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By D. J. W. Piper, T. Hundert, G. Pe-Piper

"Abstract - Potentially commercial deposits of kaolin are found in the fluvial Lower Cretaceous Chaswood Formation, the sedimentologically proximal equivalent of deltaic sediments of the offshore Scotian basin. The geological setting of the kaolin deposits has been interpreted from high-resolution seismic-reflection profiles and boreholes, and mineralogical studies on one reference borehole. The kaolin is a product of early diagenesis involving meteoric water below the water table. The distribution of kaolin is controlled by the presence of intraformational unconformities that were sites of ground water recharge, and are marked by the development of oxisols above the water table. Such diagenesis was facilitated by interbedded, loosely consolidated, permeable sandstone. The highest-grade kaolin deposits are found in areas close to river belts, where overbank muds were not sufficiently drained to develop paleosols, but where later uplift created intraformational unconformities. In the sandstone, meteoric water flow altered feldspars to kaolin, thus yielding commercial silica sand deposits. It also altered ilmenite to rutile, which is concentrated as secondary placers in modern rivers that have eroded the Chaswood Formation and tills derived therefrom. Sommaire - Des dépôts de kaolin potentiellement économiques ont été notés dans la Formation de Chaswood d'’âge Crétacé Inférieur, laquelle constitue un équivalent latéral en milieu fluviatile aux sédiments deltaïques du bassin de Scotian. Le contexte géologique de ces dépôts de kaolin a été interprété a partir de profils de seismique-réflection à haute résolution, de sondages, et d’études minéralogiques sur un sondage de référence. Ce kaolin est un produit diagénétique précoce formé par de l’eau météorique sous le niveau de la nappe phréatique. La distribution du kaolin est contrôlée par la présence de zones de recharge associées à des discordances intraformationelles marquées par le développement d’oxisols au-dessus du niveau de la nappe phréatique. La présence d’interlits de grès perméables faiblement consolidés a contribué à l’efficacité de ce processus diagénétique. Les dépôts de kaolin les plus riches se trouvent en périphérie des rivières, là ou les boues de la plaine d’inondation n’étaient pas suffisamment bien drainées pour permettre le développement de paléosols, mais où des mouvements verticaux subséquents ont crée des discordances intraformationelles. La circulation d’eau météorique dans les grès a entraîné l’altération des feldspaths en kaolin, générant ainsi des dépôts économiques de sable de silice. Elle a aussi causé l’altération de l’ilménite en rutile, que l’on trouve dans des placers secondaires situés dans des rivières contemporaines qui ont érodé la Formation de Chaswood et les tills qui en sont dérivés."

Jan 1, 2006

By K. E. Waters, M. Mirnezami, R. Gauvin, A. Jordens, K. W. Malas

"There is currently very little information on the physico-chemical properties of rare earth elementbearing minerals, or on their processing. With the increasing demand for rare earths, this is something that needs to be addressed. This paper introduces some surface chemistry analysis of fergusonite (YNbO4), and the bubble-particle attachment. Zeta potential measurements indicate adsorption of sodium oleate and, to a lesser degree, potassium amyl xanthate onto the surface, and an increase in attachment to an air bubble is observed at pH 4.5 and 6.5. At a pH of 10.5, no attachment is observed, whether in the presence of the reagents or not. This analysis, although initial, will be used to initiate flotation tests, in order to facilitate the selective recovery of fergusonite. INTRODUCTIONRare earth elements (REE) are increasingly in demand, due to their prevalence in both renewable energy devices and high-end electronics. An article in the New Scientist highlighted the importance of a number of REE, many of which most people are be unlikely to have heard mentioned (Crow, 2011). From batteries (lanthanum and cerium) to magnets (dysprosium and neodymium) and lighting (yttrium), the REE are crucial to the advancement of technology and energy saving devices. For example, neodymium is finding most use in the high end magnets that keep the motors turning that power wind turbines and electric cars. In the case of yttrium, the demand outstripped the supply in 2010, emphasising the need to develop deposits containing this and other REE (Crow, 2011). The impact of our dependency on REE has become even more apparent with the reduction in exports by China, which currently controls 97 % of the world’s rare earth production (Pitts, 2011).With the increasing demand for rare earth elements (REE), there is a drive to exploit the known resources around the world. However, the physical beneficiation of the rare earth element bearing minerals is a subject which will require a great deal of investigation to fill the knowledge gaps surrounding these developing rare earth projects. There are numerous articles on REE mineralogy as well as the hydrometallurgical processing of REE concentrates (Alex, Suri, & Gupta, 1998; Peter Gromet & Silver, 1983; Ring et al., 1993; Schnetzler & Philpotts, 1970; Uda, 2000), however a common feature amongst these resources is the lack of detailed descriptions of the physical beneficiation processes required to concentrate REE-bearing minerals. There is work being conducted into reagents and methods for use in recovering some rare earths from their associated ores (Bulatovic, 2010; Ni, Parrent, Cao, & Liu, 2011), but much more in-depth research is required."

Jan 1, 2012

The use of QemSCAN in providing mineralogical input to detailed ore and product characterization has proved of immense value in recent years. In this paper, a brief review of selected Cu-case studies is presented to demonstrate the versatility of automated, quantitative mineralogy by QemSCAN. This versatility ranges from measurement and analysis strategies through to data processing and presentation. As a rapid diagnostic service, it is common to find that only grain size, the degrees of liberation and/or ore mineral modal mineralogy are of interest. By contrast, the detail afforded by the simultaneous determination of both gangue and ore minerals can alert mineral engineers to fatal flaws and attributes deleterious to processing that are directly a function of silicate and other gangue mineralogy. Examples of the latter effects include the influence of micaceous minerals and acid consuming species, while the former include fluorine minerals, which can provide both processing and environmental challenges.

Jan 1, 2007

"In 2000 the CIM Council approved the CIM Standards on Mineral Resources and Reserves – Definitions and Guidelines, developed by the CIM Standing Committee on Reserve Definitions. The Definition Standards established definitions and guidelines for the reporting of exploration information, mineral resources and mineral reserves in Canada. The Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve definitions are incorporated, by reference, in National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, which came into force in Canada in February 2001 and was amended in December 2005.CIM DEFINITION STANDARDS- For Mineral Resources and Mineral ReservesPrepared by the CIM Standing Committee on Reserve DefinitionsAdopted by CIM Council on December 11, 2005FOREWORDCIM Council, on August 20, 2000, approved the ""CIM Standards on Mineral Resources andReserves - Definitions and Guidelines,"" developed by the CIM Standing Committee on ReserveDefinitions. The CIM Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Reserves (CIM DefinitionStandards) establish definitions and guidelines for the reporting of exploration information,mineral resources and mineral reserves in Canada. The Mineral Resource and Mineral Reservedefinitions were incorporated, by reference, in National Instrument 43-101 - Standards ofDisclosure for Mineral Projects (NI 43-101), which became effective February 1, 2001.At the August 20, 2000 Council meeting a new CIM Standing Committee on ReserveDefinitions was established consisting of the following: John Postle, Bernie Haystead, LarryCochrane, Normand Champigny, Mike Hoffman, Colin McKenny, Jack Mullins, Phil Olson,Fred Payne, Jody Todd and Joe Ringwald.Subsequent to the publishing of the August 20, 2000 CIM Standards on Mineral Resourcesand Reserves, various CIM committees have compiled and published more extensivedocumentation on mining industry standard practices for estimating Mineral Resources andMineral Reserves. These standard practices provide more detailed guidance than that containedin the August 20, 2000 CIM Standards on Mineral Resources and Reserves. On November 14,2004 CIM Council adopted an update to the CIM Definition Standards to reflect the moredetailed guidance available and effect certain editorial changes required to maintain consistencywith current regulations. This version of the CIM Definition Standards includes further editorialchanges required to maintain compatibility with the new version of National Instrument 43-101which is expected to become law at the end of 2005. The CIM Definition Standards can beviewed on the CIM website at www.cim.org."

Jan 1, 2003

By Ashley Tews

In 2005, we automated a forklift-based Hot Metal Carrier to be capable of typical metal transfer operations around a smelter. The project was highly successful and the vehicle has demonstrated hundreds of hours of live autonomous operations to thousands of people from industry and the public. As a result of the exposure and success of the project, we have expanded its focus to demonstrate how various technology components can be utilised to gain benefits in other areas of industrial operations. These include asset tracking, vehicle usage analysis, pedestrian detection and infrastructure profiling. Each of these components was derived from the core autonomous vehicle technology suite and has shown a high potential for improving safety and efficiency of vehicle-related operations, and improved diagnostic processes for measuring deformations of bakes and furnaces. The autonomous vehicle project and its extended technologies are described in this paper.

Aug 1, 2013

By David S. Robertson

"IntroductionCanada has been one of the world's leading producers of uranium since atomic energy first became of practical importance in 1942. Indeed, prior to this time, between 1933 and 1940, Canada produced significant amounts of pitchblende, as a source of radium, from the Eldorado Mine at Great Bear Lake*.Uranium was first reported in Canada, however, in the middle of the 19th Century in the vicinity of Theano Point on Lake Superior north of Sault Ste. Marie. In the early 1900s, uranium-bearing minerals were reported in Quebec north of the St. Lawrence River and in pegmatites in Quebec and eastern Ontario. In 1930, G.A. LaBine and E.C. St. Paul visited an occurrence of cobalt reported by the Geological Survey of Canada in 1900, and brought the Eldorado Mine into production in 1933, as noted above, producing, in the main, silver and pitchblende.In 1942, developments in atomic energy were such that the Government of Canada, at the behest of Great Britain and the United States, requested that Eldorado, which had been closed in 1940, be re-opened to produce uranium for the Manhattan Project. In September, 1943, all discoveries of radioactive minerals were reserved to the Crown and their staking by private interests was banned. In January, 1944, the government nationalized Eldorado and formed a Crown corporation, the present Eldorado Nuclear Limited, to take over the assets. That year marked the formal beginning of uranium exploration in Canada.The Period 1944 to 1948In 1944, the Crown Corporation and the Geological Survey of Canada began exploring for uranium deposits, largely in the areas of Great Bear Lake and Lake Athabasca. In that year, A. W. Joliffe of the Survey visited properties on the north shore of Lake Athabasca near Beaverlodge Lake and recommended that Eldorado acquire claims in the area. In 1946, P. St. Louis and E. Laurum, prospectors working for Eldorado, found the pitchblende veinlets that led to the Ace Mine. Shaft sinking began in 1951, and production, through a carbonate leach plant, began in 1953.Continuing drilling on the Eldorado claims led to the Verna ore bodies, some 6,000 feet northeast of Ace, on which shaft sinking started in 1954."

Jan 1, 1986

By W. F. Giuvlore, E. Mcroberts, T. S. Golosinski

"The rising demand for Canadian coal and depletion of shallow deposits, most suitable for surface mining, result in rapidly increasing volume of waste materials which have to be moved by the coal mining industry. While at present this challenge is being successfully met using conventional mining methods, in the future, innovative methods must be considered if Canadian coal is to remain competitive.The need for more efficient mining methods is also faced by the oil sands industry to assure competitiveness of the synthetic oil price.A look at the world mining practice indicates that large volumes of material can be economically mined and moved by the continuous mining systems comprising bucket-wheel excavators, belt conveyors and stackers. To assess the state of art and applicability of this mining method to Canadian conditions, the field trip was organized by the Department of Mining Engineering o f the University of Alberta, to several typical mining operations in Europe. It is in Europe where the continuous mining methods were developed and are almost exclusively used in large-scale surface mining."

Jan 1, 1984

By W. F. Baker

Location and History God's lake is in the northeastern part of Manitoba, about 400 miles northeast of Winnipeg, or about 250 miles due north of Red lake, Ontario. The lake is quite large, having an overall length of 54 miles and a maximum width of 18 miles. There are numerous islands in the lake, the largest of these, known as Elk island, being about 15 miles long and 3 miles wide in the widest part. The accompanying map (Figure 1) shows the location of God's lake and of the mine. The God's Lake area has long been regarded as promising country for the prospector, but, due to its inaccessibility, practically no prospecting was done prior to 1927. In the years 1927-1931, inclusive, a few prospectors visited the area, but no discoveries were made. In 1932, Bob Jowsey and Archie McDonald entered the area from Island lake. They first prospected in the vicinity of Knife lake, which is immediately south of the main part of God's lake, and then moved on to the latter lake, heading for the north shore of Elk island. The first afternoon on God's Lake, when looking for a place to camp on the north shore of what is now known as Jowsey island, Jowsey discovered a quartz porphyry dyke which was cut by a number of gold-bearing bluish quartz stringers. On the strength of this discovery, he and McDonald began at once to stake the Reno group of claims. Rumours of the discovery brought in other prospectors, and other groups of claims were staked to the east, along the north shore of Elk island. A second discovery was soon made by Dan McCrea on his Gold Standard claims, three and a half miles to the east of the original discovery. Staking still continued to the east, along the north shore of Elk island, and Bob Brown and Harvey McKenzie staked the Akers group on a discovery approximately two miles east of McCrea's discovery. Through the efforts of Jowsey, the Reno, Rand, Elk, and Cona groups, belonging to the original syndicate for which Jowsey and McDonald staked, were combined with the Gold Standard, Greenstone, and Akers groups, and the Company known as God's Lake Gold Mines, Limited, was formed. Several additional groups of claims were later taken over by the Company and a considerable area of adjoining ground was staked to round-out the property.

Jan 1, 1935

By T. D. Brown

"A review of the current status of gasification technology shows that many engineering systems are immediately available for use in the gasification of coal. Widespread international experience can be brought to bear on the atmospheric pressure gasification of all Canadian coals.Unless a high ash content dictates the use of a fluid-bed gasifier, it appears that bituminous coals can be used in gravitating (fixed] bed systems and that the strongly caking coals are most suited to the high-pressure entrained-bed systems . Existing and developing technologies in fluid-bed gasification are attractive for reactive lignites and subbituminous coals.The Fischer-Tropsch based process is the only commercial embodiment of coal liquefaction; the use of Canadian coals in this process depends only on their gasification characteristics. Current developments in hydroliquefaction are directed toward carboniferous coals of medium or high rank. It is not clear that cretaceous coals of the same rank will give similar process yields and economics.IntroductionThe twin coal conversion processes of gasification and liquefaction have a history which dates back beyond the current energy shortages of the western world. Indeed, liquids and gas from coal were produced before this century.Coal gas produced from a coal carbonization process was originated before 1800, and the development of gasification of non-coking coals was patented by Siemens in 1860.This patent represented the first use of air and steam together in the gasmaking process. The pioneering development of coal gasification Using oxygen and steam was demonstrated by Lurgi in the late 1920s. This historical sequence was all carried out at atmospheric pressure, and it was not until the immediate pre-war (1939/45) years that operation of the coal gasification process at elevated pressure became a reality."

Jan 1, 1981

By A. R. Harrington

BEFORE discussing some of the technical aspects of the steam generating plants of Nova Scotia Light and Power Company, Limited, it might be of interest to go back through history and see the development of steam generation in this public utility. Back around 1902 Nova Scotia Light and Power Company, Limited, had three slide-valve engines in-stalled at its Water Street, Halifax, generating station for a total capacity of 1,800 kilowatts. The plant remained at about this size until 1910 and in 1911 a 2,000 kilowatt steam turbine was installed to raise the total capacity of the plant to 3,800 kilowatts. In 1916, a 3,000 kilowatt turbine was installed and one of the slide-valve engines was removed to make a total plant capacity of 6,200 kilowatts. The total demand in the Company's service 8rea was at that time 4,000 kilo-watts.

Jan 1, 1958

By Leon J. Perrier

The paper describes the equipment in use, haulage grades, road conditions, tire sizes, tire performance and related problems. Various types of failures and causes, corrective action taken, tire records and reporting for control are also discussed.

Jan 1, 1977

The properties required for a com-pound to form useful thermoelectric materials are described. Uranium compounds which might have these properties are reviewed. Several of these compounds have been prepared and fabricated into compacts. The apparatus used for hot pressing, and for the measurement of thermoelectric power, electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity, is described. Detailed attention has been given to the properties of the nitrides. Preliminary studies on a number of other uranium compounds are reported. The figures of merit of the best materials so far examined are one-tenth of those necessary for a useful thermo-electric material. THE efficiency of thermoelectric materials for power generation and cooling is determined by their figure of merit, Z = a2 a/K, where a, a and K are thermoelectric power, electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity, respectively. It is well known that the largest values of Z are achieved with semiconductors (1). High mobility of charge carriers is necessary for simultaneously high thermoelectric power and electrical conductivity.The properties required for a com-pound to form useful thermoelectric materials are described. Uranium compounds which might have these properties are reviewed. Several of these compounds have been prepared and fabricated into compacts. The apparatus used for hot pressing, and for the measurement of thermoelectric power, electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity, is described. Detailed attention has been given to the properties of the nitrides. Preliminary studies on a number of other uranium compounds are reported. The figures of merit of the best materials so far examined are one-tenth of those necessary for a useful thermo-electric material. THE efficiency of thermoelectric materials for power generation and cooling is determined by their figure of merit, Z = a2 a/K, where a, a and K are thermoelectric power, electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity, respectively. It is well known that the largest values of Z are achieved with semiconductors (1). High mobility of charge carriers is necessary for simultaneously high thermoelectric power and electrical conductivity.

Jan 1, 1963

By Bernard Vigneault

Les critères de qualité de l?eau pour les métaux visant à protéger la vie aquatique sont présentement basés sur les concentrations totales. Cependant, la complexation (association de ces métaux avec des ligands en solution) peut diminuer de façon importante la toxicité des métaux sur les organismes aquatiques. Pour évaluer l?importance de la complexation pour diminuer la toxicité des métaux dans les effluents miniers et métallurgiques, nous avons étudié la spéciation des métaux et la toxicité chronique de différents effluents miniers et métallurgiques. La phase dissoute des effluents a été échantillonnée à l?aide de la dialyse in situ et la spéciation du cuivre, du zinc et du cadmium a été calculée à l?aide du modèle d?équilibre chimique WHAM. Les concentrations de métaux libres ont également été mesurées à l?aide d?une technique d?échange ionique. Les concentrations de métaux libres calculés et mesurés indiquent que la complexation est importante dans les effluents miniers, particulièrement pour le Cu. Pour relier la spéciation des métaux et la toxicité chronique, nous avons mesuré en parallèle l?inhibition de croissance de l?algue Selenastrum capricornutum et des larves du poisson Pimephales promelas de même que l?inhibition de la reproduction du cladocère Ceriodaphnia dubia. (tests de toxicité chronique inclus dans le programme de suivi des effets environnementaux du règlement fédéral sur les effluents de mines de métaux). En absence de thiosels, aucune mortalité a été observée pour l?ensemble de ces tests et il n?y a pas eu également d?inhibition la croissance de la larve de poisson P. promelas. L?inhibition de la croissance de l?algue S. capricornutum, n?est pas reliée aux concentrations de métaux traces mais plutôt par aux concentrations de calcium. Les inhibitions de la reproduction du cladocère C. dubia sont reliées aux concentrations de métaux dissoutes et libres et non pas aux concentrations totales de métaux, démontrant l?importance des effets de la spéciation chimique sur la toxicité des métaux. Nos résultats indiquent que l?inhibition de la croissance de l?algue l?algue S. capricornutum est due aux concentrations élevées de calcium retrouvées dans les effluents miniers et que les concentrations totales de métaux ne peuvent être utilisées pour prédire la toxicité chronique vis à vis le cladocère C. dubia.

Nov 1, 2002

By K. Barbetti

"The carbon-in-pulp (CIP) process has been the dominant gold recovery process since the early 1980s. CIP has proven to be very adaptable for a wide range of ores and circuit configurations. The key performance indicator for CIP circuits is the minimisation of soluble gold losses to tailings, however, it is also important to operate the circuit efficiently (maximising gold loadings on carbon and minimising carbon inventory). Over the last 30 years the Curtin Gold Technology Group has studied CIP circuits as part of an on-going collaborative industry funded project (the AMIRA Gold Processing Technology Project). In the early years the project undertook basic research into understanding activated carbon, and its management in the circuit. More recently the development of process models and instrumentation has provided additional tools to assist operators. The results show that while most CIP circuits operate well, there are still significant opportunities for further cost savings, or additional revenue. This paper reviews the observations arising from this work, including key requirements for good carbon management, the results of benchmarking and industry surveys of carbon circuit over 20 years, the value of process modelling of CIP circuits to establish operating parameters, and the use of automated instrumentation to better optimise carbon control in the circuit.INTRODUCTION The introduction of activated carbon to recover gold from cyanide leach solutions in the last quarter of the 20th century was the most significant development in gold ore processing since the advent of cyanidation seventy years before. Replacing the Merrill–Crowe zinc cementation step with carbon-in-pulp (CIP) or carbon-in-leach (CIL) circuits provided a process that allowed the treatment of lower grade and problematic ores (e.g. high-clay ores), at lower capital and operating costs, and higher metal recoveries. The CIP circuit was first developed in the 1950s at the Carlton Mill, Cripple Creek, Colorado. All the components of the modern CIP process came to fruition at the Homestake Mine in South Dakota in 1973 (Fast, 1988). From the late 1970s onward a variation of CIP, carbon-in-leach (CIL) which combined the leach and adsorption stages, became the preferred circuit design in most parts of the word."

Jan 1, 2017

By Dan Miners

"This presentation will provide an overview and understanding of Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and Ontario Regulations for Mines and Mining Plants. It includes discussions on the history and practical development of the standards and an overview of engineering best practices from a construction, maintenance and operational viewpoint. INTRODUCTION Ontario is one of the safest mining jurisdictions in the world and has some of the most comprehensive regulations for the construction, operation and maintenance of a mine. In the USA, several operators have adopted some or all of the practices prescribed by the Ontario Regulations as an internal procedure. Experience has demonstrated that these plants are indicating less unplanned downtime and fewer issues with MSHA inspectors in their hoist plants. HISTORY AND THE REGULATIONS Both Canada and the USA have had some form of laws governing the operation of mines since the late 1890s. The paths of legislation have run in reasonably parallel lines, continually improving the health and safety conditions in the mining industry. Ontario Mine Health and Safety In the 1970s the accident rates in mining were higher than any other industrial sector; this prompted a Royal Commission on the Health and Safety of Workers in Mines (the Ham Report). The recommendations of this report, published in 1976, generated several changes in the regulations regarding worker safety in mines. Following the release of the Ham report, the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHS) was passed by the Legislature in 1978. The Act is a set of comprehensive laws governing almost all Ontario workplaces, and it replaced separate laws governing different industrial sectors. OHS is enforced by the Ministry of Labour (MOL), and this discussion will focus specifically on Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act, R.R.O. 1990, Regulation 854, Mines and Mining Plants, Part X Mine Hoisting Plant (Ontario Regulations). USA Mine Health and Safety A coal mine explosion in West Virginia and medical studies on occupational disease led to the 1969 Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act (Coal Act). The Coal Act was the most comprehensive and stringent Federal legislation governing the mining industry to date. The Mining Enforcement and Safety Administration (MESA) was formed, following the 1973 Act, as a new departmental agency to assume the enforcement of safety and health in mines. The Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 (Mine Act) transferred enforcement responsibilities from the Department of the Interior to the Department of Labor and named the new agency the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). This agency enforces the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), and this discussion refers to CFR Title 30 Mineral Resources, Chapter I Mine Safety and Health Administration, Department of Labor, Subchapter K—Metal and Non-metal Mine Safety and Health (MSHA)."

Jan 1, 2019

By Patrick Moore

In 1971 the government of British Columbia issued a permit for the Island Copper Mine to commence disposal of 33,000 tons per day of mine tailings into Rupert Inlet, a marine fjord on the northwest coast of Vancouver Island. There was considerable controversy surrounding the development, public hearings were held, and as a requirement of the permit the company was obliged to carry out a comprehensive environmental monitoring program. The results of this program provide a thorough assessment of the environmental impact of submarine tailings disposal over the 24-year life of the mine. Following closure in December, 1995, the monitoring program continued for three years to determine the extent of marine ecosystem recovery and re-colonization. It is apparent from the findings of the monitoring program that the mine tailings were dispersed more widely than was originally predicted. It is also clear that widespread heavy metal contamination has not materialized. In retrospect it appears that submarine tailings disposal has resulted in far less severe environmental impacts than if the alternative of land disposal had been adopted. This review highlights significant aspects of public policy decision-making, design of environmental monitoring programs, and questions of interpretation of monitoring program data.

May 1, 2002

By A. Hayatdavoudi, D. Chitila, F. Boukadi

"Shale oil and gas have provided a tremendous boost to energy production in the United States even though the characteristics and behavior of shale are yet to be fully understood. Hydraulic fracturing is often applied to horizontal shale wells to stimulate production. This experiment seeks to determine effects of cyclic variable temperature, water vapor and exposure time on shale micro fracture propagation. We used 22 small Pierre shale specimens and subjected them to aforementioned conditions. Fractures developed in 19 specimens. Combination of high temperature and high water vapor generated the largest number of micro fractures on the specimen surfaces.INTRODUCTIONShale oil and gas have contributed immensely to energy independence in the United States. Most if not all shales depending on their total organic content (TOC) and their clay content bear the promise of being a source rock. For example, the Eagle Ford shale play, located in south Texas, is one of the key contributors to the recent rise in oil and gas production in the United States. Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), published in 2014, states that monthly oil production from Eagle Ford wells increased from 340 barrels per day (bbl/d) in January 2009 to nearly 1 million bbl/d in June 2013. Natural gas production has also increased at a similar rate over the same period, from 5.8 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) to nearly 4,000 MMcf/d (EIA, 2014).According to the railroad commission of Texas (RRC) 2014 published information, the Eagle Ford shale play is an important play because it produces gas and more oil than other shale plays in the United States. It is an organic-rich play with carbonate shale percentage in the 70% range in south Texas and the shale content increases moving to the northwest. High carbonate proportion renders this play brittle and suitable for hydraulic fracturing treatments."

Jan 1, 2015

By A. J. Stapleton

"The Copper Mountain mine of Gaspe Copper Mines, Limited was brought into production in January, 1968.This paper describes the organization, scheduling and control of maintenance of large open-pit equipment, including 8-cu.yd shovels and 85-ton electric-wheel haulage units. The facilities for repair as well as maintenance are also described, including repair shops and field repair equipment. Maintenance costs are discussed and particular reference is made to tire inspection, records and costs."

Jan 1, 1969

By G. E. Cole

"Amongst the mineral products of Canada gold holds the second place in value of yearly output. . . . . .The production of gold has increased steadily during the past six years and has somewhat more than doubled in that time. For the past four years Canada has been third among the gold producing countries of the world, surpassed only by the Union of South Africa, and the United States of America," and now yields somewhat more than 9 per cent of the annual output of the world."-"The Gold Situation in Canada". Bulletin of Development Branch, Canadian Pacific Railway. The history of gold mining in Canada is comparatively modern and does not take one further back than the late 'fifties of the 19th century. If the efforts of the early explorers in Canada were expended in "seeking with equal ardour, proselytes and gold", history fails of any record of their success in the search for the precious metal. As early as 1849 not a few Canadians travelled from the east by land and water to the Californian goldfields. In the then settled part of Canadathe east-people were alive to the value of any mineral discovery; but the west, owing to its remoteness and to there being no ready means of communication, was virtually isolated from the east.

Jan 1, 1927

By Farzaneh Abedini, Narain Hariharan, Lucas C. McFarlane, Nikolas A. Romaniuk, Tiffany Thayne

The use of dewatered mine tailings as backfill material (commonly referred to as ‘paste’ backfill), is the most practiced form of backfill in Canada providing significant environmental benefits by reducing the size of external tailings facilities and improved economics through enhanced resource recovery. Paste backfill operations reuse filtered mine tailings with a cementitious binder and water to create a slurry that is hydraulically transported to refill underground stopes, later forming a structural network of cemented tailings in the mine stopes. Unlike typical structural applications that utilize General Use (GU) Portland cement; modern paste backfill operations maximize strength performance by blending Portland cement with ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) or other supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs). GGBFS and other SCMs offer key performance benefits and carbon reductions; however, the availability of these SCMs is rapidly dwindling in today’s carbon-constrained economy. This paper examines the development of an alternative binder system that provides similar performance and carbon reduction to that of GGBFS for mine backfill operations. The binder utilizes the chemical reaction between a reactive source of aluminosilicates and available calcium from calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide to replace between 50 to 100% of GGBFS. The performance of the binder is examined with insights into the hydration mechanisms that generate mechanical strength in the cemented paste network. Paste backfill slurries require precise engineering to create a material that maintains flowability during pipeline transport and generates enough strength to meet operational targets once placed in the stopes. Engineering of such slurries requires large amounts of water to be added to the binder-tailings matrix, far exceeding the typical water to binder ratios used in concrete mix designs. This characteristic of paste backfill warrants great emphasis on understanding the hydration mechanisms of the binder used in the paste backfill system. GU cement is typically composed of 50-70% tricalcium silicate and 15-30% dicalcium silicate.  The hydration mechanisms of these compounds consume 4 to 6 units of water to mineralize into calcium silicate hydrate cemented phases that result in compressive strength development. Cementitious aluminate and aluminosilicate phases make up 5-20% of GU cement and aid in secondary performance characteristics such as set time. Certain calcium aluminate hydrate phases such as monocarboaluminate and ettringite mineralize 10 to 32 units of water into their crystalline structure. Hydration products such as ettringite are traditionally avoided in construction applications due to their propensity for volumetric expansion after cement setting, leading to micro-fissures and subsequent strength degradation (known as ‘sulfate attack’). This paper proposes that such hydration products benefit the strength development in paste backfill slurries with the aforementioned characteristics due to their greater potential to mineralize free water. The newly developed calcium aluminosilicate binder is designed to replace 50-100% GGBFS or other SCMs used in paste backfill systems and meet operational strength requirements by providing exceptional hydration characteristics through cementitious reactions. Additionally, the aluminosilicates used have a minimal carbon footprint and a secure supply outlook, thereby allowing mine operators access to a low-carbon binder option throughout the mine’s lifespan.

May 4, 2025