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Resolution Copper Mining LLC (RCML) is currently in a Pre-feasibility study evaluating a large and deep copper and molybdenum deposit in the historic mining district east of Superior, Arizona. Work scheduled for the next several years includes dewatering the existing shut-down mine (the Magma Mine) and sinking an exploratory shaft to 2,130 meters (7,000 feet) below the surface. To dewater the Magma Mine and sink the exploratory shaft, RCML must extract and manage about 2 billion gallons of accumulated mine water inventory, as well as about 300 million gallons per year of new inflow. In order to conserve a valuable water resource in a desert environment, RCML worked with the New Magma Irrigation and Drainage District (NMIDD) to provide treated mine water to blend with and supplement the NMIDD?s water supply to approximately 2,000 hectares (5,000 acres) of farmland located east of Phoenix. A 44 km (27-mile) pipeline was needed to convey the treated water. It was essential that a treatment system be used which could reliably meet irrigation water quality goals, produce a non-scaling effluent to maintain pipeline flow capacity, and generate a dense sludge minimizing disposal cost and volume. This paper describes the resulting mine water treatment and recovery system (MWTS) and how the system has performed against objectives.

Jan 1, 2011

By Carlos León

El presente trabajo señala el proceso de optimización en la recuperación del cobre y molibdeno en la concentradora de Toquepala. La implementación y desarrollo de la remolienda del flujo de concentrado desarrollan un mayor grado de liberación, y por ende, una mayor recuperación del cobre y molibdeno en el circuito. Asimismo, el descarte de relave OK-50 ha permitido normalizar las recuperaciones de cobre y molibdeno en ciertas secciones de la flotación rougher de la planta, incrementando en la recuperación del cobre de 0.8% y 1.8% en molibdeno. Por ello, es factible mejorar las condiciones de operación de la planta a través del desarrollo de pruebas metalúrgicas llevadas adelante como un esfuerzo conjunto entre todos los integrantes del equipo Concentradora Toquepala.

Sep 13, 2001

By Fraser Rowe

This paper discusses the philosophies, strategies, goals and pitfalls in automating a mine schedule. The intention of the paper is to give an open and honest view of who could benefit from moving to an automated system, what you can expect from such a system, and what you should be aware of. Many companies feel that moving to an automated mine planning solution will allow the mine scheduling engineer to push a button and walk away, but the reality is that is hardly ever the case. Part of that awareness comes from understanding what is meant by ?automated mine scheduling?, and this paper address that. By contrasting what is meant by ?manual scheduling? and ?automated scheduling? it is hoped that the reader can gain an appreciation of the entire process.

Oct 1, 2009

By Jane Li, Kevin Tom

"Research has shown that broken rock on conveyor transport systems can contribute upwards of 50% towards the overall heat load in underground mines. However, few studies have made significant efforts to predict the temperature distribution of the ore and air simultaneously, which can help implement heat management strategies. The present investigation explores a transient, analytical heat transfer model to track ore-pile temperature distributions, along conveyor systems in an example underground mine. Production rate, ambient conditions, ore pile thickness and belt velocity are adjusted to evaluate the effect on dry and wet bulb temperatures.INTRODUCTIONWith an ever increasing demand on Earth’s resources due to a multitude of factors like population growth and step changes in technology, pressure on the mining industry to bring out more ore with improved margins is a persistent challenge. Typically, high-volume producing mining methods (i.e., exceeding 5000 tons per day (tpd)) such as sublevel and block caving, room and pillar, and longwall shall utilize belt conveyors instead of trucks as the primary haulage method to surface to save on operational costs (de la Vergne, 2014). However, studies have shown that when such material transport systems are installed at mine depths with virgin rock temperatures (VRT) above 40oC, the heat dissipated by the conveyed ore can account for over 50% of the underground heat-load (Pareja, 2000; Bluhm, Jones, Moreby, & von Glehn, 2012; van den Berg, Moreby, & Kok, 2015).Unlike other types of heat sources encountered in underground mines, such as diesel machines, strata, electrical devices, and autocompression, heat transfer by conveyed broken rock is much more difficult to estimate. The seminal work of McPherson (1993) states that broken rock heat transfer is a function of its surface area, and the air’s psychrometric condition. It is additionally a function of the VRT, its specific heat, production rate, heat transfer coefficient and the residence time (Bossard, 1997; Ross, Tuck, Stokes, & Lowndes, 1997). Consequently, few studies have attempted to analytically quantify the significance of ore heat flow."

Jan 1, 2019

By G. L. Oldright

The Metallurgical Branch of the Bureau of Mines, as a part of its duties under the Organic Act, works to prevent wastes in industry and to disuse inmate information on the fundamentals of metallurgical processes. During the war, the necessity of large production was increasingly emphasized. Such duties necessitate from time to time the study of units of full commercial size, the operation of which is beyond the facilities of the Branch. When developments have reached this stage; work has been continued in cooperative agreements with operating companies that have been willing to contribute the use of their plants and staffs and to allow the publication of the results obtained for the common good of the industry.

Jan 1, 1948

By K. P. Wang, Ta M. Li

The Chinese energy and mineral industries are readying themselves for a period of dynamic transition, unprecedented in the country's long and sometimes turbulent history. The transition comes as a result of the government's new program of "Four Modernizations" in its agricultural, defense, industry, and science and technology sectors. The announced program is generally considered by Western observers to be a moderate, pragmatic approach to get China on the road to industrial parity with Western nations by the year 2000. The game plan calls for integration with the West to beef up Chinese know-how and the purchase of foreign technology to supplement areas where China lacks the ability to do so itself. While the role of energy and minerals is not specifically mentioned in the program, it was made clear to ME that China realizes the basis of any sustained modernization program is tied closely to the health of its minerals sector. Various published reports have indicated the existence of an already vibrant energy and minerals sector with world rank production in coal, iron ore, tin, antimony, cement, pyrite, asbestos and tungsten to name just a few. For the most part, except for the export metals, the primary focus of China's production has been on fulfilling domestic needs. Now the new initiatives are aimed not only at self-sufficiency, but also on propelling the country's natural resource clout into international prominence. With a mineral resource base that is considered by many westerners a potential bonanza, China's new long march toward modernization will be an exciting adventure, well worth watching. Big Projects Spark Excitement China's renewed commitment to a more liberal program is as much a desire to "walk on its own two legs" as it is a backlash from the frustrating years that followed the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and early 1970s. Much of the early excitement was initiated by China's Premier and Party Chairman Hua Guo-feng in speaking to the fifth National People's Congress (NPC) in 1978. Here, Chairman Hua presented the Communist Party's 10-year blueprint for economic development. Specifically, the Party's plans called for completion of 120 large-scale industrial projects by 1985. Mentioned were 10 new iron and steel works, 30 power plants, six new railways, 10 oil and gas fields, nine nonferrous metal

Jan 3, 1980

By C. R. Landis

The Wyoming bentonite industry finished 2005 with strong growth. For most of the markets, demand exceeded supply. The industry continues to be heartened by the strength of its longtime markets, oilfield and iron ore pelletizing markets. But overall, all of the major markets enjoyed good to excellent commercial conditions. Growth at the macroscale was fueled by the continued strong domestic economy, by the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar in global markets and by strong worldwide global demand. As result, two new greenfield operations are in the early stage of development in the Wyoming region for the first time in more than two decades.

Jan 1, 2006

By F. Keith Shelton

"INTRODUCTION Cobalt is an essential metal in the normal industrial ac¬tivity of the United States. Being an important constituent of high-speed steels and other cutting-tool materials, it becomes of critically essential importance during periods of national emergency. 3/ The Presidential order of December 20, 1940, included cobalt among other essential commodities that could be exported only under license. The Executive order 4/ listed cobalt metal, cobalt oxide, and alloys containing more than 5 per¬cent cobalt as being within the licensing requirements.There was no domestic marketed production of, cobalt products from 1931 until 1940 when the Pyrites Co. 5/ produced some cobalt oxide. The major portion of the domestic cobalt requirements has been obtained from Northern Rhodesia, the Belgian Congo, and French Morocco. 6/ The uncertainty of sea transportation from those sources of supply demanded that steps be taken to obtain from domestic raw materials an adequate supply of cobalt for use in the materials required for production of indispensable machined war metal products. In connection with the national policy for attaining self-sufficiency of strategic and critical materials, the Bureau of Mines, Boulder City, Nev., Experiment Station initiated studies to recover cobalt from the low-grade oxidized cobalt deposits in the Goodsprings district, Nevada. Hewett 7/ reported occurrence of cobalt specifically in the Blue Jay, Columbia, Copper Chief, and Highline mines and generally over a widespread area in the district."

Jan 1, 1946

By C. Ozgen Karacan, William P. Diamond

In This Chapter [Measuring the gas content of coal Predicting gas emissions based on geologic and coal reservoir property data Determining the gas storage capacity of coalbeds and other gas-bearing strata Methane drainage borehole monitoring to forecast the remaining gas-in-place and the influence on mine emissions Forecasting gas emissions during mining as a function of mining parameters and Gas emission prediction based on numerical simulation] This chapter provides guidelines for determining the gas content of coalbeds, estimating the gas-in-place, and predicting gas flow and emissions before and during coal mining operations. The techniques are discussed briefly in the following sections. However, detailed information on the techniques is provided in the cited references. INTRODUCTION Coalbed methane, if not properly controlled in the underground mine environment, is a safety concern due to the potential risk for an explosion. This is a particular problem during longwall mining, where the high rate and volume of coal extraction can result in the release of large amounts of methane from the mined coalbed and other adjacent gas-bearing strata. The variability and potential hazards of these sometimes unexpectedly high gas flows provide the impetus to develop methods to predict methane emissions into the underground workplace. A forecast of the volume of gas that might be released during coal mining is helpful for designing ventilation systems and for implementing optimum methane drainage strategies to help mitigate expected gas emission problems. A complete assessment of the need for methane drainage prior to mine development generally requires both an empirical and a theoretical approach. If there are active mines in the general area with similar geologic conditions and coal characteristics, a review of gas problems in those mines provides an initial insight into the level of gas emissions to be expected at a new location. In addition, relatively simple methods exist to determine the in situ gas content (volume of gas per unit weight of coal) of the coalbeds in a particular mining area, as well as the gas-in-place (volume of gas in the coalbed(s) within a defined geographic area).

Jan 6, 2006

By Yves Fouquet

Results of the two main drilling operations on hydrothermal fields demonstrate that the two dimensional submersible operations need to be followed by drilling expeditions to study the third dimension of hydrothermal systems and understand hydrothermal and ore forming processes. Two types of environments were drilled recently in basaltic environment on slow spreading ridge, and on a sedimented ridge. Similar work has still to be done and targets to be discussed in other environments such as back-arc basins for felsic rocks environments and slow spreading ridges for ultramafic rock environments.

Jan 1, 2011

Laboratory testwork was carried out on an overall orebody composite, of 2.9 per cent Cu and 4.2 per cent Zn, prepared from drill core taken from the Currawong fine-grained, copper-zinc massive sulphide deposit near Benambra in Victoria. While 90 per cent of the copper was readily recovered in a concentrate of 20 per cent Cu, after grinding to 95 per cent passing 38 microns, zinc responded poorly to conventional flowsheet/reagent regimes. Experience elsewhere with the use of reverse cleaning, to separate pyrite from sphalerite, led to a series of tests in which better (but still modest)metallurgical results were obtained. The best result was a zinc recovery of 55 per cent in a concentrate of 50.5 per cent Zn. The major loss of zinc occurred in the reverse cleaning stage where the unit recovery of zinc was similar to pilot plant results achieved at Mount Isa Mines on similar feedstock. Diagnostic mineralogy suggested that an overall zinc recovery of 70 per cent was probably the practical upper limit, at a 50 per cent Zn grade.

Jan 1, 1999

By John Organiscak

A majority of continuous mining machines employ a water spray system and a machine mounted flooded-bed scrubber to suppress and capture dust during coal mining. These machine mounted dust control systems must be designed to function within the localized face ventilation system at the mining section to control both dust and methane. Spray systems can impede or improve the scrubber effectiveness in controlling dust or methane at the mining face. Laboratory experiments were conducted to examine the effect of spray type, spray pressure, machine body blocking sprays, and scrubber airflow on dust and gas levels while using a 12.2 m (40 ft) exhaust ventilation curtain setback from the face. These experiments were conducted with the mining machine positioned at the end of a simulated 6.1 m (20 ft) sump and slab cut. Results indicate that the hollow cone nozzles with blocking sprays best complemented the flooded-bed scrubber performance in an exhaust ventilation system. This external spray system notably reduced dust and gas levels on the off-curtain side of the mining machine for both the sump and slab cut as compared to the flat spray nozzles. Higher scrubber airflows reduced dust and gas levels on the curtain side and in the return of the continuous mining machine. The remote operator position, located on the off curtain side and parallel to the inlet end of the exhaust curtain, sustained the most stable and lowest dust levels around the mining machine.

Jan 1, 2010

By G. M. Kintz

It is estimated that 10,000 lives were lost and $285,000,000 worth of property was destroyed by fire in 1937. Of the 103 fatalities in tie petroleum industry in 1938, 36 resulted from fires and explosions.3/ Everyone can help to prevent the tremendous losses, both in life and property, caused annually by fires and explosions, Forest fires occur every year, in which the tremendously intense heat wave ahead of the flame turns beautiful green trees into blazing torches like so much gasoline, vapor, and jumps over the tops of trees to start fires behind the firs fighters; prairie-grass fires occur, and a farmer in the path of the fire must plow a furrow around his home and outbuildings before the flame reaches them; and frequently automobiles are burned up in filling stations. Persons who have witnessed such sights know better than to throw a lighted match, cigarette, cigar, or hot coal from a pipe out of an automobile or to discard a fire or flame of any type in the forest, in the country, or in the city.

Jan 1, 1941

By Henry Schwellenbach

LABOR shortages, rising wages, and changes in moisture and fines content of the ore necessitated a review of the flowsheet at Warren Foundry & Pipe Co's. Mt. Hope, N. J. Mines Div. This plant had been designed prior to World War II, and started operations in January 1945. When this operation was designed there was an oversupply of labor in the area, wages were at a reasonable level, the run-of-mine ore was low in moisture, and there was a limited amount of fines. These factors all favored use of hand picking for cleaning rougher lump concentrate. Since that time, many changes have occurred. The proximity of defense industries and large military installations, has created one of the most acute labor shortages in the country. This labor shortage together with present wage levels, and the increase in moisture and fines in the ore created several problems. The increase in moisture and fines may be attributed to changed mining methods, the extensive use of sprays, and the opening of new mining areas bringing an increase in ground water. [ ] Two problems were presented by the increase in moisture and fines. The first was that lump ore arrived at the open hearth in an unacceptable condition, due to the segregation enroute of the large amount of fines that had adhered to the lumps. The second problem was that high magnetite content fines coated the large lumps, making it difficult for pickers to distinguish middling by other than the relative weight. [ ]

Jan 1, 1952

By A. L. Anderson, J. T. Rybock

KEECO has developed the Silica Micro Encapsulation (SME) technology for the treatment of acidic, metal-laden waters. Utilizing a silica-based chemical formulation that entails chemisorption and micro-encapsulation of heavy metals in a permanent silica matrix, encapsulated particles settle quickly and are effectively isolated from the surrounding environment, producing a stable sludge that is characteristically non-hazardous. In a number of independently-verified pilot and full-scale applications (including the Bunker Hill Mine, Leviathan Mine, Wheal Jane Mine, and Meldon Quarry), SME has been proven highly effective. The technology has been featured in a number of mining publications and selected for innovative technology awards.

Jan 1, 2000

By James R. Boyle

The value of Alabama's nonfuel mineral production in 1983 was $361.3 million, an increase of $61.9 million over that of 1982. The increase reversed a downward trend that started in 1980 and established a new record high for value of nonfuel minerals in the State. Output of most nonfuel minerals increased to some degree with unit value increases creating the record-high value year. Cement, clays, lime, sand and gravel, and crushed stone were the major commodities produced in Alabama. Alabama led the Nation in the production of crushed marble; was second in bauxite; fourth in ferroalloys, dimension marble, common clay, and fire clay; fifth in bentonite and kaolin; and sixth in masonry cement and lime.

Jan 1, 1985

By Oliver Bowles

"Underground operation.In its broader sense the term ""mining"" is applied to all processes whereby raw materials are taken from the earth to be used as sources of mineral products. In a more restricted sense ""mining"" is applied to underground operations as contrasted with open pit work designated as quarrying. The tern is used in the restricted tense in this paper; for it relates to the exploitation of limestone deposits by modern methods of underground operation rather than by open pit methods.Present tendency toward miningIt may seem to some readers that a paper on mining limestone will find little general interest among lime plant operators, for only a limited number of them have yet resorted to this means of procuring raw materials. It is noteworthy, however, that a growing tendency exists toward underground operation, for one by one quarry owners are faced with increasing difficulties in open pit operation. It seems desirable, therefore, for operators to keep closely in touch with this gradual change in process, to inquire into the underlying causes, to compare costs, and to study the effects of the change in method on subsequent steps in calcining the stone to produce lime."

Mar 1, 1924

By John C. Ferm

This report summarizes the results of an investigation of geologic factors that contribute to roof quality in underground mines in the Pocahontas #3 coal bed in southern West Virginia and southwestern Virginia. The investigation consisted of three phases, the first of which was selecting for detailed study five mines which represented the range of roof conditions, mining practices and geologic phenomena. This was accomplished by a statistical analysis of questionnaire data from 35 mines. The second phase consisted of detailed mapping in a "good" and a "bad" top area in each of the five selected mines and resulted in a qualitative assessment of geologic factors contributing to roof £alls. In the third phase, five mines were selected in which most non-geologic factors believed to contribute to roof falls were relatively constant but displayed a wide variety of geologic characteristics. Data from these mines were analyzed to test the qualitative assessments from Phase II. The primary result of this investigation is that slickensides arising from different geologic causes are the major geologic features leading to roof falls. These slicken-sides are found in ancient slump deposits, fire clays and sandy fire clays and channel contacts. Falls also occur where thick sandstone bodies directly over-lying the coal contain abundant shale or ironstone pebbles and coaly strips. The best top material is a sequence which consists of shale grading upward to sandy shale and sandstone within 30 feet of the top of the coal. Thick sand-stone units (301) without pebbles also provide good top.

Jan 1, 1978

By David A. Staab

Numerical modeling was used to investigate the feasibility of using two geophysical imaging techniques, cross-borehole ground penetrating radar (XBGPR) tomography and electrical resistivity (ER) tomography, for detecting and characterizing defects in deep-mixed soil columns. XBGPR modeling was accomplished with a three-dimensional numerical forward modeling code and a two-dimensional inversion routine. Spatial variations in apparent dielectric constant (Ka) and attenuation (a) were mapped. Electrical resistivity modeling was accomplished with a three-dimensional numerical forward modeling code and a three-dimensional inversion routine. Spatial changes in electrical resistivity were then mapped. Three different types of defects were simulated, in addition to a defect-free column. The computer simulations suggest that XBGPR tomography and ER tomography might be useful, non-destructive methods for detecting and estimating the extent of defects in deep-mixed soil columns. The results show that small, isolated defects might be difficult to detect, but defects approximately equal to or larger than the sampling interval (for XBGPR) or vertical electrode spacing (for ERT) should be detectable.

Jan 1, 2004

By F. Crundwell, A. J. Lathwood

A number of base-metal operations would like to increase production to take advantage of the higher metals prices. In general, this higher production should not be achieved with major operating changes. In hydrometallurgical facilities, leaching and pressure leaching represents one area where upfront limitations may be a bottleneck to the capacity of the entire plant. An assessment of the capacity of the leaching tanks and autoclaves was performed using a predictive model within the AweSym flowsheet simulator. The model is described, and the results of the application of the model to a number of different leaching reactors are presented. It is argued that the leaching number, which relates the residence time, particle size and the leaching rate, is of prime importance. Finally it is shown that there are some unexpected catastrophic events in increasing production capacity without a thorough understanding of the leaching operation.

Jan 1, 2007