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By R. P. Nicholson

On September 3rd, 1947, the Acadia Coal Company put into operation a central coal preparation plant. This plant was designed to process all coals mined by this Company in the Pictou County coal field. The problem, briefly, was to make a three-way separation of the raw coal fed into the plant. It was desired to remove all stone, metal, and wood from the marketable coal and to produce a splint coal from the raw material which would be suitable for making power. This splint coal product is belted directly to the power plant which is adjacent to the wash plant. To attain this object it was therefore necessary, first, to wash the raw coal, removing all splint, stone, metal, and wood. The stone, metal, wood, and highest-ash splint had then to be removed by a second washing in order to obtain the lower-ash splint for use in the power plant. The plant is on the east side of the Allan colliery, in the town of Stellarton (see accompanying photograph). It is of steel frame construction with wood siding, covered on the exterior with corrugated galvanized iron. Considerable concrete had to be poured for the foundation piers as the plant site is largely 'fill' ground. This necessitated the construction of extremely heavy footings containing a large amount of reinforcing steel. In all, 884 cu. yds. of concrete were poured for the various pits, tanks, and foundations; its average test was about 3,500 lb. per square inch. At the time the plant was constructed, the steel shortage in Canada and the United States was acute and, in order to obtain steel for the structure which is four stories high- an unused part of the Allan bankhead was torn down. Enough steel was obtained from this demolition to fabricate the new plant.

Jan 1, 1948

By H. -P. Behrendt

Muldenhiütten Recycling und Umwelttechnik GmbH is a lead smelter with a very long tradition. The first reference to the existence of smelters on this site is given by a document of inheritance dated 1318. Originally run as a primary lead smelter, which was supplied with ores from the Freiberg mining district and from overseas, it was required to change it over to secondary raw materials due the abandonment of mining in the Freiberg area in 1968. Today, Muldenhüitten Recycling und Umwelttechnik GmbH has two production lines; lead production from secondary lead and waste incineration, which are closely connected and gain advantage from each other. Installations, improved technologies, and the highly skilled personnel have contributed to satisfy all demands for a production concerning quality and environment.

Jan 1, 2000

By J. L. Jobe

In planning the operation of a new mine or new sections of an operating mine, due provision must be made for the ultimate recovery of as much of the seam as is consistent with safety and economic principles. Each mining district and, indeed, each seam, especially in mining under submarine conditions, has individual problems which render hard and fast rules under all conditions of mining impossible. However, certain basic principles can be applied to all seams under specific conditions. In all mines, the two basic methods of mining, 'longwall' and ?room-and-pillar? or their variations, can be adopted, but certain fundamental factors must be analyzed before either method is finally applied to the extraction of the seam. The factors which enter into the successful, safe, and economic extraction of all seams are, briefly stated, as follows: (1) Character and thickness of the seam. (2) Character of the floor and immediate roof of the seam. (3) Composition, strength, and thickness of the overlying beds to the surface. (4) The depth of cover to the surface or sea bottom. (5) Conditions under which the seam is mined (land or submarine area). (6) Pitch of the seam. (7) Economic value of the seam. (8) Mining laws.

Jan 1, 1947

By James R. Hein

Manganese nodules form at the sediment surface of abyssal plains throughout the global ocean at water depths of about 4000-6500 m. The nodules form a continuum from purely hydrogenetic (all metals from seawater) to purely diagenetic (all metals from sediment pore waters), which will determine which metals of potential economic interest are enriched in the nodules. Another important factor in metal enrichment is whether diagenesis in the bottom sediment is oxic or suboxic. There are several nodule fields in the deep ocean that have received much attention with regards to economic potential, the most important being the Clarion-Clipperton zone (CCZ) in the NE Pacific, where the International Seabed Authority (ISA) has signed 12 contracts for exploration areas, each spanning 75,000 square kilometers. Those nodules are rich in nickel (mean 1.3 wt. %), copper (mean 1.1 %), and manganese (28%), with moderate amounts of cobalt (mean 0.2%), molybdenum (587 g/t), and lithium (129 g/t). A conservative estimate is that there exists 21,100 million dry tonnes of nodules in the CCZ, yielding more manganese, twice the nickel, three times the cobalt, and four times the yttrium than the entire land-based reserve base (economic plus marginally economic plus subeconomic reserves) for each metal. Total rare-earth elements (REEs) as oxides average 0.09% in CCZ nodules, a potential byproduct even at that grade because the heavy REE complement averages 26%, compared to less than 1% for the large land-based carbonatite REE deposits. The price for HREEs is much greater than for the light REEs. For comparison, the REEs in deep-ocean ferromanganese crusts are 3 to 5 times greater than nodules and the HREE complement averages 18%. Of the 12 CCZ contracts, 7 are with States (China, France, Germany, Japan, Korea, Russia, and a group of States (IOM); and 5 are with companies: G-Tec Sea Mineral Resources NV, Nauru Ocean Resources Inc. (NORI); Tonga Offshore Mining Ltd (TOML), UK Seabed Resources Ltd (Lockheed UK), and Marawa Research and Exploration Ltd. Three other nodule fields that have received attention are in the Peru Basin, which has nodules very rich in manganese (34%) and lithium (mean 311 g/t), the Penrhyn Basin (Cook Islands Exclusive Economic Zone), with nodules very rich in cobalt (mean 0.4%); and the Central Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB), where India has an exploration contract with the ISA. CIPB nodules have mean nickel, copper, and manganese contents of 1.1%, 1.0%, and 24% respectively.

May 1, 2013

By Jürgen Kretschmann

According to the model of product life cycles, the global coal mining industry is in the stagnation phase. The coal demand of the main consumer, China, has peaked in 2013 and is slowly declining. The Norwegian sovereign wealth fund, the world’s largest, has excluded coal-related companies for ethical reasons. Important players like the UN or the EU have already begun to describe pathways towards decarbonization. Increasing competition between coal mining companies and the mining regions can be expected worldwide if companies want to keep their positions on the global and national coal markets. Companies will focus on the best deposits. European countries like France, Spain, or Germany are only forerunners of this development—their centuries of coal production have been finished. The concept of sustainable development (SD) is fundamentally based on a model of progress where ecological, economic, and social dimensions should be developed equally and positively. But without the idea of competition, the concept of SD is incomplete. Questions arise, such as how can SD be realized on stagnating or declining markets without guarantees for companies “to live forever”? How can SD be a corporate goal in a phase of decline? How can declining mining regions sustainably progress into a better future? The German hard coal mining industry’s lifecycle has ended in 2018 after 60 years of stagnation and decline. As of 2019, all hard coal consumed in Germany will be imported, especially from Colombia, Russia, and South Africa. What has been done in Germany to handle the coal decline in a sustainable way and the lessons learned from this process is described in this paper. It may be useful for mining regions who will face a similar future sooner or later.

By Alexandra Garcia

A measurement-based ground control management system, commonly employed in coal mines, has been successfully implemented in a UK potash mine operating at a depth of over 800 m. This system includes the routine deployment of telltales in roadways throughout the mine to mitigate against the risk of large-scale roof falls and the deployment of detailed ?design monitoring? instrumentation for ongoing design verification. The routine monitoring systems used in coal mines have not been, to date, commonly applied in potash mines, despite the similar, variable weak geology and associated ground control hazards. Monitoring information from the site indicates that telltales can be deployed to monitor roof conditions, with action levels based on differential rates of strain, as opposed to absolute movement.

Jan 1, 2014

PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR D.C. JACKLING SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. PAST PRESIDENTS AND DIRECTORS NEW YORK, N. Y. R. C. ALLEN- CLEVELAND, OHIO VICE-PRESIDENT, TREASURER AND DIRECTOR KARL EILERS-* NEW YORK, N. Y. VICE-PRESIDENTS AND DIRECTORS HENRY KRUMB NEW YORK, N. Y. PAUL D. MERICA . NEW YORK, N. Y. H. G. MOULTON NEW YORK, N. Y. HARVEY S. MUDD Los ANGELES, CALIF. WILFRED SYKES CHICAGO, ILL.

Jan 1, 1938

By A. Lindo, M. Held

The formation of NOx fumes is an undesired occurrence and is dependent on a variety of variables. Methods for detection of such fumes with blast analysis tools are available using color schemes for grading, but no quantification tools to measure concentration and cloud totals exist today. In cooperation with DIRS (Digital Imaging and Remote Sensing Laboratory) at RIT in Rochester, NY, Austin Powder has been looking for methods and techniques to identify and quantify total amounts of NOx by capturing cloud activity via a video feed from a drone in combination with measuring NOx and subsequent cloud modeling (i.e., plume segmentation). To accurately measure fume events, Austin Powder and the RIT team have been collaborating in performing small scale blasts at an Austin test facility and then transferring knowledge learned to full scale blasts at customer sites. The collected data will allow to identify any relationships between the total amount of explosives used and the quantity of NOx produced. The analysis of the total amounts of NOx and identification of blast areas those fumes originate from will help to better understand key factors that contribute to their occurrence as well as to quantify the severity of such events. By quantifying the magnitude and concentration of fumes generated by non-ideal detonations, the blasting technique can be optimized to minimize unwanted environmental effects and improve public perception of blasting as a necessary component of societal progress

Jan 1, 2024

By M. M. Williams

WESTERN CAN ADA'S coal industry has experienced a serious set-back since 1949, following a pattern well known to its counterpart in the United States. The loss in coal markets in Western Canada has been particularly severe as the discovery of large reserves of oil and natural gas and the subsequent construction of re-fineries and pipelines roughly coincided with the dieselization of both main railways. While the coal industry will have to face a further decline in markets of long standing, others with a large growth potential can be se-cured if present marketing methods are changed where needed and if fundamental and applied research programmes are actively pursued. The energy and chemical potential of Western Canada's coals will eventually find their place in the ever-growing needs of industry and electric power producers. Electric power generation would appear to offer the largest and most immediate market for coal. If the coal industry is to serve this market adequately and gain as much of it as possible, coal operators ? must have a good knowledge of certain characteristics -of the electric utility industry and its fuel requirements. This paper is prepared primarily to set out some of these characteristics, but also discusses other probable markets for coal.

Jan 1, 1958

By Henry P. Cole

A comprehensive review of published research was carried out to identify methods for teaching and assessing critical but nonroutine skills needed for coping with emergency situations. Specific methods for assessing critical skills proficiency in aviation, medicine, organization management, the military, and other industrial/technical workplaces are described. The potential application of these methods for teaching and assessing (1) critical first aid and (2) self-rescue and escape skills to underground coal miners in annual refresher training is explored. Research and development activities that may improve mine health and safety training are suggested. Most of these research and development activities were completed later in the project. This additional work is reported in the project technical report #2 and the final report. The research reported in the present document was completed in 1984 -85. Many of the initial findings reported in this document are updated in the later project final report.

Jan 1, 1988

By D Laurence, L Ge

This paper demonstrates use of remotely sensed imagery in promoting sustainable mining. Remote sensing technology can be used during all phases of a mining project û from evaluating the resource, to making extraction more cost-effective, through to monitoring, mine closure and remediation. Use of the new generation of satellite platforms with the capability of acquiring satellite data with higher spectral and spatial resolution have the capability to emerge as essential indicator for sustainable development in the minerals industry. A life cycle approach to satellite imagery is discussed. The use of an imagery of the site prior to mining activity establishes the environmental baseline, guides mitigation measures and eventual help in suggesting remediation. Remote imagery provides the cost-effective means of monitoring reclamation, including the growth of planted vegetation, of the mine site and surrounding area. The latest advancements in satellite remote sensing are highlighted to meet the newer challenges of sustainable mining practices. Some of the worldwide successful remote sensing applications for the measurement and evaluation of the sustainable development impact of mining operations are described. Presently available source of imagery and its comparative advantages and disadvantages are provided as a guide. Finally, the limitations of this tool are indicated.

Jan 1, 2009

By J. F. Barkley

Under the procedure of the American Standards Association, with the American Society for Testing Materials as sponsor, the Sectional Committee on Classification of Coals has arrived at the classification of coals by rank as shown in Table 14/. The standard explains the term "agglomerating" used for classification under physical properties, as follows: Agglomerating Index. - Coals which in the volatile-matter determination produce either an agglomerate button that will support a 500-g weight without pulverizing, or a button showing swelling or cell structure, shall be considered agglomerating from the standpoint of classification.***. Pending the adoption of a method by the American Society for Testing Materials, the coke-button grading test5,/ afforded by the examination of the residue in the platinum crucible incident to the volatile matter determination, shall be used.

Jan 1, 1937

By G. R. Hopkins, E. W. COCHRANE

The number of completed petroleum refineries in the United States continued to decline in 1937 , but the total capacity to process crude oil continued to increase . These facts were ascertained in the Bureau's annual canvass of refinery capacity as of January 1 , 1938 . Several important changes were made in the census questionnaire for January 1 , 1938 . First , the basis of reckoning cracking capacity was changed from cracking stock charged to cracked gasoline produced . Although this is a definite improvement , in that it is no longer necessary to consider the yield , it is unfortunate that the data for January 1 , 1938 cannot be compared with cracking - capacity statistics since 1925. Other changes or additions included separating capacity at operating plants into that actually operating and that closed down ; collecting data on capacity added or retired during the previous year ; breaking down idle capacity according to physical status ; and separating new capacity into that built for replacement and that built to augment existing capacity . Prior to January 1 , 1938 , the total capacity of an operating plant was listed as " operating " even though some stills might have been closed down ; furthermore , the only capacity reported as being under construction was that of new plants that were being built on January 1. To make the statistics clear , the totals for the United States as of January 1 , 1938 , are given on both the old and the new bases . On January 1 , 1938 , there were 551 completed plants compared with 572 the previous year . Ten new plants were under construction on that date compared with 11 the year before . The greatest number of completed plants recorded was 632 on January 1 , 1936 ; since then , competitive conditions , particularly in the East Texas field , have been instrumental in reducing the number of small independent plants . The total crude- oil capacity of the completed refineries on January 1 , 1938 , was 4,351,151 barrels , of which 3,970 , 196 barrels ( 91 percent ) represented the capacity in actual operation and 380,955 barrels ( 9 percent ) was shut down . The " shut -down " capacity ( 199,875 barrels on the old basis ) was the lowest since pre- depression days , chiefly because numerous idle East Texas plants were removed from the list . The new method of compiling the statistics sheds considerable light on excess crudeoil capacity , which has been the subject of considerable speculation in recent years . The highest daily average crude runs to stills reached in this country was about 3,460,000 barrels in September 1937. At that time , the total crude - oil capacity was about 3,925,000 barrels . This indicates that at peak operation the excess capacity was somewhat less than

Aug 1, 1938

By Jingcheng Li

Currently many underground coal mines worldwide have installed or been planning to install a tracking system to trace miners mainly for their safety. Although many systems have been reported functional, a lack of sophisticated and systematic error correction methods apparently is still an issue for them; often it results in a low system resolution. To improve the system resolutions, this paper introduces two position adjustment methods for mine tracking systems. The first is an entry-matching method that optimally adjusts an off-course tracking device to the closest tunnel (entry). The second is a distance measurement adjustment method that accurately adjusts the position of a tracking device along an entry according to a measured distance from the device to a reference point. The coplanar node-path network mine model is used as the foundation for the development of these two methods.

Jan 1, 2009

By Dennis Travagini Cremonese

In the early stage of front end studies of an Iron Ore Project, the sizing of surge capacities and stockpiles are normally assumed based on the experience of the study team. Understanding and sizing of these capacities at the early stages of the project are important for future stages of the project as drastic changes in sizes will impact the economics of the project at that stage. An innovative user configurable high level dynamic modeling tool has been developed to assist in speedy evaluation of assumptions made by the study team. This model incorporates systems or facilities that are commonly used iron ore project from mine to port. This model includes subsystems that will simulate all the logistical components, major process plant systems required for an Iron ore project. The output data provided by this high level dynamic simulation tool will enhance the confidence level of engineering carried out during the early stage of the project. This paper discusses the innovative tool capabilities and a test case comparing various techniques used in iron ore project front end studies.

Aug 1, 2018

By D. Milne, G. Snell

"A new method to predict stope hangingwall failure in underground excavations is proposed. This method compares movement rate for stope hangingwalls, determined from changes in strain or deformation, with changing opening geometry. This geometry is represented by the effective radius factor (ERF), a measure of relative distance to supporting abutments from an opening surface point. This strain-ERF (SERF) approach is applied to an instrumentation program for Brunswick mine near Bathurst, New Brunswick. The SERF method for this case study predicted failure at an ERF of 13.9 m and hangingwall failure actually occurred at an approximate ERF of 12.4 m.RÉSUMÉ Cet article propose une nouvelle méthode permettant de prévoir la rupture de l’éponte supérieure des chambres d’abattage dans les excavations souterraines. Cette méthode compare la vitesse de mouvement des épontes supérieures des chambres d’abattage, déterminée à partir des changements aux niveaux des contraintes ou de la déformation, à la géométrie variable de l’ouverture au jour. Cette géométrie est représentée par le facteur du rayon effectif (ERF, de l’anglais Effective Radius Factor), une mesure de la distance relative jusqu’aux appuis latéraux de soutènement à partir d’un point de la surface d’ouverture au jour. Cette approche contraintes-ERF (SERF, de l’anglais strain-ERF) est appliquée à un programme d’instrumentation pour la mine Brunswick située près de Bathurst, dans le Nouveau-Brunswick. Pour cette étude de cas, la méthode SERF prévoyait une rupture à un ERF de 13,9 mètres (m); la rupture de l’éponte supérieure s’est effectivement produite à un ERF d’environ 12,4 m.INTRODUCTIONUnderground stope design can be improved with the installation of field instrumentation. The most commonly used instrumentation for monitoring rock mass behaviour around open stopes is extensometers. The y-axis of Figure 1 represents how the changing rate of movement, measured using either displacement- or stress-type instruments, can be observed over time. The magnitude of movement measured by extensometers can give an approximation of the load on installed support (Milne, Pakalnis, & Lunder, 1996) and a changing rate of movement can indicate approaching instability."

Jan 1, 2018

By R. A. Wyman, F. E. Hanes

THE demand for high-quality aggregate is increasing in all phases of the construction industry and in all organizations associated with road building in Canada. The production of aggregate in Canada has increased almost continuously since the end of the war and has quadrupled since 1948. Increases during the past fifteen years can be accounted for by the expansion in all types of construction, particularly that of roads and highways. Total construction in 1959, based on preliminary estimates, has been valued at $7 billion, and an increase fore-cast for 1960 indicates optimism on the •construction horizon (1). Cement produced in Canada in 1959 amounted to 6.3 million tons. This is more than 2.5 times the 1948 production. Increased cement production indicates an increased use of concrete, and thus an increased need for aggregate. Natural sand and gravel deposits are gradually being depleted.

Jan 1, 1962

In 2004, data obtained from the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) indicated a total of 891 underground (6.2%) and 13,587 surface (93.8%) mining operations.

Sep 1, 2007

By C. H. Hopper

DIAMOND drills have played an important part in the development of mines for many years. Recently. they have also entered the production field arid the use of diamond drills m the primary breaking of ores has become a big branch of the industry. The writer has estimated roughly that the total diamond drilling in Canada during 1942 was 5,625,000 feet, of which 2,250,000 feet, or 40 per cent, was for blast-holes. This accounts for 6,750,000 tons of ore broken, using the conservative factor of 3 tons per foot of hole. Many consider that the use of diamond drills for blast-holes is the most important advance in mine practice of the past decade, and the industry owes a great deal to the staff of Noranda Mines, Limited, for the pioneering they have done in the development of long-hole mining methods and for publishing their results. A great many mines have followed Noranda's lead. At the Waite-Amulet, Aldermac, Flin Flon, Canadian Malartic, Hoyle, and Matachewan Consolidated mines, most of the ore is broken by long-hole blasting. While the mines were developing new methods, the diamond-drill industry was developing mechanically-set bits and better machines. Through the effective use o smaller, cheaper diamonds, as well as more efficient setting, bit costs per foot are only one-half what they were ten years ago. Few people realize that a diamond bit is relatively inexpensive. The common EXT coring bit, for example, contains some 200 small diamonds, weighing altogether about 2.70 carats which, at $3.40 per carat, cost $9.20. After use, the equivalent of about 100 of these diamonds may be recovered. Therefore the true cost of the bit is only $7.00, made up of $4.60, the cost of the diamonds lost, $2.00 for setting, and $0.40 tax. The trend in machines has been toward specialization for the different classes of rock in blast-hole work. Light, high-speed machines have been developed for soft ores and higher powered machines for hard ores.

Jan 1, 1943

By Ralph W. Edie

"IntroductionTHIS PAPER deals with chemical and mineralogical changes in wall-rocks associated with pitchblende mineralization in the Gold-fields area of Saskatchewan. The localities at which the rock specimens studied were collected, and descriptions of the various rock-types referred to, are given in a previous paper by the author (5).The geological field work upon which this paper is based was carried out while the writer was employed by the Eldorado Mining and Refining Company during the summers of 1948, 1949 and 1950. The laboratory work§ consisted largely of quantitative spectrographic analyses for both major and minor elements, supplemented by an examination of 250 thin sections of both altered and unaltered rocks.Character of the AlterationHydrothermal alteration, with associated pitchbende mineralization, is widespread in the Goldfields area of Saskatchewan. The most intense alteration is restricted to the immediate vicinity of fault or breccia zones, but large areas are affected to a minor extent.In detail, the relationship between alteration and pitchblende mineralization is complex, as individual veins do not in general have separate alteration halos. Pitchblende generally occurs in gash-like calcite veins or stringers in wide, fractured zones associated with faulting. Large, lenticular and tabular masses of slightly to intensely altered rock occur in the same wide fracture zones as the mineralized veins. However, vein deposition appears to be-long to a later fracturing period, after hydrothermal alteration was more or: less completed. Generally, the veins transect and are confined to highly altered rock, but on the other hand many highly altered zones intersected in diamond drill-core are barren of mineralized veins."

Jan 1, 1953