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By Karl Dufresne

Blasting in geothermally high temperature ground and/or extremely reactive ground is an increasing common challenge for surface and underground mines. Many current PETN based non-electric and electronic detonators have manufacturer published in-hole temperature limits ranging from 55°C to 65°C (131°F to 150°F). When confronting blasthole temperatures above the manufacturer published limits, operations may request site-specific guidance and qualification for use. The advised safe loading window for in-hole PETN based detonators is often too short to be practicable for production blasting. To overcome limitations of PETN based initiation systems, surface mines with high temperature ground and/or reactive ground are known to load blastholes with a qualified high temperature bulk emulsion that are top primed with a cartridge of temperature qualified detonator sensitive emulsion plus an RDX detonating cord downline. As there is no in-hole delay detonator in this system, blasthole timing is accomplished with surface delays. Although this system is safe, top priming and surface delaying does influence floor quality and top size fragmentation, and safe loading windows times reduce blast block size and increase blasting frequency. A mining company with a site characterized by geothermally high temperature ground plus highly reactive ground employed a blasting system like the one described above. The site desires to improve blasting performance by moving to an in-hole delay initiation system that can withstand the site ground conditions. At the request of the mining house, DynaEnergetics developed an electronic initiation system for application in geothermally high temperature ground and/or extremely reactive ground conditions. The DynaEnergetics IGNEO high temperature electronic initiation system is rated for in-hole use in ground up to 150C (302°F) for 48 hours. The detonator consists of a high strength detonator with an HMX base charge and thermally resistant downline. To make up a primer, the detonator is inserted into a booster charge assembly that is fitted with a small HMX shape charge. This high energy primer is designed to be compatible and reliable for firing bulk emulsions, including those with high percentages of urea inhibition to combat reactive ground. Up to 1000 detonators may be programmed in 1ms increments up to 1500ms. The system is controlled by a digital firing panel that can be used with either a wired or wireless trigger.  The system enables high temperature and/or reactive ground sites to utilize in-hole delay initiation and realize the associated performance benefits. Conclusions and Future Work 1] The HMX based electronic initiation system permits bottom in-hole delaying in ground temperatures above 80°C (175°F). As compared to top priming and surface delaying, in-hole bottom delaying is known to improve floor quality, muckpile fragmentation uniformity and reduce oversize. 2] Field evaluation of the HMX initiation system at the Lihir Mine is continuing. 3] Work on the next generation of the HMX initiation system is underway and will bring with it expanded application range and flexibility. 

Oct 1, 2024

By I. Filzwieser, A. Filzwieser

The Peirce Smith converter is the key metallurgical vessel in the majority of copper smelters. During the two step process, oxygen enriched air is injected through a row of tuyeres into the matte received from a primary smelting unit. Additionally, in the first step the iron content is oxidized into a fayalite slag by the addition of silica. During the second step, the remaining copper sulphide is converted into blister copper with a final sulphur content of approximately 200 ppm. The overall efficiency of this process is determined by the total reaction time, the slag quality and quantity, and the chemistry of the final blister copper. To increase the reaction kinetics during both stages, the METTOP Process Control and Regulation (MPCR) system was developed, which consists of four elements: OPC - Optical product control ACR - Automatic computer regulation GCU - Gas control unit GIS - Gas injection system The OPC system from SEMTECH records the optical spectrum emitted by the off gas flame providing immediate, detailed process information. Using this online data, additional gas can be automatically injected into the converter through a gas injection system opposite the tuyere zone. An improved oxygen distribution in the melt and the accurate determination of the process end point results in a significant reduction in the process cycle time. Furthermore, by maintaining the reaction closer to the equilibrium the final sulphur and oxygen content can be reduced compared to the conventional process. In particular, the final sulphur content can be lower than 70 ppm, eliminating the need for an oxidation step in the anode furnace.

Jan 1, 2007

By Matthew D. Meyer

SMART, an association of surface mining companies formed in 1995 to develop a coordinated approach to technology development for the mining industry, has recognized the need for the establishment of a worldwide database that continuously collects mining equipment data and provides metrics related to productivity and cost. Under the auspices of SMART, Syncrude Canada, Suncor Energy and Albian Sands Energy (three oil sands mining operations located in northern Alberta) have established a pilot project for mine benchmarking. This presentation will include a review of the pilot progress including: ???Data gathering techniques: means of collection and storage, proposed practice for data control and normalization, access to data/reports and format for data. ???Reports/analyses for individuals, across groups, within the total industry pool and publicly. ???Security and confidentiality of information belonging to identified parties. ???Sharing of best practices among members. SMART has identified two key deliverables to ensure success of the project. First, data supplied from surface mines must be validated and normalized to common definitions and then analyzed to provide participating companies with regular reports that allow them to understand their position and resultant opportunities to achieve world-class performance. This model maintains granularity of the data for each operation that can then be recombined into standard comparisons or specific indices as required. The general categories of: operating delays, maintenance downtime, standby, and scheduled downtime, have been used to frame comparisons. Second, participating companies are looking to go behind the indices to identify and share best practices that distinguish particular operations. The spirit of cooperation between the companies involved in the pilot project is meant to be a model for future expansion of the benchmarking project.

Apr 1, 2005

By W. A. Lang

"I.-IntroductionAn attempt bas been made in this paper to provide a basis for appraisal of the future of the coal briquetting industry in Alberta by outlining the processes used for briquetting various ranks of coal, by specifying the requirements of a briquetted fuel, by indicating .the status of the industry in the United States, by giving developments in Western Canada, by assessing costs of processing, and by discussing briquetting researches in progress. Much of .the detail bas been omitted since this might mask, rather than reveal, the more important phases of the problem. Reference will be made when possible to published articles where many of the details can be obtained.It should be stated at the outset that, in the writer’s opinion, there are three possible developments in Alberta as regards briquetting: (a) an expansion of the briquetting of the fines of • non-coking and coking coals of semi-anthracite, and of low and medium volatile bituminous rank; (b) the processing of the fines of high-volatile C bituminous coals; and (c) the upgrading of the lower rank high-moisture sub-bituminous coals. Details of the chemical and physical properties of these coals can be obtained in publications of the Research Council of Alberta (1, 2), and of the Fuel Research Station, Bureau of Mines, Ottawa (3).Semi-anthracite and low and medium volatile bituminons coals occur in the mountain areas of Alberta, where, during the upthrust of the Rocky mountains, the coal beds served as the sliding surface. This resulted in the coals being; crushed and consequently they contain a h1gh percentage of fines. In some cases they are high in mineral matter and require to be cleaned before being processed. However, the cleaning of fine coal is both difficult and costly. Both the amount of fines present in the mine-run coal and the amount of mineral matter associated with the coal have increased through the introduction of mechanized mining and through the recovery of coal by stripping operations."

Jan 1, 1950

By C. W. Davis

AN inclined shaft is usually more difficult to sink than a vertical shaft, yet it is often chosen because of the subsequent saving in cross-cuts required to reach an inclined ore body. This paper briefly discusses the factors which led to the choice of an incline and then describes the operations involved in the preparatory work and in the sinking. These operations included a programme of mining out the underground facilities and installing the structures required for a hoist-room, cable-raise, waste-pass, ore pass, two sets of skip dumps, and a collar station equipped with counterbalanced drop-rails. The shaft was sunk 1,000 feet and four stations were cut, each with loading pockets. As the sinking progressed, the rock changed from hard porphyries and dense cherts to blocky limestones and earthy rubble. These conditions called for a change in methods and it is to the red it of the shaft-sinking crew that they overcame the new difficulties as the shaft progressed, while maintaining a satisfactory monthly advance. The section mined out was nine feet six inches by seventeen feet overall. This gave room for three compartments: two skip compartments four feet three inches by five feet nine inches inside the timber, to handle two-ton skips, and a manway three feet six inches by five feet nine inches. The sinking began on December 16th, 1941, and was completed on February 15th, 1943.

Jan 1, 1945

By B. Currie

Maintenance of quality electrowon copper requires an electrolyte which has suitable chemical and physical characteristics. The proper design and operation of the solvent extraction plant is essential to the quality of the electrolyte sent to electrowinning. An aspect that is not well appreciated is that the return electrolyte can have negative effects on the operation of the solvent extraction plant. Poor SX plant operation creates below optimum electrolyte conditions. High Eh in the return spent electrolyte can degrade the SX reagent with large decreases in copper transfer capacity and increases in internal entrainment. The synergistic interaction of the SX and EW plants needs a single-source design approach to address the interactions. The design elements in the SX and EW plants required to manage the electrolyte conditions are discussed.

Jan 1, 2014

By John A. Dresser

Seventy years ago a period of prospecting and mining activity began in the Eastern Townships of Quebec that seems to have been quite equal to that of recent years in the Rouyn field. In the following six or seven years a large amount of work was done over a widespread area. About fifty deposits gave some shipment of ore, from a few tons upwards, and as many as five hundred occurrences of copper were made known in the district by official records. Comparing the scale of commercial undertakings of that time and of the present day, these developments must have occupied quite as large a share of the capital and man-power of the Province as northern Quebec employs today. Working conditions at that time were not very favourable. The country was then only newly opened for settlement, and colonists were few and widely separated. Roads of the class built today were unknown. A single line of railway, the Grand Trunk, crossed the district from east to west. Colonization companies controlled large blocks of land on which they owned mining rights and usually reserved these rights in whole, or in part, when selling the lands. Then, as now, the precious metals belonged to the Crown. Yet the work was not without its successes. One of the first deposits discovered, the Acton, was, for a few years, one of the most profitable producing copper mines of its time. Another, the Eustis mine, has been in almost constant operation ever since, and is now vigorously pushing further development. At least two others, now quiescent, proved profitable operations, and several made considerable production. The manufacture of sulphuric acid in Canada was begun by the founder of the Nichols Company at Capelton, on a deposit that is now being re-developed, after a long and creditable career.

Jan 1, 1928

By Wencheng Gao

An attractive way to beneficiate magnesium chloride and aluminum chloride is to prepare Mg-Al spinel, an excellent refractory material. Mg4Al2(OH)14?3H2O, the precursor of spinel, can be prepared using a co-precipitate method from aqueous MgCl2-AlCl3 solutions. The co-precipitation process of magnesium-aluminum from acidified chloride solutions by using NaOH or NH4OH as base neutralization agent was studied. Co-precipitation was conducted from different mixed solutions ? at initial CAl=0.0625M and Mg/Al molar ratio from 0.5 to 10, the temperature range from 30 to 90 °C. The effect of other parameters, including base type, method of base addition, base addition rate, aging time, background electrolyte and concentration were also investigated. The co-precipitation process was monitored by potentionmetric(pH) measurements. The experimental pH curves were characterized by two platforms separated by a steep jump in pH at Mg/Al molar ratio 0.5~6. The first platform was centered at about a pH of 3.8 and the pH of second platform was varied with different conditions. When the Mg/Al molar ratio was up to 6~10, the first platform in pH was almost disappeared. Furthermore, the shapes of pH curves were also affected by base type, base addition rate and method of base addition. Experimental results showed that the first platform in pH was connected with Al precipitation, and the second platform was involved with Mg. The final co-precipitates were characterized by XRD, TGA-DTA, particle size analysis, SEM and TEM. We found both Mg/Al molar ratio and temperature proved to be the key parameters controlling the formation of Mg4Al2(OH)14?3H2O phase. At solution Mg/Al ratio=0.5~4, the main precipitate phase was Bayerite (Al(OH)3) admixed with Mg4Al2(OH)14?3H2O; at Mg/Al ratio=4~6, the main phase was Mg4Al2(OH)14?3H2O admixed with some Mg(OH)2; while from Mg/Al ratio=6~10, the systems were mixtures of Mg(OH)2 and Mg4Al2(OH)14?3H2O.

Oct 1, 2011

By Juliana Parreira

The past decade shows record increases in global demand for minerals and metals with an accompanying significant decline in skilled personnel. Mining companies today are examining new technologies to maximize production, reduce costs, and create safer work conditions to deal with this shortfall. Automation of an open-pit mine haulage system is receiving attention as a beneficial option since it provides more consistent and efficient operation of mining equipment, it removes workers from potential danger, it reduces fuel consumption significantly reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and it can help optimize vehicle repairs and equipment replacement because of more-predictable and better-controlled maintenance. This paper describes a simulation model under development using the EXTENDSIM software package to examine scale-up issues and constraints of autonomous vehicles in comparison to a manual system. The software can predict and manage Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), such as productivity, safety, cost, equipment failures, fuel consumption, and tire wear under different road and load conditions. By breaking-down the various systems of an autonomous haulage truck and simulating the overall haulage system using a Monte Carlo approach, the model becomes a flexible and powerful tool to use within a mining organization. Direct comparison to a manuallyrun system can be done to show the cost and operational benefits of automation. Project managers can use this tool to guide decision-making about possible application of autonomous haulage trucks at a specific mine site.

May 1, 2010

By R. Thierbach, W. Kahnt, Oberthür. T., D. Eisenburger, V. Gundelach

ABSTRACT: The ground penetrating radar (GPR) method was used in a platinum mine in Zimbabwe by members of the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Mineral Resources (BGR). The measurements were carried out in boreholes and drifts. Electromagnetic re?ections from a fault that consistently trends parallel to the mineralization zone permitted the mapping of the economically minable parts of the deposit. An introduction is given to the geology of the studied area and the application of the GPR method. The electrical parametres of the rocks are measured in situ, the GPR measurements are displayed with radargrams, and the visible structures are explained in illustrations.

Jan 1, 2010

By Chih-Huey Lin

The Au/?-Al2O3 catalyst prepared by AuCl3 impregnation is subjected to the influence of residual chlorine after an oven drying. A post-impregnation NH4OH treatment was able to eliminate chlorine, and to reduce the cluster size of Au moiety. However, the CO oxidation activity was not increased by this post-impregnation NH4OH treatment. This suggests that certain metal-support interaction (MSI) is the determining factor for the activity of Au catalysts. Thermal treatment under H2, O2 or He was attempted to increase MSI of the prepared catalyst with or without the post-impregnation NH4OH treatment. No significant activity enhancement was found but the TPD analysis suggests that a H2 treatment has a higher chance to induce MSI.

Oct 1, 2003

By R. C. Gegg

The property of MacLeod-Cockshutt Gold Mines, Limited, is in the Little Long Lac area of the Thunder Bay Mining Division, Ontario, about four miles south of the Canadian National railway station of Geraldton. The town of Geraldton is about 170 miles east of Port Arthur and 22 miles west of Long Lac, which is on the main line of the Canadian National railway. The Trans-Canada highway passes through the property and during the winter season the road is maintained between Port Arthur and Long Lac. Electric power is supplied by the Hydro-Electric Commission of Ontario from their Cameron Falls plant and is distributed at 44,000 volts by a local transformer station. Early History The South orebody was discovered by diamond drilling in the spring of 1936. This is a porphyry contact orebody with major pyrite and minor arsenopyrite mineralization. Some gold is present in the 'free' state, but for the most part it is locked in the pyrite, with little or none in the arsenopyrite. Preliminary test work was based on comparing straight cyanidation with bulk flotation and cyanidation of the concentrates. The overall results by the two methods were found similar, but for economic reasons the flotation-cyanidation process was adopted. Before the mill came into operation, a new and entirely different type of orebody, consisting of massive sulphide lenses in banded iron formation, was discovered to the north of the existing workings. These bodies are an intricate mixture of pyrite and arsenopyrite, both carying gold.

Jan 1, 1949

By L. Vinnett, I. Panire, J. Yianatos, F. Ruiz

"The effect of operating variables on the flotation performance at steady-state has been extensively used for modelling and simulation of separation processes. However, the dynamic characterization of key variables such as gas dispersion (Sauter mean diameter of bubbles, D32, and bubble surface area flux, SB) and froth discharge rate is rather scarce. In this paper, an experimental design allowed identifying the dynamic response of the flotation process in a laboratory scale flotation cell, using a two-phase system, airwater. The installation included automatic control for the superficial gas rate, JG, and the pulp level. Gas dispersion was evaluated in terms of the Sauter mean diameter of a bubble population and the bubble surface area flux, SB = 6·JG/D32. The D32 was measured using the McGill Bubble Size Analyzer (MBSA) along with a semiautomated algorithm. In addition, the froth discharge velocity was measured in real-time using a Visiofroth system. The control variables were the superficial gas rate and the frother concentration (Teefroth). The dynamic characterization of the flotation process is useful to design algorithms that allow the direct or indirect control of metallurgical variables such as flotation rate, concentrate grade and mineral recovery.INTRODUCTIONGas dispersion indicates the way the gas entering a flotation machine is dispersed throughout the volume of the equipment (Schwarz & Alexander, 2006). The gas dispersion is typically characterized in terms of the bubble size (dB), gas holdup (eG), superficial gas rate (JG), and bubble surface area flux (SB =6·JG/dB) (Finch et al., 2000). All these variables have significant impact on the metallurgical performance of flotation machines. For example, Perez-Garibay et al. (2014) investigated the effect of the particle size, bubble size distribution, superficial gas rate and collector dosage on the flotation performance, for the separation of a sphalerite mineral. The authors observed that recovery increased with the superficial gas rate ranging from JG = 0.04 to JG = 0.08 cm/s and also a maximum recovery was obtained for bubble size close to 300 µm. Gorain et al. (1998) reported a strong correlation between the flotation rate constant and the bubble surface area flux in a zinc cleaner circuit. Both variables were directly proportional at three froth depths in the range of hF =7 - 45 cm. Dobby & Finch (1986) incorporated the effect of the superficial gas rate and the bubble size on the flotation efficiency by means of a kinetic model for the rate constants. Yianatos & Contreras (2010) developed a model to estimate the carrying capacity in large flotation cells by including the bubble surface area flux."

Jan 1, 2016

By M. Lindgren, M. Latva-Kokko

Process performance can be significantly influenced by proper design of hydrometallurgical reactors. Optimal reactor configuration is case specific and depends on process requirements such as reaction rate limiting factor and particle size distribution. Choice of materials and manufacturing methods also play important roles in highly corrosive and abrasive environment often involved in hydrometallurgical industry. In this paper performance of different reactor designs has been compared in some typical hydrometallurgical applications. Results show that significant improvement in energy consumption, gas utilization efficiency and equipment lifetime can be achieved with process specific reactor design.

Jan 1, 2014

By P. F. Berry

X-ray fluorescence analytical techniques are fairly well established in the mining and metallurgical industries. In recent years, instruments utilizing radioactive isotopes have been developed which, owing to their more compact size, greater reliability and independence of substantial power supplies, are often preferred to X-ray tube installations. Analyses can now readily be carried out in the field, on the factory floor and in otherwise difficult locations. This paper describes many examples of radioisotope X-ray fluorescence for the analysis of metallic minerals, finished metals and alloys and also for the continuous measurement of metallic coatings, such as tin and zinc, on steel. Radiation scatter techniques are also described for certain analyses and for thickness and density measurements.

Jan 1, 1967

By Margaret Anne Stephenson

Today, in Australia, it is increasingly common to see agreements between Indigenous peoples and resource companies being achieved generally as Indigenous Land Use Agreements or agreements pursuant to the ?right to negotiation? process under the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth). Despite progress in this area, resource development on Indigenous lands is not without its challenges for both the resource proponents and the Indigenous parties. History demonstrates that resource development on Indigenous lands has produced struggles between the traditional owners of the land and the resource proponents. In Australia their relationship is generally defined by issues of access to land and assuring continued access to the land for the life of the project. In this context, divisions in Indigenous communities often emerge. The proposed resource project can have the effect of polarising members of an Indigenous community. It may be regarded by some traditional land owners as an advantageous opportunity for the community and by others as a hazard to country and culture. The process of agreement making has proved not only a test for the Indigenous community but also for the resource proponent. In this paper we undertake a contemporary case study of a proposed Australian resource related-development project on Indigenous lands. This project involved a multi-billion gas hub precinct proposed at James Price Point in the Kimberley region in Western Australia. The James Price Point proposal produced a litany of challenges for all parties. The traditional owners faced fundamental social and human rights issues, including a minority opposition to the project, the project's potential cultural heritage impact, the threat of compulsory acquisition of their native title interest by a State government due to an initial failure to settle an agreement, a fracture of their unsettled land claim and a minority rejection of the agreement ultimately reached. Additionally, the ?green? lobby also rejected the proposed gas hub on environmental grounds bringing the green lobby into direct conflict with both the traditional owners in favour of the project and the resource proponent. Ultimately, Woodside announced its decision not to proceed with the proposed gas precinct at James Price Point, in April 2013. In this paper we analyse the complexity of the James Price Point gas hub negotiations with the traditional owners which resulted in an Agreement that promised to deliver substantial benefits for the Indigenous communities. We question why such a favourable and beneficial agreement for the Indigenous community also produced the plethora of challenges and concerns and we consider how future negotiation processes could be better structured to avoid the difficulties that have confronted Indigenous land owners and resource proponents alike.

Aug 1, 2013

By Marc Symbaluk

Core Programs Current ? Aboriginal Involvement Program ? Adaptive Forest Management / Forest History Program ? Grizzly Bear Research Program ? Natural Disturbance Program ? Foothills Growth and Yield Association ? Foothills Stream Crossing Program ? Fish and Watershed Program ? Caribou Landscape Management Association ? Social Science Program ? Local Level Indicators Program ? Communications and Extension Program ? Geographic Information Systems Program ? Mountain Pine Beetle Ecology Program In Development ? Climate Change Program ? Forest Community Program ? Water, Quantity and Quality Program (Water for Life) ? Circumboreal Initiative ? Yellowhead Ecosystem Management Group

May 1, 2008

By F. Rivard, M. G. Drouet, W. S. Ruff, P. Carabin

"In both the hot rotary-salt-furnace (RSF) treatment of aluminum dross and the cold ball-millsieving (BMS) treatment of zinc dross, enormous amounts of energy and recoverable metal are wasted and large amounts of greenhouse gas are produced. Such wastes and the environment pollution could be avoided by using the DROSRITE PLUS™ technology. Economic and GHG production comparisons between the presently used industrial treatment processes and DROSRITE PLUS™, supported by over one hundred tests conducted in Canada, the US and Europe, are presented. The savings, with DROSRITE PLUS™, would be about $191 and $418 per MT of aluminum and zinc dross, respectively.INTRODUCTIONDross is a material, which forms on the surface of molten non-ferrous metal, such as aluminum or zinc, during melting, metal holding and handling operations when the molten metal is in contact with a reactive atmosphere. Dross normally consists of metal oxides entraining a considerable quantity of molten free (unreacted) metal, and for economic reasons it is desirable to extract the free metal before discarding the residue. In the case of aluminum dross, recovery of the metal is usually carried out by treating the dross in a furnace at a high temperature (Peterson et al., 2002). By contrast, cold zinc dross is crushed in a ball mill followed by sieving to separate the coarse metal portion from the fine oxide residue.The conventional aluminum dross treatment process, using gas or oil-heated rotary salt furnaces (RSF), is thermally inefficient and environmentally unacceptable because of the salt slag and CO2 produced from the combustion of fossil fuels. In the past several years, a number of salt-free processes have been developed and some of these have found limited commercial use (Gripenberg et al., 1994; Lavoie et al., 1990). In all these dross treatment processes, heating of the cold dross in a rotary furnace requires an external energy input that varies between 375 and 2,500 kWh per (metric) tonne of dross. Molten metal separated during processing of the heated dross is tapped, and the remaining solid residue is discharged from the furnace."

Jan 1, 2012

By L. J. Cabri

A gold sample assaying 11.4 g Ault was selected for this study. Approximately 99% of the gold in this sample occurs as discrete gold minerals; the balance occurring as invisible gold in pyrite (determined by SIMS analysis). The sample was coarsely ground and sieved, yielding -38, 17, 22 and 22 wt.% in the -400+160 um, -160+80 um, -80+40 µm and -40 µm size fractions. Assays of the size fractions gave a gold distribution of -32, 20, 21, and 27% respectively. Processing with the hydroseparator (model HS-02) gave two tailings products and one concentrate from each size fraction. Assays of the concentrate from each size fraction gave gold recoveries of -7, 7, 24, 19%, respectively. Polished sections were prepared from each hydroseparation product and studied by image analysis to automatically search for gold minerals. Calculations were done using the surface area of the grains of gold minerals found on the polished sections.

Jan 1, 2005

By Dave Shook

A Mineral Processing facility in Montreal has recently implemented a leading-edge intranet solution for monitoring the performance of plant operations, and providing condition-based maintenance. This innovative multi-faceted software implementation incorporates: web-delivered plant information systems; area-wide control loop performance assessment (using sophisticated algorithms to evaluate poorly performing controllers); and integrated alarm management functions. The system has enabled a project to improve plant operations through better process control. Maintenance technicians, engineers, supervisors and managers all can see the performance of the controllers, and the performance of the plant itself, through webdelivered graphics and reports. Information is combined from many sources, real-time, historical, relational and analytical, to provide a complete picture of plant operation. The web-based solution centralizes the administration of user access, and simplifies the deployment of several different kinds of information to many desktops. It is an extensible system that allows users to create and share their own web pages and data views. The paper will discuss the solution architecture and the improvements the I.T., operations, maintenance, and engineering groups have experienced, and overall benefits to the facility.

May 1, 2002