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By George Booth

In mining operations the cost of timber is an item of much importance, because the life of mine timbers is, in many cases, very short and, as the supply of the better grades becomes depleted, less durable kinds must be used. This, of course, tends to shorten still further the period of service-ability. While it is possible that concrete and steel may, to some extent, take the place of timber in mines, their high initial cost and the difficulty in installation will greatly restrict their use. Moreover, wood, besides being comparatively cheap to handle, possesses other desirable qualities, and for many purposes a satisfactory substitute is hard to find. Both the decreasing supply and the increasing price of timber make its more efficient utilization imperative. AGENCIES DESTRUCTIVE TO MINE TIMBERS Timber used in mines is exposed to destruction from many sources. Wear, breakage, and waste are responsible for much loss. Wood rollers and drum laggings must be frequently replaced on account of the constant wear by ropes. Unprotected timber in chutes and mills is also rapidly worn by abrasion, and track ties in main haulage ways get worn by the feet of mules, cut by ropes, etc. Large amounts of timber are broken by 'crush' and 'squeeze,' and much temporary timber is buried beyond all recovery in pillar workings and in those mines which resort to back filling. Decay and insect attack, however, cause the greatest damage. If not totally destroyed by one or both of these, the timbers frequently become so weakened that they break under the pressure upon them.

Jan 1, 1926

By M. H. Allan

SASKATCHEWAN POWER CORPORATION is a Provincial Crown Corporation responsible for the production transmission and distribution of electric power and natural gas in the Province of Saskatchewan. Through the electric power responsibility, we became interested in the coal reserves in Saskatchewan, which, although still somewhat of an "orphan fuel" in the early and mid 1950's, gave the promise of providing a low-cost source of energy for electric generation. Coal in Saskatchewan, a lignite with an "as-received" heating value of from 5000 to 6500 Btu's per lb and up to 40% moisture, was first recorded in 1853 . By the end of the 19th century, many small mines were in operation in the Estevan, Coronach and Shaunavon areas supplying local inhabitants with a cheap source of heat. These small mines, some of them prosperous, some of them not, continued operation right up to the late 1940's, when oil replaced coal in the market place. The year 1930, however, saw the introduction of the new technique of strip mining in the Estevan area. This technique revolutionized coal mining. It was now possible to use large machinery to uncover the coal and cast the overburden to one side instead of burrowing through thin seams of coal varying from 2 to 10 feet thick. The overburden cast aside by these large mechanical shovels, or later draglines, created heaps of spoil which at that time, during the depression, were a sure sign of prosperity and the welcome news that people had jobs. By the late 1940's, coal production had dropped off, but the spoil piles remained and were now labelled by some as "scars on the landscape", even though there had been some natural succession of grasses. In addition, some people had planted trees in experimental plots and even some aerial seeding had been done.

Jan 1, 1978

By David J. McDougall

"The production of pig iron, wrought iron bars and castings in Quebec during the 18th and 19th centuries has been so closely identified by historians with Les Forges du St. Maurice on the St. Maurice River a few miles north of Trois Rivieres (Three Rivers), that one is sometimes left with the impression that it was the only iron works that ever operated in the province. There were however, about twelve others, one of which was so completely re-built that it should probably be considered as a separate entity. All but two were constructed after the midpoint of the 1800s, coinciding with the growing Canadian demand for ""charcoal pig"" for railway car wheels and castings for industry, and about half of them were technically, if not economically, successful. The misconception about Les Forges du St. Maurice may have come about either because of its long history of somewhat less than continuous production over a century and a half, or a tendency of Quebec historians to concentrate on events in the French-Canadian milieu, but whatever the reason, the other Quebec iron works have been generally ignored. All but one of the Quebec blast furnaces could be described as ""pre-industrial"" with capacities ranging between three and ten tons per day, the exception being the Radnor furnace built in 1892 with a maximum production of about 35 tons per day and an alleged capacity of 50 tons per day. Until a railway network was completed in the 1880s, the location of all the Quebec iron works except the Grantham Iron works was dictated by close proximity to adequate ore reserves because horse transport was of little use beyond a ten-mile radius. The other essentials of forest resources (mainly soft woods) for charcoal, limestone for flux and water power, were generally available except within a few miles on either side of the St. Lawrence River. Among the dozen iron works established in Quebec between 1732 and 1880, seven used bog iron ore in charcoal-fired furnaces. Five of these, including Les Forges du St. Maurice, were located on or near the St. Maurice River which enters the St. Lawrence River from the north, and two, the St. Francis Forges and the Grantham Iron works were on or near the St. Francis River which enters the St. Lawrence from the south. In a general way deposits of bog iron ore in the St. Lawrence lowlands of Quebec were contained within the limits of the post-glacial Champlain Sea, with many clustered along the flanks of the St. Narcisse recessional moraine which is crossed by the St. Maurice and other near-by streams, and the Drummondville recessional moraine which is crossed by the St. Francis River."

Jan 1, 1999

By J F. Short

The jet piercing process, developed by Union Carbide Canada Ltd., is well established in blasthole production in open-pit mining. By this process, holes can be drilled, shaped and chambered for blasting. In suitable ore or rock formations, a considerable cost reduction can be achieved. This paper reviews the equipment used, relates how cost savings may be accomplished, and concludes with a mention of the most recent developments in this field. JET piercing and chambering, a process for blasthole production in open-pit mining, leads, in many instances, to improved drilling and blasting techniques and costs. It is a method of working rock with a supersonic flame and, to be most effective, depends upon a characteristic of the rock called spallability. Spalling, in this case, is the breaking away of surface particles from the rock body due to stresses caused by the thermal shock of the jet flame. Various rock properties contribute to this action, but, in general, the harder the rock the greater the spallability and the more effective and economical is the jet process. The jet process has the capability to drill, ream, shape and chamber holes for blasting.

Jan 1, 1965

By H. A. Wentworth

The Central Manitoba mining district, as spoken of in Manitoba, refers to that portion of the country lying between lake Winnipeg on the west and the Ontario boundary on the east, and from a few miles north of the Wanipigow (or Hole) river on the north, to a few miles south of the Bird river. It embraces two known mineralized belts; the gold area in the north, extending from the shores of lake Winnipeg almost to the Ontario boundary (in a slightly southeasterly direction) a zone some eight or ten miles wide and perhaps forty miles long, lying (for the most part) north, and parallel to, the Manigotagan river; and the Bird river copper and coppernickel deposits, an area not yet clearly defined, but in general lying immediately north of, and roughly parallel to, the Bird river. To the south of the Bird river is a somewhat differently mineralized area, numerous pegmatite dykes being found, with minerals typically associated with such rocks. More specifically, the known gold deposits are largely segregated in the above belt; (1) around English brook; (2) along the north shore of Wanipigow lake; the Rice lake area (about midway of the belt); and the Long Lake-Bulldog lake area, at the eastern end of the belt. Not all the known gold occurences are found in these segregations, but the density of claim staking in these areas is perhaps an indication of the greater number of prospects found in them to date.

Jan 1, 1925

By J. F. Vynne

ABSTRACT This paper examines several of the systems and processes that have been developed over the past few years and are now being utilized by major mining companies on draglines in North America, Australia and South Africa. These technologies include production monitors and reporting systems, GPS navigation systems, structural integrity monitoring systems, structural analysis studies to increase the dragline rated suspended loads (RSLs) and inspection and response strategies. The use of these technologies provides significant increases in dragline production and reduces maintenance costs, downtime and the chance of a catastrophic failure.

Jan 1, 2010

By C. Bissue, G. M. Castillo

Newmont’s Phoenix mine started production in March of 2006. Due to the extreme hardness of the ore, the mill has struggled to meet throughput projections. Grinding studies showed that optimizing the existing circuit would not achieve budgeted throughput. These studies also showed that the pebble crusher was being underutilized due to the inability of the SAG mill to break the rock. The concept was developed to supplement the feed to the existing pebble crusher with a secondary crusher. Models of this process looked favorable so a portable crusher was installed to test the process. The temporary crusher was successful at increasing the throughput by 7% and based on the operating data, plans are currently being developed to install a permanent secondary crushing system in front of the SAG mill. This paper will review the results from the test crusher and the flow sheet for the permanent secondary crusher.

Jan 1, 2012

Centralia?Mine Operations ?Centralia Mine ?Mountainous Terrain ?High rainfall (greater than 50 inches/yr) ?Multiple Pit/Multiple Seam ?Truck/Shovel Prestripping ?Dragline Overburden ?Coal Wash Plants

May 1, 2001

Diverse and considerable energies are associated with mobile equipment operated and maintained on mine sites. Loss of control of these energies is a common cause of injury on mine sites and this is well recognised by the mining industry. In 2006, 4 multi-national mining companies formed the Earth Moving Equipment Safety Round Table (EMERST), with the aim of engaging collectively with the manufacturers of equipment to accelerate improvements in mining equipment design. Originally focused on surface mining equipment, and particularly haul trucks, the focus of EMESRT widened to include underground and exploration equipment. Since 2006, EMESRT has maintained a program of regular visits and other engagements with a steadily increasing number of manufacturers. The membership of EMESRT has also increased, with 15 companies being members in 2012. An initial step undertaken by the EMESRT members was the development of ?Design Philosophies? which drew of the collective experience of mining companies to identify potential unwanted events which cause equipment related injuries and illness. A technique for analysing risks associated with operation and maintenance tasks, the Operability and Maintainability Analysis Technique (OMAT), was subsequently developed and trialled. In 2011, the EMERST members resolved to propose a common form of safe design information to be requested by all members companies during procurement, and the resulting EMERST Design Evaluation for Equipment Procurement (EDEEP) process was launched at MINExpo in Las Vegas in September 2012. The outcomes of OMAT risk assessment and control activities are integrated during this process into a common ?Safe Design Information? template for communication to prospective purchasers. The aims of requesting manufacturers to follow this process are to provide equipment purchasers with a common way of assessing how well the issues in the EMESRT Design Philosophies are addressed in the equipment design; and to provide manufacturers with additional information for use during equipment design. The process involves identifying priority tasks based on frequency and the severity of the consequences of potential unwanted events identified in the EMESRT Design Philosophies; undertaking a task-based risk assessment of priority tasks in conjunction with site-based personnel; evaluating the effectiveness of control measures; and providing information about safe design features in a standardised format.

Aug 1, 2013

By Michael Nicol

A quantitative description of hydrometallurgical operations depends primarily on an understanding of the kinetics of the chemical and physical processes that take place in such operations. This paper will review the current status of kinetics in hydrometallurgy in terms primarily of the author’s experience in diverse unit operations. A distinction will be made between the popular use of models based on limited kinetic data and mechanisms which reflect the actual elementary chemical or physical steps involved in an overall process. Several examples will be used to illustrate this distinction. The proliferation of published papers of declining quality has resulted in the bequest to later researchers of outdated and often incorrect conclusions by a process that is often difficult to reverse. Some examples of these mysterious concepts will be examined and hopefully reversed. Finally, several examples will be given that identify significant gaps in our understanding of the kinetics of important processes that remain unresolved.

Jan 1, 2014

By A. J. A. Janse

The Argyle diamond mine is located in the Kimberley region in the northern part of Western Australia at approximately 16°43'S, 128°23'E in subtropical bush/shrub savannah. The 46 ha (113 acres) pipe is situated in the Halls Creek mobile zone, which was cratonized about 1800 Ma ago and adjoins the Kimberley Block, a plateau upheld by Early to Middle Proterozoic rocks underlain by presumably Archean basement. The crater and upper pipe zones of the diatreme have been preserved within tilted and faulted strata of Middle to Late Proterozoic age. Its age of intrusion is about 1178 Ma. The diatreme rock is not kimberlite but olivine lamproite which was not recognized as a primary diamond host rock until 1978. The Kalumburu Joint Venture, a syndicate of local and overseas mining companies, started in 1972 to prospect the Kimberley Block with a modest annual prospecting budget of $125,000. Annual expenditure doubled each year and reached $1 million in 1975 after which CRA took over management of the newly-formed Ashton Joint Venture with an annual expenditure of $2 million (all figures are in current US dollars). The Argyle diatreme was found near the end of the eighth field season and after a total expenditure of $12 million. Annual production is about 34 million carats which places Australia as the world's number one diamond-producing country, although, because of the low value per carat, it is number four in terms of total annual value. The global cost required for a major diamond mine is between $300 and $400 million, with a discovery every 10 to 12 years. Because Canada contains large areas of prospective platform rocks underlain by Archean basement it is likely that a major diamond deposit does exist there. It is probable that it will be found before the end of this decade and exploration expenditure may be in the order of $100 million.

Jan 1, 1992

By Les F. Sawatsky

Surface drainage, particularly mine closure drainage, must be properly considered during all stages of mine planning because it presents constraints that are critical to economic mine operation, minimizing environmental impacts and ensuring compliance with government regulations. Deficient mine site drainage increases costs of operation, causes unnecessary environmental impacts and may result in regulatory violations. The scope of this paper includes stream diversions around mine areas, drainage systems within the mine disturbed footprint, and closure drainage works to control surface water, ground water, erosion, sedimentation, and seepage discharges following mine operations. Developing selfsustaining drainage facilities upon mine closure, requires a mine plan that develops appropriate topography and constructed drainage courses that replace the function of pre-disturbance drainage systems without aggravated erosion and deterioration. Drainage criteria, particularly closure drainage criteria, represent important constraints on mine planning and are best considered by integrating drainage features into the mine plan well in advance of mining activities. Integrated mine planning by a multi-disciplinary team is recommended to achieve closure objectives at minimum cost and maximum effectiveness The geomorphic approach to channel design is an effective means of providing a drainage system that has the appearance, function and longevity of natural systems. By incorporating this technique into closure drainage planning, mine operators can construct sustainable (walk-away) drainage systems that require little or no maintenance in the long-term. This paper presents a process by which drainage criteria and associated mine plan constraints can be integrated into the mine planning process. This paper outlines the process for detailed design of drainage facilities, particularly closure drainage systems that are designed by the geomorphic approach.

May 1, 2009

By R. D. Brown

"When elephants fight, it's the grass that gets trampled". It is becoming increasingly evident that the federal and provincial governments are awakening to the fact that their vigorous scramble for a "fair share" of mineral revenues which kicked off in 1974 has done considerable harm to the Canadian mining industry. Recent public statements made by government officials, particularly at the recently held annual convention of the Prospectors and Developers Association, would indicate that there is a general consensus in the government sector that changes must be made to the mining tax system. However, there is no evidence as yet that there is any agreement among the various governments as to what form these changes should take , who should make them , or when. It would seem to be worthwhile at this time to reflect on where the Canadian mining industry has been vis-a-vis taxes and "where it is at ". This article is based on a recent address given by R. D. Brown, of Price Waterhouse & Co., Toronto, at the annual convention of the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers in Denver , Colorado.

Jan 1, 1978

By Chunlin Chen

Published data on thermodynamics of tin in liquid copper, matte and slag have been reviewed, assessed and used in development of thermodynamic solution models of melts. The developed model/database was applied in modelling the Sn deportment in primary copper smelting and e-waste melting processes. The results show that Sn can be removed from the matte through evaporation of various volatile Sn species (with SnS the most volatile) and slagging during copper smelting. The Sn removal increased with increasing matte grade due to the increased gas and slag volume. In the e-waste smelting process, fluxing strategy was developed for smelting e waste to produce a slag with reasonable liquidus and viscosity. Modelling results show that very low amounts of Sn reported to the gas phase due to low S, hence low SnS partial pressure in the system. The black copper produced could contain a few percent of Sn depending on the oxygen potential. The Sn in the black copper could be removed to the slag phase during anode refining. INTRODUCTION Tin is an impurity element commonly found in copper ores, which will be dispersed into various solid, liquid, and gaseous streams during the pyrometallurgical processing of copper. Tin alloy is widely used in electronic soldering due to its low melting point. The growth in treatment of recycled e-waste through primary and secondary copper smelting has led to an increased tin input to the smelting system. Therefore, the deportment of tin between phases is of great interest to the operators of modern smelters. Multi-Phase Equilibrium (MPE) is a thermodynamic package developed by CSIRO for simulating reactions between phases in multi-component and multi-phase systems (Zhang et al., 2002). Over the years the capability of the MPE model has been extended to cover the behavior of a large number of elements in high temperature system (Chen, Zhang, Wright, & Jahanshahi, 2006). In the present paper, the thermodynamic data on tin in liquid copper, matte and slag have been reviewed, assessed and used in the development of a database for Sn slag, alloy and matte phases. The model/database was applied in modelling the tin deportment in primary copper smelting and e-waste smelting processes. The aim of this study is to provide a better understanding of the chemical behaviours of tin in high-temperature copper processing and e-waste smelting.

Jan 1, 2019

By Tony Breuer

Can international development NGOs and the mining industry find common ground and work together in the Third World? The Canadian Hunger Foundation/PARTNERS in Rural Development (CHF-PARTNERS) has, over the past forty years, implemented more than 800 rural community development projects in some 38 countries of Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Working with or for the Canadian mining industry offers both opportunities and risks. We can help a mining company ensure that the workers, their families and communities share adequately in the economic and social rewards from a mining operation in their area. We can contribute to the provision of sustainable livelihoods when an operation winds down. The company?s reputation as a good corporate citizen can be enhanced. On the other hand, mining companies and NGOs have generally very different values and missions. The risk of misunderstandings from conflicting motives and work practices is correspondingly high. Both partners must state their values and expectations clearly at the start of collaboration. The NGO must ensure that the company abides by acceptable ethical standards. It must not directly or indirectly subsidize a private company from its charitable donations. The mining company must satisfy itself that the NGO has the capacity, resources and experience to produce the results expected.

May 1, 2001

By W. S. (Steve) Vaughan

The Origins of Joint Ventures in Canada?s Mining Industry ? Among the most important financing structures used in our mineral industry today ? Virtually unheard of in the Canadian industry prior to the 1970s ? Borrowed from the U.S. oil and gas sector where it came into prominence in the late 1930s ? The Securities Acts of 1933 and 1934 in effect killed the sale of (equity) shares for financing oil and gas wells and start up mining companies

May 1, 2013

By P. M. Dranchuk

"SINCE their inception, the mineral industries have, from time to time, been confronted by various and sundry problems. These have been identified, attacked and solved by means of a slow methodical process peculiar to these industries. During the past decade, these industries have experienced increasing difficulty in attracting and retaining an adequate supply of manpower. This poses a situation which seems to be unlike those that came before it in that it appears to be immune to those methods of attack which were successful in the past. Despite various attacks upon the problem, its seriousness appears to be increasing at an increasing rate. The point has now been reached where the President of AIME recently expressed the opinion that this is the most serious problem facing these industries at this time (1). Another observer has gone so far as to state, ""Given the motivation and the determination, the crisis in mineral education in Canada, can, in time be met. But it will take a generation if we Start DOW (2)"".Part of the difficulty arises out of the identification and assessment of the problem itself. For, although the manpower shortage has been developing over a fairly long period of time, there still appears to be no unanimity concerning its seriousness and the nature of the threat which it poses. Some observers continue to maintain that the current situation is not new at all, but is merely the reappearance of something old which is cyclic in nature. They observe that in the past there were numerous periods where the mineral industries encountered manpower shortages but that, in each instance, the situation eventually rectified itself. Furthermore, they draw attention to the fact that the current problem is not confined to the mineral industries but that in fact all industries are experiencing an increasing manpower shortage. They are therefore confident that if left alone the present problem will eventually disappear."

Jan 1, 1967

By Eldridge Haynes

IF you ask the average American to define 'total war' he is apt to fumble for an answer. But in Britain everyone knows the answer, because Britain has mobilized its total labour force, including women. If we were to match, proportionately to our population, Britain's mobilization of labour, we should have 60,000,000 people working full time in the armed services, civilian defence, and war industries. Actually we have fewer than 35,000,000 so employed. In Britain two out of every three persons between the ages of fourteen and sixty-five are so engaged. For the first time in the history of any democracy Britain conscripts women for service in the army, navy, and air force. Two hundred thousand British women have been conscripted for the army, known as ATS, meaning Auxiliary Territorial Service. There are more women in the air force than the total personnel of the RAF at the outbreak of the war and almost all of the land base jobs of the British navy are now handled by women. In addition to cooking and office work, Britain's women soldiers and sailors are driving trucks and motorcycles, repairing motor vehicles, packing and repacking parachutes, installing, inspecting, and maintaining gun equipment and ammunition of combat planes after each raid, raising and lowering barrage balloons, forecasting weather, manning harbour craft, sending and receiving radio messages. A normal ack-ack unit is composed of 229 women and 189 men. The women man the gun height finders and predictors, give bearings, and signal to fire.

Jan 1, 1942

By M. D. Quinn

THE sand and gravel used for backfilling at the Hollinger mine is obtained from deposits in a low range of hills some three miles north of the mine, where the Company owns a number of claims. The material is transported to the mine by aerial tram. Shipments from these deposits to the Hollinger mine commenced in June, 1927, and since May, 1936, sand has been supplied also to the McIntyre mine. During 1942, Hollinger requirements were 1,700 tons per day, and 900 tons per day was delivered to McIntyre. For the past seven years production has averaged 900,000 tons annually, and total deliveries to the end of 1942 were 13,129,022 tons, of which 11,075,339 tons went to Hollinger and 2,053,683 tons to McIntyre. Some years ago, when the original pit was approaching exhaustion, new workings were opened on claims east and south of the tramway terminal. It soon became apparent that the sand varies considerably in character from place to place. The weight per cubic foot was found to range from 85 to 130 lb., and the water percolation rate from 2 to 50 inches per hour. As the mine requirement is a sand with percolation rate of 6 inches or better per hour, it was evident that in certain parts of the deposits the material was not suitable for use as backfill. As a consequence, it was decided to carry out a programme of systematic sampling of the claims in order to select the areas containing suitable material for back-fill and at the same time estimate the tonnage available.

Jan 1, 1944

By C. E. Cartwright

That the construction of the Pacific Great Eastern railway has not been accompanied by an immediate and great development of traffic is not due to lack of natural resources in the district traversed, but to conditions that have delayed their development. Prior to the commencement of construction of the railway there was no inducement to prospect for any other mineral than gold, on account of lack of transportation. The war began soon after the commencement of construction; diverting practically all capital that might have been available for opening up the country; and since the war, capital has continued shy of new investments. If the war had not occurred it is probable that prospecting and development would have been carried out concurrently with the railway construction. Moreover, much of the district is covered deeply with drift, marine and alluvial deposits, rendering prospecting for lode mines a more expensive and slower proceeding than can generally be undertaken by the ordinary prospector, without capital. On the other hand, the presence of large porphyry dykes, granitic intrusions, and the finding of rich float in places are indications that rich miIY.ral deposits probably exist in several localities in the Lillooet district, in the Cariboo proper, and also nearer the coast. Two or three mines producing the tonnage of the? Britannia would materially alter the earnings of the railway and pay interest on the bonds. There are, however, other possibilities, in addition to large metaliferous mines, in the non-metallic minerals of the district.

Jan 1, 1925