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By H. M. Park

Risk is a major factor in all mining activities, arising from many internal and external variables. The authors? research has resulted in a systematic method for the quantification of risk in mining projects (Park, 2012). This research will be presented in a series of papers, this one and two more that will be published on Mining Engineering?s web site, www.me.smenet.com. This paper identifies the variables associated with risk in mining projects, and their effects. The second paper discusses methods of assessing the overall risk associated with those variables, and presents a statistical model based on a survey of 31 experts. The third paper presents an evaluation of the statistical model, using data from previous mining investment decisions in which the authors have been involved. There are several major competing entities, including BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, Anglo American, Xstrata, Freeport-McMoRan, Chinese government- run companies and Japanese trading companies, that have large foreign holdings, controlling deposits in most of the world?s established and productive mining districts. In general, the mining industry considers the United States, Canada, Australia and the European countries to have good mining investment environments, but because the major companies have already achieved market dominance in those countries, large investments are required there. Newcomers seeking to enter the industry, either as producing companies or as investing partners, often have difficulty breaking into these established markets. Thus newcomers are increasingly turning to new areas like South America and Africa, which are relatively less developed. The competition among businesses to secure a share of the new market is intense, but there are still good investment opportunities. However, because most of the countries in these areas are not well developed, several additional risks are associated with participation in mining projects in those areas.

Oct 1, 2013

Since its creation in 1910, the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Mines has pioneered in the development of mineral technology, through research. From the very beginning, research on mine health and safety has been a dominating concern, and a responsibility that expanded markedly as a result of the Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969. Until the mid-1970's research on fuel technology and coal production also was an important part of the Bureau's work. But in the four years following the 1973 oil crisis, Congress established a reorganized Federal energy research apparatus in which all fossil fuel research-encompassing extraction, use, and conservation-was centralized. Today, the Department of Energy houses Federal research on coal mine production technology, while research on coal and noncoal mine health and safety and environmental technology, and on noncoal mine production technology, remains in the Interior Department as a continuing responsibility of the Bureau of Mines. In carrying out its authorized research programs, the Bureau conducts both short- and long-term re-

Jan 1, 2012

By Staff

"In 2018, the total estimated value of nonfuel mineral production in the United States increased by 3 percent from 2017 to $82.2 billion. The estimated value of metals produced domestically decreased by 4 percent, and the estimated value of indusrial minerals produced domestically increased by 7 percent (Table 1).Some idle U.S. metal mines and processing facilities restarted in 2018, including two primary aluminum smelters in Indiana and Missouri, a rare-earths mine in California and a zinc mine in New York. In contrast, four iron ore mines in Minnesota and a pelletizing plant in Indiana were shut down. Increased oil and natural gas drilling activity in 2018 led to increased production of some industrial mineral commodities that are used for oil and gas drilling, including barite and industrial sand and gravel. Production of industrial minerals primarily used in infrastructure and residential construction — including, cement, construction sand and gravel, crushed stone and gypsum — increased in 2018. Overall, mining activity trended upward for the second consecutive year because of increases in oil and gas extraction and industrial mineral mining (Table 2).Mineral industry performanceDiscussion of mine production is commonly segmented according to the type of materials produced within the broad categories of metals and industrial minerals (also known as nonmetallic minerals). Industrial minerals can be further subdivided as natural aggregates and other industrial minerals. Metals tend to have higher unit values but very low production quantities compared with those of industrial minerals, such as crushed stone or construction sand and gravel, which have higher production quantities but are lower-valued materials. Therefore, for discussion and analysis of the performance of the nonfuel minerals industry, the value of production is used rather than the tonnage produced. Tonnages of natural aggregates are orders of magnitude larger than those for most other mineral commodities, thus making direct comparisons based on weight meaningless (Fig. 1)."

May 1, 2019

By J M TORLACH

Learning is an iterative process, and we might reasonably expect that after more than a century of mining during an era of sustained technological development, (following a millenium or two of unrelieved hard physical graft), that the more obvious physical hazards could by now be competently managed. It is perhaps a reflection on the perversity of human nature that we have not fully learned our lessons in this exacting environment, and that worse, we have still too often failed to profit by the experience of those lessons. The more obvious underlying factors which impact on this situation are examined briefly, as a prelude to consideration of some outstanding examples of recurrent problems experienced in recent years. Reasons for the continued existence of sub-standard practices are outlined, with a focus on the human element, and finally proposals for appropriate remedial strategies are summarised. This paper therefore seeks to examine and discuss some of our deficiences and to suggest some directions for the way ahead.

Jan 1, 1992

By R Farana

The future challenges in mining instrumentation, mainly on future intelligent mines, are to continue providing instruments with the highest level of reliability at the lowest possible cost, and also to take advantage of technology existing in other industries and to adapt it to the mining context. New wireless instruments (smart sensors, smart actuators, smart controllers) would also be very useful, as well as instruments fully adapted to the monitoring of large movements that are observed, in both underground and open pit mines. Mining instrumentation is found to various degrees in most mines, both open pit and underground. Smart mining instruments present a certain number of aspects specific to the environment in which the instruments are installed. Namely, the instruments can be installed either for short-term or long-term purposes. The mining industry is always looking for useful instruments that can provide relevant information on ground behaviour adjacent to mining stopes or permanent infrastructure. The instruments must meet the various criteria, and must also evolve with the new mining technologies that are continuously being implemented. A strong collaboration between the mining industry, research organisations, and instrument manufacturers is the key to meeting these objectives. This contribution describes the current trends on smart sensors and smart instrumentation with Wireless LAN support.

Jan 1, 2003

Software exhibitors at MINExpo will feature the newest, the best, the most comprehensive computer-based tools available to get minerals from the ground to the market. From the ?cloud? to the pit, the variety that will be featured is almost limitless ? a digital tool for every phase of the mining lifecycle. Blue Sky Network SkyRouter brings the Blue Sky Network to the cloud. Using its interactive Web portal, SkyRouter, with detailed mapping and integration with Google Earth, the Blue Sky Network links enterprises to personnel and assets anywhere on earth through Iridium satellites. The cloud-based solution is designed to support connectivity with remotely dispersed mobile assets, including Blue Sky?s dual-mode GSM and Iridium tracking and communications services. This enables seamless connectivity with assets in problematic cellular reception areas, where only 10 percent of the Earth is covered, and in remote locations.

Jan 1, 2012

By William Winsor, Harold L. Snyder

"AbstractShould oil and gas be proven in commercial quantities on the Labrador Shelf, current technology is not adequate for production operations in this severe environment, which includes yearly invasion of pack ice and icebergs. The fishery of this section of the North Atlantic is a vital resource to which a major oil spill or blow-out would impose an intolerable burden, This means that production systems must be designed and built to be fail-safe.The experiences of mining in Bell Island and Cape Breton have shown that it is possible to operate beneath the ocean floor, and this technology may hold the key for safe, reliable and economic production, This paper attempts to define particular problems and outline possible solutions.IntroductionOUR DISCUSSION is subject to the assumption that large hydrocarbon reservoirs will be discovered in the sedimentary basin of the Labrador continental margin. The petroleum industry has not attempted to operate in a harsher area. The Labrador coastline is exposed to North Atlantic storms and icebergs year’round, Arctic pack ice occurs up to six months of each year. However, there is no doubt that, if sufficient hydrocarbon potential is outlined, development will proceed."

Jan 1, 1977

As land resources decrease, commodity prices increase, and technology evolves, deep sea mining is becoming a viable alternative to meet the increasing demand for minerals. Successful deep sea mining operations are built on sound identification of the resource, proper selection of equipment, a thoughtful production plan, and good project management. These four key activities can be further optimized by analyzing how the spatial variability and uncertainty of the ore body properties impact the final mining operation. To address this problem, IHC Merwede is in the process of developing a risk quantification framework in the context of deep sea mining, which makes use of state of the art geostatistical simulation methods and transfer functions to quantify geological uncertainty and translate it into decision or project risk. The paper introduces the Local Average Subdivision method (LAS) for generating simulated models of the deposit and presents a new extension to incorporate point measurements of geotechnical or ore grade properties. Due to its computational efficiency, the presented method is suitable for simulating largely extended sea floor deposits. The second part of the paper illustrates, through example case studies, the significant benefits of a risk based approach which translates geological uncertainty into financial or operational performance indicators. In particular, the focus is on assessing financial project risk and on the design optimization of the deep sea excavation equipment by analyzing cutting forces, specific energies, and power requirements.

Aug 1, 2013

By D Carroll

Mining of the zinc, lead and silver deposit at the Broken Hill Southern Operations site has been occurring for over 100 years. As a result of this, a significant amount of high-grade ore is now taken from narrow remnant pillars left between old stopes and zones of previously mined ground. Stopes have been filled with either hydraulic fill (also known as ‘sandfill’), cemented hydraulic fill (cemented sandfill), waste rock backfill or a mixture of these fill types.In the last ten years, there has been considerable success mining through narrow pillars where sandfill is exposed in the development face and/or walls using a ‘shell’ support regime, wherein a layer of bolted mesh is sandwiched between two layers of sprayed fibrecrete (25 mm fibrecrete, then mesh and bolt, followed by a final 50 mm layer of fibrecrete). Shell support is also used in very poor, broken, relaxed ground conditions and in areas filled with cemented fill (sandfill with a minimum four per cent cement content).The next stage of innovation has been to develop a technique for mining through old stope voids filled with uncemented sandfill, known locally as ‘contours’ (old cut-and-fill working), an activity where unconsolidated sandfill can run at the face and from the backs. The challenge is to prevent exposed sandfill in the face and the backs from failing before it can be supported.To achieve this, the Southern Operations mine has implemented a technique in which 6 m long spiling bars are used to strengthen and stabilise the sandfill in front of the face. The hollow steel bars are driven in around the heading perimeter in a closely spaced pattern then pumped full of grout. The bars and the grout stabilise the sandfill in front of the face, preventing it from failing into the drive during excavation and prior to further support being installed.A final support system consisting of shotcrete, mesh, bolts and steel girders is installed as excavation progresses. Both the initial and final support systems are essentially passive support systems designed for a low-stress environment (as the stress originates mostly from the mass of unconsolidated sandfill).This process is slow and labour intensive. Fifteen separate cycles of people/machinery are needed to progress one equivalent heading cut (compared to six for a standard fibrecrete- and bolt pattern-supported rock face heading). This slow pace introduces scheduling challenges, but the process opens up parts of the orebody that were previously uneconomical to mine.CITATION:Carroll, D, 2014. Mining through sandfill using spiling bars, in Proceedings AusRock 2014: Third Australasian Ground Control in Mining Conference , pp 95–100 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Nov 5, 2014

As a result of cheap Maui gas and plentiful hydro-electricity, over the past few decades New Zealand has enjoyed some of the cheapest energy of any OECD country. The situation is changing; at best we are facing some radical changes in energy use, at worst we are facing a crisis resulting from the following:   Cause 1: Maui gas will be exhausted by 2012. Distorted pricing and supply contracts; resulted in Huntly Power Station, a coal mine mouth generator running on 70 per cent Maui gas until very recently!   Cause 2: Investment in new generating capacity (and transmission) is woefully inadequate; as a result hydro lake levels are being continually pushed to the limits.   Cause 3: Distorted thinking is everywhere, for example; æWe will find more cheap gasÆ. æGas is clean û coal is dirtyÆ. Hot air  û ægreen alternatives such as wind generation will save usÆ. æNo NuclearÆ. The outcomes of the distorted thinking will be price increases, then shortages (there is nothing like "black-outs" to focus national thinking) and finally recession.   But what can NZ do? - Mine Coal. Coal jump-started the industrial revolution, it can provide the transition to post-gas and oil. NZ has the second highest reserves of coal per capita in the world, yet we use less that any other country with significant coal reserves. Our exports of our best coal have increased threefold, yet out own consumption has remained static at about 1-1.5 Mtpa for the last 30 years. Our coal is NZ owned and inexpensive relative to other energy sources, even allowing for infrastructure and environmental costs.   What can we do? We as mining professionals can promote informed responsible development and investment in the country's mining and energy business. We can galvanise public opinion on issues such as æunbundlingÆ our entire energy chain from mine-to generator-through transmission, even if the nuclear issue has to wait! With oil above US$70/bbl substitution is feasible. For individuals, there is always solar!

Jan 1, 2006

By L. A. Puchkov

Problems of how to use artificial intelligence (AI) methods and expert systems (ES) to control complex industrial projects have lately become significant in practical terms. Mining ventilation systems undoubtedly belong to complex multi dimensional objects of control with stochastic nonstationary and nonlinear processes. Formal models based on automated ventilation control, do require awkward algorithmic solutions, moreover, a number of tasks become the operator's headache, and the quality of their solution depends on his experience and intuition. These tasks include: - identifying pre-accidental situations and determining their causes; - making well-grounded decisions with regard to changing ventilation regimes, forecast of mining operations taken account of; - controlling ventilation systems in emergency situations, e.g. when in accident, etc. It is in this context that we have for a number of years been investigating how to practically use AI methods for operative control in dynamic aero-and-gas mining processes, one of our research directions being devoted to working out a consulting programme for the ventilation system operator. Our researching and modeling problem was identification of aero-and-gas situation in different parts of ventilation network and its interpretation in order to determine possible causes for gas regime changing and unexpected consequences. We would single out the following stages in this task: I. Operative information procession coming to the data base from the sensors and analysis of hypothetical versions (using the associative rules base) with regard to factors which have caused significant parameter fluctuations (e.g. C%(t), H(t), Q(t) etc.)., 2. Selection of hypotheses in the knowledge base and forming conclusions in accordance with reliability scale. 3. Clarifying the obtained conclusions in dialogue with the operator. 4. Correcting the associative rules base.

Jan 1, 1992

By Josh Savit

Corporate responsibility already encompasses safety and compliance. No longer will companies be able to use differing standards of care to miners based on the country in which they are working. This is not only an issue of social license, but one of global risk management.

By Sydney H. Ball

I. INTRODUCTION. DURING the past 50 years the attention of mining-men has been turned to Africa, and within the past decade prospecting-expeditions sent into Central Africa have resulted in the opening-up of several mines. Having recently spent two years in the Belgian Congo for the Société Internationale Forestiere et Miniere du Congo, it is our purpose to outline briefly the mining-conditions in that part of Central Africa. Before it became, in 1908, a Belgian colony, this region was known as the Congo Free State. II. LOCATION AND AREA. The Belgian Congo lies in southwestern Central Africa, west of the continental divide, is illustrated in Fig. 1. It has a coastline of but 20 miles on the Atlantic, but widens rapidly eastward to points 5° north and 14° south of the equator. Its area is 908,000 sq. miles, which is almost one-quarter that of the United States and Alaska, or more than one and one-half times that of Alaska. Stated in other terms, its area is nearly one-third that of the United States, exclusive of Alaska and the insular possessions, or more than that of all the United States east of the Mississippi river. III. TOPOGRAPHY AND DRAINAGE. From north to south, Africa is made up of three topographic elements: 1, the Atlas mountains, a highly-accentuated region

Apr 1, 1910

By Lawrence Lien

The reduced need for traditionally trained and educated personnel in the mining industry is systemic to the changing mining industry. Universities and other training institutions are meeting the traditional skill needs required by the industry, but are the skill needs going to be the same in the near future? The answer may be no. Mining is changing because of increased liabilities and costs of environmental and safety is-sues; lower grades of minerals in traditional mining activities and the advent of new bio-chemical processes and robotic equipment. More productive and economic alternatives, and larger, more sophisticated and automatic equipment, are also changing the industry. Engineering is more specific, accurate, precise and expensive. Measurement is more thorough and timely of progress, production, costs and productivity. And, the industry will likely be engaging in more undersea mining, possibly space-based processing, less human interaction and more remote control of events than was previously thought possible.

Jan 1, 2011

By Bruno Gemmi

A new warehouse built with prefabricated components over an area underlined by soft marine soil deposits started showing differential settlements well before its completion. Its 103 spread footings carrying up to 4,000kN (450t) axial loads had been cast on jet-grouted columns extending and penetrating a layer of sand at a depth of 10m (33ft). Investigations performed to assess the wholeness and consistency of the jet-grouted columns revealed a state of loose jet-grouted masses and uncontrolled, off target migrations of the jet-grouting. Most of the jet-grouting itself was settling. The following remedial solutions were suggested: 1. Construction of new and better controlled jet-grouted columns. 2. Cement-based soil grouting. 3. Expanding resin injections. 4. Minipiles drilled-through the existing footings and reaching into a denser layer of sand existing at 23m below grade. Remedial solution 1. was immediately discarded due to cost and the possibility of a repeating failure in this non-granular and highly compressible soil. Tests of remedial solutions 2. and 3. were carried out. The outcome of the grouting was monitored by Electro Resistivity Tomography (ERT) (Bares et al., 2003), an innovative 3D electro tomography procedure showing where grout had been actually placed and its migrations off target. A successful 4,000kN (450t) load tests confirmed the validity of the solution. Finally, upon the completion of a successful load test, solution 4. was chosen. It supplied the highest degree of reliability thanks to the ease of controlling the final and actual location of the minipiles and to the higher safety factor provided. All remedial work to install the minipiles was eventually performed inside the building. Additional load tests and settlement measurements confirmed the adequacy and success of the chosen solution.

Jan 1, 2011

By AIME AIME

APROXIMATELY one third of the world's iron ore is mined in the United States; and about 80 per cent of this third is mined in the Lake Superior ore region, and about 60 per cent in Minnesota. The Lake Superior iron ore region covers a vast area in the vicinity of Lake Superior that contained in early geological times large areas of iron-bearing sediments, which today form metamorphosed iron-bearing rocks, such as jasper, chert, taconite, and slates. Concentration of the iron content chiefly through solution and resultant removal of silica produced the ore bodies we find today in rock folds as on the Menominee range, at dike or impervious wall intersections such as on the Gogebic range, and blanket-type enriched ore bodies ly¬ing on or within the ore formation, such as occur on the Mesabi and in steeply pitching ore lenses elsewhere. In many places, folding and subsequent erosion of the tops of the folded areas has resulted in steep dips in the ore formation and contained ore bodies. The upper eroded edges are mostly buried under glacial over-burden. The slightly dipping Mesabi formation is the principal exception as to steeply dipping ore bodies.

Jan 1, 1941

By Greg Beckstrom

Minnesota is a major mining state. This statement is not a dream or stretch goal but is a fact. As reported in a recent edition of Mining Engineering magazine, Minnesota ranks as the third largest state in terms revenues generated from nonfuels mineral production. The vibrancy of the mining sector in Minnesota can be attributed to several factors. The northeastern corner of the state is home to Minnesota?s iron range, one of North America?s largest deposits of iron ore. Iron ore from Minnesota is a strategic resource that has been [ ] instrumental to the nation?s development ? 90 percent of the iron used to build ships and planes during World War II came from Minnesota. Taconite pellets now produced from openpit mines on the iron range are shipped to steel mills worldwide. The growing appetite for steel in China and India has reignited once moribund mining operations throughout the iron range.

Jan 1, 2012

Studies of the minor element content of sphalerite and pyrite have generally been concerned with individual deposits or localised groups of deposits. However, a small number of more regional investigations have been reported (e.g. Davidson, 1962; Groves and Loftus-Hills, 1968; Loftus-Hills and Solomon, 1967; Price, 1972; Bralia et al., 1979) which have used the minor element abundances to evaluate the petrogenesis and geological affinities of diverse ore types and to fingerprint metallogenic provinces (e.g. Ivanov, 1964). While generally held to be valid, some doubts have nevertheless been cast on the reliability of minor element abundances in petrogenetic deliberations (e.g. Mercer, This paper reports on the distribution of he. Cpl and Mn in sphalerite, and Co, Ni and Mn in pyrite, from sulphide mineral occurrences within the "eugeosynclinal" prism comprising the New England Region of north-eastern New South Wales and south- eastern Queensland (Fig. 1). The occurrences examined are representative of two well-defined styles of mineralisation (Stanton et al., 1974) within which clear patterns of ore-rock distribution give rise to specific metal associations (Herbert. 1977).

Jan 1, 1987

By Peter F. Pullen

The need to apply the latest available technology to develop better tools and methods to meet problems in the mining industry was recognized by six of Canada's leading mining companies. As a result, MIROC (Mining Industry Research Organization of Canada) was chartered to identify problem areas in Canadian mining and to have research carried out to develop the tools and equipment to meet these perceived needs. The initial activity of MIROC has been in the environmental field, with improved clothing and protective devices being developed by contractors. Work clothing for miners is now being field tested. Respiratory protection and a new personal light source combined in a new "space-age" helmet are about to be issued for testing. Further developmental work is being carried on to offer these units and probably other personal protective devices on an individual basis as well as in a combined package.

Jan 1, 1979

By P. G. Nahin, A. Grenall, R. S. Crog, W. C. Merrill

A progress report of an experimental investigation into the role of clay in reservoir performance is presented. The Paper gives some of the reasons for considering clay as a significant component and outlines the objectives of a broad field of stud) which it is intended to pursue. Descriptions of the analytical methods used are given; these include X-ray diffraction. elec tron miscroscopy, thin section petrography, infrared spec-troscopy, and cation exchange analysis. A suite of the more important clay minerals has been assembled and characterized l~y these methods for use as standards in core analysis. From the data obtained it appears that although no one method of analysis is diagnostic for all of the clay minerals the infrared technique shows considerable promise in this direction. For the present, one or more supplementary methods should be used to confirm the clay mineral identifications. The methods of analysis are applied to field cores taken from repesentative and widely differing strata especially as regards their susceptibility to damage by fresh water. well.; completed in the stevens and Gatchell zones in San Joaquin valley are I,articularly clear-cut examples of this behavior with stevens zone wells being more adversely affected by fresh water. cores from these zones have been studied and are discussed. It appears that differences in this behavior can be ascribed to differences in the nature of the contained clays. The value of the infrarecl spectra of the clay fractions in establishing the identity of the predominant clay minerals is given particular emphasis. INTRODUCTION It is a challenge to the technical resources of the petroleum industry that when the economic limit of production is reached, from 40 to 70 per cent of the oil in California reservoirs remains unproduced even by use of the best presently known methods of recovery. The magnitude of this abandoned volume of oil can be appreciated when it is considered that to 1950 in excess of 8 billion bbll has been produced from California reservoirs with estimated economically recoverable reserves in known fields and pools totaling nearly 4 billion bbl.24 If for every barrel of oil produced there is at least another barrel still in place, it is evident that the revenue obtained from the recovery of only a .few per cent of this volume would repay the cost of the required research manyfold. From well completion experience. production behavior, and a growing body of laboratory data it now appears certain that the mineral composition of a producing stratum has an important bearing on the productivity and ultimate yield. In addition to the organic component and water, the cores con,ist of gravel, sand. silt, and clay" in diverse variety of (a, composition and (b) texture. It is the composite effect of these two factors which is probably responsible in large measure for the way in which the oil flows to the well. The role of the clay and fine-size accessory minerals is not clear but there is a growing opinion, based on their physical and chemical properties, that it is a significant one. of particular importance are the prime facts: 1. The silt and clay fractions of the reservoir matrix possess the highest surface area per gram, and 2. The silt and especially the clay fractions are the most chemically reactive of the inorganic constituents present. Only within the last few years has the knowledge of clay mineralogy and the techniques of identifying the clay minerals reached such a stage as to enable reliable inquiry into the composition of argillaceous sediments.2,8,10,11,12,16,26 It is the purpox of this and succeeding papers to add to the fund of information on the role which these materials play in the production of petroleum from California formations by correlating their presence and associated properties with observed reservoir behavior. In the present paper attention is directed to their possible influence on damage by fresh water. OBJECTIVES The attack on this problem divides naturally into two broad phases: 1. Determination of the nature of the clays and their relationships to the other mineral components, and 2. Determination of the physico-chemical relationships between the clays and the interstitial fluids. In the work described in this paper the emphasis has been on phase 1, which stems logically from the necessity of identifying and understanding the materials to be dealt with in Phase 2. Based on the authors' present opinion that not all of the minerals which occur in oil-bearing formation are of equal importance in their effects on the flow and recovery of oil, it was decided to focus attention first upon the clay minerals content and then. later perhaps. work into the field of the normally larger size non-clay minerals and fractions. The

Jan 1, 1951