http://hdl.handle.net/1974/831 2013-05-18T21:30:44Z http://hdl.handle.net/1974/8005 Title: A CRITICAL REVIEW OF THE INPUTS TO LONG RANGE MINE PLANNING OF OPEN PIT PORPHYRY TYPE COPPER DEPOSITS Authors: Abdeljalil, MUHANAD Abstract: Long term planning is the process used by a mining organization to develop a strategic business plan. The plan describes how the ore is going to be extracted over the mine life. As such, it is routinely updated in order to declare annual reserves, evaluate options and react to changes in the initial assumptions. Inputs into this planning process are the parameters that drive profitability. The purpose of this research is to understand and document the open pit long range planning process in current use by mining operations, isolate the input parameters that feed into this process, and conduct a critical review of these parameters in an effort to develop a more robust plan. The thesis also searches for answers to the following questions: Can the copper metal price be correlated to a factor (or a set of factors)? Can the price be predicted? How useful is the work of O’Hara and Taylor in predicting the mine life and milling rate at the scoping study stage? How can the pit by pit graph be used to better guide the selection of the ultimate pit? Is there a realized benefit from operating at an elevated cutoff grade strategy with low grade copper porphyry deposits? The research concludes with a proposal (not common in the industry) for the selection of the metal price as an input into the mine planning process. This approach, if implemented, can give a corporation a dominant position in the future. The research also presents a modified approach for the selection of the ultimate pit. Furthermore, the use of Taylor’s rule in predicting the mine life was tested and verified on an open pit copper porphyry deposit and the benefits of operating at an elevated cutoff grade strategy was demonstrated for the deposit. Description: Thesis (Master, Mining Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2013-04-30 12:57:12.084 2013-05-01T04:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/1974/7798 Title: Investigation of Fe(III)-As(III) bearing phases and their potential for arsenic disposal Authors: Opio, FAITH Abstract: Fe(III)-As(III) bearing precipitates have been successfully used for arsenic immobilization in copper smelter weak acid effluents. However, knowledge on their precise characteristics is very limited compared to ferric arsenate precipitates which are the preferred disposal option. As(III) is the dominant arsenic species in the weak acid effluents, and high costs are incurred in oxidizing As(III) to As(V) prior to ferric arsenate precipitation. Detailed characterization of Fe(III)-As(III) bearing residues is fundamental for accurate prediction of their long term stability. Synchrotron-based analysis of the Fe(III)-As(III) bearing precipitates from the effluent treatment plant (ETP) at Xstrata’s Horne Copper Smelter in Quebec identified ferric arsenate and gypsum as the major phases, and other minor phases including zinc hydroxide and franklinite. The predominant As species was As(V) which accounted for 49 to 84% of the total As in the Horne ETP sample. The high As(V) levels detected in the Horne ETP co-precipitates may be due to the partial oxidation of As(III) during prolonged storage, prior to synchrotron analysis. Tooeleite was investigated as an alternative potential disposal option for As(III) immobilization from copper smelter weak acid effluents. Lime neutralization of an equimolar Fe(III)-As(III) bearing weak acid solution resulted in about 85% As being removed at pH 2.7 and the formation of gypsum-bearing tooeleite at pH 2 to 3.5. At >pH 4, the rapid transformation of tooeleite occurred to form a poorly crystalline equimolar ferric arsenite which was stable at pH 6 to 10. Co-precipitation tests also showed that equimolar ferric arsenite was precipitated at pH>4. US EPA Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) analysis indicated that both tooeleite and ferric arsenite have relatively high As solubilities. Calcination of tooeleite was explored as a method for improving the stability of tooeleite, and calcination of tooeleite in air at 600˚C produced a ferric arsenate calcine with a TCLP solubility of <5 mg/L As. The calcine iii produced from the lime-precipitated tooeleite at 600 ˚C was found to contain an iron arsenate (Fe7As6O24) which had a slightly higher TCLP As solubility of 13.1 mg/L. The precipitation of tooeleite from an As(III)-bearing weak acid and calcination of the resultant precipitate may offer a new process for As(III) fixation from copper smelter weak acid effluents. Description: Thesis (Ph.D, Mining Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2013-01-31 23:47:37.942 2013-02-01T05:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/1974/7772 Title: Concept Design and Testing of a GPS-less System for Autonomous Shovel-Truck Spotting Authors: OWENS, BRETT Abstract: Haul truck drivers frequently have difficulties spotting beside shovels. This is typically a combination of reduced visibility and poor mining conditions. Based on first-hand data collected from the Goldstrike Open Pit, it was learned that, on average, 9% of all spotting actions required corrective movements to facilitate loading. This thesis investigates an automated solution to haul truck spotting that does not rely on the use of the satellite global positioning system (GPS), since GPS can perform unreliably. This thesis proposes that if spotting was automated, a significant decrease in cycle times could result. Using conventional algorithms and techniques from the field of mobile robotics, vehicle pose estimation and control algorithms were designed to enable autonomous shovel-truck spotting. The developed algorithms were verified by using both simulation and field testing with real hardware. Tests were performed in analog conditions on an automation-ready Kubota RTV 900 utility truck. When initiated from a representative pose, the RTV successfully spotted to the desired location (within 1 m) in 95% of the conducted trials. The results demonstrate that the proposed approach is a strong candidate for an auto-spot system. Description: Thesis (Master, Mining Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2013-01-28 09:49:20.584 2013-01-29T05:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/1974/7577 Title: Open Pit Mine Planning: Analysis and system modeling of conventional and oil sands applications Authors: Thorley, URSULA Abstract: In the last decade mineable oil sands production in Canada has grown rapidly. Constraints on the planning and design processes employed by surface mining oil sands operations vary in distinct ways from other commodities mined by both hard and soft rock open pit methods. The unique waste handling needs, including tailings disposal, of contemporary oil sands mining requires specific planning considerations. It is the purpose of this research to analyze and document a conventional hard rock, metal mine planning system, and contrast this with the unconventional mine planning system used by oil sands mines. Systems activity models of both the conventional and unconventional systems are developed in support of documenting and contrasting the two systems. Constraints unique to oil sands mine planning are identified and their impact on the oil sands mine planning system are documented. The impacts of challenging waste handling and storage requirements and a uniquely prescriptive regulatory environment defining mineable ore are identified as key constraints. The research concludes with a proposal for a new planning system to better support the planning of oil sands mines. The proposed system respects the unique waste management considerations in oil sands planning and revisits the current regulatory approach to ensuring resource recovery. The proposed system is compatible with traditional approaches to economic analysis in open pit planning, and with emerging best practices to manage technical and economic uncertainty, improve project optimization, and develop robust mine plans. Description: Thesis (Ph.D, Mining Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2012-10-02 17:52:18.223 2012-10-04T04:00:00Z