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The origins of instrument application in the Mineral Industry are discussed. Development of measurement techniques pertinent to the industry is described as is the early application of mini-computers. The current application of microprocessor based equipment and the benefits obtained from this range of equipment are discussed. A speculative opinion as to what future instrument development may offer the industry is outlined.

Jan 1, 1985

The paper looks at those factors which led the Latrobe Valley Community Forum to .focus on shortcomings of the consultative process. that existed around the 1980 period, and the limitations on the ability of the community of the Latrobe Valley to have input to the factors affecting their quality of life. Through a review of the Yallourn East Field Extension project it seeks to demonstrate the changes that have occurred and some of the shortcomings still existant in the consultation process.

Jan 1, 1992

Major underground gold mine developments are not common in Australia especially when they are totally owned and hence financed by a relatively small public company. Ballarat Goldfields Limited with its Ballarat East Project is such a company. Financing a $20m underground exploratory access programme in a poor economic climate places added importance on the quality of the project. Critical factors such as ore reserves, environment, planning and the development program are of immense importance in devising and implementing a workable finance package that satisfies both the shareholder and the project's needs.

Jan 1, 1990

By A B. Christie

REGCHEM is a geochemical database containing stream sediment geochemical analyses compiled from open file mining company exploration reports. The database contains data on over 21 000 samples that have each been analysed for several elements such as gold, silver, arsenic, copper, lead and, zinc.   REGCHEM is supported by GEOEXPL - a custom written computer software application which operates under Microsoft Access. The data can be plotted as maps using a geographic information system (GIS) package called MapInfo, which can incorporate data from other data sets such as mineral deposit sites from the geological resource map database, GERM.

Jan 1, 1994

Gold recovery by catalytic copper ammonium thiosulphate solution has been studied. Such a process strategy is very attractive for leaching certain difficult-to-treat ores and presents lessened lixiviant toxicity compared to cyanide. Newmont Gold Company has evaluated the ammonium thiosulphate heap leach process for gold recovery from low-grade carbonaceous sulphidic refractory ores following biooxidation. The ammonium thiosulphate leach process has been studied in laboratory, pilot plant and demonstration scale. Satisfactory test results support the continuation of process development. However, the thiosulphate leach chemistry was found to be very complex. Maximum control of the stability of the leaching system is a key factor for success, especially for the heap leach process. Important solution chemistry is discussed in this paper.

Jan 1, 1997

During the 22 years that Isa Mine has been formally involved in accident prevention, it has succeeded in reducing its lost time injury frequency rate by 70 per cent. At present its performance compares very favourably with that of other heavy industries and in particular that of other underground metalliferous mines. When reductions such as this are recorded, people want to know how it is achieved. No doubt it is assumed that if an organisation can maintain a consistent performance in accident reduction, it must have developed a panacea for the prevention of industrial injuries. This assumption would not be in accordance with the facts in the case of Isa Mine which has achieved its record through plain hard work and plenty of it.

Jan 1, 1975

The Argyle AK1 Pit has been operating and producing over 25 per cent of the worldÆs diamonds by volume for over 20 years. The mining boom in Western Australia is creating upward cost pressures to ArgyleÆs mining operation while the price received for its product remains flat in comparison to many other Western Australian commodities. This incongruity, which when combined with other circumstances such as the pit being close to the end of its mine life, a decline in head grades and a tightening in operational constraints caused by the pitÆs maturity, is causing the leadership team at the mine to utilise innovative strategies in order to ensure that the open pit continues to perform economically until its final closure in late 2010. The strategies that will be discussed in this paper are step change business improvement methods, localisation of the workforce, employment of Aboriginal people and the use of a clear and concise consultation process in order to provide certainty to a workforce working in a pit during boom times where pit closure is imminent.

Jan 1, 2007

Simulation and animation models have developed rapidly over the past decade. Even so, the current state-of-the-art can be viewed only as being in a state of continual development with improvements in both hardware and software constantly being

Jan 1, 1998

Mount Isa Mines has been mining base metals since 1924. Annual production is currently 185 000 tonnes of crude lead, 207 000 tonnes of anode copper and 361 000 tonnes of zinc concentrate. This is achieved by underground mining of 11.7 million tonnes of ore followed by traditional flotation concentration and smelting operations.

Jan 1, 1976

The Queensland Phosphate Limited (QPL) Project is based upon the manufacture on world scale of High Analysis Fertilizers from resources located in north-west Queensland.High Analysis Fertilizers are produced from phosphate rock, sulphuric acid and ammonia.

Jan 1, 1993

The Benambra deposits, which are regarded as volcanogenic in origin, may be subdivided into two major bodies, termed the Wilga and the Currawong deposits; these are further subdivided into smaller, more manageable units, based on composition and structure/spatial distribution.

Jan 1, 1989

The increasing use of Ditch Witch trenching to define gold ore bound- aries in supergeme enriched near surface open cut mines has led to the consideration of using this technique for other sampling procedures. The use of Ditch Witch trenching for exploration has not been widely used and it is anticipated that the technique described will help stimulate more extensive use and new sampling techniques.

Jan 1, 1988

Distal rhyolitic tephras from the Taupo Volcanic Zone are widespread in the Auckland urban region. Some are primary air fall or flow deposits but most are reworked. Their presence indicates potential hazard for the Auckland urban region from future eruptions of central North Island volcanoes and associated secondary effects. Geotechnical problems occur as a result of weathering of the tephras yielding sensitive materials.

Jan 1, 1990

The successful operation of diesel equipment underground does not entirely depend on selection of robust, reliable, easily maintained machines. Results are also heavily influenced by the following factors: Design and condition of the operating area. Skill of operators. Correct maintenance facilities. Experience, skill and initiative of maintenance personnel. If the mine layout does not allow access to a central workshop area, the effect of any shortcomings will be magnified. The best results will only be obtained by close co-operation between mining and maintenance departments right from the initial planning stages.

Jan 1, 1977

There are two main challenges in analysis of spectral data: to output as accurate an interpretation of the sample mineral assemblage as possible and to then use the spectral data to map out trends (downhole, across section or traverse) that will assist the exploration geologist to target drilling and further exploration. This paper will discuss methods of extracting the maximum amount of information from spectral data and examples of plotting the information downhole, in section and plan view to assist in exploration and mining. An EXTENDED ABSTRACT is available for download. A full-length paper was not prepared for this presentation.

Jan 1, 2008

Over the last five years the :forward momentum in the Australian resources sector has been dominated by gold production and exploration companies. While reporting of exploration results to shareholders and Stock Exchanges has generally been detailed and responsible, the standards of reporting ore reserves still leaves much to be desired in terms of contemporary investor expectations. Australian gold ore reserve reporting practices are critically examined and suggestions are made as to how gold mining companies can enhance stock market recognition by investors through more informative and useful Reporting.

Jan 1, 1987

By J Szymanski, S Planeta

Extensive rockfill cylinder testing was performed to determine the effect that aggregate size, aggregate moisture, Portland cement, fly ash and cement dispersant addition has on compressive strength of a cemented backfill. In this paper ætwo-level factorialÆ and æcentral compositeÆ designs were used to determine the single and interaction effects that each factor have on the overall strength. The results from the designwork indicated that the per cent of aggregate fines had the greatest influence on the compressive strength of the rockfill cylinders. From the factorial design results, a compressive strength estimation equation was derived, which enables the strength to be estimated, given varying input values.

Jan 1, 1998

Best practice in environmental performance is a principle now increasingly and rapidly transferred around the globe. This matches both the greater rigour of environmental standards and the growing uniformity and `internationalisation' of standards for environmental management. There is no difference in the application of Normandy's environmental policy anywhere in the world.Normandy Mining is developing an Environmental Management System (EMS) which will satisfy:ò the need for technical excellence and best practice;ò the need to demonstrate `due diligence' in any jurisdiction;ò the need for financial statements and for insurance to reflect real world requirements for management of risk and liability.

Jan 1, 1997

That gold will dissolve in sodium hyposlphite solutions is known from the lixiviation of silver and gold ores.The gold will dissolve only in small quantities. According to Stetefeldt, if gold leaf is treated for a time with sodium hyposlllphite solutions of varying strengths solution takes place in every instance, the deviation in quantity being very slight.In order to form hyposulphite double-salts, the gold must become oxidised, the oxygen being derived from the air absorbed by the solution. Consequently, it is the quantity of free oxygen in the solution by, which the reaction is determined, as for one equivalent of gold dissolved one equivalent of caustic soda is set free.

Jan 1, 1901

By M Lellis

During the last decades, maintenance has changed from an ordinary repair activity to a complex function that plays an essential role contributing for the companyÆs results. The increasing level of complexity of modern equipment motivates maintenance personnel to improve both techniques, and management systems, in order to face the new challenges. Managing properly those modern means of production requires knowledge of methods and planning systems, controlling and performing maintenance tasks, in such a way that two objectives are achieved at the same time: system efficiency and cost-effectiveness. This paper shows CVRDÆs experience on evolving and implementing a model to plan and manage maintenance activities in order to achieve a higher level of performance on its operations.

Jan 1, 2003