Search Documents

By G. Taylor

"The Iron Ore Company Of Canada's Carol Project is located in Labrador City, Newfoundland. Labrador City is some 912 air kilometers northeast of Montreal, and 417 ratl kilometers north of Sept-Iles, Quebec.Over 2,800 employees work at the Carol Project to produce some 20.0 million tonnes of concentrate and 10.5 million tonnes of pellets annually.In 1979 our Training Department started to develop the DACUM System of training for our Concentrator Operations Department.DACUM is an individualized, self-learning, training program. It is both a curriculum plan and an evaluation instrument.To date, the DACUM System has been completed for all occupations in the concentrator and work will commence shortly to develop DACUM for our Pellet Plant and Mine Operations Departments."

Jan 1, 1982

By John Convey

This short paper deals with the subject of research and its relation to productivity. All who have stopped to even think about industrial re-search and its impact on the nation-al economy take for granted that research and development are pre-requisite to increased productivity. It is another matter, however, to identify and properly evaluate the many factors entering into the relationship between the two. Some studies are currently underway in the United States on the subject, but, so far, nothing much in the way of conclusive data has come to light. In Canada, we have not yet even produced any statistical figures on national productivity, although work is now being done on this subject and information will soon be available. The usefulness of being able to measure the benefits of investment in re-search and development in terms of industrial growth or productivity need not be laboured for the benefit of those interested in research management.

Jan 1, 1964

By S. G. Hardcastle, C. K. Kocsis

"Worldwide, metal mines are going deeper. For example, in Canada there are six such mechanized mines planning production at 3000 m (10 000 ft). Working at such depths challenges all aspects of mining including the provision of ventilation to supply an equitable working climate for personnel and machinery.This paper explores the overall challenges of supplying ventilation in Canada’s deepest mines and how the volumes required could be minimized. This is essential because it must be remembered that ventilation and refrigeration are not only costly items to supply, but the magnitude of their cost is also very sensitive to the volume supplied. For the primary ventilation system this is obvious because of the cubic relationship between volume and cost.In deep mines, the main function of ventilation is the removal of heat transferred from the strata and generated by the mining machinery, and the air volumes supplied are designed accordingly. The second consideration is the removal of other pollutants that could be harmful to humans such as diesel and explosive fumes. However, the need for ventilation at its present design levels could be reduced. This paper discusses the implications of such technologies as: tele-remote mining and alternatives to diesel equipment on the magnitude of the volume supplied; ventilationon- demand which recognizes ventilation as a costly and limited resource; plus other aspects, such as the benefits of controlled recirculation, local cooling, and possibly heat rejection back to the strata to gain further advantage from new developments.Furthermore, this paper advances the need to be able to design ventilation systems more cost effectively and how such new advances as process simulators can be used in conjunction with ventilation simulators to explore the diverse options that could affect the air volumes required and provide more realistic economic data upon which to base design decisions."

Jan 1, 2004

By Steve Lalancette

Centre Jardin Lac Pelletier (CJLP) has been a leading actor in the revitalisation of closed mining sites in northern Québec for over 20 years. Over that period, CJLP developed a cost-efficient technique that transforms sterile mining residue into a substrate able to support a resilient ecosystem. Using a unique mix of organic matter, fertilisers and selected plant species, this technique rapidly builds a microorganic fauna and a layer of humus that will sustain the creation of vegetation coverage. The coverage is composed of over 13 different plant species, each having a unique role in the development of a resilient ecosystem, from soil stabilisation to nitrogen fixing. Considerably less expensive than traditional methods using civil engineering techniques, it does not require the use of heavy machinery or the spread of topsoil. This technique has been successfully used to restore over 20 sites in Québec such as Joutel, Yvan Vézina and Louvicourt. It is a proven technique that has passed the test of actual implementation. The presentation will review the biological, production and economic aspects of the technique through the revitalisation of the Joutel site.

May 1, 2011

By Ben Bradshaw

Context ? Community engagement has become an increasingly significant and challenging part of mineral exploration and mine development; indeed, opposition from communities proximate to a proposed mine site has been known to derail technologically- and financially-sound projects. ? These cases suggest that mining firms need to better understand how to engage constructively with local communities in the pursuit of their claims. ? While a range of publications exist promoting various community engagement strategies, these recommendations, when viewed as a whole, are disjointed and largely untested in real development contexts. Aims of Presentation 1. Synthesize industry, NGO, government and academic publications focused on community engagement best practice in order to highlight those practices that are most commonly recommended. 2. Review the (Canadian) mining industry?s experience with some of these strategies based on existing case material in order to identify the extent to which commonly prescribed strategies are used and validated in practice.

May 1, 2010

By O. Matwijenko

"The Kidd Creek concentrator is located twenty-six kilometres east of Timmins, Ontario, within a metallurgical complex including a 109,000 MTPY zinc plant and a new 59,000 MTPY copper smelter and refinery. A complement of 159 persons is employed in the operation of the concentrator.Ore from the Kidd Creek Mine is crushed underground to minus 15. 0 cm, then transported twenty-seven kilometres by rail 1:0 the concentrator. After being crushed to minus 1. 6 cm, the ore is further processed by grinding and flotation.The concentrator commenced operations in November of 1966 at a designed capacity of 8,200 MTPD. Two parallel flotation and grinding circuits treated copper-zinc ore (2.28% Cu, 5.63% Zn) and a third treated silver-copper-lead-zinc ore (230 g/MT Ag; 0.57% Cu, 0.88% Pb, 7.89% Zn).By 1975, the concentrator was treating 9,100 MTPD of ore. Seven concentrates were being produced, namely, high silve1: copper, low silver copper, lead, low silver zinc, high silver zinc, pyrite and tin.Planned minesite expansion to a second underground mine required increased concentrator throughput. Expansion of the concentrator enabling a thirty-three percent increase in copper-zinc ore throughput occurred during the period 1975 through 1978. This expansion included increased load-in capacity, major redesign in the crusher house, the addition of a fourth grinding and flotation circuit, the building of a fourth dryer, and numerous expansions of services."

Jan 1, 1980

By The Staff

Introduction For many years the necessity of mechanization of all the underground services in the collieries of the Dominion Steel and Coal Corporation in the Sydney, Pictou, and Cumberland coalfields has been foremost in the minds of those concerned with the engineering and operating policies of the Corporation, and a gradual policy of the mechanization of these services has been undertaken over the years, until nearly all the underground services, except the actual loading of the coal at the face, have been mechanized. Early in 1928, experiments in mechanical loading were conducted which finally culminated in the installation of mechanical loading units in our No. 20 colliery in 1938. This attempt at mechanization of the final underground services proved unsuccessful because the workmen were not ready to accept complete mechanization, and the fruition of many years of study was delayed until the year 1947. During the ensuing years, the engineers and operators of the Corporation had studied the possibility of adapting to conditions prevailing in Nova Scotia mines the many types of loading equipment in use in the United States and Europe. The varied physical conditions which exist in the fields operated by the Corporation rendered it extremely difficult to apply the equipment and technique successfully employed in the United States, and more recently in Europe, and special techniques have had to be devised to meet the need of each individual colliery. Prevailing physical conditions in the Nova Scotia fields find no parallel for mechanization with those of any other part of the American continent.

Jan 1, 1949

By Amir Zavichi

Today, with the necessity of timely, on-budget and high quality completion of projects, proper use of construction equipment is essential to ensure project success. Construction equipment places a large monetary burden on the project and if not utilized efficiently, it can result in economic losses. Cranes are one of the most important and expensive operational devices on construction sites. They play a central role, and often activities that rely on crane services fall on the project?s critical path. Currently, material-handling scheduling is done by the crane operator or by an on-duty superintendent using his/hers personal judgment, making the process manual and timeconsuming. Thus, developing an optimal schedule, which considers different dynamic constraints in construction job site, may not be possible based on the current practice. This leads to longer operation times and a negative impact on project cost. This paper presents the latest results of an ongoing study, which aims to design and implement a nearreal time crane operation decision support system to be utilized directly by the crane operator or as an aid for the superintendent in scheduling optimal operation services. This system has several advantages such as maximizing the efficiency of crane operations, guaranteeing the best operation possible to reduce the crane?s travel time, reducing crews and equipment idle time, and minimizing the dependence on subjective human judgments.

Aug 1, 2013

By I. E. Wahn, E. A. Boutin

"The Manibridge Mill is unique in its treatment of relatively high grade nickel-copper ore because in the mill design are included one 10' diam. x 10' Maxwell cell, and three 12' diam. x 12' tank cells. These large cells are used as rougher-scavenger cells. Three 8' diam. x 8' tank cells as well are used for cleaning and recleaning of the tank cell concentrate.Flexibility of flow is the main criterion in the tank cell circuit. Targets from these cells are a high grade nickel-copper product with a minimum of talcose gangue.The operation of the tank cells has been encouraging and they have performed well with both low and high grade heads, yielding a high grade concentrate product.Manibridge Tank CellsDescription:The tank cells at Manibridge consist of one 10' x 10' Maxwell cell, three 12' x 12' tank cells, and three 8' x 8' tank cells. The four large cells are currently being used as rougher scavenger cells. The three small cells are used as cleaner cells.Both sets of tank cells consist of Denver steel tank and Super Agitator Mechanisms with steel beam super-structures. The agitator mechanism has a totally enclosed ball bearing spindle housing with a cold rolled steel shaft, and a stanclard standpipe with adjustable collar.The air rings for the tanks were fabricated by Nelson Machinery. Both large and small cells have injection rings with equally spaced air holes in the bottom centre line of the ring.Air is supplied to the tank cells by a Dresser Clark low pressure air blower.The following is a table of pertinent data on the tank cells:"

Jan 1, 1974

By Pierre Gaucher

It is possible to selectively mine an orebody by combining the use of the SSW probe with any bulk mining methods as well as narrow vein exploitations. In other words, thanks to the use of the SSW probe, mining operators will be able to reduce and control dilution that is generally associated to every mining operation. Already, quick and substantial savings have been obtained. Falconbridge mines have demonstrated in Sudbury and Raglan operations, that the SSW probe can log nickel, copper and iron sulphides in blast holes. They have raised the grade and reduced dilution by outlining the limits of the ore zones before selectively loading explosives in the blast holes. By lowering the probe in a blast hole, a profile of the ore content is instantly measured and recorded. Logging cored diamond drill holes at the mine have demonstrated that the ore content (nickel, copper, cobalt, PGM) as assayed is proportional to the intensity of the probe?s electromagnetic response (EM), probably because the nickel / pyrrhotite ratio is uniform within a given orebody. The probe also measures the intrinsic conductivity of the sulphides and the percentage of magnetite. All probe readings are displayed and automatically stored at a 10-cm interval within the same reading unit. A 30-meter blast hole takes less than 2 minutes to survey. The whole instrument is light (12 kg) and very simple to use. One operator can carry the SSW system and survey either down or up-holes. The probe works from ?40°C to +50°C. Plotting the measurements of the SSW probe in blast holes (2-3-4-6-10 inches in diameter) before blasting allows to determine the exact shape of the orebody within the waste rock and uneconomic low-grade ore. Thus, only the portion of the holes that contains ore is blasted. The dilution is then much reduced and, by leaving the waste and low-grade ore in place, the mine saves on transportation, blasting, crushing, backfilling, milling, etc. Thousands of dollars are thus saved. Some savings may also be achieved during the development of stopes by guiding development drifts and by replacing diamond drilling by percussion drilling. In some circumstances, when the probe shows that some of the rich ore was not drilled-off, additional blast holes will allow to recover pockets of rich ore that otherwise would have been abandoned in the walls of a stope.

Oct 1, 2001

By W. Duyvesteyn, B. Sabacky, T. Spitler, D. Verhulst

"The Altair TiO2 pigment process is based on hydrochloric acid leaching of ilmenite at high-acid concentration. Titanium is transferred by solvent extraction into a high-purity aqueous stream with a high titanium concentration. HCl gas is recovered by pressure-swing distillation and is used to regenerate the leaching solution.A new method of TiO2 recovery in dense film with simultaneous dehydration and hydrolysis provides great flexibility in adjusting the characteristics of the TiO2 pigment product.Modifications of this method lead to a flexible, low-cost, high-tonnage process first for the production of nano-sized TiO2, and later for stabilized zirconia-based nanomaterials and nano-sized titanates.IntroductionProcesses for the production of TiO2 from ore by a hydrochloric acid route have been proposed in the past. Most of these processes dissolve impurities and recover TiO2 as a residue or as a hydrolyzed phase in the original solution (Turner, 1948; Berkovich, 1975; Morris, 1982; Judd, 1986; Chao, 1993). Solvent extraction of titanium after leaching in aqueous HCl has also been studied (Tsuchida et al., 1982; Narita et al., 1983) or at least mentioned as an alternative (Ellis, 1963). A number of small-scale studies on leaching and solvent extraction in both sulphuric and hydrochloric systems have appeared recently (John et al., 1999; Lanyon et al., 1999; Sole et al., 1999. As far as we know, only Kerr-McGee (Morris, 1982) and a plant in India and one in Malaysia use a hydrochloric acid route (20 wt% HCl) to commercially produce synthetic rutile.The Altair process originated in a search for an economical method to treat high-magnesium ilmenite deposits, while avoiding the production of a waste metal salt by-product. The first attempts aimed at producing pure TiO2 by leaching out the impurities. Further work centred on completely dissolving the ilmenite in concentrated hydrochloric acid and reprecipitating TiO2. To decrease the impurity level in the product, solvent extraction of titanium into a purified stream was introduced. It also became clear that to take full advantage of the increase in leaching efficiency provided by concentrated acid, it was necessary to regenerate HCl gas."

Jan 1, 2002

By Natasha A. Essar

Nevsun Resources Ltd. Bisha Mine Project is a gold and base metal development project in the Gash Barka region of west-central Eritrea. The project has the potential to be one of the largest industrial developments in the country, and Eritreans have no experience in modern mining. Nevsun recognized early that the success of the Bisha Project would require meaningful consultation and engagement with all levels of Eritrean society. Meaningful engagement required not only full disclosure, but also capacity building from government officials at all levels to other stakeholders who live in the nearby communities. This paper describes the approach used to develop capacity and to help introduce a modern mining culture in a country without previous experience in mining.

May 1, 2007

By M. J. Slater

Ion exchange using resins is one of the few processes capable of reducing ionic contaminants in effluents to very low levels. Continuous fluidized-bed ion exchange is an advantageous technique for processing dirty effluents and thin slurries. It also reduces resin inventory and equipment cost compared to fixed packed beds. A simple continuous fluidized-bed unit has been investigated for treating effluents and its performance is described. Breakthrough curves were first obtained from static fluidized fixed beds; these data were then used to determine the required operating conditions for a periodic-flow, countercurrent fluidized-bed ion exchange system. A waste stream, containing about 56 ppm copper, was treated in the continuous system using an extraction fluidized bed depth of 203 cm and a flow rate of 1.22 cm3/ cm2s (900 gph / sq.ft) to yield an effluent containing less than 0.02 ppm copper. A generalized design method is proposed for similar chemical systems.

Jan 1, 1978

By Benoit Bissonnette

"The need for production of a competent fill was recognized early by the project partners. Consequently, a 4000 Ud paste fill plant was constructed and commissioned in early August 1994.In order to fine tune the process without risk to the underground workings, a closed pumping loop was devised on surface. After two months of this exercise, the first underground slope was filled according to specifications obtained from the pilot plant trials.This paper will focus on the operational problems encountered and the solutions adopted so far, and on a comparison between expected and actual fill production and characteristics.RésuméLa nécessité de produire un remblai de propriétés mécaniques suffisantes a été rapidement reconnue par les partenaires du projet. Conséquemment, une usine de production de remblai en pate, utilisant les residus du concentrateur d'une capacité de 4000 t/j a été construite et l'opération a débuté au mois d'aôut 1994.Dans le but de roder le précedé sans mettre en danger les installations souterraines, l'usine a été testée dans un circuit de surface. Après deux mois d'essais, le premier chantier souterrain a été rempli avec du remblai en pate selon les specifications dérivées de l'usinage pilote.Cet article présente les problemes d'opération rencontrés et leurs solutions, en plus de faire une comparaison entre les résultats prévus et ceux actuellement obtenus sur la production et sur les charactéristiques du remblai."

Jan 1, 1996

By W. G. Johnson

"As we move into 1983, Canada is not only in a deep recession, there are major changes taking place.International competition is growing fiercer.Major core industries such as automobile, steel, mining, oil, agriculture, forestry, fishing, major manufacturing and others are just not expanding.If and when recovery comes starting in mid-1983, as many predict, don't expect industries to suddenly resume former growth patterns. It's just not possible.Companies, by necessity, are becoming lean and mean, and they are still in the process of reducing staff to meet changing times and conditions. Many of the staff now being released may never return to fulltime work with a single employer, particularly if they cannot measure up to more exacting performance standards and management expectations.There are clear cut instances of people who lose a job for reasons beyond their control. A merger, the loss of function, or a major reorganization sometimes creates casualties of people who were excellent performers. Such people can survive well, based on the tongue of good report and with some help from associates or others. However, even good performers often have difficulty in adjusting to the rigors of finding a new job and to become their own personal salesman."

Jan 1, 1983

By G. M. Hutt

Introduction The major development of industrial minerals in Manitoba has been in building materials. 'The building-stone industry is developed far beyond the needs of the Province, and the well known Tyndall limestone is marketed over a wide area throughout the other provinces to Canada. Similarly, gypsum and gypsum products are produced in excess of local requirements and are exported to adjacent provinces. The crushed-stone, sand and gravel, limestone, and lime industries are sufficiently developed to supply the needs of the Province and, notably in the case of lime and lime-stone, there is a surplus for export to the adjacent provinces and to the United States. The manufacture of common brick is well established, but for face-brick and other clay products the Province is dependent largely on importations. Production of silica-sand will increase as Canadian markets become available through recognition of the utility value of the Black Island sand as foundry-sand and for other purposes. There is some possibility of the export of feldspar, of lithium ore and concentrates, and perhaps of salt. A considerable part of the Province has not been seriously prospected for industrial minerals and it may be expected that, as time goes on, other deposits of non-metallic minerals will be discovered and opened up, especially as the prairie provinces become more industrialized. At the present time, there is some activity in the southern part of the Province based on gas and oil indications. Whatever may be the outcome of this work, it should yield valuable information concerning the geological structure of the area.

Jan 1, 1934

By T. Yeomans

NVI Mining’s Myra Falls operation is a forty-year-old underground mining operation feeding a 4,000 metric tonnes per day concentrator. The current mill, built in 1985, was designed to process a massive sulphide ore-body. This orebody, known as the HW, contains about 50% pyrite. Minerals of value are chalcopyrite and sphalerite, with precious metals occurring in all mineral types. By 1997, mining of a new ore-body, known as Battle-Gap, commenced. Mineralogically complex, the new orebody contains about 15% pyrite copper minerals, including primary chalcopyrite and secondary bornite, chalcocite and tennantite, combined with increased galena and sphalerite. Flotation performance generally decreased with increasing amounts of Battle-Gap ore types, with both copper concentrate quality (increased lead and zinc content) and copper recoveries being affected. Following significant metallurgical test-work, a new, fully sequential copper-lead-zinc flotation flow sheet and reagent scheme was developed. This sequential flow sheet was progressively installed and commissioned during 2006. Copper concentrate lead and zinc smelter penalty contents have been reduced by some 40%, while increasing copper recovery by 10%.

Jan 1, 2009

By Margarete Kalin

"Difficulties arise in implementing environmental technologies in the mining sector because important fundamental processes, which lead to the environmental degradation, are ignored. Weathering rates, the role of bacteria in the process and the incomplete application of the matching principle of accounting at the time the mining disturbance take place. Mining is a multi-stakeholder activity and the environmental problems have multivariate dimensions also effecting process.The limiting factors in the contaminant generation process are the transport of oxygen by advection, convection or diffusion in air or water and the associated microbial activity. Weathering products are transported from the mineral surface by atmospheric precipitation to surface and groundwater. This contamination takes place at different rates, requiring a long time to evaluate technological choices.Restoration efforts have to focus on slow reaction rates in the contaminant generating processes. Technology, which does not address the reaction rates and is selected based on inappropriate time scales, will not provide long-term solutions. Natural approaches to reduce acid generation, based on Ecological Engineering principles have required decades of research and field testing, but now show promise in addressing the cause of AMD and ameliorating its effects."

Jan 1, 2005

By Jean-Claude LeRoy, Herman Keller

"INTRODUCTIONEROCON's work is the reclamation of mine wastelands. It has had considerable experience in particular in the reclamation of gold mine tailings in the Canadian Shield since the latter part of the sixties when most gold mines were closing down.A typical example is the famous Hollinger Mine in Timmins which produced $566 million worth of metal from 1910 to 1968 and had left behind some 56 million tons of tailings covering about 1,000 acres which were reclaimed on very short order and are now lush meadows of agricultural quality.To date, practically all gold mine tailings have been reclaimed once and for all by establishing a permanent, self-sustaining and maintenance free vegetation cover.RECLAMATION & THE MINING TOWNSThe first appreciation of people in a mining community where the tailings have been revegetated will be noticing one day the elimination of dusty conditions that used to arise formerly on every dry and windy day. In that respect, EROCON encourages not only vegetating the tailings but also the immediate surroundings of the mills and plants themselves at active mines. The elimination of windborne dust will result in an appreciable decrease in maintenance costs of plant and machinery and more pleasant working conditions for all."

Jan 1, 1975

By Fraser Rowe

This paper discusses the philosophies, strategies, goals and pitfalls in automating a mine schedule. The intention of the paper is to give an open and honest view of who could benefit from moving to an automated system, what you can expect from such a system, and what you should be aware of. Many companies feel that moving to an automated mine planning solution will allow the mine scheduling engineer to push a button and walk away, but the reality is that is hardly ever the case. Part of that awareness comes from understanding what is meant by ?automated mine scheduling?, and this paper address that. By contrasting what is meant by ?manual scheduling? and ?automated scheduling? it is hoped that the reader can gain an appreciation of the entire process.

Oct 1, 2009