Mineral Extraction Industries Research Articles

Sustainable Mining and Processing of Mineral Resources

The global mineral extraction industry is undergoing rapid transformation [...]

Developing environmental sustainability policy – How financing and subsidies are influencing green innovation in mineral extraction industries in China

Mineral extraction is regarded as a pollution-intensive industry and is confronted with multiple environmental sustainability challenges. This issue poses an existential crisis for mineral extraction due to continued global pressure to adopt more sustainable practices in their functioning. Despite its importance, there is a notable gap in the literature regarding how these companies encounter financial challenges, particularly in the context of high-risk, long development cycles, and the unique double externalities associated with green innovation. This research, leveraging panel data from 2016 to 2023, aims to fill this gap by examining whether Chinese mineral extraction companies demonstrate distinct preferences for specific financing sources and by evaluating the role of government in facilitating their green innovation activities. Our findings indicate that such companies utilize a mix of internal and external financing to support their green innovation projects. It is observed that the influence of external finances channels, namely government subsidies, equity financing and debt financing, on green innovation progressively weakens, a conclusion supported by multiple robustness checks. Furthermore, the study highlights the crucial role of government subsidies in motivating publicly listed companies to enhance their green innovation activities through debt and equity financing, thereby contributing to a more equitable and sustainable development paradigm in the Global South.

An Investigation of the Carbon Emissions and Climate Change Awareness from the Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining (ASGM) sector in Guyana: The Case of Mahdia

Mineral extractive industries are becoming increasingly relevant in climate change science and policy. Guyana’s economic policy, the Low Carbon Development Strategy, seeks to align sectors of the economy along a low carbon emission trajectory. Although the artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) sector is economically important, it is a known emissions-intensive sector that contributes to deforestation and direct operational emissions. This study sought to increase understanding of direct operational emissions by investigating carbon emissions associated with fuel combustion in ASGM. Further, the study investigated miners’ awareness of carbon emissions and willingness to reduce emissions; thus providing context for policymakers to advance measures aimed at reducing carbon emissions in the ASGM sector. The research methods used were qualitative document analysis, questionnaire-survey, and interviews. It was found that the average carbon dioxide emission per volume of earth moved from a sample of ASGM operations in Mahdia per quarter was 4.69 x 10-6 MtCO2e/m3. Miners were generally unaware of their carbon footprint and its link to mining, climate change, and the Low Carbon Development Strategy. This knowledge gap was accompanied by negative attitudes. 79% of miners indicated there was no need to reduce their carbon footprint, and 85% of miners were unwilling to change their usual practices. Recommendations to advance and integrate the sector within the Low Carbon Development Strategy framework were explored within the themes of: regulation and management; fiscal measures; technology; and education and awareness.

Kinetics of silica-assisted pyro-hydrolysis of CaCl2 waste for the recovery of hydrochloric acid (HCl): Effect of interaction between CaCl2 and SiO2

Pyro-hydrolysis of CaCl2 waste for HCl acid regeneration is a circular process enabling the sustainable development of the critical energy mineral extraction industry. However, the lack of detailed kinetic information has posed challenges in implementing this technology. An acidic additive such as silica (i.e., SiO2) is essential to make this reaction thermodynamically available, yet its reaction kinetics are still unknown. This study aims to reveal the detailed reaction kinetics of the SiO2-assisted pyro-hydrolysis of CaCl2 under two typical industrial settings for the feeding of reactants, physical mixing of powders and spray feeding where CaCl2 solution is expected to initially undertake drying and subsequently deposit onto the solid silica powders for a close contact. The isothermal experiment results revealed that the HCl release rate is strongly temperature-dependent. Comparatively, the CaCl2-deposited silica demonstrated a significantly faster release of HCl than the physically mixed sample, achieving 92% HCl release within 30 min at 800 °C. SEM analysis confirmed a closer inter-particle contact for the CaCl2-deposited sample, which is responsive to the accelerated HCl release. In addition, the experimental results were successfully fitted by a variable activation energy model which discovered a steady increase of the activation energy with the progression of the HCl release for both feedstock modes. This is primarily due to the continuous change on the formation of intermediates. The model also confirmed a lower activation energy for the CaCl2-deposited sample than its physically mixed counterpart at any given conversion extent of CaCl2. In contrast, for the physically mixed sample, the loose inter-particle contact led to the formation of a stable intermediate, Ca(OH)Cl, which can readily reverse to CaCl2, thereby slowing down the overall HCl release rate.

Resource Intensity Trends in the South African Ferrochrome Industry from 2007 to 2020

Processing resource requirements in mineral extractive industries tend to increase over time as ore grades decrease, which consequently increases the environmental footprint of operations and products. This phenomenon may be alleviated by cleaner production interventions. South Africa is the largest global supplier of chromium. This study investigates the impact of cleaner production process improvements on selected resource intensities of the South African ferrochrome industry. Sustainability data, available since the start of regular sustainability reporting in 2007, were used to compile resource intensity trends. This was followed by a review of industry capital projects relating to resource-use optimisation, interrogated in interviews with industry experts, to ascertain their effect on resource intensities. The emergence of a symbiotic relationship with the platinum-group metals industry was identified as a major development, with chromite ore intensity decreasing from 2.54 to 1.98 kg per kg ferrochrome. Electrical energy intensity was observed to decrease from 3.47 to 2.86 kWh per ton ferrochrome, mainly as a result of cleaner smelting technology, though cogeneration fired by furnace off-gases also contributed significantly. The introduction of cleaner production interventions in the South African ferrochrome industry was thus documented to have resulted in decreased resource use intensities.

Mining-Dependence & Triple Helix in Brazil: Analysis of the Entrepreneurial University

Extractivism is one of the main economic sources in the country. However, this activity produces socio-environmental liabilities in the host territories, making well-being and work alternatives unfeasible. As a way of circumventing the impacts, intersectoral partnerships are formed to overcome “Mining-Dependency”. To better understand this phenomenon, a single case study was carried out in order to understand the territorial development projects between university, city hall and mineral extractive industry, located in Itabira - MG. The city of Itabira is the birthplace of a large mining company and records a deadline for the depletion of its mineral reserves for the year 2028. Through documentary research and semi-structured interviews, it was possible to recognize the alignment of the population's reality with the development project. Preliminary results indicate that the project of economic dynamization led by the university is erratic, still benefiting the local economy in a superficial way and not integrated with the desires of the local community. Projects aimed at fostering entrepreneurship and innovation have not shown preeminence. In this way, new research may arise when rethinking the role of the Triple Helix in territories impacted by extractivism, including civil society as an actor of the Fourth Helix.

Physical Modeling and Structural Properties of Small-Scale Mine Ventilation Networks

This work is devoted to the modeling and structural analysis of ventilation networks in small-scale mines using a physically oriented modeling method that ensures power conservation. Small-scale mines are common in the mineral extraction industry of underdeveloped countries and their physical characteristics are taken into account in the modeling process. The geometrical topology of the ventilation network in addition with the conservation laws of the fluid distribution along the network are considered in order to obtain a simple modeling methodology. Non-linear characteristics of the interconnected fluid dynamics represent a challenge to determine significant features of the system from a control point of view. Observability and controllability properties are analyzed by considering the structural systems approach. An structural analysis provides information based on the network topology independently of the mine parameters allowing the number of sensors and actuators to be reduced while also preserving the observability and controllability of the ventilation system. Experimental results are provided by building a small-scale ventilation network benchmark to evaluate the proposed model and its properties.

Mineral extraction and processing industries: Do they have socioeconomic benefits in a developing country scenario?

Purpose. This study examined the benefits of modernization of small industrial units clustered in Mohmand Marble City, Pakistan focusing on objectives to estimate change in socioeconomic status of rural public living in proximity of Marble City as well as to evaluate increase in productivity of marble tiles and resultant revenue from marble business. Methods. Primary data was collected from respondents to ascertain trends in 2015, 2016 and 2017. These values were projected to 2025 by using computational software GeoGebra. To validate socioeconomic impacts beyond 2025, values of variables were further projected to 2030 using exponential rate model. Findings. Analysis indicated that because of vintage and outdated equipment and plants, presently small marble industrial units were operating at below the optimum potential. These industrial units were required to be clustered in modern Mohmand Marble City. Results showed that after modernization and clustering of small marble industrial units into a modern marble city, socioeconomic status of rural public will be exponentially enhanced, production of marble tiles will be substantially boosted and revenue will increase. Originality. This study used innovative computational software GeoGebra for analysis of data at each stage. It also used catalyst model and exponential rate model to estimate effects of clustering and modernization of mineral industries. In a nutshell, this study is a unique combination of mathematical, computational and spatial framework. Practical implications. The results, conclusions and policy recommendations are globally applicable especially for deve-loping countries to modernize the mineral extraction and processing industries and boost their potential in mineral trade.

Monitoring Surface Mining Operations in Guyana: Challenges and Geospatial Alternatives

Guyana’s mineral extractive industry has seen immense growth since the 1800s and continues to be the nation’s main revenue contributor. This growth is accompanied by dire environmental and social impacts, as studies have shown that surface mining is associated with deforestation, land degradation, and biodiversity loss. Regular monitoring of surface mining activity is therefore necessary to ascertain and mitigate impacts.

Differences in the generation of industrial waste from economic activities in Ukraine and the EU and the prospects for the integrated use of mineral raw materials

The paper presents the comparative analysis of the amount of waste generated in Ukraine and European countries (except for radioactive waste) based on the official EU and Ukrainian statistical data. The data on waste generation are compiled according to the following classification: by economic activity and household, waste category, grades of hazard, and regions. In Ukraine, 352.3 million tons of waste was generated in 2018. By 2018, almost 13 billion tons of waste had been accumulated at the managed dumpsites, including about 12 million tons of hazardous and over 200 million tons of household waste. In the European Union, 2.6 billion tons of waste was generated in 2018. Over 70% of it was generated by 10 countries: Germany, France, England, Poland, Romania, Italy, Sweden, the Netherlands, Spain and Finland. By economic activity, the largest amounts of waste in Ukraine are generated by the mineral extraction and processing industry, the smallest – from water treatment and construction. In the EU countries, these values are somewhat different. For example, in Germany and France, the largest amounts of waste are generated from construction and manufacturing, the smallest – from agriculture, forestry and fishery. By waste category, the waste generated both in the EU countries and in Ukraine is mineral and solid waste. In Ukraine, the largest amounts of waste are produced and accumulated in the Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions which accommodate large enterprises for extraction and mineral processing of iron and manganese ores, titanium-zirconium placers, coal, dolomite, and metallurgical limestone, as well as metallurgical and ferroalloy plants.

An Investigation of the Carbon Emissions and Climate Change Awareness from the Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining Sector in Guyana: The Case of Mahdia

Mineral extractive industries are becoming increasingly relevant in climate change science and policy. Guyana’s economic policy, the Low Carbon Development Strategy, seeks to align sectors of the economy along a low carbon emission trajectory. Although the artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) sector is economically important, it is a known emissions-intensive sector that contributes to deforestation and direct operational emissions.

Biologic removal of sulfate from acid mine drainage in an anaerobic sequencing batch reactor: Temperature and inoculum origin effects on the startup operation

Acid mine drainage represents a major cause of environmental impact associated with the activity of mineral extractive industries. In this study, we evaluated the treatment of this wastewater through an anaerobic sequencing batch reactor at 15, 30, and 55 °C with a sludge of sulfidogenic and methanogenic origin. The operation at 30 °C with sulfidogenic sludge showed the highest average removal of sulfate (80 %), while the highest average removal of COD (92 %) occurred at 30 °C with methanogenic sludge. The sulfidogenic phases showed lower apparent kinetic constants (Kap), compared at the same temperature, with the methanogenic phases, according to the first-order kinetic adjustment, considering residual concentration. The sulfate-reducing bacteria reproduced at 15 °C, according to growth enumeration by the most probable number method, which demonstrates its contribution to the growth of communities present in the inoculum due to the environmental conditions.

Innovation and Staff Turnover in the Food Industry in Sergipe

The high rate of staff turnover has caused concern in the industrial sector, not only for the loss of labor, but also because it directly implies the capacity for innovation, which is essential for the development of companies in a globalized market. Therefore, the objective of this work was to study the relationship between human resource turnover, known as Turnover, and innovation in the Sergipe food industry. A documentary search was carried out in the RAIS, CAGED databases to verify the turnover rate of the industries and a mapping of the patent deposits in the databases of the National Institute of Industrial Property, European Patent Office and World Intellectual Property Organization. When analyzing the average remuneration of the workers, it is noticed that the mineral extractive sector has the highest average remuneration of the state, so it was made the comparison with the food sector, when calculating the turnover rate of both sectors, it was verified that the food industry has a higher than extractive turnover rate. In addition, the Mineral Extractive Industry has a greater number of patent deposits compared to the Food Industry. In this way, it is understood that there is a relation between the turnover rate and the innovation of the sectors, since the Mining Extractive Industry, since it is a sector with higher qualified personnel and with a lower turnover rate, presented a larger quantity of patent deposits in comparison with the Food Industry which presented a higher rate of turnover.

The effect of Dutch disease in the tourism sector: the case of Mediterranean countries

Purpose – A flourishing tourism sector can produce the same increase in income as that from natural resource exports. Unlike the oil, gas, and mineral extraction industries, which cause depletion of natural resources, the tourism industry has the potential to become a renewable industry, if well managed. In this context, the aim of this study is to investigate the existence of the Dutch disease effect in Mediterranean countries with high tourism dependence. Design – The data set used in this study was from 1996-2015, and it was obtained from the 2017 World Development Indicator [WDI] database. The logarithms of all variables were added to the model. In the study, 17 selected Mediterranean countries (Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, Croatia, Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, Israel, Lebanon, Malta, Morocco, Slovenia, Spain, Tunisia, and Turkey) were used. Methodology – In the study, the methods used by Figini and Vici (2009), Holzner (2011), Ghalia and Fidrmuc (2015) are followed. In addition, Panel AMG, CCE co-integration estimators were used. Findings –The panel data analysis results for the country group imply that the Dutch disease does not exist overall but, on the other hand, the country based results reveal existence of the Dutch disease in some of the Mediterranean countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Egypt, Greece, Italy, Morocco, and Turkey). Originality of the Research – The originality of this study is twofold. First of all, to our knowledge, this is the first study investigating the Dutch disease in the Mediterranean countries. Moreover, the study employs recently developed panel data econometric methods and allows us to get results for each economy separately, unlike conventional panel data analysis methods. Therefore, we predict that this study will make an important contribution to the literature.

High temperature permittivity measurements of selected industrially relevant ores: Review and analysis

The mineral processing and extractive metallurgy industries are under increasing pressure to develop more energy efficient and sustainable technologies. As a result, there is increasing interest in the application of alternative energy sources, such as microwave technology. While bench scale testing has been conducted in this area for over thirty years, scale-up has remained a key challenge. One barrier to implementation has been the lack of understanding of the fundamental interaction of microwaves with ores. Key parameters include the real and the imaginary permittivities, which influence both the heating rate and the microwave penetration depth. Over the last decade, high temperature permittivity measurements have been performed on various ores using the cavity perturbation technique. In this paper, this permittivity data is presented as a function of temperature primarily at 912 MHz. Based on the interpretation of this data, recommendations are made for the sustainable utilization of microwave technology in metallurgical processing.

Territorial governance and social innovation in regional development processes in mining territories: a theoretic model under construction

Abstract There are serious contradictions between the proclaimed economic benefits obtained by localities where the mineral extraction industry historically operates, and the results recorded in research work. Studies have pointed out serious problems and negative consequences from the mineral extraction industry’s questionable form of management and relationship with the local environment. These practices have increased the socioeconomic and environmental vulnerability of the territories, both in local and regional dimensions. Studies about development indicate the existence of a positive relationship between governance and economic growth, and between innovation and economic growth. There are also studies that point out innovative processes as essential to local and regional development because they prioritize the territorial diversity and develop opportunities focused on the profile of each region. However, this discussion is still restricted to the economic and exclusive point of view of the industrial sector, which limits the analysis from the perspective of regional development. To unravel the nature of the still unclear relationship between territorial governance and social innovation and the effects of this relationship in regional development processes in mining territories, this article raises a set of six theoretical propositions, which forms a schematic model for further empirical investigation. The aim is to use this model to search for similarities and peculiarities, and to establish parallel or comparative analysis between diverse and different case studies.

Territorial governance and social innovation in regional development processes in mining territories: a theoretic model under construction

Abstract There are serious contradictions between the proclaimed economic benefits obtained by localities where the mineral extraction industry historically operates, and the results recorded in research work. Studies have pointed out serious problems and negative consequences from the mineral extraction industry’s questionable form of management and relationship with the local environment. These practices have increased the socioeconomic and environmental vulnerability of the territories, both in local and regional dimensions. Studies about development indicate the existence of a positive relationship between governance and economic growth, and between innovation and economic growth. There are also studies that point out innovative processes as essential to local and regional development because they prioritize the territorial diversity and develop opportunities focused on the profile of each region. However, this discussion is still restricted to the economic and exclusive point of view of the industrial sector, which limits the analysis from the perspective of regional development. To unravel the nature of the still unclear relationship between territorial governance and social innovation and the effects of this relationship in regional development processes in mining territories, this article raises a set of six theoretical propositions, which forms a schematic model for further empirical investigation. The aim is to use this model to search for similarities and peculiarities, and to establish parallel or comparative analysis between diverse and different case studies.

PADRÕES DE CRESCIMENTO DOS MUNICÍPIOS E A REPRESENTATIVIDADE INDUSTRIAL EM GOIÁS. (2005 A 2015)

Os padrões de crescimento dos municípios goianos e as relações existentes com a representatividade de suaatividade industrial no intervalo de tempo de 2005 a 2015 são o objeto de análise deste estudo. Pretendeseidentificar os municípios que formam os aglomerados industriais em Goiás e associar, espacialmente, opadrão de crescimento desses municípios e o peso do setor industrial. Dentre os resultados principais, podese destacar que as atividades industriais, especialmente representadas pelas indústrias de transformação e extrativa mineral, proporcionaram ganhos para a expansão da economia goiana e para um conjunto expressivo de municípios. Os resultados também mostraram que o desempenho de um conjunto de municípios foi afetado pela crise econômica brasileira, sobretudo em municípios cujas atividades principais estavam ligadas à commodities minerais, metalmecânica e à produção de medicamentos.Palavras-chave: Municípios goianos. Indústria de transformação. Indústria extrativa mineral. Padrão decrescimento.

Significance of rheology characterisation in mineral flotation process performance

Mineral and metal extractive industries play an important role in the current global economics, and mineral processing is one of the key areas to achieve and maintain sustainability. It is known that the rheological behaviour of mineral slurries affects their processing. However, in addition to controlling the transportation of slurries around processing circuits, rheological behaviour also influences separation processes such as flotation. Although the impact of rheology in unit operations such as grinding and slurry transport has received considerable attention, this has not been the case for flotation. This paper explains the relationship between rheology and froth flotation performance. The results revealed that the mineral flotation performance can be improved by controlling the rheology in flotation process.

Does mineral development provide a basis for sustainable economic development?

The extraction of non-renewable resources is broadly viewed as an unsustainable activity. After 60+ years of examining the role of non-renewable resource development in broader economic development, and its implications for economic welfare, there is little consensus on its effects–or even its desirability. This paper examines the issue of sustainability in the context of non-renewable mineral resources which, we argue, is entwined with the mineral extraction industry‘s “boom-bust” and “resource curse” images. We present a standard Solow-style economic growth model that integrates mineral endowment and uses the model to examine the mineral blessing or curse question empirically with a cross-section of countries. The model is tested using several econometric techniques that generally support the mineral blessing hypothesis. On the question of sustainability, we contrast the applicability of the concept in the contexts of renewable and non-renewable resource development. In the former case, the concept of sustainable yield is relatively straightforward. In the latter, the concept is much more difficult to apply. Sustainable development of non-renewable resources depends on factors beyond physical rates of production, such as governance and investment in human and physical capital.