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By H. M. Thorne

The oil-shale deposits of the Puertollano basin in the Spanish province of Ciudad Real appear to have been give little consideration in discussions of oil-shale resources throughout the world. A small, integrated oil-shale operation has been conducted at Puertollano since about 1922 by a French company, Sociedad Mimora y Metalurgica de Penarroya, hereinafter referred to as "Penarroya", but only within recent years have the potentialities of the Spanish oil-shale deposits been recognized. Empresa Nacional "Calvo Sotelo" do Combustibles y Lubricantes, hereinafter designated as "Calvo Sotelo," which was created in 1942 by the National Industrial Institute of Spain to produce liquid fuels from oil shales, has made marked progress in the design and construction of a complete oil-shale plant at Puertollano. Penarroya is mainly a coal-mining company, and the oil-shale operations were on a small scale of approximately 220 tons a day in October 1947. It is an integrated operation comprising oil-shale mining and retorting and shale-oil refining. Motor gasoline, Diesel fuel oil, light burner fuel oil, lubricants, paraffin wax, cresols, and ammonium sulfate are manufactured.

Jan 1, 1950

By C Ausa, Nyunt Htay, A, L Deiparine

The main tectonic elements in Myanmar are a late Mesozoic and Cenozoic magmatic arc system in the west, repeated in northern Myanmar by more than 300 km of dextral movement on the Sagaing Fault, and the back-arc continental region affected by early and late Mesozoic orogenies, in the east. Historically most lode gold production has been from latest Cretaceous high-grade mesothermal veins and derived placers in the Wuntho and Tagaung-Myitkyina segments of the magmatic arc. Placer deposits in the Ayerwaddy River north of Myitkyina are currently worked by more than 100-bucket dredges. South of Wuntho, the magmatic arc and Pegu Yoma fold belt host epithermal gold with associated As, Sb and Zn in mid-Tertiary marine sediments. MyanmarÆs most productive lode gold deposit, the Kyaukpahto mine, lies within a north-trending district east of the magmatic arc and north of Mandalay. Here mineralisation and associated jasperoidal silica occur in Eocene sandstones and Permian and Triassic carbonates. Possibly this district continues southeastwards, across the Sagaing Fault, as sediment-hosted Sb Au and locally skarn Au mineralisation within a 1100 km long fold-thrust belt. Also present in the back-arc region are sandstone-hosted Au Cu in a Palaeozoic slate belt, and gold and stratabound gold-base metal mineralisation in the medial metamorphic belt. While untested targets remain in the magmatic arc, particularly for high sulphidation Au, the best potential is clearly within the back-arc slate and fold-thrust belts in the western part of the Shan Plateau and in northeastern-most Myanmar.

Jan 1, 1999

By Jerry J. Gray

Transportation charges for mineral commodity movements in western Oregon and western Washington were determined mainly by a stratified random sample canvass of producers. Total 1965 mineral production value for this area was $53.3 million; the cost or charge to move this production from the mine to the consumer or to the point of consumption was determined to be an additional $38.7 million. Thirty seven companies were contacted as a sample out of a total population of 349; the statistically expanded sample production value deviated 3.6 percent from that obtained by the Bureau's annual canvass. The agreement between the sample results and the canvass totals demonstrated the effectiveness of the sampling method for obtaining data with a predesigned level of accuracy. For comparison, the north-central Idaho and western Montana area was studied, A random sample experiment was designed, but because of the dominance of a few major companies, a random sample technique would have required more visits to producers than if only the larger firms were contacted. Eighty-four percent of the 1966 mineral value ($198.6 million) was accounted for by interviewing 27 firms out of a total population of 199. Total transportation costs or charges for the area were $26.7 million. The significant difference observed between the relationship of minerals production value and transport charges between the two areas investigated can be attributed to the difference in the minerals produced. The western Oregon and western Washington region is a nonmetals-producing area as opposed to the predominance of metals production in the Idaho-Montana region.

Jan 1, 1968

By E. L. Fosse, W. S. Wright

"INTRODUCTION Preliminary and detailed exploratory examinations of iron and copper ores on Prince of Wales Island have been conducted by the Bureau of Mines from early in 1942 until the end of 1944. Among these investigations was that of the Jumbo magnetite deposit, which was visited by Stephen P. Holt, an engineer of the Bureau of Mines, during a preliminary examination of the Copper Mountain and Jumbo properties September 15 to 18, 1943, During the months of June, July, and August 1944, a more detailed examination, which consisted essentially of mapping and sampling, was made by the authors working in conjunction with George C. Kennedy of the Geological Survey, Geological, topographical, and dip-needle contour maps were made of the area, and 97 channel samples were cut.ACKNOWLEDGMENTIn its program of exploration of mineral deposits, the Bureau of Mines has as its primary objective the more effective utilization of our mineral resources to the end that they make the greatest possible contribution to national security and economy. It is the policy of the Bureau to publish the facts developed by each exploratory project as soon as practicable after its conclusion. The Mining Branch, Lowell B. Moon, chief, conducts preliminary examinations, performs the actual exploratory work, and prepares the final report. The Metallurgical Branch, R. G. Knickerbocker, chief, analyzes sam¬ples and performs beneficiation tests. Both these branches are under the supervision of Dr. R. S. Dean, assistant director.Special acknowledgment is made to R. D. Stewart, Territorial Commissioner of Mines and former general manager, and to Duncan Campbell, Ketchikan, Alaska, former mine superintendent of the Jumbo mine. Acknowledgment is also due to George C. Kennedy of the Federal Geological Survey for extending cooperative assistance in topographical mapping, dip-needle surveying, and geological study of the deposits. Further acknowledgment is made to C. Travis Anderson, chief, Rolla Division, Metallurgical Branch, and other members of that division for conducting beneficiation tests on Jumbo Basin ores."

Oct 1, 1946

By Bowen Li

Andalusite is an excellent raw material for refractory applications due to its high aluminum oxide content and phase transformation to mullite at high temperature. Granular andalusite in particle sizes of about 1 to 2 mm was traditionally utilized for the manufacturing of refractory brick. However, if powder andalusite in micron particle size is utilized in high-alumina refractory products, reinforcement on the refractory brick can be obtained and the sintering temperature can be decreased. The phase transformation of powder andalusite plays a key role for the difference.

Jan 1, 2006

By Harold L. Gibson, Don H. Rousell, Ian R. Jonasson

"Abstract - The Sudbury Structure consists of three major components: 1) the Sudbury Basin; 2) the Sudbury Igneous Complex which surrounds the basin as an elliptical collar; and 3) an outer zone of shatter-coned and intensely brecciated footwall rocks. Although the Sudbury Event which formed the structure may be unique, the area has, in fact, been shaped by a series of tectonic, magmatic and mineralization events which can be considered in terms of two Wilson cycles of continental extension and closure. The first cycle, from 2500 to 1700 Ma, included the following events: doming (uplift of Levack Gneiss Complex); NE-SW extension (Matachewan dikes); N-S to NW-SE rifting (faults, mafic intrusions, sedimentation, and Ni-Cu-PGE and U mineralization); NW-SE extension (Nipissing diabase, and Ni-Cu-PGE, Ag, Co mineralization); and NW-SE and NE-SW closure (Penokean Orogeny, 1900 to 1700 Ma) with superimposed meteorite impact (1850 Ma, Ni-Cu- PGE, Zn-Cu-Pb deposits). The second cycle, from 1700 to 1000 Ma, included: N-S extension (alkali metasomatism, Au); N-S extension (hornblende diabase dikes along the Murray fault set); NNESSW extension (olivine diabase dikes); NE-SW extension (Fecunis Lake fault set); and NW-SE closure (Grenvillian Orogeny).The rich and diverse Ni-Cu-PGE and subordinate Zn-Pb-Cu and Au mineralization of the Sudbury region is related to endogenic and impact-triggered crustal extension and magmatism. The Sudbury Structure apparently was the site of a triple junction or hot-spot. The Sudbury ores, although located within an impact structure, are analogous in terms of age and tectonic setting to Ni-Cu-PGE and Zn-Pb-Cu ores elsewhere in the world. Meteorite impact accentuated on-going ore forming processes and magmatism at Sudbury."

Jan 1, 1997

By Harold L. Gibson, Don H. Rousell, Ian R. Jonasson

"The Sudbury Structure consists of three major components: 1) the Sudbury Basin; 2) the Sudbury Igneous Complex which surrounds the basin as an elliptical collar; and 3) an outer zone of shatter-coned and intensely brecciated footwall rocks. Although the Sudbury Event which formed the structure may be unique, the area has, in fact, been shaped by a series of tectonic, magmatic and mineralization events which can be considered in terms of two Wilson cycles of continental extension and closure. The first cycle, from 2500 to 1700 Ma, included the following events: doming (uplift of Levack Gneiss Complex); NE-SW extension (Matachewan dikes); N-S to NW-SE rifting (faults, mafic intrusions, sedimentation, and Ni-Cu-PGE and U mineralization); NW-SE extension (Nipissing diabase, and Ni-Cu-PGE, Ag, Co mineralization); and NW-SE and NE-SW closure (Penokean Orogeny, 1900 to 1700 Ma) with superimposed meteorite impact (1850 Ma, Ni-Cu- PGE, Zn-Cu-Pb deposits). The second cycle, from 1700 to 1000 Ma, included: N-S extension (alkali metasomatism, Au); N-S extension (hornblende diabase dikes along the Murray fault set); NNESSW extension (olivine diabase dikes); NE-SW extension (Fecunis Lake fault set); and NW-SE closure (Grenvillian Orogeny).The rich and diverse Ni-Cu-PGE and subordinate Zn-Pb-Cu and Au mineralization of the Sudbury region is related to endogenic and impact-triggered crustal extension and magmatism. The Sudbury Structure apparently was the site of a triple junction or hot-spot. The Sudbury ores, although located within an impact structure, are analogous in terms of age and tectonic setting to Ni-Cu-PGE and Zn-Pb-Cu ores elsewhere in the world. Meteorite impact accentuated on-going ore forming processes and magmatism at Sudbury."

Jan 1, 1997

By S. Panigrahi

The SO2-ammoniacal ammonium sulfate leach liquor generated by leaching of manganese nodules, after removal of minor quantities of iron and manganese, contained copper, nickel, cobalt, zinc and (NH4)2SO4. After extraction of copper from the leach liquor with LIX 84I, stripping of ammonia from the Cu-barren raffinate was carried out followed by precipitation of metal ions from the ammonia-stripped solution as sulfides. Leaching of the sulfide precipitate was carried out with H2SO4 to obtain a leach liquor containing 0.58 kg/m3 Cu, 2.67 kg/m3 Zn, 2.00 kg/m3 Co, 24.68 kg/m3 Ni and 10.0 kg/m3 (NH4)2SO4. After extraction of copper and zinc from the sulfate leach liquor with LIX 84I and D2EHPA, respectively, the solution was left with Co and Ni. Extraction of cobalt from the Cu- and Zn-free solution was carried out with 0.1 M PC88A and stripping of the cobalt-loaded organic was carried out with the cobalt-spent electrolyte (pH 1.4). Extraction of nickel from the cobalt-free solution was carried out with 90% neutral 1M NaPC88A followed by stripping of the nickel-loaded organic with 120 kg/m3 H2SO4 solution. Extraction of metal ions increased with increasing equilibrium pH and extractant concentration. The maximum separation factors, with respect to the pH and extractant concentration variation studies, were 3796.7 and 15350.0, respectively. The extracted species for the metal ions were CoA2?3HA and NiA2?5HA.

Jan 1, 2009

By Gerald R. Larocque, Donald F. Grenville

"IN APRIL, 1965, the employee relations department (then called the personnel department) was established as a separate function within the company. Its aims and objectives were to hire an effective work force to operate the open-pit mine and the mill, which were at that time under development and construction. It was also directed to develop a sound policy for employee relations to assist the company in maintaining a stable and properly motivated work force, which included the establishment of satisfactory wage rates and fringe benefits, safety, fire protection and security. During the 8 years that the department has been in existence the scope of the company's operations has expanded to include a zinc plant and an underground mine. The work force has enlarged accordingly and now totals 1,680 employees working at the two sites, separated by 34 road miles. To cover the employee relations functions the department has a total of 29 members at the two sites. The department is organized under a superintendent, who has an employee relations supervisor, a safety director and a fire chief reporting directly to him. The employee relations supervisor, with 2 employment officers and 2 clerks, handles hiring, first-stage employee grievanoos, terminations, employee records, and the organization of company-sponsored functions and meetings. Safety, training and security are the responsibility of the safety director, who has 3 safety supervisors, 16 security men, 1 first-aid attendant and one hearing conservation technician to service the two sites. The fire chief operates as a one-man section responsible for plant-wide fire inspections and fireoriented training. Although"

Jan 1, 1974

By G. Cordingley, A. Mwanza

Lumwana is an open pit Copper mine located in the Northwestern Province of Zambia approximately 80 km west from the provincial capital of Solwezi, approximately 300 km northwest from the Copperbelt and 700 km northwest from the national capital of Lusaka. The mine has two major Copper deposits: Malundwe and Chimiwungo. Copper mineralization includes Chalcopyrite, Bornite and Chalcocite. In addition to Copper, these deposits also contain the undesirable element Uranium contained in vein hosted and disseminated Uranite. The processing plant was designed using conventional technologies: semi-autogenous grinding (SAG) and ball mill for grinding, and mechanical cells for rougher and cleaner flotation. Soon after commissioning in early 2009, it was recognised that two stages of conventional cleaning were unable to produce plant final Copper concentrates with the desired Uranium grades. Studies have shown that a significant quantity of liberated and fine Uranium particles (up to 80-90%) is recovered with the concentrate by entrainment. Lumwana Operations sought the use of the Jameson Cell technology after observing successful implementation at other sites in rectifying similar issues. In late 2009, Jameson Cell pilot-plant test work was conducted at the site and this quickly led to the installation of a full-scale B5400/18 model into the existing cleaner circuit. Inclusion of the Jameson Cell resulted in the plant being able to effectively produce clean and saleable concentrate with Uranium contents consistently below acceptable levels. Initially designed to be used as a cleaner scalper cell at the head of the existing conventional cell circuit, subsequent operational issues with the existing recleaner cells forced reconfiguration of the cleaner circuit and reintroduced the Jameson Cell for the recleaning duty. This paper reports the Lumwana Operation from the first two years of operation where it struggled to produce a saleable concentrate with Uranium grades below 150 ppm, which is the maximum allowable limit set out in the smelting contracts, to steps taken in the subsequent years to implement a satisfactory solution. The plant can now consistently produce a clean Copper concentrate with Uranium grades well below 130 ppm and the overall improvements implemented at site have seen the overall plant recovery improve by 1.3%.

Jan 1, 2014

By Victor Nazimko

A new technique for reaming the holes has been tested. This technique is available for reaming a hole at its deep end creating an enlarged cavity that has helicoidal grooves oriented at less than 40 degrees to the hole axis. This technique increases bolt resistance by a factor 1.3-1.62; its bearing capacity by 3 times and enhances underground roadway stability. This technique is suitable for great depth (1000m and greater) and weak wet rocks.

Jan 1, 2008

By Y. C. Kim

This paper describes the implementation aspect of a blast hole kriging system which has been developed for the purpose of daily ore-waste control in an open pit mine. The primary goal of blast hole kriging is to improve the ore-waste delineation procedure. A complete computer program package called Blast Hole Kriging (BHK) System was developed for IBM/PC AT or XT computer, using Fortran language and supplemented by a few Assembly language routines for bit-map manipulation. The emphasis of this paper is on the implementation aspect of the developed system. For this reason, the requirements for practical implementation and the system design considerations are discussed in the paper, as well as the main features of the University of Arizona's BHK System.

Jan 1, 1990

By William W. Adams

Accidents to men employed in the quarrying and related industries of the United States were more numerous, absolutely and relatively, in 1937 than in 1936. Fortunately, the entire increase was in the category of nonfatal injuries, as accidents causing death declined in number and in proportion to the number of man-hours worked. Employment increased. More men were employed, more man-days and man-hours were worked, and the average employee had more hours of work than in 1936. Reports covering all commercial operations showed that 84,094 men were employed an increase of 5.1 percent over 1936. The number of man-hours of work performed by the industry was, 158 millions, an increase of 7.6 percent. Seventy-seven men were killed by accidents, a, reduction of 14 from the year before, and 6,348 men were injured and disabled for more than the remainder of the day on which the accident occurred, 11 percent more than in 1936. The fatality rate of 0.49 per million man-hours of exposure in 1937 compared favorably with the rate of 0.62 for the previous year, whereas the non-fatal-injury rate of 40.10 was 3.2 percent higher than the rate of 38.87 for 1936.

Jan 1, 1940

By W. D. Blackburn

If there is a single key to managing a mineral extraction company, it is the control of productivity. American labor costs, in general, tend to be in the range of 10%-15% of total costs. American coal mining labor costs, however, exhibit ranges of 30%-60% of total costs. Is it any wonder that the industry finds itself at a competitive disadvantage? When labor costs take as much as sixty cents of every dollar of revenue, there is little room for profitability. The American coal mining industry must set as a long range goal the reduction of labor costs to the 10%-15% range of total costs in order to be competitive.

Jan 1, 1986

For more than 15 years after the Northparkes orebodies were first discovered in 1976, the project was delayed by the need to find an economic way of mining the low-grade E26 deposit. The decision to use a low-cost block caving method to mine the orebody was made in the early-1990s; but the project's future did not solidify until 1993 when a radical new approach was adopted which sought to integrate business imperatives with technology and organisation strategies. The approach led to the establishment of a strategic vision which tied together all the components that could have a major impact on the project, to provide a framework for guiding strategic choices. The strategic vision strived to break away from the old rules of how mines are organised and operated; and involved finding imaginative new ways to radically redesign mining processes to achieve quantum leaps in performance.

Jan 1, 1997

By Peter Hayes, Evgueni Jak, Taufiq Hidayat, David Grimsey, Denis Shishin

"An integrated nickel flash smelter is operated with Peirce-Smith converters at the Kalgoorlie Nickel Smelter. To improve the partitioning of arsenic between slag waste and matte product, an option to modify the slag–matte chemistry by addition of CaO was analysed. A combination of plant sample analysis, high-temperature laboratory experiments and thermodynamic modeling was carried out to evaluate the process options. The high-temperature experiments involved the re-equilibration of industrial matte-slag samples at 1225 °C and P(SO2) = 0.12 atm, rapid quenching in water, and direct measurement of phase compositions using electron probe X-ray microanalysis (EPMA) and Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LAICPMS). A private thermodynamic database for nickel sulfide smelting and converting was used together with the FactSage thermochemical software package to assist in the analysis of the distribution of elements between slag and matte as a function of CaO addition. The thermodynamic predictions combined with experimental data obtained in this study can be used to characterise the effect of CaO fluxing on the slag–matte thermochemistry during the nickel sulfide converting.INTRODUCTION At the Kalgoorlie Nickel Smelter (KNS), nickel sulfide concentrate is processed in an Outotec-type flash furnace to produce nickel matte containing +47 wt% Ni. Separation of nickel matte and waste slag from the flash smelting is enhanced through settling in the electric arc -heated zone attached to the flash furnace. The flash furnace matte is further processed in a Peirce-Smith converter to produce Ni-rich matte containing +66 wt% Ni (Crundwell, Moats, Ramachandran, Robinson, & Davenport, 2011). Iron silicate-based slag is used in the converting process at KNS. Most of the arsenic is contained in the final matte and very little of the arsenic partitions into the slag. Previous work by Font et al (Font, Hino, & Itagaki, 2003) shows that the distribution ratio of arsenic between calcium ferrite slag and nickel-matte (LAsslag/matte) is significantly higher than that between iron silicate slag and nickel-matte, where LAsslag/matte = (wt pct As in slag)/{wt pct As in matte} (1)"

Jan 1, 2017

By Dennis Molvik, Omar Fulton, Chris D. Breeds, Don Gonzales

This paper presents and describes the South Interceptor Parallel Phase III Contract C93012C, which involved construction of a nominal 2.7 m (9-ft) finished diameter sewer conveyance using both pipe jacking and conventional tunneling methods. Earth Pressure Balance (EPB) excavation was required to minimize the potential for settlement beneath a main rail line, overpass, sensitive wetland, areas of contaminated soils, and nearby structures. Ground conditions predicted in the Geotechnical Baseline Report included low plasticity, clayey silt (40 to 10%) and silty sand (60–90%) with pieces of wood such as logs, stumps, branches and other tree fragments. Soil cover ranged from 2.7 m (9-ft) to 5.4 m (18-ft) over the tunnel crown with a groundwater table between 1.5 m (5-ft) and 3.7 m (12-ft) deep.

Jan 1, 2003

By C. A. Young, J. D. Miller

Thermodynamic data has been obtained for oleate chemisorption at fluorite (CaF2) and calcite (CaCO3) surfaces using adsorption isotherms determined previously at room and elevated temperatures by in-situ Fourier transform infrared/internal reflection spectroscopy (FT-IR/IRS). Linear regression analysis was used to statistically derive free energy data as a function of temperature assuming oleate chemisorption followed Langmuir-type adsorption. Enthalpy and entropy changes were subsequently ascertained from the Clausius-Clapeyron equation and fundamental thermodynamic relationships. Essentially, no difference in the free energy of chemisorption at the two mineral surfaces was found; however, the differences in enthalpy and entropy values were significant. By comparison, the results showed that oleate chemisorption at fluorite surfaces was more extensive and more entropically driven due to more water being displaced. Results correlate well with values determined in the literature for other mineral collector systems. These findings help explain the greater hydrophobic character of fluorite than calcite in both the absence and presence of oleate.

Jan 1, 2002

By Olga Frank-Kamenetskaya

The experimental results of study of atmospheric corrosion processes on Saint-Petersburg bronze monuments surface, received in situ and by means of simulating experiments, have been discussed. Influence of the time factor on corrosion film (patina) mineral composition has been analyzed. Direct dependence between patina mineral composition and environmental conditions has been proved. The sequence of patina phases crystallization has been established. Effect of the chemical composition and heterogeneity of artistic bronze and also monument surface structure on the rate of corrosion process has been regarded. The time variations of mass of the crystallized in the hydrochloric acid vapor phases have been investigated. The kinetic laws of their development at the initial stage of formation, indicating simple (non chain) reactions, have been revealed.

Jan 1, 2006

By Steve Kral

Despite low commodity prices and mining industry cutbacks throughout the world, Peru remains one of the industry’s bright spots. The country’s remarkable economic turnaround during the 1990s remains a model for other developing nations to follow. And the Peruvian government has not forgotten the industry that was instrumental in that turnaround. True, the country has not been spared the effects of the mining industry’s retrenchment that has occurred in other parts of the world. However, foreign mining companies remain committed to doing business in Peru. And the government remains committed to attracting foreign investment and maintaining a strong mining industry. This commitment was evident in September 1999during the 24th Convention of the Institutos de Ingenieros de Minas del Peru in Arequipa, Peru. More than 3,000 mining industry professionals from around the world attended the convention. And Extemin, the accompanying exhibit, featured more than 450 companies, many from the United States, Canada, Australia, South Africa and other countries.

Jan 1, 2000