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There is a link between the requirements of society and the determination of curricula in tertiary educational institutions. Mineral resources exploration provides a strong example of this link. The resources exploration business engages in scientific, engineering, commercial and management activities in an endeavour to discover economically extractable commodities. Most geoscience and geotechnical graduates are employed by the mineral industry for resource exploration and development. This industry comprises a wide range of employer groups which include the Bureau of Mineral Resources, CSIRO, energy authorities, State geological surveys, State water commissions and private companies. Such employers are variously charged with the task of understanding and utilising earth resources to the benefit of society. It follows therefore, that undergraduate education and post-graduate specialization should be directed towards meeting the needs of employer groups in the geoscientific and geotechnical fields. In the past the training of most Australian geologists has emphasised classical science. This type of training remains of primary importance in the early undergraduate years but there is a need for modern educators to recognise the increased desirability for the inclusion of geotechnical subjects in the curriculum. Modern geo-education should address four main sectors when deciding curricula:

Jan 1, 1986

A resource rent taxation scheme is based on the concept of taxing the rent or surplus profit generated from primary industry activity. Rent has been defined as profits that remain after deduction of company income which corresponds to the minimum return necessary to attract private investment to a new project.Rent taxation schemes on the mining industry within the Australasian region have been examined and widely discussed during the decades of the 1970s and 1980s. Forms of resource rent taxation schemes have been imposed on Papua New Guinea mining, some sectors of Australian petroleum, the Roxby Downs venture and are being discussed for the New South Wales coal industry. While no introduced applications have been pure rent taxation schemes, the concept has generally come to encompass arrangements which tax rent at a partial rate which may or may not vary with the level of profitability or return.An examination is made of a number of the more recent schemes. Aspects which should be considered in implementation of new forms of this taxation are discussed. It is concluded that there is an increased acceptance for this form of taxation on the Australian mining industry.

Jan 1, 1990

The determinants of human behaviour are numerous and complex. Many scientific disci- plines focus on various processes which play some part in shaping the actions of individ- uals and groups. Behavioural science attempts to synthesise data produced by these investigations in an attempt to formulate principles by which people's thoughts, feelings and actions may be described, diagnosed, predicted and changed. While no comprehensive account of people and their reactions can be attempted in a brief paper a review of six principles does provide a framework within which managers can establish reliable knowledge applicable to all their subordinates and to themselves. This information may be used to arrange organizational environments and management practices which enable people to discover, release and increase their best intellectual, emotional and motivational capacities.

Jan 1, 1982

Several years and millions of dollars later, the mining and extractive industries have now started to receive and implement industry based standards aimed at achieving better performance and output from the employee. IFAP in conjunction with the mining and quarrying industry has developed a range of training courses aimed at achieving the benefits that can be gleaned from application of these standards. The establishment of a career path and appropriate training packages for personnel involved in the handling and use of explosives provides industry with a training system that previously did not exist. The opportunity to receive quality training based on industry standards and aimed at achieving industry goals will now enable the industry to optimise itÆs explosives applications.

Jan 1, 1999

By Smith T

Bacterial oxidation is often attributed with the advantage that a high level of gold recovery can be obtained at a relatively low level of sulphur oxidation. This is sometimes attributed to the bacteria "tunneling" towards gold inclusions, however it is often due to the presence of two or more sulphides of differing gold content which leach at different rates. Gold is liberated from the individual sul- phides linearly with oxidation. The distribution of gold between pyrite and arsenopyrite in two samples taken from a prospective gold resource was examined. The two samples showed differing responses to bacterial oxida tion and it was shown that this was due to differing intrinsic gold grades in the mineral phases and differing proportions of the minerals in the two samples.

Jan 1, 1991

By Samyguin VD, Filippov LO

The aim of this paper is to emphasise the importance of knowing of the rate of the elementary flotation acts (EFA) - attachment and detachment. By studying the simplest linear model notion of the column flotation, the results of the nonlinear simulaton of flotation separation in the column with lengthwise upward mixing show two principal different types of separative mass-transfer in the column. The first is, the case of a small EFA intensity, almost without the detachment. The second is, the case of a big EFA rate, when the process is close to a local attachment-detachment equilibrium. There is also an attempt to estimate the EFA rate for three different kinds of quartz particles, floated by cation collector in the laboratory column apparatus.

Jan 1, 1993

Escondida is a state-of-the-art copper mining operation. It is the major copper project of the 1990s and is the largest new investment in the industry - a US$823 million project. It accounts for about six per cent of Chile's total exports, making Escondida the largest private exporting company in Chile.

Jan 1, 1992

By i, A Shirbazo, S Saydam, S Ata, H L. Ram, B Li

The integration of internet technology into industrial sectors has significantly accelerated the adoption of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, transforming communication, data aggregation, and information distribution. The mining industry has embraced this evolution by deploying IoT devices and advanced technologies like autonomous robots and sensors to enhance operational safety. These sensors enable real-time data transmission and continuous monitoring of key parameters, providing decision-makers with timely insights. However, the interconnected nature of these devices has introduced complexities, resulting in inconsistencies across operations. Addressing these challenges, this research explores the application of modern digital principles to the mining industry through the Reference Architecture Model Industry 4.0 (RAMI 4.0). RAMI 4.0 offers a robust framework that integrates digital and physical systems, promoting data transparency, interoperability, and decentralised decision-making. This study aims to briefly introduced framework designed for the unique challenges of mining operations, leveraging the latest digital technologies. The lack of standardisation in the mining sector highlights the need for a comprehensive approach to tackle issues such as interoperability, scalability, security, safety, and repeatability. Establishing standard procedures can ensure smooth interaction between connected devices, ultimately enhancing operational efficiency in the growing IoT ecosystem within the mining industry. Introducing a well-defined reference architecture like RAMI 4.0 can streamline management processes and improve operational efficiency in mining. By adopting this framework, the mining industry can effectively navigate the challenges of digital transformation, leading to a more connected and resilient future. The study concludes that RAMI 4.0, with its structured approach, can significantly enhance the efficiency and productivity of mineral processing operations, fostering sustainable growth in a digitally driven industrial landscape.

Sep 1, 2024

A novel problem-solving exercise for undergraduates is described which is directly relevant to production supervision. It is based on the fictitious Metwin Plant which produces refined metal from sulphide concentrates via a hydrometallurgical route with six unit operat- ions. Students are given details of the chemistry, process engineering and normal operating conditions. They are also given min- imum data for the Plant when it is operating with a fault. By requesting further data, for which they are 'charged', the students must diagnose the fault. The responses of students to the exercise are described. The data were produced by computer simul- ation of steady state operation under normal and various faulty conditions. The development of this program was an educational experience for the author and it stimulated new interest in metallurgical process engineering.

Jan 1, 1984

By Ross C

This paper uses the results of research trials by Landcare Research and Forest Research Institute and assessments of reclamation plantings at mines and other drastically disturbed sites to describe methods of enhancing restoration of native forests. The characteristics of mine and forest environments are compared to highlight the difficulties facing restoration and techniques which result in successful restoration are described. Selection of the most appropriate technique is illustrated by describing restoration of lowland beech-podocarp forest at a West Coast coal mine. The key to successful reclamation is to understand the factors controlling and limiting plant establishment and growth, then to design rooting media, surfaces and management regimes to create a favourable environment. This paper concludes with a summary of the planning and technical factors which are critical for successful restoration of native forest.

Jan 1, 1995

Members of The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy are engaged in locating, extracting, processing, marketing and converting the worldÆs mineral wealth for its consumption in a useful form. We have an ethical responsibility as professionals to carry out our roles in such a way that we seek to optimise the recovery of that wealth for the benefit of the community, not only now, but also in the future. To be able to optimise, we must be able to measure with confidence the value of the commodity through the various stages of treatment from discovery of a geological anomaly to the end use. This introductory paper will provide an overview of some aspects of the issue, including the possible extension of the coverage of The InstituteÆs Codes to production accounting and reporting.

Jan 1, 2002

World class ore deposits can be defined commercially as deposits which contain metal concentrations in the upper quartile of resources size and/or grade, world wide, from which economic extraction can be undertaken, over a production period exceeding ten years, at a cost below the weighted average cost of cumulative production of the contained principal commodity of mines world wide.

Jan 1, 1993

A general approach to the analysis of processing technology is presented using the concepts of Process Aims, Process Characteris- tics and Process Costs. From an examination of the processes used in extractive metallurgy a hierarchy of process aims is identified, these aims are separation, compound formation,, metal production and metal purification. The application of this methodology to process flowsheet development is described.

Jan 1, 1984

By Lin C, Jiaxiang D

A series of experiments were carried out with Hallimond tube in order to test the effects of different reagents. A good result has been obtained when potassium-n-butyl xanthate is used as collector for molybdenite and graphite complex are depressed by the depressor mixed with nigrosine and iron (III) chloride. The separating mechanism has been studied with help of many modem instruments.

Jan 1, 1993

The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy brings together, voluntarily, people with a professional interest in the disciplines and skills which are employed in the mineral indus- try, and in relation to that industry. We come together because we have a mutual interest in improv- ing what is done by the mineral industry, in all its aspects. It is this sense of continuing improvement, of doing better, of doing as well as we can, as our knowledge and skills improve, that unites us in creating and fostering a professional association of like- minded people. We know from our professional training and experience that enormous progress has been made, at an ever-increasing rate, in the mineral industry, particularly in this Century. We know that the mineral industry has played a very major role in providing the means by which so many more people survive to live longer, healthier and more interesting lives, than ever before. Indeed together with the oil and gas industry, which is an integral part of the mineral industry but has achieved its own commercial dis- tinction, it is fair to claim that the mineral industry has played the major role in providing the means for the advancement of the human quality of life.

Jan 1, 1988

Flue gases from electrical power station boilers, roasting, metallurgical and chemical plants could be treated by flotation using conventional flotation machines. The flue gases are introduced into the pulp instead of the air. The flotation media is a suspension of Ca(OH)2 or CaCO3 or a solution of NH4OH etc containing Na oleate as collector and frother. The SO2 and dust content of the initial flue gases were experimentally reduced by 100 to 1000 times in one flotation operation. The velocity of the flue gases through flotation machines could reach approximatively 0.4 to 0.5 m/s and more against 1.5 m/s reached in scrubber absorbers used for this purpose, but the quality of purification is expected to be better for flotation, which is essential for the cases of heavy polluted metallurgical and chemical flue gases. For some chemical plants the flue gases flotation media may be different and more suitable as compared to the above mentioned media. The proposed flotation method could be used for separation of dry grinded ores in the form of aerosols, with a realisation of flotation from a closed space (gas bubble in the pulp) onto the interface liquid-air where the particles are attached inside the bubbles.

Jan 1, 1993

By D Stow, R Goodridge, K J. Molloy

A range of explosives has been specifically developed for soft ground blasting. These explosives can be used in both wet and dry blasting conditions, range in density from 0.3 - 1.2 g/cc and range in VoD from 2 - 4.5 km/s. This range of explosives has the potential to be tailored to ground type and is predicted to be suitable for a variety of applications which include: blasting in soft to medium overburden, coal blasting, wall control, and low vibration blasting. Trials have been conducted in several applications with encouraging results. Several cast/throw blasts have been conducted with these products partially replacing either ANFO or Heavy ANFO. The results from the blast have been equivalent in cast (per cent) and at reduced cost per unit volume. These products have also been used in presplit blasting and have again achieved equivalent or better results when compared to conventional presplit blasting at a lower cost per unit volume. This product has also been used in a vibration sensitive area replacing traditional explosive products, and generating excellent fragmentation and digging whilst maintaining vibration limits. This new range of products, NOVALITE, has shown great potential in many applications either reducing cost per unit volume, improving wall quality or improving productivity in environmentally sensitive areas.

Jan 1, 2001

The subject of the present paper will be combustion of fuel and as the combustion of fuel requires a certain amouut of air to effect combustion the question might be asked what is air?Air is composed, we will say, principally of two gases, oxygen and, nitrogen, but our business is with the former gas, and its leading feature as a supporter' of combustion. In point of fact no fire will burn without its presence, nor can animal life be sustained when this gas ls absent, because it is the life-sustaining element. For example, if we take a piece of charcoal, which is pure carbon, and burn it in the open air combustion takes place in the union of the carbon of the charcoal with the oxygen of the air, forming the compound known as carbonic acid (0.0.)The rust we see on iron and other metals is a kind of slow combustion, which is termed oxydation. When oxygen unites with any other element heat is given off in the process, and it may be here stated that the most intense heat is produced, by burning the two gases-oxygen and hydrogen in precisely the same proportions as that forming water.

By E du Plessis, J Kapusta, J L. Mauk

The world-class Bulyanhulu gold deposit (375 t Au) is in the Sukumaland greenstone belt, Northwestern Tanzania. The main mineralised quartz vein structure, termed Reef one, occurs at the contact of felsic metavolcanic rocks on the hanging wall and mafic metavolcanic rocks on the footwall. Reef one is dominated by massive quartz together with pyrite, pyrrhotite and minor chalcopyrite. Alteration in the footwall basalt is characterised by extensive chloritisation, calcification and silicification, which is strongest near the vein. Sericitisation also locally occurs adjacent to the vein. Metamorphic hornblende and plagioclase (albite) increase in abundance at a distance of 120 m from the vein and reflect the gradation into less altered rocks. The increasing abundance of chlorite, calcite, quartz and local sericite near Reef one, coupled by replacement textures suggests that most of these footwall minerals are the product of hydrothermal alteration, rather than regional metamorphism. Geochemical data shows slight enrichment in Ca, Fe and As towards the vein, whereas Zn in several drill holes becomes enriched away from Reef one. The Bulyanhulu gold deposit is a quartz-pyrite-chalcopyrite shear controlled vein with an adjacent extensive chlorite-quartz-calcite hydrothermal alteration zone (and a limited local sericite alteration zone) that passes to a hornblende-albite metamorphic assemblage further into the footwall.

Jan 1, 2002

By B Ascott, J Kennedy, A White

At mines with low tonnes per vertical metre, like the Jundee Mine in Western Australia, operated by Newmont Asia Pacific, high development rates across multiple mining areas are critical to achieving the delivery outlined, or promised, in the annual business plan. The challenge is to deliver the short-term requirements while keeping in balance with the long-term strategic direction. Newmont Jundee has developed a system called æMine Planning by QuartersÆ that integrates the planning process with the business process in one end-to-end continuum. Short-, medium- and long-term schedules are reviewed and updated by applying four integrated subprocesses, which capture new information as it becomes available. The four subprocesses are: resource development planning û evaluating mineral resource,reserve development planning û preliminary design for new reserves,mine operating planning û final mine design for reserves, andmine production planning û detailed plans for stoping a proved reserve. Commercial mine planning software is used in these subprocesses to facilitate the flow of information into a central storage æhubÆ for uploading into the rolling business plan. A regular and consistent quarterly review helps to identify and qualify areas of business risk at an early stage, allowing time to plan for contingency and minimise the impact of the risk.

Jan 1, 2008