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By R. Bruce Ferguson

"The Kettle River Operation of Echo Bay Minerals Company is located about thirty kilometers north of the town of Republic in northeastern Washington State. In tum, Republic is about a hundred and seventy kilometers north and a little west of the city of Spokane, Washington. It is also about fifty kilometers south of the town of Grand Forks, BC, Canada. At this time it is the only gold mining and milling operation in the State.Tailings are stored in a double lined, zero discharge facility. It became evident in mid 1996 that the rate of free water accumulation in the tailings pond was going to result in the level in the pond reaching its permitted freeboard elevation long before the solids plus pore water capacity was reached.We then embarked on a mission to manage tailings pond water on several fronts: reduce fresh water usage in the process, divert spring seeps and surface runoff and install a system to enhance evaporation.IntroductionThe Republic area is an historic gold mining district. Hecla operated its Republic unit from 1892 until closure in 1994. The Kettle River Operation processing plant is located in the San Poi! river valley at an elevation of just under a thousand meters. The facility consists of a ninety thousand ton ore storage pad as the mines are remote and truck haulage is subject to interruption due to weather and road restrictions, jaw and cone crushing with screening, rod and ball milling to an eighty percent passing size of seventy five microns. This is followed by preaeration with high purity oxygen supplied by a vacuum pressure swing adsorption plant plus lead nitrate addition to achieve passivation of the sulfide mineralization such as chalcopyrite, pyrite and pyrrhotite. Conventional cyanide leaching and carbon in pulp adsorption completes the loop. Tailings are treated with air/S02 to achieve cyanide destruction. Plant capacity is 1,815 tons per day. Our license requires that there be no detectable free cyanide in the tailings pond water and a maximum of forty parts per million weak acid dissociable cyanide. The operation started in 1989 with production from the Overlook Mine located about five kilometers further up the same valley at an elevation of twelve hundred meters, hence the location of the mill. Current mine production comes from Lamefoot in the Curlew Lake valley, about ten kilometers distant, and K2 in the Kettle River valley about fifty kilometers away. Both are at an elevation of about 800 meters. Lamefoot produces 1,360 tons per day and K2, 455. Both are underground operations."

Jan 1, 1998

By J. Jackman

North America has been aggressively pursuing approaches to improve the fuel efficiency of vehicles, and to develop alternatives to petroleum-based fuels used in automotive applications, for over ten years, Increasing energy demand due to emerging economies, coupled with probable peaking of conventional petroleum production in the coming decades are increasing the need to reduce dependence on petroleum-based fuels for transportation, Vehicle lightweighting is seen as an important strategy to improve fuel efficiency of conventional as well as highly innovative vehicles, Magnesium has recently emerged as a serious candidate for lightweighting, as a result of lower global prices, Automotive vehicles produced in North America currently use more Mg than vehicles produced elsewhere in the world, but the amounts per vehicle are very small in comparison to other materials such as steel, aluminum and plastics, The reasons, besides price, are primarily a less-developed state of technology for Mg in automotive transportation applications and lack of familiarity by the vehicle manufacturers with the material, This paper reviews the major government-funded research programs in the USA and Canada that are dedicated to advancing the state of Mg technology for automotive applications, It provides examples of research in the areas of high-pressure and other types of castings, corrosion solutions, sheet development and other wrought applications.

Jan 1, 2006

By W. Dan Hausel

"Abstract-Hundreds of diamonds have been found in the United States. The majority of the discoveries occurred during the 19th century as a by-product of placer gold mining. Most of these early diamond finds have no known source, and in many cases are situated in areas unfavorable for diamond exploration based on current models that require kimberlite or lamproite to be emplaced in a stable Archean craton or Proterozoic craton margin.Diamonds have also been recovered in situ from lamproite at Murfreesburo, Arkansas, from kimberlite in the Lake Ellen region of Michigan, and in several kimberlites in the Colorado-Wyoming State Line district. Unverified reports also suggest that diamonds may have been recovered from other related intrusions at a number of localities in the United States."

Jan 1, 1995

By M. P. Amsden

"Ecstall Mining Limited, a subsidiary of Texasgulf, Inc., Operates the Kidd Creek Mine, Concentrator and Zinc Plant at Timmins, Ontario. Two different ore types are mined and milled to produce concentrates of copper, zinc, lead and tin. The ores are processed at the Concentrator in three separate individual milling circuits, each with the capacity to treat up to 3500 tons per day. Two circuits treat copper-zinc ore 1t an average combined rate of 6500 tons per day and the third circuit treats 3500 tons per day of silver-lead zinc ore. Conventional crushing, grinding and flotation procedures are followed. The purpose of this paper is to describe Ecstall's experience with rubber mill linings in the grinding circuits.CrushingBoth ores are crushed to minus 6 inches at the Mine and delivered by rail to the Concentrator where they are reduced by secondary and tertiary crushing to minus 5/8 inch.GrindingThe crushed ores are prepared for selective flotation by grinding with rod mills and two stages of ball milling. flotation circuit middling products are reground in regrind mills prior to further treatment. A typical flowsheet of one of the grinding circuits is shown in Figure 1.All the grinding units are Allis-Chalmers Mills. The rod mills are 10 1/2 feet diameter by 16 feet long. Both the primary and secondary ball mills are 12 feet diameter by 18 feet long and all regrind mills are 6 feet diameter by 12 feet long. The primary mills are charged with 1 13/16 inch forged balls. Secondary mills are charged with 1 1/2 inch forged balls and the regrind mills are charged with 1 inch forged balls. All cyclones are Kreb units. The primary cyclones are Dl5B hydrocyclones, the secondary cyclones are D6B hydrocyclones and all regrind cyclones are D6B hydrocyclones."

Jan 1, 1974

By Chigova. Terence

In 2008, Anglo installed the Modular IntelliMine® System at its Kleinkopje Mine (AKK). As part of this deployment, Anglo also used the Change Management Consulting Service offered by Modular to ensure a successful installation. This paper outlines the benefits that AKK has realized through the deployment of the system, including a 15% improvement in tonne/kilometers per hour (TKPH). The mine benefited from the improvements provided by the system almost immediately by utilizing change management to more effectively integrate IntelliMine technology into their processes. This case study includes details about the deployed system, the implementation of change management, and recommendations to ensure success in future projects.

May 1, 2010

By Richard R. Klimpel

"This paper discusses the effect of water chemistry, reagent type, and other environmental factors on the performance of sulfide mineral size reduction and froth flotation processes. Two specific problems will be discussed: l.) the importance of appropriately utilizing the electrochemical window that is created in the grinding process to enhance sulfide mineral recovery by froth flotation; and 2) the impact of steel grinding media versus autogenous grinding on the efficiency of sulfide mineral flotation with varying thiol collectors and water sources.IntroductionThe mutual dependency between size reduction and mineral froth flotation is well recognized from the viewpoint of particle size and mineral liberation characteristics. The purpose of this paper is to discuss two less obvious industrial interactions between size reduction and froth flotation that have come up in the various plant optimization studies conducted by this author. These interactions are complex but appear to be important at the industrial level as plant throughput is directly affected, either positively or negatively by such interactions. Examples v.ill be given on how the method of grinding influences flotation and how different water sources influence the flotation behavior of electrochemically sensitive minerals. With each of these interactions, a number of fundamental research studies have shown previously that some effects can be measured under idealized and very small scale experiments. Such research studies will not be cataloged or exhaustingly reviewed in this paper. Whether these same types of effects can be measured in an industrial environment and are economically important is much less certain. This paper will present some rather unique experiences gained from larger scale test experiences which clearly indicate findings that plant operators should be aware of."

Jan 1, 1996

By E. G. C Charlesworth, M. J. Robertson

"Gold mineralization in the Main Reef Complex at Sheba Gold Mine is hosted within shear zones in a sequence of shales and greywackes of the Fig Tree Group. Competency contrasts between these rocks and a steeply dipping chert unit provided a locus for the development of right lateral steeply dipping shear zones. A set of flatter dipping shear fractures crosscut these zones with their intersections defining a system of en échelon ore shoots. Mineralization is both of vein type and disseminated strata-controlled replacement type. The latter occurs mainly within the wall rocks to the shear zones. Arsenopyrite and pyrite are the major sulfides, with arsenopyrite being confirmed largely to greywacke beds and pyrite to the more iron-rich shale units. Gold was introduced, together with minor sphalerite, pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite and early arsenopyrite, toward the end stages of a first pyrite phase. The mineralizing fluids were introduced along dilated cleavage planes and, emanating from these, produced a series of replacement fronts. Mineralization was syntectonic to late tectonic and occurred under conditions of progressive deformation, resulting in sulfides which are concentrated in the hinges of shear-related folds and semimassive sulfides within tension fractures which are folded, attenuated and fractured. An analysis of the structures shows a sequence of events in which an initial ductile simple-shear event with a steep sense of movement was succeeded by a more brittle strike-slip event. Mineralization is temporally related to the latter. This evolution in structural style was probably related to reactivation of the Sheba Fault as a transcurrent fault during emplacement of large granitoid bodies."

Jan 1, 1994

By J. W. Scott, G. G. R. Falkenberg

"The Syncrude project is an integrated complex designed to mine, extract and upgrade bitumen from the Athabasca tar sands to produce 129,000 barrels per day of synthetic crude oil. This paper provides a brief general description of the location, history and geology of the tar sands and the overall organization and structure of the project. The major emphasis and the bulk of the detail presented deals with the extraction plant; a material handling and mineral processing installation designed to treat 312,000 tons per day of tar sand feed.History of the Tar SandsThe Athabasca tar sand deposit was recorded in 1788 by Peter Pond, however the first serious geological mapping and exploration did not begin until 1915. Little interest was taken in the deposits until the Second World War, when the governments of Canada and Alberta conducted an extensive exploration program. In addition a number of pilot plants were sponsored during the 1940 -1950 decade. The hot water separation process was successfully demonstrated on the pilot plant scale during 1948 -49, and was established commercially in 1967 in the G.C.O.S. plant. The Syncrude plant, due to come on stream in April 1978, also employs the hot water separation process."

Jan 1, 1978

By G. Labonté, J. Truskoski, A. Kerr, A. Bouchard, J. Barrett

"Improving mill grade recovery relationships is always good business. Inco’s Clarabelle mill has just undergone a $16 M process upgrade that was designed to improve nickel recovery by 2%. The “Mill Redesign Project” was completed on time, under budget and delivered the promised improvement in recoveries.This paper describes the methodology of the Mill Redesign Project team, details of the process improvements and the critical success factors that helped the team deliver on its promises.With a payback of under one year, the Mill Redesign Project will play a key role in ensuring a competitive edge as Inco embarks on its second century of operation. IntroductionIt is not uncommon in milling operations to encounter a crisis. That is the point when the process does not behave as expected and fails to respond to the increasingly desperate efforts of the metallurgists and operators. Flowsheet and process changes are attempted and abandoned. With luck, one or more of the changes achieves some mitigation of the original problem or more usually, the original cause of the problem disappears. Regardless, the metallurgist can sit back and bask in the apparent success of his or her endeavours.Less common is when a problem is carefully diagnosed, a team put together to explore all avenues and recommend a path of action that is implemented on time, on budget and immediately delivers on the promises which are sustained over time. This is one such story. It is the story of the Mill Redesign Project at Inco’s Clarabelle mill in Copper Cliff, Ontario."

Jan 1, 2003

By Richard P. Taylor, Rod Henham

Abstract - Newly discovered pegmatites distributed throughout the sub-surface environs of the Musselwhite Archean gold deposit occur as narrow dikes that intrude most of the major lithological units. The mineralogy and textures of the pegmatite dikes are characteristic of granitic pegmatites of the "Rare-Element Class"; more specifically, they closely resemble varieties of the "Complex-type" granitic pegmatites that are commonly associated with zones of tantalum mineralization. The essential minerals in the dikes comprise albite, quartz, and K-feldspar, together with lesser amounts of mica (including lepidolite), spessartine, tourmaline, and locally, spodumene. Fine-grained (30 µm to 300 µm), tantalum-bearing minerals occur in the quartzo-feldspathic matrix of the dikes as disseminations, in interstices, and in small vugs. The nature of the tantalum-bearing mineral assemblage present in individual pegmatite dikes varies from a simple mineral assemblage composed of ferrocolumbite (with around 39 wt% Ta2O5) in the most northerly dike, to more complex assemblages comprised of manganotantalite (with up to 75 wt% Ta2O5), ferrotapiolite (with up to 79 wt% Ta2O5), and microlite (with up to 76 wt% Ta2O5) that are present in dikes located several kilometers to the south and southwest. The compositional characteristics and textural relationships of the tantalum-bearing minerals in the dikes provide evidence of igneous fractionation trends that are typical of rare-element granitic pegmatites. Such trends suggest that the newly discovered pegmatites represent part of a more extensive group of cogenetic, tantalum-mineralized dikes.

Jan 1, 2001

By James F. Allan

"The Kipawa yttrium-zirconium prospect is located about 150 km south of Noranda, Quebec. Yttrium-zirconium mineralization occurs in an elongate, regionally metamorphosed and deformed peralkaline complex in the Grenville terrain. The mineralized zone, as defined by =.0.10% Y2O3, is 1300 m long and 10 m to 30 m wide. Zirconium content typically ranges from 0.50 to 1.20% ZrO2, The mineralized zone strikes northwest and dips 20 degrees to 35 degrees to the southwest. It occurs at the structural base of the peralkaline complex in syenite gneiss and calc-silicate rocks and is conformable with both the footwall contact of the complex, and the layering and gneissosity in the enclosing rocks. Minerals of economic interest are eudialyte (sodium-zirconium silicate), mosandrite (sodium-titanium silicate), britholite (calcium-silica phosphate), and a few other uncommon zirconium and titanium silicate minerals.The highest and most continuous yttrium grades occur in the upper part of the syenite gneiss unit in areas containing eudialyte, mosandrite and minor britholite. Yttrium also occurs in britholite in calc-silicate rocks and in mosandrite in syenitic rocks in the lower part of the syenite gneiss unit. Both the yttrium-bearing minerals and yttrium grades are erratic in the lower part of the unit. Zirconium is generally more uniformly distributed than yttrium. A peralkaline granite gneiss phase of the complex intrudes the syenite gneiss and possibly truncates it, and the mineralization, near the southern boundary of the mineralized zone.The mineralized zone is coincident with a radiometric anomaly and discontinuous yttrium and zirconium soil anomalies.More drilling and metallurgical studies will be required to determine the economic viability of the yttrium and zirconium mineralization at Kipawa."

Jan 1, 1992

By James F. Allan

"The Kipawa yttrium-zirconium prospect is located about 150 km south of Noranda, Quebec. Yttrium-zirconium mineralization occurs in an elongate, regionally metamorphosed and deformed peralkaline complex in the Grenville terrain. The mineralized zone, as defined by =.0.10% Y2O3, is 1300 m long and 10 m to 30 m wide. Zirconium content typically ranges from 0.50 to 1.20% ZrO2, The mineralized zone strikes northwest and dips 20 degrees to 35 degrees to the southwest. It occurs at the structural base of the peralkaline complex in syenite gneiss and calc-silicate rocks and is conformable with both the footwall contact of the complex, and the layering and gneissosity in the enclosing rocks. Minerals of economic interest are eudialyte (sodium-zirconium silicate), mosandrite (sodium-titanium silicate), britholite (calcium-silica phosphate), and a few other uncommon zirconium and titanium silicate minerals.The highest and most continuous yttrium grades occur in the upper part of the syenite gneiss unit in areas containing eudialyte, mosandrite and minor britholite. Yttrium also occurs in britholite in calc-silicate rocks and in mosandrite in syenitic rocks in the lower part of the syenite gneiss unit. Both the yttrium-bearing minerals and yttrium grades are erratic in the lower part of the unit. Zirconium is generally more uniformly distributed than yttrium. A peralkaline granite gneiss phase of the complex intrudes the syenite gneiss and possibly truncates it, and the mineralization, near the southern boundary of the mineralized zone.The mineralized zone is coincident with a radiometric anomaly and discontinuous yttrium and zirconium soil anomalies.More drilling and metallurgical studies will be required to determine the economic viability of the yttrium and zirconium mineralization at Kipawa."

Jan 1, 1992

By Simon C. Dominy, Alwyn E. Annels, Mark A. Noppé

Abstract - Mineral Resources and their subsequent conversion to Ore Reserves are of key importance to mining companies. Their reliable estimation is critical to both the confidence in a feasibility study, and also to the day-to-day operation of a mine. Together with sampling, assaying, geological and other errors introduced during interpretation and estimation, additional errors are likely to be introduced during the application of technical and economic parameters used for conversion of resources to reserves. There is thus a requirement for high-quality interpretation and estimation to be supported by high-quality data. Any company expecting to make sound investment or operational decisions must base this on both relevant and reliable information. An Ore Reserve statement generally contains a single set of grade and tonnage figures without a discussion of the potential inherent errors in these estimates. Some sensitivity studies may be run, but confidence limits are rarely quoted and, if they are, often do not take into account many of the factors that cause uncertainty in the grade and tonnage estimates. Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve estimates thus carry certain errors leading to uncertainty and risk; some of these are unquantifiable for various reasons, for which the operator should be aware. This paper presents a review of the potential sources of error that might occur during a resource estimation program, which are carried through into the reserve estimate. A number of methods are discussed that allow the estimator to be more transparent about the inherent risks in his/her estimate. Emphasis is placed on data quality, and the requirement for strong quality management to be linked to continuous improvement.

Jan 1, 2002

By John S. Stevenson

"Although we have no uranium- producing mines as yet in British Columbia, uranium, associated with gold and cobalt, has been found in two deposits in amounts such that the combined value of the metals not only warrants the further exploration of these deposits, but also encourages the search elsewhere in the Province for other similar deposits.Where uranium-bearing veins have been found in British Columbia, the uranium mineral is the crystalline variety of uranium oxide, uraninite, rather than the massive, non-crystalline variety, pitchblende, such as found in the Great Bear Lake deposit and in other similar deposits along the southwestern margin of the Precambrian shield.The principal occurrences of uranium known so far in British Columbia are associated with bodies of granodiorite and quartz diorite along the eastern side of the Coast Range belt of batholiths. In this part of the Province, interesting amounts of uranium occur on the Gem property in the Bridge River area and on the Victoria property south of Hazelton; and smaller amounts occur on the Red Rose, Rocher Debouze, Delta, and Ohio properties, also south of Hazelton. At the Gem and the Victoria, the uranium mineral, identified as uraninite, occurs in deposits that also contain abundant cobalt-nickel sulpharsenides, and molybdenite.At these properties, the uraninite occurs as clusters of small black crystals of sub-metallic lustre that may be seen upon careful -searching of a highly radioactive specimen with a hand lens. Under the microscope, the uraninite is seen to be in the form of cubes or modifications of cubes that may occur as individual grains widely scattered throughout the gangue or may be gathered into clusters of several grains. The grain size of the uraninite is in general small. Although a few clusters of grains are up to about 10 mesh in diameter, the individual grains, whether in clusters or widely disseminated, are rarely more than 400 mesh in diameter."

Jan 1, 1950

By N. Molaei, E. R. Bobicki

The continued demand for mineral products, coupled with the depletion of high-grade ore resources, has led to the mining of lower grade ores, which often require fine grinding to achieve mineral liberation. Regrinding of low-grade ores results in the production of fine gangue mineral solids and produces vast quantities of fluid fine tailings which are difficult to separate from water, particularly if they are composed of clay minerals. Organic synthetic polymers and inorganic salts have been widely applied in flocculation of colloidal suspensions in the treatment of mining tailings. However, there are growing concerns regarding their impact on the environment and human health. Recently, extracellular biopolymer flocculants or bioflocculants have attracted much attention as alternative reagents. In this study, much effort has been devoted to considering the effectiveness of protein and polysaccharide-based biopolymers for the dewatering of clay slurries. The interaction between kaolinite and illite clays and biopolymers was investigated via settling tests at pH 7 and 10. Zeta potential measurements were also conducted as a complementary technique. Results showed that protamine and lysozyme protein- based biopolymers were generally the more effective bioflocculants. Pectin, a polysaccharide-based biopolymer, showed a dispersing effect and has the potential to be used as a dispersant and/or depressant for clay minerals in froth flotation. INTRODUCTION With the depletion of high-grade ore resources, the need for mining of low-grade ores has increased over the past few decades (Bourgès-Gastaud, Stoltz, Dolez, Blond, & Touze-Foltz, 2014; Chen, Walshe, Fru, Ciborowski, & Weisener, 2013; C. Wang, Harbottle, Liu, & Xu, 2014). Low-grade ores often require fine grinding and contain clay minerals, leading to the generation of fluid fine tailings (FFT). It is a challenging process to separate suspended clay particles from water (Craciun, Manaila, & Stelescu, 2013; Dompierre, Lindsay, Cruz-Hernández, & Halferdahl, 2016; Kasperski & Mikula, 2011; Mercier et al., 2012). Clay minerals form stable dispersions in water due to their anisotropic nature, non-spherical morphology and colloidal size (Lagaly & Ziesmer, 2003; Olphen, 1977). The difficulty in separating clay minerals from water has led to the accumulation of vast quantities of FFT in oil sands, phosphate, copper and nickel operations, representing a huge liability for mining companies (Chen et al., 2013; Mercier et al., 2012)

Jan 1, 2019

By T. Gonzales, S. Thakurdin

The conducting of risk reviews is an essential activity in ensuring safe operating conditions, both during project design phases and for existing facilities. The following paper presents a structured approach to the conducting of risk reviews for existing operations, including descriptions of supporting documentation and guidelines for on-site review activities. The conducting of regular site risk reviews and safety audits is crucial in ensuring the continued safe operation of existing facilities, particularly in the copper industry where numerous processes and unit operations can present catastrophic risks, both in terms of loss of life and financial liability. The structured approach presented aims to provide a logical and comprehensive analysis of risks to align safety-related facilities and procedures with current industry best practice and ensure consistency across multiple client operations. INTRODUCTION The production of copper, whether by pyrometallurgical or hydrometallurgical process routes, carries significant inherent safety risks. Production volumes are relatively large, often requiring complex processing routes, multiple production trains and a variety of supporting ancillary facilities. Furthermore, considering the relatively large size of ore reserves, copper production plants can have operational lives well beyond the typical design duration of 20 years. In this context, the conducting of regular risk reviews is essential in ensuring safe operating conditions and aligning facilities with current industry best practices. Risk reviews and safety audits can take various forms and have various areas of focus. The methodologies and approaches described below relate specifically to catastrophic risks, defined broadly as risks that carry the potential for multiple fatalities and significant financial losses. Focus is given to existing facilities and does not consider the risk-related activities such as hazard and operability (HAZOP) studies conducted during plant design. The structured approach presented aims to provide a guide for effective site- based audits and a logical analysis of risks identified. RISK CLASSIFICATION Table 1 provides a typical summary of the classification of risk types and the associated consequence categories and descriptions. It illustrates the descriptions of a catastrophic risk in terms of the broad categories of Health & Safety, Environment, Financial, Image & Reputation and Legal & Compliance. In terms of the Financial category, numeric costs ranges are often prescribed depending on the financial characteristics of the specific operation and the associated parent company.

Jan 1, 2019

By M. A. Keogh

This paper reviews the physical properties that make low-density polyethylene the most practical and economical material for launder• fabrication in the majority of mine and mill applications. The basic design features and use of other launcher• materials are also discussed.

Jan 1, 1976

By H. Soto, J. Jara, F. Nava

A method has been developed to recover cyanide and copper from cyanidation effluents contaminated with thiocyanate and copper-cyanide complexes. Copper is precipitated as copper thiocyanate or as copper cyanide depending on pH and the concentrations of thiocyanate and cyanide present in the effluent. The copper precipitate presents good dewatering characteristics and can be easily separated from the effluent by thickening and filtration. The solution containing the bulk of the cyanide is then oxidized with ozone to transform the remaining thiocyanate into cyanide. This results in a regenerated solution rich in free cyanide that can be recycled to the cyanidation process. Careful control of the pH of the solution is required. First pH of the effluent is lowered to optimize the precipitation and oxidation stages, then the pH is restored to an alkaline value to regenerate the cyanide solution. Recoveries of over 96% copper are obtained. Free cyanide in the regenerated solution corresponds to up to 160% of the total cyanide contained in the original impure effluent. (The balance being accounted for by the cyanide obtained by the oxidation of thiocyanate). The efficiency of the thiocyanate oxidation stage is 85% to 90%. The method has been demonstrated at bench scale with effluents of various cyanidation plants of northern Quebec. A preliminary economic evaluation indicates that the procedure would be profitable for effluents rich in copper and thiocyanate. This is the case for most barren bleeds of Merrill Crowe and heap leaching operations and also certain CIP tailings of gold ores containing copper impurities. Environmentally the procedure is a better alternative than the current detoxification methods based on the oxidation of cyanide that do not allow for copper recovery and that have difficulties in producing a final effluent with acceptable levels of contaminants such as ammonia, thiocyanate and copper.

Jan 1, 1996

Cambior has been involved in the Guiana Shield since 1990, first in Guyana and then in Suriname starting in 1994. This paper presents the history of Omai Gold Mines Limited in Guyana, where commercial production started in 1993 after an investment of US $150 million. In 1995, the mine was expanded in order to increase the milling capacity to 21,000 tonnes per day. After ten years of production, approximately 3 million ounces of gold have been produced. Building on this experience, Cambior became involved in Suriname with the Rosebel Project. A US $95 million pre-production program started in the fourth quarter of 2002, and the mine should be in commercial production early in 2004.

May 1, 2003

By Patrick Andrieux

Cet article décrit une nouvelle méthodologie qui quantifie les chances de succès d’un sautage confiné à grande échelle de relaxation des contraintes dans un pilier de mine souterraine, pour un massif rocheux et un régime de contraintes donnés. La méthode est basée sur un nouveau paramètre nommé « Indice de relâchement », qui considère huit paramètres géomécaniques et de forage-sautage qui contrôlent ultimement le procédé. La rétro-analyse d’études de cas bien documentées a démontré que l’approche peut indiquer de manière fiable si une situation donnée de hautes contraintes de terrain est susceptible d’être améliorée par un tir de relâchement confiné à grande échelle et si le design proposé est adéquat pour atteindre ce but.

Jan 1, 2009