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By R. Bitmead, R Barker, A. Drake

The opencut coal mine is located about 50 km west of Brisbane, the capital city of Queensland in Australia and produces about 140 000 tonnes per annum of high grade steaming coal utilising a small team (ten) of personnel to mine remnants of the Aberdare and Bluff seams left by previous underground mining. This, in itself, is not remarkable except that one of the seams has commenced spontaneously cornbusting resulting in temperatures in excess of 55’C commonly being encountered with portions of the p’it being wreathed in steam. To extend mine life, the mine required a blasting system that would: . Safely blast in temperatures below 100°C . Significantly reduce overall unit costs . Not increase the current vibration impacts on nearby housing . Not increase flyrock.

Jan 1, 2002

By U. B. Kodukula

Attempts are made to evaluate the feasibility of using a water-injection cyclone for the concentration of iron ore fines. The separation characteristics of clay fines, containing large amounts of alumina and silica, from the iron values are discussed. The effects of critical variables, such as injection water rate, truncated cone diameter, spigot opening and vortex finder diameter, on the performance of a water-injection cyclone in terms of iron, alumina and silica grades; iron recoveries; and alumina and silica rejections are discussed. A set of 16 full-factorial experiments (24) was carried out to gain an understanding of the individual and interaction effects of the variables. The results indicate that classifying iron ore fines containing 63.0% iron, 2.5% alumina and 3.5% silica through a water-injection cyclone can produce concentrates with iron grades greater than 66.0% and alumina and silica contents less than 1.5% and 2.0%, respectively, at different study conditions. The achievable iron recovery values are greater than 88%, and alumina and silica rejections are more than 80% and 50%, respectively, within the specific study conditions. While the truncated cone diameter, injection water rate and spigot diameter influences the alumina rejection to a considerable extent, it is mostly influenced by the vortex finder diameter. The iron recovery and silica rejection values are mostly influenced by spigot diameter and truncated cone diameter. The effect of injection water on the concentration characteristics depend on the prevalent truncated cone diameter and spigot diameter conditions.

Jan 1, 2008

By Frank Rieber

THE study of earthquakes long ago developed the fact that by studying the travel times of the various groups of waves from the same earthquake, as received on seismographs at varying distances, major discontinuities in the earth's crust could be reasonably well defined. Using this original discovery, and adapting the mathematical methods originally devised in seismology for determining the depth below the surface at which such discontinuities occur, other investigators were able to develop a new branch of seismology which promises to be extremely useful in extending the boundaries of our information on local conditions below the earth's surface. As an outstanding example of the applications of this work, we have the so-called "seismograph" exploration of the Gulf Coastal region, which has resulted in the discovery of a large number of salt domes, from many of which oil fields may be developed. The original seismological investigations, from which different major discontinuities in the earth's crust were deduced, as well as these later successful experiments in locating salt-dome structures, involve relatively simple problems. In each case we are dealing with surface materials in which elastic waves will be propagated with a fairly definite velocity. Under this material we have something quite different, in which the elastic waves will be propagated with a much higher velocity. The transition from one medium to the other is likewise relatively abrupt. For example, in the Gulf Coastal region the sedimentary formations have a velocity of 6000 or 7000 ft. per sec., while the velocity of elastic waves in the cap rock of a salt dome may exceed 15,000 ft. per sec. Under such conditions, delineation of the formation is a relatively simple matter, and, furthermore, there is very little opportunity for ambiguous results.

Jan 1, 1928

WITH the exception of the deposits of the Milburn Cement Co near Dunedin, Wilson's Portland Cement Co., on the Mahurangi River (a short distance north of Auckland), and those of the New Zealand Portland Cement Co., at Limestone Island, the cement. Tesources of New Zealand remain practically undeveloped. The Milburn Company utilizes a mixture of limestone and mud for the manufacture of cement, while Wilson's and the New Zealand Portland Cement companies both have the advantage of a natural cement stock which requires but small additions of highgrade limestone to give the mixture required. The plant and deposits of the New Zealand Portland Cement Co are located in Whangarei Harbour, some six miles from thetownship of Whangarei. The works and dwelling-houses are situated on Limestone Island, which, with an area of 92 acres, and rising to a height of 212 ft., supplies the bulk of the raw material required. In addition to the island, the company possesses a high-grade limestone area of, roughly, four acres, situated on the mainland, 11 miles to the south. A better location for a cement works could not well have been chosen. On the east side of the island there is a deep channel, which never shows less than 18 ft. of water alongside the company's...

Jan 1, 1912

By William R. Yernberg

The Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mining Co.(CC&V) celebrated completion of a two-year, $168.5-million expansion and capital improvement program. An open house celebration was held in the historic mining town of Victor, CO on Oct. 4, 2002. Hundreds of townspeople, the press and other invited guests from the mining industry joined the employees of CC&V in the celebration. The event included mine tours, company displays and a barbecue picnic, complete with a country and western band. The Cresson Mine is located about 40 km (25miles) west of Colorado Springs, CO between the towns of Cripple Creek and Victor. The mine is the only large-scale gold mining operation in Colorado and now employs about 300 (ME, October 2001, pp.21-28). The operation is a joint venture between Anglo-Gold (Colorado) (67%), based in Greenwood Village, CO, and Golden Cycle Gold (33%), based in Colorado Springs. CC&V is managed by AngloGold North America. AngloGold North America is the U.S. subsidiary of AngloGold, the world’s second largest gold mining producer. AngloGold is based in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Jan 1, 2002

By J. Allaire, P. N. Muteb

The Meadowbank mine is operated by Agnico-Eagle Mines Ltd. and is located in the Kivalliq District of Nunavut in northern Canada. The process plant operates presently at a throughput of 11,500 tpd with gold grade varying between 2.9 and 3.6 g/t. The ore supplied to the process plant come from two different open pits and it expected to come from a new open pit early 2014. The ore is mid-hard materials so the feed size ore have a bigger impact on the throughput. The average gold recovery is 94.0% with about 15-30% of gold recover from the gravity circuit. The Meadowbank mine commissioning started in February 2010 utilizing a flowsheet consisting of one stage of crushing followed by primary and secondary grinding. The commercial production began in March 2010. During the commissioning several difficulties were observed to reach the designed throughput of 8,500 tpd. It was evaluated to insert a second stage of crushing. The insertion of the secondary crushing have two objectives, first to reach easily the process plant design throughput as well as to evaluated the mill capacity increasing. The process plant team evaluated various expansion alternatives eventually deciding to install a secondary crusher, increased the SAG and Ball mills motors capacities and maintain the rest of the process unchanged. Early 2011, with the improvement in the gold markets, decision was made to install the secondary crusher between the primary crusher and the primary grinding. The process plant continued to operate on the initial design until early June 2011. This paper presents the SAG mill throughput increasing from the designed tonnage of 8,500 tpd to 2012 targeted tonnage of 11,500 tpd, secondary crusher commissioning and the difficulties to operate in Canada Artic (Nunavut).

Jan 1, 2013

By R. M. Owens, J. F. Lupo

The Shirley Basin Uranium mine, located in southeastern Wyoming, USA, was an open pit mining operation consisting of a series of several open pit mines excavated into poorly consolidated sandstones, siltstones, and claystones. Since the initial open pits were developed in 1969, slope failures have plagued the mine and mining operations. These slope failures have persisted into the current mine reclamation period. When the mine was first developed, the open pit slopes were designed to range between 45 to 55 degrees. Numerous slope failures during mine development required the pit slopes to be redesigned with slopes as shallow as 26 degrees. At present, movements are occurring within the open pits on reclaimed slopes that are shallow as 12 degrees. Several detailed slope studies were conducted at the mine in the early 1970s. These studies, combined with more recent geotechnical investigations, provide a unique detailed history of pit slope failures on shallow slopes. This paper presents an evaluation of the slope failures at the Shirley Basin mine, highlighting important mechanisms causing slope failures on very shallow slopes. The evaluation demonstrates important key parameters for shallow slope design.

Jan 1, 2001

By A. Bascetin

Waste materials caused by mining activities are an important environmental problem. Paste technology is a good alternative for waste management because it has many benefits in the aspects of environment, cost and safety. Disposal of process wastes in paste form is an attractive option for waste management, as it eliminates or reduces the risks associated with conventional methods. Due to the geotechnical characteristics of the paste, it is very similar to soil materials. So determining the geotechnical properties of the paste material is essential to durability of the paste. The some important geotechnical properties are compressive strength, porosity, shear strength, hydraulic conductivity, water content, consolidation, etc. In this study, the important parameters and the relation between them were investigated and obtained some results which will affect for optimum design of waste management.

Jan 1, 2012

By Zhouhua Jinag

The attempt has been made to manufacture high nitrogen austenitic stainless steels by pressurized electro-slag remelting furnace with maximum nitrogen pressure of 7MPa. To obtain high nitrogen content in steels, the compound electrodes with different nitrogen sources (FeCrN, Si3N4) were prepared. Using the Si3N4 as the nitrogen alloying source, the silicon contents in ingots were prone to be out of the specification range, and the electric current fluctuated greatly and the surface qualities of the ingots were poor. The surface qualities of the ingots were improved using FeCrN as nitrogen alloying source. The sound and compact macrostructure ingot with the maximum nitrogen above 1.0wt% could be obtained. A series of high nitrogen austenitic stainless steels have been successfully developed by this method. The mechanical and pitting corrosion resistance properties of high nitrogen austenitic stainless steels were investigated. The results show that the steels exhibit excellent mechanical and pitting corrosion resistance properties.

Jan 1, 2009

By J. B. Fletcher

The Miami mine first started operations in 1910. For convenience, the history of the orebody can be divided into the following categories (Fig. 1): 1) 1910 to 1925: 24.4 million tons of high grade ore, mined by top slicing, sublevel caving, etc. 2) 1926 to 1954: 102 million tons of low grade ore, mined by block caving.

Jan 1, 1961

By D. A. Paice

Under the first phase of this contract as reported in the Phase I report it was determined that certain types of commercially available molded case breakers are capable of interrupting mine dc power supplies of nominally 300 volts or 600 volts rating. These circuit breakers incorporate conventional overcurrent trip units but also can be operated by means of low power signals fed to a shunt trip coil. Further development in the Phase I program produced a means whereby a discriminating circuit breaker detector unit could sense the presence of illegitimate loads on the dc electrical system and cause the circuit breaker to trip. The detector unit operated by detecting the presence of 3000 Hz currents which were generated in the illegitimate loads by means of a 12 volt, 3000 Hz signal applied to the dc system. Further development of the program has continued in Phase II with the aim of verifying the practicability of the complete discriminating circuit breaker concept and developing other types of equipments required to implement a system. These other equipments include electronic means for raising the apparent impedance of high power legitimate loads and static filters for smaller loads. The results of laboratory work and limited underground tests have been successful. This report describes the system and the tests that have been conducted on the various equipments that comprise the complete Discriminating Circuit Breaker Concept.

Jan 1, 2012

By R. F. Shurtz

The problem of estimating the precision of systematic samples from a mineral deposit is attacked by interpolating the quality, or other attribute measured, by using Fourier approximation. Such approximation using trigonometric functions yields a particularly simple expression for the variance of the mean value of the attribute sampled. The increasing volume of publication in which the science of statistics has been applied to the problem of predicting the quality of an ore deposit from sets of samples taken from it might lead one to believe that engineering judgment can be replaced by statistics. There is, in fact, an implicit application of the principle of indifference or of "no advance knowledge" which has been discredited in modern statistical theory and practice. These pages will show that it is not always advantageous, efficient, or safe to apply this principle. This problem will be dealt with by using series of orthonormal functions to describe the distribution of the quality of ore in space as contrasted with the more commonly used distribution of quality as a frequency function. Mining engineers are rarely well acquainted with the use of such series or of the functions comprising them. These uses are commonplace in the fields of communication and information theory and it is not surprising that applications taken from these fields should be found appropriate for the analysis of the information contained in a set of samples from an ore deposit. It is hoped that presentation of the following basic, but incomplete, results will generate wider interest in this method and a fuller development of it as well as of the necessary computational techniques. FUNDAMENTAL PREMISES Random variables in the strictest sense are not very common in mine sampling. The sets of samples are almost always taken systematically and are, hence, not subject to all the laws governing random events. Therefore, unless there is indeed random experimental error in the determinations of quality, the treatment of systematic samples of n members as though they were random samples of n members often leads to calculation of confidence limits for the mean quality which are larger than they should be with the result that unnecessary additional sampling is done. The reason for this will emerge in the following discussion leading to Eq. 24 and its generalization. In order to inquire into such questions on a rigorous basis and at the same time avoid arithmetic complications that would obscure the concepts involved, a one dimensional distribution of quality will be assumed. The quality, Q, in suitable units is expressed as a function of the distance, x, along some straight traverse of the deposit. Such a function

Jan 1, 1967

By K. Rambha Devi

The paper is an attempt to co-relate the findings of pile capacity using a number of formula suggested by various authors with the actual field load test results. Five locations consisting of wholly sandy or clayey soils were selected for this purpose. The clayey soils are on a hilly area having clays of medium to stiff consistency upto a depth of 20 m The sandy soils are near the bank of a river having angle of internal friction 'Ø' value ranging from 30 to 35 Degree. The details of the soil properties are given in Table-1 Bored cast-in-situ piles of 30 cm diameter and a length varies from 6.5 m to 13 m were designed and cast for load test to be carried out. The load applied was twice the design load. The load vs settlement curves were obtained. The theoritical values obtained by formula suggested by various authors were superimposed on the curves. From the careful study of these curves it is seen that De Ruiter and Berigen values are close to the actual results for clayey soil. For sandy soil it is found that both the BIS method and Meyerhof method found to give conservative resuslts. A multiplication factor is suggested to theoritical values for obtaining satisfactory results.

Jan 1, 1996

By T. A. Klinefelter

KYANITE and the related minerals sillimanite, andalusite, dumortierite, and topaz are natural aluminum silicates that can be used in production of mullite (3A1203?2Si02), a superduty refractory material. Kyanite and sillimanite are the dominant ones because of their greater abundance. The only other kyanite-group mineral presently used for mullite production is andalusite. Mullite is not an absolutely essential material as other refractories can be used in the same heat range. However, it is a highly satisfactory one. It is the only compound of silica and alumina that is stable at high temperatures. It has low thermal expansion and is very resistant to corrosive melts and to thermal shock. For these reasons mullite refractories have a much longer life than standard fire-clay refractories under the same conditions. Worldwide, excluding U.S.S.R., the refractories industry consumes about 150-000 short tons annually of kyanite group minerals and synthetic mullite.

Jan 1, 1961

By Paul Worsey, Larry Frost, Braden Lusk, Seok Bin Lim

For certification of blast resistant windows, current tests consist of arena tests or large air gun tests. Arena tests involve the detonation of more than 1000 pounds of explosives with windows placed in the range of hundreds of feet. The result of an arena test is a loading on a window consistent with an expected industrial or terrorist blast. Due to the nature of this type of test, only a limited number of facilities are available and operational costs can be extremely high. Air gun tests involve the use of compressed air and a failing diaphragm fired through a large tube. Although this test is more cost effective and easier to administer with lower environmental impacts, it is not an explosive loading and does not create a negative phase on the tail of the pressure pulse. Simply using a small charge in close proximity to the window is not a viable option either. The pressure peak can be reached using this method, but the duration of the pressure pulse is such that the positive phase impulse is on the order of ten times less than that for an arena test.

Jan 1, 2006

By John F. MacDonald

From 19BS thru the present, Guy F. Atkinson Construction Company has been involved in several transportation construction projects in the Seattle area. Two of these contracts, the Mt. Baker Ridge Tunnel, and The Seattle Bus Tunnel, had unique foundation features. MT. BAKER RIDGE TUNNEL ACCESS PITS The Mt. Baker Ridge Tunnel is part of the general upgrading of the I-90 freeway between I-405 and I-5 (see Fig. 1). It is located on the western shore of Lake Washington and consists of a 1300 foot long large diameter tunnel thru Mt. Baker Ridge. The ridge consists of over consolidated silts and clays overlain by a loose to medium dense silty fine sand. The water table is perched in this upper layer of material. The clays of Seattle have a history of being very sensitive to excavation. The hills are marginally stable and numerous landslides have occurred recently in the area of the tunnel. [ ]

Jan 1, 1990

By Hugo T. Dummett

I would like to share some observations about the mining business and place the ongoing discussion in the context of our changed world. The mining industry practices its trade in a universe defined by prices, laws and governments. Prices, as in what the industry is paid for what it produces, and the costs of goods and services. Laws that have to be transparent and fair. And governments that the industry prefers to be stable and supportive of the industry, and certainly not corrupt. However, the day-to-day realities of the mining business in 2000 are not what they were 10 years ago. Several events have occurred that have resulted in a less populated workplace that is obliged to work much smarter and faster. These include real declining prices for most mineral commodities; low and diminishing returns to company shareholders; massive restructuring of the industry through mergers, partnerships and alliances; gold’s changed role from reserve currency to just another commodity; the growing importance of native title and the startling imperatives of “sustainable development.” In addition, the “borderless world” now means that resource companies will need to pass the test of being responsible corporate guests who respect and enhance the social, moral and societal values of their host countries.

Jan 1, 2000

By Jake Hutchison, Wade Hutchison

The opposition to the project has risen as a result of some political pressures and from public perceptions about the project’s necessity and its impact on the neighborhood. As a result of this controversy, the Underground Conservation Hall was quickly termed “Bredesen’s Bunker” by the Media. Close exposures for blasting, required by the Conservation Hall construction project, have been regulated by specifications that regulate seismic monitoring, pre-blast and post-blast inspections. Planned blasting for the project included blasting to a depth of 30 feet (9.14 meters) within 35 feet (10.67 meters) of the front of the newly renovated Tennessee Executive Residence. Excavation for the project found more competent rock at higher elevations than identified in test drilling which required blasting within 2 feet (0.61 meters) of the side of the Residence.

Jan 1, 2009

By P. W. van Deventer

?Soil quality is the capacity of a soil to function, within ecosystem and land use boundaries, to sustain biological productivity, maintain environmental quality, and promote plant, animal and human health?. In the long-term, vegetative rehabilitation of mining wastes aims at, as far as possible, the proper ecological integration of the reclaimed area into the surrounding landscape, which is sustainable and requires minimal maintenance. A certain succession pattern is therefore needed. Recent ecological concepts recognize the role of the substrate?s quality and nutrients in affecting the rates and directions of succession patterns. Although pedogenesis and eventually soil quality in mine waste are not well known, monitoring of soil quality parameters in kimberlite mine tailings reveal a remarkable establishment and or improvement of specifics oil quality indicators. During the same time the vegetative cover?s total functionality as well as reproductive ability improved. Functions of soil, and thus soil quality, can be assessed at the field, farm, ecosystem, pedosphere, and global scale. It is recognized, however, that management of soil becomes increasingly difficult at larger scales, but for demarcated mine waste sites it is possible to ameliorate and manage and assess soil functions and quality. Therefore the significance of the study is the following: soil functions and quality become inseparable from the idea of system sustainability, and are considered as key indicators of ecosystem sustainability on rehabilitated mine tailings material.

Jan 1, 2008

By R. E. Head

[This paper embodies the data obtained by a detailed statistical, microscopic analysis of the composite mill feed concentrate, and tailing from the Magne and Arthur mills of the Utah Conger Co. for 1 month in 1929. It is one of a series of papers by the same authors5 dealing with the mineralogical characteristics of the ore and concentration products from various well-known plants. The work was done in the cooperateive microscopic service laboratory at Salt Lake and represents the results of cooperation between the United States Bureau u of Mines, the Utah Copper Co. and the University of Utah.]

Jan 1, 1935