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The ore treatment expansion programme at Mount Isa Mines required the erection of a new lead-zinc concentrator to be known as No. 2 Concentrator. This concentrator was designed by Western-Knapp Engineering Company in conjunction with staff of Mount Isa Mines Limited. Metallurgical design followed conventional wet milling practice, but the size of many plant units is larger than previously used at Mount Isa. The. total capacity of the new plant is 150,000 tons per four weekly period, and the plant is designed to operate in two equal parallel sections.Erection was contracted on a turnkey basis, and the plant was commissioned as a production unit on 23rd June 1966.The existing concentrator, No. I, was converted to treat all copper ore, and the total capacity of the two plants is now 390,000 tons per four weekly period.

Jan 1, 1968

Significance of the body of iron oxide, which in part overlies as its hanging-wall the rich chalcocite ore-body at Mount Oxide, Queensland, has been variously interpreted by engineers and geologists who have inspected the deposit.Among the interpretations offered is the one that the body represents the residual of an original medium to low grade...

Jan 1, 1939

To the industrial geologist, as wen as to the general or historic geologist, the possession of a reliable key to the true order or sequence of the stratigraphy or position of the various upper rocky envelopes of the earth's crust, is, equally, a desideratum of the utmost importance. Of similar value to the two groups of students is the possession of facts which throw light upon the relationships which subsist between the puccessive rock formation of different countries, especially between countries lying close to each other, or within the same great geographical division.But there is necessarily a fundamental distinction which marks the respective limits of the field of observations of the industrial geologist, and the purely historic interest of the general geologist. The former has a more definite though less extensive scope. The scope of the latter is wide and indeterminate. In short, the observations of the industrial geologist are, 'from a commercial or economic point of view, of a more practical character, and are, therefore, intentionally restricted to the study of all geological questions which throw light upon the rocks which yield products of economic value and only include the study of the character and history of other rocks, in so far, as they afford aid to the more perfect comprehension of the best manner in which materials of economic value are likely to be sought, and the best means whereby these products may be secured for the material advantage of the community. The motive of the general geologist-in most cases-is a love of the study of some particular branch or province of the geological field, and the fascination of opening a new volume in nature's library, and the hope of extending the realm of knowledge, however slight, are often sufficient, as a motive, to enlist the energy and life's devotion of the true brethren of the hammer, irrespective of considerations regarding the commercial utility of the pursuit.

Notwithstanding full concurrence with the dictum of a famous scientist that "definitions are the most accursed of all things on the face of the earth," in view of the considerable confusion which exists in jigging nomenclature, it is considered advisable to commence this paper with the following explanations of the terms which will be used throughout the text.Jig Bed. The whole layer of material lying on top of the jig screen.Ragging. The layer of denser material lying immediately above the jig screen, which is too coarse to pass through this screen and is confined horizontally by the cells of the top grid.Ore Column. The layer of ore pulp between the ragging and the top-water.Top Water. The water, carrying fine material in suspension, which flOiWS over the surface of the jig bed.Hutch Water. The water added to the jig below the screen. (Except for the water discharged with the hutch concentrate, the "hutch-water" eventually becomes "top-water.")Feed Water. The water in the ore pulp fed to the jig.(This water becomes part of the "top-water.")Pulsion. The period of the jigging cycle during which the water is moving upwards relative to the particles in the jig bed.

Jan 1, 1937

Mineral Changes that Occur During Coal Gasification

Sep 13, 2010

The concentration of Mt. Morgan sulphide ore has always been attended by serious loss of gold. Until recently, with a simple selective flotation flowsheet, even the lowest grade of ore milled-about 2 dwt. per long ton-thislloss was 0·9 dwt., whilst for average to high-grade ore, 3·5 to 5 dwt., the figure was 1·5 to 2·0 dwt. Early in 1937 it was decided to equip the research laboratory for an investigation into the condition and location of the escaping gold and the physical and mineralogical barriers preventing its recovery.With the completion of: this equipment in July 1937, trial and error testing, which had been explored to exhaustion, was abandoned and a five months' research programme mapped out and commenced. Based on the knowledge so gained, a flowsheet combining primary desliming, bulk flotation of the natural slime, selective flotation of the deslimed fraction, and cyanidation of the selective flotation tailing was drafted and tried with encouraging results in a 70-lb. per hour pilot plant. This flowsheet, modified to meet current circumstances, is being dove-tailed into the existing 1,500-ton sulphide ore concentrator, though the cyanidation treatment is actually carried out in the oxidized ore mill, to which the flotation tails are pumped.RESEARCH EQUIPMENT(1) Five tube elutriator (Fig. 1) t built in the company's workshop.

Jan 1, 1939

Suddenly, mining has been thrust into the limelight. It has a large image that casts its shadow over New Zealand. Is it any wonder that resistance has heightened and that an almost unprepared populous is currently struggling to protect the very land they hold dear. Next to the atomic bomb, mining has the demonstrated power to massively change the land and its side effects can pollute many miles beyond the operation. During the past year, New Zealand concern over the possible effects of the mining proposals has become acute. This was specially so in the areas of special environmental quality, such as the Coromandel, and here a very unhappy situation has arisen.

Jan 1, 1981

Alluvial gold grades are typically highly erratic. It is very often difficult to establish with confidence the in situ grades of reserve blocks due to the small number of pit or drill hole samples available, and their erratic values. Trends in grade are often obscure. Geostatical methods are inappropriate due to the extreme nugget effect found in alluvial gold field data. Classical statistics appear more suited to such data but require assumptions to be made regarding the nature of the population sampled. Recent developments in computer intensive non-parametric statistical methods provide a new approach to dealing with some of the above problems. These methods avoid making assumptions about the type of population distribution, usually through some kind of re-sampling scheme. The bootstrap procedure involves taking the estimate of interest and synthesising its population of by re-sampling the original data a large number of times (1000+), at random and with replacement. The synthetic population is then used to draw conclusions about the likely behaviour of the true population.

Jan 1, 1985

In responding to why some longwall roadway development rates are different among mines, the Roadway Development Task Group (RDTG) of Australian Coal Association Research Program (ACARP) has initiated a benchmarking study to survey each longwall mine to determine the correlation between roadway development practices and roadway development performances. This paper describes a web-based relational database system which has been developed purposely to monitor the performance of Australian longwall roadway developments aimed at assessing both the physical and operational factors which could influence roadway development practices and their performance indicators. Statistical analysis of an earlier survey suggested that continuous miner units that achieved more than 1750 m were units mining two-heading development.

Dec 6, 2010

In preparing this paper, the writer hopes to achieve two main objects. Firstly, an indication of the desirable features of coke from the viewpoint of a blast furnace operator should be of assistance and value to those connected with coal and coke research, coal mining, the manufacture of coke and the production of iron. Secondly, it is hoped that the conclusions and opinions expressed herein, which are known to be of a controversial nature, will promote some discussion and thought. In this way, other workers may see fit to contribute and enlarge our general knowledge of Australian coke and its behaviour in blast furnaces.Those properties of coke that are considered to be of importance to blast furnace operation will be examined. Although broadly speaking, the composition and characteristics of coke are inherent in the coals used, any special features of coal preparation and carbonization that affect the resultant coke will be discussed. An attempt will also be made to indicate the effect on blast furnace operation of significant irregularities in these properties.THE FUNCTION OF COKE IN A BLAST FURNACECoke has four important functions in a blast furnace:1. To reduce the oxides of iron and other elements to metal and to provide the carbon absorbed by the iron.2. To supply the necessary heat for the process.3. To provide an open supporting structure in which the descending ore and limestone lie exposed to the action of the ascending gas.4. To provide voidage in the bottom of the furnace, so that iron and slag can accumulate in the hearth.

Jan 1, 1957

Whilst the wider community is both a large consumer of mineral products and relies on mineral exports for much of the wealth which sustains it, the community generally has a poor perception of the minerals industry.   The role of professionals and The AusIMM in the "New Economy" minerals industry is reviewed. The new structure of The Institute is vital as we move forward in times of globalisation, rationalism, increasing litigation, criminalisation of risk and increased focus on corporate governance. This address looks forward to ways The AusIMM and professionals of the future are positioning themselves for these and other challenges.

Jan 1, 2001

The areas of concern lay in the processing of, and the subsequent hearing into, Waihi Gold's resource consent applications to extend Martha Mine. The proposed amendments to the Resource Management Act 1991 might see the introduction of contestability in the processing of applications - which would have assisted Waihi Gold; and the use of commissioners to hear the applications, with a right of appeal to the Environment Court on points of law only. It is also proposed to have major applications heard directly by the Environment Court. If Waihi Gold's applications had been heard at first instance by the Court, the delays in time and associated costs would have been reduced. However a hearing by commissioners only would not have been satisfactory, there being no right of appeal against the conditions of consent, which if implemented as granted by the Councils would have had a significant impact on the costs associated with the extended project.

Jan 1, 1998

Recovery of Fine Gold Particles from Philippine Gold Deposits by Enhanced Gravity Concentration and Flotation The objective of the study is to determine the applicability of enhanced gravity concentration (EGC) and flotation for gold recovery. While gravity concentration methods have long been applied to gold ores, especially to free-milling types that requires minimal beneficiation, flotation for gold recovery has not yet taken hold as a major operation in the Philippine setting. In this study, the application of EGC and flotation for gold is applied and compared to the existing methods for gold recovery. Two samples, with assays of 7.315 and 5.333 g Au/MT (samples 1 and 2, respectively) are used for this study. These samples are subjected to mineralogical studies and is found to have a gold-particle size ranging 10 to 200 microns. To verify the separation size, the mesh-of-grind (MOG) is used as the primary parameter for experimentation. Initially, the samples are stage-crushed, ground, and subjected to EGC using a Falcon SB40 Concentrator. Based on the results, the two samples showed that recovery increases with a finer MOG. The ratio of concentration (K) decreases with a finer MOG. This shows that there should be sufficient liberation of the gold values for EGC to be effective. The effect of the enhancement is to pronounce the difference in specific gravity of the minerals, promoting better separation. This is validated by the high recovery values of 86.97 per cent and 98.73 per cent exhibited respectively for samples 1 and 2 (at 54 microns). For the flotation runs, sample 2 with an average particle size of 80 per cent passing 74 microns is examined using thiocarbamate-based collectors for roughing and subsequently exhibited a recovery of 96.32 per cent. At this point, the concentration ratio (K) is noted as an important efficiency indicator for flotation process since it yielded a very low-mass and high-metal content concentrate.

Sep 13, 2010

Electrochemical Behaviour of Massive Chaclopyrite Bioleached Electrodes in Presence of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Acidithiobacillus caldus In this work, the monitoring of bacterial and chemical dissolution of massive chaclopyrite was evaluated using cyclic voltammetry (CV); the mineral surface was examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the elements were examined by Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis (EDAX). The electrolyte employed for the electrochemical tests was the medium used to bioleaching the electrodes (3.0 g/L (NH4)2+SO4, 0.5 g/L K2HPO4, 0.5 g/L MgSO4+7H2O and 0.1 g/L Ca(NO3)2).The results showed differences in voltagramms carried out by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Acidithiobacillus caldus: In bioleached electrodes tested in the presence of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans, the anodic and cathodic current signals were larger than with Acidithiobacillus caldus. The analysis of CV results allowed attributing the different peaks observed in both the direct and reverse potential scanning to the oxidation of chaclopyrite to a secondary copper mineral (bornite, chalcocite and covellite) and its reduction via different non stoichiometric copper sulphides intermediaries. Surface evidences were observed by SEM, and chemical elements evidences were also investigated by EDAX.

Sep 13, 2010

IN a mine with any considerable output the economical handling and transport of ore underground is a matter of prime importance, and in the design or lay-out of a trucking system the question of what form the points and crossings are to take should be one of the first considered. Trucks may be moved from one line of rails to another by the following means: by flat sheets, with which may be coupled turn-tables, or by points and crossings. The latter class may be further divided into fixed and movable points.Flat sheets and turn-tables, owing to the time and skill needed by the trucker in using them, are seldom of great value with large tonnages, unless for purely temporary work, and the choice narrows down to one between fixed and movable points andcrossings. Both systems have their disadvantages - movable points being liable to jamb with dirt and get out of order, whilst with fixed points trucks may sometimes run over the points and capsize, or go on to the wrong line, though this is not of frequent occurrence. On the other hand. the fixed points are simple, easily laid, and strong, and there is no necessity for the trucker to work any levers, the truck being guided on to its new direction by screwing.Cast-iron points and crossings were first introduced into the North mine during the opening-up of the 950-ft. level, and the first arrangement was designed for a double turn-out in the main crosscut. Since then both the points and crossings have beenmodified several times, and it may be interesting to briefly outline the various forms through which they have passed, showing the reasons for the retention of some features and the rejection of others.

Jan 1, 1915

A comparatively new and very promIsmg field for applying cemented tungsten-carbides is in the mining and quarrying industries. The economic advantages of this unique engineering material over the conventional hollow drill steel, or steel detachable bits, have proven so great that the use of "hard metals" promises, in some instances, to revolutionise the drilling of all manner of minerals. Early in the war years the Germans realised the tremendous advantages cemented carbides offered for holing hard rocks, and they proceeded to develop detachable percussion bits to do this work, at the same time evolving fast, comparatively light-hitting driliing machines, especially designed to suit the mechanical properties of the carbide.Here in Australia also, it has appeared that the detachable percussion bit offers the greatest economic benefits to consumers, although the author is well aware that carbide-tipped drill rods have, and may continue to work out satisfactorily in certain mines and quarries.Most drilling equipment at present installed in Australia may be described as being of the heavy hard-hitting variety, so that the designer of an efficient percussion bit has to take special precautions to overcome the problem of fatigue, and to ensure that the inserts are securely mounted in the body with the minimum of internal stress in the carbide.

Jan 1, 1950

At Waiuta near Reefton there is a remarkable vein of quartz <1 m thick which, apart from small offsets on late-stage faults, is a sheet like body essentially continuous down-dip and along-strike for> 1 km. The vein strikes NNE and dips steeply west (032/78¦W). From 1906-1951 the Blackwater mine produced 740,404 ounces of gold from the vein, called the æBirthday ReefÆ, which was one third of the total production from Reefton Goldfield and the fourth largest gold mine in New Zealand. Within the mine the vein is disrupted into a series of northeast-plunging shoots by late-stage faults. Similar faults, but with larger displacements, were thought in the past to truncate the vein at the northern and southern ends of the mine. The implication of this fault dissection model is that offset remnants of the vein await discovery. This study investigated the geometry of the vein and its relationship to host-rock structures and late-stage faults. A new model considers folding and lithological variation in the host-rocks to be fundamental in controlling the scale and geometry of veining, but does not rule out the possibility of some late-stage fault dissection. The Birthday Reef truncates 200-400 m wavelength folds in Greenland Group host-rocks at c.10¦ angle, that results in variation in the structural properties of host-rocks along strike every ~1350-2500 m. The spacing of fold hinges in the wall-rock veins is equivalent to the strike length of historic mining, implying that the Birthday Reef is probably hosted in a single limb of a fold. Similar relationships between mineralisation and host-rock folds appear to be present elsewhere in the Reefton Goldfield (e.g. Capleston and Murray Creek group of mines). Exploration targets are located one fold wavelength (c.1350-2500 m) further along strike from the Blackwater mine and relatively barren rock is expected in between the mine and target areas. Refining the location of folds and different host rock lithologies, using geophysical data and quality geological mapping, is the key to reducing exploration risks and discovering further resources.

Jan 1, 2000

Large scale fluid extraction from the Latrobe Group in the Gippsland Basin is occurring as a result of offshore petroleum production and coal mine dewatering in the Latrobe Valley. Groundwater extraction in the Latrobe Valley exceeds recharge and is causing an expanding area of declining hydraulic head in the Latrobe Group, and regional land subsidence which is well documented. Recently the government water sector completed the installation of a network of Latrobe Group monitoring bores in the remainder of the onshore part of the Gippsland Basin. The bores situated along the coastal area show a steady decline in hydraulic head of about 1 m/year which can be attributed mainly to petroleum production.

Jan 1, 1992

Digital Simulation of Particulate Processes The inherent complexity of mineral particulates (shape, size and mineralogical texture) has challenged conventional simulation model approaches for decades. Much effort was expedited in using mathematical assumptions to accommodate stereological effect. With the advance of instrumental methods such as x-ray microtomography 3D structure can, in many cases, be measured directly. The information derived from such measurements provides direct input to building the structural digital model. In addition digital simulation methods that enable creation of process realistic particulate properties in an efficient digital computer space have demonstrated their effectiveness to model a variety of realistic packing, sorting and multi-phase processes. The paper reviews recent advances in the use of information derived from 3D micro-tomographic imaging and laser scanning technology can be coupled with digital methods to enable simulation of tablet compaction and dissolution, filtration and permeability, column packing and leaching kinetics, packing and cementation of nuclear waste. By assigning 'properties' to a digital zone (voxel) in the computational space it is possible to mimic the realistic characteristics of quite complex particulate mineral processing systems. The system self-adapts to correct the coherent particle characteristics (shape, size, compound, porosity) with time. Such simulations are useful to elucidate the sensitivity of system performance to variations in process parameters. Dimensional scaling of the approach is also possible, as the case studies will illustrate, in deploying the method to both small (micron) and large (m) features. The use of process realistic simulations presents experimental challenges in code validation. It is in this context that other tomographic methods play a role in direct 3D measurement of system behaviour such as electrical and optical sensors.

Sep 13, 2010

A summary of a proposal to develop a 20 000 tpa underground gold operation in a Forest Park. The environmental constraints are severe and affected the mine development planning and choice of mining method. The mine will use trackless methods to access the narrow 1.5 m ore shoots, and to mine ore by cut and fill methods. The use of Microscoop and CT 1700 HE electric LHDs for mucking, together with special drilling attachments for drilling, is central to efficiency and small Kubota diesel haulers will be used for carrying ore to surface.

Jan 1, 1986