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By P. Mühlen, C. Nelson

Process control optimisation depends a lot on the availability of timely data from production to give operators a chance to make adjustments before potential process upsets or disruptions happen. A lot of data is already available with newer and updated machine technologies, but what about the process upsets coming from the raw materials that we use? They are natural products and therefore they are not of a stable composition or mineralogy. The production process depends on a certain chemical or mineralogical stability of the raw materials when they come to a roaster, kiln or sintering stage. Only then can the proposed reactions take place and the equipment be operated at stable temperatures. Laboratory analytical technologies have the limitation that they depend on representative samples and have a long time delay. Therefore online (real time) analysers are used nowadays in mining applications to obtain an early indication of the actual mined or to-be-processed ore. Most available technologies can only analyse inorganic content on an oxide or elemental level. Near infrared (NIR)- based online analysers can overcome that limitation and give a real time analysis of organic as well as inorganic composition, if required on a mineral level. The paper will present two case studies where the NIR online technology was successfully adapted.: a) Optimising refractory gold ore processing at the Goldstrike roaster operation b) Optimising the sinter process at a Japanese manufacturer. Keywords: Analyser, NIR, online, realtime, gold, roaster, iron ore, sinter, mineral phase analysis

Jan 1, 2020

Many of the deeper ore reserves in current gold operations as well as new gold deposits consist of refractory ore types. As process development for these mineralizations remains time-consuming and costly, minimization of exploratory testwork and the early identification of feasible process routes is critical. Since most of the processing parameters are related to the mineralogy of the ore (Marsden & House, 1992), thorough mineralogical analyses during exploration and development phases have become a technical and economical requirement. The determination of mineralogy-related processing parameters and especially the gold mineralogy is even more important for these ore types because refractory gold ores consist of many transitions from partially leachable to totally refractory. In addition to sulfide and gangue encapsulation, various other refractory conditions may exist. Together with accessory mineralogical detriments (e.g., alteration/ slimes, reagent consumers, scale formation, mineral preg robbing) they may complicate process selection and hamper optimal plant operation.

Jan 1, 1993

By Bien Ferrer

In most smelting operations, there is a strong incentive to improve safety, reduce downtime and extend the campaigns of furnaces and related equipment. An asset management strategy that is based on information, rather than simple throughput metrics and intuition, can be developed to improve uptime and unlock value currently unrealized at existing smelters. Advances in digital technology, including data analysis, modelling and monitoring for hot pyro-metallurgical vessels, make it possible to assess the current condition of an asset, as well as to make more informed projections about its future condition, using on-line and historical data. This would allow practices around asset management to be more proactive and less reactive, with the end-result of optimized uptime. ‘Digital Asset Management’ describes a concept in which digital technology is used to support an asset management strategy and accelerate decision-making by providing information on what, why and how an asset should be designed, operated or maintained. With the overall goals of effective resource utilization, optimized operations, capital efficiency and social acceptance, Smelter 4.0 is a program of holistic improvement and is underpinned by the effective use of data to drive decisions. This paper focuses on Asset Reliability, which is one of the improvement pillars of Smelter 4.0, and introduces a methodology that is aimed at closing the gap between recorded data and evidence-based decision-making through Digital Asset Management.

By D. Spitty

Mining companies often have many disparate systems and repositories of data in their organization for planning and scheduling outbound mining supply chains. To optimize ore quality, throughput, transport logistics scheduling and delivery to contract, planning teams need to model and manage the value chain accurately and achieve a consolidated, enterprise view of operational performance. Planning teams coordinate a complex series of activities to ensure production forecast accuracy. They also negotiate and execute complex contracts often with disconnected and limited visibility of production forecasts, quality, and variability with little ability to accurately market potential product specifications over longer time horizons. This market is becoming increasingly dynamic, with increasing variability and the time for planning teams to react is decreasing. This is driving the need towards using science to generate the necessary scenarios required to support the decisions made by planners on a frequent basis. Resource-to-Market is a highly flexible, user-configurable supply chain management system for the mining and metal processing industries. This provides an integrated view of the supply chain that supports the dynamic nature of planning in a mining company, embraces variability of elements across the supply chain with the ability to optimize across all the functional areas of the operation to enable optimal decision making for often competing objectives such as throughput, quality, cost, revenue and profit.

Feb 23, 2014

By A. S. Macfarlane

This paper describes how knowledge of the orebody morphology and ore morphology can be used to optimize the planning, mining, and metallurgical output from an open pit copper mining operation, such as to significantly increase the stability of the whole value chain process, and increase the reliability and value of the process outputs. In the case under consideration, the orebody contains both copper and cobalt. This in itself provides a challenge, in that the two metals do not occur in consistent ratios across the orebody as a whole. Furthermore, mineralogical differences within the orebody have a significant impact on plant performance in terms of throughput rates, acid consumption, and recoveries. In order to stabilize and optimize the plant performance, it is necessary to firstly have a complete understanding of the geometallurgical factors that affect performance, and then to have a sound knowledge of how these are distributed within the orebody. These models then inform the mine planning strategy that optimizes cash flow and NPV, and also allow the development of a stockpiling strategy that not only stabilizes the plant, but also allows variations in the plant feed according to ore type and grade in volatile price scenarios. Integral to the realization of these opportunities is the establishment of an appropriate measuring, control, and reconciliation system, customized to the optimization objectives. The paper describes how all of these factors and strategies can be integrated to produce optimal value from the orebody through to final dispatched product. It also shows the significant value that can be released through such an approach.

Jan 1, 2014

By Nilabjendu Ghosh, Satyendra Kumar Singh, Gautam Banerjee, Harshit Agrawal

High-production methods like longwall mining with hydraulic powered supports are necessary to increase underground coal production in India. Longwall mining had a mixed success record for Indian geo-mining conditions. In this paper, an analysis is presented to optimally design an array of chain pillars in multi-seam longwall mining panels in the deepest coal mine in India. The study found that a chain pillar of 80-m width and 195-m length is necessary for long-term stability without any reinforcement. It was also observed that an optimum chain pillar can be designed by providing suitable side reinforcement (side bolting) which will reduce the chain pillar dimensions to 55-m width and 160-m length. Optimum design of chain pillars will reduce the coal locked up in these chain pillars by ~ 77%. This will also reduce the gestation period of longwall mining panel development. This paper also evaluates the maximum tensile subsidence strain induced at the surface and finds that the values are within the safe working limit of 3 mm/m. Thus, this paper finds direct application in the design of future multi-seam retreating longwall mining panels in Indian geo-mining conditions.

By Nilabjendu Ghosh, Satyendra Kumar Singh, Gautam Banerjee, Harshit Agrawal

High-production methods like longwall mining with hydraulic powered supports are necessary to increase underground coal production in India. Longwall mining had a mixed success record for Indian geo-mining conditions. In this paper, an analysis is presented to optimally design an array of chain pillars in multi-seam longwall mining panels in the deepest coal mine in India. The study found that a chain pillar of 80-m width and 195-m length is necessary for long-term stability without any reinforcement. It was also observed that an optimum chain pillar can be designed by providing suitable side reinforcement (side bolting) which will reduce the chain pillar dimensions to 55-m width and 160-m length. Optimum design of chain pillars will reduce the coal locked up in these chain pillars by ~ 77%. This will also reduce the gestation period of longwall mining panel development. This paper also evaluates the maximum tensile subsidence strain induced at the surface and finds that the values are within the safe working limit of 3 mm/m. Thus, this paper finds direct application in the design of future multi-seam retreating longwall mining panels in Indian geo-mining conditions.

By Ross Glanville

INTRODUCTION The Optimum Production Rate (OPR) is one of the most important parameters in the evaluation of a mineral deposit. The OPR can also be expressed as the Optimum Mine Life (OML) in years since the expected mine life is determined by dividing the OPR per year into the estimated ore reserves. Unfortunately, very little time and effort has been directed towards the determination of the OPR. Instead, "rules of thumb" are often applied to select a mine life without due consideration of the economic implications of such a selection. A "justification" for a particular production rate is often based on a pre-conceived arbitrary requirement for a mine life of 5, 10, or 15 years, for example. In this paper it is demonstrated that such arbitrary selections for high-grade/low-tonnage mines (such as many underground gold/silver deposits) often lead to sub-optimal results. In fact, an apparently uneconomic deposit at an arbitrary production rate may be economic at the OPR. Consequently, investment opportunities may be overlooked if one analyzes mine properties based on arbitrary production rates. This paper analyzes the interrelationships of variables such as production rates, capital and operating costs, cut-off grades, discount rates, metal prices, etc. The analysis shows that the OML for high-grade/low-tonnage deposits is often in the range of two to four years. Although such mine lives intuitively appear too short to many individuals, it should be noted that, in the past, much of the mining industry became familiar with the economics of large scale mining operations. The rules of thumb developed for such large scale operations should not be applied to high-grade/low-tonnage mines such as many of the underground gold deposits. DEFINITION OF OPTIMUM PRODUCTION RATE The OPR is selected on the basis of maximizing the net present value of the after-tax cash flows. However, as discussed later in this paper, the production rate selected for a particular mine may be somewhat higher or lower than the theoretical OPR as a result of other variables such as: 1) the probability or expectation of additional reserves being discovered 2) the likelihood of being able to custom mill nearby deposits owned by others 3) the configuration or attitude of the orebody, which may place upper limits on the production rate 4) the residual, or salvage values, of the mine/mill facilities COMPARISON BETWEEN DIFFERENT PRODUCTION RATES For an orebody with definite physical cutoffs*, or boundaries (such as faults or unconformities), the total ore reserves at different production rates may be identical. Consequently, for such an orebody, varying production rates result in differing mine lives. Although the metallurgical recoveries, the mine dilution, and other similar physical parameters may vary slightly at different production rates, the major differences are the capital costs and operating costs per ton. The ramifications of these differences are especially important at low production rates (up to approximately 1000 tons per day), but can also be significant at higher production rates.

Jan 1, 1985

By Fengyu Ren, Ruslan Puscasu, Kunpeng Yu, Gideon Chitombo, Liangliang Kang

Weak rock mass and poor flow of material can cause excessive ore loss and dilution in sublevel caving. This paper proposes a method to establish design parameters for an inclined deposit within a weak rock mass and evaluates its effectiveness through a case study. In order to solve the problem of low production capacity and poor safety conditions of sublevel caving mining at the Yingfangzi silver mine in China and to ensure a smooth production from the refractory ore body, it is necessary to select appropriate stope structure parameters. Based on random medium theory of gravity flow and the improved equation of ore discharge in random medium, an end wall drawing experiment is carried out to determine the optimum design and flow parameters. It was observed from the experiment that, due to the influence of the randomness of particle movement, there is a mismatch in the flow parameter measurement. The flow characteristics and distribution of the marker particles are different from that of the tested particles resulting in large drawbody shape distortion. The study finds that the flow parameters obtained by the new method are more practical and account for drawpoint width and recommends that the new method for determining the sublevel stope height is used when the drawbody is a non-standard ellipsoid. The outcomes have shown a significant reduction in the dilution and improvement in the recovery rates, and the safety and efficiency of mining have been greatly improved.

By Hervé Toubon, Matthieu Davrinche, Jim Corman, Mamane Bello Boubacar Kinassa, Pierre Amadieu

Orano Mining maintains a significant level of Innovation and Development Research for its sites in Canada, Niger, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and France. This effort is formalized within the six major thematic programs below, which include more than one hundred affiliated R&D projects:  Geological understanding, tools and methods for exploration  ISR technology (geology, modeling, mining development tools)  Mining technology (SABRE)  Ore treatment and processing (in particular via our Centre for Innovation for extractive metallurgy, CIME)  Environment (radiochemistry, modeling, tools and methods for remediation)  Digital Mine (sensors, transmission, database, and data modeling) This paper describes the main actions of these six programs, their stakes, and their progress. There is no single path leading to innovation but fostering an innovative context and a structured project approach are essential ingredients to successful development and industrial deployment. As a result, Orano Mining has, over the years, developed a disciplined methodology for R&D portfolio and project management. This methodology, presented here, targets a reduction in time to implementation while valuing both the expertise and the work in project mode.

Jan 1, 2020

The impact of smoothing on the definition of ore and waste boundaries using linear estimation and conditional simulation methods is discussed. The nature of transfer functions is examined including their ability to incorporate categorical data (e.g. a dominant lithology code). An Ore Block Optimization (OBO) transfer function is presented that provides a clear guide for the mining geologist. Advantages are seen in defining stockpile cut-off grades and meeting production targets such as maximizing head grade, maximizing ore tonnes or minimizing ore loss or dilution. Each of these scenarios impacts on mine profitability and grade control.

Jan 1, 1999

By T. R. Wright

THE Corporation operates concentrators in four camps: Casapalca. Morococha, Cerro de Pa-co, and Mahr. The present concentrator at Cerro de Pasco is the newest having been completed in 1943. and that at Casapalca the oldest, having been built originally as a gravity concentrator, in 1889. Prior to 1925 the Corporation's milling operations were confined to the beneficiation of silver-bearing copper ores, and treatment of these ore: by flotation was started in 1918. Although fairly large deposits of complex, fine-grained lead-zinc ores existed, little progress had been made in the treatment of such ores--in Peru or elsewhere-until the early 'twentics. The Casapalca concentrator began the selettive concentration of complex leadzinc ores by all-flotation methods in 1925, or contemporaneously with the commercial development of selective lead-zinc flotation in the United State:.

Jan 1, 1945

By E. H. Rose

IN a year of sober reflection and stocktaking after the mineral-squandering spree of World War II, the role that beneficiation of low-grade must henceforth play in American mineral industry has become unmistakable. From the volume of research and development progress in mineral engineering during 1946, mineral dressers evidently have ample resoluteness to meet the challenge. Perhaps ,the most conspicuous trend of the year was the renascence of interest in gravity concentrating methods and more serious effort than ever before to make them effective in finer size ranges down to 200 mesh. This has been forced by the problem in iron ores where the low value of the product will not support a high flotation reagent cost, however good flotation pilot plant results may have been and however well the acute problem of variable feed may be met. The race is on between rabbit flotation and tortoise gravity methods and a surprising amount of betting money is being laid on the tortoise which already is showing previously unsuspected talent for speed. Mostly, however, a wait-and-see attitude prevails during the present preliminary heats. As evidence of the latter, two magnetic plants are now on the boards for magnetic taconites on the eastern Mesabi to establish a reprieve against the time when nonmagnetic taconites must be addressed. Incidentally, these operations will force the blast-furnace issue on preparation of fine material since a minus-100-mesh grind is contemplated.

Jan 1, 1947

By R. W. Diamond

THREE mills are now operated by the Consolidated Mining & Smelting Co. of Canada, Ltd. : (1) The Sullivan Concentrator, Chapman Camp, B. C. (near Kimberley, B. C.), (2) the St. Eugene Concentrator, Moyie, B. C., and (3) the Tadanac (Customs) Concentrator, Trail, B. C. Differential flotation is the only concentration method employed in all three I plants. Tables are used for pilot work only. Values in all ores treated are as minerals of some or all of the metals -lead, zinc, gold or silver. Occasional customs ores contain small amounts of copper. Sulfide iron content of ores treated varies from a [ ] low figure in some ores to 38 per cent. iron in Sullivan ore. Gangue minerals vary considerably. A few customs ores are somewhat oxidized and as a result present difficulties. Flotation equipment and control are similar in the three mills, and the flow sheets at the St. Eugene and Tadanac mills, while much simpler, are modeled after that of the Sullivan Concentrator. In this paper I will not detail treatment nor equipment in any of our plants but will describe special features in, or in connection with, all of them. I will then deal with flotation reagents, describing our use of each of them, particularly where differing from general practice. I will conclude with comments on special subjects related to differential flotation.

Jan 1, 1928

By R. W. Diamond

THREE mills are now operated by the Consolidated Mining & Smelting Co. of Canada, Ltd.: (1) The Sullivan Concentrator, Chapman Camp, B. C. (near Kimberley, B. C.), (2) the, St. Eugene Concentrator, Moyie, B. C., and (3) the. Tadanac (Customs) Concentrator,Trail, B. C. Differential flotation is the only concentration method employed in all three plants. Tables are used for pilot work only. Values in all ores treated are as minerals of some or all of the metals -lead, zinc, gold or silver. Occasional customs ores contain small amounts of copper. Sulfide iron content of ores treated varies from a FIG. 1.-THE SULLIVAN CONCENTRATOR, CHAPMAN CAMP, B. C. (NEAR KIMBERLEY, B. C.). low figure in some ores to 38 per cent. iron in Sullivan ore. Gangue minerals vary considerably. A few customs ores are somewhat oxidized and as a result present difficulties. Flotation equipment and control are similar in the three mills, and the flow sheets at the St. Eugene and Tadanac mills, while much simpler, are modeled after that of the Sullivan Concentrator. In this paper I will not detail treatment nor equipment in any of our plants but will describe special features in, or in connection with, all of them. I will then deal with flotation reagents, describing our use of each of them, particularly where differing from general practice. I will conclude with comments on special subjects related to differential-flotation.

Jan 1, 1927

By D. J. Shalanski

In 1962 a computerized data processing system was first installed and programmed for the grading of direct-shipping iron ore from the Sept-Iles terminal of the Iron Ore Company of Canada. Over the years several changes and improvements have been incorporated into this system. It is the purpose of this paper to describe its present operation and features. Sept-Iles is located on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River, 500 miles north east of Montreal. The direct-shipping ore is received by railroad from Schefferville, 320 miles to the north in the Knob Lake Iron Range of New Quebec and Labrador. The shipping season extends from mid-March to December. The maximum tonnage handled in this period being 13,045,000 long tons in 1959. Crude ore receipts for 1974 amounted to 6,568,000 tons of direct-shipping and 4,700,000 tons of plant feed material from Schefferville. This was augmented by 4,447,000 tons of concentrate and 7,572,000 tons of pellets from Labrador City 200 miles north of Sept-Iles. The direct-shipping ore has come from as many as ten mines, and grade variations, even-within the same mines, have been sufficient to require blending for uniform, acceptable cargos. Shipments of low phosphorous, non bessemer and manganiforous iron ore are made, to Canada, the United States, Europe and Japan with grade variations to meet customers requirements.

Jan 1, 1975

By J. Gordon Scott

The Iron Ore Company of Canada has now been operating a computer for the grading or blending of direct shipping ores for two years. This paper deals with the computer application pertaining to the grading of direct shipping ore. It consists of five sections. The first part deals briefly with a description of the operation of the Iron Ore Company of Canada; the second with the source and flow of the various data required to grade or blend ore; the third briefly outlines the computer programs used in this application; the fourth illustrates the mathematical approach used to properly blend ore. The final section briefly describes other technical computer programs.

Jan 1, 1964

By William H. Lane

After a number of years of engineering and operating assignments and through many types of evaluations, the need for a simple analytical method of evaluating mine haulage alternatives became obvious. Haulage, like 50 many other facets of mining, is generally a sequence of interconnected events that change, often drastically from mine to mine. Often the operator or the mine engineer has neither the time, manpower, facilities, or information needed to prepare a detailed evaluation. For many studies or for routine variance analysis, that detail may not be necessary. The intent of this article is to present an approach for analyzing mobile mine haulage that is simple and straight-forward. These methods are not designed to replace more formal and detailed procedures that have been developed previously and are available in our technical libraries. They are offered as a tool to be applied to preliminary designs, feasibility studies, and variance analyses where more complete detail is not warranted. These methods will eliminate combinations that are not economical or appropriate before more intensive and complete evaluations are undertaken. These methods may also be used to evaluate ongoing operations and to plan changes in those operations. This presentation describes a series of steps that have evolved for the handling of haulage evaluations. It concentrates on the factors having major impact on the results. Because the approach is a sequence of distinct steps, a case study was chosen as the best method of presentation. This case is a composite of several actual situations that have been encountered within the last few years.

Jan 1, 1978

By L. Tikasz

The primary purpose of ore hauling model studies is to capture the variability of the ore delivery ? stockpiling process in order to improve the estimation of equipment capacities and achievable throughputs. The operation of a mine-to-site ore delivery system is the subject of a number of challenges. Typically, ore is hauled by a given combination of trucks, conveyors and trains. In addition, ore loading, ore transferring to another means of delivery, stockpiling, reclaiming, and further deliveries involve many other types of equipment. The concurrent operation of all these units is scheduled; nevertheless, they are subject to planned maintenance and random breakdowns. To support our engineering design work on ore hauling operation, discrete event type models were built for each specific task. Then, due to recurring demands, an ore hauling library was gradually compiled. The now available model library allows fast and efficient simulation of various mine-to-site hauling arrangement, adaptable to various mining and mine construction operations (e.g. bauxite, iron ore, copper ore and coal).

Aug 1, 2013

"Conveyed coal flows have been diverted on the basis of real time ash analysis since the 1980s. Many coarse particle separation methods are available through screens, jigs, heavy media separation, particle sorters, to name a few, however bulk diversion requires a representative, continuous analysis to ensure diversion decisions can be made with confidence. Sensors also need to be able to provide measurements at useful time increments so that small tonnages can be diverted for maximum selectivity. Particle separation typically requires high capital costs and there are limitations either in throughput tonnage or particle size or both. Few techniques are able to provide robust and representative analysis of conveyed flows in a useful time basis. Prompt Gamma Neutron Activation Analysis provides multi-elemental analysis of conveyed bulk materials and has been proven in the minerals industry since 2003. This paper outlines the success of this technology in minerals applications in iron ore, phosphate rock and most recently in copper-gold ores, including its use in bulk diversion.INTRODUCTION Naturally occurring quality variability, or heterogeneity, in mineral deposits enables separation and recovery of the valuable components through mining and processing operations. There are distinct advantages in processing the minimum quantity of material to achieve the highest possible yield. Unfortunately, declining ore grades has resulted in larger scale operations and a subsequent loss in selectivity for mining operations. As limits are approached on the practical size of equipment, there is more motivation to investigate alternative solutions. Mining companies are subject to increasing social resistance to growing waste disposal requirements in addition to higher energy and transport costs. Major savings are available by reducing the quantities of material processed where pre-concentration can be effectively applied at early stages in the process. One of the simplest ways to pre-concentrate is to measure the bulk material and reject waste soon after mining so that minimal expense is incurred and that only higher quality material is sent to processing operations. This bulk sorting can occur within the mining operations and has major benefits through energy and other consumables savings. This paper discusses the application of real time analysis technologies suitable for bulk sorting within the minerals industry. Technology that has proven representative for conveyed material bulk analysis and its successful applications to date is explained. Analysis using a sensing technique is only one component of a successful bulk sorting process; the importance of effective diversion systems and a bulk sorting strategy are also discussed. The bulk sorting stage may be one component of a system that could include additional downstream technologies such as particle based sorting systems on a diverted stream."

Jan 1, 2018