Nelson Dumakor-Dupey

• Master of Philosophy
• University of Alaska Fairbanks

Small scale mining continues to contribute significantly to the growth of Ghana's economy. However, the sector poses serious dangers to human health and the environment. Ground failures resulting from poorly supported stopes have led to injuries and fatalities in recent times. Dust and fumes from drilling and blasting of ore present health threats...

Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) is often condemned for its environmental and safety impacts. Indeed, it is uncommon to find reclaimed ASM sites in Ghana. This paper reports a successful reclamation effort by an ASM operator in Ghana. Innovative partnership that involves participation of people from host community was utilized to restore degr...

Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) has been practiced in Ghana for many years, and contributes significantly toward socioeconomic development of communities where it occurs. In this paper, the contributions made by five different ASM operators drawn from three small-scale mining districts in Ghana are highlighted. Field visits were made to ASM...

Mineral resource estimation involves the determination of the grade and tonnage of a mineral deposit based on its geological characteristics using various estimation methods. Conventional estimation methods, such as geometric and geostatistical techniques, remain the most widely used methods for resource estimation. However, recent advances in comp...

Rock fragmentation in mining and construction industries is widely achieved using drilling and blasting technique. The technique remains the most effective and efficient means of breaking down rock mass into smaller pieces. However, apart from its intended purpose of rock breakage, throw, and heave, blasting operations generate adverse impacts, suc...

The global mining industry is male dominated. In the US, women constitute 13% of the mining workforce and 16% of mining related college programs. Similar trends exist globally. Efforts are being made by educational institutions, mining companies and professional organizations to attract women to the industry to achieve a gender inclusive industry....

Autonomous mining systems (AMS) are being developed and deployed for improving mine productivity, safety and efficiency in countries like Australia and USA. Nonetheless, AMS implementation is known to cause social challenges such as job losses. These systems are expected to eventually be introduced into the Ghanaian mining industry. Thus, it is nec...

Autonomous mining systems have been deployed for improving mine performance. However, there is a fear of job losses. Adoption of autonomous systems is envisaged to be resisted by major stakeholders in Ghana due to high illiteracy and unemployment. This paper assesses the preparedness of Ghanaian mining stakeholders for the adoption of autonomous sy...

The socioeconomic and environmental impacts of informal artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) in Ghana are assessed in this paper. The paper includes a case study of an informal ASM-affected community located in the Western Region of Ghana. A two-phase mixed-method approach consisting of literature reviews, questionnaires, interviews, and water qu...

Backfilling is a very important operation in sublevel caving mining; it is used to fill the voids created by the mined-out stopes to provide confinement to the stope abutment for stability of the sill pillar. The filling depends not only on the type of material but also on the fragmentation sizes of the rocks blasted. One major problem that Chirano...

The change in climatic conditions and its catastrophic effect on mining activities has become a source of worry for mining industries and therefore needs due attention. This study examined the effect some climate factors have on gold production in Ghana. First, a direct Multiple Linear Regression was applied on the climate factors with the aim of d...

The change in climatic conditions and its catastrophic effect on mining activities has become a source of worry for mining industries and therefore needs due attention. This study examined the effect some climate factors have on gold production in Ghana. First, a direct Multiple Linear Regression was applied on the climate factors with the aim of d...

Due to poor technology and lack of proper skills in mineral processing techniques, a greater percentage (about 70%) of gold is lost to the tailings stream in artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM). These tailings, in the last decade, have become a major source of revenue for some large-scale mining (LSM) companies in Ghana because they have a...

In this research, Analytic Network Process (ANP) is used to evaluate all pertinent criteria to select the most appropriate mining method for an underground mine. ANP is a multiple criteria decision-making tool which caters for interdependence of decision parameters, for the selection of underground mining method. Five major criteria and twenty sub-...

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) has been practiced in Ghana for many years. However, occupational health and safety (OHS) in the ASGM sector is largely undeveloped. This study assessed the OHS practices in the ASGM sector in Ghana. A multi-stage sampling technique was used for the study. It was observed that the ASGM sector in Ghana is...

Stochastic simulation was conducted to analyse the fuel consumption of a shovel-truck system. An example shovel-truck system, comprising a single shovel and four trucks was considered. At 95% confidence interval, the monthly simulated fuel consumption by the shovel-truck system was found to be about 198 127 litres against the actual fuel consumptio...

Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) occurs in many countries around the world, and provides a source of livelihood to many impoverished local people in areas where it occurs. This paper reports the role of female participants and reasons why they engage in ASM. Field visits were made to 12 ASM sites located in the Tarkwa Mining District of Ghana...

We made site visits to determine potential environmental issues caused by artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) in the Tarkwa Mining Area (TMA) of Ghana. Activities of the diggers were observed to degrade vegetation, land and water. Improper handling of mercury was also identified as a major threat to people and ecosystem. Large abandoned pits and...

Air pollution from airborne particulates is a global issue that has received some attention due to potential health issues and environmental impacts. Construction activities, agricultural operations, combustion of fossil fuels, and industrial and mining processes are significant sources of particulate pollution. The potential to cause health proble...

Blasting is mainly used to fragment in situ rocks in mining operations. The process can result in undesirable effects such as ground vibration and airblast. To mitigate potential effect of blasting and protect nearby structures against blast damage, blast impact prediction modelling was conducted for the proposed Tuapim pit located in Bogoso/Preste...

Small scale mining continues to contribute significantly to the socioeconomic needs of Ghana. The operations have transformed from artisanal to the use of sophisticated mining techniques in recent times. Although the introduction of the Small Scale Gold Mining Law of 1989 has helped in improving small scale mining activities and minimized associate...

Explosive energy is adopted in hard rock mining to disintegrate rocks and consolidated formations to desirable sizes for appropriate end use. The fragmentation process may result in undesirable vibrations that can impact on structures within the vicinity of the blast. Ground vibrations and airblast resulting from blasting have been found to induce...