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The importance of orebody definition and optimisation in project development cannot be overstated. Inappropriate orebody definition is the single most important reason for project under performance and/or failure. Without the firm foundation of good orebody definition, the structure of a project cannot be assembled reliably. Many factors need to be considered in the process of orebody definition. These factors are well summed up in paragraph 123 of The Institute's Code and Guidelines for Assessment and Valuation of Mineral Assets and Mineral Securities (Valmin Code). The factors range from the initial geological data through assaying, geotechnical and hydrogeological factors to mining and metallurgical considerations. There are other factors which also need to be considered including marketing and environmental factors. This paper briefly reviews some of these factors and their impact on project development. Three examples are presented where one or more of these factors have had significant impact on the development of the Project.

Jan 1, 1997

By E. V. Konopleva, H. J. McQueen

"The isothermal bainite transformation kinetics of low- and medium-carbon alloy steels after hot deformation and the rmocycling treatment (TC) has been studied by the magneto - metric method. Deformation was produced by rolling at 800°C-1000°C. TC included three cycles of rapid (30°C/s) electro-heating up to 900°C-1000°C followed by quenching.Hot deformation retards bainite transformation in the lower part of bainite range (<400°C) and accelerates it in the upper part (>400°C). The effect is greater for higher strain and lower deformation temperature. Deformation also diminishes the overall bainite fraction below 400°C and increases the completeness of reaction above 400°C.Thermocycling provides more uniform ultrafine austenite grains with average size of 3 µm -4 µm compared to 12 µm -14 µm after conventional heating. The transformation rate after TC was almost the same as after conventional heating in low-carbon steel but was faster in medium-carbon with no change in the completeness of reaction. The degree of acceleration increased with rise of transformation temperature.There are a number of factors which are responsible for a change in bainite transformation kinetics in austenite deformed at high temperatures or subjected to TC. One of the most important factors is the refinement of structure, another one is structural and chemical inhomogenity of austenite due to deformation or to rapid heating. To estimate the contribution of these factors, ?-transformation was studied after different austenitizing conditions (low-temperature heating at 850°C- 950°C; high-temperature heating at 1100°C; step treatment – austenitizing at 1100°C, then cooling to 950°C-850°C). The results obtained make it possible to conclude that the structural and chemical inhomogeneity of austenite activate the bainite reaction while the grain refinement retards it. Intensity of the effect produced by each factor depends strongly on the steel composition."

Jan 1, 1997

By P O. Koons, R J. Norris, S C. Cox

&nbsp;The Southern Alps is an active oblique collisional zone which has a characteristic wedge-shaped geometry above a low-angle ductile shear zone. The Main Divide region is a relatively low strain zone above this ductile shear zone, and is _deforming principally along steeply dipping strike-slip faults. Extensional fractures are common at a high angle to the regional structural trend. These steeply dipping structures act as conduits for gold-bearing fluids from depth, and small mesothermal gold deposits have formed at several structural levels including the near-surface region. Gold has also been deposited in a meteoricmetamorphic fluid mixing zone near a conductive thermal anomaly on the western slopes of the mountains. These various gold deposits and their well-constrained structural and tectonic settings can be used as analogues for larger, deeper-eroded mesothermal gold deposits in the Mesozoic Otago Schist belt. High level Miocene veins in NW Otago have formed beneath the main divide of the initiating Southern Alps. Late metamorphic gold-bearing veins formed as fluid escaped from the ductile-deforming crustal root beneath Mesozoic mountains. &nbsp;

Jan 1, 1997

By K. C. Liddell

"Cu/Ni multilayers exhibiting giant magnetoresistance were deposited from a single electrolyte under stepped potentiostatic control. To enable transport measurements to be made without remounting the multilayer film, we developed a novel method that involved plating on a thin metallic basal layer atop a rigid non-conducting Si substrate. Rotating ring-disk electrode techniques were used to monitor the composition and thickness of individual plated layers. Transmission electron microscopy confirmed that the interfaces between adjacent layers were sharp and that the structure of the layers was uniform throughout the film. Atomic force microscopy images indicated that the film's surface was smooth and free of defects.ELECTRODEPOSITION OF THIN MULTILAYER MAGNETIC MATERIALSI. IntroductionElectrodeposition of compositionally modulated films will in all likelihood continue to be used to produce the read heads for stored magnetic data. However, the next generation of head materials will require both improved sensitivity and reduced film thickness. Certain multi layers consisting of thin alternating ferromagnetic and nonmagnetic layers exhibit giant magneto resistance and consequently are promising candidates for read head applications. We have successfully made multilayer films with giant magnetoresistance that have total thicknesses as low as 25 nm, approximately 120 times thinner than the thinnest similar films reported in the literature. This paper describes early results from our work on electrodeposition and characterization of Cu/Ni multilayers, a model system with enhanced magnetic and mechanical properties, including the GMR effect. The structure and composition of the multilayers were determined using TEM, AFM, and electrochemical methods, and their magnetoresistance was measured by the standard four-probe technique. A novel method developed in this work enabled the transport properties of the ultrathin films to be measured reliably without the need to dissolve the cathode or handle the films. To provide a context for these results, short accounts of other work on giant magnetoresistance and multilayer electrodeposition are also included."

Jan 1, 1997

By S. M. Jarrett, W. B. Schmidt

Within the last year, the Nation has been shocked by two major tunneling disasters. Almost exactly a year ago 17 men died in the San Fernando Tunnel in an explosion attributed to gas. A few months later another 21 men died in an explosion laid to the same cause at Port Huron, Michigan. The analysis of the causes of these accidents is still continuing. While it appears that they differ substantially from each other in their specifics, they share the common trait that, like most industrial accidents, they might well have been prevented. Gas explosions in tunneling are neither new nor particularly unusual. Forty years ago, Assistant Director Jarrett was hired as a safety engineer on the Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct in California after an explosion that killed 12 men. Prior to 1946, in California alone, the Bureau of Mines had recorded 27 gas explosions incidental to hard rock mining and tunneling. The purpose of this paper is to review the status of the principal regulations affecting tunneling and to indicate some ways in which safer and more healthful conditions can be obtained. The Bureau of Mines was established by an Act of Congress of May 16, 1910. Since that time the Bureau has been making investigations and compiling and publishing health and safety data relating to mining and to tunneling. If any benefit is to come from an anaylsis of tunneling accidents, it must be the knowledge needed to prevent their repetition. The Bureau of Mines has also had informal discussions with the Department of Labor regarding the possibility of the Bureau&apos;s assuming that agency&apos;s responsibility for tunnel inspections.

Jan 1, 1997

Cyanide is a significant contributor to the cost of producing gold. Any reduction in cyanide consumption that is achieved through more reliable measurement, and/or more efficient management of cyanide dosing rates, can produce a significant financial saving to the mine operation.

Jan 1, 1997

By C. A. Pickles, D. K. Xia

"In the last few decades, microwave energy has been widely employed in food processing, rubber and plastics curing, and in ceramic sintering. Recently, the application of micro waves as an energy source in extractive metallurgy has received considerable attention from a number of researchers. During the period from the mid-1960s to about 1988, the majority of the research was focussed on the behaviour of materials in microwave radiation. These research activities will continue to be important, since fundamental data on the interaction of microwaves with materials are vital for the successful application of the technology. Since1990, a number of potential applications of microwave processing have been investigated.These include: pretreatment of ores and concentrates, leaching, reduction, preheating of refractories, heating of slags and waste treatment. In this paper, the interaction of micro -waves with materials of interest in extractive metallurgy are reviewed and potential applications are discussed.IntroductionMicrowaves were first used in 1946 for the heating of materials, shortly after radar equipment was invented during the second world war. It was evident that microwaves were very effective for heating water and the technology was quickly adopted for drying and cooking. Since the introduction of the first microwave oven by Raytheon in 1952, many millions of domestic microwave ovens have been sold annually (National Research Council,1994; Atomic Energy of Canada and Voss Associates Engineering, 1990).In extractive metallurgy, microwaves are in the early stages of development (National Research Council, 1994; Atomic Energy of Canada and Voss Associates, 1990; McGill and Walkiewicz, 1987; Bradhurst and Worner, 1990;Peng et al., 1993). However, there are several reasons for the growing interest in the use of this technology in the field of metals extraction. These include the following potential advantages of microwaves: (1) rapid and selective heating of materials; (2) reactions can be catalyzed because the heating occurs on a molecular or atomic level; (3) clean and controllable energy source; (4) the gas volume is reduced and the atmosphere can be controlled as there are no gaseous combustion products; (5) the material is heated internally in comparison to external heating with conventional methods; (6)the temperature of the refractory can be minimized; and (7) the working environment is improved."

Jan 1, 1997

By R. F. Korcak

There exists a wide array of industrial byproducts that produce beneficial responses in the soil/ plant environment. These materials range from clean-coal-technology residues produced during the generation of electric power (particularly those high in gypsum) to mineral fines produced by the aggregates industry (i.e., sand, gravel and crushed stone). A number of these materials are examined in relation to potential nutritional interactions in soils and crops with emphasis on trace elements. The significance of utilizing these materials in agriculture as a component of sustainable agricultural systems are discussed.

Jan 1, 1997

By V. L. Stolyarova

The high-temperature Knudsen effusion method was used to study partial pressures of vapour species, activities of components and the Gibbs free energies in the DyF3-Dy2O3 system at the temperature (1357±5) K. Partial pressures of vapour species were obtained by the ion current comparison method, with the DyF3 partial vapour pressure over pure DyF3 as a standard. The equilibrium constant of the gaseous reaction DyF3 + DyOF = Dy2OF4 is evaluated. Thermodynamic data obtained are in a agreement with the available phase diagram of the DyF3-Dy2O3 system. Results of the present study illustrate the negative deviations from the ideal behaviour in the system.

Jan 1, 1997

"The pyrometallurgical method of recycling car batteries suffers from a potential for air pollution violations, which prompts the desire for a viable hydrometallurgicaJ alternative. Several Processes have been proposed, including leach-electrowinning routes using HBF4 and/or HzSiF6 based electrolytes, along with anodes of PbO2 on inert substrates.A study has been carried out to evaluate the proposed systems, with the intention of demonstrating a six month life of an electrolyte-anode combination. The work, which focused on the use of HzSiF6, has indicated that there was no acceptable anode, and has lead to the development of a technique to produce smooth, glassy, adherent coatings on graphite, and to the development of an anode composed of a series of copper cored graphite rods.The paper will present results on leaching and electrowinning experiments, as well as the description of a flowsheet for a pilot plant that will be used to produce one tone per day of refined lead from spent battery paste."

Jan 1, 1997

By Eggleton R. A, Taylor G

As the search for major orebodies continues, the regolith dominated areas of the Broken Hill region remain one of the major exploration frontiers. The past exploration philosophies emphasising bedrock related characteristics have been limited in their ability to effectively explore in the regolith dominated areas, that are a feature of most of the Broken Hill region (Figure 1). If mineral exploration is to be more effective across all of the Broken Hill region, particularly in the regolith dominated areas, an appreciation and increased understanding of the regolith and landscape features are a necessity. Ironically, there have been very few studies of the regional regolith and landscape features of this region. Owing to the previous lack of an established regolith-landform framework, this study initially concentrated on the general characterisation and variation in regolith types corresponding to the area of the Broken Hill Block, within NSW (Willis, 1989; Stevens, 1986). The approach has been to produce a regional regolith-landform map at 1:100 000 scale and conduct a complimentary program of regolith sampling and site descriptions. This was a basis to identify areas for more detailed regolith-landform mapping (1:25 000 scale) and for producing a regional stratigraphic framework and models for landscape and regolith evolution. This information can then be used to provide a basis for regional mineral exploration models and strategies. This paper highlights some of the regionally significant regolith-landform features and their general significance to mineral exploration. More detailed information on specific regolith-landform features and study sites may be found in Hill et al (1994; 1996; in press) and Hill (in prep).

Jan 1, 1997

By J. A. Haggman

In a country richly endowed in mineral wealth, Climax Arimco Mining Corporation&apos;s (CAMC) Dinkidi porphyry Au?Cu deposit in Nueva Vizcaya province, Philippines, represents the most significant mineral discovery in the country in recent times. The deposit is located within a belt of young intrusive and volcanic rocks in the Sierra Madre mountain chain of north Luzon a region previously unassociated with porphyry-style mineralization. Since 1989, drilling of the Dinkidi deposit has outlined a resource of 124 million tonnes of 1.0 g/t gold and 0.41 % copper. Regional exploration throughout CAMC&apos;s 37,000 hectare FTAA has identified a further sixteen potential porphyry-related deposits. A new mining law was passed in March 1995 but prior to that CAMC had the first Financial and Technical Assistance Agreement (FTAA) granted by the Philippine government allowing 100% foreign ownership of mining projects.

Jan 1, 1997

By M. C. Ruiz

The leaching behavior of chalcopyrite concentrate in acidic CuC12-NaCI-O2 solutions was investigated. Experiments were conducted under continuos flow of oxygen at atmospheric pressures. The results indicated that among the variables temperature has the largest influence on the dissolution of chalcopyrite in this medium, and high copper extraction can only be obtained at temperatures near the boiling point of the solution. It was also found that the stirring speed did not influence appreciably the dissolution of chalcopyrite. An increase in the oxygen flow rate up to 0.1 1/min increased the copper extraction. The total chloride concentration affects the dissolution of chalcopyrite up to about 4 M. Copper extraction of 93 % was obtained in leaching chalcopyrite of size fraction -400 # Tyler at 105 OC in 2 hours.

Jan 1, 1997

By T. B. Szwilski

ISO 14000 series are voluntary international standards that address environmental management system standards, environmental auditing, environmental labeling, environmental performance evaluation, and life-cycle assessment. An environmental management system (EMS) is a facet of an organization&apos;s structure that addresses the immediate and long-term impact of a company&apos;s products, services, and processes on the environment. Many companies in the United States are taking a cautious wait-and-see approach before embracing ISO 14000. A few mining companies are reviewing the standards and using them as guidelines. The paper outlines the status, possible benefits to the mining industry, and options available to a company wanting to become involved in the ISO 14000 standards.

Jan 1, 1997

By James P. Dorian

Dramatic economic and political reform is under way in the transitional economies of the world. Transition extends beyond the restructuring of a nation&apos;s economy and political thinking. It also affects social, cultural and even religious aspects of society. Transition is a long-term process and generally unstable as the pace of reform is rarely the same across the many spheres of society. As nations modify their economies, industrial activities - including minerals exploration, extraction, processing and trade - are also being affected, according to a Financial Times of London management report. Mining policies are being revised to encourage greater foreign involvement, while legal regimes are being rewritten to protect foreign investments. From India to Peru, and South Africa to Russia, countries have been preparing, improving and expanding foreign investment laws, mining codes and economic stimulus measures to accelerate their minerals development. Privatization of mining is proceeding in many nations. Meanwhile, corporatization of former ministries and government agencies responsible for mining is also occurring. According to Minerals and Mining in the Transitional Economies: Poised For the Future, common objectives in the restructuring of a mining industry are to enhance overall economic and industrial growth, improve efficiencies in mineral recovery and use, acquire newer, advanced technologies, reduce environmental repurcussions of mining and improve safety conditions. The nature of mining is changing noticeably within the transitional economies. The industry is becoming more re¬sponsive to market forces and private sector concerns. The new report examines the changing characteristics of mining in the transitional economies. These include nations moving from centrally planned to market economies, as well as countries in the midst of economic and political reform, including the liberalization of industry. Information is presented to help business planners understand the impacts of transition on mining activities and re-evaluate their longterm strategies and market development policies. The document is divided into 10 chapters. Five of them are devoted to the evolving mining industries of Russia, South Africa, India, Peru and China. These countries were highlighted because their minerals sectors are undergoing changes. These include the opening up of their resources to foreign mining companies. According to the report&apos;s author, mining in the transitional economies during the next decade will be characterized by: ? Continued rewriting of national mining policies to create more favorable investment climates. ? Increased exploration for gold and selected base metals in newly opened regions. ? Innovative project financing schemes involving multiple partners and international lending institutions, such as the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). ? Increased gold and copper ore production capacity resulting from new investment and expansion of existing operations. ? Continued geographical shifting of metallurgical processing facilities from developed to other mineral-producing nations. ? Privatization of state-owned mining and processing assets requiring advanced technologies for improvement or expansion. ? Increased awareness of environmental concerns in business decisions related to mining and metallurgy.

Jan 1, 1997

By W. H. McDonald, D. D. Carr

The use of stone in building construction predates written history. From the time that stone was first used, builders have constructed stone buildings predominately from local or regional materials. However, since World War II, the stone business has become increasingly global. For example, French limestone is now sold to builders in the United States, and American granite is shipped to Japan. The internationalization of architectural and construction firms has encouraged this trend. Differences among nations in trade practices, environmental demands and the level of knowledge of dimension-stone characteristics make international trading in stone a risky and potentially disastrous business for unwary participants.

Jan 1, 1997

By D. M. Walters, C. M. van der Vyver, L. J. deVulliers

The occurrence of underground fires in narrow tabular ore- bodies where high density timber support is used is a dangerous and disruptive occurrence. The containment and extinguishing of the fire remains a very important consideration in reducing not only the loss in production time but also in limiting the extent of the area damaged by the fire. Mindful of this, Gold Fields have adopted and developed the inert gas generator system from its origins in Poland for use in Group precious metal mines. The system generates an oxygen- deficient atmosphere which is introduced in the fire area after this has been sealed. A number of problems had to be overcome to operate this system successfully within the infrastructure of these mines. Of particular significance is the operation of a jet engine, the prime component of the system, at air pressures encountered below sea level. The modifications have been found to be satisfactory to the point where, since 1992, ten underground fires have been extinguished using this system. Invariably, the areas affected by these fires were extensive (over 1 000 000 m3) and required continuous operation of these units over extended periods of time (in some cases in excess of 400 hours).

Jan 1, 1997

By Vincent A. Scovazzo

On March 12, 1994, the 1,100-foot deep 2 Yard South panel of the 1l0 year-old Retsof Mine collapsed. At the time of this occurrence, the Retsof Mine was characterized as the world&apos;s largest, most productive salt mine. The collapse produced a seismic event and resulted in a sinkhole and small lake forming on the surface. An existing highway bridge was rendered unusable. Water entered the mine and despite valiant efforts by the miners and the mining company, the entire mine was flooded and lost. John T. Boyd Company (BOYD) studied the incident to evaluate design procedures, and assess the short- and long-term environmental impacts of the collapse. This paper presents our analysis of the cause of the collapse and our review of the rock mechanics design of 2 Yard South panel. Our review is, in part, based on a rock mechanics monitoring program of 2 Yard South. The monitoring program was established by the mining company as the panel was developed and continued even after the panel became unstable.

Jan 1, 1997

By Y. Luo

Surface subsidence process due to underground coal mining often has the potential to cause problems to buried pipelines. In this paper, a technique for assessing the stress level on a subsidence-affected pipeline is introduced. The main contributors for the stresses on the pipelines are identified. Mitigation techniques for reducing the stress on the pipeline have been proposed and successfully tested.

Jan 1, 1997

By A. G. Jackson, Rand R. Biggers, John D. Busbee, Iman Maartense, David P. Lubbers, David C. Liptak

"This paper describes the application of Raman Spectroscopy for characterizing superconducting YBCO thin film parameters. Attenuation of the substrate Raman spectrum as a function of material deposited is established. Also a correlation between film quality and Raman spectrum is explored. The identification and discrimination of superconducting and non-superconducting phases of YBCO is presented. The critical temperature (Tc) of a film as a function of its oxygen content is also established using Raman peak ratios. These results provide significant implications toward the use of Raman Spectroscopy for in situ monitoring and control of the PLD process. Film quality can be controlled via optimization of film oxygen content and reduction of improper YBCO phases. Film thickness can be controlled by monitoring the response of the substrate material. Also the PLD process can be studied and modeled using this powerful observation tool.IntroductionSuperconductors are materials that possess unique characteristics when cooled to sufficiently low temperatures. Below a material's critical temperature (Tc) it exhibits zero resistance to current flow. One such material, yttrium barium copper oxide (YBCO) has a critical temperature of approximately 92° K. Due to its high critical temperature YBCO is being aggressively researched for many possible applications, because of high current carrying capability and strong pinning of flux lines.YBCO in the 123 form is a ceramic material that was discovered in February, 1987. Its unit cell structure is shown in Figure 1 [ 1,2]."

Jan 1, 1997