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By Gordon W. Parsons, Ross E. Sampson

"THIS PAPER will trace the work done in bringing the Munro underground ""A"" •Orebody into production to replace the open pit, which was scheduled to be completed early in 1959. Included will be an outline of the exploration work and early planning, and of the final decisions on mining methods. Some of the more detailed work will be described and reasons will be given for the decisions made regarding development work, mine ventilation, ground support, and equipment. Brief mention will be made of open pit operations, as these have had some influence on underground development. Also, some of the main geological features of the ore occurrence will be de-scri0bed, as these had to be taken into consideration when making decisions on ore development and mining methods.LOCATION AND HISTORYhe Munro mine of Canadian Johns-Manville is in Ontario, approximately 50 miles east of Timmins and 40 miles west of the Que-bec-Ontari-0 boundary. The producing orebody is in the southwestern part of Munro township. Property controlled by the Company extends nortl1westerly about 2¥2 miles into Beatty township, on which two other interesting asbestos-bearing zones have been partially expl-0red. Active exploration work on the property was started in March, 194.9, and continued until the summer of 1950."

Jan 1, 1960

By Newell G. Alford

COAL companies are definitely becoming conscious of the need for better organization. Mechanized mining and the intricate preparation of coal have brought with them the demand for better trained and more highly skilled mining personnel. Refinement in coal mine management is increasing the demand for young graduate engineers to start in the lower grades of the reorganization and prepare themselves to meet rapidly increasing coal mining responsibilities. The interest is wide in scope and extends from self-helps, extension work, and management study at the mines to stimulation of interest in coal mining amongst undergraduate mining students, leading to their permanent employment after graduation. Data by the United States Bureau of Mines show the total annual value of coal production (bituminous and anthracite in the U.S.) through the past 22 years as being more than 38 per cent of the combined value of all ocher mineral industry products. Natural-gas production has gained rapidly on coal since 1916; petroleum exceeded coal beginning with 1934 (see Figure 1). For this 22-year period, the Committee on Student Interest in Coal Mining, in the A.I.M.E., made a survey of the mining schools in Canada and the United States to show the approximate absorption of young graduate mining engineers by the coal industry. In 1938, 232 mining engineers were graduated as compared with 42 in 1918 (a war year) and 180 in 1923. From 1923 to 1929 the graduates declined to another low of 90, but from there on there was a rapid annual increase in the graduating output, reaching a total of 232 in 1938 and continuing upward to a maximum of over 325 graduating this present month.

Jan 1, 1940

By H. C. M. Gordon

IT is essential to the success of any mining op::ration that the roadways through which the material wrought and ocher materials and supplies are to be transported should be kept in such condition that this transportation cart be effected rapidly and without difficulty. The longer the roadway and the greater the tonnage to be taken over it, the more necessary it becomes chat the construction and maintenance of the road be such chat traffic delays can be reduced co a minimum. le is proposed co deal with the development and construction of roadways serving longwall operations and, since a recreating system of longwall is worked, as a rule, only where roadways driven in the solid coal can be readily maintained, the discussion will be confined co advancing longwall roads which are driven through areas from which the coal seam has been totally extracted. In order to construct a roadway through extracted ground in such a manner that it will remain in a state of reasonably good repair without undue maintenance, it is necessary chat everything possible be done to bring the overlying strata co a state of equilibrium as quickly as this can be effected, and the operations should be so planned that future workings will not disturb the equilibrium so set up more than can be avoided. Obviously, the readiest way to obtain a stable roadway is to develop it by tunnelling through a settled waste. However, this cannot always be done, as some of the roadways must be developed and constructed as the walls progress, but level or lateral cut-offs can be constructed in this manner. Main-slope roads can be developed in a similar manner after the coal has been extracted and a waste formed for at !east five hundred feet on either side of the line of the permanent roadway from temporary subsidiary roads developed for this purpose along one or other of the flanks of the waste to be formed. This interval must be obtained in order chat the lacer extraction of the seam will not set up movements in the waste immediately overlying or adjacent to the constructed roadway, thus upsetting the equilibrium of the strata and distorting the road.

Jan 1, 1940

By A. J. Paul Laprairie

The process for which it is to be used is too often the only consideration in the design of a vessel. A de-sign allowing for practical manufacture and erection, as well as for proper maintenance, can often give over-all economies. Most platework in-stalled today is of welded construction. Therefore, metallurgical control is important in its manufacture. Also, because many concentrating and re-fining processes tend to be corrosive, the subject of protective coatings as a part of the manufacturing process is extremely important. The plant de-signer should know how to evaluate and specify controls for the metallurgy and for the coatings. Mining operations are becoming more sophisticated in the field of mechanical engineering. More and more emphasis is being given to preventive maintenance. The first step in any maintenance program, however, is good inspection service. This paper will suggest methods for the inspection of platework, and outline methods for repair and replacement.

Jan 1, 1963

By Francis W. Gray

Introduction Extensive undersea coal-mining has developed on both the east and west coasts of Canada, and at this time some four million tons, or 25 per cent of the total output of Canadian coal, representing a pit-mouth value of $14,000,000 per annum, is coming from coal seams lying under the sea. Of the coal now being mined in Nova Scotia, 55 per cent comes from under the sea, and this proportion is likely to increase. The Province of Nova Scotia is at this date receiving in royalties paid upon coal ?removed from undersea areas a sum exceeding $400,000 per annum. The subject is, therefore, one of special interest to the Mining Society of Nova Scotia and the Canadian Institute of Mining & Metallurgy, and while this paper will deal chiefly with undersea coal-mining in Nova Scotia, an attempt has been made to summarize the development of mining practice in the winning of undersea coal in other parts of the world, with the hope that such a recital may assist in the assessment of local problems. The connection between the mining of coal under the sea and an insular or maritime geography is obvious in regard to Great Britain, Japan, Vancouver Island, Australia, and Cape Breton Island, and also in regard to the curious conformation of Chile; the tendency towards growth of a mercantile marine and naval eminence is equally obvious where coal is mined at tidewater. But, there is the further and less favourable significance that the mining of coal under the sea is associated with poverty rather than with abundance of coal reserves.

Jan 1, 1927

By W. A. Toohey

Introduction From the earliest times it has been an inherent trait of man to build or create something for his own use or convenience. The need of some form of shelter other than that of the caves led him to bind together stones and other materials to form walls for his abode. Moistened clay which hardened upon drying was no doubt first employed. The Assyrians and Babylonians appear to have employed it or the bitumen found in their country. The early Egyptians and Greeks used some form of lime in their construction work. In addition to these shelters, other structures received attention, and, long before the Roman Empire was established, the Carthaginians made use of a natural cement as binding material. Portions of an aqueduct, seventy miles long, in Northern Africa, built in those early days, are still in use. The Etruscans were the first people in Italy to employ a mortar in their buildings. The Romans, learning the art from the Etruscans, improved the mortar by using a mixture of lime and volcanic ash, called 'puzzolan', and built not only roads but those famous structures, the ruins of many of which exist to this day. The Pantheon at Rome, built by Hadrian about 120 A.D., is perhaps the finest example of the early use of cement in building construction. With the decline of the Roman Empire, the art of making cement seems to have been lost, and for centuries the builders of Europe used only lime mortar. Pure limestones were selected for making the lime and great care was taken in the preparation of the mortar, the supply for one year being made the previous season and left to thoroughly slake or 'ripen' in pits covered with earth. The mortar thus produced gave excellent service above ground or where it was exposed to the hardening action of the air, but would not harden under water.

Jan 1, 1927

By N. V. Mel'nikov

This paper discusses the reserves of oil, natural gas and coal in the USSR, with particular attention to the future role to be played by coal in supplying the energy fuel resources of the country.

Jan 1, 1972

By Jason Mewis

Do you have it figured out? ? If so, I want to network with you! ? There?s a lot to learn as an industry The more we share the better we?ll all become at dealing with this subject If you don?t have it figured out ? You?re among the majority in the in0dustry ? Project Risk is a broad and complex issue that is dealt with through many processes ? And it?s not intuitive either ? And you don?t want to confuse one process with Another

Nov 1, 2011

By B. W. Clyburn

"Coals from the Corporation's Lingan and No. 26 mines are classified as high-volatile A bituminous, with a very low inherent ash and containing all essential properties to provide metallurgical coal, with the exception of a high sulphur content. Only through proper cleaning at low specific gravity can the pyritic sulphur fraction of the coal be liberated to an extent where final sulphur meets coking standards. This first section of the paper deals with the operation of a Dutch State Mines heavy-media cyclone circuit to achieve an actual separation in the region of 1.30 specific gravity. A discussion of the parameter of control which must be applied along with an appraisal of the results obtained is included in the paper.Introduction Very high fluidity and unusually low ash are the outstanding characteristics of coal from Devco's mines in the Harbour seam of the Sydney coal field. However, sulphur content, mainly pyritic, ranges from 1 to 2.50Jo. To obtain the low and consistent sulphur level required in metallurgical coking coals, preparation at low specific gravity is required. Metallurgical coke is used as the fuel in an iron blast furnace. Its sulphur content largely determines the quantity of slag required to remove it and therefore influences furnace productivity and unit costs. Typical data on the various coal properties of importance in the production of coke are included in Table 1."

Jan 1, 1985

By Harry V. Warren

Introduction Any person concerned with the welfare of mining in British Columbia cannot help being perturbed by the fact that the industry, to an alarming extent, is living on its capital. The great majority of mines and mining camps of today represent a heritage handed down by the prospectors of yesterday. It is true that mining engineers, geologists, mineral dressers, metallurgists, and their fellow scientists and engineers have played an honourable, indeed a vital, part in he1ping to make our producing mines, often after costly and extensive underground development and extended researches. It is also true that the mineralization at the Sullivan, Britannia, and Copper Mountain mines was all discovered before the turn of the century. Likewise the Cariboo, Bridge River, Hedley, Ymir, Rossland, Boundary, Slocan, Salmo, and Portland Canal mining areas, although they had not all been developed, were all known more than fifty years ago. Furthermore, every one of these camps owed its discovery and eventual exploitation to the fact that encouraging ' mineralization occurred at the surface. Where would the mining industry of British Columbia be today had those precious outcrops been buried beneath twenty to forty feet of glacial drift or other overburden? Anybody familiar with the geology and geography of British Columbia will probably agree that finding new mining camps is going to be an increasingly difficult and costly business: disappointments there will be in abundance. Nevertheless, most persons will probably also agree that other valuable mines and even mining camps await discovery by those who will prove resourceful and lucky enough to unearth them. It has become increasingly obvious to the authors of this paper that any new too1s which can aid either prospectors or engineers in their search for new orebodies should be welcome. This paper outlines our efforts to develop biogeochemistry and related techniques to the point where they may be considered as useful tools in the search for hidden mineralization.

Jan 1, 1950

By J. J. Ferreira, M. L. Thurston, I. L. Chinn, D. M. Rose

"Concerns about using microdiamonds for resource estimation have been raised by workers because multiple diamond populations exist in many parts of the mantle source region, small diamonds in kimberlite could be exposed to proportionately greater levels of resorption and modification, and euhedral microdiamonds could crystallize immediately prior to kimberlite eruption. This paper addresses these concerns; discusses the geology of the mantle, the principal diamond host rocks, and the impact of mantle processes; compares micro- and macrodiamond properties and features; and outlines steps to identify and mitigate the risk of diamond resorption and its impact on the diamond grade-size relationship.RÉSUMÉ Des travailleurs se sont interrogés sur l’utilisation de microdiamants pour estimer la ressource; en effet, de multiples populations de diamants existent dans plusieurs secteurs de la région source dans le manteau. Des petits diamants dans la kimberlite pourraient être exposés à des niveaux proportionnellement supérieurs de résorption et de modification; de plus, des diamants idiomorphes pourraient cristalliser immédiatement avant l’éruption de la kimberlite. Le présent article traite de ces questions, discute de la géologie du manteau, des principales roches-mères des diamants et de l’impact des processus dans le manteau, compare les propriétés et les caractéristiques des micro- et des macrodiamants et définit les étapes pour identifier et mitiger le risque de résorption des diamants et son impact sur la relation entre la taille et la qualité des diamants."

Jan 1, 2016

The New Zealand opportunity NZ?s only significant phosphate deposit 1 million tonnes imported annually - mostly from Morocco US $180/t + $75/t freight

May 1, 2013

By J. W. McCammon

WHEN times are booming and metal prices are high, most mining men pay little attention to the industrial mineral industry. However, when metal prices drop and mines close down, many mining eyes begin to scan the less glamorous non-metallic field. For some this proves a temporary diversion, but others find this branch of mining, with its generally more stable conditions, to their liking and enter it permanently. The resulting gradual influx of trained mining men into the industrial mineral industry ?has been one of several factors responsible for the rise in production of non-metallic materials in our Province. Another and ?perhaps the most important factor influencing the production of industrial minerals has been the growth in the population of British Columbia. Because most industrial minerals .are low priced and either heavy or bulky commodities they are normally sold on relatively local markets. Thus the extent of the development of the industrial mineral industry of a region is largely governed by the size of the population and the level of industrialization of that region. This point is well shown by com-paring population and industrial mineral production statistics for 1936, 1946, and 1956 (see Figure 1)9. Note that not only has the overall production rate grown with the population increase, but that the per capita production has risen greatly.

Jan 1, 1958

By Adrian Dance

The Antamina orebody is a geologically complex, polymetallic skarn located in the Peruvian Andes. A range of copper and copper-zinc ores are campaigned separately through the concentrator producing copper and zinc concentrates as well as lead and molybdenum by-products. Ore type classification at Antamina is based on chemical assays; geological or lithological variations are not considered. Consequently, each ore type demonstrates a wide range of concentrator performance. Antamina is currently implementing a system to track ore movements from the shovel face to the concentrator. Relatively sophisticated models of the ROM and coarse ore stockpiles ahead of the mill will be used to account for the variable delay between mining and milling. One of the numerous benefits of ore tracking is the ability to directly associate the measured concentrator performance with a physical location in the orebody. Using existing mine planning software, three-dimensional models can be created of such performance measures as metal recovery, concentrate quality, operating cost and reagent consumption. Such a database of information allows the true value of different ore sources to be determined. The value of an ore source is conventionally measured as metal content (individual or combined ?equivalent?) with a cut-off grade applied to indicate some base level operating cost. However, the true value of an ore source should include dynamic factors like haulage cost, reagent use, smelter penalties and even prevailing metal prices. If an ore source is considered from all perspectives rather than simply its potential to deliver value, the concept of ?ore? becomes more flexible. Any ore source that reveals itself to be unprofitable can be eliminated from the mine plan or possibly blended with others to improve its value. The ability to predict mill performance ? and thereby profitability ? is a powerful tool. In an operation such as Antamina, where managing ore sources, campaigns and the delivery of a variety of concentrates in a narrow timeline to customers is a daily challenge, prediction is the key to success and improved efficiency.

May 1, 2003

By Moatassem Abdallah

Buildings in the United States account for 72% of electricity consumption, 40% of energy consumption, 13% of water consumption, 39% of carbon footprint, and 30% of waste output. In order to minimize these negative environmental impacts, many public and private owners are requesting that their buildings be more sustainable and certified under the widely known programs such as leadership in energy and environmental design for existing buildings (LEED-EB). To accomplish this, buildings are increasingly integrating green building measures including energy efficient lighting, motion sensors, thermal pane glass, geothermal heat pumps, EnergyStar rated HVAC systems, photovoltaic systems, and wind turbines. This research paper presents the development of an automated decision support system (DSS) that is designed to optimize the selection of green building measures which can be used to upgrade existing buildings. The developed DSS incorporates two optimization models that are capable of (i) minimizing the total upgrade costs required to accomplish a specified LEED-EB certification level such as silver or gold; and (ii) maximizing the number of accredited LEED-EB points within a specified budget of upgrade costs. The DSS is designed to identify a set of optimal upgrade decisions that accomplishes these two optimization objectives. An application example is used to illustrate the capabilities of the DSS and to validate its result.

Aug 1, 2013

By L. M. Southwick

"The history of extractive metallurgy is replete with examples of commercializing new processing technologies. The successes are widely reported, but failures seldom are. This is unfortunate, for usually we can learn more specifics on how to succeed in technology development by studying and thoroughly understanding their failures. Frequently one encounters a red herring that caused the whole effort to fail. A thorough and objective due diligence up front would have identified those red herrings and prevented the pursuit of a bad idea and the resulting destruction of capital. Due diligent analyzes performed before construction of three such bad ideas will be discussed. One is an EAF dust process, which pursued the red herrings of a poor understanding of the business, a naïve view of past experience, and false confidence in the technology. Another will examine the effort to commercialize a new pressure copper leach process that followed the red herrings of inadequate testing of the raw material, application of processing conditions that were inherently unsafe, and an improper assessment of the inherent advantages of past developments. The last is an alternative iron-making process, where the red herrings were incomplete and superficial assessment of prior pilot plant and demonstration plant tests, an assumption that the commercialization model of “build it and we will make it run” was viable, and a technology whose technical fatal flaws had already been identified. Unfortunately, capital destruction often also closes the window to more intelligent pursuit of technology development. TECHNOLOGY COMMERCIALIZATIONThe development and commercialization of new technology is a vital part of keeping industry profitable, able to deal with new sorts of feed stocks and current with economic, product, operational and environmental requirements. This is a difficult task in the best of times, and can be compounded when the developers become enamored of a particularly favorable characteristic of the project or of the product. These “red herrings” divert project focus away from the arduous path to success and, in the end, result in project failure."

Jan 1, 2012

By J. B. Evans

"NORMALLY the duties of the exploration engineer and geologist cover the initial, and possibly, the most important phase of mining property evaluation; that phase being the presentation of an opinion of the property's ore reserve potential in terms of tonnage and grade. The prime objective of this pa-per is to outline one method of bridging the wide gap that lies between a know ledge of a property' s tonnage and grade potential and an appreciation of the value of that property in dollars and cents.THE PRESENTATION OF PROPERTY EVALUATIONThe engineer engaged on a mining property evaluation, regardless of whether he be an independent consultant, or a company employee, has as his goal, the presentation of his appreciation of the property's potential value or worth within terms of reference acceptable to his principal.To furnish a complete evaluation report, the evaluator must firstly study all aspects pertaining to the particular property under consideration, then present his appreciation of the property's worth in some tangible form. The ultimate presentation is one giving a Present Value of the pro pert y in terms of monetary exchange. Such an idealistic presentation is not always possible; typical preventives being -insufficient reliable information, limited time, Jack of ability and absence of definite direction."

Jan 1, 1960

By G. E. Peacock

SIGMA MINES is situated in the township of Bourlamaque, Abitibi County, Quebec. It is a gold producer, and presently treats an average of 1,200 tons of ore per day, at a grade of approximately 0.18 oz. per ton recovered. The mill started operations in March, I937, at a rate of 300 tons per day. This was increased to 800 tons in I940, and to 1,000 tons by I943. The rate was cut back during the war years, but was brought back up to capacity by I948. The mill tonnage was in-creased to the present 1,200 tons per day in I960. The underground workings are serviced through No. 2 Shaft (Figure 1), which, with 24 operating levels, extends from surface to a depth of 3,317 feet. When depth exploration was decided upon, two possibilities were considered: (a) deepen the main shaft by1,000 feet; (b) put down a winze for the same distance.

Jan 1, 1962

By Arthur Notman

For the period January 1st, 1942, to January 1st, 1946, the American Bureau of Metal Statistics records the gold production of the world as 118,788,000 fine ounces. If we include 1946 at the same rate as 1945 (26,- 590,000), we arrive at a total of 145,378,000 fine ounces in the past five years . Included in these figures are estimates of Russian output at 4,000,000 ounces per annum for the five years, and 1,300,000 ounces per annum for Korea and Japan. The remaining 120,000,000 ounces represent the aggregate production from official reports of the other gold producing areas of the world, with the exception of the 1946 figures, as noted above. At $35.00 per fine ounce, this represents $5,188,230,000. According to the reports of the Federal Reserve System of the United States, on December 31st, 1941, the monetary gold reserves of the United States were $22,736,- 600,000 (at $35.00 per fine ounce) , while on October 31st, 1946 (latest available) , they had fallen to $20,402,000,000, a decline of $2,334,600,000. Adding this decline to the value of the new production for the five years, we have a total of $7,522,830,000, which has been absorbed by the rest of the world since Pearl Harbour, a rate of absorption of over $1,500,000,000 per annum. This has taken place at a rime when the advocates of purely managed currencies had convinced many people that gold performed no really essential function in the world's economy, and that we could get along perfectly well without it. It was pointed out that gold could not be eaten, it could not clothe our nakedness, it could not shelter us from storms, and, therefore, it was a non-essential, even though it could be used to settle international balances of trade. Apparently, the world as a whole still regards it as preferable to the paper promises of governments, however sound, relatively, they may appear. Actually, we have no way of measuring the true strength of this feeling, because the principal governments of the world have made it legally impossible for their citizens to own gold, except in the form of ornaments.

Jan 1, 1947

By Robert Marchand

_ North-western Quebec _ Bousquet mining district _ 21 M oz mining camp _ 100,000 t/yr (400 t/d) _ Shrinkage : 52 % _ Longhole : 40% _ Development : 8% _ 5 days/week _ 120 employees _Discovered in 1936. _12 changes of ownership. _Exploration & development : 1987 _Commercial production : 1990 _Shaft deepening : 1995 _Internal shaft : 1999

Oct 1, 2001