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By Carolina Bruecker, Axel Preusse

"The topic of ground movements in Germany has been studied extensively in the past, especially in the field of active mines. The active hard coal mines were finally shut down in 2018 in Germany and lignite mining is expected to take place only until 2038. The so-called long-term liabilities of the mine operators in Germany include, among other things, the long-term guarantee of stability and thus the monitoring of ground motion.So far, the economic use of underground mining in Germany was mainly the supply of raw materials. In the future, the underground storage of compressed air, methane, or hydrogen will play an important role in renewable energy supply and climate change. Therefore, underground storage space will become more important and spatial planning is essential to ensure availability of safe underground openings for the various options of environmentally friendly energy storage.However, this renewed usage of underground openings may also bring new and sometimes unknown challenges of geomechanical influence. On the one hand, the aftermath of hard coal and lignite mining will be an increasing challenge in mining subsidence engineering. On the other hand, new possibilities due to underground spatial planning may lead to subsidence and/or heaving of the upper surface.INTRODUCTIONBoth hard coal and lignite have a long tradition in Germany. The Prosper Haniel mine in the Ruhr area was closed at the end of 2018 after 150 years, which signalled the end of hard coal production in Germany. Lignite mining still takes place in the Central German, Lausitz, and Rhineland districts. However, lignite mining in Germany is expected to be phased out gradually by 2038 (MDR, 2019). With the closure of these mines, however, mining damage is not over. The long-term consequences of mining, which extend far beyond the closure of the mines, are associated with the liability and responsibility of the individual mining companies. The so-called eternity burdens on the mining company continue to apply. In the field of lignite production, the discontinuation of dewatering and the resulting possible elevations of the surface will be a relevant topic for the future of mine surveying. The same applies to the hard coal mines, which are partially flooded in Germany and therefore require extensive monitoring of soil movements in the future.The discontinuation of energy from hard coal and lignite calls for a change in the energy mix. With the renewable energy revolution in Germany, the focus is on a sustainable and environmentally compatible climate and energy policy based on renewable energies. Sustainable use of the subsoil, both natural and anthropogenically produced cavities, will play an essential role in the objectives of this policy. For example, disused mine cavities can be used to store electricity from renewable energy sources. (Umwelt Bundesamt, 2018) These functions will again cause classical ground movements such as subsidence and uplift, but will also bring new challenges for the mine surveyor. Challenges can be underground cavity exploration in inaccessible areas or legal aspects of underground competition."

Jan 1, 2019

By F. Seymour

A dynamic programming algorithm is presented that takes a series of nested phases, a fixed mining rate schedule, a fixed plant production capacity schedule, and finds the mining and cutoff grade sequence that maximizes the Net Present Value. This tool allows the Mining Engineer to quickly look at project sensitivity to various production capacities, commodity prices, and costs. A description of the algorithm is given along with examples of how it has been used at Newmont.

Jan 1, 1995

By J. Chipman, G. G. Hatch

T. ROSENQVIST*—It is a pleasure to see the excellent way in which the experimental part of this work has been handled. There seems to be little doubt that the distribution data obtained corresponds most closely to thermodynamic equilibrium under the prevailing reducing conditions, namely equilibrium with graphite and one atmosphere CO pressure. The desulphurization curves in Fig 10 show the same general feature as the curves given by Holbrook and Joseph, but the distribution ratios are from 20 to 40 times greater—undoubtedly due to a closer approach to true equilibrium. In the theoretical discussion, the authors calculate a theoretical distribution (S) ration -jg-. which they find to be about 50 times greater than the experimental. The deviation is so great that the basis for their calculation needs a more thorough examination. The authors base their thermodynamic calculation on free energy expressions where diluted solutions of FeS and CaS are used as standard states. (The activity coefficient in diluted solutions is taken to equal unity.) Such a standard state will change when the nature of the solvent is changed. Taking the free energy of the reaction [FeS] ? (FeS), Eq 2, which is derived from the distribution of sulphur between an iron and a FeO-melt, it is very unlikely that the free energy of this reaction will be the same for a distribution between pig iron and a calcium silicate slag. Therefore a more fundamental basis for the thermodyuamic calculations seems needed, where all thermodynamic equations are referred to unambiguously defined standard states. The most natural standard states for CaO and CaS are the pure solid substances at the same temperature. As standard state for sulphur in iron, pure liquid FeS can be used. This rules out Eq 2 [FeS] ;=s (FeS) because ?F° = 0. The standard equation will then be: FeS, + CaO6 + Cgraph ?Fei + CaS8 + CO. vFo1773 = 25,000 cal It would be more universal and also simpler to refer the escaping tendency of sulphur in liquid iron to the corresponding H2S/H2 ratio which can readily be determined experimentally. As standard state a gas mixture H2S/H2 = 1/1 can be used. (This corresponds at the temperature of liquid iron closely to one atmosphere S2 vapor.) Thus the standard equation for the sulphur reaction can be formulated as follows: H2S0 + CaO3 + Cgraph ?H2o + CaS8 + COg The standard free energy of this reaction has been calculated from the best available data to AF°m3 = —35,000 cal. This gives for the equilibrium constant at 1500°C Now, the solubility of CaS in blast furnace slags has been determined by McCafferey and Oesterle* and corresponds at 1500°C to about 10 pet S (varying somewhat with the composition of the slag.) If the activity of CaS is assumed linear between 0-10 pet as curve 1, (see Fig 11), then acaO = 0.1 (S); (S) being wt. pet sulphur in the slag. For a diluted solution of sulphur in an iron melt saturated with carbon, the ratio H2S/H2 is, according to Kitchener, Bockris and Liberman,f about 0.01 [S], [S] being wt. pet sulphur in iron. Substituting these values in the expression for Kp we find The value 2.103 is only 4 times greater than the experimental coefficient found by Hatch and Chipman, but the value is very sensitive to a small error in AF°. A better agreement with the experimental distribution coefficient can be obtained if one assumes the activity of CaS to run like curve 2 (Fig 11). This (S) will give a lower theoretical W, value, a value which varies with (S) exactly as Hatch and Chipman learned. Such a shape of the activity curve, which corresponds to a positive deviation from Raoult's law, is actually to be expected from the fact that liquid silicate and sulphide phases usually show incomplete miscibility. A closer agreement between experimental and theoretical data can not be expected before we have more complete data for the individual activities of CaS and CaO in the slag. The activities acaS and Ocao referred to the solid phases as standard states, are exact defined quantities contrary to the somewhat undefined expression "free lime," and they are independent of any theory for the constitution of liquid slag. J. CHIPMAN (authors' reply)—The authors wish to thank Mr. Rosenqvist for his very interesting and useful thermodynamic addition. Curve 2 of his figure offers the needed basis for explaining the increase in the ratio (S)/[S] with increasing sulphur content. Attention is called to an error in the printed paper: Fig 2 and 3 are reversed. M. TENENBAUM*—In the figures showing the relationship between excess base and sulphur distribution (Fig 6, 7 and 9) the slope of the curve tapers off in the negative basicity range. Somewhat the same thing is observed with open hearth slags. In that case, the fact that some sulphur distribution between slag and metal is obtained with negative basicity is interpreted as indicating some dissociation of the lime silicate compounds whose existence in oxidizing basic slags has been used to explain various observed phenomena with regard to other slag-metal reactions. In the case of the blast furnace slags, the reduced slope of the sulphur distribution curve with decreasing excess base is attributed to the amphoteric effect of alumina. Has the possibility of other explanations been investigated ?

Jan 1, 1950

By Eleanor Sonley

In October 2000, temporary seismographic stations were installed above the Trail Mountain Mine, Emery County, Utah, USA to supplement a regional network. Over seven months, 1826 mining-induced seismic events were recorded with a magnitude range of M 0 to M 2.2 (Arabasz et al., 2002, 2005). Routine event locations for this dataset cluster around the longwall mining activity during the recording interval. However, applying a double difference relocation technique to the routine locations significantly improves the correlation between mining activity and event location. The resulting relocations depend greatly on station distribution and the number of arrival time picks. We use this dense temporary array to assess station distribution requirements for applying the double difference technique at other mines by systematically removing data from available stations, thus simulating sparser networks. The insight gained using the Trail Mountain dataset is used to develop a metric for assessing the usefulness of above-mine networks and to develop a tool for expanding seismic network coverage. To verify the appropriateness of these tools for wider application, we examine data from two additional mines located in the western United States. Improving the relative locations of mining-induced seismic events highlights the association of these events with active portions of the mine. Clusters, regions of quiescence and relative timing of events can be used by mine operators to assess hazard, optimize production, and evaluate performance of mine plans. The lessons learned from this study may be used in future network design to improve accuracy of event locations at other mines.

Jan 1, 2009

By M. I. Freeman

This paper point put if the companies will considerate large- scale mining in South Américan in the future. In this sense, the philosophy of an international mining company means that the company and the country working in the partnership and they can convince the outside world of the creditworthiness of the project. The mining company would be considering the account metal requirement in the future, the code of behaviour, the obligations and the rights among the employees, the shareholders, the customers, and to the State in wich its work. However, is not specially tailored philosophy for South America. The most important is the satisfactory agreement can be reached even with governments whose domestic laws preclude equity participation by the mining company.

Nov 20, 1969

By Aaron S. Bradshaw, Ryan M. Coulson

The offshore wind industry in the United States is slowly emerging with the recent construction of the first offshore wind farm located off the coast of Rhode Island. The turbines at the Block Island wind farm are supported by piled jacket structures, which historically have been used for much heavier oil and gas platforms. Offshore wind turbines have unique design requirements and the axial behavior of the supporting piles under cyclic loading is important to design. Cyclic degradation along the pile shaft can affect the capacity, deformation, and stiffness performance of the foundation and of the structure as a whole. This paper proposes a strain-based approach to estimate the fatigue (or endurance) limit of a cyclically loaded pile that may be applicable to long-term service loading. The method is applied to an existing load test dataset and the analysis results appear consistent with the observed pile response. INTRODUCTION The demand for renewable energy has been increasing in recent decades and wind power has seen a dramatic increase in popularity. In Europe, as of 2017 there were 4,149 grid-connected offshore wind turbines across 11 countries (windeurope.org), many of which are supported on monopile foundations. It wasn’t until recently (2016) that the first offshore wind farm was constructed in the United States off the coast of Block Island, Rhode Island. The project included 5 piled jacket structures founded in terminal moraine deposits. Future offshore wind development along the U.S. eastern seaboard could possibly utilize jacket structures in granular foundation soils. Loads from wave, wind, and turbine rotation induce cyclic loads on the foundation that have on the order of 108 loading cycles over the service life on the structure (Schneider and Senders 2010). Turbines located along the U.S. east coast have the added risk of hurricanes. As shown in Figure 1a, the lateral loads on a jacket structure are transferred primarily as axial compressive and possibly tensile loads on the supporting piles depending on the weight of the structure. The friction along the shaft of the pile can be prone to cyclic degradation, leading to reduced pile capacity and stiffness, and increased deformations. An offshore wind turbine foundation must be designed for a variety of limit states including ultimate, serviceability, and fatigue limit states. For a jacket structure this would include an analysis of the ultimate axial pile capacity, axial stiffness, and axial deformations, all of which can be affected by cyclic loading both under extreme (i.e. storm) conditions as well as long-term service conditions. Axial pile stiffness is needed, for example, to estimate the natural frequencies of the structure as a whole and to assess dynamic and fatigue loads. The structure must be designed such that its natural frequency remains outside the loading frequencies of the waves and turbine blade passing frequencies to avoid resonance. Therefore, prediction of the axial response of the piles is important to the design of these structures.

Jan 1, 2018

By A. Vien, B. C. Flintoff, R. P. Edwards

"A major thrust in industrial automation over the past few years has been the exploration and incorporation of higher level (supervisory and optimizing) control strategies aimed at more fully exploiting the existing control system infrastructure. There is little doubt that this is worthwhile pursuit, however, one must not lose sight of the maintenance and development requirements of the basic control system. Statistics on loop performance indicate that this too is an area of considerable potential. In this paper the authors look at some of the less elegant, but arguably equally important issues in mineral processing plant control. The focus is on controller structures, loop tuning, sampling, filtering, and some of the other principal components of the regulatory control foundations. In many cases significant improvements in control performance can be achieved by getting back to the basics.IntroductionEvery modem concentrator has a state-of-the-art computer control system in place. Several of these are contemplating installing, or have installed, advanced control systems, such as expert systems, but the foundation of their control system remains the PI controller. Although the authors are not aware of any survey or published information for the mineral processing industry, it is reasonable to assume that it would be similar to the pulp and paper industry. ""The average [pulp] mill has some 2000 control loops of which 97% use PI control. This means that PID, dead time compensation, adaptive controllers, specialized algorithms, ... , constitute only 3% of the installed base."" (Bialkowski [1992]).Bialkowski [1992] also stated that ""If you have been keeping score, only 20% of the loops surveyed actually decrease variability in automatic over manual mode of operation, in the short term."" He attributed the problems to: poor tuning (30% of all loops), control valve problems (30% of all loops) and process problems (20% of all loops). There appear to be a serious need to go back to basics and review the existing control system."

Jan 1, 1998

By F. J. Haller

IN 1943, we found, in the new Mather operation, a very unusual and disappointing condition in the footwall rock where all of our main haulageways were to be located. With the exception of a few hundred feet out of the thousands then planned and since driven, all of the openings require support. In general, the ground is not particularly heavy, at least by our standards, but it must be supported and the back carefully covered. Also, our operations require rather wide plat openings (16 to 18 ft) and rather flat curves at the turn-outs, all of which adds to the problem. When this completely unforeseen condition was discovered, ordinary timbering was the only answer, because of the impossibility of obtaining adequate steel supplies in time due to war shortages. Then by the time steel supplies were obtained and a practice developed, we found ourselves with between four and five miles of main haulage drifts and plat openings of a permanent nature, all of which were supported by hardwood timber, some of which had already rotted to an unsafe degree. Also, our drifting program was adding some two miles per year to the above figure. F. J. HALLER, Member AIME, is Superintendent, Mather Mine, Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Co., Ishpeming, Mich. AIME Columbus Meeting, September 1949. TP 2840 A. Discussion (2 copies) may be sent to Transactions AIME before May 31, 1950. Manuscript received Aug. 22, 1949. Revision received Jan. 17, 1950. To give all of the details of our experiments, studies, and experiences would fill a large book, but we were satisfied that our organization had done an excellent job, starting from scratch. You can appreciate our surprise when we discovered that we had added very little to an existing record. Attention was called to a footnote in a copy of "Carnegie Pocket Companion" year 1923. The note read: "Full information as to uses of H-Beams is given in pamphlet entitled 'Steel Mine Timbers.' " A search of our Engineering Library brought to light a pamphlet printed in 1911 showing extensive use of steel for this purpose. Except for welding in place of riveting, we have added very little to the designs in that book. We have, however, developed an experience which proves, at least to our own satisfaction, that steel mine supports pay off under the proper conditions. We are now convinced, in spite of the relatively high initial cost of materials, that steel sets, because of comparatively low installation cost, are actually cheaper than either treated or untreated wood sets, if they are properly designed and adapted. Several Sections in Use: Convenience guided our first experiments in steel sets, since for a number of years, we had used the 4-in. WF, 10 lb per ft section in 10-ft lengths as safety forepoles along with wood forepoles. This section replaced the 40-lb rail which had formerly been used for the purpose. Having the 4-in. WF sections on hand, it was natural that our first experiments in steel sets involved their use. Later, the rolling of the 10-lb section was discontinued in favor of the much stronger 13-lb section, which is now standard for both legs and caps in areas of no particular weight, but which, none the less, require permanent support. Our experiments involved the use of the 10- and 13-lb sections as legs and 6- and 8-in. I beams, 16 and 23 lb per ft, respectively, as caps. Experience soon indicated that, if the ground were heavy enough, and the opening wide enough to require a cap stronger than 13-lb, the 8-in, 23-lb should be used, eliminating the 6-in. I beam. We now know that the 8-in. WF section of the same weight, which we propose to use in the future, is considerably stronger for the amount of money involved. Comparative Strengths: Tables I to IV giving strengths of several species of timbers as compared with the structural sections that we now use have been prepared in accordance with accepted practice. Experience indicates that failure due to compression perpendicular to the grain of the wood does not destroy the effectiveness of a wood set frequently enough to be a practical factor. Therefore, no table of these values is included.

Jan 1, 1951

By F. J. Haller

IN 1943, we found, in the new Mather operation, a very unusual and disappointing condition in the footwall rock where all of our main haulageways were to be located. With the exception of a few hundred feet out of the thousands then planned and since driven, all of the openings require support. In general, the ground is not particularly heavy, at least by our standards, but it must be supported and the back carefully covered. Also, our operations require rather wide plat openings (16 to 18 ft) and rather flat curves at the turn-outs, all of which adds to the problem. When this completely unforeseen condition was discovered, ordinary timbering was the only answer, because of the impossibility of obtaining adequate steel supplies in time due to war shortages. Then by the time steel supplies were obtained and a practice developed, we found ourselves with between four and five miles of main haulage drifts and plat openings of a permanent nature, all of which were supported by hardwood timber, some of which had already rotted to an unsafe degree. Also, our drifting program was adding some two miles per year to the above figure. F. J. HALLER, Member AIME, is Superintendent, Mather Mine, Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Co., Ishpeming, Mich. AIME Columbus Meeting, September 1949. TP 2840 A. Discussion (2 copies) may be sent to Transactions AIME before May 31, 1950. Manuscript received Aug. 22, 1949. Revision received Jan. 17, 1950. To give all of the details of our experiments, studies, and experiences would fill a large book, but we were satisfied that our organization had done an excellent job, starting from scratch. You can appreciate our surprise when we discovered that we had added very little to an existing record. Attention was called to a footnote in a copy of "Carnegie Pocket Companion" year 1923. The note read: "Full information as to uses of H-Beams is given in pamphlet entitled 'Steel Mine Timbers.' " A search of our Engineering Library brought to light a pamphlet printed in 1911 showing extensive use of steel for this purpose. Except for welding in place of riveting, we have added very little to the designs in that book. We have, however, developed an experience which proves, at least to our own satisfaction, that steel mine supports pay off under the proper conditions. We are now convinced, in spite of the relatively high initial cost of materials, that steel sets, because of comparatively low installation cost, are actually cheaper than either treated or untreated wood sets, if they are properly designed and adapted. Several Sections in Use: Convenience guided our first experiments in steel sets, since for a number of years, we had used the 4-in. WF, 10 lb per ft section in 10-ft lengths as safety forepoles along with wood forepoles. This section replaced the 40-lb rail which had formerly been used for the purpose. Having the 4-in. WF sections on hand, it was natural that our first experiments in steel sets involved their use. Later, the rolling of the 10-lb section was discontinued in favor of the much stronger 13-lb section, which is now standard for both legs and caps in areas of no particular weight, but which, none the less, require permanent support. Our experiments involved the use of the 10- and 13-lb sections as legs and 6- and 8-in. I beams, 16 and 23 lb per ft, respectively, as caps. Experience soon indicated that, if the ground were heavy enough, and the opening wide enough to require a cap stronger than 13-lb, the 8-in, 23-lb should be used, eliminating the 6-in. I beam. We now know that the 8-in. WF section of the same weight, which we propose to use in the future, is considerably stronger for the amount of money involved. Comparative Strengths: Tables I to IV giving strengths of several species of timbers as compared with the structural sections that we now use have been prepared in accordance with accepted practice. Experience indicates that failure due to compression perpendicular to the grain of the wood does not destroy the effectiveness of a wood set frequently enough to be a practical factor. Therefore, no table of these values is included.

Jan 1, 1951

By R. L. Stanton

"The present contribution examines, in some detail, what appear to be the three outstanding features of the field occurrence of the conformable ""pyritic"" deposits. These are their association with fragmental volcanic rocks (and derivatives), their occurrence in sediments of near-shore formation, and their highly variable structural associations.In a recent paper it has been suggested that two such ""pyritic"" de-posits in New Brunswick may have originated as marine concentrations of volcanic base metal and sulphur compounds, and that many of their present features are the result of diagenesis, folding, and regional metamorphism. This is now put for-ward as a general explanation for the particular class of deposit considered.Such deposits should, on this hypo-thesis, be regarded quite simply as an integral part of the particular geological environment in which they occur -as a normal, though minor, sedimentarry type developed, char-acteristically, in near-shore and shelf facies of intravolcanic units formed along the margins of eugeosynclines. They should not be considered -as, for example, is required by the re-placement theory -as later features simply superimposed on a geological situation to which they are genetically unrelated. Where they are associated with folds and other structures, this may be attributed, from one in-stance to another, to mechanical migration during folding, weaknesses induced by pre-existing sulphides, and, occasionally, to fortuitousness.In the light of this postulated origin, it is suggested that the first stages in regional prospecting for deposits of this particular class should be broadly palaeogeographical. Later phases of the search should then be directed to the delineation of sedimentary facies and, finally, to the investigation of geological structure."

Jan 1, 1960

By Shigehito Isobe

The Li-N-H system composed of LiH and LiNH2 catalyzed by titanium compound desorbs ~6 mass% hydrogen and a quite small amount of ammonia in temperature range from 150 to 250 °C under He flow atmosphere. In this work, hydrogen desorption (H-desorption) mechanism in the reaction from LiH+LiNH2 to Li2NH+H2 in a non-equilibrium condition was clarified by TDMS, TG and FT-IR analyses for the products replaced by LiD or LiND2 for LiH or LiNH2,respectively. The results suggested that H-desorption reaction progresses through two-step elementary reactions mediated by ammonia. As a next step, we carefully determined the amount of the ammonia containing in desorbed hydrogen for the Li-N-H system in a closed system from the practical point of view. The results indicated that a quite small of ammonia thermodynamically coexisted in the desorbed hydrogen in closed system, although ammonia could not be almost detected in emitted hydrogen gas by TDMS under some non-equilibrium conditions. Moreover, for understanding the role of titanium, the chemical bonding state of the titanium compounds doped as catalyst in the mixture was examined by XAFS measurement. The results indicate that the Ti atoms, which can induce catalytic effect, are in a particular chemical bonding state.

Jan 1, 2006

By D S. Clarke, W M. Prebble

Potential waste rock products from the mining of epithermal deposits in the Hauraki Goldfield are characterised to facilitate their management. Hydrothermally altered andesites and their weathered near surface equivalents have been examined from the Golden Cross, Karangahake and Monawai gold deposits. These materials vary in both their clay content (smectite, illite, kaolinite and chlorite) and the degree of silicification resulting from alteration and weathering. The simulated degradation (slaking tests) of waste materials cannot be explained purely by consideration of clay content, siliciflcation, or the resultant variations in porosity.   Microstructure is considered to be essential in predicting the physical degradation of waste rock. The scanning electron microscope is an effective tool in such an investigation. Increasing alteration results in clay particles becoming more randomly orientated (matrix microstructure); this causes a reduction in the surface area of contacts between components resulting in increased potential for degradation. The extent of skeletal microstructure (commonly characteristic of weathering) is an important control on effective porosity and the long term potential for degradation. Management requirements for these materials include the minimisation of moisture content variations (with the prevention of initial drying being of primary importance) and the containment of sediments produced.

Jan 1, 1991

By A. M. Starfield

The study of strain waves in rock over the past decade has, for the most part, been an investigation related, but not applied, to rock blasting; the design of rock blasts has proceeded on a basis that is independent of strain wave research. This duality is reflected in the paper by Dr. Clark.1 While the greater part of the paper is devoted to a discussion of spherical waves in elastic and visco-elastic media, it is in an entirely unrelated section, the section on scaling and cratering, that the practical approach to rock blasting is found. Work done by the U. S. Bureau of Mines, as described in the paper by Duvall, Atchison, and Fogelson,2 has established a correlation between crater dimensions and the peak compressive strain in the rock. Strain wave measurements have thus been used to compare explosives but have not, as yet, been applied to the planning of a production round once an explosive has been selected. The optimum burden, for instance, is still determined either by experience, empirical formulae (e.g. that of Langefors 3), or a cratering experiment and the theory that has been developed around that proposed by Livingston.4 Even then there is some ambiguity in applying deductions from short, concentrated explosive charges to the long charges often used in practice (although Bauer 5 reports doing this with considerable success) and wave theory has until recently thrown no light on this problem, being confined, with only a few exceptions, to spherical charges. The hesitation in applying strain wave theory has probably been due to two questions that have not been answered satisfactorily: just how important is the strain wave in rock breakage, and if it is important, under what conditions will the wave break rock? This paper is an attempt to answer the first question, to avoid the second question by an admittedly oversimplified assumption, and then to investigate the implications of this assumption for blasting with long cylindrical charges.

Jan 1, 1967

By E. Pallumbo, N. Szwedska, R. Asselin

"This paper highlights the results of collaboration between geology, mining and mineral processing teams during the restart of the North American Lithium Project, located near La Corne, Quebec, Canada. This collaboration was central in ensuring a cross discipline harmonization of design parameters and key inputs, all of which allowed for the development of an optimized life of mine plan suited to the particular needs of the operation.INTRODUCTION In July 2016, North American Lithium Inc. (NAL) began the process of restarting operations at the former Quebec Lithium Mine, located in the municipality of La Corne, Quebec, Canada. The North American Lithium Project (the Project) as it is known today, is the latest chapter in the history of this property. In order to provide a robust foundation for the project, multidisciplinary collaboration was instituted between the geology, mining and metallurgy teams. Despite the intrinsic link between these departments, in many instances their work is completed separate from one another; in silos. This collaboration highlighted specific drivers in the mining value chain that could be exploited to ensure that a saleable product could be produced effectively. This paper explores some of the concepts and strategies that were developed during the feasibility study that supported the project restart (excerpts from the study technical report have been used throughout this paper). PROJECT HISTORY In 1942, prospectors identified the presence of numerous spodumene-bearing pegmatite dykes on the Property. This led to additional interest and exploration drilling campaigns. In 1955, Quebec Lithium Corp. (QLC), who had acquired the property, began construction of an underground mine with mill facilities located on the surface. Operations began the following year at a production rate of 1,100 tonnes per day. A historical cross-section view of the underground mine is shown in Figure 1. In 1959, QLC began the construction of an on-site lithium refinery to produce lithium hydroxide. The refinery was finally operational by 1963. Mining and processing operations continued until 1966 when activities were halted due to a labour dispute. The property was sold and a few years later attempts to resume production were unsuccessful. Property ownership changed several times again until being acquired by Cambior in 1987. In the early 1990’s the existing mine and mill facilities were sold and the mine site rehabilitated"

Jan 1, 2019

One of the most critical and complicated steps in mine design is a suitable mining method selection based upon geological, geotechnical, geographical and economical parameters. Since there are many factors involved in mining method selection, the decision-making process is very difficult. In this paper, the Analytical Hierarchy Process, with 13 criteria, is used to develop a suitable mining method for the Golbini No. 8 deposit in Jajarm (Iran). Six alternatives (conventional cut and fill, mechanized cut and fill, shrinkage stoping, sublevel stoping, bench mining, and stull stoping) are evaluated. The studies show that the suitable mining method for this deposit in the present situation is the conventional cut and fill method.

Jan 1, 2008

By Rudy Rogers

Gas hydrates have unique properties of storing selective gases. As much as 180 volumes of gas (standard conditions) per volume of hydrates may be stored. Recognizing the need for natural gas storage near electrical power plants for peak load use, DOE funded our laboratory to investigate gas hydrates as an economically viable storage means. Our developed process forms hydrates and self-packs the hydrates by only maintaining the gas pressure above a surfactant/water solution while hydrates form and self-pack. The laboratory process was scaled-up and demonstrated storage of 5300 scf of natural gas in hydrates. Subsequent to the demonstration, we discovered preparation procedures whereby laboratory gas hydrates could be stored at 1-atm with less than 1% decomposition over multiple days. The paper will discuss how these two advancements offer potential ways to recover vent gases as well as released hydrate gases from the seafloor. Keywords: gas hydrates, methane storage, surfactants, hydrate stability

Jan 1, 2008

Consolidated Gold Fields Limited published annually an excellent reference, GOLD 1978, GOLD 1979, giving the Supply and Demand for Gold, Recent Developments and Prospects, Soviet Gold Production, etc. This outstanding reference is authored by Christopher Glynn, Investment Department, London, Great Britain. The 1978 Report marked the tenth anniversary of Gold Field's review of world gold market developments; and from it and the 1979 report, the following information was derived. The recovery of gold is widespread in the Soviet Union. Originally, gold was mined principally in the Urals, but in the last few years several major deposits have been discovered in the southwestern areas of the Soviet Union. One of the most dramatic discoveries has been the Muruntau deposit in Western Uzbekestan. This deposit, discovered in 1958, is reported to be the largest and among the lowest cost producers in the Soviet Union. It is located in Armenia, approximately 750 km (465 miles) northeast of the Iran-Afghanistan border, lying in the center of the Kyzylkurn (Red Sands) desert at the foot of Muruntau Mountain. Free gold occurs in both fine and coarse size in quartz veins up to 20 m (66 ft) thick associated with a small percentage of sulfides, mainly arsenopyrite. The ore zone constitutes a large gold-enriched stock work of about 4 sq krn (1.5 sq miles). The development of Muruntau was a major undertaking with open -pit development and construction of the mill and refinery complex started early in 1967, and the first gold bar poured in mid-1969. At the end of the first construction stage in 1970, the mill building was an imposing structure about 38 m (125 ft) high and 330 (1,080 ft) in length housing, probably, 11 parallel milling circuits. The first construction stage also included six 50 m (165 ft) diameter thickeners and 30 Pachuca tanks. The original mill complex was tripled in size after large additional gold reserves were discovered at a depth of 600 m (1,970 ft); and the deposit is now being exploited by both open- pit and underground workings. Ore is ground in semi-autogenous mills with the free gold being recovered into a high-grade concentrate on shaking tables. Table tailings are purnped to duplex spiral classifiers in closed circuit with the grinding mills. Classifier overflow is then thickened before being transferred to the Pachuca building where cyanidation takes place. An ion exchange resin is then added in a countercurrent

Jan 1, 1981

By Thomas P. Dolley

Building stone, cassiterite, kaolin, gold, lime, and peat were the only commodities mined, The country's main economy was in agriculture, primarily in coffee exports. Tribal violence occurred again, between the Hutu and Tutsi tribes, causing an estimated 50,000 deaths, mainly in rural and mining areas. The inflation and a large deficit continued. The country continued to import cement, fertilizers, oil, and petroleum products. Burundi possessed numerous small gold deposits. The northwest and north-east were the country's two most important gold-bearing regions. A large kaolin deposit was found at Ngozi, and its mining was specified in the fifth 5-year development plan for 1988-1992. In the area of Rugombo, limestone was being explored with the intention of opening a cement plant.

Jan 1, 1990

Although the Stamler feeder/breaker has been used for coal crushing in underground mines for many years, it has only recently been applied to other crushing operations. Two companies presently using Stamler feeder/breakers for rock crushing were contacted regarding their experiences with the units in actual field use. In both cases information was obtained directly from the individuals responsible for field operation and maintenance of the units. White Pine Copper Co. has been using Stamler feeder/breakers for over two years to crush copper ore. They now have fourteen 450-ton-per-hour units on line. The ore has a compressive strength of from 18,000 to 28,000 psi and is extremely abrasive. Maintenance is performed on a tonnage basis. The breaker shaft is replaced every 250,000 tons (requiring about 4 hrs) and picks are replaced about every 1500 tons by the operator (requiring about 2 min per pick). Very little unscheduled maintenance has been required. Crushing costs are fairly high (estimated at 13 to 15t per ton including maintenance and operation) because of tale extreme abrasiveness of the material. A new Stamler feeder/breaker with Ultramet wear surfaces was put or line in June 1976. Ultramet was found to increase the life of belt transfer station surfaces by up to 400 percent and it is hoped that it will do the same for the feeder/breaker. At this time it is still too early to evaluate the performance of the Ultramet unit. If it does improve abrasion resistance, crushing costs could be greatly reduced. White Pine is very pleased with the units and the service provided by Stamler.

Jan 1, 1976

By J. Oliver, B. Wilson, 10

"Red Dog is one of the world’s largest zinc producing mines and a significant producer of lead and silver. While some of the operational challenges relate to the mine’s location in a remote part of Alaska, there are also challenges in the mineral separation process. Recent processing upgrades have included the installation of two M5000 IsaMills to improve the zinc regrind circuit and of one Jameson Cell to improve the pre-flotation circuit. Relatively fine grinding is required to achieve efficient mineral separation at Red Dog, but while fine grinding aids in the production of high grade concentrates, it also creates challenges in the efficient recovery of fine minerals. Over half of the lead lost to the lead circuit tailings, as well as almost half of the zinc lost to the final tailings, is in the finer size fractions (<10 µm). The high pulp density experienced in the pre-flotation and lead rougher circuits also causes significant entrainment loss of lead and zinc to the pre-flotation concentrate and of zinc to the lead concentrate. To help improve fine mineral recovery, Red Dog has recently plant tested and installed magnetic conditioning technology in the flotation circuits. The equipment aggregates fine paramagnetic sulphides and selectively increases their flotation recovery. This paper outlines the testing and positive results at Red Dog.INTRODUCTIONRed Dog is the largest zinc mine in North America and represents approximately 29% of North American zinc concentrate production. The mine is located in northwest Alaska, approximately 100 miles north of the Arctic Circle and 50 miles inland from the Chukchi Sea. The remote location makes the mine accessible only by air or seasonally by ocean-going barges. Red Dog is a partnership between NANA Regional Corporation Inc, the land owner and Teck Alaska Incorporated, the operator of the mine. Red Dog Ore and Mineralogy The Red Dog deposit is a rich sedimentary exhalative (sedex) zinc-lead-silver deposit. The main minerals present in order of abundance are: quartz, sphalerite, pyrite, barite and galena. Production began in 1989 with mining of the Main deposit. Between 1989 and 2012, approximately 55.6 million tonnes of ore with an average grade of 20.5% Zn, 5.6% Pb, and 97 g/t Ag was mined from the Main deposit. Subsequent to the development of the Main pit reserve, two additional open pit deposits were discovered: Aqqaluk and Qanaiyaq. The first blast in Aqqaluk occurred on June 4, 2010. As of December 31, 2014, the Aqqaluk deposit reserve is an estimated 45.7 million tonnes of ore with an average grade of 15.1% Zn, 3.9% Pb and 71 g/t Ag."

Jan 1, 2016