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The recommendations of a recent American report on "Better contracting for Underground Construction" are considered in relation to Contracting practices on major Australian projects by representatives Of the "classical trilogy" - the Owner, Engineer and Contractor.

Jan 1, 1976

By G. P. Schoonraad, J. E. Clay

Treatment of zinc silicates by the Waelz Process by J. E. CLAY (M.I.M.M.) (Visitor) and G. P. SCHOONRAAD. Pr. Eng.. B.Sc. Eng. (Rand) (Member) A review is given of the Waelz process. The chemistry of the process and the mechanism of crust formation (accretions) are briefly dealt with. The plant of Kiln Products Limited and its operation are described. The problems encountered and methods for their elimination are presented.

Jan 8, 1976

By Peter Sullivan, Johan van Heerden

Increased use of continuous miners and roadheaders in the underground coal mining industry in South Africa has led to improved productivity and efficiency of operations. Of major concern, however, is the increased amount of airborne dust generated during mining. Dust is a health hazard in terms of respiratory diseases, can impede productivity and is the major contributor to the potential of underground explosions. The concern of the South African coal mining industry with regard to the underground dust problem has led to the establishment of a Dust Control Section in the Coal Mining Division of COMRO. In the field of dust suppression system evaluation and design, collaborative work has been undertaken by COMRO and FLOSEP. This paper gives a review of the application of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) in evaluating and improving environmental conditions in continuous miner and roadheader sections. A brief history of the development of the CFD model as well as a discussion of a typical application is included.

Jan 1, 1993

By Jeffery L. Kohler

The characteristics of mine airstreams, such as their magnitude in the time and frequency domain and their spatial distribution, as defined by isovels, must be considered when making a measurement. The possibility for erroneous measurements is greatly increased when fixed- point sensors for mine monitoring systems are used. However, an a priori understanding of the airstream characteristics can be used to reduce the possibility of erroneous readings. This paper describes the problem, presents data to illustrate the nature of the problem, and provides recommendations for alleviating the problem.

Jan 1, 1987

By C. W. Benjamin

The paper covers the development of an efficient, "state-of-the-art" design approach encapsulating extensive research and development by Gulf on soft loading, low impact, zero spillage transfer chutes. The development, which interacts and interfaces the comprehensive methodologies for transfer chute design, allows Gulf to deliver detailed designs within 8-24 hours rather than the norm which is weeks or months. Outputs include 3D models of completed transfers and support structures along with rendered 3D representations of the design which can be fully manipulated around all axis in 3D.

Jan 1, 2000

The following list contains the names of members whose death notices have been printed in MINING AND METALLURGY from March 15, 1945 through March 27, 1946. Biographical sketches published in MINING AND METALLURGY are indicated in the last two columns. [ ]

Jan 1, 1946

By S F. Simmons, J Fleming

Alteration and mineralisation at the Island Copper deposit is related to the intrusion of Early Jurassic quartz feldspar porphyry dykes into surrounding comagmatic Bonanza volcanic rocks. The pyrophyilite alteration zone forms an upward flaring cone, largely hosted within a breccia body that cross-cuts the Co, Mo, and Au-rich ore shell. This alteration zone contains pyrophyllite, dumortierite and diaspore and resembles alteration occurring in some high-sulfidation deposits, but which is barren. Fluid-mineral equilibria and fluid inclusion studies indicate formation at approximately 300 ¦C from fluids dominated by steam and gases. These fluids appear highly acidic, but sulfur poor, leading to extreme base leaching within the breccia body and surrounding rocks.

Jan 1, 1995

By B Mennie, R Poedjono, G Coad

PT Freeport Indonesia operates a large copper and gold mining operation near Tembagapura, Papua (formerly, Irian Jaya), Indonesia. This is a remote location with its own set of unique operational characteristics. The mining and concentrating operations typically produce a concentrate containing 2500 tpd of copper and 6000 oz of gold per day from the combined mining of a 45 000 tpd (ore) block cave operation (DOZ Mine) and a 190 000 tpd (ore) open pit mining operation (Grasberg Open Pit). The Grasberg Open Pit mine will be exhausted in 2015 at which time FreeportÆs operations will entirely underground mining methods. The Common Infrastructure Project (CIP) incorporates the elements required for the shift to underground mining at a production rate approaching 200 000 tpd. The AB Adit portion of the CIP will provide deep level access to the Grasberg Block Cave (below the Open Pit), Kucing Liar, Big Gossan, and the Mill Level Zone orebodies. Commencement of the project was September 2003. The Grasberg Block Cave is planned to start production in 2014. This paper provides details on the project scope, innovative contractual framework, advancement of mining methods throughout the life of the operation, equipment selection, manpower selection, training, geological, and socio-political conditions related to the project.

Jan 1, 2005

By T Gill, A Faragher, B Scott, V Kakebeeke

In 2000, after six year intensive exploration for high-grade haematite deposits, Rio Tinto included the channel iron deposits (CID) as a specific iron ore target in the Hamersley Province iron ore exploration program. The exploration model was simple and based on the then current understanding of CID genesis. Fundamental to the model was an interpretation that CID deposits after their final accumulation stage could be entirely concealed in their channels. Inversion to mesas and therefore exposure of the CID profile would only occur in areas where the modern drainages follow the ancient and have significantly incised their current bedrock. The model took encouragement from observations at Bungaroo Creek, where large CID accumulations occur in a deep valley incised in the Wittenoom Formation concealed below recent valley fills derived from the surrounding BIFs. Also, in the headwaters of the Yandicoogina system CID occurs below a more recent cover of calcrete and clay. After a number of failed or partially successful attempts, exploratory drilling in 2002 in the Caliwingina valley in the northern Hamersley Range identified significant CID mineralisation. Subsequent drilling programs from 2003 onwards revealed the presence of a large CID system, which stretches from the middle reaches of the Caliwingina Creek to deep under the sediments of the Fortescue Valley, a channel length of more than 30 km. Although the drilling is still somewhat sparse, the geological resource estimation suggests that Caliwingina is presently the third biggest CID system of the Pilbara (after Yandicoogina and Bungaroo Creek) and is of comparable size to the premining Robe River system (1.6 Bt), with comparable Fe-grades to the Yandicoogina global resource grade (57.7 per cent Fe). Large detrital and canga deposits overlie the Caliwingina CID, or interfinger with it, and although the economics of these are presently unfavorable, could ultimately present a low-grade iron resource of slightly smaller size to the CID mineralisation at Caliwingina Creek. Together with the recently discovered Serenity and Solomon deposits, as well as Cabbage Gum Bore and other smaller occurrences, the Caliwingina Creek deposit is part of a major new CID district in the central Hamersley Ranges, approximately halfway between Yandicoogina and Robe River. Although exploration in this new district is still underway, the preliminary indications are that this area will provide a total CID resource well over 3 Bt, and is on a par with the major known CID systems in the Hamersley Province.

Jan 1, 2009

By Robert E. Tally

The ore reserves of the United Verde Copper Co. in 1907 were estimated at 4,500,000 tons, averaging about 7 per cent copper. Seventy-five per cent of this tonnage was confined to the so-called fire stopes and the remainder was virgin ore. The fire area was being operated at a maximum capacity of 150 tons per day, and the other workings furnished the remainder of the ore, approximately 600 tons per day. The mine was developed to a depth of 900 ft. and the lower levels were considered lean and unpromising. The smelter had been built directly over the ore-bodies. Its site was congested, the ground was settling and maintenance costs were excessive. The major needs of the United Verde obviously were 1. Additional ore reserves. 2. A new and modern smeltery. 3. A method for the mining of the fire-stope ores commensurate with the tonnage and values involved. It is the method specified in point, 3 with which this paper is chiefly concerned. Such a method required the removal of the old smelter, and additional ore reserves were essential not only for the maintenance of production but for the investment necessary for the building of a new smelter.

Jan 1, 1932

By J. W. van der Merwe

Technology is advancing at a rate that makes it extremely difficult for the mining industry to keep pace. Many advances occur within a given piece of technology and often this is missed by the disciplines that could have gained advantage by its implementation. Often this may have been simply an aspect of cost exceeding benefit. However, there are some technologies that potentially have such a far-reaching impact on the mining industry that the benefits simply outweigh the cost. The application of 3D laser scanning in the mining industry has the potential of taking the concept of 'Google maps?' underground. This presents an opportunity where the virtual world of underground can be traversed with relative ease and many aspects of measurements could be obtained without having to visit the working place again, potentially saving countless man-hours and still delivering precision work with significant savings in downtime, stoppages, and exposure to safety incidents. Anglo American Platinum maintains its competitive advantage though the review and application of appropriate technology. This paper describes the 3D laser scanning trial at one of Anglo American Platinum's new shafts, and goes on to show the benefits encountered through the application and the involvement of the various MRM disciplines.

Jan 1, 2013

By Denilson Coutinho, Euler Soares, Paulo de Tarso, Jordana Ferreira, John R. Goode, Andreas Sprecher, Alexandre Rocha

The Serra Verde Project is located in the northern part of Goiás state, Brazil, and comprises 49 mineral claims covering an area of 69,814 ha. The Serra Verde deposit is a rare earth element (REE) enriched weathered granite comparable to the weathered granite, or ionic-clay, deposits found in southeastern China. The Mineral Reserves of the Serra Verde Project total 388 Mt (Measured and Indicated) at an average grade of 1,484 ppm of REE oxide (REO). Several hundred agitated leach and column leach tests have confirmed recovery of about 40 to 55% of the REE, except for Ce, using simple desorption techniques. Present plans call for a heap leach operation followed by precipitation of impurities and precipitation of a pure REE carbonate suitable for refining and separation. The project plan includes initial production of 5,000 t/a of REO, with a high content of heavy and critical REO, rising to 10,000 t/a of REO. This production rate will be obtained by mining of the Mineral Reserves over a 22-year mine life at an initial rate of 6 Mt/a for the first four years with the mining rate thereafter increasing as required by grade and production targets.

Jan 1, 2014

By A. W. Cramb

A three-day symposium on the production of clean steel organized by The South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, was held in September 1995 at Vanderbijlpark. It was attended by 151 delegates, who represented the whole of the steel industry in South Africa: Iscor Works, Saldanha Steel, Columbus Stainless, Highveld Steel & Vanadium, Iscor Research & Development, University of Pretoria, and Technikon Witwatersrand, as well as the users of steel products were represented. Professor Allan Cramb held the delegates attention with well-presented research and practical information. He obtained excellent interaction with the delegates by responding in depth to the questions put to him during the Symposium. In summary, he emphasized the following aspects of the elimination of defects during the processing of steel in continuously cast materials.

Jan 1, 1996

In 1975, the US produced 10 900 tons (12,000 st) of U3O8 from ores whose grade ranged from a low of 0.160% to a high of 0.196% U3O8. By the early 1980's if the current mining projects described here are allowed to go on stream, Australia will be able to produce at least 10 900 tons of U3O8 annually from ores whose grade ranges from a low of 0.150%to a high of 2.300%. As pointed out in the previous article, this initial rate of production could have been reached now-giving an immense boost to the depressed Australian economy. So, let's have a close look at current mining projects.

Jan 1, 1977

By Terry L. Logan, Arfon H. Jones, James C. Seccombe

Deeply buried coal seams [greater than 3000 ft (914 m)] are difficult and sometimes hazardous to test and complete due to coal sloughing, formation pressure anomalies and coal fine generation. Data collected while stimulating two deep coalbed methane wells located at the Gas Research Institute/Resource Enter¬prises, Inc. "Deep Coal Sean Project" test site in the Piceance Basin, Colorado, is presented in this paper. A single thick coal seam was completed openhole in each well. Core data, reservoir data, in-situ stress measurements, and pre-stimulation calibration test data were collected at the site to use in the design of the fracture stimulation treatments for both wells. A nitrogen foam fracture fluid treatment was selected for the first well and a linear gelled water for the second well. Treatment pressures were monitored with a downhole quartz pressure transducer. Atypically high treating pressures were observed, possibly indicating coal fines plugging at the fracture tip or increase in fluid viscosity caused by interaction of the generated coal fines with the fracturefl uid. In addition, a comprehensive fracture diagnostic effort was employed during the fracturing of the second well; namely, triaxial borehole seismic, seismic televiewer, hydraulic impedance monitoring, gamma ray log (in conjunction with radioactive additives in the sand), and temperature log. The results indicate a vertical fracture was created parallel to the face cleat as expected.

Jan 1, 1986

By E. P. Abrahamson, S. L. Lopata

A general relalionship between the amount of glide shear (due to slip) and the macroscopic shape change has been developed. Since the deformation can be large, finite strain analysis is employed. In this treatnzent, the shape change is expressed by a deforlnation gradient matrix, F - [axi/aXj/ where X and x refer lo the initial and final positions of a particle. This matrix is readily evaluated in termas of the amounl of glide shear, a , and the direction cosines of the slip-plane normal and the slip direction for a single active slip systena. In the case of deforma tion from slip on several systems, the product F(a) of the several deformation gradient matrices is first calculated. Then, by assuming that the final configuration is reached by a long series of small shears of magnitude a, occurring more or less alternately in the several slip sys- IN problems of crystal plasticity, it is often necessary to relate the amount of glide in the operating slip systems to the macroscopic strain components. This relationship is relatively simple when only small strains are considered. In this case the separate strain contributions from several slip systems are additive. Such a procedure is incorrect in the case of large plastic deformation. To the authors' knowledge, no general treatment of the latter problem has appeared in the literature. In specific instances, Mark, Polanyi, and schmid3 have derived the relationship between glide and axial elongation during tensile pulling of a single crystal when only one slip system is active. A similar relationship for duplex slip was worked out by v. Göler and Sachs.4 Taylor and Elam1 have also studied in detail problems of large plastic deformation. Due to uncertainties as to the slip systems at the time, ! terns, the final deformation gradient matrix can be obtained. Mathematically, the problem is reduced to finding the limit of F(aN as N — m while a — 0 in such a way that the Product Na = a finite conslant designatzng the accumulated amount of shear. It turns out that this limit is simply eafF1, where F, is the matrix whose elements are the coefficients of a in the F(a) twatrzx. Application is made of the present treatment to a fcc crystal of Permalloy compressed on the (110) plane and contrained to elongate in the [112] directzon. In addition, it is shown that one rnay readily obtain from the general analyszs the well-known formulas relating elongation, amount of glide shear, and amount of lattice rotation for crystals deforming by single and double slip under tension. however, they were mainly concerned with proving that slip occurs on {111}(110) systems in fcc metals. The present general treatment arose out of recent investigations of magnetic anisotropy in cold-worked Fe-Ni alloys6 as well as some related problems in strength anisotropy of single crystals.' Detailed application of the general analysis will be provided in the case of a Permalloy single crystal compressed on the (110) plane and constrained to elongate only in the [112] direction. It will be seen that, as expected, the small strain approximation leads to significant errors after moderate straining. It will also be shown that the present general treatment yields the formulas of Mark et al. and of v. Goler and Sachs in those specific cases. GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS Consider a homogeneous deformation in which a material point initially at moves to (xl,xz,x3), both positions being referred to the same set of Cartesian axes. Such a deformation can be

Jan 1, 1967

By Prakash C. Kapur

A principal first order and a minor summation term contribute to the solution of the discretized batch grinding equation when formulated in cumulative retained mode. Depending on the interrelationships between the selection and breakage parameters, the minor term may be advantageously modified in a number of ways. The reduced grinding equations thus obtained are solved by iterations to give relatively simple solutions which are tested against experimental data. The implications and advantages of the reduced grinding equations are briefly discussed.

Jan 1, 1969

By Frederik P. Agterberg

Mineral exploration consists of the acquisition of data and their interpretation to ascertain the presence or absence of uncertain events. In general, the amount of uncertainty decreases during exploration when targets become increasingly well defined. Decisions on further exploration and whether or not mining should be commenced are based on new information using both objective facts and subjective reasoning. Computers play an important role during all stages of exploration. Three recent books (References 1-3) on decision-making in exploration and mineral-resources evaluation provide additional background supplementing the papers in this volume and articles in scientific journals or other conference proceedings (e.g., References 4 and 5) dealing with the subject. Other new developments to be considered are that microcomputers are becoming increasingly important in the earth sciences (Reference 6), and so are applications of artificial intelligence (Reference 7). Microcomputer- based technology allows rapid communication between field parties and main office. Expert systems are becoming increasingly sophisticated aids for mineral exploration an can now contain objective rules based on statistical theory (Reference 8).

Jan 1, 1989

By Angelus S. C. Owili-Eger

The past decade has witnessed an unprecendented proliferation of groundwater computer models. Some of these numerical models were developed for the purpose of simulating groundwater movement in mining environments and predicting inflow rates into active mines. However, a general acceptance of these models as routine planning tools by the mining industry has been slow. Until recently, the major use of these models in the industry is by consultants. There are several reasons that have contributed to this situation. Some of these factors - include scarcity or non-existence of an appropriate data base information required for executing these models, the difficulty and costs involved in acquiring data, and the fact that the instructions for using these models are often too involved and time consuming. Today, however, the state-of-the-art technology has been advanced to a level where numerical models can be routinely used to simulate and predict inflow rates into active mining environments. Such environments include highly fractured (longwall) and deforming flow media. Features integrated into these comprehensive and yet easy to use models are double-porosity-pressure, multiphase, and non-darcian flow conditions. This paper reviews the role that computer modeling has played in mining-related operations by presenting several case studies and the state-of-the-art tools currently in use. Included will be some of the practical field applications that have been compiled during the past decade.

Jan 1, 1986

By A. K. Gangopadhyay, J. J. Moore

The effect of grinding media composition, mineral type, and slurry environment on the wear rate of various grinding media (balls) are discussed. Sufficient wear data have been obtained and correlated. Modes of wear were determined from examination of the ball surfaces using scanning electron microscopy. Five modes of wear have been identified to be operative under certain slurry conditions for the various ball compositions studied.

Jan 1, 1986