West Australian mining practice; a description of the mining methods followed by the principal gold mines of Western Australia,

Mode of access: Internet.

The productivity-inflation nexus: The case of the Australian mining sector

This paper examines the causal links between productivity growth and two price series given by domestic inflation and the price of mineral products in Australia's mining sector for the period 1968/1969 to 1997/1998. The study also uses a stochastic translog cost frontier to generate improved estimates of total factor productivity (TFP) growth. The results indicate negative unidirectional causality running from both price series to mining productivity growth. Regression analysis further shows that domestic inflation has a small but adverse effect on mining productivity growth, thus providing some empirical support for Australia's 'inflation first' monetary policy, at least with respect to the mining sector. Inflation in mineral price, on the other hand, has a greater negative effect on mining productivity growth via mineral export growth.

Spontaneous combustion and simulation of mine fires and their effects on mine ventilation systems

The structure of a comprehensive research project into mine fires study applying the Ventgraph mine fire simulation software, preplanning of escape scenarios and general interaction with rescue responses is outlined. The project has Australian Coal Association Research Program (ACARP) funding and also relies on substantial mining company site support. This practical input from mine operators is essential and allows the approach to be introduced in the most creditable way. The effort is built around the introduction of fire simulation computer software to the Australian mining industry and the consequent modelling of fire scenarios in selected different mine layouts. Application of the simulation software package to the changing mine layouts requires experience to achieve realistic outcomes. Most Australian mines of size currently use a ventilation network simulation program. Under the project a small subroutine has been written to transfer the input data from the existing mine ventilation network simulation program to ‘Ventgraph’. This has been tested successfully. To understand fire simulation behaviour on the mine ventilation system, it is necessary to understood the possible effects of mine fires on various mine ventilation systems correctly first. Case studies demonstrating the possible effects of fires on some typical Australian coal mine ventilation circuits have been examined. The situation in which there is some gas make at the face and effects with fire have also been developed to emphasise how unstable and dangerous situations may arise. The primary objective of the part of the study described in this paper is to use mine fire simulation software to gain better understanding of how spontaneous combustion initiated fires can interact with the complex ventilation behaviour underground during a substantial fire. It focuses on the simulation of spontaneous combustion sourced heatings that develop into open fires. Further, it examines ventilation behaviour effects of spontaneous combustion initiated pillar fires and examines the difficulties these can be present if a ventilation reversal occurs. It also briefly examines simulation of use of the inertisation to assist in mine recovery. Mine fires are recognised across the world as a major hazard issue. New approaches allowing improvement in understanding their consequences have been developed as an aid in handling this complex area.

Los emigrantes en las áreas mineras y las ciudades de Hispania: religión, identidades y difusión cultural

En el presente artículo analizamos los desplazamientos de cultos indígenas hispanos desde distintas áreas de la Península Ibérica hacia los principales lugares de inmigración en Hispania: las áreas mineras y las ciudades. Proponemos que estos grupos de emigrantes rendían culto en su nueva residencia a las deidades que veneraban en sus regiones de procedencia como un medio de preservar su cohesión social y su identidad cultural. La dureza de la vida laboral en las áreas mineras reforzaba la necesidad de fortalecer los lazos culturales.

Establishment of native ecosystems after mining - Australian experience across diverse biogeographic zones

The Australian minerals industry, which is dominated by coal, gold, bauxite, iron ore, base metals and mineral sand operations, is widely scattered across a continent which has a wide range of climatic zones ranging from moist temperate in the south through hot deserts in the centre to moist tropical in the north. There is an emphasis at most mines on establishing native ecosystems after mining, and technologies have had to be developed to ensure successful establishment and stability of these ecosystems under often adverse climatic conditions. This paper describes some of the innovative practices used to establish native ecosystenms in bauxite, mineral sand and coal operations across diverse biogeographic zones. Additionally, brief reference is made to an ecosystem function analysis, which has been developed to assess the success of establishment of these ecosystems. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

New arsenite-oxidizing bacteria isolated from Australian gold mining environments - Phylogenetic relationships

Nine novel arsenite-oxidizing bacteria have been isolated from two different gold mine environments in Australia. Four of these organisms grow chemolithoautotrophically with oxygen as the terminal electron acceptor, arsenite as the electron donor, and carbon dioxide-bicarbonate as the sole carbon source. Five heterotrophic arsenite-oxidizing bacteria were also isolated, one of which was found to be both phylogenetically and physiologically identical to the previously described heterotrophic arsenite oxidizer misidentified as Alcaligenes faecalis. The results showed that this strain belongs to the genus Achromobacter. Phylogenetically, the arsenite-oxidizing bacteria fall within two separate subdivisions of the Proteobacteria. Interestingly, the chemolithoautotrophic arsenite oxidizers belong to the alpha-Proteobacteria, whereas the heterotrophic arsenite oxidizers belong to the beta-Proteobacteria.