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By R N. Robson, A B. Christie, I J. Graham

Strategy development by the minerals industry identified the fragmented management of mineral resources as a significant impediment to the discovery and development of New Zealand Æs mineral resources. The total gross value of New Zealand Æs potential resources of coal and minerals is estimated at about $400 billion, but their potential value is not being realised. The management of minerals is now largely under the control of 86 local authorities (regional and district councils) and the lack of recognition of the significance of the sector has lead to inconsistencies in the way minerals are managed. The industry strategy influenced science funding for minerals, with the result that the 'mineral wealth' component now includes research on making better use of resource data in minerals management. Initially this research has targeted Otago and Northland regions where a number of initiatives are now in progress.   In Otago the Regional Council has budgeted to contribute $1 million towards a regional geophysical survey to advance mineral exploration and the management of subsurface resources in the region, to work cooperatively towards improving public awareness of the significance of minerals to regional economic activity, and to better coordinate policy-making for minerals at regional and district levels.   Crown Minerals, and the Far North and Whangarei district councils are considering providing funding support for an economic study of the mineral potential of Northland, building on a mineral resource assessment undertaken by GNS Science. Enterprise Northland is adding minerals to their list of potential growth sectors, and is supporting the operation of a Northland region minerals focus group.   Regional development agencies and local authorities have shown that they are willing to include mineral resources in their development strategies and to provide for them in policies and plans when supplied with information and assisted with technical support.

Jan 1, 2006

By Charles Vaught, JON VOLKWEIN, ROBERT PETERS, ERICA HALL

Since 1999, the CWP level among miners with 25 years or more experience, for instance, has risen from slightly more than 4% to 9% (See Figure 1). While it is obviously necessary to protect all miners’ lungs, there is now a technology to improve the chances that new miners’ lungs will be protected from the day they begin work.

By Liguang Zhu, Yihua Han, Qingjun Zhang, Xiaoyan Wu, Pengcheng Xiao

The evolution of chemical composition, size, proportion, and morphology of the Al-Ti-Mg-O inclusions during the steelmaking process of Interstitial Free (IF) steel from the RH to the Continuous Casting (CC) slab were investigated by means of Auto-SEM. Results showed that many of Al2O3 and MgO-Al2O3 type inclusions are modified by TiOx, while most of their shapes are irregular due to the high melting temperature. The composition evolutions and melting characteristics of Al-Ti-Mg-O inclusions under different contents of [Al], [Ti] and [Mg] were estimated by using thermodynamic software Factsage 7.0. Results showed that estimated results are in good agreement with the analysis results of industrial samples. Both the Ti alloying and spontaneous enrichment would make a high Ti concentration environment that was in favor of the TiOx existence. Moreover, more TiOx component can modify MgO-Al2O3 spine inclusion into inclusions with a lower melting temperature.

Mar 1, 2018

By William C. Cooley

This study Identifies and evaluates deposits of noncoal minerals in the U.S. which are most amenable to be mined underground hydraulically and transported hydraulically. A method was developed to screen and compare mineral deposits including economic comparisons. The most applicable minerals for hydraulic mining by borehole monitor jets from underground entries are soft uranium sandstones In Wyoming in locations where water is available. This method with hydrotransport could improve the safety, health and economy of underground uranium mining. Soft oil-bearing sandstones in California and Texas could be mined and transported by this method more safely than by other underground mining methods. Other weak sandstones may be hydraulically mined economically. Man, minerals are too hard to be mined by monitor jet but are amenable to hydraulic transport and hoisting. Uranium sandstone in New Mexico is of interest because of potentially improved health and safety in transport and lower transport cost, Increases in mine output for potash, in New Mexico and trona in Wyoming can be achieved most economically by adding hydraulic hoisting when existing skip capacity is at its limit. Research is recommended to obtain site-specific data on the feasibility of mining uranium ores by monitor jets.

Jan 1, 1981

By A. J. Terrones

THE classical papers on contact metasomatic deposits by Lindgren on the Clifton-Morenci district,' by Barrell on Marysville, Mont.,' and by Gold-schmitt on the Oslo district, Norway,' laid the foundation for understanding of the importance of separating the metamorphic process from the subsequent metasomatic stage. Knopf' made a big step forward by recognizing that sulfide ore minerals are invariably younger than silicates and by further stressing the importance of structural control" in ore finding. Some years later Harrison Schmitt" fought the idea that contact metasomatic deposits are erratic, irregular, bunchy, economically marginal, and of small size, concluding that these descriptions have little factual basis. He emphasized the importance of detail mapping and careful geological study as fundamental requirements for a better understanding of these deposits. This article presents a comparative description of the structural features at the Magistral, Antamina, Morococha, Vilca, Ferrobamba, Katanga (Quibio), Tintaya, and Huarca contact deposits (Fig. 1). Further, it will describe how these structural features controlled the emplacement of the intrusives, their shape, distribution of metamorphic and metasomatic halos, and sulfide deposition in post-skarn structural channelways. Finally, the modifications introduced by a superimposed hydrothermal stage recognized at some localities will be discussed. Primary exploration and careful sampling of recognized structural targets were instrumental in outlining the copper ore potential at the Antamina and Tintaya districts, thus proving the benefits and reward of careful geological examinations in this type of deposit. The Magistral District: This district lies in the Province of Pallasca, Department of Ancash, in northern Peru, at 8o 16' S and 77" 47' W. High to medium grade copper orebodies in garnetite, bordering a quartz monzonite stock, are exposed at the bottom of a glaciated valley in the western slope of the Andes at 4250 m (14,000 ft)* elevation.

Jan 1, 1959

By David J. White

The decreasing availability of land in urban areas, and the increasing demand for urban development is leading to the construction of taller and heavier buildings at increasingly marginal sites. Such structures usually require founding at depth and modern construction methods are making the economics of piled foundations ever more attractive (Salgado, 1995). However, the urban environment is not suited to pile driving. Conventional dynamic installation techniques (i.e. drop hammer or vibro-piling) induce vibrations and settlement in a zone close to the pile, and cause noise and dust pollution. Damage to existing structures resulting from pile driving vibrations is not uncommon (Tomlinson, 1986).

Jan 1, 2000

Some low grade South Australian iron ores were classified on the basis of their physical characteristics. Ores from Mount Christie and Billeroo are coarse grained mixed ores; Mount Christie ore could be concentrated by gravity or dry magnetic separation at 10 mesh, but Billeroo ore needed to be crushed minus 36 mesh. Ores from Razorback Ridge and Wilgena Hill are fine grained mixed ores; ore from Wilgena Hill could be concentrated by flotation, but poor results were obtained on Razorback Ridge ore. Malcolm Creek ore is non-magnetic and crystalline, and can be concentrated by flotation, but the deposit is small. Ores from Grants Quarries and Peeralilla Hill are nonmagnetic and earthy and could not be satisfactorily concentrated.INTRODUCTIONThe Geological Survey of South Australia has for several years been undertaking a systematic study of the iron ore resources of the State (excluding the Middleback Ranges) in relation to their geology, reserves, and beneficiation. As part of the latter phase of the investigation samples of the ores have been submitted to The Australian Mineral Development Laboratories (AMDL), and it was the study of these samples which provided the material for this paper.The mineragraphic and metallurgical work was undertaken by several officers of AMDL and the results are contained in unpublished reports submitted to the South Australian Department of Mines. Field data published here was obtained from unpublished reports by G. F. Whitten, Senior Geologist, Iron Exploration, of the Geological Survey of South Australia.

Jan 1, 1964

By D Garcés, M Meléndez, R Castro, E Viera

Enhancing the understanding of gravity flow in caving operations is a key factor in the design, operation and success of caving methods. Consequently, much research has been performed to increase knowledge about gravity flow. Many valuable theories have been gained from different research approaches, which include physical modelling, numerical modelling and a limited number of full-scale tests. Recent advances in technology have allowed Codelco Chile to carry out trials using Smart Markers technology. This technology was used in Esmeralda mine’s Block-2 at El Teniente mine from August 2012 to January 2015. This paper aims to determine the characteristics of the extraction zone and obtain the data that will allow greater understanding of gravity flow for design and draw control purposes.The collected data from recovered markers were analysed using a linear interpolation of both the initial position of the markers and drawbell accumulated drawn tonnage. For each drawpoint in the trial, the regularity or irregularity of flow was analysed based on the recovered markers and the drawn tonnage. Correspondingly, the relationship between flow characteristics and observed fragmentation in drawpoints was analysed. The gravity flow of the Smart Markers revealed that current drawpoint spacing provides the interaction conditions of adjacent flow zones. However, it is possible to increase the drawpoint spacing while allowing caved rock to be extracted from the major and minor apexes.The results of this research also verified that full-scale test data are the predominant factor in the production level design and production control at El Teniente mine.CITATION:Garcés, D, Viera, E, Castro, R and Meléndez, M, 2016. Gravity flow full-scale tests at Esmeralda Mine’s Block-2, El Teniente, in Proceedings Seventh International Conference and Exhibition on Mass Mining (MassMin 2016), pp 349–358 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

May 9, 2016

By R. J. Durheim

Detailed investigations have been conducted into 21 rockbursts which caused damage to excavations in deep South African gold mines, in many instances resulting in the death or serious injury of workers. The objective of this study is to determine the principal factors controlling the severity and distribution of damage, so that strategies to reduce the hazard of rockbursts may be developed. It was found that the source mechanism is often controlled by the mine layout, and regional structures such as faults and dykes; while local rock conditions and support systems strongly influence the location and severity of damage. In the short term the most important lever for reducing the rockburst hazard is the effective implementation of existing rock engineering knowledge and technology.

Jan 1, 1998

By Simón Díaz‑Quezada, Ernesto Arancibia, HUMBERTO ESTAY, Tomás Vargas

In situ leaching (ISL) is an attractive technique that enables copper recovery from copper oxide ores that are either low-grade or located at depths too great to be economically exploited through conventional methods. At present, in situ leaching (ISL) has been applied to intact copper oxide ores, in particular, those which (i) present a good natural permeability and (ii) do not require preconditioning. Many copper oxide ores present low natural permeability. These are located above the water table and need preconditioning for the ISL application. The present work shows an economic assessment of the application of ISL to this type of copper ores. The preconditioning technique considered here involves the application of partial mining by sublevel stoping by removing a small fraction of the ore. This technique results in forming an ore bed with good permeability and good solution collection at the stope base. The economic assessment of this approach suggests that it can be implemented with positive net present values to copper oxide ores located at depths in the 100–300 m range, with copper grades above 0.4%. The maximum acid consumption values are below 52.5 kg/t, with blasting procedures designed to produce an ore bed with an average particle size below 6″. The breakdown of operational costs indicates that the mining cost is still very high, accounting for up to 60% of the total operating costs. Therefore, optimizing mining procedures is still necessary for improving the economic outlook of this approach and thus expanding the application field of ISL.

Feb 4, 2023

Principal component analysis of the variation of Cu, Ni, Zn, Pb, Mn, and Cr in a control group of 96 samples of surface ironstone from the Yilgarn Block, Western Australia, was used to derive a simple graphical method, based on only Cu, Ni, and Cr, for discriminating between massive nickel gossans and other ironstones.When the graph was tested by plotting 400 control samples, it failed to correctly classify only nine out of 176 gossans and 11 out of 224 other ironstones.

Jan 1, 1974

By C. P. Sandberg

Having been occupied in inspecting and testing iron and steel these twenty years in England, and previous to that having served on the Board of Iron Masters in Sweden, I have naturally been very much interested in the subject of the use of steel for structures. I regret that I can offer but comparatively small experience on that had, having had principally to do with steel for railway plant and rails, but granting these to be a kind of "structure," and also that steel for rails has similar duties to perform in many respects, and is generally manufactured in the same way and at the same works as steel for stuctures, properly speaking, I may be entitled to offer an opinion on the use of steel in construction. In a paper recently presented to the Institution of Civil Engineers in London, Mr. Ewing Matheson has recommended that the Board of Trade rules should be amended so as to allow of a maximum straining of 8 tolls per square inch instead of 6 1/2 tons. But it is equally necessary to fix the amount of ductility or elongation of the metal for such a strain as 8 tons. Strength and ductility should always be spoken of together. Mr. Matheson says that steel can be manipulated in the factory in the same way and with the same tools as are used for iron. This can only be granted for mild steel; for hard steel would be spoilt by the rough mechanical treatment which iron can stand, such as punch ing, for instance; and the remedy for regaining the strength lost by punching hard steel, viz., annealing, cannot always be applied. Noth ing proves this fact better than the punching of steel rails of consid erable hardness, which caused fractures at an early period of steelunaking, and which resulted in the stipulation for drilling instead of punching the bolt-holes, which had been formerly applied to iron rails without any damage. In fact commissions to establish standard tests are now working on the Continent, principally in Germany, where

Jan 1, 1882

By J. L. Carr

Every year, severe injuries and fatalities occur when a miner is struck or pinned by a continuous mining machine, shuttle car, scoop or other piece of mobile mining equipment. Proximity detection systems offer a means to prevent these types of injuries and fatalities by sensing the presence of a miner and disabling machine motion. Although hundreds of these systems are installed and in use in operating coal mines, the influence that coal has on the electromagnetic fields associated with these systems has never been rigorously quantified. NIOSH researchers have conducted tests to measure whether the proximity of coal has a significant influence on a popular design of proximity detection system. The system tested utilizes a low frequency magnetic field generator that would be mounted on the mining machine. At the NIOSH Safety Research Coal Mine in Pittsburgh, researchers measured the performance of a simplified proximity detection system of this type first on the surface then underground at varying distances from a coal face. Analysis of these measurements shows that the presence of coal does not have a measurable impact. Disclaimer: The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Reference to specific brand names does not imply endorsement by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

Feb 27, 2013

By D. G. Bishop

This paper is intended as a review and update of the use of Pressure Injected Footings as deep foundation units in North America. We will discuss various aspects of this pile and then discuss a particular project - the Mobile Alabama Convention Centre which is currently under construction. Pressure Injected Footing is a generic name used to describe a foundation unit that has been in use around the world for some 80 years. It has been used on all types of structures. It is an excellent pile in both compression and tension. It is particularly economic where a layer of granular soils can be found at relatively shallow depths. Other types of piles would penetrate these layers. Caissons are often difficult to construct in these soils because of their lack of cohesion and the often present water table. PIFs can density these shallow layers and carry relatively heavy building loads on them.

Jan 1, 1992

By R. L. Bleifuss

The object of this study was to evaluate the oxidized taconites of the western Mesabi iron range and to establish a correlation between the various basic taconite types and their concentratability. The initial work included a study of the original mineralogical and stratigraphic facies of the fresh taconite and traced the oxidation and leaching patterns developed during the conversion of this material to oxidized taconite. Subsequent studies have extended this work to include the semitaconites and also the wash and heavy media ore types widely developed in the area. Each basic original mineralogical facies or taconite type produces during alteration an equivalent secondary oxidized facies which has a unique mineralogical composition and texture. These control the concentratability of the oxidized taconites. Actually the influence of the original mineralogical composition of the iron formation extends even further and determines whether the most likely product of oxidation and leaching will be a wash ore or a heavy media ore and even to the direct shipping ores where the ratio of hematite to goethite is largely determined by the original taconite type. The relationship between original taconite, oxidized taconite, semitaconites, and wash and heavy media ores is briefly summarized in Table I. The terms are not precise and in some instances tend to overlap. The table is intended to point out only the essential differences between the various materials. The original taconite was dominantly composed of mixtures of magnetite, iron carbonate, iron silicate, and quartz (chert). In a few thin stratigraphic units, hematite was present as an original constituent. The alteration of the original taconite to oxidized taconite has resulted from the circulation of ground waters through an initial fracture system related to minor structures in the iron formation. The chemical reactions have involved the oxidation and decomposition of original minerals such as magnetite, iron carbonate, and iron silicates to hematite or goethite. The alteration at this early stage is characterized by pseudomorphic replacement of the original minerals by oxidation products although retaining the major textural features of the original taconite. There was very little secondary migration of iron at this stage and the total iron content of the rock has been only slightly increased. Further alteration of this material to form a semi-taconite, a wash or a heavy media ore, involves extensive removal of silica in solution and significant redistribution of iron units. Wash and heavy media ores are developed by the growth of coarse secondary iron layers, dominantly goethite, coupled with the removal of silica in solution and decomposition of the cherty layers. This paper is concerned primarily with the materials classified as oxidized taconites which are characterized by oxidation of the original mineral constituents with little secondary enrichment. The area studied, shown on the index map, Fig. 1, extends some 30 miles along the strike of the Biwabik formation roughly from Hibbing to Coleraine. This study was greatly facilitated by the basic stratigraphic and mineralogical studies of Gruner1 and white2. The bulk of the material in this presentation represents a portion of the author's contribution to a study sponsored by the Great Northern Railway on the oxidized taconites of the western Mesabi.3 METHOD OF APPROACH A total of 106 drill holes, representing some 30,000 ft of drilling, were examined and sampled. The drill holes were logged and some 1500 composite samples were prepared for chemical analysis and bench scale metallurgical tests. These samples were analyzed for total iron and ferrous iron; and magnetite iron was determined by a standard Davis tube test at minus 200 mesh. Standard reduction roast tests using 150-gram samples of minus 10 mesh material were made on these 1500 composite samples with a mixture of H2, CO2, N2, and H2O at a temperature of 650°C. This roasted material was pulverized through 150 mesh and concentrated in the Davis tube. The iron recoveries and concentrate grades obtained on the roasted products were used to assess the concentratability of the oxidized taconites. Detailed mineralogical work was done on thin sec-

Jan 1, 1964

An extensive series of tests was carried out on a ball mill-rake classifier circuit in the New Broken Hill Consolidated Ltd. concentrator. The data were used to develop a mathematical model of the operation of a rake classifier and this model has been used in the simulation of the performance of a ball mill-rake classifier circuit on a digital computer. As a result of this simulation it has been possible to develop a technique for the optimization and control of a circuit which includes these units.

Jan 1, 1967

By Larry Rayburn

Design of cost effective engineered solutions to complex problems requires the team efforts of the owner, the designer and the specialty construction contractor. The basic ingredients of success required to remain competitive and still produce a quality product are creative design based on experience and sound engineering principles, plus practical aspects of constructibility. The three case histories describe creative design/construct approaches that benefited all parties. 1. Introduction The increasing demand placed on specialty contractors to provide cost effective buildable solutions to complex construction problems compels us in the industry to be highly innovative. The practice of geotechnical engineering is considered more of an "art" than perhaps the other disciplines within civil engineering largely because of the basic nature and variability of soil and rock. The geotechnical design engineer must have the knowledge of the components of his design and know the limitations of his equipment and labor force. Thus, for the design/build specialty contractor the potential for creation of unusual solutions to difficult problems is quite high.

Jan 1, 1991

By J. M. Goris

The U.S. Bureau of Mines is conducting research on cable bolt ground supports to assess their material and support properties, to provide design criteria for using cable bolt supports as roof control systems under various types of underground mining conditions, and to develop a mathematical model of cable bolt support systems. Part 1 described laboratory studies of the support properties of conventional steel cable bolts. Part 2 describes the strength characteristics of conventional cables with steel buttons, single and double birdcage cables, and epoxy-coated cables.

Jan 1, 1991

By Aline Kemp

O objetivo deste trabalho é estudar o efeito da composição química e dos parâmetros de lingotamento convencional na ocorrência de trincas superficiais em barras laminadas. Faz-se um estudo dos parâmetros que podem influenciar na formação deste tipo de defeito e uma análise da morfologia de trincas. Com relação à composição química, foi alcançada redução na ocorrência de trincas superficiais em barras laminadas através da adição de Ti e redução do teor de Al no aço. Maior temperatura e menor velocidade de lingotamento correspondem à melhor combinação para alcançar redução da ocorrência desse tipo de defeito.

Oct 30, 2017

By Rossana Bezerra de Azevedo Vasconcelos Seabra de Melo

O presente estudo apresenta um método de avaliação de desempenho de operadores na análise de ferro via úmida baseada na Norma ISO 2597-2, utilizando dados de carta de controle do processo como fonte de informação. A partir do Processo Analítico Hierárquico (AHP), definiram-se pesos que refletem o desempenho dos operadores quanto à produtividade, precisão e veracidade, indicadores estes que são combinados posteriormente num indicador geral de desempenho (IGD). Dados da carta de controle do Laboratório Químico do Terminal Marítimo de Ponta da Madeira (TMPM) foram utilizados para alimentar o IGD e gerar uma classificação dos operadores, possibilitando tomadas de decisão, tais como a dedicação exclusiva dos melhores operadores na análise de ferro e a realocação dos demais para outras atividades, e a identificação dos pontos fracos de cada operador com inferior desempenho, de forma a direcionar capacitações. Além destas melhorias diretas, verificou-se a possibilidade de utilizar o desempenho no IGD como critério para promoções dos operadores, servindo estas como incentivo para a equipe na busca contínua de melhoria em sua habilidade analítica, assim como o aumento da produtividade.

Aug 2, 2018