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By C. R. Edwards, J. R. Smith

"INTRODUCTIONThe purpose of this paper is to give an overview of the ALSANDS PROJECT, with emphasis on the approach taken in the design of the Primary Extraction and Froth Treatment Plants.The Alsands Consortium (Table 1) is a Joint Venture of 9 companies formed in 1978, with its prime objective to obtain governmental approval and concomitant suitable commercial terms to build and operate a third oil sands mining and upgrading facility in the Athabasca Oil Sands Deposit.Alsands Energy Limited is the Consortium Manager.The Alsands Project will provide about 10 percent of Canada's forecast crude oil production by 1990, which will be 20,700 cubic metres per day (130,000 barrels/day) of synthetic crude oil plus 1,100 cubic metres per day (7,000 barrels/day) of liquid petroleum gases. To construct Alsands the time required by construction labour, field non-manual and engineering support personnel as well as those trades involved in project-related urban development will total approximately 100,000,000 manhours or 50,000 man years. During regular operations, 4,800 people will be employed by Alsands.Approximately $13 billion will be spent to design, construct and start up the plant by the scheduled 1988 completion date."

Jan 1, 1982

By A J. Falconer

Two magnetic parameters are proposed as a basis for the assessment of ironsands beneficiation. The parameters are determined for raw sand prior to dredging and for magnetic separator head feed over a production period of five months. The relationships between these parameters and the performance of the magnetic separators are examined to establish the value of magnetic assessment compared with the traditional soluble iron assay method. The results illustrate that the first parameter, true magnetic fraction (TMF). Has a value superior to that of soluble iron when relating raw sand grade calculated by triangulation to magnet performance. In terms of the relationship between magnet head feed grade and magnet performance, TMF and soluble iron perform equally as assessment parameters. For the ironsands mined during the five month period, the second magnetic assessment parameter, composite fraction (CF), is shown to merely reflect TMF and offers no additional information for assessment. Conclusions are that true magnetic fraction has many advantages over soluble iron in terms of time and cost of determination and that it is a meaningful and reliable parameter upon which to base all calculations relating to the mining and beneficiation of ironsands.

Jan 1, 1980

By H. Fayed

Two-phase (water and air) flow in a self aerated WEMCO flotation machine has been investigated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). A 0.8 m3 model is considered. The flow is modeled by Euler-Euler approach, and transport equations are solved using a commercial software ANSYS-CFX5 [1]. Because of the lack of circumferential periodicity in this machine, the entire machine is modeled and unsteady simulations are conducted in the whole volume of the bulb. Uniform bubble diameter is specified, and the effects of bubble diameter are determined by conducting simulations for three diameters of 0.5, 0.7, and 1.0 mm. The unsteady air flow rate through the machine is predicted as an outcome of the simulations. Air volume fraction contours and velocity field in different parts of the machine are presented and discussed.

Jan 1, 2012

By Markus A. Reuter, Bernardete Castro, Antoinette van Schaik, Han Remmerswaal

This paper describes the inseparable relation between product design, liberation, and metallurgical recovery in the optimisation of the recycling of passenger vehicles. This is illustrated by the use of an optimisation model that uses among others a material combination matrix based on metallurgical process data, which depicts the consequences of the quality of intermediate recycling products on the metallurgical material recovery and final alloy metal quality. Various simulations will illustrate the effect of changes in product design and hence liberation on the recycling of end-of-life vehicles. Although this paper focuses on cars, the discussion is equally valid for any end-of-life product. Calibration of the model will be discussed with reference to experiments carried out in order to study the optimal recovery of aluminium applications used in passenger vehicles.

Jan 1, 2003

By Sam S. Taylor

Subsurface disposal of oil-field brines was practiced in Oklahoma on a limited scale as early as 1925. The technique of subsurface injection has been improved immensely and has been applied with varying success in many oil-producing areas in Oklahoma, and elsewhere. This method of disposal, however, is only one of several methods available to operators of oil-producing properties, but, in contrast with usual methods of handling brines on the surface it eliminates the damaging effect of mineralized water on fresh-water supplies, vegetation, and aquatic and other animal life. Other methods of brine disposal approved by regulatory agencies in some States include (1) impounding in impervious ponds and solar evaporation, (2) controlled diversion into surface waters, and (3) recovery of the mineral salts of the brine. In most, States where oil is produced regulatory bodies authorize the use of one or more of these methods of brine disposal. In Oklahoma, for example, the Oklahoma Planning and Resources Board of the Conservation Commission has been authorized to adopt whatever methods or means may be necessary to prevent contamination by mineralization of all potable waters within the State.

Jan 1, 1942

The Hill 50 Gold Mine is situated at Boogardie, 3 miles on a bearing of 295 degrees from; Mount Magnet township. Mount Magnet lies 300 miles north-north-east of Perth, Western Australia (Fig. 1).The older workings of the mine may be identified with those of Sirdar, Gold Mining Lease 696M The Sirdar had been worked before 1902 though no records remain, and irom 1903 to 1912 about a thousana tons at a grade of 6' 2 dwt. was extracted annually; by the end of 1918 6,225 oz. of gold had been obtained from the milling of 17,852 tons of ore. In view of these yields, and the length and width of the lode, this mine was early recognized as one of the most promising in the district. From 1919 to 1924 the ground,including G.M.L. 1282M, was held as Mt. Zion G.M.L. 1183M.The Hill 50 Gold Mine N.L. company took up the workings as Hill 50 G.M.L. 1282M in 1934 and have continued operations to the date of writing. To the end of 1956 the Hill 50 Gold Mine had yielded 982,106 tons of ore for a return of 448,'602 fine oz. of gold.The mine has been described by: J utson (1915), Feldtmann (1920), Johnson (1949), and Finucane (1953). Finucane (1953) details the mine structure to a depth of 414 ft. The author was able to examine the mine to a depth of 1305 ft. Detailed main level mapping to the 1060 level and a detailed surface examination have revealed aspects of the structure which were previously obscure.

Jan 1, 1960

By K. Narayana Swamy

The traditional approach to improving the operating efficiency of a metallurgical plant has been to study individual unit operations and focus on improving the poor-performing unit operations. The complex nature of most metallurgical plants call for a holistic approach that will consider the whole rather than just focus on the individual units of a plant. This holistic approach is part of the systems thinking principles. Numerous case studies highlight the importance of the need to apply systems thinking principles in improving the effectiveness of metallurgical operations. Improving the efficiency of one unit operation without considering its effect on the performance of other unit operations has in many cases lead to lower overall operational efficiency. Modeling and simulation are key to the application of the systems thinking principles. Standard flowsheet models are very useful in scenario analyses though they have to be supplemented with other models for useful predictions.

Jan 1, 2006

Suggestions have been made at various times that there may be a recurrence of lodes similar to those at Kalgoorlie in the country to the south of the Golden Mile, but, so far as is known, there has been no geological evidence to support these suggestions apart from the possible extension of the younger quartz-dolerite greenstone in this direction.Geological mapping carried out by the writer in the Coolgardie district in 1946, provided some additional geological evidence to support this claim, and the ideas then held have since been expanded and are now considered to be sufficiently advanced to present them as concrete suggestions. As will be seen from the following pages, the critical area for lode prospecting is Hannan's Lake, where the basement rocks may include younger quartz dolerite greenstone, which, although perhaps distributed over a smaller area than at Kalgoorlie, could, on structural grounds, have a similar fracture system and similar ore deposition.There is little need to stress the importance discoveries in this area would have in prolonging the life of the field, and stimulating the post-war gold mining revival.Previous Work: Only the publications having a direct bearing on the preparation of this paper are given in the list of selected references, but the writer is very conscious of the fact that much other geological work has been carried out in the Kalgoorlie district since its discovery, by the W.A. Department of Mines, by mining companies, and others, all of which has contributed to the present knowledge of the field, and acknowledgment of the value of this work is given herewith. In presenting the suggestions in this paper a broad structural control of ore deposition is assumed, but this has already been established in other parts of the goldfields of Western Australia, including adjacent areas. In the early nineteen thirties, the Western Mining Corporation commenced work on the basis that there was a close relationship between geological structure and auriferous ore deposition, and a similar approach was first made by the Geological Survey of Western Australia in the South Yilgarn in 1935. These ideas were further developed during later surveys, particularly in the North Yilgarn and the Mount Margaret Goldfield.During the Coolgardie Survey in 1946, broad structural mapping was done in greater detail than before, and the structural ideas were implemented and further developed, leading to some success.Other work to which particular acknowledgment is given is that of Stiltwell, Gustafson and Miller, Forman, Prider and Finucane, at Kalgoorlie, and that of Honman in the Kalgoorlie-Coolgardie district, references to which are given at the end of this paper.Valuable constructive criticism of this paper has been given by Professor E. de C. Clarke and Dr. R. T. Prider, of the University of Western Australia.

Jan 1, 1950

By A Parbhakar-Fox, B G. Lottermoser

Management of solid mine wastes, particularly waste rock, requires careful planning to reduce the likelihood of sulfide oxidation, and generation of acid rock drainage (ARD). Waste management strategies must focus on obtaining a thorough understanding of the environmental characteristics of future waste rock materials. In this study, a waste management strategy for characterising underground waste rock was developed at a polymetallic underground mine in western Tasmania to determine which materials were appropriate for surficial placement. The criteria for surficial placement set by the regulator were that materials had to be non-acid forming and non-metalliferous. A range of cost-effective field-based tools, mineralogical assessments and mineral chemistry techniques were used on a suite of representative drill core material to determine an appropriate waste management strategy. Ultimately, a modified geochemistry–mineralogy–texture–geometallurgy (GMTG) approach was designed, whereby geoenvironmental focused logging and simple prescreening tools such as paste pH and sulfur analyses were used at stage-one; routine acid base accounting and leachate tests at stage-two; and validation tools including X-ray diffractometry and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICPMS) at stage-three. This approach should be considered for other mine sites at early and operational life-of-mine stages with similar deposit characteristics, to ensure correct screening and placement of potentially hazardous waste materials in suitable above-ground waste repositories or mined-out mine sections.CITATION:Parbhakar-Fox, A and Lottermoser, B G, 2017. Effectively linking mining geology with waste management – a case study from western Tasmania, in Proceedings Tenth International Mining Geology Conference 2017, pp 117–126 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Sep 20, 2017

By Tjaar A. Louw, Albert P. Van Niekerk, Johannes J. Louw, Attie J. Goosen

Unlike molecular high explosives, commercial explosives based on ammonium nitrate do not detonate ideally according to the theoretical model for steady state, one-dimensional detonation. One of the reasons for this deviation from ideal detonation is the slower chemical reaction, due to less intimate contact between the oxidiser and fuel components. It is well known that the inclusion of gas pockets, such as microballoons, in the formulation of ammonium nitrate based emulsions and watergels enhances the performance of these explosives. Various different interpretations of the “hot spot” theory have been proposed to explain this phenomenon.

Jan 1, 1997

By Frank E. Woolley, Robert D. Pehlke

Jan 1, 1965

By Sam S. Taylor

[The discovery of many oil fields in Illinois since 1936, and their rapid development have brought the problem of brine disposal to the foreground in that State. The ultimate magnitude of the problem is not yet known, but already it is treat enough to warrant technical investigation. The Bureau of Mines, therefore, has made a general survey of the methods of handling oil-field b brines in Illinois rend has studied in detail three subsurface disposal systems.]

Jan 1, 1940

By R. H. Adams, A. M. Khan

The Huntington Beach oil field is on the Pacific Coast, southeast of the City of Los Angeles (Fig. 1). It lies both onshore and offshore. Most of the onshore section is operated by Standard Oil Co. of California, WOI. The Tar reservoir is of upper Pliocene age, about 200 ft thick, and consists principally of fine-grained, unconsolidated, somewhat shaly sand, with thin inter-bedded shale stringers throughout (Fig. 2). The reservoir is a broad, highly faulted, elongated anticline, with an areal extent of about 370 acres. Most of the faults bisecting the structure are normal, trend north-south, and are the main cause of reservoir discontinuity (Figs. 3 and 4). From 1964 to Dec., 1967, 259 steam stimulations were performed on a total of 125 Tar sand wells. Eighty-six new wells were drilled and steam stimulated. Of the total, 96 have been stimulated twice, 34 three times and 3 four times. During this same period, a two-injector steam drive pilot has been in progress. The response obtained from this project has been compared with the response to cyclic stimulation. This paper presents an analysis of the field observations for the two methods of thermal recovery. History of Development Drilling to the Tar pool commenced in 1924 with an initial well production of 40 to 50 B/D of 12o API gravity oil. Complete primary development of the pool has been spread over several years. Approxi- mately 40 wells were drilled during the first phase of development, which was completed in 1945. The subsequent primary development started in 1960 with initial well productions of 30 to 40 B/D oil. Thirty-seven wells were completed in the Tar pool during this phase. For the most part, slotted, gravel flow packed liners have been used in the wells in this pool. A cyclic steam stimulation pilot was initiated in March, 1964. Based on the very successful stimulation in the pilot area, the cyclic stimulation project was expanded to include all of the Tar pool wells producing at the end of 1965 (Fig. 5). Also, a development drilling program was begun at this time. To date, 86 new wells have been drilled under this program. The number of wells drilled each year in this secondary phase of development is also shown in Fig. 5. New Well Completion Practices Most of the new wells have been completed to produce from both the Upper and Lower Tar zones. Generally, a casing stub is cemented from the top of Lower Tar to the base of clean Upper Tar sands to exclude intermediate water-bearing sands. The water string is then cemented from the top of Upper Tar to about 1,500 ft with neat cement and 30 percent silica flour. The annulus from 1,500 ft to surface is then filled with a petroleum-based gel through a high-temperature port collar. Once again, a history of sand-free production dictated the use of 60-mesh gravel flow packed liners. The Upper and Lower Tar

Jan 1, 1970

By N. A. Eilertsen

Procedures of mining high-calcium limestone underground at the Kimballton mine of the Standard Lime and Cement Co. in Giles County, west-central Virginia, are described. Drilling and blasting procedures arc discussed in detail, and direct mining costs are tabulated in percentage of total cost. Output, about 1,725 tons of limestone a day, is attained with heavy trackless equipment by the room and pillar method of ruining; modified by benching floors. Operating features include underground air compression, electric-eye control of curtained doorways, use of a single jumbo drill rig for all drilling, and an effective plan for maintenance of equipment. The company's safety program has contributed to an outstanding safe mining record. The mina is integrated with a plant on the property which converts the stone to metallurgical and chemical grade lime.

Jan 1, 1964

By P. R. Brenchley

Main ore pass systems should last the life of a mine, and too often expensive and hazardous remedial measures are required to repair a damaged ore pass in an attempt to extend its life. In order to maximize the life expectancy of all ore passes at Moab Khotsong, ?wearing blocks? and ?softer support? systems, combined with basic rock engineering principles, have been implemented. Failure of an ore pass can have severe financial implications, both indirectly because the ore pass cannot deliver the broken rock either from level to level or directly in the shaft ore pass system to the required level for tramming to take place, and directly due to the cost of the repair work that is required. Several factors need to betaken into consideration so that production interruptions are eliminated or minimized. Investigations of damaged ore passes at Moab Khotsong and surrounding mines revealed some interesting mechanisms of damage, and some innovative methods of reducing or eliminating the damage have been implemented at Moab Khotsong. The system design was based on 30 years, experience in main shaft rock passes. The design was to counteract scaling, hang-ups and dust problems associated with main rock passes, and the objective was to increase the life of rockpasses. These problems, including the initial design aspects to try and eliminate the repair measures, are discussed in detail.

Jan 1, 2006

By Y. Q. Zhang, Y. Luo, S. S. Peng, C. T. Holland

Barrier pillars in underground coal mines could eventually be subjected to a hydraulic pressure head due to the build-up of mine water in the old workings. The pressure head could not only act as a force to destabilize the pillar but also cause seepage flow through the pillar and its surrounding strata. Excessive seepage flow could induce piping failure that in turn could accelerate the mechanical failure process of the barrier pillars. In this paper, finite element simulation approach has been employed in the evaluation of the barrier pillars. Both the stress distribution and the seepage flow pattern in and around a barrier pillar have been simulated numerically. The effects of ground stress on rock permeability to water seepage has been taken into consideration in these simulations.

Jan 1, 2001

By V Kveldsvik, N Ragvin, T Eiken, G Grøneng, G V. Ganerød

Catastrophic rock slope failures have caused destructive tsunamis in Norwegian fjords. At the Åknes rock slope the tsunami generating potential is large due to the potential large volume involved in a possible catastrophic failure. Widening of the upper crack has been recorded since 1986, and in recent years, a quite extensive investigation and monitorin campaign has been conducted. Data from some of these investigations are presented and analysed with respect to a preliminary evaluation of the stability of the slope.

Jan 1, 2006

By M. W. Robotham, H Wang

removal efficiency is analysed from a stochastic

Apr 1, 1995

By Kurt Oakes, Paul Worsey, Braden Lusk, Tony Brasier, Scott Crabtree, Randy Wheeler

Theoretical description of destructive wave interference and the use of sacrifi cial holes is included and is supported by data collected at Springfi eld Underground. Finally, the process by which the reduction in vibration was achieved in practice is described. Results are discussed for several production blasts taking place over a one year period.

Jan 1, 2008

By Thornton L. Neathery

Geologic investigation of a mineralized zone in eastern Alabama indicates that large quantities of talc and soapstone are scattered over a wide area close to the surface. Laboratory experiments show that this material may be upgraded to a high-quality talc. A market survey indicates that the talc deposits may be of current and long-range interest. The anthophyllite asbestos which is associated with the talc does not appear to occur in sufficient quantities to be considered as a primary commercial source.

Jan 1, 1967