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By Robert H. Lambeth

The Madison RARE II study area has four prospects with identified resources. These are listed in table 1 and are described in the following text. A high potential for Sillimanite exists at the Placer Creek occurrence (fig. 1, no. 7) and potential for phosphate rack in all areas underlain by the Phosphoria Formation. Some prospects exhibit minor potential for copper, lead, zinc, silver, and gold in the southern portion and very minor potential in the northern portion. Deposits in the northern end also have low potential for rare earth, asbestiform anthophyllite, or kyanite group minerals (including sillimanite).

Jan 1, 1982

By J. Federico Price, Joseph E. Aparicio

This paper describes the production of a specific iron oxide pellet that has given very good and consistent results as feedstock for HYC-Process Direct Reduction Plants. The sponge iron originated from these pellets has been used for the economic production of almost 15 Mt of low carbon steel via electric arc furnace meltshops. An overview of mining, beneficiation, pelletizing, direct reduction and steelmaking for this case is given with emphasis on the charactertitics of the self-fluxing oxide pellets.

Jan 1, 1982

By Haydn H. Murray

Kaolins and bentonites of economic importance in Australia and New Zealand are described. Clays that are used for structural clay products are not discussed. Residual, hydrothermal, and sedimentary kaolins are utilized including clays associated with coal measures. Bentonites are sedimentary and residual. Very little kaolin and no bentonite is exported presently, but this will change in the near future as transportation costs continue to escalate. Many areas of Australia, in particular, where kaolins are known to occur have not been investigated to determine the quality and quantity of the deposit.

Jan 1, 1982

By Antoni Kidybinski

Mechanical properties of the nether roof rocks play a substantial role in maintenance of mine openings. On longwall faces too low strength is a cause of rock- falls which bring about delays in face advance, and hazard to the miners, while too high strength may result in over hanging of roof rocks in gobs, sometimes over a large area, initiating dynamic periodical pressures. Hence, efforts have been undertaken to develop methods of caveability evaluation for proper selection of roof control system and of longwall-face supports. DESCRIPTIVE CLASSIFICATIONS One of the basic qualitative criteria for classification of roof types with different caveability is the criterion of geological structure. The 26-stages scale worked out for conditions of Donetz Coalfield. USSR, by E.T. Proyavkin et al.(l) may be an example of that type of classification. This scale is presented graphically in Fig. 1. The first types of roofs according to this scale are easily caving immediately after exposure of a small surface, while the last be- long to the strongest roofs which over-hang in waste and require artificial fracturing. Observations and measurements carried out also in Donetz mines lead W.T. Davidyanc (2) to following classification: Class I - weak and densely bedded rocks very easily caving after each advance of supports. The roof subsidence over a waste edge is: [ ] where: h is roof subsidence, m M is thickness of the seam being mined, m S is width of an opening, m Class II - medium caveability and small main roof movements [ ] Class III - hardly breakable rocks, thicker beds with higher strength: caving by large blocks. After exposure of larger roof surfaces the movements of the main roof strata may affect an opening. [ ] Class IV - very hardly breakable rocks - thick, monolithic sandstones: they cause considerable difficulties in working with caving. [ ] Class V - thin-bedded rocks featured by the capacity of a smooth subsidence without disintegration into loose blocks with keeping contact between the particular blocks in a bed. In this classification mining with full roof caving is recommended for class I-III and only exceptionally for class IV. In many coal fields, qualitative and quantitative observations of roof rocks behavior have been carried out: as a result relations and characteristics found in certain mines are given. As an example, Kizielov Coalfield data in the USSR given by B.S. Vinokur (3) may be mentioned. In working thin pitching seams man- less system of undercutting the seam by means of rope saw is used there. The author separated four classes of roofs and gave, for every class, the empirical relation between the extracted area and the time of roof stability. The size of the stable area of exposed roof for particular classes is as follows: 120 to 150 m2 (1291 to 1614 ft2 ), 170 to 200 m2 (1829 to 2152 ft2), 250 to 280 m2 (2690 to 3013 ft2 ) and 350 to 400 m2 (3766 to 4300 ft ). For Kuznetz coalfield in the USSR the following classification of roofs was developed at the WIMI Institute in Leningrad: Class I - completely unstable: impact strength in- dex of rock f = up to 1.5 - the strip of roof 1.4 to 2.0 m (4.59 to 6.56 it) wide, exposed after shearer's cut holds stable during the time not longer than 5 min. Class II - low stability: f = 1.5 to 2.5 - the strip of roof 1.4 to 2.0 m (4.59 to 6.56 ft) wide and up to 4.0 m (13 it) long, exposed after shearer's cut holds stable during 5 to 20 min. Class III - medium stability: f = 2.51 to 3.5 - the strip of roof 1.4 to 2.0 m (4.59 to 6.56 it) wide and 4.0 to 25 m (13 to 82 ft) long, exposed after shearer's cut holds stable from 20 min. to 2 hours. Class IV - stable: f = 3.51 to 4.5 - the strip of roof 1.4 to 2.0 m (4.59 to 6.56 ft) wide and 25 m (82 it) long exposed after shearer's cut is stable during the time longer than 2 hours. Class V - entirely stable: f = over 4.5

Jan 1, 1982

By B. E. MacNab

During the past several years, Raymond Kaiser Engineers has prepared numerous studies concerning the technical and economic feasibility of coal exporting facilities in the western United States. Perhaps the most striking conclusion to be drawn from these efforts is that many people underestimate the complexity of the highly competitive, dynamic coal marketing system which includes coal loading terminals as an essential but relatively low-cost link in the energy production and delivery chain. The title of this paper, "The Status of Western United States Coal Ports - An Economic Assessment," should not delude anyone into thinking that the future of western U.S. coal- exporting ports has now congealed into a well- defined economic plan. As this paper will demonstrate, the situation is complex and more dynamic than ever and promises to remain so into the late 1980's.

Jan 1, 1982

By Henry H. Roos

NTRODUCTION In the mining industry, a "drill jumbo" is a drilling unit equipped with one or more rock drills and mounted on a mechanical conveyance. Jumbos range from single¬drill ring drills mounted on simple steel skids to sophisti¬cated multiple-drill units mounted on diesel engine powered carriers and equipped with automatic controls and sound-abatement cabs. Individual types of jumbos usually are designed for specific tasks such as fan drilling in sublevel caving operations. Some units, such as development jumbos, can be utilized for several functions in addition to their normal applications, e.g., for production drilling in room-and-pillar operations, stoping in cut-and-fill mining, etc. Mine operators can purchase individual components from manufacturers, assembling these components into a jumbo suitable for specific conditions. However, this requires that mine personnel have good engineering and mechanical abilities. Although manufacturers of jumbos maintain facilities for designing machines to meet con¬ditions created by new mining methods and unusual ap¬plications, the cost of the engineering and experimental work for new types of jumbos should be evaluated in terms of both costs and benefits; it may be advantageous to plan the mining operation so that existing and proven units can be utilized. GENERAL SELECTION CRITERIA Since the operating conditions vary in underground mines, the design of a jumbo must be selected to cope with the individual characteristics of the mine. The necessary considerations include access space into the working areas, grades expected to be encountered, radii of the curves, ambient temperatures, the characteristics of the rock, the acidity or alkalinity (pH rating) of the mine water, etc. Access to Mine Workings The mine workings must be accessible to the selected jumbo. Frequently, a jumbo must be disassembled at least partially to pass through the mine shafts. There¬fore, a bolted construction allowing disassembly into pieces of suitable size and weight is desirable in most applications. Type of Undercarriage Generally, a crawler-type undercarriage should not be used in trackless mines having acidic mine water. The acidic water causes an electrolytic action between the individual crawler parts and causes rapid corrosion and early failures. Propulsion A two-wheel drive on a pneumatic-tired jumbo is marginal for grades exceeding 12%. A four-wheel drive unit with good weight distribution is capable of operat¬ing on grades of up to 35%. At least 30% of the gross vehicle weight (GVW) should be carried on the steering axle; otherwise, the steering tires may not have sufficient traction on loose road surfaces and may "plow" instead of steer. To assure stable operation in mines with steep grades, the height of the center of gravity of the jumbo should be considered. It should not make the unit prone to rolling over on the steep grades that may be encoun¬tered. Turning Ability In confined working areas, a skid-steering or crawler unit has the best maneuverability. An articulated carrier is preferable when base-rotated parallel booms are being utilized. A rigid-frame jumbo with automotive steering is compact and economical, having lower maintenance requirements than the other two types. However, the turning radius of a rigid-frame unit is wider than either the skid-steering or articulated units, and this wider turning radius may be detrimental in mines with narrow drifts. JUMBO COMPONENTS Rail Undercarriages A mine with a rail-transportation system generally utilizes drill jumbos that are mounted on rail-type under¬carriages. With a light load and good weight distribu¬tion, this carrier may consist of a simple two-axle four-wheel platform onto which the boom-mounting brackets are attached. As the depth of the round and the penetration rates increase, the weight of the equip¬ment installed on the chassis also increases. The greatest problem with a heavy overhung load is balancing the carrier; a three-boom unit may require a substantial amount of counterweighting to maintain an acceptable 70% to 30% axle-load balance. Although lengthening the wheelbase helps balance the unit, a long wheelbase increases the turning radius, often creating problems on curves and sometimes requiring a swivel truck-type chassis. A good rule of thumb for a simple four-wheel undercarriage is to maintain a wheelbase length to track gage-width ratio that does not exceed 2.5 to 1.0. For a larger ratio, a swivel truck should be utilized. Swing-out outriggers or roof jacks help keep a jumbo in place during the drilling cycle. Usually, a rail-mounted jumbo is not self-propelled. Instead, it is maneuvered into place by a locomotive. Occasionally, several headings are being advanced in close proximity, and a self-propelled jumbo is con¬venient. In electrified mines, such a jumbo utilizes conventional battery-powered traction gear; in dieselized mines, hydrostatic drive components offer good flexi¬bility. The tractive power requirements of a typical rail jumbo may be calculated from the formula: HP = [(RR + GR) X Sl/[33,000 X Em X Eh]

Jan 1, 1982

RMCMI members were welcomed at 12:30 p.m. by President McKeever. Following the luncheon held at the Conference Center, McKeever introduced Mr. Brooks Mitchell who is President, Human Resources Management, Inc. in Richardson, Texas. His topic was "Perspective on the Last Five Years. " The RMCMI Championship Tennis Tournament was held at the Marriott's Mark courts under the direction of Chairman Alan W. Czarnowsky and his committee members Mary Kay Aisenbrey and Jon Pratt. EVENING Tuesday, June 29, 1982 From 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. a Mini-Banquet was held for the young people of RMCMI members in the East Room of Lionsquare Gore Creek Lodge. The 6:00 p.m. time found RMCMI members gathered for a social hour at Marriott's Mark poolside, The Annual Speechless banquet followed at 7:00 p.m. in the Conference Center. After the dinner, President McKeever introduced the Golf and Tennis Chairmen who announced the prize winners. Robert W. Wilson, Chairman of the Nominating Committee, presented the following slate of officers for 1982-83: President, Vernal Mortensen; Vice Presidents-Colorado, Charles W. Margolf; Montana, Art K. Neill; New Mexico, Robert Diederick; North Dakota, James A. Brown; Utah, Bernard Bernstrom and Wyoming, John T. Goodier. It was moved by Loren V. Linville, seconded and carried that the elective ballot of RMCMI be cast for the officers as nominated. Mr. Wilson advised RMCMI that a successor to Mrs. Whiteside would be selected at a later date by the Committee and Executive Board inasmuch as Mrs. Whiteside's resignation had been received only ten days earlier and there had been no time for interviews. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 9:30 p.m. MORNING SESSION Wednesday, June 29, 1982 President McKeever called the meeting to order at 9:30 a.m. in Salon A of the Marriott's Mark. New business included a report of the Auditing Committee and it was moved by Chairman Paul Hronich, seconded and carried that the Financial Report as prepared by the Treasurer, Mrs. Augusta Whiteside, be approved as submitted. The report of the Resolutions Committee was presented by Chairman Ed Ziolkowski who moved that certain resolutions be approved. The motion was seconded, carried and the resolutions follow: 1. RESOLVED, WHEREAS, in the year since the last convention of The Rocky Mountain Coal Mining Institute, the Institute and the coal industry have suffered the loss, through death, of the services of: John Chrystal Richard R. Fenner G. D. Grayer Albert M. Keenan C. E. Osborn Stanley C. Shubart George Sumers Cal Witmer NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that there be recorded in the minutes of The Rocky Mountain Coal Mining Institute recognition of the passing of these members, who have so greatly contributed to the advancement of the industry, both nationally and in the Rocky Mountain area, and that a copy of this resolution be sent to the next of kin as evidence of the sincere and deep regard and sympathy of the members of the Institute. 2. RESOLVED, that in recognition of the faithful service to the coal industry generally, and to this Institute in particular, the status of Life Membership in The Rocky Mountain Coal Mining Institute be hereby conferred upon these members: John T. Leech George C. Lindsay A. George Setter

Jan 1, 1982

By David M. Parkes

Geology is frequently complicated, hence only more regular deposits are mined. Coal is generally thick, often steeply pitching and usually soft or well-cleated. Due to competition from open-pit mines, only two underground mines are operating, McIntyre and B.C. Coal. Several other mines are being planned, the method being evenly divided between hydraulic, longwall, and room and pillar. McIntyre mines in the flat part of their formation (up to 20 degrees) uses continuous miners and shuttle cars in the 3m and 6m seams. This company is considering a retreating longwall face. B.C. Coal operates a hydraulic mine in a 16m thick seam dipping at 10 to 55 degrees with a productivity of about 20 tonnes per manshift.

Jan 1, 1982

By Thomas F. Torries

It does not take sophisticated economic analysis to determine the current status of nickel production and demand (Figure 1). One only needs a quick glance at the balance sheets of the major nickel producers to learn that prices are down and profits are supressed to the point where they are major losses. Operations have been closed, and those remaining in production have reduced output. What Is now of interest Is, when will the nickel market improve and to what degree? The purpose of this paper is to attempt to answer these questions. This will be done by the normal method of projecting nickel demand, chosing a production scenario, and analyzing the results.

Jan 1, 1982

By K. G. Colman

Este texto intenta facilitar al operador y contratista 10s datos básicos para dimensionar las cribas vibrantes que deban ser utilizadas en las plantas de trituración. Las capacidades básicas, factores que la modifican .... etc., utilizados en el cálculo de la superficie requerida, se han desarrollado empíricamente y modificados sus valores hasta el presente con 10s datos de las aplicaciones prácticas Hay que señalar que el cribado tiene mucho más de arte que de ciencia exacta; sin em- bargo, la información aquí presentada proporciona una razonable seguridad cuando se aplica al cálculo de cribado de minerales metálicos.

Jan 1, 1982

By A. E. Raddatz

The Bureau of Mines is investigating methods for recovering tungsten from domestic resources. A calcine-quench-leach (CQL) technique was developed for the extraction of tungsten from the Golconda, Nev., hot springs ores. The deposit contains disseminated tungsten that cannot be beneficiated by conventional techniques and must be treated by hydro-metallurgical methods. The CQL procedure consists of calcining the ore at 900° C for 3 hours, quenching in a solution containing 1.5 parts of Na2C03 and 1.5 parts of NaOH per part of WO3 in the ore and at a solution-to-ore ratio of 3 to 1, leaching at 200° C and at 250 psig for 3 hours, and filtering and washing the residue. A series of closed-circuit batch tests showed that 92 pct of the tungsten was extracted from a sample containing 2.32 wt-pct W03. The pregnant solution contained 11 g/l W03.

Jan 1, 1982

By William Harrison, Robert H. Trent

GENERAL DESCRIPTION History The most striking feature of mining in the United States has been the infrequent use of longwall systems. This system, which accounts for the majority of coal production in Europe, Japan, and other countries, is only recently growing out of its infancy in the mining of normal coal seams and is still untried in the mining of thick coal seams in the US. Its use in the mining of metal and nonmetal ore bodies has been virtually ig¬nored, except for isolated instances in trona, copper, and uranium. Longwall mining is believed to have originated in Shropshire, England, towards the end of the 17th cen¬tury (Laird, 1973). Although the method used would be considered primitive by today's standards, many of the basic concepts have remained unchanged. Longwall mining of coal in the US was first introduced before the turn of the century, but it never gained acceptance as it did in Europe. Historically, longwalling was a cyclic method where a single cut of coal was removed from the face on the producing shift each day, and the work of building stone packs in the gob and manually moving roof support was completed on the off shifts. Due to the amount of dead work, productivity was extremely low. In Europe, however, longwall methods were required despite the high costs involved, because only by this method could coal under heavy depth be mined with any reasonable degree of recovery. Reserves of coal lying under shallow cover, and therefore minable by room¬and-pillar methods, were long ago inadequate to supply most of Europe's coal requirements. In the US coal min¬ing has historically proceeded laterally with the new mines in virgin areas to replace old mines; in Great Britain, Germany, Japan, and many other countries, mining must proceed downward to greater depths. The depth of cover for most coal operations in the US is shallow, i.e., 61 to 305 m (200 to 1000 ft). This, combined with large reserves, has made room-and-pillar methods almost universally applicable. However, longwall systems were tried around the turn of the century. Whenever used, it was frequently noted that the opera¬tion was under the direction of men with foreign ex¬perience and was tried under ideal conditions. Some of the mines that were using longwall or had tried longwall prior to 1910 were the Radiant mine, CO; Vinton Coal Co., PA; Cambria Steel Co., Johnstown, PA; Grundy County and Spring Valley, IL; and unnamed mines in Washington, West Virginia, Kentucky, Iowa, and Kansas. As late as 1961, there was one circular longwall in operation at Centerville, IA. The first modern-day op¬eration to take advantage of European technology and longwall methods was Kaiser Steel Corp. at its Sunnyside mine near Price, UT. Due to deep cover and extremely poor roof conditions, combined with a need for in¬creased production, Kaiser management decided a new method was required and turned to longwall in 1961. The first longwall consisted of an Anderson Mavor shearer loader, British Jeffrey-Diamond conveying equip¬ment, and Dowty roof supports with a capacity made up of two and three 27-t (30-st) capacity props. After nor¬mal start-up problems, this unit averaged over 454 t (500 st) per shift (White and Palacios, 1976). During and after World War II, technology in hy¬draulics and controls had advanced to the point that self-advancing supports and hydraulic props were being developed. In 1960 only I % of West German produc¬tion was from mechanized longwall faces. This in¬creased to 37% in 1970 and 63% in 1973 (Kohlgruber, 1974). In 1976 there were 246 coal mines operating in the United Kingdom. Although this is only 50% of those operating ten years ago, the production has increased 42%, mainly through improvements in longwall equipment and methods (Hunter, 1976). In France and other European countries, the devel¬opment of longwall mechanization has been similar in seams up to 2.44 m (8 ft) thick. In seams that exceed 9.14 m (30 ft), a variety of longwall caving has been developed for coal seams with dips of 0 to 1.6 rad (0 to 90°). Those with the greatest success will be discussed later. As noted, the development of longwall mining to its present state of the art has mainly taken place since World War II with substantial gains in the last ten years. Mechanized longwall has been the result of several re¬lated major innovations (Jackson, 1975) 1) Development of the flexible armored face con¬veyor which can be installed along the face and moved forward without disassembly. 2) Development of face machines such as single and double drum shearer and coal plows which operate in conjunction with the armored conveyors. 3) Development of self-advancing hydraulic roof supports which now include chocks, chock shields, and shields. 4) Reliance of caving of the immediate roof based on proper planning and development. 5) Use of pneumatic slowing to enable extraction below overbuilt areas. The most recent developments in the mining of coal by longwall in the US include the introduction of shield supports at Kaiser's York Canyon mine in New Mexico, single-entry longwall development at Kaiser's Sunnyside mine, and Mid-Continent's advancing longwall system in Colorado. Metal and nonmetal longwall systems in the US have included the mining of copper at White Pine, MI; uranium in Utah and New Mexico, and trona in Wyoming.

Jan 1, 1982

By G. L. Hohmann

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) project is authorized by legislation to provide a demonstration of the safe disposal of radio- active wastes generated by the national defense programs and activities of the United States. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is proceeding with the implementation of the WIPP project in accordance with the "Department of Energy National Security and Military Application of Nuclear Energy Authorization Act of 1980" (PL 95-164).

Jan 1, 1982

By Nagashi Ogushi

Geochemical prospecting method using stream sediments, soils and rock chips has been tested to see the applicability for the typical Kuroko field in Japan. Three independent anomalies have been detected in maps being shown by grav densities of cells which are represented by the results of factor analysis as well as distribution of minor elements scaled in logarithm. A small vein type mineralization which has outcrops could be attributed to the origin of them whereas the one near the surface of known Kuroko deposit to a coincidence. The addition of drill core geochemistry is required to complete the interpretation.

Jan 1, 1982

By A. D. Mah

Thermodynamic data on compounds of arsenic and sulfur were critically evaluated by the Bureau of Mines. Changes of standard enthalpy and Gibbs energy, and logarithms of the equilibrium constants were tabulated as a function of temperature for reactions involving these compounds.

Jan 1, 1982

In 1970, the federal Clean Air Act was passed, promulgating limits on the emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) from large stationary sources that would affect local air quality. The brunt of this regulation was felt by the electric utility industry, especially those units generating electricity with coal-fired boilers. The law hastened development of a new industry, flue gas desulfurization (FGD), which is composed of three major segments: the electric utility, the FGD equipment suppliers (the scrubbing modules), and the scrubbing chemical suppliers. Dravo's experience suggested the equipment end of the business, but market analysis recommended investigating the chemical processes involved in the removal of the SO2 gas. This resulted in the formation of Dravo Lime Co. to manufacture and market reagents to the FGD industry. This paper will briefly describe the Thiosorbic lime scrubbing process and review Dravo's innovative mine and calcining facility.

Jan 1, 1982

By J. P. Nichols

Modern vibrating screening dates from about 1910 at which time the forerunner of the present day two bearing and four bearing circular motion inclined vibrating screens were first introduced. These simple machines consisted of a screen box holding some kind of a screening surface to which was attached an off-center shaft or a shaft with an off-center weight which was rotated. The rotation of these shafts caused a shivering motion to the screen box and produced the first vibrating screen. In the 1920's and early 30's, the box designs were improved and the mechanisms designs were also improved and by 1940, vibrating screens were an important part of most process plants. In the early days when the screen sizes were dictated by how much could be shoveled onto the screen box and by the force that a particular mechanism could produce, not much thought was given to the proper sizing of the particular units. As mechanism and body design improved the ability to predict vibrating screen capacity at various openings became more important. In the late 1930's, a set of empirical capacities came to be used. with few modifications, these capacities are still in use today, both by those companies that use a formula involving only the amount of fine material in a feed, and by those companies using a formula in which the total feed to a particular screen is used. In either method of calculation, the empirical values are based on these ideal conditions: (1) The material being fed to the screen contains 25% oversize. (2) The feed to the screen contains 40% half size material. (3) The material has a bulk density of 1.6 T/Cu.M. (100 lbs/cu.ft.). (4) The screening surface has an open area of 50%. (5) The material is dry, free flowing and relatively cubical. (6) The maximum screening efficiency required is between 90 and 95%. It is obvious that these conditions do not occur in natural or crushed size distributions. Therefore, modifications must be made to these empirical values to allow for the calculation of a vibrating screen for a particular set of conditions. Before we consider these various modifications, let us look at what happens to material as it is acted on by a vibrating screen so that we can better understand why the modifications are nec-

Jan 1, 1982

By J. Douglas Causey

A U.S. Bureau of Mines study indicates over 200 million yd3 (153 million m3) of cinder resources occur in the Mount Washington Wilderness. No future demand for the deposits is anticipated. Based upon the geologic environment, the area is considered favorable for discovery of geothermal resources. INTRODUCTION The Mount Washington Wilderness, located about 32 mi (51 km) west of Bend, Oregon, contains 46,655 acres (18,881 ha) (fig. 1). A 6,300-acre (2,550-ha) addition on the northeast and east boundaries has been proposed by the Forest Service under RARE II. The U.S. Geological Survey made regional geological, geophysical, and geochemical surveys, and the U.S. Bureau of Mines examined, analyzed, and evaluated the economic potential of prospects and commercially important mineral resources.

Jan 1, 1982

By John C. Loretto

"The paper identifies two of the main problems encountered in recent hydrometallurgical plants for the recovery of gold and silver: firstly, the plant recovery is lower than anticipated from the testwork; secondly, the metallurgical accounting figures cannot be reconciled.The principal reasons for the plant recovery being lower than the testwork are discussed, together with solutions that can minimize these problems both during the design stage and during the plant operation after the problems have manifest themselves.The reasons for the difficulties in metallurgical accounting are analyzed by reviewing the various components of the plant figures. Recommended solutions are given for minimizing this problem and the realities of obtaining accurate figures are discussed.IntroductionThe start-up over the last few years of new hydrometallurgical plants for the recovery of gold and silver has brought to the surface again a number of problems. Most of the problems have existed for some time and they manifest themselves mainly in two ways. Firstly, the plant results do not agree with the metallurgical testwork figures; secondly, the metallurgical accounting figures do not balance.Metallurgical TestworkThe plant results not agreeing with testwork figures are mainly due to:a) testwork samples not representative of the eventual plant feed;b) misinterpretation or misunderstanding of testwork ;c) plant losses;d) plant design not allowing testwork results to be achieved;e) operating deficiencies."

Jan 1, 1982

By Andrew P. Ritter, Douglas A. Anderson, Stephen R. Winzer

We have adopted a unified approach to blast design. Based on earlier research, we chose minimum relief of 3.4 ms/ft between holes in a row and 8.6 ms/ft between echelons to produce good fragmentation. A model has been created which generates the expected ground vibration frequencies from a particular delay pattern. Within the relief guidelines, blast designs have been created to shift the expected frequencies of the ground vibration above the resonant range of residential structures. A programmable sequential blasting machine was used to delay circuits. An extensive three-month seismic monitoring program determined that this approach is successful. From data collected for over a year, we have determined that crusher throughput is up about 10%, frequency modification has been largely successful, peak particle velocities have generally gone down by a factor of 2, and neighbor complaints have decreased drastically.

Jan 1, 1982