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By S Romanchuk, V N. Macvkiw, D. J. I. Evans

The paper describes the processes developed and piloted by Sherritt Gordon Mines Limited for recovering copper, in the form of specification copper powders, from Lynn Lake sulphidic copper concentrates and Fort Saskatchewan Refinery by-product copper sulphides. The process includes ammonia pressure leaching and hydrogen reduction from solution. Nickel and cobalt present in the con-centrates dissolve in the leach solution and a method was developed for separating these metals from the cop-per. Methods are described for con-trolling the physical properties of the copper powder produced in the reduction vessel. The chemistry of the process is briefly discussed and the effects of some of the more important process variables are described. SHERRITT Gordon Mines Limited have developed and proven on a pilot plant scale, a process (I) for the production of copper powder

Jan 1, 1961

By M. E. Holter

"Three main potash members are recognized within the Prairie Evaporite Formation of Saskatchewan and have been designated, in ascending order, the Esterhazy, Belle Plaine and Patience Lake members. Each is composed of sylvinite near the geographic center of the member and becomes increasingly carnallitic marginally. Each stratigraphically higher member has a narrower carnallitic margin. The sharp contact between carnallitic and non-carnallitic components of the formation describes a surface which may be traced regionally and is not related to bed-ding. The contact rises higher in the stratigraphic section toward margins of members. Within each of the three members, analyses indicate that carnallite becomes more abundant toward the north whereas sylvite and insolubles, increase toward the south. Within each member, areas rich in carnallite are coincident with areas in which the member as a whole is thicker than averag,e. The Belle Plaine Member contains the highest concentrations of carnallite, the Esterhazy the lowest. A maximum content of about 30 per cent sylvite is common to all three members. Insoluble contents increase in successively higher members.Map studies are combined to outline the economic potential of the potash beds in terms of depth to the top of the Prairie Evaporite, ""salt-back"" thicknesses and sylvite grades for each member."

Jan 1, 1971

By Alfred B. Annor

The introduction and application of paste backfill over the past two decades has resulted in substantial benefits being realised by many backfill reliant mining operations who have used this technology. Paste preparation over this time period has relied basically on mechanical dewatering approaches that have included the use of centrifuges, thickeners, and vacuum and pressure filtration. In large bulk mining operations, this method of paste preparation has usually involved the construction of big and complex surface plants to meet large tonnage demands. These large plants usually have attendant high capital, maintenance and operating costs. The application of paste backfill in narrow-vein mining requires more flexibility in terms of fill preparation, transportation and placement. The method of paste fill preparation should take into consideration low manufacturing and operating costs, ability to use existing facilities at mine sites, simplicity of operation and flexibility of preparing fill over a broad range of consistencies. This paper will review alternative paste fill preparation methods and indicate those that might be better suited to narrow-vein mining.

Oct 1, 2001

By Jean-Louis Robert

Field work inaugurated in 1962 in the townships of Lemieux and Lesseps, in the Gaspe Peninsula of Quebec, has permitted the author to delineate the lithologic units of the area, to elucidate a few stratigraphic problems and to outline several zones of alteration. Certain features of these zones and the numerous mineralized showings in the area merit the attention of prospectors and exploration companies.

Jan 1, 1966

By A. L. Mular

"On behalf of Bob Bruce and myself I would like to begin by stressing some key points.First, most of us know that the Canadian Mineral Processors was formed in 1969 and is an offshoot of the Canadian Gold Metallurgists. I attended that first meeting in 1969, and I haven't missed a meeting since! Pretty obvious that CMP serves the best booze! At any rate, we know that our meetings are supported by CANMET. Camsell Hall is always at our disposal; Bob Bruce acts as permanent secretary pretty much free of charge; we receive a financial grant from CANMET. This brings me to a second point.Second the Canadian Mineral Processors do not enjoy a free ride in this relationship. CMP provides a genuine service to the mining industry, to government, and to universities. For the industry, CMP serves as a forum for the rapid dissemination of new ideas and new technology developed at remote locations throughout Canada. New developments outside Canada are introduced by invited speakers at our meetings. The effect is to help reduce operating costs and increase efficiency.For government, problem areas and research priorities can be isolated through mutual discussions. Direct communication at our meetings can help CANMET to temper its goals and modify its national priorities.For universities, CMP provides a wealth of operating experience and practical know how. The yearly proceedings are a major current reference source fo1· those of us who teach mineral processing. Admittedly, the proceedings are publ-shed from CMP coffers. However, I note that our fees are up this year, which brings me to a third point.Third, we face some potential problems of a financial and political nature. From a financial view, we may lose our CANMET grant and other financial good will simply because of spending constraints. Our fees are expected to climb each year thereafter.From a political view, we know that the metallurgical society of CIM is anxious to incorporate CMP as a section. The pros and cons of such a merger have been described in a recent mailing. In th2 final analysis, the political and financial problems are interrelated. There are several alternative solutions to both problems, which brings me to a fourth point"

Jan 1, 1979

By Ron Hatch, M. K. Witte

"INTRODUCTIONThe proper selection of carbon for a gold carbon in pulp (CIP) circuit involves careful evaluation of several physical, chemical and economic factors. A series of evaluations are required to maximize gold recovery at the lowest capital and operating costs, whether the carbon is selected for an existing gold mill circuit or a new mill under design.Although evaluation may proceed through various stages, it is the intent of this paper to outline some of the preliminary testwork that should be carried out to screen potential carbons for a particular application.An examination of the specification sheets supplied by the various carbon manufacturers may indicate some desirable properties on which to make cursory selection. This exercise by itself will not provide the basic data needed for selecting the best carbon for a particular ore pulp and metallurgical circuit. The necessity of further metallurgical evaluation is indicated by the fact that different carbons perform differently depending on the physical and chemical nature of the leach pulp. In the case of an existing mill, actual leach slurries using mill water are available and should be used for testwork. In the case of new mills, leach pulps must be prepared to simulate the proposed circuit.Five coconut shell activated carbons were obtained from various suppliers, all reported to be 6 x 16 mesh carbons recommended for CIP circuits. A metallurgical evaluation was made utilizing two leach pulps with significantly different characteristics. This paper describes the test procedures utilized and the results obtained from the testwork."

Jan 1, 1985

By D. W. MacFarlane

In the formation of Oil and Gas Producing Units lawyer& and engineers are interdependent members of the same team. Management is, there-fore, entitled to expect no less than a total cooperative effort from the members of these professions. The petroleum and natural gas lawyer must diligently inform himself on the implications of engineering evidence. Otherwise he can be of little assistance to his engineering witness in a thorough, systematic and convincing presentation of his technical evidence. Conversely, the engineer must appreciate the concern of counsel that quasijudical hearings, whether technical or otherwise, be con-ducted in such a manner as to pre-serve some semblance of organized judicial procedures in the adjudication of property rights. The principal problems in unitization are the participation formula and the adjustment of investment in unit facilities. The equating of oil to gas, the effect of unit infill drilling, the relative values of producing zones and well productivity have •been controversial factors in several Saskatchewan units to date. Perhaps the most perplexing of these has been well productivity. While preserving current income, it may also preserve an ability to drain adjacent tracts plus an inequitable sharing of .reserves properly attributable to secondary recovery operations. However, inequity may also result in depriving an operator of the benefits accruing to him under competitive operations by virtue of his favourable reservoir position or his use of advanced production techniques. The Saskatchewan Oil and Gas Conservation Act has been construed by the Department of Mineral Resources as •completely negating any benefits inherent in the rule of capture when determining equities under unit operations. Under adjustment of investment provisions, large cash flows between owners of exploited acreage should be avoided upon the creation of a unit. These provisions should not deprive any company of the benefits it may have obtained under competitive operations in producing its fair share of the reservoir at a lower net cost per barrel than its competitors. Unitization should be concerned with physical conservation rather than in equalizing production costs as between operators.

Jan 1, 1960

By Karol Kostúr

This paper briefly describes the current state of underground coal gasification (UCG) processes globally and in the Slovak Republic. Recent results of laboratory and technical tests are presented. In addition, on site measurements have added new knowledge of UCG technology. A series of laboratory tests based on physical models shows promise for managed UCG process control.

Aug 1, 2013

By J. Olaf Sund

"THE November issue of the Bulletin carried in it ""Origin of the New Bruns1viclc Gypsum Deposits"" by J. Olaf Sund. This paper was a digested account of a Master's thesis at the University of New Brunswick which was a very useful compendium of information of gyp-sum in New Brunswick. It was a warded the President' s Gold .Medal and the First Prize in the Graduates' Section of the Students' Essay Competition. The present writer presents his congratulations to the winner of the competition. At the same time he must comment on the use of certain terms and on certain conclusions presented in the paper.The term ""unconformable"" has been used in several places in the paper to describe the relationship of gypsum to anhydrite in various deposits in New Brunswick in a sense which is quite alien to the accepted meaning. It has long been known tl1at the gypsum at the surface or near the surface in deposits in the Atlantic Provinces has come from hydration of anhydrite by surface and ground waters. The gyp-sum must be looked upon then as an alteration or even a weathering product. It cannot in this sense be called ""unconformable"" and thus arguments using the word in the accepted sense are invalid."

Jan 1, 1960

By Pierre Labrecque

Dispatch systems have been used for open pit mining since the early 1980?s but similar systems do not widely exist for underground mining. There is a need for developing dispatch systems for underground mines, particularly highly automated operations such as block caving. An innovative method, Agent Based Modeling (ABM) for a dispatch system for a block caving operation, is proposed in this paper. The model is based on a particular behaviour observed in social insects. The focus of the ABM dispatch system is adaptability with respect to changing operational conditions and effective integration of maintenance modules with the operation. The paper will show the advantages of this innovative method compared to existing similar systems. Furthermore, the preliminary approaches for developing an agent based modeling system for block caving operations are highlighted and discussed in this paper. 1. Introduction In social

May 1, 2008

By P. Venkatasubramanian

"In recent years, computer based ""expert systems"" have been taking on large complex tasks for which no exact algorithmic solutions are feasible; tasks previously reserved for human experts requiring empirical knowledge, judgment, experience, developing a ""best solution "" by the use of plausible reasoning. Mining method selection is an appropriate area for the application of an expert system because extensive and detailed knowledge is required to make a ""best"" interpretaion of frequently ambiguous geological information. The expert system model presented here would enable users to apply expert knowledge to the evaluation of methods for coal deposits mineable by underground methods. IntroductionIn an increasingly complex and specialized world, human expertise spanning scientific, economic, social and political issues plays an increasingly important role in all branches of engineering. This is especially true of mining engineering. The number of scientific and professional disciplines involved in mine planning and evaluation, illustrates the problem. A conservative list includes geology, geophysics, geotechnics, hydrology, mining, environment, and economics.Engineers are almost obliged to be experts in at least one of the above disciplines if they are to handle the volume of information required in the planning process. Although computers have become indispensable tools in many endeavours, there is continued reliance on the human expert's ability to identify and synthesize these diverse factors, to form judgments, evaluate alternatives , and make decisions . This is especially true with regard to problems that are not easily amenable to precise formulations.The precious resource of human expert is also fragile and transient. The departure of a crucial expert from an organization ma y cause serious dislocations. Senior experienced people impart their knowledge of younger colleagues, but the demand for their talent may not leave sufficient time for such educational efforts. In recent years, computer based "" expert systems"" have been taking on large complex tasks for which no exact algorithmic solutions are feasible; tasks previously reserved for human experts, requiring empirical knowledge, judgment , experience, developing a ""best solution"" by the use of plausible reasoning."

Jan 1, 1988

By Terry Bachynski

_ Regulatory Process _ Approval Timelines _ Trends _ Stakeholder Consultation Expectation _ Challenges _ Initiatives for Regulatory Process Reform _ A Better Way? Alberta Regulatory Process _ Regulatory Approval of a major capital development requires multiple approvals from several regulatory authorities: ? EUB ? Decision Report approves development scheme and recommends conditions for other regulatory agencies ? AEnv ? approvals to construct, operate and reclaim required prior to any in field construction activity ? Federal - approvals for federally regulated activities ? Municipal ? Development Permit

May 1, 2004

By B. Vorobyov

A Canadian company, Sight Power Inc., has developed a revolutionary, fully automated shaft monitoring and inspection system for deep-level mining based on a 3D mobile laser scanning technology. It consists of a special hardware unit and proprietary software with Artificial Intelligence elements for object recognition, features identification and change detection. The main purpose of this system is to significantly improve the safety of underground mining as well as to increase the available hoisting time thus generating substantial additional revenue for the mine.

Aug 1, 2013

By E. M. De Souza

"The mining industry has developed a strong need for monitoring underground openings since bulk mining, used for increased productivity, has become the dominant mining method industry wide. The large stopes associated with bulk mining methods generally have to remain open and stable for several months, and monitoring is essential to provide an indication of ground response to mining and stope stability. The instrumentation data is also important during design optimization, which is used to maximize recovery, to minimize the dilution of ore and to minimize costs. Monitoring is essential to implement safety and is also critical in stope and mining sequence designs. The safety related aspects of monitoring include the protection of underground workers and the prevention of accidents by providing early warnings of the onset of any ground instability. The design related aspects of monitoring involve the development of data bases used for stope dimensioning and mine sequencing and timing and the monitoring of ground behaviour as a result of mining to verify the validity of the design thus allowing for remedial action during operation.Manual instrumentation data collection is, in a number of cases, economically unfeasible and, in many situations, dangerous as instrumented areas become inaccessible or extremely unstable. Also, because more and more complex instrumentation is being installed in underground operations, in several cases it becomes practically impossible to collect readings manually. The design and development of low-cost acquisition systems for mine wide monitoring would thus constitute an important step toward automation in excavation instrumentation. A unique menu-driven automatic 32-channel analog data acquisition and analysis system with a built-in rock failure warning mechanism has been designed and developed. This low cost acquisition system is capable of receiving, processing, displaying and storing the transmitted instrument data remotely and automatically. Computer software has been designed to provide data reduction and analysis immediately in the field and to automatically display results in graphical form for quick interpretation. Automatic data interpretation is used to show trends in rock mass behaviour and the system can be used to provide early warning of rock failure to the mine personnel working in there so that immediate remedial action can be safely taken."

Jan 1, 1992

By A. Tohn, K. Adham, R. Lu, D. Lemieux

"To remove sulphur, carbon and arsenic from the gold concentrates of Dundee Sustainable Technologies (DST), Hatch has designed a demonstration plant roaster using the fluid bed technology. The fluid bed was selected for its ability to maintain stable temperatures and uniform reaction conditions. Data points from a small pilot plant (operated by DST) were used for setting the parameters of the demo plant roaster.The DST demonstration plant is being built to further prove their patented gold extraction process at an industrial scale. Their gold extraction process is based on halogenation at atmospheric pressure and relatively low temperatures. Before the halogen leaching, most of the sulphur, carbon and arsenic should be roasted out of the feed concentrate.The Hatch fluid bed roaster design includes a moist feed introduction system, simple bed cooling for temperature control, and cyclone fines recirculation. The demonstration plant roaster is planned for construction in 2014, and the performance results will be presented in a future paper."

Jan 1, 2014

By S. D. A. Hannot, H. Knapp

"High pressure grinding rolls (HPGR’s) are an energy efficient solution for comminution of industrial minerals and metal ores. The technology is successfully applied in an expanding field of applications throughout the minerals industry. HPGR’s compress and grind the particle bed in the operating gap between two counter-rotating rolls. The equipment provides a high capacity, low energy alternative for applications with conventional tertiary and quaternary crushing and grinding, with size reduction reaching from 100mm down to 25 microns product. In this process, maintaining a controlled and evenly distributed operating pressure between the rolls is very important. Due to feed segregation, the pressure distribution along the roll’s length can become uneven, resulting in a coarser product. This paper will show that the best approach to compensate and adapt for the uneven pressure is to allow the rolls to skew relative to each other. Coarser products are also caused by an inadequate pressure distribution: the much-discussed edge effect. To minimise the consequence of the edge effect, an optimised ratio for the roll length to diameter will be calculated. Furthermore, the design philosophy behind a cheek plate will be detailed. This cheek plate is used to retain the material between the rolls, reducing the edge effect while still allowing roll skew. Together these design considerations help optimise HPGR’s performance.INTRODUCTION Initially developed for the cement industry during the energy crisis in the 1980’s , high pressure grinding has been an accepted technology for many years. It has been successfully implemented throughout the minerals industry, with applications in base and precious metals, as well as industrial minerals processing. The comminution process relies mainly on size reduction through to compression and inter-particle crushing in a particle bed in the operating gap between two counter-rotating rolls. The equipment typically has a high unit capacity and low energy consumption, and is increasingly used as an alternative to conventional tertiary and quaternary crushing and grinding, in particle size ranges reaching from 100mm down to 25 microns. It can be applied to moist ores and dry material, in open circuit arrangement or in a closed circuit with dry or wet classification (screening, air classification)."

Jan 1, 2019

By Fred A. Curtis, Kathryn E. Moore

"The past 14 years have brought an increased awareness of environmental problems. Surface mining for mineral aggregates has been one o f the issues which ha s sparked fierce controversy and debate. Various level s of government, industry, and the public have engaged in an unending battle for adequate planning, regulation, and rehabilitation of pits and quarries. Agreement has seldom been reached and, as a result, few standards, guidelines or policies have been established, or enforced province-wide.Surface mining ca uses a number of environmental problems including noise, dust, water table disturbances, aesthetic degradation, increased traffic, and health and safety hazards. These problems are particularly serious in urbanizing area s, where people are exposed to the mining operations. Associated with the operational phase of surface mining are the issues generated by the multiplicity of abandoned pits and quarries which dot the countryside. These large, gaping, often dangerous waterfilled holes are a blight o n the landscape, and represent a misuse of land.The environmental problems connected with pit s and quarries are compounded by the fact that accessible reserves of mineral aggregates are being lost through the process o f urbanization. In addition, restrictive zoning at the municipal level is restricting access to even more aggregate rich land. This results in the paradox that the very urbanizing process which creates the demand for aggregates is rapidly reducing the available supply. These problems have stimulated the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources to call for a province-wide program of inventory, assessment and planning for the protection o f high-quality reserves in Official Plans. These proposals have met with strong opposition from municipal leaders, who are jealously protecting their autonomy.Environmental management education is a prerequisite for all parties involved in pit and quarry planning, regulation or rehabilitation. To this end the following bibliography of selected articles with attention given to the Ontario experience, should provide helpful information on these topics."

Jan 1, 1985

By M. Moghadami

Design and construction of underground openings are associated with many uncertainties with regard to input data. In the construction process of underground openings various levels of risks exist and these affect the safety and profitability of the project. The development of underground openings can be broadly categorized into three major phases of data collection, design, and construction. A significant level of uncertainty is associated with some of the key parameters involved in the aforementioned development phases. Moreover, it is very difficult to evaluate and quantify the effects of uncertainties on the underground project construction process. Additionally, the interactions between important risk elements are typically not well understood. The intention of this study is to develop a general risk model for underground opening projects located in soils and weak rock masses. The goal of the research is to identify and quantify important geotechnical risk elements. Moreover, a weighting procedure will be proposed for the identified risk elements. Finally, all important risk elements will be assembled into a general model with emphasis on geotechnical parameters. The final objective of this study is to apply the proposed model to a real underground project scenario and verify it for actual field conditions. The proposed model, once calibrated properly, will provide a useful support tool for the decision making process.

Aug 1, 2013

By H. T. John

"The objective of this paper is to demonstrate how the optimum cut -off grade can be calculated for typical large tonnage openpit mines. In the examples, it is assumed that the concentrator tonnage is fixed and that there are no market restrictions. The mining rate is assumed to be variable. This is usually the situation at an operating property.ModellingA model of the ore body is required to examine alternate cutoff grade strategies. The model must be accurate in its relationship between grade and tonnage. Table I shows a typical relationship between ore tons and grade for various cut-off grades. The average strip ratio is also shown. For higher cutoff grades, the ore tonnage is decreased and the ore grade is increased. Strip ratio increases with the cut-off grade.Using the relationship between ton s and grade, and assuming a homogenous, long life orebody, a simple calculation of the optimum cut-o ff grade can be made. The objective is to maximize the present value of cash flows. For the long life homogenous orebody example this objective is satisfied by maximizing present cash flows.Cash flow is calculated by subtracting operating cost from revenue . Operating cost will increase with the cut -off grade as the strip ratio increases."

Jan 1, 1985

By Xiao Huang, Jean-Francois Thibault, Ali Merati, Prakash C. Patnaik

Single-crystal nickel-based superalloys are the current state-of-the-art technology for the manufacture of turbine blades. This technological improvement of the turbine blade has brought a considerable increase in its cost. Repair and overhaul of service stressed single crystal turbine components is an economic necessity for life cycle cost reduction of engines since the cost associated with replacement is significantly higher than its counterpart polycrystalline component. This paper will first review the recently reported research in developing repair technologies used for DS and SX components. These techniques repair the crack or defect while at the same time ensuring that the mechanical properties do not deteriorate and, more importantly, that the single-crystal microstructure is not jeopardized. It will then be followed by a brief overview of the research conducted and initiated by the authors with regards to the repair of single crystal alloys.

Jan 1, 2004