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By L O. Filippov, I V. Filippova

Subsea massive sulfide deposits have particular mineralogical compositions and textural features differentiating them from onshore ore. When extracted from salty water and exposed to the air, massive sulfide samples strongly oxidise and soon become covered by thin layers of iron, copper and zinc-rich sulfates and oxides, as well as elemental sulfur. The textural properties vary according to the degree of maturity and the sample position within the hydrothermal deposit. Because of the variation of secondary mineralisation and porosity level, sea floor massive sulfides respond differently from terrestrial ore to processing methods. Froth flotation, commonly applied to separate all types of sulfides from the gangue minerals, is one possible treatment technique to process sea floor ore. Sulfide recovery rate is, in most cases, excellent (>90 per cent). However, separation of the various mineral phases is difficult to obtain even when applying known methods used for onshore ore. Moreover, the flotation behaviour decreases dramatically with time of conservation, even when the samples were stored in a confined environment. High pH range, which is a good way to depress pyrite and therefore to favour the flotation of copper and zinc sulfides, does not have the same effect on subsea ore. Consequently, careful flotation procedure should be elaborated to obtain efficient mineral separation for this specific marine ore.CITATION:Filippov, L O and Filippova, I V, 2015. Processing of subsea massive sulfide ores by flotation – similarity and features with terrestrial ores, in Proceedings Third International Future Mining Conference, pp 239–244 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Nov 4, 2015

By P J. Cullen, B P. Banerjee, S Raval

Continuous monitoring of mining impacts on the surrounding environment is a necessary sustainability criterion. Traditional monitoring approaches such as in situ sampling and airborne and satellite-based remote sensing have several limitations. Over the past few decades, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have evolved into popular platforms for remote sensing. UAV-based remote sensing has been successfully applied in different sectors, including agriculture, forestry, urban environments and disaster management. However, the potential of UAVs for mine environmental monitoring has not yet been fully established. This paper envisages the use of UAVs and sensor systems to monitor the environment of future mines.CITATION:Banerjee, B P, Raval, S and Cullen, P J, 2015. Unmanned aerial vehicles for mine environment monitoring, in Proceedings Third International Future Mining Conference, pp 137–144 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Nov 4, 2015

By P Corbett, P Sheffield

Centennial Coal operates the Springvale longwall mining operation which extracts coal beneath the Newnes Plateau in the Western Coalfields of New South Wales. Springvale, and the neighbouring Angus Place mine, have a history of difficult geotechnical conditions where combinations of a relatively high stress regime and weak, laminated roof and extensive geological faulting has led to numerous roof failures throughout the mine’s life. Following development, the mines underground roadways can experience high levels of roof movement which may lead to roof falls. Multipoint wire extensometers are extensively used throughout the mine for roadway condition monitoring, and to reactively drive remedial strata support through trigger action response plans (TARPs).As a result of the use of high-density extensometer monitoring over a long period, the mines have an extensive archive of legacy data. Data processing has evolved over time in order to accommodate the increasing data volume, including direct data entry from the recently introduced hard-wired real-time monitoring instruments. It is likely that telemetric real-time instruments will be introduced in the future, which will cause another step change in data management requirements. This paper discusses the transition to and evolution of relational database management systems for extensometer and associated data.This paper also presents case studies of the use of a new software tool for reprocessing legacy data to enable time-scaled visualisation of monitoring data in the context of longwall and development face positions and installed strata support. The software can be used proactively in the identification of geotechnical risk factors and their interaction with the mining process to allow a more robust geotechnical hazard process. It interfaces directly with the widely used ExtoChart database software and can be presented with scale drawings of geological and geotechnical data to allow correlation of monitoring data results with risk factors.CITATION:Corbett, P and Sheffield, P, 2015. The use of high-intensity monitoring data to better characterise geotechnical properties of a non-homogeneous rock mass, in Proceedings Third International Future Mining Conference, pp 145–158 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Nov 4, 2015

By Franklin R. Olaya

El presente texto señala algunos aspectos geotécnicos de los depósitos de relaves como el marco teórico, los ensayos de laboratorio y campos utilizados en cada una de las cuatro etapas utilizadas. Dicha metodología permite estimar valores de pendientes de disposición de relaves que permitan un equilibrio entre la capacidad de almacenamiento, estabilidad y operación del depósito de relaves.

Nov 1, 2015

By José Fernandes De Oliveira Ugarte

El presente texto tiene como objetivo la evaluación del oro nativo y electrum encontrado en su forma libre, diseminado, encapsulado en matrices sulfurosas y sulfatadas que fue empleado en los procesos de flotación y lixiviación. Para ello, se estudiaron 54 muestras que fueron analizadas por difracción de rayos X y clasificadas en tres grupos con 18 muestras cada uno e identificadas de matrices oxidada, sulfatada y sulfurosa. Después de tamizadas fueron colocadas en briquetas de 4 mm de diámetro y analizadas por microscopía electrónica para los estudios estadísticos de los minerales portadores de oro y para los estudios de microscopía óptica.

Nov 1, 2015

By Milton Camino

El presente texto describe los antecedentes geológicos del yacimiento orogénico El Gigante, el cual presenta una mineralización filoneana del tipo relleno de fracturas asociada a estructuras de un lineamiento principal NW-SE. posicionándose como una de las franjas metalogenéticas de oro más importantes de la región y del mundo. De forma que se busca difundir los últimos resultados de la exploración a través de los nuevos descubrimientos en profundidad y los nuevos sistemas de vetas al borde Este del Batolito De Pataz. Así como formular un modelo que integre geología, mineralogía, cronología y geoquímica del yacimiento El Gigante, que permita mejorar el entendimiento de los procesos de formación de los yacimientos orogénicos de la franja metalogenética de Pataz y oriente al descubrimiento de nuevos recursos minerales.

Oct 21, 2015

By Gawen Jenkin

The extraction of metals from ores is often an energy-intensive process, requiring either smelting or leaching at high temperature, or the use of large quantities of strong acids or bases that require energy to produce. These processes often produce wastes, in gaseous, liquid or solid form, which require treatment before they can be safely disposed, and this waste treatment requires further energy. Thus there is a need to develop more energy-efficient and environmentally-compatible methods. In this sense, the paper point out that ionic liquids are one such method, and that they can be used to selectively dissolve and recover native gold and tellurium, sulphides and tellurides.

Oct 21, 2015

By Óscar Queirolo

El presente trabajo explora la legislación nacional en cuanto a los ecosistemas que necesitan medidas especiales de gestión, la norma aprobada de compensación ambiental y los lineamientos internacionales vinculados con la gestión de ecosistemas en proyectos mineros en función de su pertinencia con la realidad minera peruana. Asimismo, propone una metodología a seguir para una adecuada gestión de los impactos sobre la biodiversidad y presenta algunos ejemplos tangibles desarrollados en nuestro medio y realidades similares.

Oct 21, 2015

By Guillermo Velarde

Dado que la flotación seguida por la fundición/ refinación es la única vía de procesamiento del cobre, se buscó una alternativa que trate con suficiencia los sulfuros de leyes marginales dentro del CUT-OFF de una concentradora. En ese sentido, el presente texto señala que la energía solar se convierte en una herramienta que ayuda a lixiviar minerales con poca pirita y obtener una temperatura de proceso que magnifica la recuperación del cobre en especial de la calcopirita, etc. Asimismo, la influencia cuantitativa de la temperatura en la recuperación de los sulfuros primarios, transicionales y secundarios de cobre, la velocidad de calentamiento de la pila, las temperaturas de proceso que puede alcanzarse, las pérdidas de calor en el periodo no soleado del día, el balance térmico de la pila y otros indicadores económicos de viabilidad, etc. son presentados como resultados de pruebas diversas a nivel de laboratorio e industrial.

Oct 21, 2015

By Quan Situ

In evaluating the influence of increased mine ventilation utilizing the vertical production shaft as intake or exhaust, various factors, such as conveyance motion and especially the shaft guide system, have been studied. Case studies of two typical conveyance guide systems, namely rope guide (in a potash mine) and fixed guide (in a hard rock mine) are presented.

Oct 21, 2015

By Alan Rojas

La simulación estocástica de variables categóricas (facies) es un campo donde se busca integrar conceptos geológicos tales como posiciones relativas, orientaciones diferenciadas de facies, tipos de contactos y proporciones de las diferentes facies geológicas con el fin de presentar patrones de atributos geológicos con comportamiento más realísticos. Sin embargo, faltan más indicios de dicho estudio y algunos de los métodos de simulación geoestadística estándares existentes, fallan en proporcionar muchas de las relaciones espaciales geológicas. En este sentido, el presente texto señala la eficacia del método plurigaussiana, el cual proporciona una forma sensata de representar toda la información para inferir las distribuciones de las facies, así como la capacidad de reproducir imágenes respetando la información experimental y la proporción de las facies incluso si estas tienen un comportamiento no estacionario en un depósito de Nickel Laterítico localizado en Nueva Caledonia.

Oct 21, 2015

By Carlos Virrueta

"El presente texto señala la importancia del comportamiento seguro en el sistema de riesgos aplicados al comportamiento de los trabajadores, salud y medio ambiente para así establecer los lineamientos yresponsabilidades requeridos para realizar el programa de Auditorías de Comportamiento Seguro, fortalecer el compromiso visible de liderazgo de los equipos de trabajo, así como crear y fortalecer en las personas el hábito de la prevención de los riesgos."

Oct 21, 2015

By Glen Toepfer

The paper point out geosynthetic installations as assets, Construction Quality Assurance (CQA) and how both items relate to ensuring a sound installation that should provide a significant return on investment for the owner. Also this elements that are required in obtaining a sound installation and the tangible benefits of a zero-leak geomembrane installation.

Oct 21, 2015

By Diego Benites

El presente texto señala los resultados de la caracterización mineralógica de 28 muestras con importante contenido en sulfosales de plomo y cobre de origen hidrotermal provenientes de la Sierra Central del Perú. El principal objetivo fue caracterizar la mineralogía de la zona con énfasis en las sulfosales y el aporte de plata que éstas podían contener. Así, las sulfosales identificadas por microscopia óptica en conjunto con microscopia electrónica de barrido son: tetraedrita, tennantita, boulangerita, bournonita, fizélyita, jamesonita, semseyita, zinkenita; entre otros. Para determinar qué minerales aportaban plata y en qué porcentaje, se realizaron estudios puntuales por microscopia electrónica. Así también se verificó que la plata se aprecia en pequeñas cantidades en sulfosales de plomo, mientras que éstas aparecen en mayor abundancia con respecto a las sulfosales de plata y de cobre.

Oct 21, 2015

By Kevin Gunesch

In the current difficult financial markets, only the best projects will advance to the next phases of development due to limited funding. Projects are consistently being evaluated by their initial Capital Expenditure (CapEx), Net Present Value (NPV), and Internal Rate of Return (IRR). Optimizing these parameters is the best way to gain market interest. Global Resource Engineering LTD (GRE) completed an optimization study for a silver-lead-zinc project in Peru. In this sense, the objective of the study was to minimize the project initial Capital Expenditure while maximizing the Net Present Value and Internal Rate of Return. GRE accomplished this goal by completing a series of tradeoff studies for the project and combining them through the use of a multi-scenario deterministic model to find the most economic scenario.

Oct 21, 2015

By Gordon I. McPhail

Future challenges to the mining industry are many and include increasing requirements from regulatory agencies and communities, more competitive commodity pricing, increasing competition for power and water supplies, deeper mines and increasing number sulfide ore bodies requiring dealing with Acid Rock Drainage (ARD) controls and finally larger mine waste structures increasing consequences of potential failures. In this sense, the paper deals with approaches that can, and have been, used in planning the overall project and tailings facilities locations and layouts. It also discusses approaches used to achieve better planning, by considering an integrated milling, concentration, and tailings process, rather than considering tailings and the Tailings Storage Facility (TSF) as an independent entity.

Oct 21, 2015

By Aigen Zhao

This paper describes the geocomposite manufactured with a special HDPE geonet and heat-laminating a polypropylene geotextile to one or both sides of the geonet. Also the text presents the design and result analyses of large-scale field test pad with the geocomposite overliner system, compared side by side to a control pad with a conventional gravel and pipe drainage system.

Oct 21, 2015

By José Cayetano

El presente trabajo plantea un proceso para minimizar el contenido de bismuto en las celdas de electrorefinación, a través de la adición de carbonato de bario a la solución electrolito, de forma que el bismuto soluble presente en fase líquida, se precipite sobre la superficie del precipitado insoluble de BaSO4, bajo una coprecipitación por adsorción e intercambio debido al equilibrio dinámico entre el precipitado y la solución de electrolito conteniendo al bismuto. En este sentido, se reduce la presencia del bismuto en el electrolito de cobre en un 75%, adicionalmente se tiene la disminución del contenido de plomo en un 96%, de estaño en 48% y de plata en un 18% aproximadamente.

Oct 21, 2015

By Jeremy Dowling

Mine dewatering is needed in most large open pits but the current practice of using in-pit vertcal wells is often chellenging to implement with good results. In order to address these challenges, SWS collaborated with FMI and innovated a directionally placed mine dewatering well workflow, based on well placement technologies from the Oil and Gas industry. The main aims of the program are to: Maximize hydraulic contact between the ore deposit and production dewatering wells and attain enhanced well production rates from the most important fracture sets. Move the well-heads to permanent areas outside of mine operating areas, removing or reducing the need for in-pit wells and allowing for sustained, prolonged pumping runs times.

Oct 21, 2015

By Félix García

The Yanacocha Operation is an open pit gold mining operation located in mountainous terrain in Northern Perú. Given constraints imposed by the topography and the permitted boundaries, the efficient use of space is a priority for the Operation. Gold extraction from some ore types involves leaching, and the construction of heap leach facilities (HLF). The construction of HLF over a waste rock facility (WRF) is an example of a design driven by the need to use space efficiently. Liner grades that promote controlled drainage of leach solution, and drainage infrastructure are essential in HLF design. With this in mind, accounting for settlements in the waste rock and the native soils that form the WRF foundation were particularly important for this application. The facility continues to function in accordance with the design. This concept permitted important cost savings, and provided useful HLF capacity for the Yanacocha Operation.

Oct 21, 2015