Gospodarka Surowcami Mineralnymi - Mineral Resources Management

The article presents an example of the use of some cluster analysis methods for evaluation of hard coal reserves management in the Upper Silcsian mines. All mines were grouped in respect to a test matrix, comprising distinctive features, according to the WARDA method. The resulting mine sets were the basis for time sharing of examined period ( 1981-1997) into phases, where investigated objects demonstrated common structure. The time partition was done by use of taxonomic algorithm and three homogeneous periods were obtained. Both time periods and mine sets were characterised by two indexes: reserves management index (WGZ) and reserves quality index (WJZ). These indexes were developed according to the aggregate measures, being an arithmetic average of assumed diagnostic variables which had to be normalised to be comparable.

Optimisation of coal mines functioning as well as coal preparation plants, regarding financial criteria, is necessary in market economy. Profit is the universal financial criterion for all economic units. One of essential clements influencing the mine 's profit level is a cost of marketable coal products. Coal mining industry is characterised by specific conditions of production and technological processes, which arc determined by variation in geological and mining conditions, dislocation of places where the coal is mined and depend strongly on technical conditions. The idea of cumulative costs accounting is adopted in the work, presented graphically as a block diagram. Costs arc divided for technological bocks of coal mining and preparation. Coal production process (as a whole) is expressed in the model by two systems: - vertical system that divides a production process into two zones: underground and surface, - horizontal system that divides a production process into three zones: preparatory processes, basic production and activities for production process protection. The model includes also all possible variants of coal preparation, namely the preparation of: coarse size grade - over 120(200) mm, middle size grade - from I 0(20) to 120(200) mm, fines - from 0.5 to 12(20) mm, ultra-fine size grade - less than 0.5 mm, intermediate products, raw (non-bcncficiatcd) products. Coal preparation processes have been divided according to horizontal system, that attributes the costs to four areas: preparatory stage of the process - four sites of costs generation, main operations - five sites of costs generation, auxiliary operations- five sites of costs generation, complementary operations - six sites of costs generation.

In this paper the characteristic of the main microstructural types of clay soils tested with SEM: honeycomb, skeletal, matrix, turbulent, laminar and mixed types: honeycomb-matrix, skeletal-matrix, matrix-turbulent and matrix- laminar is presented. The quantitative analysis ofmicrostructurcs was carried out in the laboratory of the Institute ofHydrogcology and Engineering Geology Faculty of Geology, Warsaw University. These investigations have been conducted for cohesive soils: locsscs, boulder clays, Miocene clays and glaciolacustrinc clays. The date set was transmitted to the computer where it was processed using the STIMAN software. The homogenized model of mechanical behavior based on the Biots theory of consolidation is proposed for the soils with the laminar microstructurc. The equations of the model described macrodcformations of skeleton and fluid in form of linear partial differential equations with constant coefficients as well as described additional unknowns called microlocal parameters in the form of linear algebraic equations arc obtained.

Risk refers to the decision-making problem in terms ofunccrtainty over the future event scenario. The nature o frisk is multidimensional and it may concern all the aspects of the investment project. There arc three fundamental problems in risk managing - risk identifying, risk assessment and risk minimisation. The article depicts synthesis methods of risk assessment. Among basic methods there have been presented strategic risk assessment method and risk assessment of cash flows method as well. Among the auxiliary methods the authors describe production scale risk assessment method and high project constant costs.

The worth ofa mineral project is the value of the project's future cash flows. Cash flow is an accounting term that represents the balance of al I cash revenues minus cash operating and capital costs at the end ofa year for the project. The worldwide project evaluation methods arc those, which recognize time value of money, such as the net present value (NPV) and internal rate of return (IRR). Discount rate is examined as a fundamental means of reflecting risk in discounted cash flow analysis. The article gives various kinds of discount rates of mineral projects, including risk-adjusted discount rate and weighted average cost ofcapital. It describes the way ofcalculating the rate for a mining company by capital asset pricing model (CAPM). As an example author demonstrates calculation process of the risk-adjusted discount rate for the only Polish mining company, which is presently quotating at the Warsaw Stock Exchange-a copper plant KGHM"Polska Miedź" S.A. The text depicts also risk-adjusted discount rates that arc commonly used in mineral industry, in various stages of project development and country risk premiums. Then it tries to give a risk-adjusted discount rate for Polish non-ferrous metals industry and at the end presents a problem of using different rates for the same project -one for the valuation and one for development-timing decision.

Design of mining under seismic threats implies choice from among alternatives. For each alternative solution the designer should assess the associated risk. It requires synthesis of many kinds of information. The decision process demands a weighing of the costs, risks and benefits of the alternatives, and ultimately the choice of the single. This risk is a composite of both the likelihood ofvarious levels of seismic threat and the uncertainty in the response of the object behaviour. Other words, the total risk is the combined effect of the different possible seismic events that might occur and the different ways in which a particular object may respond to a given event. In this paper the object is exposed to a probabilistically defined seismicity. It is assumed that the event occurrence constitutes a Poisson process. It means that the energy events arc independent and identically distributed. This assumption implies that the distribution of the renewal time of event occurrence is not modified by physical process involved. In some instances, however, seismic activity tends to be more periodic and a renewal model can represent Poissonc'a process. It is possible for events having very long returned periods - rather weak seismicity - or when high seismicity produces difficulties in recognising of events clustering in space and time. The response of object is related with mining performance. It can be predicted considering uncertainties represented in purely technical terms, which can be combined with economic consequences and hence expressed in economic terms. The decision making under uncertainty is the tool not used frequently in mining planning. The basic reason for this seems to prevail that the procedure requires an excessive effort in data collection and preparation.

The article discusses all the methods of forecasting of deposit characteristics in analytical block, used in the copper-ore mines situated in Legnica-Głogów copper region. The forecasting is made with the help of computer software worked out at Polish Academy of Sciences Mineral and Energy Economy Research Institute. Basis of the forecasting arc deposit parameters calculated for the drill samples drawing from inside or some from close neighbourhood outside of analytical block zone. Results of deposit parameter analysis can be used in various technical and economical analyses - particularly during balancing of resources. The outcomes ofanalysis can also be used during delimiting of relatively homogeneous parts of the deposit for stoping planning. The article depicts a range of all forecasting deposit parameters and applied methods of forecasting, namely: method of slicking, method of averages and gcostatistical method, particularly block kriging.

In the paper there are presented the results of hydrothermal zeolite synthesis of basaltic tuffderiving from Gracze basalt deposit. The synthesis was conducted in condition of atmospheric pressure, in temperature of 95-l00°C. The aim of the work was ruffs enriching in sorptive zeolite components effected by artificial hydrothermal solution. The synthesis was conducted in two different ways: first-with using the solution ofsoda lye, and second-with using the mixture of soda lye and liquid glass. The synthesis proved that it is possible to raise the amount of zeolites in ruff by the influence of hydrothermal solutions, containing sodium and silica, in the atmospheric pressure. The enriching in zeolites, such as: analcite, phillipsite and chabazite is accompanied by simultaneous chemical decomposition ofbasalt components, which could reduce the tuffsorptive properties. There is also revealed the ądvantageous influence of tuff initial activation by sulphuric acid to zeolite forming process.

In the last few years decrease ofcoal production took place. It concerns all types of coal and all grain classes. A lot of coal is collected on spoil banks. It is difficult to find customers for this coal. Using of coking coal reduces cach year. Steam coal demand decreases also. Government's plan and mind's plan assume output reducing as well. It is causes of less using of coal in the country and little possibilities of the export. Therefore, it is important to reflect on the future of polish mining industry. The mining reform has the remunerativeness of mining industry in view. This is possible through output limitation, employment limitation and winding up of some mines. Obviously, the government want to wind up the worst mines where the resources ofcoal arc small and this mines where the production costs arc the highest. The coals from the Lower Silesian Basin practically not exist. Also, a lot ofmines from the Upper Silcsian Basin have closed. The Polish mining industrie had been produced about 200 million tons of hard coal in seventies and eighties years. Now, the output decreased to about I 00 millions tons ( I 09,2 million tons in the year 1999), in it 90.3 million tons of steam coal and 18,9 million tons of coking coal. The governmental scenario plans further decrease of coal output to about 80 million tons in the year 2020. All mines in Poland were divided into seven capital groups: Bytomska, Rudzka, Gliwicka, Katowicka, Nadwiślańska, Rybnicka, Jastrzębska and independents mines. Each group produces different quantity of coal, different types of coal and different grain classes. This paper presents the production and the structure of hard coal output in 1999 year. The fine coal output, the large coal output, the dirt band output, the middles coal output, the sludge coal output and the output ofsmall coal were also described. The author wanted to present what we have in this moment in the mining industry. What is the amount and the quality of different coal rang.