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By Cecil Q. Cupps

Results are presented of a comprehensive study of the characteristics of the original oil in the Weber sandstone reservoir, Rangely oil field, Colorado. Through the medium of subsurface sampling, adequately representative samples of the original reservoir oil were obtained from many parts of the reservoir over a period of 5 years concurrent with active development of the reservoir. Data of differential gas liberation, pressure-viscosity, and. pressure-volume-temperature relationships are shown for 12 subsurface oil samples. Data also are given of reservoir pressure and. temperature, composition of liberated or solution Gas, composition of 22 produced-gas samples, and Hempel analyses of crude-oil samples from 18 wells. The characteristics or physical properties of the 12 subsurface oil samples, as determined by laboratory analyses, were correlated with elevation of the top of the Weber sandstone. These relationships of oil characteristics to elevation in the reservoir show that only the oil in contact with the initial gas cap was gas-saturated at the existing pressure and temperature. The characteristics of the original reservoir oil were marked by an appreciable decrease of saturation pressure and solution gas-oil ratio and increase of viscosity and density with depth below the gas-oil contact. The composition of solution gas and of' produced was also was found to vary with elevation of the oil in the reservoir.

Jan 1, 1951

By D Craw

Uplift of the antiformal ranges in Central Otago, New Zealand , has resulted in the progressive evolution of eluvial placer deposits in tectonic sediments on the range flanks and along their margins. The placers are derived from the reworking of fine-grained gold from the auriferous Manuherikia Group fluvial sediments which covered the basement prior to uplift of the ranges. Gold in the tectonic sediments at Matakanui shows a progressive increase in grainsize in successively younger sediments and nuggets in the youngest gravel sequence are up to two orders of magnitude larger than gold grains in the parent alluvial source. Most of the gold in the tectonic sediments is highly irregular in shape, commonly with delicate surface textures which could not have survived fluvial transport and are indicative of authigenic precipitation. Some coarse grains have been rounded by recycling, and further addition of authigenic gold has occurred. Placer gold values result from both physical and chemical enrichment during sedimentary recycling. Continued range uplift and back-thrusting of sediments on to the ranges results in recycling of earlier formed placer sediments. They also result in further enrichment of gold values through the incorporation of additional supplies of the parent alluvial source sediment The host sediments are widespread along the ranges and are not confined to sites of historic mining activity.

Jan 1, 1992

By C. S. Allbright

This report gives the results of analyzing three groups of crude shale oils by the Bureau of Mines procedure:4/ (1) Oils produced by standard Fischer assay determinations on oil shales from Brazil (Paraiba Valley) and the United States (Colorado); (2) oils produced from Brazilian shale by different retorting methods; and (3) oils from high-temperature retorting of Colorado oil shale in the Entrained Solids retort. It is the second in a series presenting data obtained by analyzing crude shale oils from various sources. The series furnishes information on the general characteristics and compositions of a wide variety of shale oils. Use of a standard analytical method on all samples facilitates comparison of different oils. The 18 oil samples analyzed in this project comprised 3 from assays of Brazilian and Colorado oil shales in the Fischer retort, 9 obtained by processing Brazilian shale in various other units, and 6 from entrained solids retorting of Colorado shale at 1,000° to 1,500° F. The crude oils from Brazilian shale contained about half as much nitrogen as the Colorado oils. Properties of the Fischer assay oils from Colorado shales agreed with some data that relate grade of the oil shale with properties of the crude oil from the Fischer assay. Comparison of results from Fischer assays of oils from the foreign and domestic shales shows that the oil from Brazilian shale contains more low-boiling material and less residuum than either of the two from Colorado shale. This fact is reflected in lower specific gravity, viscosity, and carbon-residue values for the Brazilian oil. Retorting Brazilian shale in the Entrained Solids unit at 1,120° F. produced an oil whose boiling range was generally lower than the boiling ranges of oils obtained by processing in three other retorts at conventional temperatures. The quality of crude oils from high-temperature retorting of Colorado shale in the Entrained Solids process varies with retorting temperature. As the temperature is raised within the range 1,000° to 1,500° F., the amount of the naphtha fraction in the crude oil increases to about 35 percent and the aromaticity to 98 percent.

Jan 1, 1956

By V. N. Cox, C. H. Grant

Both the underwater method and the rock cratering method contribute useful information in evaluating and comparing new explosive compositions. Results indicate that metallized explosive systems which contain no high explosives can be formulated to offer more energy and to do potentially more work than other slurry explosive systems. Commercial field trials are presently being conducted with a metallized explosive that does not contain any high explosive. Although there have been only a few commercial blasts to date, the results are encouraging. The Dow Chemical Co. has been engaged in explosives research since 1953. The incentive for this research was based on the desire to find additional markets and uses for magnesium metal of which DOW is a heavy producer. The thermodynamic calculations for explosives incorporating light metals indicate energies approximately twice that of nonmetallized explosives currently being used. Early in 1960, additional patent rights were acquired from independent inventors and a development station at Virginia, Minn., was set up to conduct a commercial testing and market evaluation program with this new product. The actual manufacturing of the explosive was to take place in the boreholes. Due to the complexities involved in controlling the manufacture of the explosive in the borehole, performance was sometimes in doubt. Furthermore, experience indicated that the metallized explosive systems could not be evaluated by the standard laboratory methods then being used, and it was necessary for us to look for more suitable research methods. Tests were conducted on several known methods for explosive evaluation. The most promising were the Navy underwater method for energy evaluation and a modified Livingston crater method intended to compare explosive performance in rock. After shooting over 2000 charges of 8 to 60 lb under water and in taconites and granites with many types of explosives, a metallized explosive was developed which is now being manufactured at a pilot plant in Virginia, Minn. and is being evaluated commercially. UNDERWATER METHOD An underwater method of evaluating explosives has a number of advantages. A permanent site can be established and operated indefinitely. A large number of charges may be fired in a short length of time. The medium in which the explosive is shot is exactly the same for successive shots. Data are recorded electronically minimizing human judgment. A disadvantage of the underwater method is the lack of confinement provided by the water medium. Many explosive compositions require a greater degree of confinement to develop good energy release. Although the relative significance of the two components of energy release that are usually measured, the shock energy and the bubble energy, and their relationship to breaking rock are not clearly understood, the underwater method is a valuable research tool for screening explosive compositions and gaining an insight into the manner in which explosives release their energy. Fig. 1 shows schematically the underwater apparatus. The piezoelectric gages are calibrated tourmaline crystals which convert the shock wave to an electrical impulse which is transmitted to an oscilloscope and recorded on Polaroid film. The shock traces are picked up by scopes 1 and 2. Scope 1 is timed to pick up the full trace whereas scope 2 is timed to cover the first increment of the shock trace expanded, and therefore allows full inspection of the propagation and peak pressures. Scope 3 records the bubble trace. When the explosion occurs, a bubble of gaseous detonation products is formed. The outward momentum of the water keeps expanding the bubble even after

Jan 1, 1963

By K. Yamaguchi, Sekimoto. H.

"Platinum Group Metals (PGMs) used as catalyst which reduces toxic substances in emission gas exhausted from an automobile should extensively be recycled because they are rare metals produced only at the limited regions. The recycling process is to smelt an alumina honeycomb, in which PGM is built, in molten iron with flux such as lime and silica to separate them. PGMs are concentrated in molten iron while alumina in slag.The objective of this study is to understand the factor to concentrate PGMs in liquid iron as much as possible. Fundamental research of the distribution of the PGMs between the slag and liquid iron was carried out to recover the value metals of platinum, palladium and rhodium from the three-way auto catalyst. The distribution ratios of platinum, palladium and rhodium between the Al2O3-CaO-SiO2 slag and liquid iron are from 10-6 to 10-5, and these are concentrated in comparison with slag phase by about 1 million times to the liquid iron at 1873 K. The distribution ratios of platinum between the FexO-CaO-SiO2 slag and liquid iron decrease from 0.1 to 2?10-4 with increasing the CaO content in the slag. The CaO addition to the FexO unary slag is effective in concentrating platinum in molten iron.Based on the distribution ratios obtained in this work, recovery of PGMs was determined. The recovery of platinum, palladium and rhodium increase with increasing the mass ratio, Mmetal/Mslag. In the case of the conditions of Mmetal/Mslag = 0.04, the recoveries of PGMs showed more than 99.97%. The use of liquid iron and carbon saturated liquid iron as the collector metal is advantageous for the PGM recycling of the three-way auto catalyst. We found that PGMs are enriched to the molten iron or the carbon saturated iron and the slag loss of PGMs is negligible small."

Jan 1, 2014

By H. Möhle

Premier Mine is a large underground diamond mine, situated at Cullinan in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. The mine hoists over 3 millions tons of diamond bearing kimberlite per year, from a modern, mechanized panel retreat block cave mining operation. Troughs sited at the base of the cave are developed into the overlying caved ore, allowing loading access to the ore through draw points. Trough opening is therefore a vital aspect of the mining operation. Most of the production is dependent on fast, reliable and safe trough opening. Successful trough openings are achieved under difficult mining conditions due to restricted void, long up-holes and the inherent properties of kimberlite?soft, elastic rock with a high swell factor. Early in 1998, Premier Mine undertook a joint development project (with an electronic initiation system supplier) to determine whether the use of a fully programmable electronic detonator system would enhance the mining cycle in the trough opening process. Blasting commenced in February 1998, initially with blasts of a similar size and duration to those that had been previously blasted with shock-tube systems, to confirm the operational capabilities of the blasting system. The accuracy, reliability and flexibility of the electronic delay detonators (EDDs) minimized associated risks for re-engineering of the trough opening process. Further, as blast timing was optimized, larger blasts were successfully initiated. To date over 20 troughs have been opened successfully with the use of EDDs. Not only did it take less time to open troughs, but also drilling and blasting operations have been optimized, as well as an overall improvement in safety. This paper details the benefits that EDDs have delivered to Premier Mine in this area. The logic followed is: ?Review of the original trough opening practices ?Re-engineering of the trough opening process ?Implementation of EDDs ?Evaluation of improvements and conclusions.

Jan 1, 2000

By Brianna M. Eiter, Jennica L. Bellanca

Mineworkers face a challenging and dynamic work environment every workday. To maintain a safe workplace, mineworkers must be able to recognize worksite hazards while they perform their jobs. Though hazard recognition is a critical skill, recent research from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) indicates that mineworkers fail to identify a significant number of hazards. To further the understanding of mineworkers’ hazard recognition ability and to begin to address hazard recognition performance, NIOSH researchers analyzed data collected during a laboratory research study to determine the effect of individual mineworker factors including risk attitude, work experience, and safety training on hazard recognition accuracy. The results of this study show that mineworker risk attitude and safety-specific work experience affect hazard recognition performance while hazard-specific safety training does not. These results suggest that some of these individual factors can be overcome through experience and training. Potential strategies that can be used to address these factors are also discussed.

Aug 31, 2020

By E Coffison, M Gibbs, C Bennett

The sustainable management of surface water associated with coal mining and coal seam gas projects is a considerable factor affecting the global competitiveness of these resource companies operating in Australia. Management of surface water can be costly, but effective water management and hence environmental stewardship enhances corporate social responsibility and the social license to operate. The surface water issues for the two industries are comparable, yet there is currently a lack of alignment between how Queensland, where the majority of AustraliaÆs coal seam gas projects are located, manages and regulates water on coal mine projects and coal seam gas projects.This paper provides a high level comparison of Queensland legislation and highlights the lack of alignment of this legislation regarding surface water management in these two industries. Through a case study, it looks at the surface water management process at a coal mine site based on the current legislation and principals of surface water management. QueenslandÆs lack of alignment in legislation regarding surface water management in these industries is understandable given the different development paths and time scales of the two industries. The coal mining industry has developed over a long period of time and the legislation has progressed in parallel, whereas, the coal seam gas industry is relatively new in Australia and the legislation has had to advance quickly. The lack of alignment between management of surface water for the two industries creates confusion among stakeholders and this adds complexity and additional transaction costs during the exploration, permitting and operational phases of projects, including landowners who may be affected.CITATION:Bennett, C, Coffison, E and Gibbs, M, 2013. Lack of alignment between regulation of surface water management in coal mining and coal seam gas, in Proceedings Water in Mining 2013 , pp 157-162 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Nov 26, 2013

By Ware AR, Doyle BJ, Hoogvliet H

The Ladolam deposit lies within the altered volcanic rocks of the caldera floor, part of which now forms Luise Harbour. It was discovered in 1982 in the course of a reconnaissance drainage sediment sampling programme. This was designed to follow up indications of surface hydrothermal activity noted by Government geologists during an earlier survey of the Tabar-Feni island chain. Diamond drilling began in September 1983 and by the end of 1989 a payable and proved mineable reserve containing 19 million ounces of gold had been established. Rock types and structures are masked at the surface by intense alteration and weathering. An extensive drilling programme has enabled the identification of these features and the relationships between them necessary for an understanding of the factors controlling gold mineralisation. It has also led to the recognition of two distinct phases of alteration. The first phase of porphyry-style potassic alteration was followed by violent caldera formation, producing extensive brecciation and veining. The second alteration phase partly over- printed the first phase and was an epithermal one, evidenced by argillic, advanced argillic and phyllic assemblages. During this event, a large volume of fluids circulated under the favourable structural conditions; these fluids included a sulphur- rich, neutral chloride brine believed to have transported the gold. Boiling and mixing of circulating fluids in the open breccias is thought to have resulted in deposition of the gold. There is evidence that this process is continuing at the present day.

Jan 1, 1991

By By Staff

"Acid mine drainage can be controlled by water treatment, retardation of the pyrite oxidation reaction system, or enhanced prediction that allows preventive action to be taken. The Bureau of Mines is conducting research in each of these areas; the results of this research are summarized in the eight papers that comprise this volume. Field work to evaluate overburden analysis, alkaline injection, and bactericidal control of acid formation is described, along with two new inexpensive methods to treat acid mine water. These papers were prepared for an acid mine drainage technology transfer meeting held in Pittsburgh, PA, on April 3 and 4, 1985. INTRODUCTIONAcid drainage from coal mines is one of the most persistent industrial pollution problems in the United States. Over 5,000 miles of streams and rivers are adversely affected, primarily by underground mines that have been abandoned for decades. Meanwhile, at active mining operations and at sites where mining occurred after 1977, discharge water must be treated to meet fairly stringent regulatory limits--at a cost to the industry of over $1 million per day.The Bureau of Mines has a special responsibility to facilitate integration of mining and mineral processing with environmental safeguards. This responsibility is twofold: the development of techniques to reduce or eliminate environmental degradation, and the improvement of existing pollution control processes to make them more efficient and more cost effective. Research in acid mine drainage exemplifies the Bureau's concern for these environmental aspects of mining.This collection of papers summarizes much of the Bureau's recent research on acid mine drainage and will give the reader a sense of where the research is headed, in addition to providing details regarding new technology and recently acquired knowledge. The research papers address four basic objectives:"

Jan 1, 1985

By Brian A. Ferguson, Raynald O. Vezina, Marielle Gaudet, Raoul R. Boissonneault

"Kiena has been committed to developing a fresh management and employee relations approach since the commencement of production in 1981. The functional organizational structure encourages joint participation and commitment on the part of all employees to common goals in safety and production. The results over the last four years have been extraordinary. Kiena won the John T. Ryan Canada Trophy for 1983 for its safety record and has experienced a steadily increasing productivity through the application of new mining equipment and technology in the hands of a well-trained and motivated team of employees.This paper serves to highlight the fact that productivity, safetyand technical innovation are closely linked to employee participationand involvement which are likely to be the key to theCanadian mining industry's survival in the years ahead.This presentation follows up on an earlier unpublished paper, given at the 84th Annual Meeting of CIM in Quebec City in April, 1982, which discussed the philosophy and the planning which took place before implementation of the management and employee relations system at Kiena. This present paper reviews and expands on material given in the earlier work. IntroductionThe mining industry, which has always been considered as rather conservative in its approach, has experienced with some regularity, cyclical periods related to metal prices. These cycles, previously foreseeable to some extent have become less coherent over recent years during which time the industry has had to face fierce international competition. The issue to productivity is without doubt the major concern of the mining industry in Canada today and it represents the greatest challenge facing us during the present decade. Developments that have been made in mining technology over the precious two decades have failed to completely produce the significant advancements in higher over-all productivity that were expected."

Jan 1, 1987

By Sterling J. Anderson

Through the use of nondestructive testing techniques, the Bureau of Mines is pursuing a goal of improving the efficiency of the rock excava-tion process. Toward this end, 44 laboratory tests were conducted to identify a practical method of monitoring fracture development in rock, as caused by an excavation tool. An acoustic emission CAE) transducer was used to monitor the test samples as they were loaded. The signal from this instrument was recorded in real time along with the radial and axial loads generated by the fracturing device. Through the review of these signals on a common-time base, it was possible to see the relationship between the developing fracture and the loading conditions. As a part of the posttesting investigations, samples that were pletely fractured were sawn and ground to expose the fractures. examination of these samples allowed approximations to be made incom-Visual of the total surface created. Surface area approximations were also made for the completely fractured samples. Quantitative analyses· of the AE signals were conducted for comparisons with the calculated surface areas.

Jan 1, 1987

By Gabriel Gonçalves Pessoa de Castro

O trabalho teve por objetivo produzir uma liga Al AA1070 com granulometria fina a partir de um material com granulometria grosseira, por meio de deformação plástica severa (DPS) aplicada por prensagem por canais equiangulares (ECAP) via rota C, bem como esclarecer e avaliar os mecanismos responsáveis pela evolução microestrutural durante este processo de prensagem. O processo empregou a rota C com 5 passes consecutivos a frio e acumulou uma deformação ?5 = 5,95. O material de partida é proveniente de um processo de laminação a quente, com uma microestrutura de grãos grosseiros com tamanho de grão de 16 ± 18 µm. Foi realizada a caracterização microestrutural com o auxílio das técnicas de microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV) e de difração de elétrons retroespalhados. O refinamento microestrutural foi realizado eficientemente alcançando uma microestrutura fina, observou-se uma redução de 80% alcançando um tamanho de grão de 3,38 µm, e um aumento da fração de contornos de alto ângulo passando de 23% a 46%. A partir dos resultados obtidos nas análises conclui-se que os mecanismos responsáveis pela evolução microestrutural foram os processos de subdivisão por meio de fragmentação e rotação de grãos, recuperação e recristalização dinâmica.

Aug 16, 2017

By Kenneth M. Maas

The Bureau of Mines inventoried the land availability for mineral exploration and development in northern Alaska and compared this land with known mineral terranes and mineral deposits, to quantify the potential for favorable location of mining claims for metalliferous mineral deposits. This report includes thirty-three 1:500,000-scale maps that depict land availability, and the accompanying text and tables relate availability acreage to areas of favorable mineral terranes. Three categories of land availability and ownership are identified, along with 12 subcategories of land status. Available land comprises approximately 14.5 million acres or 16% of the 90.3-million-acre study area; land available with restrictions accounts for 7.5 million acres or 8%; and unavailable land encompasses 68.3 million acres or 76%. Mineral terranes underlie 37.8 million acres or 42% of the study area; 5.3 million acres or 14% are available for mineral location, 2.8 million acres or 7% are available with restrictions, and 29.7 million acres or 79% are unavailable. There are 500 known mineral deposits or occurrences within the study area. This includes 271 lode deposits, of which 171 lie within a recognized mineral terrane and 55 are on available land. The remaining 229 are placer deposits.

Jan 1, 1987

By Vasil Kopaleishvili

The bainitic Fe-C-Si alloys with optimum content of retained austenite serve as ?containers? for storing of hydrogen. Both the vacancies of fcc lattice and the possibility of forming hydrides of silicon and other alloying elements will be used. The idea is based on our scientific hypothesis. There is the silicon threshold (Si=0,50%) in "Fe-Si" system and Fe-C bainitic alloys, above which it causes self-organized phenomena: sudden increase of hydrogen solubility and amount of retained austenite in the alloy after ??ß transformation, formation of two supersaturated solid solutions <a??r>, "rejuvenation? and its reverse process. Rapprochement of iron atoms when Si=0,50%, causes appearance of new covalent forces where uncompensated electrons of 3d-subshell are involved and it provokes synergetic phenomena. They ?free? silicon atoms from the previous bonds. After that silicon itself becomes a getter of hydrogen using vacancies (14) of 3P2(6)d0(10) subshell and it results in sudden increase of hydrogen solubility in metal. Simultaneously sudden decrease of iron activity takes place. That in its turn ?releases? the carbon. Thus, its redistribution, controlling the bainitic transformation, is hastened. It stipulates for creation of ?brittle bainite" B[a(C,H)+?r(C,H)] after ??ß transformation. While weathering of metal, "rejuvenating", hydrogen diffuses in ?islets? of retained austenite and ?relaxed bainite? (B[(C)+?r(C,H+H)]) is obtained. When heating austenite ?(C,H) is obtained, and after cooling ?brittle bainite? is obtained, etc. Presented scientific hypothesis explains the available experimental facts ("rejuvenation? and its reverse process, graphitization, weldability, forming of flakes, reaching high strength, etc.) in a new manner, as well as, gives real opportunity for creating of new trends in many fields, e.g. iron based HAA. Provisional data having been obtained are encouraging.

Jan 1, 2006

By Bern Klein, Malcolm Scoble, Justin Widdifield, Andrew Bamber

"It has been suggested that the pre-concentration of ore underground can bring positive economic and environmental benefits to underground mining, particularly at extreme depth. The integration of mineral processing systems for coarse waste rejection and disposal into the underground mining environment has a substantial impact on the economics and operation of the mine. A case study for the integration of underground pre-concentration at Falconbridge’s Thayer Lindsley and Fraser Copper operations in Sudbury, Ontario is discussed, with particular focus on ore evaluation, system design, integration, and impacts on the operation. Conclusions as to the overall feasibility and potential impacts of underground pre-concentration are presented.INTRODUCTIONObjectivesA scoping investigation has been conducted for Falconbridge Ltd on the Fraser Copper Zone and Thayer Lindsley mines in order to develop a better understanding of the operations, and to do a preliminary evaluation of the potential for pre-concentration of the ore underground. The objective was to develop a conceptual design and evaluation of a pre-concentration system for each site. The results are to be used as the basis for a more detailed future study.Underground Pre-ConcentrationThe pre-concentration of ore to reduce the quantity and improve the quality of material transported to the processing plant is not a new concept and has been in practise at several mines including the American Zinc Company in Mascot Tennessee (Munro et al, 1982), the Sullivan Mine in British Columbia and presently at Xstrata’s Mt Isa lead-zinc mine in Australia, as well as at several PGM mines operating in the South African Bushveld. For each of these mines, a high degree of waste rejection was achieved at a coarse particle size with good metallurgical recoveries. The benefits arising from the surface pre-concentration of ore are well documented in the literature (McCullough et al, 1999; Miller et al, 1978; Munro et al, 1982; Schena et al, 1990; Sivamohan & Forssberg, 1991)."

Jan 1, 2006

By Joe Shoemaker

Automated Spot Generation ? No Operators below the Highwall ? No Operator Wear and Tear ? Reduced Swing Time ? Single and Double Sided Loading ? Minimized Bench Width

Aug 1, 2013

FROM time to time articles have appeared in the technical press on the interesting subject of surface combustion. The theoretical part of the problem has, for practical purposes, received ample consideration in those articles, but the number of practical applications of surface combustion referred to has generally been very small.It is the writer&apos;s object to review some recent developments in surface combustion, and also to try to arrive at an estimate of its advantages and possibilities. It is not necessary for this purpose to dilate upon the phenomenon of surface combustion itself. Many interesting things have been said on the subject by Pro&#163;. W. A. Bone, of Leeds, to whose researches the recent developments are largely due. A few illustrations may make clear what is meant by surface combustion.Prof. Bone, in an experiment, took a platinum crucible, which he heated in the flame of a Meker-burner. Then he turned the gas off for a second, and, opening the stop-cock again, allowed the combustible mixture to impinge upon the crucible, thetemperature of which was still well below the ignition temperature of the gas. Although no flame was visible at this stage, it was soon clear that, nevertheless, the gas and air had continued to combine, as the crucible would attain a red heat after a few seconds.Another instance of surface combustion was shown by a Mr. Fletcher, in 1882. He placed an iron ball, weighing 3 lb., on a slab of fireclay, heated it for a few seconds with a blow-pipe, and blew the flame out, leaving the gas-mixture still...

Jan 1, 1915

By J. Pascoe, J. H. van Laar, J. H. Marais, F. J. L. Matthee

Advanced measurement and verification (M&V) is a process where the impact of an energy initiative is determined in real time. Data prediction models can be used to predict and compare energy consumption with a predetermined baseline. Deeplevel mines can benefit from advanced M&V as the impact of operational changes can be identified in real time. Ultimately, this can ensure that informed decisions are made regarding energy management based on the impact and severity of the occurrence. Previous studies on advanced M&V do not account for operational changes to the model’s baseline. These changes can significantly impact the performance of both the mine and related activities. The aim of this study is to propose a method that can accurately predict the energy consumption of a deep-level mine regardless of operational changes. To achieve this objective, nine different data predictive modelling techniques were considered. The proposed method is based on the Moving Average (MA) modelling technique due to its simplicity, flexibility, and rapid development time. The coefficient of variation for the root mean square error (CV(RMSE)) was used to statistically analyse the modelling error. If the predictions exhibit an unsatisfactory CV(RMSE), the model dynamically adjusts to reduce the prediction error. The model was developed to adapt to operational changes in scenarios where the standard model becomes irrelevant. The method developed in this study was able to predict the future energy consumption of deep-level mines with an accuracy of 99%, improving the mine’s energy and finance management.

Dec 13, 2023

By A. Halim, A. Martikainen, S. GYAMFI

This paper outlines a unique case of the development of strategies to reduce ventilation and heating costs in Konsuln iron ore mine in northern Sweden. The mine, located just south of Luossavaara-Kiirunavaara Aktiebolag’s Kiruna iron ore mine, was developed as a test mine from 2018-2020 for the Sustainable Underground Mining (SUM) project. Besides functioning as a test mine, Konsuln also contributes to ore production. The existing mine ventilation system was designed for the current production rate of 0.8 million tons per annum (Mtpa). There is a plan to increase this rate to between 1.8 and 2.0 Mtpa.

Sep 30, 2021