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By F. Warnaars

Historically, this area produced gold and silver from many well-known vein deposits, like Tayoltita, Topia, and San Jose de Gracia. Modern exploration identified three categories of deposits: 1) low grade porphyry golds in shallow level dacite porphyries; 2) batholith-related deposits; and 3) those formed in volcanic sequences of Late Cretaceous to Late Tertiary. At least four porphyry golds have been identified, of which Metates is best known. These are formed by and within daciteporphyries, associated hydrothermal breccias and sometimes within surrounding meta sediments. Their ages are from mid-Cretaceous to Early Tertiary. Precious metal deposits associated with batholiths occur as veins, contact haloes in meta sediments or volcanics, skarns, tectonic breccias, hydrothermal tourmaline breccias, dacite dikes or as disseminated or stockwork deposits such as La Fortuna.Several new gold discoveries were made in older EarlyTertiary Volcanic Sequences and in the younger Tertiary volcanics within prominent structures exceeding 3 to 5 km in lengths. Some of these are open-pittable but most have to be mined by underground methods.

Jan 1, 1999

By M. Hancer, J. D. Miller

It is known from soluble salt flotation practice that the K, Mg double salts of kainite (KClMgSO43H2O), and carnallite (KClMgCl26H2O) are difficult to float and must be converted to other salts such as schoenite (K2SO4MgSO46H2O) and sylvite (KCl) in order to recover potash values. The flotation characteristics of these double salts have now been confirmed in some detail by carefully controlled laboratory experiments with both cationic and anionic collectors. The experimental results are discussed in view of recent experimental findings regarding the flotation characteristics of simple salts, in which the flotation response was shown to be determined by the interfacial water structure and whether the salt could be considered to be a water structure maker or a water structure breaker. The same approach can be use to explain the flotation response of the potassium double salts ; schoenite, kainite, and carnallite. In addition, the sign of the surface charge of schoenite (K2SO4MgSO46H2O), was determined as a function of pH from nonequilibrium electrophoretic mobility measurements. Schoenite appears to exhibit three charge reversals (CR) which can be explained based on surface hydrolysis reactions. The flotation behavior of schoenite is further considered based on solution chemistry calculations, electrophoretic mobility measurements, and microflotation results.

Jan 1, 2001

By P. W. J. van Rensburg

Our mineral heritage - PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS given by P. W. J. van Rensburg, Pr. Eng.. B.Sc. (Eng.)(Rand) INTRODUCTION Stone Age people were living in various parts of South Africa as recent,ly as a thousand years ago, when they were displaced by Iron Age people with a culture developed in the far north. These invaders brought farming, building, and the earliest mining developments to the Transvaal, thus ushering in the beginning of our great mineral heritage. It is of particular interest to record that, up to comparatively recent times, some of these people were excavating iron-bearing shale rocks for their smelting furnaces on the Melville Koppies in J ohannesburg. Although the most recent the iron-smelting furnaces discovered on these koppies is estimated to be some five-hundred years old, it believed that these Iron Age people were driven out, and their settlements destroyed, by Zulu impis only one-hundred-and-fifty years ago.

Jan 10, 1973

By Open-Hearth Steel

I received a telegram yesterday from Mr. J. H. Nead saying that he regretted circumstances had come up which prevent his attending the meeting, but that arrangements have been made and Mr. T. S. Washburn, of Inland Steel, will act as the Co-Chairman in his stead. We are sorry, of course, that he cannot be here at this conference. We have, therefore, asked Mr. James J. Bowden, chief metallurgist of Republic Steel Corporation, Cleveland, to act as Chairman and Mr. Tom Washburn to act as Co-Chairman. I will turn the meeting over to these gentlemen at this time.

Jan 1, 1940

By Bertrand L. Johnson

Before 1914 , Chile , because of her extensive resources of natural nitrates , practically monopolized the world markets for one of the leading fertilizer materials . Since nitrogen also is an important war material , constituting in fact the principal ingredient in many high-powered explosives , the World War and the widespread insistence upon national self- sufficiency for war materials brought about the development of nitrogen fixation plants in all of the larger countries . The production of by- product ammonia from gas and coke plants was likewise stimulated . As a result , Chile , even after the ocean lanes were reopened , was forced to fight for her lost markets . Since the world capacity to produce is still far in excess of annual consumption , the competition between natural and synthetic supplies has been keen and prices have fallen below pre-war levels . Chile has recently succeeded in unifying her industry , utilizing the most efficient process now in operation, and the Government is a partner in the new company that will take over all of the present producing companies . These developments place Chilean nitrate of soda , in a much more favorable position among the markets of the world . More intense competition will undoubtedly follow and , in order that those interested may become familiar with the fields upon which the nitrogen conflicts of the near future may be waged , the following general summary of the nitrogen industry has been prepared .

Jan 1, 1931

By Gordon T. Austin

The combined value of production of natural abrasives, which include tripoli, special silica stone, garnet, staurolite, and emery, increased about 4% in 1990. The increase in the value of tripoli production was the result of an increase in the unit value. Emery increased owing to an in? crease in the volume of the material produced and an increase in the unit value. Special silica stone experienced a decrease in unit value and an increase in the quantity produced. Garnet showed a 10% in? crease in quantity and a 73% increase in unit value. Staurolite decreased about 8% in the quantity produced, and the value of production decreased about 10%. The fused aluminum oxide industry showed a 5% decline in the quantity produced and in the value of production. The silicon carbide industry saw a 10% decrease in the quantity produced and a 9% decrease in the value of production. Production for both industries decreased 7% in quantity and value compared with those of 1989.

Jan 1, 1993

By J. A. Organiscak

Water spray applications are one of the principal means of controlling airborne respirable dust in coal mines. Since many coals are hydrophobic and not easily wetted by water, wetting agents can be added to the spray water in an effort to improve coal wetting and assist with dust capture. In order to study wetting agent effects on coal dust capture, laboratory experiments were conducted with three wetting agents used by the coal industry on -325 mesh sized Pocahontas No. 3 coal dust. Significant differences in coal dust sinktimes were observed among the three wetting agents at water mixture concentrations of 0.05%, 0.1%, and 0.2%. The best wetting agent as identified by the coal dust sink test was only tested at the lowest 0.05% water mixture concentration and was found to have a negligible effect on spray airborne dust capture. Water spray airborne dust capture results for all three wetting agents tested at a 0.2% water mixture concentration showed that all three wetting agents exhibit similar but small improvements in dust capture efficiency as compared with water. These results indicate that the coal dust sink test may not be a good predictor for the capture of airborne dust. Additional research is needed to examine if the coal dust sink test is a better predictor of wetting agent dust suppression effects during cutting, loading, conveying, and dumping of coal products by comparison to airborne dust capture from sprays.

Feb 27, 2013

This report on the Venezuelan coal industry is the seventh in a series of studies on coal exporting countries requested by the House Appropriations Committee, The committee asked that the basic differences in mining costs for U.S, and foreign mines be identified, especially those costs incurred in complying with health, safety, and environmental regulations.1 Basic costs in extracting raw coal are analyzed in this report for surface operations, This report also provides a limited analysis of the relative market competitiveness of selected Venezuelan and U,S. steam coal mines in three electric utility markets: New England and the east coast of Florida in the United States, and western Europe. Although some Venezuelan coal has coking characteristics, all coal-producing regions of Venezuela sell coal in steam markets.

Jan 1, 1994

By G. Tiravanti

A recurrent concern in mining operations is how to deal with the large volumes of fresh water used which in turn generates large volumes of effluents that have to be treated. Water treatment can focus in one of two main strategies: treat the effluent as it is produced, or use a simulation tool to optimize water use in the process and reduce volume of effluents, contaminants concentrations, operational costs, and so on. This article shows a successful tool developed in Matlab-Simulink® that allows modelling a mining process and simulating potential improvements to evaluate the results. This tool has been proven in Cu-Mo operations and recently it has been used in poly-metallic operations. This article reviews the 4 Key Steps required to achieve our goals: a) Elaboration and verification of the mining Operation?s Block Diagram, based on a field survey; b)Model construction and input flows and qualities in selected streams; c)Model Validation and Simulation of new alternatives like recirculation, changes in reagents and dosage, partial treatment, flows merges/separation, and others; d)Development of the Optimal Solution which consists on determining the CAPEX and OPEX.

Feb 27, 2013

By H. H. Murray

Recently developed clay deposits that will impact regional and world markets are described. These deposits, their location, geology, and physical properties are delineated. Kaolins from the State of Para in Brazil and from Ukraine; bentonites from Argentina and India; and palygorskite and sepiolite from China are world class deposits that when processed using modem technology will produce excellent products. Other deposits that may affect regional markets are kaolins from China, Australia and Indonesia; bentonites from Georgia (formerly USSR) and China; and palygorskite from India and Ukraine. New ball clay deposits that will affect regional markets are in China and Indonesia.

Jan 1, 1999

By J. Matos e Silva

"Abstract Although one can think that it is very low the probability of a seism occurrence during the execution of an excavation in an urban lot protected by a diaphragm wall curtain, reality shows that whenever a seism occurs in an urban area several diaphragm walls will be affected by it. So it is advisable to consider the seismic action when designing a diaphragm wall curtain. The paper refers the main information about the seismic design of diaphragm walls according to the Eurocodes 7 and 8 and to the Portuguese Norms related to them (respectively NP EN 1997-1 2010 and NP EN 1998-5 2010), as the Eurocodes consider the possibility of each European country to adopt their own seismic parameters as the seismic risk is different in each country. Thus the so-called National Document of Application (in our case the Portuguese Norms) prescribes the seismic local parameters.1 - EUROCODES AND PORTUGUESE NORMS PRESCRIPTIONSAccording to Eurocode 8 - Part 5 and to the related Portuguese Norm NP EN 1998-5 2010, seismic actions on soils should be quantified adopting the Mononobe-Okabe method that gives goodapproaches when compared with reality.From paragraph 7.3.2.2 of the referred Norm, the horizontal seismic coefficient kh will be:"

Jan 1, 2014

By O. H. Metzger

This is one of a series of capers being published by the Bureau of Mines on gold mining A the Western States. It describes the production of gold in the principal mining districts of New Mexico. The material was gathered red on a trip through tale State in the summer of 1936. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author acknowledges the aid and cooperation of mine operators in all parts of the State, who willingly contributed all information requested. Geological reports of the Geological Survey and the New. Mexico Bureau of Mince were drawn upon freely for information; credit to individual paper, is given in the text.

Jan 1, 1938

By Walter W. Kaufman

The braking performance of underground, rubber-tired, non-coal mining vehicles is evaluated. Surveys of mining equipment and braking manufacturers and underground stopping tests are discussed as they relate to this evaluation. Stopping performance recommendations are included as well as related aspects of roadway construction and runaway vehicle protective devices.

Jan 1, 1977

By L. L. Hirst

In 1944, the 78th congress of the United States enacted Public Law 290, which directed the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of Mines, to furnish industry with basic information and cost data for the development of a synthetic liquid fuels industry. Recently published information with respect to the cost of synthetic liquid fuels processes indicates a wide variation in estimated results. To clarify the results and inconsistencies for the hydrogenation of coal, the Bureau of Mines has prepared preliminary designs and calculated detailed investment costs from which the operating costs to produce 30,000 barrels per day of liquid products, mainly gasoline, by coal hydrogenation were obtained.

Jan 1, 1949

By R. W. Raymond

On the Manchuria. SOMEWHAT fatigued with excess of enjoyment and strenuous continuity of movement on the trip to and through California, the members and guests of the Institute party embarked Tuesday, Oct. 17, on the Pacific Mail S. S. Manchuria for a further journey to and through Japan. The good ship displayed the flag of the Institute (blue cross-hammers on a white ground), together with the Stars and Stripes and the ensign of the company. Uninterrupted fair weather and smooth water attended the passage to Honolulu. The Manchuria proved herself most commodious, comfortable and clean ("A sweeter steamship never sailed," quoth President Hunt) ; Captain Dixon and his officers were most agreeable, as well as most efficient; the passenger list comprised many congenial people besides ourselves-among them a score of missionary folk, and also Mr. M. H. de Young, Vice-President of the Panama

Jan 1, 1912

By H. W. Gillett

This bulletin is issued by the Bureau of Mines as a contribution to the increase of safety and efficiency in the preparation and utilization of the mineral resources in the United States. Notable among the drains on these resources are the demands made by the nonferrousmetal industries, and in these the losses occasioned in melting brass and bronze are worthy of particular attention. This statement will be better appreciated by a consideration of the size of the brass industry. MAGNITUDE OF THE BRASS INDUSTRY. According to the Thirteenth Census, in 1909 there were in the United States 1,021 fu-ms that dealt mainly in brass and bronze. This total included jobbing foundries, manufacturing plants that both cast and machine a brass or bronze product, and rolling mills, but did not include iron foundries having nonferrous departments nor the numerous large brass-foundry departments of manufacturing plants that produce the castings used in the manufacture of electrical apparatus, cash registers, pumps, and the thousands of machines that require brass castings for their construction. Penton's Foundry List for 1910 gives about 1,150 exclusively nonferrous foundries and about 2,300 iron or steel foundries that also melt brass. If the rolling mills and. jobbing foundries in manufacturing plants be included, and if due credit be given to the rapid growth of the industry in the last few years, largely through the stimulation of the automobile busi¬ness, it is probable that not less than 3,600 plants are to-day melting brass or bronze.

Jan 1, 1916

* Kennecott Copper Corp. gets Charles R. Cox as president on Jan. 1. Mr. Cox is resigning his position as president of Carnegie-Illinois to take the new post with Kennecott, left vacant by the death of Mr. Stannard in September. •The ECA signed a contract in December to advance X3,600,000 to Newmont Mining Corp. to aid development of lead and zinc mines in French Morocco. The funds are to be repaid in lead and zinc for the United States' stockpile over a period of seven years. The mines are owned by the Societe des Mines de Zellidja, with which organization Newmont is associated. • Under the direction of John M. Brooks, Jr., general manager, the Matahambra mine in Cuba, will probably produce sufficient tonnage to make 4 million lb of copper per month during 1950. The grade is presently running between 7 and 10 pet. •S. H. Ash reports that the fatality rate per million-man-hr for the anthracite industry for 1949, through November, is 0.78. This is 15 pct better than that achieved during 1948, which was the lowest fatal injury rate in coal mining history. The first full year on record without a major disaster was recorded in 1949 (p. 34). •The Atomic Energy Commission has authorized the production of 200 lb of uranium metal for use under AEC license in non-Commission research projects. •A national survey of projected 1950 purchases of new machine tools, machine tool accessories, materials handling equipment, etc., just completed by the American Society of Tool Engineers reveals that, of the companies reporting, 80 pct state that they plan to buy either more equipment or the same amount as in 1948. • Armour Research Foundation is conducting investigations for the use of clay and shale deposits to make lightweight aggregates. The material is heated until it expands and forms material suitable for mixing with cement which it is hoped will be lighter, stronger, have better insulating qualities and will lower the cost of concrete. •In the first six months of 1949 the bituminous coal miners' average hourly earnings were $1.94 -as compared with X1.392_ national average for all manufacturing. Average annual earnings of full-time employees in the bituminous coal mines in 1948 were $3387 as compared with $2809 for all industry. •LaSalle Business Bulletin reports: "year ends on a rising trend in industry and trade ... nearly record-breaking demand from almost all sources keeps business high... most indicators but little below postwar peak... forces keeping activity high arestill powerful--changes in general business conditions likely to be slow and moderate." •Office of Internal Trade of the Commerce Department requests that technical data significant to the national security which is to be sent outside of the United States be submitted to it for an official opinion on the desirability of transmitting such information. This voluntary compliance program is part of our national security control. • Blast furnace slag reduced to 12 to 16 mesh is being used for sanding track at the Mont Coal mines of Armco. The slag replaces silica sand which caused silicosis. It has proved so effective and cheap that tests are being made to use the slag for rock dusting.

Jan 1, 1950

The work of the Committee on Industrial Preparedness* is well summed up in the following letter written by Thomas A. Edison, Chair-man of the Naval Consulting Board, after President Wilson and signed the army appropriation and army reorganization bills: "The Committee on Industrial Preparedness of the Naval Consulting Board, of which committee Howard E. Coffin is chairman, after a five months' campaign in many ways unique in vigor and vision has played a very definite part in the measures for the national defense which have just become law. It is responsible for having laid the foundation for a true industrial preparedness in this nation. "Five months ago the committee, wholly non-partisan in make-up, acting with the civil, mechanical, mining and electrical engineers and the chemists of the country, members of five great scientific bodies, began its work in' every nook and cranny of the land. The purpose was to prepare American industry efficiently to support the armed forces of America in the event of war. "The public, the business men and the legislators at Washington knew little regarding the demands on industry in connection with modern war. No department at Washington was charged with the duty of coordinating the needs of the army and navy with transportation, industry, and kindred functions. The purchasing, quartermaster's and ordnance departments of the army and navy were unable to buy military supplies except by competitive offering in the open market. No one had considered the need, and no legislative machinery was in existence, for preventing the presence of skilled workers on the fighting front when they would in time of war be needed in the factories, mills and mines of the country. Neither at Washington or elsewhere was there even a list of the industrial resources of the nation in such shape as could be used for practical purposes in case war should come. "The three things, then, that the committee headed by Mr. Coffin set out to do and that now have been brought about were as follows: First, to mobilize concretely the business men of America and their output against a day of need. This meant chiefly to discover in fullest detail just what equipment our manufacturers possessed that might be swung over to supply the army and navy swiftly and bountifully from the hour the colors were raised. In a few weeks this initial task, which has been a truly colossal one, will be at an end. A complete report of the equipment of practically every concern of substantial size in the country is now in the hands of the - committee. Directly in charge of the great inventory has been W. S. Gifford, Supervising Director of the Committee. The second step was to procure legislation making possible the placing by the war and navy departments of annual orders for munitions in small quantities to American manufacturers now not producing such things, so that quietly, efficiently and thoroughly they could learn in time of peace how to supply the government in time of war. The new laws make all this possible. It should be said here that this practice will bring about a geographical diffusion of munition plants all over our country, instead of affording us only a few such concerns for the most part near the exposed seaboards, as at present. It is obvious that this system will also throttle all talk of a munitions trust.

Jan 10, 1916

By Raymond W. Peterson

The practice of Countertrade and all of its variations has increased dramatically during the last five years in great part due to the worsening world economic situation and the Third World's increasing debt problems. Conventional wisdom has held that the goods finding their way into countertrade will tend to be manufactured goods of ever increasing value added. It is my contention that this has not been the case. The continued depression of most metals and minerals prices has conspired to keep a great number of metals and raw materials in the forefront of countertrade negotiations. The concept that if a country needs hard currency it will simply sell metals into world markets for cash has been significantly modified by countertrade which encourages subsidies for raw materials which are in turn funded by higher prices for the manufactured goods which the country must import. Countertrade is a term that is relatively new to most of us who have been involved in the international trade of metals and minerals, but it is one that we will continue to hear more of in the future. Countertrade as it is generally known today had its beginnings after the Second World War in Eastern Europe. As the shattered economies of Europe struggled to right themselves, a "cashless" system of trade developed. This system included such ancient concepts as barter as well as more modern ones like bilateral clearing agreements. For over 30 years countertrade was confined mainly to the COMECON nations and their various trade protocols with Third World nations. If metals and minerals were involved, there was little disruption of world markets by such examples as Cuba shipping ferronickel and sugar cane to the U.S.S.R. for a host of manufactured goods and oil. As the world's economy began to slow in the late 70's and the debt crisis began in earnest in the early 801s, this all began to change. As more and more nations which had previously been almost totally dependent upon their mineral wealth over-extended themselves in an attempt to industralize, they concurrently found their income from minerals falling, due to the decreased demand and subsequently lower prices available in the marketplace. At first these nations attempted to balance their payments by promoting the sales of their high value-added manufactured goods. We have all heard numerous examples of U.S. companies going to sell their high technology products in Rumania or Yugoslavia and being confronted with counterpurchase requirements for machine tools, shoes or drill bits. When faced with these demands, a number of companies chose not to sell into those markets while others merrily signed up the obligations without much intent to carry them out. The Performance Bonds required were generally minimal, especially when considered in light of the high margin inherent in high tech items; and the penalty clauses were equally small or nonexistent. A third group of companies actually tried to buy the machine tools or drill bits either for their own internal use or resale but found that due to poor quality and high prices, they were faced with a difficult if not impossible task. This is not to say that no one was able to fulfill a countertrade requirement, but the success ratio on these transactions was incredibly low. This was one of the major contributing factors to the reputation that countertrade has gained as a discipline ... "that it is mostly talk and very little action." As this situation slowly evolved, both the countries imposing the countertrade obligation and the exporters assuming the obligation began to realize that something

Jan 1, 1986

By John K. Hammes

INTRODUCTION This introductory paper presents a description and definition of what the finance function is and what it specifically means for the mining industry. In its simplest terms, finance is, "management of money matters". As an area within the discipline of business administration it draws heavily on the related fields of economics and accounting, and to a lesser extent on marketing and production. MINING FINANCE DEFINED In preparing to write about what finance means to the mining industry, I asked a number of mining people the question, "What does mining finance mean to you?" Most responded that mining finance was "How a company borrowed money for mine development", and perhaps half those questioned included "raising equity" in the definition. It is not surprising that the mining industry concept of finance is the providing of funds needed for the objectives of the business, for that was once a view shared by authorities in the field of business administration. Further, it is certainly the area where much of the emphasis has been placed in the past ten to fifteen years as the industry struggled with the development of more remote and more refractory or lower-grade orebodies while profitability and internal cash flow were below expectations. No wonder project finance became such a popular topic. Twenty years ago it is probable that the emphasis would have been on mine valuation, for that subject was the area of finance then most often examined in industry publications. Papers concerning the pros and cons of payback, internal rate of return, and discounted cash flow appeared regularly. Let's examine the following situations, each the result of a financial decision: - Funding the exploration program in a developing country was accomplished by buying the next six-months budget needs in local currency. One week later the currency devalued 30 percent. If the purchase had been delayed or the local currency borrowed short term, a substantial saving would have been made in funding the program. - A major mining company borrows heavily to finance both expansion of its primary mining business and its entry into several new industry segments. When markets for all of the commodities it produces turn down for a prolonged period, there is concern over the adequacy of cashflow to cover debt service in addition to other company needs. The company's financial officers, however, had arranged very large committed credit facilities from numerous financial institutions which assured the availability of funds for several years. This enabled the company to implement a strategy to conserve cash, sell assets and survive until conditions improved. Further, short term suppliers of credit also were comfortable with the assurance that longer term credit was there to support them. -A medium size mining company financed several mines independently with limited obligations on the part of the parent company. The company decided to refinance the operations under one agreement. More flexible terms, lower interest cost and a longer tenor financing were achieved in return for assuming the risk as a direct obligor. - The exploration and development group of a large mining company proposes to develop a new mine in a country in which the company does not presently operate. When the investment is rejected they are advised that one reason was that the reinvestment assumption inherent in the discounted

Jan 1, 1985