LEARNING THE WHOLE PICTURE
All too often, the failure of a new mine is attributed to overestimating of reserves or ore grade by geologists, while success is attributed to the making of the mine by mining engineers. This only adds to the lack of communication among the geostatistician, geologist and mining engineer, noted in your June issue. (“Three Solitudes” by Norman Champigny).
That lack of communication comes from a management philosophy that emphasizes the separation of duties and responsibilities among various specialists — the three solitudes. Management hopes that when the whole is put together it will represent a coherent model for a feasibility study.
A deposit is an entity with specific characteristics: amount and quality of information, reaction to cut-off grade and mining block (selectivity), reaction to the mining method and the production rate and, finally, economics (i.e., access, location, price of metal). Reserves have to be managed and that requires follow-up from the moment the first hole is drilled to full production. Also required is a sound grade-control policy, taking into account the amount and quality of information at each stage. Accurate recovery factors, the difference between actual production statistics and pre-production estimates, are also vital to sound future operation.
Too often, decision-makers, under pressure from finance analysts, assume year-by-year revenue forecasts from geological reserves. This then dictates the size of the mill, which in turn dictates mine size, independent of the deposit’s characteristics. It is difficult for a mining engineer to disappoint upper management by recommending a smaller operation with decreased revenues. But the consequences — higher tonnage, lower grades, lower profits and eventual earlier closure — are such that a deposit may be sabotaged by mill size. Upper management should understand that every deposit is unique and that technicians should not be exposed to undue pressure before the whole picture is known.
Roger Trodler-Laine
Whistler, B. C.
EXPLOSIVES-HANDLING
I was pleased to see the item reprinted from the ICI Downline issue (“A Cautionary Tale,” Cross-cuts, September, 1989). Unfortunately, the box labelled “Don’ts/Because” is somewhat misleading in this context. It referred specifically to ammonium nitrate, not to regular explosives. An objective of the safety article in Downline was to warn against complacency in handling explosives materials, including straight ammonium nitrate. For example, if a truck carrying ammonium nitrate catches fire, it can explode. How many farmers know this?
I’m sure my colleagues who supply explosives will be quick to point out that most of our products have good water resistance, so that avoiding dampness is not a universal “don’t.” However, heat, confinement and contamination must be avoided. The newer products, emulsions for example, are not as touchy as explosives that are based on self-explosive ingredients such as nitroglycerin and metriol trinitrate.
J. R. Chiles,
ICI/CIL Explosives,
North York, Ont.
WILLIAM STANLEY RESPONDS
We believe that an effective manager is one who can motivate and develop the people working on his or her team to be high on performance. Although there are dissenting views regarding the work of Maslow, McGregor, Herzberg, Mouton and Balke, any knowledge which will give us insight as to how we can be more productive is helpful.
We believe that effective human resource management in today’s business environment is based on taking a positive approach to developing and recognizing competence in a company’s staff. As we enter the 1990s, the challenge is to develop both directing and supporting skills and to use them in a manner that will encourage staff to make a significant contribution to their organizations. We hope this philosophy comes across in our articles.
W.E. (Bill) Stanley, Director,
National/International Mining Services
The Coopers & Lybrand Group
Vancouver, B.C.
OBSOLETE THEORY?
Re: “Follow the Leader” in your October, 1989 issue. McGregor’s “now famous” (sic) Theory X and Theory Y fell from the Tirpian Rick years ago, after their applications had been scientifically evaluated.
It was found to be low in validity and doubtful in usefulness. The same thing goes for theorists such as Herzberg and Maslow.
As for the Managerial Grid (Blake and Mouton) — the 9,9 style (something akin to 36-24-34 perfection in other contexts) — the strong claims made by the authors about the efficacy of grid training have yet to be substantiated.
May I respectfully suggest that articles on the theory of management would be more helpful to your readers if they contained information that was up to date, useful and valid.
Peter Moon, P. Eng., Ph.D.,
Peter Moon and Associates,
Toronto, Ont.
GRANDPA JEFFREY
Your article on Granddaddy mines (Cross-cuts, August, 1989) indicated that any mine in Canada more than 50 years old was venerated as a granddad. Here in the Eastern Townships of Quebec we must have some great granddads. The Jeffrey mine of JM Asbestos Inc. has been in continuous operation since 1881, making it 108 years old and, I believe, there is one mine in the Thetford Mines area that started in 1878.
Robin Mallory, Supervisor,
Technical Sales Service,
JM Asbestos, Asbestos, Que.
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