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By D. K. Jorgensen

The Bullfrog and Montgomery-Shoshone deposits, near Beatty, NV, have a combined drill-indicated reserve of 15.8 Mt (17.4 million st) of ore. Average grade is 3.5 g/t (0.103 oz per st) gold and 8.2 g/t (0.24 oz per st) silver. The deposits occur in Miocene volcanic rocks that underwent large-scale movement within a detachment-faulted terrane. The principal host to gold mineralization is a strongly welded rhyolitic tuff that experienced brittle deformation during plate movement. Open space fractures and breccia were filled with quartz, calcite, and adularia accompanied by lesser pyrite, gold, and acanthite. Gold occurs as micrometer-sized particles within and adjacent to the low-angle fault and along associated listric-normal and tear faults. The Bullfrog and Montgomery-Shoshone are volcanic-hosted, detachment fault-related, epithermal quartz calcite stockwork gold deposits. Bullfrog's minable reserve is 13 Mt (14.3 million st) of ore grading 3.8 g/t (0.11 oz per st) of gold. At Montgomery-Shoshone, 2.7 Mt (3 million st) minable tons at 2.5 g/t (0.072 oz per st) are present. Preproduction stripping has begun at the Bullfrog ore body. A 7.7-kt/d (8500-stpd) carbon-in-pulp (CIP) mill is under construction. In 1990, Bond Gold expects to be producing about 6.2 t/a (200,000 oz per year) of gold.

Jan 1, 1990

By H. T. Miller, L. M. Scott

Radiation exposures in Uranium operations may result from external beta-gamma radiation emitted by Uranium and its progeny, internal exposure to alpha and beta radiation due to the inhalation and ingestion of Uranium ores, Radon gas, and Radon progeny in mine, mill, and laboratory atmospheres and from the contamination of environmental working surfaces and clothing by Uranium-bearing compounds and ore. This paper summarizes occupational experience with reference to the exploration, surface mining, underground mining, milling and transport of Uranium by one company in the U.S. and Canada.

Jan 1, 1981

By Su Yang, Pang Shun, Xiaoding Xu, Guodong Yang, Hengfeng Liu, Meng Wu, Yuejin Zhou

By introducing the hydrochemical damage variable of coal gangue granular material, this paper analyzed the evolution law of gangue mechanical parameters with hydrochemical damage. By constructing a gangue damage model considering multifield coupling, the damage mechanism of gangue under multi-field coupling was revealed from the microscopical aspect, and the influence law of gangue damage mechanism on the dissolution of toxic substances under multi-field coupling was obtained: the conditions of Test 1 have the greatest influence on the porosity of coal gangue, and the damage of coal gangue is the greatest. Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb are more easily leached under acidic conditions. The coupling effect of seepage, temperature, and chemical field can promote the formation of secondary voids, change the voids, and form migration paths in coal gangue. The kinetic model of toxic leaching of coal gangue under multi-field coupling can be well characterized by Elovich equation. The release mechanism of heavy metals is mainly manifested as delayed diffusion or dissolution in the early stage, diffusion and dissolution in the middle stage, and depletion in the late stage.

Nov 23, 2023

By Jim Avraamides

Historically, much of Western Australia's gold production has come from the refractory sulphide-telluride ores located in Kalgoorlie's Golden Mile. Most of the recent gold boom has been associated with low grade, open pit free-milling oxide deposits. Primary sulphides are commonly encountered at depth and in many cases are highly refractory. Different approaches to the problem of recovering go1d from these ores have been adopted subject to local conditions both technical and environmental. The least preferred option is the preparation of a gold- rich flotation concentrate which is shipped to a smelter. Roasting of flotation concentrates can be practised in certain remote locations where sulphur emissions are tolerated. Fine grinding of flotation concentrates followed by direct cyanidation is another popular approach although this often leads to fouling of carbon by flotation reagents in the adsorption section and high soluble gold losses.

Jan 1, 1989

By P. Worley

With Utah Power & Light Mining Division's commitment to operate the safest and most productive mines possible, a decision was made to purchase and install mine-wide monitoring systems for use in the mines. After review of several different systems the Conspec Senturion 200 system was chosen. Three separate systems were ordered to fulfill the monitoring requirements of the six mines in operation: one system for the Deer Creek Mine one for the Wilberg/Cottonwood complex, and one for the Deseret, Beehive and Little Dove complex.

Jan 1, 1989

By D. John Curtis, Gordon S. Crighton, John C. Hester

The six main drives needed to build 55 miles of 4.8 and 7.7 metre i.d. tunnels in 33 months called for careful co-ordination of the design of tunnel boring machines and linings. The implications of these requirements are discussed, with particular reference to the selection of tunnel liners. The solutions adopted are detailed and details are given of the specifications and procedures adopted. The design methods employed for liners are outlined. The construction methods are described and current performance figures given.

Jan 1, 1991

By J. Morris, R. Sellaro

Petro-diesel is a common collector for coal flotation, but the partitioning of diesel range organics (DROs) in process streams has not been widely studied. Preliminary research suggested that under normal dosing schemes total residual DRO contents in process waters should be limited to the sub-ppm water-soluble fraction (WSF). Further, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) should partition proportionately with DROs. The purpose of this study was to confirm these findings in laboratory flotation tests. Total DRO and specific PAH contents were measured in the waters associated with the concentrate and tailings streams. The results show that concentrate waters consistently had higher amounts of DROs than tailing waters. Moreover, the DRO contents in both streams generally increased with increasing diesel dosage. In line with preliminary research, DROs appeared to be limited to the WSF, and PAHs tended to partition proportionately with DROs. Under typical operating conditions, it appears that residual DROs should not present an environmental concern, but conditions should be avoided that allow significant overdosing of diesel.

Jan 1, 2014

By Q. Yuan, B. Yarar

Steric stabilization is a phenomenon observed when relatively high doses of flocculants are added to fine particle suspensions. Experiments were conducted to establish conditions under which medium viscosity and the sedimentation properties of black sand components in a slurry could be controlled so as to enhance the selective sedimentation of gold grains. It was shown that black sand concentrates containing as low as 2.65 g/mt gold could be upgraded by selectively hindering the sedimentation of non-gold components in an aqueous slurry. This paper presents data describing the theory and practical implementation of this cyanide or mercury-free novel approach where gold could be concentrated by as much as 15 times with relatively high recoveries. The relationships of solids content of slurries, type and dose of polymers with the recovery process are documented. Key words: Gold, black sand, selective flocculation, steric stabilization.

Jan 1, 1993

By W. H. Schiffbauer

The U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) developed an active proximity warning system called hazardous area signaling and ranging device (HASARD) for warning workers as they approach known dangerous areas around heavy mining equipment and other dangerous work zones. HASARD is composed of a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter generates a 60-kHz magnetic field using one or more wire loop antennas. Each antenna is adjusted to establish a magnetic field pattern for each hazardous area. The receiver, which is worn by the worker, is a magnetic field strength meter. The received signal is compared against preset levels that are calibrated to identify levels of danger. The receiver outputs can include visual, audible and vibratory indicators, and it can also be made to disable machine functions. HASARD was field tested on a Joy 12 continuous miner, a Komatsu 210 M Haulpak and on a high wall launch vehicle. Slight modifications were made for each application. HASARD provided warnings as designed, and it proved to be rugged enough to withstand the harshest of production environments.

Jan 1, 2003

By William P. Barnett

In 1988, the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Pittsburgh Energy Technology Center identified three coal cleaning options for achieving flexible environmental control strategies aimed at reducing energy-related SO2 emissions. These are selective agglomeration, advanced froth flotation and advanced cycloning. Each relies on maximum liberation of pyrite and other mineral matter through feed coal comminution to fine and ultrafine sizes. The National Energy Strategy (NES) and the Clean Air Act Amendments (CAA) of 1990 are examples of the nation's commitment to a clean environment. The need to use the nation's energy resources in an environmentally sound manner presents critical challenges and opportunities for coal preparation during the next decade, particularly regarding the control of SO2 emissions. The principal challenge is the development of cost-effective coal preparation approaches for sulfur removal beyond currently achievable levels. Opportunities are provided in the form of incentives associated with a novel system of SO, allowances and a policy environment based on the proper functioning of familiar market forces. An allowance, as defined in Section 402(3) of the Amendments, is "an authorization ... to emit ... one ton of sulfur dioxide." To achieve the objective of the Clean Air Act Amendments, SO, emissions will be eventually capped at 8.12 Mt (8.95 million st) annually by controlling the number of allowances issued nationally. By permitting allowances to be bought and sold once issued, the law encourages "overcompliance" as a source of profit for owners of excess allowances. Many details concerning the administration of allowance trading are not yet written.

Jan 1, 1992

By J. Morris, R. Sellaro

El petrodiesel es un colector común para la flotación de carbón, pero la partición de compuestos orgánicos de diesel (DRO por sus siglas en inglés) en corrientes de proceso no ha sido ampliamente estudiada. Investigaciones preliminares sugieren que bajo esquemas de dosificación normales los contenidos residuales totales de DRO en aguas de procesos deben estar limitados a la fracción soluble en agua (WSF por sus siglas en inglés) sub-ppm. Es más, los hidrocarburos aromáticos poli-cíclicos (PAH por sus siglas en inglés) debería segmentarse de manera proporcional con los compuestos orgánicos de diesel (DRO). El propósito de este estudio fue confirmar estos resultados en pruebas de flotación realizadas en laboratorio. Se midieron los contenidos totales de DRO Y PAH en aguas asociadas con los flujos o corrientes de concentrados y relaves. Los resultados muestran que las aguas con concentrados tenían de manera consistente mayores cantidades de DRO que las aguas de relaves. Es más, los contenidos de DRO en ambos flujos generalmente se incrementaban con el aumento de la dosis de diesel. De acuerdo con la investigación preliminar, los DRO parecían estar limitados a la fracción soluble en agua (WSF) y los PAH tendían a segmentarse proporcionalmente con los DRO. Bajo condiciones de operación típicas, los DRO residuales no deberían representar una preocupación medioambiental, pero deben evitarse situaciones que permitan una sobredosis significativa de diesel.

Jan 1, 2014

Introduction The frigid regions of Canada's high arctic islands are well-known for major oil and gas explorations. But mining leads the way in development. Cominco Ltd.'s Polaris mine is in its second full year of commercial production, and outstripping the rated production capacity foreseen by its planners. The Polaris mine is located on the shore of Little Cornwallis Island, near the settlement of Resolute Bay. The mine property is compact. It occupies about 3 km2 (0.5 sq miles) of the vast Arctic landscape. A number of mining and technological firsts were necessary to bring a mine into production at this 76° North latitude. Development constraints that had to be overcome included climate, remote location, and the limited ice-free shipping season. Construction of the entire process plant and ancillary facilities took place on a barge in the South where labor and supplies are plentiful. The plant was towed through ice-strewn waters to its permanent location at the mine site 1450 km (900 miles) from the North Pole. Freighters moved the first shipments to the South during ice break-up in late summer 1982. Most of the zinc concentrate is sold to European smelters. The remainder is tolled at a custom smelter in Europe, and the resulting metal is sold by Cominco. Lead concentrate is sold to European smelters. The mine was designed to produce 177 kt/a (195,000 stpy) of zinc concentrate and 41 kt/a (45,000 stpy) of lead concentrate. Actual production in 1983 was considerably greater, with both mill throughput and feed grades being higher than forecast. Production was 217 kt (239,300 st) of zinc concentrate and 51 kt (56,300 st) of lead concentrate. Average milling rate was 2.3 kt/d (2500 stpd), well above the designed capacity of 2.1 kt/d of (2300 stpd). Arctic Climate Extremes The climate is typical of the Arctic: very dry with short, cool summers and long, cold winters. From November through February, there is continuous darkness. Continuous daylight prevails from April to August. Precipitation is light, rivaling the Sahara desert at about 127 mm (5 in.) of rain and snow a year. An almost continual wind forms deep snow drifts against any obstacle on the ground. Temperatures range from a winter low of about -50°C (-58°F) to a relatively pleasant 15°C (59°F) during sunny days in August. Freeze-up begins in September and ice thickness increases from less than 0.3 m (1 ft) in early October to a maximum of about 2.1 m (7 ft) in May. The permanently frozen ground extends to a depth of about 427 m (1400 ft). Only a few inches of surface ground thaws in the summer. Exploration Activity Zinc-lead mineralization was

Jan 10, 1984

By M. A. Cocquerel

INTRODUCTION Davy McKee have developed and patented a combined mixer settler (CMS) which has undergone extensive trials and has now been installed in two commercial uranium plants in South Africa. Substantial capital and operating cost savings can be realized over conventional mixer settler in uranium extraction, especially from dilute feedstocks containing approximately 200 ppm U308. Pilot plant work has also been undertaken on other metal extraction systems and the results are very encouraging in most areas of interest. CONVENTIONAL MIXER SETTLERS The conventional plant in use at many uranium recovery facilities consists typically of a mixer box in which the aqueous and organic phases are contacted and a settler in which the two phases separate. The mixer box must allow sufficient residence time for the mass transfer kinetics to be satisfied for the particular species involved. The settlers are usually rectangular and take the form of shallow tanks of large cross sectional area.

Jan 1, 1984

By Michael G. Nelson, Amy Richins, Ashley Hodgson, W. Pratt Rogers

"Sociotechnical systems are everywhere in the modern industrial world. Sociotechnical systems describe how humans interact with technology throughout a variety of processes. These systems are prevalent in modern industrial settings, such as operating mines. Safety and health management systems (SHMSs) are complex sociotechnical structures designed with the aim of managing and reducing occupational risk. U.S. mining companies are voluntarily adopting SHMSs to supplement regulatory safety compliance efforts. Like all complex sociotechnical systems there are a wide variety of approaches and adoption philosophies around a SHMS. Many SHMSs suffer from high levels of redundancies, which manifest themselves in diverse ways: duplicate processes, forms, permits, and tracking mechanisms. These redundancies have severe impacts on the overall system and absorb critical culture and leadership “energy”. A recent study initiated by the University of Utah and sponsored by the Alpha Foundation is investigating the effectiveness of SHMSs across 15 different U.S. mining sites. A large amount of data has been captured to help characterize elements of SHMSs and correlate their impacts on safety outcomes. Many variables were assessed in the study. Those of importance to this paper are the variables describing the robustness of the sociotechnical aspects of the SHMS. Two such variables are the overall integration of the SHMS within the whole system and how data is managed. Data management in this context deals with the approach to capturing, analyzing, and acting on data within the system. As well, systems are integrated around controlled, data-sharing mechanisms. It has been found that wide variety of approaches has been taken to integrate the SHMS within the governing management philosophy at a given site. A series of case studies is presented that develop some specific best practices for proper data management and integration of SHMSs.Introduction and Project Background Managing occupational health and safety can be done in many different ways, and with many different approaches, but is often based on the host country’s regulatory and industrial culture. However, many companies have extended their effort beyond the regulatory requirements of their host nation and have implemented Safety and Health Management Systems. The goal of these efforts is to reduce and eliminate occupational risk. Many health and safety practitioners have a hard time justifying various elements of health and safety management. There is a lack of institutional knowledge that measures and assesses the effectiveness of these Safety and Health Management System (SHMS) elements. To better understand the effectiveness of SHMSs the Alpha Foundation has funded a research project with the University of Utah. The title of the project is “Characterization and Effectiveness of Safety and Health Management Systems in the U.S. Mining Industry.” The research team will assess the SHMSs of 15 United States mine sites. The outcome of the project will be a method to characterize the strength of the SHMS elements, assess a culture and leadership index, and finally establish correlations between elemental risk and safety outcomes. The study is currently in progress. However, many important outcomes have already been observed, particularly on the data management practices within an SHMS."

Jan 1, 2017

By John W. Graham

To start my talk, I thought it might be helpful for us to define the term "aggregate", so I went to the dictionary. Webster has several listings under "aggregate", and I found the following: "1. A mass or body of units or parts somewhat loosely associated with one another." Well, I didn't like that term "loosely" so I read on. "2. Crystals of one or more kinds of mineral or rock fragments." That sounded better, but I still read on. "3. Any of several hard inert materials used for mixing with a cementing material to form concrete or mortar." That sounded even better, but it should be a little broader. So I would like to define "aggregates" for you as follows: "Hard, inert fragments of rock or minerals used alone or with cementing agents to form products essential to nearly all types of construction." Usually aggregates are sand, gravel, or crushed stone, but other minerals such as clay or shale can be heated and become aggregates. What are some of the construction uses? Well, we've already mentioned concrete, as used in streets and highways, sidewalks and parking lots, airports and all kinds of building construction, not to mention bridges and swimming pools, and docks and breakwaters, just to list some of the uses. Our way of life couldn't exist without concrete. And you can't have concrete without aggregates,

Jan 1, 1977

By K. C. Shaver

The Sloan Ranch kimberlite complex is located approximately 130 km north-northwest of Denver in the Precambrian core of the northern Colorado Front Range (Figure 1). A Devonian age for the complex is suggested by the fossil assemblages in limestone xenoliths (Chronic and others, 1969), and by paleomagnetism of the kimberlite (E. E. Larson, personal communication, 1986). The presence of diamond was first reported in rocks from the Sloan diatreme by McCallum and Mabarak (1976). Prior to this time, the distinctive- appearing host rock of the Sloan diamonds had been quarried for use as terrazzo stone; examples may be seen in the floors of the airports in Cheyenne and Laramie, Wyoming. The Minerals Division of The Superior Oil Company obtained a lease on the Sloan property in 1980. During the next four years Superior built and fine-tuned a highly efficient diamond recovery facility, explored and tested the Sloan deposit, and used Sloan as a site for testing numerous exploration techniques for future use in a continuing exploration program in the Colorado-Wyoming kimberlite province. The Sloan property was ultimately determined to be sub- economic, but the lessons learned there have been very helpful in subsequent exploration efforts.

Jan 1, 1987

By Wilbur I. Duvall

INTRODUCTION This chapter outlines some general principles and procedures that a rock mechanics engineer can use to arrive at a logical design for the size, shape, and spacings of underground openings in various types of com¬petent rock formations. Rock formations can be clas¬sified into six major categories which are useful for design purposes, provided the necessary input data are available regarding the geology of the site, the physical properties of the rock, the in-situ stress field in the rock, and the general geometry of the underground openings. The US Bureau of Mines (USBM) developed a rock classification system based upon these concepts and found it to be useful for design purposes (Obert, et al., 1960; Obert and Duvall, 1967). This classification sys¬tem is given in Table 1; however, an extra column has been added to the original classification to indicate the appropriate design techniques for each rock class. In this classification system, two main classes of rock are considered: competent rock and incompetent rock. Competent Rock Competent rock is any rock which, because of its mechanical and geological characteristics, is capable of sustaining underground openings without the aid of any structural support except that provided by unmined rock in the form of pillars and side walls, etc. Roof bolts and small random props which support only local loose rock are not considered structural supports. Competent rock is further subdivided into three ad¬ditional categories-massive, laminated, and jointed¬ which are defined as follows: Massive Rock: Massive rock is a rock formation where the spacing between mechanical defects such as joints, partings, or faults is equal to or greater than the critical dimensions of openings, or where the strength of the bond across these mechanical defects is com¬parable to the rock strength. Laminated Rock: Laminated rock is a rock forma¬tion divided by approximately parallel planes of weak¬ness into lamina whose thicknesses are small compared to critical dimensions of openings and where the bond between the lamina is weak compared to the rock strength. Elastic Rock-This is rock whose physical proper¬ties will permit the use of elastic theory to predict strains and displacements from applied stresses. Inelastic Rock-This is rock whose physical proper¬ties are such that strains and displacements are a strong function of time as well as applied stress. Incompetent Rock Incompetent rock is any rock which, because of its mechanical and geologic characteristics, is not capable of sustaining underground openings without the aid of additional structural support in the form of linings, steel sets, or systems of props. This classification system for rock depends not only on the mechanical and geologic characteristics of the rock but on the size of openings and their depth be¬low the surface. For example, many competent rocks at shallow depths for small stress fields could become inelastic rock at greater depths and larger stress fields, or competent massive rock for small openings could be¬come laminated or jointed rock for larger openings. Thus, to classify rock for design purposes requires a knowledge of the geologic properties of the rock mass, the physical properties of the rock, the general size of the openings to be mined, and the average range of the in-situ stress field to be encountered. To design underground openings and structures in rock, it is necessary to use criteria of failure for rock under various stress conditions, and to use safety factors to allow for differences between laboratory and in-situ strength properties of rock and to account for errors in¬troduced by the various assumptions made in the design process. Criteria of failure based on maximum stresses have been found to give reliable results in practice. Thus, it is assumed that rock will fail in tension when the tensile stress exceeds the tensile strength of the rock as determined by a standard modulus of rupture test on samples of rock core. If the tensile stresses in rock are small, then it is assumed that the rock will fail at a value of compressive stress equal to the compressive strength of the rock as determined by standard uniaxial compres¬sive strength tests on samples of rock core. These fail¬ure criteria, when used with appropriate safety factors, can be expressed as:

Jan 1, 1982

By Stanley Bunk

The fluidized bed was invented by Fritz Winkler of Germany in 1921. The first application in the U.S. was in the development of the fluidized bed catalytic cracking of petroleum in 1942. Today, fluid bed cracking reactors are an integral part of every oil refinery. When fluid bed technology was first considered for applications outside the petroleum industry it was recognized to have uniform temperature, close control of the gaseous atmosphere and excellent mixing between solids and gases. Roasting of sulfide ores and concentrates was an obvious match. The first application was a single stage roaster for gold refining in 1947. There have been over four hundred commercial fluid bed roasters built and operated successfully in the four decades since the fluid bed was invented. There are three general categories of roasting applications. The largest number of roasters fall into the dead roasting category which includes gold ore roasters. The other categories are sulfating roasters and partial roasters (Reference 1).

Jan 1, 1990

By E. Gutierrez, P. Gillies

Asset Maintenance Readiness (AMR) provides a tailored reliability and maintenance strategy specific to operational needs. AMR delivers reliability and maintenance foundations for the plant and equipment before start-up. Having a dependable reliability and maintenance strategy before start-up is critical, particularly in those first weeks and months during ramp up to stable production. The Asset Maintenance Readiness is the integration of Reliability and Maintenance Engineering analysis/studies at the earliest stages of the new Production System concept and design and during the Capital Project CapEx phases; adding this analysis to the Capital Project CAPEX cost, will have an impact of 2% to 3% of total project cost, but will deliver a good compendium of benefits far from the AMR costs, and those results will be shown upon commissioning and during the life cycle of the plant.

Mar 2, 2022

By D. Kwak, S. Han, J. Kim, Y. Lee

"INTRODUCTION In carbonate rocks, it is difficult to characterize due to the high degree of heterogeneity in pore geometry. Carbonate rocks have various types of pore systems such as fractures and vugs, and this heterogeneity should be considered for more realistic prediction of oil production in carbonate reservoirs. This study carried out water flooding experiments using five carbonate rock samples in order to observe the change of physical properties. Firstly, qualitative and quantitative analyses were conducted for each carbonate samples by use of XRD and XRF to evaluate the mineral content. All samples are mainly composed of CaCO3 and after that, the ICP experiments were carried out for the water passing through the carbonate. As a result, it was possible to measure the quantity of CaCO3, MgO, Fe2O3 component in water and due to this effect, the permeability of carbonate was altered especially in the front part of the core. Finally, after the carbonate was saturated by 30 API crude oil, water injection to enhance the oil recovery was repeated and it was confirmed that the oil-producing characteristics are different depending on the dissolution characteristics of carbonate rock samples. CORE SAMPLE ANALYSIS Porosity and Permeability Experiment Porosity and permeability were measured. The procedures are as follows (Figure 1). 1. Measure the diameter and length of the dry core using Vernier caliper. 2. Put the core in the core holder, run vacuum pump until the inlet and outlet pressure gauge equal. 3. Saturate the core using ISCO pump to inject water at 650 psi 4. Measure the amount of water and calculate the porosity 5. Set up the outlet pressure at 500 psi. 6. The flow rate measure when the equilibrium 7. Calculate the permeability through Darcy’s Law. 8. Cutting of core upstream and downstream about 13cm, and measure the each of permeability."

Jan 1, 2016