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By J. P. Bunch

As the number of environmental laws continues to steadily increase and the economic penalties for contamination problems become more severe, environmental management represents an important management function within today's U. S. mining industry. The economic impact to a mining company for contamination is not only realized in legal fees and fines but also in the cost of doing normal business. For example, a mining company with contaminated property applying for a loan may be refused because of a lending institution's reluctance to finance due to liability concerns. Or, an insurance company may decide to greatly increase its annual premiums because of existing or potential contamination problems. One of the main duties of the environmental manager is to seek ways to reduce these types of problems by eliminating contamination or by knowing what problems exist and designing corrective measures to prevent the situation from worsening.

Jan 1, 1990

By Gilmore R. Tostengard

The advent of inexpensive computers has opened vast opportunities for improved planning and control of capital projects. The mining and mineral processing industries have welcomed the opportunity, and new and improved quantitative management techniques have abounded. This chapter will discuss commonly used computer applications for economic justification of the project, preparation of the cost estimate, planning the work schedule, monitoring work progress, and control of costs and productivity. Finally, there is a review of the degree to which the industry uses these applications. Our experience suggests that while we in the industry have been quick to adopt the new techniques, the quality of our input data has not always kept pace. During the next decade, our push should be toward improving the quality of the basic data and assumptions so that we can fully benefit from the sophisticated techniques. The GIGO (garbage in, garbage out) principle is a wellworn cliche, but it is especially valid here. One of the keys to getting good input is commitment. Unless the managers who are to use or benefit from the system are committed to it, the effort will fail. They must be com- mitted to the underlying principles of planning and control sufficiently to expend their time and resources on them; planning should be especially given emphasis. They can't be too busy to plan.

Jan 1, 1979

By J. Patrick Powers

In tunneling through water-bearing formations, the expense of controlling the water can have a major impact on overall project cost. The author has seen the cost of an eight-foot, finished sewer tunnel rise from under $500 per foot to over $1,000 when a water problem, anticipated as modest, became severe. There is need for greater professionalism in the approach to groundwater control. The days of the forked stick should be behind us. The basic technology exists. Its application is not yet widespread. This paper discusses predrainage; that is, the lowering of water in advance of tunnel excavation. Both free air and compressed air tunnels are considered. Examples from recent tunnel projects are described. SPECIAL NATURE OF TUNNEL DEWATERING Tunneling is unlike other excavations below the water table in a number of significant ways. The tunnel excavation is always on the critical path; if production slows or stops, there is no other work for the heading crews, no other work to carry the cost of service crews and job overhead. The dewatering commitment must be made well in advance. Construction of wells, and pumping down take time. After the heading reaches a trouble area, time is not available

Jan 1, 1997

By Ben E. Lusk

First of all let me say what a genuine pleasure it is to be here. Acapulco certainly is a beautiful change. I'm going to spend sometime talking about change, because frankly I'm astounded at the rate of change in our world today. One good example of this, reminds me that the first time I spoke before the AIME two years ago, we were at the Ramada Inn in Beckley, West Virginia. Today we're at the Princess Hotel in Acapulco, Mexico. Now that's what I call a change. Seriously though, I'm sure you've all heard it said that the most consistent thing about our society is its constant change. Five years ago, no one could have predicted the changes we experienced in the United States during the first half of the 1970's. In the past twenty-four months alone, we have seen two presidents, three vice-presidents and hundreds of administration and government personnel changes. We have stumbled from one social crisis to another, while suffering through rising inflation, major energy shortages and labor unrest that could plunge us into a full scale economic depression. In view of these constant and unpredictable changes around us, it's obvious that we must learn to deal with change and "roll with the punches" if we are to survive. A controversial book published recently, explores in detail the various aspects of change and its impact on man.

Jan 1, 1974

By John B. Rigg

Thank you Mr. Chairman. It was a generous introduction. It allays some of the puzzlement I have of being a minority among the speakers at this conference. I see from the program that only two of us have been asked to speak on topics in keeping with an election year. Instead of reporting facts on past events as most speakers are, J. W. Wilson, of Consolidation Coal, and I have been designated to forecast the future. Forecasting in an election year implies a liberty to fabricate at will, hallucinate, fantasize, stretch fact and fancy and generally prognosticate without regard for the consequences. Since I'm not seeking your votes, promises aren't mandatory. This will be done with supreme confidence stemming from profound wisdom and a foolproof crystal ball. So instead of soliciting your vote, I'll simply penetrate 24 years of tomorrows, which may not be much different than some of us remembering the later hours of last night. My remarks do not draw upon Gulf planning department projections. Instead they are a roll of the dice of personal conjecture to stretch your imaginations on oil shale mining through the year 2000. In this regard, it is sobering to keep in mind that it has been in my lifetime that investors wouldn't risk a dollar on paperback books, motels, supermarkets, or drive-in restaurants. And only thirty years ago it was predicted by an eminent Ivy League professor

Jan 1, 1976

By S. Sener

In this investigation, the changes in the grindability of both ulexite and colemanite related with the different structural modifications created by the heat treatment were examined with respect to work index (Wi). The effects of the heat treatment temperature and time on grindability index were also investigated. It was observed that, heat treatment significantly affected on the grindability of ulexite. The work index of original ulexite was found 7.11 kWh/shton and decreased to 3.5 kWh/shton level within 200-480°C for 60 minutes. On the other hand, the work index of original colemanite was found as 6.48 kWh/shton and no appreciable change was observed when heated up to 320°C. Thermally assisted comminution can be used to improve the grindability characteristics of ulexite. Besides, the different behaviour of ulexite and colemanite under heat treatment can be used for their separation. The artificial mixture of ulexite and colemanite could be separated with over 90% recovery by utilizing their different grindability characteristics by thermal treatment, semi-autogeneous grinding and screening.

Jan 1, 1999

By Unto Paakkinen

The testing of different kinds of process flow configurations and cell volumes in industrial scale flotation processes is in general difficult to accomplish and even expensive to perform.1 Also the lack of suitable measuring and analyzing devices often prevents effective comparison of results. Nowadays, the existing flotation processes contain, almost with exception, several return loads which result in difficult control of the process. There exist two good reasons for testing different kinds of flotation circuits at the Outokumpu Oy Kotalahti mine. Firstly it is easy to change the process flow configuration without any additional installation work and secondly, the concentrator is highly automated with magnetic flow meters, on-line analyzer and process computers. In this presentation, open circuit flotation is compared with the classical closed circuit flotation which contains return loads. In additional, the effectiveness of computer control in both cases is estimated and also the effect of cell volume on flotation results is examined.

Jan 1, 1977

As noted by D.W. Fuerstenau in his Plenary Lecture at the Conference on Extractive Metallurgy of Gold and Base Metals, Kalgoorlie, Australia, "Com¬minution of solids is surely one of the oldest technologies that, even in this day and age of DNAs, chips and space exploration, continues to challenge our scientific acumen and engineering ingenuity." Thus, the fundamentals of comminution continue to receive a great deal of attention in the literature. This was particularly true in 1992 with the publication of the proceedings from the SME-sponsored symposium, Comminution Theory and Practice. Papers covering topics ranging from liberation to comminution fundamentals to novel size reduction techniques are included in this review. Liberation Liberation continued to be a prime area of research interest, not only in terms of liberation modeling, but also in understanding the basic mechanisms involved in mineral liberation. King (Comminution - Theory and Practice, pp. 3-15) described a method for determining the interphase area between mineral grains. He showed how the mea¬surement of interphase area before and after comminution could be used to determine the presence or absence of intergranular fracture. Lin, Miller and Cortes (Kona, Vol. 7) discussed the use of computed tomography (CT) as a nondestructive means of investigating three-dimensional particle composition. The use of this technique in constructing coal washability curves from CT data was presented.

Jan 1, 1993

By C. I. Wilmot

The paper presents an update of the Paradise Peak mill after the first year of operation. Process revisions, equipment modifications and additions, and personnel requirements are discussed with a comparison to original design. All areas of milling are discussed including crushing, grinding, leach/countercurrent decantation (CCD), precipitation, refinery, and heap leach.

Jan 1, 1987

By L. Bloom

In 1996, lack of confidence in assaying methods and sample handling affected companies as diverse as Bre-X and Timbuktu. Both share prices and the ability to raise financing are impacted when the quality of assay data is suspect. Overseas projects are subject to enhanced scrutiny when local facilities are used that are unfamiliar to brokers, financing agencies and banks. Quality control systems can be -implemented but there are associated costs. These costs should reflect the risk to the mining company, investors and financiers and the size of the proposed investment. In this regard, assay control call is considered a form of insurance to enhance the value of an exploration or mining project.

Jan 1, 1997

By Robert J. Mac Kinnon

A moving grid finite element model for the analysis of transients in a rock mass surrounding an underground coal conversion cavity is presented. Major model components are outlined, including a special element formulated to account for internal discontinuities. A numerical example is described.

Jan 1, 1986

By P. J. Best

Due to its low mine production costs, competitive rail rates and low sulfur content, the Southern Powder River Basin (SPRB) now commands 30 percent of the U.S. utility coal market. In 1996, production exceeded 260 million tons, a growth of 110 million tons since 1989 and 15 million tons over 1995. Continued growth is expected as the second phase of the Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) looms. This growth will be the greatest in the southern part of the basin, where coal quality is higher. This article is an overview of supply and demand issues affecting markets for SPRB coal. It reviews the current markets for SPRB coal and addresses future prospects for market expansion.

Jan 1, 1998

By Haydn H. Murray

Since the advent of machine coated paper in the mid 1930's, the kaolin industry has had a remarkable growth, In 1935 the domestic production of kaolin was 500, 000 tons and in 1970 the estimated production was in excess of 3. 5 million tons. The process industries which use kaolin most extensively are paper, rubber, paint, ceramics, plastics, catalyst manufacturers, ink, and pharmaceutical. The paper industry is by far the largest consumer of kaolin using approximately 70 per cent of the total tonnage mined and beneficiated. Up until 1970 the major kaolin producers were able to expand rapidly enough to supply the demand but for the first time in thirty years the demand is expected to be in excess of mining and beneficiation capacity through at least 1975. The major reason for this is the expansion of coated paper production in Europe and Japan. Two areas supply the lion's share of kaolin for the world markets. These are the Cornwall area in extreme southwestern England and a limited area of Georgia and South Carolina in the southeastern U. S. The English kaolins are primary - (found in decomposed granite) whereas the Georgia-South Carolina kaolins are secondary - (found in lenticular, continuous beds in the Tuscaloosa formation of Cretaceous age. ) The English kaolins are mined by hydraulic methods whereas the Georgia-South Carolina kaolins are mined by dragline or shovel and benefidated by using a wet process for the majority of the production and/or a dry

Jan 1, 1971

By Peter W. Harben, Edward M. Dickson

The distribution of metallurgical grade bauxite deposits will be discussed with the aid of a comprehensive table and a reference map. Information will include operating companies, mine locations, ore grade, and chemical analysis, geological environment, and production capacities. General comments will be made on the distribution of production and its relationship with major consuming regions. The pattern for the future will be assessed, including potential new producers, changing specifications and industry structure.

Jan 1, 1984

By Kenneth J. Miller

A novel two-stage froth flotation process to remove pyritic sulfur from fine- size coal is described. The process consists of a first-stage, standard coal flotation step in which high-ash refuse and some of the pyrite are removed as tailings. The first-stage clean coal froth concentrate is then repulped in fresh water, and a coal depressant, a pyrite collector, and a frother are added to float the remaining pyritic material. Laboratory and pilot plant flotation results with coals from the Lower Freeport and Pittsburgh beds are given. The pilot plant test results show that up to 80 percent pyritic sulfur reduction was achieved with the Lower Freeport bed coal and up to 50 percent with the Pittsburgh bed coal. Laboratory and pilot plant results were in excellent agreement, indicating that the process is a viable means of removing much of the sulfur from some coals.

Jan 1, 1974

By J. A. Chermak

Piles of sulfide-bearing overburden, ore, and tailings have the potential to generate acid drainage (AD) when exposed to an oxidizing environment. Laboratory column experiments were conducted using acid-generating overburden material with an added surface amendment of limestone and/or lime. Artificial rainwater was introduced and allowed to drain through the columns. Results showed that the limestone and/or lime reacted with the acidic rock, resulting in the precipitation of a hardpan layer of gypsum and amorphous iron oxy-hydroxide at the surface. The hardpan layer significantly reduced the effective permeability of the column. Based on this study, hardpan layers can be created as chemical caps to significantly reduce the infiltration of rainwater and snowmelt into acidic overburden or tailings material. Unlike traditional capping methods (for example, clay and high density polyethylene (HDPE) covers), chemical caps are self-healing.

Jan 1, 1996

By John E. Tilton

Mining is one of the oldest human activities. It goes back at least to the Bronze Age and possibly even the Stone Age. The Romans mined copper in Spain and tin in England some two thousand years ago. The writings of Agricola in the 16th century show that mining was important in the Middle Ages. Today we mine more mineral commodities in greater tonnages than ever before. This long and fascinating history closely tied with the economic development of the human race is one of the charms of the mining industry. It also, unfortunately, gives rise to some widespread misconceptions.

Jan 1, 1997

By J. T. Clancey

The potential inadequacy of natural gas reserves to supply projected requirements in the 1980's has been pointed out.(1,2) As a result, interest has arisen in the development of new, potentially low-cost processes for the conversion of coal into high BTU gas. In June, 1964, the office of Coal Research (U. S. Department of interior) and Consolidation Coal Company (now a subsidiary of Continental Oil Company) entered into a contract to continue work on coal gasification utilizing the Consol CO2 Acceptor Process. Work under this contract has been specifically directed toward the use of lignite as the carbonaceous feed, although the process is also applicable to non-caking subbituminous coals. The primary objective of this work was to establish the technical feasibility in continuous bench-scale equipment, of the novel features of the C02 Acceptor Process. Secondary objectives were the testing of commercially obtainable acceptors and the design and economic evaluation of a commercial facility. The bench-scale process development has been completed successfully and the construction of a large pilot plant at Rapid City, South Dakota, has been authorized. It is the purpose of this paper to review the technology of this new gasification process and to present the current projected economics of a plant producing 250 MM SCFD of pipeline quality gas.

Jan 1, 1969

By J. W. Leonard

Since the interpolation of exploratory data 1 can be no better than sampling procedures, a series of field experiments were conducted in an effort to determine whether hand-cut channel or core washability determinations best represent continuous miner produced run of mine coal. By obtaining a core drilled to within a few feet of channels taken from an underground face and then overmining both locations; core, channels and run-of-mine coal allocations were obtained from a common sample and all allocations were subjected to identical washability determinations. In order to compare results, basic rules2,3 previously anticipated and later published by the writer were employed. The first rule states that "For any full seam washability determination, the sulfur versus ash function for increasing cumulative specific gravity float coal fractions is linear". The second rule states that "For any full seam washability determination, the recovery versus ash function for increasing cumulative specific gravity float coal fractions is logarithmic".

Jan 1, 1988

By R. D. Begley, A. W. Khair

This paper presents an assessment of modeling techniques in predicting subsidence over longwall areas. Extensive instrumentation has been made, both at the surface and subsurface, at three longwall mines in northern West Virginia. Ground movements were monitored during a three- year period until subsidence ceased in these areas. A comparative analysis of empirical subsidence prediction techniques including graphical (NCB), profile function, influence functions (USBM, Bals', Knothe's, and zone area) will he presented. A brief geologic and topographic description of each site, along with the instrumentation and monitoring program, will also he presented.

Jan 1, 1990