Annual Meeting Preliminary Program - Full Brochure (PDF) - SME

TECHNICAL PROGRAM
10:05 AM
The Effect of Legislation on the Development of Coal
Mining Industry
K. Oraee-Mirzamani 1 , N. Oraee-Mirzamani 2 and A. Goodarzi 3 ;
1
Management, Stirling University, Stirling, United Kingdom;
2
Imperial College, London, United Kingdom and 3 Center of Research
and Training for Occupational Safety and Health, Tehran, Islamic
Republic of Iran
Proven and probable coal reserves in Iran are estimated to be in excess of 5
Billion tons while the annual coal production is a mere 2 Million tons.
Underdevelopment of the industry has proved higher production levels to be impossible,
despite growing demand for energy supplies. The existence of numerous
legislation are thought to have a prohibitive effect on coal mining activities to the
extent that some business entities have become uneconomical. This paper provides
an analysis of the prevailing mining laws, policies, legal frameworks and
obstacles. It also outlines some other obstacles enshrined in the law and highlights
areas where foreign direct investment should be encouraged. The costs of
lost opportunities are estimated subsequently for a thorough analysis. The paper
concludes by demonstrating that deregulation, amendments and in some cases
complete abolishment of the incumbent legislations governing the coal mining
industry will greatly enhance development of the industry. The analysis provided
in this paper together with the results obtained, can prove to be useful tools for the
macro-economic policy makers, both at local and national levels.
10:25 AM
Lessons From the Marcellus: What Stakeholders Can Teach Us
About Continuous Improvement
J. Render; Environmental Resources Management Inc.,
Washington, DC
This presentation will discuss stakeholder feedback gathered in a Marcellus
“boomtown” area that demonstrates that when people are in the thick of extractive
operations, the most critical concerns are not the hot button issues in the
press (like stray gas) but the trucks parked in their driveways and fields. The author
spent six weeks in the field talking with stakeholders in central Pennsylvania,
taking away lessons that have more to do with daily operational management
than high tech debates about fracking. These lessons – topics that are mostly
likely to be the ones under direct management control – are mirrored in various
academic papers, but seem to receive little attention from senior management.
The key question is “why?”
10:45 AM
The Use of Sensor Derived Data in Real Time Mine Optimization:
A Preliminary Overview and Assessment of Techno-economic
Significance
M. Buxton and J. Benndorf; Resource Engineering, TU Delft, Delft,
Netherlands
Sensor derived data can add value across the mining operating chain ranging
from resource definition, extraction, pre concentration, mineral process monitoring
and assessment of product quality. Most documented studies on the use of
sensors in mining focus on specific technologies for specific applications. These
studies do not take into account different aims, objectives and operating conditions
at different steps in the value chain. The first part of this contribution assesses
key physical performance and discriminatory requirements of sensors applied
in each portion of the mining value chain. The second part proposes a
framework of methods for quantifying the value added by additional sensor information.
Integrating the sensor based technology and the economic value
quantification allows for both, designing an economically optimal sensor monitoring
network along the whole mining value chain and optimizing process efficiencies.
A case study demonstrates the significant economic benefit, in particular
in reduction of exploration expenditures, increase in extraction efficiencies,
increase in ore product quality and improvement of processing efficiencies.
11:05 AM
Mining Intelligence Tools – How to Consolidate Information and
Drive Business Decisions
F. Mielli; Schneider Electric, Alpharetta, GA
Operations managers are under constant pressure to optimize plant production
processes. To manage this, they need to maximize plant effectiveness and reliability.
This requires a steady stream of detailed information: mine, production and
energy consumption figures need to be captured, impacts quantified and root
causes identified. Access to intelligent process data for analysis is essential. Many
mining and processing facilities are investing in dedicated mining intelligence
tools allowing them to view operational performance information in a rich, consolidated
format. The objective of this paper is to show the mining industry challenges
to gather and understand information and how mining intelligence software
tools can help mining operations use this information to drive business and
operational decisions.
coal & energy:
dust control
9:00 AM • Wednesday, February 27
chairs: J. Rider, NIOSH, Pittsburgh, PA
J. Colinet, NIOSH, Pittsburgh, PA
9:00 AM
Introductions
9:05 AM
Feasibility Study to Use Calcite in Mitigating Black Lung Problems
in High BAI-Containing Coal Fields
X. Huang 2 and Y. Luo 1 ; 1 Mining Engineering, West Virginia
University, Morgantown, WV and 2 Department of Environmental
Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY
After steadily decreasing incidence of coalworker’s pneumoconiosis (CWP) for
more than 30 years, the trend has reversed since 2000 despite of the advancement
in dust control technologies. The increase is much higher in the KY, VA, WV and
PA coal regions. This regional increase in CWP necessitates a novel targeted dust
control strategy. The senior authors research found that the higher prevalence of
CWP in the east coal regions correlates well with the higher bio-available iron
(BAI) contents in the coals in these regions. It also showed that calcite, neutralizing
BAI, can greatly reduce the toxicity of the coal dust. Two practical methods
are proposed for transferring the medical research findings into novel CWP control
technologies. The methods will introduce calcite to respirable coal dust
through the water spay system on coal cutting machines and to the coal seams in
degasification process. This paper presents the key findings from the medical research
on BAIs toxicity and calcites neutralization effects on BAI. Feasibility and
applicability are discussed on the operational, economical, mechanical, safety,
and environmental issues associated with the proposed technologies.
9:25 AM
Evaluations of a Bit Sleeve and Twisted Bit Design for Controlling
Roof Bolter Dust
T. Beck; Dust Control, Ventilation, and Toxic Substances Branch,
NIOSH - Office of Mine Safety and Health Research, Pittsburgh, PA
Drilling into coal mine roof strata to install roof bolts has the potential to release
substantial quantities of respirable dust. Due to the proximity of drill holes to the
breathing zone of roof bolting personnel, dusts escaping the holes and avoiding
capture by the dust collection system pose a potential respiratory health risk.
Controls are available to complement the typical vacuum collection system and
minimize harmful exposures during the initial phase of drilling. This paper examines
the use of a bit sleeve to improve dust extraction during the critical initial
phase of drilling. A twisted-body drill bit is also evaluated to determine the quantity
of dust liberated by different bit designs. Based on these laboratory tests, the
bit sleeve may reduce dust emissions by fifty percent during the initial phase of
drilling before the drill bit is fully enclosed by the drill hole. Because collaring is
responsible for the largest dust liberations, overall dust emissions are also substantially
reduced. The use of a twisted-body bit has minimal improvement on
dust capture compared to the commonly used dust hog-style bit.
9:45 AM
Key Components for an Effective Filtration and Pressurization
System to Reduce Respirable Dust in Enclosed Cabs for the
Mining Industry
A. Cecala, J. Organiscak, J. Noll and J. Rider; Dust Control,
Ventilation, and Toxic Substances Branch, NIOSH, Pittsburgh, PA
Enclosed cabs have been used for many years to isolate workers on mobile equipment
in the mining industry for health and safety reasons. These enclosed cabs
create a microenvironment for the worker where they can be either more protected
or more vulnerable to contaminants. Over the past decade,NIOSH has performed
substantial research efforts to improve the air quality inside enclosed
This is the Technical Program as of September 1, 2012. IT IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
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Please see the Onsite Program for final details.