Mineral Production, Basic Course

The course is about exploitation of solid mineral resources and consists of four parts:

1. Mineral resources. This part gives a short overview of the value chains, markets and uses of various mineral commodities, as well as an overview of Norwegian and international mining industry.
2. Mining. This part gives an introduction to underground and surface mining methods, the unit operations and necessary infrastructure.
3. Process Mineralogy. This part gives an introduction to process mineralogical principles, analytical methods and terminology. Emphasis will be on introduction to the most important concepts and analytical methods.
4. Mineral processing, which provides an overview of the main unit operations with respect to comminution (crushing and grinding), classification/screening and mineral separation (gravity separation, magnetic separation, electric separation, flotation and sorting). The combination of unit operations into circuits is also covered, as well as the calculation of mass balances and recoveries.

The purpose of the course is to give the students an understanding of the most important processes in mining and how these processes form a value chain.

Knowledge: After completing the course, the students are expected to know the most important terms and analytical methods used in process mineralogy. The students shall know the most important unit operations in mining and minerals engineering, the principles that control these and the equipment that are used. Further, the students are expected to know about different mining methods and their pros and cons. The link between the properties of the raw material and the choice of mining method and solution for processing is an important issue. The students are introduced to standard digital decision support tools.

Skills: After completing the course, the students are expected to be able to calculate and use curves for particle size distribution and liberation. The students should be able to suggest flow sheets for mineral processing of different raw materials and to complete simple mass balance and separation results calculations. Further, the students are expected to calculate and use recovery curves. Given the rock mechanical properties, the geometry of and the grade distribution in a deposit, the students are expected to be able to suggest mining methods and necessary infrastructure.

Lectures. Obligatory exercises. Obligatory excursion (might be organized during weekends). Course evaluation using student reference group. The course will be taught in English if international master's students participate.