Fachartikel 2016

Following-up with recent press news it becomes obvious that the international mining industry is in deep crisis latest since 2014. This was initiated by lesser demand from China which in-turn is well known for setting records over the past but calmed down their mineral consumption and own mining activities as well as. In consequence there is a larger impact to ...

Following a lengthy period of almost unbroken growth the coal market was seen to undergo a slight contraction in 2015. World market prices continued to fall and in some cases reached an all-time low. In Germany there was only a slight downturn in coal consumption, which was mainly due to a period of temporary stability in supplies to the electricity ...

Developments in production levels at ore mines as a result of the transition from large opencast mines to deep mining have forced mine operators and machinery manufacturers towards greater modernisation and innovation, especially when it comes to methods and technology for ore loading and transport. Large-scale opencast mines producing copper ore, such as Grasberg and Chuquicamata, employ modern, highly efficient ...

Coal winning is now generally associated with the mechanised longwall face system. Data on the actual number of such production units is currently only available for a few countries, though recent estimates have suggested that there are about 2,000 longwall faces in operation at collieries around the world, with about three quarters of these to be found in the Peoples ...

In order to ensure safe underground working conditions, especially in case of gas outbursts, it is essential to develop ventilation concepts for the necessary dilution of harmful gases with respect to the occurring gases, gas concentrations and general operational conditions as to cross-sectional areas and existing ventilation systems. Therefore, a concept for a hierarchical approach for the dilution of gases ...

The exploitation of raw materials in opencast or subsurface mining is usually followed by an impact on the water balance. To guarantee a secure and efficient production process the water must be drained. The environment-friendly mine water management should be implemented during the active mining as well as in the post-mining phase. Moreover, abandoned mine sites are often marked by ...

In this paper the problem of coal and gas outburst – the coal pit’s most complex and dangerous induced geodynamic phenomenon – occurrence and development has been considered in details. Based on the theoretical and experimental researches it has been shown that this phenomenon may occur in full strength only with sufficient quantity of total potential energy available in the massif’s ...

Canada is the second largest country in the world and one of the most important raw material suppliers worldwide. The country’s diverse natural resources include energy sources such as oil and gas, as well as many agricultural commodities, in addition to mineral deposits. Therefore mining has a long tradition in Canada. The province of Ontario, which is the motor of ...

The Russian economy is set to shrink by 3.5 to 4.0 % in 2015 and this recession is expected to continue through 2016. Oil prices are now at an all-time low and are predicted to remain so for the time being. The conflict in eastern Ukraine has flamed up again and this makes any lifting of Western sanctions unlikely. The prospects ...

Over the past ten years, thanks to billions in loans from the International Monetary Fund, a consistent policy of austerity, and strict spending discipline, Turkey has managed to avoid national bankruptcy and has experienced an economic boom with growth of up to 9 %. A stable political situation, economic reforms, low wages and the privatisation of most state-owned companies have been ...