scholarly journals Do commodity prices incentivize exploration permit application? An explorative study of an anecdotal relation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tobias Olofsson
Keyword(s):  
Mineral Exploration ◽  
Mining Industry ◽  
Commodity Prices ◽  
Annual Average ◽  
Governmental Agencies ◽  
Explorative Study ◽  
Lead Zinc ◽  
Permit Application ◽  
Application Volume ◽  
Copper Lead

AbstractDo commodity prices drive exploration permit applications? In a recent qualitative study on mineral exploration and risk management in Sweden, a number of respondents representing mineral exploration organizations and governmental agencies expressed how mineral exploration permit applications increase with rising commodity prices. This paper seeks to investigate this alleged correlation quantitatively. In doing so, the study uses time series analysis and ARIMA models to analyze the covariation of applications for exploration permits filed with the Mining Inspectorate of Sweden and annual average copper, lead, zinc, silver, and gold prices in the period 2000 to 2018. Contrary to the anecdotal evidence given by actors in the exploration and mining industry, the paper cannot show any significant covariation between the majority of mineral prices and applications filed. Contrary to expectations, there appear therefore not to be any correlation between copper, lead, silver, and gold prices and the volume of permit applications filed annually. Moreover, the study also shows that the correlation between annual average zinc prices and permit applications appears to be the reverse of what was first believed as the annual change in application volume occurs before the rise or fall in zinc prices.

Upernavik 98: reconnaissance mineral exploration in North-West Greenland

1999 ◽  
pp. 39-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bjørn Thomassen ◽  
Johannes Kyed ◽  
Agnete Steenfelt ◽  
Tapani Tukiainen
Keyword(s):  
Mineral Exploration ◽  
Mining Industry ◽  
Field Work ◽  
Geological Survey ◽  
Original Series ◽  
West Greenland ◽  
North West ◽  
One Year

NOTE: This article was published in a former series of GEUS Bulletin. Please use the original series name when citing this article, for example: Thomassen, B., Kyed, J., Steenfelt, A., & Tukiainen, T. (1999). Upernavik 98: reconnaissance mineral exploration in North-West Greenland. Geology of Greenland Survey Bulletin, 183, 39-45. https://doi.org/10.34194/ggub.v183.5203 _______________ The Upernavik 98 project is a one-year project aimed at the acquisition of information on mineral occurrences and potential in North-West Greenland between Upernavik and Kap Seddon, i.e. from 72°30′ to 75°30′N (Fig. 1A). A similar project, Karrat 97, was carried out in 1997 in the Uummannaq region 70°30′–72°30′N (Steenfelt et al. 1998a). Both are joint projects between the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) and the Bureau of Minerals and Petroleum (BMP), Government of Greenland, and wholly funded by the latter. The main purpose of the projects is to attract the interest of the mining industry. The field work comprised systematic drainage sampling, reconnaissance mineral exploration and spectroradiometric measurements of rock surfaces.

Qaanaaq 2001: mineral exploration reconnaissance in North-West Greenland

2002 ◽  
pp. 133-143
Author(s):  
Bjørn Thomassen ◽  
Peter R. Dawes ◽  
Agnete Steenfelt ◽  
Johan Ditlev Krebs
Keyword(s):  
Mineral Exploration ◽  
Mining Industry ◽  
Field Work ◽  
Original Series ◽  
West Greenland ◽  
North West ◽  
Ice Caps ◽  
High Plateau ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Inland Ice

NOTE: This article was published in a former series of GEUS Bulletin. Please use the original series name when citing this article, for example: Thomassen, B., Dawes, P. R., Steenfelt, A., & Krebs, J. D. (2002). Qaanaaq 2001: mineral exploration reconnaissance in North-West Greenland. Geology of Greenland Survey Bulletin, 191, 133-143. https://doi.org/10.34194/ggub.v191.5141 _______________ Project Qaanaaq 2001, involving one season’s field work, was set up to investigate the mineral occurrences and potential of North-West Greenland between Olrik Fjord and Kap Alexander (77°10´N – 78°10´N; Fig. 1). Organised by the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) and the Bureau of Minerals and Petroleum (BMP), Government of Greenland, the project is mainly funded by the latter and has the overall goal of attracting the interest of the mining industry to the region. The investigated region – herein referred to as the Qaanaaq region – comprises 4300 km2 of ice-free land centred on Qaanaaq, the administrative capital of Qaanaap (Thule) municipality. Much of the region is characterised by a 500–800 m high plateau capped by local ice caps and intersected by fjords and glaciers. High dissected terrain occurs in Northumberland Ø and in the hinterland of Prudhoe Land where nunataks are common along the margin of the Inland Ice.

Risk assessment of mining projects in Ghana

2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Teye Amoatey ◽  
Samuel Famiyeh ◽  
Peter Andoh
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Mining Industry ◽  
Commodity Prices ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Management Culture ◽  
Mining Project ◽  
Mining Projects

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess the critical risk factors affecting mining projects in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach A purposive sampling approach was used in selecting the respondents for the study. These were practitioners working on mining projects in Ghana. Findings The study identified 22 risk factors contributing to mining project failure in Ghana. The five most critical mining project risk factors based on both probability of occurrence and impact were unstable commodity prices, inflation/exchange rate, land degradation, high cost of living and government bureaucracy for obtaining licenses. Mitigation measures for addressing the identified risk factors were identified. Research limitations/implications This paper is limited to data collected from practitioners working on mining projects. Due to geographic and logistical constraints, the study did not include the perception of local communities in quantifying the risk factors. Practical implications This paper has documented the critical risk factor affecting the mining industry in Ghana. Though the identified risk types are also prevalent in other sectors of the construction industry, the key findings of this paper emphasize the need for a comprehensive risk management culture in the mining sector. From an academic research perspective, the paper contributes to a conceptual risk assessment framework. Originality/value The information gathered through this research can be utilized in identifying and understanding risks during the early stages of mining project implementation.

A new mining life for non-feasible mineral deposits?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Balazs Bodo ◽  
Luis Lopes ◽  
Claudio Rossi ◽  
Giorgia Stasi ◽  
Christian Burlet ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Raw Materials ◽  
Mineral Exploration ◽  
Mining Industry ◽  
Innovative Approach ◽  
Mineral Deposits ◽  
Biological Inspiration ◽  
Social License To Operate ◽  
Social License ◽  
New Vision ◽  
And Control

<p>ROBOMINERS is developing an innovative approach for the exploitation of currently non-feasible mineral deposits. The approach entails the use of a robot-miner - a bio-inspired reconfigurable robot with a modular nature - in a new mining setting where the activities are nearly invisible and where mining presents less socio-environmental constraints, thus contributing to a more safe and sustainable supply of mineral raw materials.</p><p>The main aim is to design and develop a robotic prototype that is able to perform mining related tasks in settings including both abandoned, currently flooded mines not accessible anymore for conventional mining techniques; or places that have formerly been explored, but whose exploitation was considered as uneconomic due to the small-size of deposits, or their difficulty to access.</p><p>ROBOMINERS’ innovative approach combines the creation of a new mining ecosystem with novel ideas from other sectors, particularly robotics. At this point, work has been done to understand the best methods for the robotminer’s development in 1) biological inspiration, 2) perception and localisation tools, 3) behaviour, navigation and control, 4) actuation methods, 5) modularity, 6)autonomy and resilience, and 7) the selective mining ability. All these aspects combined aim to provide the robotminer XXI Century tools for mineral exploration and exploitation of (currently) unfeasible deposits.</p><p>At the same time, for the vision of a new vision of a mining ecosystem, work is involving studies on 1) developing computer models and simulations, 2) data management and visualisation, 3) rock-mechanical and geotechnical characterisation studies, 4) analysing ground/rock support methods, bulk transportation methods, backfilling types and methods, and 5) sketching relevant upstream and downstream mining industry analogues for the ROBOMINERS concept.  </p><p>After design and development, based on the previously mentioned studies, the robot-miner is set to be tested at targeted areas representatives which include abandoned and/or operating mines, small but high-grade mineral deposits, unexplored/explored non-economic occurrences and ultra depth, not  easily accessible environments. Possible candidates for testing purposes include mines in the regions of Cornwall (UK), mines in the Kupferschiefer Formation (e.g. Poland) or coal mines in Belgium.</p><p>When compared to usual mining methods the ROBOMINERS approach shows: 1) no presence of people in the mine, 2) less mining waste produced, 3) less mining infrastructure, 4) less investment, 5) possibility to explore currently uneconomic resources and 6) new underground small-sized mines, practically “invisible”. Altogether, ROBOMINERS can contribute to solve some of the main issues that make mining’s social license to operate so difficult to get in Europe: land-use, environmental limitations, and socio-economic aspects.</p>

The development of cross hole seismic techniques and case studies

1989 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 127 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Duncan ◽  
M. Downey ◽  
L. Leung ◽  
P. Harman
Keyword(s):  
Seismic Tomography ◽  
Iron Ore ◽  
Mineral Exploration ◽  
Coal Mines ◽  
Seismic Energy ◽  
Field Trials ◽  
Mine Planning ◽  
Broken Hill ◽  
Underground Coal Mines ◽  
Lead Zinc

This paper outlines the development of a cross hole seismic tomography package by The Broken Hill Proprietary Co. Ltd. (BHP), as a tool for mineral exploration and mine planning. The methodology of cross hole seismic tomography, field procedures, instrumentation, processing software, and field trials are described.Explosives are principally used as the source of seismic energy. A repetitive source, based on rapid hydrogen-oxygen combustion, has also been developed. Signals are detected by geophone-based detector strings, and recorded by a data acquisition system developed by BHP. Tomographic imaging is conducted by the Algebraic Reconstruction, Back Projection and Simultaneous Iterative Reconstruction techniques.Surveys have been conducted in a number of different geological environments, and include: lead-zinc, iron ore and manganese exploration leases and mines to locate mineralisation and overburden interfaces; underground coal mines to locate regions of mining induced stress; and open cut and underground coal mines to locate coal and overburden contacts. The results of these surveys are discussed.

scholarly journals Applications of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in Mining from Exploration to Reclamation: A Review

Minerals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 663 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebeom Park ◽  
Yosoon Choi
Keyword(s):  
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles ◽  
Mineral Exploration ◽  
Mining Industry ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Ground Subsidence ◽  
Research Trend ◽  
Environment Analysis ◽  
Mining Sites ◽  
Aerial Vehicles ◽  
Exploration Exploitation

Over the past decade, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been used in the mining industry for various applications from mineral exploration to mine reclamation. This study aims to review academic papers on the applications of UAVs in mining by classifying the mining process into three phases: exploration, exploitation, and reclamation. Systematic reviews were performed to summarize the results of 65 articles (June 2010 to May 2020) and outline the research trend for applying UAVs in mining. This study found that UAVs are used at mining sites for geological and structural analysis via remote sensing, aerial geophysical survey, topographic surveying, rock slope analysis, working environment analysis, underground surveying, and monitoring of soil, water, ecological restoration, and ground subsidence. This study contributes to the classification of current UAV applications during the mining process as well as the identification of prevalent UAV types, data acquired by sensors, scales of targeted areas, and styles of flying control for the applications of UAVs in mining.

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