|
|
|
Information and links on a variety of technical aspects of mining & mineral exploration.
|
| |
| Articles |
 Alaska Mine PermittingMonday, May 26, 2008What is involved in permitting a mine? The answer varies depending on the type and location of your mine. read more » Bill 43 & Mineral Tenure CompensationTuesday, May 13, 2008Here is an email I got today from the Association for Mineral Exploration British Columbia: On Thursday, May 8th, AME BC’s Board of Directors met jointly with the Policy and Land Use Committees to discuss and decide next steps concerning significant policy issues. read more » ARD PermittingFriday, April 25, 2008The Environmental Literacy Council write on the topic of mine permitting and acid mine drainage: “Since the 1977 Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act mining operators are required to present a plan for minimizing or mitigating acid mine drainage before they receive a permit to begin mining.” read more » Chinese Mining Law - Part 4Thursday, April 24, 2008According to the “Provisions on the Administration of Gold Operating Permit’’, an applicant who wishes to mine gold must obtain a Gold Operating Permit. read more » Permitting PeopleTuesday, April 22, 2008Who should you put in charge of getting all the permits you need to mine? Because of my degrees, two in engineering and one in law, I have been involved in many a permitting process for new mines read more » Compromise Reached Between Mining Company and Conservation GroupsMonday, April 21, 2008An accord was reached between conservation groups and mining interests, ending an 18-year effort to stop the development of a large gold mine on Buckhorn Mountain in north central Washington State. read more » Mining PermitsFriday, April 18, 2008If you do not have the right permits, you cannot mine. Some permits necessary to mining are trivial; for example, get a permit to clear the timber to drill an exploratory borehole. read more » International Council on Mining & MetalsWednesday, March 26, 2008The International Council on Mining & Metals is not shy about their aims and objectives. They state them thus read more » PDAC and AFNWednesday, March 05, 2008A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) and the National Indian Brotherhood (NIB) in early March 2008. read more » SME LawyersMonday, March 03, 2008It is always fun to sit in on those conference presentations where the speakers tell tales of corruption and incompetence and reveal their successes and failures while selling their services. read more » Argentina MiningFriday, February 29, 2008Julio C Avila concludes his paper Mining and the Environment in Argentina: Analysis of controversial cases by stating: "... there is a conflict between the Argentina National Mining Code and some provincial “anti mining” laws" read more » International Finance CorporationMonday, February 25, 2008International Finance Corporation applies to the projects it finances environmental and social standards to minimize their impact on the environment and on affected communities. read more » Fuzzy Logic in MiningTuesday, February 05, 2008A new paper in the InfoMine Library is by Bascetin Atac of the Mining engineering Department of the Istanbul University. In his paper, A New Approach for Decision Making Based Genetic Algorithm in Mining Operations, he describes the use of fuzzy logic methods read more » Mining ReligionTuesday, February 05, 2008Africans were the first to engage in mining 43,000 years ago. In 1964 a hematite mine was found in Swaziland at Bomvu Ridge in the Ngwenya mountain range. read more » Chinese Mining Law - Part 3Friday, January 25, 2008A company wishing to obtain a Mining Permit must make an application in accordance with the requirement of the ‘‘Administrative Measures on Registration of Mineral Resources Exploitation”. read more » NIOSH Research InitiativesFriday, January 11, 2008A sober view of the future of mining emerges from the May 2007 NIOSH report on future mine safety and health research. The report identifies these issues as deserving attention read more » Tailings Due DiligenceThursday, December 27, 2007Here are some guidelines for a due diligence examination of a mine waste disposal facility. read more » Case Studies in Mine ManagementThursday, December 20, 2007Here are two case studies I copy from the newly discovered website of element CMC, a Perth-based management consulting company serving the mining industry. read more » Chinese Mining Law - Part 2Wednesday, December 19, 2007Anyone wishing to engage in exploration activities relating to mineral resources in the PRC must obtain an Exploration Licence before commencing those activities. read more » Inferred ResourcesTuesday, December 04, 2007Most of us involved in the minerals industry are well aware of the definition of an Inferred Mineral Resource as described in the South African Code for Reporting of Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves (SAMREC Code). read more » LeaseControl Software by Maxwell GeoServicesTuesday, December 04, 2007LeaseControl is a software product designed by Maxwell GeoServices for worldwide land tenure management. read more » Mining Law CourseTuesday, October 30, 2007The Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation is planning a course on mining law to held the week of May 12, 2008 in the greater Denver area. read more » Chinese Mining Law - Part 1Wednesday, October 24, 2007All mineral resources of the PRC are owned by the State under the Mineral Resources Law of the PRC which came into force as of 1 January 1997. read more » Red Chris MineWednesday, October 17, 2007Imperial Metals Corporation is the owner of BCMetals Corp which in turn owns the Red Chris Copper-Gold property in northern British Columbia. In 2005 the BC Ministry of the Environment gave their approval of the project. read more » The Diamond Studded RoadmapTuesday, October 09, 2007In 2005 the Diamond Act (Act no. 56 of the 1986) of South Africa was amended to increase both the availability of rough diamonds as well as participation through the value chain in South Africa. read more » Asia Pacific Mining ForumFriday, October 05, 2007Here are some lessons learnt at the Asia Pacific Forum on Mining and Minerals, which took place recently in Vancouver. read more » Blue Hills and GlencairnThursday, September 06, 2007Here is a story of what happens when you take over a mine and forget to do due diligence. And even if you did good due diligence, you may still get caught in the jaws of the United States environmental liability laws. read more » Boka GoldTuesday, August 28, 2007By now you must have read the news that Southwestern Resources is suing its ex-CEO for fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, and insider trading after realizing that he altered assay results from the Boka Gold project in China. read more » Los Pelambres and the El Mauro Tailings DamMonday, August 27, 2007This is a tale that is still unfolding. The truth is well hidden by all concerned, for there are billions at stake. read more » Mining LawFriday, July 27, 2007On the table outside the meeting rooms of the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation meeting in Vancouver, July 2007, were free copies of Mining in 32 Jurisdictions Worldwide read more » Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Institute Vancouver - Conference ReportMonday, July 23, 2007The 53rd Annual Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Institute gathered in Vancouver, July 19 to 21, 2007 to discuss the laws that affect mines, mining, and the oil & gas industry. Here is a brief report. read more » Skill-Rite ConsultantsFriday, June 29, 2007If you plan or operate a mine in Indonesia or those parts of the world drawing on Indonesian skills, you may wish to consider the services offered SKILL-RIGHT. Here is what they do read more » Consultant Proposal FeesMonday, June 04, 2007A radical proposal to start the week: do not pay consultants to prepare proposals for your mining projects. You reply: but we do not. This is only partially true. read more » Project Management SoftwareThursday, May 31, 2007Of the many e-newsletters that come my way, that by METHOD123 is by far the most informative. Here is a cut and paste from one of their most recent ones. read more » Drugs in the Mine WorkplaceTuesday, May 29, 2007We have all heard of those ridiculous US court decisions where some careless woman gets a huge award from McDonalds because she drives away with hot coffee in her lap and proceeds to spill the coffee. Now from a Canadian court we get as stupid a ruling. read more » Sullivan Mine DeathTuesday, May 15, 2007This is a sad story. This is why accidents happen on mines and people die: ten silly little things happen, each is trivial and insignificant in and of itself read more » South African Mining LawTuesday, May 01, 2007Here is an edited version of a report that recently appeared on the Mail & Guardian online: The Italian owners of two granite firms are suing South Africa for €266-million (about R2,5-billion) read more » Exploration Health and SafetyFriday, April 27, 2007In 2006 six people died in Canadian mine exploration accidents. The Canadian victims included a geologist whose head was hit by a helicopter blade, two drillers and a pilot killed in a helicopter crash and a linecutter mauled by a grizzly bear. read more » Sustainability AssessmentsTuesday, April 24, 2007Another piece that just arrived. Kudos to those who wrote it but did not append their names. The International Council on Mining and Metals took a further step towards sustainable mining and corporate accountability last year read more » Ecologically Sustainable DevelopmentFriday, April 20, 2007On first blush you might ask what the case of Gray vs. The Minister for Planning, and Taralga Landscape Guardians vs. The Minister for Planning have in common, other than the reference to the Minister. Answer: ecologically sustainable development (ESD). read more » Australian Stories - Norm McClearyMonday, April 16, 2007David outwits Goliath. All our hearts beat with anticipation at the victory of the small, brave hero over the faceless mass-horde opposition. read more » Mining FraudMonday, March 26, 2007Mining Fraud and Mining Investment from the Nevada Commission on Mineral Resources, Division of Minerals provides links to papers and sites on mining fraud. read more » Montana MiningFriday, March 23, 2007The idea started in Montana and now is spreading across the west: no new mining unless you can prove up front that you won’t need perpetual water treatment when you shut down. read more » ArbitrationFriday, March 23, 2007Should your mine choose litigation, mediation, or arbitration? The Economist of February 3, 2007 notes that JAMS, America’s main mediation and arbitration service, has more than 200 full-time “neutrals” on it’s books. read more » Terms of EmploymentMonday, March 19, 2007In these times of shortages of skilled personnel for all aspects of mining, staff move around fast in order to better their careers. The downside is that they may take with them company knowledge and other employees. read more » Emissions CapsFriday, March 16, 2007Opposition won’t impress anybody. Only positive suggestions based on reality are of any potential value. This clarion call for leadership is prompted by the news that Caterpillar read more » Mining ClassificationsMonday, March 12, 2007Here is sound advice on classification systems for mining. There is no magic in this advice, but we do survey much thinking and argument on the topic. read more » Adams Mine LandfillFriday, March 09, 2007The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is intended to facilitate trade between Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Parts of the Preamble state that the governments of the three nations resolve via the agreement to read more » Miller Thomson LLPWednesday, March 07, 2007Miller Thomson LLP was the only law firm at ROUNDUP 07 in Vancouver, BC in January 2007. They were surrounded by a plethora of drilling companies, helicopter providers, digital map makers read more » USA vs Canada re CoalMonday, March 05, 2007How would you decide in a dispute (fight, war) between the United States and Canada? Now miners can express their opinion on an international struggle between the two nations over issues fundamental to the mining industry read more » SNC vs. SuncorFriday, February 23, 2007A mining engineer without a lawyer at his side is half naked. A mining company without its posse of lawyers is left in the dust. read more » The New ProhibitionistWednesday, February 21, 2007Georgius Agricola, in 1556 in De Re Metallica writes: The earth does not conceal and remove from our eyes those things which are useful and necessary to mankind read more » Wind Power and MiningFriday, February 16, 2007Depending on your aesthetic sensitivities it is the most beautiful site in all the world or the ugliest. I refer to a large wind farm. read more » Mine Insurance CostsWednesday, February 07, 2007How much will it cost you to insure your mining risks? The easiest way to find out is to contact an insurance company and ask them to give you a quote read more » Political Risk InsuranceTuesday, February 06, 2007What is PRI? As always the best definition of Political Risk Insurance (PRI) is at Wikipedia read more » Climate Change and InsuranceWednesday, February 07, 2007The Scientific American names Swiss Re Business Leader of the Year. I suspect this is based primarily on their e-publications on the implications of climate change and hence insurance costs. read more » Mines & CommunitiesFriday, February 02, 2007Chicken curry and two beers at a fancy restaurant in Vancouver paid for by the mining industry. I discussed with my co-diner: education of mining engineers; shutting down university departments of mining engineering; the ethics of mining read more » PowerPoint Presentations re AlbertaFriday, February 02, 2007PowerPoint presentations at conferences are a perfect opportunity to snooze in the dark after a heavy lunch. If you keep your wits about you, you can even follow the talk and pick up a pointer or two for future action. read more » I Think Mining BlogWednesday, January 31, 2007Some paper magazines will never die. They are the ones with high quality, thoughtful, well-written articles. The rest are doomed to fade and wither. Part of their problem is the competition of Blogs read more » DatamineMonday, January 29, 2007“They produce the best quality stuff in the industry.” I would not know—and have no personal opinion about the quality of the product. This quote is from an old antagonist against whom I argue much, with whom I generally disagree, but whose opinion I always respect. read more » Midnite Mine Record of DecisionFriday, January 26, 2007Now there is only one document you need to read to get most of the story about the Midnite Mine in Washington State. read more » GeomorphologyFriday, January 12, 2007A paper on the impact of mining in Pakistan is a welcome change from the normal. It appears that quarry operations to supply Islamabad are affecting the aesthetics of a range of hills. read more » Mining and the Twelve Days of ChristmasThursday, December 28, 2006A blog-like review of the 2006 mining industry, mining technology, and the twelve days of christmas, and prospects for mining in 2007. read more » Mining LawThursday, December 21, 2006I stood in the foyer on the twenty-something floor of one of the tall buildings in Vancouver and peered through the floor to ceiling glass of the north wall to the mountains, the sea, and the multi-activity facets of human nature spread before me. read more » Sustainable DevelopmentWednesday, December 20, 2006If you are interested in the philosophy of mining here is a veritable Eden of information. The message reproduced below is from an email I received. read more » Project Management OrganizationWednesday, December 20, 2006Does your organization need a Project Management Organization (PMO)? On one project that I worked on, we had a matrix structure organization with the individual site managers along the top, acting in essence as a PMO read more » International Mine Valuation MethodsMonday, December 18, 2006How do you put a dollar value on a property not unlike a moose pasture that returned some metal grades after few drill holes? Or an area with several holes with encouraging grades? read more » Wisconsin Mine ReclamationFriday, December 15, 2006“Successful reclamation means the restoration of all areas disturbed by mining activities including aspects of the mine itself, waste disposal areas, buildings, and roads and utility corridors read more » Mining AccountingThursday, December 14, 2006There are four big accounting firms. They provide services to the mining industry. Here are links to the mining pages of each of the big four and lists of their recent publications read more » Mining For ClosureMonday, December 11, 2006It seems such a simple idea, that you must at first wonder why anybody would write or read over 100 pages on the topic of designing a mine for closure, particularly when the document, Mining for Closure read more » Ringwood MineFriday, November 24, 2006If ever proof were needed that a mine closure plan is needed and that this plan should include some form of post-closure care, the following story provides it. read more » Knowledge WikiMonday, November 20, 2006Here is your chance to advance the cause of mining and the cause of justice. There is no way we can make a positive contribution to Wikipedia on the issue of mining and international law as it relates to mining. read more » West Virginia Coal Mining HistoryFriday, November 17, 2006You may agree or disagree with the conclusions of the story; I leave that to you to decide. But I urge you to at least read the story even though it appears in a PhD thesis dissertation for a doctorate of philosophy in history. read more » United Nations on MiningFriday, November 17, 2006I must bring your attention to this site. I have not previously come across it, and write about it so that you too can access it, if like me you have not yet had the pleasure. read more » 2006 U.S. Elections and MiningWednesday, November 15, 2006Here is the only piece I could find on the potential impact of the mid-term US elections on mining. I enjoyed it, so I repeat it in the hope you may too. read more » Belmah Strategies (Malaysia)Tuesday, November 14, 2006As good a reason as any for the mining engineer to travel to Malaysia (and who would pass up such an opportunity), is to consult with Belmah Strategies. read more » Project CommunicationFriday, November 03, 2006Method123 distributes a fortnightly newsletter that must be amongst the best in the genre. Here are some pointers to better project management from the most recent issue read more » Law LibraryFriday, November 03, 2006Need I say more? The best law library on the web? Go to the Madcom Law Library. read more » Mining and FreedomMonday, September 11, 2006This is a tribute to miners everywhere. These thoughts are prompted by ideas that kept recurring as I walked the decks of the USS O’Kane, a destroyer moored in Pearl Harbor. read more » Sustainability DialogueMonday, September 11, 2006On a late summer Sunday, I stopped my bicycle at the apex of the Lions Gate Bridge (Vancouver, Canada) and paused to take in the view and wave at the cruise ships as they cleared the bridge en route to Alaska. read more » Cigars and NickelTuesday, September 12, 2006If you like cigars, you may enjoy this piece. If you do not like cigars, you may agree with some of the points I make. If you invest in nickel, you may have a contrary opinion. read more » Core Practice PartnersWednesday, September 6, 2006The concrete plant hummed twenty-four hours a day. The cranes and blondins swung fast and furious to-and-fro without ceasing. My first job out of college was on the concrete crew building a big dam in a remote part of Africa. read more » Voting ToolsWednesday, August 30, 2006I cannot but resist bringing your attention to the site for Sharpe Decisions Inc. On the topic of risk assessment this is what they say read more » |
|
|
|
