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By W. M. Kidd

INTRODUCTION Uranium mine inspection in Canada forms one element of the enforcement of the Atomic Energy Control Act; it is under this Act that all Canadian uranium mines and mills are licensed to operate. Inspection duties are carried out by a small core staff of federal government inspectors (working for the Atomic Energy Control Board (AECB)) largely supplemented by provincial mine inspectors working on behalf of the AECB. Unlike most resource extraction in Canada, uranium mining is under federal jurisdiction and consequently it was the AECB who decided in 1975 that changes in the Canadian uranium mining industry, particularly its expansion and the expanding role of the mine inspector in the limiting of exposures, warranted the offering of a special radiation protection training course. The Uranium Mine Inspector Training Course (UMITC) was first conducted in 1976 at the Elliot Lake Centre in Elliot Lake, Ontario. Subscription for the course was not limited to mine inspectors to enable union stewards, management personnel and provincial/federal labour inspectors to attend. This paper will present an outline of the course content, the format of its presentation and non-curriculum aspects of running a course of this type in uranium-producing community. The core lecturers for UMITC are drawn from the Radiation Protection and Uranium Mine Divisions of the AECB. In addition, guest lecturers are invited from universities and medical research centres together with industry professionals and government researchers. In all some twenty-four plus presentations are made over the first five days of lectures. The program topic areas, hazards, controls, measurements, record-keeping and health effects are preceded by an intensive half-day session on radiation fundamentals. TOPICS Hazards [Dust] A review of the dynamics of airborne particles including the effects of particle size, gravity and wake-turbulence on the behaviour of dust clouds. Associated topics are migrational aspects of dust particles and specific dust-generating mine operations. [Radiation] Canadian uranium mines are increasingly diverse in nature ranging from large scale low-grade underground operations in Elliot Lake to smaller high-grade open pits in Saskatchewan. Papers are presented on assessments of internal and external exposure, the metabolic pathways of ingested or inhaled radiation and the specifics of mine and mill hazards. Radiation hazards are further broken down into gamma surveys of uranium mines, radon daughter concentrations and problem areas. Controls The relationship between mining methods and the operating environment is critically important to ensuring safe working conditions. This refers to both the selection of machinery/devices, etc., and to engineering controls which are instituted to remedy problems created by new technology. UMITC examines a number of possible mining techniques, their criteria for selection and impact on the working environment. Control measures, ventilation practices and design, the need for continuous water misting and special open-pit precautions are presented. These lectures frequently conclude with suggestions for better operating guidelines for mine ventilation systems and the need for greater co-operation between the ventilation department and the underground crews. Measurements Uranium mining regulations stress the need for a high standard of exposure monitoring, statistical planning and record-keeping. [Statistics] Although many course participants are well versed in statistics, certain fundamentals are repeated and include, the concepts of mean, variance, standard deviation and standard deviation of the mean. Confidence levels, decision-making based on sample statistics and statistical records are also discussed. [Dust Measurement] Dust measurement is particularly critical in the mines where the high silica content of the ore body, such as those at Elliot Lake, results in the continuous generation of dust. Sampling practices, filtration, impaction, thermal impaction and electrostatic precipitation are explained together with the methods of counting samples to determine free silica. Konimetric and gravimetric techniques for dust sampling are compared and contrasted. [Radiation Measurements] Both collective and personal dosimetry systems are used in the Canadian uranium mining industry and lectures are presented on each. Techniques and possible sources of error are discussed for a variety of radon and radon daughter measurement methods - Lucas method, Tsivoglou and modified Tsivoglou, Kusnetz, Rolle. Instant working level meters and personal alpha dosimeters are explained in terms of calibration, maintenance, readout and estimation of accuracy. A lecture outlining dose estimation by means of bio-assay, whole-body counting and the use of TLD's concludes the topic. Record-Keeping An overview of the problems of changing limits,

Jan 1, 1981

By R Zhou, B J. Monaghan, S J Chew, R J. Longbottom, D J. Pinson, H Li, P Zulli, G Zhang, L Lu

Steelmakers are increasingly motivated to use iron ore resources with a wider range of grades and mineral types that were previously considered unsuitable or uneconomical for sintering. In this respect, specific issues, which now require further investigation and understanding, include the sintering of ore types with:- overall higher gangue content- elements that cause problems in the steel manufacturing operations- distinctive sintering performance compared with traditional hematite-rich iron ores. Laboratory-based investigations of the sintering performance and the behaviour of gangue impurities during sintering is an important step towards the successful utilisation of these resources in steelmaking.In terms of laboratory-based sintering investigations, there are two generally accepted experimental scales utilised prior to undertaking industrial-scale trials, which include: bench-scale tablet (compact) testing and pilot-scale pot testing. The former has the advantages of flexibility and more precise control of sintering conditions; but it is difficult to simulate the heterogeneity of a sinter bed. The latter, which is carried out in pots with diameters between 150–500 mm, simulate the commercial sintering process and conditions quite well, but is time-consuming and labour-intensive due to operational complexity. It is therefore desirable to establish a smaller scale pot testing facility that avoids the disadvantages of the normal sintering pot but can provide comparable information.To explore the feasibility of small-scale pot testing, a ‘millipot’ facility was established to examine the sintering performance of iron ores and other non-traditional ferrous materials. The millipot has a diameter of 53 mm and height of 400 mm. The facility has the capability to monitor the sintering temperature at a number of locations (axial, radial) within the sinter bed and to adjust the suction (‘windbox’) pressure. This paper describes the development of the millipot facility and operational procedures, together with initial tests undertaken in order to match its performance with industrial sintering performance.CITATION:Li, H, Zhou, R, Pinson, D J, Zulli, P, Lu, L, Longbottom, R J, Chew, S J, Monaghan, B J and Zhang, G, 2017. A millipot set-up for sintering investigation of iron ores, in Proceedings Iron Ore 2017, pp 85–90 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Jul 24, 2017

By Dinner Paredes

El presente trabajo técnico, denominado “Impulsando la competitividad minera en el Perú: La economía circular y los incentivos tributarios como elementos claves para el desarrollo de una minería sostenible”, tiene como propósito primordial analizar y resaltar la importancia que tienen los principios de la economía circular y los incentivos tributarios para promover un sector minero competitivo y sostenible en el Perú.

Sep 29, 2023

By C. O’Donova, E. Adam, L. A. Torres-Cruz

High-profile failures of tailings dams illustrate the significant safety challenge they pose. The decant pond of such facilities plays an important role in their mechanical stability. This study investigates the feasibility of using public multispectral data collected by the Sentinel-2 satellite mission to monitor the area of the decant pond. The Sentinel-2 mission has a revisit time of 5 days and the data used herein has a spatial resolution of 10 m/pixel. We considered two water-detection metrics: the normalized difference water index (NDWI) and the near-infrared (NIR) reflectance. Implementation of the method at a South African platinum tailings dam illustrates the capabilities and limitations. Public, sub-metre resolution true-colour imagery served as validation data. There is good agreement between pond area measurements based on Sentinel-2 and the validation imagery. These results suggest the feasibility of using Sentinel-2 data to supplement the monitoring of the decant pond.

Apr 2, 2022

By Qing Wang

A longterm overburden removal plan can be realistic and optimum only when the cost and capacity profiles off the equipment assigned to the operation are taken into consideration. Therefore, the planning should involve the proper assignment of equipment capacity by insuring a timely investment and a timely replacement policy throughout the mine life. A dynamic solution algorithm has been developed, by which all possible truck fleet alternatives are evaluated for each year off the operation. Cumulative cost off the operation is carried throughout the analysis. The optimum solution is obtained by selecting the minimum cumulative cost at the last year and tracing backward the best fleet alternative for each year. The solution provides: 1. the optimum amount of overburden to be removed each year; 2. the best fleet to be assigned to the job; and 3. the best equipment replacement policy.

Jan 1, 1989

By Robert E. Ogilvie, Zvonimir Ban

Oxidation experiments were conducted above 600°C to investigate the oxidation products formed on the surface of MoSi2. Results are presented which indicate that minor iron impurities play a key role in the oxidation behavior of MoSi2 above 600 °C. Based on considerations of the crystal chemistry of the oxidation products, MoSi2 with rhenium and iron additions was found to be resistant to oxidation in the pesting temperature range. AS early as 1914, Honigschmidtl observed that some silicides of molybdenum exhibited high resistance to oxidation at elevated temperatures. This fact did not arouse much interest until 1950, when Kieffer and cerwenka2 examined this property in more detail. They found that Mo-Si alloys with approximately 70 pct Mo (by weight) could be heated to 1600°C in an oxidizing atmosphere without any significant damage. The surface was found to be protected by the formation of an extremely thin silica glass layer which had no tendency to spa11 during subsequent thermal cycling. In 1955, Fitzer3 discovered that even solid bodies made of MoSi2 completely oxidized within a relatively short time when exposed to the air in the temperature range from 300° to 600°C. To describe this phenomenon he proposed the name "molybdenum disilicide 'pest' ", clearly analogous to the previously observed "tin plague" ("tin pest") which, however, arises as the result of a phase transformation. Studies performed by Fitzer and, in particular, one published recently by Berkowitz, Blackburn, and Fel-ten,' comprise the most extensive research to date on the pest phenomenon in MoSi2, as far as the fundamen- tal mechanism of the process is concerned. The first of these studies revealed the existence of a crystalline phase which appeared at the surface at 750°C and dissolved in the glassy silica layer at 1150°C. The logical assumption was that this phase was some reaction product of MOO3 and SiO2. The formation of a reaction product of this type seemed probable since it had been mentioned by Glemser and Lutz6 in a paper describing their studies of molybdenum oxides; however, this assumption was later disproved.8 It is our belief that information concerning the exact nature of this crystalline phase may be important for a better understanding of both pesting and the protection mechanism. Therefore, since the only available general description of the pest phenomenon was that of Fitzer, it was decided to reproduce his experiments. These experiments established that, in addition to the "pest" and "nonpest" temperature range, an intermediate region exists between 600" and approximately 650°C. This region is characterized by the appearance of a variable amount of yellow to orange colored crystals. The electron-beam microanalyzer was used to qualitatively determine their composition. Iron and molybdenum were found to be major constituents. This result can be explained based on the following facts: 1) iron, according to literature data,* is the most common impurity in molybdenum powder, and its content can be as high as 0.25 pct; 2) technical silicon powder usually contains iron; 3) steel ball mills are often used for the crushing and grinding of MoSi2. In order to clarify the exact role of iron, it was deliberately added to a stoichiometric mixture of molybdenum and silicon. The observed results corroborated the previous experiment, proving that iron (probably as some silicide phase) concentrates along the grain boundaries. I) EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE A) Oxidation of MoSi2 with Iron Additions. 1) Specimen Preparation. Specimens were prepared by both

Jan 1, 1967

By L. W. Bahney

Many methods for the determination of gold or silver, or both, in cyanide solutions have been published, which with care in manipulation, and modification in some cases, will give results that are satisfactory. It is possible to classify or group these methods as follows: 1. Evaporating the solution in a porcelain or agate-ware dish containing litharge,l or in a "boat" made of lead foil. 2. Forming a lead sponge containing the precious metals by means of zinc shavings,2 zinc dust,3 or a piece of aluminum.4 3. Decomposing the cyanide solution with an acid and precipitating the precious metals by the use of one or a combination of some of the following: Copper sulphate,5 sodium sulphite,6 hydrogen sulphide,' cement copper.ll 4. Precipitating the silver by zinc dust held in a Gooch crucible and determination with a standard solution of sulphocyanate.9 5. Electrolysis.l0 . 6. Colorimetry.ll

Jan 1, 1915

This report summarizes a study conducted by The Service Bureau Corporation for the Bureau of Mines. Evaluations reflected herein are the result of an independent investigation by The Service Bureau Corporation of methane considerations during coal mining. The study is oriented toward a systematic analysis of methane control problems during coal mining. Throughout this study an attempt has been made to ensure considerations consistent with the recently enacted Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969. References to reports by The Bureau of Mines and others are made for the purposes of establishing identification between the evaluations contained in this report and on-going research efforts.

Jan 1, 1970

By W. A. Mudge

ONE of the most prominent features of our present-day industrial development is the ever-increasing demand put upon materials of con-struction. Engineering ingenuity, within the past 25 years, has been unusually active, and in some fields at least engineers frankly say that engineering design has progressed as far as the limitations imposed by the properties of the present materials of construction will permit. Consequently, they are today demanding improvement in their working materials and seeking new ones, through the aid; of which the present limitations of design may be overcome. The activity of this search is evident in all fields, but it is particularly so in that of structural materials required to be resistant to corrosion. The corrosion resistance of metals and alloys is never absolute and all-inclusive; a particular alloy will withstand some corrosive conditions well and fail utterly tinder others. Furthermore; other properties, physical and mechanical, required in-conjunction with corrosion resistance vary considerably for different commercial applications. One wants a soft, ductile sheet metal resistant to atmospheric corrosion; another, a high-strength- alloy resistant to sulfuric acid. The last decade has witnessed active and definite progress in the development of high-strength, corrosion-resisting alloys. In June, 1924, a symposium by the American Society for Testing Materials, on Corro-sion-Resistant, Heat-resistant and Electrical-resistance Alloys, disclosed no less than 60 commercial alloys the properties of which were described as being suitable for industrial service where corrosion resistance

Jan 1, 1935

By M Camarda, A Pirson, F Vasconcelos, J Mesquita

ArcelorMittal Prijedor is a goethitic iron ore mine located in the north-west of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which mainly supplies ArcelorMittal’s European subsidiaries. Annual production of the asset stands at the level of 1.5–2.1 million tons of iron ore product which is sent to ArcelorMittal Zenica steelmaking plant. Two types of products with approximately 50 per cent Fe are generated in Prijedor through a process composed by crushing, screening, and magnetic separation stages. Within this process one of the tailings produced is called ‘ultrafines’. The ‘ultrafines’ product corresponds to the desliming hydrocyclones overflow in Prijedor plant, which is classified in a size fraction below 25 μm and corresponds to about 5 per cent of feed. This material is richer in iron than the coarser size fractions of the ore but do not present a good performance in concentration processes. In this way, several studies have been carried out during the last years to find solutions to use the ‘ultrafines’ material without success. In this context, the possibility of dehydroxylate the goethite contained in the material transforming the mineral into hematite and thus increasing the iron grade of the final product was investigated. During the research, several dehydroxylation tests with different temperatures and time of exposure were performed. Using dihydroxylation process at temperatures higher than 800°C it was possible to produce a material with 43 per cent Fe from the original 39 per cent Fe ‘ultrafines’ sample. In addition, the dehydroxylation tests confirmed that goethite becomes completely transformed into hematite at 400°C (with an exposure time of 60 mins) and material is completely sintered at 1200°C. A simulation study based on dehydroxylation tests results showed that it would be possible to use a ‘ultrafines’ product with Fe grade higher than 45 per cent to produce a material with 50 per cent Fe through a complete dehydroxylation process.

Sep 18, 2023

By R. S. French, W. R. Hibbard

FOR tensile deformation, if the stress value is defined by the ratio of the load to the actual area, and the strain value by the natural logarithm of the ratio of the immediate length to the original gauge length of the sample, the resulting data when plotted with logarithmic coordinates result in a linear relation extending from the initial plastic yielding through the maximum load and in some cases, such as for copper and brass, to fracture'.'. The normal form of the curve, therefore, is a parabola, satisfying the following equation: S = Kem [1] where S and e represent true stress and strain, K is a constant, and m is a coefficient evaluating the slope of the curve and designated therefore as the strain hardening coefficient. Hollomon² has reported that this coefficient is a function of the yield strength as effected by grain size in alpha brass, and the carbon content and heat treatment of steel. In the case of steel, the value of the proportionality constant is a function of the carbon content. It was further shown in that paper2 and also by Low and Prater -hat, if the power relation between stress and strain remains valid, the strain hardening coefficient m, is equal to the strain at the maximum or necking load. Thus, an added significant feature is that this coefficient may serve as an index of the capacity for deformation prior to localized necking and subsequent fracture, e.g. drawability. The constant K may be defined as the strength of the material at unit strain. Together the K constant and the m coefficient describe an alloy's physical properties as far as strength and ductility are concerned for a particular yield strength and, in the case of steel, a particular carbon content. The work of Lacy and Gensamer4 gives data on alloy ferrites from which very close estimates of the strength of ternary and higher iron alloys have been made. It was the purpose of this investigation to develop similar data for commercial copper base alpha solid solution alloys. Preparation of Specimens Commercial binary alloys of copper with aluminum, beryllium, cadmium, nickel, silicon, tin and zinc were investigated. In addition, laboratory castings were made of a 1 pct silicon alloy and a 2 pct aluminum alloy to complete these particular series. Two types of copper were used, oxygen free OFHC and tough pitch FC. The analyses of these alloys are shown in table I. Standard ASTM sheet tensile specimens were used to determine the usual physical properties of each alloy and to obtain stress data at strains from 0.0005 to 0.01. Small (1/4 in. x 3 in. x tk.) samples

Jan 1, 1951

By J. W. Paul, A. C. Fieldner

"In cooperation with the New York and New Jersey State Bridge and Tunnel Commissions, the Bureau of Mines has just completed the construction of an experimental tunnel in the Bureau's experimental mine at Bruceton, Pa., near Pittsburgh, Pa. The purpose of this tunnel is to make a final study of the ventilation problems arising in the adequate ventilation of vehicular tunnels for automobiles and trucks, especially the 9000-foot tubes that are being designed. to handle the traffic between New York City and New Jersey under the Hudson River.Chief engineer, Clifford M. Holland, of the Tunnel Commissions has shown that there are three principal problems involved in planning the ventilation of this tunnel, namely - (1) The amount and composition of exhaust gases from motor vehicles; (2) The dilution necessary to render these exhaust gases harmless; (3) Determination of coefficients of airflow and horse-power required in ducts, bends and openings.Composition of automobile exhaust gases.The answer to the first problem was obtained by making road tests on 101 automobiles and trucks at the Pittsburgh experiment station. These machines were taken from service without any previous adjustment so that the composition and amount of the exhaust gas may be taken as representative of actual operating conditions prevailing in the tunnel. A report covering the results of these tests was submitted to the chief engineer of the Tunnel Commissions, on November 1, 1920, and 411 be published in the report of the commissions. Several papers a have also been published in the technical journals summarizing the important results as regards tunnel ventilation and also with reference to gasoline losses in present-day motor car operation due to the general use of unnecessarily rich mixtures"

Oct 1, 1921

By Charles E. Michener

This paper deals with the occurrence of basic and ultrabasic rocks and their relationship in space and time to major structures of the earth. In order to introduce the paper properly, I must go back a little and try to put the subject in perspective. In the brief time that geology has been a scientific occupation, ore deposits have been grouped and classified in various ways depending on the theories that happened to be popular at the time. Some of the early scientists said that ore came from fire, other schools argued that ore originated from water. Then came the lateral secretionists and in later years the hydrothermalists led by the Lindgren school and the latter has largely been accepted as the modern concept of ore deposits. It now seems apparent that the hydrothermal school is being seriously challenged by other schools of thought. It also seems that we have reached the point where we should be willing to admit that we do not really know in most cases how the ore got to its present position. However, for practical purposes, we can classify ore deposits as to the environment in which they do occur. This is not difficult and gives the field geologist and the mining engineer something to work with and to believe in, and it gives them a basis for carrying out their field work. On the screen, Figure 1, there is a classification of ore deposits based on the environment. Under each classification is listed the more prominent metals which are characteristic of that

Jan 1, 1971

By R S. Hamilton, S R. Grobler, M E. Greenway

The progressive development of underground mines frequently requires increased ventilation flow rates through mine shafts that were originally designed for lower rates. Where these shafts are equipped with conveyances running on rope guides, the higher air flow rates adversely affect the lateral motion of conveyances and could cause conveyances to collide with the shaft walls or with one another. Hence the safety impact of higher flow rates requires proper assessment. This can be undertaken by use of computer simulation models to predict the dynamic motion of the conveyances during hoisting. It can also be undertaken entirely by field testing, or using a combination of simulation and field testing. This paper discusses these techniques and makes cautionary remarks about setting an absolute generic maximum flow velocity for all shafts. Approaches to assess existing shafts for increased ventilation flow rates are also discussed.CITATION:Greenway, M E, Grobler, S R and Hamilton, R S, 2017. Safety impact of increased shaft ventilation on rope guided conveyances, in Proceedings Australian Mine Vent Conference 2017, pp 261–270 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Aug 28, 2017

By I Manege, S M. Bennett

The PT Kaltim Prima Coal (KPC) operation is a large scale coalmine operating on the east coast of Kalimantan (Borneo), Indonesia. Originally developed under a coal contract of work (CCOW) with the Indonesian Government, new legislation has led to uncertainty as to the actual life of the mine, the size of the operating lease or mining area, the rehabilitation compliance requirements and other areas of concern. The actual life-of-mine (LOM) plan is therefore in a constant state of flux and must be updated and modified with every new piece of information.Under the CCOW system, the mine life ran from the first year of production (1992) for 30 years (2021), with the potential to extend for a further two ten-year periods. KPC has always intended to run until at least 2041. Under the new legislation, the potential term of the CCOW (to be replaced by a mining license) is open to interpretation, resulting in KPC having to prepare plans allowing for a LOM that may end in 2021, 2031, 2041 or a range of other possible periods of time.Uncertainty about legislation (and hence the mine life) possible production rates and available work areas; variable coal prices and costs; varying management contexts; the substantial reserves available; difficulty sourcing dump space; potential rehabilitation costs and the dependence of a community of over 100 000 people on a single operation sees the LOM and mine closure teams preparing dynamic yet thoroughly robust plans that are updated on multiple occasions per year.This paper will describe the procedure followed by KPC and the potentially show stopping issues that must be dealt with.CITATION:Bennett, S M and Manege, I, ?2014. Life-of-mine planning in a dynamic environment, in Proceedings Life-of-Mine 2014 , pp 379–388 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Jul 16, 2014

By Haldane J. S.

Discussion of a paper presented at the Institution of Mining Engineers' general meeting held in London on 8th June 1916 included oral contributions by Louis H., Mowat D.M., Lupton A., Bailey T.H., Blackett W.C. and Gerrard J., and written contributions by Collis E.L., Carlow C. and Wilson W.B., with the author's oral and brief written responses

Dec 1, 1916

By J. Gholamnejad

In open pit mine planning and design, push back mine sequencing is widely used for long-term production planning. In push back design, a series of nested pits is generated and then considered as possible push backs with regard to the minimum push back width requirements. These nested pits are produced by parameterizing on one economic parameter like commodity price, mining or processing cost, stripping ratio, etc. The most important characterization of these push backs is that the innermost push back has the highest value per ton, the second innermost push back has the second highest value per ton, and so on. These nested pits are generated based on the best estimates of grade within a representation of the orebody in a three-dimensional matrix form. Therefore, the inherent uncertainty associated with reserve estimation (for our discussion, grade uncertainty) is not taken into account when push backs are designed. These methods do not attempt to establish which part of the deposit is likely to be worth most. This paper introduces a new algorithm that incorporates ore grade uncertainty during the pushback design process. The suggested strategy tries to seek to schedule risky blocks later in the extraction sequence. Keywords: open pit mine, push back, ore grade uncertainty.

Jan 1, 2007

By Colleen A. M. Gibbs

On July 30, 1979 New Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of the decade-old National Environmental Policy Act went into effect. These new regulations replace approximately seventy different sets of agency regulations, providing some uniformity throughout the Federal government in the conduct of environmental reviews and preparation of environmental impact statements (EIS). This attempt by the Federal government at a general improvement in the preparation and quality of EIS's presents an opportunity for the mining industry to evaluate how the EIS process for mining proposals can be expedited. The environmental impact statement is often a key element on the critical path of a major mining project. Preparation of the EIS is ordinarily the responsibility of the Federal agency with primary decision-making authority over the project. Still, the proponent, i.e. the mining company, can play a major role in the process and have a major impact on the timeliness and adequacy of the effort. Typically, the Proponent will conduct (or will hire consultants to conduct) environmental baseline studies of, for example, air quality, wildlife, geology, water quality, vegetation and archaeology. These studies are then compiled into an environmental report and submitted to the agency. The agency verifies the data and incorporates them into the environmental impact statement.

Jan 1, 1979

By Oscar M. Wicken

Iran was a lodestone for the attention of industrial countries and companies wanting to share in its industrial development during the last two decades and particularly after 1972. Prior to 1972, most industrial projects in the private sector were on a relatively small scale and could be carried out in reasonably orderly fashion in spite of limitations of a primitive infrastructure and meager indigenous supply of managerial and technical skills. People with these skills could be found but not in abundance, and many of them were total¬ly engaged in various government ministries and projects. Thus it was that nearly all private sector industries, even long-established ones, required one or more foreigners to give guidance. A barite mine and processing facility was brought on line by Dresser Industries in 1960 without serious operational problems. A few expatriate experts were able to select and train a stable group of staff and production people and establish sound management principles for continued growth. The huge and increasing oil revenues after 1973 gave superficial credence to ideas of the Iranian government that the country could easily finance the jump into the industrial 20th century. All necessary skills and equipment not available in Iran would be imported, and intensive training programs would prepare Iranians for operating the new facilities. Large projects for steel production, copper production, oil refining, petrochemical production, cement production, and others were started or expanded. These are basic industries that consume substantial quantities of refractories. Studies made in 1972 indicated that the existing industries plus expanded and new projects scheduled to come into production would lead to a market sufficiently large to justify a refractory producing plant. Concurrent studies of raw material sources showed that clay, the largest tonnage item, would be locally available; the other raw materials would be imported. Iran Refractories Company (IREFCO) was founded in 1973 and started production in 1976.

Jan 1, 1981

By D Brouwer, P Wild, B Belle

Due to the steep geo-thermal gradient in Bowen Basin area, as underground coalmines reach increased depths of extraction, the Bulk Air Cooling (BAC) requirements will increase as opposed to cooling the workplace using the ventilation means alone. One such mine has already been using a 4 MW surface BAC plant for the last six years to manage the working temperatures with reduced cooling efficiency as the mine expands. Due to the horizontal nature of the longwall mine layout, distances from the working face to intake shafts are rapidly expanding to over 6 km as opposed to the vertical mine layout of a hard rock mine. To improve the positional cooling efficiency, reduced panel pressure differentials, improved rib emission gas management, and intake dust management, small diameter intake shafts were located on the inbye end of production panels and halfway up the development panels with localised mobile small BAC plants. This paper summarises the results of extensive underground data of this innovative cooling concept for development and retreating longwall face heat management compared to a larger remote BAC plant.CITATION:Belle, B, Brouwer, D and Wild, P, 2017. The use of mid-panel ventilation shafts to improve positional cooling efficiency in a Bowen Basin longwall mine – a case study, in Proceedings Australian Mine Vent Conference 2017, pp 217–224 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Aug 28, 2017