Doe Run Backgrounder
Southeast Missouri Mining and Milling Division
The lifecycle of lead starts in the underground mines of The Doe Run Company’s (Doe Run)
Southeast Missouri Mining and Milling Division (SEMO). To access the natural mineral
deposits, employees must travel deep underground where rocks containing lead, zinc, copper
and trace metals are methodically blasted, crushed and brought to the surface for processing
at Doe Run’s mills.
OVERVIEW
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SEMO uses the room-and-pillar mining method, in
SEMO operates in an area known as the Viburnum
which rock pillars (up to 35 feet wide and 120 feet
Trend. Located in Southeast Missouri, mining and
tall) support the ground above.
milling has taken place here for more than 50 years and
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produces 250,000 tons of lead concentrates annually.
SEMO also utilizes “remote mining,” which involves
remote operation of a 25-ton loader so blasted ore
can be safely excavated from hundreds of feet
MINING
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feet underground. The mines extract more than
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away. This method is used to remove the pillars left
SEMO’s mining operations take place up to 1,250
behind after a mine’s reserves are extracted.

Each day, millions of gallons of groundwater are
20,000 tons of lead-bearing ore every day.
pumped to the surface to keep the mines dry. This
Doe Run’s mines are large underground structures
water otherwise would fill the mines. Ventilation is
that extend for miles. Four of the company’s six
of utmost importance; about 3 million cubic feet per
mines – Buick, Brushy Creek, Casteel and Fletcher
minute of clean air from the surface is circulated for
– are interconnected by more than 20 miles of
the health and comfort of underground workers.
roadway and hundreds of side roads.
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With six active mines running up to seven days a
MILLING
week, Doe Run relies on a naturally stable
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Primary recovery of lead, zinc, and copper bearing
environment, proactive safety initiatives,
ores takes place after the mineral-containing ore
engineering controls and more than a century of
has been crushed and hoisted by shaft to the
expertise to create a safe mining environment for
surface mill facilities. The ore is then ground to the
nearly 900 employees.
size of beach sand with rod and ball mills.
The mines are fully outfitted with computer

There, the ground ore is fed into flotation tanks
networks, air, power, water and telephones.
where tiny air bubbles are introduced. Added to the
Millions of dollars worth of equipment operates
mixture are chemicals known as a reagents, which
underground, including hydraulic drills, trucks,
bond to the tiny lead and copper mineral particles
loaders, charging rigs and scalers – all of which are
and lift them to the surface where a bubbly froth
disassembled to transport down the shaft and
forms. The froth is skimmed for final separation of
reassembled underground. Any mechanical repairs
the lead and copper minerals. Any remaining
are done in an underground maintenance shop.
materials, such as zinc minerals and dolomite, sink
to the bottom of the tank. The zinc minerals are
separated from the dolomite in a similar fashion.
THE DOE RUN COMPANY 1801 Park 270 Drive, Suite 300, St. Louis, MO 63146 (314) 453-7100
Last updated December 2014
Southeast Missouri Mining and Milling Division, Cont’d

The wet minerals are concentrated in large tanks
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Doe Run’s most recent win includes the national
called thickeners. The concentrates are then dried
championship title at the Mine Safety and Health
with large vacuum filters that remove the majority of
Administration’s (MSHA) 2014 Metal/Nonmetal
the moisture. Three different concentrates are
National Mine Rescue Contest, along with other
produced: lead, zinc and copper. The resulting
concentrate contains approximately 77 percent
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Page 2
accolades at the regional and national level.
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All new Doe Run employees complete 40 hours of
lead.
in-depth training on MSHA guidelines and
At this stage, the lead concentrate is transported
participate in follow-up training throughout their
for smelting and conversion into lead metal or lead
careers. Companywide, employees participated in
alloys used primarily for the production of
more than 23,800 hours of health and safety
automotive, industrial and ground storage batteries.
training in 2013.
The copper and zinc concentrates also are sold to
other primary non-ferrous smelters and refineries
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
throughout the world to produce copper and zinc
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Employee expertise is shared with universities to
help educate future mining professionals. Groups
metal and alloys.
from Washington University in St. Louis, Indiana
EXPLORATION

The company employs geologists and contract
partners who conduct geological services and
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University and Iowa State, to name a few, have
toured the SEMO mines.
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Each summer, SEMO opens its mining operations
drilling to identify and test exploration targets for
to students participating in the Explosives Camp
promising ore bodies around the globe.
held by the Missouri University of Science &
New geology software, analytical tools and other
technologies have increased Doe Run’s ability to
Technology’s Department of Mining Engineering.
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SEMO also offers scholarships, internships and
continue to find new ore resources by detecting
summer employment opportunities for Missouri
elements at lower concentrations.
students seeking engineering, chemistry, geology,
mining or geoscience degrees.
MINE SAFETY
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SEMO is a top sponsor of the annual Old Miners’
Operating safely is a hallmark of Doe Run’s lead mining
Day celebration in Viburnum, Missouri, and Fall
operations, and SEMO is often recognized for safety
Rocks community event in Park Hills, Missouri.
leadership. Doe Run and its predecessors have earned
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The division contributes to Doe Run’s Minerals
the National Mining Association’s (NMA) prestigious
Education Program, which includes minerals-
Sentinels of Safety Award, the highest honor in the
related outreach initiatives such as classroom
mining industry, a combined 27 times since 1971. 2013
visits, community presentations, facility tours, and
marked the first time Doe Run received two Sentinels
professional development programs for educators.
of Safety in a single year. Buick Mine and No. 29 Mine
received the award, and Brushy Creek Mine and
CONTACT INFORMATION
Casteel Mine followed as runners-up.
 Doe Run relies on highly decorated mine rescue
Southeast Missouri Mining and Milling Division
P.O. Box 500
teams who train specifically to respond to
Viburnum, MO 65566
emergency situations. Teams stay sharp by
(573) 244-5261
regularly competing in mine rescue competitions.
[email protected]
www.doerun.com
THE DOE RUN COMPANY 1801 Park 270 Drive, Suite 300, St. Louis, MO 63146 (314) 453-7100
Last updated December 2014