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By Parker JB

The Channar Iron Ore Mining Project (the Project) is a joint venture involving the Hamersley Holdings group (Hamersley) and the China Metallurgical Import and Export Corporation (CMIEC). The Project represents the first new iron ore mine development in Australia since 1971/72 and is the first major overseas mining investment by the People's Republic of China (PRC). The Channar mine is being constructed in the Pilbara region of Western Australia and will operate for more than 20 years supplying the PRC with 200 M tonne of high grade iron ore. The Project is configured to take advantage of Hamersley's existing production and support facilities. The Joint Venturers will invest A$280 million to achieve an initial production rate of 3 M tonne/yr and an additional A$120 million over the next 8 years to achieve full capacity of 10 M tonne/yr. Financing the Project to meet the requirements of both Hamersley and CMIEC, with the dependance of the Project on Hamersley's infrastructure, and in a depressed iron ore market, required an innovative financial structure to be arranged in a limited period. This paper describes both the financial structure and its implementation, and draws a number of conclusions regarding the financing of resource projects.

Jan 1, 1989

By Turker L

The leaching of Tellness (Norway) ilmenite concentrate in hydrochloric acid and mixed aqueous HCl-alcohol solutions at boiling temperatures was investigated. It was found that the alcohols methanol, ethanol and ethylene glycol all substantially increased the leach rate and in the case of methanol and ethanol this was achieved at lower boiling temperatures compared with aqueous HC.

Jan 1, 1986

Editor’s note: As usual, the June issue features an industrial minerals review. And some thanks are in order. Thank you to the industrial minerals annual-review editor, to the technical committees chair and vice chairs and to the authors of the individual commodity profiles. Jim Norman of GeoTrans Inc. is the industrial minerals annual-review editor. Lucy McCartan, US Geological Survey, was the chair of the SME industrial minerals technical committees. She also served as the vice chair for agricultural minerals. Other technical committee vice chairs were: •Gary Tomaino, Specialty Minerals Inc., ceramics and refractory materials. •Srinivas (Vas) Veeramasuneni, US Gypsum, chemical raw materials. •William Langer, US Geological Survey, construction materials. •Vanessa Santos, Independent, fillers and pigments. •Richard Berg, Montana College of Mineral Science and Technology, specialty minerals. Their help makes possible this June industrial minerals issue. On behalf of the readers, the editors thank them.

Jan 1, 2002

A rotating disc of precipitant zinc in a single stage flow reactor was used to study the effects of deposit mass on the reaction kinetics of copper cementing on to zinc from dilute aqueous solutions.The reaction rate is controlled by external mass transport and the mass transfer coefficient (relative to the original precipitant area) is dependent on the quantity of deposit present. For deposit masses up to about 0·3 mg/cm2 the mass transfer coefficient (first order rate constant) is that expected for the counter-diffusion of reactant and product cations through a laminar boundary layer to a smooth rotating disc. For depositmasses from 0·3 mg/cm2 to about 5 mg/cm2, the mass transfer coefficient increases significantly with deposit mass. For deposit masses greater than 5 mg/cm2 and at least up to 12 mg/cm2, the mass transfer coefficient has again a constant value which is some four to seven times the initial ("deposit free") value. The rate constant for the entire range of deposit masses studied (0 to 12 mg/cm2 ) can be expressed empirically as a cumulative normal distribution of the logarithm of the deposit mass.The enhancement in the mass transfer coefficient for deposit masses greater than 5 mg/cm2 relative to the initial mass transfer coefficient depends on the local operating conditions and increases with increasing disc rotational speed. This enhancement is, however, independent of the previous history of reaction rates.

Jan 1, 1973

By Tim O’Neil

Question: Looking forward, do we face a future in which energy markets, energy policy and energy conflicts threaten to preoccupy, if not dominate, our concerns over economic growth, national security and domestic tranquility? The answer is, we may indeed face such a future. Question: What oil resource is comparable in size to the reserves of Saudi Arabia and presents a tremendous opportunity? The answer, the oil sands in Alberta, Canada. Question: What is the largest mineral staking rush in North American history, still under way? It has so far led to the development of two large mines. The answer is the Point Lake diamond strike in Canada’s Northwest Territories. It led to the development of the Ekati and Diavik mines.

Jan 1, 2004

By Gary E. Sherman

To aid the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers In their Resource Development Navigation Study, the U.S. Bureau of Mines (Bureau) examined the potential for mineral development near ten Alaska port sites. This report presents the results for the first three sites: Bethel, Kivalina (Red Dog), and Omalik Lagoon. The mineral deposits near Bethel are primarily gold and mercury; the nearest deposit being 55 mites away. Because of the expense of constructing and maintaining a road over the poorly drained lowlands, the potential of Bethel as a port site in the near-term is considered to be low. The Kivalina site currently serves the Red Dog mine and has the potential to handle material for similar deposits in the area. Results from a lead-zinc mine model indicate that potential for additional mine development exists in the area. Coal is the major deposit type found near the Omalik Lagoon site. Due to environmental constraints, development of a large-scale mine producing coal for export is considered unlikely. A small-scale coal mine model was used to examine the feasibility of producing coal for regional use. This alternative may be feasible but would require conversion of heating/generating equipment in the area.

Jan 1, 2011

By Mahyera A, Sakashita B, Ahmed U, Abou-Sayed AS

Gas in U.S. coals is primarily composed of 90 to 99 percent methane and up to 10 per- cent carbon dioxide. In composition and heat- ing value, this coal-bed gas is similar to natural gas and can be introduced directly into commercial pipelines after standard condition- ing. The high permeability cleat system in the virgin coal can be exploited in order to drain the coal gas well in advance of mining. Two premining drainage methods have been extensive- ly evaluated in the U.S.; they are 1) horizon- tal boreholes collared from within the mine, and 2) vertical drilling from the surface with fracturing. Limited-size fracture treatments are advocated in order to prevent potential roof damage and the need for added support. An engineering approach to predicting gas flow for different drainage techniques near mining locations is presented. Results can be used in design, i.e. pipeline, compressor. Coal gas drainage from a horizontal borehole and a treated (contained fracture) vertical well for a 6 foot seam have been evaluated. Based on these results, it was concluded that selection of gas drainage techniques will depend primar

Jan 1, 1982

By Rob Famlield, Gavin Yuill, William Birch

The Blasting Research Group at the University of Leeds, in the United Kingdom, continues to be highly active in the area of the environmental impact of blasting. In recent years a major part of this research has been concerned with the use of linear superposition. This technique relies upon the assumption that all the holes in a blast produce identical vibration signals. Previous work at the University has shown that this assumption is not sufficiently robust to be generally applicable. This is due to a number of factors of which the key variable appears to be dynamic confinement

Jan 1, 2002

The stability of parallel underground coal mine galleries and pillars have been investigated using two- and three-dimensional (3D) numerical stress analysis. Anisotropic horizontal in situ stresses and the direction of the excavations have been considered in the numerical analysis. The stability of the tunnels driven in a coal seam at various working depths has been investigated taking into account different strata conditions and then results from two- and three-dimensional numerical modelling studies were compared. Maximum principal stress components have been chosen in three various directions: vertical, parallel and perpendicular to the tunnel axis. Analysis have shown that in the anisotropic in situ stress field, the favourable direction of underground mine openings which have different strata conditions depend not only on the horizontal in situ stresses but also on the vertical in situ stresses. Furthermore, 3D numerical modelling studies have been carried out to investigate stability of multiple entry longwall panel gate roads and pillars with various width-to-length ratios (W/L). Results of the modelling studies have shown that the critical dimension of coal pillars depends on their width and the direction of maximum horizontal stresses.

Dec 6, 2010

By Rebecca Hardy

The escalating demand for coal, in addition to the steady depletion of reserves, has produced increasingly difficult mining conditions for coal mining companies within the United States, resulting in mining above or below previously mined areas. The safe and productive extraction of coal in a multiple seam environment requires specific design technology for effective mine planning. Presently, one of the most useful design approaches for multiple-seam feasibility analysis is using numerical modeling techniques. Therefore, numerical modeling programs LaModel 2.1 and Lam2D were used to determine the feasibility of mining the Herrin (No. 6) coal seam over an existing room-and-pillar mine in the Springfield (No. 5) coal seam in the Illinois Basin.

Jan 1, 2006

By Valter Félix Júnior Carvalho

A operação de um porto de minério é um campo fértil para boas práticas em integração de sistemas. Por tratar um produto normalmente sem alteração de características ao longo do processo, é possível analisar essa integração exclusivamente sob a ótica dos sistemas envolvidos. Dada a quantidade de sistemas independentes e complexos, o estabelecimento de interfaces se torna um fator essencial para o sucesso do projeto. Por outro lado, a necessidade de persistência de informações consolidadas, como informações de rotas e de planos de carregamento, torna interessante o uso de Sistemas de Bancos de Dados (SGBD) e sistemas legados. A integração de todos os sistemas necessários num projeto conciso com um fluxo de informações completo e eficiente também exige um gerenciamento vertical, que possa cuidar do acoplamento de todos os níveis de forma eficiente. Nesse mesmo caminho, o desenvolvimento coordenado com metodologias que permitem a interdisciplinaridade é essencial para complementar a tarefa da gestão, trazendo a preocupação com uma integração eficiente para o nível de desenvolvimento.

Aug 16, 2017

By Fred D. Fox

Introduction Abandoned mill tailings deposits can be found throughout the northern Black Hills of South Dakota, indicative of mining activities that originated during the great gold rush days of 1875. The Refuse Act of 1899 attempted to regulate the deposit of debris from mines and stamp works. But, in most cases, huge volumes of mine and milling wastes were disposed of in ways no longer considered environmentally acceptable. Restoration of gold mill tailings deposits is a relatively new practice to the Black Hills area. This discussion will present an overview of the environmental setting, environmental problems associated with past tailings disposal practices, practices being implemented to solve these problems, and prospects related to present the future tailings disposal practices. Environmental Setting An understanding of climatic characteristics, geology, surface and ground water hydrology conditions, and the physical and chemical characteristics of selected mill tailings deposits will aid in understanding environmental problems associated with tailings disposal and restoration. Climate The Black Hills region is in the middle latitudes, which have a

Jan 11, 1984

In an earlier paper (Stanton, 1953) a brief account was given of the geological environment and structure of the Lloyd Copper Mine orebody, Burraga, N.S.W. The present paper is concerned with the chemical and mineralogical features of the ore from this mine.Investigation has been made difficult because of inaccessibility of the workings, which have been fallen in for many years. The exact positions within the orebody of the specimens described in this paper are known in only a few cases. The specimens examined are from the collections of the Mining and Australian Museums, Sydney, and from material collected by the writer from the upper parts of the mine and from various dumps about the old workings.However, no significant variations in the nature (as distinct from grade) of the ore have been mentioned in the old reports, or by Carne (1908) or Kenny (1928), so it is likely that the specimens examined are reasonably representative of the orebody as a whole.CHEMICAL CONSTITUTIONThe ore is of simple and apparently very uniform composition.It is essentially a copper ore, with minor amounts of zinc and very minor amounts of lead. Plotting of copper against zinc shows a more or less sympathetic relationship between these at least as far as 20 per cent. copper - the highest grade assayed during the present investigation. The trend of the plots indicates a Cu/Zn ratio of about 15/1 to this point. Lead is very low and extremely sporadic, showing no clear relationships with the other metals.MINERAL COMPOSITIONThe principal non-opaque minerals are quartz and sericite, and these are accompanied by smaller quantities of muscovite, calcite and biotite. Quartz is the most abundant mineral, occurring both as a C'onstituent of the country rock a quartz-sericite schist-and as veins. All quartz aggre...

Jan 1, 1955

By Verne E. Hooker

Stress-relief techniques and instrumentation have been developed through many years of research in the Federal Bureau of Mines and successfully used to determine the in situ state of stress in rock. This paper describes the drilling equipment and accessories for use with the Federal Bureau of Mines three-component deformation borehole gage. Operation and calibration procedures for the deformation gage are discussed in detail. Site selection and overcoring procedures are included to provide a complete working knowledge for surface or underground applications.

Jan 1, 1974

By R. Stefanko

In this report, the use of Penn State Ventilation Simulator (PSU/MVS) for planning and evaluating new coal mine ventilation systems is demonstrated. The simulator's application to evaluate the ventilation system of a coal mine currently under development is discussed. The ventilation system is evaluated for representing development of the mine at the end of 12, 24 and 36 months after mining has begun. The report describes the necessary steps of data input preparation, ventilation network development, analysis of results, modifications to the network, and methods to expand the computer program for networks larger than 550 branches.

Jan 1, 1977

By Gaulton R

The Commission maintains a data base first computerised in 1957 and containing information from over 18 000 boreholes located mainly in the Latrobe Valley area. Some of the borehole derived information dates from the turn of the century, although most of it has been collected as a result of Commission investigations conducted over the past 40 years. The Resource Data Base contains not only information gained directly from the drilling itself but includes the results of chemical and physical testing on many hundreds of thousands of samples retrieved from boreholes. Replacement value of the Resource Data Base has been estimated to be around $200 million, and it's integrity and accessibility is clearly of paramount importance, not only to existing mining and power generating functions but to the future evaluation and use of the vast brown coal Resource.

Jan 1, 1992

By E Breese

The Grey River dredge is the first large scale alluvial operation to be permitted under the Mining Act 1971 and the Water and Soil Conservation Act 1967. The experience of Grey River Gold MiningLimited in pursuing these statutory approvals has identified weaknesses and strengths in the present system and problems which need to be resolved. The Company has learnt lessons, which if heeded, will assist future large scale alluvial mining projects.

Jan 1, 1989

By D. S. Kingery

Efficient transportation is necessary to complement modern mechanized mining methods. The increasing trend toward high-capacity face loading equipment has demanded equally efficient haulage methods; this has been met by increasing mine-car sizes, using larger locomotives, and increasing haulage speeds, all requiring properly installed and maintained haulage roads specifically designed for this type of traffic. The recommendations and specifications included in this circular were made to point out salient factors important to the proper construction and maintenance of track haulage roads and to serve as recommended standards for track installation and maintenance. GLOSSARY OF TERMS USED Haulageway. - The track, walkway, trolley wire, feeder lines signal end telephone lines, signals, telephones, support, and drainage of the entry referred to. Subgrede. - The base upon which the ballast is laid.

Jan 1, 1954

By Anna Sukhanova, Svetlana Babaeva, Sergey Andreev, Victor Beltenev

"The Zenith-Victoria /1/ and Jubileynoye /2/ hydrothermal fields have symmetrical structural position on the Mid Atlantic Ridge (Fig. 1). In order to compare the evolution of hydrothermal systems, we conducted mineralogical and geochemical studies of SMS from both sites.Radiochemical and geochemical investigations of massive sulfides of the Zenith-Victoria field distinguishes three major stages of evolution: initial, interim and final represented by Fe-S, Cu-Fe and Zn-Fe types of SMS respectively /3/. In this talk, we describe the results of geochemical analysis of massive sulfides from the Zenith-Victoria field. Geochemical varieties of SMS are considered to be indicators of the evolutionary stages of the hydrothermal system."

Sep 1, 2014

By Paul Worsey, Larry Frost, Braden Lusk, Seok Bin Lim

For certification of blast resistant windows, current tests consist of arena tests or large air gun tests. Arena tests involve the detonation of more than 1000 pounds of explosives with windows placed in the range of hundreds of feet. The result of an arena test is a loading on a window consistent with an expected industrial or terrorist blast. Due to the nature of this type of test, only a limited number of facilities are available and operational costs can be extremely high. Air gun tests involve the use of compressed air and a failing diaphragm fired through a large tube. Although this test is more cost effective and easier to administer with lower environmental impacts, it is not an explosive loading and does not create a negative phase on the tail of the pressure pulse. Simply using a small charge in close proximity to the window is not a viable option either. The pressure peak can be reached using this method, but the duration of the pressure pulse is such that the positive phase impulse is on the order of ten times less than that for an arena test.

Jan 1, 2006