Development Of Mineral Resources Research Articles

Public geoscience solutions for diversifying Canada's critical mineral production

Abstract Achieving net-zero carbon emissions goals will increasingly rely on critical mineral resources while simultaneously decreasing the extraction, processing and use of hydrocarbons as the primary provider of energy. Canada is well positioned to contribute to this effort through a series of innovative policy and research initiatives, and it is Canada's goal to be a stable supplier of critical minerals into the future. To this end, Natural Resources Canada and the Geological Survey of Canada invest financial resources into critical mineral research initiatives. This research aims to generate precompetitive baseline geological, geochemical and geophysical data for large, underexplored regions within Canada, whereas targeted studies focus on mineral systems science and improved exploration models for the large variety of critical mineral resources distributed throughout Canada. These research approaches can be combined, digitally, to generate mineral potential models. These ongoing efforts by the Geological Survey of Canada enhance the viability of Canada being (or maintaining its status as) a hub for critical mineral resource development and processing well into the future.

Emergency Monitoring of a Tailings Pond Leakage Accident Based on the GEE Platform

The utilization of mineral resources plays an important role in supporting and promoting economic development and social progress. As a necessary facility for the development and utilization of mineral resources, tailings ponds will cause a series of safety and environmental problems once accidents occur. Based on the Sentinel-2 images obtained from the GEE (Google Earth Engine) platform, this paper carried out emergency monitoring of the Yichun Luming Mining tailings pond leakage accident on 28 March 2020, through the spectral changes in monitoring points in the downstream rivers of the tailings pond, the changes in the images before and after the accident, and the analysis of long-time series various indexes. The results revealed that the pollution was quickly treated in a short time, and the river spectrum returned to normal on April 13. The pollution spread for approximately 300 km downstream to the Yijimi River and the Hulan River, and was finally intercepted at the Lanxi Old Bridge 67 km away from the Songhua River, so that more serious pollution was avoided. This accident had a direct impact on the surrounding six counties. The decrease in NDVI reflects that the accident has a certain degree of influence on the vegetation around the tailings pond, while the change in NDTI reflects that some remedial measures have been taken for the tailings pond after the accident. This study demonstrates the advantages of the GEE platform for the emergency monitoring of accidents, which can provide a reference for the emergency monitoring of similar accidents.

Remote Sensing Monitoring of Ecological-Economic Impacts in the Belt and Road Initiatives Mining Project: A Case Study in Sino Iron and Taldybulak Levoberezhny

Under the Belt and Road Initiatives, China’s overseas cooperation in constructing mining projects has developed rapidly. The development and utilization of mining resources are essential requirements for socio-economic development. At the same time, the ecological impacts of the exploitation and utilization of mining resources have increasingly aroused the widespread concern of the international community. This paper uses Landsat images, high-resolution images, and nighttime light (NTL) data to remotely monitor Sino Iron in Australia and Taldybulak Levoberezhny in Kyrgyzstan in different development periods to provide a reference for the rational development of mineral resources and environmental management. The results show that the Chinese enterprises have achieved good results in the ecological protection of the mining area during the construction period. The development of the mine has caused minor damage to the surrounding environment and has not destroyed the local natural ecological pattern. The different NTL indices show an overall rising trend, indicating that the construction of mines has dramatically promoted the socio-economic development of countries along the Belt and Road in both time and space. Therefore, relevant departments should practice green development in overseas projects, establish a scientific mine governance system, and promote a win-win economic growth and environmental governance situation.

Alkaline-Silicate REE-HFSE Systems

Abstract Development of renewable energy infrastructure requires critical raw materials, such as the rare earth elements (REEs, including scandium) and niobium, and is driving expansion and diversification in their supply chains. Although alternative sources are being explored, the majority of the world’s resources of these elements are found in alkaline-silicate rocks and carbonatites. These magmatic systems also represent major sources of fluorine and phosphorus. Exploration models for critical raw materials are comparatively less well developed than those for major and precious metals, such as iron, copper, and gold, where most of the mineral exploration industry continues to focus. The diversity of lithologic relationships and a complex nomenclature for many alkaline rock types represent further barriers to the exploration and exploitation of REE-high field strength element (HFSE) resources that will facilitate the green revolution. We used a global review of maps, cross sections, and geophysical, geochemical, and petrological observations from alkaline systems to inform our description of the alkaline-silicate REE + HFSE mineral system from continental scale (1,000s km) down to deposit scale (~1 km lateral). Continental-scale targeting criteria include a geodynamic trigger for low-degree mantle melting at high pressure and a mantle source enriched in REEs, volatile elements, and alkalies. At the province and district scales, targeting criteria relate to magmatic-system longevity and the conditions required for extensive fractional crystallization and the residual enrichment of the REEs and HFSEs. A compilation of maps and geophysical data were used to construct an interactive 3-D geologic model (25-km cube) that places mineralization within a depth and horizontal reference frame. It shows typical lithologic relationships surrounding orthomagmatic REE-Nb-Ta-Zr-Hf mineralization in layered agpaitic syenites, roof zone REE-Nb-Ta mineralization, and mineralization of REE-Nb-Zr associated with peralkaline granites and pegmatites. The resulting geologic model is presented together with recommended geophysical and geochemical approaches for exploration targeting, as well as mineral processing and environmental factors pertinent for the development of mineral resources hosted by alkaline-silicate magmatic systems.

Research on the Regional Environmental Impact and Risk Assessment Affected by Mineral Resource Development: A Case Study of the Taojia River Watershed in Hunan

The mining and production of mineral resources can directly lead to soil and water pollution, posing a serious threat to human health. In this study, the Taojia River basin, a tributary of the Xiangjiang River, was selected as the study area. Based on the concentrations of heavy metals (As, Cd, Pb, and Zn) in 653 soil/substrate samples collected from 342 points in the study area in 2013 and 2021, the changes in soil heavy metal concentrations in the region were systematically analyzed to assess their environmental risks and impacts on regional environmental quality. The results showed that from 2013 to 2021, the As, Pb, and Zn pollution in regional soil, tailing sand, and surface water was reduced, while the Cd pollution increased. The average soil As, Pb, and Zn concentrations decreased from 3,750, 2,340, and 1,180 mg/kg to 457, 373, and 387mg/kg, respectively, while the Cd concentration increased from 0.11to 1.91 mg/kg; additionally, the overall distribution trend of heavy metal concentrations was high in the south, low in the north, and gradually decreased from upstream to downstream. The single evaluation index of heavy metal pollution risk showed that the percentages of medium to heavy pollution points in the soil As, Pb, and Zn were 84, 57, and 28%, respectively, in 2013, and this index decreased to 38, 37, and 25%, respectively, in 2021. The regional environmental quality was closely related to the intensity of mineral resource development. From 2000 to 2010, frequent mining development activities led to an increase in the area of construction land and a continuous decrease in the area of arable land, grassland, and vegetation cover in the region. During 2010–2020, the area of construction land decreased, and the vegetation coverage increased. The comprehensive evaluation index showed that the overall soil pollution risk in the watershed decreased, and the proportion of heavily polluted points decreased from 80 to 65%. It was shown by principal component analysis and factor analysis that mining development activities were the largest source of heavy metal pollution, in addition to mixed sources of tailings, solid waste, agriculture, and traffic emission sources. The results provide a scientific basis for the management and risk control of heavy metal pollution in the Taojia River basin.

Examining impact and benefit agreements in mineral extraction using game theory and multiple-criteria decision making

This research takes a novel approach to analyzing impact and benefit agreements (IBA) using multiple-criteria decision making (MCDM) and game theory. Local communities, which are often Indigenous communities, face with difficult decisions regarding the trade-offs of impacts vs. benefits from mineral resource development. Analyses of IBAs typically focus on their economic benefits but fail to consider environmental, socio-cultural, and other sustainability criteria. By not considering these criteria, current methods struggle to predict if an IBA is adequate or if it will be accepted. This research develops a model with MCDM that balances complex sustainability trade-offs for communities during mineral development negotiations. Bargaining positions of companies or impacted communities are also an essential, yet understudied factor in IBA analyses. Game theory is employed to show how bargaining positions can affect the compensation included in an IBA. In all, this research develops a model that can consider different criteria, value systems, and the implications of cooperation or competition to predict if an IBA will be accepted. This study provides recommendations, which can be applied other resource development projects which impact communities. The model shows the importance of flexibility in design, power dynamics in bargaining, cooperation, and knowledge sharing.

Study on Economic Significance of Rare Earth Mineral Resources Development Based on Goal Programming and Few-Shot Learning.

Rare earth is one of the most important strategic minerals in the world today. The wide application of new products and technologies in the global market has made the world's demand for rare earth resources grow rapidly. As an important basic resource of high technology, rare earth plays a significant role in national security and strategy. As rare earth mineral resources are irreplaceable in civil, military, and nuclear industries, they have become national strategic resources of various countries in the world. Although China's rare earth industry has occupied a leading position in the world, with the continuous expansion of the scale of the rare earth industry, the pollution problem of “three wastes” produced in the recovery of rare earth mineral resources is becoming more and more serious. From the perspective of resource endowment, China is rich in rare earth resources, but the declining trend of resource reserves is obvious, and the advantages and disadvantages of resources are more prominent. Based on the goal planning and few-shot learning, this paper studies the economic significance of rare earth resource development, aiming at solving some problems in the development of rare earth mineral resources in China, and thus promoting the scientific and healthy development of the rare earth industry.

Environmental protection measures in mineral resource development: case study of a gold-bearing deposit in the Russian Far East.

In the Russian mining industry, the recent social and economic processes inevitably affect environmental safety and the social security of all those affected by mining. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the technogenic impacts of a mining company on the environment. Measures were developed and implemented to ensure ecological safety and social security during a mineral resource development project in the southern part of the Russian Far East. This study analysed global experiences in this regard and carried out field research with the aim of establishing an inventory of plants and animals (terrestrial and aquatic), showing that technogenesis produced new specific landforms, e.g. quarries and dumps that replaced natural landforms. The main ecologically negative impacts of the mining operations in the region were the movement of mountain masses, changes in forms of erosion, and destruction of mountain ranges with the formation of dispersed clastic fractions of large specific surface areas, which determine exomorphodynamic processes, e.g. deflation, suffusion, and landslides. A general assessment of the biota status and natural water quality within the boundaries of influence of the developed deposit was presented, and a set of measures was recommended for environmental protection and ensuring the rational use of natural resources during mining operations. Moreover, the necessity of creating effective mining and environmental monitoring systems was supported. A 'Map of the Ecological State of Gold Mining Development in the Albazino Territory' was compiled for the first time, pinpointing areas undergoing various degrees of environmental stress. Changes in the forested areas within the territory of the mining allotment were forecast using the forest cover of the study area as the baseline.

PSO-Based ANN for Studying on Carrying Capacity of Iron Ore Resources-Economy-Environment in Southern Shaanxi, China

The southern Shaanxi Province, China, has abundant iron ore resources due to local ideal metallogenic conditions. The development and utilization of iron ore resources and other related industries serve as important pillars of the regional economy. In this paper, principals and methodology of system dynamics are adopted to develop a system model of interactions of development and utilization of mineral resources, social economy, and ecological environment, using the iron ore reserves in the southern Shaanxi region as a resource base, the regional GDP as a benchmark of regional economic development, and the environmental treatment expenditure as the measurement of the regional environmental protection efforts. The model is performed based on an optimized neural network by the particle swarm optimization algorithm. Through setting variables and parameters for the system and model simulation as well as comparative research, this paper analyzes the interconnectivity and interaction of the three subsystems and explores associated relationships among mineral resources, social economy, and environmental carrying capacity in the southern Shaanxi region. In addition, the present study also proposes advice on the development and utilization of iron ore resources, ecological protection, and high-quality development of the economy in the southern Shaanxi region based on the research results.

Effect of different ice contents on heat transfer and mechanical properties of concrete

With annually decreasing shallow mineral resources, development and utilization of deep mineral resources are critical. However, heat hazards in deep mines pose hidden dangers to health and safe operation of equipment. Therefore, a suitable cooling method is an urgent concern in deep high-temperature mines. This study proposes a cooling method that introduces ice into concrete for phase change cooling and improved strength characteristics. It can be used in deep high-temperature mines, and is known as iced-concrete technology. Based on temperature monitoring, mechanical strength tests, and microstructure tests, this study explores the influence of different ice contents (0 %, 10 %, 20 %, 30 %, 40 %, 50 %, 60 %) on heat transfer and mechanical properties of concrete, and analyzes the mechanism of heat transfer and the mechanical properties of concrete under the action of ice particles. The results show that: (1) the temperature evolution law of concrete with different ice contents takes 18 h–26 h and has a temperature change inflection point interval that first increases and then decreases. With an increase in ice content, the lower the initial temperature, the greater the rate of temperature change. (2) Ice particles have an obvious positive effect on the uniaxial compressive strength and splitting strength of concrete; the final mechanical properties of concrete are positively correlated with the ice content with a constant water (ice)–cement ratio. (3) Compared with ordinary concrete, the initial low-temperature water storage capacity of iced concrete promotes formation of hydration products in the later stage to some extent, improving the content of hydration products in the curing stage, promoting the full filling of internal concrete pores, reducing the content of harmful macropores and mesopores, optimizing the pore structure, and improving the compactness and mechanical strength of the concrete. (4) The cooling efficiency of concrete was increased with an increase in ice content. The cooling efficiency of concrete with 60 % ice content was six times that of ordinary concrete. When the ice content exceeded 20 %, the cooling capacity generated by ice–water phase change was greater than the heat absorbed by the temperature change of the water.

REVIEW OF A REFUSAL TO GRANT A PROSPECTING RIGHT Global Pact Trading 207 (Pty) Ltd v The Minister of Minerals and Energy; The Regional Manager: Minerals and Energy, Free State Region; The Deputy Director-General: Minerals and Energy (Case Nr 3118/2006 (O)

The decision involved an application for the review and setting aside of a refusal to grant a prospecting right in terms of section 17 of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act 28 of 2002 (the “MPRD Act”)(par 1). The decision also dealt with the right (and duty) of an applicant to an internal appeal in terms of section 96 of the MPRD Act (par 5) as well as the procedural fairness of the decision (par18). The decision by the state to refuse the application for a prospecting right was reviewed and set aside by the court, without requiring such internal appeal, (par 20) as the decision was regarded as manifestly unfair (par 18). The court referred the matter back to the Minister for reconsideration (par 18). At the outset some background information is provided. The idea is not toprovide a detailed discussion about the application for a prospecting right.Thereupon the facts of the case and decision are dealt with and discussed.

Long-Term Sustainability of Copper and Iron Based on a System Dynamics Model

Copper and iron are critical to the economic growth of modern society. Nations depend on these metals for the development of infrastructure, transportation, and other industries. However, concerns regarding future availability of “peak minerals” with a “limit to growth” have been extensively debated. The purpose of this study was to investigate the amount of potential resources and the recycling rate from secondary metal scrap recycling for the sustainable development of mineral resources. The long-term mineral supply and demand balance with respect to recycling for copper and iron were developed for the next 50 years at the regional and global levels. The results indicate that the supply of copper would increase four-fold by 2070 compared to 1991, with primary copper remaining the main contributing source. For iron, the total supply would increase by nine times from 2000 to 2070, with secondary recycling surpassing the primary iron supply by 2033 and becoming the main contributor by 2070. Even though there is no future resource constraint, further promotion of scrap recycling, especially for copper, is necessary to address environmental concerns through reduction in material extraction. Emphasizing the importance of metals in society is essential for stock accountability through resource efficiency and resource conservation.

Sociological Analysis of the Commercial Hunting on the Lands of Small-Numbered Indigenous Peoples of the North in the Arctic Zone of the Sakha Republic Republic (Yakutia)

The article presents the results of the analysis of commercial hunting of the most typical communities of small indigenous peoples of the North of Russia living in the Arctic zone of Yakutia, for which hunting largely determines the life quality. For the analysis, statistical data and internal hunting materials were used with the participation of the article authors. In preparing this article, we used statistical data and materials from the Yakutia Department of Hunting Management, as well as stock materials from the Institute. We used statistical methods to process the materials. For the first time, the materials of the intra-economic hunting arrangement conducted in the areas assigned to small peoples are analyzed. For the first time, the article provides data on the history of establishing hunting grounds in Yakutia as part of all-Russian activities. The article provides the results of foreign researchers' studies dedicated to the issue of framing and maintaining the traditional lifestyle of indigenous peoples of the North. Based on the analysis of the structure of commercial production, it is demonstrated that hunting trends are adapted to the extreme weather and climatic conditions of the Arctic and defined by the wildlife species that inhabit these regions. Backed by retrospective analyses, considerable changes in the structure of commercial production are illustrated. These are linked to the decrease in numbers of one of the populations of wild reindeer and the decreasing demand for natural fur, factors that have reduced the importance of traditional hunting in the lives of the region’s ethnic groups. It is revealed that the forecast of large-scale development of mineral resources in the Arctic regions of Yakutia demands that preventive measures be taken to protect natural resources that are the foundation for the traditional crafts of the indigenous peoples of the North.

SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL AND INVESTMENT AND INNOVATION AREAS OF COOPERATION BETWEEN KYRGYZSTAN AND CHINA

In recent years, the importance of China as the largest player in international relations for Kyrgyzstan has increased. China's direct investment in Kyrgyzstan is expanding, and bilateral economic and technological cooperation between China and Kyrgyzstan has achieved remarkable results. Cooperation has been formed between China and Kyrgyzstan in the field of transport, electricity, mineral resource development and telecommunications, which play an important role in the economic development of Kyrgyzstan and the improvement of people's lives. This article discusses the development of economic relations at the present stage between China and Kyrgyzstan, where there is a need to attract foreign direct investment from China, which in recent years has occupied a specific weight in Kyrgyzstan in terms of the flow of foreign investment for the largest projects on the territory of the Kyrgyz Republic.

The Mining Legacy of William S. Godbe

The Mining Legacy of William S. Godbe

Using Semantic Patterns in Web Search and Assessment of Professionally Oriented Texts in a Foreign Language for Training Students in Higher Education Institutions of Mineral Resource Profile

The article aims to analyse the possibility to use methods of web search and identification of semantic text patterns with a view to automatising the web search and assessment of professionally oriented texts used to train students at foreign language departments of higher education institutions of mineral re-source development profile. The work provides an overview of relevant AI methods that may be employed to perform the tasks mentioned above and anal-yses a number of similar works. It offers a structure of patterns that can be used to find relevant research articles and describes approaches to assessment of the texts found. It also proposes the front-end structure of an application that can be tasked with web search and subsequent assessment of texts. The case study pre-sents semantic analysis and assessment of a professionally oriented text written in English. The research done shows good prospects for using Semantic Web technologies for web search and assessment of texts available on the Internet not only for training students but also, in broader formulation, for teaching and learning in a chosen direction. This is ensured by flexibility of methods for se-mantic pattern search and identification. With respect to further development of the research, the authors consider designing an operational application for text search and assessment and also outcome analysis for a variety of directions of learning within the mineral resources development domain.

Оценка различных сценариев освоения месторождений полезных ископаемых региона (на примере Тувы)

It is shown that Tuva has a sufficiently rich mineral and raw material diversity and the potential for their development. Nevertheless, the development of the republic is hindered by the existence of transport and infrastructure restrictions, to eliminate which, first of all, it is necessary to build a railway along the Kyzyl-Kuragino highway. On the other hand, given the border area of the territory that adjoins western Mongolia, there is a possibility of implementing various scenarios for the construction of railway tracks. The calculations performed to evaluate scenarios for the development of mineral resources of the republic using methods of intersectoral assessment shows that when implementing a pessimistic option for the development of the potential of mineral resources of Tuva (in which the construction of the railway to Tuva is frozen and only deposits of non-ferrous metals and gold are developed), the gross regional product of the republic will grow to 164 billion rubles, which will be 45% of the growth of this indicator in relation to the GRP of 2018. With the implementation of the optimistic option I, (in which it is planned to build a railway along the Kuragino-Kyzyl highway, coal deposits, non-ferrous metals, gold are being developed), the GRP of the republic will grow up to 351 billion rubles. In addition, calculations have been made for the construction of railways that would connect Tuva with Mongolia and China.

Experimental study of horizontal ground heat exchangers embedded in the backfilled mine stopes

Abundant geothermal resources are stored in underground mines in China. In order to realize the green cooperative development of deep mineral resources and geothermal resources, the heat storage functional backfill technology can be used to form artificial thermal reservoir, and the geothermal energy can be extracted through the buried pipes, so as to expand the auxiliary value and reduce the cost of backfill mining. It's important to investigate the heat storage/release behavior of the backfill body with buried pipes and its influencing factors for improving the geothermal energy utilization efficiency. In view of the limitations of field experiments, a scale model test platform for backfill coupled heat exchanger of mine was established in this paper. According to the heat transfer differential equations, the similarity criterion number and similarity constant that should be satisfied between the model and the prototype were deduced, and the effects of different pipe arragement, flow rate of heat-carrying fluid, surrounding rock temperature on the heat transfer performance of the backfill coupled heat exchanger were studied. Based on the heat balance, the total energy efficiency of the backfill coupled heat exchanger system was calculated. The experimental results showed that with the increase of the distance between pipes, the pipe length, the flow rate and the surrounding rock temperature, the heat extraction and water outlet temperature of the system all increased. With the increase of the velocity of heat-carrying fluid, the water outlet temperature decreased. The increase in the number of pipes in the backfill body and the decrease in the distance between pipes lead to the increase in thermal interference and thus the decrease in heat extraction, but the decrease value is less than the increase value of heat charging caused by the increase in pipe length (serpentine) and flow rate (double U-type). The total energy efficiency of the system was the highest, which was 47.9%, when the serpentine pipe arrangement was adopted, the working fluid velocity was 0.7 m/s, and the surrounding rock temperature was 35°C. According to the scale model, 1.06 × 109 kJ of heat can be obtained from the mines a year by applying BCHE system in engineering practice.

Mining Industry of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and Problems of Environmental and Social Security of Indigenous Peoples

The Republic of Sakha (Yakutia; RS(Y)) is located in the northeast of Siberia (Russia) in the basins of the Lena, Yana, and Indigirka rivers, in the lower reaches of the Kolyma River. Yakutia is an industrial–agrarian republic with a developed mining, fuel, and energy industry. Indigenous peoples live mainly in the Arctic regions, where the large-scale development of mineral resources is planned, and South Yakutia, where the mining industry is well developed. The aim of this study is the development of methodological approaches to assessing the impact of the mining industry on the natural environment and the social sphere in the places of residence and traditional economic activities of the indigenous peoples of the North. We used the results of research work (R&D), materials of expeditionary work, and regulatory documents of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and the Russian Federation (RF). The state of the environment (ES) was assessed on the basis of the analysis of indicators for three areas: (a) anthropogenic load, (b) environmental and social consequences, and (c) resistance of natural complexes to technogenic impacts. In total, 22 indicators were used for the 3 areas, for example, population density, person/km2; the volume of extraction of rock mass, million m3; and emissions, t/year. To bring dissimilar indicators into comparable ones, we used a methodological approach with the use of the social risk index (SRI). In Arctic regions (mainly agricultural), the ES is in a favorable and relatively favorable state: SRI 0.61–0.70; in the central regions (mainly agricultural), it is satisfactory and relatively satisfactory: SRI 0.71–1.0; in the southern and western regions with a developed mining industry, it is relatively tense and tense: SRI 1.01–3.0. An extremely tense state of environmental conditions has developed in the city of Yakutsk: SRI ≥ 3. Generally, the deterioration of the environmental situation and vital activity of the indigenous peoples in investigated Arctic region correlated with the impact of the mining industry.

Early termination of the right to use the subsoil as ensuring state protection and protection of the subsoil

EARLYTERMINATIONOFTHERIGHTTOUSETHESUBSOILASENSURINGSTATEPROTECTIONAND PROTECTIONOFTHESUBSOIL The urgency of the problem of irrational use of mineral resources for human development and health led to the choice of a research topic in the subject plane of natural science aspects. The article discusses the legal basis of subsoil use and the grounds for early termination of the right to use the subsoil as ensuring state protection and protection of the subsoil. The procedure for early termination of the right to use the subsoil in accordance with the requirements of current legislation is also described. The differences between the termination and early termination of the right to use the subsoil are determined.