Specific Mining Research Articles

Discovering API usage specifications for security detection using two-stage code mining

An application programming interface (API) usage specification, which includes the conditions, calling sequences, and semantic relationships of the API, is important for verifying its correct usage, which is in turn critical for ensuring the security and availability of the target program. However, existing techniques either mine the co-occurring relationships of multiple APIs without considering their semantic relationships, or they use data flow and control flow information to extract semantic beliefs on API pairs but difficult to incorporate when mining specifications for multiple APIs. Hence, we propose an API specification mining approach that efficiently extracts a relatively complete list of the API combinations and semantic relationships between APIs. This approach analyzes a target program in two stages. The first stage uses frequent API set mining based on frequent common API identification and filtration to extract the maximal set of frequent context-sensitive API sequences. In the second stage, the API relationship graph is constructed using three semantic relationships extracted from the symbolic path information, and the specifications containing semantic relationships for multiple APIs are mined. The experimental results on six popular open-source code bases of different scales show that the proposed two-stage approach not only yields better results than existing typical approaches, but also can effectively discover the specifications along with the semantic relationships for multiple APIs. Instance analysis shows that the analysis of security-related API call violations can assist in the cause analysis and patch of software vulnerabilities.

Quantitative Analysis of the Subsidence Trough of the Barapukuria Coal Mine, Bangladesh

Subsidence has been an ever-increasing concern of the Barapukuria coal mine for nearly two decades and has indeed called for quantification to predict the expansion of surface subsidence. The study has been undertaken to address this issue. Earlier studies only dealt with the horizontal expansion of the subsidence trough and were calculated based on a rudimentary rule of thumb. On this basis, about 646 acres of land have been acquired and marked as the Influence zone of the mine. However, the extension of the subsidence trough has moved further beyond the Influenced-zone boundary, severely damaging several houses around the mine . This study empirically measures the spatial extension of the subsidence trough identifying mining-induced cracks and joints in 37 affected houses around the mine that emphasized the modification of the rule of thumbs, particularly the angle of draw. It is revealed that the minimum and maximum limit angles are 42o and 60o respectively, and a distance of 378m to 727m (average 552m) must be considered to mark the influenced-zone boundary of the mine while the mining depth is 420m. To precisely quantify and predict the increasing progression of subsidence trough, it is imperative to determine an angle of draw, spatial and areal expansion, and the geotechnical properties for this specific mine.

A sustainable integration of mining activity in a tourist mountain territory: The case of GermanascaValley

Every mining activity shows a footprint on the territory. The signs left by mining operations are physical, such as tunnels, extractive waste facilities, dressing plants, but also economic and social, due to job placement, income and knowledge connected to mining activity sensu lato. In the extraordinary context of the Germanasca Valley, mining has coexisted for hundreds of years with the mountain environment of the Alps and with the local population, and has become a fundamental part of local development, intimately connected with the territory and the local economic and social fabrics.The progressive migration of mining crops at lower altitudes has left behind old mining structures that here, more than elsewhere, guaranteed new forms of industrial and geo-tourism. Similarly, the technological advance and the evolution of mining production, towards a higher quality product, with a consequent reduction in the quantities exploited, led over time to a progressive reduction in the number of employed miners. The resilience of the local population, however, balanced the contraction of work in the mine, transforming former miners in tourist guides and increasing the induced activities, passing from the previous “in house” model to an “outsourcing” model, characterized by external management of mine-related activities. The transformation of old mines into museums has certainly contributed to the development of the area, particularly considering a slow tourism that shows scarce attitude to a “fast and junk” tourism. The challenge is to understand if and how geotourism influence, in specific mining areas (such as Germanasca Valley), the attractiveness of a place.

Acceptability and Feasibility of Provision of COVID-19 Services by Community Health Workers to Remote Gold Mining Communities in Suriname.

Gold mining communities in the Amazon region typically have limited access to public health services. In Suriname, the Ministry of Health Malaria Program (MoH-MP) works with community health workers (CHWs), people from mining communities without a formal medical degree, to provide malaria diagnostic and treatment services. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the MoH-MP trained 21 of these CHWs in COVID-19 outreach and testing, using rapid antigen tests for symptomatic persons in their communities; afterward, a mixed methods research approach was used to investigate whether including COVID-19 services in the tasks of the CHWs was feasible and accepted among gold mining populations. Also, CHWs took part in active case detection missions to proactively offer COVID-19 testing to all inhabitants of specific mining areas, regardless of symptoms. In the 6 months of field implementation (May-October 2022), 1,300 persons were tested for COVID-19, among whom 28.7% were women. Eight percent tested positive. Of the 312 asymptomatic persons tested, 2.2% tested positive. Qualitative semi-structured interviews with the CHWs and quantitative pre- and postintervention surveys revealed that the communities appreciated the nearby and free COVID-19 testing opportunity. The intervention motivated individuals who otherwise would not have been tested to test for COVID-19. Twenty-nine percent of those who had tested at least once for COVID-19 reported that their most recent test was conducted through the services of the CHWs. The results suggest that integrating COVID-19 testing into other CHW services can lower health access barriers in difficult-to-reach populations in remote communities.

Selection of longwall shearers based on the results of research on the mechanical properties of coal

The proper selection of cutting longwall winning machines for specific mining and geological conditions requires the development of an appropriate algorithm. The appropriate selection of a machine (shearer) is closely related to acquiring a high concentration of exploitation from the given longwall. That is indispensable, especially taking into consideration the growing cost of mining, as well as the depth of coal seams. In this article, an algorithm showing the selection of longwall winning machines has been presented. The algorithm has been created based on results of research on the processed coal’s mechanical properties. Analysis of the mining process, especially in difficult conditions, shows that in order to define a drum longwall shearer’s range of usage, the coal’s properties which have a significant impact on the mining process must be determined. The above also influences the technique, technology and effectiveness of mining—they impact the effectiveness of the winning machines. In connection to this, the cutting heads should be chosen and designed based on those factors, as well as any performance forecasts. As representative values the following have been chosen: workability index (WUB), resistance to unidirectional compression (Rc), and energy consumption of the mining process (TE).

Nursing managers' perceptions of teamwork and collaboration in mining primary healthcare clinics in Gauteng.

Teamwork and collaboration among nursing managers, nurses, doctors and peripheral hospitals treating mining patients is pivotal. A case study of specific mining primary healthcare clinics revealed a lack of teamwork among the doctors and nursing managers, even on decisions that show productivity. The aim of this study was to explore and describe nursing managers' perceptions of teamwork and collaboration in mining primary healthcare clinics in Gauteng. A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual research design was adopted to conduct this study. Data were collected by conducting semi-structured individual interviews with 10 participants and thematically analysed. Data saturation was reached by the seventh participant and confirmed with three more interviews. Trustworthiness measures and ethical considerations were preserved as protocols because of the nature of the study. Three themes emanated from the study: (1) team coordination and support improve teamwork and collaboration in primary healthcare clinics, (2) there is a lack of involvement from the nursing team, negatively influencing teamwork and collaboration and (3) collaboration can improve the quality of healthcare services rendered in mining primary healthcare clinics. All mining primary healthcare clinic team members should be involved in operational activities to foster teamwork and collaboration.Contribution:This study revealed that teamwork and collaboration should be facilitated to improve the quality of healthcare service in mining primary healthcare clinics.

Rock bolt and frame support of mine workings with a compound cross-section: Collective refuge chambers for mine workers

Purpose is to study the influence of mining and geological conditions on the time-dependent stability of the collective refuge chamber for mine workers with the adjacent mine workings and develop support schemes for different conditions of construction of such mine workings. Methods. Numerical modelling methods of the connected processes of elastoplastic deformation of gas-bearing rocks and gas filtration within the area disturbed during mining operations were used to study stability of mine workings with a compound cross-section, i.e. the collective refuge chambers and its adjacent extraction gallery. The model was based on fundamental principles of solid mechanics and filtration theory. The problem was solved using a finite element method. Findings. A classification of the conditions for locating collective refuge chambers for mine workers according to the relative strength of the enclosing rocks was developed. Support schemes for the chamber and its adjacent mine working were elaborated. The schemes include basic support and provide for its strengthening with rock bolts located in the roof of the mine working and chamber, or in their walls. The compliance of these support schemes with the developed classification of location conditions was determined. A numerical study of the time-dependent stability of the chamber and its adjacent mine working, while applying the recommended support scheme, was performed. It is shown that the strengthening of rock bolting schemes reduces the multicomponent stress field and the area of the zone of inelastic deformations, forms a rock-bolt overlap in the roof of the mine workings and chambers, which helps increase their stability under the complicated mining and geological conditions. Originality. Dependence of the changes within the area of a zone of inelastic deformations around the chamber with its adjacent mine working on the relative strength of the enclosing rocks was identified; time-dependent changes within the area of the zone of inelastic deformations, when using different support types, were specified. Practical implications. Support schemes for collective rescue chambers for mine workers in terms of different construction conditions were developed along with the procedure of their selection for specific mining and geological conditions. The results of the study provide theoretical substantiation and scientific guidelines for the selection of supports for collective refuge chambers adjacent to the mine working.

Study on Pretightening Loss Effect of Bolt Support in Deep Soft Rock Roadway

The magnitude of pretension force serves as an important indicator of the effectiveness of anchor bolt active support and is one of the significant factors influencing the stability of tunnel surrounding rock. Therefore, in practical engineering, it is crucial to establish the relationship between pretension torque and pretension force. However, current research in this field has some limitations. With a specific mine in western China as the engineering background, this paper first analyzed the influence factors of surrounding rock deformation and failure, established a mechanical model for pretension structure of anchor bolt support, and derived the quantitative relationship between pretension torque and pretension force based on hypothetical conditions. Finally, it proposed the loss effect of anchor bolt support and modified the pretightening loss coefficient for engineering application. The research results show that the actual pretightening force of anchor support is lower due to the influence of deep soft coal seam, which leads to failure of coal pillar under mining stress. The loss effect of surrounding rock on pretightening force was represented by a coefficient k, and the modified value of the coefficient was calculated as 0.19∼0.43. By applying the modified relationship between pretightening torque and pretightening force, it was found that the actual pretightening torque of 300 Nm applied to 11307 return air roadway effectively controlled surrounding rock deformation and failure, with coal pillar displacement less than 120 mm.

Mining of extended signal temporal logic specifications with ParetoLib 2.0

Cyber-physical systems are complex environments that combine physical devices (i.e., sensors and actuators) with a software controller. The ubiquity of these systems and dangers associated with their failure require the implementation of mechanisms to monitor, verify and guarantee their correct behaviour. This paper presents ParetoLib 2.0, a Python tool for offline monitoring and specification mining of cyber-physical systems. ParetoLib 2.0 uses signal temporal logic (STL) as the formalism for specifying properties on time series. ParetoLib 2.0 builds upon other tools for evaluating and mining STL expressions, and extends them with new functionalities. ParetoLib 2.0 implements a set of new quantitative operators for trace analysis in STL, a novel mining algorithm and an original graphical user interface. Additionally, the performance is optimised with respect to previous releases of the tool via data-type annotations and multi core support. ParetoLib 2.0 allows the offline verification of STL properties as well as the specification mining of parametric STL templates. Thanks to the implementation of the new quantitative operators for STL, the tool outperforms the expressiveness and capabilities of similar runtime monitors.

Monitoring and estimation of mining and geometric indicators of the deposit

The article presents the results of mining and geometric modeling of indicators of mineral deposits. In order to estimate and monitor them, a wide range of geoinformation systems-based methods and techniques of geometrization is applied. The sequence and stages of mining and geometric estimation of deposits are described considering specific mining and geological conditions. The built models are used at Ukraine’s mining enterprises that develop solid minerals. Much attention is paid to processing initial mining and geological data, providing the basis for mining and geometric modeling. Geostatistical methods give high results when processing and assessing reliability of the input modeling data and processing and presenting modeling results. Different types of deposits require different approaches to geometrization. Deposits with high variability of indicators require accounting, data grouping and zoning. For this purpose, a heuristic algorithm is developed, which is an efficient independent method of modeling and enables considering the high level of heterogeneity of the spatial distribution of mining and geological indicators of the deposit. The results of the modeling can be used for deposit estimation and monitoring, reserves calculation, and mining operations planning.

Parametric evolutions of explosive fracture zones in the explosion of series of blasthole charges with a complex structure

The purpose of the paper is to specify calculations of a rock mass fracture zone in the explosion of series of blasthole charges with a complex structure under mathematical modelling of their interaction if parts of the blasting agent are spaced along the well length by means of an inert material. The parts are blasted sequentially. Therefore, dynamic load of exploded rock mass has been analyzed depending upon a blasting order of the charges and their parts. Originality is to define more exactly the regularities of interaction between explosive energy of blasthole charges with the specific design and rock mass enclosing them. The developed methods help identify usability of the explosives, designed by the authors, and simplify calculations of drilling-and-blasting description. It has been proved that selection of charge mass with different ratios of their parts in the sequential wells, and variation in lag intervals between the explosions make it possible to control a process of rock mass loading depending upon the specific mining and geological conditions if features of a force field are known. The findings expand methodological basis as for design of open pits while favouring implementation of explosive charges which structure is proposed by the authors.

The current state of the non-ore mineral deposits mining in the concept of the Ukraine reconstruction in the post-war period

AbstractThe study of quantitative and qualitative indicators of the non-metallic mineral deposits mining based on recognized methods of economic and technological assessment to determine the damages and the development of technical–technological measures for the providing the mining industry of construction and bulk materials from the crisis in the post-war period. To assess the state of non-ore mineral deposits, the authors of the article used the following research methods: critical analysis of literary sources, statistical processing of data on the mines functioning and the probability of their manifestation in specific mining and geological conditions. Based on the selected UNIDO method, which is used for the evaluation of high-budget projects, the quantitative performance indicators of the selected quarries of non-ore raw materials have been established. Systematization and visualization of the obtained results were carried out with the help of Excel calculation tables from the available software product MS Office. The main problems associated with the activity of mining enterprises that develop deposits of non-ore useful minerals are highlighted. Qualitative and quantitative values of the work of the selected mines have been prepared according to European standards, which serve as initial data for assessing the economic attractiveness and the possibility of their restructuring in the post-war period. A forecast of the development of the industry is provided on the example of individual technological units of entrepreneurial activity for the nearest period. Dependencies of changes in production capacity indicators of mining enterprises developing non-ore mineral deposits have been established. Data on the spatial distribution of reserves of construction and backfill materials (gravel, sand, clay) were studied. Using generally recognized international methods of assessing the efficiency of enterprises, changes in the priority of mine development were determined depending on the needs of the Ukrainian economy and the destruction of territories caused by military actions, that appeared due to the aggression of the RF. The effectiveness of the methodology was proposed and confirmed, which allows determining the operative parameters of mines, which are mining non-ore mineral deposits. It gives the possibility to assess the economic attractiveness of individual mines and subsequently predict the possibility of their restructuring for the introduction of the innovative equipment and technologies in accordance with generally recognized international standards.

Impact of mining on the livelihood of women in Gashaka local government area, Taraba State

This study focuses on evaluating the impact of mining on the livelihoods of women in Gashaka Local Government Area (LGA) of Taraba State. The primary objective is to examine the effects of mining on the women's livelihoods within this particular community. The research adopted a survey research method, employing a self-constructed questionnaire for data collection with 118 randomly selected respondents. Utilizing a descriptive statistical approach, the study presented its findings through tables and charts. The research revealed that a majority of the respondents are actively engaged in mining, primarily extracting blue sapphire and other stones in the region. Post-mining activities predominantly involve selling the minerals at the Serti main market in Gashaka. Specific mining areas identified include Mayo Jim, Bodel, Garbabi, and Karamti, with Garbabi exhibiting the highest mining activity in Gashaka LGA. The study underscored the substantial impact of mining on the socio-economic well-being of women, positioning it as a major source of empowerment for them. Based on its findings, the study recommends that the government formulate policies to facilitate the responsible development of mining activities in Gashaka LGA. It emphasizes addressing critical issues and providing support to workers to enhance efficiency and reduce stress. Additionally, the research advocates for the implementation of an empowerment program by the state government, specifically targeting women and other miners in the region. This program should offer alternative livelihood sources, mitigate the adverse effects of mining, and discourage illegal mining practices in the area.

Alkaline Chemical Neutralization to Treat Acid Mine Drainage with High Concentrations of Iron and Manganese

Due to its high acidity and toxic metal content, acid mine drainage (AMD) needs to be properly treated before being discharged into the environment. This study took the AMD collected from one specific mine in China as a sample and investigated the treatment methodology for AMD. The water quality of the AMD was measured, and the sample was treated with caustic soda (NaOH) and shell powder (one kind of conventional neutralizer, mainly composed of CaCO3) by the neutralization method. The results show that the AMD has a relatively low pH (2.16) and contains high concentrations of Fe (77.54 g/L), Mn (621.29 mg/L), Cu (6.54 mg/L), Ca (12.39 mg/L), and Mg (55.04 mg/L). NaOH was an effective neutralizer to treat the AMD and performed much better than shell powder. Various metals were precipitated, in the order of Fe(III), Cu, Fe(II), Mn, Ca, and Mg. The metal removal mechanisms included precipitation, adsorption, and co-precipitation. The optimal reaction conditions were the reaction duration was selected as 5 min and the mass ratio of NaOH to AMD was 0.16:1 (w:v). By this stage, the pH rapidly increased from 2.16 to 8.53 during AMD-NaOH interactions and various metals were efficiently removed (from 86.71% to 99.99%) by NaOH. The residual mass concentrations of Fe, Mn, Cu, Ca, and Mg after the treatment were 1.52, 1.77, 0.10, 1.65, and 2.17 mg/L, respectively. These data revealed that NaOH was a good treatment regent for this kind of AMD, based on the discharge criteria of China (GB28661 2012). Also, the shell powder was a helpful neutralizer for pH adjustment and copper removal. This neutralization method has the advantages of convenient operation, high speed, good effect, simple equipment, and low infrastructure cost. In addition, the resulting neutralized residue is a valuable and high-quality raw material, which can be used in metal smelting and separation.

Study on the Mining Effect and Optimal Design of Longwall Full Mining with Paste Partial Filling

Various methods of longwall full mining with partial filling have been extensively researched to satisfy the specific mining needs of pressurized-coal and residual-coal resources. This study introduces three longwall partial-filling-mining techniques: room–pillar filling mining, parallel-strip filling mining, and vertical-strip filling mining. Numerical simulations are employed to evaluate the efficacy of these methods. The findings indicate that vertical-strip filling mining results in minimal surface deformation and a more uniform distribution of displacements. In practical operations, the effectiveness of filling largely depends on the choice of filling technology and materials. The research further includes an optimization analysis of the filling technology, emphasizing the composition of the coal-gangue-paste filling system and the refinement of its components. Additionally, the study aims to explore the optimization analysis of filling materials, specifically focusing on performance-optimization methods. The experimental results illustrate that optimizing the filling materials can enhance the performance of filling paste, improving both early-stage and long-term compressive strength. Moreover, the paper examines the quantitative characterization of paste-filling-mining subsidence at various stages in conjunction with theoretical knowledge. Subsequently, mining-subsidence-control measures are recommended to address the primary deformation factors across different stages. Through an in-depth examination of filling-method designs, enhancements in filling technology, and predictions regarding filling-mining subsidence, this research offers valuable insights for optimizing longwall partial-filling-mining methods.

Numerical Study on the Characteristics and Control Method of Coal Leakage between Supports in Integrated Mining of Extremely Loose and Soft Coal Seams

Extremely loose and soft coal seams, with a Platts coefficient of less than 0.3, are easy to break in the process of integrated mechanized roof coal mining and are prone to spilling and piling up between the hydraulic supports, which is a safety hazard for the movement of equipment. The coal particles must be cleaned up manually, resulting in reduced resource recovery rates and lower mining face efficiency. To effectively mitigate and control the problem of coal spillage accumulation amidst hydraulic supports, this study utilizes discrete element numerical simulation to examine the characteristics of block size distribution and the spilling process during the crushing of highly loose and soft top coal. By taking into account various parameters associated with shelf spacing, this research identifies key factors for controlling arching and self-stopping phenomena in top coal particles. The study findings suggest that the uppermost coal layer undergoes significant fragmentation during the integrated mining process of loosely packed and soft coal seams, resulting in a higher probability of coal leakage issues observed near the rack’s coal wall side and at the end of the roof control area. The key factors contributing to the self-arresting of spilled coal particles include inherent characteristics of the coal body, particle diameter, and stand spacing. In this specific mine under investigation, an arch formation naturally occurs to prevent further leakage when the distance between stands is less than eight times the diameter of particles, and after process correction, the average time saving for a single shift of manual floating coal cleaning at the working face is about 2 h, and the proportion of time saving is more than 50~75%.

Rigorous Assessment of Model Inference Accuracy using Language Cardinality

Models such as finite state automata are widely used to abstract the behavior of software systems by capturing the sequences of events observable during their execution. Nevertheless, models rarely exist in practice and, when they do, get easily outdated; moreover, manually building and maintaining models is costly and error-prone. As a result, a variety of model inference methods that automatically construct models from execution traces have been proposed to address these issues. However, performing a systematic and reliable accuracy assessment of inferred models remains an open problem. Even when a reference model is given, most existing model accuracy assessment methods may return misleading and biased results. This is mainly due to their reliance on statistical estimators over a finite number of randomly generated traces, introducing avoidable uncertainty about the estimation and being sensitive to the parameters of the random trace generative process. This paper addresses this problem by developing a systematic approach based on analytic combinatorics that minimizes bias and uncertainty in model accuracy assessment by replacing statistical estimation with deterministic accuracy measures. We experimentally demonstrate the consistency and applicability of our approach by assessing the accuracy of models inferred by state-of-the-art inference tools against reference models from established specification mining benchmarks.

Specification Mining Based on the Ordering Points to Identify the Clustering Structure Clustering Algorithm and Model Checking

Software specifications are of great importance to improve the quality of software. To automatically mine specifications from software systems, some specification mining approaches based on finite-state automatons have been proposed. However, these approaches are inaccurate when dealing with large-scale systems. In order to improve the accuracy of mined specifications, we propose a specification mining approach based on the ordering points to identify the clustering structure clustering algorithm and model checking. In the approach, the neural network model is first used to produce the feature values of states in the traces of the program. Then, according to the feature values, finite-state automatons are generated based on the ordering points to identify the clustering structure clustering algorithm. Further, the finite-state automaton with the highest F-measure is selected. To improve the quality of the finite-state automatons, we refine it based on model checking. The proposed approach was implemented in a tool named MCLSM and experiments, including 13 target classes, were conducted to evaluate its effectiveness. The experimental results show that the average F-measure of finite-state automatons generated by our method reaches 92.19%, which is higher than most related tools.

Study on damage characteristics and application of gypsum pillar strengthened with FRP

The instability of mine pillars has posed a serious threat to the safety of mines in China. In order to reduce the risk of pillar instability, this study used fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) to reinforce gypsum specimens and conduct mechanical loading experiments. The study investigates the reinforcement effect of gypsum specimens with different height-diameter ratios and different FRP wrapping thicknesses, and analyzed the uneven distribution of constraint force along the height direction of FRP-reinforced gypsum specimens. An optimized wrapping method was proposed, and a stress–strain constitutive model for gypsum materials under optimized wrapping was established. By utilizing a statistical method based on strain energy density for heterogeneous rock damage identification, a simulation study was conducted on FRP-reinforced gypsum-like specimens. A comparative analysis was carried out with experimental results to verify the feasibility of the constitutive model. The research findings indicate that the use of FRP reinforcement significantly improves the uniaxial compressive strength and strain values of gypsum-like specimens. Moreover, the smaller the aspect ratio, the more pronounced the effect of FRP reinforcement on gypsum-like specimens. The stress–strain curve of FRP-reinforced gypsum-like specimens shows a distinct combination of curves and straight lines, which can be divided into two distinct stages based on different elastic moduli. The peak value of acoustic emission energy of FRP-reinforced gypsum specimens appears at the junction of the first and second stages of the stress–strain curve, and then the acoustic emission energy curve becomes relatively flat, with an increase in peak energy before failure. The constraint force acting on FRP-reinforced gypsum specimens exhibits an obvious uneven distribution along the height direction, based on which an optimized reinforcement scheme is proposed. Based on the established constitutive model, numerical simulation was conducted using real data from a specific mine. The research findings demonstrate that when the optimized reinforcement method is employed, the load-bearing capacity of the mine pillars was significantly enhanced. The maximum displacement was reduced by 33%, the maximum vertical stress was reduced by 3.2%, and the volume of the plastic zone was reduced by 39.87%.

Challenges of nurse managers in creating an environment conducive to empowerment of nurses in mining primary healthcare clinics in South Africa

BackgroundNurse managers are expected to create an environment conducive to empowerment of nurses in mining primary healthcare clinics to improve patients’ outcomes. However, in a specific mining primary healthcare clinics there are seldom staff trainings and nurses has overwhelming working schedules. PurposeThe aim of the study was to explore and describe the challenges of nurse managers in creating environment conducive to empowerment of nurses in mining primary healthcare clinics in South Africa. Design and MethodsThis study was underpinned by Winkler’s theoretical framework of leadership roles to create an environment conducive to empowerment. A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual research design was used to conduct this study in specific mining primary healthcare clinics in South Africa. Individual in-depth interviews were conducted to collect data from ten nurse managers, and Giorgi’s thematic analysis method was employed to analyse data. An independent qualitative coder confirmed the study’s findings. Trustworthiness was maintained, and ethical principles were also applied throughout the study. FindingsThree themes emerged from the analysed data: (1) training budget challenges; (2) training needs in mining primary healthcare clinics; (3) Legislation, training and development. Discussion and conclusionsThere are training budget challenges in mining primary healthcare clinics but nurse managers are not hindered by these challenges in creating an environment conducive to empowerment of nurses.