Developments in open cut mining

2013

Currently almost 65 % of the coal in Australia is being produced by opencast mining methods. Mining equipments such as draglines, dredgers or bucket wheel excavators, trucks and shovels, and dozers are the main equipments employed for overburden removal and coal extraction. The choice of equipment for a particular mine depends on geological, geotechnical and economic factors and other site issues. This paper provides a general review of the main equipments used in Australia, including examples of some existing mines and the reasons for their choice of equipment. In addition, the paper discusses major geomechanical issues encountered and how these may influence the selection of appropriate equipments used in open cut mining operations.

Journal of Mining Science, 2010

Currently almost 65 % of the coal in Australia is being produced by opencast mining methods. Mining equipments such as draglines, dredgers or bucket wheel excavators, trucks and shovels, and dozers are the main equipments employed for overburden removal and coal extraction. The choice of equipment for a particular mine depends on geological, geotechnical and economic factors and other site issues. This paper provides a general review of the main equipments used in Australia, including examples of some existing mines and the reasons for their choice of equipment. In addition, the paper discusses major geomechanical issues encountered and how these may influence the selection of appropriate equipments used in open cut mining operations.

2011

The Australian mining industry experienced a remarkable turnaround during the 2000s. The rapid growth of emerging economies in Asia drove a surge in demand for commodities, particularly those used in steel and energy generation. With global supply unable to respond quickly, prices surged to historically high levels. In response, mining investment in Australia rose to record levels as a share of the economy by the end of the decade. The rise in commodity prices has boosted activity and incomes and encouraged the factors of production to shift towards the mining industry. The boom has also been associated with a large increase in the real exchange rate, affecting trade-exposed industries. Overall, Australia's macroeconomic performance during the decade was much more stable than during the earlier mining booms, reflecting a stronger institutional framework. JEL Classification Numbers: N57, Q31, Q33, Q43

The AusIMM Bulletin, 2013

Executive Summary Although world mineral exploration expenditure for non-ferrous commodities has been recovering strongly from its low in 2009 and is back on the rising trend which commenced in 2002, Australia has continued to lose ground relative to other global and competitive exploration destinations. Australia’s share of global exploration for non-bulk commodities has virtually halved from its peak of 21% in 2002 and it now stands at a mere 12% of the total, while that of Canada, for instance, has increased from 14% to 18% over the same period.

2015

Attractive mining workplaces are good, safe and healthy workplaces. They are also workplaces that the workforce of the future wants to work in. As skilled miners and engineers are already scarce, this is important both for today and for the future. But future of mining will also be subject to increased international competition. In attempting to become more competitive, many mining companies turn to rationalisation, looking to both rationalise their production and organisation, as well as to optimise their processes. Work organisation is important in both rationalisation and providing attractive mining work. Therefore, a Lean Production philosophy is investigated for the organisation of future mines. The aim of this paper is to investigate to what extent Lean Production can be used to organise for attractive mining. To do so, it first need to be defined what attractive mining work is and to what degree it can be influenced by work organisation. A short insight into the production co...

RBA Bulletin, 2011

Bulletin| march Quarter 2011 1 The Iron Ore, Coal and Gas Sectors Virginia Christie, Brad Mitchell, David Orsmond and Marileze van Zyl* Overview Australia ... Iron Ore Iron ore is a key input in the production of steel and occurs in two main forms–hematite which is red and has an ...

2008

Rural Society, 2013

Questions over the role of mining in the Australian economy and society have gained increasing public scrutiny in recent years. In this paper we consider whether the role of mining in Australian society has changed with the recent mining boom. The paper draws attention to four key areas. The first is the economics of mining, where a rise in commodity values has made mining more profitable. Mining now dominates Australian exports more than in previous booms. The second area is the scale of mining operations, which have grown substantially, reflecting unprecedented investment. The third area is the degree to which the effects of resource extraction extend to surrounding areas and distant urban centres through long distance commuting. Finally, we consider the centrality of the mining sector in public life: attention to mining in the media and encroachment on other land uses, and we look for evidence of changes in public acceptance of the sector. In conclusion we argue that the role of the mining sector in Australian society and economy has indeed changed. The changes in terms of trade and the scale of mining have made the resource sector so important in Australia that increased impact in public life is unavoidable.