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By J. H. White

It is hypothesized that the Hotelling Valuation Principle (HVP) can determine the value of developed gold reserves using simple methods and easily obtained data. This paper reports the results of an empirical test of this hypothesis. Using publicly available data from North American gold companies, we obtained data for V, R, p, and c and ran a simple linear regression using equation (1.1) as the definition of the dependent and explanatory variables. By examining the value of the coefficients of the resulting regression equation, we can draw conclusion as to whether or not the HVP can be confident1y used as an estimator of the value of developed gold reserves.

Jan 1, 1995

By Dean Workman

Long extensible conveyor systems are an important option for efficient tunnel excavation where intermediate access is impractical. The conveyor system designed for the Pula Subbaiah Veligonda Tunnel #2 in Andhra Pradesh, India will eventually extend to 19.35km. The Ø10.0m water diversion tunnel will be excavated under India?s largest tiger sanctuary using a Robbins Double Shield TBM. Once extended, the conveyor will be one of the longest single-flight systems ever installed in India, and is expected to offer increased system availability over comparable systems using muck cars. This paper will examine the engineering challenges of long-flight extensible conveyor systems in the areas of belt selection, component design, and equipment location in confined assembly and launch areas

By Mark Van Dyke, Mark Mazzella, Gamal Rashed, Nicole Evanek, Brent Slaker

In the past decade, there have been several incidents of massive ground collapses in underground stone mines in the eastern United States. Fortunately, these events have not resulted in any fatalities. However, three mine workers were injured and many others were at risk due to the hazard from the fall of ground and/or the airblast associated with these massive collapses. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) initiated a project to better understand the causes of these massive ground collapses to help prevent their future occurrence. The main objective of this study is to investigate the main factor(s)that initiated one of these massive ground collapses. The authors relied on several tools including three-dimensional (3-D) LiDAR scans for the surface subsidence feature and the underground mine workings around the collapsed area, borescope data at multiple locations around the collapse, S-Pillar analysis for average and unfavorable conditions, and numerical models. The emphasis has been placed on the impact of the following limestone pillar stability parameters: pillar width-to-height (W/H) ratio, benching, the existence of karst features, weak roof, and geological discontinuities. 3-D LiDAR scans were utilized to show the shape and the extent of karst cavities observed within stable pillars around the perimeter of the collapsed area. Together, this coupling of field measurements and observations and modeled systems suggests the potential causes of the collapse.

Jul 1, 2023

By M. A. Qianjie

The problems of coalmine safety in china remain unsolved for decades. Starting with the description on safety status quo of coalmine in china, different existing analysis and measures discussed for the safety problem solution of coalmine china. With the consideration of system thought in mind, the author present with a unique systematic reason analysis method on such actuality--individual analysis and general analysis--each for its particular purpose. Upon such cause analysis, construction of the safety system is made clear and, solutions for such problems provided.

Jan 1, 2006

By D. Sohn

Work accidents have an essential impact on the economy of a country and in final consequence on each company. The main purpose of industrial OHS is to maintain and promote the health of all employees. Healthy working conditions increase efficiency and motivation and safeguard the success of the business against the background of the extremely dynamic processes of change. Maintaining and promoting the health of all employees, weather in operation, administration or on the mining site, has become therefore not only an ethical requirement but also an economic must. Creating a suitable working environment for people today entails much more than just preventing accidents and work-related illnesses. It is important to be proactive in establishing an even better culture of prevention and to convince everyone, workers and managers alike, of its importance. Especially in the age of rapid changes and above all in view of global competition we are more dependent than ever on healthy, enthusiastic, competent and creative employees. OHS provides you with the necessary competitive edge.

Jan 1, 2007

By David Wilson, T. V. Rao

INTRODUCTION The Alchem trona mine, owned and operated by Allied Chemical Corp., is located approximately 32 km (20 miles) west of the town of Green River, and 8 km (5 miles) north of Interstate 80 in southwest Wyoming. Trona, a naturally occuring sodium sesquicarbonate (NaCO3 • NaHCO3 • 2H2O), is used for the production of sodium carbonate (Na2CO3), commonly known as soda ash. Present annual US consumption of soda ash is approximately 9.07 Mt (10 million st), out of which approximately 7.3 Mt (8 million st) is produced from the Wyoming trona mines. About 44% of soda ash is consumed by the glass industry; 3 % by exports; and the remaining portion by paper, chemical, soap, textile, and nonferrous industries. Allied Chemical operates an underground mine at an average depth of about 488 m (1600 ft). There are three other trona mines in the area operated by FMC Corp., Stauffer Chemical Corp., and Texasgulf Inc. (see Fig. 1). Allied Chemical became interested in southwest Wyoming trona deposits in the early 1940s. Explora¬tion work was begun in 1959 with the acquisition of federal leases. Exploitation of the reserves began in 1968. Two shafts, one 6.1 m (20 ft) and another 3.7 m (12 ft), were completed prior to 1968. The 6.1-m (20-ft) diam service shaft is divided in half by a cur¬tain wall, with one half used for men and material and the other for ventilation as a return air shaft. During the period from 1968 to 1974, the 3.7-m (12-ft) shaft was used as production shaft with two 7.3-t (8-st) skips. Due to the increased demand for soda ash, plant and mine expansions were completed during 1974. Under this expansion, the material handling system capacity was increased by constructing a new 2721-t (3000-st) capacity ore bin, sinking a 6.1-m (20-ft) diam produc¬tion shaft, and installing a friction hoist with two 22.7-t (25-st) skips. The Alchem mine manpower is 484 employees and about 2.3 Mt (2.5 million st) of trona was produced during 1976. Three different mining systems are used at the Alchem mine: conventional, continuous, and longwall. Allied Chemical introduced its first longwall unit in 1973, which was also the first longwall system introduced in the Wyoming trona district. At present, four conventional, seven continuous, and two longwall units are in operation. This equipment is operated in ten production areas. GEOLOGY The bedded trona and trona-halite in the Green River basin of southwestern Wyoming is a major re¬source for the nation. There are 25 beds that exceed 0.9 m (3 ft) in thickness and underlie areas of about 2590 km2 (1000 sq miles). There are other minor beds that range in thickness from 0.3 to 1.2 m (1 to 4 ft). Allied Chemical's Alchem mine is located in bed 17. The trona bed numbering system starts at the lowest elevation and increases upwards. The trona beds are in the Wilkens Peak member of the Green River formation. The Green River formation was deposited in a lake that began in early Eocene as a large body of fresh water, shrank in size and became saline, and then became fresh water again. The sedi¬ment during the saline phase of the lake, which includes the trona beds, is called the Wilkens Peak member. The underlying freshwater lake deposit is called the Tipton member and includes a 25.9-m (85-ft) sand unit which is a high pressure, low permeability aquifer. The over¬lying sediment is called the Laney shale. The Green River formation is underlaid by the Wasatch formation and overlaid by the Bridger formation (see Fig. 2). The structure of the beds in the area of the Allied Chemical mine is mostly postdepositional asymmetrical folds of small amplitude. These folds range in size of 3 to 6.1 m (10 to 20 ft) to as much as 45.7 m (150 ft). The trend of the folds is northwesterly with the north¬east flank of the anticlines having a steep dip and the southwest having gentle dips. Trona bed 17 varies in thickness from 2.4 to 3.4 m (8 to 11 ft) over the 93.2 km2 (36 sq miles) holdings of Allied Chemical and is flat lying except for the rela¬tively minor folding and a negligible regional dip of about 0.017 rad (1°). Trona occurs naturally in several physical forms in the Green River basin, being both massive and crystal¬line. The trona ore in the Alchem mine is a fine-grained massive ore with a compressive strength of approxi-

Jan 1, 1982

By J. B. Moritz

From the beginning, man has concerned himself with the task of controlling the elements and forces about him so as to provide a better and easier life. In the accomplishment of this task, he is required to utilize in the best way possible the resources which are available to him. In many cases, the available resources must bee refined before they are in a useable form. Many products in the mining industry fall into this category, as some form of refinement is generally needed to produce a saleable product. Over the years man developed more efficient ways of extracting the resources from earth through the use of electrical and mechanical devices. A reduction in manual labor, which is a by-product of increased efficiency through machines, has also been enjoyed. The combination of man's senses and new devices has also enabled man to reach a high level of control in the refinement process. Control of a process through machinery and man's senses has been termed an "art." Until recently man's senses (sight, feel) were the only method available for making measurements simply because suitable measurement devices (instruments) were not available. Even today some items cannot be measured and man's senses must be used. However, the development in our instrument laboratories tends to indicate that time will eliminate this. In recent years, control of many processes has been reduced to a science and part or all of the art eliminated. This does not imply that process art should be degraded; however, when a process is reduced to a science, uniformity of the product from day to day is attained. Decreased processing time and more efficient use of additives and raw materials are other benefits that result from control of a process when it is reduced to a science.

Jan 1, 1965

By P. I. James, M. R. Baker

Este artículo analiza la nueva producción de cobre a partir de "minerales de desecho" de baja ley usando la tecnología de Blue Planet Strategies DEMET™ (Dynamic Electrode Mining Effluent Treatment, por sus siglas en inglés), que tiene como objetivo salvar la brecha de procesamiento entre la solución débil de lixiviación en operaciones de extracción por solventes/electrowinning (SX/EW), removiendo electroquímicamente los metales a partir de corrientes débiles y a la vez generando productos concentrados en metales objetivo en un análogo funcional de extracción por solventes (SX). Se estudió el tratamiento de la débil solución de lixiviación pregnant (PLS por sus siglas en inglés) y se usó para estimar los impactos económicos y de producción para una hipotética lixiviación en pilas de cobre brownfield y una operación aumentada DEMET usando SX/EW para tratar el "mineral de desecho." Se presenta la remoción de cobre a un 86% de eficiencia en las placas por debajo de 0,1 g/L de cobre con un consumo de energía de 0.55 kWh/lb de cobre y una concentración del producto mayor a 10 g Cu/L. El modelamiento arrojó aproximadamente $2/ lb para la producción total de cobre y costos de tratamiento menores o iguales a $1/lb con un inmediato aumento del margen bruto de operación del 12% para el brownfield incrementado. Se indicó también un aumento de la vida de la mina con un margen bruto promedio de 38% en la producción aumentada de "mineral de desecho" con valores de cobre de $3.25/lb.

Jan 1, 2014

By I. Pordea

The materials used for the construction of buildings contain natural radionuclides of the U238 and Th232 series and are ? 50% due to land radioactivity. Another component of natural radioactivity is K40, with ? 40%. The presence of these radiopollutants in the final products (i.e. bricks, concrete) due to body irradiation is by two pathways: external irradiation and internal irradiation. External irradiation is due to gamma radiations emitted by Pb214 (RaB) + Bi214 (RaC) from the U238 series, by Ra228 (Mezothoriu I) + Ac228 (Mezothoriu II) + Tl208 (ThC??) from the Th232 series and by the K40 radionuclide. Internal irradiation is due to inhalation of radon (Rn222) and Rn220 (Tn) plus short life descendents (Po, Pb, Bi), radionuclides which are present in concrete. A fraction from radon present in concrete enters into a house leading to internal irradiation by inhalation. In Romania, the maximum concentration of radon allowed for new buildings is 200 Bq/m3.

Jan 1, 2008

By W. N. Brown

One of the seemingly eternal problems with which we are frequently faced is that of providing adequate and economical warehousing facilities to store large quantities of bulk product. Seasonal consumption, transportation, marketing, and other factors very often dictate extensive product warehousing requirements for an operation geared for steady, year-around production of a material requiring weather protection during storage. Fertilizers such as potash and urea are examples of such products; the consumption of these materials is extremely heavy in the early spring at which time the materials must be placed in the soil, whereas, for obvious operating efficiencies, production is more or less constant for a given operation throughout the year.

Jan 1, 1961

By David Shatwell

Recent epithermal gold discoveries in Chile and Bolivia provide increasing evidence of a belt of intermittent, epithermal, precious metal mineralization east of the main Andean porphyry copper belt. This relationship may be the result of an easterly decrease in the age of magmatism and erosional levels, in¬crease in depth above the underlying Benioff zone and consequent changes in magma chemistry, or some other unrecognized factor. Examples are: • The Choquelimpie gold-silver mine in Chile and numerous other epithermal prospects (such as La Riviera, Bolivia) in late Tertiary volcanics along the Chile-Bolivia border. These lie east of the belt that contains the Toquepala, Quellaveco and Cuajone porphyries in southern Peru and the Cerro Colorado, Copaquire and Quebrada Blanca porphyries in northern rhila

Jan 1, 1990

By Armstrong

This is a world of change and has been from the beginning. There are constant efforts on the part of natural forces to wear down the high spots and fill in the low spots. Wind and water over eons of time tunnel through obstacles and build windways and waterways to make movement of air and water easier and more efficient. It is a natural, never ending, ever changing continuing effort. Man in his struggle to survive, and to progress, has had to adapt the terrain of the earth to fit his needs the best he could. First, he used natural caves to protect him from the elements; then he learned how to build earth and rock-moving tools from antlers, bone, rocks, and sticks and adapted his cave to increase his security and provide better protection from heat and cold and from his predatory enemies. As his numbers increased, so did the necessity of further adapting his environment to accommodate his needs. Water was usually not available when and where needed, especially in the desert areas where civilization developed, and long tunnels were drilled to intercept ground waters and lead them to underground caves carved out of soft limestone. Most of the tunnels of early man were to bring water from where it was to where man needed it. Then, as now, as man increased his chances for physical survival, he turned to the quality of life -- and this reflected in the concern for life after death. This lead to the elaborate shafts and tunnels for the protection and prservation of the more affluent noblemen and pharaohs of the early Egyptian civilization. Man used the underground for the stable temperature and for protection and safety.

Jan 1, 1974

By J. Richard Kyle

The Pb-Zn ore bodies in the Pine Point district are localized in paleo-solution structures that developed as the result of post-middle Givetian subaerial exposure of the carbonate barrier complex. Sulfides are concentrated in transgressive pale-solution structures that acted as natural bypasses between aquifers and loci for mixing of fluids of different character, one of which contained metals and the other reduced sulfur. Complex ore textures indicate rapid early sulfide precipitation followed by slower sulfide growth. Evidence for both sulfide-carbonate equilibrium and disequilibrium conditions suggest fluctuations in ore fluid composition. District and ore body metal distribution patterns may reflect the nature and movement of mineralizing fluids.

Jan 1, 1979

By Lisa A. Banick, Robert A. Rubin

The lawyer's role in underground construction, certainly for the past 20 years, has been principally that of the advocate in disputes resolution. Disputes in underground construction have been steadily increasing, making the lawyer a more prominent participant in the underground construction process. It is widely believed, however, that this is not a salutory state of affairs. It is our thesis that lawyers ought not be eliminated from the process, but rather that their role should be changed. They should function as prophylactics rather than as swords, i.e., they should be used to prevent or reduce disputes rather than, after the fact, to champion their clients' causes. a. Mr. Rubin is a partner in the New York law firm of Postner & Rubin. He has litigated and arbitrated numerous complex construction disputes. He has also participated in efforts to improve contracting practices on committees of ASCE and the National Academy of Engineering. b. Ms. Banick holds a BS in Civil Engineering from the University of Virginia and is a law student at New York Law School. She is a law clerk at Postner & Rubin.

Jan 1, 1983

By U. Thorley

Management of mine and tailings reclamation activities by surface mining oil sands operations in Alberta, Canada is experiencing increased national and international attention. Of particular concern is the ability of existing mines to execute and fund reclamation activities. Concern stems from a lack of demonstrated tailings reclamation technologies, perceptions of a poor track-record of reclamation activity by industry, and a lack of transparency with respect to the potential cost of reclamation activities relative to the monies secured in Alberta?s Environmental Protection Security Fund (EPSF). Limited information is publicly available regarding reclamation costs and technologies. Available data typically comes from disparate sources. This paper examines the expected costs of oil sands reclamation activities through a study of corporate Asset Retirement Obligation (ARO) liabilities, the Province of Alberta?sEPSF, and published data relating to reclamation costs.Issues relating to current liability funding are introduced.

Jan 1, 2011

By William E. Foreman

The results of the electrokinetic study of the activation of quartz by divalent cations showed that the charge reversal was related to the point at which the cation hydrolyzed. The reversal was not due to the presence of solid hydroxide at the surface of the quartz but due to the charged ions in the solutions. The charge reversal for beryllium at a log molar concentration of 1x10-4 was observed at pH 5 and 9. The quartz was positively charged between a pH reading of 5 to 10. Magnesium at the same log molar concentration did not show a charge reversal from pH 2 to 12. The probable cause of the charge reversal was due to the ionized Be3 (OH)3+3 or Mg (OH)+ . Variations in the electrokinetics of quartz were minimized by heating the sample to 300° C.

Jan 1, 1968

By M. Misra

The dissolution of mercury during gold cyanidation is the cause of many environmental, health and processing problems. A study was undertaken to find a suitable reagent for the removal of mercury bearing complexes from the leach liquor. Removal of mercury from synthetic solutions and process water from a gold mine was investigated using sodium sulfide, sodium and potassium dimethyl dithiocarbamates as precipitating reagents. The results have shown that efficient mercury removal could be achieved by addition of potassium dimethyl dithiocarbamate (KDTC), by formation of stable mercury compounds. The resultant mercury-potassium dimethyl dithiocarbamate precipitates are stable under present plant operating conditions and do not have any deleterious effect on gold adsorption by activated carbon. Furthermore, it is also possible to stabilize the mercury in the heap during cyanidation by adding dimethyl dithiocarbomate.

Jan 1, 1998

By R. S. Saunders

Congress, under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, as amended, charged the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) with the responsibility for safe and permanent disposal of high-level radioactive waste in a geologic repository. The waste will consist of spent fuel from commercial nuclear generating plants and reprocessing activities. Under direction of this law DOE is currently evaluating Yucca Mountain in Southern Nevada as the candidate site for a potential high-level radioactive waste repository. Presidential, Congressional and State of Nevada approval are needed for repository construction to proceed after successful completion of site characterization and recommendation of the site to Congress. The DOE will submit a license application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to construct the geologic repository. Following successful construction DOE will update its license application to operate the repository.

Jan 1, 1993

By R. C. Burtan

Long before the dawn of recorded history, man began to dig into the earth's crust in a never ending search for useful materials. It has been well established that prehistoric man discovered flint. "The Flintstones" were aptly named. The flintknappers of southern England and Wales still exist today in ever dwindling numbers as they seek out chunks of flint. It is a well known fact that more than half of the earth's crust is composed of silicon dioxide (SiO2), also known as silica. Silica and silica containing materials have a great many uses in modern society. However, this material is potentially extremely hazardous to our health. Centuries before the Christian Era, Hippocrates wrote of a lung disease common to those who mined in hard rock. It is obvious to us that he was describing silicosis. It is also apparent from ancient writings, that the Egyptians were aware of this malady. Dioscorides also wrote on this subject in the fifth century, B.C. It is undoubtedly the oldest and best studied of the occupational lung diseases. It was certainly described by Agricola in his "De Re Metallica" published in 1556, in which he described lung disease among hard rock miners. This publication, I'm sure, is of special interest and perhaps known to many of you in the mining community. The original document was written in Latin and was translated in 1912 by two gentlemen, Hoover and Hoover. One of these translators was Herbert L. Hoover, a former president of the United States, who made his living before his presidency as a mining engineer.

Jan 1, 1984

By David D. Lambert

REE analyses of cumulate plagioclase from the PGE ore zone of the Stillwater Complex indicate that pressure fluctuations in the magma chamber acting on a single magma can- not be responsible for features such as the reappearance of Mg-rich olivine on the liquidus. The data is more consistent with a model involving multiple injection and mixing of geochemically distinct magmas. The PGE bearing sulfides of the J-M Reef are associated with such a re- appearance of olivine, indicating that the unusual location of the ore zone may be related to the addition of new magma, compositionally distinct from magmas that produced cumulates in the Ultramafic zone of the complex.

Jan 1, 1981