have been reported in several saline lakes. In the People's Republic of China, lithium may be produced from the brines of the Dabusan playa in the Qinghai Basin. The 1950s saw a great number of lithium companies develop. However, following the termination of the Atomic Energy Commission purchase program in 1959, several companies, such as Maywood Chemical Co., American Lithium Chemicals, and Quebec Lithium Corp., were forced to close their operations. Nevertheless, with the development of new applications in glass ceramics, air conditioning systems, synthetic rubber, and metallurgy (aluminumpotlines), the lithium industry grew steadily. With the potential application of lithium metal in batteries, nuclear reactors, and fuel cells, a steady growth can be foreseen. New products and new applications are likely to stimulate exploration for expanded reserves as well as the search for new sources from which lithium could be extracted economically. Presently identified reserves and production capacity are sufficient to satisfy the conventional market growth of lithium.

Jan 1, 1994

By Shinzaburo Kato

In 1977 Kawasaki Steel Corporation (KSC) built No. 6 BF (Blast Furnace) with an inner volume of 4 500m3 as part of our program to produce 8.5 million tons of crude steel a year at Chiba Works. As the primary raw material to be used in No. 6 BF, we decided to use sintered ore, because we were confident in the obvious advantages of our technology developed by that time on sintering and BF operation using sintered ore. At Chiba Works, however, we had no space for the construction of a sinter plant, so we decided to build it abroad. Sintered ore is easily crushed and degradated. Producing sintered ore at a point far away from the blast furnace and transporting it across the ocean was the world's first attempt. To successfully realize it, we conducted a series of fundamental surveys and studies with special stress on the real aspects of degradation of sintered ore caused by long-distance transportation and handling and the ways and means to prevent the degradation. As a result, we decided to build a plant on the Mindanao of the Philippines.

Jan 1, 1982

By Floyd M. Thorman

Gypsum is the crystalline chemical compound CaS04?2H20. A close chemical relation - and frequently occurring with Gypsum ? is Anhydrite which is Cask. Gypsun has wide commercial use because relatively simple heat processing reduces it to Plaster of Paris. While Anhydrite can be converted to Gypsum and thence to Plaster of Paris, the procedure is not simple and is quite costly. Anhydrite, however does have use in the agricultural field and in the Portland Cement industry. Occurrence of Gypsum in the earth structure is usually near or at the surface. Most underground mining is at 60 to 100 feet although one mine in southwest Virginia reaches a depth of 1300 feet. Gypsum is one of our softest minerals, rating only 2.0 on the Mohs scale of hardness. Specific gravity is 2.3 to 2.4. It is soluble in water but only slightly so. Interestingly, it is more soluble in cold water than in hot. For example, one part Gypsum dissolves in 370 parts water at 106° Fahrenheit while at 212°F. the water requirement is 452 parts. Compressive strength of massive Gypsum runs about 3000 lbs. per square inch. Color ranges from grey and brownish-grey to white.

Jan 1, 1973

By P. Somasundaran, D. R. Nagaraj, Tarun Bhambani, P. Patra

Flotation separation and recovery of value minerals from ores containing fibrous silicate minerals are known to be quite challenging. Earlier studies have established that the metallurgical challenges (poor selectivity and recovery, high energy consumption, etc.) arise from the impact of the fibrous minerals (with high aspect ratio) on pulp rheology, which was found be rather complex. The complex rheological behavior of ore suspensions containing particles with high aspect ratio and its influence on flotation outcome are investigated in this study. Flotation tests and rheological measurements were carried out with both ores (containing fibrous minerals) and a model system comprising nylon fibers (chemically inert) added to a copper ore that had no fibrous mineral. These studies allowed the determination of contributions of physical properties of the fiber to pulp rheological behavior. Optical microscopy images of the fiber pulp indicated that the fibers entangled to form two levels of microstructures: two-dimensional (2D) aggregates under semi-dilute (< 20% solids) conditions and three-dimensional (3D) microstructures at concentrations > 30% solids. The yield stress (σ) values determined for the fiber pulp were logarithmically related to the volume fraction of the 2D/3D structures. The relationships developed here for different ARs showed that the yield stress of a flotation pulp changes with respect to shape, size, and the concentrations of the microstructures. Implications to the effects of such entangle networks on selectivity of flotation separation are discussed.

By J. Haynes

Coal mines in the eastern US often use sloped shafts as production beltways for ore removal, as means of access for supplies, and for ventilation. These structures are usually completed with the help of a contractor. In late 2011, Frontier-Kemper Constructors was engaged to build a slope for a coal mine in southern Indiana. Although the site was located in familiar Illinois basin formations, the geology proved to be very difficult. This paper describes some of the challenges faced during excavation of this slope and the methods used to overcome them, including changing the method from conventional drill and blast to cutting with a continuous miner.

Feb 27, 2013

By E. A. Sarver

The Fe(II) regeneration process is an important aspect of Alternate Anode Reaction Technology (AART) for copper electrowinning (EW). In AART, Fe(II) is oxidized to Fe(III) at the anode during EW, and it must be regenerated to maintain recyclable electrolytes. Regeneration is achieved via Fe(III) reduction by SO2(aq), and the reaction is catalyzed by activated carbon particles. To better understand this process, a kinetic model was developed and experimentally validated for the Fe(II) regeneration in the current work. The investigation focused on the primary reaction mechanism and the reaction rate dependence on four variables: carbon particle size, flow rate, initial Fe(III) concentration and initial SO2 concentration. The Fe(II) regeneration reaction is mass-transfer controlled in the presence of activated carbon. Carbon particle size and initial Fe(III) are the most influential factors under the conditions tested. Initial SO2 concentration is insignificant to the reaction rate.

Jan 1, 2007

By Verya Nasri, Behrouz Esmaeilkhanian, Mohammad Motallebi

Réseau Express Métropolitain (REM) is the new Light Rail Transit (LRT) network of Montreal, Canada. This new LRT network uses a century-old Mont Royal Tunnel (MRT) to connect Downtown Montreal to the north side of the Island of Montreal by passing through Mount Royal Mountain. This railway double track horseshoe tunnel is approximately 5 km (3.1 mi.) long, 8.8 m (29 ft.) wide and 5.5 m (18 ft.) high, with a constant 0.6% grade. Due to different geological characteristics of the surrounding ground, varied from hard rock to soft soil, different cross sections and excavation methods were adopted for construction of this tunnel. In order to use MRT in the modern transit system, the tunnel needed to be inspected, rehabilitated and be compliant to the recent safety standards. This paper presents a summary of history and characteristics of the existing tunnel plus the implemented steps to upgrade the tunnel. It includes the details of the structural inspection and rehabilitation methods of the tunnel. Further, this paper summarizes the procedures for the space proong, construction of the separation center wall, and the tunnel enlargement. It also describes parts of complications encountered during the construction and solutions implemented to tackle these issues.

Jun 23, 2024

By James Boyd

JAMES BOYD 29.1-STAFF-AND-LINE ORGANIZATION Industrial organizations are established primarily to coordinate the activities of many individuals working toward a specific goal. In mining, the goals can vary widely, and the skills necessary to reach them likewise will vary from operation to operation. It is essential to keep in mind the principal point that an organization embodies the necessary skills which supplement each other and achieve a given objective. Those who direct such an organization are grouped together as "management" and accept the responsibilities for the regulation, administration, supervision and guidance of the enterprise. Those who comprise the "administration" and have supervisory authority are referred to as the "executives." In the early days of mining it was common for one executive to exercise virtually complete control over the entire organization, and direct its operation from a central office. However, the science of management has advanced significantly since then. Mining organization administration now allocates increased authority and flexibility to those in direct-line responsibility, and organizes competent people in specialized fields to provide supervisors with guidance where it is needed in day-to-day operations. Few mining companies today are confined to one operation. Therefore, highly developed skills can be provided in the staff which assists management. This is known as staff-and-line organization, illustrated, in general, in Fig. 29-1. Each operation requires diverse skills for the carrying out of specific functions. The acquisition and training of those with such skills is an important operation in assembling organizations. An organization normally is modified to accommodate individuals rather than being a "hard and fast" mold into which people are fitted. The modern manager is inclined to organize to minimize central direction, with delegation to line executives, providing staff whose day-to-day operations, in cooperation with line executives, coordinate a continuing drive toward the organization&apos;s objectives. The staff officers, therefore, tend to become what could be described as parts of the president&apos;s brain, dealing with specific areas requiring certain skills. They do not necessarily direct operations, but watch them to be sure that the skills which they have themselves developed can be transmitted to line operations by persuasion rather than by direct authority. The elements of management requiring staff assignments are: 1. Planning, which, at staff level, is only a coordinating activity. Planning is done at all levels in the organization. 2. Engineering. 3. Finance. 4. Control. 5. Personnel and industrial relations, which set personnel policies, including salary plans and the means of handling relations with the unions. 6. Research, which, in a modern organization, is essential to progress and needs to be overseen at the top. 7. Legal staff to see that all operations of the company are provided with sound legal advice, and that the company&apos;s policies stay within the law.

Jan 1, 1973

By Madan M. Singh

With the current emphasis on ecology, safety, and conservation of natural resources, some consideration should be given to methods of mining that reduce surface damage, make the mining of coal less hazardous, and allow exploitation of a larger percentage of the coal in situ. One method that can be helpful toward attaining these objectives is the use of packing or stowing. Stowing involves the replacement of the ore that has been removed by waste material obtained from within the mine or elsewhere. Evidently, it would be most beneficial if this waste for packing were available from the mine being worked, but generally this is not possible. If complete stowing is adopted, it is necessary to bring in packing material from other sources. Stowing tends to reduce surface subsidence, but not eliminate it. It enhances roof support and curtails accumulation of methane in the gob, making the mining operations safer. It may also allow one to obtain a larger amount of coal. Currently, in the United States, a substantial amount of coal is left in place as pillars, in the hope that it will support the overburden indefinitely. Some of these could be extracted with stowing. The mining of thick, steep, or contiguous seams would also be facilitated.

Jan 1, 1974