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By Fred L. Bishop

This paper describing the methods employed in the purchasing and supply departments of the Miami Copper Co., Miami, Ariz., is one of a series being prepared for and published by the United States Bureau of Mines on office practice in mining operations. GENERAL DESCRIPTION The Miami Copper Co.'s plant is located about 1 mile from the town of Miami, in the Globe-Miami Mining District, Gila County, Ariz. The property consists of a complete mining plant, concentrator, high-pressure steam power plant, and many other attendant structures. In normal times the company employs about 1,500 men, and mines and mills about 6,000,000 tons of ore annually.

Jan 1, 1932

By Roy A. White

The development of a fire and rot-resistant coating treatment for mine timbers, along with the associated processing technology, is described. Included are a literature search, laboratory studies of polyimide-fungicide coatings, and leaching and fungus growth studies on coated wood blocks. Finally, an economic analysis is performed tor various levels of production.

Jan 1, 1977

By Jesse A. Miller

ALTHOUGH the element titanium was discovered by William Gregor in 1790, over a hundred years passed before it was put to commercial use. The first commercial application of titanium was as an alloy additive to iron and steel, and the first ferroalloys were produced domestically in 1906. Titanium pigments were developed somewhat later and have been produced in the United States since 1918. The use of titaniferous material in welding-rod coatings first gained acceptance ill the mid-30's. The metal titanium has only had commercial importance since 1948; domestic production for that year was 10 tons. The relative importance of these major uses of titanium in various forms may he gaged by the consumption of titanium dioxide (Ti02) for these purposes in 1954. Of a total of 440,000 short tons of Ti02 consumed in 1954, 95 percent of the total was consumed for pigments; 2 percent for welding-rod coatings; 1 percent for non-titanium-base alloys and carbide; and 2 percent for miscellaneous uses. The titanium-metal industry is in its infancy, but it has more than doubled its output every year from 1948 to 1954, reaching 5,370 short tons in 1954.

Jan 1, 1957

By R. S. Warfield

The Kasna Creek copper deposit near Lake Kontrashibuna in the Lake Clark region, Alaska, was the object of an investigative project by the Bureau of Mines during the fall of 1948. Recessed because of inclement weather, it was completed in 1949. This project was a part of the Bureau of Mines program in Alaska for the development of critical and strategic minerals. The ore bodies are contact-replacement deposits in limestone. Mineralization is mainly specular and micaceous hematite associated with chalcopyrite, calcite, chlorite, quartz, and amphibole. The deposit, on the right limit of Kasna Creek approximately 2 miles from the shore of Lake Kontrashibuna, is composed of two mineralized zones that range in altitude from 2,350 to 2,650 feet. This report contains a brief history of the prospect, description of the physical setting of the property, its geology, and the factual results of the Work performed by the Bureau of Mines.

Jan 1, 1951

By James P. Ludwig

This report provides the results of a two year study of the projected time and cost requirements for new mine development in Wisconsin and is based on a unique blend of information from mining company officials, state regulatory agency officials and contractor experience. Through formal cooperative and review agreements with Kennecott Copy per Corporation, Exxon Minerals Co., U.S.A. and Noranda Mines Ltd., and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources plus informal arrangements with knowledgeable Wisconsin persons, lists of the tasks and subtasks required to plan a new mine in Wisconsin were developed. Times and costs were assigned to all tasks and subtasks and these data reviewed by all cooperators. Critical Path Method Diagrams were then developed for a generalized mining project. Total time and cost for the premine planning process was estimated to be 25..1 years and 223 person-years of professional time excluding public affairs effort respectively. By eliminating redundancies in the process and by increasing project efficiency through early public review and participation, recom¬mendations were made to lessen the time and lower the cost of premine planning. The streamlining recommendations could shorten the overall critical path length to 18.16 years and lower the cost to 208 person-years of professional time excluding public affairs effort. The estimated distribution of professional effort (cost) for mine planning in Wisconsin approximates 50.5% for traditional mine engineering tasks, 36.6% for environmental-regulatory tasks and 12.9% for traditional geological-exploration tasks.

Jan 1, 1979

The Black Hills Mineral Atlas briefly summarizes all pertinent date available on the mines and mineral deposits in the Black Hills that have been explored, developed, mined, or located. The purpose of the atlas is threefold: First, from available date the general potentialities of the Black Hills region can be determined, although it is not possible to calculate actual ore reserves; second, it will provide the necessary basic information regarding a given property or commodity for further detailed study; and third, the compilation is a comprehensive directory of Black Hills deposits.

Jan 1, 1954

By Lincoln A. Stewart

"INTRODUCTION The First Supplemental National Defense Appropriation Act, approved August, 25,, 1941, authorized the Bureau of Mines to investigate sources of raw, material for western production and appropriated funds for that purpose. Numerous iron deposits and prospects in the Western States were investigated. Among those selected for more detailed investigation were tile Apache and Chodiski deposits in Arizona.The United States Geological Survey had examined these deposits in 1929 3/ and estimated that ""the quantity of minable ore reasonably to be expected in this locality will reach 10,000,000 long tons, but it will require prospecting by core drill to demonstrate this quantity with certainty"". C. H. Johnson, a mining engineer of the Bureau of Mines, made a preliminary examination in October 1941 and proposed exploration of the Apache deposit Canyon Creek.A trench sampling project was set up, and work at the Apache deposit commenced in November 1941. Mapping, trenching, and sampling of outcrops was completed in March 1942. Trenches were laid out at approximately 200-foot intervals for about 9,200 feet along the iron outcrop east of Canyon Creek, and channel samples were taken across the iron formation. The outcrop also was explored by trenching and sampling along a 1,900-foot outcrop on the west side of Canyon Creek.The first diamond-drilling campaign at Apache was initiated in May 1942 and continued to January 1943, when work was suspended owing to depletion of funds. Six holes spaced at approximately 500-foot intervals and, 500 feet back from the outcrop on the east side of Canyon Creek were drilled through the iron formation during this period.While this drilling was in progress, the Chediski deposit was mapped, trenched, and sampled. The trenches were spaced at intervals of approximately 800 feet along 10,000 feet of the iron-ore outcrop."

Jul 1, 1947

By M. J. Kovalik

The effect of oxidation by air at temperatures ranging from 200° to 390° C on the change of chemical and physical properties of Pittsburgh-bed coal was studied as a function of processing time and temperature. The goal was to prepare a nonagglomerating fuel from a strongly coking coal for use in continuous carbonizing processes and in fixed-bed gasifiers. The oxidized coal was carbonized in a bench-scale apparatus, and the coke strength was evaluated in a Roga tumbler. Strength of the coke was progressively reduced with time of oxidation until the coking power of the coal was apparently destroyed. Time requirements to obtain an essentially nonagglomerating product were inversely related to processing temperature. Gaseous products released from the coal during oxidation reduced the yield of the desired nonagglomerating product, which decreased with time of oxidation at constant temperature and with increase in processing temperature at equal time. Oxidation at a temperature slightly above the lower limit of the plastic temperature range of Pittsburgh-bed coal was most effective because of the short processing time required and moderate processing losses.

Jan 1, 1963

By David A. Andrews

Coal occurs at many scattered localities in Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, and Oregon, but in most of the known occurrences thick coal beds are of small extent and the coal generally contains a high percentage of impurities. The coal beds occur at many different horizons in strata of Cretaceous and Tertiary age. Bituminous coal has been found in several areas, the most extensive of which is the Eden Ridge field of Oregon. Lignite also occurs in many places, but the only extensive deposit is in the Goose Creek field of Idaho, Nevada, and "Utah. The coal reserves of the region are largely of subbituminous rank; most of the subbituminous coal is in the Black Mesa field of northeastern Arizona and the Coos Bay field of Oregon. The Black Mesa field contains more than 80 percent of the coal reserves of all ranks but is remote from both transportation facilities and centers of consumption. Substantial reserves ill the Coos Bay field are favorably situated with respect to transportation and markets. ARIZONA Subbituminous coal occurs in the Black Mesa, Pinedale, and Gallup coal fields in Apache, Navajo, and Coconino Counties, Ariz. (fig. 1). Bituminous coal occurs in the Deer Creek field in Pinal and Graham Counties and in a small area in Apache County at the north-east corner of the State. All the coal beds are in strata of Cretaceous age. The coal in the Gallup field and at the northeast corner of the State lies in the Western edge of the San Juan structural basin. "Vest and south of this basin the coal-bearing strata have been removed by erosion except in high mesas.

Jan 1, 1947

By Alfred Petrick

This study gives an analysis of the copper system byproducts and discusses the identification and classification of byproduct metals and their supply systems. Arsenic, platinum-group metals, silver, gold, selenium, tellurium, molybdenum, rhenium, uranium, aluminum, magnesium, and byproduct copper, lead, and zinc from complex ores are covered. The report describes several metallurgical systems, the marginal and incremental products costs of byproduct subsystems, industry structure and organization, and the historical data on price, consumption, and supply. Supply curves are presented for about one-half of the byproduct metals studied. The study develops a conceptual framework for analysis by reviewing the present concepts of byproduct supply and the related price theory. It gives the sources of supply of the individual byproduct metals to indicate the importance of the byproduct supply to the total supply. Mills, smelters, and refineries processing byproduct materials for their metal content are identified by geographic location and company ownership, The study also includes information on the reserves-resource base supporting byproduct output, reserve estimates, and the demand aspects of each byproduct metal.

Jan 1, 1973

By T. Muldoon

Literature review and extensive field survey of line and check curtain materials and practices showed: ? Miners, in general, know how to set tight curtains, and do so when needed. ? The tradeoff is economic; tight ventilation is labor-intensive. Line and check curtain techniques found are catalogued and evaluated. A fieldworthy 10 ft extensible brattice to maintain a 10 ft setback was found in use in two mines on continuous miner faces. This technique was evaluated in the laboratory for leakage and methane control at the face. Significant results include: 1) Air leakage through a gap in the extensible curtain depends upon the ratio of the cross-sectional areas between entry and return as well as gap area; 2) Gap shape has no significant effect on methane concentrations at the face -increasing gap area diminishes ventilation effectivness; and 3) Substantial reductions of CH4 concentrations at the face were accomplished by brattice extensions with gaps of up to 5 ft2 in area. An "inby hook," inserted in the roof automatically to make possible the deployment of a longer (20 ft) brattice extension in the context of a remotely controlled miner, was tested in various roof types. Insertion of this design succeeded only in coal.

Jan 1, 1982

By Paul M. Tyler

One by one new metals come to share the burden of modern industry. Long before the Christian era potters and glass workers employed fine and costly blue pigments that contained cobalt. Cobalt blue class has been found in the tombs of the Egyptians and in the ruins of Troy, and many of the colors used by the ancient Greeks and Romans contained cobalt. The ancients, however, were apparently unaware that the colors they used were caused by cobalt, and it was not until late in the 17th century that the existence of the element was recognized, Writers in the Middle Ages referred to "cobalos" as an evil spirit that haunted mines and caused trouble to the miners. Subsequently the German worms "Kobold," meaning goblin, came to be applied to any baffling mineral and particularly to minerals that resembled ores but failed to yield metal when smelted. Even to-day there is something of an air of mystery about cobalt, and a medieval cloak of secrecy still surrounds many of the metallurgical processes employed in its production. "Zaffre" was mentioned about the middle of the sixteenth century by Biringuccio, and in 1735 the metal war, first prepared by G. Brandt. To preparation of cobalt compounds, however, must have been carried on in at least a small way ever since the opening of the silver-cobalt deposits of Schneeberg in 1470. By 1790 there were 25 works engaged in the industry, rust of them located in Saxony, but the total output of these works probably did not exceed 300 tone of cobalt annually, mostly in the fore of smalt. The smalt which contained approximately 6 per cent cobalt was sold in Venice in 1520 at about 16 cents a pound. A few refineries in Holland supplied the Irish linen trade, contributed a farce amount to the Dutch linen industries, and alto provided smaller quantities for the manufactuer of litmus in Holland. A complete description of the early [histor,] of the cobalt industry in Saxony, is given by Mickle in the Deport of the Bureau of Mines of Ontario, vol. 19, 1913, pt. 2, pp. 234-251.

Jan 1, 1930

By R. G. Bottge

To better understand those factors which increase mining costs in Alaska, a Bureau of Mines study was conducted to compare the estimated costs of operating a 100,000-tpd open pit copper mine located on a hypothetical ore body in the Lake Clark area, Alaska, with the costs of mining a similarly sized hypothetical copper ore body near Tucson, Ariz. The information derived should be beneficial to the State and Federal governments in appraising the potential for development of large, low-grade porphyry copper deposits in south-central Alaska. Conventional mining and concentrating methods were assumed, and capital and operating costs were derived using flowsheets and standard costing methods. The total price required for copper mined in Alaska and Arizona was $1.12 and $0.63 per pound, respectively, plus or minus 20 percent. These values were obtained assuming no leaching of low-grade copper, recovery of gold, silver, and molybdenum as byproducts, 100-percent equity financing, and a 12 percent discounted cash flow rate of return. The average domestic and international prices for copper in July 1973 were $0.60 and $0.916 per pound, respectively. The existence of a developed transportation and power system in Alaska would have reduced capital and operating costs subs tantially. The required price for copper would have declined from $1.12 to $1.05 per pound, plus or minus 20 percent.

Jan 1, 1974

By Robert A. Miller

This computer program determines the price per ton of coal needed to obtain a profit of 12 percent discounted cash flow. From a predetermined equipment and manning list, the program calculates all costs and prints seven tables, Including the equipment and manning tables and the discount cash flow table. Forty-four of the input variables may be readily changed to study their effects upon the final price per ton of coal or upon individual cost items. The method is adaptable for any type of mining and with additions, for beneficiation processes. This program was written in Fortran IV for use on the IBM 11302 and with few modifications can be used on other computers.

Jan 1, 1971

By C. W. Davis

During the fiscal year 1935-36, the Ore-Testing Section has been active in carrying out a program designed to attain the objectives that have been set up for it. For the Purpose of standardizing important testing methods, an attempt has been made to develop a rationalized scheme for ore testing, starting with preliminary investigations to determine the physical and chemical properties of the ore, following this with a logical selection and trial of processing tests to find out how the ore may be most effectively treated, and concluding with a discussion of what interpretation may be placed on the results in terms of plant design and operation. A selection of Procedures that appear well-suited to the ore-dressing problems under investigation is included in the following paper of this report so that other experimenters may be enabled to verify our findings and to offer criticisms and suggestions for improving our practice. A tentative scheme for the evaluation of flotation reagents is being investigated, and some progress has been made in a study to determine the significance of small-scale testing. These projects have required 899 analyses. Papers on these and others on ore testing, such as testing for amalgamation and for cyanidation, will be included in future annual reports.

Jan 1, 1937

By C. W. Davis

During the fiscal year 1935-36, the Ore-Testing Section has been active in carrying out a program designed to attain the objectives that have been set up for it. For the purpose of standardizing important testing methods, an attempt has been made to develop a rationalized scheme for ore testing, starting with preliminary investigations to determine the physical and chemical properties of the ore, following this with a logical selection and trial of processing tests to find out how the ore may be most effectively treated, and concluding with a discussion of what interpretation may be placed on the results in terms of plant design and operation. A selection of procedures that appear well-suited to the ore-dressing problems under investigation is included in the following paper of this report so that other experimenters may be enabled to verify our findings and to offer criticisms and suggestions for improving our practice. A tentative scheme for the evaluation of flotation reagents is being investigated, and some progress has been made in a study to determine the significance of small-scale testing. These projects have required 899 analyses. Papers on these and others on ore testing, such as testing for amalgamation and for cyanidation, will be included in future annual reports.

Jan 1, 1937

Reynolds Metals Company announced plans to increase its rate of production of primary aluminum by 17 thousand tons per year by the end of February. Other producers were expected to increase operating rates during the first quarter of 1976 (see table 10 pg. 29). CHROMIUM -Under the Trade Act of 1974, a petition was filed July 16, 1975, with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) by the Tool and Stainless Steel Industry Committee for Import Relief and the United Steelworkers of America, AFL-CIO, for import relief for certain stainless and alloy tool steel products. The Commission determined on January 16, 1976, in a report to the President, that increased quantities of imports of stainless steel sheet and strip, plate, bar, and rod and alloy tool steel except ingots, blooms, billets, slabs, and sheet bars were a substantial cause of serious injury or threat thereof. The Commission recommended import quotas for the period 1976 through 1980. The President has 2 months in which to act, with his decision subject to a Congressional override.

Jan 1, 1976

By Gary A. Kingston

This examination of Pacific Northwest (Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington) ferrous scrap-industry operations, principally those in Oregon and Washington, points out factors influencing the supply and consumption of scrap materials, such as the complete dependence of steel ingot producers in these States on scrap as a metal raw material and the sizable quantity of scrap exported from Seattle and Portland to Japan. The pattern of the industry is presented as a movement of materials from their diverse sources to the consuming market. The geographic locations of the consuming industries in relation to the areas generating scrap materials and the movement pattern of the supply from source to destination strongly influences the cost of the commodity. The best measure of the scrap supply available in an area is experience in terms of how much scrap was withdrawn at a given price. Scrap availability is not finite, because the return of materials as scrap is secular and influenced by constantly varying market conditions. Steel ingot producers use 75 percent of the approximate 500,000 tons of scrap consumed in Oregon and Washington; steel foundries take 15 percent of the total; and iron foundries, ferroalloy plants, and other miscellaneous consumers utilize the remainder. Also, from 1955 to 1960 an average of about 200,000 tons has been exported annually from Oregon and Washington. The foreign exports are supplemented by lesser shipments to other steel producing States, principally in the western United States. From 1955 to 1960 the preferred and higher value heavy melting scrap grades accounted for about 60 percent of total withdrawals which varied between 600,000 and 950,000 tons annually. Total crap withdrawals from Oregon and Washington are projected to 1.8 million tons by 1985, 60 percent (1.1 million tons) of which will be heavy melting grades. No. 1 heavy melting scrap is most attractive to scrap consumers at $35 per ton or less. Price-supply relationships compared with projected scrap requirements indicate future prices possibly over $35 per ton. High prices over a long period could motivate the Pacific Northwest scrap consumers to produce steel from iron ore. However, technologic changes taking place at integrated steel plants could reduce scrap withdrawals from the Pacific Northwest, which might keep the scrap price sufficiently attractive to obviate production of competitive iron products by the Pacific Northwest scrap consumers.

Jan 1, 1964

By Bill Linville

During fiscal years 1967-68, the Bureau of Mines produced 185 technical papers and reports about petroleum and oil-shale research, which were published either by the Bureau or by others as referable scientific literature. Numerous other reports were prepared for Government agencies, State agencies, and organizations of the petroleum and natural gas industry engaged in cooperative research programs with the Bureau. Research performed during the reporting period by the Bureau on petroleum, natural gas, and oil shale was classified by 71 active projects. A basic appropriation of $3,575,000 was supplemented by $1,300,000 in fiscal year 1967, and that of $4,043,000 by $1,402,000 in fiscal year 1968, making the appropriated-to-supplemental fund ratios about 2.8 to 1 for fiscal year 1967 and 2.9 to 1 for fiscal year 1968. In fulfillment of the mission of the Bureau, through planned research programs, methods for producing and utilizing petroleum were improved. The continued conservation of this natural resource of petroleum, including crude oil, natural gas, and oil shale, was pursued through research performed by some 350 personnel at two petroleum research centers and two petroleum research laboratories supervised and supported by administrative personnel of the Bureau and the Department of the Interior.

Jan 1, 1970

By Paul J. Guay

This report presents the results of evaluating a longwall mining system specifically designed to extract a very deep web (60 inches or deeper) from a longwall panel. The report includes a productivity and cost analysis comparing the new mining sys-tem with a high capacity conventional longwall operation taking a 30-inch wide web. The analysis shows the new system will increase annual production 44 percent and decrease cost per ton off the face 21 percent. The report also includes conceptual drawings and specifications for a high capacity four-drum shearer and a unique shield type of roof support specifically designed for very wide web operation. The advantages and problems associated with wide web mining are discussed in general and as they relate specifically to the equipment selected for the new mining system. The study concludes by recommending that surface coal loading tests be conducted as the follow-on work.

Jan 1, 1978