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By Richard Lavallée

La Mine Louvicourt est une mine hautement mécanisée exploitant un gisement polymétallique avec des chantiers transversaux minés et remblayés selon une séquence primaire-secondaire. Dans certaines parties du gisement, il n'y avait qu'un accès à la coupe inférieure, car il n'était pas rentable d'avoir aussi un accès par coupe supérieure. Le minerai situé au-dessus des chantiers avec trous ascendants était considéré comme ressource non rentable par minage mécanisé. L'option de miner ces ressources avec des sous-niveaux avec accès par monterie alimak et forage long-trous de petit diamètre fût donc étudiée et démontra une rentabilité intéressante, particulièrement en considérant les tonnes ainsi minées comme tonnage supplémentaire au tonnage planifié. Dans ces chantiers, les détonateurs électroniques ont été très utiles et de plus, les coûts d'explosifs ont étés réduits considérablement par l'utilisation d'émulsion pompée en vrac.

Oct 1, 2004

Jan 1, 1967

By E. V. Konoplev

Russia is one of the largest manufacturers of potash fertilizers in the world. Processing of potash ores basically is carried out by a flotation way. Potash ores of the Verhnekamsky potash deposit contain sylvite (KCl), halite (NaCl) and water insoluble impurity (up to 8 %), presented silicate- carbonate minerals, easily slimed by ore crushing in rod mills. Ore of some deposit sites, developed by ?Uralkali? Co, contains a significant amount of a carnal-lite (KCl.MgCl2.6H2O). Work practice of flotation potash plants has shown, that increase of car-nallite content in ore leads to increase magnesium ion content in a circulated plant brine (saturated salt solution of potassium and sodium chlorides-sylvite brine) and to deterioration of indicators of ore processing. In the Paper we present results of researches of floatability of various size sylvite and influences silicate-carbonate slimes on sylvite flotation in brines with the various magnesium chloride content. It is established, that with increase magnesium chloride content in the brine mainly decreases the flotation of coarse sylvite and amplifies adverse effect of silicate-carbonate slimes on sylvite flotation. In this connection deterioration of potash ore flotation is caused not only decrease sylvite floatability but also strengthening adverse action of water insoluble impurity on potash flotation. It is shown that the application of frothing agents, which render the stronger dispersive action on the colloidal-micellar structures of amine in the salt solution increases the absorption of collector on the sylvite and improves the flotation of sylvite into magnesium the containing salt solutions. The application of an organic depressor to the greatest degree of decreasing the absorption amine on the slimes and to the smallest degree possessing anionic properties proves to be most effective with the flotation carnallite of the containing potassium ores. It is offered the application the frother on a basis of glycol ethers and organic depressor on a basis of urea-formaldehyde resin. Results of industrial tests developed reagent modes for flotation treatment of ores with the raised carnallite content (to 6 %) on ?Uralkali? Co plant have shown that their application has allowed to receive equivalent indicators potash flotations at change of magnesium chloride content in the brine from 0.7 % up to 2.4 % .

Jan 1, 2014

By L Snyman, S Webster and J Samosir

Northparkes is located 27 km north of the township of Parkes in central New South Wales, Australia. The operations consist of underground block cave mines and an ore processing plant, which produces high-grade copper and gold concentrate. Production is currently sourced from the E48 Lift 1 block cave mine and open cut stockpiles. Mining commenced at Northparkes in 1994 as an open cut operation. Underground block cave mining began in 1997. Northparkes was the first mine in Australia to use the highly efficient block cave mining method, which relies on gravity and natural rock stresses to fragment and recover the ore.The E48 extraction level is located approximately 581 m below surface and consists of ten extraction drives and 214 drawpoints. Several stress measurements carried out at various levels in both E26 and E48 indicated a low underground regional stress environment and a low to moderate stress state in the E48 orebody. The E48 block used a post undercut strategy that was initiated in 2009, with production commencing in September 2010 and cave-through to the surface occurring approximately four months later in January 2011. Changes to the cut-off grade and fixed prices meant that Northparkes was able to develop an additional two drives to the north of the existing cave and one additional drive to the south. Modelling of the cavability of the additional drives indicated that the cave would not readily propagate to sufficient height of draw to mobilise the ore and tended to arch over to the existing cave shape. Based on modelling and a desire to reduce the risk of the project, preconditioning was adopted. Along with the requirement of safely hydrofracturing an active cave, a measure of the success of the preconditioning was desired. Few block cave operations have developed extension drives adjacent to existing caves.This paper summarises the lessons learnt from the development of this extension project, with a specific focus on ground control and monitoring.CITATION:Snyman, L, Webster, S and Samosir, J, 2016. E48 cave extension at Northparkes, in Proceedings Seventh International Conference and Exhibition on Mass Mining (MassMin 2016), pp 111–118 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

May 9, 2016

By Ademar Lopes, Victor Silva, Heitor Silva, Gustavo Usero, Roberto Rolo, Lucas Pereira, Gabriel Moreira, João Lague, Arthur Endlein, Matheus Feitosa

Grade control models are supposed to provide a higher resolution than long-term or interim models. However, available grids from diamond or reverse circulation drilling do not provide that required resolution. In this study, a geostatistical workflow is proposed to integrate available grade data from production blastholes with its operational parameters taken when drilling downhole. The step of geological logging can be replaced by machine learning models for classifying blastholes into lithologies and hardness classes. Next, indicator and ordinary kriging use the classified blastholes and previous data for estimating the model domains and the grades within each one. The workflow is applied in a world class iron ore mine in Brazil.

Jun 25, 2023

By Julie M. Melluish

The metallurgical response of the Point Leamington deposit has been studied. Two series of bench tests were conducted and various ore samples and flotation products were examined using image analysis techniques. The majority of sphalerite and chalcopyrite grains in this texturally complex ore were found to be smaller than 10 micrometres. Copper recoveries were low with losses mainly as fine inclusions in pyrite. Sphalerite recoveries were somewhat better due to a generally coarser habit. Gold and silver recoveries were also low and only solid solution silver was identified in the ore. The deposit shows poor economic prospects unless additional tonnage of high grade zinc ore can be delineated.

Jan 1, 1989

By G Anders

The mucking out of sub-level headings by slusher and by Autoloader is described, and the performance and costs of both methods are compared. The introduction of the Autoloader is taken as an example to illustrate the meth-od used at the mine for evaluating the suitability of new equipment. The consecutive steps in the process are covered in detail -from the preliminary cost analysis and the preliminary estimate of savings and advantages, and the review of these data after a field investigation, through the elimination of dubious factors, and detailed time and performance studies at the property, to the final assessment of the new equipment and an evaluation of the initial forecast. The Autoloader in Operation. 1198 Introduction AT Mattagami Lake Mines Ltd., the mine workings are laid out basically on a pattern of 60-ft.-wide stapes alternating with 60-ft.-wide pillars, with stope lengths varying from 80 to 200 ft. and stope tonnages generally between 80,000 and 200,000 tons. Stapes are drilled off from sub-levels at 60-ft. intervals, with the

Jan 1, 1965

By A. Ducastel, S. Connemann, A. Stark, F. Bouillot, C. Fricke-Begemann, LSA, H. Knapp, L. Horckmans

"Refractory materials are essential for all high-temperature applications in industry. Depending on the position in the furnace and specific process requirements, refractories are produced from several raw materials, such as dolomite, magnesite, bauxite, graphite or chromite. Most of these raw materials are not rare but strict quality requirements limit the producers of refractories to only a few deposits in the world. Thus, raw material supply is a critical factor for the production of refractories and accounts for 40-50 % of the total costs of refractories.A possible way to lower dependency on raw material supply is recycling of spent refractories. Main challenge in recycling is the separation of different brick types from each other and the removal of impurities, such as steel or slag. The European FP7 project REFRASORT aims to apply sensor-based sorting for separation of spent refractories. Sensor-based sorting is known from food industry, recycling and mineral processing and has proven its reliability. Nevertheless, some adjustments are necessary compared to applications in mineral processing because of other sensor-types and a higher number of products in one sorting step. This paper presents the results of feasibility tests for sensor-based sorting of refractories with near infrared spectroscopy and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). Both sensors showed the potential to identify different brick types but the most promising results were obtained using LIBS technology. INTRODUCTIONRefractories are solid, ceramic products, which can sustain temperatures of more than 1500°C, without losing their stability or shape. Bricks of refractories have to withstand corrosion in contact with liquid steel or slag. Various high temperature applications, such as the production of glass, steel, copper or cement, require high quality refractories. The quality requirements of refractory bricks are strict, because small impurities can lower the thermal strength significantly."

Jan 1, 2016

(Under this heading will be published notes sent to the Secretary of the Institute by members or other persons introduced by members) Member, Graduate Colorado School of Mines. Four years' experience in West and Northwest. Two years with American Smelting and Refining Co. Wishes to join field party on geological work, mining or areal, where opportunity will be given to be of direct assistance to chief of party in solution of field problems. Age, 26. Unmarried. At liberty June 1. No. 342. Member, technical graduate, aged 30, with' 7 years' experience in concentrating and mining, desires a position of authority with reliable company. At present employed. No. 343. Member. Ambitious, energetic, tactful engineer, college graduate, married, aged 30, desires location with a large coal mining organization. Seven years with present employers -n middle west; has had broad experience in the past eight years on examination, development and construction; successful record in handling men. Position must carry responsible work and a future. Will go anywhere for proper opportunity. Exceptional references as to reliability, character and capacity for work. No. 344.

Jan 3, 1917

By Arthur Knapp

THE law of supply and demand is, in general terms, that law which governs the price of any commodity in an unrestricted competitive market. There are several variables which, for the purpose of this discussion, will be defined only as they apply to the petroleum industry: Production: The volume of petroleum that is moved from leases. Stocks: The volume of petroleum that is in the hands of the tank farm and pipeline companies. Inventory: The value of the stocks at the market. Consumption: The indicated delivery of oil to others than those who hold stocks. Demand: The potential absorbing power of the consuming market. Demand is the expression of the needs of the consumer and may depend on the economic value of the oil to the consumer. In times of low prices, the demand is the same as the consumption but during periods of high, prices or deficiency in supply, the demand may be greater than consumption. A general expression of the law is, as follows: Production or consumption Some relation between stocks and or controls price or demand inventory

Jan 3, 1924

By B. D. Sparks, I. E. Puddington, F. W. Meadus

The continuous separation of bitumen from Athabasca tar sands, with a high clay content, has been demonstrated. Recoveries of 95 per cent or higher have been obtained. Further processing of this product, to produce an accept-able type of crude oil, would require less heat than currently used in the hot-water process. Also, by comparison, substantial savings in equipment and operating costs are indicated.

Jan 1, 1971

By Y. W. Miao

Along the south-west coast of Taiwan is about 550,000 metric tons of heavy sand deposit containing about 10 % black monazite. The Institute has developed a separation process to recover the individual rare earths and the developed process has been commercialized by a local private company. The decomposition of the local black monazite by sodium hydroxide through hydrothermal and fusion methods has been investigated. In the hydrothermal process 4.5 wt. % of aqueous alkali solution was used in an autoclave. In the fusion process, caustic soda (9.8% NaOH) was employed in am open cylindrical reactor. The same product of hydrous rare earth oxides were obtained and then dissolved by hydrochloric acid and the p-H adjusted in order to separate the thorium from the rare earths. After filtration, the filtrate contained rare earth chloride and the cake contained mainly the silica and thorium hydroxide. Both methods give a yield of 90 % with respect to the rare earths recovery. A detailed description of operation and comparison of the two methods are given.

Jan 1, 1989

THE Pacific Northwest's joint meeting of the Industrial Minerals and Metals Branch in Spokane, Wash., drew 260 members, 72 students, and 30 ladies. Theme of the meeting was to acquaint men in the industry with students and younger men. The special appeal to the students was coupled with an attempt to attract young technical men from the companies located in the northwestern area. The activities of the meeting were available without charge to students. Contributions were made by the industries in the area to assist student attendance. Following the special student and faculty trip to the Trentwood rolling mills and research laboratory on Friday afternoon everyone enjoyed a complimentary dinner. A. Y. Bethune of the Sullivan Mining Co., spoke to the group on the operations of Kellogg, Idaho electrolytic zinc plant. The Industrial Minerals Div. session was opened on Saturday morning by R. G. Vervaeke, Conference Chairman who introduced A. O. Bartell of the Raw Materials Survey, Portland, Ore. Mr. Bartell in turn introduced C. W. Sweetwood who discussed Open-Pit Phosphate Mining.

Jan 1, 1952

Authorisation No.66 (to Prospect) was allocated to R.W. Miller & Co. Pty. Ltd. on 1st November, 1976. Exploration has brought coal reserves to measured status in the Jerry's Plains sub-group which are about 550m. thick. The immediately lower Vane Sub-group, about 200m. thick, includes about 20 seams. The total measured and indicated reserves of the two sub-groups based on the criteria adopted by the company amount to 1362 million tonnes in situ. This very large resource is subject to very many mining constraints both physical and economic which limit the saleable reserves under present conditions to about 120 million tonnes. The results of the calculation of reserves after exploration is complete in a deep multiple seam situation is dependent upon the criteria used to include or exclude seams in the reserves. These criteria are state- ments of the miner's expectations of the market, mining and coal preparation technology, local and national politics and the law as it may be applied in the future.

Jan 1, 1979

By Choulaj D

Mining and petroleum continue to be the two most vita components of our nation's development, says Sir Julius Char in the Australian Journal of Mining (Nov-Dec 1996). In fact the} account for 71.6% of export earnings, and 21.2% of Gros; Domestic Product in Papua New Guinea. The Misima and Porger, Mines, along with the Kutubu oil project, have essentially rescues PNG's economic viability since the loss of income from Panguna Though the industry cannot create employment in the manner o. intensive industries such as agriculture, it does provid( opportunities to local communities in terms of jobs, financia compensation, and infrastructure. Many ventures take many years and enormous capital investment to set up. There are three phases: exploration, feasibility, an( operations. The operations phase sees a massive development o infrastructure, or the actual `building' of the mine. For mining companies to commit to such lengthy time frames and high level: of investment, without returns, requires confidence and a degree of commitment from government on a number of levels - legislative stability, monitoring social development, and the provision o social infrastructure.

Jan 1, 1997

By E. Morgan Massey

Located in virgin coal acreage near Gilbert, W. Va., Massey Coal Mining Co.'s Ben Creek No. 2 mine afforded the company's engineers the opportunity of designing and laying out the entire mining operation from the mine faces to the railroading loading site. However, the topography of this region posed difficult problems in haulage of coal for, in this extremely rugged terrain the uppermost coal seams lay in the mountain-top ridges, approximately 1400 ft above the valley floor. The decision for mining equipment naturally leaned to the new high-capacity continuous miners where seam conditions permitted: otherwise, to the new super-high capacity conventional cutting and loading machines. Since the coal seams lay in ridges and points of considerable outcropping, the decision was to keep the transportation on the surface and mine the coal with multiple entries into the outcrop. This way, the major problems of underground haulage, drainage, and ventilation are eliminated, and the opportunity to take advantage of a-c underground power becomes a much simpler proposition.

Jan 10, 1960

By P. J. Kinver

This paper deals with the development of backfilling methods and systems at the Broken Hill orebody of Black Mountain Mineral Development Company (Pty) Limited, at Aggeneys in the north-western Cape Province. Production started in 1979, being confined to large diameter blasthole stoping methods in the upper, steeply dipping areas of the orebody. This blasthole reserve is now depleted and the production tonnage, 100000 tons per month, is produced from eight cut and fill stopes in the flatter dipping areas of the orebody. The fill methods of the blasthole stoping area evolved prior to the pillar extraction are briefly discussed together with the resulting experiences gained that enabled virtually 100% extraction to be achieved. The original cut and fill mining used costly hydraulic cemented fill; this was replaced partly by unconsolidated river sand and later by dune sand which occurs in abundance. The paper describes the planning, research work and commissioning of a cycloning plant that now enables dune sand to be used successfully as an unconsolidated hydraulic fill. The development of drainage, placement and control methods are also reviewed.

Jan 1, 1988

By I. M. Charles

Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen: At the request of our Secretary, Mr. Shubart, I am pleased to present the following brief discussion of the Alamo Washery. In order to insure an excellent and uniform preparation of nut coal, the Alamo Coal Company erected last year a modern washery at a cost of about $50,000, in which, since the completion last December, all of the nut coal shipped from the Alamo Mine, has been washed. In part of the workings of the Alamo Mine, the coal is overlaid by a lenticular strata of slate, which invariably falls when the coal is shot down and breaks for the most part into fragments of such size as pass through three-inch round perforations, and are retained on plates having one and a fourth inch round holes with the nut coal. This "draw slate" comprises the principal impurity in the Alamo coal, and to remove it, some bone and a few small fragments of sandstone from the roof and floor, the washery was designed and erected. The few impurities contained in the lamp are readily re-

Jan 1, 1926

By Juan C. Sotomayor Álvarez

The Huantajalla mine is seated on Uchucchacua 's Mixing District that is the fourth producer of Silver in the world. Huantajalla Mine is a new mine that nowadays is being explored and recently it has began to operate. The project for 4-A vein exploitation in Huantajalla Mine using Longhole drillings as a new method of mixing is developed by Planning Department of Uchucchacua Mine in coordination with Geology Department of this mine, started in June 2004. This project is funded by Company of Mines Buenaventura S.A.A In July 2002, Geology Department started the exploration on the area of Huantajalla Mine, discovering the 4-A vein. The reconnaissance and definition of the vein finished June 2003, finding 79,080 Ton of mineral of Silver with a grade of 40.0 Oz Ag/ton and a thickness of 1.85 meters (6 feet ). Using the longhole method on the vein exploitation will replace the cut and fill and shrinkage methods, and it will keep a dilution of 15%.

Oct 1, 2004

By Launa G. Mallett, Dana Reinke, Charles Vaught, Michael J. Brnich

As mines become safer and major disasters fewer, the number of experienced emergency responders is decreasing. This decrease will create a gap in response expertise which could have serious ramifications during future mine disasters. While working toward safety goals which may make emergency response obsolete, it would be reckless not to acknowledge that the potential for disaster still exists and that the protection of miners in such circumstances must remain a priority. The Mine Emergency Response Interactive Training Simulation (MERITS) is a computerized mine emergency simulation that meets a variety of needs. It allows personnel in leadership positions to test their knowledge and skill. Groups of individuals composed of representatives from mining companies, labor, and government agencies can practice working together during the simulated mine emergency much in the same way an actual emergency would require. An individual could also run the program to enhance his or her response skills. With this training tool, responders will be able to learn from their mistakes before facing situations with potentially catastrophic consequences. This paper discusses MERITS and its use in providing command center training.