Abstract: A method of leaching chalcopyrite ores includes the steps of forming agglomerates of fragments of chalcopyrite ores and silver and leaching the agglomerates with suitable leach liquor.

Abstract: A rail crossover control system for a rail track section is disclosed. The rail track section has first and second rail tracks, a crossover track section extending between the first and second rail tracks, at least one first set of rail switches arranged to controllably determine whether a train continues on the first track or is diverted from the first track onto the crossover track section, and at least one second set of rail switches arranged to controllably determine whether a train continues on the second track or is diverted from the second track onto the crossover track section. The system comprises at least one interlocking control unit arranged to control the first and second sets of rail switches according to determined train routes, and an obstruction detector arranged to detect presence of an obstruction on the crossover track section and generate an obstruction signal when an obstruction is detected.

Abstract: A conveyance system for moving a conveyance along a mine shaft during shaft construction, comprising: a first guide section; a second guide section located along the mineshaft in series with the first guide section, the conveyance being movable along the first guide section; and a head section for receiving the conveyance, the head section cooperating with the first guide section to enable the conveyance to travel from the second guide section along the first guide section when received by the head section.

Abstract: A smelting vessel includes a plurality of heat pipes (21) positioned in a refractory lining of at least a part of the hearth (9) for cooling at least a part of the refractory lining. At least one of the heat pipes includes (a) a liquid phase of a heat transfer fluid, typically water, in a lower section of the heat pipe and (b) a vapor phase of the heat transfer fluid, typically steam, in an upper section of the heat pipe. The heat pipe also includes a vent to allow vapour phase to escape from the heat pipe to reduce the pressure or the temperature within the heat pipe when the vapour pressure or the temperature in the heat pipe exceeds a predetermined threshold pressure or temperature.

Abstract: A train loading system for loading material onto cars of a train is disclosed. The system comprises a material bin arranged to receive material to be loaded onto the train, a closure device arranged to facilitate control by an operator of the amount of material loaded into each car from the material bin, and a car mass estimator arranged to estimate the mass of material loaded into each car. The system also comprises a display arranged to communicate to the operator the estimated mass of material loaded into each car. A corresponding method is also disclosed.

Abstract: A hoist system for hoisting a conveyance from a mineshaft, comprising: a head frame mounted over the mineshaft; a hoist connected to the conveyance by an elongate flexible hoisting element so as to be operable to hoist the conveyance from the mineshaft by winding the hoisting element; an upper crash barrier located on the head frame so as to be engageable by the conveyance to prevent upward movement of the conveyance beyond the crash barrier in an overwind condition; and an upper conveyance retarder to retard upward movement of the conveyance as it approaches the crash barrier.

Abstract: A heap of a material to be leached to recover a valuable metal from the material includes an electromagnetic heating system to generate heat in situ in the heap.

Abstract: A variable length guide system for guiding a conveyance along a mineshaft, the variable length guide system extending downwardly from a work stage and being extendable or retractable to accommodate changes in distance between the work stage and a lower region of a mineshaft.

Abstract: A method of moving a component or a material to and within a level of a shaft boring system. The shaft boring system is positioned within a shaft and the method comprises lowering the component or the material inside a cage into the shaft and to a level of the shaft boring system. The method further comprises suspending the component or the material from a transport system within the level of the shaft boring system. In addition, the method comprises moving the component or the material within the level of the shaft boring system using the transport system. The component is a component of the shaft boring system and the material is a material for forming the shaft boring system.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method of processing gravity gradient data indicative of an output generated by an airborne gravity gradiometer that is moving along a flight path over a terrain. The method comprises the step of providing the gravity gradient data. The gravity gradient data comprising gravity gradient data elements that are associated with respective flight path segments of the airborne gravity gradiometer. Further, the method comprises providing terrain data indicative of a topography and a density or a density distribution of the terrain above a datum that is below the surface of the terrain over which the airborne gravity gradiometer is moved. The method also comprises providing information concerning the flight path of the airborne gravity gradiometer in three dimensions. In addition, the method comprises calculating the gravity gradient response of the terrain using the provided terrain data and the provided information concerning the flight path.

Abstract: An apparatus for injecting gas into a vessel is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a gas flow duct from which to discharge gas from the duct, an elongate central structure extending within the gas flow duct, and a plurality of flow directing vanes disposed about the central structure adjacent the forward end of the duct to impart swirl to a gas flow through the forward end of the duct. The apparatus also comprises cooling water flow passages in the vanes that have inlets at the forward ends of the vanes and outlets at the rear ends of the vanes.

Abstract: A method of open cut mining comprising carrying out mining operations in an area of an open cut mine with manned resources and unmanned resources and providing separate access for these resources to the mine area at selected locations. Alternatively, or in addition, the method comprises carrying out mining operations in the mine area with manned resources and unmanned resources operating in selected, separate unmanned and manned zones, respectively within the mine area.

Abstract: A method of starting a molten bath-based process for smelting a metalliferous material is disclosed. The method includes using the heat flux of water-cooled elements in lower parts of a smelting vessel to provide an indication of molten bath temperature during at least an early part of the start-up method and adjusting injection rates of oxygen-containing gas and/or carbonaceous material into the smelting vessel to control the molten bath temperature during start-up without exceeding critical heat flux levels and tripping the start-up method.

Abstract: A method of controlling a froth flotation cell in a froth flotation circuit for separating substances comprises periodically carrying out a control routine to maximize froth stability during the operation of the cell. The control routine comprises changing the gas flow rate to the cell in a series of steps and assessing the froth stability at each gas flow rate and continuing the step changes in the gas flow rate until the froth stability is a peak froth stability or is within a predetermined range of the peak froth stability of the cell.

Abstract: A material supply apparatus and process for co-injecting heated solid metalliferous material and solid carbonaceous material via a solids injection lance into a direct smelting vessel are disclosed.

Abstract: A method of starting a molten-bath based melting process includes commencing supplying cold oxygen-containing gas and cold carbonaceous material into a main chamber of a smelting vessel within at most 3 hours after completing a hot metal charge into the vessel and igniting the carbonaceous material and heating the main chamber and molten metal in the main chamber.

Abstract: A method of starting a molten-bath based melting process includes establishing a sufficiently large and stable “hot zone” for ignition of oxygen and coal in a main chamber of a smelting vessel by independent means, i.e. independently of and before supplying cold oxygen and coal into the main chamber.

Abstract: A method of processing mined material, such as mined ore, includes a step of exposing mined material to an alternating magnetic field and directly or indirectly assessing the electrical conductivity of mined material in the alternating magnetic field in order to determine whether there is valuable material in the mined material. An apparatus for processing mined material, such as mined ore, includes a magnetic field station that is adapted to expose mined material to an alternating magnetic field that induces currents in mined material that are related to the electrical conductivity of valuable material in the mined material.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method of characterizing a resource in a block located in an area. The method comprises the step of providing information concerning a property of the resource for a plurality of sample positions in, at or in the environment of the block. The information is obtained from analyzes of samples from the sample positions. The method further comprises modelling a change in the property along a distance at or within the block using the provided information. The method also comprises calculating parameters associated with the modelled change using Bayes' theorem and calculating a property characteristic of the resource for the block using the calculated parameters.

Abstract: A two stage ironmaking process includes a first stage that includes solid state reduction of iron ore and producing a partially-reduced iron-containing feed material and an off-gas containing CO2 at a location that is in close proximity to a site for sequestering CO2. A second stage of the process includes transporting the feed material to an ironmaking facility iron at another location and producing iron from the feed material.