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By Erika Moonin, Jim Nickerson, Claudio Cimiotti, Roberto Bono

"In response to the severe drought on the Colorado River basin and in order to preserve existing water capacity to the Las Vegas Valley, the Southern Nevada Water Authority contracted a new deep-water intake (Intake No. 3) located in Lake Mead. The current project (Contract No. 070F-01-C1) includes 5 km (3 miles) of tunnel with very difficult geological conditions and a 200- m (650-ft) deep shaft and marine works. This paper will present the current status of the design-build contract being constructed by Vegas Tunnel Constructors and the challenges and problems faced and the innovative solutions developed to handle the difficult conditions encountered during tunneling with up to 15 bars of pressure.ProjectbackgroundThe Las Vegas Valley receives the majority of its water from Lake Mead, which is located approximately 30 km (20 miles) east of the Las Vegas, NV metropolitan area. Due to the severe drought that has hit the southwest region of the United States, the water level in Lake Mead has receded from its high water level of 372 m (1,221 ft) above mean sea level (amsl) to a low of 330 m (1,076 ft) amsl in June 2015. Should the lake level continue to fall, at elevation 320 m (1,050 ft) amsl, the current water intakes will not be able to draw enough water to meet the needs of the local area. The risk of losing water capacity has prompted the construction of a new deeper intake. Not only is the new Intake No. 3 situated at a lower elevation in the lake at 262 m (860 ft) amsl, the new Intake No. 3 is also located to draw better quality (Fig. 1).Project challengesThe project has had several difficult challenges to overcome:• The work consisted of a 1.2 kt (1,300 st) structure constructed on a barge and lowered 100 m (330 ft) into Lake Mead anchored with 9,200 m3 (12,200 cu yd) of tremie concrete.• The drill-and-blast starter tunnel was impacted by three inflow events, resulting in a one-year project delay.• One of the main challenges was selecting the tunnel boring machine (TBM) and excavating the tunnel with expected hydraulic head pressure of as much as 17 bar (16 bar was the highest pressure recorded during the drive), crossing faulted areas, low rock cover and the risk of tunnel instability due to direct connection with the lake.• Extensive pre-excavation grouting with a constant head pressure ranging from 12 bar to 15 bar.• Structural repair of the cutterhead in difficult hydrogeological conditions [water inflow of approx. 800 m3/hr (4,000 gpm)].• Complete repair of the cascade sealing system for the main bearing and two replacements of the pinion bearings.• The TBM approach to the intake structure."

Jan 1, 2015

By A. L. Service

In 1965 the Western phosphate industry ranked third after Florida and Tennessee in total mine and marketable production of phosphate rock and phosphate rock products. It has become an important regional industry and, since the close of World War II, it has become important in the national phosphate economy. This report includes an evaluation of the trends and outlook for the Western phosphate industry through 1975 as part of the Bureau's program to determine the rate at which the Nation's mineral resources are being utilized. The first part of this report is concerned with the relationship between the Western phosphate industry and that of the United States and the world. It describes the principal phosphate deposits and discusses production, export, and import of phosphate rock and marketable products. The second part of the report is concerned with the Western phosphate industry and discusses trends and outlook through 1975. Projections for the utilization of phosphate rock, phosphate fertilizers, and elemental phosphorus have been developed and extended through 1975 in an effort to provide data and information pertaining to the rate of depletion of the Nation's phosphate resources.

Jan 1, 1967

By D. Turnbull, J. C. Fisher

ACCORDING to the "reaction-path" modell,2 of martensite nucleation, the shear angle of the embryonic martensite plate must be treated as a variable, and included in any calculation of nucleus critical size. Also, as can be deduced from this model, the interfacial free energy between austenite and martensite does not reach its final value until the shear is completed. It is zero for zero shear angle. However, in order to account for the kinetics of the martensite transformation, some sort of interfacial energy barrier appears to be necessary even with the reaction-path model, for otherwise the volume and the energy of formation of the critical size nucleus both collapse to zero.3 Cohen independently suggested that surface energy could be incorporated into the reaction-path model, with the overall free energy of a martensite embryo being a function of its volume and shear angle.' It is possible to estimate the energy associated with the formation of a critical-size martensite nucleus starting with the reaction-path model and including a surface free-energy barrier. As the dependence of interfacial free energy upon shear angle is unknown, a simple type of dependence will be assumed, with the belief that the true dependence would not lead to appreciably different results. Consider the work required to form a lenticular martensite plate with radius r, thickness t, and shear angle 8. There are three contributions; one being the interfacial free energy, one being the free energy change in the martensite plate, and one being the free energy increase in the surrounding austenite. The interfacial free energy u is assumed to depend upon the shear angle 0 according to the relationship s=s0(?/?0)n [1] where 8, is the equilibrium shear angle and n is an exponent that may lie in the range 0 n 2. The work required to form the interfaces of a martensite plate then is W. = 2pr² s0(?/?0)n [2] The free energy change per unit volume of martensite is composed of two parts, one the ordinary volume free energy ?f1. which is negative, and the other the elastic strain energy G?m²/2, where G is the shear modulus and 7, the shear strain relative to the martensite structure. This expression for the strain energy is valid only when the shear strain ym, is sufficiently small that the martensite is within its linear elastic range. There is no doubt that ym, lies beyond the linear elastic range for embryos that are considerably subcritical. However, for critical nuclei it will be shown that ym, is 1.5 pct or less, within the linear elastic range of martensite. For embryos of nearly critical size, then, the strain energy of the martensite is correctly given by G?m²/2. The shear strain in the martensite is ym, = 8, — 8, and the work required to form the strained martensite is Wm --= (pr²t/2) [?fv + G(?O - ?)²/2] [3] The free energy change in the austenite is entirely that due to elastic distortion. The elastic strain is not uniformly distributed in the austenite, being large near the martensite plate and small elsewhere. Approximately, however, the energy corresponds to a uniform shear strain ya= (?t/2)/r [4] throughout the volume 4pr³/3 surrounding the plate. The work required to strain the surrounding austenite then is Wa = (4pr³/3) (G?a²/2) = (G?²/6) prt² [51 For simplicity, the same shear modulus G is assumed for each structure. The total free energy for forming a plate then is W = W3 + Wm + Wa. = 2pr² s0 (?/p?0)n + (pr²t/2) [?fr+G(?0-?)²/2] + (G?²6) prt2 [6] This expression is correct for nuclei and for embryos of nearly critical size, where, as will be shown, the strain energy in the martensite is correctly given by the expression G (? — ?)². Having W as a function of r, t, and 8, as in Eq. 6, there is a saddle-point where W has a stationary value, W subsequently decreasing indefinitely as the nucleus volume increases along the reaction path. The stationary value of W is the energy of the critical nucleus. The critical nucleus has radius, thickness, and shear angle such that ?W/?r - awlat: = ?W/?p? = 0. Performing these differentiations and calculating the critical nucleus energy, W* = [8192p(G?/6)²;s/27 ?fv4] [7] where a= (?/?0)3n+1[l +G(8"-8)'/2af.]' [7a] and where 8 is to be determined from the equation (1 + 3n/4) + G8(6O - (9)/[Af. +G(6>o-6>)72] = 0 [8] For ?f, near —200 cal per mol or —10" ergs per cc, and 8, near 1/6, as for iron-base alloys, Eq. 8 gives ?0 - ? ~ - (4 + 3n) ?f1./4G0O [9] as the difference between the equilibrium shear angle and the actual shear angle for a critical nu-

Jan 1, 1954

By P. J. K Leeuw, E. Uludag, M. J. Nong

Efficient drill-and-blast performance is pivotal to the profitability of deep-level mines, where high operating costs and declining grades demand maximum throughput. This study investigated persistent fragmentation problems at a longhole stoping operation that suffered from simultaneous oversized rock blockages in 300 mm × 300 mm grizzlies and excessive fines. Fifty-one muckpile images from five blasted stopes were analysed with Split-Desktop. Although the overall F₈₀ was 287 mm, nominally suitable for the grizzly aperture, the Rosin- Rammler uniformity index of 0.80 revealed a highly inconsistent size distribution containing both boulders and fines. Existing drill patterns were then evaluated with the Aegis underground software, which showed negligible crack overlap at the toe owing to inadequate spacing and burden. Insufficient energy overlap between blastholes, particularly at the toe, was found to contribute to the coarse fragmentation, while excessive fines were attributed to the crushing and severely fractured zones of blastholes. Optimisation simulations demonstrated that an 89 mm blasthole diameter on a 2 m × 2 m pattern would overlap, aligning with Aegis requirements of balancing powder factor, break angle, and energy distribution. Implementing this revised pattern is expected to reduce secondary breaking, prevent ore-pass blockages, lower fines, and ultimately improve overall production efficiency. The methodology illustrates how integrated image analysis and modelling software can effectively diagnose and address fragmentation issues, particularly in underground longhole mining, where challenging blasting conditions require a balance between achieving optimal fragmentation and maintaining stope stability. This approach offers a cost-effective pathway to improving comminution performance in deeplevel mines.

Oct 2, 2025

By R Coleman

The flotation mechanism plays a key role in the flotation process. It is used to provide the contact between solid particles and bubbles and also the energy for these particles and bubbles to attach. The mechanism must therefore provide sufficient mixing to keep the solids in suspension so that they can be transported into the froth and recovered to the concentrate. The design of the mechanism is critical and over the past decade Outotec has developed and optimised a new mechanism design to improve metallurgical and energy performance. The FloatForce® mechanism consists of a rotor and stator arrangement and has been specifically designed to provide sustained mixing at higher air flows and lower power inputs.Over 500 FloatForce® mechanisms have been installed in existing and new operations. This paper outlines the technological aspects of the FloatForce® mechanism and provides metallurgical, operational and energy performance results from a number of flotation circuits in which these have been installed.

Aug 8, 2011

By Manis Kumar Jha, D. D. Pathak, Archana Kumari

Treatment of secondary/waste to recover rare earth metals (REMs) is gaining importance due to its increasing global demand, lack of availability of high grade natural resources and huge generation of secondaries. Present paper reports the critical review on available processes for recovery of REMs from secondaries viz. manufacturing scraps, e-waste, industrial residues such as red mud, fly ash, waste water, etc. Hydrometallurgical processes with combination of Beneficiation/ Pyro-/Electro techniques are discussed to recover REMs effectively. The recommended processes require less energy to deliver high purity yield which is one step towards green environment. Salient findings on various methods are reported with recommendations which will be helpful to researchers working in the area of REMs extraction.

Mar 1, 2018

By Osvaldo Bascur, Barun Gorain, Jaco Steyn

"The last few decades have seen some remarkable advancement in information technology, but recently various digital technologies have resulted in several synergies to deliver innovation in diverse applications. The mining industry has been relatively slow in adopting these technologies compared to the other industries, but this scenario is changing fast.Challenges. Mining companies globally are going through a series of challenges such as declining ore grades with complex metallurgy, increasing depth of ore bodies, high capital and operating costs, lower productivity, shortage of technical resources, significant pressure from stake-holders to deliver, along with growing environmental and corporate social responsibility issues. Improvement in profitability would need significant improvements in operational performance.Consequently, over the last few years, there has been a major focus among some mining companies to imbibe operational excellence. This has been only possible because of the replacement of a silos-based approach by an integrated view of the organization. Such an integrated view is now possible via the evolving digital technologies. Even so, such a transformation calls for a change in culture, which, for most organizations is not trivial. Attempts in the past to integrate functions, such as through mine-to-mill initiatives in the mining industry, have demonstrated significant benefits to many operations (McKee, 2013). Still, sustaining these benefits has clearly been a challenge due to manpower turnover and lack of proper systems and structures that integrate information between business functions within an operation and between operations and the corporate level.Opportunities. The advent of digital technology has opened up opportunities to integrate interdepartmental information for a unified understanding across an entire organization. The advances in instrumentation, equipment control systems, supervisory control systems (SCADA/ Historian) and industrial networks have helped in the direction of enterprise- wide integration. The availability of real time information across an enterprise has given rise to numerous possibilities to improve organization performance. As suggested by Seshan and Gorain (2016), some of the potential opportunities are as follows:"

Jan 9, 2018

By Mark Bauckman

Discussion Topics • Market Needs • Technology Developments & Best Practices • Industry & Government Developments • Future Possibilities & Your Role

Jan 1, 2006

By John C. Feeley

This paper is the result of a field study of prospect drilling in the Florida phosphate fields. The objective is to describe the drilling methods employed . . Since the general policies of the operating companies in the land - pebble area do not permit the dissemination of prospecting information and costs thereof , the writer has carefully avoided mentioning names and locations except by reference to existing publications ,

May 1, 1949

By MINE SAFETY BOARD

RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES BUREAU OF MINES ON CERTAIN QUESTIONS OF SAFETY AS OF FEBRUARY 3 , 1933

Jul 1, 1933

More than 1,200 professionals from the global tunneling and underground space industries are expected to be on hand for the 2009 Rapid Excavation and Tunneling Conference to be held at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, NV. The conference, set for June 14-17, is sponsored by the Society for Mining, Metallurgy, & Exploration, Inc. (SME) and the Construction Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers. The four-day conference will feature more than 100 technical papers in 19 sessions. Two one-day short courses are also planned, as are a pair of field trips. And the show?s exhibit will feature more than 120 of the industry?s leading equipment and service suppliers.

Jan 1, 2009

By B. E. Eakin, A. L. Lee, M. H. Gonzalez

Expeximental viscosity and density data of lour natural gases are presented for temperatures from WO to 340F and pressures from 100 to 8.000 psia. A correlation is also discussed and results reported. INTRODUCTION This investigation is one of several efforts by the authors to provide viscosity data for pure hydrocarbons and mixtures. Results of some pure hydrocarbons and their mix tures have been presented." Several predictive methods and correlations have also been reported.'," This paper presents the experimental viscosity and density data of four natural gases and confirms a correlation in a previous study. APPARATUS The viscometer was described previously. 2,6 A bank of stainless steel pycnometers was included to determine density in conjunction with the viscosity measurements (Fig. I). DATA AND MATERIALS The natural gases were furnished by the Atlantic Richfield Co. (Samples 1 and 21, the Continental Oil Co. (Sample 3) and the Pan American Petroleum Corp. (Sample 4). Table 1 shows the composition of these gases obtained by mass spectrometer analysis. The pure component viscosity data used in the correlation have been published."".'"', '" Experimental and calculated viscosity data for the natural gases are presented in Tables 2 through 5. CORRELATION Starling and Ellington"' have reported several semi-empirical expressions based to a certain extent on the theory of viscosity advanced by Born and Green.' The final expression presented by Starling and Ellingto'n is: i'. (micropoise) -- /t,, exp rX(7') p ..... (I) Eq. 1 was modified by Lee et 01." to represent mixture and pure component data simultaneously. This equation has the form: F = K exp [XpY] :.........(2) where K=- (7.77 i 0.0063M)Ti 122.4 + 12.9M +T .................(3) ' ' ' X= 2.57 + ---1914.5+ 0.0095M .... (4) Y = 1.11 -r 0.04 X ........(5) Over the pressure and temperature range studied in this investigation, this equation represents the data on methane, ethane, propane, n-butane and four methane-n-butane mixtures with a standard deviation* of ? 1.89 per cent. Density data by Sage and Lacey" were used to fit the equations. Eq. 2 gives reliable values of the viscosity of light hydrocarbons without prior knowledge of experimental viscosity values, but accurate density data must be available. Eq. 2 was used to predict viscosity values for the natural gases studied in this paper. The particular set of parameters contained in Eqs. 3 through 5 gave values that reproduced experimental data within 25 per cent. Needless to say, in using Eq. 2 better density values will give better viscosity results. However, those engineers who do not have accurate density values at hand or the time, or such facilities as a library, computer, etc. readily available, may feel uneasy in using Eq. 2. Therefore, the authors sought the easiest but by no means best density prediction method, which was reported by Kaf 30 years ago. A set of density values, which were calculated based on Kay's method, and a generalized compressibility factor chart were used to fit Eq. 2. The results are:

Jan 1, 1967

By Michel C. Frippel

This section of the Minerals Yearbook reviews the minerals industries of 27 countries: the 12 nations of the European Community (Belgium, Dermark/Greenland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom); 6 of the 7 nations of the European Free Trade Association (Austria, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and Sweden); Malta; the 8 Eastern European economies in transition (Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Yugoslavia); and the U.S.S.R. Western Europe Western Europe [loosely defined to include the 12 nations of the European Community (EC) and the 7 nations of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA)] is the single largest trading area and consumer of raw materials in the world. If Western Europe was at one time an important mining sector, it has now increasingly relegated the role of supplying minerals for its minerals processing industry to the more minerally endowed countries in North and South America, Africa, and Australia. In this regard, Western Europe is the most important determinant of raw materials consumption (and thus, indirectly, raw materials production). Western Europe has significant reserves of industrial minerals but has limited availability of metalliferous raw materials. It, therefore, imports significant quantities of the latter and ranks along with the United States and the U.S.S.R. in the production of refined metals. Nonetheless, there is an inherent tendency to underestimate the importance of Western Europe in the world of minerals, both as a minerals processor and raw materials buyer. The reason for this is that Western Europe is generally thought of on the basis of individual nations rather than as a whole. Viewed in this limited context, the United States, the U.S.S.R., and Japan appear to dominate the world economy. Viewed as one regional area, however, Western Europe includes the fourth (FRG), fifth (France), sixth (United Kingdom) and seventh (Italy) largest economies of the world, all bordering on one another. With the remaining 15 EC and EFTA countries, Western Europe has a land area approximately 40 % of that of the United States, exceeds the U.S. population by 50 % and has a gross domestic product about the same as that of the United States.

Jan 1, 1993

By B. G. White

Traditional interpretations of vein ore deposits in the Coeur d' Alene Mining District, such as the view that these deposits formed in a transcurrent tectonic regime during the Precambrian, are being supplanted by the view that the deposits (1) formed in low-grade metamorphic shear zones similar to those that host an important type of gold deposit, (2) display features, such as wall rock carbonate zoning and vein zoning, that are common to ore deposits elsewhere, and (3) are probably Mesozoic and possibly related to emplacement of the Idaho batholith. In recent years, new interpretations have led to major ore discoveries that are likely to extend the life of the district for decades.

Jan 1, 1998

By Y. Thibault, G. Deschênes

An open-pit mine, located in Mexico, processes an ore a rate of 4000 tpd, using conventional cyanidation and AYR. A laboratory study was conducted to increase silver extraction and to reduce the concentration of cyanide in leaching. The sample contained 0.41 g/t Au, 125 g/t Ag, 99% gangue minerals, 0.7% pyrite, 0.07% sphalerite, 0.03% chalcocite. Silver was present as acanthite, stromeyerite, silver mercury/halogen, silver with copper in solid solution and jalpaite. The plant conditions (2400 ppm NaCN) produced 90.2% gold extraction (residue at 0.04 g/t Au) and 92.7% silver extraction (leach residue at 9.1 g/t Ag). The CELP (CANMET Enhanced Leaching Process) produced 97.0% silver extraction (residue at 3.8 g/t) and 90.2% gold extraction using 500 ppm NaCN. The incremental gross revenue was estimated at $US7.6 million and the reduction of cyanide costs was $2.9 million per year (79%).

Jan 1, 2011

By Wm. W. Adell

"These hydrocarbons belonging to the same chemical series as methane, having the general formula CnH2n have many chemical properties in common with methane and their addition to a lean gas charges the properties and burning characteristics of the gas in the same general direction although to a different extent. The hydrocarbons of this series do not readily enter into chemical reaction with other substances and therefore are incapable of combining with oxygen or polymerizing in the disturbing system and thus cannot cause gum and room troubles commonly met with in the distribution of manufactured gas.As the number of carbon atoms in the molecule increases, i.e. in proceeding from methane throughout the series, the oxygen requirements for the complete combustion of unit volume of the gases also increases; in other words, the calorific values of these hydrocarbons (as gases) increases from methane. Similarly the specific gravity increases from methane in the same order. In Table 1 are shown some of the physical constants and properties of a few of these hydrocarbons which hive bearing on their use for enriching gas."

Nov 1, 1927

Listing on Australian Stock Exchange Limited ('ASX') is a means by which a company can prosper and grow by gaining access to a large capital market. This currently stands at over $300 billion for domestic securities listed on ASX. A company seeking listing will benefit from a higher profile and a greater spread of shareholders. These result from, among other things, improved communications with the investment community. ASX recognises that a decision to list is an important step for a company. Owing to the diverse nature and size of the companies that consider listing and the various steps involved, it is recommended that guidance of professional advisers is sought as early as possible in the listing process. A company seeking listing on ASX must meet the prerequisites for admission to the Official List which, along with the continuing obligations that must be complied with following admission, are contained in the Listing Rules of ASX. Listing on ASX requires a company to ensure that, among other things, the market is fully informed at all times so that investors can make informed investment decisions.

Jan 1, 1996

This volume contains a series of papers describing research conducted by the Bureau of Mines to develop or improve equipment and systems that satisfy the communication requirements of miners doing work related to rail, belt-conveyor, trackless, and hoist haulage systems.

Jan 1, 1977

IDS: The Company IDS Ingegneria Dei Sistemi, founded in 1980, is a world leader as a high technology solution provider in selected niche defense and civil market sectors ? Private and Independent ? IDS?s Quality System is certified ISO 9001 Ed. 2000 ? IDS has the highest Military Clearance ? Continuously measure (24x7) mine wall movements with sub-millimetric accuracy at long distance (up to 4 Km) ? Provide reliable early warning for progressive slope movements potentially leading to mining wall failures ?Map the long term evolution of slow moving slopes to get a better knowledge of the rock mass strength

Aug 1, 2013

These proceedings consist of an overview of the underground metal and nonmetal mina fire protection research currently being conducted by the Bureau of Mines. The following papers address the areas of prompt, reliable fire detection, fire planning and warning, fire suppression, and personnel protection. Selected topics are included here that cover fire protection systems for shafts, underground fueling areas, and mobile underground mining equipment; spontaneous combustion, improved stench, and product-of-combustion fire warning systems; computer-aided ventilation modeling; fire doors; and an investigation of fire hazards in mine timbers. The projects described provide a current documentation of problems being addressed.

Jan 1, 1981