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By Jasmin Raymond

Ground source heat pumps are used to heat or cool building and heat water supply. Such heat pumps use the earth as a heat source or sink to efficiently provide or store thermal energy. For example, a ground source heat pump typically requires less then a third of the electric or fossil fuel energy of a conventional heater. Ground source heat pumps could therefore help reduce the energy consumption of active mines where low-grade geothermal resources are abundant. In most heat pumps, water or a water-antifreeze mixture having a temperature ranging from -6.5 to 43.5 °C is circulated through a heat exchanger at a rate of 0.000033 to 0.000067 m3/s (2 to 4 L/min) for each kilowatt of heating/cooling capacity. The groundwater that is continuously pumped to drain mines could be used to operate heat pumps. Water feeding a heat pump can alternatively circulate in a close loop network of pipes buried underground or installed in a surface water body. Retention water ponds, tailings and waste dumps commonly found at active mine sites could provide excellent environments to install the close loop system. Further research will help take advantage of the unexploited geothermal resources associated with actives mines.

May 1, 2007

By M. S. Riyazulla

The Hutti greenstone belt comprising predominantly of low-potassium tholeitic basalt has undergone regional metamorphism of a transition zone between greenchist to amphibolite facies. The important mineral constituents of the volcanic suite are amphibole and plagioclase which appear to be the product of regional metamorphism. These minerals have been recognized as the main indicators of metamorphic temperature and pressure. With a view to understand the P-T conditions of metamorphism of the belt, electron microprobe studies were carried out on amphibole and plagioclase and the chemical data was used to decipher the metamorphic conditions. The results obtained indicated a metamorphic temperature of about 6000 c and pressure of 5 kbs. for the Hutti greenstone belt.

Jan 1, 1996

By Mernagh T, Large R. R, Ryan C. G, Huston D. L

The Tennant Creek goldfield is one of the largest gold producing districts in Australia, and major deposits, including Gecko, Juno, Orlando, Peko, Warrego, Nobles Nob, Golden Forty, Argo, TC 8 and White Devil have produced more than four million ounces of gold over the past two decades. Gold-copper-bismuth mineralisation at Tennant Creek occurs in lenticular, ellipsoidal or pipe-like bodies of magnetite-hematite ironstones which are hosted in turbiditic sedimentary rocks of Proterozoic age (Large, 1975; Wedekind, Large and Williams, 1989; Le Messurier, Williams and Blake, 1990; Morrison, Donnellan and Hussey, 1992).

Jan 1, 1994

By Adriana de Oliveira Vilela

A produção de carvão vegetal em Forno Container Rima (FCR) consiste em um processo semi-contínuo composto por fornos cilíndricos metálicos móveis, com exaustão forçada dos gases. Cada ciclo se divide em 4 fases: carregamento, carbonização, resfriamento e descarregamento. Após o carregamento com toletes de madeira, 20% de umidade, o forno é deslocado para plataforma de carbonização, onde permanece por 3 a 4 horas. A entrada de oxigênio no interior do forno é regulada para controle das reações de pirólise. Todos os gases gerados são conduzidos a um sistema de queima para aproveitamento da energia e eliminação do metano. O peso, a temperatura e a pressão no interior do forno, bem como a vazão, composição e energia do fluxo de gás, são monitorados continuamente, em tempo real. A carbonização finaliza quando é atingido o rendimento gravimétrico de 35% em carvão e 60% em gás. O carvão ainda quente é transferido para cilindros de resfriamento, permanecendo por 12 horas. O forno então, é novamente carregado e se inicia um novo ciclo. Cada plataforma de carbonização pode gerar 1MWe de potência elétrica, produzir 20t/mês de alcatrão, 450t/mês de carvão vegetal e eliminar 500t/mês de CO2 equivalente. Cada FCR substitui 60 fornos Rabo Quente, reduzindo em mais de 50% a mão-de-obra braçal dos processos tradicionais, pela valorização, humanização e qualificação deste trabalho. O carvão produzido atende aos quesitos necessários para uso como redutor na metalurgia e na siderurgia.

Aug 16, 2017

Discussion of the paper of CHARLES H. MACDOWELL, presented at the New York meeting, February, 1915, and printed in Bulletin No. 98, February, 1915, pp. 103 to 114. GEORGE S. RICE, Pittsburgh, Pa.-I am especially interested in the mining side of this important question. In 1911, when in Europe investigating mining matters, giving special attention to subsidence clue to mining, for there is a very big problem of that kind, as many of you know, in the Pennsylvania anthracite region, I visited Stassfurt, which is one of the chief centers of potash mining, and which was pointed out as the place to see surface subsidence. We found the town much askewsome of the streets having sunk from 15 to 30 ft., leaving many ancient buildings pitching at various angles. One old church, 500 or 600 years old, has been sunk about 20 ft., cracking it badly. I understand that this condition came about because in early mining clays they were careless about leaving proper supports and used no filling or packing. The Stassfurt mines work along a buried anticline the sides of which pitch at 45° on the average. Through this careless mining they had a break of the hanging wall which let in water from the overlying marls and sands. The water rapidly dissolved the salts in the pillars, and spreading through the entire chain of mines, caused their complete loss, with serious trouble for the old city. They had to start new mines some distance away, and take care to prevent roof caves. The packing system is of interest. They were driving large rooms into the rock-salt foot wall and using the rock salt as dry filling. The application of hydraulic filling, using a saturated solution, was under contemplation at some plant nearby. Whether 6r not the plan was carried out I do not know. I was reminded of the plan by Mr. MacDowell's remarking on the use of a saturated salt solution in the core drilling. His reference to the apparent breakdown of the potash syndicate raises an interesting question. We have had the German system of syndicates pointed out as perhaps one means of solving our troubles in the soft-coal mining industry due to overproduction. It seems to have worked out admirably in the case of the Westphalian coal-mining syndicate and also in the syndicate of Upper Silesia; but apparently the syndicate plan did not work in the potash industry. .

Jan 5, 1915

By Alfred R. Powell

LATE in 1944 a group of petroleum and coal technologists was organized in Wash¬ington under the sponsorship of the Petroleum Administration for War and the U. S. Bureau of Mines. This group, known as the Technical Oil Mission, was placed under the authority of the Technical Industrial Intelligence Committee of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, which was then promoting the organization of other missions to be sent to Germany to obtain technical information regarding various industries in that country. The objective of the Technical Oil Mission was to obtain technical data on German production of synthetic oil from coal and all other commercial practices and research projects connected with the oil industry. The primary purpose was to obtain such data as were immediately essential to assist the war against Germany and Japan, with secondary emphasis on technical information that would assist American industry after the end of the war. Since oil-production facilities in Ger¬many and the occupied countries con¬trolled by Germany were the top targets for strategic bombing, the Technical Oil Mission was the first group under the Technical Industrial Intelligence Com¬mittee to enter Germany. A few members of the group flew to London in February 1945 and the majority of the remainder followed in March. In London they were joined by an equal number of British investigators and the combined, mission was then sent into Germany under the authority of the Combined Intelligence Objectives Subcommittee (CIOS). A sum¬mary of the more important information gained by this combined British and American mission is presented below. GERMAN OIL PRODUCTION The oil available to Germany, both natural and synthetic, and including pro¬duction from occupied countries, reached a peak in late 1943 and early 1944. Pro¬duction at this time was at the rate of 1,200,000 metric tons per month, equiva¬lent to i00,000,000 bbl. per year, or about 7 per cent of the wartime production in the United States. Of this production, 50 per cent was crude oil from Romania and Hungary, 12 per cent was crude oil from Germany itself, including Austria, 9 per cent com¬prised coal-carbonization products, that is, tar and light oil, and only the remaining 29 per cent was synthetic liquid fuel made from coal or tar. Synthetic liquid fuel made in Germany was equivalent therefore to less than 2 per cent of war¬time production of crude oil in the United States. The success of the strategic bombing campaign against German oil-production facilities is demonstrated by the fact that by September 1944 the Ploesti fields of Romania and much of the syn¬thetic oil production had been eliminated, so that the amount of oil available to the German war machine was only 25 per cent of the peak quantity mentioned above. By early 1945, when the combined British and American oil mission was entering

Jan 1, 1946

By H. Harzer

Statistics Canada record s indicate that in recent years 70 to 80% of the entire Canadian coal production originated from Western Canadian mines, in which about 55 to 65% of the coals are bituminous. Until recently, less than 20% of the latter were extracted by underground methods , the remainder being surface-mined. However, it is estimated that within the foreseeable future up to 80 or 90% will have to be gained by underground techniques. Although Western Canadian coal resources are considerable, they are unfortunately locked in severely distorted, steeply pitching and faulted seams of variable thickness. Consequently, their economic extraction poses serious engineering problems. One possible solution to the problems is to apply hydromechanical methods to underground mining. This is a well-proven method shown to be economically viable under Western Canadian conditions. This paper endeavours to widen the scope of published data on hydraulic coal mining and is based on practical engineering and cost data gathered through contacts with West German designers and operators of hydraulic mines.

Jan 1, 1978

By Paul M. Tyler

NOW that the dust of World War II has settled and we and our allies are faced with extravagant losses of men, money, and materials, virtually the only hope that the United States and Britain have in the way of reparations lies in the capture of industrial, technical, and scientific secrets. Even during the war American and British scientists and technicians gained access to German factories, questioned German personnel, studied German documents, and endeavored generally to keep pace with new discoveries in science, industrial technology, and process development. Under various agencies this work continued for two years after the war. Altogether at least 600 American scientists and industrialists have gone to Germany and brought back reports and several times as many British, Canadian, and. Australian investigators have been similarly engaged under co-operative arrangements designed to assure the maximum of coverage with a minimum duplication of effort. As a result of these investigations and document studies, about 500 or 600 reports have been prepared on metallurgical and allied subjects. Those by American authors or joint teams have been listed in the annotated Bibliography of Scientific and Industrial Reports, issued by the Office of Technical Services in the U. S. Department of Commerce. Many of the British reports are also available in this country through the same office or through a British representative in New York. Since it was my duty to read most of these reports for

Jan 1, 1948

By Martin Junker

This Notwithstanding all the debates on climate change and renewable energy, coal remains the world's no.1 primary energy source even in the 21st century. In 2011 alone, total output rose from 420 million t to around 6.6 billion t. Similar growth rates are also expected for the next few years. In order to meet demand, new seams are being tapped and others mined far more extensively. In most cases, this means a move from open-cast to deep mining, and extracting coal from ever greater depths. At the same time, extraction processes such as the room and pillar method are being replaced by longwall mining, which significantly increases seam yield and therefore output. The depth of extraction with new, modified mining methods is increasing rapidly around the world - in most countries, much more rapidly than the corresponding expertise. A trade in mining expertise has therefore developed alongside the coal trade proper. Germany relies on coal imports, but can export mining industry services and advanced mining equipment. Geological conditions in the Ruhr and Saar coalfields forced Germany to drive forward development of deep working for hard coal years ago. For 30 years now, Germany has been mining hard coal at depths of over 1,000 m, and excavation is now at depths up to 1,600 m. Deeper extraction and more extensive excavation posed new challenges for both miners and equipment. Intelligent logistics, modern roadway development methods and longwall mining with ploughs or shearers combined with optimised process coordination offered pioneering solutions - solutions to enable costeffective coal extraction in the long term without compromising safety. Countries such as Russia, the Ukraine, China and the Czech Republic, where extraction is now reaching similar depths, can now benefit from this experience: they do not need to go through the same process of trial and development, but can draw on Germany's findings and ultimately save on costs. Now, Germany is offering this knowledge and experience on the international market on a client- and deposit-specific basis to continue providing mining countries with safe and cost-effective coal mining solutions and secure the energy supply. The presentation gives a number of examples of how international mining companies have used expertise from Germany to better meet the challenges of deep mining.

Aug 1, 2013

By Roy J. M. van Lier

In industrial aqueous solutions, germanium generally occurs in trace amounts amid high concentrations of other metals, such as zinc, copper and iron. Separation of germanium from these metals as well as its isolation from gallium and indium pose a real challenge to the hydrometallurgist. After a brief discussion of the aqueous chemistry of germanium, this paper reviews the flowsheet of the Apex Mine in Utah. The Apex property was the only mine in the world to be operated primarily for production of gallium and germanium, but apparently closed due to great operating difficulties. Several process variants proposed for the treatment of the Apex ore, including bioleaching methods, are addressed. Following a more general description of the behavior of germanium in hydrometallurgical zinc processing streams, available technology for its recovery from aqueous solutions is summarized. Precipitation, solvent extraction, ion exchange, electrowinning, ion flotation and liquid-membrane separation are all outlined in terms of the aqueous chemistry of germanium. Finally, the production of high purity germanium dioxide and metal is briefly discussed

Jan 1, 1995

By P. B. Queneau, Peter V. Avotins, Lauch F. Farris

"The Lang Bay germanium property is a carbonaceous sandstone deposit outcropping near the Pacific coast, 100 km north of Vancouver. The germanium-bearing seams are up to 5 m thick. Where one such seam outcrops, it averages 50 to 60 g Ge/tonne. Drill core analyses have shown considerably greater concentrations of germanium at depth. Additional drilling to establish continuity and grade of the germanium-b earing strata is scheduled for 1986. The germanium occurs in association with lignite, which makes up 1 to 2% of the seam. American Cyanamid Company engineers have developed a proprietary flotation reagent effective for concentrating the germanium rich vitrain portion of the Lang Bay lignite. Ongoing laboratory studies are developing procedures for further upgrading and refining of this germanium. This paper outlines progress made by Fargo Oil Corporation on Lang Bay geology, reserve estimation, mine planning, ore dressing, refining, and economic evaluation.IntroductionIn 1871, Mendeleyev specula ted on the properties of a ""missing"" element between silico n and tin on the periodic table. The discovery of germanium fifteen years later proved the Mendeleyev predictions to be remarkably accurate. Almo half a century later, the pioneering work of McCutcheon of Eagle-Picher led to production of germanium dioxide from Oklahoma zinc smelting residues. Demand for the element surged due to development of the Ge02 diode rectifier during World War II, followed by development of the transistor in 1947. The chief commercial sources for germanium during the following two decades were the Cu-Zn mines in the Congo and the Zn-Cu-Pb mines of Tsumeb in Southwest Africa. The germanium was chemically combined in complex Cu-Fe sulphides (germanite and renierite), from which the element was recovered either by leaching the selectively roasted sulphide, or by direct fuming of GeS(I). Although these deposits have reportedly been depleted (2), new deposits of renierite have been discovered in Zaire. Alternative sources of germanium are therefore being sought worldwide for use in infrared optics, semiconductors, fibre optics, and catalysts. One such source is germanium-rich coal (2)."

Jan 1, 1986

By AIME AIME

AMONG the European nations Germany is the center of interest economically as well as politically, and of prime importance for Europe as a whole is Germany's capacity to produce mineral products for armament and for export in exchange for the import of the essential supplies to maintain its industries. So far as minerals are concerned, Germany is worse off than any other great power except Italy, and deficiencies are being met by attempts to increase output from local deposits and by greater use of substitutes derived from domestic raw materials to replace imported metals, petroleum products, and other minerals.

Jan 1, 1939

By Harold Gibson, Ulrich Schwarz-Schampera, Ralf Freitag, Hendrik Mueller

INTRODUCTION Germany has a long history in marine research in the Indian Ocean. The first German scientific cruise started in 1964, followed by a series of state-sponsored research cruises between 1983 and 1995 leading to the first finding of polymetallic sulfides in the Indian Ocean. The research included regional bathymetric, geological, structural, volcanological, petrological and hydrothermal investigations along the Carlsberg Ridge and the Central Indian Ridge (CIR). Early environmental base line studies covered oceanographic and sedimentology aspects. In 2010, BGR took the initiative for the preparation of a license application for the exploration of polymetallic sulfides with the International Seabed Authority (ISA), and prospecting started in 2011 along the southern Central (CIR) and the northern Southeast Indian Ridge (SEIR) in the southwestern Indian Ocean (cruises INDEX 2011 on board R/V Sonne), INDEX 2012 (R/V Fugro Gauss), INDEX 2013/1-2 (R/V Sonne) and INDEX 2014 (R/V Pelagia). After three years of resource-oriented and environmental base line studies, BGR, in order for the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi), applied for an exploration license which was approved by and subsequently signed with the ISA in 2015. The license gave permission to start a detailed exclusive resource-oriented exploration program in the license area. The program includes the outline of potential ore deposits and a resource assessment but also extensive and detailed base line studies for the sustainable protection of the marine environment in the license area. The license contract has a fifteen years lifetime and may allow the application for a subsequent mining license. The exploration aims at the identification of inactive polymetallic sulfide deposits, formed below former discharge zones of hot hydrothermal fluids on the ocean floor (“black smoker” systems), by advanced and modern exploration techniques.

Jan 1, 2018

By David Roncalla, Emma Flores, Juan Pérez

Se ha co creado a Rurana, Centro de Innovación Social de Asociación Pataz, para coadyuvar en el abordaje de los desafíos de triple impacto, basados en la innovación como un evento sistémico con direccionalidad de largo plazo, pero con pasos de corto y mediano plazo para desarrollar las capacidades requeridas para el logro de Misiones, propósitos de gran impacto enmarcados en la teoría de Mariana Mazzucato.

Sep 29, 2023

By Jorge Luis Cáceres Córdova

Durante los procesos mineros, el comité ejecutivo gestiona decisiones -confiables y económicamente rentables- según la información requerida. En ese sentido, el presente texto señala una metodología que integra las herramientas de gestión donde se garantice la confiabilidad de los activos de forma sostenida que prevenga pérdidas de producción, se reduzca los costos operativos, se evita riesgos a la salud y medio ambiente y se establezca una política de sustento cuantitativo a pedidos, cambios, bajas, terciarizaciones, entre otros, en base al riesgo y beneficio.

Sep 1, 2015

By Antonio Mendoza

El presente texto describe el sistema de manejo de agua y aire, las actividades integradoras, preventivas, de análisis y ejecución realizadas para describir la respuesta a los retos del futuro inmediato para alcanzar los objetivos ambientales en la mina Antamina.

Jan 1, 2012

By A. W. (Sandy) Neilson

Whether you are a general contractor who hires subcontractors to perform blasting work or you have your own blasting crew, it is extremely important to understand how Business Liability Insurance works, regardless of who is ultimately providing the coverage. If close attention is not paid to the limitations and preblast survey requirements under most policies that provide blasting coverage, you could find yourself facing an uninsured loss.

Jan 1, 2002

By Michel Ruel

Most plants do not track how their systems perform. Optimization is the easiest way to benefit from your control systems. We suggest an approach in four phases. The first phase is to assess all equipment to determine the performances for instruments, valves, variable speed drives, and other equipment. The second phase is to remediate instrumentation problems, including the ones pertaining to valves, variable speed drives, analyzers, transmitters. When equipment is in order, loops are put back in automatic mode. If a loop oscillates, use standard default values for this type of loop. The third phase consists in validating the control strategies, properly configuring the systems (control system, programs and parameters, HMI, alarms), and then tuning the loops and control strategies. The fourth phase consists in analyzing the process and expected performances in order to optimize the control loops and control strategies. If performance is not sufficient, a decision tree will be presented to determine the right approach: advanced regulatory control, model predictive control, or fuzzy logic control. Once all steps have been completed, control performance monitoring software is used to sustain the results and pinpoint equipment or loops not performing as stated. Alarm management and rationalization could also be performed after auditing the alarm system, if needed. Examples from plants will be used to demonstrate how this step-by-step method is applied and produces results. INTRODUCTION Maximizing what you already have is the best investment to remain competitive. This article aims to show the benefits of a systematic approach using modern tools to improve plant performance. We at BBA suggest dividing the work in four phases, and a subsequent phase can begin when the previous one has progressed: Assess, Remediate, Stabilize, Optimize, or add advanced control. This approach has been successfully applied to several sites. Examples and illustrations from these plants demonstrate how this step-by-step method is applied and produces results. Under the BBA method, there are four questions to answer before proceeding to the next step. For each control strategy, you should ask the following questions: Assessment: Does it work? Remediation: Do you use it? Stabilization: Is it stable? Optimization: Does it perform? Do you need advanced control?

Jan 1, 2019

AN announcement of the annual meeting to be held in New York, Feb. 14 to 17 inclusive is being mailed to all members. Particular attention is called to the necessity of asking for certificates when you purchase your ticket in order that all may secure reduced return fares.

Jan 1, 1927

By AIME AIME

ANNOUNCEMENT of the annual meeting to be held Feb. 18 to 22 inclusive will be mailed the latter part of the month to all members. Particular attention is called to the fact that application has been made for reduced rail- road fares on the Certificate Plan. When you purchase your railroad ticket be sure to ask for a CERTIFICATE for yourself and members of your family. Last year over 400 members and dependent members of their families attending the meeting secured return railroad tickets at half price by means of this certificate, thereby saving thou- sands of dollars. Those who fail to obtain this certificate when purchasing going tickets will lose money. Unless 250 certificates are validated at headquarters it will be impossible for anyone to secure the reduced rate.

Jan 1, 1929