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By J. T. Fyles, C. G. Hewlett

"THE REEVES MACDONALD mine is in the Sa Imo-Pend d'Oreille mining area of southeastern British Columbia. It is on the Nelway-Waneta road 4 miles west of the border-crossing point of Nelway. The Reeves orebody from which all production has come is one of several mineralized zones in easterly-striking limestones occurring between the Pend d'Oreille and the lower part of Salmo River.The property was originally located as two groups of claims by R. M, Reeves and J. H. McDonald. The two groups were consolidated in 1925. and extensive development work was done from then until 1930 and again in 1937, but no ore was shipped. The mine was reopened in 1947 and, between 1949 and 1953, 1,057,804 tons of ore was mined. Concentrates recovered contained 85,626 ounces of silver, 19,394,092 pounds of lead, 72,076,495 pounds of zinc, and 455,051 pounds of cadmium. Low metal prices forced the mine to close in 1953, but operations were resumed in November, 1955.The orebodies at the Reeves MacDonald mine are steeply plunging lead and zinc sulphide replacement deposits in a banded limestone named the Reeves limestone. The orebodies contain pyrite, honey-coloured sphalerite, and galena, and are surrounded by a dolomitized zone. In the Reeves orebody, where the relationships are known, the dolomite has the same general shape as the orebody. Four zones of sulphides are known on the property (see Figure 1). Three of these, the Reeves, B. L., and O'Donnell, are believed to be faulted segments of one mineralized zone. The fourth, the Point ore zone, exposed on the north bank of the Pend d'Oreille River, is not developed and its structural position is not known, but it appears to be a separate deposit."

Jan 1, 1949

By Pierre Bernard

Contents of the presentation ? Overview of Brunswick 12 Mine ? Brief description of the mine geology ? Summary of the current Mineral Reserves and Additional Mineral Resources ? Review of the ongoing mining remnants evaluation process, particularly emphasizing the integrated work between the mine geologists, the mine engineers and the metallurgists ? Challenges and opportunities to extend the mine life

Apr 1, 2005

The AG/SAG circuit discharge P80 is now increasingly referred to as the ?Transfer Size? or T80 for short. From the literature it is apparent that in circuit design some approaches to the sizing of AG/SAG mills as well as the ball mills that they feed use this parameter. This paper reviews whether the use of the T80 is appropriate in this context. In the course of the review examples of AG/SAG discharge size distributions measured from range of operating circuits are used to illustrate the arguments made.

Jan 1, 2012

By John C. McKay

"The five papers which follow, under the heading of ""Technology Transfer-Universities to Industry"", were originally presented at the 20th Annual CIM Conference of Metallurgists in Hamilton, Ontario. They are a unique group of papers, unique because each paper is concerned with applied research done wholly or partly in a university environment and then translated into industrial practice.Universities can rightly be regarded as one of our nation's greatest resources-a veritable storehouse of knowledge and expertise. Yet, too often, this resource is overlooked or, at best, sparingly used by Canadian industry. Of course, university-based research cannot supplant industry-based research, nor vice versa; each type of research activity has its proper role in the over-all process of technology development.University-based scientists are best equipped to conceptualize, innovate, determine viability of basic premises and to verify these at the bench or small pilot-plant level. Industry based scientists are best equipped to develop ""bench-scale"" innovations into mature manufacturing practices. Thus, university-based scientists and industry-based scientists do not compete with, but rather complement, each other. Active, relevant university research enhances industrial research provided good communication between the two ""solitudes"" is continually nurtured.Good communication between industry and university is a prime objective of CSIRA/ACRIS (Canadian Steel Industry Research Association /Association Canadienne pour la Recherches dans d'Industrie Siderurgique), The directors of CSIRA/ACRIS foster improved communication by making regular visits to universities, by sponsoring projects and by providing lists to professors of uncharted areas where basic research is needed. More can be done to improve communication between industry and university, and it is the intent of the Association to do more.The five papers sponsored by CSIRA/ACRIS are examples of good communication and healthy cooperation. It is interesting to note when reading these papers that the cooperation arose, in each instance, as a result of different circumstances. However, there is a common thread and it is personal acquaintanceship-the university scientist/professor and the industry investigator/manager knew each other prior to the initiation of the project."

Jan 1, 1982

By J. B. Mawdsley

A LITILE north of the geographic centre of the Province of Saskatchewan, 150 miles north of the city of Prince Albert, is a narrow green-stone and sedimentary belt of pronounced structural characteristics. This belt, generally known as the Sulphide Lake belt, is about two and a half miles wide. During the past three years prospecting has uncovered numerous gold-bearing showings occurring chiefly along the centre of the belt for a distance of at least nine miles. The number of these showings, the nature of some of them, and their relationship to strong structural features, make it altogether likely that intensive work will eventually locate ore-bodies that will be of economic importance. The discovery of gold in the fall of 1938 on the south shore of Mackay lake, about five miles northwest of the Sulphide Lake gold-bearing belt, indicates that there are neighbouring zones of interest. This paper, an attempt to outline the present status of the interesting mineralized belt, is based largely on the information gained on a five-day tour of this district, made in August, 1939, on behalf of the Department of Natural Resources of the Province of Saskatchewan. The Sulphide Lake belt is named after a small lake centrally located in it. This lake and others are just north and within short portage distances of some of the long bays along the north shore of Lac La-Ronge, an irregular, island-studded lake, about twenty miles in diameter, in relatively rocky Precambrian country, just north of the Palaeozoic contact. The fur-trading post and settlement of Lac La-Ronge is on the west shore of this lake and a road, now under construction, will shortly link this community with the city of Prince Albert. In the past, the most direct route was an indifferent canoe route, in part following Montreal lake and river; more recently, the aeroplane has made this section easily accessible.

Jan 1, 1940

By A. Galip Ulsoy

This review paper is intended to provide, the mineral process engineer with an introduction to the concepts, terminology and practice of mineral process control. It also provides an extensive sampling of the vast body of literature relevant to this topic. The topics discussed include the principles of automatic control, instrumentation, mineral processing unit operations, process modeling and simulation, and process and plant control.

Dec 1, 1981

By Baisheng Nie, Longlong Yang, Tao Yang, Wenjie Jia

"Gas adsorption in coal is an exothermic and physical process. Temperature might change during the dynamical process. In order to get the temperature variation of gas adsorption process, the experiment system which can test the temperature variation and analyze the thermal effect was established. Gas adsorption experiments under different conditions were done by using the test system. The results show that temperature increases during the adsorption process. It is an exothermic reaction process. Also, the temperature variation and the variation gradient increase with the increasing of equilibrium pressure. The temperature variation value is smaller if the experiment temperature is higher. The paper will provide basic experimental data for explaining gas adsorption mechanism better.INTRODUCTIONChina is the largest coal producer in the world while it also has the most serious coal mine disasters. According to the statistics, there are nearly a thousand coal mines in China including more than 110 the key state-owned mines risking to happen coal and gas outburst. Hundreds of coal and gas outburst occur each year which often causes serious casualties and economic losses (State Administration of Work Safety, 2007). With the continuing exploitation of the coal resources, the depth of the Chinese coal mines increases about 100 meters every year which causes the situation of gas accident becoming more and more serious (Xie et al., 2006).At present, the real mechanism of gas adsorption, desorption and the diffusion process in coal and the influence factor of it are not so clear. And because of the limit of prediction method and the technological level caused gas accident prevention theory and technology not so valid."

Jan 1, 2015

By K. Yamaguchi

To contribute highly efficient and environmentally conscious copper smelting process, several topics in chemistry of the continuous converting were discussed. Through the reviewing the authors' thermodynamic simulations, it is recognized that small amount and low copper content of the coexisting slag is preferable. Some discussions were added to the Takeda's diagram for Cu20-FeOx-CaO ferrite slag, and the activity curves of the constituents were derived. Thermodynamic calculations were carried out on the copper contents of the slag during the blister copper formation. The dissolution of copper in slag decrease somewhat with increasing temperature, but the effects of increasing S02 pressure and decreasing %S in copper are considerable to increase in copper content of the slag. The optimum oxygen enrichment in the supplied air, and regulation of the oxidation degree for the blister copper are important in practice. The gypsum phase separation in the calcium ferrite slag was also evaluated thermodynamically, and concluded that decreasing temperature, increasing CaO content or S02 pressure, and extensive oxidation of the blister copper tend to separate CaS04.

Jan 1, 2007

By K. Yamaguchi

To contribute highly efficient and environmentally conscious copper smelting process, several topics in chemistry of the continuous converting were discussed. Through the reviewing the authors' thermodynamic simulations, it is recognized that small amount and low copper content of the coexisting slag is preferable. Some discussions were added to the Takeda's diagram for Cu20-Fe0x-Ca0 ferrite slag, and the activity curves of the constituents were derived. Thermodynamic calculations were carried out on the copper contents of the slag during the blister copper formation. The dissolution of copper in slag decrease somewhat with increasing temperature, but the effects of increasing S02 pressure and decreasing %S in copper are considerable to increase in copper content of the slag. The optimum oxygen enrichment in the supplied air, and regulation of the oxidation degree for the blister copper are important in practice. The gypsum phase separation in the calcium ferrite slag was also evaluated thermodynamically, and concluded that decreasing temperature, increasing CaO content or S02 pressure, and extensive oxidation of the blister copper tend to separate CaS04. 0

Jan 1, 2007

By F. Barriga-Ordonez, J. A. Finch, L. Calzado, S. R. (Ram) Rao

Sludge, formed by lime treatment of acidic drainage and stored in tailing ponds of the Sudbury region, contains 5-7% Ni, mostly in a mix of hydroxides with Fe (~ 10%), Mg (~ 10%) and Cu (-0.5%), and Ca (-3.5%) as sulphate. Investigations were conducted to recover nickel by a 2-stage process. In the first stage, the sludge was leached with sulphuric acid at pH 3.2. About 90% of the nickel was extracted, producing a solution, which contained mainly nickel (2 g/L) and magnesium (3.7 g/L). In the second stage, nickel was separated by treating with ozone which recovered 99% of the nickel in the Ni(III) oxidation state as -85% pure nickel oxide-hydroxide (NiOOH) precipitate. The oxide settled and filtered readily. A potential use of the product in battery making is suggested. The leach residue contained 0.5% Ni making it less toxic for disposal. Some physical properties of nickel oxy-hydroxide and process parameters including ozone consumption will be discussed.

Jan 1, 2005

Operating and Social Considerations from a Contractor?s Perspective

May 1, 2013

By C. Jay Hodgson, P. J. MacGeehan, T. Sanders

"The orebodies of the Campbell and Dickenson mines are localized within an anomalously fissile and deformed zone that transects the eastern margin of a dominantly mafic volcanic complex close to its contact with a synchronously formed sedimentary basin containing clastic and chemical sedimentary rocks. The ore zones are mainly quartz-carbonate fissure veins and siliceous replacement zones formed during deformation and metamorphism, although there are some syn-volcanic exhalative ore zones in the mines. On a regional scale, the volcanic rocks have been affected by syn-volcanic spilitic alteration which has involved the leaching of Fe, Mg, Au and As from, and the addition of Na and variable amounts of Si to bleached zones enveloping primary permeable structures in the rocks. The leached constituents were deposited on the contemporaneous sea floor as iron-rich chemical sedimentary rocks. Although this alteration is not closely related, spatially, to the ore zones, it is characteristic of the general environment, and may serve to distinguish gold-prospective from gold-barren areas on a mining-camp scale.Closely associated spatially with gold deposits is a zone of feldspar-destructive alteration within which the volcanic rocks are characteristically feldspar-free, enriched in As, Au and to a variable degree in Si, and depleted in Na, Ca and to a variable degree in Mg, Fe and K. The alteration zone is also characterized by abundant, variably transposed, small quartz-dolomite to ferrodolomite veinlets formed during deformation and metamorphism, and includes, but extends outside of, the anomalously fissile zone hosting the orebodies. The alteration zone is interpreted to have formed syn-volcanically within the upper part of a major submarine hydrothermal discharge zone."

Jan 1, 1982

By Andrew Bamber

A fast and objective spreadsheet-based model for the financial evaluation of innovative mining and processing strategies such as pre-concentration vs. a conventional base case is presented. The size and grade of the deposit must be chosen, from which a mining rate is selected. Expected operational data for the deposit as well as any mill testwork and results from the pre-concentration testwork are entered as input variables on the sheet, and cost and revenue impacts are calculated in the ?Output? sheet. A capital sum and operating costs for the initial mine and mill development as well as the pre-concentration facility are calculated. The net changes in capital and operating costs are calculated, and impacts on revenue through changes in metal recovery are also calculated. These outputs are used to calculate the overall impact on the cutoff grade and thus the size of the mineral reserve using a generic grade-tonnage model. The NPV and NPV profile of the two scenarios is calculated, with variations in basic parameters such as operating cost, capital requirements, metal price or grade as well as discount rate. Cost and revenue impacts are evaluated and compared to the baseline to establish a positive or negative impact overall. Different scenarios of grade, tonnage, mining rate, process performance, capital and operating cost structure can be explored using the model. Outcomes projected by the model for case studies conducted thus far have been calibrated against internal estimates by the sponsoring organizations and found to be accurate to within 30%, confirming the utility of the model in practice.

Oct 1, 2009

By Lluís Fontboté, François Lieben, Robert Moritz, Massimo Chiaradia

"Abstract - The Las Cañas stratabound Pb-Zn deposit, in northern Chile, is hosted by the Lower Cretaceous back-arc marine carbonate and subordinate andesitic volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks of the Chañarcillo Group, one hundred meters above a thick pile of magmatic arc-related basaltic to andesitic lavas of the Bandurrias Formation. The deposit is not obviously related to local intrusive rocks, which include an Upper Cretaceous granodiorite batholith and dacite dikes emplaced along normal faults. Stratabound Pb-Zn-Ba mineralization is constrained within several porous stratigraphic units, including a 50 cm thick lapilli-tuff and less well mineralized algal-laminated limestone. Veins that locally carry some Pb-Zn occur along normal faults that displace the stratabound orebodies, and this study shows that they represent a different type of mineralization.Fluid inclusion microthermometric data for ore-stage quartz and barite indicate saline fluids (6 to 30 wt% NaCleq) and a formation temperature in the range of 80°C to 160°C for the stratabound mineralization. Two types of fluid inclusions occur in the veins. The type I vein fluid inclusions indicate less saline (average 7 wt% NaCleq) and slightly higher temperature fluids, in the range of 110°C to 220°C. The type II vein fluid inclusions indicate highly saline fluids (25 to 40 wt% NaCleq) which might be related to minor copper mineralization.206Pb/204Pb, 207Pb/204Pb and 208Pb/204Pb ratios for galenas from the stratabound mineralization, with mean values of 18.42, 15.59, and 38.25, respectively, fall within the range of stratabound polymetallic deposits of northern and central Chile, and indicate a Lower Cretaceous magmatic rock source. Galenas from veins have slightly more radiogenic 206Pb/204Pb, 207Pb/204Pb and 208Pb/204Pb ratios, with mean values of 18.47, 15.61, and 38.34, suggesting two distinct episodes of mineralization.?34S values for galena and barite range from negative values (-31.2‰ to -12.5‰ and -7.7‰ to +12‰, respectively) in the mineralized tuff to higher values in the algal-laminated limestone (-2.5‰ to +1.2‰ and +13.2‰ to +17.4‰, respectively), close to Lower Cretaceous marine sulfate values for barite, and homogeneous values for the galena from veins (-12.0‰ ±1‰). Changing redox conditions can partly account for ?34S variations in the tuff. Sulfur sources include magmatic rock sulfur (-1.5‰ to +9.7‰) as well as sedimentary sulfides and marine sulfate."

Jan 1, 1999

By Ann Lamontagne

Le parc à résidus de l?ancienne mine Dunraine contient des résidus générateurs de drainage minier acide. Le concept proposé pour la restauration du site est d?utiliser le fort potentiel alcalin des boues rouges, résidus d?aluminerie, afin de neutraliser les résidus miniers. En appliquant une certaine quantité de boues rouges à la surface du parc, on provoquera une neutralisation de l?acidité. De plus, les alcalis contenus dans les boues rouges vont provoquer la précipitation de minéraux stables (sulfates tel la jarosite). La précipitation de ces minéraux provoquera la formation d?une couche indurée qui rendra difficile la circulation de l?oxygène et de l?eau. Bien que ce concept ait été vérifié en laboratoire, ce sont là des hypothèses qui restent à vérifier dans des conditions réelles d?exposition. Les principales questions soulevées par l?utilisation des boues rouges, mis à part le contexte géochimique, est le contexte technico-économique. En effet, le transport de quantité importante d?un matériel argileux humide présente un défi économique important. Outre le défi économique, la manipulation et l?épandage de ce produit sur des parcs à résidus constituent également un défi important. Cet article présente les conclusions d?une étude technique sur le transport, la manutention et l?épandage de boues rouges sur un parc à résidus situés en Abitibi : le site de Dunraine.

Nov 1, 2002

By Carol Odell

This paper was prepared as a brief for Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) to guide input at a series of round tables carried out by the Federal Government in response to the 38th Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade (SCFAIT) report, on ?Mining in Developing Countries and Corporate Social Responsibility?. This document mandate is to provide background information, analysis and recommendations on the practice of Canadian exploration and mining companies abroad. This research was based on 11 case studies of Canadian companies which have experienced conflicts or controversies overseas. All case studies were assembled through an extensive literature review of publicly available documentation and communications with representatives of the mining companies to assist in deepening the insights into the drivers of the conflicts and the needs of Canadian companies in similar situations. The case studies include both exploration and mining operations. Our analysis begins with the identification of general and case specific drivers of conflict/controversy in each case study. Company names are kept confidential and only anonymous results are presented. We make ample use of simple flow charts and schematic diagrams to explain how contextual drivers and aggravators and company drivers and mitigators play varied and interrelated roles in conflicts. The diagrams also illustrate the cumulative analysis of drivers including the linkages among drivers/aggravators/mitigators across different domains (social, governance, NGO/media and company). Finally, we discuss needs of companies and propose recommendations for addressing social responsibility and human rights concerns.

May 1, 2007

By F. R. Nogas

"Because of the elements of uncertainty and instabilitp associated with single-enterprise communities, there is increasing interest in the alternatives to developing additional new communities of this nature. Gulf Minerals Canada Limited has chosen a unique alternative means to accommodate employees at a new uranium mine/mill complex at Rabbit Lake in Northern Saskatchewan. Gulf has adopted a fly-in program which moves their staff from a 450-mile radius, in and out of the on-site facilities, on a 7-day rotation."

Jan 1, 1976

By DALE MacGREGOR, VERA TUREK

lndusmin Limited acquired the St. Donat quartzite deposit in 1967 to produce high-quality silica for use in the sandblasting and silicon carbide industries. The quartzite, of Grenville age, is highly friable and porous. This is due to numerous small, kaolinite-coated cavities in the quartzite; the cavities were formed through leaching, probably by rising hot solutions.

Jan 1, 1984

By Tom Shumka

INTRODUCTION ?The Electro-Magnetic Crack Detection (EMCD) technique is an electromagnetic inspection method used for detecting and sizing surface breaking flaws. ?It works well on structural material or welds, ferrous or non-ferrous metals. ?EMCD?s rapid scanning is achieved using a hand-held probe. ?EMCD provides reliable crack detection and sizing (length and depth). Cracks can be sized accurately. ?EMCD dramatically reduces most cleaning requirements as there is no need to clean to bare metal. ?EMCD is capable of inspection through thin metallic coatings, or through non-conducting coatings up to 10mm thick. ?EMCD allows full data storage for back-up, off-line view and audit purposes.

Oct 1, 2010

By K. N. Bolatbaev, S. S. Naboichenko

The initial rates of dissolution of pyrite, chalcosine, sphalerite and galena in acidic sulphate solutions under oxygen pressure were measured in the range of Poe = 0.2-1 MPa, 130-180 °C, [H2SO4]0 = 0.2-0.7 M, and in the presence of surface-active agents and agitation producing Re = 4-16 x 103. Reaction orders, activation energies, and values of reaction constants for these oxidation reactions were established. The reactions also were shown to be diffusion-controlled; and the rates demonstrate a linear dependence on the surface area of the sulphides. A surface reaction model, in which oxygen is transported through a solid layer of surface products, has been advanced. The initial stage of high-temperature interaction at pH <7 is suggested to involve a chemical activation of the sulphide surface and is described by the following general reaction: MenSm + H3O+ Men-1 Sm-1 (HS-)s + H2O The subsequent oxidation of surface complex HS- to S0 or SO2-4 occurs with the assistance of Fe(III), Cu(II) ions depending on temperature and the redox potential of the medium, which are defined by oxygen pressure and composition of the reaction mixture, especially concentrations of H2SO4 and metals with variable valence. General process kinetics are complicated due to the formation of by-products on the basis of Fe3+ Pb2+, Cup ions, which displace the kinetics into the diffusion region.

Jan 1, 2004