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By D. J. Lucifora

Monitoring-While-Drilling (MWD) is a proven technique that records instantaneous on-drill parameters which can be used to supply contextual information for in-situ, down hole conditions, such as: changes in geology, the presence of pre-existing fractures and dynamic alterations, down hole conditions including bit bailing, bit blockages and bit wear, and improper drill operation. This technique has been widely used in the oil and gas industry and, eventually, it was transferred to the mining industry. A challenge when analyzing and interpreting MWD data is in utilizing proper filtering which enables one to properly eliminate any ?noise? from the signals of interest. Overall the importance of MWD data is that, through the collection of operational field-based data, a dataset can be acquired which allows experimentation and analysis to be carried out. Such a dataset is often impossible to replicate in a laboratory setting. If successful, and through iterative refinement, any promising method can eventually be implemented on-machine and using real-time monitoring techniques. This paper will provide a state of the art review of presently used MWD techniques and applications in industry. The paper?s primary focus will be on shallow, mining-style, blast hole drilling but will also take into account techniques and applications utilized in oil and gas drilling which have not been adopted in the mining industry. In the cases where MWD techniques and applications exist solely in oil and gas drilling the paper will examine and comment on the potential utility of technology transfer to mining applications.

Aug 1, 2013

By H. R. Banks

SHORTLY after the commencement of operations at the Sullivan concentrator, the use of a pilot table was instituted in order to present a visual control of various products by showing the amount of galena still present in the tailing from several stages of flotation. Among the products so treated, the final tailing was later included. It was sratifying to note that very little free galena was escaping, but a fine streak o a whitish mineral appeared at the concentrate zone. This mineral was identified as cassiterite. The amount was small and the newly recognized component in an already complex ore was considered primarily as of academic interest. However, the problem of recovering a usable metal was intriguing and, as opportunity presented itself in temporary lulls in research on Sullivan and other ores, the concentration of tin was a useful 'bit of knitting' to go on with. It was recognized from the start that the bulk of the mill tailing would have to be floated and the residue subjected to gravity treatment. Since one of the predominating features of Sullivan concentration operation has been the necessity of fine grinding, the problem of gravity concentration was thereby intensified. Several batch runs were made, and sufficient pulp was treated to produce about one ton of final tin concentrate assaying 67 percent tin. The overall recovery was under 30 percent and the estimated profit at full tonnage was only marginal. Testing was resumed several years later, when the price of tin again appeared attractive, in an attempt to develop a more compact plant with better recovery of tin. The weakness of the original plan of concentration was the large number of tables required to treat a feed so low in tin.

Jan 1, 1941

By Bruce Macdonald

Operational monitoring of slope stability can be achieved by space based InSAR monitoring platforms. Natural and man-made rock slopes are monitored using a novel stack-based InSAR method that exploits both persistent point scatterers (PS) as well as coherent distributed scatterers (DS) such as areas of pavement and sparsely vegetated surfaces. The new method, Homogenous Distributed Scatterer (HDS)-InSAR identifies InSAR targets by using adaptive multilooking of statistically homogenous pixel neighbourhoods combined with thresholding the differential temporal coherence of each target candidate with respect to its surroundings. HDS-InSAR preserves PS and therefore forms a direct generalization to our proven DualScale-PSI method. The density of HDS exceeds that of PS by more than an order of magnitude often providing essentially continuous coverage over urban and industrial landscapes featuring a mix of infrastructure with mostly bare soils or rock surfaces. The improved coverage enables better definition of surface motion and underlying geology, which will lead to superior interpretation of the geophysical mechanisms causing the surface deformation, e.g. through improved integration with 3D deformation modeling. We illustrate the performance of our new HDS-InSAR method compared to DualScale-PSI using displacement results from Vancouver, Canada; Bingham mine, USA; and the Palabora mine, South Africa.

Jun 1, 2012

The quality of refractory bricks and castables could be determined by direct measurements of their material properties such as elastic properties, porosity, density, etc. using conventional static or non-destructive testing (NDT) dynamic techniques. Quality monitoring of refractory linings is much more challenging and complicated. The static methods require undesirable drilling and sample extractions from the furnace structure. A more desirable alternative is the use of NDT techniques for material quality estimation. The Acousto Ultrasonic-Echo (AU-E) technique is a new stress wave propagation approach for monitoring the quality of refractory linings in operating furnaces. In this paper, the conceptual methodology for the AU-E technique is described, the capabilities and limitations are expanded, and the results from two case studies are discussed.

Jan 1, 2005

By A. Proulx

Durant les années 1955 à 1961, plusieurs campagnes d?exploration ont été menées sur la zone Bond dans la partie sud-ouest de l?anneau nord de la carbonatite d?Oka (propriété de Niocan, figure 1). Les zones minéralisées HWM1 et HWM2 sont découvertes à l?ouest de la propriété. Un des forages, le S-60, avait intercepté 80 mètres de minéralisation à 0.71% Nb2O5 à l?est des zones HWM1 et HWM2 mais aucun autres travaux d?exploration n?avaient été réalisés sur cette interception minéralisée. En 1995, Niocan réalise une campagne de forage pour mieux définir la zone minéralisée recoupée par le forage S-60. En 1997, une seconde campagne de forage détermine un tonnage de 14.37 Mt avec une teneur de 0.66 % Nb2O5 pour la zone S-60 (Marcotte et Gagnon, 1997). Le complexe carbonatitique d'Oka se situe à environ 35 km à l?ouest de Montréal sur la rive nord du lac des Deux-Montagnes. Sa formation remonte au Crétacé précoce (entre 117 à 123 Ma). La carbonatite d?Oka fait partie de la suite d'intrusions alcalines que constituent les collines Montérégiennes. Le complexe a une forme allongée (7.2 km par 2.4 km) orientée NO-SE (figure 1). Il est intrusif dans des roches précambriennes constituées d?anorthosites au nord et de gneiss charnokitique au sud (Gold, 1963) appartenant à la Formation de la colline d?Oka. Les gneiss au contact du complexe sont fénitisés sur une épaisseur qui peut atteindre jusqu?à 60 mètres. Les roches carbonatitiques forment la série dominante du complexe et elles sont composées principalement de calcite (> 50 %) à gros grain et parfois rubanées. Les minéraux accessoires les plus communs sont la biotite, le pyroxène, la monticellite, la magnétite, l?apatite, la forstérite, la mélilite, le pyrochlore, la pérovskite, la niocalite, la pyrite et la pyrrhotite (Gold, 1963).

May 1, 2003

By J. M. Wetherill

"This paper presents the results of an investigation into the level of radon, as against the natural background, at the Vicary Creek coal mine in Alberta. The concentrations of radon and daughter products detected in the mine were considered to be insignificantly higher than the concentrations of naturally occurring radon and thus do not constitute a health hazard to the miners.INTRODUCTIONTHE HIGH INCIDENCE OF LUNG CANCER among miners exposed to radon was established some thirty years ago. The presence of this gas in mines is primarily associated with pitchblende extraction operations, al-though coal contains detectab`e quantities of U30s. A previous study bas shown that coal from southwestern Alberta (Exshaw and Banff) contains lower than average concentrations of this element (1).As part of a general investigation into the occupational health environment of coal miners in Alberta, field measurements were made to establish the level of radon and to investigate the natural background radiation in the Vicary Creek coal mine, located some 16 miles north of Coleman, Alberta, on the easternmost slopes of the Rocky Mountains."

Jan 1, 1968

By H. J. Glass, J. G. L. Bekkers

"In order to determine the feasibility of a hydraulic ore hoisting installation, the optimal operating conditions were calculated for applying such a system at the Detour Lake Mine of Placer Dome Ltd. Next, a financial analysis was conducted in order to estimate the cost per tonne for hydraulic hoisting of the ore. Subsequently, the cost per tonne was compared with the hoisting costs associated with a new borehole hoist. Installing a hydraulic ore hoist at Detour Lake Mine was found to be feasible with considerably lower costs per tonne of ore. The applied research method appears to be very functional and can be used to do similar research for other mining operations. IntroductionThe principle of hydraulic ore hoisting is well known, yet hardly accepted in hard rock mining. Application of the system would result in a smaller diameter shaft requirement and a flexible, easily expandable system. However, underground ore size reduction might be necessary and practical experience with the system is limited. Following recent innovations in the field of pumping hardware, e.g. new GeHo and Siemag Transplan equipment, hydraulic ore hoisting should be seriously considered for certain mining operations. As a case study, a design was made for the development of the newly found QK-Zone at Placer Dome Ltd.’s Detour Lake Mine. Hydraulic ore hoisting has been compared with conventional skip hoisting by establishing the optimal operating conditions and pumping equipment requirements for similar capacities at a selected mining operation. Generally accepted equations for slurry transport were used to predict the variation of pressure and power requirements as a function of hourly production and pipeline diameter. These data are used to select suitable equipment and estimate cost figures in order to make a financial assessment."

Jan 1, 1998

By C. Denis Thibodeau

Outline Introduction 402 OB Mining Sequence Trial to Verify Sequence Change Monitoring Observations Numerical Modelling Conclusion

May 1, 2013

By W. J. Farley

"The Sherritt Gordon mine is 100 miles north of The Pas in northern Manitoba. Copper-zinc ore was discovered on the property in 1922. Production began in 1931 and continued to June, 1932, when operations were suspended because of the low price of copper. Operations were resumed on August 1st, 1937, and have been carried on continuously from that time to the present (March 1947). The production of metals up to the end of 1945 was copper, 287,129,880 lb.; zinc concentrate (50 per cent) 104,419 tons ; gold, 79,388 oz.; silver, 2,529,974 oz.GENERALThe ore occurs in two deposits, the east and the west. Both are enclosed in gneisses that are highly metamorphosed sedimentary and volcanic derivatives. The rock beneath the deposits, and hence forming their footwall, is gneissoid quartzite; the hanging-wall rock is basic garnetiferous hornblende gneiss. Pegmatite commonly occurs along both foot- and hangingwall peripheries and as isolated blocks and fragments within the ore zone . These blocks and fragments are considered to be residuals of unreplaced host rock .The ore is relatively coarse grained and ranges from the massive to the disseminated type. The metallic sulphides composing these, named in the order of their abundance, are pyrite and pyrrhotite ( 2-1 ratio) , chalcopyrite, sphalerite (marmatite) , and minor chalmeriite; subordinate amounts of gold and silver are recovered . The insoluble content of the ore averages about 35 per cent.Another deposit known as the Bob Lake, much smaller and lower in grade but having very similar relationships, occurs about 3 ½ miles to the northeast of the main Sherritt Gordon ore masses.STRUCTUREThe Sherritt Gordon orebodies are of the replacement type, and lie within a pegmatite sill that has been intruded along a contact between quartzite and hornblende gneiss. The two main orebodies are intimately related, for the east deposit is an erosional remnant of the lower, easterly limit of an orebody once continuous with the west body. The ore lies along the southwest limb of an overturned syncline."

Jan 1, 1954

By A. Ghasemi

An alumina-silica coating was deposited on a nickel substrate by sol-gel process, and the structures and composition were evaluated, The sols were made from aluminium and silicon alkoxide, and an acid catalyst including HCl, To produce adherent silica coatings on nickel, various additives such as surfactant, viscose additive and drying control chemical additives were introduced to the system, and appropriate drying and firing cycles were applied after dipping in solution. The hot corrosion and oxidation resistance of the coating at different temperatures were investigated, The structure and uniformity of the coatings were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), The results indicate that a uniform coating of alumina silica can be produced on a nickel substrate by optimizing the composition and process variables of the sol. Coatings can protect substrates from oxidation and hot corrosion at different temperature up to 1000°C, but is not very effective for hot-corrosion resistance at 1000°C.

Jan 1, 2005

By Simon Weixiao Sun

Conventionally, carbon steel has been the primary material for salt mine headframe construction, protected by specialty paint layers to prevent corrosion. These layers require meticulous QA/QC during fabrication and erection, and the top UV protection layer typically loses effectiveness after an average of 10 years, necessitating ongoing maintenance. As headframes age, significant structural repairs are often required. Alternatively, stainless steel can eliminate corrosion concerns, though its high initial cost has limited its use in headframe design. However, when factoring in long-term maintenance costs, a 'maintenance-free' stainless steel headframe can be an attractive option for stakeholders. This paper compares the structural performance and economic considerations of painted carbon steel and stainless steel headframes, including initial capital and long-term maintenance costs. Additionally, it explores a hybrid approach, strategically using carbon steel in low-contamination areas to reduce initial costs and significantly minimize future maintenance efforts.

May 4, 2025

By G. W. H. Norman

INTEREST in the mineral possibilities (gold, copper) of northern Quebec, north of the Quebec-Cochrane branch of the Canadian National railway, has centred for many years in the Chibougamau district (see Figure 1). Since 1934, however, promising gold discoveries in the Rose Lake-Florence River section, 115 miles southwest of Chibougamau lake, have widened the interest, and prospectors have examined other parts of the country between Chibougamau lake and Bell river and the surrounding districts. The object of this paper is to !resent an outline of the geology, and to describe the mineral deposits, o part of this region, or, more specifically, of the part embraced by the Opawica-Chibougamau and Waswanipi map-areas(l), which include the districts about Chibougamau lake and Rose lake-Florence river, where mineral deposits are now in course of development either by surface or underground work. Early discoveries, developments, and explorations in the Chibougamau district are well summarized in the report of the Chibougamau Commission, published in 1911(2). The Commission discredited previous optimistic accounts of mineral discoveries in the area, made initially in 1903, but at the same time they expressed the opinion that, from a geological standpoint, the district promised a reward to diligent and intelligent prospecting. Their general conclusion-that prospecting in the area was not then (1911) commercially advisable in view of its inaccessibility and other handicaps shifted interest from the district until, some years later, valuable discoveries were made in the Rouyn area, and aircraft widened the field of successful exploration. During the past ten years or so, considerable energy has been spent in promoting the development of the district. The net result has been the discovery of a number of prospects, the majority of which have been explored only by trenching and, in most cases, diamond drilling.

Jan 1, 1936

By Neillm Alastair S.

"This paper looks at what has happened in the past decade in the rare earth industry, particularly for those companies outside China trying to develop alternative projects to the Chinese dominated supply chain. The rare earth industry has gone through a metamorphosis over the past decade. The industry was basically unknown outside China until overnight it became the next hot topic on the financial streets of Canada and Australia. Suddenly various junior miners shifted from uranium and other out-of-favor commodities to rare earths as funds were easy to access from an investment community that did not understand the complexities of the space. The initial funding was done on traditional junior mining metrics of grade and deposit size. This has morphed over time to:1) Lights versus heavies2) Making a concentrate3) The importance of separation4) Off-take agreementsAt the peak of the market frenzy certain flagship operations were built using the “Not Made in China” moniker. Unfortunately certain errors were made during implementation, which are finally coming to the surface and making the rest of the pack wondering what will happen next. A review and update of some of the mistakes made and lessons learned will be discussed.BACKGROUNDAbout ten years ago awareness started to form around the rare earth industry and various groups recognized that because of the closure of Molycorp, Mountain Pass, and the dominance of China, there was a risk of uncertainty of reliable supply. This was not news for those active in the industry like Rhodia (now Solvay), the Japanese, South Koreans and other key consumers but to others it was like a light went on and rare earths became the new “.com” trend for investment banks, investors and some mining companies looking for the next hot topic.In the late 1990’s Molycorp accounted for around 20-25% of the world’s supply of rare earths, mostly lights (La, Ce, Pr and Nd), with small amounts of heavies from other sources. Then environmental issues forced the closure of the operation at Mountain Pass. Within six months China had increased production to plug the gap in supply. Around that time China was developing a strategy to leverage their position in rare earths and implemented a series of regulations to increase the value added component of rare earths inside China."

Jan 1, 2016

By K. Esmaieli

ABSTRACT We conducted a series of numerical experiments to investigate the influence of rock mass foliation on impact-induced damage on ore pass walls. The 2D Particle Flow Code was used to simulate three distinct rock masses surrounding an ore pass, characterized by foliation angles of 60°, 90°, and 120° (clockwise from horizontal). Subsequently, we projected a rock fragment against the ore pass walls at a constant impact angle and velocity. The resulting damage increase

Jan 1, 2014

By A. Torkian

Process water from production of concentrates in Meydook copper sulfide mine is transferred to the 8.3 million m3 tailings dam and a water retention pond after initial thickening. Elevated concentrations of heavy metals, sulfate, and TDS and decrease in pH as well as seepage into the aquifers have been the concern of the regulatory agencies since the start of activities. In this paper the results of a 6-month monitoring program from 4 wells are presented. The wells were located approximately 1.5 km from downstream of tailing dam (0.4 km from water retention pond) as well as upstream background well (2.28 km from water retention pond and 1.27 km from tailings dam). The objective was to study possible effect of accumulated tailings on the groundwater resources. Water levels in sampled wells were on average between 20 and 40 m. Results showed high levels of lead (5 ppb), copper (0.17-0.46 ppm) and selenium (73.1- 29.1 ppb). High levels of selenium and lead were partly due to natural geological settings of the area with high levels present in unaffected soils in the vicinity including water wells of villages upstream of mining operations. High copper levels were attributed to both mining operations as well as deposition from particulate air deposition onto the soil and transport to ground water by rain.

Aug 1, 2013

By Finley A. Campbell

"Nickel-copper sulphide deposits associated with basic rocks in the Quill Greek area and the White River area in the Yukon Territory have been studied and compared from the view-point of their general geology, structural geology, and the mineralogy of the ores. The relative amounts of the major constituents, magnesium, iron and calcium, and the minor constituents, nickel, cobalt and chromium have been determined spectrographically for two cross sections of the basic rocks at Quill Creek and one at White River. These data, along with petrologic and field evidence, were used to determine the sill and dyke-like character and nature of the basic intrusions. Loss on ignition is employed as a measure of the degree of serpentinization. The distribution determined shows that the serpentinization does not appear to have greatly influenced the inferred original distribution and lithophile associations of magnesium and nickel. The cobalt content may have been altered.The nickel content of the serpentinized peridotites ranges from an average of 0.36 per cent in one section to an average of 0.24 per cent in each of the other two sections studied. The cobalt averages 0.0038 per cent in the samples from the two Quill Creek sections and averages 0.0042 per cent at White River. These results have been compared with other available data.The sulphide ores are later than both the peridotite and gabbroic rocks and may be co-magmatic with them. There is no evidence in these areas to support an origin by lateral secretion; on the contrary, the alteration associated with the ores, the mineralogy and spatial relationship to basic and ultrabasic rocks, indicate the ores are derived from a basic magma."

Jan 1, 1960

By J. Clark

Erosion control during the mining cycle can be more effectively planned using Erosion and Sedimentation Control Plans (ESCPs). This raises the issue of who should develop an Erosion and Sedimentation Control Plan Guidance document (ESCPG) to standardize the content of ESCPs. A search for ESCPG documents in Canada revealed no examples for mine sites. In the U.S. there are a number of regulatory authorities who developed such documents for mine sites, including EPA. An ESCPG is expected to result in: (a) plans will be more standardized (b) more clarity and efficiency for those generating ESCPs; (c) assisting regulators tasked with reviewing/approving ESCPs; (d) providing guidance for the mine effluent permitting process relative to sediment control; (e) providing a basis for developing and including ESCPs in the Environmental Assessment (EA) phase and the mine economic assessment; (f) applying and optimizing ESCPs above the ?watersheds? of sediment ponds; (g) utilizing the ESCPG document for ?exploration? sites; (h) lowering the risk of adversely impacting water quality downstream of mining activities; (i) providing a methodology for determining the need for sedimentation pond(s) during the construction and production phases; and (j) providing a clear environmental sustainability message relative to sediment control if the mining industry takes the lead in developing an ESCPG. ESCPs will proactively create increased administrative (regulatory) efficiency in the EA and sub-EA reviews relative to erosion control and sediment release from mine sites. This also assists the new initiative in BC, One Project, One Process (OPOP) and synchronous permitting (a variation of concurrent permitting): as an example, enhanced erosion control planning at the EA phase then allows the synchronous permitting initiative to proceed efficiently, particularly for the mine permit (Ministry of Energy, Mines and Natural Gas) and effluent permit (Ministry of Environment). Approximately twenty more management plans (e.g. ARD/ML, explosive management, emergency response, hazardous waste, sediment pond operation, environmental effects, environmental sampling, etc.) may also be entered into the EA process to create increased efficiency, and then feed into the synchronous permitting effort. The BC OPOP initiative also adds support to the Canadian Federal ?One Project, One Review Process? approach. The ESCP and a sediment pond management plan will also address the Canadian Metal Mining Effluent Regulations requirement for all discharges from mine sites to meet a grab sample of 30 mg/L Total Suspended Solids.

Aug 1, 2013

By Y. Thibault, G. Deschênes

An open-pit mine, located in Mexico, processes an ore a rate of 4000 tpd, using conventional cyanidation and AYR. A laboratory study was conducted to increase silver extraction and to reduce the concentration of cyanide in leaching. The sample contained 0.41 g/t Au, 125 g/t Ag, 99% gangue minerals, 0.7% pyrite, 0.07% sphalerite, 0.03% chalcocite. Silver was present as acanthite, stromeyerite, silver mercury/halogen, silver with copper in solid solution and jalpaite. The plant conditions (2400 ppm NaCN) produced 90.2% gold extraction (residue at 0.04 g/t Au) and 92.7% silver extraction (leach residue at 9.1 g/t Ag). The CELP (CANMET Enhanced Leaching Process) produced 97.0% silver extraction (residue at 3.8 g/t) and 90.2% gold extraction using 500 ppm NaCN. The incremental gross revenue was estimated at $US7.6 million and the reduction of cyanide costs was $2.9 million per year (79%).

Jan 1, 2011

By Harold N. Miller

Lost time and services caused by electrical equipment breakdown or cable faults can often be substantially reduced by the use of direct-current high-voltage testing as a maintenance tool. This paper discusses the relative merits of alternating-current versus direct-current testing, pointing out the advantages in size and cost of equipment and more definitive results achieved through the use of D.C. General principles of direct-current high-volt-age testing, types of testing, methods of performing the actual test and interpreting the results are explained. ?The value of insulation resistance measurements and their relationship to high-voltage testing is discussed. Pinpointing the physical location of a cable defect using a fault locator or thumper is described. Reference is made to several organizations that have effected considerable savings with high-voltage test programs. Introduction T HE past decades have seen great advances in the field of electrical power distribution and application. Motor generators, power-operated equipment, cables, etc., have all gone through various stages of improvement both in efficiency and reliability. Un-fortunately, however, power failures and equipment breakdown still occur -frequently with disastrous effects in loss of time,

Jan 1, 1965

By Ram Song, Yohei Harada, Shinji Kumai, Kazuho Otsuka

"Recently, vertical-type high-speed twin-roll casting (HSTRC) has been developed. The HSTRC shows extremely high cooling rates over 1,000 K/s even at the mid-thickness area. The fabricated strip has many metallurgical characteristics; super-saturation of alloying elements, fine solidified structure, and homogeneous distribution of fine constituent particles. In Al-Mn based alloys, the Mn alloying element can be supersaturated in the a-Al matrix and also form Mn-containing constituent particles during solidification. The Mn supersaturation and the distribution of primary/secondary particles in cast products affect the metallurgical behavior in the down-stream processing and can improve mechanical properties of the final products. In this study, Al-Mn based alloy strips were fabricated by HSTRC with various Mn contents. The solidified microstructure, constituent particles and its distribution, and Mn solubility were investigated in the as-cast condition. Due to the high cooling rate of HSTRC, fine constituent particles were homogeneously distributed, and coarse intermetallics were not observed. Mn solid solubility was estimated by electrical conductivity. The estimated Mn solubility was equivalent between strip surface and mid-thickness area.INTRODUCTION Al-Mn based alloys, as non-heat treatable wrought aluminum alloys, are widely used in packaging and heat exchanger for automobile industry. Besides Mn, Al-Mn based alloys often contain Fe and/or Si as alloying elements or natural impurities. During solidification, Mn can be super-saturated in the Al matrix, and also form Mn-containing constituent particles. Additionally, in the subsequent thermal-mechanical processes such as homogenization, rolling, and intermediate annealing, Mn in solid solution precipitates out of the Al matrix as secondary particles. The size, distribution, type, and the amount of dispersoids including constituent particles affect to texture evolution, recrystallization behavior, and final mechanical properties of wrought Al-Mn based alloys (Huang et al., 2016; Huang & Marthinsen, 2015; Engler et al., 1995; Muggerud et al., 2013). Therefore, controlling the initial level of Mn super-saturation and the distribution of constituent particles are important in the cast Al-Mn based alloys."

Jan 1, 2018