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By Cesar Carrasco, Heath Arvidson, Mark Forster

Block models built to represent the geology and rock characteristics of mineral deposits represent huge complex data sets, which form the basis of strategic and business planning, and public reporting of Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves. Recent advances in cloud computing and database technology developed for the Internet of Things offer a different way of working with these critical data sets. Enabling a cloud based, open data structure with high performance data analytics capability presents a compelling improvement in governance and a democratization of ore body knowledge that can lead to automation use cases that support the digitalization of mining.

Jun 25, 2023

By Ronald F. Ayers

The study upon which this paper is based was completed by Battelle's Columbus Laboratories for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1974. It is but part of an overall effort by the Corps to evaluate the costs and benefits to the nation of waterway improvements. This study is primarily concerned with future coal markets for production from those counties near the Wabash River in the heart of the Eastern Interior Province. An objective here is to consider a most pessimistic energy (and hence, coal) demand for planning purposes.

Jan 1, 1976

By Richard A. Thomas, Liming Yuan, James H. Rowland III, DAVOOD BAHRAMI

To reduce the number of injuries resulting from fires on mobile, diesel-powered mine equipment, it is crucial to promptly suppress a fire once it is detected. The focus of this research was to determine the effectiveness of fire suppression agents. Large-scale tests were conducted using five different fire suppression systems based on: dry chemical, wet chemical, dual agent (dry and wet chemical), carbon dioxide, and water mist. Suppression nozzles were placed around the diesel engine where diesel fuel, engine motor oil, and hydraulic circulating oil spray fires were ignited. The results of this study can help mining companies and manufacturers by providing scientifically based data on the capabilities of the different fire suppression systems.

Feb 1, 2024

By Michael Rehbock-Sander, Romed Insam

"INTRODUCTIONThe idea of building a summit tunnel under the Brenner occurred to the Italian engineer Giovanni Qualizza as far back as 1847. But it was to be another 160 years to pass before a base tunnel was to be built.In 1971 the idea of a tunnel at the Brenner was dusted off again. The UIC, the International Union of Railways, commissioned a study for a new Brenner railway with a base tunnel. By 1989 three feasibility studies had been drawn up which formed the basis for further planning of the Brenner Base Tunnel.This was the start of the planning activities. In 1994, the European Union included the Berlin-Naples corridor in the list of priority projects. Ten years later, Austria and Italy signed a State Treaty to build the Brenner Base Tunnel. In that same year, what is today the BBT SE was established.PROJECT DESCRIPTIONThe Brenner Base Tunnel (BBT) with a length of 55 km is the centrepiece of the Helsinki-Valletta Transeuropean Traffic Corridor from Finland to Southern Italy. The BBT tunnel system connects in the north with the Innsbruck station (Austria) as well as to the feeder routes in the Lower Inn Valley, and opens to the south with the projected new line in the direction of Verona (Italy). The tangible design efforts have been underway since 1999; the start of construction of the first section was in the year 2007. The project is financed by the Italian and Austrian governments (each 30 %), as well as by the European Union (40 %).From 2027 onwards the Brenner base tunnel, including the existing lines connected with it, will carry a daily average of 330 trains (approx. 80% cargo trains and 20% passenger trains)."

Jan 1, 2016

By Badiozamani Khosrow

Introduction The mining industry has been using computers since the late 1950s. Despite this early start, the use of mine planning software is not a common practice in many operations. But the trend might be changing because of the availability of relatively inexpensive personal computers (PC). The introduction of these machines has generated unprecedented interest by mine managers to computerize their planning operations. However, some managers have become disappointed with the PC's lack of adequate software and the inability to handle the massive amounts of information required for modeling. This paper is an attempt to shed some light on the future of computers in the mining industry. It will examine: • historical progress in the computer industry, • future advances in the computer industry, • historical usage of computers in mining, and • future alternatives available to mining. Historical Progress The computer industry has come a long way since the first full-fledged electronic digital computer Electronic Numerical Integrator And Calculator (ENIAC) was built in 1946. This machine weighed more than 27 t (30 st). It contained 19,000 vacuum tubes, occupied 139 m2 (1500 sq ft), and could perform 5000 additions per second. By contrast, today's fastest, commercially available computer is the CRAY-X. It weighs less than 5 t (6 st), has no vacuum tubes, occupies less than 9 m2 (100 sq ft), and performs over 100 million operations per second. This is an incredible advancement in less than 40 years. One person commented on the rate of advancement in the computer industry. He suggested that if the auto industry had advanced at the same rate as the electronics industry, we could buy a Rolls Royce for $2.75 and it would run

Jan 9, 1984

By L. A. Pursell

The case history, which is the subject of this paper, involves the expansion of a lime plant in Texas. The major new production unit is to be a 545.45 tonne per day coal fired rotary kiln. Auxiliary facilities include additional quarry haulage equipment, modifications to the crushing plant, a hydrator, storage facilities, and a loading system. The existing plant consists of a high calcium limestone quarry, two coal fired rotary and 10 gas fired shaft kilns, nth crushing, screening, stockpiling, hydrating, storing and loading facilities. The proposed modification would increase quarry volume from 545,000 tonnes per year to 805,000 tonnes per year. The plan also includes the addition of dolomitic lime to the product line which requires the purchase and handling of 186,000 tonnes of screened, washed dolomite yearly. A decision to undertake such an expansion was previously a simple and straight forward process. Such a decision now faces a major and complicating obstacle which can delay the project, raise the expected cost, or prevent it entirely.

Jan 1, 1980

By William Lodding

Unlike most ore minerals, the raw materials for lightweight-aggregate, such as clays and shales are abundant everywhere. In view of this ample choice, what are the reasons for many plant failures attributed to the raw material? How can we arrive at a proper choice of the raw material, the proper processing method for the chosen material, predict its behaviour in a plant and the properties of the final product? Determine the uniformity of the raw material and possible harmful impurities? One basic choice is sintered versus kiln-fired aggregate. It will be based on market preferences and availability of the raw material. Almost in every case a good raw material for one process is poison for the other.

Jan 1, 1964

By Stephen Semeniuk

Working with junior mining companies as a valuer, my experience with regulators is that simplicity works and the sales comparison method is the way to go. What I like about Mr. Ellis?s approach (as in his Table 7) is the integration of commodity prices with the timing of acquisitions and the implication of price changes in gold on the adjustment of individual project valuations. However, the sample gold-related appraisals in Ellis?s paper are pre-2008 transactions and readers should be made aware of the current market for such projects. Before moving on, to be noted is that the effective date of the Las Brisas appraisal (Ellis?s sample Appraisal 3) is Feb. 10, 2006; given that the subject value of Transaction 9, Choco 10 in Ellis?s Table 6 was listed as $353 million for a 95% interest in the con-cession, I am uncomfortable accepting that the acquisition was suddenly worth the adjusted value of $1,205 million (as given in Ellis?s Table 7). In some cases, illiquidity discounts can apply, and commodity-wise, in the one-month period between the acquisition in January 2006 and the adjustment to the Las Brisas conditions as of February 10, 2006, the indicated gold price change was only 41 cents/g ($12.60/oz); i.e., from $17.50/g to $17.91/g ($544.40/oz to $557/oz).

Jan 1, 2012

By Ellis J. Brien, O&apos

This afternoon I would like to talk to you about coal, its defi- nition, its constituents, its associated minerals and present and future coal preparation techniques. This discussion will be an attempt at presenting sufficient coal preparation and associated fundamentals to enable you to understand "deep cleaning", a more advanced beneficiation process which will be commercially practiced in the near future.

Jan 1, 1976

By J. Ye

A comprehensive flotation study has been carried out on a Chinese fluorspar ore using the packed flotation column developed at Michigan Technological University. The results are compared with that of a conventional mechanical flotation method on the same feedstocks. Key factors controlling flotation performance of both methods are evaluated based upon a simple statistic design. The flotation concentrate produced in one stage of the packed column has 4-S% higher recovery and much lower silica impurity content than that produced by up to six stages when a conventional mechanical cell is used. The results also show that the packed column flotation process is particularly suitable for recovery of finer fluorspar particles.

Jan 1, 1992

By E. De Souza, H. Heidrich

In underground operations the evaluation of blasting fume dilution times and the application of recirculation techniques require accurate determination of the concentration of toxic fumes produced by the explosive used. This paper describes a methodology for obtaining concentrations of detonation products from commercial explosives tested under typical rock confinement and looks into the development of techniques for reducing toxic gases produced by explosives. This paper also analyses the application of techniques for the removal of toxic gas which would enable reduced re-entry times, a reduction in the quantity of fresh air and the use of air recirculation techniques, thereby providing substantial economic benefits to the industry. INTRODUCTION Toxic fumes from blasting operations are among the most common and serious hazards encountered underground. The implication of high concentrations of toxic gases emitted from blasting on the mine ventilation system are very significant and, in many cases, catastrophic results have occurred. Because blasting is a routine practice underground, the mining engineer is always confronted with the problem of controlling the fumes within acceptable levels. Typical control procedures employed underground include preventing or reducing the amount of fumes liberated from blasting through the proper selection of explosives and proper blasting techniques; removing the fumes through local exhaust systems or auxiliary ventilation (dilution ventilation); blasting off-shift, or at restricted times; localizing or isolating the effects of blasting where workings are isolated or sectionalized in the ventilation system; and absorbing some of the components of the fumes using air-water sprays. Dilution is one of the most effective control measures against blasting fumes and is universally applied. However, for precise determination of the dilution times for the fumes to reach safe concentrations, accurate determination of the concentration of toxic fumes produced by the explosives used is required. Research work has been carried out in determining the types and volumes of gases produced from blasting. In the case of ideal detonations, the nature and quantity of the fumes produced can be predicted by thermo-hydrodynamic calculations. However, commercial explosives exhibit non-ideal behaviour which is enhanced by the relatively small diameters of application in underground mines. The confinement offered by the surrounding rock further complicates the situation. It is well recognized that confinement affects performance and consequently fume generation. A detailed data base of fumes generated by commercial explosives at various conditions is introduced and the effect of blasting parameters such as, confinement, shock desensitization and incomplete detonations on toxic fume production is described for a variety of commercial explosives in use today. Thermodynamic predictions on fume production by the explosive compositions tested are also presented and compared with experimental results and their significance in assessing the quantity of fumes produced is discussed. A mathematical model capable of determining dilution ventilation requirements and dilution times to reduce the fume concentrations in the blasting zone to acceptable levels has been developed and it is being incorporated into a network system so that the effects of blasting can be simulated in typical mine ventilation systems. Solutions to the problem of controlling blast fumes within acceptable levels are described. These solutions include the use of control procedures which prevent and reduce the amount of fumes liberated from blasting. The use of low fume explosives, proper blasting techniques, dilution ventilation and filtration can be combined to effectively control fume production and save on costs. The application of these techniques to enable recirculation of underground air with reduced quantities of fresh air requirements is evaluated in a case study.

Jan 1, 1993

By J. B. Lott

The authors' company has recently undertaken a development programme aimed at exploring the relationships between the variables of greatest importance in the design of mixer-settlers for metallurgical solvent extraction applications. Such applications vary from relatively small scale plants treating copper mine waters, nickel containing effluents, etc., where the total flowrates may be of the order of a few hundreds of gallons per minute, to very large scale plants treating several thousands of gallons per minute of leach liquors containing copper, uranium or other metals. This paper outlines the physical and mechanical factors which must be taken into account when designing mixer-settler systems for large scam. solvent extraction plants. The performance of the equipment will also be dependent upon the chemistry of the system, including the kinetics and thermodynamics of the ion exchange reaction itself, the effect of impurities flocculants, surfactants, temperature, etc., but these will not be dealt with here. Much of the laboratory work has been carried out using copper containing solutions and either LIX 64* or LIX 64N* as the solvent dissolved in various grades of kerosene. For simplicity, all the graphs and tables of results which are presented and discussed here will refer to the LIX-copper system, although the conclusions will in many cases be generally applicable to other systems also. The LIX-copper process is now sufficiently well known to obviate the need for a full description, however, an outline flowsheet of the process is shown in Figure 1. The ultimate objective of a laboratory programme for a particular extraction application is to provide data upon which a mixer-settler system can be designed to handle a given throughput of leach liquor and extract from this liquor the maximum quantity of metal for the minimum cost. In other words, the objective is to determine the design and operating parameters which achieve the optimum balance between capital and operating costs. * Trade-marks for General Mills solvents.

Jan 1, 1971

By Adolph V. Mitterer

International Minerals and Chemical Corporation operates one of six potash mines in the Carlsbad potash basin. More than 90 percent of America's potash is produced at Carlsbad and IMC accounts for about one-fifth of that amount, Since the Company began operations in 1941 it has mined nearly 50 million tons of ore. Of the two types of ore mined at Carlsbad the principal tonnage is sylvinite in which sylvite-potassium chloride-is the ore mineral. It is produced by IMC as well as by all other mines in the area, In addition to sylvinite IMC is the exclusive producer of langbeinite ore--potassium-magnesium sulfate. From its two ores, International produces a spectrum of 8 high-quality agricultural and industrial chemical products.

Jan 1, 1959

By R. J. Hickson

From 1993 through 1999 Cyprus Amax Minerals Company successfully completed eight major construction projects around the world. Six greenfield mines were brought into production, an ongoing operation was completely modernized, and an environmental issue was appropriately remediated. The projects stretched over three continents, from arctic Russia to the Atacama Desert, from 16,000feet to sea level, from city suburbs to remote wilderness, from a low of $130 million to over $1 billion. Open pit and underground; mill and leach; gold, copper, molybdenum, and coal were all encompassed. The breadth of diversity experience from these projects inspired Cyprus Amax to create a “best practices” project management protocol, to steer corporate expansion into the next millenium. This paper summarizes those best practices, while high-lighting project management pitfalls to avoid.

Jan 1, 2000

By G. Danko

Ventilation and refrigeration for mine climate modification, contributes significantly to the operating costs of a deep hot mine. Mine climate simulation programs can be used to minimize the impact of these costs. There are several computer codes available including CLIMSIM?, to assist in this work. Whichever simulation program is used, it is the mine ventilation engineer who must supply the input data. This paper raises and answers the following question, namely: what accuracy is required of the basic input parameters, in order for a certain precision to be obtained in the predicted air temperatures? In the first part of the paper a new approach is described to estimate the dry and wet bulb temperature of the airflow, either in a dry or wet roadway. The calculation procedure allows an arbitrary temperature change with time, using Duhamel's superposition solution. Matrix-vector representation is applied to simplify the computational structure. In the second part of the paper the sensitivities of the dry and wet bulb air temperatures are analyzed to the changes of the rock thermo-physical properties, the heat transfer coefficient and the wetness factor.

Jan 1, 1988

By M. A. Alan

The Bellavista Gold Deposit lies 75 Kms north west of San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica, Central America and 3 Kms north east of Miramar, in the Province of Puntarenas. The total road distance from San Jose to the deposit is 120 Kms all paved road except for a 2.5 Km graded, gravel road on the property (Figure 1). Infrastructure services in the Miramar-Puntarenas area are well developed with electrical power distribution, a modern port facility and community services being available. The deposit lies on the south west flank of the Tilaran Mountain Range between an elevation of 550 and 800 meters above sea level. The local topography is steep, originally covered with pre-montaine, tropical wet forest vegetation which has been largely destroyed due to clearing for cattle grazing. The annual rainfall is approximately 2,950 mms, 90% of which occurs between May and October.

Jan 1, 1992

By S. Mason

Many organizations are realizing that continual improvement in health and safety relies on addressing the potential for various forms of human error. Of these, violations are often the most frequent form associated with accidents. These occur when an individual, or individuals, deliberately contravenes established and known safety rules. They have been associated with up to 90% of accidents and incidents in some industries and yet rarely receive the systematic attention they deserve in the promotion of safety. This paper presents underlying motives which cause violations. These can vary significantly from mine to mine and from job to job. Managers need some measure of attitudes to determine the underlying motives behind violations if they are to determine effective strategies for promoting safe behaviour. Questionnaires form the starting point to address attitudes and the motives behind rule violations. The choice of the most suitable questionnaire, however, will vary from organization to organization. Guidelines on the choice of questionnaire are offered.

Jan 1, 1998

By Mason L. Dicks

For many years The Hanna Mining Company has been investigating the flotation of the non-magnetic iron ores located in the Western Mesabi Range of Minnesota.1 During the 1950's a number of anionic iron procedures were evaluated and in the late 1950's and early 1960's the anionic silica floats and the cationic silica floats were tested with improved results.2 The cationic float became more attractive and effective by the use of the improved ether amines. About 1962 a desliming process by selective flocculation was developed by the U.S. Bureau of Hines at Minneapolis', Minnesota.3, 4, 5 This is a very efficient method of desliming and was first tried with the anionic silica float and then the more practical cationic silica float. In the mid 1960's The Hanna Research Laboratory began studies to optimize the selective flocculation process for our ores. This was followed by studies to optimize the cationic silica float after desliming by selective flocculation. This testwork was done on large, 500 to 1000 tonne bulk samples of oxidized taconite which were later successfully piloted at .68t/h (1500 Lbs. /hr.). A program was then begun to test the oxidized portions of numerous taconite drill holes to outline the ore bodies and develop mining plans. This paper will discuss our optimization results of both the selective flocculation and the cationic silica float as applied to our various ores. In addition the pilot plant studies and drill core testwork will be discussed.

Jan 1, 1978

By Dennis C. Parker

The Porters Creek clay is mined for its absorbent properties. The formation is part of the Upper Mississippi embayment and is recognized in Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, and southeast Missouri. Major minerals in order of abundance are Montmorillonite, Quartz, Illite, Kaolinite, and Chlorite. Mining consists of open pit operation utilizing track loaders or scraper. The clay is dried or hardened in rotary kilns and crushed to size by roll crushers. The clay granules are sized and air classified prior to storage for shipment or packaging. Granules are sold for pet absorbents, oil absorbents, anti-skid material, fertilizer, and pesticide carriers.

Jan 1, 1979

By M. E. Rossi

In mineral resources, geologic and mining data are acquired, processed, analysed, interpreted and modelled, eventually serving as basis to generate predictions and production plans. This is a complex process, and the resulting predictions are impacted by uncertainties related to the data itself and the processing methods and techniques used. They are also impacted by the subjective decisions made by the modeler(s) at each step of the way. Knowledge, biases, skills, and prior experience come into play in the long mineral resource evaluation development workflow. It is meaningless to discuss uncertainties without evaluating the associated risks that those uncertainties imply. It is important to quantify and assess uncertainty, and to evaluate and mitigate its consequences. This paper discusses (1) conceptual and practical sources of uncertainty; (2) the utopia of an “objective” uncertainty; and (3) the quantification and public reporting of uncertainty using geostatistical conditional simulations. The objective of this paper is to postulate that the industry is running out of reasons and excuses to ignore uncertainty and risk in project evaluation. This is done in two parts, with this, the first one, presenting a more conceptual discussion. Part 2 will present case studies from different types of mining projects and operations showcasing the impact that risk assessments can have in a mining project.

Feb 22, 2026