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By Robert Sturk, Knut O. Halvorsen

"INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND The world needs visionary people to break new ground and bring development forward. The human race has an inherent power and lust to explore and push borders, but also to connect and bring people together. Transport of people and goods has through history been a key factor to develop societies and increase collaboration between people and regions. Today, in the era of globalization, efficient transport systems are still vital for further development. Often, ideas of bold projects, like long bridges or tunnels, have been raised long before those projects are realized and actually built. This shows that visions must gradually be transformed into feasible business cases and sustainable political solutions. In some cases also technological development is necessary to make visions come true. Isambard Kingdom Brunel, indeed a visionary engineer, completed the oldest underwater tunnel in the world when the Thames Tunnel in London was opened in 1843. This tunnel is still in operation and now part of London’s rail transport system. Another milestone for the tunnelling industry was passed when the 54 km long Seikan tunnel in Japan was opened in 1988 after more than 15 years of construction. This tunnel is presently the world’s longest railway tunnel. Together with the 50.5 km long Channel tunnel between the UK and France, which has the longest undersea portion 37.9 km, they constitute examples of pioneering engineering projects that bring the industry forward. In 2016, the Gotthard Base Tunnel will be opened and then becomes the longest railway tunnel in the world with its 57.1 km. The trend is obvious that tunnels throughout the world are getting longer and longer. The Brenner Basis Tunnel presently under construction will yet again break the record being 64 km long. Presently, a number of even longer tunnels are planned and under design, some of these also have very long subsea portions, e.g. Bohai Straight Tunnel (123 km), Irish Sea Tunnel (around 100 km) and the Helsinki – Tallin fixed link (approximately 90 km). Northern Europe sees an increasing demand on efficient transport corridors to meet the growth of freight transportation between the Scandinavian Peninsula and central-Eastern Europe. Sustainable solutions will be required, and a shift from road/maritime transports to rail is imperative. Consequently, this paper describes yet another visionary project, a fixed railway link between Sweden and Germany, the Shortcut, to enhance traffic between these regions and to make it greener. It is true that this project still requires some work from politicians, economists and engineers to be realized, however, building a 100 km long tunnel under the Baltic Sea may become reality sooner than we think."

Jan 1, 2016

By BARBOSA AMILTON, Denise C. R. Espinosa, David B. Dreisinger

Chelating resins can be used to recover important metals from different sources, and it is important to understand which resin is most suitable for each metal [1]. This review  benefits the mining industry because chelating resins can be used to recover metals from low-grade ores and mining tailings, increasing the industrial process efficiency [2–4]. Furthermore, the use of chelating resins in mining processes and mining tailings has the common problem of metals contamination, with iron being the main contaminant in low-grade ores and tailings. Understanding how contaminants decrease ion exchange efficiency is significant for industries [5

By John Hayden

The nation runs on energy. It is essential for the economic growth and national security of the United States that the nation has an adequate, sustainable, environmentally acceptable and economically viable balanced supply of energy sources, (e.g., coal, petroleum, nuclear, natural gas, solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, hydroelectric power). Therefore, the allocation of mineral raw materials to the energy-producing sector of the economy must be a top priority that requires the total demand for energy-related materials be judged in terms of domestic supply (Fig. 1).

Jan 1, 2012

By Amy McBrayer, Andrea Brickey

The paper discusses the mine planning methods used in the Powder River Basin (PRB), highlighting the differences from open-pit metal mines. It emphasizes the need for agile mine operations due to changing commodity markets and the challenges faced by the coal industry, such as volatile prices and reduced engineering manpower. The study includes a survey of mine engineers to document current practices and identify potential improvements.

Sep 1, 2023

By R. K. Mehta

An accurate, efficient and stable computation of the mill matrix function (eAt) is needed where mill matrix (A) is a real general matrix. Two important modeling cases in comminution where such need arises are: Heterogeneous comminution behavior of multi-component ores and ultra-fine grinding involving simultaneous attrition and fragmentation breakages. This paper presents the application of a novel splitting method in conjunction With similarity transformation technique in the form of "product formula" which is found to work in all cases and uses a most aggravating, yet interesting property of the matrix exponential in a restricted sense. Results are presented showing that this method can yield solution as accurate as those obtained With an analytical technique. The utility of this computational approach is demonstrated by parameter estimation analysis using a distributed component model in the liberation area through computer simulations.

Jan 1, 1992

By H Arvidson, Rondinelli Sousa, Nic Pollock, Cesar Carrasco, Boz Elloy

Global public mineral reporting codes have driven strong governance of public disclosures of minerals information. Recently, we have seen an increase in disclosure of information related to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues, and governance of ESG information in mining companies has arguably reached a similar level of governance and diligence afforded mineral reporting. We define Resource Governance as the conjunction of environmental, social and minerals governance. A modern systems approach to Resource Governance, which combines mineral and ESG information, would provide not only reporting and governance capability, but also has the potential to sense/respond, predict, and manage ESG risks.

Feb 1, 2024

By Kadri Dagdelen, Lee J. Zamalloa

Truck-shovel dispatch systems based on linear or nonlinear programming algorithms have been in operation since the mid-1980s, with different levels of success depending on the correct arrangement of operational resources and the complexity of the mine. These systems are known for shortcomings related to the logic behind the decision-making of the operational objectives. This makes it necessary to have a human agent (dispatcher) to guide the system when the operational parameters change, creating the possibility of suboptimal decisions due to the human factor. To address this issue, the present work discusses the implementation of a methodology based on artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to assist in the decision-making of the best optimization goals arrangement when operating a fleet management system. The focus of the analysis is on the evaluation of variable goal weights in a nonpreemptive, multigoal optimization model for multiple uncertain scenarios based on regions of optimal feasibility.

Apr 1, 2025

By Sean Dessureault

The mining industry has used fleet management systems (FMSs) for decades. These systems were developed long ago in large truck-and-shovel mines, where hardware sales were the core business driver for vendors. These traditional models can be overhauled in the era of the Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data, gamification and low-cost tablet technology. Relatively low-cost tablets are ubiquitous in modern life, and they are packed with communication radios and sensors like Global Positioning System (GPS) and inertial measurement units used widely for games, fitness measures and navigation. These powerful computer devices provide the same, if not more, sensing capability than traditional fleet management hardware, all at a fraction of the cost and without complicated cables or challenging supply lines. 

By James R. Jones

It has been 2-1/2 years since the Congress passed the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (PL95-87) the Office of Surface Mining every deadline specified in the Act. Hopefully the Congress will begin to realize that specifying unrealistic deadlines does not accomplish the end desire of legislation any sooner -- it only adds to the confusion, and actually hinders orderly, efficient progress. OSM has been sued by all categories of involved parties -- environmental activitist organizations, the states, and the coal operators. This situation has resulted for two reasons: (1) insufficient time was allotted by the Congress to properly develop the regulations and program, and (2) OSM?s philosophy that it must dictate every detail of reclamation operations from Washington, even though many of its people are inexperienced with coal mining. These law- suits are now demonstrating their value. OSM is showing signs of "pulling-in-its horns" and, hopefully, will approach the revised regulations in a more realistic fasion.

Jan 1, 1980

By Steven E. Mischler, Jay F. Colinet

The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) promulgated a rule in 2014 that required numerous changes in compliance dust sampling requirements for coal mine operators. Two key parts of this rule were the lowering of the respirable coal mine dust standard from 2.0 mg/m3 to 1.5 mg/m3 and requiring operators of underground coal mines to use a continuous personal dust monitor (CPDM) for compliance sampling. The CPDM currently approved for compliance sampling is equipped with a display that provides miners with in-shift information on their respirable dust exposure. The goal was to provide an indication of a potential overexposure and empower the miner and mine operator to implement changes in controls and/or operating practices to prevent an overexposure from occurring.

By Sotiris N. Kamenopoulos, Zach Agioutantis

Rare earth elements (REEs) are considered critical minerals for the industrial and defense sectors. In 2018, the U.S. Department of the Interior presented the final list of critical minerals that are vital to the U.S. economy and defense [1], which included REEs among other mineral commodities. REEs are not rare, despite their name, but economically viable deposits of REEs can be found only in certain geographical areas, and the political and social conditions characterizing these areas may not always be in favor of mining operations. Mining operations may be placed in great operational and financial risk if operations are planned in such areas. Erroneous decisions by decision makers may lead to a chain of events that can completely shut down a mining project. 

By BURCU NILGUN CETINER, Serdar Aktas

Antimony has been used extensively in industry and in everyday life since the 19th century, and antimony sulfides have been known since around 4,000 B.C. Antimony’s most significant applications are as a flame retardant in the manufacture of electronics and textiles, as a catalyst for plastic fabrication, and as paint pigment and fining agent in glassware, opacifier in ceramics and an alloying element in ammunition and battery manufacturing plants. It is also used in vehicle brakes and tires. Brake pads contain stibnite (Sb), the sulfide compound of antimony. In particular, stibnite is used in automobiles as a lubricant, vibration reducer and friction stability improver. Anthropogenic activities are the primary source of antimony in the atmosphere [1,2]. Annual global consumption of antimony has increased to more than 1.4 × 105 t, and China is the most significant producer [2].

By J. Kretschmann

According to the model of product life cycles, the global coal mining industry is in the stagnation phase. The coal demand of the main consumer, China, has peaked in 2013 and is slowly declining. The Norwegian sovereign wealth fund, the world´s largest, has excluded coal-related companies for ethical reasons. Important players like the UN or the EU have already begun to describe pathways towards de-carbonization. Increasing competition between coal mining companies and the mining regions can be expected worldwide if companies want to keep their positions on the global and national coal markets. Companies will focus on the best deposits. European countries like France, Spain or Germany are only forerunners of this development - their centuries of coal production have been finished. The concept of Sustainable Development (SD) is fundamentally based on a model of progress where ecological, economic and social dimensions should be developed equally and positively. But without the idea of competition, the concept of SD is incomplete. Questions arise, such as: How can SD be realized on stagnating or declining markets without guarantees for companies “to live forever”? How can SD be a corporate goal in a phase of decline? How can declining mining regions sustainably progress into a better future? The German hard coal mining industry´s lifecycle has ended in 2018 after 60 years of stagnation and decline. As of 2019, all hard coal consumed in Germany will be imported, especially from Colombia, Russia and South Africa. What has been done in Germany to handle the coal decline in a sustainable way and the lessons learned from this process is described in this paper. It may be useful for mining regions who will face a similar future sooner or later. INTRODUCTION Principally, mining natural resources is a finite business that reaches its limits once the deposits mined are depleted, the resources can no longer be mined in an economically profitable way, or substitutes are pushing the mined products out of the market. An example for the latter is the increasing replacement of coal with natural gas and renewables in power generation in the USA. (Kok 2017) According to the model of the product lifecycle, the global mining hard coal mining industry has reached the stagnation phase. (Kretschmann 2000) Although the coal mining business is more a multi-regional than a global business the trend is obvious. The peak of coal use is behind us, especially because the coal demand of China is slowly decreasing since 2013. (Shell 2018) China´s government has announced investing $360 billion in renewable energy by 2020 and scrap plans to build 85 coal-fired power plants. In March 2018, Chinese authorities reported that the country was already exceeding official targets for energy efficiency, carbon intensity, and the share of clean energy sources. China’s energy regulator, the National Energy Administration, rolled out new measures to reduce the country’s dependence on coal. (Kejun and Woetzel 2017) Coal consumption in the US is facing a 16 % decline in five years from 800 to 670 million short tons between 2015 and 2019 and - according to the EIA – will not rise again. (EIA 2018) The decline is attributed to complex market dynamics from low gas prices because of the “shale gas revolution” (Kok 2017, p. 3) to federal environmental regulation like the Clean Power Plan. The United Nations´ UNEP Finance Initiative is cooperating with the Portfolio Decarbonization Coalition of institutional investors to implement decarbonization strategies across their portfolio. Amongst these investors is the New York State Common Retirement Fund, the third largest public pension plan in the USA. (UNEP 2017) The European Union has already begun to de-scribe pathways to decarbonization. (European Union 2018) The Norwegian sovereign wealth fund, the world´s largest, excluded coal-related companies for ethical reasons. The oil giants Total S.A. and Royal Dutch Shell, tradi

Jan 1, 2019

By Robert E. Charles

Much has been said about digital computer control of metal and mineral ore dressing processes, but little has been done. This pa- per discusses what practical use can be made today of a digital computer in an ore concentrator and how such application can be made successfully. A hypothetical, but commercially common, grinding and flotation circuit is presented in terms of analog measurements which can and are being made in existing plants and a centralized computer control system which is reasonable in terms of today's technology. Dangers and possible disadvantages of such an approach are discussed as well as estimated benefits. Possible future benefits are presented in terms of improved control technology. Development of new measuring devices is not considered as a criterion for computer benefits. The control systems described have been utilized successfully in existing ore dressing operations. However, the degree of success or failure of analog systems is generally left to the interpretation of management rather than absolute analysis. Many factors affect the economic operation of a mineral recovery circuit such as size of facility, flow sheet design, number of operating personnel, percent of recoverable mineral in the ore body, loss to tails, and haulage rates. In existing mills where little or no instrumentation has been used, it is extremely difficult to prove or disprove the advantage of analog control systems on one mill line versus its sisters due to the lack of standards and the lack of ability to separate final products by ton.

Jan 1, 1969

By J. D. Miller

The fossil resins of certain western coals are of significance and of sufficient value as a chemical commodity to justify a fossil resin industry. At the present time these valuable fossil resin resources, worth more than $0.50/lb as a chemical commodity, are being burned as fuel for electric power generation. This waste of our fossil resin resources corresponds to a loss in revenue of $200 million per year -equivalent to the value of the coal itself! Improved process technology for the recovery of fossil resin is under development and includes selective flotation of fossil resin from fine coal streams and solvent refining of the fossil resin flotation concentrate to produce a premium resin product. The most recent developments in process technologies are discussed with respect to separation efficiency and product quality. It is clear that the development of a fossil resin industry should not be limited by process technology.

Jan 1, 1994

By Robert H. Scott

Developments during the past few years have brought coal-based composite fuels to commercial readiness. During the next few years, composite fuels will become available from a number of suppliers. Potential users must evaluate the combustion properties of these fuels to determine equipment and operating changes required for their use. Most work to date has been done with boiler applications. However, many potential non-boiler applications exist in the metals and minerals industry. These applications require specific evaluations appropriate for the processes involved.

Jan 1, 1982

By Bill Kendall

"In coal mines, handheld air, electric and hydraulic powered drills are used along belt conveyors, in single entry development, in entries where there are obstructions, and in longwall recovering bolting. In hard rock mines, pneumatically powered jackleg drills are typically used in narrow vein mining. Drilling and bolting in narrow confines has traditionally been performed with pneumatically or hydraulically powered hand-held drills or newer electrically powered hand- held hammer drills due to their low cost, simplicity of operation, and extreme flexibility due to their small size. Mechanized equipment has typically been too large, too expensive, inefficient due to the confined space, and too restrictive due to lack of flexibility for use in narrow confines.Although the handheld equipment is effective, it requires operator exposure to certain inherent hazardous conditions in use. These include falling rock from the roof, rib and face; tripping hazards; bending twisting lifting hazards; high noise levels and chemical fumes from the pneumatic exhaust. The operation of the hand held equipment can adversely affect the long-term health of the operator - continual jackleg operation frequently results in longterm damage to hearing, shoulders, arms and wrist joints and back injuries. This results in a reduction in life style for the operator and higher personnel turnover rates for the mining company.Hand-held drills also typically have limited thrust and torque capability that limits their ability to push long resin bolts, inadequate torque to properly install resin bolts or to properly torque mechanical or tensioned rebar bolts. Hand-held drills do not offer any type of protection for the operator from roof or rib falls. They do not offer any means for handling roof or rib mesh. Since the operator stands on the ground the maximum safe drilling height without use of a ladder or "riding the drill" is limited to 2.44 m (8 ft)."

Jan 1, 2014

By Crystal Poon, Paul Matlashewski, John Morkeh, Kathryn Dorfschmidt, Jose Carvalho, Chad Williams

Rockfall hazards are ubiquitous in mining environments making their control critical for safe mining operations. The complex processes involved in rockfall events necessitate a probabilistic modeling approach with well-calibrated material properties. The controls designed to mitigate rockfall hazards need to be reliable, efficient, and safe to deploy to meet the constraints present at an active mine. This paper presents an innovative solution to rockfall at Rio Tinto’s Bingham Canyon Mine. The solution incorporates the site-specific calibration and creation of a predictive rockfall model with the design, field testing, implementation, and monitoring of the rockfall controls.

By Crystal Poon, Paul Matlashewski, John Morkeh, Kathryn Dorfschmidt, Jose Carvalho, Chad Williams

Rockfall hazards are ubiquitous in mining environments making their control critical for safe mining operations. The complex processes involved in rockfall events necessitate a probabilistic modeling approach with well-calibrated material properties. The controls designed to mitigate rockfall hazards need to be reliable, efficient, and safe to deploy to meet the constraints present at an active mine. This paper presents an innovative solution to rockfall at Rio Tinto’s Bingham Canyon Mine. The solution incorporates the site-specific calibration and creation of a predictive rockfall model with the design, field testing, implementation, and monitoring of the rockfall controls.

By William Gleason

"The mining industry tends to focus on very large numbers, whether it’s talking in terms of size of deposits, tons of material mined, the equipment used or the dollars spent. The numbers associated with mining projects are often in the hundreds of millions, but sometimes it’s the little things that can have the biggest impact.Take, for example, the Rosemont Copper Project in Arizona. Owned by HudBay Minerals, the Rosemont Copper project, when in production, is expected to be one of the largest copper mines in the United States, accounting for about 10 percent of total copper production with annual production expected to be 110 Mt/a (243 million lbs/year). However, the project is currently mired in a years-long permitting process. At the 2017 SME Arizona Conference in Tucson, AZ, Kathy Arnold, director of environmental and regulatory affairs for Hudbay Minerals, spoke about the project and the efforts to get it into production.She opened her presentation with the unfortunate news that her 2017 presentation would not be that much different than the 2016, 2015 or 2014 presentations she gave to the same conference. That’s because, as of Dec. 4, 2017, the project had been in the permitting process for 3,797 days, more than 10 years. The process began when Rosemont submitted its initial mine plan in 2006 and a revised one in 2017. The official start to Rosemont Copper’s National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) started in 2008.In June 2017, the project received its Final Record of Decision from the U.S. Forest Service, moving it a step closer to production. Yet it still faces stiff opposition from opponents while it works to secure the Clean Water Act Permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and to complete its final mine plan of operations.In her presentation, Arnold said the long process taught her many lessons, including approaching things with a different mindset. More than 130 pages worth of public comments have been collected over the years. The concerns expressed range from lighting issues to pavement to preserving land for a jaguar that was spotted on the property and named El Jefe.“A lot of things that people worry about seem to be small things, but we had to have a different mindset and be open-minded to the concerns,” Arnold said. “That is the commitment we made.”"

Jan 1, 2018