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By I Mason, A Wellington, J Hargreaves

Many people are familiar with the use of marine echo sounders which are used by fishermen to monitor water depth and locate schools of fish. Similar technology has recently been used in some West Australian mines to provide detailed maps of ore contacts and other geological structures. Whilst drillhole intersections provide details of the location of a contact at a point, echo sounding can be used to obtain a continuous profile of the contact. A series of profiles together with drillhole intersection data can be used to build a more accurate geological model than can be inferred from drillhole intersections alone. The benefits of this are more complete ore extraction, less dilution and the ability to make more informed financial decisions. This paper presents a case history which demonstrates the successful application of the technology.

Jan 1, 2000

By L. A. Wrigglesworth, A. S. Dadson

The orebodies of the Giant Yellow-knife mine occur in zones of schist, in an assemblage of typical Precambrian greenstones which form part of the Yellowknife Greenstone Belt. One of the most interesting problems at the mine concerns the fold-like attitudes assumed by the schist zones. The internal structure of the zones and orebodies provides much evidence of folding. A logical conclusion would be that the zones represent a single horizon which has been folded and drag-folded in the ordinary course of mountain building. However, surface mapping, and correlation of certain marker horizons, in underground work, indicate a homo-clinal succession of steeply dipping flows. If this concept of the geology is correct, the zones must cross-cut the regional strike at a small angle and, in the over-all aspect, the regional dip at a large angle. A mechanical interpretation of the zone structure is presented as a suggestion for the present until new evidence is found.

Jan 1, 1959

Gold in the stibnite veins of Costerfield, Victoria, was described in 1922 1, prior to any mineragraphic examination, as (a) free yellow gold (b) free rusty gold and (c) combined gold. The free yellow gold occurs in quartz and will amalgamate with mercury. The free gold of dull, rusty or copper-red colour occurs in massive stibnite and has been stated to resist amalgamation with mercury. The dull colour is only skin deep and the colour is bright when the rusty gold is scratched. The appearance of the rusty gold is spongy or cellular and it generally occurs near small cavities in the stibnite. The suggestion that the cellular character indicated the removal of a certain amount of stibnite leaving a residue of se.condary gold cannot be sustained.It now appears probable that the rusty gold is formed by the primary dissociation of a gold antimonide and is distinct in origin from the normal yellow gold which is deposited with quartz or stibnite from auriferous mineral solutions.The combined gold referred to in the earlier paper was the gold contained in the stibnite as revealed by assay. Such gold was at first thought to be either dissolved in the stibnite or else present as free interstitial particles too minute for observation in transmitted light in thin sections.Subsequent examination of numerous polished,surfaces disclosed the small particles of gold occurring in the grain boundaries in aggregates of fine grained stibnite 2. The assumption that all the gold in the stibnite, as revealed by assay, occurred in this way is now known to be incorrect, because limited amounts of a gold antimonide have been found in the veins.

Jan 1, 1952

By R. G. Gürtunca

The future of the United States (US) mining industry will be affected greatly by recent coal mining disasters. These have resulted in new legislation which will have an impact on mining economic costs as well safety and health of miners. This paper discusses the changes that new legislation and regulations are making to the industry and current research that is producing technologies to make mining safer and will likely impact the future of mining.

Jan 1, 2009

By C. Roos, K. Jetmore

Developing a strategic underground mine plan is challenging and investigating multiple scenarios may take weeks. This process can be sped up using the Theory of Constraints to isolate the bottleneck mining activity and simplify the mine schedule process. This paper presents a technique to apply the Theory of Constraints to test multiple cutoff grade scenarios in Mineable Shape Optimiser and quickly produce many high-level production-based schedules that can be easily interpreted using stope-by-stope graphs, the Hill of Value, and through incremental return analysis.

Mar 2, 2022

By S. G. Hardcastle, C. K. Kocsis

"Worldwide, metal mines are going deeper. For example, in Canada there are six such mechanized mines planning production at 3000 m (10 000 ft). Working at such depths challenges all aspects of mining including the provision of ventilation to supply an equitable working climate for personnel and machinery.This paper explores the overall challenges of supplying ventilation in Canada’s deepest mines and how the volumes required could be minimized. This is essential because it must be remembered that ventilation and refrigeration are not only costly items to supply, but the magnitude of their cost is also very sensitive to the volume supplied. For the primary ventilation system this is obvious because of the cubic relationship between volume and cost.In deep mines, the main function of ventilation is the removal of heat transferred from the strata and generated by the mining machinery, and the air volumes supplied are designed accordingly. The second consideration is the removal of other pollutants that could be harmful to humans such as diesel and explosive fumes. However, the need for ventilation at its present design levels could be reduced. This paper discusses the implications of such technologies as: tele-remote mining and alternatives to diesel equipment on the magnitude of the volume supplied; ventilationon- demand which recognizes ventilation as a costly and limited resource; plus other aspects, such as the benefits of controlled recirculation, local cooling, and possibly heat rejection back to the strata to gain further advantage from new developments.Furthermore, this paper advances the need to be able to design ventilation systems more cost effectively and how such new advances as process simulators can be used in conjunction with ventilation simulators to explore the diverse options that could affect the air volumes required and provide more realistic economic data upon which to base design decisions."

Jan 1, 2004

By L. Ozdemir, M. Cigla

This paper presents and discusses some of the computer models developed and currently used at the Earth Mechanics Institute (EMI) of the Colorado School of Mines (CSM). These include the performance models for full and partial face machines. Examples of input and output of these models will be illustrated for typical mining operations by using machines such as Tunnel Boring Machines (TBM), Continuous Miners (CM), Marietta borer miners and longwall drum shearers. The general approach to modeling and the available models are discussed and some examples of these models are presented. The comparison between the estimated and achieved performance, as well as the degree of improvement in the performance due to balancing and modification in cutterhead design are also discussed.

Jan 1, 2000

By Véronique Falmagne

The mining sequence at Noranda?s Bell-Allard mine calls for two mining fronts retreating toward a central pillar known as the Retreat Zone between pyramids A and C. It is clear from numerical modeling and rock mass characterization that the induced stress level in the pillar will exceed the rock mass capacity. A mining plan was developed including the re-dimensioniong of stopes in the Retreat Zone, additional ground support and instrumentation in order to ensure the safety of the workforce and to maximize ore recovery while minimizing production delays. The mining strategy consists in allowing the rock mass to fracture and fail progressively while maintaining control of the existing openings with the appropriate support. A systematic analysis of rockbursting and caving hazards was conducted for all accesses and stopes in order to plan ground support and instrumentation needs.

May 1, 2003

By Steve Kral

The Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) was established in 1932 in response to proposed regulations that would have threatened prospectors in Ontario. From there, the association grew to represent the interests of Canada?s mineral exploration and development industry. The PDAC?s mission statement reads: ?The PDAC exists to protect and promote the interests of the Canadian mineral exploration sector and to ensure a robust mining industry in Canada. The PDAC will encourage the highest standards of technical, environment, safety and social practices in Canada and internationally. ?Today, the PDAC?s 6,000 individual members include prospectors, developers, geoscientists, consultants, mining executives and students. In addition, the association?s membership includes 950 corporate members, representing senior, mid-sized and junior mining companies in addition to organizations that provide services and equipment to the mining industry. In 2010, the PDAC adopted its e3 Plus principles, a framework to guide its membership in responsible exploration.

Jan 1, 2011

By D. O. Hamiltion

The ISMS program provided for the development and demonstration of equipment modifications in both conventional and continuous coal mining systems. This report describes activities during the demonstration of the conventional equipment and includes machine performance, results of data gathering, system evaluation, and recommendations for implementing improvements.

Jan 1, 1976

By F. P. Hassani

Today, mine backfilling has become an integral part of mining operations, both from a local and overall ground control point of view, and as regards mining techniques and environmental considerations. During the past decade, substantial research has been carried out to contribute to the better understanding of the mechanisms involved in mine backfill behaviour. This work involved analytical, experimental and numerical studies at different scales. Accordingly, this work has been aimed at developing backfill design guidelines for actual working conditions. Backfill design for deep mining conditions is complex and requires understanding of various elements. The most important of these elements are: backfill inherent strength parameters, backfill placement method, stope geometry and interaction between backfill and host rock. The mobilization of backfill strength parameters controls the backfill behaviour and thus, its failure mode. It is believed that the governing boundary conditions and backfill-rock interaction influence the backfill strength mobilization significantly. Accordingly, the interaction between backfill and host rock is an influential factor in overall backfill behaviour under applied loads. The focus of this research is to investigate the backfill-rock interaction, considering a nonlinear behaviour for both backfill and rock mass. Assuming typical stope geometry, the FLAC code was used to model the complex boundary condition associated with narrow vein mining conditions and to simulate the backfill behaviour. A comprehensive numerical study was conducted and the results obtained were compared against field observations. The analysis of findings provides qualitative results, which can be used for backfill design. Keywords: Numerical modelling, backfill, deep mining, non-linear behaviour, rock mechanics, backfill behaviour, narrow vein mining.

Jan 1, 2008

By H. B. Hill

The West Red River oil field, in Tillman County, Okla. (fig. 1), is approximately 8 miles northwest of the town of Burkburnett, Wichita County, Tex. The wells are in the river bed between the medial line and the south bank of the Red Diver. In the following discussion of the geology, development, and exploita-tion of the field, the authors have, by means of structure maps, crews sections through various parts of the reservoir and tabulated development data and production statistics, recorded salient information on a field whose development was unique and in some respects unusual for fields discovered and initially developed more than a quarter of a century ago. The total oil production from Government-operated leases; considered in the report was 6,900,440 barrels to January 1, 1947, from 3 proved acres developed by H1 oil-producing wells, 10 gas-injection wells, and 5 nonproductive wells. A calculated past recovery of 60P, barrels of oil per acre-foot and an estimated ultimate recovery of 6.S0 barrels of oil per acre-foot under present gas-injection methods begun in 1929 in shown.

Jan 1, 1949

By S. D. Dladla, S. Ramsamy

The majority of the tailings dam operations in South Africa will be required to comply with the new Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM) within the next one to three years, depending on the dam classification and the requirements of the respective investors and insurers. With up to 72 auditable requirements, the implementation of the Standard needs careful planning and prioritization. This paper focuses on the practical steps to GISTM compliance for tailings facilities in operation in South Africa. The discussions are based on current practices, South African regulations, and industry standards requirements. The possible changes in dam classifications and the associated requirements are presented.

Jun 2, 2022

This paper contains an account of some creep tests on electrolytic lead and some of its alloys. The stresses used in determining creep were 500, 350, and 200 lb. per sq.' in. The alloys contained silver, bismuth, tellurium, antimony and zinc respectively. All were castin vacuo, and tested "as rolled." Tests were done also on electrolytic lead which had been cast in air.The electrolytic lead contained 0.0005% total impurities.The preparation and vacuum casting of this lead have been described in a previous paper in this series. The preparation of the alloys, and the air casting of the electrolytic lead, are described in the next section.EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE.Every effort was made to keep the vacuum-cast specimens from contact with the atmosphere throughout their history.The ingots were stored eIther in a vacuum desiccator or immersed in heavy oil. The creep specimens were coated with vaseline except during rolling, etching and photography, which involved exposure to the atmosphere for about 45 minutes all told.It is not claimed that vaseline is a perfect shield against the intrusion of atmospheric gases. Possibly during the months that some tests were in progress the gases diffused through the vaseline and gained a limited access to the lead.Nevertheless, the use of vaseline gave protection that brought the tests nearer the ideal at which the author aimed, *Research Fellow, Dept. of Metallurgy, University of Melbourne.

Jan 1, 1936

By J. P. BONARDI, J. C. Williams

Until the end of 1918 Boulder County ranked as one of the foremost tungsten-producing districts of the world, but in August, 1919, there was practically no production in the district. The operators there could not compete with tungsten ores from foreign sources, particularly China, Burma, and South America. As a. result there · has been a strong movement for placing a protective tariff on all imported tungsten ores and products; and it seems to be the general belief of tungsten producers that some form of protection is necessary to the maintenance of the industry in this country. The stimulus, due to the great demand for · tungsten alloys in the manufacture of munitions during the war, was felt in all the productive localities of the world. The ores of Boulder County were especially in demand on account of their comparative. freedom from • harmful impurities, and this demand greatly extended mining operations in the district and increased the efficiency of the gen~ral milling practice there.

Jan 1, 1921

By Arthur E. Morris

The primary market driver for improving process technology is innovation, which requires a skilled and educated workforce. However, many Materials Science and Engineering departments have eliminated extractive metallurgy and chemical thermodynamics from their curricula, yet these topics contain the necessary fundamentals for process innovation. As a result, most MS&E students are ill-prepared for careers in processing. The dearth of processoriented MS&E curricula has prompted some Universities to develop a “shared” effort to offer distance education between multiple institutions [1]. A target audience for a shared process simulation course would not only benefit students, but also be a basis for an on-line course for practicing engineers faced with new or changing career choices. To fill the gap, the basics of a process simulation course was developed in an abbreviated form as series of eleven articles and Excel workbooks published in Industrial Heating magazine between July 2012 and July 2013.

Jan 1, 2014

By Sidney Katell

This report covers the period January 1964 through December 1964; it is a continuation of the series that began with the publication of Information Circular 7516 in October 1949. Also, it is the sixth in a series of reports prepared under a cooperative agreement between the Bureau of Mines and the American Association of Cost Engineers. The agreement provides for the publication of an annual cost bibliography with the work load involved in the preparation shared equally. The abstracted articles, concerned with all facers of cost engineering in the field of chemical and petroleum. plants and related subjects, are from the following sources: 1. American Association of Cost Engineers Bulletin. 2. Bureau of Mines Information Circulars. 3. Bureau of Mines Reports of Investigations. 4. Chemical Engineering. 5. Chemical Engineering Progress,

Jan 1, 1965

By W. E. Cassan, W. L. Eaton, James Westfield, W. M. Romisher, Karl Hughes, S. H. Ash

"INTRODUCTION Funds were made available to the Bureau of Mines, United States Department of the Interior, for anthracite investigations during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1945. One of the approved projects was to conduct inquiries and scientific and technologic investigations having a bearing on the anthradite mine-flood problem. The investigative work done from July 1,1944, to June 30, 1946, is described in previous reports (5, 8, 10, 24, 28). 6/Purpose of Report The purpose of this report is to describe the investigative work conucted by the Anthracite Food-Prevention Section, Safety Branch, Bureau of Mines, during the period July 1, 1946, to June 30, 1947,Scope of WorkInvestigative work during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1947, was conducted under the direction of D. Harrington, chief, Health and Safety Division, and S. H. Ash, chief, Safety Branch, Bureau of Mines, Washington, D. C.The broad objective of the investigative work was to obtain factual day on: 1. Anthracite reserves of Pennsylvania.2. Underground water pools.3. Barrier pillars.4. The ""buried valley"" of the Susquehanna River.5. Infiltration of surface water into underground mine workings.The above-mentioned investigations are being continued during the fiscal year July 1, 1947, to Juno 30, 1948.In addition to the investigative work covered in this report, Ash end Eaton presented a paper on barrier pillars, which proposes a method for designing barrier pillars and has been Published by the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers (5);"

Apr 1, 1948

By Dr. Peter J. Conroy

The current study is part of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) on-going subsidence research program. The long-term objective of the DOE program is to develop analytical methods of subsidence prediction applicable over a broad range of geologic and mining conditions encountered in the United States. The DOE currently has several contracts in progress to develop a sound data base that can be used in the development of predictive models. Dames & Moore is currently under contract to the DOE to collect and analyze detailed subsidence and hydrologic data from a coal mine employing longwall mining methods in the Eastern Coal Province. Work under Contract No. DE-AC22-80PC 30335 began in October of 1980 and will continue through September of 1984. This paper summarizes the work that has been completed through September of 1981 and presents the results that have been achieved during this period. Technical difficulties encountered during both the installation and monitoring phases are discussed, and recommendations for future work are presented.

Jan 1, 1982

By IPMI Educational and Scientific Foundation

It is with great pleasure that we announce the availability of this fourth issue of the IPMI Journal, a publication of the International Precious Metals Educational and Scientific Foundation. This digital peer reviewed publication has been created as a vehicle for the sharing of technical information related to the science and technology of precious metals. Since 1976, the International Precious Metals Institute has championed the exchange of information of critical importance to the precious metals scientific and commercial communities through its various communications vehicles. This has included instructional videos, annual conference symposia, special topic committee meetings, regional seminars, and professional and student achievement awards. Due to the breadth of important topics related to all aspects of precious metals, it has been the vision of the IPMI to provide a publication available to the general public that would become a key source of pertinent topics containing high quality publications by experts in their fields of study. Historically, the IPMI has attracted world renowned experts in many fields (including Nobel Laureates Henry Taube, Ei-ishi Negishi, Robert Grubs, Professor Ben Feringa, and David MacMillan) in the dissemination of discoveries, inventions, and industry proven practices. Such information has a total value greater than the sum of its parts as seemingly unrelated innovations from distinct focus areas can be adapted to solve problems. Because of this important characteristic of information exchange, we have decided to create a digital journal, available to the general public, that will not only communicate state of the art discoveries and sound practices, but will also review historical communications from the IPMI’s archives that have value and use even in today’s environment. On behalf of the members and leaders of the IPMI, we hope you will find value in this new publication.

Dec 1, 2023