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By Y. P. Chugh, R. F. Roethe

Surface coal mining productivity in the US and Illinois has declined since 1969. The US Department of Energy conducted an analysis in 1980 of the causes of declining productivity in different states. This paper presents a detailed analysis of changes in overall productivity and productivity in different functions, such as overburden preparation and stripping, reclamation, and coal handling, from 1970 to 1982. Statisical analysis techniques, including multiple regression were used in the study.

Jan 1, 1985

By John W. Tieman

Coal is a term applied to vegetable matter (trees, grasses, etc.) which was subjected to heat and pressure through geologic ages. This resulted in a change in both the physical and chemical properties. Because its chemical composition is variable, geologists classify coal as a heterogeneous mineral rather than a homogeneous mineral. Peat represents the initial, unconsolidated stage in the development of coal. This coalification continues with time and the application of temperature and pressure to lignite, subbituminous, bituminous, and anthracite toward the theoretical graphite end member. PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF COAL The physical properties are concerned with the characteristics of coal in its natural state, or prior to its end use as a fuel. For example, the hardness and grindability of coal determine the maintenance cost for coal mining, handling, and pulverizing equipment; the specific gravity of coal and its associated minerals determines the coal preparation technique used in a cleaning plant as well as the capacity of coal bins, boats and size of cargo, and other coal storage facilities. The physical properties are, of course, dependent on the chemical constituents of coal, and all properties are interrelated. Specific Gravity The specific gravity (sp gr) of a solid is the ratio of the weight of a cubic foot of the solid to the weight of a cubic foot of water. The specific gravity of pure coal has been reported to range between 1.23 to 1.72 and increases with the change in rank from lignite to anthracite. This means that it is 1.23 to 1.72 times heavier than water.

Jan 1, 1981

By L. G. Graper, E. L. Ramsey

The present program of increased production of armament and lend-lease material for mechanized war has created a problem for the shops that must do the machining. They have naturally turned to the steel producers to provide them with a steel that can be accurately machined with the greatest possible speed. The adding of sulphur to steel as an aid to machinability has long been practiced; however, it may cause red shortness in rolling and may result in billets with seams and cracks, which must be removed before rolling can be continued. This conditioning of billets slows down production and adds to the cost of making steel. Experience with various grades of sulphur steel made to different specifications has shown that Bessemer sulphur steels roll better than similar grades made in the open hearth, and also that low-carbon steels that are open or semikilled as tapped roll better than completely deoxidized or killed steels. This has led to the belief that oxygen plays an important part in the rolling qualities of sulphur-bearing steels. It is generally held that the red shortness of sulphur steels is due to the low melting point of the sulphide compounds that separate out at the grain boundaries when the steel solidifies. At the rolling temperature of steel these sulphide compounds melt and cause cracking. Adding Sulphur as a Sulphite These difficulties can be avoided if sulphur is introduced into the stecl by means of an anhydrous sulphite, such as sodium sulphite or sodium bisulphite, which—upon decomposition—forms sulphur dioxide. It is assumed that, in this case, the oxygen of the sulphur dioxide forms part of the sulphide inclusions in the steel, and raises their solidification temperature enough so that the formation in the steel of a low-melting eutectic is prevented. The result is the prevention of hot shortness and a more uniform distribution of inclusions. Fig. I shows photomicrographs of steels made with sulphur, while Fig. 2 illustrates the structure of steels made with sodium bisulphite. These samples were cut from the steels as cast—that is, before rolling— and were polished and lightly etched to bring out the grain boundaries. Fig. I shows that sulphide inclusions segregate more or less at the grain boundaries, and it can be seen how the continuity of these low-melting inclusions would cause red shortness. Fig. 2 shows that the sulphide inclusions arc more or less uniformly distributed throughout the matrix. This arrangement of inclusions has no apparent effect on the rolling qualities of a steel. This statement has been substantiated by the observation of the rolling of over 6000 tons of steel made with a sulphite addition. Results As stated before, the sulphur dioxide is added to steel by means of the decomposi- 27

Jan 1, 1942

By L. G. Graper, E. L. Ramsey

The present program of increased production of armament and lend-lease material for mechanized war has created a problem for the shops that must do the machining. They have naturally turned to the steel producers to provide them with a steel that can be accurately machined with the greatest possible speed. The adding of sulphur to steel as an aid to machinability has long been practiced; however, it may cause red shortness in rolling and may result in billets with seams and cracks, which must be removed before rolling can be continued. This conditioning of billets slows down production and adds to the cost of making steel. Experience with various grades of sulphur steel made to different specifications has shown that Bessemer sulphur steels roll better than similar grades made in the open hearth, and also that low-carbon steels that are open or semikilled as tapped roll better than completely deoxidized or killed steels. This has led to the belief that oxygen plays an important part in the rolling qualities of sulphur-bearing steels. It is generally held that the red shortness of sulphur steels is due to the low melting point of the sulphide compounds that separate out at the grain boundaries when the steel solidifies. At the rolling temperature of steel these sulphide compounds melt and cause cracking. Adding Sulphur as a Sulphite These difficulties can be avoided if sulphur is introduced into the stecl by means of an anhydrous sulphite, such as sodium sulphite or sodium bisulphite, which—upon decomposition—forms sulphur dioxide. It is assumed that, in this case, the oxygen of the sulphur dioxide forms part of the sulphide inclusions in the steel, and raises their solidification temperature enough so that the formation in the steel of a low-melting eutectic is prevented. The result is the prevention of hot shortness and a more uniform distribution of inclusions. Fig. I shows photomicrographs of steels made with sulphur, while Fig. 2 illustrates the structure of steels made with sodium bisulphite. These samples were cut from the steels as cast—that is, before rolling— and were polished and lightly etched to bring out the grain boundaries. Fig. I shows that sulphide inclusions segregate more or less at the grain boundaries, and it can be seen how the continuity of these low-melting inclusions would cause red shortness. Fig. 2 shows that the sulphide inclusions arc more or less uniformly distributed throughout the matrix. This arrangement of inclusions has no apparent effect on the rolling qualities of a steel. This statement has been substantiated by the observation of the rolling of over 6000 tons of steel made with a sulphite addition. Results As stated before, the sulphur dioxide is added to steel by means of the decomposi- 27

Jan 1, 1942

S. LE FEVRE, Forest Glen, N. Y. (communication to the Secretary*).¬F. L. Nason thinks I could not have studied Mr. Witherbee's paper and doubts the arithmetic used, but in his discussion arrives at practically the same conclusion. He says 10 ft. thickness of ore over a square mile should give 27,878,400 tons, allowing 10 cu. ft. per ton of ore. This is correct, but if he reads carefully he will see that this depth of ore was figured as covering one-tenth of the surface, which reduces the figures to those used by Mr. Nason. I did not say, however, that there were 2,300,000,000 tons of ore in New Jersey, but that applying the same method of computation as used by Mr. Nason, to the area of the iron ore-bearing gneisses in New Jersey, we would get a total of 2,300,000,000. I did say, "In this area are located 366 magnetite mines that have been worked more or less. These lenses may easily be capable of producing (on an average) 1,000,000 tons each, and there are probably double the number listed not opened up." Thus my estimate for New Jersey, as far as any was made, would be: Probable ore 366,000,000 Possible ore in addition 732,000,000 1,098,000,000 Mr. Nason's final conclusion of his personal estimate was one-half of what he erroneously read to be the estimate given in the paper, or half of 2,300,000,000, which equals 1,150,000,000. So the two estimates seem to differ less than 5 per cent., and we have the two sister States of New York and New Jersey on an equal footing of productive possibilities in magnetic ore.

Jan 6, 1917

By F. V. Lenel

This discussion is concerned with the method of manufacturing, the design possibilities, and the properties of pole pieces for direct-current electric . motors and generators made from iron powder. In such applications as pole pieces, the electric and magnetic properties of the material are of major importance, therefore they are discussed somewhat more fully. However, the main advantage in making pole pieces from powders lies in the rapid and inexpensive method of manufacturing these pieces, and in the flexibility of design, rather than in their superior electrical properties. As a matter of fact, pole pieces from iron powder have found their principal field of usefulness in small electric motors for controls and similar applications where the highest possible flux density in a given design is not required. Fig. I shows a number of different designs for pole pieces made from iron powder. The steps involved in fabricating them are: (I) briquetting—with each stroke of the briquetting press a complete . pole piece is produced; (2) sintering, and (3) sizing, which is a one-step coining operation in a hand-operated punch press. Conventionally small pole pieces are made from laminated electrical sheet steel stock by punching out the laminations and riveting them together (Fig. 2). The powder method has the advantage of being rapid and inexpensive; also, it makes possible the molding of pole pieces with a round hub, which are better from a design standpoint, as will be shown later. It is difficult to make such round-hubbed pieces from laminated stock. The pole pieces could, of course, be machined from solid stock, but this method is not widely used. The raw material for making pole pieces from powder is straight iron powder without the addition of any alloying ingredients. However, the grade of powder used is of considerable importance, as will be shown later when the influence of the grade of iron powder upon the magnetic properties is discussed. Pole pieces are briquetted in the same way that other iron-powder machine parts are made. Because the pole pieces are flanged—i.e., they have a hub and a wing section—they are made in presses that apply pressure from both ends. For best mechanical and magnetic properties, the density throughout the piece should be even and also should be constant from piece to piece. For that reason a powder of constant compressibility from batch to batch is needed for briquetting pole pieces. One method of obtaining the required magnetic properties is to sinter the pole pieces at temperatures higher than are used for most iron-powder parts. A temperature of 2400°F. and an atmosphere of hydrogen has been found satisfactory. No automatic furnaces of the roller hearth or mesh-belt type have yet been developed for such high temperatures. A box-type furnace heated with Globar heating ele-

Jan 1, 1945

By K. Aoki, N. Kameda, T. Esaki

The shortage of adequate construction sites and their difficult location has compelled many engineering structures to be planned in old mining areas in Japan. This paper shows, first, the characteristics of the excavated underground environment and next, the necessary preventive measures during construction of surface structures. Where the depth of a mined out area is relatively shallow, there is a tendency of cave-in consequent to surface loadings. The effect of surface loadings is inversely proportional to the depth of goals. Finally, a power plant project is studied as an example.

Jan 1, 1984

By John G. Bartram

The oil business has been relatively quiet in Wyoming during 1934. Only 34 producing wells were completed, 54 dry holes were drilled, and at the end of the year only 30 wells are listed as drilling. Wyoming still has a large reserve of production shut in, mostly in black oil or asphaltic base fields in the northwestern part of the state. The total oil production increased from 11,171,500 bbl. in 1933 to 12,539,470 in 1934, but light oil production continued to decline, and the increase was made by black oil fields. This is partly due to natural decline of light oil fields, especially Salt Creek, Big Muddy and Lost Soldier, but largely because of increased demands for road oil. The Rocky Mountain states spent much money to build and improve roads and a greater amount of road oil was used. The refining of black oil to manufacture road oil produced gasoline as a byproduct that slightly decreased the demand for light oil. The Oregon Basin and Frannie fields, in the Big Horn Basin, moved into second and third places in the list of producing fields in Wyoming because of their increased black oil production, and Big Muddy and Lost Soldier, light oil fields, dropped back. Wyoming stayed close to its allowed production, which was based on the needs of the refiners and purchasers. This activity in black oil resulted in a few more wells in the fields of the Big Horn Basin, but the greatest amount of drilling was in the shallow Osage field in eastern Wyoming. Osage supplies many little topping plants and at the close of 1934 there was not enough oil available there to supply all of them. In the Lost Soldier field and Salt Creek, one major company was rather active in a campaign to deepen, clean out and repair old wells to increase production, and the figures of that work are not included here. Of the light oil fields, Lance Creek promises to be most active during 1935, since the two wells in the recently discovered Sundance sand pool are producing and more wells will he drilled. With wildcatting almost at a standstill, two new oil fields were discovered in Wyoming in 1934. In Albany County, a 75-bbl. oil well was completed on Quealey dome in the Muddy sand (Upper Cretaceous)

Jan 1, 1935

NAME AND OBJECT SEC. 1. This Institute is incorporated under the Membership Corporations law of the State of New York; its corporate name is American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers, Incorporated; and its abbreviated title A. I. M. E. SEC. 2. The objects of this Institute, as set forth in its certificate of incorporation, are: "To promote the arts and sciences connected with the economic production of the useful minerals and metals, and the welfare of those employed in these industries by all lawful means; to hold meetings for social intercourse and the reading and discussion of professional papers, and to circulate by means of publications among its members the information thus obtained, and to establish and maintain a place for meeting of its members, and a hall for the reading of papers and delivery of addresses, and a library of books relating to subjects cognate to the sciences and arts of mining and metallurgy."

Jan 1, 1938

HENRY M. Howe, Bedford Hills, N. Y (written discussion*).¬Mr. Foley's explanation of this interesting occurrence is perfectly reasonable. Possibly a word explaining the phenomenon more in detail may not be amiss. In the act of solidification each drop as it starts to solidify splits up into a half drop poorer in carbon and another half drop richer in carbon than the drop itself. The half drop poorer in carbon solidifies and attaches itself to-the already solid walls, whereas the half drop richer in carbon remains molten for the excellent reason that it is richer and hence is more fusible than the original drop, and hence in turn is wholly fusible at the existing temperature. Under usual conditions, as when the steel solidifies in a mold of any form, the successive molten half drops thus enriched in carbon remain present and by their enrichment progressively raise the carbon con-tent of the remaining molten mass, out of which successive half drops are continuously solidifying and attaching themselves to the already solid walls. Because the molten mass thus. becomes progressively richer

Jan 10, 1919

By Robert D. Longyear

IN MOST diamond core drilling the primary objective is the recovery of samples to be used for chemical analysis, physical tests, or visual inspection. Unless these samples are reliable and the information systematically recorded, the time and money spent in securing them are largely wasted. A properly taken diamond-drill sample is similar to a properly moiled channel sample but more accurate. No channel sample can be moiled in as even a groove as the smooth cylinder of material normally removed in diamond drilling. More important still, sampling by the diamond drill practically eliminates that personal equation which Jora1emon4 reference numbers apply to publications listed in the bibliography at the end of this article) has aptly termed "the almost magnetic attraction of the most conscientious hand toward rich pieces of ore."

Jan 1, 1937

By J. George Gregr

INTRODUCTION This part contains field case studies of typical mishaps, accidents, equipment damage or post installation failures resulting from mistakes in design, manufacturing and construction, as well as improper storage, handling and installation procedures of the equipment covered in Part 1. GENERAL Certain mistakes are repeated and common rules violated on almost all industrial equipment installations, with the inevitable consequences of additional cost, construction delays and aggravation of all parties involved. The most common failures are in the following areas: Cleanliness of all components during installation and later in operation. Adherance to manufacturer' s recommendations and tolerances for equipment installation. Comprehensive, properly identified installation and maintenance records. Handling of the components. Adequate tooling and auxiliary equipment in working order. An inoperable hydraulic power unit for torque wrench or for jacking of the mill, or faulty crane can be a very costly proposition. A special area in comminution circuits are wear components. Apart from the mill liners, the wear components such as, feed chutes, rock boxes, mill trunnion liners, discharge sumps, etc. are designed to the best theoretical configuration, based on experiences in similar installations. However, each process is different to a various degree, mainly because of various types of ores and grinding requirements. Consequently the first generation of wear components is very seldom the ideal one. Based on operational experience, the shape and material of wear components should be modified, until the optimum, most economical design is achieved. SHIPPING AND STORAGE Considerable damage to the equipment can be done by careless packing, shipping or storage.

Jan 1, 1982

By Lynn Howell

IN a previous articles we have described a technique for measuring the relative intensities of gamma rays from the radioactive elements occurring naturally in geological formations along the walls of a borehole. The apparatus consisted of two Geiger-Müller tubes mounted inside a pressure-tight chamber. Each counter tube was coupled separately to an amplifier and a frequency meter at the surface by means of a multiconductor cable upon Which the chamber was suspended. The output currents of the two frequency meters were recorded on a photographic paper as the chamber was moved in 'the hole. These traces showed remarkable correlation with the geologic formations, as evidenced by comparison with commercial electrical logs.' Owing to the penetrating power of the gamma rays, logs may be taken in both open and cased boreholes. The apparatus has recently been changed somewhat. One of the counter tubes has been removed and a stage of amplification has been added. inside the chamber, This arrangement seems to give a more favorable signal-to-noise ratio and satisfactory logs can be now made in cased holes and also in open holes as previously, Briefly described, the chamber moving in the hole is made of 3,2-in. drill pipe and is about 10 ft. long. There is an additional extension about 2 ft, long at the top, inside which cable connections are made. The Geiger-Müller tube is mounted inside the bottom end of the chamber, Above this is the vacuum-tube amplifier with its batteries and transformer, In the top part of the chamber, small 45-volt batteries are mounted, which in part supply the high voltage for the counter tube, Additional voltage is supplied from the surface through the multiconductor cable upon which the chamber is suspended. Also, the output of the transformer in the single-stage amplifier is coupled to another single-stage amplifier at the surface through this cable. The surface amplifier is coupled to the Thyratron-controlled frequency meter, the tank circuit of which consists of a one megohm resistor across which is a bank of condensers varying in

Jan 1, 1939

By Richard A. Brown

The direct precipitation of uranium with hydrogen peroxide has been known since 1877. Commercial use of the process began in the 1960s. During 1967 the US Bureau of Mines (USBM) assisted the Climax Uranium Co., Grand Junction, CO in the development of a uranyl peroxide precipitation process to control a molybdenum impurity problem (Shabbir and Tame, 1978). Atlas Minerals, Moab, UT has used hydrogen peroxide to control vanadium and sodium levels in uranium concentrates since 1969 (Caropresso and Badger, 1973). Recently, the use of hydrogen peroxide by the uranium industry has grown, particularly since the increased demand for uranium has led to the processing of low grade ores. Impurities present in low-grade ores can be concentrated with the uranium during milling and will substantially complicate the refining of uranium yellowcake concentrates. Consequently, commercial nuclear fuel processors have imposed stringent specifications and penalties to control these impurities. The ability to produce a pure uranium yellowcake can eliminate penalty or reprocessing costs. Hydrogen peroxide precipitation of uranium is specific and quantitative, producing a very high purity product. Although the hydrogen peroxide precipitation of uranium has, and continues to be used primarily as means of producing a high purity yellowcake, it has also become an important process due to the superior physical properties of the precipitate. Under normal operating conditions, the precipitate produced by the reaction of hydrogen peroxide and uranium is dense, easily filtered and dried. The final dry yellowcake is pure, high U308 assay product. Consequently, processing costs such as filtering, drying and/or calcining and drumming, can be reduced compared to ammonia, caustic or Mag-Ox precipitation.

Jan 1, 1982

In answer to inquiries from members, Mr. Sheafer said that the culm-banks of which his paper gave the shipments were of about the average quality of the banks in the Mahanoy region of the Schuylkill field,.made prior to 1881 or 1882, when the practice of preparing buckwheat coal was introduced; but that in a very old hank, made about 1849, no coal above pea-size had been found. Apparently it was then the practice to ship everything. In reply to an inquiry concerning the utilization of the fine coaldust, Mr. Sheafer said that it was not utilized in connection with the washing described in his paper, but was carried away in the water as waste; that during Mr. Corbin's presidency the Reading Company built at Mahanoy City an extensive plant for making artificial fuel, but difficulty was encountered, due to the circumstance that the small coal from different collieries varied in its combustible quality and also in the amount of pitch required to be mixed with it, and he believed they concluded that from some varieties of the coal-dust a very good fuel could be made, but at a cost entirely too great for successful competition with cheap coal. Of course, the anthracite dust was not so well suited to this manufacture as bituminous slack. R. W. Raymond, New York City : I believe that was the practical outcome of the enterprise of a member of the Institute, Mr. E. F. Loiseau, now deceased. It was found, I think, as an additional drawback, that the manufacture of artificial compressed fuel from anthracite dust could not be successfully practiced with material so impure as that of the culm-banks. Consequently, the manufacture could be based on that source of supply only when accompanied with a preparatory washing. The most favorable location for it would be at large yards where the waste from the handling of coal, which is comparatively pure material, could be thus treated. I believe the manufacture of compressed fuel from bituminous coal was at one time a profitable business in Nova Scotia, but was destroyed by the indirect effect of the general introduction of watergas for illuminating purposes. The result of that change on the

Jan 1, 1895

By P. W. Bridgman

DURING the war, the Navy undertook the construction, under my direction, of an experimental gun embodying features designed to lessen the cost and time of production. These experiments were initiated after representations as to their, desirability had been offered by myself, by the Naval Consulting Board, and by the National Research Council. The first drawings were made in June, 1917, and the experiment was completed in November, 1918. For the sake of clearness it will pay to recapitulate briefly the fundamental idea of gun construction. It is well known that if a hollow cylinder is subjected to internal fluid pressure, the maximum stress occurs in the inside layers, the outer parts carrying much less than their due share of the stress. This inequality of stress is more pronounced the thicker the walls of the cylinder. If such a cylinder is pushed to the elastic limit, failure in elasticity will take place long before the outer layers have reached the limit of their capacity. Economical use of the material would demand, however, that all parts of the cylinder reach the limits of their capacity simultaneously. This may be brought about, at least in cylinders of not too great thickness, by producing in. the inner layers an initial compression, and in the outer layers an initial tension. The effect of internal pressure is at, first to relieve the compression of the inside layers, while increasing the tension of the outside layers. If the initial stresses are properly distributed, all parts of the cylinder will reach their elastic limits simultaneously, thus giving a cylinder of maximum strength for its weight. In gun construction as hitherto practiced, this initial distribution of stress is produced either by winding the inner tube with wire, a common English practice, or by shrinking hoops over the inner tube, which has been the standard American practice. Either process is long and expensive, particularly with the larger guns, 12- or 14-in., which require

Jan 2, 1920

By R. W. Ph. D. Raymond

PROFESSOR W. P. BLAKE, in a note to his Catalogue of California Minerals, pointed out that the mining districts of the Pacific slope are arranged in parallel zones, following the prevailing direction of the mountain ranges. This interesting generalization has been more fully illustrated and connected with the geological history of the country by Mr. Clarence King, who sums tip the observed phenomena as follows: "The Pacific coast ranges upon the west carry quicksilver, tin, and chromic iron. The next belt is that of the Sierra Nevada and Oregon Cascades, which, upon their west slope, bear two zones, a foot-hill chain of copper mines, and a middle line of gold deposits. These gold veins and the resultant placer mines extend far into Alaska, characterized by the occurrence of gold in quartz, by a small amount of that metal which is entangled in iron sulphurets, and by occupying splits in the upturned metamorphic strata of the Jurassic age. Lying to the east of this zone, along the east base of the Sierras, and stretching southward into Mexico, is a chain of silver mines, containing comparatively little base metal, and frequently included in volcanic rocks. Through Middle Mexico, Arizona, Middle Nevada, and Central Idaho is another line of silver mines, mineralized with complicated association of the base metals, and more often occurring in older rocks. Through New Mexico, Utah, and Western Montana lies another zone of argentiferous galena lodes. To the east, again, the New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana gold belt is an extremely well-defined and continuous chain of deposits." These seven longitudinal zones or chains of mineral deposits must

Jan 1, 1873

By D. C. Shelton

Eq. 4 and 5 on page 5 of the March 1965 issue of Transactions, and Eq. 12 on page 8 of the same issue should read respectively:

Jan 1, 1965

By E. J. Quinn, M. F. Fogler

In a recent paper, Rawdon and Mutchlerl gave some exceptionally interesting results on the Brinell and scratch hardness of severely cold-worked metals. In their work, they found that, on continued cold rolling, the metal hardened up to a particular point and then reversed and became softer; this was true for both Brinell and scratch hardness values. The generally reported behavior2 of metals, with respect to Brinell tests on cold-worked material, is that the metals harden up to a certain point and then, on further cold rolling, no change in Brinell hardness occurs. Jeffries and Archer3 state that there is little difference between the scratch hardness of annealed and cold-worked metals; the work of Faust and Tammann4 also indicated no difference between the hardness of annealed and cold-worked copper. Rawdon and Mutchler found, when they plotted the reduction ratio (initial thickness divided by thickness after rolling) against the hardness value for the cold-rolled material, that the hardness number increased up to a reduction ratio of about 3 and then decreased and became even smaller than that for the annealed metal. This behavior was reported for both scratch and Brinell hardness; Figs. 1 and 2 show their results for Brinell hardness on the metals for which they published data. This is an exceptionally interesting phenomenon, if it occurs under all conditions of rolling, and would have an important bearing on the practice of cold

Jan 1, 1925

By Walter H. Voskuil

Illinois supplies coal to seven states in the Upper Mississippi Valley —Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and portions of the Dakotas, Nebraska and Kansas. In this same area are marketed large quantities of coal from West Virginia, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and elsewhere; fuel oil from the crude petroleum supplies of the Mid-Continent fields, and natural gas from Louisiana, Kansas and the Texas Panhandle. The boundaries of this "Illinois coal-market area" are determined by competition from other coal fields and from other forms of fuel. Within the area so described 90 per cent of Illinois coal is marketed. Thus in the Southwest, an abundance of fuel-oil supplies and natural gas dominates the market almost to the exclusion of coal. The westward movement of Illinois coal in Kansas, Nebraska and the Dakotas is met by an eastward flow of high-grade coals from Colorado, Wyoming and Montana. In the lake-shore counties of Minnesota and Wisconsin, the market is dominated by Appalachian coals, cheaply carried over the Great Lakes and reaching the ports of Lake Michigan and at the head of Lake Superior. Illinois coals find their largest market in the southern and western sections of these two lake states. Only small quantities of Illinois coals are shipped east of the state line. This market area is occupied entirely by the neighboring coal fields of Indiana and the Appalachian coal fields in Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky and Pennsylvania. Illinois Coal-makket Area , With these factors in mind, the map of the Illinois coal-market area may be drawn. Within this boundary is the area that is logically and economically served by Illinois coal. However, this area is by no means exclusively dependent upon coal from Illinois mines. The preponderance. of Appalachian coal in Wisconsin and Minnesota has been mentioned. Appalachian coal, also, moves in large tonnages into Illinois itself, particularly the Chicago district. The Iowa and Missouri local coals share the market with imported coal from Illinois; throughout the market area, fuel oil and natural gas are important factors in the total energy supply.

Jan 1, 1936