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By Robert W. Baker

"Brunswick Mining and Smelting commenced production at the No. 12orebody, a lead/zinc/copper/silver deposit, situated some seventeen miles southwest of Bathurst, New Brunswick, in 1964 at 4100 tonnes per day. Today it operates at 10500 tonnes per day.Brunswick has utilized underground incentives since commencement of operations. Early incentive systems were “off the wall"" based on those in effect at other properties then manipulated to fit, often hack calculated from actual performances to tm1ve at the desired result. If subsequent payouts were considered too high the rates were simply reduced, often retroactively. A large amount of this was' subjective and depended to a large extent on whoever was handling the bonus, in conjunction with senior mine department staff.In 1971, it was' decided that a more scientific approach was needed, particularly with the introduction of the new cut-and-fill mining. After some research, a system based on Work Study was selected. Another major mining company employing such a system loaned one of their experienced employees to train some Brunswick personnel in the art of Work Study and conversion of data to incentive rates, and in 1972, the first such developed incentive rate was-introduced.Along the way, borrowing from others where necessary, a set of Brunswick principles and parameters were developed. While refined to some extent, these remain basically the same today.Improvements in methods and equipment have resulted in improved performance and reduced costs. The use of underground incentives has played an important role in this. A/though individual bonus earnings have steadily increased, bonus cost per tonne has remained nearly constant - in real dollars, it has regularly decreased. These are two of the main parameters of a successful system."

Jan 1, 1995

By H. Nakano

The codeposition behavior of impurities such as Ag, Bi, Fe, Ni, Pb and Sb with Cu was investigated galvanostatically at 5-3000 A/m2 using a Pt cathode at 60 °C in acidic copper (I) chloride (cuprous chloride) solution at pH1-2 containing 1.0 mol/L of Cu+ and 4.9 mol/L of Cl-. The impurities were classified into two groups: Group I (Ag, Bi) which codeposits with Cu as a metal, and Group II (Fe, Ni, Pb, Sb) which is slightly involved in the deposited Cu in nonmetal form from the electrolyte. Silver and Bi in Group I behaved as more noble metals than Cu, and significantly codeposited with Cu, showing typical features of regular-type codeposition. When Cu was deposited dendritically, the Ag and Bi content in the deposit increased with increased duration of electrolysis as a result of decreased net current density caused by increased cathode area. The current efficiency for Cu deposition in impurity-free solution was 95-100% over 100-1000 A/m2, but it abruptly decreased at above 1000 A/m2 when the limiting current density of Cu was attained. Although Fe, Ni, Pb and Sb in Group II were involved to 0.01-0.02 mass% in the deposit, they had no influence on the current efficiency or morphology of Cu.

Jan 1, 2007

By Neil Westoll

Extensive Global Network ?Working together, AECOM provides clients with a unique blend of global reach, local knowledge, innovation and technical excellence. ?43,000+ team members worldwide ?450+ offices ?100+ countries ?6 continents The Changing Climate ?Climate change is ?official??IPCC 2007 ?Climate change will create instability, change and opportunities ?Companies that are resilient and adapt will survive and evolve ?CO2/GHG emissions will be curbed by legislation ?How will this affect the mining industry? ?How can the mining industry adapt to the new realities?

May 1, 2009

By Ji Wang

Reflective in-seam wave detection has the advantages of a far detection range and wide applicability. It has been successfully used in detection of many abnormal geological structures in work-faces, such as faults and collapse columns. However, a reflective in-seam wave is a dispersion wave. It has weak energy and is always covered by the direct in-seam wave. In the past, underground seismic explorations were not able to image the opposite roadway using reflective in-seam waves. To solve this problem, we propose a new method of reflective in-seam wave imaging based on adaptive dispersion filtering. This method processes the reflective in-seam wave using a filter with the parameter of transmission distance. The degree of similarity of the filtered and the explosion signal is used to estimate the transmission distance and image the reflective objects. We test and verify this method using real underground seismic data. This research is helpful for the detection of coal mine goafs and abandoned roadways in work-faces or in front of tunneling ends.

Aug 1, 2013

By L. S. Trenholme

"Belleterre Quebec Mines, Limited, is a subsidiary of Mcintyre Porcupine Mines, Limited. The property is in Guillet township, Quebec, 45 miles due east of Haileybury, Ontario. It is accessible by 72 miles of gravelled road from New Liskeard, Ontario (Fig. 1).Gold production at the property commenced in 1936 and to March 31st, 1945, had exceeded $9,000,000. For the past 3 years the milling rate has averaged 325 tons a day and the gold recovery about $14 a ton.GENERAL GEOLOGYThe rocks of the district consist of Keewatin-like volcanics conformably overlain by Timiskaming-like sediments. Together they form the remnant of an easterly plunging anticline engulfed by granite (Fig. 2). The pregranite intrusives consist of diorite, gabbro, and ultrabasic rocks, occurring as dykes, sills, and irregular stocks. Dykes of porphyry and lamprophyre presumably related to the batholithic intrusive are common in this area. The veins of quartz are also probably derived from the batholithic intrusives. A few dykes of Keweenawan-type diabase have been observed."

Jan 1, 1954

By N. W. Martison, J. E. Hawley

"The Moulton Hill deposit is in the Eastern Townships of Quebec, 3 miles northeast of Sherbrooke. It is complex, both structurally and mineralogically, consisting of a narrow, irregular, mineralized zone that has been traced for a length of 600 feet, and in places to a depth of 1,000 feet, containing copper, lead, and zinc sulphides with a low content of gold and silver. It lies in a series of highly schistose micaceous rocks, believed to be of Ordovician age, but the mineralization is probably post-Lower Devonian. New details of the structure of the ore have become available since it was first described (1) , and as these show some striking peculiarities a further discussion is here merited .As detailed elsewhere, the deposit was discovered in 1942 as a result of regional geological studies followed by the application of electrical geophysical methods.Actual production began in July, 1944, and ceased in June, 1945. During the period July, 1944 to June, 1945, 75,643 tons were milled§, yielding the following:"

Jan 1, 1954

By Art Hamilton

The Zn-Pb-Cu-Ag ore deposits of the Boundary and N-5 zones near Bathurst, New Brunswick, occur in a polydeforrned volcano-sedimentary sequence that is part of the Ordovician Tetagouche Group. Massive and disseminated sulfides are hosted by an argillaceous to cherty sedimentary sequence that is stratigraphically Wlderlain by a siliceous fragmental unit and is overlain by a feldspar-rich crystal tuff and related tuffaceous rocks. The deposits have a low iron sulfide content relative to that of most stratabound sulfide deposits of the Bathurst-Newcastle mining district. The ore is commonly associated with chlorite- and talc-rich sediments. The N-5 deposit is considered to be the fault-displaced extension of the Boundary deposit. The Boundary deposit is estimated to contain 891 000 t grading 3.31% Pb, 7.96% Zn, 0.32% Cu and 44 g/t Ag; the estimate for the N-5 zone is 330 000 t grading 3.24% Pb, 7.15% Zn, 0.33% Cu, and 37 g/t Ag. The ore is processed at 1000 tpd at the Heath Steele mill.

Jan 1, 1992

By Rodney S. Read

This paper outlines a reasoned argument why no large-scale fracturing or faulting will be induced in the host rock by a deep geological repository (DGR) for nuclear fuel waste. Four DGR designs in three possible host rocks, including crystalline and sedimentary rock types, are considered. The reasoned argument draws from results of previously conducted thermal- mechanical analyses and new scoping calculations, along with evidence from experiments conducted in Canada and elsewhere. It is concluded that large-scale fracturing in the far-field is implausible given the expected in situ stress conditions in relation to rock strength. Near-field damage development and fracturing are expected in DGR scenarios in the different rock types, but these near-field effects are not expected to lead to large-scale fracturing that could compromise the integrity of the DGR and surrounding rock mass. Additional analysis and characterization activities are recommended to further validate the reasoned argument. Thermo-poroelastic loading of the rock mass is identified as one possible driving mechanism that should be studied further.

May 1, 2009

By John Emery, George Wang

Research and applied utilization activities for the increased use of ferrous and nonferrous slags in construction are presented. The overall use of blast furnace slag is relatively well known for a range of construction applications from aggregates to slag cements. In contrast to blast furnace slag, which is volumetrically stable and straightforward in its construction uses, steel slag contains hydratable oxides that can result in volumetric instability that must be dealt with through appropriate steel slag aging, testing and quality control to ensure its appropriate use. Particular care must be taken to prevent potential steel slag expansive behaviour in confined applications. Quality requirements and guidelines on steel slag expansivity to further the use of steel slags, with demonstrated acceptable performance, are outlined. There is a full range of proven construction uses - from aggregate to cementitious materials - for copper, nickel and phosphorus nonferrous slag. The use of air-cooled nickel slag is presented, based mainly on practical highway construction experience. It has been shown that air-cooled, crushed nickel slag can be an excellent aggregate in granular base, engineered fill and hot-mix asphalt. There is a good potential for increased ground, granulated copper and nickel slags use as supplementary cementitious materials that is being developed, which takes advantage of the 'latent energy' content. The scope of a new technical text in preparation on the technology of slag utilization is reflected throughout to provide a practical context for the engineer.

Jan 1, 2004

By B. Loveday, G. W. Delaney, S. Cummins

"Applying DEM to prediction of tumbling mill performance is challenging because several different modes of breakage are active in the process. As our knowledge of breakage and computational capacity improve, it is worth revisiting previous simulation tasks which did not produce a satisfactorily realistic description of a measured process. At SAG 2006, we reported the simulated and measured outcomes of treating a well characterised ore in a 1.2 m diameter mill. This well instrumented, pilot scale mill at the University of KwaZulu-Natal has been combined with some new approaches to ore testing to allow different modes of breakage to be tested. The mill design allows the rate of generation of fine material to be measured in close to real time for autogenous and SAG mill charges. The updated simulation model estimates mass loss with particle evolution and embeds the cumulative damage and breakage.The simulated results are compared with the measured results. Issues such as relating modelling inputs to particle breakage characterisation data and the accuracy of the predictions of the models are discussed."

Jan 1, 2012

By Sammy Bansah, Komla Dzigbodi-Adjimah

Abstract-Ghana, a major West African gold-producing country, took a crucial step in 1986 to allow private participation in mining ventures that had hitherto been state controlled and starved of funds. This decision has led to a three-fold rise in gold production with substantial local and foreign capital once again flowing into exploration and mining projects. Though the rise in gold export is due primarily to increased production from large mines such as Ashanti Goldfields Corporation, Billiton Bogosu Gold, Tebrebie Goldfields and Ghana Australia Gold that work primary lode gold deposits on quartz veins and Banket conglomerates, a fair amount of gold comes from placer gold mining from which two new mines have been developed at Kwabeng and Bonte during the current gold boom. Also, placer gold mining is important locally because the lower capital outlay required for its development enables many entrepreneurs to operate small concessions and provide employment for a large pool of unskilled labor. Placer gold exploration and development in Ghana is labor-intensive. Pitting is the most used method although few employ the mechanized ("Banka") drilling. The advantages and disadvantages of the two approaches in the local setting are discussed. The gravel is normally sluiced and the gold recovered by amalgamation. The drawbacks to successful placer gold exploration in Ghana have been attributed to lapses in execution of exploration programs (Dzigbodi- Adjimah and Arhin, 1993; Dzigbodi-Adjimah and Gawu, 1994). However, the failure to recognize and set time frameworks and financial limitations for the various stages of placer gold exploration have spelt the doom of some projects. It is critical that the characteristics of the placer gold deposit be determined by efficient and cost effective means. A planned exploration supported by adequate flow of funds saves costs and leads to success. This article discusses the current Ghanaian situation and presents proposals from case studies for planning and budgeting placer gold exploration programs for use in similar settings.

Jan 1, 1995

By Sammy Bansah, Komla Dzigbodi-Adjimah

Ghana, a major West African gold-producing country, took a crucial step in 1986 to allow private participation in mining ventures that had hitherto been state controlled and starved of funds. This decision has led to a three-fold rise in gold production with substantial local and foreign capital once again flowing into exploration and mining projects. Though the rise in gold export is due primarily to increased production from large mines such as Ashanti Goldfields Corporation, Billiton Bogosu Gold, Tebrebie Goldfields and Ghana Australia Gold that work primary lode gold deposits on quartz veins and Banket conglomerates, a fair amount of gold comes from placer gold mining from which two new mines have been developed at Kwabeng and Bonte during the current gold boom. Also, placer gold mining is important locally because the lower capital outlay required for its development enables many entrepreneurs to operate small concessions and provide employment for a large pool of unskilled labor. Placer gold exploration and development in Ghana is labor-intensive. Pitting is the most used method although few employ the mechanized (“Banka”) drilling. The advantages and disadvantages of the two approaches in the local setting are discussed. The gravel is normally sluiced and the gold recovered by amalgamation. The drawbacks to successful placer gold exploration in Ghana have been attributed to lapses in execution of exploration programs (Dzigbodi-Adjimah and Arhin, 1993; Dzigbodi-Adjimah and Gawu, 1994). However, the failure to recognize and set time frameworks and financial limitations for the various stages of placer gold exploration have spelt the doom of some projects. It is critical that the characteristics of the placer gold deposit be determined by efficient and cost effective means. A planned exploration supported by adequate flow of funds saves costs and leads to success. This article discusses the current Ghanaian situation and presents proposals from case studies for planning and budgeting placer gold exploration pro-grams for use in similar settings.

Jan 1, 1995

By R. C. Beard

"The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources has recently initiated several incentive programs to encourage and facilitate the development of new mines in northwestern Ontario. Some are privatized out to consultants and contractors. The status of three of these programs will be reviewed in this paper.IntroductionOne of the main objectives of the Mineral Resources Group of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources is to encourage and assist mineral exploration and the development of new mines in the Province. Programs to accomplish this objective are largely carried out through two Branches in the main office (in Toronto), the Mineral Resources Branch and the Ontario Geological Survey, and also a number of regional field offices scattered across Ontario.The function of the Mineral Resources Branch is to identify and administer effective policies that will ensure maximum benefits to the Province from mineral resource extraction.One of the most important factors in ensuring effective exploration in the Province is the availability of a good geosciences data base from which to work. It is the responsibility of the Ontario Geological Survey to develop and continually update this data base, providing, to both the public and private sector, an inventory and analysis of the geology and mineral deposits of the Province.The main functions of the regional field offices are to provide technical data and advice to exploration companies and prospectors, to encourage and assist exploration, and to provide information and general assistance to producing and developing properties to facilitate resource development and extraction. This is accomplished through the offices of the mineral resource coordinators and resident geologists. In northwestern Ontario, these field offices are located at Thunder Bay, Kenora, Red Lake and Sioux Lookout.To accomplish their objectives, the Ontario Geological Survey and the regional field offices carry out regular, ongoing geoscience and other mineral resource programs, under their base funding."

Jan 1, 1982

By H. M. Roscoe

Fifty per cent. increased lump coal production and at the same time a reduction of from 20 to 40 per cent. in explosive consumption. These results were achieved by the use of the rock-dust cartridge method of stemming shots in the Ruhr coal mines, as announced by Dr. Alfred Stettbacher in the September 1923 number of the Explosive Engineer. Immediately, the explosive and the coal-mining industries on this continent became intensely interested. Considerable experimental work has been carried on in a number of American and Canadian mines during the past year, by which our engineers have become assured that the use of rock-dust cart-ridges for stemming shots increases the efficiency of explosives and promotes safety in coal mines.

Jan 1, 1924

By Lee W. T. Weitzel

This paper reviews the Falconbridge- SMRQ?s Raglan project in northern Quebec and the process that was used in developing its current long-term mine plan. Challenges were many and not only limited to the longevity of the project, numerous ore deposits (both underground and open pit), and a 40km property strike length. As a result of its remote northern location other factors such as progressive reclamation, leachable mine waste, water treatment, and waste management were also part of the plan. A combination of modern planning tools were used to formulate the plan including DataMine, Mine 2-4D, AutoMod Simulation, and an Excel based financial spreadsheet to bring the total plan together. The focus of this paper is to show the complexity of modern mine planning and associated economic modeling of mine processes.

May 1, 2002

By Gary Walters, Thomas Gonzales, David George, William Davenport, Andreas Siegmund, Suping Yao, Shijie Wang

The previous survey of world copper smelters was in 2016 (Copper, 2016). The copper smelting industry has grown and improved considerably since then, including continuing growth in China and modernization in Japan (Extraction, 2018). Outotec flash smelting and Outotec flash smelting/Kennecott - Outotec flash converting continue to be adopted while newer processes continue to be adopted in China. In addition, some of the world's original flash furnaces have been completely rebuilt (Extraction, 2018). This paper provides recent industrial production data and discusses these new developments. INTRODUCTION A world copper survey was redone in 2016 after a thirteen year lag since 2003. Some of the notable changes were the significant increases in production particularly from China. Since then, several smelters have gone through modernization processes and decommissioning of older technologies. This paper will review the notable changes since the last publication at Cu2016. In the last paper, Copper Smelting: 2016 World Copper Smelter Data, the author gave an audible sigh after observing that copper smelter sites as well as new and notable smelters have been spreading like wildfire in China since 2003. Indeed, seeing is believing. Figure 1 shows the Ningde Copper Smelter (double flashing, 400,000 MT Cu/Year capacity) that started up producing copper in 2018; Figure 2 shows the Nanguo Copper Smelter that is under construction with 300,000 MT Cu/Year capacity (first phase, side blown smelting and continuous top blown converting). We should not only admire the Chinese copper industry’s significant technological developments, but also the copper price support that it has provided throughout this century.

Jan 1, 2019

By Vincent H. Hartung

The process of estimating tailings deposition for a given basin is a relatively tedious process without dedicated software tools. The amount of time required to generate a tailings surface for a given set of conditions tends to limit the number of design alternatives that can be considered for a particular project. Recent innovations in the Surpac Vision mining software include the widely used scripting language TCL (Tool Command Language) that brings with it the ability for non-programmers to extend the software functionality beyond mining applications alone. A software tool was developed using the Surpac Vision scripting language to take advantage of 3D visualization and create a flexible tailings modeling solution. The result is an application that removes much of the drafting overhead required to produce a tailings surface. It provides the means for reviewing alternatives and performing sensitivity analysis with variables such as pond elevation, dam or spigot location and height without a significant increase in overall time for a project.

May 1, 2001

By A. Jafarnia

Aluminum alloys are frequently grain refined during solidification in order to promote the formation of an equiaxed grain structure in the casting. The application of Ti-based grain refiners and/or Ti containing master alloys for improving mechanical properties may result in formation of Al-Ti based intermetallics. Although the grain refinement produces many desirable qualities in aluminum castings such as improved castability and mechanical properties, the addition of Ti to Al-Si foundry alloys may lead to the formation of some undesirable intermetallic particles such as AlTiSi and cause a number of operational problems such as nozzle blockage due to segregation and agglomeration of aluminide particles within the nozzle. There are several questions to be clarified when minor amount of Ti is added to Al-Si alloys. They include nucleation and growth of AlTiSi particles, their morphologies and orientation relationships with aluminum matrix and the dissolution of these intermetallics during the course of solidification and/or post solidification treatments. The current study was initiated to study the process and possible mechanism of aluminide dissolution and the related phenomena such as segregation and agglomeration. It reports the results found during reheating of laboratory prepared Ti-added A356 alloy at three temperature ranges of below solidus, mushy zone and above liquidus.

Jan 1, 2004

By I. Bakry

Uncertainty is an inherent characteristic of construction projects. Neglecting uncertainties associated with different input parameters in the planning stage could well lead to misleading and/or unachievable project schedules. The objective of this paper is to present a new approach towards scheduling repetitive construction projects while accounting for uncertainty. The paper presents an algorithm that quantifies anticipated delays resulting from different sources of uncertainty in the form of fuzzy time buffers. Through inserting the time buffers in strategic places in a time schedule, the algorithm provides protection against those main anticipated delays. The presented algorithm comprises two integrated components, a scheduling component responsible for producing a basic Linear Scheduling Method (LSM) schedule with deterministic activity durations, and a buffer component that handles fuzzy buffers sizing and insertion. The presented algorithm offers four different buffer insertion techniques covering different cases of interrelations between successive activities. The algorithm is implemented in a spreadsheet application, which automates calculations, yet allows users to fine tune the algorithm to fit the project at hand. With a focuses on highway construction projects as an example of repetitive construction projects, this paper accounts for sources of uncertainty such as weather, site conditions, change orders and equipment related delays. A hypothetical case is studied and explained to further demonstrate how the proposed algorithm works.

Aug 1, 2013

By R. B. Humphrey

Cut-and-fill mining methods at the Thompson Mine have undergone significant changes since production began in 1961. Changes have been introduced in almost all aspects of the mining operation, from the original timbered chutes and air-operated slushers to the present-day bored raises, footwall ore passes and load-haul-dump units. This paper describes the evolution of mechanized cut-and fill mining methods, highlighting the changes in design for stopes and service openings, ground support methods; hydraulic filling and ventilation systems. A mechanized stoping area is described from the initial mining concept through design, development, construction and mining cycles.

Jan 1, 1979