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By Richard W. Amerman

The final cost and quality of a project employing equipment, labor, and materials is dependent upon the expediency and extent to which each of these parameters are used. An ideal solution then, would be one in which three solvable equations were given for each particular situation. The equipment, labor, and materials could then be solved for, and the perfect job would result. In reality, however, the ideal and most economical solution is seldom attainable by solving three given equations. Therefore, knowledge, experience, and sometimes guesswork must be relied upon when correlating equipment, labor, and materials. Drilling and blasting, in particular, is one operation which normally involves more uncertainty than other operations. It is also an operation in which the outcome is extremely critical for two reasons. First, the cost of the operation that follows drilling and blasting is dependent upon how well the material is fragmented. Second, once the drilling and blasting has taken place, it is impossible to return to the area, without considerable expense, and correct any mistakes that might have been made. Therefore, what is desired is a method by which drilling and blasting operations can be performed yielding optimum results at the lowest cost; this can best be accomplished by having the relationships between equipment, labor, and materials prior to their use. For obtaining best results, the selection of these three relationships must be based on knowledge, experience, and as little guesswork and uncertainty as possible.

Jan 1, 1969

By Trevor R. Ellis

Minerals appraisers/valuers often find great difficulty in attempting to employ the sales comparison approach to the market value appraisal of development and operating stage mineral properties. An important factor generally overlooked is a comparison of net operating income (NOI) margins on a per-unit-of-production basis between mineral properties, whether these be demonstrated or forecast margins. NOI margins can vary greatly between mines or quarries that are producing similar products. Ultimately, the expected NOI margin determines what a buyer is willing to pay for an income-producing property. Here, common criticisms of the sales comparison approach by mineral appraisers are introduced. These are counterbalanced by raising some issues in the way the inputs for the income approach are usually derived by minerals appraisers and by review of some conspicuous examples of the much-too-common misuse or abuse of the income approach in market value mineral appraisals. Example transaction analyses and sales comparison analyses are used to demonstrate the author?s methodology for adjusting units of resource in his transaction adjustment tables. The examples are used as the basis for a discussion of ways to employ adjustments for operating economics and many other factors, while warning against the potential for double counting. The conclusions include a recommendation that minerals appraisers attempt to apply at least two of the three valuation approaches when appraising the market or fair value of development and operating stage mineral properties, the two being the sales comparison and income approaches.

Jan 1, 2011

By Richard H. Lindgren

I appreciate this opportunity to discuss with you OPIC's new policies designed to assist U.S. minerals companies in developing new sources of minerals overseas. A comparison of recent figures on U.S. investment in mineral exploration, development and production gives results which are remarkable --and disturbing. Through the 1960's the flow of U.S. foreign direct investment in mining and smelting in the developed and less developed countries were nearly equal. However, by 1973, roughly 80% of all exploration expenditures by mining companies was taking place in the developed countries and principally in the U.S., Canada and Australia. Clearly it is to the interests of both the developing countries and the United States to put these figures back in better balance. As you may be aware, the administration as a whole is examining systematically what can be done by government to reduce the disincentives and increase the incentives to mineral investment in the less developed countries --the LDCs. A subgroup of the National Advisory Council chaired by the Treasury Department has been formed to coordinate U. S. Government policy and program efforts relating to mineral and energy development in these countries. Among other matters, this subgroup will examine how public policies could positively influence the private investment decision-making process in the minerals industry.

Jan 1, 1978

By John Sasadi

The mining industry depends upon inexpensive water transportation. Today, large quantities of mined products are transported by ships over oceans, from continents to continents, over lakes and waterways to the ultimate users. Sometimes, the routes these Bulk Carriers travel cover only a few hundred miles, sometimes thousands of miles halfway around the world. Most of the products of the mining industries are relatively inexpensive. A significant portion of their cost to the ultimate users are in the cost of transportation and not in loading and unloading these commodities at the ports of origination or destination. So far, the industry has produced very efficient loading and un- loading installations, but has very little influence over marine transportation or the design of the vessels themselves. Very little was ever published dealing with integrated transportation systems properly correlating all phases of the operation; namely, loading, marine transportation and unloading bulk materials.

Jan 1, 1967

By Alexander N. Winchell

"Location. The copper mines of Michigan are all in the northern part of that state on the Keweenaw Peninsula, which extends from the (Michigan) mainland for about seventy miles northeasterly toward the middle of Lake Superior. The mines occur in a belt or zone occupying the central portion of the peninsula from end to end.. The most productive mines for many years past have been those located not far from the city of Houghton in' the central part of the zone, in a section extending about ten miles southwest of Houghton and fifteen miles northeast. The most important mines in order of location, from the northeast to south¬west, are the following: Mohawk, Ahmeek, Allouez, North Kearsarge, Wolverine, South Kearsarge, Centennial, Calumet. and Hecla, Osceola, Franklin, Quincy, Hancock, Isle Royale, Superior, Baltic, Trimountain, and Champion. The first three named are in Keweenaw county and all of the others are in Houghton county. Still farther to the southwest are the Lake, Mass, Adventure, Michigan, Victoria, and White Pine mines. These are in Ontonagon county.History. The exploitation of these copper mines extends back into prehistoric times. There is little evidence that the American Indians carried on mining operations in this region in the period shortly before the advent of white men, but there is abundant evidence that the ancestors of the Indians, •or some earlier inhabitants of the region, carried on primitive mining operations. For example, Mr. S. O. Knapp, Agent of the Minne¬sota Mining Company, in the winter of 1847-48, made the first discovery of prehistoric mining. This event is described as follows by Foster and Whitney :"

Jan 1, 1920

By V. P. Petrov

There is a great number of asbestos deposits in the USSR. Some of them are quite large ones. The main deposits of chrysotile asbestos can be seen in the sketch map (fig. 1). Bazhenovo deposit situated in Sverdlovsk region is the largest of them. It is on mining operations since year 1889. Systematical studies of asbestos deposits were begun from the first years of Soviet Government and connected with the names of K.E. Tarasov, P. M. Tatarinov, B. J. Merenkov, N.D. Sobolev, F. V. Syromjatnikov, V. N. Lodochnikov, V.P. Petrov, V.P. Eremeev, L.A. Sokolova, V. R. Artemov, V.F. Dybkov and many others. This investigations served the USSR to be one of the most important producers of asbestos in the world. In the limits of the report a characteristic of the main asbestos deposits of the USSR may be done in general outline, from the point of view of their genesis, and in order to show their common features and differences that must be taken into account for forecasting, exploration, and mining of asbestos. All chrysotile asbestos deposits of the USSR were formed of magnesium rock as a result of comparatively lower-grade temperature hydrothermal alteration and free crystallization of fibrous chrysotile in open cavities that served as catalyst As a matter of fact an important mineral for industry is not chrysotile in general, a widely distributed rock-forming mineral, but a long fibrous and mainly vein variety of chrysotile. It must serve for geologists as an important prospecting criteria. A geologist should search for the mineral not only places of possible chrysotile generations, but places where asbestos may be crystallized in its long fibers that could be fiberized well. The Soviet geologists distinguish two groups of chrysotile-asbestos deposits: (1) related to ultrabasic rocks and (2) related to sedimentary dolomite terranes, taking into account what the maternal rock was affected by hydrothermal solutions. The largest deposits related to ultrabasite. The largest deposits in dolomite are small ones but their asbestos contains almost no iron. So much asbestos is a better filler into insulating plastics. There is a few types of asbestos deposits in the limits of the ultrabasic group. The largest of them is a Bazhenovo type which the deposits of Urals are attributed, and Bazhenovo deposits is the first instance. The Bazhenovo type is characterized by the most complete zonality in disposition of various kinds of asbestization. This type of deposits is practically the only one to be in working now in the USSR.

Jan 1, 1978

By J. F. Childs

"INTRODUCTION Comprehensive overviews of the world-class talc deposits and related prospects in Montana were published by Olson (1976) and by Berg (1979). Both of these compilations include detailed descriptions and maps of the talc deposits and occurrences and were followed by a regional map and summary descriptions of the talc deposits published by Van Gosen et al. (1998). More recent publications, descriptions and field guides for some of the deposits include Underwood et al. (2014), Cerino et al. (2007), and Cerino (2002). The present paper focuses on some of the more recent ideas regarding talc formation that have developed since the publication of the earlier overviews. Olson (1976) reported that talc production from the deposits in southwestern Montana was over 200,000 tons in 1974 and that talc production had doubled between 1969 and 1974. The last year for which the U.S. Geological Survey published production records for talc by state was 1993. Production in Montana in 1993 was 350,000 tonnes (Virta, 1994). Remaining reserves are substantial at all three of the producing mines in the district. Minerals Technologies Inc., the parent company of Barretts Minerals Inc., stated in its 2014 annual report that it has reserves of 2,791,000 tons of talc. Imerys stated in its financial report for 2014 that it had 19,638,000 tons of proven and probable talc reserves at its North American mines. Although the Imerys reserves were not reported by individual mines or states, a large proportion of the total reserves would likely consist of the reserves at the Yellowstone mine, located south of Ennis, Montana. Talc mined in southwestern Montana is of high purity and is the quality used in a wide variety of applications including paints, ceramics, plastics, rubber, coatings, agriculture, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. GEOLOGIC SYNOPSES FOR MAJOR MINES AND COMMENTS ON REGIONAL DISTRIBUTION OF TALC OCCURRENCES The general geology of southwestern Montana is shown in Figure 1along with the locations of the three producing talc deposits in the area and the extent of pre-Belt marbles that host all of the talc mines and prospects. The term “pre-Belt” is used in the present paper because zircon and other radiometric data developed in recent years indicates that the metamorphic rocks that form the crystalline basement for the middle Proterozoic Belt basin in the Dillon Tectonic Block of southwestern Montana includes both Archean and Paleoproterozoic rocks (O’Neill et al., 1996; Foster et al., 2006; McDonald et al., 2012). An envelope or “corridor” has been superimposed on the geology in Figure 1 which encompasses all of the talc deposits that have a significant resource. This “talc corridor” will be discussed in later sections of this report. The more important talc deposits are discussed in this report section."

Jan 1, 2016

By A. C. Barlow

The use of deep wells for waste disposal is not a new technique. The production phase of the oil industry has been using this method to dispose of unwanted oil field brine since the 1930's The adoption of this method by other branches of industry, however, to dispose of manufactured wastes is a relatively new development, but one which is finding increased use (2). Deep well waste disposal is not an ordinary technique even though it is finding relatively wide application. In fact, just the opposite is true; it is still a rather extraordinary measure. It is not now, nor is it ever likely to be a disposal method which can be assured of success before it is tried.

Jan 1, 1964

By Dr. David R. Hargis

Finite-difference digital computer models can be used to evaluate the effects of proposed mine dewatering and depressuring operations on ground-water aquifer systems. The effects of proposed dewatering and depressuring operations can be simulated for both underground and open-pit mining in confined and unconfined aquifer systems. Design of dewatering and depressuring well arrays to accommodate proposed mining operations in a variety of hydrogeologic settings can be accomplished through judicious application of well-documented and tested computer programs that are widely available from government agencies and universities. The speed and flexibility of the computer models can provide an economical means for comparison of alternative mining plans, and can be used to determine the optimum mine plan with respect to dewatering requirements.

Jan 1, 1980

By Jon C. Yingling

Lean manufacturing, pioneered by Toyota, has been credited with the most significant improvements in production efficiency and product quality since the transformation from craft manufacturing to mass production in the early 20th century. It represents a comprehensive philosophy for structuring, operation, control, and management of production systems that is believed to have wide applicability. This paper outlines major lean manufacturing principles and discusses their potential for application in the mining industry.

Jan 1, 1999

By Clarence Hardy Long

In January of 1969 the United States Department of Health, Education and Welfare, through the National Air Pollution Control Administration, published a series of Air Quality Criteria (4'S) and Control Techniques (6,7) for air pollutants in compliance with the 1967 Clean Air Act which will affect the operation of all fuel burning equipment in the very near future. The design of equipment for the future which will use fossil fuels will also be affected. The purpose of this paper is to discuss some of the modifications which might be anticipated in the future for fuel burning equipment. One class of the several air pollutants looked at first by the USDHEW was the sulfur oxides. Other pollutants, such as nitrogen oxides, will be studied and controls for these will supposedly be written in due time. The obvious use of low-sulfur fuels, coal, oil and natural gas is suggested by the Control Technique(6). Conversion to other sources of power, such as nuclear energy and hydropower, is also suggested. The statement is made that since possible hydroelectric sources are limited and nuclear plants are not yet available on a large scale, the changeover to these sources of power will not be overnight. The bulletin (6) suggests that one possible solution in some areas may be the use of low sulfur coals for short periods of time during periods of severe air pollution. A curve showing the effect of this was given in the 1969 April issue of the Power magazine, where A. E. Boyer and F. B. Kaylor of Stone and Webster also described a computer program called DOSAGE which might be used to check weather, temperature, humidity, wind direction and velocity, and sound an alarm when that 0.1% of the time per season is here that requires the use of low-sulfur fuel. Inversion is eminent! Once this has passed operation on regular fuel may be resumed. This would mean a separate storage

Jan 1, 1970

By Atta Ur Rehman, Kwame Awuah‑Offei

This paper examines the effect of bucket geometry (cutting blade profile, floor profile, and blade thickness), speed, motor power output, and muckpile particle sizes on bucket penetration and draft for rubber tire loaders. The work uses a 1:16 scaled model of a load-haul-dump in full factorial experiments to examine the effect of the variables on penetration and maximum draft. The results show that speed and motor output are positively correlated to penetration and draft; muckpile particle size is positively correlated to penetration and negatively correlated to draft (p < 0.0014). The results show that buckets with a semi-spade cutting nose profile yield the highest penetration (mean 118.30 mm) followed by those with the spade (mean 108.88 mm), which also yield higher penetration than those straight blades (mean 95.19 mm). Bucket floor profile and blade thickness had no significant effect on penetration or draft. Also, we determined that increasing the speed and motor power output, simultaneously, can reduce bucket penetration. Thus, operators should not waste energy for no additional gain or even loss in bucket penetration. Also, the work finds speed and motor power output each combine with muckpile particle sizes to affect bucket penetration. This research furthers our understanding of the effectiveness of different bucket geometries in improving penetration and reducing draft for rubber tire loaders.

Oct 29, 2021

By David Humphreys

Assumptions about future commodity prices need to be made with close regard to the purposes for which they are being used. Prices generated for financial planning or trading purposes are unlikely to be suitable for the longer run purposes of project evaluation and reserve estimation. In this latter context, price assumptions need to be realistic, stable and rooted in a rigorous fundamental analysis of long run industry drivers. Amongst the factors to be considered in such analysis are price history, production costs and structural dynamics. It is also important that prices adopted are consistent with other information being used by a company in its decision-making.

Jan 1, 2003

By D. A. Dahlstrom

Crushing and grinding consumes about 1.3% of the nations produced electrical energy.( Furthermore, only one in the first ten highest consumers comes from an industry other than mineral processing. This is the grinding of wheat to make flour. The other nine are all in the metallurgical industry and are easily the largest consumers.

Jan 1, 1988

By Jeffery L. Kohler

A method of monitoring production, information, i.e., raw tonnage and machine state, from each working section has been developed. The method is based on the sensing of electrical parameters in each section load center, and the reporting of this information through the existing mine-wide monitoring system. A decision-theoretic type of pattern classification technique has been used to define the machine states. The basis of the method is presented in this paper, along with a proposed hardware and software implementation scheme. Information issues central to the development and use of the proposed production monitoring system are also discussed.

Jan 1, 1988

By James P. Odendahl

Missouri is a state rich in mineral commodities. There is a variety of types of mining as well as minerals in the state. Different phases of mining are controlled by a variety of state and federal laws. What I hope to do today is to present briefly some of the interaction and interplay that has occurred in the recent years between the mineral industry and the Missouri regulatory agencies, as well as some of the interactions by federal agencies. First a little history which dates back to the late 1600&apos;s. For many years Missouri has been a leader in the production of lead and zinc. In fact, recent studies have indicated that Missouri produces better than three-fourths of the nation&apos;s present lead supply. Less well known but important resource is iron mining. Some of these operations were the source of confrontation during the Civil War. Major battles were fought in and around Ironton, Missouri where iron mining has occurred for many years. One of the largest pelletizing operations in the state is currently located within the city of Ironton. Joplin, Missouri, the home of Thomas Hart Benton, the famous Missouri painter, has a history of lead and zinc mining, going back to the later 1800&apos;s. Many of the paintings by Benton contain reference to the early days of mining in Missouri. There is a Benton mural in the City Hall at Carthage depicting the early days of lead mining in that area. Later, the center of lead mining moved to southeast Missouri near Bonne Terre and Flat River. The names of the towns in this area reflect the history of mining, examples - Leadington, Old Mines, Rivermines, etc. The history of lead mining in Missouri has been referred to in some detail in various publications(l).

Jan 1, 1977

By C. Rodriguez, T. BoBo

Comminution, being the energy intensive part of a mining operation receives much scrutiny by cost controllers, CEO’s, investors and others as the mining industry goes “back to basics” to reverse the decline in productivity which occurred during the mining super cycle. Blasting is the first and lowest cost per ton stage in the comminution value chain. The basic principle that effective blast design can optimize fragmentation from the Run of Mine (ROM) ore muck pile to improve productivity through digging, loading and crushing to grinding and increase mine site profits has been well documented. Benefits of controlling fragmentation in the blast include reduced wear on equipment, faster loading, increased truck loads while detecting oversize rocks at the muck pile can reduce the frequency of a blocked primary crusher. A second basic principle is a measure of particle size distribution (PSD) at each unit operation in the comminution cycle allows engineers to manage blast design to produce fragmentation in the ROM ore most suitable to optimize downstream unit processes to improve mine site productivity and profits. Split-Online® systems have measured PSD of rocks on conveyors from the primary crusher to the SAG mill for over 20 years. Split-Engineering partnered with various mining companies to develop Split-ShovelCam® to automatically measure fragmentation from shovels and excavators working the ROM muck pile. This paper takes the reader “Back to Basics” by discussing the use of real time fragmentation analysis at the muck pile as an important parameter to optimize energy factors required for each blast. Case studies are given. INTRODUCTION The basics of mining are: • Explore for and find economic resources of valuable minerals • Mine rocks containing valuable minerals using blasting • Crush and grind rocks to liberate valuable minerals (comminution) • Recover valuable minerals for sale Comminution is an energy intensive process which accounts for a major proportion of mine site costs. Effective blasting can improve comminution and deliver significant reductions to mine site unit costs, (CEEC, 2016). Engineers, scientists, builders and even philosophers have long promoted the phrase “measure to manage”; the premise being “you can’t improve what you don’t measure”. Blast Engineers measure fragmentation in ROM ore for feedback to manage energy input in the design of blast patterns to optimize the ROM product size for downstream operations, whether they be for ROM Leach or feed into the primary crusher.

Jan 1, 2019

By R. E. Pennington

My subject this morning is coal liquefaction technology. Actually, coal liquefaction involves a number of technologies in a very complex system. The first slide shows the major components of such a system with arrows to indicate appropriate flows. The components are the facilities for coal feed preparation and handling; the coal hydrogenation or base liquefaction section; facilities for product separation and recovery, and in addition, facilities for the production of hydrogen from coal-based sources. A very rough break- out of the investments involved in these areas is given at the bottom of the slide. Investment is spread about equally among the three areas of operations Another way of looking at it is that the investments in what might be called support facilities are of the same magnitude as the base investment in the hydrogen facilities. Therefore, it is appropriate in a discussion of coal liquefaction technology to treat it as a system composed of a number of technologies. The next slide lists the various functions in the feed preparation section along with an indication of technology status. Storage, crushing, grinding, drying of coal all have been in commercial practice for a number of years. The slurrying and pumping of coal at least in water slurries, is practiced commercially also. The heating of coal slurries in oil to high temperatures under pressure is not in commercial practice and development and testing is going on by a number of people in this area. Some rather complex phenomena occur when coal oil slurries are heated to high temperatures.

Jan 1, 1975

By James G. Mock

The choice of equipment to be applied to a given installation by the Application Engineer begins with the data as presented to him by the user. This point in the relationship establishes a communication link, which will decide whether or not the correct piece of Overhead Equipment is applied at the most economic advantage to the user. The role played by the user cannot be minimized. No one knows better than he, just what work he expects to accomplish with this piece of machinery. However, all too often, he oversimplifies the requirements, and along with minimal crane and building parameters, merely refers to one of the following crane classifications as defined by The Crane Manufacturing Association of America, as shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7. This approach places the ultimate user in an unfair position, since he has then assumed the status of the machinery designer and must, therefore, assume the responsibility of the success or failure of the operation of that piece of machinery. If the user selects a Class "C" crane for his job requirement, when actually a Class "B" crane can adequately handle the work load, he is not offering the most economic solution to his company and added little to the cranes service capabilities.

Jan 1, 1973

On Feb. 16, 2012, the Polish coal mining company Lubelski Wegiel Bogdanka S.A. set the world record for daily production from a plow-equipped longwall, with an output of 24.4 kt (26,900 st) of coal from a single face. The company commissioned the first Cat longwall system at its Bogdanka Mine, near Lublin in eastern Poland, in March 2010 and within six months had raised the bar to nearly 17 kt/d (18,700 stpd) of cut coal. Since then, Bogdanka has continued to increase its daily output with a plow face that began mining in the new 7/VII/385 panel last October, taking the world record to new levels. In addition to the record output achievement, the plow face advanced more than 27 m (89 ft) at a 1.63-m- (5.3-ft-) cutting height. ?We thought this achievement would be impossible for any shearer in seam heights as low as this,? said Zbigniew Stopa, vice president of Bogdanka.

Jan 1, 2012