Mineral Information Institute’s Outstanding Individual Award

Nominations are being accepted for the Mineral Information Institute’s Outstanding Individual Award. The purpose of this award is to recognize an individual, company or organization which has shown and/or demonstrated exceptional leadership, devoted service, continuous support of time and/or donations to the endeavors and mission of the Mineral Information Institute.

Deadline is July 1, 2009.

Please click here to submit your nomination: Mii Outstanding Individual Award

Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?

What’s in a pencil besides wood?

Natural resources from a half dozen states and at least two countries are necessary to make something as simple as a wood pencil. Mii has the answer…here!

Did You Miss the 2009 SME Annual Meeting?

SME recorded and is archiving Annual Meeting Sessions for SME members to take advantage of following the meeting.

Any SME member who logs into the SME website can view the following Annual Meeting sessions on their computer and at their convenience. Take some time-take advantage of one of the benefits of SME membership.
(You must be logged-in to our website view these sessions) View them here.

Sessions Available:

• SME/SME/AIME Keynote Session: Stewardship and Sustainability: Getting it Done in the 21st Century
• Mining Law Reform and Energy and Minerals Policy: What to Expect from the 111th Congress and What you Should do About It
• 2009 Dreyer Lecture: The Fruta Del Norte Epithermal Gold-Silver Discovery, S.E. Ecuador
• Geology: Tons and Grade: Development in Mine Geology

North American Tunneling Conference Issues Call for Papers

June 19-23, 2010
Marriott Waterfront Hotel
Portland, Oregon

Tunneling: Sustainable Infrastructure
Prospective authors should submit the following by JUNE 30, 2009:

Abstract of 100 words or less

The topic to which it applies

Complete contact information for corresponding author

Project name

Topics for consideration:

• Tunnel Boring Machines
• Ground Conditioning and Modification
• Equipment Automation
• Conventional Tunneling
• NATM/SEM & Caverns
• Small Diameter Tunneling
• Shaft Construction
• Emerging Technologies
• Lining Design & Precast Segment Advances
• Fire & Life Safety
• Vulnerability & Security
• Seismic Design
• Updating Design Criteria
• Tunnel Management/Inventory
• Rehabilitation
• Cost Estimating & Scheduling
• Financing
• Public Policy
• Contracting & Payment
• Alternative Delivery Methods
• Insurance & Bonding
• Third Party Liability
• Labor Management & Training
• Case Histories

To submit an abstract for consideration: Click here.

Mining Engineering Annual State Reviews Now Online!

Each year, the May issue of Mining Engineering features an annual review that includes a look at what happened the previous year in the areas of mining, exploration and coal as well as reviews of the year that was in various states across the nation.

This year, the editors of Mining Engineering made the decision to publish the state reviews exclusively online.

In this online section you will find state reviews of mining related topics from 2008 and 2007. Previous years will be added in the months to come, making this a useful electronic data base of annual reviews.

The mining, exploration and coal reviews are published in the May issue of Mining Engineering and can be found online at http://me.smenet.org/StateReviews.

2009 Individual GEM Award Nomination Form

The purpose of the GEM Committee is to serve as the SME public education leader, assisting in efforts to educate the public regarding the importance of mining and minerals in our everyday lives. The Individual GEM award is designed to recognize outstanding contributions by an individual. Nominations for the GEM Award may be made by any member or local section of SME. The nominee must be an SME member and have clearly demonstrated a desire to further the purpose of the GEM program. Please provide us with details about the individual's participation in specific GEM-related activities. Include any additional information that might be useful to the judges in selecting this year's winner.

If you know of a qualified member that you would like to nominate please click on the link below and complete the Individual Nomination Form.

Download Form here. Please send completed nomination forms to Mona Vandervoort at vandervoort@smenet.org or fax to 303-948-4265.
All nominations must be received no later than June 30, 2009.

Call for Nominations for the 2012 SME President

SME President, Will Wilkinson, is requesting nominations for the 2012 SME President, 2011-2014 SME Board Members-at-large (2 will be selected), and members for all SME Strategic Committees.
Please submit your nomination with a photo and bio by June 15, 2009 to Mary O'Shea (oshea@smenet.org or 303-948-4211).
For SME guidelines: http://www.smenet.org/committees/

Attention all Section Officers! SME is announcing a new Section Grant Program

The SME Section Grant program has been created to support its Local Sections and by extension the industry. The Grant program is meant to assist Sections with Educational Outreach, Section Programming, Seed money for conferences and other Section projects.

To submit your application and proposal please go to the SME Sections page at: http://www.smenet.org/sections

SME Foundation McIntosh Engineering Scholarship Fund

The McIntosh Engineering Scholarship Fund, of the SME Foundation, is accepting grant proposals and applications to support the education, recruitment, and retention of students and young professionals in careers and jobs in the field of underground mining. More specifically, the mission of the fund is to provide funding for various projects, activities and scholarships that promote, develop and stimulate an interest in the underground mining and minerals industries.

All requests for funding must be made on the request form and sent by e-mail to David Kanagy, SME Foundation Executive Director at kanagy@smenet.org by September 1. The form is available on our McIntosh Engineering Scholarship Fund page. Click here to download the form. Supporting materials can be submitted to help more fully explain the details of your proposal or add insight to complex proposals.

You are invited to submit your proposal for consideration. The McIntosh Fund will normally disburse its funding at the completion of a project. The disbursement request must include a summary of the objectives of the project and its accomplishments, along with samples of the McIntosh Fund recognition of the project.

The funds available from the McIntosh Fund cannot be used for any endowment or any another foundation.

NEW FROM THE SME FOUNDATION!!!

Watch your email for the new SME Foundation Newsletter launch!! The newsletter will contain exciting news about all of the activities and programs under the Foundation as well as information about new scholarships that are available.
For further information about the SME Foundation, please visit the webpage at http://www.smenet.org/foundation.

September 9-11, 2009, Montreal
Jean-Michel Rendu, Consultant, USA
Cutoff grades are essential in determining the economic feasibility and mine life of a project.

Learn how to:

• Solve most cutoff grade estimation problems by developing techniques and graphical analytical methods.
• Learn the relationship between cutoff grades and the design of pushbacks in open pit mines, the development of new stopes in underground selective mining, and the optimization of block sizes in caving methods.

September 10-11, 2009
The Westin Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia

Complete details available in Spring, 2009

September 12-16, 2009
St. Louis, MO

September 14-18, 2009 , Montreal
Michel Dagbert, Geostat Systems Int, Canada; Jean-Michel Rendu, Consultant, USA; and Roussos Dimitrakopoulos, McGill University, Canada

Learn about the latest regulations on public reporting of resources/reserves through state-of-the-art statistical and geostatistical techniques.
Learn how to:

• Apply geostatistics to predict dilution and adapt reserve estimates to that predicted dilution.
• Learn how geostatistics can help you categorize your resources in an objective manner. Understand principles of NI43-101 and SME Guide.

More details here.

September 28-30, 2009, Montreal

Roussos Dimitrakopoulos, McGill University, Canada


Participants will:

• Understand how to quantify and deal with grade/tonnage/metal uncertainty and variability.
• Learn about new efficient simulation methods for modeling orebodies and how to use the results.
• Understand how to use quantified orebody risk in ore reserve estimation, mine planning and mineral project evaluation.
• Work with industry examples at different stages of a mining project.
• Participate in hands-on computer workshops using real case studies.

More details here.

October 13-16, 2009, Montreal
Cindy Campbell, Gemcom, Australia; and Roussos Dimitrakopoulos, McGill University, Canada
Learn how you can have a significant, positive impact on your company’s bottom line by utilizing strategic mine planning methodologies and software.
Learn how to:

• Improve your understanding of strategic mine planning and life-of-mine optimization concepts.
• Learn how to improve your understanding of the relationship of uncertainty and risk, and how to exploit uncertainty in order to maximize profitability.

Strategic mine planning software Whittle. Optional 1/2 day Whittle refresher skills workshop available.
More details here.

November 9-12, 2009, Montreal
Michel Bilodeau, McGill University, Canada
Learn the basics of economic/financial evaluation techniques, as well as the practical implementation of these techniques to mineral project assessments.
Learn how to:

• How to gain a practical understanding of economic/financial evaluation principles.
• How to develop the skills necessary to apply these to support mineral project decisions.

More details here.

December 14-16, 2009, Part 1, Montreal
December 17-18, 2009, Part 2 (QA-QC, mine, and project audits), Montreal
Dominique François-Bongarçon, AGORATEK, USA
Develop an understanding of the theory of sampling particulate materials, its practice, scope, limitations and appropriate applications.
Learn how to:

• Eye-opening facts you may have overlooked or ignored until now about the consequences of bad sampling and the difficulties of good sampling.
• The unsuspected amplitude of economic ramifications of poor sampling.

More details here.

Engineering Solutions for Sustainability: Materials and Resources

July 22 – 24, 2009
Ecole Polytechnique Federale De Lausanne
LAUSANNE SWITZERLAND

You now have just 1 week to register to attend this truly unique workshop entitled Engineering Solutions for Sustainability: Materials and Resources, organized by the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers (AIME)*, the American Society for Civil Engineers (ASCE), and the American Institute for Chemical Engineers (AIChE), being held in Lausanne, Switzerland.

For other sources of Mining Industry news along with other pertinent information available on the Web please check out the following websites.

The Industrial Minerals Association - North America (IMA-NA) has an Enews publication for the Industrial Minerals Industry: http://www.ima-na.org/resources/newsletter.asp

The Colorado Mining Association (CMA) has a newsletter called "Rock and Coal", you can find this along with other pertinent news at: http://www.coloradomining.org/p_archive.php

The American Geological Institute's (AGI) "Government Affairs Program" has pertinent information on the Federal Government as it pertains to the mining industry with a monthly review, special updates and a wealth of other current articles of interest. Please visit their website at: http://www.agiweb.org/gap/

The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS) has a monthly Enews newsletter as well as other useful information for our industry, please check out their website at: http://www.tms.org/newsletter/newsletter-home.html

The National Mining Association (NMA) has a weekly bulletin it puts out on Fridays, please check out this bulletin on their website at: http://www.nma.org/newsroom/mining_week.asp

The International Tunneling Association (ITA) has a periodical newsletter pertaining to the Tunneling Industry. To view the most recent issue, past issues and sign up for their mailing list at, CLICK HERE

The links provided above will take you away from our website, SME has no control of these sites and SME cannot be held responsible for the content of these websites.

The Industrial Minerals Association
North America
(IMA-NA)

The Colorado Mining Association(CMA)

The American Geological Institute's(AGI)

The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society(TMS)

The National Mining Association (NMA)

The International Tunneling Association (ITA)