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By Carroll D. A

The mining and minerals industry has had and will undoubtedly continue to have a considerable impact on the development of this State. For the first 60 years of its history the colony of Western Australia made slow progress; its population in 1889 being only 43,000. However, as a-result of discovering gold at Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie the Eastern Goldfields alone had a population of 25,000 by 1897. The income generated by the gold mining industry allowed the Premier of the day, Sir John Forrest, and his Government to support the proposal put forward by the State's Engineer in Chief, C.Y. O'Connor, to construct a pipeline to carry water from the Darling Ranges to Kalgoorlie ; a distance of 600 kilometres. The demand for people knowledgeable in the science and art of mineral exploitation also prompted the State Government to establish a School of Mines in the Goldfields in 1902, where it has remained ever since. The gold mines of this region have been a major source of employment for over 70 years and there is no doubt of the fact that their continued prosperity minimised the effect of the world recession on Western Australia in the 1930's.

Jan 1, 1979

By D Thomas

Geochemical data related to AMD for the West Coast and Southland regions have been collated into a relational database and GIS system. The types of information include; rock geochemical data, water chemistry data and aquatic macro-invertebrate abundance data. This information will be combined with eco-toxicology experiments to determine impact thresholds on aquatic ecosystems. Ultimately these datasets will be combined with remediation investigations to produce a Framework to assist decision making related to mine planning, consent and compliance.   Current geochemical research examines the controls on As concentrations downstream of gold mining areas and the variability of AMD from Brunner Coal Measure rocks. Assessment of factors that control the chemistry of Brunner Coal Measure AMD such as mine type, hydrogeology, geology, geochemistry and climate is in progress. Minerals that control the concentration of aluminium downstream of AMD point sources include alunite, jurbanite and various forms of Al(OH)3.

Jan 1, 2005

By A Bagis

Road tunnels are an accepted and effective transportation solution in urban areas to mitigate increasing traffic congestion and facilitate improved urban connectivity in a cost effective manner while meeting societal goals to reduce the impact of construction. In designing a tunnel system, there is a requirement to achieve an acceptable level of in-tunnel air quality, as well as meeting ambient air quality goals. In Australia, there is also a requirement for zero portal emissions which means that all pollutants must be emitted to the atmosphere via a ventilation stack.Traditionally, effective pollutant dispersion has been achieved by constructing tall ventilation stacks which disperse pollutants into the atmosphere at a high level. The dominant variable parameters in the effectiveness of the dispersion under the ventilation engineers control are the efflux velocity, the height of the ventilation outlet and the concentration of pollutants at the point of discharge. During off-peak operations the required ventilation exhaust rate can be reduced due to the decrease in traffic. This can lead to a drop in the efflux velocity from the stack and therefore the effectiveness of the dispersion. This potentially drives the need for a higher outlet, or an increased exhaust rate to achieve a higher efflux velocity with consequent effects on energy consumption.The paper proposes a method of varying the cross-sectional area of the ventilation stack with the use of motorised control dampers, thereby maintaining a sufficiently high efflux velocity throughout the 24 hour period independent of traffic conditions. This allows the use of a potentially shorter ventilation stack.

Mar 8, 2011

Cretaceous to Cenozoic sedimentary basins in Western Southland include a wide range of non-marine and marine sediments, in a structurally complex setting dominated by major fault systems. A reassessment of their mineral potential confirms large quantities of nonmetallic minerals (limestone, aggregate, marl), and smaller reserves of bituminous coal, lignite, clays, and oil shale. Hydrocarbon potential is largely untested. Metallic minerals are present in trace amounts, apart from platinum group minerals and some detrital gold. In the offshore area, seismic data suggest the hydrocarbon potential is significant. The Orepuki area has the most interest onshore.

Jan 1, 1992

By Savory P. J

Uranium mining operations commenced at Ranger mine site, Jabiru NT Australia in May 1980. The Ranger orebodies, totalling approximately 110 000 tonnes contained U305 had been indicated by airborne radiometric survey in 1969 and confirmed by drilling the following year. Both diamond and percussion drilling methods were used to define the mineralisation and samples were analysed using a combination of radiometric and neutron activation techniques. Ore reserve estimates were calculated from conventional and geostatistical methods, and following the mining of 15 million tonnes of ore, reconciliations with before mining estimates are well within acceptable industry standards. In-pit grade control employs radiometric techniques including a radiometric truck discriminator built in Australia to mine specification to meet production requirements and improve productivity. Environmental requirements associated with uranium mining are a daily consideration.

Jan 1, 1993

By R F. Weinberg, R A. Armstrong, A G. Tomkins

We investigated the duration of formation of the giant Ok Tedi porphyry copper-gold deposit in Papua New Guinea using zircon SHRIMP U-Pb dating. The intrusions that host the Cu-Au mineralisation have a maximum age of 1.43 ¦ 0.22 Ma. Since previously published K-Ar dates on the same intrusion constrain the last thermal event at 1.11 ¦ 0.05 Ma, we conclude that the magmatic-hydrothermal event that produced the deposit lasted ~0.45 million years (Myr). A comparison of Ok TediÆs calculated volatile fluxes with those from arc volcanoes and active mineralising hydrothermal systems suggests that the efficiency of metal deposition is a key factor in determining the duration of deposit formation. An EXTENDED ABSTRACT is available for download. A full-length paper was not prepared for this presentation.

Jan 1, 2008

By S L. Birch, M D. Raven

X-ray diffraction (XRD) is a well-recognised, invaluable tool to provide detailed mineralogical analysis on a wide range of applications. However, despite the wide use of XRD in many industries, there are currently few recognised standard methods for quantitative XRD analysis and none for the analysis of iron ore materials. An initial step towards preparing a standard method for XRD analysis of iron ores was to assess the current level of precision achievable by practitioners of the technique by organising an international round robin. Six Australian chemically certified iron ore reference materials were distributed to over 100 international participants. A summary of over 120 data sets from more than 80 participants is presented. Results show that a bewildering array of techniques for sample preparation, data collection, phase identification and quantification were used. The reported values for the main components (ie hematite, goethite, quartz and amorphous content) show not only extensive variability between participants but also within participants’ results for those who submitted multiple data sets. The disappointing low level of precision exhibited for a relatively simple mineral phase system indicates a strong requirement for development of a standardised procedure.CITATION:Raven, M D and Birch, S L, 2017. Summary of results of an international X-ray diffraction round robin for mineralogical analysis of iron ores, in Proceedings Iron Ore 2017, pp 599–604 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Jul 24, 2017

Radio Detection and Ranging is an active form of remote sensing. The-imaging system sends out a source of electromagnetic energy to 'illuminate' the terrain and then records the energy returned. The wavelengths used by radar are in the microwave region and vary from a few millimetres to about a metre. Radar systems are independent of lighting conditions and weather. In addition, targets may be illuminated in the optimum direction to enhance features of interest. New Zealand was one of the principal investigators on the Shuttle Imaging Radar (SIR-B) experiment, part of the payload on Challenger Mission 41-G in October 1984. Data collected over New Zealand was restricted to two very poor quality optical images and one poor quality digital data take. The digital image covered the ranges between the Hawke Bay-Wairoa Basin and the Volcanic Plateau. Variations of texture in this image frequently were indicative of variations in lithology and induration. The image also clearly depicted major faults where these had had a significant effect on the topography.

Jan 1, 1986

This backgrounds the methods, and technical terminology, of digital image processing techniques used to write out remote sensing imagery.

Jan 1, 1983

The traditional measure of Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIFR) as a measure of improvement in safety performance is recognised as inadequate and misleading, lulling managers into believing that safety is improving. It is a reactive measure, and steadily declining LTIFRs around the world have failed to be accompanied by a similar reduction in the fatality rate. This paper confronts the industry with the attitudes of some mining managers, such as one that allowed fatalities to occur in the case of a gold mining company at a rate of one death per 150 000 ounces of gold produced while claiming their safety record has improved, as shown by a falling LTIFR, and viewing fatality reductions as a long-term goal instead of an immediate priority. A quantum shift in management attitudes is required to focus on proactive measurements to detect the indicators of an impending disaster, and to predict conditions conducive to fatalities. Corporate CEOs are challenged to attend the funerals of all workers killed in the workplace. CEOs who fail to attend such funerals send a message to employees that the CEOÆs priorities lie elsewhere, and that profits take priority over workersÆ lives. The dichotomy of whether mining companies are run for the benefit of shareholders or whether companies owe social responsibility to the community is examined. The role of individual responsibility for personal safety is examined, together with the psychology of employees in the mining industry. A number of proactive measurable indicators are suggested to stimulate discussion on developing robust measuring tools to predict and therefore prevent fatalities.

Jan 1, 2003

By G Stanway, P Mahoney, C Griebel

The Mining Innovation – State of Play was initiated three years ago by VCI in partnership with the University of Western Australia. The ambition was to create a ‘think tank’ type platform to support industry discussion on how it is performing in terms of innovation at a strategic level, what needs to change in the industry ‘ecosystem’, and how businesses may more effectively develop their strategy and architecture to innovate for competitive advantage.The drivers for this ambition were straightforward. The industry recognises itself as being conservative with respect to innovation and it knows the business and community endowment dividend from getting better at innovation is large; however, much of the material that seeks to provide insight on innovation tends to be drawn from industries that do not have the same high capital, long life cycle and market uncertainty characteristics as that faced by mining. Material that does focus on mining innovation is orientated towards technical innovation, not innovation strategy. There exists a significant knowledge gap, and filling it is valuable to both mining businesses and communities.The 2014 Mining Innovation State of Play report (Stanway, Griebel and Mahoney, 2014), based on a survey of over 230 mining executives, uncovered a range of insights but left several questions unresolved. The people with the best perspective on these questions are CEOs. They can see the business issues with sufficient clarity and have the influence to shape both the industry and its organisations, as seen in Figure 1. Discussing these questions with the view to progressing our collective understanding was the primary reason this interview series was conducted.Unsurprisingly, interviewing 15 CEOs and Chairpersons from different industries and commodities, across the globe resulted in a broad range of views. The discussions were frank and often blunt in assessing the short comings in the industry and suggestions for improvement. This degree of candour is hugely valuable as a basis for improvement. In the end, four key areas emerged as a basis for improvement.CITATION:Stanway, G, Griebel, C and Mahoney, P, 2017. Mining Innovation State of PlayTM – iron ore insights, in Proceedings Iron Ore 2017, pp 439–442 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Jul 24, 2017

By A F. Cooper

Otago Schist in the Mount Patriarch, High Burn and Cameron Creek areas of northwest Otago grades from textural grade IIA in the east to textural grade III in the west. The entire region is of the actinolite-pumpellyite metamorphic facies. Lithologies in the area are interbedded turbidite sequences comprising pelite and psammite together with pebble conglomerate, greenschist and metachert horizons. The mineral assemblage of the schist is typically quartz-albite-epidote-actinolite-pumpellyite-chlorite-stilpnomelane-calcite. A good foliation is well defined in the area and is predominantly parallel to bedding, except in hinges of mesoscopic isoclinal folds. The structure of the area appears to be defined by a large southwest plunging isoclinal fold defined by bedding with a steeply dipping axial planar foliation. Kink folding and dextral strike-slip faulting in the area postdates the ductile phase of deformation. Pods of rhodonite, rhodochrosite, spessartine garnet, coombsite, caryopilite, Mnstilpnomelane and Ni-Cu-Zn sulphides were found in concordant metachert layers in the Mount Patriarch area. Metachert was also found in float in the Cameron Creek area. Malachite occurrences relating to copper mineralisation were also noted in a green metachert horizon on the eastern flank of Mount Patriarch. The coombsite, in only the third observation worldwide, is the most Fe-rich variety reported.

Jan 1, 2003

Extraction and Characterisation of Extracellular Polymeric Substances from the Mineral Surface During Bioleaching of Chalcopyrite Concentrate A mixed culture of moderately thermophilic microorganisms was used to bioleach chalcopyrite concentrate in a stirred tank reactor. The results show that up to 84.7 per cent of copper extraction could be achieved in 24 days at a pulp density of 6 per cent. The leaching rate of chalcopyrite concentrate tended to increase with an increase of dissolved total iron concentration. Furthermore, the extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) on the surface of the chalcopyrite concentrate was extracted and analysed. EPS was extracted at the first, third, eighth, 16th and 24th day during bioleaching, which mainly consisted of proteins, lipids, sugars and ferric irons. After the eighth day the total amount of EPS remained relatively constant. However, the amount of ferric iron in the EPS decreased in a large scale. The ore residue analysis indicates that the decrease of ferric iron was mainly due to the formation of jarosite on the mineral surface.

Sep 13, 2010

Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to welcome you, on behalf of the Council and Administration, to this University and extend to you our very best wishes for a most successful and stimulating symposium. We as a College of the University of N.S.W. were always proud of the excellent support we received from your Institute members and the close association that existed between our organisations. Now we have matured into the University of Wollongong and have to stand on our own feet, we will need all the support we can get from such bodies as yours to ensure that we are not only producing graduates but are also playing a vital role in the community. Although there is no planning for a school of Mining Engineering in the near future, we do look forward to this being a viable proposition eventually and we will then be able to offer to your Institute wider facilities for your activities and ones which will embrace both the Mining and Metallurgy phases. Thank you Mr. President.

Jan 1, 1975

By T A. J Hopper, S Mukkisa, M L. Johns, K T. O’Neill

Technological advances the sensor design and performance for logging while drilling (LWD) instrumentation offer considerable opportunities in iron ore exploration. Here we focus on the development of a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) LWD tool. NMR is an advanced geotechnical logging technology capable of providing in situ measurements of the porosity, pore size and permeability of the formation of interest. The ability to provide real-time characterisation of iron-ore systems is beneficial to both drilling operations as well as real-time formation evaluation. The development of an NMR LWD tool for mineral exploration drilling has previously not been achieved due to the significant technical and environmental challenges associated with the design and operation of such a tool. The tool outlined in this work is designed to work in reverse-circulation (RC) drilling systems. As such, the tool needs to be compatible with the RC drill-string, as well as being highly robust to survive the shocks and vibrations experienced during RC drilling operations. The magnetic physics of the probe must be capable of measuring at the appropriate depth into formation whilst being subject to the array of motions experienced during drilling operations. Furthermore, conducting accurate NMR measurements in an iron ore formation is challenging and the measurement methodology must be tailored to characterise the magnetic environment. The tool also requires high-powered electronics capable of operating the necessary pulse sequences for excitation and acquisition. The resultant tool design must therefore optimise the inherent trade-offs which exist between the physical components (ie mechanical structure, magnetic components and electronic hardware) in order to operate appropriately whilst not hindering RC drilling operations. Current experimental analysis of the prototype indicates that the current probe design exhibits the required measurement specifications and is nearing field testing. Future work will look towards commercialisation of the instrument.

Nov 8, 2021

The development and distribution of gold placers in Otago û Southland is related primarily to the evolution and architecture of three distinctly different drainage networks that developed during and since Gondwana breakup: +        Late-Gondwana û Pre-marine; +        Middle Tertiary Post-marine; and +        Modern. Late Gondwana û Pre-marine drainage was dominantly recti-linear and controlled by normal faults and sedimentary basins formed before or during Gondwana breakup. Placers formed dominantly in 2nd order transverse drainages with primary sources in their catchments. This drainage network was progressively destroyed by inundation and burial by marine strata during Late Cretaceous û Middle Tertiary marine transgression that ultimately covered most of New Zealand. Middle Tertiary Post-marine drainage evolved on and incised the newly emergent low-relief landscape during regional marine regression driven by development of the present plate boundary through South Island. Most of Central Otago was drained into Southland and to the southern coast via a large braided river system with an extensive network of tributaries in its Central Otago reach. East Otago was drained by several smaller systems. Placers formed dominantly in proximal and medial reaches of 1st and 2nd order drainages with primary or pre-existing placers in their catchments. This drainage network was destroyed by inundation and burial of the Central Otago reach of the major system by lacustrine strata following tectonic damning of its middle reach by range uplift and development of a lake complex that covered >5000km2 of Central Otago. The Modern drainage network evolved from the Middle Tertiary network through complex response, firstly to uplift of NW-trending and NE-trending ranges throughout the region since the Late Miocene, and secondly to the effects of major Pleistocene glacial advances in West Otago. Placers formed in alluvial fans at range margins, proximal and medial pre-glacial fluvial systems and glacial outwash sequences. Evolution of each of these drainage networks has been accompanied by widespread sedimentary recycling of alluvial gold from older to younger placers, augmented locally by input of first-cycle gold derived from erosion of primary sources in the repeatedly exhumed basement rocks.

Jan 1, 2006

India is on fast economic growth. Even in the turbulent years of global crisis, it could achieve a growth of over eight per cent. In recent past, Indian Government has been contemplating a faster growth in all the sectors of economy so as to make the nation an economic power in the world.Steel is a versatile material. It has its role in most of the major industrial activities, such as infrastructure, automobiles, urbanisation, consumer durables and other. In other words, steel is a part and parcel of industrial expansion, urban and rural development. It is rightly admitted that steel acts as pillar of any development model. Volume of steel consumption is the barometer which measures economic progress and/or industrial status of any country.India and China are the two countries in Asia which have the significant impact on the global steel industry. Of course, China is much ahead of India in consumption level of steel.

Dec 6, 2010

The Kwademen Au deposit was discovered in 1977- 1978 following a regional geochemical survey carried out as part of a UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) and BUMIGEB (Bureau des Mines et de la Geologie du Burkina) mineral exploration programme. The climate in Burkina Faso is rather dry, with markedly seasonal rainfall averaging 800 mm pa in the Kwademen project area. The relief is low and the drainage poorly developed, so that soil sampling was preferred to stream sediment sampling. Rocks have been subjected to deep lateritic weathering, so that they are transformed into a mixture of Fe-oxides and kaolinite over depths varying between 30 and 40 m. At the regional stage, soil samples (30-40 cm depth) were collected a a 300 x 500 m grid. The Kwademen deposit was indicated by Cu, Zn, Mo and Au anomalies. Subsequently, an area of 9.2 km2 was covered by a detailed geochemical survey by soil (100 x 50 m) and auger sampling. The regional anomaly was fully confirmed, and subsequent drilling intersected mineralized ore shoots, justifying the establishment of an evaluation project led by the U.N.R.F. (United Nations Revolving Fund) in 1983- 1985.

Jan 1, 1988

By G Baird, M Seto

Reliable evaluation of in situ stress is an important phase in the analysis and design of underground excavations, particularly for evaluating the stability of underground structures to prevent failure or collapse. A technique for the estimation of the full stress tensor based on acoustic emission (the Kaiser effect) is being developed and trialed at the WA School of Mines. The result obtained compare well with the standard over-coring method. The advantages of the technique are that it is relatively cheap, non-time consuming and is applicable to in situ stress measurements at depth in remote regions.

Jan 1, 2002

This paper describes the past, normal and advanced practice of optimisation in mining. It then discusses what needs to happen for the mining industry to make full use of what is now available.

Dec 6, 2010