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By Robinson KJ

Education in Australia now has to respond to a very wide political and policy agenda. The political emphasis is upon increasing participation and retention rates with a view to greater graduation rates in `high-tech' disciplines. There is an implied linkage between `education' and `economic well-being'. Our argument is that equalitarianism in education tends towards mediocrity. In this context many Geoscience educators view the future with pessimism. The argument is that science has been `sold short' and needs revitalising. We contend that Geoscience coursework should be a feature of both secondary and tertiary education in Australia. To this end we propose six policy initiatives to increase the content of Geoscience in education programmes.

Jan 1, 1989

By E. R. Wang

This paper outlines the engineering properties of shallow soil in Shanghai area. The main points that should be paid attention to during deep foundation investigation, and general conditions of experimental soil engineering are discribed.

Jan 1, 2010

By S. Stuurman

Inorganic acids such as sulphuric acid have found use together with certain reducing agents in leaching of copper-cobalt oxide ores. These reagents are not ideal due to the adverse effect the inorganic acids generally have on the environment and the high costs of the reducing agents. In this study a copper-cobalt oxide ore from the Central African Copperbelt was leached in two different environments; sulphuric acid in conjunction with hydrogen peroxide as a reducing agent and tartaric acid. The effects of acid concentration, reducing agent concentration, and temperature were independently determined for both leaching environments. The sulphuric acid concentration was varied between 0.4 M and 1.2 M and the concentration of hydrogen peroxide between 4.0 M and 6.5 M, while the tartaric acid concentration was varied between 0.15 M and 0.35 M. The temperature was varied between 20°C and 50°C. The results showed that the extraction of both copper and cobalt increased with sulphuric acid concentration, reaching a peak at approximately 0.8 M and then decreasing at higher acid concentrations. A similar increase and decrease in metal extraction was observed when the reducing agent was increased. In leaching with tartaric acid, the extraction of cobalt was much higher than that of copper, although extraction of both metals increased with acid concentration. Additions of small amounts of hydrogen peroxide were found to increase cobalt extraction in tartaric acid but had a minimal effect on copper. An increase in the solution temperature had a significant effect in the organic acid environment, with the effect on cobalt extraction being much more pronounced than on copper.

Jan 1, 2014

By T Nassis, P Louw, M R. Fry, T du Toit

Business intelligence (BI) and business analytics (BA) are established IT technologies that are used extensively in the business environment. This paper discusses the use of these technologies in production environments and beneficiation plants.Assmang’s Khumani mine is an iron ore operation located in the Northern Cape, South Africa. Assmang Limited is jointly owned by African Rainbow Minerals Limited and Assore Limited. This paper presents a case study of a BI solution applied to this plant, which is used by metallurgists, supervisors and all levels of operations and management to extract and analyse data to control and optimise the operation of the plant.The main advantage of adopting an established BI solution is the ease with which production personnel can extract and analyse data. The data is easily presented in familiar spreadsheets and no IT staff or specific training is required to achieve this.The solution adopted at Khumani mine uses a data mart with a multidimensional model (called an online analytical processing (OLAP) cube) acting as the main repository and source of data. The OLAP cube simplifies the access and analysis of plant data.The OLAP cube stores data in a specifically-designed way, which allows extraction and analysis to be performed quickly. It is designed to hold large amounts of data on a long-term basis, which could be for the life of the plant. It also performs automatic aggregations over many dimensions on a background process.A major benefit in adopting such a BI solution is that it allows common BA methods to be applied. This is due to both the efficient long-term storage of data and the availability of standard BA tools. BA tools are now able to perform data mining, predictive analytics, forecasting and other machine-learning algorithms. This paper presents the possible use of such advanced data analysis methods in a beneficiation plant.CITATION:Fry, M R, Nassis, T, Louw, P and du Toit, T, 2015. The use of common business intelligence and analytics tools in the operation and optimisation of iron ore process plants, in Proceedings Iron Ore 2015, pp 129–138 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Jul 13, 2015

By W. L. Thayer, K. A. Jonasson, R. D. Coleman, J. D. Hazlett, C. E. Capes

"Loss of coal fines in reject slurries limits the yield of coal cleaning operations. Difficulties in handling fines also limit the extent of physical cleaning in treating coals with finely-disseminated impurities. Selective oil agglomeration allows even extreme fines to be processed and offers some novel approaches for coal cleaning and utilization.The oil agglomeration process for the recovery and beneficiation of fine and ultrafine coal has now been commercialized by the Chemical Engineering Section/Chemistry Division of the National Research Council (NRC). This paper describes these activities to apply oil agglomeration and related fine coal technologies on an industrial scale. Pilot plant and large scale results are described, as well as aspects of agglomerate utilization in both wet and dry form."

Jan 1, 1988

By James Goldberg, Mark Withey

The Material Service Thornton quarry is a multi-million annual production tons complex. Surrounded by busy surface highways, and divided by a railroad on the north/south axis and further divided by a major interstate highway on the east/west axis, blasting is a daily challenge. This paper deals with the problems of production blasting in an area adjacent to that interstate highway, and paralleling a busy four-lane highway. Discussion includes primary blasting issues such as borehole size, drill patterns and flyrock controls. Discussion also includes blast designs, timing schematics, smooth-wall blasting solutions, traffic and vibration concerns and many other factors influencing the success of this project.

Jan 1, 2006

By M. M. Williams

WESTERN CAN ADA'S coal industry has experienced a serious set-back since 1949, following a pattern well known to its counterpart in the United States. The loss in coal markets in Western Canada has been particularly severe as the discovery of large reserves of oil and natural gas and the subsequent construction of re-fineries and pipelines roughly coincided with the dieselization of both main railways. While the coal industry will have to face a further decline in markets of long standing, others with a large growth potential can be se-cured if present marketing methods are changed where needed and if fundamental and applied research programmes are actively pursued. The energy and chemical potential of Western Canada's coals will eventually find their place in the ever-growing needs of industry and electric power producers. Electric power generation would appear to offer the largest and most immediate market for coal. If the coal industry is to serve this market adequately and gain as much of it as possible, coal operators ? must have a good knowledge of certain characteristics -of the electric utility industry and its fuel requirements. This paper is prepared primarily to set out some of these characteristics, but also discusses other probable markets for coal.

Jan 1, 1958

By T. R. Kostecki, K. V. Jessu

"Roof bolts are subjected to axial stresses, shear stresses, or both. Axial and shear stresses were compared between roof bolts machined with two and three slots. Shear stresses perpendicular to and at an angle to the shear planes were evaluated by analyzing a three-slot instrumented roof bolt, performing laboratory tests on two- and three-slot roof bolts, and conducting in-situ test analyses. Threeslot bolts appear to provide a complete bending strain profile, requiring no prior knowledge of the estimated shear-plane orientation. Minimum displacements occur in roof bolts installed perpendicular to rather than at an angle to the shear planes.RÉSUMÉ Les boulons d’ancrage dans le toit d’une mine sont sujets à des contraintes axiales, des contraintes de cisaillement ou les deux. On a comparé les contraintes axiales et de cisaillement de boulons d’ancrage usinés avec deux ou trois fentes. Les contraintes de cisaillement perpendiculaires et à angle aux plans de cisaillement ont été évaluées en analysant un boulon d’ancrage de toit à trois fentes, en effectuant des essais en laboratoire sur des boulons d’ancrage de toit à deux et à trois fentes et en effectuant des analyses de tests in situ. Les boulons à trois fentes semblent fournir un profil complet de résistance aux contraintes de flexion, sans avoir besoin de connaître l’orientation estimée du plan de cisaillement. Des déplacements minimums ont lieu dans les boulons d’ancrage de toit installés perpendiculairement, plutôt qu’à un angle, aux plans de cisaillement."

Jan 1, 2016

By Arthur Laing

"IT is indeed a pleasure to have the opportunity of addressing this group today. Not only does it give me the opportunity of meeting with representatives of what is considered by many to be the most dynamic segment of industry in Canada today, but it also allows me to talk about a subject of para-mount interest to myself, the development of the North, and to explain, if even only briefly, some of our beliefs and hopes in this regard.It is inconceivable that all lands north of the 60th parallel, representing 35 per cent of Canada's total land area, which we believe contain a great natural resource potential, will remain as an undeveloped portion of Canada. The re-sources are there, although the people and private industry are as yet not there in sufficient numbers.It has been estimated that in the west and north of Canada there are 1.6 million cubic miles of sedimentary rocks. Of this figure, 342,-000 are thought to lie in Alberta, 115,000 in British Columbia and about 1 million cubic miles are thought to lie in Canada's northern regions, the bulk in the Arctic Islands. On the basis of apparent volumes of sedimentary rock, we estimate that as much as 13 billion barrels of petroleum may lie beneath the permafrost of the North-west Territories, another 3 billion barrels in the Yukon Territory and 33 billion barrels in the Arctic Islands. This is, indeed, a rich and elusive prize, and one which must be sought with a view to fulfilling demands on the production of petroleum."

Jan 1, 1966

By MARK J. VANARELLI

Estimating groundwater inflows in rock deep tunnels is critical to the safety of personnel constructing the tunnel and the cost of construction. This paper presents two case studies for estimating steady-state groundwater inflows into deep rock tunnels. The case studies included the Chattahoochee and Nancy Creek tunnels. In this paper, statistical methods were applied to packer test data obtained from exploratory borings during geotechnical site investigations. A semi-empirical procedure was utilized for estimating groundwater inflows into these deep rock tunnels. The Chattahoochee and Nancy Creek tunnels are deep rock tunnels which exhibit radial flow conditions. For the radial flow condition, a statistical analysis presented in this paper indicates that the semi-empirical procedure works well; however, variations in the procedure and/or an insufficient amount of testing could lead to underestimations of the inflow quantities. Packer test data plotted in histograms were observed in all cases to be log-normally distributed for the radial flow condition. Modeling using Monte Carlo simulations was observed to be an effective tool for removing irregularities in the distribution of the data and incorporating high-end permeability data to derive reasonable groundwater inflow estimates.

Jun 13, 2021

By W. D. Mcmillan

Although the Shafter district of Presidio County, Tex., is principally renowned for silver production from the Presidio mine, the occurrence of lead-zinc ores in the western part of the district has been known for at least 50 years, and there has been some production. An area of about 3 square miles in the vicinity of an extending westward from the Presidio mine was investigated in detail by C. P. Ross of the Federal Geological Survey in 1934. In the fall of 1943, A. B. Needham, an engineer of the Bureau of Mines, called the attention of the Geological Survey to the area west of that included in Ross's map, and requested a detailed investigation of that area by the Survey in advance of development by the Bureau of Mines. After a brief reconnaissance by the Survey in the spring of 1944, detailed studies were made by Federal geologists in the summer of 1944, during which about 450 acres were surveyed, on a scale of 1 inch to 100 feet. Recommendations for the exploration of certain parts of the area were made in the accompanying report.

Jan 1, 1949

By Thoedtida Thipparat

The diaphragm walls and barrettes are very important to the constructions of multi-storeyed buildings, elevated expressways, subway railway stations, etc. Uncertainties particularly increase in accordance with the construction progress. Overcoming uncertainties influences the construction goals including achievement of time. This paper is aimed at proposing an uncertainty assessment and delay evaluation model to assess uncertainties and evaluate delay resulting from those uncertainties. Neurofuzzy systems (NFSs) for assessing uncertainties and evaluating delays are developed. Artificial neural networks (ANNs) have ability for learning from the past data and generalizing outputs for the next applications which are provided for fuzzy logic systems (FLSs). FLSs have ability for exploiting the tolerance of imprecision and uncertainty. FLSs provide the reasoning to the ANNs. Uncertainties affecting each operation were assessed and delays were evaluated by following steps of the proposed model. The uncertainty assessment and delay evaluation approach was applied to a diaphragm wall and barrette construction to demonstrate how to implement the proposed model. The results of the test case application were used for handling delay at all operations regarding the corresponding uncertainties.

Jan 1, 2006

By S Telford, J Weir

Heathgate Resources Pty Ltd (Heathgate) operates the Beverley Uranium Mine in South Australia, located on the plains between the northern Flinders Ranges and Lake Frome some 600 km north of the state capital Adelaide. The uranium orebody exists in permeable sands within the confined, highly saline Beverley aquifer, approximately 125 m below the ground surface and the uranium is mined using in situ recovery (ISR) technology. The Beverley mine is a highly technologically advanced ISR mine and is operated in accordance with stringent safety and environmental standards. The mine is currently licensed to export 1500 t of uranium oxide (U3O8) per annum. This paper outlines the fundamental differences between ISR operations and the more traditional uranium production methods, such as agitation leaching and heap leaching, where the ore is removed from the deposit, stockpiled, crushed, milled and leached on the surface. Solids tailings from either the mill or the heap are finally deposited in a tailing storage facility. ISR mining differs from conventional mining because the ore remains in place underground (in situ) and the groundwater contained in the ore-bearing aquifer is utilised as the mining fluid. This is achieved by drilling into the deposit and installing wells for extracting and re-injecting the groundwater which is fortified with chemicals. The fortified groundwater (ie mining fluid) flows through the permeable sands containing the orebody, dissolving the uranium. The pregnant mining fluid is then collected and transferred to the recovery plant where the uranium is captured (on ion exchange (IX) resin in the case of Beverley). The barren mining fluid is then re-fortified and recycled to the wellfields. Once mining is completed in a wellfield, the surface infrastructure is relocated to a new wellfield, and the mined-out wellfield is rehabilitated to its original surface condition. A comparison of 'standard' hydrometallurgical plants, heap leach and ISR shows a number of key differences, such as the rate of leaching, the level of control available to the operators, and the type of contact/reaction that occurs. While limited in its applications, ISR mining has proven successful at Beverley and provides another mining and processing method for the production of uranium.

Jan 1, 2008

By Art Cooper

Granulation systems are customarily viewed as problem areas in metallurgical operations. The inherent risk of explosion when combining a high temperature melt with water creates a safety hazard. Separation of the granulated material from the quenching medium generally involves equipment that can have significant maintenance and operating costs. Granulation systems' reliability and availability can negatively affect the plant production. Against this background, granulation systems have been treated by design firms and producers as an add-on and a necessary evil. The technology is becoming better understood and solutions to common problems are being found. This paper will discuss typical problems in common systems, and some of the improvements that have been made, with particular reference to non-ferrous applications.

Jan 1, 2006

By S. A. Shoop

Vibrations from thirty-seven blasts were monitored using three seismographs. Data analysis showed that square root, cube root, and site-specific scaling predicted ground motion with equal reliability. Imprecise prediction is caused by geologic and blast variability, particularly inaccurate delay times. Vibrations at some mines were consistently lower or higher than vibrations reported in the U.S. Bureau of Mines studies. Regulations based on USBM data could then be too conservative or lenient. Predominant vibration frequencies were generally less than 50 Hz, but several blasts had significant energy up to 125 Hz. In some cases energy was concentrated at frequencies corresponding to delay intervals.

Jan 1, 1983

The information in this document has been prepared as at February 16, 2011. Certain statements contained in this document constitute ?forward-looking statements? within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and forward looking information under the provisions of Canadian provincial securities laws. When used in this document, the words ?anticipate?, ?expect?, ?estimate?, ?forecast?, ?will?, ?planned?, and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements or information. Such statements include without limitation: statements regarding timing and amounts of capital expenditures and other assumptions; estimates of future reserves, resources, mineral production, optimization efforts and sales; estimates of mine life; estimates of future internal rates of return, mining costs, cash costs, minesite costs and other expenses; estimates of future capital expenditures and other cash needs, and expectations as to the funding thereof; statements and information as to the projected development of certain ore deposits, including estimates of exploration, development and production and other capital costs, and estimates of the timing of such exploration, development and production or decisions with respect to such exploration, development and production; estimates of reserves and resources, and statements and information regarding anticipated future exploration; the anticipated timing of events with respect to the Company's minesites and statements and information regarding the sufficiency of the Company's cash resources. Such statements and information reflect the Company's views as at the date of this document and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions, and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements and information. Many factors, known and unknown could cause the actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements and information. Such risks include, but are not limited to: the volatility of prices of gold and other metals; uncertainty of mineral reserves, mineral resources, mineral grades and mineral recovery estimates; uncertainty of future production, capital expenditures, and other costs; currency fluctuations; financing of additional capital requirements; cost of exploration and development programs; mining risks; community protests; risks associated with foreign operations; governmental and environmental regulation; the volatility of the Company's stock price; and risks associated with the Company's byproduct metal derivative strategies. For a more detailed discussion of such risks and other factors that may affect the Company?s ability to achieve the expectations set forth in the forwardlooking statements contained in this document, see the Company's Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2009, as well as the Company's other filings with the Canadian Securities Administrators and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements and information. Marc Legault, a Qualified Person and the Company?s Vice-President, Project Development, reviewed the technical information disclosed herein. For a detailed breakdown of the Company?s reserve and resource position see the February 16, 2011 press release on the Company?s website. That press release also lists the Qualified Persons for each project.

May 1, 2011

Considerable improvements in diamond drilling equipment have been made since the early 1950s. A recent drilling programme, however, at Williamtown, near Newcastle, carried out by the Joint Coal Board on behalf of the Electricity Commission of New South Wales, emphasized deficiencies in existing equipment when particularly diflkult coring conditions were encountered.Spurred by unacceptably low recoveries in coal seams in this area, the Joint Coal Board devised and developed, with the assistance of the Electricitv Commission, a new typc core lifter and a special 26 ft triple tube core barrel, designed to operate in conjunction with it in bad coring conditions.The core lifter, whieh is propped open clear of incoming core during drilling, is activated by fluid impulses generated inside the core barrel. It can be used with double tube barrels when drilling firm rocks whichdo not change diameter by compaction inside the barrel.Softer rocks. such as clayey types, require the use of a rriple tube barrel.Results from testing carried out to date in difficult areas in New South Wales coalfields have shown that greatly improved results can be obtained with the new equipment. Although developed essentially for coaldrilling, the new core lifter and barrel could be adapted to other fields of diamond drilling. Even in areas where no great coring difficulty is encountered the cost advantage deriving from the greatly inereased life of the core lifter and the adaptor in which it is housed could justify its use.

Jan 1, 1967

By Tony Lipiec, Greg Gosson

"When it comes to new mines being developed, there is a general industry consensus that most low-hanging fruit has been picked. Many projects currently in the mine development pipeline have been around for decades, but were held back because of technical challenges. Future development of these deposits will likely require access to the public capital markets, and in Canada that means providing scientific and technical disclosure on these deposits in compliance with NI 43-101. As many of these “challenged” projects have metallurgical issues, the companies that own the projects need to ensure their metallurgical Qualified Persons provide transparent disclosure regarding proposed solutions to those issues.This paper provides an overview of the disclosure requirements under NI 43-101 that are pertinent to metallurgists, and other Qualified Persons who prepare technical disclosure regarding the metallurgical characteristics of a mineral project. It lists the triggers for a technical report under NI 43-101 and Canadian stock exchange policies, and identifies the sections of the report that should involve input from a metallurgist or process engineer. It briefly outlines new civil liabilities under Canadian securities laws that increase the possible consequences for not complying with the technical disclosure standards.These materials are provided for general information purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Readers are advised to seek specific legal advice from their own legal counsel in relation to any decision or course of action contemplated."

Jan 1, 2010

By G. H. K. Pearse, R. P. Taylor

The Big Whopper, one of only four giant economic rare metal pegmatites worldwide, is set to become a producer of the highly valued lithium mineral petalite (LiAlSi4O10) used in glass, ceramics and the specialty glass-ceramics familiar as Corningware® and the new ceramic stovetops. The deposit has a strike length of 1.5 km, a width of up to 80 m and a resource, open in all directions, of 11.6 Mt, grading 25% petalite. It is amenable to open pit mining and Avalon Ventures Ltd. holds a patent on a flotation process that produces an exceptional quality petalite product. The project will also produce: superb quality Na-feldspar which, too, finds use in glass and ceramics; the unusual Rb- K-feldspar for high voltage porcelain insulators; tantalum, in high demand for electronics; lepidolite, an ore of rubidium; and mica and tin. A positive prefeasibility study has been completed and it remains only to undertake bulk sampling and a full feasibility study.

Jan 1, 2001

Detailed investigation was carried out on the dephosphorization of a number of phosphorus-rich manganese or samples of India by leaching with dilute sulphuric acid. Various process parameters like concentration of acid, liquid-solid ratio, temperature of leaching, time of leaching, and particle size of the ore were studied in detail for the three samples of manganese ore from central India, and optimum values were worked out on a laboratory scale. Preliminary studies show that certain ores which are not easily amemlible to appreciable dephosphorization by leaching with dilute sulphuric acid can be made amenable by :roasting to 700-900°C before leaching.

Jan 1, 1974