J. David Lowell Institute for Mineral Resources Mary M. Poulton, Director mpoulton@email.arizona.edu
Our Purpose: Culture Change = The New Face of Mining The Lowell Institute: Fuses intellectual • disciplines Is responsive to • stakeholder needs Engages communities • Conducts use-inspired • research Makes important • discoveries Is entrepreneurial • Has permeable boundaries • Is engaged globally • To create a diverse workforce that: • embraces sustainable resource development, • uses modern science and technology, • understands social and legal conditions, • is globally focused
Our Mission The Lowell Institute for • Mineral Resources is a leading global center for mineral resources that bridges basic and applied research and education in the fields of science, social science, engineering, health, business, leadership, law, and that works with leaders to adopt new ideas, policies, and technologies to enable more compatible mining . Reclaimed sand and gravel mine, now a golf course- Marana, AZ
The Challenges Lowering fresh water use • Lowering energy use / • renewable energy Healthy and safe • communities and workforce Improving our • understanding of the global mineral resource inventory Improving environmental • stewardship Lower operating costs • Social license • Reclamation by Freeport McMoRan – Bisbee, AZ Informing law/policy • decisions Educating the next • generation Engaging our communities •
Our Focus Areas • Geosciences – Lowell Program in Economic Geology • Economic Geology • Structural, Geochem, Min/Pet, etc • Mineral economics • Oil/Gas exploration • Mining & Geological Engineering • Operations • Geomechanics • Sustainability • Processing/Extractive Metallurgy • Health/Safety – Center for Mine Health and Safety • Risk Management • Exposures • Training • Environment – Center for Environmentally Sustainable Mining • Water • Air quality • Reclamation • Communities • Law – Global Center for Resource Law and Policy • Indigenous peoples law • Master in legal studies for mining • Social/Community • Development Practice • Capacity Building • Economic Development Lowell Professional Field Geology Course • Entrepreneurship/Leadership • Professional Development
Globally Engaged Pan American Hub for • Compatible Mining Latin America Natural • Resources Academy • Undergrad certificate in International Sustainable Resource Development Dean Carter US-Mexico • Bi-National Center Many collaborations in • Mexico Close collaborations in • Canada, Australia, Peru, Chile 100,000 Strong in the Americas Program Launch Ties in Asia • January 2014, US State Department
Flexible Organization • Create and disseminate knowledge in service to our communities – externally focused and stakeholder driven • Faculty teams – small group starts new focus area • Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) – faculty, industry, government professionals establish plans for research, teaching, engagement for each thematic area • Centers – mature group with established funding • Board of Directors – industry leaders advise on strategy and operations, provide connections to industry and other Doug Silver (l), Orion Capital; Tom O’Neil (r), former COO Cleveland Cliffs 2013 Lacy Distinguished Lecture. Silver is Chair of IMR Board stakeholders
Use-Inspired Research Overviews of: • Geology • Mining • Extractive Metallurgy • Environment • Health and Safety • Law • Communities University San Xavier Mining Laboratory Student Manager Nick Carouso
Lowell Program in Economic Geology Eric Seedorff, Mark Barton, Mathew Steele-MacInness, Pilar Lecumberri-Sanchez Understanding of the • natural inventory • Improving but limited: (1) by empirical knowledge, (2) by scientific understanding Accessibility of that • inventory • Distribution in the Earth – the geology • Non-geologic (political [& technical]) issues • 1 year Professional Science Masters in Economic Geology The human capital to • • MS and PhD programs assess, produce, and • 3 10-day field courses remediate the geological mineral inventory
Ore Forming Systems Eric Seedorff, Mark Barton, Mathew Steele-MacInness, Pilar Lecumberri-Sanchez • Topical studies • development and application of analytical techniques to resource challenges • Deposit and district studies • applied science for expanding and improving reserves and production • basic geology and genesis of ore systems • 4-D geological framework studies • regional context for exploration, assessment and policy
Mineral Characterization Robert Downs, GEOS • Develop comprehensive, searchable database for all known mineral species • Raman spectra • XRF • Chemistry • Pictures Used on Mars Curiosity Rover mission • Database website • http://rruff.info
University Mineral Museum 19,000 mineral specimens with special emphasis on Arizona • and Mexico Started in 1892 • 7,000 micromounts • Meteorite collection • Miners’ Story – digital archive • Interviews with miners • YouTube – Miners’ Story • Also on Facebook •
San Xavier Mining Laboratory Steve Gravley, Director Commercial production in • 1880 San Xavier Mining • and Smelting Company Ag-Cu-Pb-Zn deposit • UA leased #6 shaft area • for teaching in 1958 UA purchased property for • $1 in 1975 90 acres of land • Training Center built in • 2010 State of art hoisting • facility Use for research and • teaching, safety training
Department of Mining & Geological Engineering Sean Dessureault and Victor Tenorio Mine Operations Technology • Only control center laboratory in a university mining program • Can operate/simulate large mine from this room • Use to test new approaches, software, and train mine dispatchers and managers, explore new ways to convert data to information to action Data mine social media data • Photo courtesy of Pete Brown, College of Engineering
Department of Mining & Geological Engineering Moe Momayez, Eric Lutz, Krishna Muralidharan Innovative Solutions for Heat Management in Hot Mines • Heat Strain o Identify the primary/secondary factors contributing to heat strain risk assessment models (job-task, shift, and workers body mass index) • Geothermal Heat o Molecular dynamics modeling allows the development of geopolymer-based material with high mechanical strength and extremely low thermal properties • Ventilation-on-Demand o Integrated optical fiber distributed sensing and computer modeling to estimate the distribution of contaminants help automate monitoring, management and delivery of fresh air • Emergency Response Methodologies Develop “draft” protocol for hot -mine emergency o response: contingency cooling, rapid evacuation, shelter-in-place Funding from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health
Department of Mining & Geological Engineering John Kemeny, Kwangmin Kim, Moe Momayez Geomechanics • Weaken rock to lower energy cost for grinding and increase drilling rates 10-100x • Track energy cost by block unit in mines to optimize energy use and cost • Mine to mill optimization • Improved blast optimization and slope stability • 4D data collection for slope stability, use of drones
Department of Mining & Geological Engineering Gail Heath, Mary Poulton, Moe Momayez Sustainability Geosensing - automated, 4D • data collection for compliance KGHM International – Carlota Mine and safety Miami, AZ Fluid flow • Liner integrity • Stability • Warning alarms • Renewable Energy • • Develop floating solar panels to minimize the evaporation from the supernatant water in tailings ponds and generate renewable energy at the same time Floating solar panels – patent Pending, commercializes as • Floating panels have: RePower LLC • Adjustable buoyancy (depending on the type and weight of the solar panel) • Modular design • Remote controlled
Department of Mining & Geological Engineering Brent Hiskey, Jaeheon Lee, Jinhong Zhang, Isabel Fay Barton Processing/Extractive Metallurgy/Geometallurgy • Silver Hydrometallurgy • Leaching with Lead Nitrate (Pb(NO3)2) • Acantite (Ag2S) and other silver sulfides leaching • Leaching behavior in anaerobic conditions • Bioleaching – mesophiles and extreme thermophiles • Alternative Lixiviants – Thiosulfate, Thiocyanate, Thiourea • Intensive and silver cyanidation • LIX and amine extractants • Ammonia leaching • Rare Earths • Re-use of mine tailings • Atomic force microscopy for flotation optimization • Geometallurgy – ore characterization, mineralogy
Center for Environmentally Sustainable Mining Raina Maier, SWES, James Field, CHEE and many other faculty Phytostabilization of Mine • Tailings in Arid Environments Metal Speciation in • Arid Mine Tailings Rosemont Re-vegetation • Binational Copper Mine • Tailings Native Plant Inventory Project Mine Site Re-vegetation • Fate and speciation of • metal(oids) Groundwater protection • Education modules for • indigenous communities Funding from NIEHS and Mining companies
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