October - 2018

SHOWCASE MINE OF THE WEEK - ARGYLE DIAMOND MINE!!

Argyle diamond mine located in the Kimberley region of Western Australia ranks as the world’s biggest diamond mine if JORC reserves alone are taken into account. The recoverable diamond reserve at Argyle as of December 2012 was estimated to be 140Mct (67Mt grading 2.1ct/t diamond). The diamond mine, owned by Rio Tinto, has been in production since 1983. Argyle is currently transitioning from open pit to underground operations to access diamonds at depth. Argyle Underground wi

MINERAL PROCESSING METHOD OF THE WEEK - GRINDING!!

In this process stage, the crushed material can be further disintegrated in a cylinder mill, which is a cylindrical container built to varying length-to-diameter ratios, mounted with the axis substantially horizontal, and partially filled with grinding bodies (e.g., flint stones, iron or steel balls) that are caused to tumble, under the influence of gravity, by revolving the container. A special development is the autogenous or semi-autogenous mill. Autogenous mills operate w

WORLD'S TOP 10 BULLDOZERS - KOMATSU D575A!!

Ranked at no 2 in the world, the Komatsu D575A uses Komatsu’s SA12V170E (12-cylinder turbocharged) diesel engine. It has a displacement of 46.3 l, a fuel tank capacity of 2100 liters, and three forward and three reverse speeds, and a machine length of 11.72 meters. D575A-3SD Main technical data: * Maximum power: 858kW (1167 hp) / 1800rpm * Working weight: 153 tonnes - Mega Machines.

MINING METHOD OF THE WEEK - RILL-CUT STOPING!!

Rill cut, or rill stoping, as shown at B in the figure below, has the principal advantage that when filling is used it can be run down through a raise at the apex of the stope and will fill the stope without shoveling. Its disadvantages, on the other hand, are as follows: When waste filling is run in from the raise it has a sloping surface which makes it difficult to keep ore and waste from mixing, and is unhandy for men to work. Raises must be put in at frequent intervals, a

MINING ROCKSTAR OF THE WEEK - ARSENOPYRITE!!

Arsenopyrite is an iron arsenic sulfide mineral with a chemical composition of FeAsS. It is the most abundant arsenic mineral and the primary ore of arsenic metal. In addition to being found in deposits that are large enough to be minable, arsenopyrite is widely distributed. However, it usually occurs in such small amounts and in such small particle sizes that it is easily overlooked. It is associated with other sulfide minerals in organic-rich sedimentary rocks, metamorphic

SHOWCASE MINE OF THE WEEK - CATOCA DIAMOND MINE!!

Catoca diamond mine in Angola ranks as the fifth biggest diamond mine in the world. The Catoca open-pit located near Saurimo, around 840km east of Luanda, is estimated to contain up to 130Mct of mineable diamonds. The diamond mine is operated by Sociedade Mineira de Catoca, a joint venture of Angola’s state-owned diamond company Endiama (32.8%), Alrosa (32.8), as well as China and state oil producer Sonangol (18%) and Odebrecht of Brazil (16.4%). The mine has been operational

DEC MINE DESIGN & MINE SCHEDULING COURSES!!

For those who don't have the software but would like exposure to mine design and scheduling, and fully understand the life of mine cycle. The courses are presented at the university of Pretoria, 10 to 14 December. CPD points also awarded for professionally registered persons. Kindly visit our website for course details: "www.schoolofrockmining.com/upcoming-course-details"

MINERAL PROCESSING METHOD OF THE WEEK - CRUSHING!!

Some ores occur in nature as mixtures of discrete mineral particles, such as gold in gravel beds and streams and diamonds in mines. These mixtures require little or no crushing, since the valuables are recoverable using other techniques (breaking up placer material in log washers, for instance). Most ores, however, are made up of hard, tough rock masses that must be crushed before the valuable minerals can be released. In order to produce a crushed material suitable for use a

WORLD'S TOP 10 BULLDOZERS - CATERPILLAR D11!!

The D11 series is the largest bulldozers from Caterpillar, and ranks as the third largest bulldozer in the world. It has a displacement of 32L of the Cat C32 ACERT diesel engine. It has a fuel tank capacity of 1609 liters, forward (3-speed) of 7.3 km/h, and reverse (3-speed) of 8.7 km/h. The D11's Technical Data: * Maximum power: 698kW (950 hp) / 1800rpm * Working weight: 113 tons - Mega Machines.

MINING METHOD OF THE WEEK - LONGWALL STOPING (METALLIFEROUS)!!

After starting an overhand stope the shape in which the back is carried is often of prime importance. Position A in the figure illustrates the method of carrying a flat or longitudinal back (the term long-wall is used sometimes when the vein lies nearly flat). In this method the benches or breasts are frequently made of a height sufficient to allow of a square set being placed. This is done at Butte and it is often referred to as breast stoping - 911 Metallurgist.

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