At the Bonfim mine, cyanide processing used to extract gold from abandoned tailings represents an important environmental concern. In order to evaluate cyanide concentrations, twenty samples of sediments of the main streams crossing the mine site, and ten samples of the five mainly tailings were analyzed for total cyanide. Cyanide was found in two samples of tailings (0.83 and 1.44mg/Kg of tota...

The Eskay Creek gold-silver mine, located in northwest British Columbia, is the highest-grade precious-metal volcanogenic massive sulphide deposit in the world. The mining industry continues to spend more than $2 million each year on exploration for similar deposits in the area. The geologic setting at the minesite is well studied, but large tracts in north-central British Columbia require more...

We use mathematical optimization to determine a production schedule (i.e., a schedule of extraction and subsequent filling of the voids) for a complex underground mine in Ireland. The goal of the mining operation is to maximize metal production over the life of the mine, subject to constraints on maximum monthly extraction and backfilling quantities, maximum and minimum monthly metal production...

The block economic value (BEV) of a single-metal deposit is calculated based on the metal content and the related costs. The common methods available for calculating BEV are just based upon the profitable elements, and the effects of undesirable elements on BEV are not considered. However, in multi-element deposits, the effects of other elements existing in the blocks on BEV should be considere...

This study deals with application of artificial neural networks (ANNs) on grade control at mine sites inputting both geological and geotechnical variables. Case study is Chapada copper-gold deposit (Goiás, Brazil), located in the neoproterozoic Chapada-Mara Rosa volcano-sedimentary sequence. Ore is closely related to hydrothermal alteration, structurally controlled. The geological and geotechni...

The Giant Mine, located in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada has been operating as a gold mine since 1948. Giant has been primarily an underground operation which used roaster technology to remove of gold from refractory arsenopyrite ore. The roasting process produced arsenic trioxide bearing dust as a waste product. This dust was pneumatically conveyed into underground storage chamber...

In order to carry out an open pit mining operation, planners must periodically prepare what is known as strategic mine plan. This is a tentative production schedule for the remaining life of the mine that defines which area of a mining reserve will be extracted, in what years this extraction will take place, which resources will be used for the extraction, and how the extracted material will be...