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By F. A. Rutledge

[An a part of the United States Department of the interior program for the development and use of Alaska raw materials, the Bureau of Mines is conducting an investigation of deposits of nonmetallic minerals accessible to the Alaska Railroad for use in building; materials is In the Alaska Railroad-belt area. The results of the investigations, to date, indices that raw materials for the preduction of brick products are in plentiful supply as cloy in the Anchorage area, as fire clay at Sheep Mountain, and as shale in the Healy Creek coal formations near Healy, Alaska.]

Jan 1, 1953

By J. M. WADSWORTH

The purpose of this bulletin is to describe the methods of constructing and operating representative types of plants in the United States used for removing the light hydrocarbons from petroleum by continuous distillation, such plants being commonly known in the trade as topping or skimming plants. In the discussion of each plant an endeavor has been made to arrange the text similarly in order to facilitate comparison and to emphasize the important features. The various experimental values for the specific and the latent heats of the oils apply approximately to the oil treated. Careful experiments with each oil and its commercial fractions were not justifiable in view of the purpose of this report. It is regretted that limitations for recording data at the different plants made impossible the determination of a heat balance for each, which would have provided an equitable method of comparing efficiencies. The writer has confined himself to a comparison of the relative efficiencies of the distilling apparatus alone by the following method: Effi . f till d tt" _ Heat theoretically required. ciency 0 SIS an se mgs - Heat content of fuel consumed. The plants described are all in California where the topping industry has had its growth accentuated by the character and the use of the oil handled. The scarcity of suitable coal made the adoption of other fuel necessary, and the heavy oil of California supplied the need. To raise the flash point and to dehydrate this oil, various plants have been developed. However, the topping industry is represented in other fields; the Roxana Petroleum Co. of Cushing, Okla., and the Warner-Quinlan Asphalt Co. of New Jersey, are operating Trumble plants, and Texas and Oklahoma operators have been experimenting with different pipe retorts for continuous running. In addition to the reasons for topping cited above, in California topping has other purposes which give the plants practically a universal field in the oil industry. These additional purposes are (1) to remove the lighter constituents of the oil prior to storage for a long period, thus reducing the losses from evaporation, (2) to dehydrate and clean the oil, and (3) in conjunction with a complete refinery, to remove the lighter fractions cheaply and quickly, leaving a residue to be rerun for lubricants, coke, and other products. The reader in studying a plant for possible adaption to his own use should note that local considerations enter into the design and size of a plant. Several questions present themselves, as follows: 1. What type is suitable for the oil? 2. How much money is available for construction? 3. Will the volume of residuum be large enough for heat exchange with the crude? 4. Can the heat content of the vapors be used to reduce the cooling-water requirements? 5. What method will best recover the heat from stack gases? 6. Are the various pieces of apparatus adequate in size and best adapted to their purpose? 7. Is every possible provision made for the recovery of waste heat? 8. What products will be made, and what volume of each? 9. Is there provision for the recovery of light vapors? 10. Will the saving of fuel justify the capital and maintenance charges on the regenerative apparatus contemplated? It is regretted that information concerning the operation of topping plants with eastern and Middle West oils is not available. The writer carefully canvassed the Middle West, but did not find a plant where operation had progressed beyond the early experimental stages and reliable figures could be furnished. The reader will find fuel economy and heat recovery emphasized throughout the descriptions. The conservation of the available petroleum supply is of the utmost importance, and the Bureau of Mines presents this paper to encourage the hearty cooperation of operators to that end. The Baume gravity scale used throughout the report is that of Tagliabue with a modulus of 141.5 for conversion to specific gravity.

Jan 1, 1919

Jan 1, 1967

By D. Mark Richards

Highland Valley Copper (HVC) is a large open pit copper mine in the southern interior of British Columbia. Machine guidance technology using GPS has been utilized at the mine since 1996 for blast hole drill navigation and since 2000 for shovel and dozer navigation. Since 1997, rock recognition has been part of the drilling process. This allowed the mine to develop a Mine to Mill strategy using the rock hardness information from drill monitoring systems to both refine drilling and blasting parameters as well as downstream crushing and grinding strategies. Although this preliminary effort has been very successful at HVC, the current intent is to gain further benefits through better use of existing information while also deriving an enhanced data set from monitoring production drills. In the latter case, the objective is to acquire and process drill variables in such a manner as to permit more detailed definition of rock mass characteristics. The subsequent focus will be to use the derived geotechnical and geological information as part of a practical process to more prescriptively blast the rock mass. Through the definition of domains based on drill monitored derived rock mass properties, the intent will be to enhance blast outcomes that lead to optimized downstream (from blasting through to concentration) processes in a more proactive and timely manner. This paper examines a proposed approach to be able to derive more accurate and consistent rock mass properties from production drilling. In addition, the discussion will identify potential benefits to be gained from process improvements that result in enhanced productivities, and crushing and grinding optimisation due to blasting strategies that are more closely matched to identify rock mass characteristics.

May 1, 2007

By A. H. Winckers

"CAMIRO, The Canadian Mining Industry Research Organization, formerly known as MITEC, is a collaborative research organization of Canadian Mining Companies. It is comprised of Exploration, Metallurgical Processing and Mining Divisions.The Metallurgical Processing Division (MPD) has the mandate to contribute to the profitability, competitiveness, safety and growth of the Canadian mining industry by improving the efficiency and effectiveness of mineral processing and extractive metallurgy in an environmentally conscious manner through the development of innovative technology by managing cooperative industry focused research programs.Current membership includes about ten Canadian mining companies. Past research has largely focused on base metal mineral processing. The Division wants to expand its research base to include all areas of mineral processing and extractive metallurgy.Past performance and plans for the future will be highlighted in the presentation."

Jan 1, 1998

DML Resources Limited - Mining Division produced over 50 000 oz of alluvial gold in the 1995 - 1996 year from five operations located in the West Coast and Otago Regions on the South Island of New Zealand. DML Resources Limited - Mining Division have a twenty year history of alluvial gold mining development in New Zealand. Recent expansions have seen the establishment of two operations in Chile whilst exploration continues in Bolivia, Peru and Argentina. The overseas growth is based on a stable production base in New Zealand focussed on the West Coast and Southland/Otago present and future operations. DML Resources consider that the mining potential in the Arahura Valley on the West coast will be fundamental to their New Zealand operations for some time. Collectively the plants operating in this catchment are referred to as the Poutini Project. Recent and late Pleistocene gravels derived from the erosion of the Alpine Schists running parallel to the Alpine Fault located on the Pacific/Australian Plant boundary are thought to be the sources of the alluvial gold in the Arahura and adjacent catchments. These gravels have been extensively mined for the past 130 years yielding some six million ounces over this period. Production from the Poutini Project started in 1989 and stood at approximately 35 000 oz for the 1995 - 1996 year. This production was split among three plants each working different areas of the deposit. Recovery techniques from each of the plants are fundamentally the same. Gravels are fed to a floating treatment plant where, following screening, the gold is recovered using jig plants and knudsen bowls. Overburden to wash stripping ratios vary between zero and seven to one with plants treating between 80 and 250 cubic metres per hour. Restoration of the land following mining is undertaken progressively. All land in the Poutini Project area mined to date has been restored to a standard suitable for dairy farming purposes. The Poutini Project is a cooperative venture between the Maori landowners and DML Resources Ltd. The Arahura River has particular cultural significance to the Maori as it is the source of the much valued greenstone or pounamu a type of jade valued for jewellery and tools. The Poutini Agreement was signed in 1989 setting out the role of each party in the mining of the Arahura and adjacent lands. Current exploration and development should extend the resource to allow mining to continue on the Poutini project for an additional three to five years at current gold prices. Production within new Zealand beyond this point may be compromised by increasing difficulty in gaining access to prospective areas within New Zealand, lowered margins due to high New Zealand dollar exchange rates and the overall lowering of alluvial headgrades throughout the West Coast and Otago/Southland regions. To counter these effects DML has continued to improve on operational efficiency and performance monitoring to optimise the mining practices used. This paper detains the background to the Poutini Project, the geology, plant and equipment used together with descriptions of the current mining methods employed.

Jan 1, 1996

By Adriaan van Seters

"Abstract The content of Eurocode 7 – Part 1 and Part 2 – with respect to piled foundations is outlined. The important role of pile testing is presented and the derivation of the characteristic value of pile bearing resistance is explained. Recommendations for the use of correlation factors are given. The ongoing work of the Evolution Groups on piling is to prepare a revision of Eurocode 7 after 2019. Future topics and changes are highlighted.General outline of pile design by Eurocode 7In his paper for this conference Frank (2014) outlined the various aspects of standardisation for pile foundations, which involves Eurocode 7 as leading for pile construction in Europe. Standards for pile testing and execution of piling works were established in the last 15 years.This paper focuses on the design of piled foundations according to the design code Eurocode 7, which consists of 2 parts:EN 1997-1 Geotechnical design - Part 1: General Rules (CEN, 2004);EN 1997-2 Geotechnical design – Part 2: Ground investigation and testing (CEN, 2007) In Eurocode 7-1, Section 7 – Pile Foundations - deals with the design of piles. The safety concept for pile design is given in Section 2 – Basis of Geotechnical Design - for the three Design Approaches.In Section 7 presents the design of piles according to four methods:1. Results of static load tests2. Empirical or analytical calculation methods3. Results of dynamic load tests4. Observed performance of a comparable pile foundation.Guidelines for the ground investigation for piles is provided in Eurocode 7-2, Annex B.3. In the Annexes of Eurocode 7-2 examples of analytical methods to determine the bearing resistance of a single pile based on the results of various ground investigation techniques are given. Thus calculation models are presented based on design using the results of Cone Penetration Tests (D.6 and D.7) and Pressuremeter Tests (E.3). The Annexes of Eurocode 7-2 are informative.For the interpretation of Eurocode 7, reference is made to Frank et al (2004) and Bond and Harris(2008)."

Jan 1, 2014

By K L. Brown

In the Waiotapu geothermal area only Champagne Pool, 109 ng/L, and Waiotapu Geyser, 7.6 ng/L, have dissolved Au concentrations greater than 5 ng/L and most springs have concentrations less than 2 ng/L. When Au concentration data are combined with other physico-chemical data from each spring including; pH, reduced sulphur concentration and temperature, the degree of Au saturation can be calculated. All samples sites except Champagne Pool, Waiotapu Geyser and the Artists Palette are under-saturated with respect to Au(s) by 1 to 3 orders of magnitude. This indicates that adsorption or co-precipitation or both are important processes depositing Au beneath hot springs. Deposition of Au by adsorption or co-precipitation beneath hot springs implies that dissolved Au may not have to reach saturation concentrations for ore to deposit. This interpretation is supported by the presence of substantial Au as sub-microscopic components within sulphide minerals in ore deposits and indicates depositional efficiency beyond that possible through precipitation of Au(s).

Jan 1, 2004

By Louis W. Cope

Mongolia is known in western countries as the location of rich dinosaur fossil fields. However, the country is even richer in mineral resources. The Ministry of Industry and Trade reports 6,000 mineral occurrences of 80 metals and minerals. Mongolia has already attracted much foreign investment in the mining sector. Mining is the country’s largest industry. It is responsible for 17 percent of the gross domestic product, 65 percent of industrial output and 57 percent of export earnings.

Jan 1, 2006

By K F. Tang, J-W Li

"An EXTENDED ABSTRACT is available for download. A full-length paper was not prepared for this presentation. The Xiong’ershan district in the southern margin of the North China Craton (NCC) contains more than 20 gold deposits hosted in the late Neoarchean to early Palaeoproterozoic amphibolite facies metamorphic rocks or late Palaeoproterozoic unmetamorphosed volcanic rocks. Gold mineralisation consists mainly of auriferous quartz veins and disseminated ores in hydrothermally altered zones, with additional gold mineralised breccia pipes. Gold orebodies are strictly controlled by secondary- or higher-order brittle/ductile-brittle faults. Isotopic dating reveals two separate episodes of gold mineralisation: the Shanggong and Dianfang deposits formed in the range of 236 ± 1.4 to 202 ± 18 Ma, whereas the Gongyu, Qianhe and Qiyugou deposits formed between 135.0 ± 0.5 Ma and 124.0 ± 1.0 Ma. Stable isotope and noble gas geochemistry studies indicate that the Triassic gold deposits were precipitated from deeply-sourced, low-salinity fluids at 250–350°C, but whether the fluids were mainly derived from metamorphic devolatilisation or magmatic degassing remains unresolved. In contrast, the Early Cretaceous deposits most likely precipitated from a dominantly magmatic fluid, although metamorphic and meteoric components cannot be ruled out. Results from this study, when combined with regional geological and geochemical data, suggest that the Triassic gold mineralisation was generated by the deformation associated with the collision between the North China and Yangtze cratons, forming the Qinling-Dabie orogen. In contrast, the Early Cretaceous gold veining was a result of lithospheric destruction of the NCC, a process initiated by plate subduction from both the south and north since late Palaeozoic but ultimately triggered by the westward subduction of the palaeo-Pacific plate in the late Mesozoic. This study helps to reconcile the long-term debate on the timing, genesis and geodynamic setting of gold mineralisation in the Xiong’ershan and other districts along the southern margin of the NCC.CITATION:Li, J-W and Tang, K F, 2015. Gold deposits in the Xiong’ershan District, Southern North China Craton – products of Triassic deformation and Cretaceous craton destruction, in Proceedings PACRIM 2015 Congress, pp 341–344 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne)."

Mar 18, 2015

By A. E. Fiorato

A test program was conducted to evaluate use of high-strength concrete in drilled shafts (caissons). The objective of the program was to determine if internal temperatures developed during cement hydration, or other characteristics of high-strength mixes, affect in-situ strength and stiffness. This paper covers strength results. Two 10-ft (3.0-m) diameter by 40-ft (12.2-m) deep caissons were constructed using two different commercially available high-strength concretes, a "low-heat" and a "high-strength" mix. Measured 6x12-in. (150x300mm) moist cured cylinder strengths at 56 days were 13,690 psi (94 MPa) for the "low-heat" mix and 17,130 psi (118 MPa) for the "high-strength" mix. Compressive strengths and moduli of elasticity of cores taken from the caissons were compared to those of companion cylinders made during casting of the caissons and stored in a moist room. Strengths of 4x8-in. (100x200 mm) cores taken at four ages and tested between 34 and 398 days averaged 81% of strengths of 6x12-in. (150x300 mm) moist cured cylinders at corresponding ages. In-situ (core) strengths of the caissons did not appear to be measurably affected by temperature. However, the data indicate that core strengths were sensitive to level of consolidation, as reflected in entrapped air voids. Overall, the results indicate that high-strength concretes can be used in drilled shaft (caisson) foundations.

Jan 1, 1991

By H Arvidson, C Morley

Reconciliation has become very topical over the last ten years but how do we distinguish what is good practice, and even more importantly, show how it adds value? Reconciliation at Anglo American has received support from the very top of the company and this has enabled success in the design and implementation of a range of processes, reporting activities and actions. Focus has been on full Mine Value Chain Reconciliation (MVCR) from Resource to Product and on proactive cross-functional engagement. A standardised set of reconciliation definitions and relationships are used at all mines across the company to diagnose planning and performance issues. Results are formally presented in an efficient dashboard format, accompanied by a concise narrative to communicate what has been learned and what is being done to correct, improve or change practices. Importantly, effort has also been made to sustain MVCR by embedding good practice and quantifying the benefit of reconciliation explicitly via linking results to value.This paper sets out the lessons learned from the past two-years’ journey, highlighting areas where good practice has been defined and achieved. A ranking for quantifying reconciliation confidence over time is presented as a means of putting results into context and continuously improving the reconciliation process. Finally, a solution to define the value that can be derived from reconciliation is described, detailing how cross-functional personnel meet monthly to review results and implement actions that are tracked in terms of value creation.CITATION:Morley, C and Arvidson, H, 2017. Mine value chain reconciliation – demonstrating value through best practice, in Proceedings Tenth International Mining Geology Conference 2017, pp 103–116 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Sep 20, 2017

Clean Diesels fuel-borne catalyst, Platinum Plus, helps improve fuel economy for all engines up to 10 percent while reducing particulate emissions by up to 25 percent. When used with a simple diesel oxidation catalyst, particulate emissions can be reduced by 30 to 50 percent. The use of Platinum Plus enhances combustion in the cylinder, burning fuel more completely. This reduces CO2 and other greenhouse gases and lowers total operating costs by improving fuel economy.

Jan 1, 2007

On the first of October 1991 two significant pieces of legislation came into force. Both of these are relevant to the allocation and use of minerals in New Zealand . They are the Crown Minerals Act 1991 and the Resource Management Act 1991.   The full legal implications of these is not fully known because the Planning Tribunal and the superior courts have not as yet had to deal with them in any detail. However, the thrust of the legislation is clear and it is appropriate to give an overview of how the statutes will operate in tandem if you are seeking to pursue or oppose any prospect, exploration or mining of Crown Minerals in New Zealand.

Jan 1, 1992

By L. K. Smith

The position of Australia as a continuing long-term supplier of mineral sands, and their upgraded products, has been reinforced with the discovery of the extensive mineral reserves in the Murray Basin, an area covering parts of South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria. A major impurity in the Murray Basin is chromium, mainly present in ilmenite concentrates as individual chrome spinel grains. Magnetizing roast treatments are being evaluated as a means of removing the chrome spinel impurity from the ilmenite and as a result of the roast and magnetic separation treatments, the chrome spinels can be expected to be concentrated in the non-magnetic reject fractions. It is from these fractions that attempts were made in this study to recover a chromium-rich product by magnetic fractionation and by application of flotation. The high gauss non-magnetic rejects from the roasting of a primary and a secondary ilmenite fraction were magnetically fractionated to obtain a product with 40.5 and 28.7 per cent Cr2O3,respectively. From the high gauss non-magnetic reject from the roasting of a primary ilmenite, flotation produced a chromium-rich product assaying 29.5 wt per cent Cr2O3at 69.0 per cent recovery. In another test a magnetic fraction assaying 32.9 wt per cent Cr2O3was floated to yield a chromium-rich product with 39.7 wt per cent Cr2O3at 96.4 per cent recovery. X-ray diffraction patterns of all the products indicated that the spinel concentrated was a ferroan magnesiochromite with rutile, ilmenite and hematite as impurities. Since all products were from a single pass, further processing can be expected to remove the impurity minerals and yield higher grade products. The material produced from the Murray Basin ilmenites in this study had similar compositions to commercial chromite ores, except for titania levels that were much higher. The high titania levels were due to residual rutile in the products, but it is expected that this can be removed with further processing. The mineral sand deposits in the Murray Basin are scattered over a wide area and the amount of chromite that may be produced from each of these deposits is unlikely to be sufficient to support an export market. Consequently, any chromite produced in the Murray Basin will most likely need to be processed locally to value added products for a niche market such as chemicals production. Keywords: Murray Basin, ilmenite, chrome spinel, roasting, magnetic separation, chromite ore

Jan 1, 2003

By Pierre Gauthier

Is the hydrogen economy of the future just another fish story? Absolutely not! There have been many changes affecting the energy equation over the last 10 years and conditions have changed. In this presentation, we will examine the reasons why, in the very near future, hydrogen production and distribution will be increasingly visible on many industries? radar screens.

May 1, 2007

By M. S. Klima, A. P. Pinkerton

Solid-bowl (decanter) centrifuges are used extensively to dewater slurries in a wide range of industries. However, the application of decanters as classification devices is not as common. In this study, the performance of a continuous, pilot-scale, solid-bowl centrifuge was evaluated when classifying an ultrafine coal slurry containing nearly 60% material less than 10µm. The current study examined the effects of operating conditions on centrifuge performance. The test conditions included centrifuge bowl and scroll speeds, volumetric feed rates, solids concentration, and pond depth. Centrifuge performance was evaluated using partition curves, along with product yields and solids concentrations.

Jan 1, 2000

By Robert Louis Adams

A general discussion of the structure of the junk automobile recycling system shows that the generation of stripped automobile hulks and scrapped automobiles is price inelastic. As a result, it is extremely difficult for the price mechanism to automatically achieve an equilibrium that will prevent the accumulation of excessive automobile wrecker inventories and vehicle abandonment by the last owners of scrapped cars. The new shredder processing technology and the new portable flattener technology have altered the structure of the junk automobile recycling system. The shredder technology has increased the demand for processed automobile scrap. This increased demand is reflected in higher prices paid for hulks by scrap processors. The portable flattener has reduced the transportation cost of shipping hulks to processors. The two new technologies have eliminated, at least potentially, the net cost of shipping stripped hulks so frequently incurred by wreckers in the past. The elimination of this cost eliminates the economic incentive for excessive wrecker inventories. Unfortunately, the incentive for last owners to abandon their cars does not appear to have been eliminated by the new technologies. The last owner of an automobile with no spare parts value is still likely to incur a cost by delivering his automobile to the recycling system. Although a subsidy payment is probably unnecessary to reduce excessive wrecker inventories, such a payment might be one solution to the problem of automobile abandonment. However, there are a wide variety of subsidy programs that could be introduced. Before any Federal subsidy program is introduced to reduce automobile abandonment, it is recommended that the program be tested on a limited basis in many different parts of the country.

Jan 1, 1973

By Jacolien P. Wyethe

Zincor uses a Roast-Leach-Electrowinning circuit to process zinc sulphide concentrates. It also processes zinc oxide fume, originating from a slag smelting operation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Zincor achieved an average zinc recovery of 90.3% during the period January 2006 to May 2007. The bulk of the losses occurred in the iron and lead silver residues, both as soluble and un-dissolved losses. The un-dissolved losses in the iron residue constituted around 33% of the total zinc lost from the circuit, and were largely attributed to the presence of zinc-ferrite in the calcine used for neutralization during iron removal. As part of Zincor?s continuous improvement programme, the un-dissolved zinc losses in the iron residue were targeted by: the partial replacement of calcine with zinc oxide fume (from the DRC); and the preferential use of ?low-ferrite content calcine? as neutralizing agents in the iron removal circuit. These initiatives, coupled with other operational factors, resulted in a marked improvement in recovery to 92.6% during June to December 2007. The zinc oxide fume, directly fed to the circuit, required investigation of the halide rejection capacity of the Zincor circuit. Rejection of chloride via the magnesium bleed operation was considered adequate. Fluoride was mainly rejected via the iron (~70%) and lead silver (~27%) residues. Fluoride rejection via the lead silver residue varied significantly, probably as a result of variations in the sparingly soluble CaF2 content in the feed. The mechanism for fluoride rejection in the iron residues is uncertain. The fluoride rejection capacity of the Zincor iron residue (comprising of mainly jarosites, schwertmannite and ferrihydrite) at 2 ? 4 mg/L F in solution, was estimated at 0.14 ? 0.19 kgF/tFe residue.

Jan 1, 2008

By Christopher Mark

This proceedings volume contains papers presented at technology transfer seminars sponsored by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) on New Technology for Ground Control in Retreat Mining. The seminars were conducted at five locations: Uniontown, PA (March 26, 1997), Norton, VA (April 8, 1997), Pikeville, KY (April 10, 1997), Charleston, WV (April 17, 1997), and Evansville, IN (April 22, 1997). The papers presented here describe several new, highly practical technologies developed by the NIOSH Pittsburgh and Spokane Research Centers3 to improve safety during pillar retreat operations. Two central issues are addressed: pillar design and mobile roof supports (MRS's). Proper pillar sizing is essential for safe pillar extraction. The Analysis of Retreat Mining Pillar Stability (ARMPS) program and its large data base of actual mining case histories are presented. LAMODEL, a second computer program, can be used for analysis of multiple-seam and other complex mining situations. Other papers address pillar design to avoid massive pillar collapses and the proper role of coal strength testing. MRS's have greatly improved safety where they are used for pillar line support. We studied the application of MRS's at 20 mines throughout the Eastern United States. Conclusions regarding the most effective section layouts, cut sequences, and support placements are reported. Field and laboratory tests of MRS's are also described.

Jan 1, 1997