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By G. R. Robinson

Aggregate resources consist of sand and gravel, and crushed stone. They are large-tonnage, bulk-minable mineral commodities that are used in construction and industrial activities (Tepordei, 1999, 2001).Rates of aggregate production, use and mine permit approval in the mid-Atlantic region differ by population density. These rates are influenced by economic and human factors, such as demand, costs, land availability and community opposition. In some areas, the local availability of aggregate is limited. This is due to the lack of suitable local source materials for aggregate, the loss of potential high-quality aggregate resource production sites by preemptive land development and restrictive zoning (resource sterilization), and the difficulty of developing and permitting production sites for aggregate.

Jan 1, 2004

By Antonio Nieto

According to the analysis of surface powered haulage accidents involving off-highway haul trucks in openpit mining, the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), reported 1,300 fatal accidents from 1990 to 2005. Of these, 163 were considered off-highway truck haulage accidents, and at least 23 involved collisions of an off-highway truck with a neighboring vehicle or a worker on foot (Nieto and Dagdelen, 2006). In general, an average of 18 nonfatal accidents and three fatal accidents occurred in openpit mining per year when equipment backed over the edge of an embankment, stockpile or dump point (Fessak, et al., 2003). The specific problems that need to be solved can be determined by carefully studying the accidents involving haulage trucks (Marrara, et al., 2004). Solutions to haulage truck safety must consider the human factors affecting each task even when engineering solutions seem most appropriate. In surface haulage, human performance becomes a critical issue because of the unusual demand the vehicle?s places on their human operators: ? Roadways and working areas change frequently in mining operations. ? The sheer mass of mining equipment such as trucks requires control inputs (e.g., braking) far in advance of the desired action. ? Rough roads, loading and unloading impacts can subject the driver to dangerous shocks and vibration. ? Visibility is sharply curtailed by the bulk of the vehicle generating large blind spots. All of the above issues can be attributed partially to the lack of visibility (Pyles et al., 2003). Driver visibility and communications are key issues to reduce mining truck accidents. Analysis of fatalities and injuries involving mining equipment demonstrates the need to develop new intervention and control strategies to mitigate the risks associated with mining equipment operation. Ongoing development of these and other new strategies is required to achieve a reduction of injury in the mining industry

Jan 2, 2010

By Garry Keizer

The Cortez gold mine is located in Lander County, NR, about 130 km (80 miles) southwest of Elko. Cortez Gold Mines (CGM) is a joint venture between Placer Dome US Inc. (60% operator) and Kennecott Corp. (40%). The claims that supply oxide and refractory ore feed to the Cortez milling facility are located in both Lander and Eureka counties. These include the Cortez and Horse Canyon deposits, all operated by the joint venture. Other deposits outside the CGM claim area include Fire Creek, Buckhorn, Gold Bar and Tonkin Springs. These deposits all occur along the Battle Mountain-Eureka Trend. History Mining in the Cortez district began in 1862 with the discovery of high-grade silver ores. Grades in the hundreds of ounces per ton occurred in an area 7 km (4.5 miles) southeast of the current CGM mill site. Underground mining through the Garrison and Arctic tunnels provided the bulk of the ore production between 1864 and 1895. To a lesser extent, the Mill Canyon area also supplied ore until 1930.

Jan 1, 1993

By Peter B. Dowden, Robert A. Robinson

Boulders, frequently found in tunnels excavated through soils, can pose major problems for full face TBMs in terms of slowing or halting the tunnel advance, cutter damage, and abrasive wear. The paper aims to consider the problem as a whole, from the geological characteristics of boulder sites, to the appropriate physical design of theTBM, and its operation in boulder-laden soils. In addition, visualization of boulders and other subsurface obstructions by seismic methods and ground penetrating radar are reviewed. The paper will assist the construction planner in assessing the risks and preparing appropriate specifications.

Jan 1, 2001

By Fredrick Fränding

In mining and quarrying operations, electric motors can fail for a variety of reasons. Some failures are directly linked to demanding production requirements and contaminant-laden environments and, consequently, are difficult to prevent. A sizeable number, however, are caused by ?offline? factors that have nothing to do with production. These include inadequate or substandard motor repair practices and improper motor shipping, storage and installation. The fact that failures are at times attributable to repair- or rebuild-related errors and problems raises the stakes when selecting an electric motor repair provider. Teaming with high-quality electric motor shops can help a company reduce failures due to offline factors, improving motor reliability and cutting downtime costs. Regardless of location or annual revenues, the best motor shops have similar business cultures and share many of the same characteristics.

Jan 1, 2009

Amid some of the worst economic conditions that the mining industry has been faced with in more than a decade, the mood among the large crowd at the 114th Annual Northwest Mining Association?s annual meeting was surprisingly upbeat. More than 2,200 attendees showed up at John Asuaga?s Golden Nugget Casino in Reno, NV for the conference held Dec. 1-5. And more than 200 companies exhibited in 240 spaces, including SME and the Minerals Information Institute. The number of attendees and exhibitors were the most for the conference in more than 10 years. The conference was held in Reno/Sparks for just the second time in its illustrious history but began under the cloud of global financial turmoil. Prior to, and during the conference, the industry news headlines were grim, to say the least. An alarming number of mine plans and expansions had been put on hold; hundreds of miners across the United States had been or were in the process of being laid off; commodity prices were falling and some of the biggest mergers in the industry fell through while miners around the world put the brakes on to take a wait-and-see approach. It was a painful time for many, but the downsizing actions taken by many mining companies was exactly what needed to happen, according to Industry Outlook Luncheon featured speaker Frederick Sturm. He is the executive vice president and chief investment strategist and member of Mackenzie?s Investment team. He has earned a reputation as one of Canada?s leading investors in natural-based companies and he also manages the Ivy Global Natural Resource Fund in the United States Sturm said that the mining industry has fallen hard and that he expects it to bounce back quickly, before falling hard again. In these tough times, he said, the companies that have pulled back on production early are doing the right thing in the long run.

Jan 1, 2009

Gangue-cemented paste backfill (GCPB), is a well-established green mining technology and significantly improves the recovery rate of mineral resources, prevents mine dynamic disasters, reduces surface subsidence, and consumes a considerable amount of solid waste. The addition of an early strength agent as an additive in cement-based materials provides several security, technical, and economic advantages. In this study, the early strength agent on the early age (3, 7 and 28 days) strength of GCPB is evaluated experimentally. The GCPB specimens have an initial sodium sulfate early strength agent concentration of 0%, 1%, 2%, 3%, and 4%, and the obtained samples were analyzed by testing for uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The test results show that the UCS of the GCPB specimens with sodium sulfate is much higher than that of the blank specimens. When cured for 3 days and 7 days, the strength of GCPB with 2% sodium sulfate increased the most, by 131% and 116% respectively. When cured for 28 days, the strength of GCPB with 1% sodium sulfate increased by 135%. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results showed that the GCPB with 1% and 2% sodium sulfate had better internal structure compactness, thicker acicular crystals, and more flocs. As a kind of early strength agent, sodium sulfate can react with calcium hydroxide to generate calcium dihydrate sulfate and then react with calcium aluminate; the hydration product (C3A) quickly generates calcium sulfoaluminate hydrate (AFt) needle-shaped crystals, forming an early skeleton and improving the early strength.

Jan 7, 2020

By D. R. Wilburn

This summary of international mineral exploration activities for 2008 draws upon available information from industry sources, published literature and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) specialists. The summary provides data on exploration budgets by region and mineral commodity, identifies significant mineral discoveries and areas of mineral exploration, discusses government programs affecting the mineral exploration industry, and presents analyses of exploration activities by the mineral industry based upon these data. Two types of information are reported and analyzed in this annual review of international exploration for 2008: 1) budgetary statistics expressed in U.S. nominal dollars provided by Metals Economics Group (MEG) of Halifax, Nova Scotia (Metals Economics Group, 2008a, b), and 2) information on regional and site-specific exploration activities that took place in 2008 and compiled by the USGS. The MEG information summarizes planned company budgets for worldwide exploration activities in 2008, primarily for precious metals (gold, platinum-group metals and silver) and base metals (copper, lead, nickel and zinc). MEG includes information on additional mineral commodities only where it is available. Information on uranium exploration was included in the MEG overview for the first time in 2007, although this information was not included in the USGS analysis. The MEG survey methodology was changed in 1999 to include companies with exploration budgets between $100,000 and $2.9 million, as well as those companies included in prior studies whose anticipated budgets were above $2.9 million. MEG estimates that its post-1999 surveys cover at least 90 percent of world nonferrous nonfuel mineral exploration budgets. The 2008 survey is reported by MEG to cover an estimated 95 percent. Companies that chose not to participate in the MEG study, private companies that do not publish data, and government-funded exploration activities make up the majority of the remaining 5 percent. MEG included 91 more companies in its 2008 survey than it did in 2007 USGS compilations of site data described here primarily include nonfuel minerals, with an emphasis on base metals, diamond and precious metals. Analyses are based on information provided by USGS mineral commodity and country specialists and by other USGS scientists, as well as industry contacts and trade journals.

Jan 1, 2009

By A. Koski

A pond rehabilitation and environmental education project were proposed by Cleveland-Cliffs Michigan Operations (CCMO) and approved by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) as partial fulfillment of conditions for a stream mitigation permit. The goals of the project were the rehabilitation of a pond on a tributary of a local trout stream, enhancement of public access and appreciation, and the initiation of a site-based environmental educational curriculum. Cleveland-Cliffs undertook a suite of actions to rehabilitate a pond created by a previous mining operation in 1912 and make accessible to local schools the aquatic and riparian ecosystems. Cleveland-Cliffs partnered with the local governmental unit and two local school districts. The rehabilitated pond and riparian zone provide an accessible natural area that local residents can use for such activities as hiking, biking, walking, fishing and nature study. Vegetative enhancement includes the planting of native shrubs, wildflowers and showy herbaceous plants in the pond, on the riparian fringe and the surrounding area. An interpretive trail was developed around the pond with signs created by a local master watercolor artist. Local schools built and installed picnic tables, benches and a kiosk. Cleveland-Cliffs created pond lesson plans tied to the Michigan Curriculum Framework, developed inexpensive teaching kits and hosted a workshop for teachers from nine local schools. Classes regularly utilize the pond during the school year conducting environmental studies. Nesting boxes, wildflower gardens, bat houses, frog deformity surveys and water quality studies are a few of the activities that classes have conducted at the pond.

Jan 1, 2007

By J. O. Marsden

Over the past eight years, Phelps Dodge (a subsidiary of Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold, Inc.) devoted a significant amount of effort to the development of a suite of processes for the effective hydrometallurgical treatment of copper sulfide concentrates. This effort resulted in the development of high-temperature (>200ºC) and medium-temperature (150° to 165ºC) pressure leaching processes. Specific configurations of both processes have been commercially demonstrated at Phelps Dodge?s facility in Bagdad, Arizona. This paper reviews in detail the chemistry of medium-temperature pressure leaching of copper concentrates and reports on the process development work conducted by Phelps Dodge and others for this technology. This paper is Part I of a four-part series on this technology. Part II covers the development of medium-temperature pressure leaching and direct electrowinning technology; Part III considers the large-scale demonstration of the MT-DEW-SX process at Bagdad, Arizona; and Part IV addresses the development and design of a full-scale commercial application at Morenci, Arizona.

Jan 1, 2007

By C. Pattenden

The viability, self-reliance and resilience of small communities are perennial challenges in regional Australia. Recent developments in Australian mining regions seek to govern the minerals industry in a more holistic way that contributes to sustainable futures for affected communities in different contexts. In some areas of the State of Queensland land use conflicts and the cumulative impacts of multiple projects and activities across time and space have come to the fore. In more isolated regions of Western Australia the dominant issues relate to overstretching people, infrastructure and services in predominantly mining towns. In both cases, there is an ambition for regional towns with a strong extractive industry presence to transition into desirable, liveable and affordable cities with a diversified economy. The paper analyses two strategies - the Pilbara Plan in Western Australia, and the Sustainable Resource Communities Policy in Queensland - to identify how these governance instruments are contributing to sustainable development.

Jan 1, 2011

By Brian Fulcher

In April 1997, Kiewit/Parsons Brinckerhoff (K/PB) completed the 7,600-m (25,000-ft) primary access tunnel for the Yucca Mountain, NV proposed high-level nuclear waste site. K/PB then began boring an exploratory east-west cross drift tunnel at the site. The 2,681-m (8,796-linear ft)East-West Cross Drift Tunnel was excavated through volcanic tuffs having zones of incompetent rock using a rebuilt Robbins 5-m (16.4-ft)hard-rock tunnel boring machine(TBM) with a special arrangement of supporting equipment. This portion of the Yucca Mountain project was completed in eight months.

Jan 1, 2000

By Lane White

The 1989 Annual Meeting and Exhibit of SME in Las Vegas, NV, February 27 - March 2, 1989, was the largest ever, drawing more than 4000 regis¬trants and 240 exhibit booths. Technical sessions included presentation of nearly 500 papers, including symposia on Biotechnology in Minerals and Metals Processing, Surplus Capacity in the International Metals Industry, and APCOM `89 - the 21st International Symposium on Application of Computers and Operations Research in the Mineral Industry. Technical sessions covered the gamut of minerals industry interests; however, the proximity of the meeting to recently surging gold development in Nevada drew special attention to gold operating practices. Several of the papers on gold processing are reviewed below. To keep pace with the strong world- wide interest in gold development, SME has scheduled three additional upcoming programs that will focus specifically on gold: World Gold '89 - Gold Forum on Technology and Practices will be held November 5 - 8, 1989 in Reno, NV, as a joint meeting and exhibit between SME and the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Technical sessions will encompass a full program of papers covering geology and exploration, mining, and mineral and metallurgical processing. Cooperating sponsors for this meeting include the Canadian Mineral Processors Division of CIM, The Institute of Metals, The Institution of Mining and Metallurgy, The Mining, Geological & Metallurgical Institute of India, and The South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Gold '90 - Salt Lake City, UT, February 26 - March 1, 1990, will be a symposium held in conjunction with the 1990 SME Annual Meeting. Current research on the processing of refractory gold ores will generate innovative papers on process mineralogy at this symposium, with special emphasis on gold with pyrite and gold with carbon. Other sessions are planned for gold exploration and mining, gold metallurgy, gold plant design and practice, and gold in scams. Advances in Gold and Silver Processing Conference, October 1 - 3, 1990 will be held in Reno, NV. Preliminary planning calls for technical sessions on heap leaching practice, refractory ore processing, non-traditional lixiviants, bioleaching, metal recovery from solution, and the environmental aspects of processing operations. PLANT DESIGN, OPERATION Technical sessions organized by the Minerals and Metallurgical Processing Division of SME at this year's meeting in Las Vegas covered a wide range of gold operating practices. Eight papers relating to gold plant design, operation, and equipment are summarized here. Preprints of these papers are available by writing to Publications Sales, PO Box 625002, Littleton, CO 80162-5002 ($2.50 per paper for AIME members, $4 for nonmembers). Continuous elution process A. M. Stone, of Bechtel Australia Pty. Ltd., described the "Development of the Continuous Elution Process for Extraction of Gold from Carbon" (pre-print 89-75). Developed by Bechtel Pacific Corp. for Ok Tedi Mining Ltd., the Continuous Elution Process uses the same reagents as batch processes for elution of gold from carbon, while yielding significant savings in stripping vessel size and energy consumed in comparison with equivalent batch processes. The process is also simpler to operate than batch processes. Other advantages include reduced maintenance costs, higher average eluate grade, and near steady final eluate grade. Pilot testing for the Continuous Elution Process was conducted at Western Mining's Kambalda gold plant beginning in December 1982. The Continuous Elution Process is a continuous countercurrent system operating in a pressure vessel at elevated

Jan 1, 1989

By J. R. Piper

“Old Borate,” located in the Calico Mountains east of Barstow, California, lead domestic colemanite production from 1884 through 1907. Mineral exploration at “Old Borate” in the early 1980's, examined borate mineralization in Tertiary lacustrine strata. Surface sample and drill hole locations, geology and structure, were hand-drafted on paper maps. To re-evaluate this data, the information was digitized using Geographic Information Systems software. Digital Elevation Model based terrain modeling integrated surficial samples with drill hole data to locate favorable drilling targets. Structural relationships were used to identify hypothetical resources formed by the leaching of boron from surface exposures, redeposited at depth.

Jan 1, 2001

By V. L. Franzen, Z. J. Hladysz, C. A. Kliche

The Wharf Resources mine, located in the Bald Mountain Mining District approximately 6.4 km (4miles) west of Lead, South Dakota, has operated a surface gold and silver mine and heap leaching processing facility since 1983. Wharf Resources intends to mine and process gold and silver ore from the Wharf Expansion area which is located on the eastern flank of the currently permitted Foley Ridge Mine. The Trojan Pit for the Wharf Expansion area was initially designed with an overall highwall slope angle of 45o. During mine permit presubmission meetings with personnel from the SD Department of Environment and Natural Resources (SD DENR), the question arose as to whether a detailed slope stability analysis of the proposed Trojan Pit highwalls was completed to justify the 45o slope. Wharf’s response was that the highwall design was based, in part, upon studies completed in1987 on the Annie Creek and Foley Ridge Mines; and, in part, upon subsequent slope stability analyses conducted by Wharf mine personnel through 1996. It was suggested by the SD DENR that the stability study be updated to reflect structural geological conditions in the Wharf Expansion area.

Jan 1, 2000

By John H. Gasper

The success of steep slope (>20°) contour mining depends on many factors. Most important is the selection of the mining method that best suits the premining site conditions environmentally and economically. These conditions can be divided into three categories: • Geometric conditions - machine limitations, slope stability restrictions, erosion capacity; • Physical conditions - material properties, rock strengths, ability to dig, driving surfaces; and • Chemical conditions - acid-base relationships, blending or selective placement of overburden. This article incorporates these conditions by conceptually modeling compliance-oriented contour mining methods, particularly haulback methods, using the combined front-end loader (FEL)/ truck, tractor/scraper, and FEL-truck and scraper. Engineering analyses, including machine selection, sequencing, ease of varying production rates, slope requirements (for stability and running surfaces) and drainage requirements can be performed after the geometric constraints dictated by in situ conditions and regulatory requirements have been conceptualized. Once all generalized geometries have been established, reduction to idealized, three-dimensional views is achieved. These are then reduced to two-dimensional symbolic models, mainly plan views but also elevations and sections. Equipment activities and operations are then conveniently overlayed. Without this simple, two-dimensional reduction, technology transfer remains awkward and non-analytical.

Jan 1, 1991

By David Chapman, Glen Frank

Due to the transport mechanics of the depositional environment, glacial soils display a very wide range of grain sizes and behavior. Several nonstandard drilling, sampling, and analytical techniques are therefore required to characterize the subsurface. The paper summarizes the geotechnical investigation for the design of a large project in glacial geology, which will include both large and small diameter pressure balance tunneling. The paper focuses on the challenges presented by the glacial environment and the techniques required to identify and characterize it for design and contract document preparation.

Jan 1, 2001

By Gerald M. Ellis

ntroduction As the gold mining industry continues to develop in the Dominican Republic and Haiti, more deposits will undoubtedly be discovered that will be amenable to development. The Pueblo Viejo gold mine is currently in operation in the Dominican Republic. It has become an important component of that country's economy. Pueblo Viejo output is important to the government as a foreign currency earner. It is also said to be among the world's more successful gold mines. But, while Pueblo Viejo is successful, no other major gold discoveries have been made in recent years. Therefore, alluvial deposits of gold have caught the attention of geologists on the Island of Hispaniola. In the past four years, exploration and investigation of alluvial deposits have been initiated in both the Dominican Republic and Haiti. This type of activity is expected to continue over the next few years. Alluvial gold mining is rudimentary gold washing, done mostly by farmers. It is an old tradition, dating back at least 100 years, and is done by small, independent, or community farming villages in the mountains and plains of the Dominican Republic. Investigations in the DR Recently, alluvial gold investigations have been undertaken in well known locations of the Dominican Republic. One is in the Villa Altagracia area. Here, the terraces and gravels of the Haina River basin were examined, test-pitted, and assayed by Minera Altagracia, a local Dominican mining group. Results led to a new investigation by the state-owned Rosario Dominicana (RD), the company that mines the gold at Pueblo Viejo. Rosario tested areas previously investigated by Minera Altagracia. RD could not define the type of concentration that could justify an industrial-scale type of exploitation. The Haina River placers are located in the flats and valleys of Central Dominican Republic. They are classified as small-scale type of operations where local cooperatives can do the traditional gold washing. It is not now considered a dredgable project for a mining company. The next alluvial gold investigation was undertaken by the Dominican Department of Mines and others in an area of some 700 km2 (270 sq miles) in the northeast near Miches. Farmers have been washing gold in streams and excavating pits in various areas, particularly La Mina and have made a living. Government geologists panned several hundred streams and river tributaries. They also washed material from deep excavations. The results, however, were negative insofar as locating alluvial gold concentrations suitable for large-scale or industrial-scale exploitation. The most favorable locations were the terraces along the Jayán and Cuarón Rivers in the area of Miches. But the grade od concentration is poor. Actually, only traces of gold were found in these

Jan 8, 1986

By S. J. Jung

The most frequent causes of accidental injury and fatality are carelessness and ignorance; and the most common accidents are haulage accidents, fall, drowning, and fire. However, in this modern day and age, severe injury has become the dire consequence of an ever-increasing number of industrial and mining accidents as well as sport-, military- , etc. Mine accidents have declined dramatically in number and severity through decades of research, technology, and preventive programs. However, preventing recurrence of disasters like those of the past remains a top priority requiring constant vigilance by management, labor, and government. The goal of the present research is to investigate and identify root causes associated with types of mining accidents (victim being caught by an equipment, bodily motion, over exertion, etc) and nature of injuries such as (sprain and strains, fracture, dislocation, amputation, etc). Further, we hope to discover the impetus of the root causes occurring more and more often in this modern day of technology and quality awareness. With the different dimensions of accidents and injuries brought into the fold, there is the need for researchers and mining operators to comprehend and better still visualize significant patterns of associations among these variables of interest. We assume that, there is a high correlation between many dimensions of nature of injuries and types of accidents. This suggested a principal component analysis to reduce the dimensions for easy and amenable interpretation.

Jan 1, 2012

By G. H. Glos

There was a time when an occasional failure of a tailings embankment was considered an acceptable risk associated with mining activities. This is not the case anymore. A major tailings failure today could result in the indictment of mine officials, huge fines and a possible site closure due to the loss of operating permits. As a result of this changed operational environment, tailings disposal facilities must be operated with these potential consequences in mind. Physical controls for tailings embankments are prohibitively expensive. However, the nuclear industry has developed a system of administrative controls as an alternative to physical controls. Administrative controls may be defined as control of actions, through organizations and management, using written procedures, record keeping, review and audit to assure operation of a facility in a safe manner (10 CFR 50). Administrative controls can reduce the cost of operating tailings impoundments, as well as increase the level of confidence in these facilities.

Jan 1, 1999