This study develops and tests a methodology that can be utilized for a reconnaissance level assessment of electric power supply alternatives for medium-scale mining in northwestern British Columbia. The study is organized into four parts. Part one characterizes the public planning framework of the study area. Present and future use trends of the region's natural resources, in particular minerals and energy, are reviewed, and a typology of public preferences for their development is established. Part two carries out a literature-based review of the conceptual basis of normative decision-making. Specific energy project evaluation approaches are introduced. This establishes a theoretical framework for constructing the methodology. Part three presents the energy project assessment methodology. Part four applies the methodology to the RED-CHRIS deposit. Salient features of parts three and four which form the core of the study, are outlined below. Energy Project Assessment Methodology The central part of the study proposes a strategic, reconnaissance-level methodology for evaluating energy supply alternatives for medium-scale mining. Its scope is defined by; a) inclusion of strategic elements such as emphasis on priorities, analytical continuity, robustness, and adaptiveness, and b) adoption of a reconnaissance approach which reflects an intention to accommodate preliminary information at an appropriate level of complexity and comprehensiveness. The essence of the methodology entails three inter-related components: 1) Core Information Environment - Identifies and focuses on defining the energy supply issues for a particular undeveloped mineral deposit. 2) Basic Evaluation Environment - Assesses the viability of potential alternatives through the application of multiple criteria and formal decision-making procedures. 3) Peripheral Evaluation Environment - Assesses strategic information which is independent of the focused problem, but can exert an influence on the outcome of both the core and basic environments. Each component contains strategic data bases and analytical processes that assist the analyst to proceed from initial problem identification to selection of alternatives. Within and between the three structural component information is refined in an iterative fashion. This maintains a current perspective on the problem environment and leads to a more confident appraisal of the favoured energy alternatives for a mineral deposit. Case Study Analysis: RED-CHRIS copper-gold deposit situated southeast of Iskut was selected for a case study application of the methodology. Typical production schedule ranging from 8 to 20 years would require corresponding installed electrical capacity of 7.5 to 23.5 Megawatts. Key points which emerged from an analysis of this deposit's energy supply alternatives form the mine planner's perspective are: 1) Interest groups concerned with planning, developing, or regulating energy supply for RED-CHRIS include: a) Mineral deposit owners whose objective it is to maximize profit b) Societal interests whose objective it is to maximize economic, social and environmental well-being aspects of the project. c) Public policy interests whose objective it is to maximize economic, political, and social welfare within national and provincial energy policy. 2) Energy supply candidates identified and examined, include: diesel-electric, high voltage grid extension, small-hydroelectric, coal and biomass-fired generation, natural gas, peat, geothermal, wind and solar. 3) Comparison of different small-scale energy applications for remote areas is made difficult because of technical, political, and environmental uncertainties. 4) Satisficing and Dominance can be successfully applied from the mine planner's perspective to key decision criteria to narrow the various energy supply alternatives. 5) Small-hydro is the most favourable alternative at this juncture, followed by diesel. Coal-fired generation and biomass are comparable, and may be more favourable than diesel under certain circumstances. Other alternatives are presently unsuitable. General Conclusions: Application of the methodology is limited by the interaction between analytical design, available physical resources, and uncertainty in the operating environment, human values and external decisions. The methodology appears sufficiently robust and comprehensive to be adapted to other deposits in the region. Commonly shared information requirements combined with the iterative nature of information processing, can be used to reduce the resource demands and improve the efficiency of subsequent applications. Finally, it is recommended that the value sensitivity of the methodology be tested by applying it from more than one perspective to the same deposit. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

Vegetation establishment on mine wastes is ultimately limited by the edaphic properties of the wastes. This thesis examines, characterizes and interprets the physical properties of some southern British Columbia mine wastes:- to elucidate the feasibility of various reclamation procedures. Vaste areas, including both mill tailings, rock dumps and adjacent natural soils are characterized. The project primarily addresses three areas in British Columbia affected by sulfide mining activities; the Princeton area, the Highland Valley area and the Kimberley area. Waste materials examined were derived from the Similkameen, Copper Mountain, Lornex, Bethlehem and Sullivan mines. Minor examination of the now revegetated Jersey Mine tailings located near Salmo, B.C. was also included. Field work involved mapping waste materials and natural soils and then systematically sampling the various units delineated. Laboratory methods were employed to define and compare the properties of samples collected. Limited water storage capacity was found to be a major problem in waste rock dump material. Mill tailings were found to have acceptable available water storage capacities. Some mill tailings may have aeration porosity deficiencies when wet. Cation exchange capacities, while usually adequate in waste rock dump materials, are sometimes very low in mill tailings; a factor that will present serious fertility problems in revegetation. Some adjacent coarse coniferous forest soils were found to have similar properties to waste rock dump material while some adjacent grass dominated soils were found to have similar properties to the mine tailings. Waste rock dump material appears best suited to eventual revegetation by aborescent species, while mill tailings appear best suited to eventual revegetation by grass or forb species. Soil processes were found to be both active and rapid in both types of waste material. / Land and Food Systems, Faculty of / Graduate

M.Com. (International Accounting) / This study is conducted as a result of the increased focus on integrated reports (IRs), more specifically focusing on the current integrated reporting practices within the mining industry of South Africa. There has been a rapid increase in accountability pressures on companies due to financial crises across the globe, accounting and remuneration scandals, and suspicion about the social and environmental implications of businesses (Kolk, n.d.:2). Accountability is specifically discussed by the Integrated Reporting Committee of South Africa (SA IRC) as follows: Now, in the context of the global financial crisis and amidst increasing evidence that the current economic model is socially and environmentally unsustainable and that current reporting practice is not delivering, it is time for new and more effective forms of accountability (SA IRC, 2011:1). This form of accountability also flowed over into the mining industry in which the current reporting practice is not having a significant impact on the perception of the mining industry. The South African mining industry is also currently in crisis, and the market fears further disruption of mining output due to the uncooperative trade unions (Kantor, 2013). Current reporting practice is not highlighting these issues or the long-term impact thereof on the mining industry and individual companies. The two major obstacles that any mining company has to overcome are, firstly that the board of directors needs to report to a wide range of stakeholders with different needs and expectations, and secondly the directors have to report on the sustainability of the industry while managing the mining company’s risk and generating a return on shareholders’ and investors’ investments. Union leaders, investors, and shareholders do not currently share the opinion that the mining industry is in crisis as there are clear mismatches between what the union leaders demand, what the shareholders and government can offer, and what the industry can afford (Kantor, 2013). The mining companies’ extraction of scarce resources is not sustainable and this can have a direct and indirect impact on various stakeholders.

M.Sc. / South Africa is a country with huge developmental challenges. In Africa, it is one of the few countries that have really incorporated the concepts of the information society into the fundamental reconstruction and development process. Appropriate political commitment, policy frameworks and legislation have largely been established to provide the environment in which effective information management can develop and information can be made widely available for democratic management of the country (MacDevette, 1998). It is within this framework that the development of Environmental Information Systems (EISs) for industry is taking place. The mining industry is no exception. As one of South Africa’s largest employers and natural resources users, the mining industry through its activities creates numerous environmental impacts. These environmental impacts, together with relevant legislation, sustainability reporting and international environmental standards, require mining management to capture and analyse large quantities of environmental data. The management and analysis of such data and its transformation into information requires an active environmental management strategy. It is the aim of this thesis to determine how and possibly why an Environmental Information System (EIS) can influence environmental strategy in the mining industry. Furthermore, to ascertain if mine size played a role in determining environmental strategy through the implementation and use of an EIS. In order to answer this question an electronic survey was emailed to the environmental managers at all of the mines within South Africa’s geographical boundaries. The results of the survey indicated that larger mines place more emphasis on ensuring that EISs can meet corporate environmental requirements, by ensuring that the required environmental parameters of an effective EIS are in place. It was concluded that implementation and use of an effective environmental information system would help meet the challenge of corporate environmental strategy within the South African mining industry.

M.Ing. (Engineering Management) / Broadly speaking, communication forms an integral component of everyone’s daily activities, be it on a personal level amongst family and friends, or in a professional environment. In many instances, the ability of project teams to communicate effectively and efficiently is taken for granted by project managers, which can result in projects being late or incomplete. However, the importance of Project Communications Management is evident in the fact that the Project Management Institute (PMI) dedicates a chapter to Project Communications Management in the PMBOK® Guide. The current research seeks to understand what effect communication has on a project, and how it can be successfully managed during a project. The research in the form of a case study investigated the state of communications within a project department, with the aim of identifying whether a lack of communication during a project is a contributing factor to projects being late or incorrect. The department in question is responsible for supplying the mining industry with critical conveyor drive equipment. The case study research was conducted utilizing the procedure outlined in the Organizational Project Management Maturity Model (OPM3®). The research found that certain areas in the department lacked the basic requirements for effective communications, and that a lack of communication between various stakeholders during a project could negatively influence the success of a project. These findings were compared to those of independent research by the PMI into global trends of project communications. The important aspects relating to Project Communication Management were discussed, and a workable solution to the problem was proposed. It was found that by implementing a communication plan in the department, and encouraging a culture of open and honest communications, the organization can expect to see an improvement in project success.

The testing undertaken for this dissertation is intended to help quantify the various time-dependant deformation processes around typical deep level hard rock tabular excavations. Three mechanisms were investigated and two different hard rock types, Ventersdorp Lava and Elsburg Quartzite were used. Uniaxial compression creep studies were done as the first part of the study followed by shear creep studies on discontinuities where crushed lava and crushed quartzite as well as a natural gouge were used as infilling. An important conclusion made is that the relationship between grain size and infilling thickness is more important than previously might have been assumed. The last part of the study consisted of triaxial post-failure relaxation tests. As far as could be determined, this is the first time triaxial post-failure tests were attempted, particularly on typical South African hard rocks. An important finding of this study is that during compression creep as well as during triaxial post-failure relaxation the amount of energy dissipated for the lava is significantly less than for quartzite. For mines operating at great depth (more than 2000m) the implication is that the rock material might relax much more slowly than might have been assumed and this means that after failure the rock mass continues to store large amounts of strain energy. This study provides the first data available for energy change calculations in fractured rock masses. Three mechanisms of time-dependant deformation were quantified providing valuable data for numerical investigations. / Dissertation (MSc (Mine Strata Control))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Mining Engineering / unrestricted

Since mining companies depend on debt and/or equity funding to sustain their operations, investors, in theory, could influence mining company policy by making financing conditional on environmental and social performance factors. The rise in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reporting combined with the increasing trend of Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) - different sides of the same coin - CSR provides sustainability information to the market and SRI principles influence the investment decisions of investors. The purpose of this research was to gain a deeper insight into the influence of sustainability metrics on the investment behaviour of investors when investing in the South African mining industry. The research was conducted by performing in-depth, qualitative interviews with members of the investment community which included asset owners, asset managers, chief investment officers, investment analysts and fund managers. By and large, the investment community does not consider sustainability metrics published by mining companies when making investment decisions, and the principles and use of sustainability metrics have yet to be integrated into the decision-making process of most asset managers. There is, however, an increasing awareness of the principles of responsible investment and a correlating increase in the number of asset owners and asset managers subscribing to the principle guiding bodies which augurs well for the future. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / zkgibs2015 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / Unrestricted

Frequent and prolonged labour strike actions in the South African mining industry are widely acknowledged. These strikes continue to negatively impact on the socio-economic factors in the South African society and particularly the businesses. Studies have been conducted on the bargaining processes to ascertain proper engagement process to follow during conflict resolutions. However, the shortfall in these studies has been identification of appropriate models that reduces or totally eliminate the re-occurrence of frequent labour strikes. Understanding how the bargaining process, prior and during the bargaining process, can curb these labour strikes is therefore critical. Data from different bargaining experts were collated and analysed through a Delphi research tool. Results indicated that several steps need to be taken into accountant before and during the bargaining process. Such steps include continuous communication between stakeholders and the bargaining process’s leadership. While labour strikes are as a result of impasses, which inform strike actions, encountered during negotiations, results show that before impasses are encountered it is imperative to manage the bargaining processes prior the formal engagements. It was also established that the choice of the bargaining process i.e. choosing between centralization of decentralization of the bargaining process may not necessarily curb the frequency of strikes. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / zkgibs2015 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / Unrestricted

Investors consider commodity prices to be one of the major criteria critical in the selection of stocks of mining companies. This is done as part of the net present value (NPV) valuation of mining companies. It is believed that one of the three sets of mineral commodities prices, which are: spot price, forward price and long term price, has a greater impact on the share valuation processes used by investors. This research study investigated the extent to which each set of commodity prices influences the valuation process in order to provide investors of mining stocks with a greater understanding of how fluctuations of commodity prices over time affect prices of the mining stocks they hold, intend to sell or buy. A literature review conducted identified different valuation methods employed in valuing share prices. The literature study also revealed price cycles experienced in the commodity sector. Emerging from the literature review was the prominent role of commodity prices in valuing stocks of mining companies. Three mineral commodities namely, gold, silver and copper were used as case studies because stock market data on these commodities is readily available in the public domain. Nine market indices covering all three mineral commodities were selected based on defined criteria that ruled out any ambiguity and tested for correlation with the three sets of mineral commodity prices. An equal number of stocks of individual mining companies, which were not the primary drivers of the indices, were used to validate the results obtained from the indices in order to avoid duplication of the same correlation during cross – checking. Each mineral commodity price was adjusted for operating costs. For market indices, an average operating cost for each index was calculated from the companies in its basket, while for stocks of individual companies, the company’s annual operating costs were used. The data was collected for the period January 2004 to October 2010. This period was further split up into three sub – periods to account for the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) period that started in mid – 2008. This research study concluded that mining stock prices are correlated with mineral commodity prices, but with spot and forward prices exhibiting stronger correlations than long – term price. This finding is useful to mineral stock evaluators and any evaluator of a mineral asset in that where cash flow approach methods are to be used and the commodity price is required to estimate future cash flows, spot price forecasts of that mineral commodity should be used and not the long – term price.

Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Master of Management in Public Policy University of the Witwatersrand School of Governance / The research explores the socio-economic causes of Medupi Power Station on Lephalale. The mineral-energy outlook of Lephalale is attractive to the global players whilst the Lephalale Local Municipality’s authority is proving to be limited over the area. The knowledge of the community is outshined by the global players eager to invest. The “positivist approach” in public policy leads some to consider markets as the most effective means for social decisions, hence a reliance on Eskom’s corporate investments to offset damages. The idea seamlessly adjoins the “post-positivist approach” which acknowledges the vital role of conflict and political actors in the public policy arena. Any policy process is an outcome of both the “positivist and the post-positivist approach” (Howlett, Ramesh & Perl (2009). Eskom’s corporate social responsibility/investment is inadequate to address the socio-economically and ecologically-subjugated communities, which occasionally resort to violent protest. A balance between profit and social needs is unavoidable. Leadership should ensure that the policies and practice safeguard the interest of future generations. This qualitative research employs documents and interviews to describe Medupi’s socio-economic factors on Lephalale. The Lephalale Local Municipality, political parties, and the Lephalale Library are key participants. / XL2019