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Energold Drilling Corp. is a leading specialty drilling company servicing the mineral and energy sectors in the Americas, Africa and Asia. Energold specializes in mineral exploration in remote locations with limited infrastructure. Such locations require the smallest footprint possible going in, leaving as little or no evidence on their way out. Energold?s rigs can be transported by helicopter or manually on footpaths as narrow as 1 m (3.3 ft). They set up quickly and then are struck and packed out, with any sign of their presence quickly disappearing behind them. Energold has teamed up with Atlas Copco and its team of engineers in North Bay, Ontario to design small rigs capable of drilling to a variety of depths, as required for each project.

Jan 1, 2013

By S. R. Brown

A number of relatively recent factors associated with the design of new metallurgical processing plants have made the effective training of operators a requirement for a successful start-up. Some of these factors include large capital investment in a minimum of processing lines, highly complex process control systems, and stringent regulations on plant effluent, to name a few. More than ever, operating mistakes during the start-up phase can lead to substantial delays in achieving design production, as well as problems with government authorities if permit limits are exceeded. The only way to assure your return on plant investment is to ensure new plant operators have the knowledge to properly run the plant from the outset. A comprehensive set of operating manuals specifically targeted for plant operators and foreman, written by experienced operating personnel, is the only effective way to provide the necessary information for start-up-related training.

Jan 1, 1995

By D. Govender

In recent years, economies of scale have continued to drive copper projects to larger throughputs to offset depleting lower grade resources. A decade ago, there were only a small number of projects that stretched beyond 100 kt/d (110,000 stpd) throughput rates. Today, and moving forward, virtually all the major copper projects are sized beyond this, with throughput rates up to 250 kt/d (275,000 stpd) now under evaluation for a number of key projects in Chile and Peru. This paper explores the development from the 160 m3 (5,650 cu ft) flotation cells, through to the 257 m3 (9,076 cu ft) cells and to the current 660 m3 (23,380 cu ft) machines. The contributions of specific copper concentrators to this growth phase are reviewed in this article. The historical basis of flotation machine scale-up is also briefly discussed. Metallurgical results as well as layout, maintenance and operational aspects are highlighted.

Feb 1, 2014

By Milton Gomez, Nico Sutmoller

Low-density cellular concrete (LDCC) was first introduced to the market in the early 1900s and since then has made continuous technological advances. There are two primary types of LDCC: permeable and non-permeable. Both types of cellular concrete offer advantages in different types of geotechnical engineering applications. Because of its unique characteristics of low density, high compressive strength, and high fluidity during placement, LDCC offers an effective solution for a wide variety of engineering applications, and in many cases provides a more cost-effective, labor saving alternative to traditional fill materials. This paper will review the history, characteristics, and technological advances of LDCC, highlighting multiple real-world case studies that showcase the high-performance capabilities of both permeable and non-permeable LDCC.

Dec 1, 2022

By Mark P. Walsh

In recent years in situ leach mining has emerged as a viable technology for the recovery of uranium from strata in South Texas which contain relatively low concentrations of uranium ore. Because the ore bodies lie within groundwater aquifers, a significant determinant in the economics is the requirement that such aquifers be protected from contaminantion. Since ammonia is one of the constituents of the leach solutions now being field tested, one environ- mental problem to be resolved is the removal of ammonia at the end of mining. A second related question is the fate of the ammonia which is not removed by the restoration procedure. This paper considers the displacement and migration of ammonium in a flowing electrolyte with concomitant ion exchange. The ion exchange is an important feature since, during the solution mining phase, ammonium saturates the mineral exchange sites and must be removed from these sites. A mathematical model is used to simulate this process and the model is tested against the results of laboratory experiments. It is found that the simulations are adequate if an appropriate selection of parameters is made. The model is then used to investigate the effect of cation composition and concentration of the restoration medium as well as dispersion on the overall effectiveness of the process. It is concluded that increasing the concentration of monovalent ions in a solution containing a mixture of both monovalent and divalent ions decreases the adsorption selectivity of the divalent ions with respect to all monovalent ions including ammonium. Thus increasing the ionic concentration of a restoration fluid by increasing the concentration of a nonselectively adsorbed (with respect to ammonium) ion may have a very limited benefit. Dispersion attending the flow of fluids in a porous medium is also shown to be an important factor. The effect of dispersion can greatly reduce the benefits of having a displacing cation which is adsorbed selectively with respect to ammonium. Since dispersion increases almost linearly with fluid velocity, an optimum displacement rate may exist.

Jan 1, 1979

By S. G. McDowell

This paper discusses the utilization of automation to increase productivity of continuous miners. Automation techniques are used during the design stage to decrease the time required and ensure the accuracy of the design. This is followed by automated manufacturing processes to reduce manufacturing time and improve the quality and consistency of parts. Combined, the result is a more reliable machine which can provide ongoing production capability. With the use of automation to enhance operator effectiveness and monitoring machine condition the productivity of machines is also improved.

Jan 1, 1991

By David B. Brooks

I gratefully acknowledge the help of a number of American and Canadian geologists, in both federal surveys and in private firms, who took the time to discuss this problem with me. Hans Landsberg and Bruce Netschert also followed the study with interest and encouragement. In their 1961 monograph, THE FUTURE SUPPLY OF THE MAJOR METALS, Bruce Netschert and Hans Landsberg noted that identified potential resources (that is, known but submarginal resources) of lead and zinc were much lower relative to reserves (that is, known and supermarginal resources) than was the same ratio for other metals.1/ Put another way, it seemed that for such metals as iron, manganese, copper, and aluminum, slightly more favorable economic conditions or modest advances in technology would greatly increase reserves by permitting the exploitation of vest quantities of leaner or deeper or otherwise less valuable mineral deposits. But for lead and zinc, Netschert and Landsberg concluded that either: "(1) there is relatively little material below present cutoff grades; [or] (2) such material exists, but for some reason there are no data.? 2/ This situation, which they called "the lead-zinc anomaly" has been subsequently discussed by other authors. The purpose of this paper is to carry the discussion further by examining the evidence in favor of (1) and (2) and by advancing a third alternative.

Jan 1, 1967

By Truman P. Stauffer

Secondary use of mined-out space in underground limestone quarries is emerging in the Kansas City area where abandoned quarry sites are being renovated into warehouses, factories, and offices. Mining techniques, ceiling heights, and pillar distribution are being altered as planning for the secondary use of mined-out space is combined with the quarrying process. Even the historic urban- quarry land use conflict invites a reappraisal in that this development provides a potential resolution of the problem. Mutual subsidization by dual rock and space interest is changing the economics of rock production. A city is much more than a surficial adjunct superimposed upon the topography of an area. Its development and growth are deeply rooted in the resources, benefits and problems of its underlying geology. The environmental geologist must address himself to more than the quality of a particular resource. He must comprehensively relate resource extraction and processing with the urban emphasis of optimal use which favors long term usage of land over one time economic ventures. Limestone quarrying, closely allied with the growth of many cities, has commonly left a series of scarred landscapes in the path of the burgeoning metropolis. These abandoned quarry sites are barriers to orderly city growth and fail to serve the people as useful and taxable land. Where quarries are functional, supplying the city with needed growth minerals, problems of blasting damage, noise, and dust exist. Technology faces the challenge of making mineral production and processing good neighbors to the urban market they serve. Continued growth of cities may require more efficient use of space below as well as above the surface optimizing land usage so that long term economic benefits may be reflected in improved mining methods.

Jan 1, 1973

By S. G. Britton

Thin seam mining presents unique challenges when management or economic conditions require significant productivity increases. These challenges are increased depending upon the presence of various external factors such as labor unions, Federal and state regulations, and market characteristics. This paper explores the turn-around situation occurring at Tanoma Mining Company (TMC), a medium-sized underground coal mining company in central Pennsylvania, USA. Using a systematic approach of improving management controls and direction, labor relations, and communications, coupled with an intensive upgrade/rebuild/replacement program for equipment and systems used at the mine, TMC has begun reversing its' cashflow position from negative to positive within two years.

Jan 1, 1991

By J. M. Barker

New Mexico is the leading domestic producer of perlite, a hydrated volcanic glass that can be expanded thermally to form a white, very porous, lightweight material. The United States is the leading consumer and producer of perlite in the world (Pettifer 1981). New Mexico produced, at five mines (Fig. 1), about 86% of all domestic crude ore mined in 1984 (Meisinger, 1985). Perlite is mined in 6 other western states, ore is expanded in 33 states, and the expanded ore is consumed in all states (Meisinger, 1985). Gross value of domestic ore mined in 1984 was about $16,500,000 (FOB mine; Meisinger, 1985) with much value added by expansion and processing prior to sale to end users. In contrast to the ubiquitous nature of perlite products in the U.S. economy, facilities for testing perlite ore, expanded perlite, and perlite products are notably lacking on a commercial, cost-effective, or readily accessible basis. The New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Min¬eral Resources (NMBM&MR) established a perlite¬testing facility in 1984 to mitigate this lack and to further the mining of perlite in the state.

Jan 1, 1985

By Jr. Moulton

Extractions of minerals from Searles Lake brines have taken place since 1873. Early operations were for borax and raw trona found on the surface, expanded after 1914 to include potash, salt cake, and soda ash. A new soda ash plant now in operation will double area production. The evaporite beds were formed by desiccation of Eastern Sierra runoff. The resulting series of brine-bearing salt beds supply the fluids necessary to feed the area chemical plants. Production methods include evaporation and crystallization for potash, borax, and salt cake; carbonation of brine to recover soda ash; and organic extraction of borax.

Jan 1, 1980

By Ulf B. Andersson, Christina Dahnér-Lindkvist, Bruno Figueiredo, Jessa Vatcher, Jonny Sjöberg, Joel Andersson

Hydraulic fracturing to precondition the rock mass in high seismic risk environments has great potential. Unfortunately, there are many unanswered questions about how to best implement a hydraulic fracturing program at individual mine sites, and even how to best use our engineering tools to evaluate these plans. To give the hydraulic fracturing field tests at LKAB’s Kiirunavaara Mine the best chance of success, fully-coupled, discontinuum numerical modelling Itasca’s 3DEC code was used together with statistical simulations of the fracture network. For modelling purposes, it was assumed that hydraulic fracturing successfully reduces seismic risk through 1) the creation of hydraulic fractures along a plane at each injection site, and 2) activation of existing discontinuities. A variety of scenarios for the mine were evaluated, which focused on site specific uncertainties (such as the spacing of the pre-existing discontinuities) and practical solutions (such as the hydraulic fracture spacing, selection of injection medium, and hydraulic fracture site location relative to production). The discrete fracture network (DFN) realizations were developed using available statistical data for discontinuities near where hydraulic fracturing was planned.

Apr 26, 2022

By J. Korak

Belt conveyor systems, long the standard transportation technique in soft-rock open-pit applications, are encountering growing interest in the hard-rock open-pit sector as economic factors force companies to seek an alternative to costly truck haulage. A general review of mine conveyor systems is followed by detailed analysis of the mobile and semi-mobile in-pit crushing plant essential to successful use of mine conveyors. A final section presents case studies of three crusher-conveyor systems handling overburden, copper ore and granite.

Jan 1, 1985

By Chee Theng

"What would you do if you are an industry leader and disruptive technology threatens to overturn your business model? Although bearings and seals are in little danger of being displaced in the near future, one company is taking no chances in an age of digital disruption.“For SKF, digital transformation and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) make this time right now arguably the most exciting time in our 100-plus years of history,” John Schmidt, president of SKF USA Inc., said during the SKF Technical Press Day in Philadelphia, PA.The company is not merely integrating digital technologies into its products and services but is taking a forward-looking, strategic approach. “To be successful, legacy companies have to undertake a process called digital transformation. It’s not just an IT initiative but is really about upgrading the strategic thinking,” explained Michael D’Argenio, vice president of digital transformation and customer experience at SKF Americas.Learning from those who went beforeD’Argenio cited the examples of two companies that saw entirely different outcomes in the face of digital disruption. The well-known case is that of Kodak, one of the storied brands in history, whose business was disrupted by the advent of digital photography. Although it invented digital photography, Kodak decided to box it up and put it on the shelf because it was scared of disrupting its business in photographic fim. Instead, it was disastrously disrupted from the outside.Less well known is the case of Encyclopedia Brittanica Inc., publisher of the longest-running English-language, general-knowledge encyclopedia in the world. Sales peaked at 120,000 sets in 1990, plunging to 8,000 sets in 2012. In 20 short years, it saw not one but two massive digital disruptions. The first was in 1993, when Microsoft published the first digital interactive encyclopedia on a CD-ROM, called Encarta, priced at just $99. The second was in 2001, when a communitycurated, free website called Wikipedia launched. Taking the opposite approach from Kodak, Encyclopedia Brittanica looked at its industry, its company and its customers through the lens of the new technologies, made a prediction about the future and, based on that prediction, took a bold move. Having identified its core value proposition as the delivery of reliable, high-value, verifiable knowledge, Encyclopedia Brittanica replanned, restructured and rebuilt its company from the ground up to deliver that same value proposition, only in a different way. It stopped producing the only product that it had known for 244 years and began producing digital products that it sold to educational institutions.“There is a lot to learn from the Encyclopedia Brittanica case,” said D’Argenio. “The company embraced its market change, it embraced its customer change, and it rethought what it needed to do to be successful. Because it owned that disruption internally, it was never disrupted from the outside. It continues to operate today and is as profitable as it has ever been.”"

Aug 1, 2019

By William Gleason

"Ed Rapp is among those who believe in the saying that necessity is the mother of all invention. Rapp is the president of Caterpillar’s mining group. As such, he is tasked with leading the world’s largest mining equipment maker, and its customers, through this time of lower commodity prices, while also positioning his company to be prepared for better days that lie ahead.The decade-long mining boom fueled by growth in emerging markets and demand for commodities that led to record prices for some metals paused in 2008 with the global financial crisis. However, according to Rapp, thanks to stimulus packages around the world, and in particular the stimulus from China that was focused on infrastructure, the mining sector recovered fairly quickly, and from 2010 to 2012, mining was strong.And then the stimulus stopped. Credit dried up and global growth began to slow down and, in the three years since, commodity prices have declined by an average of 60 percent. Caterpillar expanded during the boom, acquiring Bucyrus, and investing billions into the mining sector. It has felt the pinch of the slowdown as much as any mining company in the world. These pages, and those of other mining publications as well as mainstream media, have been filled with stories of doom and gloom about the industry. But Rapp, while acknowledging that the difficult times have been painful, also said Caterpillar sees opportunity in the slow down and reaffirmed his company’s commitment to the mining industry as absolute."

Jan 1, 2014

By Shenghua Yin, Xun Chen, Rongfu Yan, Zepeng Yan, Wei Chen

The application of cemented paste backfill (CPB) with alkali-activated slag and phosphogypsum (ASP) can contribute to the sustainable development of the mining industry. The effects of PG content, NaOH content, solid content, and waste rock-rod milling sand (W/R) ratio on workability, unconfined compressive strength (UCS), and setting time of ASP-CPB were investigated in this paper. The results showed that the workability of ASP-CPB decreased with PG content and NaOH content. Compared to OPC-CPB, ASP-CPB exhibited better workability and higher long-term (7 days and 28 days) strength at predetermined backfill formulations and curing times. The mid-term strength of ASP-CPB first increased and then decreased with PG content, while the short-term strength (3 days) decreased gradually due to the influence of soluble acidic impurities. Excessive NaOH will harm the strength of ASP-CPB, possibly due to the swelling effect of the reaction products (ettringite and sulfate). Strength and setting time increased and decreased with solid contents, respectively. Moreover, the compactness of the mixture has an important effect on strength and workability. The workability and strength of ASP-CPB reached the minimum and maximum values at a W/R ratio of 5:5, respectively. Pollutant index detection indicated that most of the pollutants in ASP-CPB leachate met the discharge standard, which proved that ASP-CPB is an effective method to recover PG. The results of the research will provide theoretical guidance for the efficient recovery of PG resources and support the achievement of safe, clean, and efficient mining.

Nov 17, 2023

By George S. Koch

We evaluate the exploration effort by diamond drilling for zinc in central Tennessee and southern Kentucky through a statistical analysis comparing the Middle Tennessee district with the older Tri-State and Upper Mississippi Valley districts. All of the ore deposits are of the Mississippi Valley type and are similar geologically. Through statistical analyses we attempt to answer these questions: Had the drilling density in the Middle Tennessee district been applied to the Tri-State district, how much of the ore in the Tri-State would have been discovered? Had this drilling been done in the Upper Mississippi Valley district, how much of the ore in that district would have been found? Which of these two older districts does Middle Tennessee more closely resemble in intensity of zinc mineralization? Is more drilling warranted in the Middle Tennessee district? Our data base includes tonnage and area distributions of ore deposits in the Tri-State dis¬trict, sizes of ore bodies and probabilities of their recognition in the three districts, and data for the Elmwood mine in the Middle Tennessee district. Our statistical analysis considers the consequences of drilling holes in the three districts on square grids at coarse, intermediate, and fine spacings. We conclude that the drilling pattern assumed for Middle Tennessee would have found some but not all of the ore in the two older districts. We believe that in intensity of mineralization Middle Tennessee more closely resembles the Tri-State than the Upper Mississippi Valley district, and that more drilling is warranted in the Middle Tennessee district.

Jan 1, 1979

By J. Hunter

The Highland Uranium Project in Wyoming is an in-situ leach (ISL) facility owned and operated by Power Resources Inc. It is the largest uranium producer in the U.S. and the largest uranium producer by ISL in the western world. With its limited capital investment and low operating costs, the ISL technique has been demonstrated to be an effective and environmentally sensitive method for recovering minerals from these low grade and otherwise uneconomic orebodies.

Jan 1, 1996

By Joseph P. Nugent

The new combination gypsum plaster and gypsum wallboard plant of Compania Industrial Kaiser S.A., the first of its kind in Mexico went into production in April of 1969. This was approximately fourteen months from the signing of the formal order for the plant and equipment. Compania Industrial Kaiser S.A. is an affiliate of the Kaiser Gypsum Company in the United States and will market practically the same line of products and to the same standards as those produced in American plants. Located in the City of Puebla, the plant will readily service the major Mexican sales areas. It is approximately 85 miles away from Mexico City on a modern, four-lane, divided highway and distribution to other major consumer areas can be readily effected by the use of a good highway system, as well as, by rail. This, plant is the, sixteenth Gypsum Wallboard Mill supplied abroad by my company, United States Wallboard Machinery Company. Other installations are in Australia, New Zealand, Chile, England, Scotland, Ireland, Finland, South Africa, Latvia and Germany. Two new mills are on order; a small unit for Brazil and a comparatively large unit for New Zealand. All these mills have one thing in common with plants in the United States and Canada; they are equipped with standard, time-proven and tested equipment and they are designed in accor¬dance with the latest engineering thinking in order to produce efficiently, the highest quality product at lowest cost. They differ generally in the size of plant, the factors that brought them into being and in the market that they supply. I believe that these differences will be of interest to you.

Jan 1, 1969

By I. H. Gundiler

Although cyanidation has been universally applied in the processing of gold and silver ores, the search for less toxic alternatives continues. Difficulties encountered in processing ores containing oxidized copper minerals and the inherently slow kinetics of cyanidation have generated a renewed interest in thiosulfate leaching. This process, as well as the catalytic effects of copper ion, were well recognized and widely applied towards the end of the past century. In this study, the effects of copper, ammonia, and thiosulfate concentrations on gold dissolution were investigated using the rotating disk technique. Extraction of gold and silver from an oxidized copper-bearing ore was also studied utilizing a statistical experimental design, and these results were displayed in the form of contour plots.

Jan 1, 1993