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By Aust M. I E

IT is the custom, I must admit, for a presidential address to be a review of the progress during the year of the institution presided over, and of the sciences and arts within its ambit. On this occasion precedent is departed from in favour of a subject by request.As man has at last, in employing gravimetric and electrometric methods of subsurface research, started on the rational use of divining rods with some knOWledge of their governing laws and principles, and with some ability to interpret the results obtainedfrom them, I was asked to add to the voluminous literature of the quack or empiric divining rod. James Mansergh, the author of Melbourne's sewerage system, in his presidential address before the Institution of Civil Engineers in 1901, admitted he was afraid touse the hazel rod lest in sinking on its indications to some solution.

Jan 1, 1928

By Anderson D

Investigation of a water inflow into Wongawilli Mine in the Southern Coalfield of New South Wales included algal analysis. The determination of algae in the water suggested an external water source. An alternative hypothesis proposed that algae are inherent in a coal mine environment. Investigations to determine the validity of these hypotheses and provide information on the viability and longevity of algae under adverse conditions were conducted in the mine and the laboratory. Results indicated that a mine environment is not natural to algae and is not conducive to their growth. These findings support the hypothesis of introduction of surface water to the mine workings. They indicate that, in the absence of other available techniques, algae can be an effective tracer for use in the determination of a water source.

Jan 1, 1988

By J F. Penrose

To obtain cost-efficient financing by way of securing an optimal credit rating, the operating and market risks of a single-asset mining project should be accommodated in the financial structure. Weak financing structures can cause projects to fail, as evidenced by the Murrin Murrin and Bulong examples; these can be compared to the investment-grade structure of Straits (Nifty), which managed operational, market, and financing risks well. Most mining projects are capital-intensive, and have heavy dependency on debt financing. A weak financial structure may result in the early failure of an otherwise sound and economically viable project. Appropriate management of technology, construction, and management risks generally will get a project built; of the project failures that occur, most are caused by a liquidity crisis as the project goes through ramp-up (the transition period between completion of construction and full operation). A projectÆs viability can be enhanced through sound hedging practices, while poor hedging can increase the likelihood of financial default.

Jan 1, 2003

Large scale rhyolitic volcanism is an important process at some convergent plate margins because it leads to chemical differentiation of the upper.-crust and is responsible for the production of long lived near surface thermal anomalies; the Taupo Volcanic Zone is.a Quaternary example. The main features of the magmatic systems-of the zone. are the existence of large high level chambers containing homogeneous silicic magma which erupt at intervals of thousands to tens of thousands of years. Geochemical work on the deposits resulting from these eruptions has shown that with few exceptions the magmas have been remarkably uniform in their . composition throughout the history of the zone although individual batches with lifespans of the order of. one hundred thousand years can be recognised by subtle differences in trace element ratios. Basalt is a rare proportion of the rocks exposed at the surface but has played a major role as a medium for heat transfer and as an end member in chemical mixing processes.

Jan 1, 1987

The bureaucracy in Victoria has worked against exploration and mining development. There is no doubt that the new Mineral Resources development Act has simplified matters on the mining side of the system. However, WMC's Bendigo and Deep Lead experiences demonstrate that other parts of the bureaucracy can cause serious delays. The mining industry continues to view the approval process causal of excessive costs and delays compared with other States (and countries) and prohibitive to investment in Victoria.

Jan 1, 1992

EARLY HISTORYIt is 91 years since the epic discovery of gold at the eastern end of Kalgoorlie's main street appropriately named Hannan's Street after the prospector who found the first gold here on17 June, 1893.The Spirit that motivated the early prospectors in their search for gold in this thirsty sun-burned land, unmapped, uncompromising and difficult is characteristic of gold prospectors the world over. Conditions have changed since then substituting comparative comfort for previous austerity and privation, but the quest-ing spirit, the everlasting optimism, the perseverance in the face of frustration .and disappointment still exists.It exists with the prospector who more often than not is a company geologist; it exists with the shareholder enjoying through his investment a vicarious participation in this wonderful, exciting industry and not the least with those people who have chosen the goldmining industry as their career.

Jan 1, 1984

By L Ryan, S Halley

The use of a field spectrometer to systematically analyse drill samples from over 200 holes around the Permian-Carboniferous Ravenswood gold deposits in north-east Queensland has successfully identified both small and deposit-scale changes in the alteration mineral chemistry. Changes in chlorite composition within the tonalite host rocks are evident at the district scale, with Fe-rich chlorites seemingly more common in the vicinity of the deposits. Significant variations in white mica chemistry also occur, but mostly on the vein selvage scale, with no clear distinction between near-mine and distal compositions. The results indicate that chlorite compositional maps produced from regional field or airborne spectrometer data could potentially be used as a vector to ore in exploring for similar deposits in the area. An EXTENDED ABSTRACT is available for download. A full-length paper was not prepared for this presentation.

Jan 1, 2008

Petroleum exploration is proceed ing in Western Australia at an ever- increasing pace. Results in recent years have been very successful, with the discovery and development of the Barrow Island oilfield and the Dongara gasfield, and the discovery of several major gas-condensate fields on the Northwest Shelf. The Northwest Shelf discoveries will have a big impact on the economy of the State by providing an abundant indigenous source of energy. Prospects for further large dis- coveries are believed to be excellent. The most prospective areas are thought to be on the continental shelf in the Carnarvon, Browse, Perth, Canning, and Bonaparte Gulf Basins.

Jan 1, 1973

By Martin CH

Over the past forty years colliery management has coped with intensive mechanisation and other rationalisation of traditional conditions to accomplish increases to outputs by miners, mines and nationally. The basic managerial function of planning, organising, directing and controlling have adjusted and expanded to current management demands, including the detail of achieving the highest possible efficiency, particularly in forward planning. Although industrial aspects have vastly improved, there are lingering problems. Safety is not necessarily the basic ingredient of any industrial events-which occur but is always paramount. Likewise some legislative changes may have elements of political and particular vested interests and conservation of technical expertise may be threatened by such frustrations. Not only technical excellence is required, but particular attributes of the individual are required in management evolving from "simple owner management to the complete corporate approach required for the multidisciplined operations of to-day".

Jan 1, 1988

In the last few years it has become legal for women to work without restriction underground in some States in Australia. Since the mid 1970's there have been women graduates in mining engineering from several Australian tertiary institutions. Women from this group are the first females to have been employed to do manual work underground this century. The questions which arise are "What are the current parameters surrounding the employment of women underground?" and "What have been the experiences of those women who have worked underground?". In order to answer these questions, contact has been made with the various mining schools in Australia, the relevant government departments, the main underground mining companies, the relevant unions and professional associations, and other women who have worked undergrond. Personal experience as both a miner and a mining engineer at the CSA Mine near Cobar in New South Wales is also used.

Jan 1, 1988

Warrego copper ore characteristically contains 0.05-0.2% bismuth, which on upgrading produces a concentrate of approximately 1.3% bismuth. Early smelting of this concentrate (1973) was accomplished in a flash furnace (eliminating 92% of the bismuth in the con- centrate) and Top Blown Rotary Convertors (eliminating 85% of the bismuth in the matte). However 1.3% bismuth was considered the max- imLun bismuth level that could be treated. Geological evidence indicated that the bismuth level in~the copper ore would increase and that the bismuth level in the Warrego ore would be 0.3-0.7% bismuth. Treating these ores would produce a copper concentrate with bismuth levels far in excess of those accept- able to the smelter and still produce low bismuth content blister (limit 0.03% bismuth).

Jan 1, 1984

I have spent most of the past thirty-five years working as an economic geologist in the area of exploration and development of base and precious metals. Most of this period has been as an employee of Trans-National-Corporations (TNC's). I presently act as a consulting geologist to a joint venture company, bringing together two such TNC's: Anglo American' Corporation and affiliated companies De Beers (Diamonds) and Minorco (Metals mining outside of Southern Africa), and Normandy Mining Limited of Australia. Normandy is presently through its gold arm PosGold, Australia's largest gold miner and Anglo American can claim to be the world's largest gold company producing over 280 tonnes of gold a year, more than twice its nearest rival Gold Fields of South Africa. In addressing this topic, the role that Government can, and should play in mineral development, I will be drawing heavily on some examples from these and other TNC's experience in recent offshore mining Investment.

Jan 1, 1995

The economic viability of base metal and gold production projects at Chillagoe, North Queensland has been elusive or difficult to achieve. Because of isolation and low grades metallurgical efficiency has always been essential. This paper, concentrates on the Chillagoe Railway and Mines Company's operations from 1898 to 1914 and Elders Resources Limited's current developmental operations at Red Dome. The technological methods of concentrating, smelting and refining the copper, silver, lead and zinc by the Chillagoe Company will be outlined as well as their understanding of the geological aspects of the ore bodies and the stock market speculation. The Chillagoe Company failed in its economic management but developed the region. Elders Resources have successfully redeveloped the region including fostering the tourist potential of the area through their expert financial, engineering and metallurgical strategies within the external economic parameters of the Pacific Region.

Jan 1, 1987

By A R. Butcher

Gold deportment and ore characterisation studies are key tools in gaining an appropriate understanding of complex gold ores for process development and optimisation. These studies have historically involved imprecise chemical methods with slow and costly optical microscopy for gold identification. The traditional approach requires highly skilled petrographers, is prone to human error, and is not scalable, reducing the usefulness in practical analysis. The proposed methodology utilises a decision tree and knowledge base in a staged approach to gold ore characterisation, building up progressively more detailed information about the sample mineralogy, gold deportment and key mineral properties, as the process is followed. Whilst the automated QEMSCAN« system is used for mineral and gold identification, interactive and focused data analyses are used to give more efficient and accurate results. This is complemented by smart sample preparation and chemical methods to enhance and validate the data, making the staged approach methodology reliable, scalable and therefore practical and economical.

Jan 1, 2007

Sulphide Corporation Pty. Limited operates a Lead/Zinc Smelter at Cockle Creek, some 11 miles from Newcastle, N. S. W . Works effluents totalling some 8, 500, 000 gallons/day join Cockle Creek some 1. 8 miles from its mouth in the most northerly section of Lake Macquarie, The Creek is also the source of the Works cooling water intake of which approximates 8, 000, 000 g.p. d. In view of the wide use of the Lake for recreational activities by the people of Newcastle and the surrounding areas, particular care must be taken to ensure that the control of effluent quality is of a high order. This paper outlines the philosophy and measures taken for the treatment and control of plant effluents discharging into Cockle Creek.

Jan 1, 1971

By Albinson T

Mexican epithermal deposits can be broadly grouped into two types based on their contained metals, distribution, associated igneous rocks and fluid inclusion compositions. Silver-gold deposits (e.g. Tayoltita) mostly occur in the western part of northern Mexico where host rocks consist of Eocene, intermediate composition volcanic and intrusive rocks; fluid inclusion studies indicate that mineralizing fluids were _10 eq. wt. % NaCl). The distribution of these two deposit types, crosscutting major major crustal sutures, and the close spatial-temporal relationships between mineralization and magmatism, together suggest that magmatic processes were more important in the formation of mineralizing solutions, as a source of both ligands and metals, than the segments of crust hosting deposits.

Jan 1, 1995

The rnunber of Cenozoic volcanoes which has already been found in China surpasses 600. An ancient Chinese tourist, Xu Xiake (1587-1641 in the Ming Dynasty), mentioned in his travel notes the volcanoes and hot 'springs in Tengchong, a country of the Yunnan Province, 400 years ago. In 1927, the geologist, Yun Zhanli, expounded generally on the recent volcano distribution in China. In the '70's, China not only accomplished aerial photography and produced topographic and geological naps covering the whole country, but also obtained a new understanding of the geographic distribution and process of development of the Cenozoic volcanoes through Landsat imagery; interpretation and ground verification, together with C14 isotope dating and analysis of volcanic rocks.

Jan 1, 1987

The global recession of the 1980s drove commodity prices down and intensified cost competition. The 1990s saw a restructuring of the mining industry with the survivors adopting new technology, significantly increasing workplace productivity and reducing capital and operating costs. Major changes in mining industry business strategies evolved in the late-1980s including the development of miner - supplier - manufacturer - partnerships, cultural changes in work practices and common goals between the partners to reduce the cost of production. These industry trends are putting new demands on mining machine manufacturers and dealers both on the `hard' side of the machine business, such as research and product development programs, and on the `soft' side in terms of business processes, use of human resources and communication. The paper describes several mining industry trends as identified by a large supplier to the industry, and discusses the impact they are having, and will have, on mining machine development and the provision of product support services to the industry.

Jan 1, 1995

More than ten seafloor massive sulfides (SMSs), which tend to be enriched in Au and Ag with varying amounts of Zn, Pb and Ba, have been reported in Japanese Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) including the Jade hydrothermal field in the Izena cauldron Okinawa, theSunrise deposit in Myojin knoll Izu-Ogasawara, and other active deposits found in the past 20 years. From the fiscal year 2008 some universities in Japan will begin development of sensing devices to delineate surface distributions of known SMSs and to find new ones. The devices would be deployed by an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) or remotely-operated underwater vehicle (ROV) later in active hydrothermal fields and potential areas in the EEZ. On the other hand, different laboratories are planning to research and evaluate SMSs with state-of-the-art methods such as the benthic multi-coring system and geophysical devices to collect information in deeper parts of the SMSs. In this session recent projects on exploration and evaluation of SMSs with some new trials including geophysical and geological surveys in Japan will be reported. An EXTENDED ABSTRACT is available for download. A full-length paper was not prepared for this presentation.

Jan 1, 2008

By Forssberg KSE

Purification of GAsgruvan Limestone is carried out by anionic, cationic and cationic followed by anionic flotations in order to obtain a calcite concentrate that is acceptable to the paper industry. The results indicate that such a concentrate could be achieved by first carrying out the separation of siliceous gangue minerals by cationic flotation followed by the separation of carbonate during the anionic flotation. Stearylamine acetate (Flotigam SA) and a modified fatty acid (OMC 357) are found to be selective during cationic and anionic flotation, respectively. A final product containing 99.25 per cent calcite with a recovery of around 80 per cent is obtained. It is hoped that these results could be further improved by the follow-up process variable studies, in particular, the effect of reagent dosages and conditioning time at each stage of cationic and anionic flotation steps.

Jan 1, 1993