International Mining Research Articles

Sustainable Coal Mining and Electricity Generation: With Special Reference to Dahanu Thermal Power Station

Mining Industry is often tagged as a polluting sector since it involves since it involves extensive resource exploitation by unsustainable methods. The techniques involved in mining cause tremendous destruction to the environment and health of people living in nearby areas. There is a growing consensus on sustainable and efficient mineral development which will avoid the clash between economic and environmental interests. Deployment of advanced and sustainable technological solutions in the entire mining process, fixing the gaps in its regulatory mechanisms and learning from the successes of specific domestic and international mining operations are certain solutions that have the capacity this sector more productive. The paper provides insights into the problems of mining sector and possible solutions to overcome these problems. It also provides examples of certain best practices adopted by mining corporations for sustainable coal mining. The paper also explores various methods and technologies which can be adopted by Thermal Power Plants to reduce their emissions and simultaneously conserve environment. An empirical study of Dahanu Thermal Power Station located in state of Maharashtra of India has been undertaken for this purpose to study the modern technologies adopted by them to lower their emission levels.

Debt and Destruction: The Global Abuse of Haiti and Unbalancing the Myth of Benevolent Canada

An integral responsibility of nation-states is to provide protection and the means for attaining a fulfilling life to those it governs. Given the fact that most current global powers were not founded with the needs of racialized peoples in mind, one is infuriated but not surprised, at the cyclical pattern of disregard and exploitation that people of colour in the Americas experience. Indigenous and Black communities in the Americas are not just disregarded by the state, but are actively targeted for exploitation and undermining. Analyzing Haiti’s post-colonial history and Canada’s domestic and international mining operations, I argue that nations in the Caribbean and Latin America have been extensively exploited economically by imperial powers, and their survival undermined by colonial legacies. Numerous countries in the region, to varying degrees, continue to experience the wrath of state-sponsored white supremacy and crippling debt that prevent authentic development. I advance the position that coerced debt and resource extraction have been weaponized against already ostracized communities by behemoth states that employ the myth of being a post-racial democracy. This paper also highlights a complex set of global relationships by linking extraction, state-corporate relations, and North-South divides, with a focus on Canadian mining in Latin America.

ANALYSIS ON THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE FUTURE OF THE OIL INDUSTRY AT GLOBAL, REGIONAL AND LOCAL LEVEL

Falling oil prices raise questions about the future of the energy industry globally, regionally and locally, as well as the role of fossil fuels in the transition to a more sustainable energy future after the pandemic. The global economy is already undergoing an energy transition from fossil fuels to more sustainable energy sources. Renewable energy is increasingly deflationary, and oil prices will have to compete with it, despite falling oil prices driven by the economy and pandemic. It is not known what life will look like in the post-«COVID-19» oil industry, even if oil demand returns to normal, supply consumption will take some time. We may see further diversification in the energy market and for renewable energy to play a greater role. However, it is important that energy resources are balanced in a sustainable and equitable way that supports the growth of the V.P. TUDORACHE1*, Associate Professor PhD. Eng. at Petroleum-Gas University of Ploiesti, Vice-President of A.G.I.R. Prahova branch. N. ILIAS2 , Professor PhD. Eng. at University of Petrosani, Member of the Academy for Technical Sciences of Romania,President of the Section Oil, Mine and Geonomy Engineering D. FODOR2 , Professor PhD. Eng. at University of Petrosani, Universitatii, no. 20, code 3332006, Petrosani, Hunedoara, Romania, and Member of the Academy for Technical Sciences of Romania, Member of the International Mining Committee 1* Author for correspondence. E-mail: valentin.tudorache@yahoo.com https://doi.org/10.37878/2708-0080/2020-5.035 6 НЕФТЬ И ГАЗ 2020 6 (120) COVID-19 И НЕФТЯНАЯ ПРОМЫШЛЕННОСТЬ world economy. The objective of the United Nations Sustainable Development to ensure access to "affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all" will be largely based on policy makers, company strategies and prices

Investigation of a Quarrying Optimization Problem

Controlled quarrying models have been considered in [1, 2] and elsewhere. These models are the product of a collaboration between the Department of Optimal Control at the Lomonosov State University’s Faculty of Computation Mathematics and Cybernetics and the international mining company BHPB Billiton. The present article is a continuation of [1, 2]. Our quarrying model is highly simplified. Yet it reflects some important theoretical aspects that arise in mining.

Local Gender Norms: Persistence or Change? Reply to \u201cA Gendered Resource Curse? Mineral Ownership, Female Unemployment and Domestic Violence in Sub-Saharan Africa\u201d by Mario Krauser, Tim Wegenast, Gerald Schneider, and Ingeborg Elgersmar

In their recent article “A Gendered Resource Curse? Mineral Ownership, Female Unemployment and Domestic Violence in Sub-Saharan Africa,” Mario Krauser, Tim Wegenast, Gerald Schneider, and Ingeborg Elgersmar argue that international mine ownership alters employment possibilities for women in comparison to domestically-owned mines. They make the case that this also alters gender norms and find that foreign ownership decreases domestic violence reporting from women. In this reply, I take a closer look at the proposed mechanisms that local gender norms change around international mines and will review literature that finds persisting effects of gender norms on gender equality. Finally, I will assess the circumstance under which norms may change in response to outside interventions and suggest avenues for future research.

Strategic Raw Materials, International Mining Firms and the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Democratic Republic of the Congo represents one of the world’s most important sites for mining activities. Strategic raw materials, such as cobalt and tantalum, fuel the global electromobility movement and high-tech industries. Located in the heart of Africa multinational firms from Canada, China and other countries do currently find themselves in a run for resources. Quantifications of interdependencies between disruptions in the former Belgian colony and associated real and financial economic values of international scale are largely nonexistent and aimed for in this study. Using SVAR models and the classical event study methodology we find that risk in the Congo and events, influencing the local competitive structure of multinational firms, do significantly influence prices of strategic raw materials and internationally listed stocks.

Coal mining waste in Poland in reference to circular economy principles

The article deals with the problem of mining waste, which is the largest group of waste balance in Poland. Based on research, the current state of waste management in Polish coal mining has been identified. This is a challenge that is facing not only the domestic mining industry, but also international mining. As demonstrated using the example of international solutions, the essence of waste classification is gaining practical significance. A dynamically developing, more flexible and advanced technology enables the 3R principle (Reduction, Reuse, and Recycle) of Circular Economy theory to be applied in practice to the mining industry. Coal mining waste generated due to the absence of selective mining methods and coal beneficiation can be reused in co-firing processes for energy production after being treated. Further reuse of coal mining waste also has a positive effect on land reclamation and restoration, which in turn will minimize the size of mining dumps. Non-energy uses of coal may be found in the chemical industry, but some production methods may raise additional questions regarding excessive CO2 emissions. In a circular economy, it is important to identify all possible ways to reuse resources. As part of the research, the current state of coal mining waste was examined. Based on the described solutions for the use of mining waste, a sustainable, socio-environmental CE strategy for this group in the selected area of waste has been proposed together with the highest and best use analysis for dumps in complex legal, economic and technical conditions.

МИРОВЫЕ ТРЕНДЫ СОВЕРШЕНСТВОВАНИЯ И МОДЕРНИЗАЦИИ ТРАНСПОРТНЫХ СИСТЕМ НА ОТКРЫТЫХ ГОРНЫХ РАБОТАХ

The analysis of international experience in increase of efficiency of open pit haulage system has been done. It is revealed that a new, rapidly developing and the most perspective direction in the world is to minimize and exclude human participation in the technological processes of mining. The development of technologies and equipment, allows gradually replacing the human driver in the transportation process and stepping into fully autonomous haulage system. The combination of sensors and detectors with the artificial intelligence of computer is able to analyze, evaluate and predict the traffic conditions with the generation of an adequate intellectual decision. The introduction of autonomous haulage system in open-pit mining is improved of the technical and economic performance of the rocks transportation and safety of mining. Outlined the directions for increasing the level of robotics and automation of production processes at the Russian mining enterprises to reduce the existing gap in this field between Russian and international mining companies.

Establishment of the Relationship between Productivity and Technological Parameters of the Process of Grinding Ore in Ball Mills

The mining industry is one of the main links in the industry of Azerbaijan and one of the main directions in the non-oil sector. Two companies operate here - Azerbaijan International Mining Company and AzeriGold, which are the determining factors in the country's gold mining. The article discusses the current state and development prospects of this industry. A regression equation is proposed that allows us to establish a relationship between the performance of ball mills and the technological parameters of the grinding process. It was found that the trajectory of the motion of the balls in a complex manner depends on the parameters studied.

Tactics of dispossession: Access, power, and subjectivity at the extractive frontier

In this article we analyse and theorise how power is exercised and subjectivities reworked to achieve and maintain socio‐political order in areas of large‐scale international extractive investment. Through a critical review of recent literature on the political ecologies of the international mining and hydrocarbon industries, we explore the strategies that firms and their allies deploy to secure and preserve the transformed relations of land and resource access upon which accumulation relies. Inspired by the work of John Allen we analyse these strategies with attention to the modalities and techniques of power used, highlighting the diverse ways socio‐political stability is pursued despite the industry’s destabilising effects. What emerges is that, contrasting the sector’s reputation for coercion and domination, transformed regimes of access to land and resources at the extractive frontier are to a significant degree achieved and stabilised through what Allen calls the “quieter registers” of power. Attention to the varied and overlapping ways extractive firms and their allies exercise power to secure and maintain access to land and resources highlights limitations to David Harvey’s influential accumulation by dispossession framework for understanding how extractive capital circulates into “new ground.” It also directs attention to processes of subject formation at the extractive frontier, and to how industry expansion may be facilitated through the production of particular kinds of subjects. To illustrate this, we outline three interrelated ways subjectivities are reworked through peoples’ encounters with the logics, materiality, and power of contemporary extractive industry. We suggest that those living in the shadow of large international extractive operations become extractive subjects.

Comparative Study on the Characteristics and Development Modes of International Mining Capital Market

Lack of mineral exploration capital market has become a bottleneck restricting the development of mineral exploration industry. it is meaningful to study the developing path of the mineral exploration capital market in China under the current difficult economic situation. Therefore, we should focus on the development of the capital market of mineral exploration in China, and improve the efficiency of capital allocation of mineral exploration effectively, and thus promote the development of the mining industry and the overall economy. Another important content of this paper is to compare the development of mineral exploration capital market in some industrialized countries, and to review and summarize the historical evolution of China’s mineral exploration capital market. Based on the analysis above, this paper finally analyses the obstacles and opportunities faced by China to develop mineral industry, and discusses the development path of the mineral capital market in China.

Mining in comparative perspective: Trends, transformations and theories

This article offers a brief introduction to a special issue based on a selection of papers originally presented at an international mining conference in Ghent (Belgium) in December 2017. The aim of the conference was to promote a comparative and multidisciplinary approach to a selective number of political, economic and socio-cultural aspects of mining in the Global South. The five papers included in the special issue have been grouped around three main themes: (1) mining elites, (2) the antagonism between artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) and large-scale mining (LSM), and (3) mining in a globalizing world.

Serious Injuries in the Mining Industry: Preparing the Emergency Response

Introduction Paramedics are employed by Australian and international mining and petroleum organisations to provide emergency medical response, injury prevention, health promotion, chronic disease management, medical referral, primary healthcare and repatriation co-ordination for miners in exploration, construction and production. These are challenging roles given the often isolated, potentially hazardous and clinically unpredictable nature of the sites where these paramedics work. The purpose of this article is to review injuries that occurred in the mining industry with a view to sharing this information with paramedics who work within the mining sector. Methods Data was collected under legislative authority by the Western Australian Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS). Data efficacy was optimised via strong legislative support whereby all organisations involved in mining activities are legally compelled to report to the DMIRS all accidents involving injury. Results A total of 837 injuries were reported during the 6-month period between 1 July and 31 December 2013. These comprised 658 serious injuries, including three fatalities, and 179 minor injuries. Sprains and strains were the most common injury comprising 69% of injuries followed by fractures 10%, lacerations 6%, crushing injuries 5%, bruises and contusions 4%, and dislocations and displacements 2%. Foreign bodies, punctures, bites, amputations, chemical effects, thermal burns, flash and arc burns and loss of consciousness each recorded less than 1% of the injuries. Conclusion Findings presented in this article can be used by paramedics working in the mining sector across Australia and worldwide. Paramedic awareness of the nature and cause of injury is useful for optimally preparing paramedics to perform appropriate diagnosis and treatment and to minimise patient mortality and morbidity.

Роль Международного противоминного центра Вооруженных Сил РФ в сохранении памятников истории и культуры

Роль Международного противоминного центра Вооруженных Сил РФ в сохранении памятников истории и культуры

The Influence of Iron Ore Tax on China's Metallurgical Mines

Mining industry is a very important industry in China. Its tax and fee policy is related to the whole industry. This paper summarizes the main types of taxes and fees involved in iron ore in China, Australia, Russia, Cameroon, Brazil, India and South Africa, and also compare the comprehensive tax and fee burden rates of iron ore companies in China with those of four major international mining companies, Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton, Valley and FMG. It concludes that the comprehensive tax and fee burden rates of iron ore companies in China are higher about 6% than those of the four major international mining companies. The main reasons for the increase are unreasonable industrial orientation of mining industry, high resource tax and value-added tax rates, few deductible items of value-added tax, and unreasonable collection of local special taxes and fees. Finally the author puts forward five suggestions on how to reduce the tax burden of iron ore companies. First, the government can improve the tax system and form a scientific, reasonable tax system. The second is adjusting the mining industry from the second industry to the primary industry. The third is to formulate a national strategy to ensure the safety of iron ore supply. The fourth is to uniformly determine the collection standard of resource tax rate by the country, cancel the unreasonable tax and fee collected by local government. The fifth is to increase fuel tax credits for mining companies.

New Zealand's Technological Participation in the International Goldfields: The Example of the Stamper Battery.

New Zealand's gold rushes of the early 1860s followed similar rushes in California and Australia, and mining technology was imported from those fields from the outset. Over the subsequent decades international mining technology was developed and improved. The question that this article asks is: how did New Zealand fit into the international hard-rock goldfields? Was it merely a follower of overseas technology, or did it participate more actively in the development of mining technology? Based on an extensive archaeological survey of surviving machinery, this article argues for a model of technological participation, which acknowledges that New Zealand was a small player, but that New Zealanders participated with agency in the mining industry, rather than simply being actors using imported machinery and technology.

A Review on the Evolution of the Turkey Mining Sector

Mining is an extremely crucial sector that provides the necessary raw materials for several industries. The mining sector plays a significant part in the development and the socio-economical growth of any country as natural resources directly contribute to its value-added and increasing its employment rate. Our country is characterized by the wealth and the diversity of its mineral reserves. Therefore, empowering the production ensures the economic and technological development of the country by creating employment opportunities and meeting the needs in raw materials of several sectors. This paper reviews the international mining market by investigating the top produced minerals and their producing countries. In addition, this review paper studies the development of the mining sector in Turkey in the last few years and its contribution to the socio-economical growth of the country.

The Architecture of Influence: Meta-organizations and The Transformation of Institutional Fields

In this study, we examine interactions between a mining industry association, its member companies and various SMOs (defined broadly) in an effort to better understand how such interactions come to shape industry-level corporate practices over time. Based on an in- depth case study of an international mining association, focused on enhancing corporate social responsibility (CSR) practice standards in the industry, and its interactions with 17 different SMOs, this study highlights the processes whereby a network of interlinked meta-organizations, comprised of industry associations, corporations, social movement organizations, intergovernmental organizations and standard setting organizations help shift corporate practices towards more or better sustainability in the industry. Our study shows that processes of engagement between actors are accomplished in three key stages – issue raising, issue defining and issue mainstreaming. These processes in turn are mediated by three distinct dynamics: transforming information into intelligence, bargaining for legitimacy, and resource availability. This study contributes to the literature on how SMOs and corporations interact and sheds light on the role played by meta- organizations in the shaping of institutional fields.

Challenges and Opportunities of Higher Education for International Mining Engineers in China: Based on the Practice at Chongqing University

Under the background of mineral industry transforms towards global and sustainable development as well as the establishment of innovative country in China, higher requirements for the mineral engineering education have been putting forward. Based on the research on the demands of mining engineers in the domestic and foreign, the mining engineering education objective, which includes the characteristics of international, innovative and interdisciplinary (referred as ‘3I’), was determined. To achieve the ‘3I’ education objective, the international outlook, the economics and management knowledge, as well as the practical ability for knowledge using were enhanced in the new curriculum. Substantially, a new education system includes three sub-education models was generated. Practical outcomes show that the education system is effective on improving the overall quality of students, especially the innovative ability. In the end, the flaws in learning and teaching in the current education system were discussed, including students’ concerns on the global level and understanding different cultures should be strengthened, as well as the teaching contents and teaching philosophy have to satisfy the changes and the demands of the industry development.

Condors, Water, and Mining: Heeding Voices from Andean Communities

This paper addresses the relationship between scholarship and activism, considering the obligations that ethnobiologists have to the communities we work with. I begin by describing the cultural meaning of Andean condors (Vultur gryphus) in Peru through their connections to mountains and water in various forms, and the condor’s role as guardian and protector. My research on condors led me to Indigenous beliefs and practices regarding sacred mountains and water, and from this to the threats against the environment posed by international mining operations. This discussion highlights questions concerning the scholar’s role in situations of environmental destruction and political conflict in relation to structural violence, the mass media, and climate change. At a time when those who protect the land and water are endangered around the globe, the decisions we make while conducting research carry responsibilities for the consequences of our actions, even as these consequences ripple out beyond our specific locality and our original intentions.