Central Mining Research Articles

Conectando el pasado con el presente: la antropología histórica de la producción de metal a pequeña escala en Porco, Bolivia

Andeanist archaeologists have the opportunity to participate in the development of an historical anthropology (Lightfoot 1995) in which archaeological research on the post-conquest era connects the prehispanic past with the present. This essay seeks to contribute to this type of archeology by examining data produced by the Archaeological Project Porco - Potosi in investigating Porco, a mining center in Bolivia, 35 km southwest of Potosi, whose main objective is to investigate the organization of silver production under the different political and economic systems that have characterized the region. Mining has been important in Porco since the Inka era, when it provided silver to adorn the Koricancha in Cusco. It continues today in the form of zinc mining carried out by an international company, Sinchi Wayra, and several local cooperatives. The archaeological record in Porco can thus inform us of continuities and changes in mining activities over the past 500 years. In addition to the Spanish conquest, another important historical rupture in Porco’s mining industry occurred in the late nineteenth century, when tin and zinc mining funded by foreign enterprises replaced the former system of silver extraction by forced labor. Despite fundamental differences between the two forms of production, archaeological survey and excavations carried out by the project indicate that both systems were characterized by k’aqcheo – the “theft” of high quality ore - associated with small-scale silver production using technology such as the native huayrachina. In contrast to mining in the United States and other wealthy countries, the ongoing process of development in Bolivia in the mining sector is not a unilinear march towards “modern” industry, but a series of complicated interactions between companies and miners involving both competition and interdependence.

Glimpses of the Past from Portable Wooden Mineral Cases

This study briefly describes two wooden mineral cases that were found at the Bendigo campus of La Trobe University and the Central Deborah mine, Bendigo. It outlines their contents and provenances, traces the contributions to mineralogy of the original distributors of the boxes, and notes some aspects of late 19th century gold mining in Australia, and Bendigo in particular.

The simulation of mine solid waste generation in Panzhihua City based on system dynamics

In recent years, the scale of steel production in Panzhihua City - an important mining centre for black, non-ferrous metal in China - has rapidly doubled in response to the tremendous demand for industrial development, placing tremendous pressure on the environment. This paper simulates and predicts the discharge, treatment and reutilisation of solid waste in the iron and steel industry by constructing a system dynamics model. The results show that the model can be applied effectively. The solid waste volume has a tendency to rapidly increase and the stripping ratio shows a decreasing trend. The reutilised volume of tailings increases substantially over time and the reutilised ratio in the environment scenario is higher than that in the current scenario.

The simulation of mine solid waste generation in Panzhihua City based on system dynamics

In recent years, the scale of steel production in Panzhihua City - an important mining centre for black, non-ferrous metal in China - has rapidly doubled in response to the tremendous demand for industrial development, placing tremendous pressure on the environment. This paper simulates and predicts the discharge, treatment and reutilisation of solid waste in the iron and steel industry by constructing a system dynamics model. The results show that the model can be applied effectively. The solid waste volume has a tendency to rapidly increase and the stripping ratio shows a decreasing trend. The reutilised volume of tailings increases substantially over time and the reutilised ratio in the environment scenario is higher than that in the current scenario.

Measurements of turbulence intensity in the standard 1 m3 vessel

The standard 1 m3 vessel is an apparatus recommended for assessment of dust explosion indices by ISO, European and American Standards. Unlike the standard 20-l sphere, only few authors reported measurements of turbulence intensity in 1 m3 vessel. The paper presents results of such measurements performed in 1 m3 vessel built and used at Experimental Mine Barbara of Central Mining Institute, Poland. Transient flow velocity in the vessel generated by an air injection from the dust dispersion system was measured with use of Bi-Directional Velocity Probe developed by McCaffrey&Heskestad. The velocity was measured in several points along the vessel's axes and in two directions at each point. From the measurements the root-mean-square of instantaneous velocity u'rms and the characteristic length scale of turbulence were calculated. The results confirm discrepancy between turbulence intensity in the time periods characteristic for 1 m3 vessel and 20-l sphere, reported previously by other authors. The analysis of possible reasons of the discrepancy identifies the dust dispersion system as the main source of ambiguity, particularly the design and operation of the fast acting valve.

800 years of mining and smelting in Kutná Hora region (the Czech Republic)—spatial and multivariate meta-analysis of contamination studies

Purpose Kutna Hora was a centre of medieval mining and remains an important contamination source in the present day. Surprisingly, very little attention has been paid to the associated contamination. Although some studies have been performed, the majority of information regarding contamination is only accessible in the archives and no overview has been published. The purpose of this study is to perform a meta-analysis of all accessible data and to shed light on this topic.

Computer Simulation Usage For Verification Of Deepened Shaft Artificial Bottom Construction

Abstract The paper presents the design verification methodology for so called artificial bottom of the mining shaft using computer simulation. Artificial bottom serves as the protection of the lower part of the shaft, in which works related to shaft deepening are carried out, against falling to the bottom of the shaft elements transported in its upper, active part. Model describing the phenomenon of artificial bottom stress is complex. In presented case it is a process of collision between object with a mass of 18 Mg model, falling into the shaft from a height of 800 m, and artificial bottom construction and inducted phenomenon of stress and strain wave propagation in various elements of construction. In this case load receiving elements are heavily deformed and many of them has to be destroyed. Therefore for construction verification computer simulation method has been chosen, conducted on the basis of subsequent crash tests, using the LS-DYNA program. The object of the research was an innovative solution of artificial bottom, developed by Central Mining Institute. A series of falling mass impact tests were performed, which had to prove the usefulness of applied solutions, as well as determine the influence of selected construction geometric parameters to effectiveness of transferring the impact load. This way, using the successive approximations method, the assumptions about the number of artificial bottom platforms and plate thickness used for additional coverage of one of the platforms were verified.

Analysis Of The Impact Of The Coal Bed Inclination And The Direction Of Exploitation On Surface Deformation

Abstract The article presents deformation indexes for three examples, for which the quantitative relations of extreme values were described, including the influence of a coal bed dip and a direction of exploitation. The conclusion regards the mining prevention on minimizing longwall deformation. New experience allows improving methods of theoretical description of deformation, which is the aim of the research continuing at the Central Mining Institute.

Effects of potential mining activities on migration corridors of Chiru (Pantholops hodgsonii) in the Altun National Nature Reserve, China

The Altun National Nature Reserve (ANNR) on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau (QTP) of China plays a key role in protecting the endemic, endangered Chiru (Pantholops hodgsonii). However, increasing mining activities in the ANNR pose a threat its habitats and migration corridors. This study aims to clearly understand potential effects of mining activities on habitats and migration corridors of Chiru. Using a linkage mapper corridor simulation tool in combination with the planned mining zones and roads distribution, we estimated the potential effects of these activities on migration corridors in eight scenarios (I: no mining activities; II: eastern mining zones exploited; III: central zones exploited; IV: western zones exploited; V: western and central zones exploited; VI: eastern and central zones exploited; VII: western and eastern zones exploited; VIII: all zones exploited). The results indicated that locations and length of potential Chiru migration corridors were different in 8 scenarios, thereby influencing the distribution and migration of Chiru in the ANNR; the protection importance value index (NIVI) of each core habitat changed in 8 scenarios. The western and central mining activities (in scenario V) would affect the Chiru migration most strongly, as the total length of all corridors was the longest with a length of 991.1km and the total number of corridors was 25 which was the highest among the 8 scenarios. In scenario V, all migration corridors were greatly altered and the corridor length sharply increased. Also, the total length (942.8km) of migration corridor was the second longest in scenario VI, and the third in scenario III. The central mining activities will significantly affect the seasonal migration routes for Chiru. Our results suggested that exploration of the central mining zones should be forbidden and central zones need to be strictly protected. Also, the northwestern region of the ANNR where most of migration corridors are located should also be strictly protected.

Isotopic Evidence for Oil Sands Petroleum Coke in the Peace-Athabasca Delta.

The continued growth of mining and upgrading activities in Canada's Athabasca oil sands (AOS) region has led to concerns about emissions of contaminants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Whereas a recent increase in PAH emissions has been demonstrated within around 50 km of the main center of surface mining and upgrading operations, the exact nature of the predominant source(s) and the geographical extent of the deposition are still under debate. Here, we report a century-long source apportionment of PAHs using dual (δ(2)H, δ(13)C) compound-specific isotope analysis on phenanthrene deposited in a lake from the Athabasca sector of the Peace-Athabasca Delta situated ∼150 km downstream (north) of the main center of mining operations. The isotopic signatures in the core were compared to those of the main potential sources in this region (i.e., unprocessed AOS bitumen, upgrader residual coke, forest fires, coal, gasoline and diesel soot). A significant concurrent increase (∼55.0‰) in δ(2)H and decrease (∼1.5‰) in δ(13)C of phenanthrene over the last three decades pointed to an increasingly greater component of petcoke-derived PAHs. This study is the first to quantify long-range (i.e., >100 km) transport of a previously under-considered anthropogenic PAH source in the AOS region.

Mining morals, muck and Akan gold in New York City

Among Akan spirit preachers at shrines in New York, gold and gold weights are at the centre of the creation of new moral topographies in a fluid and contested context. In a get-rich-quick New York marketplace, the preachers appeal to an understanding of gold that is contained within Akan values and ethical codes surrounding economic responsibility and social obligation. Remaking Manhattan's ethical geographies from the standpoint of a transnational Akan morality, occult narratives offer a different reading that links the moral dirt of the landfill sites of Manhattan with that of the rivers and forests polluted by cyanide, sulphuric acid and other mining chemicals in Obuasi, Ghana, a centre of gold mining. The paper plots a map of muck and morals as shrine discourses about gold provide a critical commentary on the moral conventions of wealth creation, accumulation and desire among a diasporic community.

The balance of methane and ventilation as a tool for methane hazard assessment in the areas of longwalls exploited in hard coal mines

ABSTRACT Purpose This article presents an algorithm for the current assessment of methane hazards during the exploitation of longwalls in conditions where there are methane hazards. The algorithm has been developed within the framework of the international AVENTO project (Advanced Tools For Ventilation and Methane Emissions Control), carried out in Poland, inter alia, by the Central Mining Institute in cooperation with Kompania Weglowa SA (KW SA).The algorithm was developed based on the analysis of the ventilation-methane balances for longwall areas, based on the data registered by automatic methane sensors and the velocity of ventilating air. Methods Multiple research methods were used, such as: observation, a questionnaire and statistical methods.The questionnaire was used for the preliminary determination of methane hazards in the longwalls belonging to the industrial partner (KW SA). The polls were used to obtain relevant information about the hazards and means of prevention taken, such as: the methane content in the seam, the emissions of methane into the exploitation workings, the volume of methane drainage, the ventilation system used, and the amount of ventilation air used to combat the methane hazard. Based on the poll's data, the longwalls with methane emissions in their environment were selected for testing, based on long-term observations of changes in the concentrations of methane in the ventilation air and in the methane drainage net. Methane concentration measurements were based on the values recorded by the methane sensors located in the workings which were considered to be most dangerous. For data processing a statistical method was used. In the research, the average results of the indicated concentrations of methane from the methane sensors were used for the correlation between the average values of methane emission in the region of the longwall or methane drainage, with other parameters, such as absolute pressure changes on the surface, technological processes or cycles in the longwall. For the evaluation of the methane hazard, an indicator was proposed, these being the ratio of the ventilation methane bearing capacity to the criterial methane bearing capacity. An increase of this indicator indicates an increase in the level of methane hazard. Results On the basis of the average daily value of the methane hazard status indicator, an algorithm for the assessment and visualization of methane hazard in the areas of the active longwalls was developed. The algorithm contains a list of technical and organizational actions which should be taken in the event of unfavourable risk assessment of methane hazard, reflecting very high risk or unsafe conditions for conducting further work. Practical implications The proposed algorithm can be used for the ongoing assessment of methane hazard in areas of exploited longwalls in order to support staff in surface control rooms and in ventilation departments. Originality/value The current assessment of methane hazard in the areas of longwalls which are under methane conditions by means of the developed algorithm will improve the safety of exploitation.

Tellurite-, tellurate-, and selenite-based anaerobic respiration by strain CM-3 isolated from gold mine tailings.

The newly discovered strain CM-3, a Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium from gold mine tailings of the Central Mine in Nopiming Provincial Park, Canada, is capable of dissimilatory anaerobic reduction of tellurite, tellurate, and selenite. CM-3 possesses very high level resistance to these oxides, both aerobically and anaerobically. During aerobic growth, tellurite and tellurate resistance was up to 1500 and 1000 µg/ml, respectively. In the presence of selenite, growth occurred at the highest concentration tested, 7000 µg/ml. Under anaerobic conditions, resistance was decreased to 800 µg/ml for the Te oxides; however, much like under aerobic conditions, growth with selenite still took place at 7000 µg/ml. In the absence of oxygen, CM-3 couples oxide reduction to an increase in biomass. Following an initial drop in viable cells, due to switching from aerobic to anaerobic conditions, there was an increase in CFU/ml greater than one order of magnitude in the presence of tellurite (6.6 × 10(3)-8.6 × 10(4) CFU/ml), tellurate (4.6 × 10(3)-1.4 × 10(5) CFU/ml), and selenite (2.7 × 10(5)-5.6 × 10(6) CFU/ml). A control culture without metalloid oxides showed a steady decrease in CFU/ml with no recovery. ATP production was also increased in the presence of each oxide, further indicating anaerobic respiration. Partial 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed a 99.0 % similarity of CM-3 to Pseudomonas reactans.

Geological Features, Mineralization Types and Metallogenic Setting of the Phlaythong Large Iron Deposit, Southern Laos

The Phlaythong large iron deposit in Shampasak of southern Laos,is located in the Kon Tum microblock(Fig.1A),central-southern part of the Indo-China block,and the geographic coordinate of the central mining area is 14°43′04″N and 106°07′02″E.Intensive tectonic and magmatic activities of multiple periods developed in this region,especially in Mesozoic and Cenozoic,which are closely更多还原

Mining constituent of the period of great geographic discoveries

The paper reviews the major drives of the period of great geographic discoveries, specifically aspiration for precious metals of the New World; systematizes the historical background of acquisition of the mineral wealth of Spanish America; examines the main gold and silver mining centers; shows the role of conquistadors in mining management and the share of autochthonous population who had to work in numerous mines; evaluates the significance of mineral resources of the New World for the buildup of the world financial system and international commerce in the 16th - 17th centuries. Important steps on that way were the mining colonization of the Aztec and Inca Empire by the Europeans, Peruvian gold, silver and mercury deposits.It is concluded that the colonization as well as mining and industrial development of African and American territories discovered by the Europeans determined the long-term geography of the main developments of the world amplest mineral resources.

The spatial distribution pattern of heavy metals and risk assessment of moso bamboo forest soil around lead–zinc mine in Southeastern China

Southeast China serves as a vast habitat of moso bamboo situated adjacent to the mining area. Heavy metal contamination of the soils poses a great threat to bamboo plantations in the region. The present study aimed at determination of the heavy metals concentration in mined soils and bamboo shoot, the spatial distribution pattern of heavy metals in soils and the spatial correlations between heavy metal pollution in soils and bamboo shoots, and risk assessment of metals in soil. The soil samples (97) were collected from the study area to assess the status of metal pollution in soils adjacent to bamboo plantations around the mining area of southeast China. The median soil Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Pb and Zn concentrations were 0.50mgkg−1, 58.31mgkg−1, 27.89mgkg−1, 405.89mgkg−1, 286.32mgkg−1, 209.53mgkg−1, respectively. Correlation analysis suggested that soil metal species except Cr mostly exceeded the threshold values and accumulated as a result of mining activities. In addition, the mean heavy metals concentrations in moso bamboo rhizome were very low from the study area; the metals could be based on their prevalence as: Zn>Mn>Cu>Pb>Cr>Cd. The spatial statistics and autocorrelation analysis showed that most of the soil heavy metals represented a geographically increasing concentric trend (from the surrounding area to mining center). A low correlation existed between metals concentrations of soil and bamboo shoots. Pb concentrations in bamboo shoots exceeded the standard limits and supposed to have spatial correlation with its concentration in soil. The metal distributions in soil were held responsible for their bioaccumulation in edible portions of vegetables. The risk assessment confirmed that about 60.82% of the study area suffered from metal contamination. The pollution evaluation map provides a reference for the food security and the classification management of bamboo forest.

Nostalgic Sentiment And Cultural And Creative Industries In Regional Development: A Slovak Case Study

Abstract In Slovakia, there are three unique, historical mining towns, Banská Bystrica, Banská Štiavnica and Kremnica, that have been successfully turned into creative cultural centres. The historical and cultural values of those towns have stood the test of time and become a magnet for a new and creative class of people looking to escape the brutality of high modernity (modern urban centres) and find a source of inspiration based on historical nostalgic sentimentalism — the basis for a new creative and cultural industry for rural areas. The main objective of this paper is to analyse the cultural and creative industries of these three unique historical mining centres with an eye to replicating their knowledge in other communities in economic stress. The paper will first explore concepts relating to cultural and creative industries with an eye towards nostalgic sentimentalism that is an important antithesis to high modernity, and even post-modernity. The second part will analyse the cultural and creative industries of the three centres based on primary data collected from several research projects in this area. The final part will provide some recommendations for the facilitation of creative and cultural enterprises in regional redevelopment. It also contains policy recommendations for the self-government of the region for a more effective and rational exploitation of the existing potential hiding in plain view.

Evaluation Of Water Hazard In Hard Coal Mines In Changing Conditions Of Functioning Of Mining Industry In Upper Silesian Coal Basin – USCB (Poland)

AbstractWater hazard has been accompanying underground mining since the first mines were built. The hazard is particularly often in the areas of mines situated in hydrogeologically outcropped part of USCB and in water rich formations of Cracow Sandstone Series. To plan properly mining actions and technical measures at each stage of life of a mine it is necessary to evaluate hydrogeological and geomechanical conditions and their changes. The conditions determine formation, occurrence and volume of the most serious sources of water hazard. Symptoms obtained in geomechanical tests and observations of forming and dewatering reservoirs of underground water, show that it is necessary to update constantly evaluation and classification of sources of water hazard or the state of water hazard in the coal mines of USCB.Development of underground mining in 1945-1990, which resulted in a quick increase in production, determined development and the range of influence of mining operations on the rock mass and the influence on the state of drainage and saturation of the rock mass. The result of the changes was an apparent influence on the changes in the state and shaping water hazards in the course of time. Since 1989 economic conditions of functioning of mines have been tightly associated with the conditions and rules of market economy. As a result of each of the so-called restructuring of mining activity a certain number of mining companies was closed, merged or split. The consequence is that in the vicinity of active mines and prospective mining areas, more and more often there are partially or completely flooded abandoned coal mines. Flooded coal mines have changed and still do hydrogeological conditions of their surrounding and force active mining companies to introduce changes in mining activities they are planning and conducting. The current state of flooding mine workings, is a result of realizing previous plans of restructuring mining industry, and all the changes of the state require hydrogeological documentation and evaluation of water hazard.In the today’s conditions of functioning of mining industry, sources of water hazards like water reservoirs in goafs, are one of six main types of sources of hazard, and at the same time the biggest problem and the most serious threat for active mine workings. As the hydrodynamic conditions in the closed areas stabilise and the water piles up close to the surface, an increase in the influence of reservoirs on the state of environmental and public hazard (subsidence, overflowing, flooding, pollution of water in the aquifers located in the overburden and surface water).As there is a qualitative change in the directions, causes and sources of water hazard, it shall be expected that the changes will tend to increase the threat level from the closed mines. Hence since 2000 the Central Mining Institute has been focused mainly on methodology research, both laboratory ones of various scale of observation referring to the properties of rocks and rock debris, and in situ ones and forecasting ones accompanied by proposed multidirectional applications of the developed methods in mining and environmental practice. The effect of the works was developing and patenting a few new methods. The effects of works which have been conducted in the last several years were proposed changes in defining water hazard, classifying the hazard and its sources. Classifications of underground water reservoirs, deposits located in the vicinity of reservoirs in closed coal mines and water safety of shafts were proposed. The devised test and evaluation methods have wide practical applications in evaluating water hazard and limiting the hazard, as well as estimating volume of water in reservoirs of closed mines and estimating energy of the water and free methane deposit in the abandoned goafs and mine workings. Their application in hydrogeology plays an important role in estimating volume of water in aquifers built of porous hard rocks. It is also important and applicable in environmental engineering to evaluate volume of water, estimating conditions of its accumulation and flow, and migration of pollution mainly within surface water reservoirs reclaimed with waste rock.

Integrating Cloud Computing and IoT for Community Health Service

Nowadays, China is stepping into an aging society, and most people care about their personal health with the Chinese economic development. Chronic-diseases have become the major threat to the elder people in China. In order to ensure a real-time health care for the elders, we propose health cloud platform with IoT for community health service. The platform includes IoT health services subsystem, health cloud application service subsystem and data management subsystem. The System development and service scheme is composed of six parts according to the function: front-end data acquisitioning module, message middleware, storage center, data mining center, medical graphics image processing center and presentation layer. The health cloud platform has two main functions: real time medical care technology and personalized health service. The successful deployment of health cloud can take demonstration for others application, and promote itself cloud computing technologies development.

Identity and Identification: The Individual in the Time of Networked Governance

The rise of digital technologies has foregrounded the individual as the unit of network and database governance. The focus on the quantified self and data subjects has resulted in an increased attention on the rights, responsibilities, and safeguards to protect the individual at the centre of data mining and regulation practices. There is an increased anxiety about how the existing safeguards and policies are inadequate to both activate and to protect the individual in the face of ubiquitous and pervasive computational practices. This paper argues that attempts at trying to extend the fold of existing policies and frameworks are inadequate because they imagine that the individual negotiating with the digital networks is unchanged. Looking at the slippage between identification and identity in the discourse around India’s biometric database governance scheme, Aadhaar, the paper shows how the very conception of the individual and the space for identity expression are changing within digital realms. It further looks at computational architecture and theory to conceptualise an indifferent digital network that is operationalised to create a self-referential system that not only excludes the individual but also creates new ways by which the individual can be controlled and regulated. In mapping the changing contexts and contours of the individual, the paper calls for new research and analysis practices for understanding the diminishing space of expression, agency, and control for individuals in networked governance systems.