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By C McCamley

"The requisite for maintaining optimal carbon concentration levels in a carbon-in-leach (CIL) circuit is of paramount importance in the prevention of gold losses. The process’s ability to recover gold from the aqueous phase is primarily dependent on the carbon loading profile of the CIL train.Newmont Boddington Gold (NBG) have over 2015 tested the Mintek online carbon concentration wmeter (C2 Meter) suitability for effective carbon concentration measurements in their CIL circuit compared to the standard method where the readings are taken twice a shift by the operations staff. The C2 meter works by passing a 1MHz ultrasonic signal through a slurry containing carbon where there is a relationship between the carbon concentration and the attenuation of that signal.It also highlighted another area where the C2 meter could be implemented at NBG whereby the instrument can be as a cautionary device for carbon losses in place of carbon safety screens.Citation:McCamley, C, 2016. Continuous Carbon Concentration Measurement at Newmont Boddington Gold, in Proceedings 13th AusIMM Mill Operators’ Conference 2016, pp 207–212 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne)."

Oct 10, 2016

By Janet Torma-Krajewski

Job tasks that involve exposure to work-related musculoskeletal disorder (WMSD) risk factors may impact both the risk of injury and production downtime. Common WMSD risks factors associated with mining tasks include forceful exertions, awkward postures, repetitive motion, jolting and jarring, forceful gripping, contact stress, and whole body and segmental vibration. Mining environments that expose workers to temperature/humidity extremes, windy conditions, and slippery and uneven walking surfaces also contribute to injury risk. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) researchers worked with powder crew members from the Bridger Coal Company to identify and rank routine work tasks based on perceived exposure to WMSD risk factors. This article presents the process followed to identify tasks that workers believed involved the greatest exposure to risk factors and discusses risk reduction strategies. Specifically, the proposed prill truck design changes addressed cab ingress/egress, loading blast holes, and access to the upper deck of the prill truck.

Jan 1, 2009

By Robert Gilman Brown

The original power-plant of the Standard Company has been described* by Mr. T. H. Leggett, late president and manager of the company; but since the presentation of his paper considerable additions have been made, which will be found interesting because of the engineering features involved and of the attainment of a high degree of flexibility with the inflexible, two-wire, alternating system of electrical transmission. Although these additions have been completed during the last year, they constitute, to a large extent, only the carrying out of plans that belonged to the original conception of the installation. The regular operation of the water-power through the winter proved very difficult; there was a considerable length of ditch to be kept open, and, as the stream is small and any freezing night may stop the whole flow of water, there was the .additional trouble of having no reserve to draw upon. The rule for the winter is, that after a night of hard frost water begins to move in the canon before noon on all but the coldest days. To obviate the nuisance of the anchor-ice, and to make available all of the water, a dam of sufficient height to impound several days' run of water has been built across the canon, 3875 feet above the power-house, and provided with pressurepipe well below the surface. In place of the 1571 feet of pipeline from penstock to power-house, there has been substituted a line 3875 feet long to bring water direct from the dam. The dam is of logs, cribbed up in squares of about 12 feet, ballasted with earth and rock and sheathed on the water-face with 3-inch plank.

Jan 1, 1897

By William P. Diamond

This report presents results of a cooperative research project between the U.S. Bureau of Mines and BethEnergy Mines, Inc. Four coreholes (two before mining and two after mining) were drilled at a longwall mine operating in the Lower Kittanning Coalbed to obtain coal and rock samples from over-lying strata to determine their gas content at various times in the mining cycle. The results of those tests indicate that 91 pct of the gas removed from the overlying strata came from coalbeds. Material balance calculations were made to compare the volume of gas produced both from gob gas vent holes drilled on the panel and gas removed by the mine's ventilation system with the volume of gas removed from strata directly overlying the panel to a height of 275 ft. This analysis indicates that only 40 pct of the total gas produced from the panel actually came from the strata directly overlying the panel. The remaining volume of gas production probably migrated to the longwall gob from overlying, and perhaps underlying, strata immediately adjacent to the panel and perhaps from greater distances downdip because of the establishment of a long-term pressure gradient in the study area.

Jan 1, 2010

By N. R. Morrow, C. C. Harris

The experimental points which describe capillary pressure curves are determined at apparent equilibria which are observed after bydrodynamic flow has ceased. For most systems, the time required to obtain equalization of pressure throughout the discontinuous part of a phase is prohibitive. To permit experimental points to be described as equilibria, a model of capillary behavior is proposed where mass transfer is restricted to bulk fluid flow. Model capillary pressure curves follow if the path described by such points is independent of the rate at which the saturation was changed to attain a capillary pressure point. Aemodified suction potential technique is used to study cyclic relationships between capillary pressure and moisture content for a porous mass. The time taken to complete an experiment was greatly reduced by using small samples. INTRODUCTION Capillary retention of liquid by porous materials has been investigated in the fields of hydrology,l soil science,2 oil reservoir engineering,3 chemical engineering," soil mechanics,5 textiles: paper making: and building materials In studies of the immiscible displacement of one fluid by another within a porous bed, drainage columnsl and suction potential techniques2 have been used to obtain relationships between pressure deficiency and saturation (Fig. 1). Except where there is no hysteresis of contact angle and the solid is of simple geometry, such as a tube of uniform cross section, there is hysteresis in the relationship between capillary pressure and saturation.2 The relationship which has received most attention is displacement of fluid from an initially saturated bed (Fig. 1, Curve R2), the final condition being an irreducible minimum fluid saturation Swr. Imbibition (Fig. 1, Curve A), further desaturation (Fig. 1, Curve R), and intermediate scanning curves have been studied to a lesser but increasing extent.2 ,3,9-12 This paper first considers the nature of the experimental points tracing the capillary pressure curves with respect to the modes and rates of mass transfer which are operative during the course of measurement. There are clear indications that the experimental points which describe these curves are obtained at apparent equilibria which are observed when viscous fluid flow has ceased; and any further changes in the fluid distribution are the result of much slower mass transfer processes, such as diffusion. Unless stated otherwise, this discussion applies to a stable packing of equal, smooth, hydrophilic spheres supported by a suction plate5 with water as the wetting phase and air as the nonwetting phase. The discussion can also be applied, in many

Jan 1, 1966

By Jerry E. Olson

In 1986, at the request of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Bureau of Mines studied part of the 20,071-acre South Fork Wilderness Study Area (OR-005-033) and part of the 8,791-acre Sand Hollow Wilderness Study Area (OR-005-034) in order to evaluate their identified mineral resources. The study areas are located in Crook County, OR, about 58 air miles east from Bend. The areas studied are underlain by Tertiary- and Quaternary-age volcanic and tuffaceous sedimentary rocks. No mineral resources were identified in or adjacent to the study area. Except for common opal and agate occurrences along the northern boundary of the study areas, no mines, prospects, or mineralized zones occur within the study areas. Bentonite is periodically mined less than 1 mi southwest of the Sand Hollow study area boundary. Neither of the study areas has geothermal leases, but both areas are under lease for oil and gas.

Jan 1, 1987

By E. C. Roper

Landusky Mining, Inc. and Zortman Mining, Inc. are two registered Montana Corporations wholly owned by Pegasus Gold, Ltd. of Vancouver, B.C. The Zortman and Landusky Mines are located in the Little Rockies District of central Montana. The Zortman-Landusky mines produced 2,100 kg gold in 1982. A total of 3,250,000 t of ore per year are mined during the period March 1, to September 15, at an average grade of 1.04 gm/t (0.03 oz/t) gold and 13.4 gm/t (0.385 oz/t) silver at a cutoff grade of 0.35 grams of gold/ton (0.01 oz of Au/t) of ore. The stripping ratio during 1983 is anticipated to be 0.75/1 waste to ore. Combined average plant capacity of the two Merrill-Crowe plants is 9,840 lpm (2,600 gpm). The combined heap spray capacity of the two plants approaches 18,900 lpm (5,000 gpm). The mine employs approximately 200 people, about half of these work for the mining companies and the other half for the mining contractor, N. A. Degerstrom of Spokane, Washington. Net profit in 1982 for Zortman and Landusky Mining, Inc. approximated $4,900,000 at an average gold price of $11.40/gm.

Jan 1, 1983

This paper examines the interplay between longwall support design/geometry features, operational controls and geological features on ground response. Experience from several investigations is used to demonstrate the influence of factors such as longwall support capacity and geometry, setting pressure, coal seam strength and stiffness, tip-to-face distance and hydraulic supply and control system parameters on longwall ground response. These factors are then used to outline the requirements on key controls such as retreat rate and cutting height and their influence on allowable roof convergence. The ground response curve concept as a means to provide graphical representation of longwall support and strata interaction processes is presented. The approach was developed to address the requirement for a practical longwall support evaluation and selection tool that can take account of support load influences such as changes in roof geology or cover depth. An example of the comparison between single pass longwall and top coal caving in a thick seam environment is given to demonstrate the influence of the various factors discussed.

Jan 1, 2005

By O. J. Hassel, W. T. Maidens, J. H. Calbeck

The rotary gas fired reheating furnace used by the American Zinc Oxide Co. at Columbus, Ohio for Therotarygasfiredreheatingfurnacerefining lead-free zinc oxide is described. The outstanding features of this operation are that the color of the zinc oxide is greatly improved, sulphur is eliminated, and cadmium arethatrecovered without densifying the product to an objectionable degree. IN 1919 Leland S. Wemple obtained a patent for a process of reheating zinc oxide wherein the "coarsening of grain due to excessive heating was avoided." He taught in his specification that if solid carbonaceous material, such as lamp black, was added to the zinc oxide in proper amounts prior to reheating, objectionable sulphur compounds could be removed and the color would accordingly be improved and no objectionable densification would occur because of the relatively low temperature required. The situation that made this invention imperative was the newly opened zinc oxide plant of the American Zinc, Lead & Smelting Co. in Hills-boro, Ill. This was one of the early Western Type American Process zinc oxide operations. Characteristic of all of these early Western operations using Tri-State and Western ores was the great difficulty encountered in obtaining a product low enough in sulphur to compete with the Eastern Type American Process zinc oxides which were made from ores containing very low sulphur percentages. Wemple demonstrated that the refining process of his invention produced a superior color and although this was true and a most welcome feature, the primary purpose of the early refining operations at Hillsboro was to reduce substantially the high sulphur content of the crude zinc oxide. Although many and varied attempts had been made for refining zinc oxide none of the processes had a commercial history of any consequence until Wemple's invention became standard practice for the American Zinc, Lead & Smelting Co. in 1919 and their operations have been unique in that substantially all of their lead-free zinc oxide has been reheated since the first installation at Hillsboro. This process has become known in the industry as refining. The furnace developed by Wemple and continued in use by the company from 1919 until 1943 was unusual and merits some consideration by way of review in this paper. The furnace was essentially a double hearth coal-fired muffle furnace with a mechanical raking system consisting of a central shaft supporting six rabble arms in each muffle. The untreated or "crude" zinc oxide was fed onto the outer rim of the top muffle, moved to the center where it dropped to the lower muffle and progressed to the outer rim where it was discharged into an alloy screw conveyor. The retention in this furnace was extremely short, about 5 min, and the shallow zinc oxide bed on the hearths of the muffles was being continuously turned by the fast moving rabbles. Soft coal was burned on the grates below the lower muffle and the long yellow flame necessary to carry the heat around both muffles resulted in a very inefficient combustion of the fuel. The temperature of the top of the lower muffle seldom exceeded 65 °C although the oxide itself often reached 700°C before discharge. The capacity of this furnace was approximately 1/2 ton per hr. In our plant at Columbus it was necessary to keep four of these furnaces running in parallel to take care of the production because, as mentioned above, every pound of zinc oxide produced during these 24 yr passed through one of these refining furnaces. An essential part of this refining operation was the use of carbonaceous material admixed with the zinc oxide fed to the furnaces. Between 1 and 2 pct of a bran produced in the processing of cotton seed was added to all zinc oxide charged to the furnaces. The bran ignited on the top hearth and was still burning when the charge fell from the top hearth to the bottom hearth making a cascade of sparks. The rapid turning of the zinc oxide caused these particles of bran to flash on the hearths behind each rabble; but the combustion, of necessity, had to be complete by the time the charge reached the outer rim of the bottom hearth, otherwise the finished product would be contaminated with the charred particles of bran which would give the zinc oxide an unsatisfactory color. Although this operation was initiated to reduce objectionable sulphur percentages, as time went on new properties of the product were appreciated which made advisable continuing the refining process long after other methods of sulphur reduction became known in the industry. The particle size and particle size distribution, the absence of colloidal fines and perhaps a unique surface condition gave this product an outstanding performance when used in paints. The Wemple furnaces installed in Columbus in 1919 had to be rebuilt frequently and were extravagant in the use of fuel. The raking mechanism and the muffles required excessive maintenance expense and as the furnaces wore out the problem arose whether to continue along this line or to explore the possibilities of obtaining similar or better results in the simpler and more commonly used rotary furnace. To this end special research was initiated in 1941 on a small laboratory rotary

Jan 1, 1951

The use of solid state detector and radioisotope x-ray source for x-ray fluorescence analysis is illustrated by analysis for iron, copper, zinc, tin, and lead in about 700 samples taken from Australian mineral process streams. Limits of detection based on counting statistics (3 standard deviations) range from 0·001 to 0·004 per cent by weight element. The analysis accuracy was usualIy between 2 to 10 per cent (rms) of the mean element concentration and was determined by comparison with assays supplied by mineral companies. In most cases the main cause of error appears to be due to this assay and not the x-ray fluorescence technique.Some potential fields of application of solid state detector and radioisotope x-ray source for analyses in the mineral industry are indicated.

Jan 1, 1974

By W. F. Netzeband

Jan 1, 1927

By Christopher Haycocks, Lawrence P. Johnson, George M. Neall, James M. Townsend

No method of roof control yet devised has proven to be universally acceptable for the wide range of strata conditions experienced in U. S. coal mines. However, a relatively new innovation, the roof truss, has proven itself capable of preventing roof failures which both conventional and resin bolting could not. Presently, the economics of roof trusses are not favorable when compared to bolting due primarily to drilling and installation procedures, but this is expected to change with improved truss and equipment designs. To realize the full potential of this new method of roof control, design criteria are needed which can optimize the effect of the truss for varying strata conditions. A review of the literature reveals that some work has been conducted on the roof truss. Cambrell and Haynes1 (1970) showed that the roof truss is superior to angled roofbolts installed through a header. Sheorey, Verma, and Singh2 (1973) used statics to prove that the optimum angle of inclination should be greater than 45°. However, to date, no systematic attempt has been made to establish design criteria. In this paper, the problem was approached in three ways. First, model studies were performed to determine general trends of truss support as a function of a number of variables. This provided a better understanding of the support mechanism involved. Secondly, beam theory was employed to calculate the actual support capacity of a truss, realizing the many simplifications, assumptions, and shortcomings of this approach to such a complicated problem. Last, field testing will be utilized to test the hypotheses previously developed and provide hard data to further synthesize roof truss design criteria. Field testing has recently commenced and should be complete before mid 1977.

Jan 1, 1979

By W. M. Schafer

The risk that water quality will be degraded by mining activity can be evaluated using risk analysis techniques. Water quality impacts can occur where water-rock interactions with tailings, waste rock, or leached ore lead to increased loading of constituents into surface or groundwater. Constituent loads contributed by mining facilities are determined by the migration route and chemical evolution of mine water. Mass load contributions from mines can be determined by estimating the prototype pore water in contact with mining waste, predicting the rate and timing of flow, assessing the degree of geochemical attenuation, and modeling chemical mixing with natural surface or groundwater. Mining facility siting and design measures can alter the chemical evolution of mine water by varying the quantity or quality of flow. Stochastic risk management techniques provide a powerful tool for quantitatively identifying the environmental consequences of various siting and design alternatives.

Jan 1, 1998

By DR. SAMUEL B. CHRISTY

? THE man is always greater than his work.? The training of the men who are to develop the mineral resources of the world is the most important problem connected with mining engineering. It becomes ever more important to civilization as the mineral wealth of the earth approaches exhaustion. I have therefore decided to consider a few of the more important problems arising in the training of the mining engineer, and especially those arising in America. THE PECULIAR NATURE OF MINERAL WEALTH. Mining and Agriculture are the two fundamental arts. Without the latter our existence would be precarious; without the former, our civilization impossible. Agriculture furnishes that regular supply of food and raiment which leads to the growth of large communities in which cultivated leisure first becomes possible; while raining furnishes the metallic thread from which is woven that complex fabric we call civilization. But in these two arts the conditions for success are widely different. Most of the crops that the farmer reaps may be harvested year after year, and the proper fertilizers being added, he may continue the annual harvest indefinitely, while, as a result of cultivation, his farm becomes yearly more valuable. But the crop the miner reaps can be harvested but once in the history of the race. Our mineral wealth has taken unknown ages to mature in the bosom of the earth. The ripened fruit can be plucked but once. There are no fertilizers for worked out mines. It never pays to work over a mine that has been

Sep 1, 1905

By Meherwan C. Irani

The Bureau of Mines is developing a new technological approach to handling the problems of fires in abandoned coal mines and waste banks. This new technology involves the accelerated combustion of "waste" coals in place (i.e., in situ) under controlled exhaust ventilation conditions, which allows for total management of the combustion products; including utilization of the heat produced" This new concept could significantly lower the costs of reducing the environmental and public safety hazards associated with waste coal fires, and could lead to the conversion of a coal waste to a coal resource. The controlled burnout technology has progressed from the laboratory stage to a full-scale field evaluation stage at the site of an abandoned-coal-mine fire. This first report describes the site selection, evaluation, and preparation, and the design and construction of the full-scale controlled burnout installation. Subsequent reports will deal with the results of the operational field trial.

Jan 1, 1983

Continuing with the effort of providing new and more effective exploration methods to the mining industry, where direct methods (drilling, cross-cutting, etc.) are not applicable, either for logistical or environmental reasons or because they are costly and sometimes ineffective, we present here a new seismic technique based on full wave recording of 3-D channel waves generated within the coal seam across a longwall. In the past two years we reported the application on In-Seam High Resolution Seismic Reflection (ISHRSR) and In-Seam Seismic Tomography (ISST) to map non-coal inclusions that disrupt the coal seam continuity. In the present paper we present a 3-D In-Seam Seismic Tomography (3-DTSST) method using 3-D channel waves recorded by three component high resolution geophones. The method allows to distinguish longitudinal and transversal components of the channel waves, similar to the spheroidal and toroidal modes for the free oscillations of the earth. The recording of these waves allows a more complete analysis of the free modal vibrations of channel waves, permitting a more complete inversion of the structure of the coal seam through which they travel. The full wave analysis provides additional insights of the detailed coal structure for larger, distances than for the ones previously reported using the one dimensional method. The refinement of the inversion software is also a contribution towards the better definition of the coal seam geometry and structures disturbing them such as sandstone channels, sandstone rolls, partings, mine voids, faults, fractures, etc. The method is illustrated with three case studies where subsequent mining revealed the virtues and limitations. The first example deals with the problem of mapping mine works in one side of a longwall panel which geometry is well known, to verify its applicability to map old mine works. The second example deals with a sandstone body that partially scoured the coal seam withing a longwall panel. The third shows an application of the method to map roof conditions in a longwall panel where this problem critically affected production scheduling and costs

Jan 1, 1996

By R. E. Collom

The spontaneous explosion of charges of nitroglycerin placed in deep wells situated in parts of the Ranger and Caddo fields of North Texas has aroused considerable inquiry among operators end others as to the probable agency, or combination of conditions, which causes the explosion.The method now followed, under certain physical conditions of a well, of setting a charge of nitroglycerin and allowing it to explode spontaneously was discovered locally by accident. In certain deep wells where formations, overlying productive strata, cave upon withdrawal of casing, it has been the practice to fire the shot electrically. In some of these operations the electric wires are broken or the firing system is otherwise deranged by pulling casing or the caving of hole prior to the time for firing. Sucn accidents make it necessary for the driller carefully to clean cavings out of the hole to a depth close to the top of the charge, after which in the normal practice, an attempt is made to fire the charge by dropping a ""jack-squib"", fitted with a fuse and detonator, down the well. Mr. R. L, Fowler, production manager for the Pierce Oil Corporation, reports that a delayed shot was thus successfully tired through four feet of caved material lying on top of the nitroglycerin shells.When a shot destined to be fired electrically fails, because of the above mentioned accidental conditions to the electric firing system, much time is required for the driller to run casing into the hole and clean out caved material. It was during the time of such uncompleted operations that the spontaneous explosions first noted took place. Having noted these spontaneous explosions the well shooters now intentionally place a charge in deep holes, which because of probable caves would otherwise have to be tired electrically, and wait for the charge to go off. No detonators are placed with the charge.

May 1, 1920

By Louis Cabot

A pilot plant of the Modular Gold Processing Unit (MGPU) was designed, installed and operated, over a 8 months period, by RSW-Béroma, at the Granada Mine located near Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec. A description of the project geology, plant set up as well as exploitation results, including productivity and profitability curves, are given for a small scale mining operation in comparison with larger ones. Copyright ã 2001 CIM

May 1, 2001

By E. E. Buban

A self-contained breathing apparatus has been developed to provide complete respiratory protection for a miner in an irrespirable atmosphere. The apparatus has the desired features of comfort, reliability, maintainability, and quick-donning capability. The apparatus is packaged in a moistureproof envelope and is protected in a shock absorbing, fiberglass resin carrying case. The apparatus is a small, lightweight, one-time-use device that can be readily worn on a miner's belt, requires no maintenance and is designed to have a shelf life of five years and a carrying life of three years. It is deployed to the use position in a period of 15 to 30 seconds. Man tests conducted in-house and at the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) testing laboratories established that this unit meets all performance requirements listed in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 30, Part 11, Subchapter B, Subpart H (CFR 30, Part 11) for respiratory protective devices. The unit, which has received joint approval (TC-13F-37) on a prototype basis from the Mining Enforcement and Safety Administration (MESA) and NIOSH has: (1) Ten-minute service life under escape conditions. (2) Thirty-minute service life when the wearer is at rest. (3) Peak-to-peak breathing resistance of less than our inches water column height. (4) Inspired gas temperature of less than 135°F. (5) Breathing gas contents greater than 19.5 volume per cent of oxygen and less than 2.5 per cent carbon dioxin. (6) A weight (complete in carrying case) of 2.75 lbs. (7) A carrying case size of 6-1/2"x 5-1/8"x 3-1/8".

Jan 1, 1974

By H. Ikeda

INTRODUCTION [Slide 1] The Role of the MMAJ Ladies & Gentlemen, it is a pleasure for me to be able to make a speech at this SME annual meeting, representing the Metal Mining Agency of Japan. [Slide 2] Today’s Topics In my presentation today, I would like to divide my topics into four parts. First of all, I would like to describe the current situation of Japanese non-ferrous metal mining and mineral processing industries in Japan. Secondly, the supply and demand of non-ferrous metals in Japan. Thirdly, I would like to spare some minutes on the overview of overseas development by Japanese mining companies. Finally, since some people may not be sure what the Metal Mining Agency is or what this Agency, I would like to briefly introduce the Metal Mining Agency of Japan.

Jan 1, 2001