Blogs
Australia’s Gold Production hits 10-Year High
Gold production in Australia has risen to its highest level during the decade. About 273 tonnes of gold was produced last year, increasing about 7% of its production in 2012, according to a mining consultancy firm Surbiton Associates Pty. Because the price of Gold depreciated for the past years, miners were obliged to seek for high quality ores so as to
Underwater Mining could Impose Threat to Marine Life
Posted above is 4,000 meters below sea level in Central Pacific. This particular area is being explored by several mining companies to assess rich deposits. It has been said that it has a lot of ores which are needed to keep the industry humming and mobile phones working. Environmentalists and scientists warned that underwater mining could possibly lead to death
Illegal Mining: 5 Dead Bodies Found in Roodepoort
5 dead bodies, 4 men and a woman, were recovered from the abandoned gold mining is Roodepoort, Johannesburg, South Africa. Paramedics still welcome the possibility that they may still be miners trapped inside. A week ago, about 20 miners were rescued from being trapped in disused mining sites in Roodepoort. They had to face several charges concerning illegal mining. Johannesburg
Flotation Time Scale-up Factors – Laboratory to Plant
Using Laboratory bench-top float test results and their retention (flotation) time to scale-up to real life full scale plant time can be done using the following tables and examples. How to select the proper scale-up factor takes experience and …. good data. Figure 16.7 was used and seen in the a technical report for the Pebble Project in Alaska (Northern Dynasty
Mozley Drum Separator | Mozley Super Panner
The Mozley Super Panner is used for quick and efficient drum separation of mineral groups with distinct density differences and is generally used as a cleaner unit where the mass available for upgrading is very small: typically for Au applications. A centrifugal solids-liquids separator comprises a rotatable hollow centrifuge drum at least a part of which is tapered, and which
Deforestation caused by mining activities in Indonesia threatens black macaque
The growing mining activities and consequent deforestation in the Indonesian provinces of Central Sulawesi and Gorontalo are threatening the lives of the endemic Tonkean macaque monkeys, a species also known as the Sulawesi black macaque. The animals can be found in the forests between North Palu and Tana Toraja, as well as south of the Lore Lindu National Park, according to The Jakarta Post.
Process of Cyanide Gold Extraction
Here I present an Process EXAMPLE of Gold Extraction Cyanide in which the cyanidation feed consists of a pyrite concentrate floated after the selective flotation of a copper-gold concentrate. The pyrite concentrate is reground to 90% minus 325 mesh and aerated in a high-lime solution prior to cyanidation. It contains 99% sulphides of which 10 to 20 percent is pyrrhotite and
What is Gold Used For
Have you ever asked what is all that gold used for? Why in the world do we need so much gold? What do they do with it? Here is a summary table of what is done with it (China Consumption Data). This is also a good summary.
What is the Relationship between Head Grade and Mineral Liberation
Some plant operators claim their metallurgical recovery targets are harder, more difficult, to meet as head grades drops down. Is it true or is it just voodoo? Using Mineralogy can answer this question scientifically. Relationship between Head Grade and Mineral Liberation EXAMPLE The red/white dot points to the actual monthly liberation of 42% VS history. The poorly monthly results can
Effect of Regrind on Grade and Recovery
How do you know if or when regrinding and applying further liberation power can improve your metal’s recovery? Below here is data showing what is to be gained by correctly applying regrind to a copper stream. On the graph, the red/white dot points to where the plan currently is light green Grade-Recovery curve VS where is could be on its dark green Grade-Recovery curve.
5 Major consequences of coal mining
Table of Contents1. Water pollution2. Mountaintop removal3. Biodiversity loss4. Air pollution5. Soil erosion and sink holes Coal is still the most prevalent energy source in the entire world and the United States is not an exception. Almost 91 percent of the country’s electricity is generated in coal-burning plants. Still, coal mining is a nefarious activity for the environment and for the
THEORETICAL Limiting Grade Recovery Curve
To generate a limiting grade-recovery curve, three points are shown for each mineral. The left most end point of the curve represents the feed grade of the composite. The middle point of each curve represents the concentrate grade produced when all of the particles bearing target mineral are recovered. The far right end point represents the concentrate grade and recovery of
Top 5 biggest US coal mines in 2013 in terms of production
Table of Contents1. North Antelope Rochelle2. Black Thunder3. Cordero Rojo4. Antelope Coal5. Eagle Butte The North-American coal mines with the biggest production rates in 2013 aren’t necessarily the largest in size or the ones with more workers. But one thing is for sure: they are all located in Wyoming, the US capital of coal. 1. North Antelope Rochelle Prodution in 2013: 100.703
GE and Komatsu working on next generation of underground mining equipment
The companies GE Transportation and Komatsu have teamed up to develop the next generation of underground mining equipment. The firms signed a joint venture agreement and are now ready to pool resources in an effort to boost innovation in this industry. The new company, called Komatsu GE Mining Systems and equally owned by the two holders, will be based in Erie, Pennsylvania (United
Nevada’s Jerritt Canyon mine criticized for safety violations
The company Veris Gold USA, owner and operator of the Jerritt Canyon mine in Elko County, Nevada, is being the target of hard criticism by the assistant US secretary of labor. Apparently the gold mine has failed to protect its workers after federal inspectors issued more than 60 citations and orders related to health and safety violations. These 49 citations and
Illegal gold miner rescued after 13 days lost at Corcovado National Park
An illegal miner was found in the Osa Peninsula’s Corcovado National Park, in Costa Rica, where he got lost almost two weeks ago. Joel Cerdas Solórzano, locally known as “Pizote the gold miner”, went missing on January 23 while illegally mining gold inside the boundaries of the park. Three days later, a rescue team composed of officials from the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC) headed
The five largest machines in the mining industry
Table of Contents1. Bucket Wheel Excavator2. Hydraulic Shovel3. Haul Truck4. Dozer5. Crusher Some mining machines are true beasts when it comes to their power, size and weight. Check out these five examples, the largest devices currently used in the industry, to see what we are talking about. 1. Bucket Wheel Excavator Bucket-wheel excavators are the largest machines ever used in the mining industry. Actually, one of
The wonderful uses of silver [infographic]
Did you know silver is one of the most important substances on the entire planet? Besides being pretty and perfect for the jewelry field, silver also has amazing properties that make it perfect for different electrical uses, among others you can discover with the help of this infographic. Infographic by Visual.ly for Physical Gold via Mining.com
Mining process based on bacterias unlocks gold in South Africa
A bacteria-rich process currently being used in Barberton, a town in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa, can help liberate ultra-fine gold locked in sulphide crystals. The experiment, called Biox technology, is happening in three mines owned by Pan African Resources. Besides these three pits, there are other five gold mines around the world currently using the biological oxidation process based on dozen different types
Europe and China with most cases of dam failure in mining sites after 2000
The mining industry currently faces a lot of challenges, but one of them is definitely to keep tailing dams from collapsing or leaking. These embankments, which are built by geotechnical engineers with steep slopes using the coarse fraction of the tailings and saving costs, are supposed to be a safe solution, but there are different reasons that eventually cause some of them to fail. According to
Canadian mining industry supports groundbreaking transparency rules
In an effort to break the corruption blanket that many times chokes the mining industry, the Canadian sector is endorsing a plan that would boost transparency. The main measure states that it would become mandatory reporting to provincial securities commissions all project-related payments that companies make to the governments. The move is being praised and considered “groundbreaking” by global transparency groups.
Blue diamond with 29.6 carats unearthed by Petra at South African mine
The company Petra Diamonds discovered one of the rarest stones in the world: a 29.6 carat blue diamond worth around $60 million. The gem was unearthed at the Cullinan mine, in South Africa. The rock, described as an “outstanding vivid blue diamond with extraordinary saturation, tone and clarity”, is the biggest of its kind ever found in the pit, explored by Petra since
Gold producers in South Africa fear new strikes over wages
Big ore producers operating in South Africa, such as AngloGold Ashanti, are currently facing strike notices over pay demands, the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) revealed. This organization represents about 20 percent of South African gold-mining employees and is recalling their right to strike, despite the fact that most gold employees reached an agreement in collective wage talks last
Locked Cycle Testing -Flotation
Flotation Locked Cycle Testing has been the favorite method for arriving at a metallurgical projection from laboratory flotation testing in the mining industry in the last decade, mostly because the final cycles of the test mimic a continuous circuit. The difference is that, in a batch test, “the deportment of the intermediate streams to concentrate or tailings is unknown”, as