A system for moving material from a first work area to a second work includes a material moving machine, a machine position sensor and a controller system. The controller system performs first material moving operations including determining a premature termination of a material stacking operation. The controller system performs additional material moving operations including instructing a material moving machine in response to the premature termination of a material stacking operation.

A system for moving material from a first work area to a second work includes a material moving machine, a machine position sensor and a controller system. The controller system performs first material moving operations including determining a premature termination of a material stacking operation. The controller system performs additional material moving operations including instructing a material moving machine in response to the premature termination of a material stacking operation.

The present invention relates to a bitumen recovery process from oil sands. The oil sands may be surface mined and transported to a treatment area or may be treated directly by means of an in situ process of oil sand deposits that are located too deep for strip mining. Specifically, the present invention involves the step of treating oil sands with a composition comprising an alkanolamine and an ethylene oxide capped glycol ether and/or propylene oxide capped glycol ether.

A method for controlling a machine operating at a worksite is provided. The worksite includes a pit region having a crest node and a low wall. The low wall is an incline having a positive slope. The method includes identifying a location of the crest node and activating a low wall detection module at the location of the crest node as the machine moves past the crest node towards the pit region. The low wall detection module is operable within a defined low wall detection gap to detect the low wall.

An edge protection safety bund system (10) for use in connection with a rock bund made of rock fill. The edge protection safety bund system (10) comprises a bund module (12) having a barrier wall (14) and a base plate (16). The bund module (12) is preferably one of a plurality of bund modules (12) arranged side by side to form an extended barrier wall (14). The barrier wall (14) of each module (12) extends substantially perpendicularly upwards from the base plate (16), and a support web (18) extends at an angle from a rear face of the barrier wall (14) to an upper surface of the base plate (16). In use, when rock fill is dumped onto the rear of the bund modules (12), and allowed to flow back to its natural angle of repose behind the barrier walls (14), it creates a rock bund (20) with a front face formed by the extended barrier wall (14).

A method of moving waste material from a mining site using at least one excavator and a plurality of dozers, including excavating material with the at least one excavator from a dig area, said at least one excavator moving along an excavator path that is parallel with the dig area, transferring the excavated material to a plurality of slots, each of said slots are positioned at an angle to the excavator path, and pushing the transferred material by one of said plurality of dozers along the slot and away from the excavator path; wherein each slot allows each of the plurality of dozers to move between a proximal position and a distal position relative to the excavator path.

A method of moving waste material from a mining site using at least one excavator and a plurality of dozers, including excavating material with the at least one excavator from a dig area, said at least one excavator moving along an excavator path that is parallel with the dig area, transferring the excavated material to a plurality of slots, each of said slots are positioned at an angle to the excavator path, and pushing the transferred material by one of said plurality of dozers along the slot and away from the excavator path; wherein each slot allows each of the plurality of dozers to move between a proximal position and a distal position relative to the excavator path.

A pipe handling system for a platform based drill includes a drilling platform with a frame structure having a first end, a second end opposite the first end, and first and second opposite sides. A mast is supported on a pivotal connection to the platform permitting the mast to be pivotally adjusted to a negative drilling angle whereby an upper portion of the mast leans in a first direction extending toward the first end of the frame structure and away from the second end of the frame structure. The mast includes a length direction and has an open cross-section with a concave side facing in the first direction and a convex side facing in a second direction opposite to the first direction. A pipe handling unit mounted to the concave side of the mast is configured to support a drill pipe within the mast when the mast is pivotally adjusted to the negative drilling angle.

The present invention relates to a wireless communication system for controlling one or more remote automated mining assets. The system includes a high-altitude platform including at least one high altitude communication apparatus, and for communicating control messages for the mining assets. A low-altitude platform includes at least one low altitude communication apparatus, and is suitable for communicating control messages for the mining assets. Preferably, the high-altitude platform is a long-term communications platform whereas the low-altitude platform is a short-term communications platform that can be more rapidly deployed and flexibly restructured.

The present invention relates to an improved bitumen recovery process from oil sands. The oil sands may be surface mined and transported to a treatment area or may be treated directly by means of an in situ process of oil sand deposits that are located too deep for strip mining. Specifically, the present invention involves the step of treating oil sands with an ethylene oxide capped glycol ether described by the structure: RO(CH.sub.2CH(CH.sub.3)O).sub.m(C.sub.2H.sub.4O).sub.n, H wherein R is a linear, branched, cyclic alkyl, phenyl, or alkyl phenyl group of greater than 5 carbons and m and n are independently 1 to 3.