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By Walter Murphy

For a number of years the Bureau of Mines has been studying the properties of crude petroleums produced in the United States and the Western Hemisphere. A number of reports have been published giving the analyses of crudes from the different field and regions as made by the Bureau of Mines Hempel method of analysis.4/ Several of these reports include analyses off crude oils from the Rocky Mountain region.5/ The search for new fields and new producing horizons in old fields in the Rocky Mountain region has been quite intensive during the last few years, and a number of discoveries have been made.

Jan 1, 1937

By H. W. Gillett, G. M. JAMES

In its work on mineral wastes the Bureau of Mines is studying losses in the melting of nonferrous metals and alloys. The greatest of these losses is that of zinc through volatilization in brass melting, but another and considerable loss is that of aluminum and its alloys in the melting of finely divided material. In order to get some idea of the magnitude of the loss in melting aluminum scrap and to find out what methods of melting were used information was gathered in regard to present practice; also experiments were conducted to obtain some data on the relative merits of different methods. As the experiments could be made on a laboratory scale only, they were not expected to solve the problem entirely, the object in making them being rather-by indicating which methods were of greater promise-to narrow the field over which largescale tests and comparisons need be made by those commercially nterested in the problem of melting scrap aluminum.

Jan 1, 1916

By Lance R. Barron

Over the past decade, the U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBM) has studied longwall gate road stability at four mines in the Book Cliffs and Wasatch Plateau Coalfields of Utah. These operations are characterized by multiple-seam mining, abruptly varying cover depths to 914 m (3;000 ft), and massive rigid, sandstone units in the main roof or floor. Such conditions encourage severe bumping, roof instability, and occasional floor heave problems.' Various gate road configurations have been employed to alleviate' these problems. Although the mines have comparable basic conditions, the lithologies and qualities of the immediate roof, floor; and seam ate different in each mine and often vary in a single mine. Gate road systems that mitigate hazards in one mine may prove inappropriate in another or for different areas of the same mine. This report relates the geology of the coalfields; describes the location, geologic setting, specific mining conditions, operating history, and the USBM field study and results or conclusions for each mine; summarizes the relative performance of the gate road systems; and emphasizes the need for site-specific geotechnical data to evaluate gate road conditions and performance.

Jan 1, 1994

By Thomas M. Barczak

This report describes a study that examined load transfer mechanics in longwall shield supports as part of the Bureau of Mines research program to optimize support design and utilization. The objectives of this study were to determine the contribution of the leg cylinders and the caving shield-lemniscate assembly towards full shield vertical and hor-izontal load resistance capability and to determine how the interaction of these members affect overall shield response. Load-displacement characteristics of the leg cylinders and the caving shield-lemniscate assembly, independent of the full shield, were evaluated from controlled displacement tests in the Bureau's mine roof simulator and responses were compared with full shield responses to identify load transfer mechanics. It is concluded from this research that the participation of the caving shield-lemniscate assembly significantly affects the response of the shield support. It is likely that the caving shield-lemniscate assembly is not participating fully in current shield designs because of translational freedom in the numerous pin joints. It is also concluded that the shield will respond differently to different boundary condi-tions resulting from interaction with the strata. This report describes load transfer mechanics of shield supports and the implication of these research findings on shield design and utilization.

Jan 1, 1988

By W. H. Tavenner

The Bureau of Mines gathered test data on the use of a continuous borer in mining an anthracite bed, which was 30 feet thick on a pitch of 15° to 45°. Gangways were driven with the continuous borer, ventilation openings between gangways were driven with a large-diameter auger, and the blocks of coal between completed gangways were mined by the long-hole method, Conveyors were used to transport the mined coal. The continuous borer operated on a coal floor that was frequently soft because of heaving. The continuous borer could not bore openings on a grade exceeding 27 percent (15° pitch). Because 150 was also the lower limit of the pitch, of the bed, the continuous borer was used only to drive gangways. The continuous borer virtually filled the workplace, leaving insufficient space to place heavy-duty timber and cushioning material between the timber and coal back to allow for normal expansion of the uncut coal. The light? weight yieldable steel arch against the coal back gave inadequate support to control convergence, which in a disturbed area sometimes occurred with explosive violence. This exposed the machine operator to a hazardous condition, since a satisfactory solution could not be found, the company discontinued the use of the continuous borer.

Jan 1, 1966

By George A. Burrell, G. W. Jones, Frank M. Seibert

In this bulletin, the style of Bulletin 42 has been closely followed. Much of the material is reprinted on the following pages in its original form, and changes have been made only where manifestly neces- St,ry. Laboratory methods have been brought up to date. Some types of apparatus described in Bulletin 42 have now become obsolete and newer designs are described instead. The authors hope that this bulletin will be of as much service as was Bulletin 42.

Jan 1, 1926

By R. V. Higgins

"INTRODUCTION When nations throughout the world are pitted against each other in a war in which petroleum plays a major role, scientist and engineers of the petroleum industry must give serious thought to ways and means for recover¬ing greater percentages of oil from natural reservoirs than in the past. Petroleum and its products are vital to highly mechanized modern warfare, and the victorious nations will be those whose armies, navies, and air forces are supplied with adequate fuel oil, gasoline, and lubricants until the war is won.Efficient recovery of oil from underground reservoirs depends on many interrelated techniques; evaluation of the producing performance of wells upon the basis of their productivity indexes is one such tool. Oil wells usually yield oil at a maximum rate when first ""brought in"". The rate of production begins to decline soon after the first oil is delivered to the tanks, and although part of the decline usually can be attributed to natural reduction of reservoir pressure as oil and as are withdrawn from the reservoir, a larger proportion frequently is caused by greater saturation of water and as in the producing formation about wells and clogging of the pores of the sands by silt, organic salt, and insoluble hydrocarbons. If the maximum quantity of oil is to be recovered from reservoir sands and rocks by wells, it is then imperative that the ability of wells to produce oil be watched closely and all adverse influences that affect the case with which oil can flow to wells be corrected if possible."

Sep 1, 1942

By EDGAR K. SOPER, Clarence A. Wright, DOUGLAS C. LIVINGSTON, Thomas Varley

In 1917 the Federal Bureau of Mines and the University of Idaho arranged to cooperate in an investigation looking to the improvement of mining and milling methods in the mining districts of the State of Idaho, with an especial view to the wider development of the minerul deposits and greater efficiency in the treatment of the lowgrade ores of the State. This work has been made possible lnrgely through the generosity and active assistance of the mine operators, especially certain companies in the Coeur d'Alene region. As the first step in the work under the cooperative agreement it wa.s decided to gather all data possible on the various mining districts throughout the State, both active and abandoned, in order to ascertain their potential possibilities, especial attention being paid to methods of metallurgical treatment and to the solution of the many metallurgical problems in order to effect a greater commercinl saving. With this plan in view, field work was begun in the latter part of May, 1917, and was continued during the summer. E. K. Soper, formerly professor of mining, University of Idaho, and now dean of the mining department of Oregon Agricultural • College, Corvallis, Oreg., visited the mining districts in central and southwestern Idaho and also some of those in the northern part of the St.ate. D. C. Livingston, professor of geology at the University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, also visited some of the mining districts in central Idaho during the summer; in addition, much valuable information he had gathered on former trips to many other districts is included in this report. Credit is also due Mr. Livingston for the maps covering the State, as well as the bibliography nt the end of each chapter. Thomas Varley, superintendent of the Seattle mining experiment station of the Bureau of Mines, spent a short time in the field, principally in the mining districts in central and . northern Idaho, and made a brief visit to the southwestern districts with Mr Soper. The field work of Mr. C. A. Wright, metallurgical engineer of the Bureau of Mines, in direct charge of the cooperative work, was chiefly in the Coeur d'Alene region. Mr. Wright visited nearly all of the mining districts in the region and devoted most of his time to studying the milling methods. The results of the investigation are set 1iorth in this bulletin. The bulletin aims to give the l9Calities of the various mining districts, and the nature of the present operations and those that have been carried on in the past. The geology is discussed only in a general way, the descriptions being intended more especially to bring out the types of ore deposits and the character of the ores, a knowledge of which is essential in determining the proper treatment of the ores. The writers do not wish to imply that all districts mentioned in this bulletin were visited during the summer of 1917, for a great deal of the material has been gathered from other reports, especially from publications of the United States Geological Survey. However, it is hoped that this report will be of help to those who are interested in mining in the State of Idaho. The plan is to continue the field work and subsequently publish the results of the investigations in much more detail, with greater emphasis given the metallurgical treatment of the ores and the problems involved.

Jan 1, 1919

By W. I. Nissen

As part of its program to provide technology for reducing undesirable environmental impacts of mineral processing operations, the Bureau of Mines developed the citrate process for desulfurizing industrial stack gases that contain from 0.1 to 2 vol pet S02. In this regenerable flue gas desulfurization (FGD) process, S02 is absorbed from cleaned and cooled industrial flue gas with a citric acid-sodium citrate solution. The absorbed S02 is subsequently reacted with H2S to precipitate marketable elemental sulfur and regenerate the solution for recycle. Laboratory investigations of process parameters provided information for designing larger scale continuous operations. Information gathered from operation of two pilot plants, one at a copper smelter and one at a lead smelter, confirmed the laboratory results. Data were obtained for design and construction of a commercial-sized demonstration plant at the George F. Weaton Power Station, Monaca, PA. A preliminary operation of the plant was demonstrated, under a cost-sharing Bureau-industry contract. This bulletin describes the citrate process and gives results of the laboratory, pilot plant, and demonstration plant studies, as well as corrosion investigations.

Jan 1, 1985

By D. A. Reynolds

THIS PAPER gives results of an investigation of the composition and carbonizing properties of coals from the Beckley bed, Caretta No. 5 mine, Susanna, McDowell County, and Glen Rogers No. 2 mine, Glen Rogers, Wyoming County, W. Va. The investigation included BM-AGA carbonization tests at. 800° and 900° C. and various chemical and physical tests designed to evaluate agglutinating, plastic, and expanding properties of coal. Both coals were of low-volatile bituminous rank, and each was blended with 70 and 80 percent high-volatile A coal from the Pittsburgh bed, Warden mine, Allegheny County, Pa. The Beckley bed was 39 to 58 inches thick at three points in the Caretta No. 5 mine, and the coal was 39 to 49 inches thick. The carbonizing sample contained 83.0 percent fixed carbon on the dry, mineral-matter-free basis. It contained 3.1 percent moisture, 15.8 percent volatile matter, 72.4 percent fixed carbon, 0.7 percent sulfur, and 8.7 percent ash, as carbonized. The ash softened at 2,680° F. The free-swelling index was 7;i, and the agglutinating value was 7.7. This sample fused weakly in the Gieseler plastometer; its blends with 70 and 80 percent Pittsburgh coal attained maximum fluidities of 830 and 600 dial divisions per minute, respectively. The single coal yielded 83.0 percent coke at 900° C. Yields of other carbonization products per ton of coal at 900° C. were: Gas, 9,950 cubic feet; tar, 3.5 gallons; light oil, 1.36 gallons; and ammonium sulfate, 16.3 pounds. Blending with Pittsburgh coal lowered the yield of coke and raised the yields of other products significantly. Caretta coal yielded strong, blocky coke at 900° C., 89 percent of which was plus-2-inch size. Strength indexes of 900° C. coke from 30:70 blends of Caretta No. 5 and Pittsburgh and of Pocahontas No. 3 and Pittsburgh coals were, respectively: 2-inch shatter, 68 and 53; 1%-inch shatter, 90 and 85; 1-inch tumbler, 50 and 53; and %-inch tumbler, 62 and 65. The specific gravity of the 900° C. gas from Caretta No. 5 coal was 0.272, and the heating values were 491 B. t. u. per cubic foot and 2,440 B. t. u. per pound of coal. The blends yielded much richer gas. Yields of tar acids and bases (0.09 and 0.04 gallon per ton, respectively) were within the normal ranges for low-volatile coals. Caretta No. 5 coal expanded 7.5 percent in the sole-heated oven at a charge density of 55.5 pounds per cubic foot. The blends containing 70 and 80 percent Pittsburgh coal contracted 4.8 and 7.5 percent, respectively.

Jan 1, 1953

By L. C. Brichta

The Melrose zinc-lead. deposit is in an area of structural disturbance of sedimentary rocks in the Melrose mining district in Cherokee County, Kans., 25 miles west of Joplin, Mo., adjacent to the northwest limits of the Tri-State district. Mining and milling in the Melrose district has been sporadic and. very limited, largely due to the high cost of exploration through great thicknesses of barren rock, 350 to 440 feet overlying the ore deposits. No mining has ever been done on the Melrose zinc-lead tract, but it has been drilled extensively. The drill-hole logy indicate extensive structural deformation, silicification, and zinc-lead deposits in the Boone limestone-chert formations of the Mississippian series, which is overlain by thick-bedded Pennsylvanian shale and sandstone. Analyses of samples from Bureau of Mines drilling indicate the ore minerals are sphalerite and galena with no evident oxidation. During the period from November 2, 1949, to March 13, 1950, the Bureau of Mines investigated the deposit by churn drilling and sampling 23 holes aggregating 10,405 feet of bore. Factual data on the investigation and logs of holes drilled by private parties and the Bureau of Mines are presented in this report.

Jan 1, 1951

By H. P. Hermance

Preliminary examinations of the Parker and Webb deposits were made by E. E. Maillott, Bureau of Mines engineer in July 1942. The chemical and spectrographic analyses included in this report wore made at the Eastern Experiment Station of the Bureau of Mines at College Park, Md., under the general supervision successively of S. M. Shelton and of Paul M. Tyler, formerly regional engineer, Eastern Region. Beneficiation tests were conducted under the supervision of Frank D. Lamb. The mineral exploration was under the general supervision of J. D. Bardill, formerly district engineer. Acknowledgment is gratefully made to the St. Joseph Lead Co., in particular to John S. Brown and P. J. Mechin for their assistance. Special acknowledgment is made to the American Metal Co., Ltd., ,Ind to T. C. Moore for furnishing core-drill and assay data; to the Universal Exploration Co. and P. B. Jennings; and to the Northern New York Mining Corp. and C. H. Sprague for their permission to publish the core-drill dta. Excellent cooperation was given by Dr. W; M. Agar and C, L. Rogers of the Geological Survey.

Jan 1, 1949

By M. C. Malamphy

A general description of the activities and results of bauxite investigation by the Bureau of Mines at its bauxite project in Saline and Pulaski Counties, Ark., has been given in Report of Investigations 4251. In this volume and in a series of Reports of Investigations immediately following the factual data obtained during the project are reported. The data are accompanied by maps showing the location of holes drilled and the deposits developed. Each area upon which work was done is reported by half townships. Each bauxite deposit investigated was assigned a name and a number for ready reference and identification, and its location und name are shown on the appropriate half-township map.-The description of each half township is followed by a description of each deposit developed in that half township. The 14 half-township maps and 77 detail maps of the bauxite deposits in this eeri88 of reports give the locations and numbers of all the holes drilled on the project except the deep holes drilled to test the geophysical anomalies. The locations of those holes show on figure 13 in volume 1 (R. I. 4251). The descriptions of the deposits developed are followed by complete detailed logs of the drill holes. Many of the widely spaced exploratory holes did not discover bauxite of minable thickness and grade. The pertinent information obtained from the widely spaced exploratory drill holes has been summarized and tabulated, and a table tor each half township is given with the discussion covering that area.

Jan 1, 1948

By J. William Ganser

This paper is one of a series being prepared by the U. S. Bureau of Mines describing mining and milling methods and costs at cement-plant quarries throughout the United States. These papers are designed to disseminate technical information regarding the methods used. The cost tabulations represent local operating expenditures only and not total production costs. It is recognized that publication of total production costs might in many instances cause embarrassment to individual producers as well as to the industry as a whole. On the other hand, operating costs are essential to the technical discussion and study of the methods employed. The attention of the reader is specifically palled to this differentiation in order that no misunderstanding of the scope of the cost tabulations shall ensue. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author wishes to acknowledge the assistance of Fred Burkett, civil engineer, and F. O. Londrey, chief clerk, of the Trinity Portland Cement Co., for assistance in preparation of this paper, "The Geology of Dallas County. 1918," Bulletin 1818, Texas Geological Survey, Austin, Tex., by E. W. Shuler, was also freely consulted.

Jan 1, 1931

By E. J. Matson

From February until July 1943 the Bureau of Mines conducted an exploration project at the Majuba Hill mine to determine tonnage aria grade of the copper and tin ore and to search for extension of the mineralization. The work comprised sampling, long-hole drilling, underground excavation, and ore-dressing test.

Jan 1, 1948

By Frank B. Fulkerson

Barge traffic on the Nation's inland waterways over the past 15 years has been increasing at a rate much faster than intercity freight traffic by all modes, largely due to the growing consumption of mineral commodities, development of more powerful towboats and large and more specialized barges, improvements to loading and unloading facilities, and competition among bargelines for contract shipment of bulk commodities. The Bureau of Mines, in a study to determine barge traffic projections for inland waterways in the South-Central States to the year 1980, gathered data on origin-destination patterns by commodity, quantity moved, equipment used, and rates charged; the trend of each of these factors over time; and the extent of competition between water trans-port and other means of transportation. The Mississippi River and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, which together carryover half the Nation's barge traffic, are major carriers of coal, crude petroleum, steel, marine shells, sulfur, salt, cement, and alumina. Greater quantities of these products will be transported by barge; however, oil pipe-lines and unit trains for coal are expected to limit increased barge traffic of these two commodities. Increasing quantities of fertilizer materials will be transported upstream. Although congestion at certain locks is a current problem, the Mississippi River below St. Louis and other open-river stretches have the capacity to handle the increasing number of barges for the foreseeable future.

Jan 1, 1969

These proceedings consist of papers presented at three Bureau of Mines Technology Transfer Seminars on ergonomics in the mining industry. These seminars were held in December 1981, and covered topics relating to ergonomics and mining in the areas of the man-machine interface, and design of the work environment. This area of research is directed toward reducing accidents traditionally associated with human error.

Jan 1, 1981

By F. F. Netzeband

This report relates to the sulfur industry of seven States--Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas--and is part of a national study of the sulfur industry by the Bureau of Mines. Markets as used 1n this report are divided into two components for individual analysis--(1) supplier markets which include regional Frasch and byproduct sulfur producers and (2) consumer markets which include processors and manufacturers requiring sulfur in their operations. The term sulfur as used in this report includes brimstone, native sulfur, elemental sulfur, or sulfur equivalents.

Jan 1, 1964

By G. H. Gronhovd

This report describes the design and initial operation of a slagging gasification pilot plant installed by the Bureau of Mines at the Lignite Research Laboratory, Grand Forks, N. Dak., in 1958-59. The tests covered in this report were conducted over a period of about 2 years, beginning in April 1959. The pilot plant was designed for eventual operation at pressures ranging from 400 to 600 p.s.i.g. (pounds per square inch gage); however, for the preliminary test reported here, the gasifier was fitted with a low-pressure slagging section and operated at atmospheric pressure and at 80 p.s.i.g. The reason for using a low-pressure slagging section for initial operation was to facilitate modifications in design during the development of a reliable slagging procedure.

Jan 1, 1962

By Michael E. Henderson

The U.S. Bureau of Mines (BOM) constructed the Hydraulic Transport Research Facility (HTRF) to investigate the hydraulic parameters relating to the transport of coarse coal. To achieve these goals in a timely and efficient manner, the Bureau contracted to Boeing Services International, Inc. (BSI) the responsibility of operating the HTRF and providing technical support. This data report is a summary of the testing and data results for the period from 16 September to 1 November 1983. The testing covered herein is for coarse 2-in by a (minus 50 mm) Pittsburgh Seam coal in a 12-in (3 00 mm) pipeline, at velocities ranging from 5 to 18 ft/s (1.5 to 5.5 m/s) and at concentrations ranging from 15 to 55 pct.

Jan 1, 1985