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The word "mine" means different things to different people. To a professional in the mining industry, it may mean trucks and shovels, overburden dumps, headframes, mill buildings, and the other conventional nuts and bolts that constitute an operating mine. To an environmental- ist it may mean bulldozed trees and tailings dams. To a mining engineer who has spent a significant proportion of his career in mine and prospect evaluation, it can mean a hole in the ground with a liar at the top. The liar in this case is frequently not so through design but through ignorance. The purpose of this paper is to contribute in a small way to en- lightening that ignorance. In doing so, it will foster more effective deployment of the pool of risk capital available to the industry.

Jan 1, 1982

Refractory gold concentrates and their roasted products have been examined by mineralogical and chemical methods, and the distribution of gold in the tailings after leaching has been Investigated.

Jan 1, 1989

By Jones

Extractive metallurgy in the mining industry in Western Australia has diversified and increased in the last 11 years. Before 1980, the industry mainly produced alumina, nickel, mineral sands and iron ore, with the gold industry restricted to five operating plants using Merrill-Crowe technology. In 1981 Carbon-in-pulp (C]P) plants were commissioned at Kambalda, Kalgoorlie and Meekatharra.Currently, the gold industry has some seventy CIP plants in operation, production of synthetic rutile has increased tenfold to 500 000 tpa, alumina production has doubled and production of copper, lead and zinc concentrates has begun. Other extractive metallurgy plants recover tin, niobium and tantalum, silicon, titanium dioxide and zirconia. Current proposals include vanadium, steel and rare earths.

Jan 1, 1992

By Whiteley M, Robinson T, Vernon B

The Western Australian gold industry has approximately 100 operating plants, mainly CIP/CIL. The nature of the State's rapidly expanding gold industry gave rise to concerns over management of the cyanide hazard, in that most plants are remote from major population centres, have a workforce with a high turn over and use highly saline process water. Approximately 4,500 workers in the industry have the potential to be exposed to cyanide in the course of their normal work.This paper outlines the risk management strategy developed by Government and industry to monitor atmospheric HCN gas in the work environment and the role of continuing education and training along with regular site inspections by Department of Mines Inspectors.

Jan 1, 1990

By Goode RA

It is-assumed that a pipeline system is economically justified as a means of transportation.. The terms "True Life" and "Economic Design Life" are defined. The most usual design alternatives to be considered from both physical and economic -viewpoints are listed and a summary is given of the main factors to be costed in assessing the relative economics of each alternative. A brief statement of the recor mended method af economic. assessment is given and an example is included. The paper aims to present a reasonably accurate, simple and practical method of considering the main economic factors which govern design.

Jan 1, 1962

By X B. Sun

Mining work is a high-risk operatation under a special environment. It is affected by space, lighting, noise, vibration, dust, air pollution, etc as well as coal seam conditions, complicated geology construction, combustion of coal, gas, coal dust, etc. Factors which affects safety production are numerous, eg natural conditions, technical equipment level, producersÆ and managersÆ qualities. It is a complex system engineering to ensure mining safety and high efficiency. Among the ideology, methods and measures of safety management are the most important factors besides safety technology. Mine productive environment is a main problem that affects minerÆs work as far as safety and health are concerned. Combining ChinaÆs mine productive environment situation and using human ergonomics theory, this paper explores a series of measures and suggestions as to how to reinforce safety management, how to build up the safety management ideology, how to improve the mine production environment, how to decrease coal mine accidents, and how to ensure mining safety and high efficiency.

Jan 1, 2003

By Fulton E, Ring RJ, Waters DJ

The Nabarlek uranium treatment plant of Queensland Mines Limited (QML) is currently treating 600,000 tonnes of ore which was mined and stockpiled in a single four month period prior to commissioning of the plant. During the mining phase, material from the open pit was sorted into ore,'below ore grade uranium material (bogum) and waste using a truck discriminator (radiometric analyser) developed by Australian Mineral Development Laboratories (AMDEL). Ore was stockpiled in a single heap with the location and grade of each truck load being recorded. Bogum and waste were stored separately. From the information recorded, both computer and physical models of the stockpile were constructed. These models are currently used in the planning of day to day reclamation of ore from the stockpile.

Jan 1, 1984

Three main divisions of the. Proterozoic are recognised in the North- West of Western Australia. These are referred to, in order of decreasing age as the Mt. Bruce Supergroup, the Bresnahan Group and the Bangemall Group. The stratigraphy and distribution of each is described, their relative ages discussed and a brief geological history of the whole area is Presented.

Jan 1, 1964

By Terry G. A B

Before detailed design of Museum Station could commence, a number of factors had to be considered to determine its exact location within the city street pattern, the depth and the dimensions of the underground station. To arrive at a sound con- clusion regarding location, the relationship of the station to probable future city development had also to be considered.

Jan 1, 1981

By Lightfoot BW, Foo KA, Conochie DS

Aberfoyle Limited operated a matte fuming pilot plant, incorporating a SIROSMELT furnace in 1980/81. This plant was a significant advance in both smelting and tin extraction technology. Important design, construction and commissioning aspects are discussed and some of the key points to emerge from this phase of the work are reviewed.

Jan 1, 1984

By Ciminelli VST

Thiourea leaching has been applied to a refractory gold concentrate previously treated by bacterial oxidation. Following the bio-oxidation, gold has been leached in acidic thiourea solutions, under different pH(1 - 2.4), thiourea concentrations (2 - 15 g/1), ferric ion concentrations (0.04 - 3 g/1) and temperatures (298 - 333 K). Through this procedure, it was possible to increase gold extraction from 40 to 77 per cent. The increase in temperature raised gold extraction and reduced reagent consumption. Sodium sulphite addition was also very effective in lowering thiourea consumption. Staged leaching operations with interstage acid washing and carbon-in-leach experiments were tested, in an attempt to increase gold extraction. The results of thiourea leaching were compared with those obtained with cyanidation.

Jan 1, 1993

Fluid bed sulphation roasting of bismuth concentrates began at Warrego in 1980 in con- junction with the recommissioning of the Tennant Creek Smelter. This process, develop- ed by Peko Mines, is used to separate copper and bismuth by converting copper minerals to a water or weak acid soluble form and then leaching. Pilot scale testwork conducted at the Australian Mineral Development Laboratories (AMDEL) and by Dorr Oliver Pty Ltd in the USA indicated that close control of bed teaper- atures and exhaust gas composition was required to ensure high levels of soluble copper. After overcoming some initial problems, the plant now achieves typically 89 percent copper extraction. Plant capacity is 2.7 tonnes/h by design but in practice this is limited by feed analysis, air requirements, cyclone operation and calcine particle size Consideration.

Jan 1, 1984

A number of small copper deposits occur in the Pernatty Lagoon-Mt. Gunson area. Textural and mineralogical differences distinguished the lagoon sulphide deposits, which occur in a water filled basin of permeable bedrock immediately under the lagoon floor, from the largely oxidized deposits which occur in the low hills adjacent to the lagoon deposits.Groundwaters are carrying copper, and to a lesser extent zinc, downstream to the lagoon. Several species of sulphate-reducing bacteria are widespread in the groundwaters and lagoon muds.It is suggested that copper sulphides were first deposited at the same time as, or soon after, the host Proterozoic sediments, and that during the present cycle of erosion the lagoon deposits may have been enriched, or largely formed, by bacterial precipitation of copper sulphides from laterally migrating cupriferous groundwaters.

Jan 1, 1971

Mount Isa mine is the largest underground mine in Australia and is located 2,000 kilometres north-west of Brisbane. This mine has been in continuous operation since 1931 and in 1986/87 the silver/lead/zinc stream achieved the peak annual mining rate of 4.7 million tonnes. At present about fifteen different steeply dipping stratiform orebodies are being mined to maintain an annual production rate of around 3.0 million tonnes. Out of these, only two orebodies (2 & 5) are amenable to sub level open stoping (SLOS) type bulk mining methods. This year only 150,000 tonnes are scheduled from pillars and remnant areas but in future, more sources will be required to meet the budget production targets.

Jan 1, 1990

The kinetics of chlorination of alumina and bauxite with CO/CI2 mixtures were studied in the range 300-1100°C. The temperature of prior calcination is critical in determining the reaction rates. An optimum chlorination temperature in the range 600°C-750°C was demonstrated such that there is no increase in reaction rates with increasing temperature. This lack of rate sensitivity to rising temperature is largely a function of the influence of gaseous diffusion gradients in the porous alumina together with a progressive decrease in surface area.

Jan 1, 1976

By Peak DJ, Kearton CJ

Following a summary of the development of a BF model using aerodynamic relationship and bulk fines index a blast furnace policy model is presented complete with the development of nomograms and featuring production rate, oil rate and total fuel rate. Application of the blast furnace model is then illustrated using No. 5 Port Talbot as an example. It is also shown how the policy model assists in ore allocation in the British Steel Corporation. Further developments which have recently occurred in the correlation between the bulk fines index and the permeability coefficient are detailed and a comparison made with a number of furnaces operated elsewhere. The implications of the comparisons made are that high driving rates are possible with burden containing a high proportion of sinter only if the burden behaviour in the lower parts of the furnace permits high driving rates with a steady gas distribution and low pressure drop. It is concluded that the value of a simple set of equations resulting from the model assisted furnace operators to pin-point likely causes of failure to reach or sustain target production rates.

Jan 1, 1975

An extensive railway construction prog- ram in the People's Republic of China has required the excavation of many tunnels in difficult ground, particularly in mountainous regions. Conclusions drawn from case histories permit guidelines to be formulated as to the optimum location of tunnel alignments in faulted and folded terrains, and also in karst regions. Geological factors adversely affecting durability of tunnel linings can be minimised by adoption of appropriate construc- tion practices.

Jan 1, 1987

By Croggon R

Passing a direct current through a jointed fine grained soft rock mass auses the movement of water by the process of electric-osmosis. There are other processes such as electrolysis which transport ions that interact with associated ions and can, in turn, be oxidised. This results in the dissolution products being transported towards the cathode electrode. In the cathode region the ferrous hydroxide is oxidised to ferric hydroxide %%ith consequent precipitation. The cracks and joints are current pathways, along which the ferric hydroxide is deposited. This deposition reinforces the joints and increases the shear strength. By adding calcium chloride to the anode, the rate of corrosion is increased with the concomitant increase of deposited ferric hydroxide along the joints. This, in turn, significantly increases the joint shear strength. The process is pervasive in that the current via the water paths travels through the crack and joint systems The result is that not only specific joints are reinforced but the cracks and mtciconnected voids are also reinforced.

Jan 1, 1997

This paper deals with the evolution of present mechanised declining and orebody development practices at Kambalda, since their inception in 1969. Eight separate decline accesses have been established over the past eighteen years and to date some 175 kilometres of declining and lateral development has been achieved utilizing a wide range of mechanised development and mucking units. Improvements in-the range of equipment available, functionalization of the develop- ment tasks and the resultant changes to piecework contract structuring have all contributed to the improved performances achieved in this concept of mine development. Even though numerous development advance rate records have been established at Kambalda, an ongoing evaluation of changes to both drilling and mucking units is underway to further improve these development performance rates.

Jan 1, 1987

Tonnes per Hour - Kilowatts per Tonne Tonnes of Mesh Size Produced Kilowatts per Tonne of Mesh Size Produced - Terms often heard in discussions of grinding mill and grinding circuit performance. All of them only tell a partial story as none of them relate to a fixed reference or overall standard measurement. Tonnes per Hour gives the production rate relating it to a specified or desired rate set as a goal or objective. As such it does not take into account changes in feed size, product size or grindability. Kilowatts per Tonne which accurately stated is kilowatt hours per tonne brings power consumed into the picture which is related to grindability but still does not take into account changes in feed size and product size without which power changes do not necessarily reflect the complete effect of changes in Grindability.

Jan 1, 1978