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By D. Elroi

This paper addresses the sharing of 2D and 3D data between GIS and mine planning software. Two-dimensional (2D) data, and now three-dimensional (3D) data as well, can be formatted such that both types of software can use, exchange, and display the same datasets. This increases the ability to share data between such groups as environmental, exploration, and mine planning. It overcomes shortcomings of mine planning software in areas of open database connectivity, spatial analysis, and data input and output. It also helps to overcome shortcomings of GIS software in the areas of geologic modeling, three-dimensional interpolation, and visualization.

Jan 1, 1998

By Mark E. Emerson

Foreign and domestic companies find the mineral potential of this country's stern public lands, its capital markets, political stability, and "open-door" policy attractive for hard mineral exploration. Traditionally, exploration in the US has been geographically based and responsibility oriented at the district level. The 1970s brought a decentralized approach to exploration as major non-metal companies began to diversify into hard minerals. The emphasis was on capital intensive metal and energy projects involving bulk-tonnages. The recent economic downturn in metals has caused many of the new participants to withdraw from the mineral scene. The surviving companies have shifted their emphasis toward medium scale precious metal projects having high operating margins and rapid return on equity. Exploration expenditures in the United States are now principally focused on gold and silver to the exclusion of practically all other commodities. In the search for precious metals companies have scaled back their exploration efforts and have began to apply new approaches to target selection. The search is being assisted by rapidly evolving conceptual models. The change in orientation has led to numerous new discoveries. The finds are essentially "rediscoveries" that c,-re previously uneconomic. The majority are low-grade surface deposits that have involved low discovery costs and short lead times for development by low-cost mining and beneficiation methods. The emphasis on gold to the exclusion of all other commodities raises questions regarding the direction of exploration in the US for the rest of the 80s.

Jan 1, 1984

Joy Mining Machinery has developed a new generation of ultra-heavy shields for Anglo Coal Australia?s Moranbah North Mine in the Bowen Basin region of Queensland. These are the largest two-leg longwall shields yet produced by Joy. The longwall at Moranbah North posed a number of challenges, among them a thick, inclined, sometimes undulating seam with increasing depths. The result of this was the need for larger, heavier, more powerful roof supports. Knowing that future longwalls would be going deeper, mine management determined that shield yield ratings of at least 1,750 t (1,930 st) was what would be required.

Jan 1, 2011

By A. D. Wunderlich

Providing a safe & secure environment for your employees and other company assets is absolutely necessary in our litigeous society. Security hardware is no different than computers or other technical equipment, in that new equipment is developed each year that makes older equipment obsolete. This presentation will help to explain how your existing security system and security procedures can be updated to meet industry standards without the expenditure of a great deal of money. If you are concerned about potential security problems and how to address these problems, this presentation is a must.

Jan 1, 1995

By Bob Snashall

"We could blow that damned fort out of existence if we could run a mine shaft under it!," claimed one Union soldier eyeing Bobby Lee's Petersburg defense line protecting Richmond and Jeff Davis. Puncture the line, take the hill behind, and the Confederate capital would celebrate Yankee jubilee, 1864. That was June. At 4:15 am, July 30, mine boss Henry Reese, sergeant, 48th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers, gingerly entered the mine, dark and muddy. Something had gone wrong. The mine, set to go off at 3:30, hadn't exploded. It had to be checked. The main mine gallery, 1.5 m high x 1.4 m wide (5 x 4 ft) narrowing at the top to 0.6 m (2 ft), forced Reese into a tuck run. Some¬where up there in that 155 m (511 ft) stretch running 6 m (20 ft) under the rebel works, moisture may have doused the charge. Or maybe a fuse splice went awry. Or maybe there was live fire steaming like a locomo¬tive towards 3.6 t (4 st) of black powder. Perhaps now Reese wished this sprint was shorter. For the mine boasted a record break¬ing distance in military annals. Lieut. Col. Henry Pleasants Credit goes to Lieut. Col. Henry Pleas¬ants, commander of the 48th, who overheard the soldier's claim for what a mine could do. In peacetime, Pleasants had been a railroad engineer working on the Sand Patch Tunnel. He later switched to mining, working for the Philadelphia & Reading Coal & Iron Co. He even married the daughter of the editor of The Miners Journal. Grieving over his wife's early death, Pleasants plunged into the ven¬ture of war. This Union officer took the mine idea to the brass. Headquarters was less than enthu¬siastic. "The chief engineer of the Army and the rest of the regular Army wiseacres said it was not feasible," Pleasants wrote to his uncle. The pros scoffed, ticking off a list of horribles: No mine has ever gone that far, men will suffocate and be crushed, the rebs will countermine, the men will be trapped. Still, Pleasants eked out a signal to proceed. In the meantime, the miners of the 48th had commenced to dig anyway. It was like the 48th to proceed against the odds. The 48th Pennsylvania Volunteers The 48th had been recruited from Penn¬sylvania's Schuylkill County, anthracite coal mining country. The mines had been torn with strife over wages. Strikes and rioting were prevalent. Murder was not unknown. This "Buckshot" resistance centered in Pottsville, PA. It forced the governor to call in troops. Coal was in high demand to run the war machine. Pennsylvania operators worried that a military draft would stir up violence, closing the mines altogether and further shift¬ing business to emerging Illinois mines. Men lit out for the western gold fields in the tens of thousands. Secret societies bred in the mining camps invited draft agents to dance at the end of a rope. Jobs threatened by cheap, victorious South¬ern labor were one warning intended to get immigrant miners interested in the war. Operators gave miners time off to help de¬fend Philadelphia during Lee's thrust to Gettysburg. Even so, the draft spawned new violence and troop intercession. Soldiers were not welcome. The dust had barely settled when into this Pennsylvania "minefield" marched the 48th on a recruitment drive. The 48th had been in Lexington, KY on guard duty. When it came time for the regiment to pull out, the townspeople had prevailed upon authorities to extend the regiment's stay. Finally ordered to move out, the 48th was feted by a hanky-waving, tear-dropping send-off to the lyrical lament Auld Lang Syne. And Kentucky fancied itself to be rebel. Striding smartly into the Pennsylvania coalfields, the 48th attracted 400 recruits and marched off under regimental colors specially made by the proud citizens of none other than Pottsville, PA.

Jan 1, 1989

By Michael J. Pratko

The bulk handling industries have long been plagued with problems in their attempt to obtain one of their major goals - the maximum efficiency for which a bulk handling flow system was designed. Mentor Dynamics Ltd. is an international firm with offices in Canada, Japan, and the United States. Mentor Dynamics Ltd. is in the business of solving the "why not" of a system and engineers the solution for the problem. Studies of the varied difficulties encountered with bulk flow systems indicate that 90% of all flow problems fall into one or more of the following categories: abrasion, impact, sticking, and/or inadequate design. These problems can occur with a myriad of bulk solids: coal, gypsum, aragonite, phosphate, fly ash, ore. Solutions to the problems are as varied as the problems. The proper lining material, ceramic, urethane, rubber, and/ or ultra high molecular weight polyethylene, must be coupled with the correct fastening system, annular ring and 'F' cap, weld washer, button head fastener, weld studs and/or nuts and bolts.

Jan 1, 1982

By L. L. Oriard

There are certain site-specific geological and physical features of a rock mass which control its behavior under the dynamic stresses induced by the action of explosives. It is essential that blasting technology be adapted specifically to those features. There does not exist a single, simple "right" way for each type of blasting operation, but rather each operation must be custom-designed for each site. When this is done, it is often possible to produce unusual but highly desirable end resglts, such as undisturbed narrow rock walls, monoliths and square benches. Although the techniques illustrated here were developed specifically for "sculpture blasting", the geomechanics principles would apply to other types of blasting control, both large-scale and small-scale. Because the techniques are designed more for the purpose of modifying the site responses which would ordinarily be expected than they are to developing new "blasting formulae?, the name "Modified Site Response Blasting" will be used.

Jan 1, 1984

By V. R. Burkhart

Pennsylvania Power & Light Company is an investor-owned public utility which was incorporated under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on June 4, 1920, with general offices at 901 Hamilton Street, Allentown, Pennsylvania. At the present time PP&L is operating five coal-fired steam electric stations, two hydroelectric stations and one steam heat plant which is being converted from anthracite to oil fired. In addition, PP&L is a partner in both the Keystone and Conemaugh mine mouth bituminous coal-fired steam electric stations in Central Pennsylvania and also part owner of a company which operates another hydroelectric station. PP&L plants, other than the two mine mouth stations, are located in Central Eastern Pennsylvania. (Figure 1) The company derives about 99% of its operating revenues from supplying electric service, while the balance is from the one steam heat plant serving the city of Harrisburg. The entire service area covering 10,000 square miles in 29 counties, has a population of approximately 2,300,000 people. The area served is mostly suburban. It includes 109 communities each having a population in excess of 5,000 people. The largest cities served are Allentown, Bethlehem, Harrisburg, Hazleton, Lancaster, Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, and Williamsport which range from 50,000 - 120,000 in population. So you see our service area does not include any major cities. The area has industrial, commercial, residential, agricultural and recreational activities that are linked with the Eastern Megalopolis by an extensive interstate limited-access highway system and railroad networks. We consider this Central Eastern Pennsylvania area we serve as the "heart of the market" -- an area with great growth potential.

Jan 1, 1973

By Jean-Michel Rendu

In most mining operations, some degree of selectivity is applied. Whether one deals with surface or underground operation, ore zones, and waste zones are defined not only on the basis of the value of the ore contained, but also taking mining constraints into account. A number of computer techniques are presented which can be used to determine the optimum location of the footwall and hanging wall of ore zones intersected by drill holes. Minimum mining width and minimum internal waste width constraints are taken into account, as well as other economic constraints. The system is presented as an integral part of a larger manumatic ore reserve and mine planning system.

Jan 1, 1982

By R. Y. Wan

Recent research efforts have shown have shown selective solvation extraction of a gold cyanide ion-pair complex from alkaline cyanide solution is possible with organic phosphorus esters. These alkyl phosphorus esters such as tributyl phosphate (TBP) and di-n-butyl n-butyl phosphonate (DBBP) can selectively load gold to rather high levels, even in excess of 30 gpl. However, traditional stripping techniques are not particularly effective. In this regard, gold recovery by direct electrolysis of the organic phase has been found to be an interesting possibility. Further, the rate of direct electrodeposition from the organic phase can be improved significantly by using an aqueous/organic mixture. Direct electrodeposition of sheet gold from loaded DBBP was successfully accomplished at a current density of 8x10 4 amp/cm2 and 55°C from such a two-phase mixture with the aqueous phase as the continuous phase. No appreciable degradation the DBBP was found after 5 cycles of extraction and, electrodeposition. Finally, the applicability of the process strategy for an industrial situation was demonstrated by the successful treatment of waste gold cyanide electroplating solutions.

Jan 1, 1986

By D. R. Zuchelli

The purpose of wrapping ball mills with thermal/acoustic blankets is twofold: 1) to maintain the desired temperature inside the mill, and 2) to reduce the sound emanating from the mill. This field case study focuses solely on the latter, evaluating and documenting the sound level reduction attributed to the installation of the blankets on ball mills and its potential to reduce the noise dose experienced by the process attendant. One of the three ball mills had already been treated (baseline) before the evaluation started. However, treating the remaining two mills still proved to be very effective, further reducing ball mill noise in the near field by as much as 10.0 dBA and producing far field noise reductions of 3.0 dBA or greater, extending as far as 35 feet from the mills and to the floor above. The model developed from the survey data shows that a process attendant spending a substantial portion of a shift in the mill building will experience a significant reduction in overall noise dose.

Jan 1, 2010

By Hans Ruge

The El Soldado copper mineralization occurs as relatively high-grade irregular ore bodies with assay contacts and with frequent inclusions of barren rock. The sampling method must be timely for production grade control purposes, as well as accurate and inexpensive. Sampling techniques evolved from sampling dump cars at the haulage level to sampling scooptrams at the loading pockets. These were abandoned in favor of sampling production blast holes. Several sampling alternatives are discussed. These involve the selection of optimum volumes and sampling frequencies while taking into consideration geological parameters and statistical analyses of sampling data.

Jan 1, 1984

By Alfred Opengart

During any rush hour, tens of thousands of automobiles clog the main highways leading into or out of our large cities. Inevitably one or more cars stall or plow into another, causing a momentous traffic jam. Traffic backs up for miles as drivers try to maneuver around the roadblock. As commuters, we grin and bear the inconvenience, rationalizing the delay as part of the price one pays to live in a modern society. The truth of the matter is that the engineers planning the roads have the know-how to build adequate bypass alternatives into their design. The problem is one of economics -- can the cost of eliminating roadblocks be justified? Engineers designing solutions to complex materials handling problems for modem distribution centers are just now beginning to ask this question in relation to their work. Unfortunately in many instances, it has taken an expensive "traffic jam" to bring this question to the front. In these cases, a seemingly practical system promising an attractive return on investment -- using the latest equipment and computer controls -- was designed and installed. Everything went according to plan until one day a breakdown occurred. .Product flow stopped, and management realized it was at the mercy of the "machine." In such situations, management had assumed it could minimize the risks of the breakdown by injecting extra manpower to operate the system manually and pay the associated costs. What it had not recognized is that manual intervention is nearly impossible with sophisticated systems. Thus, too often -- and sometimes too late -- management found itself footing a very high bill for losses incurred because of major production stoppages and missed customer shipments.

Jan 1, 1973

By Kadri Dağdelen, Matthew Deutsch, Thys Johnson

Nested pit analysis in open-pit long range mine planning is used to define approximate ultimate pit limits and an initial high-level schedule in the early stages of a project. Modern ultimate pit optimizers can solve for dozens, or even hundreds, of nested pits however often a smaller subset of pits which are evenly spaced with respect to contained tonnage are desired for downstream analysis. In situations where that pushback selection process must be automated, such as when performing sensitivity analysis, or when the best subset of pushbacks is required; an optimization procedure is warranted. This paper describes a dynamic programming algorithm for selecting pushbacks following nested pit analysis, which is performant and addresses a long-standing inconvenience faced by long range open-pit mine planners.

Jun 25, 2023

By D. C. Torre

Since the early 1960s, there have been efforts to develop and produce reliable continuous haulage systems capable of taking the full output of a continuous miner and transporting it, in one continuous flow, from the face to the tipple. The majority of the successful continuous haulage systems were placed in operation in the early 1970s. These were all of the bridge conveyor type. They usually consisted of bridges and mobile bridge carriers (MBC) attached at the inby end to the continuous miner and at the outby end to the panel conveyor itself. These successful bridge conveyor continuous haulage systems are either of the belted or chain type. The most successful belt type continuous haulage systems are those manufactured and marketed by the Long-Airdox Co. Until early 1977, Jeffrey Mining Machinery Division manufactured and marketed the most successful chain conveyor type haulage sys¬tems. In 1977, Long-Airdox reentered the market with a chain-type system to complement its belted system. The original bridge-type continuous haulage system was introduced to the coal mining industry in the early 1960s by the old Long Co., a predecessor to the current Long-Airdox Co. These original units were of the chain conveyor type. In the early 1970s, there were also developments in continuous haulage, employing different material handling media. These in¬cluded the Serpentix, a flexible type belt, introduced by the Joy Manufacturing Co. There was also a serious attempt to introduce hydraulic-type continuous haulage by Consolidation Coal Co. and Conoco Research. Despite some startling successes, particularly with the bridge-type haulage systems, the general and widespread application of continuous haulage has eluded the mining industry. Some of the problems are related to underground conditions; others to people, both management and labor. One of the greatest obstacles to universal success continues to be the difficulty of accepting the philosophy as well as the machinery of continuous haulage. Nevertheless, efforts continue to spread the success of commercial and viable systems in the industry. There is also effort to improve on these systems, and on methods for their successful use. In addition, efforts continue, with private and public support, to develop new types of continuous haulage equipment and systems. Bridge Type System Developments Because they have already been successful in some US and overseas mines, new developments in bridge-type systems will first be touched on. The Long-Airdox Co. has continued to improve both its belted and chain continuous haulage system. In the belted system, the company recently introduced a new design that will be mainly applicable in higher coals and in noncoal mining applications, as shown in the accompanying figure. This new system is equipped with 305-mm-diam (12-in.-diam) pulleys in the bridges and mobile bridge carriers, in place of the 150-mm-diam (6 in.-diam) pulleys in the standard system. The modification is designed primarily to improve belt life and keep belt problems to a minimum. An operator, the Clinchfield Coal Co., a Division of Pittston Coal, developed the detaching of the bridge-type continuous haulage system from the miner by placing a mobile bridge carrier at the head of the string. However, Long-Airdox and Jeffrey have now made this an option to their at¬tached-type system. In the US, there are many chain type haulage systems detached from the miner with an extra MBC at the head. There are two such belted systems

Jan 7, 1982

By William L. Meyer

With high expectations and promises, computers were introduced to the mining industry in the late 1950s and 1960s. Applications spread in the 1970s when capabilities began to catch up to early promises, and people within the industry began to see the benefits of using computers in business and engineering. The 1980s have seen a wide acceptance of computers, both large and small, and the use of computers is accelerating throughout the industry. Computers have changed dramatically over the last 25 years. The power of some microcomputers matches the capabilities of main frame computers from less than 10 years ago. The variety of software on these micros exceeds what is available on many larger computers today. Changes over the next 10 years are likely to be greater than those of the last 10 years. Making use of available computer technology while trying to cope with the rapid changes in this industry will take much effort within mining. To take advantage of existing computers, consider and evaluate: project needs and applications; professional, administrative, and support personnel; computer software and technology; and computer and related hardware. Note that this list is in the order of decreasing importance. These categories are also presented in the order for which organization and solutions should be provided to get the most out of computers. To start with a computer and go up the list has cost many mining companies needless expenditures, wear and tear on personnel, and frustration. It is assumed for this article that the need for computer tools is self evident. You can do without a computer by using the appropriate techniques (manual methods) with any required shortcuts plus a lot of personnel time. Indeed, several companies are doing that as a "solution" to what to do with their excess engineering personnel in these lean times. However, the future may be better served if some of these people could be prepared to handle the applications and technology presently available. People and Problems To present the factors related to turning the computer into a productivity aide, it may be enlightening to examine some common people problems that reduce productivity. The most valuable resource any mining company has is its mining professionals. And, particularly with computers, people either make the successes or create the barriers, not the machines. The following list of people problems (syndromes and complexes) has been amply observed during some 23 years of the author's experience with computers and their applications in mining. Home Grown Syndrome - "Nobody else can really understand my problem or provide `exactly' what I need to solve it." While there may be some truth to this syndrome, it would be an unusual project that cannot be handled with existing solutions for at least 75-80% of the needs. Having a base to build on will also speed the development of any remaining needs. It does not seem justified to start all over for a new application, even if "our problem is unique." Not Invented Here Syndrome - This "justification" for the continued existence and budgets of some groups has various forms: "It wasn't done here so it obviously can't do the project the way I think it should be done"; and, "If it wasn't invented here, it obviously

Jan 11, 1983

By Ulrich Maidl, Marc Comulada, Janosch Stascheit

"INTRODUCTION Cohesive soils are notorious for causing clogging of the cutter head and the excavation chamber of tunnel boring machines (TBMs). While clogging leads to a drastic reduction in excavation performance, it further induces higher wear of tools and other parts of the cutter head and may even prevent a controlled support of the tunnel face and, thus, lead to face collapse and excess settlements or sinkholes. Employing well-balanced soil conditioning techniques, the clogging tendency can be significantly reduced. The monitoring and control of soil conditioning as well as the timely detection of potential clogging tendencies require a close monitoring of all relevant machine parameters and measurements. To this end, a reliable and powerful Process Controlling software that gathers all machine and process-related information is a prerequisite for successful mitigation of clogging-induced problems. The remainder of this contribution is organized as follows: First, a brief introduction to the Process Controlling system PROCON is given. Afterwards, the mechanisms and mitigation techniques of clogging are discussed. Finally, an example is given how Process Controlling has been employed to soil conditioning in a tunneling project with highly clogging soils.PROCESS CONTROLLING Being both the active part and a huge measuring device, the shield machine represents the core component in mechanized tunneling. This machine comprises a manifold of complex components and devices that require constant supervision and control and, thus, is equipped with a manifold of different sensors that provide a continuous monitoring of the state and condition of the machine (Maidl & Stascheit, 2014). If these data are put into the whole context of the tunneling process, they can provide insight to the assessment and optimization of the performance and to the prediction of potential risks and hazards such as, for example, the tendency of clogging of the cutter head."

Jan 1, 2016

In this paper, the logic and the capabilities of a long term production planning method for open pit mining are presented. The method is the first attempt in obtaining simultaneous solutions to the four interrelated parameters of open pit mining; 1) the mine life, 2) the specific blocks to be mined each year, 3) the amount of ore and waste to be mined each year, and 4) the ultimate pit limits. An efficient cutoff grade can also be obtained through a sensitivity analysis. None of the existing methods can bring such a comprehensive solution to the problem. A production plan for a real life gold deposit is given to illustrate the logic and the capabilities of the method.

Jan 1, 1993

By Dan Witkowsky

In an increasingly environmentally conscious world, mining's importance to society has often been misunderstood and even maligned by the public. Extreme and impractical ideas have often been presented to children because of the lack of accurate, timely resource materials available to educators. In the late 1960s. two mining engineers, S.P. "Pi" Warren and C.L. "Lindy" Barker, became aware of this situation. They proposed to develop a summer field course to provide a factual overview of the minerals industry for teachers. The pair believed that teachers could become better informed to educate students, and future generations, about mining. These two Colorado Mining Association (CMA) members felt that such a course could reduce much of the misunderstanding about this vital industry. This could be done by providing a balanced perspective of mining, not only for kindergarten-through-grade-12 teachers, but also for the students they would be teaching during their careers. Students who better understood the minerals industry could better formulate an unbiased view of it. The course would seek recognized authorities from industry, academia and government who would lecture in their respective fields of expertise. The course would provide a total concept of the coal, aggregate, metals and industrial minerals industries. It would include geology, geophysics, exploration, mining, processing, marketing, product applications, economic, mining history, careers, and environmental responsiblity. When possible, site visits would permit educators to view operations and to meet the men and women who are industry leaders. Teachers would pay a small tuition fee. The balance of the program expenses for each teacher would be paid through scholarships provided by industry and individuals. The "total concept" idea obtained the support of the minerals industry. The support of CMA's Education Committee and the Colorado School of Mines (CSM) was obtained in 1968. Colorado's Commission on Higher Education approved teacher recertification credits through CSM's Office of Special Progams and Continuing Education for those successfully completing the program. The first six-week series of classes presenting the total concept of the indus¬try was held at CSM in 1969. In 1977, the CMA Education Foundation Inc. (CMAEF) was established as a Colorado nonprofit corporation. The "Total Concept of the Mining Industry" (Total Concept) course was placed under its sponsorship. CMAEF is dedicated toward this continuing education program (Table 1). In 1994, the course was streamlined to four-weeks for six hours recertification credit.

Jan 1, 1997

By H. R. Coles

Test work conducted in the 6.4 and 10.52 m Aerofall Mills at the Iron Ore Company of Canada Carol Project showed that the conventionally used ?deflector?-type liners which form the basic principle of Aerofall Mill grinding did not necessarily provide the best grinding performance. A new design, using low profile liners incorporating radial ribs of a proper height, actually improved the mill throughput in the order of 9 to 20% without sacrificing grinding efficiency. In addition, the new design reduced liner weight and scrap losses, which resulted in a reduction of liner consumption by 25%. It provided better protection to the mill shell and reduced the overall maintenance cost for the mill

Jan 1, 1980