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By D C. Ford

The Argyle AK1 orebody was discovered in 1979 and subsequently found to be a large, economically viable reserve with high grade diamondiferous ore. Production began via an open pit operation at the end of 1985 and has continued for some 25 years to present day. This, however, will come to an end in the next few years with production moving to an underground operation via block-cave mining methods.A series of studies from 2001 - 2005 was carried out; diamond drilling commenced after approval in 2006, from an exploration drive to determine the likelihood of the current proposed block cave operation.In 2006, development of the block cave project began, in order to realise the part of the orebody below the extent of the open pit mining operation.Development of the block cave technique, comprising an undercut level beneath the target zone of the orebody with subsequent extraction level 15 - 20 m beneath, relies largely on a number of block-caving parameters (hydraulic radius, rock type, structure and orientation of stress and grade of the orebody). These all have an influence on cave ability and eventual profit of the operation. Evaluation of further potential for taking this orebody beyond the block cave phase with options such as sublevel-caving are being considered for the UG-2 portion of the resource/reserve. Diamond drilling for this work is currently under revise.The challenges faced in transitioning form the surface operations to the underground, comprising a changing workforce, converging development drives, underground aquifers, major excavations and transportation of ore via automation are intriguing.

Aug 22, 2011

By R M. Krek

The haulage system used to convey ore from an underground mine to a surface stockpile at the mine process plant is a vital component of the mine’s overall infrastructure and economic viability. The system selected has a significant impact on the set-up of the mine and the access to the underground mine. In turn, the set-up of the mine and the access to the underground mine have a significant impact on the system.A number of haulage technologies are available to transfer the ore from the underground workings to the surface stockpile, including hoists, conveyors, rail and trucks.This paper focuses on the shaft hoisting and inclined conveyor haulage technologies. These technologies have been used consistently to deliver ore from at depth and/or at high tonnage. Previous reviews of the appropriate vertical haulage systems have nominally been restricted to the respective systems only, with no consideration for any other scope or issues that may affect the selection. The selection of the appropriate vertical haulage system, whether shaft hoisting or inclined conveying, needs to consider numerous key factors.CITATION:Krek, R M and Northcote, A E A, 2014. A holistic viewpoint for selecting the vertical haulage system – shafts and conveyors, in Proceedings 12th AusIMM Underground Operators’ Conference 2014 , pp 289–296 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Mar 24, 2014

By S Rogers, D Stead, E Eberhardt

The last decade has seen a major increase in use of the discrete fracture network (DFN) approach applied to cave mining problems, often integrated within more complex geomechanical simulations. Because the value of the DFN model directly depends on the quality and quantity of available field data, there is the need to apply dedicated mapping procedures to collect sufficient structural data at the required engineering scale. This paper attempts to address several key questions about DFN modelling; for example: are current methods for fracture mapping suitable for DFN modelling? What are the critical parameters that we need to measure and what do we need to change in the current practice? Particularly at the earlier stages of a cave project, engineers may have to account for the lack of appropriate data, which manifests itself in the form of increased uncertainty and the difficulty to characterise variability in an objective manner using a limited set of data. DFN models could in principle be generated using limited data by assuming statistical distributions for the sampled parameters; however, engineers would need to be aware of the implications that such limited knowledge (and increased uncertainty) would have on stability analysis, fragmentation analysis and mine design. When used correctly, a DFN approach offers practitioners the opportunity to:maximise the use of fracture data collected from mapping of rock exposuresgenerate more realistic synthetic rock mass modelsprovide estimates of natural fragmentation that also account for rock mass variability.CITATION:Elmo, D, Eberhardt, E, Stead, D and Rogers, S, 2016. Discrete fracture network modelling – importance of accounting for data uncertainty and variability, in Proceedings Seventh International Conference and Exhibition on Mass Mining (MassMin 2016), pp 845–852 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

May 9, 2016

By A Fern, A Hawkes, o, T Vincent

The modern workplace has changed dramatically in recent years with an increased emphasis on the psychological well-being of employees. While adhering to a certain standard of psychosocial safety at work is now not only a moral, but legal obligation in Australia, it begs the question: how can organisations begin to ensure psychosocial safety? A positive psychosocial safety climate is one where employees feel they are psychologically safe, feel supported in their work and are not exposed to work-related stressors that can negatively affect their mental health. Such a climate can help boost productivity and create a more positive working environment. This presentation will provide a twopronged approach to understanding and managing psychosocial safety: pairing a traditional risk assessment with climate measurement. Risk assessments can provide several benefits, including identifying and characterising work-related hazards, identifying the nature and severity of the risks to employees and prioritising necessary interventions for reducing or preventing psychosocial harm in the workplace. However, these assessments can have certain limitations, especially when it comes to capturing some of the less obvious causes of psychosocial harm. Climate measurement can provide valuable insights into employees’ perceptions of the work environment, identify areas of concern that may not have been identified in the risk assessment and help to guide organisational changes that will enhance employees’ psychosocial well-being over time. It will also be argued that climate should be assessed from a broad perspective exploring general, physical, social and psychological aspects of safety climate. This presentation will explore why conducting risk assessments in conjunction with detailed climate measurements is integral to protecting the psychosocial safety of employees in the workplace and demonstrate why employers should view the two approaches as complementary and interconnected. Best practice recommendations will be provided for the risk assessment, climate measurement and psychosocial interventions

Apr 16, 2024

This paper examines the complex interplay of deposit characteristics, mining plans, tailings disposal techniques and rehabilitation requirements on planning for mineral sands operations. All component parts of this mining cycle are interdependent and cannot be evaluated in isolation when optimising a mineral sands operation. This is most evident when projects are large-scale or involve resources that contain complexities such as high slimes content, consolidated hard band materials, acid forming materials and radioactive materials. Projects located in environmentally sensitive areas add further to the need for more stringent planning. This paper describes the analysis techniques adopted by Hatch to evaluate mining and tailings placement options for a dredging and floating concentrator system. The principles and methods used in the analysis are applicable to any mining system involving the complexities listed above. The focus of this paper is on the reconstitution of mined material as tailings and the impact of this process on mining schedules and tailings construction and placement options.

Jan 1, 2001

By Rashkovski GB

Until recently amalgamation has been the main process forextracting large gold particles from gravity concentrates obtainedduring the dressing of ores and placer gold deposits.Development of new technology for treating the gravityconcentrates was necessary because of the harmful effect ofmercury on subsequent production processes and theenvironment. The harmful effect of mercury is particularlyevident in the resin-in-pulp process that is widely applied inRussia.

Jan 1, 1993

By R Russell

The relative infrequency of fatalities and other serious events can give them an appearance of being random, of being beyond any reasonable degree of anticipation and prevention. In fact, the vast majority of these events result from exposures that are identifiable, measurable, and manageable. The lessons of prominent incidents, such as the Space Shuttle Columbia, OxyÆs Piper Alpha, Esso Longford, BP Texas City, Massey Mine, as well as lessons from single fatality events, is that alongside the proximate causes of each incident, there also coexisted an underlying fabric of systems, mechanisms, and culture that allowed risk in the workplace to persist and often to become normalised. All of these ingredients of the organisationÆs safety fabric lend themselves to the influence and intervention of senior leaders. The difficulty is that traditional injury prevention paradigms are not sufficient for addressing the precursors that lead up to catastrophic and fatal events. A recent study of such events, led by Dr Thomas Krause concluded that the descriptive aspect of HeinrichÆs safety triangle is useful, but that the predictive aspect is not. The study surfaced reasons why a reduction in less serious injuries does not necessarily correspond to a proportionate reduction in catastrophic and fatal risks. This presentation expands on the findings to include the concept of exposure to the event potential linked to precursor events and the framework for leading an organisation to be both cognisant and effective in eliminating such events.CITATION:Russell, R, 2012. Shifting the cultural paradigm for the prevention of catastrophic and fatal events, in Proceedings International Mine Management 2012, pp 91-96 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Nov 20, 2012

The Bellambi Coal Company Limited com menced longwall mining at South Bulli Colliery in 1965. At present it operates three long- wall units in two seams. Although results to date have been less successful than planned, it is apparent that this type of mining has tremendous potential in the particular conditions at South Bulli. Massive sandstone strata above the Bulli seam is the controlling influence on face conditions. The earliest equipment proved to be inadequate and the Company has progress- ively replaced and upgraded the roof supports and ancillary equipment so that the present units are capable of producing high and consistent outputs.

Jan 1, 1976

By R Ahola, M D. Henschel, M A. McParland

With the introduction in recent years of third-generation interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) techniques, monitoring of mine slopes, benches and surrounding areas has benefitted from increased accuracy and coverage. Fundamental research into point and distributed scattering techniques has pushed the use of InSAR to provide higher spatial and height resolution. In this paper we discuss the operationalisation of third-generation InSAR techniques and show its application to active mining operations.This paper will discuss the use of multiple independent measurements of ground movement obtained from operationally-derived InSAR products over a wide variety of deformation areas within an active open pit mining operation (ie pit slopes, dewatering depressions, tailings containment and waste dumps). A technique that shortens the time between observations (increased observation frequency) and provides ongoing estimates of measurement accuracy will be described. The methodology exploits available satellite data by using multiple satellites and multiple beams. The paper will also examine factors in the design of a mine survey with third-generation InSAR and illustrate some of the necessary engineering trade-offs to efficiently monitor a mine from space.Overall, this paper aims to demonstrate the capabilities and advantages of operational third-generation InSAR techniques for ground movement monitoring of mining operations and provide a framework for proper design of a mine InSAR survey.CITATION:Henschel, M D, Sato, S, Ahola, R and McParland, M A, 2014. Designing interferometric synthetic aperture radar surveys for mine monitoring with accuracy assessment, in Proceedings AusRock 2014: Third Australasian Ground Control in Mining Conference , pp 233–238 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Nov 5, 2014

By M Schmid

German hard coal mining operations have decreased for more than 40 years. Current political decisions are leading to a discontinuation of subsidised black coal mining by the year 2018. This decision will, however, be reviewed once again in the year 2012. The enormous increases in productivity, which were achieved in previous years, have so far not led to an achievement of market requirements. Coal mining at depth of more than 1200 m in multiple seam environments is not yet competitive in global comparison. In 2008 the 24 faces left in eight mines produced about 20 million tonnes of usable steam coal. Management and the workforce will be reduced in parallel; from today until 2012 by more than half. The average age of personnel is increasing dramatically and nearly no new personnel are recruited. With this background in mind, increasing continuously coal mining productivity becomes more and more difficult. Above all, this goal was reached by mechanisation, then by increasing the mining machine power and then by enhanced machine control systems. The first attempts to automatically operate full face equipment from above ground were in the early 1980s. After successful automation of the face equipment, the emphasis is now on mine logistics. Autonomous monorail transport was introduced and tested in 2007. Since the development rate of machine improvements has its limits, the focus is on the full interaction of the total production system. Here information technology (IT) becomes important; the driver for more productivity. Actual developments aim for the complete and general homogeneous IT infrastructure both above ground as well as underground. The explosive environment needs high level investments in safe technology, eg access points for WLAN and fibre optics for underground use (ATEX certification). New technology availability also drives the enhancements of management and process control systems. Innovations in the mining industry often comprise technology advances through the adoption of well-known technologies. With virtual reality (VR) teaching and training systems advanced computational instruments, both in software and hardware development, were applied in the German coal mining industry for ten years. Widening lists of applications as well as the encouraging achievements show the economical benefits of investing in virtual reality technology both for teaching and training and for knowledge management. The paper discusses the actual technical achievements as well as in IT infrastructure utilisation and also in employment of virtual reality based systems. Special focus and deeper insight will be given to the fibre optics and WLAN hardware integration as well as software developments. The pocket personal computer (PC) is used to enhance underground material transport and data acquisition. The knowledge-based maintenance system (KBMS) integrates real-time virtual reality knowledge elements, such as repair process descriptions. It gives access to expert documentation by intelligent search algorithms and 3D representations of major mining machinery.

Jan 1, 2008

By Saghafi A, Kelly M, Williams R. J

A two year program of research into the feasibility of long-hole drilling for improved gas emission control has been undertaken at Appin Colliery. State of the art equipment was employed involving cableless electronic surveying and down-hole motor drilling. The project involved the drilling of 1000 m long, in-seam boreholes in the Bulli seam and boreholes of similar length drilled cross measure and then in-seam along the underlying Balgownie seam. A new concept for gas drainage was defined, employing long-holes for both predrainage and post drainage.

Jan 1, 1988

By A Lu, C Wang

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

Jan 1, 2008

Computational models are very useful for studying many of the physical mechanisms which can cause sample bias. Within such models we can predict the trajectories of all individual particles and thereby make observations which are not possible for physical systems. Physical mechanisms highlighted include congestion at the cutter aperture, particles bouncing over the cutter aperture, air drag on fine particles, waves of material being bulldozed off the belt by the upstream side of the body of square cutters, and particles being thrown by the leading edges of cross-belt cutter blades. Having identified relevant physical mechanisms for an existing cutter, we can estimate the extent to which they are likely to result in unequal representation of portions of a stream of material and thereby estimate the maximum likely sample bias.

Mar 1, 2010

Trucks are the primary means of bulk material transport in Open Pit hard rock mines worldwide. They are considered to be the most- flexible system available. The large number of trucks used in some mines provides flexibility. Spare units allow for the reduced availability of the single units. Trucks have however very poor energy efficiency. Only 40% of the consumed energy is for transport of the payload, the remaining energy is required to move the dead load of the trucks. With the increase in cost, pressure, mine operators are now looking for alternative methods to make their operation more economical. Energy conservation and increasing haulage distances and uphill haulage are major factors in many well established operations. New methods have already proven themselves as more economical alternatives. Belt conveyors are an alternative means of transport with much higher energy efficiency. They use up to 80% of the consumed energy for transportation of the payload. Energy costs for conveyors are 30% of the energy costs for trucks on level transport and as little as 15% for elevating payloads. Belt conveyors require much fear spare parts and wear components than trucks. A factor of one to two times applies for level transport and ten to twenty times for uphill transport.

Jan 1, 1986

By D Akis, A Clark

The Lihir gold operation, located in the New Ireland Province of Papua New Guinea (PNG), approximately 900 km north of Port Moresby, was commissioned in 1997 under the management of the Lihir Management Company, a subsidiary of Rio Tinto. This management period ended in 2005 with Lihir Gold Limited (LGL) becoming self-managed. LGL is now the largest listed company in PNG and a top tier mining company in Australia. The focus of the operation since 2005 has been to take advantage of strong market conditions to increase cash flow while driving operating costs into the lowest quartile of gold producers. During this period production has increased through capital expansions, most notably with the addition of a flotation circuit, and through culture change and efficiency improvements. The next step forward for the Lihir operation is a major plant upgrade to increase production to an average of around one million ounces per annum by matching the ore processing rate to the ore mining rate. The key benefits of this project will be the addition of approximately 240 000 ounces per annum of gold production, the access to an additional one million ounces of gold and the ability to meet all stockpiling requirements. The Lihir operation has come out of the boom period in a strong position, is undertaking a major upgrade at a time when prices are low and labour is available, and will be positioned to take advantage of future opportunities as they arise.

Jan 1, 2009

Excessive use of computers in teaching, especially in self-learning programs, may destroy creativity and initiative. It is essential that engineers remain innovative to develop new technology. Safety legislation may have hindered the Development of mine managers. It may be necessary to develop two distinct streams of mining engineers. One should be biased towards human relations and safety, to 'be a certificated mine manager, and the other should be mathematically based as a high-technology mining engineer who would not necessarily qualify for a certificate of competency without a postgraduate course.

Jan 1, 1986

By Kubo H, Kubita K, Morinara M

A quantitative method for predicting the mechanical properties of zinc alloys is proposed on the basis of the molecular orbital calculation of electronic structures. A new parameter which is the s-orbital energy level, Mk , of alloying elements in zinc was introduced into this method. This Mk parameter correlates with the electronegativity and the atomic radius of elements. The compositional average of this parameter varied linearly with the tensile strength and the hardness of commercial alloys and some alloys developed by Mitsui. This electronic method was very convenient in designing high performance zinc alloys efficiently.

Jan 1, 1993

The Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences (GNS) is commencing a project to develop a National Minerals Information System (NMIS) for New Zealand . Initially, the NMIS project will focus on providing public access via a web site to existing minerals related databases maintained by GNS and some other organisations. Core components are geological maps, GERM (Geological Resource Map), REGCHEM (Regional Exploration Geochemistry), PETLAB (rock catalogue), GEOCHRON (radiometric ages), mineral deposit models, mineral deposit profiles and 3D mineral deposit GIS databases. In addition to developing the web site, the project will include upgrades of some of the databases and the production of derivative products such as mineral resource and prospectivity assessments, and mineral inventories.

Jan 1, 2004

By L Mackinlay

The Apeketon Business Hub in Lihir, Papua New Guinea, emerged in 2019 through a partnership between Australian Business Volunteers (ABV) and Lihir Gold Limited (LGL), a subsidiary of Newmont Corporation. This development was driven by a shared vision for the Lihir gold mining operation to further enhance opportunities for the local community and strengthen the economy’s resilience post-mine. At its core, the business hub serves as the epicentre of ABV’s operations in the region. It includes a drop-in resource centre which provides the community with mentoring and consulting services, and access to a range of impactful workshops facilitated by ABV’s local staff and skilled volunteers. These workshops focus on local Lihirians but are open to the entire community, including Newmont employees. We design and continually refine Apeketon Business Hub support programs and offerings driven by community priorities, building trust through long-term relationships, and working side-by-side on real-time challenges. We offer three core programs to different levels of the community, from individuals and families to start-ups, large corporations, and landowner groups. There is significant demand for the support services provided by ABV, with over 350 Lihirians participating in our workshops over the 2023 calendar year. One of the hub’s core offerings is the Family Money Management Program, which addresses crucial challenges faced by Lihir households, particularly in terms of financial resilience. The program takes a comprehensive approach, assisting families in long-term planning and developing skills to effectively manage the income they derive from their employment with LGL and other enterprises. Significantly, the program also addresses financial stress, a factor often associated with domestic violence (Fox et al, 2002). By empowering women and promoting joint financial decision-making, the Family Money Management Program fosters a culture of savings and improved financial management, ultimately enhancing economic resilience within the community.

Sep 1, 2024

Water is becoming an increasingly valuable commodity in Australia and the mining community is finding itself competing with pastoralists, domestic consumers and industry for access to what is an essential but finite resource. This paper will provide an overview of various legislative regimes in Australia governing water resources, and will review some of the fundamental issues which should be considered by mining companies when contracting with other parties for the supply of water. The paper will focus on mechanisms to secure access to water for mining purposes, and will deal with the following issues: Grants of water entitlements under legislation û (navigating the legislative requirements necessary to facilitate the taking and use of water for mining activities) The paper will focus on the key legislative requirements for securing access to water in Queensland, Western Australia, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory, and will examine: compliance with regulatory processes for securing water entitlements through the grant of water allocations, licences and permits, etc; and dealings with water entitlements (ie statutory mechanisms for transferring water entitlements on a temporary or permanent basis). Securing access to water under water entitlements through contractual means. The paper will also review of some of the fundamental issues which should be considered by mining companies when contracting with holders of water entitlements for the supply of water from both groundwater and surface water sources. These issues include (inter alia): securing appropriate rights to take and use water in compliance with relevant legislation, the necessity to protect the validity of underlying water entitlements, ensuring the security of supply for the contract term, access rights affecting water entitlements and other important issues relating to the security of water entitlements for miners.

Jan 1, 2003