Western Mining

The Kalgoorlie niekel mine is about 6 m south of Kalgoorlie, Australia. It is operated by Western Mining Corporation and fed by a modern oxygen plant. Niekel was first diseovered at nearby Kambalda in 1966. By 1970, eoneentrated niekel sulfide ore was being mined and delivered to the Kwinana refinery near Perth. Then, in 1972, a smelter was built near Kalgoorlie so that produetion at the Kambalda mine eould be inereased. 

In Western Mining s flash smelting proeess, reaetion air is preheated to 480°C (920°F) and enriehed until the oxygen eontent is 24%. The reaetion eharge and eombustion air are mixed, and heat for smelting eomes from the eombustion of fuel oil (some of it present in the flux) and sulfur in the eoneentrate. The proeess yields matte, a refined ore with 44% niekel eontent. 

In a business where oxygen plants play a key role in the eost of the end produet, Western Mining needs high proeess effieieneies. This prompted the eompany to seleet a eustom-built eentrifugal eompressor and turboexpander. 

Today, the eapaeity of Western Mining s smelter exeeeds halfmillion tons annually and may reaeh up to 750,000 tpy with the addition of a fourth booster stage and aneillary equipment. Engineers at the smelter find the turbomaehinery availability and reliability are satisfaetory. Effieieney values of up to 91% are observed with the turboexpander models in use at dais loeation. This partieular model range offers five eomputer-generated geometries to meet the most speeifie applieation requirements, in either open or elosed designs. Impellers are east or milled to withstand erosion. 

The proposed site location is adjacent to Paterson Road, and approximately 1 00m south of Claymore Street, running adjacent to the Kwinana Nickel Refinery (KNR) of Western Mining Corporation. 

DAP utilization rates slipped from 95% in the 1990 s to 75% in early 2001. Then about 10% of the industry s production capability was permanently shutdown in 2001 and 2002. The export market (typically 55% of US production) also suffered a supply shock in 2001 when two, new DAP plants started up - Oswal Chemicals in India (675,000 tons / year) and Western Mining (450,000 tons / year) in Australia239. 

The high economic level of the mine will be proven by the following. In contrast to nearly all other western mines, Mittersill was only closed for a short period from 1994 to 1995 despite extremely low world market prices. It should also be noted that the outstanding economy of the Mittersill mine has a double reason low operating costs, and full integration with the conversion plant of the same company which is capable of converting low-grade ore concentrates of approximately 30% WO3. 

The idea of teaching specific safety attitudes and behaviours is unusual in healthcare but deeply embedded in a number of hazardous industries. For instance, the Western Mining Corporation in Western Australia is an exemplar of creating error wisdom within its organization and front line staff. Their motto is Take time, take charge, which aims to get workers to stop and think, to... 

Collective (1995) Mine and Mill Equipment Costs. Western Mine Engineering Inc. 

Paschis J. A. Mining and geologic developments at Cotter Corporation s Schwartzwalder uranium mine, Jefferson County, Colorado. In Papers presented at the National Western Mining Conference (Denver, Colo. Mining Yearbook, 1979), 123-8. 

US Bureau of Mines (1986) Precious Metals Recovery from Low-Grade Resources, National Western Mining Conference, Denver, c oiorado, Information Circular No, 9059, US Bureau of Mines, Pittsburgh,... 

May 1997 Priests from the Provinces of North Cotabato and South Cotabato participated in a three day long picket to block the Australian mining company Western Mining Corporation from having access to an exploration site in South Cotabato. ... 

In the past, western mining industries had a very traditional attitude toward safety. Safety was seen as costly and counterproductive, concerned more with complying with industrial law rather than... 

Following a fire in a Western mine a few years ago, seals were built in the mains 4,000 feet from the fire. Behind those seals are 900 feet of longwaU shields, the shearer, the stage loader, three continuous mining machines, and three roof bolters, as well as 40 million tons of reserves. 

SME gratefully acknowledges the monetary contribution made by the Western Mining Resource Center, Mine Safety and Health Training Program at the Colorado School of Mines toward the production of this pubhcation. 

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