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By R B. Turner

The authors have studied and analysed many mineral resource and related projects in Australia. These studies have lead them to conclude that the past performance of many project developers does play a major part in any external financial investment for new or expanding resource based projects. In this paper the authors look particularly at the influence of parties outside the direct control of developers and the effect of' these parties on projects and conclude with a number of points as guidelines for potential project developers.

Jan 1, 1980

By Jennifer B. Leinart

Sixty percent of the mines responding to the sixth annual Mining Cost Service labor survey reported increases in wages averaging 3.4% over the preceding 12 months. Only one mine reported a decrease in wages and this was accompanied by initiation of a substantial profit-sharing plan. Thirty-nine percent reported no change in wages. Thirty-seven percent reported using some form of incentive bonus plan. Mining Cost Service annually surveys coal, metal, and industrial mineral mines throughout the United States. Information about wages, benefits, and incentive bonus plans is part of an extensive data collection program to monitor cost areas of significance to the mining industry. This year, 131 mines responded to the survey. The data is collected by sending questionnaires to personnel managers at active mining operations. The information included in this article was taken from the returned forms, from labor contracts provided by some of the mines, and from followup telephone calls. This year's data was collected between November 1988 and February 1989.

Jan 1, 1990

By Clayton J. Parr, Northcutt Ely

Mining law is essentially a branch of the law of real property. It concerns acquisition of property for extracting contained minerals, and the rights, privileges and duties that fall upon the holder thereof once the rights are acquired Accordingly, this section focuses on the procedures to be followed in acquiring state. federal and private lands, and defines briefly the nature of the rights obtained. The mining laws of Canada and Mexico are summarized, and the related subjects of minerals taxation and governmental regulation are discussed briefly. This section is not intended to be the basis for legal decisions. Rather, its purpose is to provide the engineer with an understanding of basic principles and procedures. For a detailed treatise of mining law, reference can be made to The American Law o] Mining, a five-volume set edited by the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation. The law changes constantly, especially that based on federal and state statutes, and the reader is cautioned to be alert for subsequent modifications of statutes, regulations and case law. 2.1-PRELIMINARY LAND-STATUS CHECK Often, after completion of area reconnaissance, or perhaps after receipt of a submittal, a specific more localized target area will become of interest. Usually, an intensive exploration program comprising detailed surface mapping, sampling, geophysical prospecting and drilling will be required before the mineral potential of the ground can be properly evaluated. Before an investment of this magnitude is made, however, it is advisable to obtain rights to mine ore from the property. Otherwise, knowledge of the exploration activity might greatly inflate land values, or speculators or competing mining concerns might step in. Hence, as a general rule, a land-acquisition program should be undertaken before an intensive exploration project is begun. The first step in such a program is to make a land-status check to determine whether the subject lands are available and, if so, from whom they can be obtained and by what means. 2.1.1-BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT RECORDS In those states which contain large areas of federal land, basically (he western states, the primary informational source is the records of the Bureau of Land Management. These may t)e examined at the land office having jurisdiction over federal lands in the area of interest. The records for Montana and North and South Dakota are kept at the Billings (Mont ) land office; Wyoming, Nebraska and Kansas, Cliejenne, Wyo.; New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas, Santa Fe, N M ; northern Alaska, Fairbanks, and southern, Anchorage; Utah, Salt Lake City; Nevada, Reno; Arizona, Phoenix; Colorado, Denver. There are two land offices in California, at Sacramento and Los Angeles Records for other states are kept in Washington, D C. at the office of the Director, Bureau of Land Management.

Jan 1, 1973

By C. Siac

"It is a widely held view that in the 21st century, the mining industry will be dominated by a relatively small number of large companies, truly global in scope and internationally staffed (Gooding, 1997). Interestingly enough, most of the exploration and exploitation activities are being carried out by junior and major mining companies from common law jurisdictions in civil law countries, in particular in Latin America, where in recent years, the region has ranked first as a destination for exploration dollars, thanks to the reforms undertaken by some countries to amend their legal framework to attract foreign investment. From a lawyer’s point of view, this is where the main challenge lies: how to bridge the gap between the two legal systems.In order to avoid pitfalls, common law lawyers should be more diligent and proactive when dealing with civil law jurisdictions, given the different systems of law, standards, traditions and customs. Common law lawyers cannot be expected to be well-versed in civil law but they should not be completely unfamiliar with it either. A balance should be struck to ensure clients’ needs are professionally taken care of and that common law requirements and standards are met."

Jan 1, 2003

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

Sufficient time has elapsed since the enactment of the amendments to the mining legislation in 1981 to enable an examination to be made of the way in which the licensing system operates in practice. One of the most important decisions in resource management in New Zealand is whether or not rights of access to the resource should be conferred by the Crown upon an appropriate private sector participant. The licensing system is the means for allocating these rights of access. The manner in which the licensing system is administered, therefore, is crucial to natural resource management in New Zealand. What is the mining licensing system in New Zealand designed to achieve? This simple question admits of no easy answer. Is it the identification and development of the mineral resources of New Zealand? Are these objectives tempered by issues of resource conservation and environmental protection? Is a balance to be achieved among these competing factors? Does the legislation contain any priorities? Does the system respond in an ad hoc manner to particular facts and circumstances or does it operate within a more predictable framework? To what extent are decisions made on access to minerals with reference to the development or conservation of other resources? These questions may be summarised in the title to this paper which poses the question whether mining licences are instruments for resource management.

Jan 1, 1988

With unprecedented worldwide growth and increasing global demand for energy expected to swell by 60 per-cent in the next two decades, mining matters as much now, if not more, than it ever has. This was the consensus at the 110th Annual National Western Mining Conference presented by the Colorado Mining Association, Feb. 12-14 at the Westin Hotel in Denver, CO. The role of coal ? America?s most abundant energy source ? the future of uranium and its possible resurgence in the energy marketplace, the skyrocketing value of gold as well as the issues of health, safety, climate change, legislation and government?s role in mining were all discussed during the three-day conference that operated under the banner of ?Mining Matters.? Barbara Filas, chairperson of the 110th National Western Mining Conference, president of Knight Piesold Co. and former SME president, welcomed the record crowd with an inspiring speech in which she pointed out that although ?most normal folks don?t know what role mining plays in their everyday life, mining does matter. ?Our industry,? she said, ?matters to Colorado. It matters to Colorado because it is a $3-billion industry. It matters to the 13,000 people who are employed directly or indirectly by the industry and it matters to schools that receive more than half of the royalties that are generated by mining.? During discussions of mining?s place in Colorado, the western United States and the world, special attention was paid to coal, uranium and the future of energy. ?It is time to rethink our perceptions about coal,? said Mark A. Smith, president and chief executive officer of Chevron Mining Inc. He spoke during the opening reception in a presentation titled, ?Coal to Liquids: Bridging America?s Energy Gap.? Although coal is America?s most abundant, and cheapest energy source, it is also one of the most scrutinized because of the pollution it causes and recent, and heavily publicized, tragedies that have claimed the lives of some who mine it.

Jan 1, 2008

By C. F. Jackson

THE work of, the Mining Methods Committee is now well under way. Following discussions previous to and during the February meeting, an Outline for Papers on Mining Methods was prepared, and over a thousand copies have now been distributed to committee men, to section secretaries and to members who have indicated any interest in the subject. The objective of the committee is to prepare a symposium on mining methods which will be of real practical value to the operator and engineer in the solution of every-day mining problems. It is planned to cover the entire field of mining in such a way that the different branches of mining, such as coal and ore (iron, copper, lead, zinc and precious metal) can benefit from the experience of the others at points where they have problems in common.. It is realized fully that each of these branches of mining possesses its own peculiar problems, but at the same time, there are prob-lems in connection with each, where the experience in others should be of value. The committee proposes to proceed along the following lines: 1. To present a general classification of mining methods, showing their inter-relationship, and at the same time .provide a common language for the discussion of mining methods and a nomenclature that will have the same meaning wherever used. A com-plete set of illustrations will accompany the classi-fication to make clear the terminology adopted and to show graphically the inter-relationship of methods. 2. To show the relationship between the physical characteristic of the deposit, the economic consider-ations and the. mining method., It is not proposed to treat this subject as a mere academic problem, but to secure reports from every mining company of impor-tance in this country, which will show what methods or modifications and combinations of methods have actually been applied and the physical conditions and economic considerations which have led to the adoption of these methods in each case. The Mining Methods Committee has drawn up an Outline for Papers on Mining Methods to be distributed among mining engineers and operators, giving in detail the information desired. This outline is the result of several months of careful thought and is a composite of the suggestions of many engineers and mining company officials from all parts of the United States.

Jan 7, 1922

By M. Yavuz

Two different methods of fuzzy multiple criteria decision making have been proposed to solve the problem of mining method selection in the paper titled ?Mining method selection by multiple criteria decision making tool, by Bitarafan and Ataei. This problem is really important and also difficult to solve because of the need of handling many criteria simultaneously in the process of decision making. Bitarafan and Ataei have selected 15 criteria for the case study in their paper and those criteria have not been clustered/grouped yet. The number of selected criteria is only 15, although there are more criteria that should be handled in a real case, because they have used Saaty?s method in the section ?Fuzzy multiple attribute decision making? in their paper. Saaty?s method considers the pair wise comparison of criteria and uses random indexed which have already been derived and published. Available random indexes, however, have been derived for maximum 15 criteria so far.

Jan 1, 2007

By M. R. Bitarafan

Mining method selection is the first and most important problem in mine design. In this selection some of the parameters such as geological and geotechnical properties, economic parameters and geographical factors are involved. The mining engineer must balance the input parameters and select the method that appears to be the most suitable; mining method selection is both an art and a science. Distinguishing all parameters that have an effect in mining method selection and in the determination of weighting factors of any parameter is a difficult task in an ordinary environment. This paper attempts to determine important parameters that impact on the mining method selection and demonstrates the calculation of the weighting factors for each selected parameter. This study has been directed to the research of a methodology for the selection of an optimal mining method. Different fuzzy methods are presented as an innovative tool for criteria aggregation in mining decision problems. Two methods of fuzzy multiple criteria decision making are used for selecting the optimal method with which to mine anomaly No. 3 of the Gol-Gohar iron mine. This paper finally presents a comparison of the selection methodologies and further discusses the most appropriate method investigated.

Jan 1, 2004

By Harry A. Roe

The power drag scrapers and the slackline cableway excavator have been called "long-range excavators." Broadly, their field of usefulness is restricted to work in which their long range of action permits them to operate economically, and which other, possibly more conventional, excavating units cannot do. Both of these machines dig or lift material and transport it to a remote dumping point. They combine these two functions in a single machine, nearly always in a single straight-line motion. The purpose of this paper is to examine the important features that distinguish the machines in this group from each other, as well as from other groups. The Machines The "power drag scraper" is a long-range excavating machine that employs a bottomless drag scraper operated back and forth between digging and dumping points by two haulage cables. The typical arrangement is that of Fig. 1. This is the "slusher" of the underground mine, as well as the "dragline scraper" of the sand and gravel industry, and other open-pit mining operations.

Jan 1, 1938

By Harry A. Roe

The power drag scrapers and the slackline cableway excavator have been called "long-range excavators." Broadly, their field of usefulness is restricted to work in which their long range of action permits them to operate economically, and which other, possibly more conventional, excavating units cannot do. Both of these machines dig or lift material and transport it to a remote dumping point. They combine these two functions in a single machine, nearly always in a single straight-line motion. The purpose of this paper is to examine the important features that distinguish the machines in this group from each other, as well as from other groups. The Machines The "power drag scraper" is a long-range excavating machine that employs a bottomless drag scraper operated back and forth between digging and dumping points by two haulage cables. The typical arrangement is that of Fig. 1. This is the "slusher" of the underground mine, as well as the "dragline scraper" of the sand and gravel industry, and other open-pit mining operations.

Jan 1, 1938

By Herman Van Fleet, Frederick W. Neil, O&apos

The object of this paper is to describe the present status and possil~ilities of liquid oxygen as an explosive based upon the investigations, research and practical work of the Ingersoll-Rand Co., and of the Air Reduction Co., from early in 1922 to date. The following work was done. 1. A study of the history and physical theory of L. 0. X. as an explosive. (No attempt will be made in this paper to give the history or theory, as this has already been covered by the literature on the subject.) 2. An investigation of the use and the practice with L. 0. X. in the iron mines of Lorraine where L. 0. X. has its largest application in Europe. Although L. 0. X. is extensively employed in the iron mines of Lorraine, many of the mines using it exclusively, and blasting with it a total of approximately three million tons of iron ore per year, the fact that the mining practice in Lorraine1 is to drill comparatively shallow holes and blast only a few holes at a time, renders the data obtained there of very little value in estimating the possibility of replacing dynamite with L. 0. X. in American mining methods. In fact, in the iron mines in Lorraine, L. 0. X. replaced black powder, or its equivalent. 3. Laboratory research work on properties of absorbent materials. 4. Work in the Bureau of Mines explosive laboratory at Pittsburgh, Pa., on the properties of L. 0. 3. cartridges. 5. Practical work underground with L. 0. X. cartridges in the Kitherbee-Sherman iron mines at Mineville, N. Y. 6. Practical work in the quarries of the Calcite Quarry Co., Myers-town, Pa. 7. Practical blasting in several quarries and open-pit mines.

Jan 1, 1927

By Mann V. I

The Mount Isa property has been in operation since June, 1931; during this period operations have changed from the production and treatment of carbonate ores to the mining, milling, and smelting of sulphide ores. This change involved revision of ore-extraction methods.Stoping methods have been designed to apply to parallel lodes ranging from 10 ft. to over 100 ft. in width and dipping at 50° to 60°. The hardness and strength of the ore and enclosing wall rocks, together with the strength and thickness of the country rock between lodes, have permitted the selection of a sub-level stoping method for mining the sulphide ores.

Jan 1, 1938

By H. DeWitt Smith

THE mine operated by the United Verde Copper Co. is situated near Jerome, Ariz., on the eastern flank of the Black Hills, at an elevation of approximately 5500 ft. (1676 m.) above sea level. The mine and the town of Jerome are located on a steep hillside, which slopes rapidly to the valley of the Verde River. The smelter town of Clarkdale is situated in the Verde valley 4.1 mi. (6.5 km.) distant in an air line from Jerome, and at an elevation of 3560 ft. The two towns are connected by the standard-gage railroad of the Verde Tunnel & Smelter R. R., a subsidiary of the United Verde Copper Co. This road is 11 mi. long and has a compensated 4 per cent. grade. At Clarkdale, it connects with the Verde Valley branch of the Santa Fe R. R. The narrow-gage (36-in.) line of the United Verde & Pacific Ry. was, until 1919, Jerome's only rail connection with a main trunk line. This road connects with a branch line of the Santa Fe system at Jerome Junction, after traversing 26 mi. of mountainous country. From the time of its location, in 1876, until its purchase by Senator W. A. Clark, of Montana, in 1889, the United Verde mine was worked on a small scale and shipments of high-grade gold-silver ore were made from the surface workings. Until 1894, when the narrow-gage railroad to

Jan 8, 1920

By Myers PA, Noble MR, Lawrence JS, Cannings WR

The Perseverance orebody presents the Agnew Mine with a wide variety of geological settings, necessitating the application of several mining methods within the limited strike length being extracted.Mining methods have been introduced and modified during the six years' production history of the property and that evolutionary process remains very active.The methods used, in use or planned, are:Hand held scraper cut and fill Hand held mechanical cut and fill Post pillar cut and fillOpen Stoping (uphole benching) Modified vertical crater retreat Sub-level caving

Jan 1, 1985

In setting out to describe the methods and machinery employed at Iron Knob the writer does not attempt to give any information as to the situation, topography or geological features of the locality. This, together with estimates of the quantities of ore still available, has been carried out in a most thorough manner by R. L. Jackr and F. R. Hockey. This essay is intended to deal with working methods as they exist to-day, beginning with drilling, blasting, quarry traction, etc., and touching on such details as the supplyof electricity, water and compressed air.At the present time almost the entire output of ore is won from the hill known as Iron Monarch. The form of the hill, a smooth, rounded dome, rising some 640 ft. above the plain and having a base diameter of n miles, lends itself ideally to the "bench" system of open-cut quarrying.Fig. 1 shows the relationship of the benches "A," "B" and "E" in their order of development. Bench "E" is at present the principal working, but, as the greater part of the ore above this level has now been removed, bench "A," some...

Jan 1, 1936

This paper gives a general description of mining operations at the Mount Morgan Open Cut. Certain features such as blast hole diamond drilling, which may be of particular interest, have been described in detail. The paper is covered by the following headings:-1. History2. Ore Reserves and Production Data3. Mining Methodsa. Design and Layout of the Open Cut.b. Overburden and Ore Breaking.c. Loading and Transport of Ore and Overburden.d. Transport of Men and Supplies.e. Survey and Assay.f. Drainage.4. Power and Compressed Air5. Mining Equipmenta. Shovels.b. Mine Transport.c. Dozer Tractors.d. Drill Shop.6. CostsHISTORYIn order to appreciate fully the design of the present Open Cut at Mount Morgan, a brief outline of the Mine's history and past mining methods is necessary. In 1882 the Mount Morgan Syndicate began to mine this large gold-copper orebody by small hill-top quarries...

Jan 1, 1952

By Patterson B. G

The small party of mining men who formed the original Mount Morgan Syndicate in 1882, commenced operations on the top of the mountain with what were practically nothing more than small hillside quarries, It was not until 1891 that underground stoping began, and open-cut mining therefore commenced with the commencement of operations. This hillside quarrying, however, seems to have been quite haphazard and unsystematic ; there is no trace or sign of any properly devised mining scheme. This can be seen plainly enough from an examination of old mine plans; for in less than five years after stoping was; adopted, the open-cut was down into the stoped-out ground. The following table, prepared from these old plans, shows the downward trend of the excavation in the past fiftyseven years:-

Jan 1, 1939

By Johnston W. H

MINING operations in the Waihi mine began, under the present proprietorship in the year 1889. Previous to this, and as far back as the year 1880, the presence of reefs in the Martha Hill had been known, and surface working on a small scale had beencarried out, without any great measure of success. The only method of treatment in use at this time was the old system of light stamps, amalgamating tables and berdans, and recovery by this method being low, little margin for profit was left, so thatthe property in these days was not considered of great importance and work on the area was only carried on spasmodically by different owners.On the transfer of the leases to the present company, calcining, dry crushing, and hot pan amalgamation was adopted as the method of treatment, and this system was continued till the more modern cyanide process was introduced and applied. As themethods of treatment and gold-saving became more efficient with the application of more modern and scientific processes, the importance and future prospects of the mine became more and more pronounced, and mining on a larger and more comprehensive scale was gradually established.As in the case of ore treatment, mining methods in the early stages were not as far adv.anced as the adopted practice of today, and numerous shafts, levels close together in vertical height.

Jan 1, 1912