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The Ernest Henry copper-gold project is located in North West Queensland, Australia and commenced production in late August 1997. Utilizing a philosophy of selecting the biggest proven equipment available Ernest Henry at full production ¥ill treat 9 Mtpa through a single grinding line over a 15 year mine life. 350.000 tonnes of concentrate a year will be produced, containing 95,000 tonnes of copper and 120,000 ounces of gold. The two mills recently commissioned at the Ernest Henry Copper/Gold Mine are a 10.4m x 5.1m (34 ft x 16.75 ft) SAG Mill and a 6.1m x 8.4m (20 ft x 27.5 ft) ball mill. The mills have a power draw of 11 MW (14745 hp) and 5.5 MW (7373 hp) respectively. While the SAG Mill is not the largest SAG Mill in the world, it is the largest shell-supported SAG Mill in the world. The Ernest Henry mills epitomize the new standard design of large grinding mills. The design was introduced more than 20 years ago and has been further developed from extensive experience with grinding mills, and the need to produce a design, which overcomes the recognized problems of large mills. The result is a design with the potential to be used for mills up to the largest for which machine tools can be found to fabricate and machine them, currently approximately 15m (48') overall diameter.

Jan 1, 1999

By A. Tew

The Ernest Henry copper-gold project is located in North West Queensland, Australia and commenced production in late August 1997. Utilising a philosophy of selecting the biggest proven equipment available Ernest Henry at full production will treat 9 Mtpa through a single grinding line over a 15 year mine life. 350.000 tonnes of concentrate a year will be produced, containing 95,000 tonnes of copper and 120,000ounces of gold. The two mills recently commissioned at the Ernest Henry Copper/Gold Mine are a 10.4m x 5.1m (34 ft x 16.75 ft) SAG Mill and a 6.1m x 8.4m (20 ft x 27.5 ft) ball mill. The mills have a power draw of 11 MW (14745 hp) and 5.5 MW (7373hp) respectively. While the SAG Mill is not the largest SAG Mill in the world, it is the largest shell-supported SAG Mill in the world. The Ernest Henry mills epitomise the new standard design of large grinding mills. The design was introduced more than 20years ago and has been further developed from extensive experience with grinding mills and the need to produce a design, which overcomes the recognised problems of large mills. The result is a design with the potential to be used for mills up to the largest for which machine tools can be found to fabricate and machine them. currently approximately 15m (48')overall diameter.

Jan 1, 1999

By Jurij Karlovšek, Marko Žibert, Scott Keniston

"SUMMARY The importance of information management was recognised in surface construction industry decades ago, and has increasingly being recognised through formal process and laws. Around the world, these laws and codes of practice are currently being drafted and enacted, to reflect the development of software tools and corresponding increasing adoption by industry. This paper deals with specifics of implementing information modelling in tunnelling business utilising BIM (Building Information Modelling) technology developed for buildings as well as similar technology developed for mining industry. Although BIM is recognized initially as a 3D digital representation of physical and functional characteristics of a facility, the real benefits come when complex capability through construction sequencing and even detailed programming (4D) and cost capabilities (5D) are included. INFORMATION MODELLING The Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry requires the production of design and construction information, which involves the input from several teams. The tasks allocated to each team need to be carried out in a particular order and coordinated in order to benefit all those involved and the project itself; this is known as “collaborative working”. To ensure the quality, and guarantee that information can be used without change or interpretation, working processes and standards needs to be agreed upon or else it will hinder collaboration and have a negative impact on project delivery. Case studies show that the additional capital delivery costs due to uncoordinated, inaccurate and ambiguous information amounts to 20-25%. The solution to overcome these problems and improve collaborative working in a project is the adoption of BIM. It is a modern approach to the design, documentation, delivery, and life cycle management through the use of project information databases coupled with object-based parametric modelling. BIM requires traditional practices shifting from simple drafting to using 3D native models for building design environment. Additionally, it requires that models are equipped with information that has been traditionally decoupled in a text or other kinds of documents. The goal is not in creating a 3D graphic representation of design intent; rather, it is a comprehensive information management tool based on the simulation of design and construction build around a central repository."

Jan 1, 2016

By K. Ueda

Lead concentrates from Kuroko (black ore) mines, which contain Cu 4 ? 7%, Pb 55%, Zn 3 - 7%, As 0.5 - 0.9% are treated by hydrometallurgical process in order to smelt the product by electric furnace smelting together with other lead resouces from Kuroko. The hydrometallurgical pretreatment involves sulfuric acid leaching at first stage, ferric leaching at second stage. This paper describes the short history of lead recovery from Kuroko and the performance of laboratory test, pilot plant and commercial operation.

Jan 1, 1982

By Martin H. Stanczyk

In recent, years the demand and consumption of finely ground industrial minerals has substantially increased for such uses as fillers and chemically reactive components. The size, specifications for these types of industrial mineral materials vary to a great extent and depend on the particular end purpose' and on the physical properties of the mineral itself. Size reduction of industrial minerals usually is obtained by conventional crushing and grinding methods. However, some specialized milling techniques have been developed for producing these minerals in extremely fine particle size ranges. During recent years the Bureau of Mines has been investigating an attrition grinding method to produce ultrafine subsieve-size mineral particles. The Bureau developed process, which has been patented,2 comprises the intense agitation of a slurry composed of the material to be ground, a relatively fine granular grinding medium, and a suspending fluid. The process has been shown to be effective for the comminution of kaolin in the particle size range of 2 microns and finer on a batch3 and continuous basis.4,5 This report presents the results of batch tests made to determine the effectiveness of the attrition grinding process for comminuting commercial products of (1) mica, a tough lamellar material, (2) fluorite, a brittle intermediately hard material, and (3) barite, a relatively soft, massive material.

Jan 1, 1967

By Harry Perry

The Bureau of Mines is glad to have this opportunity to discuss its present Coal Research Program and its significance to the industry with a group which has for many years been representative of the coal producing community. We believe we have a dynamic program that will help our vast coal resources to find their proper place in the U. S, economy. The present coal research activities of the Bureau are conducted in three organizational subdivisions: Minerals Research, Mineral Resource Development, and Health and Safety. All investigations are carried out in Bureau research facilities located in different sections of the country, Since its creation by the Organic Act of 1910 and subsequent amendments, the Bureau has worked closely with the coal industry--first by providing assistance in mine safety for anthracite and bituminous coal mining, and since that time, in providing information on conservation, safety, mining, preparation, and utilization.

Jan 1, 1966

By C. Tom Blevins

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN : This presentation is to discuss production and roof control problems associated with directional lateral stresses in an in situ stress field and the approach that Inland Steel Coal Company made in trying to cope with them. Before proceeding, a brief description of the mine location, product, geology, restraints, and mine history is in order.

Jan 1, 1982

Column flotation cells continue to gain acceptance in the coal industry for the treatment of high-ash streams containing clay slimes. Unfortunately, some industrial installations have failed to meet expectations due to improper scale-up, incorrect operation and poor ancillary circuit design. To overcome these problems, case studies have been conducted to fully define the capabilities of column cells for coal applications. These data have been used to develop generic engineering guidelines for column circuit design and operation. An economic analysis has also been conducted to illustrate the importance of key capital cost considerations. These analyses indicate that column cells are significantly more expensive than conventional machines, although this difference can be greatly reduced through the installation of very large-diameter columns.

Jan 1, 1999

By Jean-Marie Deschamps

In an approach to the complicated study of bauxite from Les Baux de Provence it is necessary to consider the paleogeographical context of all the bauxites in southern France. These bauxites are of Karstic type, belonging to a metallogenic area extending from the Pyrenees Mountains to the Alpine Massif. Within this area each deposit does not always correspond to the same geological period. There are differing opinions regarding the origin of Karstic-type bauxite and a discussion of these various theories is beyond the scope of this paper. Bauxite of Les Baux, in Provence, was discovered in 1821 by the chemist, Berthier, near this picturesque village located in the region of Arles. It is Les Baux from which the name of bauxite originates. For a long time this bauxite was of no interest because of high silica 'and mediocre alumina content. Besides, the calcium carbonate content is somewhat high and is one of the main characteristics of Les Baux bauxite. The problem of exploration of the Les Baux deposit has been to prospect minable zones according to traditional norms where silica and carbonate are low.

Jan 1, 1977

By K. L. Boyd

"Can the ever-increasing tonnages of ore and waste being mined today be accommodated simply by using bigger and better crushers? This paper reviews the latest primary crushing and large cone crusher designs. It highlights how—in addition to using the larger crushers now available—maximizing the utilization percentages in each of the four stages of the rock size reduction circuit will assist in meeting the larger production requirements of existing and new mining operations. Its goal is to help consultants and operators select the optimal equipment and custom-designed items in the material handling flowsheet from the mine to the mill, maximizing operating hours per year. INTRODUCTION Are larger crushers the answer to meeting the demands of existing or new mining projects for increased tonnage? Boyd (2002) predicted that larger crushers for primary and fine crushing would be beneficial and contribute to the further development of mineral processing. Larger crushers for primary and fine crushing applications are now available. The rock size reduction process from the mine to the selected milling process facility has not changed since man first broke a rock to get at the interesting mineralization within. The rock size reduction process circuit from the mine to the mill can be summarized in four stages: • Stage 1: Mining (rock breakage and fragmentation) • Stage 2: Pre-screening (scalping) • Stage 3: Primary crushing • Stage 4: Fine crushing (secondary, tertiary and quaternary) Plant throughput and ore delivery schedule will form the basis for flowsheet design and equipment selection. Once the project design criteria and the mine plan have been established, the circuit’s utilization percentage (percentage of hours when the circuit is being utilized) can be optimized for each of the four stages. The mining and process departments are the key stakeholders in the selection of the final comminution circuit, and both departments should be familiar with and contribute to the design of the circuit. This paper focuses on the four stages of a rock size reduction circuit from the mine to the mill, equipment selection, various ore and waste handling flowsheets, and improvements in crusher station design, all with the purpose of maximizing availability and plant utilization percentages. What is a large tonnage? From 1907 to 1914, the American Panama Canal excavated 300 million tonnes of material in 7 years (History of the Panama Canal, Wikipedia). Today’s large mining operations can move the same material in 10 months, using large crushers or multiple crushers for ore processing and large crushers and a mixture of truck haulage and conveyors for handling the large waste tonnages. Some examples include:"

Jan 1, 2017

By Kiran B. Chaudhuri

The Kivcet process is technologically the most advanced of the new lead smelting processes which have been developed over the past decade construction of the first commercial scale Kivcet lead smelter which has been designed by KHD Humboldt Wedag for Sociedad Complejo Metalurgico de Karachipampa is at present nearing completion in Bolivia. Some of the measures taken to minimise emission of harmful elements as well as methods employed to minimise energy consumption in the design of the smelter, are presented. Results of recent testwork which have added to the flexibility of the process are summarised.

Jan 1, 1982

The purpose of this talk is to report the answers to the-'two following questions: I. What unique services does the mining industry expect of mining and mineral processing engineers? II. What suggestions does industry offer to educators to help revamp curricula to meet the needs of a changing industry? As the result of many questionnaires filled out in person by presidents, managers, superintendents, chief engineers, metallurgists, and other responsible individuals in operations and management of large and small metal and nonmetallic mining companies in the U. S., and to some extent abroad, we now have some, specific answers to the above questions. Although answers to questionnaires continue to arrive at this writing (February 10) the volume already received is sufficient to clearly justify certain conclusions and observations. A copy of the tally of the first 117 questionnaires received accompanies this report, and I am certain that a compilation of additional questionnaire data will merely reinforce, the trends in thinking that have been' established thus far. Here are the results of the survey:

Jan 1, 1961

By Michael J. Friedel

The scale-dependent hydraulic properties in a fractured porphyry copper oxide deposit are investigated for relevance to in situ leach mine (ISLM) design. In most well field designs, mine operators assume that hydraulic properties represent a continuous spatial function, or continuum. The problem, however, is that the representative elemental volume, the volume over which hydraulic properties are described as a continuum, is a domain (if it exists) that occurs between end members representing varying degrees of heterogeneity. At the Cyprus Cas a Grande mine, transmissivity fluctuations are spatially correlated suggesting that at the scale of ISLM, the hydraulic process is heterogeneous and a typical continuum representation is inappropriate for design. Alternatively, a conditional stochastic approach using the simulated annealing (SA) technique is deemed useful for the imaging of heterogeneous hydraulic properties. Specifically, SA preserves transmissivity extremes and spatial complexity, both necessary for accurate conditioning of a flow simulator. Also, the stochastic continuum approach provides an avenue whereby uncertainty (or risk) may be addressed. Currently, the SA weaknesses are that it is computationally time consuming, and uncertainty may increase when simulating under conditions of statistical isotropy. Recognizing that ISLM exerts a dynamic influence on hydraulic properties with time, the mine design should be reevaluated at intervals throughout the evolution of the leaching process.

Jan 1, 1993

By John D. Grothe

Laboratory experiment as a basis of commercial plant design has been the subject of much analysis and thought and on which a large number of articles and papers have been published. We would be forced to choose between an unduly brief exposition if we wanted to cover it completely, or no exposition at all. We must therefore concentrate upon the essentials without ignoring at the same time too many of the qualifying factors which, by the choice of what we want to examine, may become side issues. In doing so, we do not imply that these side issues are therefore any the less important. In every case, what is said here applies with almost equal force to the pilot plant which may be necessary as it does to the commercial plant. In discussing a recent paper by Derek C. Shelton on the Santa. Barbara Mill in Chihuahua at a meeting of the Inst. of Mining & Metallurgy (London), D. J. Ottley said on the matter of relating laboratory results and small scale tests to full scale plant results that he would like' to draw the attention of members to the great difficulty of scaling up mineral dressing plants and processes. He felt that this was an important yet neglected subject which merited considerable fundamental scientific attention from mineral dressers and plant design engineers in particular. How much of this fundamental scientific attention has, as a matter of fact, been accorded to the subject, mainly by our sister profession, Chemical Engineering. The close similarity to chemical engineering problems that we meet, particularly in hydrometallurgical operations, suggests that Chemical Engineering publications offer a rich source of information and discussions of methods useful to us. We have only to think of pressure leaching, ion exchange, liquid-liquid extraction, precipitation and so on, all problems in chemical engineering unit processes or of the new Freeport Sulphur Nickel plant in Cuba or the Sherritt Gordon plant and many others.

Jan 1, 1960

By G. A. Campbell

This paper considers the international market trends of the rare earths and how they are strongly influenced by the by-product/co-product nature of their mining and processing. The two main economic minerals for the rare earths are bastnasite and monazite. Monazite is primarily a by-product of mining ilmenite and rutile and is affected by changes in these markets as well as the presence of thorium. Bastnasite is a by-product of mining iron ore in China and a stand-alone product in the USA. The paper will use conceptional relationships and empirical data to delineate the various by-products/co-products relationships and how they determine observed international market behavior.

Jan 1, 1996

By J. R. Kadambi, C. Shingote, J. Furlan, R. Ke

"Hydrocyclone separators are widely used in various industrial applications in the oil and mining industries to sort, classify and separate solid particles or liquid droplets within liquid suspensions, which are considered to be multi-phase systems. Numerous valuable studies have been conducted in recent years to investigate the flow fields inside hydrocyclones. However, much of the information regarding the performance of cyclones in the literature has limitations, based in some part on the respective current-available theoretical models, and much of it cannot be considered as completely applicable to most real-world applications; many of the studies investigated the flow fields within extremely simplified hydraulic designs that are not representative of the complex geometries or large sizes which are typical in industry. Therefore, in this study, the two phase flow system inside the actual hydraulic geometry of a milling circuit hydrocyclone was explored with the aid of both computational and experimental techniques (Particle Image Velocimetry). In this study, the flow field with an air core has been investigated; in essence, the research was a two-phase problem, which caused some challenges on both the computational and experimental sides. Two turbulence models were used in the numerical calculations: the Reynolds Stress Model and Large Eddy Simulation. The computational studies are mainly focused on the prediction of the dimensions and shape of the air core. Different section planes of the hydrocyclone were selected as planes of interest and then were divided into several fields of view (FOV) for PIV measurements. Two dimensional experimental velocity vector maps were obtained in each of the fields of view. The computational results were validated globally using pressure and flow rate readings at the boundaries and locally by comparison to the PIV velocity vector maps and profiles. Keywords: Computational fluid dynamics (CFD); Hydrocyclone; Particle image velocimetry (PIV); Reynolds Stress Model (RSM); Large Eddy Simulation (LES). INTRODUCTION A hydrocyclone is a device used to separate a solid-liquid, liquid-liquid, solid-gas, or liquid-gas suspensions into at least two separate density or particle size components. Hence, the flow field of the hydrocyclone is generally considered a multi-phases flow system. Application of hydrocyclones have been used in numerous industries including oil, drilling, metal working, and mineral processing since 1891, when E. Bretney obtained the first patent for the predecessor design of all contemporary hydrocyclones. A modern hydrocyclone typically consists a cylindrical section at the top where the liquid is being fed tangentially, and a conical chamber attached to the bottom of the cylindrical section, as shown in Figure 1. The characteristics of the feed stream that is injected into the cylindrical chamber play a significant role in hydrocyclone operation. The inlet is tangential relative to the cylindrical chamber and hence causes a centripetal force in the flow field which is considered as the primary separation mechanism."

Jan 1, 2017

By Dale A. Shay, Roy R. Cellan

The Santa Fe Mine, located in west central Nevada, began leaching ore in 1988 and completed ore processing in 1995. Homestake Mining Company has completed final reclamation of the site, including remediation of bare surface soils resulting from the oxidation of sulfide minerals and migration of acidity in the mine waste repositories. The need to remediate oxidized sulfides and mitigate resultant acidity at the Santa Fe Mine emphasizes the economic, reclamation, and environmental advantages for understanding and pre-planning for management of potential sulfide wastes during mine planning phases. The lack of pre-planning by mining companies for sulfide waste management was common in the 1980's due primarily to mining of reserves characterized largely as oxide deposits and to the common opinion that low moisture regimes in arid or semi- arid climates would not allow for significant acid generation. Since the 1980's, operational experience has shown that sulfide wastes, deposited randomly in waste dumps and without adequate planning for final reclamation success, can create final reclamation problems that are very costly to remediate. While mine waste characterization, waste management plan compilation, and in-pit selective waste handling procedures add operational costs, the reclamation experiences at the Santa Fe Mine are indicative that pre-planning and management is worthwhile both in actual overall cost efficiency and in successful reclamation of the mine site. The reclamation program at the Santa Fe Mine shows Homestake's continued commitment to the successful management and reclamation of their mine sites.

Jan 1, 2000

By M. Moss Stanley, Ronald P. Klepper

The objective of this chapter is to provide data that will assist in the selection and sizing of equipment utilized in the filtration method of separating solids from liquids. It should be recognized at the outset that in some situations more than one option may be available to achieve the target desired. In some cases purely technical objectives may be sacrificed because of cost considerations, design factors or other elements in order to satisfy optimization within the flowsheet and/or to provide bottom line results. Before considering available options, and prior to the next step of sizing out the selection, the operating criteria should be set down. The test work to develop selection and sizing data will be based on this data and the final products desired. This will help to establish initial parameters. A. GENERAL DATA 1. Material to be filtered: a. Solids b. Mother liquor 2. Feed rate of slurry in GPM 3. Density of slurry: Sp. Gr. Solids 4. Slurry: Temp. pH Viscosity 5. Source and method of feed 6. Valuable product: Solids Filtrate Both 7. Details on: Volatility Toxicity Stability 8. If flocculant is indicated, what has been used? 9. Describe product: (i.e., fibrous, cor 10. rosive, abrasive, inflammable, explosive, pasty, 11. Does product alter or require special environment during transport? 12. What type of filter media has been used successfully? 13. Is there any objection to use of a filter aid? If not, is there any preference? B. SOLIDS DATA 1. Sp. Gr. Bulk density 2. Screen analysis 3. Desired percentage moisture in cake 4. Solubility (state conditions): In mother liquor In wash water 5. Description of cake: (i.e., amorphous, fibrous, crystalline, colloidal, gran¬ular, thixotropic, 6. Special requirements for moisture de¬termination? 7. Can solids be compressed during dewatering? 8. Proposed product handling 9. Subsequent thermal drying or other pro¬cedure C. FILTRATE 1. Is separation of wash water and mother liquor desirable?

Jan 1, 1986

ShouSteel Mining Ltd., a subsidiary of ShouSteel (Group) Co., was founded in 1959 and is located in QianAn City in Hebei Province, China. ShouSteel?s pelletizing plant uses iron ore as a raw material combined with limestone, dolostone, or olivine, with bentonite as a binder. After mixing the raw materials and forming them into small, spherical balls, ShouSteel then fires pellets in kilns for hardening. The company sells the finished pellets as raw materials for blast furnaces used to produce industrial metals such as iron. ShouSteel?s handling capacity is approximately 24.5 Mt/a (27 million stpy) of ore. The company?s production capacity is 3.2 Mt/a (3.5 million stpy) of oxide pellets and 560 Mt (650 million st) of sinters. Until recently, ShouSteel Mining had not replaced its electronic scales in its series of ingredient chambers. Because of the wear and tear on these older scales, the weighing system began to encounter regular problems. The company experienced a high failure rate from the integrator, an unstable signal, weak anti-interference ability and low accuracy. ShouSteel also found that spare parts required during repairs were consistently high in cost and that system calibration was becoming increasingly frequent.

Jan 1, 2012

By J. C. Stankus, R. Ochsner, B. Hanson

"Bull Mountains No. 1 mine of Signal Peak Energy made another success in its 4 Right pre-developed recovery entry on March 23 and 24, 2015, after the first successful cut-through and shield retrieval of 3 Right pre-developed longwall recovery entry in 2014[1]. Under the same geological conditions, the major difference of 4 Right and 3 Right is the 600 psi Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS) value of light-weight concrete in 4 Right versus 800 psi in 3 Right. In addition, one more recovery chute was added in 4 Right. The unique geological conditions in this mine include: (1) the low overburden of approximately 200-260 ft, (2) prevalence of roof joints parallel to the face in the sandstone/siltstone dominated overburden, (3) proximity of the Rehder rider seam to the bench Mammoth coal seam, and (4) prompt surface subsidence with the face advancement. The 4 Right recovery entry was 42 ft wide and developed in two stages, 20 ft wide in the inby Phase I, and 22 ft wide in the outby Phase II. The entry roof was reinforced with steel wire mesh/non-metallic recovery mesh, primary bolts, and high-capacity supplemental SUMO cables. After all the support was installed, the entry was completely backfilled with specially designed, cuttable, low-density cement. It took approximately half time to easily cut through the concrete with less dust in 4 Right as compared to the concrete-cut-through time in the 3 Right. The updated study further explored the nature and mechanism of effective roof control approaches in the pre-developed recovery entry of this unique geology mine, aiming at providing the safest working environment for protecting the miners. GEOLOGICAL AND MINING CONDITIONS OF THE RECOVERY ENTRIES Bull Mountains No. 1 mine is located 30 miles north of Billings, Montana, and currently mines bituminous coal from the Mammoth coal seam. The mine employed a conventional recovery face in Panel #1 and pre-developed recovery entries in Panels #2, #3, and #4 (Figure 1). The typical mining and geological conditions are as follows:Overburden Depth The overburden above the Mammoth coal seam in the #1-#4 Right recovery areas is approximately 200-260 ft. This low cover, in combination with specific roof geological features (especially the prevalent roof joints and proximity of rider seam), constitute unique ground movement characteristics when the longwall face advances into the recovery entry if no sufficient roof support is installed."

Jan 1, 2016