The decomposition of the Ethiopian Kenticha tantalite ore was studied using the KOH fusion and H2O leaching system at 400 0C for a 1 h reaction time. The experimental results obtained showed that 27 wt% of Ta2O5 was mainly transformed into insoluble KTaO3, not to be KNbO3, and as well, into the dissolved liquor containing 94.73 vol% of Nb2O5 and 75.80 vol% of Ta2O5. The observations, supported ...

LKAB’s Kiruna Mine, located in northern Sweden, produces about 24 million tons of iron ore yearly using an underground mining method known as sublevel caving. To efficiently run the mills that process the iron ore, the mine must deliver planned quantities of three ore types. We used mixed-integer programming to schedule Kiruna’s operations, specifically, which production blocks to mine and when...

This case study utilizes a value of information decision framework to provide mine managers guidance regarding the purchase of ore grade scanners. LKAB’s Kiruna mine produces three types of iron ore to meet long-term contractual agreements on a monthly basis. There is a priori uncertainty regarding the ore type in any given mineable section of the orebody. In addition, there is extracted ore ty...

Bauxite is mined and transported by conveyor to a processing plant, screened and washed, then placed into blended stockpiles to feed the alumina refinery. While being stacked to the stockpile, the ore is sampled. Completed stockpiles must be acceptably close to target grade (composition), not only in alumina, but also in residual silica, carbon and sodium carbonate. The mine is an open-cut pit....

truncated gaussian simulation (tgs) is a well-known method to generate realizations of the ore domains located in a spatial sequence. in geostatistical framework geological domains are normally utilized for stationary assumption. the ability to measure the uncertainty in the exact locations of the boundaries among different geological units is a common challenge for practitioners. as a simple a...

Truncated Gaussian Simulation (TGS) is a well-known method to generate realizations of the ore domains located in a spatial sequence. In geostatistical framework geological domains are normally utilized for stationary assumption. The ability to measure the uncertainty in the exact locations of the boundaries among different geological units is a common challenge for practitioners. As a simple a...

The dominant working structure of an underground mine is a set of interconnected tunnels which provides access to ore zones and haulage of ore from the designated ore zones to the mill. This set of interconnected tunnels forms a network. We describe a mathematical network model and the modelling features of our two software tools for designing underground mine layouts that minimise associated c...

Estimation of ore reserves is one of the most critical aspects of mining geology. The accurate assessment of the tonnage and grade of run of mine may be the difference between a healthy profitable operation and an expensive early mine closure. The first step in ore reserve estimation is to determine the boundary of ore body or ore/waste contacts. This paper presents a specific mining applicatio...

Due to uncertain nature of grade in ore deposits, considering uncertainty is inevitable in geological modelling of resources and mine planning. In other words, uncertainty in grade of mineralized materials, is one of the most significant parameters need attention in mine planning. In this paper, a comparative procedure utilizing Sequential Gaussian Simulation (SGS) and traditional Ordinary Krig...