Search Documents

By Norbert T. Rogers

An accepted statement of fact is that, next to agriculture, transportation is the second most important industry in the world. The transportation networks of the United States have greatly contributed to our nation's growth and prosperity. The objective here is to make the reader aware of the need for communication between geologists, mining engineers, purchasing agents, and transportation managers. Only through a cooperative effort is it possible to reap the benefits of transportation in the industrial minerals field. Transportation is often thought of in terms of trucks, rail cars, barges, and covered wagons. There is much more. Corning Inc. Corning Glass Works is a worldwide organization with more than $2 billion in annual sales. It supplies more than 60,000 different products a year to some 47,000 customer firms and millions of individual consumers. Corning operates 32 of its own plants worldwide and is also an investor with a 50-50 or minority position in 24 affiliated companies in 11 countries. Corning competes in four broad business categories: • specialty glass and ceramics; • consumer housewares; • laboratory sciences; and • telecommunications Binding these four sectors together is the glue of technology. Coming's research laboratory, established in 1908, was one of the first in American industry. That early commitment to research has never wavered. Today, Corning spends annually on research and devel¬opment, as a percentage of sales, at double the average rate for all manufacturing industry in the US. Some 1500 scientists, engineers, and support personnel are now employed at the company's research and development centers in the US, Japan, and France. Petalite background A family of materials melted conventionally as a glass, then converted by special processing to a ceramic was invented in 1957. One of the basic minerals in this glass ceramic product is petalite. Petalite is a monoclinic mineral with a framework silicate structure and a low iron content, about 0.06% Fe2O3. Petalite is found in very few places throughout the world and no commercial petalite deposit has been found in the United States. Sizable deposits occur in Zimbabwe, Southwest Africa, Brazil, Australia, the Soviet Union, and Sweden. Coming's purchasing and geology departments located a source of petalite with proven reserves in what was then known as Rhodesia. The supplier was Bikita Minerals. The relationship with Bikita was one in which Bikita supplied bulk ore that Corning processed into a finished material at its US facility. This bulk ore method of shipment resulted in high losses through contamination and processing. It also caused tank upsets at the Corning plant because of iron contamination picked up through the numerous handlings of this product in bulk. The relationship with Bikita continued until 1965 when the white political leadership of Rhodesia declared its independence from Great Britain. This led to the imposition of international sanctions. The sanctions were lifted in 1980 and the relationship with Bikita was reestablished in 1983.

Jan 1, 1989

By Jack T. Work

Spiraling costs in every segment of the open-pit mining cycle is a fact of life that every operator must reckon with. The introduction of various shock absorbing devices for rotary drilling is one recent innovation that may significantly reduce overall drilling cost, increase drill availability, and lower maintenance requirements. In a recent all-inclusive test in taconite ores, shock absorbers on Bucyrus-Erie BE 60R and Gardner¬Denver GD 120 rotary drills were directly responsible for overall savings of up to $41.06 per hour. What is It? A shock absorber is simply a device installed between the rotary drive head and drill steel that cushions the two. It functions in the same manner as springs and shocks on an automobile. Some benefits associated with use of the tool are readily apparent on a daily basis; other benefits are realized over longer time intervals and through continued use. A properly designed shock absorber will: •protect the drill from severe vi¬brations, improve rock bit performance, allow application of the best weight-on-bit and rotating speed under all drilling conditions, •function effectively over a wide range of applied bit weights, • have a spring rate soft enough to perform its primary function of absorbing both rotary and vertical vibrational forces generated by rough drilling, •be reliable and subject to as little maintenance as possible, •be easy to install and remove, and • be of such an economic benefit so as to offset the added expense of its application. A shock absorbing tool developed by BJ-Hughes Inc. was used in a recent test. The "Smoothdrill" is just one of the products currently available. This unit absorbs both rotary and vertical shock loads and has no mechanical parts so lubrication is unnecessary. A rebuild of the unit consists of removing the worn rubber element and inserting a new element, an operation taking less than one hour. Minimizing Vibrations Severe vibrations on a blasthole drill operating in broken and discontinuous formations have visible effects. These vibrations often cause structural damage when allowed to' continue, resulting in fatigue cracks in the mast and related structural components in the drill. When rough running formations are encountered, drilling must be interrupted and possibly shut down. Usually, the drill operator resumes drilling using less down pressures and various rotational speeds until firmer drilling is encountered. An effective shock absorber can substantially reduce these vibrational forces so more down pressure can be applied in bad ground. It is generally accepted that longitudinal vibrations and cyclic forces are more effectively reduced if a tool is designed to incorporate a relatively "soft" shock absorber. The softness of any shock absorbing tool is best judged by its spring rate-the weight required to produce a given amount of deflection, commonly expressed in units of kg per mm or pounds per inch of deflection. All shock tools use a resilient member such as rubber springs, steel springs, fluid, or gas springs to absorb

Jan 4, 1980

By Pat C. Hautala, J. R. Hoskins

This is a new era for the minerals industry. Never before has there been more need for effective communication. So said Robert Anderson, chairman and chief executive officer of Hanna Mining Co. He was speaking to the American Mining Congress's Communication Workshop. The question is whether there is enough industry concern to meet the challenge. Anderson observed that increased workshop attendance, in continuing tough times, reflects the industry's concern for communication. But, why were students, faculty, engineers, supervisors, and managers not at the conference? Communication applies to every manager, Anderson said. But he was the only operating manager present. And only one company sent operating supervisors. The remaining conference participants were public relations personnel, generally with nonmining backgrounds. And the program dealt mostly with public relations issues. Role of Communication in the Minerals Industry. It is well known that the minerals industry faces economic, political, and social problems. Economic shifts and foreign competition have created an international minerals industry and an international marketplace. This, in turn, calls for worldwide communication. Other factors effecting communication are: • Governmental protectionism as well as regulatory reforms call for increased interaction with governing officials. • Changing social values have created environmental issues and anti-industry attitudes. This intensifies the need for improved public relations. • Traditional work values are shifting towards self-actualization and humanistic movements. The work force is better educated and more informed. Employees demand more satisfaction, equality, and job autonomy. • The mining industry's task of managing its human resources is complicated by layoffs, job uncertainties, and bleak outlooks concerning employee morale and motivation. Technology and Information for a New Era As noted, this is a new communications era, one propelled by technology and information. Technology has led to reduced demand for raw materials by developing substitutes. Copper demand, for example, will never fully recover. Copper cables are replaced by fiberoptics; copper transmission lines, with aluminum. Technology has shifted the US from traditional to high tech and service industries. The speed, frequency, and scope of information transmission have greatly increased. But the most significant characteristic of this information is not the pace of advancing technology. It is the dramatic increase in the importance and frequency of our personal transactions. Knowledge has replaced raw materials and capital as the strategic resource. Information has replaced energy as the transforming resource. And the game against nature has become an interpersonal game (D. Bell, Post-industrial society, Physics Today, '76). In Megatrends, John Naisbitt says that information will soon double every 20 months. So, professionals will become "information workers." And communication will be the life channel of the information age. Thomas Wolfe said you can't go home again. Hanna Anderson said we are, indeed, facing a new day. It will never again be "business as usual." We must move into the information age with the rest of society. We cannot trust that the world will continue to rely on our products. Nor can we place the responsibility and control for problems and solutions outside the minerals industry. Improved communication is not a panacea. But, Anderson said, it is critical to the minerals industry. What is Communication? The word communication is overused. It is applied to every aspect of our lives. Satirist Tom Lehrer got sick of hearing about the need to communicate. He said, "It seems to me that if someone is having all that trouble communicating, the very least he can do is shut up!" Obviously, we cannot follow that advice (though we might wish that some others would do so). Communication is always going on. It is inevitable. Yet we have many misconceptions about com-

Jan 1, 1985

By William L. Young

There is an old saying in Canada: "Mines are made as much as discovered." What follows is Young's perception of his experience developing and financing the Cochrane Hill gold mine project. In 1974, I came back from rutile and zircon exploration and mining in Australia. I became interested in a copper, lead, and zinc project in the Bathurst District, New Brunswick. Much field work had already been done but I was convinced that a reinterpretation of the geophysical work left room to enlarge on the known mineralization. So, with my own money I put a property deal together, found an underwriter willing to raise $100,000, and had a lawyer produce a prospectus. The prospectus was ultimately accepted for filing by the Ontario Securities Commission and I acquired funding and began work. It did not take many drill holes to determine that the interpretation was not geologically valid. However, while drilling was going on, geophysical and geochemical explorations indicated interesting anomalous zones elsewhere on the property. But by now the base metal market climate had soured and the $50,000 I had left was not enough to evaluate the new results. So I decided to farm out the property. A data folio was produced and the property was optioned to a major mining company, with Northumberland Mines Ltd. retaining a 20% free, carried interest. By 1976, the market for junior issues was so bad no under¬writer would even talk to a geologist and I still had the $50,000 in the bank and was looking for something to initiate. A Project That Went Nowhere Market research indicated that the Toronto area imported fine calcium carbonate fillers from Georgia, Alabama, and Vermont. I was aware of the specs and the fact that there is a large marble belt in Eastern Ontario. After some prospecting, I found an interesting deposit. The product was slightly high in silica and low on brightness. Research work eliminated the silica and corrected the brightness. So, with insufficient money we launched a feasibility study. This included diamond drilling, bulk sampling, special fine grinding and air classification tests, and an in-depth market survey. Our product was as good or better than those on the market. Our advantage was that delivery could be made by a two-hour truck haul to the customer. The present system of rail delivery had many problems, especially in winter. Despite everything looking rosy, we ran into a stone wall. The underwriters were singularly unimpressed because the public saw little glamour in a substance most people had never heard of. The issue would have been difficult-if not impossible-to sell. Banks and government agencies took the position that if we could get long term take-or-pay contracts then they would lend the required capital. None of the suppliers, however, would even consider a contract until production had begun and they could evaluate the production material. It was a classic "catch 22" situation. I have gone into this in some detail to show how tough the industrial mineral market can be. We eventually optioned this calcium carbonate property to a major corporation. The option agreement would give us a free, carried 15% and the right to buy up to 40% for contributing 25% of the production costs. But the experience left my company in poor financial shape. To survive, I think the entrepreneur-geologist must always have at least one project in reserve, an emergency plan. I had been searching out a new project to work on, after the calcium carbonate option was wrapped up. It was gold. Gold intrigued me and I knew quite a bit about Nova Scotian gold. I felt that with any rise in price, many of the former high-grade gold mines would have interesting potential for the larger, low grade portions of the deposits. That is how I happened on Cochrane Hill, where much work had been done in the early 1970s when gold as $4.82/g ($150/ oz). This time my timing was good. No sooner had Northumberland signed an option agreement than gold prices started to rise. In six months, they went to $27.331g ($850/oz). Even so, financing gold prospects in early 1980 was still not easy. It had been years since gold financing had been undertaken. A whole new generation of investors, with no knowledge of gold mining, had grown up. So, with accounting and legal council, we decided on a semiprivate "seed money" offering. Under the new Ontario Securities Act, this was a new-and partly tax sheltered-concept. At the time, it was very innovative.

Jan 6, 1982

By R. D. Williams

In spite of the increasingly polarized and politicized view of climate science and climate change in the United States, many of the principles behind the ?theory? of Anthropogenic Global Warming (AGW) or Global Climate Change (GCC) are in fact firmly established both in fundamental physics and detailed observations and are widely accepted elsewhere. The discovery of the earth?s ?greenhouse effect? dates back nearly 200 years to the work of French mathematician and physicist Joseph Fourier in 1824 and 1827. In 1872, John Tyndall an English physicist and mountaineer, described the capacity of various gasses to absorb radiant heat. He identified water vapor and carbon dioxide as the principal ?greenhouse? gasses. The work of Fourier and Tyndall was the foundation for the theory that increasing carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere might be responsible for an increase in global temperatures developed by the brilliant Swedish chemist Svante August Arrhenius in 1896. This was backed up by the additional work of Gilbert Callendar in the 1930s, and Gilbert Plass, Hans Suess and Roger Revelle in the 1950s. There is little scientific dispute about the physics by which this occurs: carbon dioxide in the atmosphere absorbs long wave radiation that would otherwise escape into space, thus warming the lower atmosphere and respective temperatures worldwide. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), approximately 2500 climate scientists from around the world, has concluded that increases in carbon dioxide resulting principally from the burning of fossil fuels are responsible for most of the continuing increases in global temperatures (IPCC, 2007). NASA?s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) states; ?The ten warmest years all occur within the 12-year period 1997-2008? (GISS, 2009). 2009 was the second warmest year on record and 2010 was tied with 2005 for the warmest year on record (GISS, 2010, 2011). The science is in fact settled; the earth has not cooled since 1998 as some have claimed. It continues to warm as evidenced by not only surface temperature records but also ocean temperature records as well as changes in physical and biological systems (IPCC, 2007).

Feb 27, 2013

By P. K. Sims

One-day field trip via U.S. Highway 6 and Colorado Highways 119 and 279 from Golden, Colorado to Idaho Springs. This field trip provides an opportunity to observe aspects of the Laramide ore deposits in the Central City and Idaho Springs mining districts and the Proterozoic basement rocks, which host the ore deposits.

Jan 1, 1986

By Jack Bedder, Nils Backeberg

"Native antimony metal is rare and antimony generally occurs together with gold, lead, copper and silver. There are more than 100 antimony minerals, although the sulfide mineral stibnite is the main economic mineral.Antimony enters the supply chain either as a result of mining (primary production) or recycling (secondary production). China has by far the largest antimony resources and is, as a result, the world’s center for antimony mine production. While China remains the leading primary producer, accounting for 69 percent (80.5 kt or 88,700 st) of the global 117.5 kt (129,000 st) in 2017, market consolidation and regulatory inspections across China leading to closures of facilities have caused a significant decrease in Chinese output from 115.8 kt (127,600 st) in 2015 (81 percent of global production).Tajikistan and Russia are the next largest producers of antimony after China, both ramping up production in recent years. Russia could significantly increase its supply of antimony if Polyus moves ahead with supplying 10-12 kt/a (11,000–13,200 stpy) of contained antimony from gold tailings. Australia and Bolivia are also significant mine producers outside China. The value of the different ores varies based on the metal content of the concentrates, with the most valuable gold-bearing ores sourced from Australia’s Costerfield Mine and the least valuable mercury-bearing ores sourced from the Anzob Mine in Tajikistan. On average, Bolivian and Russian ores trade at an intermediate value between those from Costerfield and Anzob. Nearly all of the rest-of-world production is exported to China, where the ores and concentrates are processed into antimony ingots and oxides.Antimony ingot production is not as widespread as is the case with antimony mine production, owing to the high levels of pollution that are associated with antimony smelting. It is for this reason that smelting has been largely confined to China and other Asian countries ,such as Vietnam and Myanmar, where environmental legislation has historically been less stringent. Tajikistan has become a growing producer of antimony ingot since 2014, coming from the commissioned metallurgical plant at the Anzob Mine.Antimony oxide production is undertaken on four continents with China being the biggest producer. There is also a considerable amount of oxide production in Europe (mainly Belgium and France), which relies on imported antimony metal feedstock, mostly from China.A new antimony project under construction by Strategic and Precious Metals Processing (SPMP) in Oman made progress in 2016 and 2017, and after producing first metal in April 2016 in test facilities, was set to be commissioned in the first quarter of 2018. Commissioning had been moved back to June 2018, with a potential ramp-up to 2-3 kt/a (2,200 to 3,300 stpy) of antimony metal by the end of 2018. SPMP is also reviewing producing antimony oxide as part of its flow sheet."

Jan 7, 2018

By K. K. Bhattacharyya

Vast deposits of lignite occur in the Gulf Coast states and northern plain states. Lignite resources are cited to be over 43 billion tons in the Gulf Coast states. An additional resource of 16 billion tons are reported in North Dakota (Jackson, Smith, 1981). All lignite in the U.S. is mined at present by the open pit method. Draglines and scrapers are primarily used to remove the overburden. Bucket-wheel excavators are also being considered for new mines in the planning stages. Lignite seams are mined using front-end loaders, shovels and trucks, or Easi-miners. The depositional environment of lignite is weak sedimentary soils and rock. Ground water is often encountered within the mining depth. Surface water resulting from heavy rainfall or snow melt contributes to the problems of mining. Mining depths of up to 60 m (200 ft) are under consideration. Draglines exert additional loads on the highwalls and spoil piles. The combination of any number of these factors may cause instability of the slopes. Bearing pressure, trafficability, and settlement can also be a problem for excavation and loading equipment.

Jan 1, 1982

By Franklin J. Stermole

L. Alan Weakly, member SME, is a senior staff engineer, Exxon Co. Weakly chaired a Mining Engineering committee formed to solicit materials for six planned "personal skills" articles, to be used in ME this year. What follows are Weakly's introductory comments to the series. Upon graduation from college several years ago, I thought that I was sufficiently prepared to embark in my chosen profession. A short time later I realized that several years of on-the-job training was going to be required before I could use my technical training effectively. It never occurred to me that, professionally, I was seriously lacking in any other skills. My spelling could use a little upgrading, but this was not a serious deficiency. I have been very fortunate to have had two employers that recognized that their engineering professionals did lack other skills and made every effort to give them training to correct these deficiencies. The skills I am referring to are those in administration and interpersonal relationships. Most mining engineers and geologists receive very little, if any, college training in these areas. In addition, many companies do not provide this training and many mining engineers and geologists are unaware of their deficiencies. It is for this reason the subject of personal skills development is being introduced in Mining Engineering. The mining engineer or geologist can pursue one of two basic career directions, managerial or technical. In today's technically sophisticated society and highly competitive business climate, both orientations require administrative and interpersonal skills. Most of us are technically qualified and we continue to upgrade our technical skills. But many studies indicate that we, as a group, are significantly weaker in administrative and interpersonal skills than other professional groups. In addition, these studies indicate that engineers, in general, take longer to reach managerial levels and fewer do so. This series in Mining Engineering, then, should help readers strengthen and broaden their professional capabilities. In all industries, including mining and petroleum, economic analysis of potential investment projects is done to select the projects that will give maximum future value from the investment of available capital. Rather than looking directly at the future values to be generated by investing capital in alternate ways for economic decisions, evaluators usually use either rate of return, present value, annual value, a profit to investment ratio, or various break even analysis results to reach economic analysis decisions in evaluating alternative investments. Alternative economic evaluation techniques are used in industry to properly analyze the economic potential of various investment projects. "Discounted Cash Flow" analysis is the phrase commonly used to describe these techniques. Whether you want to analyze projects in mineral, petroleum, real estate, refining, pipe-line transportation, or any other industry, proper application of discounted cash flow analysis techniques enables you to fairly compare the economic potential of alternative projects as well or better than you can using any other project evaluation approaches. It should be pointed out that investment analysis generally involves more than economic analysis. Financial and intangible considerations sometimes are as important or more important to investment decision-making than economic considerations. Economic analysis refers to evaluation of the profit generating potential of projects, that is selecting which alternative projects will generate maximum future value possible from available investment capital. Financial analysis, on the other hand, relates to analysis of where money is going to come from to finance various projects. Regardless of the economic potential of a project, if financial analysis indicates that we cannot finance the project, it likely will be shelved for financial reasons even though it may be economically satisfactory. Many evaluators use the terms "economic analysis" and "financial analysis" interchangeably, but this author considers that to be undesirable. Intangible analysis relates to project factors that are difficult to quantify in

Jan 2, 1984

By R. Mensah-Biney

The NC State University Minerals Research Laboratory (MRL) and Waste Reduction Partners (WRP) of the Land of Sky Regional Council joined efforts in 2000 to initiate a technically sound and practical program for the management of high-volume coal combustion by-products (CCBs) in North Carolina. The accumulation of CCBs from coal burning boilers throughout the state of North Carolina posed a substantial storage problem, and the area was overripe for an effective management program, which would be environmentally sustainable. In particular, the public utility generators had filled storage ponds on their properties, and the storage overload had grown to critical proportions. Much the same situation existed for paper mill biosolids, which were stored on site in landfill cells along with daily output of CCBs from the mill boilers. A conversion process via the patented pyro-process12 (US Patent No. 5,342,442) to produce synthetic light weight aggregates (LWA) from CCBs and paper mill sludge was conceived to process large quantities of both these waste materials. MRL and WRP initiated and formed a consortium that brought together academia, private industry and state agencies to evaluate the production of LWA by the pyro-process. The industry partners included representatives from the power companies, industrial ash generators, expediters for coal ash products, as well as concrete block manufacturers. It was important to welcome interested parties from not only the western North Carolina area and other parts of the state but also from neighboring states including Tennessee, South Carolina and Georgia. Membership of this consortium evolved during the intervening years to include the following participants and supporters: Progress Energy Carolinas; Duke Energy; Santee Cooper; Full Circle Solutions; Land-of-Sky Regional Council; NC Department of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance; Ecusta Business Development Center; Blue Ridge Paper Products; Jackson Paper and Manufacturing Company; Miller Perlite; Appalachian Products; General Shale Brick; Metromont Materials; Small Business Technology Development Center of the University of North Carolina system and North Carolina State University The initial development program conducted at the Minerals Research Laboratory (MRL) was to formulate an acceptable LWA product, which fulfilled user specifications for light weight concrete block and structural concrete application. Support work and program coordination efforts were furnished by retired technical volunteers in WRP. The work advanced steadily, using proven technologies well established in the mineral industry, to generate a very satisfactory LWA. The consortium then concluded that a more comprehensive CCB conversion program would have more appeal for full scale manufacture and commercialization, if a variety of products from CCB separation were generated. This product assortment would include bottom ash, low carbon fly ash, recovered carbon of high purity, as well as the synthetic LWA. The bottom ash would serve the concrete block market, the fly ash was in demand for ready-mix concrete, and the high carbon product could be pelletized and used as a fuel for reburn or by the steel industry, and the LWA was a sought-after component for light weight concrete applications. After scouting all these potential markets and finding them to be viable, the consortium then inaugurated an integrated pilot plant program for the CCB separation and conversion. The plan was organized in three (3) parts: (1) Phase I ? bench scale evaluation studies (2) Phase II continuous pilot plant evaluation and (3) Phase III ? conceptual commercial plant design including marketing efforts and attraction of business entrepreneurs to build a full scale manufacturing plant. Phase II would serve to validate the process in a continuous mode and produce substantial quantities of products for preliminary marketing efforts and for demonstration-of-use purposes. The consortium agreed to the name, CAROLINA ASH PRODUCTS, (CAP), for the integrated pilot plant program. The products generated might be designated with the CAP label as: bottom ash would be named CAP Granules, low carbon fly ash would become CAP Ash, recovered high carbon product would be CAP Carbon, and LWA would have the name CAP Stone. Phase II of the program processed 20 tons (18 t) of ponded ash from Progress Energy storage at a rate of 600 lb (271 kg) of raw ash per hour with favorable results. PRELIMINARY STUDIES Prior to committing laboratory research and development effort as well as support and coordination activities to this program, it was necessary to determine (1) the level of need for a freshly launched CCB reutilization program in this state and (2) what degree of versatility was necessary for such a process. State agency records and a survey of recent boiler operations indicated that in the state of North Carolina at least 77 facilities manage CCBs from their boiler operations. Despite continuing development efforts in more eastern parts of the state, the use of CCBs for commercial applications has not increased to a level which alleviates the need to store vast quantities in private monofills on the generator?s property. More than 1.25 million tons (1.13 million t) of CCBs are landfilled in NC annually, with 300,000 tons (271,985 t) per year generated in western NC alone. Many different boiler types, which span both very old units and those that are modern and efficient, were to be found. These included stoker-fired units, pulverized coal boilers, slag-tap furnaces, and fluidized bed combustion boilers covering a range of sizes. Any systems designed to separate CCB components from all these sources and convert them to useful secondary products would need broad processing latitude and flexibility. Up to the present there has been a paucity of research done in the western part of the state to find productive alternatives to storage in landfills. With tipping fees in our largest landfill now approaching $40 per ton ($44 per t) and escalating transportation fees (about $200 per truckload up to 40 tons, traveling a distance of 25 miles), the problem has become urgent both economically and ecologically. A well-designed, integrated wet process for CCB separation into value-added products had much potential to be less expensive than landfilling as well as to provide saleable materials with acceptable profit margins. These preliminary investigations also revealed that other major waste streams, in particular paper mill sludge and municipal and animal waste biosolids were important candidates for priority attention. Since these biosolids could furnish the organic component of a synthetic LWA product, they could be consumed as part of the same program. This added interest value to a growing list of partners to support and participate in the program.

Jan 1, 2009

By Eduardo M. Sacris

The performance of the grinding circuit, from the initial stages of operation to the present, is discussed. The mill efficiency as measured by the Bond grindability data and the operating work index is presented. The objective has been to produce a sand cyclone overflow containing not more than 6% +65 mesh. However, this has never been attained even at low milling rates. On the other hand, significant improvements in throughput were achieved by instituting some equipment changes and process modifications within the grinding circuit. The latest approach to solving the coarse grind problem is also discussed.

Jan 1, 1983

The MineSight Schedule Optimizer (MSSO) is a new production scheduling tool developed by Mintec, Inc. using mixed integer linear programming (MILP) techniques. This tool was developed to solve the short- and medium-term schedule problems for surface and underground mining operations that involve multiple mining areas, multiple processes, multiple destinations and blending requirements. MSSO finds the optimum schedule in each period that achieves the objective while satisfying comprehensive product quality and quantity requirements as well as physical and technical constraints. Using the MineSight Planning Database (MSPD) as a central data hub, MSSO seamlessly works with MineSight 3-D (MS3D) block models and third-party data, MineSight Interactive Planner (MSIP), MineSight Haulage (MSHaulage) and MineSight Activity Planner (MSAP) to prepare data, formulate MILP models, calculate, report, fine-tune, save and visualize schedules. This paper presents the features and capabilities of MSSO. A case study is also given to demonstrate the applications of this new tool.

Jan 1, 2009

By Richard L. Stotlar

Introduction During the last decade, the metallic minerals segment of the industry could be categorized as a "feast-or-famine" business. It is no secret that metallic minerals are cyclical. Employment opportunities greatly depend on the supply and demand for its mineral products. It is also not unusual for there to be a lag between the industry's manpower requirements and academia's ability to produce new graduates. Due to this lag, there will be years with manpower shortages, as in the mid-1970s. At other times, supply will exceed demand. The question is where will the jobs be in the years to come? This presentation will review reasons why employment opportunities have declined within the metallic minerals industry. It will also predict future demand for mineral engineering graduates. And it will outline strategies for obtaining an employment offer. Historical Review - Employment From 1977 through 1983, about 75% of all metal mining employees were directly engaged in production activities, down from 83% in 1965. This decline reflects increased use of labor saving equipment, and more government regulation and foreign competition. Metal mining's employment decreased from 74,000 jobs in 1982 to fewer than 68,000 in 1983 - an 8% decline. The overall industry is having these problems because of the general downturn in the economy. For example, at the beginning of this decade, US automobile and steel industries were in trouble. Interest rates were too high and volatile. This adversely affected construction, housing starts, and manufacturing. All these industries, being large users of base metals, drastically affected the metals industry. US copper companies are still having problems. Reports indicate that many copper employers have cut production, laid-off workers, and permanently closed mines, refineries, and smelters. A decline in the demand for US produced metal products, such as copper, obviously affects some mineral engineering employment opportunities. Other factors to consider when looking at employment opportunities and why it has become difficult for US metal producers to compete in the world market include: • The grades of ore bodies of many US minerals are considerably lower than the grades of ores being mined elsewhere in the world. • The grades of ore bodies currently being mined in the US are steadily declining. • Foreign producers are largely government controlled and are not necessarily subject to the realities of supply and demand. • US environmental regulations have considerably added to production costs. Foreign producers in most countries do not have to worry about these additional costs. • US mines are getting deeper. This adds to the cost of production because of the increasing distance the ore has to be transported. • Plants and equipment are outdated. Many companies find themselves operating with equipment and plants that need modernizing or replacing. This obviously hinders competitive productivity. • Labor and management have had problems. Work stoppages in certain mining businesses and high wage and benefit costs in relation to foreign producers place US producers at a disadvantage. • Much land is unavailable. The US government owns most of the land considered to have the best potential for minerals development. Most of this land is unavailable for mining or exploration. Therefore, it appears that finding employment with a company whose primary business is mining and processing most metals, such as copper, in the US will be quite restricted and competitive. Future Demand It is difficult to anticipate what key employment opportunities within the next few years will be available to mineral engineering graduates. The Engineering Manpower Commission estimated that US engineering schools awarded 72,471 undergraduate degrees in 1983 vs. 66,990 in 1982. This was the eighth consecutive year in which the number of baccalaureates awarded has increased. On a brighter note, the US government's Occupational Outlook Quarterly stated that the growth rate through 1995 for all engineers is an encouraging 49% over present levels. The estimated number of engineers employed in 1982 is 1.2 million. The numerical in-

Jan 2, 1985

By M. Rufli

Until not so long ago most ring geared mills were operated with fix speed motors only. By using the latest generation of medium voltage frequency converters, new possibilities have arisen to improve the grinding process. Beside all the direct and indirect advantages, several dedicated functions have now been implemented for ring geared grinding mills in the minerals industry. The sophisticated operational functions ensure a smooth, safe and reliable operation with minimum stress for the mechanical equipment and therefore utmost availability of the mill. Several papers have already been presented concerning the benefits of using this state of the art technology for mill drives. Now this paper is focusing on the experiences gained with this kind of sophisticated ring geared mill drive system rather than only show and explains the operational benefit of the different functions. Several measurements of different operating conditions, starting, frozen charge remover, controlled roll back, backlash, etc., made on an installed and commissioned 2 x 5 MW dual pinion ring geared mill drive system will be shown and discussed. The accuracy of the load sharing between the two 5 MW motors during starting, normal operation and stopping will be demonstrated using real measurements from an operating system. Finally the inherent features of these drive systems are briefly discussed.

Jan 1, 2011

By James M. Riddle

A discussion of frequently asked questions may help individuals trying to interpret subsidence regulations or prepare permit applications. The subsidence permitting process involves just one part of the mass of Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act regulations. But of the 18 main SMCRA sections, subsidence is critical to the permitting process for coal operators. It's an area in which applicants have had problems interpreting regulations and preparing permit applications. Of 22 western states, only Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, and Utah heave thus far received approval for their mining and reclamation plans. The other states are now involved in the permit application process and will be dealing with SMCRA regulations for the next year or so. Some state programs, when approved, may differ substantially from the federal SMCRA program. But, to be approved, the state programs must be deemed equal to or more stringent than the federal regulations. SMCRA regulations apply to any coal operation "that exhibits surface effects." Thus they apply to surface strip mines as well as underground coal operations. The regulations do not apply to hardrock mining operations. Since August 3, 1977, the government, industry, and the public have wrestled with SMCRA. They have struggled through an initial program with the US Geological Survey; a new agency, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM); an interim program; and a "final" permanent regulatory program. Even now, OSM is reluctant to publish formal program guidelines because: •The regulations are still in the process of judicial review. • Some approvable state programs will supersede the federal regula¬tions. • The flexible regulations are open to interpretation, which is desir¬able to maintain. •Guidelines could be misleading until regulations and interpretations are revised and finalized.

Jan 12, 1980

By J. B. Rasmussen

As part of a purchase of a fleet of Caterpillar 785 trucks, Round Mountain Gold Corp., Cashman Equipment Co. and Caterpillar Inc. entered into a four-year contract for the major maintenance of the fleet of trucks. This contract includes fixed costs and guaranteed availability. The results have been excellent, and the fleet of trucks performs well. History The Smoky Valley Common Operation is a unique mine. Through a mixture of diligence and foresight, it has become the largest open-pit, heap leaching gold mine in the world. This was no small feat considering the remote area surrounding the mine. Round Mountain is located in north-central Nye County, NV. To the east of the town and mine lies the Central Toquima mountain range. To the west is the Toiyabe mountain range. Between them is the Big Smoky Valley, a flat expanse of sagebrush, salt grass and fine dirt.

Jan 1, 1991

By Wayne N. Marchant

Introduction The issue of coal mining safety plays an important role in the United States' growing dependence on coal to supply its future needs. This article will address the federal government's role, principally the US Bureau of Mines, in meeting this challenging growth and demand while reducing the social and economic costs attributed to injuries and fatalities in underground mining. Some interesting facts and projections with respect to the nation's energy picture will be discussed. This includes the distribution of its reserves and the projected role of coal in the energy and economics of the nation's future. Underground mining will continue to be an important means of providing this coal. The author will discuss how the Bureau of Mines' research program addresses the problems of health and safety that grow out of the demand for more coal. Future projections First, a synopsis of salient facts and projections concerning the US's situation with respect to energy and the economy. Figure 1 depicts the relative quantities of recoverable energy reserves in the United States by their type. Most people are aware of the nation's use of oil. We hear a lot about natural gas. And we are aware of the controversy over the use of nuclear energy. But, while looking at Fig. 1, the question becomes, "Where will our fuel to meet the demand for energy in the future most certainly have to come from?" With 82% of the nation's recoverable fuel reserves being coal, the answer is irrefutable. Coal will be that source. Figure 2 is the present market for coal. It shows that 77% of the coal mined goes to supply electric utilities. Therefore, the coal industry as a whole is most sensitive to the trends and demands for electricity. It is less affected by what happens in other markets, such as export and direct industrial use. In fact, the coal industry is three times more sensitive to the electric utility market than to all other markets combined. Therefore, the trend in the demand for electricity must be examined. Electricity demand is expected to increase steadily over the next 15 years. It is projected to grow from its present 2.3 trillion kWh per year to 3.5 trillion kWh per year by the year 2000. The fuel to supply this increase in demand must come from somewhere. The question is "How much of this extra fuel will be coal?" Although the demand for electricity is predicted to increase, the demand for coal does not necessarily follow. Coal must maintain its fraction of the energy sources used for electricity generation if its demand is to increase at the same or greater rate as electricity. Except for a near-term dip in demand due to a slight increase in nuclear capacity, the domestic electric generation accruing to coal will go from 56% in 1985 to more than 60% in 2005. Thus, the predicted trend is for coal to become a larger part of the fuel mix for electric power generation. Similarly, looking at the most recent forecast for total coal consumption trends, it can be seen that for electric power generation alone, the coal industry must be able to supply an additional 316 Mt/a (348.5 million stpy) by the year 2000 (Fig. 3). It must be stressed here, though, that without significant improvements in mining safety, it can also be easily predicted that injuries and fatalities will increase in proportion to the increase in coal production. Will society consider that acceptable? This author does not believe so. Figure 4 examines the effect of coal prices on the price of electricity. The projections show that the already high proportion of fuel cost will become a greater fraction of the consumer price for electricity. Specifically in 1985, 36% of the price of electricity was the cost of the fuel. In 1995, 46% of the price of electricity will be the fuel cost. That implies that the price of coal will have an increasing influence on the consumer price for electricity. Thus, as coal is used more to generate electricity and as fuel becomes a greater

Jan 4, 1987

"Lax, misguided, and dangerous" is Rep. James Santini's description of the official US position on strategic nonfuel minerals. Santini (D-NV), chairman of the House Mines and Mining Subcommittee, criticized the Interior Department for "its long record of benign neglect" regarding the domestic minerals crisis. Santini made his remarks at a news conference at the American Mining Congress convention in San Francisco, where he released his subcommittee report "US Minerals Vulnerability: National Policy Implications." The report-said to be the first major congressional study of the minerals issue by a committee of jurisdiction is the result of a two-year inquiry. The investigation was undertaken, according to the chairman, "because no person or agency in the executive branch of government fully grasps the critical importance of nonfuel minerals to the nation's economy, defense, and quality of life." The report also urges a larger role for the Department of Defense, which has "stood passively by for many years as a consuming by-stander," according to the report. President Carter's incomplete Non-fuel Minerals Policy Review also drew the committee's ire; Santini calls it "a tragic waste that cost tax-payers $3.5 million and the loss of some 13,000 person-days." The subcommittee examined the following issues for its report: • The US minerals industry's inability to meet national raw material needs under a "hodgepodge of contradictory, restrictive, and irrational" federal regulations; • Dependency on foreign sources of strategic minerals in times of "increasing resource nationalism" and "Soviet mineral expansionism;" • National security needs for foreign mineral resources that do not have effective substitutes; • The US government's approach to national minerals policy "amid a growing realization that such a policy does not exist." The subcommittee report includes an analysis of public and private studies on nonfuel minerals and discusses a series of policy problem areas that negatively affect domestic production. Capital formation disincentives, tax policies, antitrust enforcement, environmental laws, health and safety regulations, technical problems, and restricted access to federally-controlled public lands contribute to what Santini calls a "tragic irony." "The irony is that we are a nation vastly rich in mineral resources yet our own government chooses to stifle development of these critical raw materials and thereby increase offshore reliance. The tragedy is that we also are ensuring US vulnerability to severe economic dislocations and a weakening of our national security." In just six years, from 1973-1978, the US trade deficit in nonfuel minerals rose from $2 billion per year to $8 billion, according to the report. The country imports more than 50% of 23 critical minerals, including 100% of its manganese, chromium, cobalt and platinum. The US is promoting its dependence on foreign mineral sources at the very time the security of many of those sources is becoming less certain, the report notes. Santini said the subcommittee investigation revealed a vulnerability that may be more serious and pervasive than that of foreign oil. The US may be able to develop alternate energy resources, but there are no effective substitutes for many nonfuel minerals. The report also discloses that US stockpiles of critical and strategic minerals are of inadequate supply and quality. Holdings of some vital minerals are far below present objectives, and for some there are no holdings at all, according to Santini. To resolve the current crisis, the report makes the following recommendations: • Complete immediately President Carter's Interagency Nonfuel Minerals Policy Review; • Implement (throught the Interior Department) the 1970 Mining and Minerals Policy Act; • Create an Office of Energy and Minerals with the same stature, power, and oversight responsibilities as the Council on Environmental Quality; • Ease federal restrictions on mineral exploration and development on public lands and implement a complete review of public land use policies; •Fund for and fulfill US nonfuel minerals stockpiling objectives; •Increase federal funding for non-

Jan 11, 1980

By Thomas C. Shapiro

Introduction In recent years - even months - the number of articles on computers has increased rapidly. One can hardly pick up a newspaper or magazine without seeing a computer-related article. The article usually explains how the computer will change our lives. Many of us have some concern about the nature and type of change. For most of us, though, the problem is lack of information and understanding about how computers work. In other words, how do we make cost-effective decisions about computers? This three-part series will explain, simply, what a microcomputer is, how it works, and how to decide if you need one. This first article will define terms and briefly discuss areas where computerization might be economic. The second article will discuss geology and mining applications. The third article will discuss plant, administrative, and geotechnical areas as well as the future of software development in the minerals industry. Terms and Concepts All computers have input and output devices and a central processing unit (CPU). Information - instructions and data - is communicated to the computer by means of input devices. These instructions to the computer are converted into language that the computer understands. This causes the instructions to be carried out in the CPU. The result of these operations is translated back into language that we understand. This information is then sent to output devices such as printers and video display tubes. Traditionally, peripherals were devices separate from the main-frame (the CPU and memory) and were used to input, output, and store information or instructions. Today, peripherals perform the same functions though they may be housed in the same cabinet as the CPU and memory. Historically, peripherals included all input and output devices not part of the mainframe. Input devices include keyboards, magnetic tape, and card readers. Tapes and disks are input as well as output devices. Output devices are printers, CRTs (Cathode Ray Tubes), and any mass storage device capable of storing data when directed to do so by the computer or the program. In fact, any mass storage device that can give the computer data when requested is an input device. Mass storage devices include floppy disks (thin, round sheets of plastic covered by metal particles), and hard disks. The latter are thicker and more densely coated with metal particles. This allows much more information to be stored. Another type of mass storage is magnetic tape. Its type and size varies widely. Processing and Storage Any computer understanding must include how instructions and data are processed and stored. Information is stored as a positive or a negative field known as a "bit." There are eight bits in a byte. The bits can be represented as either a one or a zero. Thus the code for a byte representing the numeral one is 00110001. The byte representing the letter A is 01000001. These codes are from the American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII). ASCII defines the standard set of characters including alpha, numeric, and special characters. The computer's memory has allocated locations where instructions as well as incoming information can be stored. All information and instructions are stored as binary numbers bit by bit - zeros and ones. The amount of data that can be stored is referred to as either thousands or millions of bits or bytes. The letter "K" is used to designate one thousand units. The letter "M" is used to mean one millon units (one meg). Disks Thus, a 113-mm (5 1/4-in.) floppy disk - double sided and double density (DSDD) - contains 320,000 bytes (characters) or 320K. This is about 164 double-spaced, type-

Jan 2, 1984

By C. E. T. White

Although trace amounts of Indium are found in many ores, commercial production of the metal has come almost exclusively from residues, flue dusts and slags generated by Zinc recovery operations. Our paper attempts to summarize the various approaches used to recover Indium from these by-products. Some comments on production and price trends are included as well as our views on future availability.

Jan 1, 1982