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Owing to the 'creeps' and consequent movements in the mines, followed by the recent fire in the southern workings, the whole of the orebody above the 800 ft. level is now very much crushed and broken. The same applies to the hanging wall or overwall coutrny, which has subsided towards the workings, so that for some years past all development work within the lode has had to be carried out with extreme care.The continual but slow subsidence of the overburden into the stopes necessitates a periodical renewal of all gangways in the lode, and, as the subsidence amounts to as much as 60 ft. in places, these new gangways must necessarily pass through the mullock-filling of old stopes in addition to broken ore. They at times pass into the broken ground of the hanging-wall for some distance, where the orebody has widened underneath by the original folding and puckering.

Jan 1, 1932

The rights of nations to explore and exploit minerals in the continental shelf were recognized by the 1958 Convention on the Continental Shelf. The Commonwealth Government has expressed the view that, as a party to the Convention, it has, by virtue of its foreign affairs power, full rights to legislate with respect to offshore minerals. States have taken the view that the rights recognized as extending into the continental shelf are land mineral rights, which belong to the States, and the Commonwealth legislative power in this field is strictly limited. Without prejudice to each other's rights, Commonwealth and States agreed to "mirror" legislation in relation to offshore petroleum. Commonwealth and State legislation, of which the operative parts are in identical terms, are both administered, in relation to areas adjacent to each State, by State Ministers of Mines. The legislation has functioned well in practice, though difficulties are encountered by the Commonwealth Government due to lack of direct accountability to Commonwealth Parliament. An alternative scheme designed to overcome this problem is outlined.

Jan 1, 1974

The non-metallic minerals, excluding the construc- tions and fuel materials have for long been the "poor relations" of the Mining Industry of New South Wales. The State is self-sufficient in only a few of the industrial minerals and is almost completely lacking in any of the essential fertilizers. The deficiencies must be met by imports from overseas and interstate and in fact New South Wales imports some quantity of every one of the non-metallics. For the year 1967 the value of non-metallic mineral production amounted to only $9,390,000 or less than 3.5% of the States total of $275,900,000 for all classes of mining and quarrying. In roughly the same period, the 1967-68 financial year, New South Wales imported non- metallic materials, valued at well in excess of $22,000,000 from overseas and over $2,000,000 from interstate sources.

Jan 1, 1969

By F Jiao, J Wang

By the year 2000, China was the sixth largest gold producer in the world, with about one-quarter of total production being derived from refractory or semi-refractory deposits. Although bacterial oxidation plants had been previously tried in China using local technology, these plants had not been commercially successful. The Laizhou Gold Enterprise (Tarzan BioGold Co Ltd) located in Shandong Province, undertook to modernise their gold processing facility in 2000 with the introduction of Bacterial Oxidation (BACOX) Technology. In 1997 BacTech Australia and Mintek of South Africa had formed a technology partnership, combining forces in the provision of bioleach technology. Under a cooperation agreement, BacTech/Mintek were chosen as the preferred technology providers for this first application of commercially proven bacterial oxidation technology within China. The paper describes the successful operation of this plant over the last three years. The events of project implementation are described, from the metallurgical testing of concentrate; through to the commissioning at the design throughput of 100 tonnes per day resulting in 80 000 ounces (2.5 tonnes) per year of refined gold. Process aspects of the operation encountered over the last three years are discussed which illustrate the robustness of the operation. The success of the bioleach facility has led to an advancement of plans to double plant capacity and some of the innovations, which may be employed in this expansion phase, are discussed.

Jan 1, 2004

THIS SYMPOSIUM ON AUSTRALIAN BEACH SANDS IS MOST TIMELY; WHEN WE ARE APPROACHING PEAK PRODUCTION FROM THESE RESOURCES AND WHEN PRICES ARE GOOD, BUT THE RESOURCES CAN BE SEEN TO BE COMING TO AN END IN THE LIFETIME OF OUR YOUNGER COLLEAGUES - 20 TO 25 YEARS AS WE HEARD FROM ROY TOWNER TODAY. THE SPREAD OF PAPERS HAS BEEN 15 PERCENT EACH ON GEOLOGY AND THE MINERAL RESOURCES, WITH 25 PERCENT ON LAND USE AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS. I AM PLEASED TO SEE 20 PERCENT HAS BEEN ON TREATMENT PROCESSES AND 25 PERCENT HAS BEEN CONCERNED WITH DOWNSTREAM USES. I SUSPECT THESE RATIOS ARE DUE IN PART TO THE WAY PAPERS WERE CALLED FOR, BUT THEY ALSO SUMMARISE CLOSELY THE BALANCE OF INTERESTS IN THE INDUSTRY. NOTE AGAIN; 30% CONCERNED WITH SUSTAIN -ING RESOURCES, BUT 25% WATCHING LAND USE AND IMPOSING CONTROLS; 20 % IMPROVING THE PRESENT PROCESSING, AND A HEALTHY 25% WITH AN INTEREST" IN WHAT HAPPENS TO THE MINERAL CONCENTRATES. I SHALL RETURN TO THIS FOURTH POINT AT THE END OF MY REMARKS. THE POSSIBILITY OF ADDITIONAL HEAVY MINERAL SANDS IN NEW AREAS WAS HINTED AT BY M.S. SHEPHERD (EG TERTIARY SHORELINES OF THE MURRAY BASIN). OLD FOSSIL SHORELINES, WELL REMOVED FROM PRESENT SHORES ARE AN IMPORTANT MINERAL SOURCE IN CHINA AND IT WOULD HAVE BEEN INTERESTING TO HEAR FROM THE SEVERAL COMPANIES EXPLORING IN THE MURRAY BASIN. I ALSO NOTICED THAT WHILST OUR MONAZITE

Jan 1, 1986

As a basis for my address to you tonight I thought it might be opportune if we considered the great history of the mineral industry in Australia, and the contribution it has made to the development of the country. While it is perhaps interesting to review the achievements of the past there is also the opportunity to examine the developments of the future.The names generally given to the three periods of man's life on the earth-the Stone, the Bronze, and the Iron Ageand to which should perhaps now be added the Atomic Age, imply the vast importance of the progressive steps in 'man's discovery of minerals and the means of working them. They tell the story of his advance from the flint knife to the bronze celt, and then to the keen-edged iron weapon, and now to the possibilities of the peaceful application of atomic energy. Not only have the stories of gold, iron, copper and tin told a great deal of the history of the progress of mankind, but they have also traced the commercial and industrial growth of Australia over the last century.Gold in the 1850's was responsible for the most significant period of immigration Australia has ever had-when the population almost tripled in the ten years to 1860. Minerals were also responsible for opening up Australia and determining the pattern of settlement. As mineral finds were made, railways were constructed to these fields, then agricultural development followed.Then, as the industrial era started, minerals provided the raw material for Australia's rapid industrial expansion, and they have all contributed to the extent that they have made...

Jan 1, 1960

Forty two new apatite and zircon fission track analyses on the Kubor-Marum-Bena Bena area of northern Papua New Guinea severely constrain the timing of tectonic events and hence the tectonic models for New Guinea, particularly arc-continent collision. In addition, the data can be analysed regionally in terms of known and assumed lithospheric fault zones inferred to control mineralisation (eg. Corbett 1994; Kendrick et al 1995; Hill et al 1996) to determine reactivation of these zones. When combined with the new kinematic plate models for the evolution of New Guinea (Hall 1997) there is the potential to predict likely zones of mineralisation. The low-medium grade? Palaeozoic rocks of the Bena Bena terrane yielded a zircon fission track age of 17 Ma, indicating the time of cooling below 200¦C. The age is consistent with `the shift, at about 16-18 Ma, from volcanolithic sediments to mixed provenance sediments rich in quartz and metasedimentary lithic fragments in the southern Finisterre Ranges (Abbott et al. 1994). This shift was recorded in the Sukurum Formation, which ranges in age from Middle Miocene to Pliocene with quartzose and metasedimentary grains in all samples. Although recording rocks at temperatures of 200¦C and hence depths of ---5km, the 17 Ma age suggests the Bena Dena terrane was rapidly cooling at that time due to uplift and erosion, supplying metasediments to the southern flank of the Finisterre Range, currently 100 km to the east. Significantly, the Middle Miocene Akuna Intrusive Complex, dated 14-17 Ma by Page (1976), lies almost entirely within or adjacent to the Bena Bena terrane. Potentially the uplift, erosion and cooling of the terrane at 17 Ma may have been caused by the rising plutons. If so the 800 sq km exposure Akuna Intrusive Complex at the SE end of the Bena Bena terrane may have been the focus of uplift and supplied the metasedimentary detritus to the Finisterre Range. This suggests that the Finisterre Range was not far removed from the Bena Bena terrane, perhaps less than the 200 - 400 km indicated by Abbott et al (1984). The Akuna Intrusive Complex probably resulted from subduction of the Solomon Sea Plate beneath the PNG margin. In order for the subducted slab to reach depths of -100km below the area to facilitate partial melting and plutonism (Hamilton 1994), subduction probably commenced 3-5 Ma Ma before plutonism, ie at or prior to 20 Ma suggesting a significant change in the tectonic regime at -20 Ma, perhaps related to collision of the Solomons - Ontong Java Plateau collision (eg. Hall 1997). The main result to emerge from the 28 apatite fission track analyses is that the whole of the study area underwent rapid cooling due to uplift and denudation in the Late Miocene, mainly between 7-10 Ma. Results from several samples indicate that they were not totally overprinted prior to uplift indicating maximum burial of -3 km in the Middle Miocene, assuming normal temperature gradients. The burial is less if higher gradients are assumed, allowing for Middle Miocene plutonism. The Late Miocene cooling in the Mobile Belt agrees well with the Pliocene to Recent cooling in the Fold Belt to the SW, interpreted to be due to uplift and erosion associated with fold and thrust deformation of the Miocene Limestones (Hill & Gleadow 1989). This timing relationship suggests, that compressional deformation in the Mobile Belt occurred in the Late Miocene, at 105 Ma, and that the deformation migrated towards the undeformed foreland in the southwest in the Pliocene, at 5-2 Ma. The regional Late Miocene uplift and denudation in the Mobile Belt is also consistent with that postulated by Crowhurst et al (1996; 1997) for northwest PNG, although they considered the event to have occurred mainly from 8-5 Ma. If so, then the uplift and denudation may have been migrating from east to west as well as to the south into the Fold Belt. These timing relationships place significant constraints on tectonic models for the area, indicating that the major compressional pulse in PNG commenced in the northeast at -10 Ma and migrated to the southwest and west in the latest Miocene to Pliocene. This suggests that the initial arc-continent collision and associated shortening occurred in the Late Miocene around -10-12 Ma. This immediately followed intrusion and cooling of the Akuna Intrusive Complex at -17-14 Ma and the Bismarck Intrusive Complex at -12.5 Ma (Page 1976), indicating a linkage between the end of plutonism and the start of compressional deformation. The timing is consistent with the observation of Hamilton (1994) that in areas of subduction `the common regime in overriding plates is extensional and leading edges are crumpled only in collisions. This suggests that the Middle Miocene magmatism in northern New Guinea occurred during extension above a subducting slab and was terminated by Late Miocene arc collision and resultant compression commencing at -10-12 Ma. In general, these data indicate that the acme of denudation and cooling in the Mobile Belt was in the Late Miocene, with relatively little denudation there since. In contrast, Hill & Gleadow (1989) found that the peak of denudation in basement outcrops in the Fold Belt was in the Pliocene at -4 Ma. However, in this study some samples from the Mobile Belt yielded Pliocene ages or high

Jan 1, 1997

By R W. Wilson, A R. Branch

For hot mines, the use of mechanical refrigeration machines has become an essential feature of ventilation and cooling systems. Over the last 30 years, considerable effort has been made in developing refrigeration strategies and equipment to provide cooling that is cost-effective, reliable and energy efficient. In addition to these general design requirements it is necessary to take into account project specific factors such as long term mine cooling needs, operating strategy and installation time. This paper examines a number of actual mine cooling installations which illustrate how these features have influenced the design and installations. For many mines, it is known how the cooling requirements will increase as the mine develops, based on the life of mine plan. The design of the cooling installation must cater for both short- and long-term needs. The initial installation (to meet short-term requirements) must form an integral part of the ultimate cooling installation and as additional equipment and refrigeration machines are installed, it is necessary to ensure that the system remains cost-effective, reliable and energy efficient at all stages. For many mines, refrigeration machines are installed on surface and either operated near-continuously, or for the summer months only. Different maintenance strategies and policies with regard to standby equipment are highlighted for three mine installations. In spite of developments in cooling strategy, the cost of providing refrigeration remains expensive and many mines delay the introduction of refrigeration, as long as possible. When it is finally accepted that refrigeration is absolutely necessary, it is frequently necessary to æfast trackÆ the installation. To minimise site erection time and meet installation deadlines, factory pre-assembly and standardised modular equipment are widely used.

Jan 1, 2005

By J Johansson, E Lund, J Lööw, A Pekkari

Technological development is accelerating in the mining industry (Abrahamsson and Johansson, 2021) and in large parts of the world there is an increased environmental awareness (United Nations, 2015). This can mean both challenges and opportunities. The mining industry has long been criticized for its adverse environmental effects. However, there is now a lively discourse about the role of mining in facilitating the green transition towards sustainable development. Mining is increasingly recognised as a prerequisite for the green transition, by supplying key raw materials to enable, for example, digitisation and batteries for electric vehicles. The green transition not only amplifies the demand for metals and minerals but also intensifies pressure on the mining sector to assume greater responsibility for environmental and societal welfare (Dehaine et al, 2020). New technology, such as digitisation, automation, and remote control, play a crucial role in advancing towards more sustainable mining practices. Despite the expanding role of advanced technology, human involvement will remain important in the extraction process (Rogers et al, 2019), but new technology will change how miners do their work, which in turn will lead to changed competence requirements for miners (Herbert and Hidalgo, 2021) and increased need for further education. Given the significant shift towards sustainable mining, it is important to study how these changes may affect the work, competences, further education and skills of miners as human expertise will continue to be critical in the extraction process. Consequently, there is a need for proactive research to prepare for the inevitable changes and implement measures to support miners through this changeable period to ensure a smooth transition that protects miners’ safety and working environment. This extended abstract explores how new technology will affect the need for further education of miners in the future.

Sep 1, 2024

Deep lead mining by methods other thanconventional open-cut techniques has not been effectively employed in Australia in -the second half of this century. The reasons for this are essentially economic, and are related particularly to the labour intensive nature of the methods involved as well as the high consumption of support materials. These methods have been adapted in recent times to undertake bulk sampling programmes in deep leads. Although some consideration is given to surface-oriented hydraulic and solution mining applications, the prime function of this paper is to investigate the possible application of modern underground methods to deep lead exploitation. As deep leads are not currently being worked (with the exception of some minor operations on the Eastern seaboard), these applications remain essentially untested. They have, however, been conceptually developed following several years of small scale deep lead development. Current mineral economics, particularly with respect to gold, combined with the known extent of partially - or totally - unexploited mineralised leads demonstrates the necessity to investigate all possible means of ore extraction.

Jan 1, 1985

By H Durrant, P I. Corke, J Cunningham

This paper reviews the state-of-the-art in the automation of underground mining vehicles and reports on the development of an autonomous navigation system under development through the CMTE with sponsorship arranged by AMIRA. Past attempts at automating LHDs and haul trucks are described and their particular strengths and weaknesses are discussed. The auto-guidance system being developed overcomes some of the limitations of state-of-the-art prototype æcommercialÆ systems. It can be retrofitted to existing remote controlled vehicles, uses minimum installed infrastructure and is flexible enough for rapid relocation to alternate routes. The navigation techniques use data fusion of two separate sets of sensors combining natural feature recognition, nodal maps and inertial navigation techniques. Collision detection is incorporated and people and other traffic are excluded from the tramming area. This paper describes the work being done by the group with regard to auto-tramming and also outlines the future goals.

Jan 1, 1998

By Briggs D

Comparing the results of a plant trial by averaging performance measures collected during the trial with measures collected before and after the trial is often quite subjective because of the impact of natural variation on the process. This is

Jan 1, 1997

The law relating to the Treaty of Waitangi is developing rapidly at present. A number of separate, but related, developments can be identified.

Jan 1, 1988

My message to you today is simple. The mining industry in Australia has a proud record of successful research and innovation. If it is to continue to provide this country with its major exports that records must continue. I will endeavour to show that

Jan 1, 1994

It is suggested that if adequate knowledge is available about classifiers in closed grinding circuits, these units may be used as on-stream size analysers when equipped with suitable sensing devices. Research work which is at present in progress to enable a hydrocyclone to be used for this purpose is discussed.

Jan 1, 1967

Contract mining is an integral part of the underground and surface hard rock mining industry in all states of Australia. Contract mining is now makes a major contribution to the opencui coal industry in Queensland and New South Wales with Thiess alone producing over 16 million tonnes per annum with safety performances that most coal companies would be proud of. Contract mining is now attracting interest in the underground coal sector.

Jan 1, 1998

The 1990s present many challenges, not the least of which is in the area of health and safety. Integrating of safety and health into the management process to suit the overall needs of a company will require commitment. Organisations which consistently perform to high success levels do so because they plan it that way. By using tools of total quality management, the potential to continually improve all safety processes exists. The successful integration of total quality measurement principles used in the improvement of safety processes, and the measurement of performance-based activities allow for prevention of accident causing scenarios and performance improvement.

Jan 1, 1993

This paper discusses recent ore reserve methodology at the Woodlawn base metal Mine in New South Wales. The ownership of the Mine changed hands in 1987 and a number of revisions to ore reserve practice were instigated by the new operators. While the overall modeling and calculation procedure remained essentially unaltered, the modifications and revised assumptions significantly increased the ore reserve. While general ore reserve procedures are discussed in this paper, it is the impact of these changed assumptions on the reserves which is our main focus.

Jan 1, 1990

In April, 1990 the Sydney Water Board invited bids for the construction of the Hazelbrook Carrier Section 3 being part of the Blue Mountains Sewerage Transfer Scheme. In December 1990 the contract was awarded to Costain Resources Limited, Mining Services Division for the sum of $A15.3 M. The works consisted of excavation of 9 520 linear metres of tunnel, 3.35 metres diameter with installation of permanent ground support in the form of rockbolts, mesh, steel sets, shotcrete and in situ concrete

Jan 1, 1993

By A Lu, C Wang

The natural semiconducting mineral rutile and sphalerite exhibited highly photocatalytic activities on degradation of methyl orange under visible light irradiation. The isomorphous substitutions of host metal ions by foreign ions and other defect states in natural semiconductors altered the band structure, decreased the intrinsic band gap, and then made them very attractive for solar energy utilisation. Our study indicated that natural semiconductor minerals might be suggested as a new class of cost-effective and solar light-responsive photocatalyst.

Jan 1, 2008