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The Dynamics and Thermodynamics of Absorbing Lithium of Ion Sieve Preparing Pollymetallic Nodules

Sep 13, 2010

By C. F. Barter, H. G. Kreis, D. S. Weber

Before and during in situ mining at the Santa Cruz In Situ Copper Mining Research Project test site, hydraulic testing was conducted at injection and recovery test wells to characterize patterns of fluid movement in the 5-spot well field. Testing included borehole spinner flow meter surveys, single-well and multiple-well injection and recovery tests, straddle packer injection tests, and bromide pulse tracer tests. Results of hydraulic testing for determination of fluid flow regimes were used to modify well and mining zone hydraulics for the purpose of increasing fluid migration in flow pathways of the mining zone with higher copper grade.

Jan 1, 2000

By S. Marsland

Reference materials have always been important for validating and controlling analytical methods. They have recently become even more important as quality requirements have become more stringent and customer demands for properly verified and controlled results increase. Clients, especially from the resource exploration industry, demand critical validation of all results reported. Mintek has been producing geological and semi-processed ore references since the early 1970s and recently, due to increase in demand, other manufactures have entered the South African market. This paper describes analytical challenges from the customers? perspective, the customers being metallurgists, mine geologists, environmental scientists and geologists from resource companies. Reference materials with their appropriate use and a good understanding, can aid greatly in building confidence in the results, choosing the right laboratory for a project, deciding which set of results is correct and providing evidence to the customers? clients that the best possible results have been obtained

Jan 1, 2007

By R. P. Proulx

The Meikle Mine is a high grade, underground goldmine utilizing primary-secondary longhole open stoping with delayed backfill to produce 2700 tpd(3000 stpd) of ore. Hot and reactive ground conditions were encountered early on in the mine life. Ground temperatures up to 166°C (330°F) were measured. In the early stages of mining, the mine experienced premature detonations using different explosive products. The learning curve to safely mine this high-grade gold deposit in hot and severely reactive ground was indeed very steep. Currently, the Meikle Mine uses a special buffered bulk emulsion in all blasts to address hot and reactive ground concerns. In addition, exacting procedures are also followed to ensure safe work with explosives. The combination of new explosives technology and strict loading procedures permits high mine productivity with the highest degree of safety.

Jan 1, 2000

By K G. Harding, E L. Haggard, C M. Sheridan

Mining is a water intensive sector, contributing to declining water resource quality around the world. Improvements to current mine water management practices can help reduce the amount of water utilised by the mining sector and the impact on water resources. Creating a water account can help companies understand water use in their operations and identify areas where water reduction is possible. Water accounting methods include the Water Footprint Network method and the WaterMiner tool.The Water Footprint Network method is used to determine the amount of direct and indirect water used by an organisation either in a process or to manufacture a product. The total water footprint is divided into the blue, green and grey water footprints. Blue water is the amount of water abstracted from surface and ground water resources. Green water is the amount of rain water utilised. Grey water is the amount of freshwater required to assimilate the waste stream to the natural resource and still conform to ambient water quality standards.The WaterMiner tool is a program available via the internet, which can be used to model water use of mineral processing sites. The program reports the amount of raw, worked and treated water used by the process and recommends flows that can be added to reduce the amount of fresh water required by the process.To gain information on mine water management practices in South Africa, a water account for a platinum mine was developed using the Water Footprint Network method and WaterMiner tool. Based on the results, suggestions to reduce the amount of fresh water utilised are made.CITATION:Haggard, E L, Sheridan, C M and Harding, K G, 2013. Water footprint for a South African platinum mine, in Proceedings Water in Mining 2013 , pp 15-20 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Nov 26, 2013

The paper relates to the laboratory and pilot plant studies that have been carried out by Sherritt Gordon Mines Ltd., Metallurgical Research Div., in developing the ammonia pressure leach process for extracting Cu, Ni, Co, and S from high grade Ni concentrate produced from Lynn Lake ores and describes in some detail the chemistry of the process. In the leaching stage air, ammonia, and sulphide minerals react in a sequence of inter-related steps to produce soluble amines of Ni, Cu, and Co in a solution containing sulphate, thiosulphate, polythionate, and sulphamate ions and a controlled amount of free ammonia, the iron and other components of the concentrate remaining as an insoluble residue which is separated from the leach solution by filtration. The pregnant solution produced in leaching is further treated by boiling to precipitate and remove Cu as cuprous sulphide, leaving a copper-free solution with a composition suitable for subsequent precipitation of Ni and Cu by H,

Jan 3, 1955

By Roy S. Nutter

An expert system advisor consultant to assist a coal mine section foreman is described in this report. The system is designed for an underground continuous miner section that is being specifically used for longwall development. The system provides three methods of operation that include normal operational mode for use underground, a training mode for use in training section foremen under controlled classroom conditions, and a demonstration mode that is free running. The Face Decision Support System or FDSS, is designed to interface with section environmental monitoring equipment and section production monitoring equipment that may appear in the future. This provides automated reprioritzation of the section foreman's job list from the system. The system 1S written in LASER which is written in C and is operated under the UNIX operating system. The objective of the entire FOSS system is to ensure that no job or piece of information important to safety or to production is forgotten because of the immediate problems confronting the section foreman.

Jan 1, 1988

ANNUAL meeting of the Woman's Auxiliary of the American Institute of Mining and Metal-lurgical Engineers convened on Tuesday morn-ing, Feb. 20, the president, Mrs. H. W. Hardinge, presiding. President Hardinge, in opening the meet-ing, said: "I have the honor and great pleasure to welcome you to our seventh annual meeting. It has been a happy year, though I started in fear and trembling. My fear is partly gone and my trembling becomes less as time goes on. Never has a chairman had such splendid cooperation and harmony in her work; no. matter how much was asked nor what the task, I have always received the same answer, `We are with you, of course we can do it.' Often the road has been untried and the way full of snares, but we have all pulled together. Is it any wonder we have had a prosperous year? I cannot thank the governing -board and officers enough for their help." Mrs. Hardinge described her trip through the West last summer, during which she visited many of the local sections of the Auxiliary. She also spoke of the work of the Rossiter Raymond memorial library which has been started as an activity of the Woman's Auxiliary. Mrs. Reynders read the minutes of the last annual meeting, and Mrs. Kemp read the treasurer's report. The latter showed that on Feb. 1, 1922, there was a bank balance of $683.61 and on Feb. 10, 1923, the bal-ance was $947.93. Mrs. Westervelt expressed the sorrow of the Auxiliary for the death -of Mrs. Florence Howe Hall and of Mrs. Levi P. Holbrook.

Jan 4, 1923

By S. J. Hemberger, F. W. Lee, J. H. Swatz

"INTRODUCTION This investigation was undertaken in 1939 for the purpose of securing the necessary information relating to the field techniques and accuracy that would be needed for magnetically surveying State-wide areas. The Florida,peninsula was chosen for such a study for two reasons: First, because it is geologically ideal for such an investigation, since it comprises a series of unconsolidated, flat-lying Tertiary and Cretaceous sediments of low magnetic susceptibility covering a complex and much-folded crystalline basement comprised of rocks carrying strongly -paramagnetic materials; second, because information concerning the structural trends of the crystalline basement would be of great interest and Importance in the study of Appalachian orogeny and the relationship of the Florida Peninsula to both the Appalachian and Antilleantectonte systems. The results of this magnetic survey have clearly demonstrated that the magnetic anomalies reflect variations in the crystalline a basement. To the degree which the structures of the crystalline basement control the structures of the overlying sediments these results are useful for oil exploration.MAGNETIC OBSERVATIONSAll magnetic measurements were made with a vertical Aekania magnetic variometer having a temperature compensated needle. All observations were tied into two base stations located at Fort. Myers and Gaineeville, Fla. The absolute vertical magnetic intensities at these two bass stations were determined by the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey within an accuracy of + 10 gammas. The accuracy of the base station variometer used in the present survey was of the order of ± 3 gammas. The sensitivity throughout the survey of the magnetic variemoter used on the traverses approximated 30 gammas per scale division and it is estimated that the probable error between stations along a traverse would be about + 5 gammas. Measurements were started on traverse C near Fort Myers and tied into the Fort Myers base station established by the Coast and Geodetic Survey. Twelve traverses, comprising 1,500 station observations, wore occupied between the Fort Myers and Gainsville base stations. When the cumulative total of these 1,500 interim observations was tied into the Gainesville base station it was found to differ by only 30 gammas from the value obtained by the Coast and Geodetic Survey for that base. The observations were adjusted for this difference."

May 1, 1945

By F. Qi, T. Frišcic, C. Mottillo

"One of the principal goals of modern industry is to minimize the environmental impact and increase the materials- and energy-efficiency of transforming raw materials into valuable products. This paper will highlight our latest laboratory-scale research in low-energy, low-solvent reactivity of metal oxides and their conversion into popular metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (e.g. Basolite® Z1200 component ZIF-8), and metallodrugs (e.g. bismuth subsalicylate, active component of Pepto-Bismol®). Mechanochemical ion- and liquid-assisted grinding (ILAG) and ""accelerated aging"" techniques will be presented, along with novel low-energy and solvent-free approaches, inspired by geological weathering processes, for converting metal oxides into metal-organic materials. INTRODUCTIONThe development of environmentally-friendly processes, which would in the same time be more materials- and energy-efficient than the existing ones, is one of the central concerns of modern chemical research. In that sense, the focus of the chemist has been mainly on the preparation of carbon-based organic molecules and adaptation of traditional organic synthesis to the recently delineated ideals of Green Chemistry. However, there is a growing realization within the chemistry community that significant energy, materials, and ecology-related benefits can be achieved and, indeed, targeted in the transformations of materials that are typically associated with inorganic chemistry and minerals processing. The principal aim of this highlight contribution is to illustrate how, through the use of approaches associated with solventfree chemistry and mechanochemistry (James et al., 2012), one can develop a clean and efficient system of chemical and materials transformations involving oxide precursors that normally belong to the realm of inorganic chemistry and mineral processing. In particular, this contribution will provide an overview of the recently developed mechanochemical and solvent-free reactivity of metal oxides towards small organic molecules. These mechanochemical reactions, including the methods of liquid-assisted grinding (LAG, Frišcic & Jones, 2009) and ion- and liquid-assisted grinding (ILAG, Frišcic, 2010), have so far provided a radically different means to construct advanced metal-organic materials (e.g. porous metal-organic frameworks, [MOFs] or metallodrugs) by rehabilitating metal oxides as precursors, eliminating the use of bulk organic solvents, and avoiding the use of high temperatures."

Jan 1, 2012

By D. M. Jepsen

One of the first things we tell a potential new client is that they have only one chance to make a first impression with an Aboriginal community; all future communications and engagement will be predicated on that first impression. The key components of this most critical meeting are not your power point, your maps, or your draft plan for development ? they are instead a genuine, evident and clear demonstration of a sincere desire to develop a positive relationship that is based upon respect, and consideration and understanding of local communities and their interests, needs and desires. Relationship building is the foundation of proactive and positive consultation and accommodation with Aboriginal communities and the tone is set with the first meeting. C3 has refused more clients than we have accepted due most often to the fact that relationships between the company and the Aboriginal community have already devolved into a tense and toxic scenario. Land access and tenure certainty for exploration and mine development is critical to the foundation of a healthy, sustainable and environmentally and economically sound mineral exploration and mining sector. Without certainty confidence to invest in mineral exploration will be severely eroded. We all understand that substantive investments in exploration are required to increase the possibility of discovering, defining and developing new mines. The development of positive relationships based on a shared commitment of understanding, mutual respect and trust by Aboriginal Peoples and the mineral sector can provide the required business certainty and deliver social and economic benefits for local Aboriginal communities.

Jan 1, 2012

By R. H. Beaton

"About 1905, a plant was constructed at C1ayburn, in the Lower Fraser valley, 4'5 miles east of Vancouver, to process shales from Sumas mountain into heavy clay products. In time, mining operations were found to be more favourable on the opposite side of the mountain, and by 1913 a plant, which soon became the centre of activities, was completed at Kilgard. Destroyed by fire in 1949, the plant was rebuilt on modern lines, and a second plant was established at Abbotsford, six miles to the west. The Company, from its beginning, has grown with development of the Province. In recent years, operations have kept abreast of latest developments, particularly in materials handling. Latest innovation has been the complete conversion of fuel from Bunker C oil to natural gas. In 1957 the Company became associated with Harbison Walker Refractories, Limited, a leader in its field in the United States, and its title was changed from Clayburn Company, Limited, to Clayburn-Harbison, Limited. Currently, the Kilgard plant produces sewer pipe, agricultural tile, and flue liner; the Abbotsford plant, refractories and facebrick. Improvement of products and development of new ones are tasks of a recently-completed testing and research laboratory.Almost all ware produced is marketed in Western Canada or Washing-ton State. The Vancouver area absorbs the bulk of structural clay products."

Jan 1, 1959

By D. Boldini, R. Lackner, H. A. Mang

ABSTRACT: In this paper, the strong interaction between the hardening shotcrete lining and the surrounding ground in NATM tunneling is investigated by means of axisymmetric analyses, accounting for the three-dimensional nature of the excavation process. The effect of the hydration of shotcrete on strength, stiffness, chemical shrinkage as well as microcracking and creep are accounted for. For the description of the mechanical behavior of the ground, a multi-surface plasticity model is employed. The performed analyses of the excavation process provide insight into the influence of each phenomenon accounted for in the material model for shotcrete on the response of the ground-shotcrete compound structure. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG: In diesem Beitrag soll die Interaktion zwischen dem erhärtenden Spritzbeton und dem Boden auf der Basis axisymmetrischer Berechnungen untersucht werden. Derartige Berechnungen ermöglichen die Berücksichtigung des drei-dimensionalen Charakters des Vortriebprozesses. Die Auswirkung der Hydratation auf die Entwicklung der Festigkeit, Steifigkeit und der chemischen Schwindverzerrungen, sowie das Reißen und das Kriechen des Spritzbetons wurde berücksichtigt. Das mechanische Verhalten des Bodens wurde mittels eines Mehrflächenplastizitätsmodells simuliert. Die durchgeführten Berechnungen des Vortriebprozesses geben Einblicke in die Auswirkungen der Spritzbetoneigenschaften auf das Tragverhalten des Boden-Spritzbeton-Komposits. RÉSUMÉ: La stricte interaction entre le soutènement en béton projeté durcissant et le terrain dans un tunnel creusé avec la NATM est étudiée par des analyses axisymétriques, compte tenu de la nature tridimensionnelle des processus de creusement. Les effets de l’hydratation du béton sur la résistance, la rigidité et la contraction chimique, ainsi que sur la micro-fissuration et le fluage, sont mis en compte. Pour la description du comportement mécanique du terrain on emploie un modèle de plasticité multi-surface. Les analyses conduites mettent en évidence l’influence de chaque phénomène considéré dans le modèle constitutif du béton projeté sur la réponse de la structure composite terrain-béton projeté.

Jan 1, 2003

By William R. Jones, Robert M. Hernon

This report on the Central mining district of New Mexico is the partial culmination of an intensive U.S. Geological Survey effort dating back some 30 years. Robert M. Hernon went to Silver City in 1948 to finish a detailed restudy of the district that had been started in the thirties by Samuel G. Lasky. He was joined by William R. Jones in 1951, and Jones took over as project chief when Hernon resigned to do consulting work in 1953; it was under Jones' guidance that most of the work was brought to completion or nearly so ( 17, 22-24, 26-30). Hernon returned to the Survey in 1958 to work in .the southern Appalachians. Early in 1965 Jones urged that Hernon be reassigned to the Silver City project to help complete the Professional Paper report on the ore deposits of the Santa Rita quadrangle as well as to take over preparation of the report on the Central district for the Graton-Sales volume. This reassignment was approved, and Hernon began work on the present report. By late June he had completed most of it in draft form, and on June 28 Jones and Hernon left Denver for a short trip to Silver City to fill in a few gaps and to reacquaint Hernon with activities in the district, which he had not visited for 12 years. Late in the afternoon of June 29, 1965, as Bob and Bill were 85 miles short of their destination, their jeep collided head-on with a truck that was attempting to pass another vehicle in a cloud of dust. They both died instantly. As the most recent surviving member of the Silver City project (1958-1962), I was given the honorable though rather sorrowful task of putting the Hernon-Jones report "in shape" for publication. Fortunately the manuscript was already in good shape, so that the task has consisted of little more than minor reorganization and editing, and of preparation of the illustrations, abstract, and bibliography. The sections on wall-rock alteration had been left for Jones to complete in the light of his recently intensified interest in alteration geochemistry (25), and it is in these sections only that. the report may fall short, for they have been filled in from a 1958 manuscript by Jones on the ore deposits of the Santa Rita quadrangle that he intended to revise considerably. The shortcomings, however, are largely in the interpretation, not in the field data. As a brief but accurate summary of what was known about the geology of the Central mining district in 1965, this report stands as a fitting testimonial to the scientific dedication of two exceptional men.

Jan 1, 1968

By C. Steve Albrecht

The primary objective of this study is to "evaluate the influences of different equipment systems on prime farmland subsoil compaction due to surface mining in the Midwest." The study is centered on four mine sites each utilizing a different combination of equipment for soil removal and replacement. Subsoil compaction is the primary focus of this research effort. Primarily owing to physical location, it is difficult to alleviate the increased compaction directly below the topsoil in reclaimed soils. Different equipment combinations cause varied effects when soils are replaced during surface mining activities. By collecting field data within a statistical framework, the effects of different equipment combinations on subsoil compaction can be evaluated and conclusions drawn. This research effort evaluates a comparison of natural and replaced soils by moist bulk density data. This comparison centers on changes in bulk density and texture to a depth of 48 inches. For each study site a complete case study is provided for use in data correlation and interpretation. Basis for this research effort centers on four (4) major experiment designs: o Comparison of soil bulk density values for three distinct equipment systems evaluated on the same general soil types (i.e. scrapers, bucket-wheel excavators and end-dump haulback); o Evaluation of the effects of soil replacement in repeated lifts using scrapers; o Presentation of bulk density values representing soil compaction for four (4) equipment systems (i.e. bucket-wheel excavators, draglines, scrapers and end-dump haul back) on four separate mine sites in the midwest; o A prediction analysis model is developed for subsoil bulk density following reclamation based on equipment characteristics and a statistical evaluation of texture. The soil data base of information includes data from the 1982 Bureau of Mines study entitled, "Impact of Surface Mining on Soil Compaction in the Midwest" as well as data from this research project. The final report is synthesized through an analysis of field data, statistical analysis and literature review. The final report focuses on the interpretation of results for practical application by government and industry.

Jan 1, 1984

By J. W. Latilla, J. J. van Wijk

A running facebreak ahead of the powered support units occurred on the number 4 seam at Matla Coal’s number 3 shaft (Matla 3) in April and May 2002.Very difficult mining conditions were experienced for a distance of some 150 m in the tailgate and to a lesser extent on the face itself. The paper analyses the main causes for the high stress conditions leading to the facebreak, namely, the existence of a >20 m dolerite sill close to surface and the effect of stopping longwalling on the overlying 5 seam. Difficulties experienced during the facebreak are discussed, including, pillar and roof collapses in the tailgate, high stress areas ahead of the face causing roof and sidewall stability problems, flushing of broken rock into the face area at the tailgate, secondary mid-face breaks, and the availability of critical support units. Successful rock engineering interventions and learning points were that, a goaf angle of 14.6° was found to be more realistic than the previously used 20 to 25° in predicting dolerite sill behaviour in this area, pre-split blasting of the sill significantly reduced stress on the face and tailgate allowing re-support work to proceed, varying pillar support types were analysed and rated, the need to always have a ground control “First Aid” kit available was recognised and a strategy for subsequent panels beneath the sill was developed. Numerous support units were used and the performance of the more suitable types is briefly discussed. A running facebreak ahead of the powered support units occurred on the number 4 seam at Matla Coal’s number 3 shaft (Matla 3) in April and May 2002.Very difficult mining conditions were experienced for a distance of some 150 m in the tailgate and to a lesser extent on the face itself. The paper analyses the main causes for the high stress conditions leading to the facebreak, namely, the existence of a >20 m dolerite sill close to surface and the effect of stopping longwalling on the overlying 5 seam. Difficulties experienced during the facebreak are discussed, including, pillar and roof collapses in the tailgate, high stress areas ahead of the face causing roof and sidewall stability problems, flushing of broken rock into the face area at the tailgate, secondary mid-face breaks, and the availability of critical support units. Successful rock engineering interventions and learning points were that, a goaf angle of 14.6° was found to be more realistic than the previously used 20 to 25° in predicting dolerite sill behaviour in this area, pre-split blasting of the sill significantly reduced stress on the face and tailgate allowing re-support work to proceed, varying pillar support types were analysed and rated, the need to always have a ground control “First Aid” kit available was recognised and a strategy for subsequent panels beneath the sill was developed. Numerous support units were used and the performance of the more suitable types is briefly discussed. Une cassure de taille en avant des unités de soutènement s’est produise sur la veine numéro 4 dans le puits numéro 3 (Matla 3) de la mine Matla Coal en avril et mai 2002. Les conditions d’extraction étaient extrêmement difficiles sur une distance d’environ 150 m dans la voie de tête et, en moindre mesure, sur le front de taille lui-même. L’étude présente analyse les raison majeures pour les conditions de grandes contraintes qui ont conduit à la cassure de taille, à savoir l’existence d’un mur de dolérite de >20m proche de la surface et l’effet d’arrêter la longue taille sur la veine 5 superposée. Les difficultés rencontrées pendant la cassure de taille sont rapportées, y compris les effondrements de piliers et toit dans la voie de tête, les aires de grandes contraintes en avant du front de taille causant des problèmes de stabilité pour le toit et les parois latérales, l’injection de roches cassées dans la taille en voie de tête, les cassures secondaires à mi-taille, et la disponibilité d’unités de soutènement critiques. Interventions minières réussies et leçons apprises furent : un angle de remblai de 14.6° était plus réaliste que celui de 20 à 25° utilisé auparavant pour prédire la conduite du mur de dolérite dans cet endroit ; tir à deux temps du mur a réduit considérablement les contraintes sur la taille et la voie de tête, ce qui a permis un travail de support complémentaire ; des types variés de support de piliers furent analysés et évalués ; la nécessité d’avoir toujours une trousse de première urgence disponible fut reconnue ; et finalement une stratégie pour les panneaux en dessous du mur fut

Jan 1, 2003

Seven legendary figures of American mining will be enshrined in the National Mining Hall of Fame in ceremonies on Saturday, Sept. 7 at the Little America Hotel in Salt Lake City, UT. The 15th annual induction banquet will begin with a reception at 6 pm, followed at 7 pm by the dinner and the program. Of the seven inductees, one is living. He is Alexander Murray (Bud) Wilson, 80, of Los Altos, CA. Wilson led Utah Construction (later Utah International) to become one of the world’s most diversified and successful mining companies in the 1960s and 1970s. It was acquired by General Electric in 1976.

Jan 1, 2002

By N. K. Dumakor-Dupey, G. B. Sakyi-Addo, K. J. Bansah

"Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) occurs in many countries around the world, and provides a source of livelihood to many impoverished local people in areas where it occurs. This paper reports the role of female participants and reasons why they engage in ASM. Field visits were made to 12 ASM sites located in the Tarkwa Mining District of Ghana to conduct interviews with male diggers and female participants. It was observed that over 100 women between the ages of 18 and 50 participate in ASM for survival. They engage in ASM largely because they have no alternative employable skills and income sources. These female participants depend on ASM to sustain the lives of their dependents. INTRODUCTION Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) conventionally involves use of rudimentary tools (such as picks, shovels, chisels and hammers) to exploit precious minerals and metals from the ground. It has been a major source of livelihood to many impoverished local people for more than a century. In many instances, it is the only source of income to indigenous people who have no alternative employable skills. The World Bank estimated that more than 100 million people around the world benefit from ASM which largely occurs in developing countries in Asia, Africa, Oceania, and South and Central America (World Bank, 2013). Cobalt, which is used in lithium-ion batteries to power cellphones, laptop computers, and electric vehicles, is largely produced by artisanal miners in Congo (The Washington Post, 2016). In Sudan, ASM is a significant contributor to the national economy, accounting for about 85% of total gold extracted yearly from 2010 to 2015 (Ibrahim, 2015). Also, according to the Embassy of Sierra Leone in Washington DC, USA, 90% of mineral export in Sierra Leone can be attributed to thriving artisanal diamond mining in the country (Sierra Leone Embassy, 2016). In Ghana, the ASM sector was recognized by government as a multimillion industrial activity, and through a series of initiatives, it was legalized by promulgating the Small Scale Gold Mining Law of 1989 (PNDCL 218). Presently, artisanal mining is widely practiced in two forms: licensed (registered), sometimes referred to as formal ASM, and unregistered (informal or illegal) operations, popularly called “galamsey”, a name believed to have been derived from “gather and sell” by ancient miners who could not communicate in the English language with European/British miners. The ASM sector in Ghana, like other countries, has seen a rise in female participation over the years. A report by the International Labour Organization (ILO) indicated that women account for about 15% of total workforce in ASM in Ghana, and up to 50% in Africa (ILO, 1999). Other researchers have also estimated women participants in ASM to be between 30 and 70% in Africa (Hinton et al., 2003a; Hinton et al. 2003b; Hilson, 2002). Presently, there is no reliable data from Ghanaian authorities on number of females engaged in ASM. However, data obtained from 15 ASM sites suggest that at least 40% of the employees are women. It is expected that a similar trend exists across ASM operations in Ghana."

Jan 1, 2017

By K. A. Stanley, N. A. Karl, D. R. Wilburn

"This summary of international mineral exploration activities for the year 2014 draws upon information from industry sources, published literature and specialists in the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Minerals Information Center. The summary provides data on exploration budgets by region and mineral commodity, identifies significant mineral discoveries and areas of mineral exploration, discusses government programs affecting the mineral exploration industry and presents analyses of exploration activities performed by the mineral industry.Three types of information are reported and analyzed in this annual review of international exploration: 1) budgetary statistics expressed in U.S. current dollars provided by SNL Metals & Mining (SNL) of Charlottesville, VA; 2) regional and site-specific exploration activities that took place in 2014 as compiled by the USGS and 3) regional events that affected exploration activities including economic, social and political conditions, which were derived from published sources and discussions with USGS and industry specialists. Commodity and regional compilations are presented in this summary. Because multiple sources are used to develop these compilations, statistics may differ depending on the source and type of data that are being reported.The SNL data summarize planned company budgets for worldwide exploration activities in 2014 for 19 nonfuel mineral commodities based on company surveys. Research focused on precious metals (gold, platinum-group metals and silver), base metals (cobalt, copper, lead, molybdenum, nickel, tin and zinc), bulk commodities (iron ore, phosphate and potash), and specialty mineral commodities (diamond, lithium, niobium, rare-earth elements, tantalum and uranium). Information on uranium exploration activities was included for the first time in 2007. Data on lithium, niobium, phosphate, potash, rare-earth elements and tantalum were compiled for the first time in 2010 because of their increased significance. Since 1999, companies with exploration budgets of $100,000 and greater were included in the SNL compilations. SNL budget estimates exclude bauxite, coal and oil and gas. Exploration budget estimates for iron ore have been compiled since 2011 but reported separately. The 2014 SNL company survey is reported by SNL to cover an estimated 95 percent of the world’s nonferrous, nonfuel mineral exploration budgets. The 5 percent that is not covered includes companies that chose not to participate in the SNL survey, private companies that do not publish their budget data, and government-funded exploration activities"

Jan 1, 2014

You have been involved with research activities in froth flotation and size reduction. What do you think the future holds for these technologies? Froth flotation and size reduction are essential processing steps common to almost all current mineral-processing operations. The most significant recent advances in both of these technologies have been in the increased size of equipment and in some alternative machine designs, such as the column cells and the high-pressure roller mills. I believe that the next major area of improvement in size reduction will be at least partially driven by an improved awareness of controlling the conditions that influence the efficiency of particle breakage. This would include factors such as water-chemistry influences, the influence of fines from classification, chemical grinding additives and better rheology control. In froth flotation, significant changes are currently taking place in the plant use of frothers. Also, there will be an increasing number of new collector chemistries for certain types of flotation, such as with oxide minerals, oxidized mineral recovery in sulfide systems and improved selectivity with certain sulfide mineral systems. You have been active in implementing new engineering technology in industry. What do you think will be the technological future of mineral processing? Being involved in the invention and industrial implementation of new technology has been one of the most positive experiences of my career. I also have had the unique experience of working in the chemical and petroleum industries as well as in mineral processing. In my opinion, the future of mineral processing will be an exciting, wonderful work area in which to be involved. The development of new technology in minerals processing offers a special challenge compared, for example, to that of chemistry or chemical engineering. In successful industrial innovation involving minerals, having a sound theory is not enough. Instead, what is required is a valid blend of a good idea, meaningful laboratory characterization and, most key, the experience necessary to adjust the plant in such a way to incorporate the idea. The complexity of engineering systems that contain solids, liquids and gases, as well as highly variable natural mineral properties, means that nothing new comes easily. In some cases, it has been difficult to explain how processes practiced in industry for decades actually work, in terms of physical and chemical fundamentals. On the other hand, when a new idea is successfully implemented, the economic and professional returns can be very rewarding. I know of no more challenging field of engineering than minerals processing. What is your view of the future of the minerals industry in general? The need for minerals, metals and coal will be with us for decades to come. In many aspects, the minerals industry became global much earlier than some of the other industrial sectors that are currently experiencing globalization. I believe that fair international competition is beneficial to the users of minerals, metals and coals and to those involved in producing such materials. The key word here for a global economy to work is "fair." So the various playing fields involved such as finance, profit return, regulation and labor should be relatively level for all the players involved. Competition is an amazing driving force for innovation. This has been true in the minerals industry during the last few decades. The mining industry is producing more at less cost per unit than ever before in our history. I anticipate that this trend will continue as long as the global political situation remains relatively stable.

Jan 1, 1997