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By Victor V. Nazimko

Multiple mining generates gob-interaction displacements. They redistribute stress m strata and obey laws of irreversibility thermodynamics. An irreversible state causes inhomogeneity of the stress distribution on the mass. A destressed zone develops along a working panel, and worked out panels are deprived of the destressing. The inhomogeneity is smoothed out during elapsed time.

Jan 1, 1996

By N. Singh

Merensky Reef is mined extensively within the Bushveld Complex. In previously mined-out areas on the Merensky Reef horizon there are pillars, potholes and remnants that have not been mined. These unmined blocks of ground on the Merensky Reef horizon can influence the mining of the underlying UG2 Reef. The extent of the influence will depend on the size of unmined ground and the middling between the two reef horizons. This paper quantifies the influence of partially extracted Merensky Reef on mining of the UG2 Reef, and aims to provide recommendations for mining strategies, as well as regional and local support to achieve efficient and safe extraction of the UG2 Reef, for various middlings beneath the Merensky Reef horizon. In some cases it was found that relatively shallow UG2 Reef mining could encounter conditions similar to those experienced in deep and ultra-deep mining environments.

Jan 1, 2005

By Rajni Patel, John McDonald, Steve Dubnewych, Michael McKenna

The Upper Reach segment of the Northeast Interceptor Sewer (NEIS) is a3.2-km-long tunnel excavated in interbedded marine sedimentary deposits with approximately 40 m of cover. The tunnel was initially classified by Cal/OSHA as “potentially gassy.” During excavation, high levels of hydrogen sulfide and methane were encountered, prompting Cal/OSHA to reclassify the tunnel as “gassy.” In addition, the tunnel excavation encountered an abandoned, 100-year-old water tunnel known as the “Narrows Gallery.” This existing tunnel was completely full of water and under 30 m of hydrostatic head. This paper will discuss the unanticipated difficulties and design solutions implemented to construct a gassy tunnel exposed to high volumes of water.

Jan 1, 2005

By Victor R. Spironello

The Bureau of Mines has studied slags associated with ferrous melting, to evaluate substitutes for the auxiliary flux mineral, fluorspar. A waste material recovered from alumina reduction cells, "used potlining," was tested in an 18-in-ID basic-lined cupola and in a 1/4-ton, pilot-scale, basic oxygen furnace (BOF). One potlining fraction, No. 1 cut, is a carbonaceous (graphitic) material and represents the bulk of the entire cell lining. The other fraction, No. 2 cut, is a refractory backup. These materials contain significant quantities of fluorine and other elements fn various compounds. The potlining fractions were blended in ratios believed representative of available materials. Both lump and pelletized forms provided extremely fluid slag. No adverse effects were found on furnace performance, chemistry or strength of the metals produced, or the environment. Fluorine recovery in the slag and fluorine losses to the scrubber water and solids were about the same as when fluorspar was used. There was apparently no lining loss from the cupola, but there was lining attack in the BOF. Since the fluidizing ability of potlining is due in part to sodium and other elements such as aluminum and silicon, less fluorine is needed in the slags when potlining is used.

Jan 1, 1983

By Fred N. Kissell, Andrew B. Cecala

In This Chapter [Where methane is emitted at longwall faces Where methane accumulates at longwall faces Using the modified shearer-clearer to eliminate ventilation eddy zones Using a walkway curtain to reduce methane buildup during the headgate cutout Control of frictional ignitions and The best location for the methane monitor] The methane released along a longwall face represents only 10%–20% of the total methane emitted from the entire longwall panel. Nevertheless, in very gassy coal seams, this methane released at the face can pose a problem because the shearer is a ready ignition source. Preventing methane ignitions at longwall faces requires four actions. The first is to provide better ventilation around the shearer to eliminate the ventilation eddy zones at the drums where methane builds up. These eddy zones are eliminated by mounting additional water sprays on the shearer to direct air into them. The second action to prevent methane ignitions is to install a water spray behind each cutter bit and regularly replace worn bits. Water sprays behind each cutter bit act to quench the hot metal streak that follows a worn bit when it strikes rock. The third is to ensure that no ventilation eddy zones are inadvertently created by poor placement of water sprays. The fourth is to ensure that the methane monitor on the shearer is in the best location to detect methane accumulations. ADDRESSING METHANE ACCUMULATIONS AT LONGWALL FACES3 Cecala et al. [1985a, 1989] and Denk and Wirth [1991] studied methane emission and ventilation patterns at longwall faces to find where methane accumulations are most likely. Although not always the case, the major source of methane at longwall faces is usually the breakage of coal by the shearer. Stress-related fracturing of the coal seam at the face, called bumps or bounces, can cause the release of additional gas (Figure 4–1).

Jan 6, 2006

By E. Pribonic

Failure of a mine material hoist can cause injuries, fatalities and significant infrastructure damage, along with an associated loss of production. Principal causes of hoist accidents are overwind and underwind. Past and present means of arresting hoisting equipment are marginally effective and utilize destructive systems that are not reusable following an arrest. The use of permanent magnet eddy current arrestor technology is proposed; the history and fundamental science of the technology are presented, followed by real world examples and calculations of performance for failsafe, friction-free, instantly reusable eddy current arrestors as applied to stopping a 30-ton ore skip traveling at 16 metres per second. A comparison of existing arrestor types with the eddy current arrestor is included and limitations of the ECA are also discussed.

Jan 1, 2008

By R. M. Kear

Strategic and tactical planning are both required in the mining industry but have completely different objectives and require different environments. If these are not fully understood, then the best value for a mining operation may not be realized. This paper examines the differences in these approaches and how they interface in the mining environment. The objectives, content, skills required and the implied management issues for these two components are examined with the hope that this will assist management and the planning teams in defining their respective roles and expectations. The opinions are those of the author based on his experience on several mining operations and projects.

Jan 1, 2006

By None None

Life as a mining/mineral professional doesn’t leave much time for perusing 20-page technical papers. Yet, being technologically savvy is part and parcel of a successful career in this industry. What’s an intelligent, well-informed person to do?

By E. Nickel

"Bi- and multilateral banks as well as export credit agencies in the OECD countries, but also numerous commercial banks, last year committed themselves to compliance with the World Bank’s standards. These environmental and social guidelines, also known as the Safeguard Policies, are the strictest international standards in the area of financing of major investment projects. The Safeguard Policies are procedural and quality guidelines by means of which socially and environmentally relevant impacts can be taken into account in the planning and implementation phase of a project. Objectives of the Bank Safeguard Policies are to ensure that environmental and social issues are evaluated in decision-making, to reduce and manage risk of projects and programs, and to provide a mechanism for consultation and disclosure of information. They are often referred to as the "10+1 Safeguard Policies," since ten of the guidelines address environmentally and socially relevant issues, while one guideline is exclusively concerned with public participation ("Public Disclosure"). In the presentation, the transparency of risk management measures and emergency response plans in pipeline projects will be discussed as an indicator of sustainability. The discussion is to be carried out on the basis of the results of an evaluation of several major pipeline projects, which have been financed at least in part by multilateral banks over the past few years. The controversies surrounding some of these projects due environmentally and socially relevant impairments connected with the investments have also been addressed by the Extractive Industry Report of the World Bank. Pipeline construction was the investment type chosen for the examination to be presented here, since pipelines frequently start in remote, unspoiled regions, and their routes often cross various natural zones and areas with various social structures. The question of safety during construction and operation of the line is always central to these projects; not only for the responsible authorities but also for other societal groups involved, such as environmental associations."

Jan 1, 2005

By M. Pineda

Sublevel stoping (SLS) is one of the oldest and most used methods for underground mining. It relies heavily on the use of drilling and blasting techniques to remove the rock, and gravity to transport the broken rock to drawpoints located at the base of the stope, with LHDs to transport material from the drawpoints. Current SLS operations are based on the assumption of stable geometry of the stope. Thus, the stope design includes the definition of the geometry according to the orebody shape and geomechanical constraints to avoid instability, which may cause excessive dilution. Under some circumstances, dilution could enter the stope due to geotechnical instability, especially when large stope geometries are used. A review of current design and planning practices for large SLS operations indicates that no consideration is given to the material flow and the mixing that occurs after blasting. Material flow could have a large impacton the mixing of ore when grades are heterogeneous in the stope. In this paper, we discuss the influence of gravity flow on the design and planning of large sublevel stopes with and without vertical dilution, based on laboratory experiments. The outcomes of this investigation are used todevelop guidelines towards the design and planning of large SLS mines, which would complement the currently used geotechnical considerations.

Jan 1, 2015

By Dan Armour

Bolting solutions traditionally offered only wet drilling or dry drilling options; each with advantages and disadvantages. Joy Mining Machinery has developed a Mist Drilling System that incorporates the best of both types of drilling. Compared to wet drilling, mist drilling offers as much as a 90% reduction in water use. As a result, floor and roof conditions are tremendously improved. This offers a safer and more comfortable work environment for operators. Mist drilling can offer a significant reduction in noise levels compared to dry drilling and in recent trials, bit life has been greatly improved. Holes are cleaner and operators experience less exposure to respirable dust.

Jan 1, 2005

By Richard L. Ash

A question that frequently arises during litigation concerned with accidents or alleged damages involving blasting is "were the explosives used according to the best known standards"" The question is not confined to only law suits, however, but also everytime poor blasting results occur. Unfortunately, general guidelines that can be used to define what may be considered as proper practice have not been established by any responsible body upon which to base a reliable Judgment; more often than not decisions are made primarily according to personal opinion.

Jan 1, 1975

The author presents various procedures for the choice of dri-ving systems for mining, including the method of indeterminate Lagrange factors and linear programming.The possible application of the points-awarding method is demonstrated.It allows for taking into account both surd and commensurable characteristics of a driving system for mining. Also, the method of economic efficiency factors is outlined.All these methods make possible the best choice of a driving system, from the as-pect of electric energy saving. Two examples are given.

Jan 1, 1985

By Wen-Long Cai, A. Frederick Banfield

This paper investigates, through case studies on a porphyry copper and a coal deposit, the differences and relevances between an approximate production schedule approach, i.e., the best case and the worst case schedules and a practical production schedule approach. The comparisons were with regards to: 1) choosing an optimum ultimate pit size, 2) determining processing capacities, 3) selecting 'optimum' cutoff grades, and 4) blending. The comparison criteria was to maximize the project net present value. Conclusions were drawn based on the study results.

Jan 1, 1996

By Sam S. Taylor

In most oil fields, natural gas is the major source of energy causing flow of oil to the well. The amount of gas produced With the oil generally exceeds actual energy requirements, so that in time the gas reserve of the field becomes seriously depleted and the oil production nest be stimulated by some auxiliary means. One of these is to repressure the oil formation with natural gas; or, where a gas supply is not available, often air is used. Although air is a cheap and convenient repressuring medium, its use sometimes is attended with several disadvantages. First, the return air-gas mixture decreases rapidly in fuel value, often until it can be used no longer as a source of power. At the same time, explosive mixtures may result if recycling is used, causing hazards to life and equipment. Second, some fields experience considerable trouble with the formation of emulsions which become increasingly difficult to treat. Although there is no definite proof that air repressuring always causes these emulsions, many operators are convinced that this is the case.

Jan 1, 1934

By Donald R. Williamson

Statistical studies at Cyprus Pima Mine indicate that samples from 22 blastholes are necessary for determining average copper grades, within a desired range of precision, for mine-model blocks by arithmetic averaging. The average number of holes in such blocks is 14. Many considerations show that more holes will not be drilled for sampling. A way to determine block grades more reliably than by" arithmetic averaging was sought. Thus far arithmetic averaging has proven to be the best procedure for the particular operation characteristics despite the small number of samples. It naturally follows that expenditure of great effort in sampling blasthole cuttings is unwise.

Jan 1, 1977

By J. Konnerup-Madsen, T. Unlu, H. Stendal

Paper presented at the conference Economic geology in Europe and beyond II, models for mineral deposits in sedimentary basins, held in Keyworth, UK, 13-14 April 1994. The region includes the Deveci siderite/goethite deposit and the Hasancelebi, Karakuz and Kuluncak magnetite/goethite deposits; Deveci is the only mine in operation. The area consists of a serpentine-gabbro complex overlain by a volcano-sedimentary sequence hosting the iron ores. At least three generations of hydrothermal alteration have affected all rock types except the latest trachytic dykes. The Deveci deposits occur in a pyroclastic volcano-sedimentary sequence with shales and carbonates equivalent to the main mafic sequence, whereas the other three deposits formed contemporaneously with the intrusion of trachytic dykes. The deposits are of the volcanic-exhalative type, with syngenetic siderite in pillow lavas or stratiform layers the primary and main Fe-bearing mineral. In the west hydrothermal alteration has replaced siderite in pillow lavas with magnetite or has remobilised sideritic iron into magnetite veins

Apr 1, 1995

By T. T. Chen

Copper anodes generated from copper scrap are relatively rich in Sn, Zn and Fe. Because of the presence of oxygen, only trace amounts of Sn occur in solid solution in the copper crystals. Thus, Sn occurs mainly as SnO2, Cu-Sn-Ni oxide and Sn-Ni-Zn oxide in the copper anodes, and Zn and Fe occur mainly as minor constituents in the Sn-Ni-Zn oxide and Cu-Sn-Ni oxide. During electrorefining, these oxide species are liberated from the copper anodes and report directly to the anode slimes. The trace amounts of Sn present in solid solution in the copper crystals dissolve but reprecipitate as Sn arsenate or a Sb-As-Sn-O phase. Accordingly, high Sn contents in copper anodes do not lead to elevated Sn concentrations in the electrolyte.

Jan 1, 2010

A series of gas inrush events occurred during development at Grosvenor mine resulting in exposure to elevated levels of methane at the production face. A total of 22 gas inrush events occurred releasing between 15 and 130 m3 of methane during each event. The presence of an undrained seam in the immediate floor, geotechnical characteristics of the floor, and the stress environment all contributed to these dynamic floor events, while the geological characteristics of the seam below, such as the seam thickness and ash content of 75%, prevented effective pre-drainage. However, events only occurred in headings mined parallel to the principal horizontal stress direction. In cut-throughs (C/Ts) perpendicular to the principal stress direction, no events occurred, and higher methane levels were observed at the production face.

Jan 7, 2020

By Lee J. Raabe

A specialized loading system for tensile and fatigue testing of wire rope was constructed and installed in the U.S. Bureau of Mine Wire Rope Test Facility in Bruceton, Pennsylvania. The computer-controlled closed-loop servo-hydraulic test system which can apply up to 800,000 pounds of force on the rope while stretching it up to 30 inches will be used in the development and verification of hoist rope retirement criteria for ropes in the 1 to 2 ½ in. diameter range. Characteristics and capabilities of the system are discussed.

Jan 1, 1984