Undergraduate Project Report: "A Review On Underground Metal Mine Workings in Developed Countries"
Undergraduate Project Report: "A Review On Underground Metal Mine Workings in Developed Countries"
Undergraduate Project Report: "A Review On Underground Metal Mine Workings in Developed Countries"
A PROJECT REPORT SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT FOR THE DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT OF MINING ENGINEERING INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY BANARAS HINDU UNIVERSITY VARANASI 221005
Subject Approved by:Dr. Aarif Jamal PROFESSOR and HEAD DEPARTMENT OF MINING ENGINEERING INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY BANARAS HINDU UNIVERSITY VARANASI- 221005
CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the thesis entitled A review of underground metal mine workings in developed countries submitted by Ankush Tyagi roll. No. 08108EN014 in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of Bachelor of Technology degree in Mining Engineering at the Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi is an authentic work carried out by him under my supervision and guidance. To the best of my knowledge, the matter embodied in the thesis has not been submitted to any other University/Institute for the award of any Degree or Diploma.
Date:
Dr. G.S.P. Singh Deptt. of Mining Engineering Institute of Technology Banaras Hindu University Varanasi - 221005
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
It has been a matter of pride and honour for me to have been a student of Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University, seeds of which were sown and nurtured by Mahamana Madan Mohan Malviyaji. I express my gratitude and indebtedness to my supervisor Dr.G.S.P.Singh, Assistant Professor, Department of Mining Engineering, IT-BHU, for his valuable guidance through the course of undertaken project work. Without his suggestion, consistent encouragement and constructive criticism my B.Tech. Project would have not been possible in its present form. I am highly grateful to Prof. Aarif Jamal, Head, Department of Mining Engineering, IT-BHU for approving my subject and providing the necessary facilities for the ensuring work. Heartfelt thanks to all who have directly or indirectly helped me in this project.
Date: Place:
Ankush Tyagi
Content
1. Introduction 2. Mine Information and overview a. Potash Corp Allan b. Cigar Lake Devlopement c. Jabal Sayid Mine, Barrick Gold Corp. d. Lanigan Mine, Potash Corp. e. Stillwater Mine f. Fruta del Norte g. Mount lsa Mines Limited (Xstrata Plc) h. Olympic Dam Mine i. Raglan Mine j. Sleeping Giant Mine 3. Most common method 4. Non-entry Mining Method 5. Correlation of access to the ore body w.r.t. Geo-mining condition
Introduction
We need to find out the following information about the undergroud metal mines : Name of the mine Mine ore (mineral) Grade of the ore Method of mining Mechanization Access to ore body Man power Annual production Life of mine
Based on the above information for various mines we have to perform following action : Correlation of access to the ore body w.r.t. geo-mining condition. Depth and gradient vs selection of inclined, shaft Which method of mining is more common If we have any typical method then why these mine choose these typical method
Location
Saskatchewan, Canada Nearest Landmark: SASKATOON Distance: 40 Km East from the nearest Landmark Latitude: 51 56' (North) Longitude: 106 4' (West)
Owners
PotashCorp
Production
Deposit Type
Evaporites
Mine Type
Underground
Mining Method
Mine Life
100 years
Employees
Overview
PotashCorp owns and operates a potash mine at Allan, Saskatchewan. Production of potash from the underground mine began in 1968 Potash is a nutrient essential for plant growth, and is a cornerstone of modern agricultural fertilizers. Roughly 95 per cent of world potash production goes into fertilizer, while the other five per cent is used in commercial and industrial products - everything from soap to television tubes. Saskatchewan represents approximately one-third of the world's potash production capacity and has approximately 53% of global potash reserves.
Commodity Owners Operator Production Deposit Type: Reserves & Resources Mining Type Mining Equipment Processing Method Mine Life Employees
Uranium Cameco (50%), Areva (37.1%),Idemitsu (7.9%), Tepco (5%) Cameco Corp. 18 Mlbs U3O8 per year Unconformity uranium deposit 497,000 t at 20.7% U3O8 for 226.3 million lbs of U3O8 (Reserves ? Dec/09) Non-entry underground mining method 5.1 m diameter full-face Tunnel Boring Machine; Jet Boring System; Ground Freezing Equipment; On-site Crushing, Grinding but processed off-site
Overview
Cigar Lake is the world's second largest known high-grade uranium deposit and is located near Waterbury Lake, approximately 660 km north of Saskatoon, northern Saskatchewan, Canada. The Cigar Lake uranium deposit was discovered in 1981 by a regional program of diamond drill testing of geophysical anomalies. It occurs at depths ranging between 410 and 450 m below the surface. The project will be developed as a non-entry underground mine using a jet boring mining method, a full-face tunnel boring machine, and ground freezing techniques. Underground grinding of the ore will take place at Cigar Lake and will be followed by trucking to AREVA's McClean Lake mill for leaching. Final yellowcake production will be split between McClean Lake and Rabbit Lake for a total estimated annual production rate of 18 million pounds U3O8 when the mine is in full operation. Average operating cost is estimated to be Cdn$45.95/lb U3O8. The mine life will be 14.8 years
Geology
The Cigar Lake deposit is a typical Athabascan uranium deposit located at the unconformity contact between rocks of the Athabasca group and underlying lower Proterozoic Wollaston Group metasedimentary rocks. The Athabasca sandstone overlying the basement rocks contains water at high hydrostatic pressure. The flat lying deposit measures approximately 1950 m long, 20 to 100 m wide, and ranges up to 16 m thick, with an average thickness of about 6 m. Lies at depths ranging between 410 and 450 m below the surface. It is characterized by the occurrence of high-grade uranium concentrations accompanied by massive clays and metallic minerals (oxides, arsenides and sulphides). Three distinct styles of mineralization occur within the Cigar Lake deposit: high grade mineralization at the unconformity which includes the ore; fracture controlled, vein-like mineralization higher up in the sandstone; and fracture controlled, vein-like mineralization in the basement rock mass. The unconformity ore represents the bulk of the mineral deposit. Proven and probable mineral reserves total 497,000 t at 20.7% U3O8 containing 226.3 million pounds of U3O8. Measured and indicated amount to 61,000 t grading 4.9% U3O8. The inferred category was estimated at 317,000 t at 16.9% U3O8 for 59.1 million pounds U3O8. Because of the fact that Athabasca style uranium deposits don't occur at surface geophysical exploration tries to identify buried EM conductors representing graphite, which is generally associated with uranium mineralization
ore slurry will be pumped to surface storage tanks, thickened and loaded into truck mounted containers, similar to those currently being used at McArthur River mine. Containers of uranium ore slurry will be trucked to AREVA's McClean Lake operations, 70 km to the northeast for leaching. Final uranium processing - yellowcake production - would occur at both the McClean Lake and Rabbit Lake for a total estimated annual production rate of 18 million pounds U3O8. No tailings will be stored at Cigar Lake because the ore is going to be processed elsewhere.
Owners
Production
Deposit Type
Mine Type
Underground
Mining Method
Processing Method
Crushing and grinding (primary crusher, pebble crusher, bal mill), flotation
Mine Life
11 years
Employees
Overview
The Jabal Sayid copper-gold-silver project is located in Saudi Arabia, 350 km northeast of Jeddah. The Jabal Sayid deposit was discovered in 1965 by the Bureau de Recherches Gologiques et Minires (BRGM) during a regional mapping program aided significantly by the presence of ancient mining activity including multiple pits and adits, together with ore and slag dumps. The copper-gold-silver-zinc deposit is owned by Barrick Gold as a result of the acquisition of Equinox Minerals Limited in 2011. The mining license for the project was granted in May 2010. Proven & Probable reserves (Dec/09) were estimated at 24.4 Mt at 2.2% copper, 0.25 g/t gold, and 8.8 g/t silver for 540, 000 tonnes contained copper. The plan is to open an underground mining operation that would have an 11 years mine life. Average annual production from two of the four lodes identified to date is expected to be 2.6 Mtpa or 100-130 million pounds copper over the first full five years of operation at total cash costs of $1.50-$1.70 per pound
Proven & Probable reserves (Dec/09) were estimated at 24.4 Mt at 2.2% copper, 0.25 g/t gold, and 8.8 g/t silver for 540, 000 tonnes contained copper.
Owners
PotashCorp
Production
3.6mtpa capacity
Mine Type
Underground
Mining Method
Employees
approx 565
Overview
PotashCorp owns and operates a potash mine at Lanigan, Saskatchewan. production of potash from Lanigan mien began in 1968. The mine site is located just off Highway 16 near the town of Guernsey, 100 kilometers (60 miles) east of Saskatoon, province of Saskatchewan, Canada. The Lanigan Potash Mining Lease Area encompasses approximately 52,025 hectares (128,557 acres)
Stillwater Mine
Commodity
Location
Montana, USA Nearest Landmark: BILLINGS Distance: 136 Km SW from the nearest Landmark Latitude: 45 22' (North) Longitude: 109 52' (West)
Owners
Stillwater Mining
Production
Palladium - 14.8mt (grade N.A.), Platinum-14.8mt @21.91g/t (Dec 31, 2009, proven and probable reserves)
Mine Type
Underground
Mining Method
ramp and fill mining, sub-level stoping and cut and fill mining
Processing Method
Overview
Stillwater is one of the world's leading producers of platinum group metals and the only significant primary producer of palladium in the Western Hemisphere. Properties covered here include the Stillwater and East Boulder Mines near Nye, Montana and the smelter and refinery complex at Columbus, Montana. The Stillwater Mine began underground mining in 1986. The East Boulder project, some 15 miles west of Stillwater, began commercial production in 2002. More than 80% of mining at the Stillwater Mine is mechanized, employing ramp and fill mining, sub-level stoping and cut and fill mining.
Access to the ore body is a ramp or decline from a footwall lateral Uses both jackleg drills and mechanized drills for blasting and load-haul-dump (LHD) mucking machines to haul away ore using an access ramp Advances in the stope are made in 9-foot (2.7-meter) increments. After the stope is mined out, it is then backfilled with waste rock and sand to become the floor for the next horizontal stope, moving upward in 10-foot (3-meter) increments
Sub-Level Stoping
Involves a ramp along the footwall of the reef to allow access to the ore body at 30-to 40-foot (9-to 12-meter) vertical intervals Ore is removed from the open stopes using a remote-controlled LHD vehicle
Owners
Aurelian Ecuador S.A 6.3 Moz Gold and 6.7 Moz Silver
Deposit Type
Mine Type
Underground
Mining Method
16 year
Mining Operation
Underground mining methods would be employed for mining the Fruta del Norte deposit i.e. traverse open blast-hole stoping with backfill.
Annual production
The mine capacity is 235,000t/y of refined copper and 4,500t/y of high grade uranium oxide, plus 100,000 oz gold and 800,000 oz silver per year.
Processing
Processing facilities consist of a copper concentrator, hydrometallurgical plant , copper smelter, sulphuric acid plant, copper and gold/silver refineries. Recent expansions included a Svedala autogenous mill, additions to the flotation sections, two counter-current decantation thickeners, an electric slag -cleaning fur n ace , a ne w ano de f ur n ace g as -c le an i n g p la n t an d ad d i t io na l e le c tr o refining cells.
zinclead-silver, at Mount Isa. Together the company's 4 underground mines form one of the largest underground mining operations in the world.
Tonnage: 84 Mt
Method of Mining
A variety of mining methods have been used at Isa during the course of its operation. Sub-level open stoping ("SLOS") is the method currently used in both the X-41 and Enterprise areas of the mine. SLOS is designed to extract massive blocks of ore in vertical slices throughout the ore bodies. Stope sizes in the large 1100 ore body (X-41 area) are mined in blocks of 40
metres by 40 metres, and up to 300 metres high. Drilling sublevels for the blocks are \ developed at every 40 metres of elevation. Stope sizes in the 3000 ore body (Enterprise area) are as small as 25 metres by 25 metres, and up to 100 metres high. Drilling sublevels for mining the 3000 ore body are spaced approximately 25 metres apart. Blast-hole drilling is carried out using mechanised drill rigs. The broken ore is collected at the bottom of the stope and is extracted at drawpoints by load-haul-dump ("LHD") mining equipment. Completed stopes in the X-41 area are backfilled using a combination of waste rock mixed with a cement slurry, while Enterprise stopes are filled with mill tailings mixe d with cement, much o f w hich is intr oduce d as paste fill. T he current deepest part of the Enterprise mine is 1,600 metres. High rock stresses coupled with talcy, blocky ore in the Enterprise orebodie s cause delays in m i n i n g . P r o m p t b a c k f i l l i n g o f c o m p l e t e d n o r t h e r n E n t e r p r i s e s t o p e s i s necessary to prevent major ground movements resulting from the high rock stress conditions.
Man power
Xstrata employs more than 3200 employees and 1100 contractors at Mount lsa.
Long-run
processing
of
2.5Mt/y
ore
from
George
Fisher
required
modifications and general upgrading at the Mount Isa lead -zinc concentrator and lead smelter. Engineering contractors Bateman Brown 84 Root reconfigured the flotation circuit was to incorporate IsaMill technology for very fine grinding and froth pumping. This yielded a near 10% performance improvement in recoveries to 78.8% Pb and 73.4% Zn, with the zinc recovery rising to 80.7% in FY2002. In the lead plant the sintering machine was rebuilt, the blast furnace crucible replaced and a new control system installed.
Geology
The Olympic Dam mine lease is 17,788.11 hectares on arid zone land. The property has a large number of discrete ore zones throughout an area of several square kilometres ranging in depth from 350 metres to approximately one kilometre. The deposit occurs in the basement rocks of the Stuart Shelf geological province in the north of South Australia, west of Lake Torrens.
Mineralization
Mine r aliz at io n c o nsists o f me di um -gr ai ne d chal co pyr ite , bo r n i te and chalcocite, fine-grained disseminated pitchblende, gold, silver and rare earth minerals that occur in a magnetic hydrothermal breccia complex beneath 350m of overburden. The ore occurs in distinct zones that determine the mine access and layout.
Annual production
The mine capacity is 235,000t/y of refined copper and 4,500t/y of high grade uranium oxide, plus 100,000 oz gold and 800,000 oz silver per year.
Processing
Processing facilities consist of a copper concentrator, hydrometallurgical plant, copper smelter, sulphuric acid plant, copper and gold/silver refineries. Recent expansions included a Svedala autogenous mill, additions to the flotation sections, two counter-current decantation thickeners, an electric slag -cleaning fur n ace , a ne w ano de f ur n ace g as -c le an i n g p la n t an d ad d i t io na l e le c tr o refining cells.
Raglan Mine
Commodity Location Nickel Canada Latitude: 61 deg 41 min N Longitude: 73 deg 41 min W
Xstrata Nickel 1.3mtpa ore, 30ktpa Conc Nickel Open Pit and Underground Approx. 704
Overview
The operation consists of open pit and underground mines, a concentrator, a power plant, accommodation and administration buildings, fresh water supply and fuel storage tanks. The mine site is linked by all -weather roads to an airstrip at Donaldson and to the concentrate, storage and ship -loading facilities at Deception Bay. Approximately 85%-90% of the production at Raglan comes from underground sources, with the remainder coming from an open pit.
Underground mining uses a single-pass mechanised cut-and-fill method in 810m wide by 5m high panels. Backfill is supplied from the open pits and underground development. As the permafrost extends below the level of mining, air temperatures underground must remain cold to maintain the stability of the permafrost. Wet drilling is used with a saline flush, as fresh water instantly freezes. The mine uses Wagner trucks for all underground operations, including production and backfilling.
Location
80 Km North from AMOS, Quebec, Canada Latitude: 49 0 8' (North) Longitude: 77 58' (West)
Owners
Production
Deposit Type
Quartz Vein
Mining Type
Undeground
Employee
200
Overview
Sleeping Giant is an underground gold mine and mill located in the Abitibi region of northeastern Quebec, near the town of Amos. The mine has a workforce of 200. The company is currently deepening the sleeping Giant mine shaft by 200 meters to gain access to three new higher grade mining levels, the underutilized mill has the potential to serve NAP'S nearby projects in the Abiti region
to be ventilated with fresh air. An ore pass and a waste pass allow material to be handled and raised to the surface. The deepest working level of the mine is presently 975 metres but North American Palladium began to deepen the shaftwith a view to extending it by up to another 180 metres in 2009. The mine uses 3 and 5 tonne electric locomotives and rail cars. Three mining methods have been used to extract ore, with the method being determined according to the dip of a particular zone. For dips over 65 degrees, long-hole and shrinkage stope extraction is used. For slopes between 65 and 45 degrees, the method employed is generally shrinkage stope mining (with some stopes mined by long -hole methods). For slopes below 45 degrees, the room and pillar extraction method is used. Mine facilities include a three compartment shaft to 4 9 0 m a n d a 1 6 0 tonne/hour hoist accessing 7 levels, a 900 tonne/day mill, and tailings disposal.
Hence to provide the stability and safe working condition in such typical working environment we need to come through some typical mining method. Hence a non-entry mining method is prefered which includes the following operation: The ground to be mined is first frozen up by minus 30 degree C calcium chloride pumped from the surface through pipes into freezing holes. It takes one to three years to have the ore and the host rocks freeze at between minus 10 degree C and minus 20 degree C. Freezing the ground provides for a minimized risk of water inflows, reduction of the radon dissolved in water and at the same time increases the stability of the rocks being mined.
Secondly, a mine development system (MDS) would cut through rocks. It is a 5.1 m diameter full-face tunnel boring machine that also provides for the installation of permanent ground support. The MDS will be used on the 480 m level to develop the freeze level crosscuts and on 465 m level to develop production level crosscuts. Mining would be done by the jet boring method. The method consists of cutting approximately 4.5 m diameter cavities with a high pressure water jet in previously frozen ore. All mining with the Jet Boring System (JBS) will be done from the 465 m production level, located in the basement rock below the ore zone. Following mining, each cavity will be backfilled with concrete backfill.
Summary
After defining the introduction to the topic first we started to collect the information about the underground metal mines. On the basis of information we discussed the method of mining and way to access the ore body for every mine that has been included in this report. After taking a review on the method of working we look forward to select a mine which is running on a typical mining method. For this we have Cigar Lake deposit running on non- entry mining method due the water body present with the ore body.
References
www.potashcorp.com www.infomine.com www.mining.com www.barrick.com www.hoovers.com www.kinross.com www.xstrata.com www.abc.net.au www.miningweekly.com