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By Willard C. Lacy

A mining operation begins with prospecting and exploration-stages with long periods of investment and high risk of failure. However, success in exploration ultimately determines survival of the mining industry. Prospecting and exploration may discover evidence of a mineral occurrence and outline its size and character, but ore deposits that support mining are "made" through the collective efforts of project geologists, geophysicists, geochemists, metallurgists, engineers, chemists, lawyers, and even politicians (Joralemon, 1975). Some deposits may go through multiple cycles of rejection and recommendation, discovery and development, decline and abandonment, rediscovery and development, etc., as economic, technological, or political conditions change or geologic understanding is improved. Peters (1987, p. 233) graphically illustrates the normal life cycle of a mine and the position of exploration in the cycle (Fig. 4.0.1). During the past fifty years, mineral exploration has evolved from comparing evidence of mineralization of prospects with that of known deposits to a more quantitative science employing many facets of geochemistry, geophysics, multispectral sensing from space, computer data storage, analysis, modeling, and most importantly, a better understanding of ore genesis. This modem approach to exploration began in the late 1940s and continues to develop. Exploration efforts peaked in the 1960s with emphasis upon the search for porphyry copper deposits, Mississippi Valley lead-zinc deposits, and volcanogenic massive sulfide copper-lead-zinc deposits. It peaked again in the middle and late 1980s with emphasis upon micron-size disseminated gold and epithermal and stratiform precious metal deposits.

Jan 1, 2008

U.S. Gold Commission Established. - The President, with the authorization of Congress, has named a gold commission made up of 17 individuals, most of them Government officials, to study U.S. policies related to the role of gold in domestic and international monetary systems and report its findings and recommendations to Congress. U.S. Lead Exposure Ruling. - On June 29, the Supreme Court upheld the Government's right to set lead exposure levels for employees at the workplace. The Court ruled in favor of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in a challenge by a group that alleged that OSHA had failed to conduct a cost-benefit analysis prior to issuance of the lead standards. It was the Court's contention that Congress did not require such an analysis when it empowered OSHA to establish workplace standards. The petition to the Court was made by the Lead Industries Association Inc., Battery Council International Inc" American Iron and Steel Institute, St. Joe Minerals Corp., and other lead mining and consuming firms.

Jan 1, 1981

By O. C. Blade

The term "Ichtnyol" is a name applied loosely to certain preparations used in pharmacy. These preparations do not occur as such in nature but are manufactured by various chemical processes. Ichthyol is the name trademarked for a product manyfactured by the Irhthyel-Gescllschaft (Cordes Hermanni & Co.) of Hamburg, Germany, and marketed in thin, country by Merck & Co., Inc., (5, 86, 87)3/. Although used in the literature rather loosely, the correctly applied word refers to the product obtained by sulphonating and then neutralizing with ammonia a distillate from the oil retorted from a certain high-sulphur bituminous shale found near the village of Seefeld in the Austrian Tyrol. Due to the fact that fossils of fish and marine animals occur in the limestone associated with the bituminous shale, these deposits have long been known as, the "lchthyolite schistc of Seefeld" ( 55) . The Greek word "ichthys"" for fish and the Latin word "oleum" for oil are the words from which the term is derived. The crude, tarry shale oil, whose distillate is the raw material for the sulphonation process, has been referred to since the Middle Ages as "Dürsten" or "Tirschen" oil, and the term "ichthyel oil" has been used occasionally in the literature to designate the retorted crude oil (92, 93, 106, 117). The first application of the name "Ichthyol" to a particular product is credited to Schröter (35, 129). Various names for products manufactured by sulphonating bituminous distillates have been coined, and in some of these names the root from the word ichthys has been retained. Some of these names can be found in New and Nonofficial Remedies under the heading, Sulphoichthyolate Preparation, and Substitutes (5).

Jan 1, 1938

By R. Farrar

The survey work on protective canopy design was conducted in a 2-month period commencing November 15, 1973. The reported re¬sults under this contract are intended to provide guidance to coal mine operators in complying with federal regulations pertaining to incorporation of protective canopies on underground coal mine electric face equipment. All coal mine electric face equipment manufacturers and 11 coal mines were visited in the course of conducting this survey. Canopy designs currently being manufactured and those now being used underground were examined and discussed with manufacturers, mine operators, machine operators, and safety committeemen. The general objective was to find out what kind of canopies are now being made and used underground, what the operational problems are, and what can be done to secure improvements. Specifically, the survey scope was as follows: a. Survey all electric face equipment manufacturers. b. Survey 10 coal mines (seam height 60 inches and greater). c. Identify current production canopy configurations and minimum mine entry dimensions for each model and type of electric face equipment. d. Assess in-mine operation of canopies developed by manufacturers and/or coal companies. e. Specify optimal canopy configuration and minimum mine entry dimensions for each type and model of electric face equipment.

Jan 1, 1974

By N. B. Aughenbaugh

This report summarizes the results of an investigation into the causes of coal mine roof instability caused by the environmental characteristics of the air ventilated through a mine. The field studies, which were mostly in the Illinois Coal Basin, concentrated on collecting data of surface weather conditions, mine air characteristics (relative humidity and temperature), roof material types, roof movements, and characteristics of roof deterioration. The field studies revealed seasonal changes in weather are reflected in the mine air. The intake air undergoes rapid tempering along its course as it interacts with the ambient mine conditions. There are seasonal moisture interchanges between the mine rock and air, and a mine will lose more water than it gains on a yearly basis. The field studies also established that when the roof rock is shaley, seasonal changes in the humidity will cause roof deterioration because of the detrimental action of moisture on the shale. Roof falls were inventoried and classified by geometry. In the laboratory investigations, physical tests proved unreliable for evaluating shales for roof stability. The Franklin slake test lacks the sensitivity needed to differentiate shale durability for roof stability. A relative humidity test that reveals the sensitivity of a shaley rock to moisture change was devised. Environemntal chamber studies showed that neither temperature nor barometric pressure have a direct influence on shale durability. Photoelastic studies showed that the rate and depth of moisture absorption into a shale is controlled by bedding planes, fractures, and holes interrupting the exposed surface.

Jan 1, 1976

The Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa) announced plans to shut down production at the remaining two potlines at its Point Comfort, Texas primary aluminum smelter due to the increased costs of natural gas. Total capacity of the facility, which had been partially closed since 1976, was 185,000 tons per year representing 3.6 percent of current capacity in the United States. There were practically no price movements in March on 99.5 percent aluminum ingot, with producers at 53¢ per pound and dealers, 48¢-48.5¢. BISMUTH The March selling position of U.S. producer metal was held at $3.50 per pound. In contrast, east coast dealers and traders adjusted their quotes from $2.55-$2.60 to a wider range of $2.40-$2.60.

Jan 1, 1978

The U.S. economy showed further strength during the third quarter of 1983, continuing the upward trend discussed in the last two issues of Minerals and Materials. The National Association of Purchasing Management composite index increased to a 10-year high of 67. 1 in July. (A value of 50 or greater indicates expanding industrial activity.) The index, a weighted composite of new orders, production, employment, vendor performance, and inventories, is derived from a survey of purchasing agents for about 250 industrial firms. Investment and Other National Economic Indicators The strong consumer surge of second quarter 1983 was reinforced during the third quarter by the performance of private investment. Because of this, many analysts became more optimistic about the strength of the recovery and its potential for being sustained. Capital investment growth, negative since 1980, was positive for every investment component in the third quarter of 1983. Preliminary estimates indicate a real increase of $1.4 billion (at an annual rate) in private investment expenditures on nonresidential structures, an increase of $4.3 billion (at an annual rate) for producers' durable equipment, and an increase of $4.8 billion (at an annual rate) in real inventory levels. The second quarter 1983 increase in expenditures on producers' durable equipment was the first indicator that investment recovery would occur during the rest of the year (table 1). Corporate profits in total manufacturing increased $6.5 billion from first quarter to second quarter 1983 (table 2).

Jan 1, 1983

This dictionary is published by the Bureau of Mines as a contribution to the mining and mineral literature in the belief that it will fill a recognized need. Several attempts have been made over the years to revise Albert Fay's Glossary of the Mining and Mineral Industry which first appeared in December of 1918. Frank L. Hess of the Bureau of Mines worked on a revision, but his untimely death prevented its completion. Subsequently, the writer was employed to compile and edit this dictionary in cooperation with the technical staff of the Bureau of Mines. Fay's glossary contained about 18,000 terms with 27,000 definitions; the present compilation contains about 55,000 terms with approximately 150,000 definitions. These terms are of both a technical and local nature, and they apply to metal mining, coal mining, quarrying, geology, metallurgy, ceramics and clays, glassmaking, minerals and mineralogy, and general terminology. Petroleum, natural gas, and legal mining terminology, unless of a general nature, has been excluded, as has been foreign terminology where there is an English equivalent. Several thousand Spanish-American mining terms that appeared in Fay's compilation have been removed to make way for the thousands of new English terms that have evolved over the years. Those Spanish-American and Mexican terms still used in the Southwestern United States have been retained.

Jan 1, 1968

By Michael P. Amsden

"THE ECSTALL CONCENTRATOR is situated adjacent to Highway 101 and the Ontario Northland Railroad, 15 miles east of Timmins, Ontario. Ore is delivered to the concentrator by rail from the mine, which is 17 miles northwest of the plant. Power and fuel are obtained from the hydro and natural gas lines which pass close to the plant site. Water is obtained from the Frederickhouse River, 6 miles east of the concentrator. The main concentrator building is a large structure 500 by 640 feet by 90 feet high and contains facilities for fine crushing, crushed ore storage, grinding, flotation, tin recovery, concentrate handling and reagent handling. Located in the same building are the machine shop, warehouse, metallurgical laboratory, pilot plant, men's change room, sample preparation area and an assay laboratory. The general concentrator layout is shown in Figure 47. Originally designed to handle 9,000 tons per day, the concentrator now treats 10,000 tons per day. Two different ore types are processed by selective flotation in three individual circuits to recover copper, lead and zinc concentrates. In 1973, another circuit was added to recover pyrite and tin concentrates from the combined zinc tailings of the three main circuits."

Jan 1, 1974

By G. R. Hopkins

According to the annual refinery-capacity survey of the Bureau of Mines, the number of refineries in the United States showed little change in 1940, increasing from 057 the first of the year to 562 at the close. Although a number of plants were dismantled in Texas and other States, more than compensating gains were made in California, Illinois, and other States. Low gasoline prices, competition for crude-oil supplies, particularly in Illinois, and the termination of a favorable distributing arrangement for independent plants in the Los Angeles area, forced about 50 refineries to close down in 1940. The number of operating plants accordingly declined from 461 on January 1, 1940 to 420 on January 1, 1941 and the number of idle plants increased from 86 to 136 in the same period. These developments were also reflected in the capacity data, the operating capacity declining from 4,196,694 barrels daily on January 1, 1940 to 4,180,588 daily on January I, 1941 and the idle capacity rising from 431,952 barrels to 53g8381 barrels in the same period. However, the completed capacity on January 1, 1941 (4,718,969 barrels daily) was 2 percent above the previous year.

Jan 1, 1941

By E. D. Gardner

This paper discusses small-scale lade gold mining and milling. It is abstracted from a bulletin being prepared by the United States Bureau of Mines entitled "Equipping, Developing, and Operating Small Gold Mines." Gold is widely distributed in the mountainous regions of the United States; relatively few deposits, however, can be profitably worked on a large scale. Because of the high intrinsic value of gold, ores containing this metal may be very rich; hence it is possible to mine profitably smaller bodies of gold ore than of the more common metals.

Jan 1, 1934

A stronger U.S. economy stimulated the domestic mineral sector in 1994. Metals demand was spurred by robust U.S. motor vehicle sales, while demand for major industrial minerals rose in response to highway and building construction. Domestic mineral and material demand is expected to increase in 1995, particularly if interest rates do not restrain the building industry and international monetary exchange rates remain advantageous to U.S. automobile manufacturers. Additional information on events, trends, and issues in the mineral and material sector is presented below and in the commodity sections that follow. Overall Performance Processed materials of mineral origin produced in the United States during 1994 increased to an estimated value of $360 billion. Domestic output of raw nonfuel minerals in 1994 was estimated at $34 billion, about 6% more than that of 1993. The value of U.S. minerals production has increased in 29 of the last 34 years.

Jan 1, 1995

By Warren E. Morrison

The first major evaluation of the nation's raw materials prospects after World War II was completed by the President's Materials Policy Commission (Paley Commission) in 1952 and submitted to the President in June of that year, as a five-volume study entitled Resources for Freedom. The bulk of the report was devoted to an analysis of the past, present, and probable future of the Nation's mineral supply industries. The Commission's evaluation of the future situation regarding minerals was derived from its forecasts of the probable domestic demand for the major minerals in the 1970's. This demand analysis was made in the context of probable worldwide demand. Several crucial assumptions were made by the Commission's fore-casters. It was assumed in 1950 that the next 20 to 30 years would see no major wars and be a period of sustained economic growth. Another assumption was that the anticipated demand for raw materials must be supplied at essentially no increase in real cost in order to avoid crucial supply problems. The Commission's forecasts were derived within the context of the country's expected future rate of economic activity. The gross national product (GNP) growth to 1975 was derived from projections of the number of people in the labor force, hours of work, and an index of probable production measured per unit of labor input. It was believed labor hours would decrease and labor productivity would increase. The result was a forecast GNP growth rate of 3 percent.

Jan 1, 1970

By Jr. Sillers

To prove to .the satisfaction of all concerned that electrolytic manganese from our low-grade domestic ores could be substituted satisfactorily for ferro-manganese made from high-grade foreign fires, an extensive series of tests was conducted in cooperation with industry, in which electrolytic manganese pro-duced by, the Bureau of Mines at its Boulder City, Nev., Station was substituted for the ordinary ferro grades in the production of ferrous and nonferrous metals and alloys and welding-rod coatings. Over 1,200,000 pounds of manganese was given out for this purpose. The objectives of the tests were accomplished, and for some purposes electrolytic manganese was shown to be superior to other grades because of its high purity. The only serious objection that can be raised against electrolytic manganese is its price, which puts it out of reach for most purposes. Even if the price were to be lowered to a point where it would be in line with ferro grades, it is questionable whether electrolytic manganese from domestic ores could supply more than a small part of the needs of American industry because of the large volume of domestic ore that would have to be processed to supply a satisfactory feed for the electrolytic process. Thus, although electrolytic manganese is highly desirable from a metallurgical standpoint, it could not be expected to substitute for more than a fraction of our domestic manganese requirements.

Jan 1, 1952

By D. S. Yantek, C. B. Brown

The mining industry is beginning to implement lithiumion batteries (LIBs) to power mine utility vehicles (MUVs) and rubber-tired mantrips (RTMs). However, the ability of LIBs to withstand the harsh conditions for these applications has not been rigorously evaluated. Concerns with the use of LIBs in the mining environment will be discussed including the effects of mechanical shock and vibration, temperature extremes, and moisture exposure. This paper will discuss adverse effects of the mining environment on LIBs and provide an overview of scientific gaps associated with the environmental susceptibility of LIBs used on MUVs and RTMs.

Feb 1, 2024

By W. E. Foreman

A mathematical model was developed to assess the costs for reclamation of surface mining using the shovel overcasting operation, the front end loader operation, and a backfilling operation. A literature review was made of the present laws in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia pertaining to surface mining and of the various parameters that influence the input data for a mathematical model. It was determined that the working mathematical model would have to be applied on an area to area basis, preferably on a permit by permit basis in the area where surface mining was being done. To this end, a flexible model was developed with input data obtained from the area of study. The results of the study show that the cost per ton of coal for reclamation can be estimated for various reclamation levels. Validation of the model was done for selected permits from Virginia. It was determined that the permits could easily be used for input data to the model.

Jan 1, 1974

By B. A. Filas, H. N. Lammers

Responsible environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices are not new to mining. It is the ESG acronym that has become the “flavor-of-the-day” with the stock markets, accounting firms, and investment strategists. This increased interest from the financial sector has heightened executive awareness and accountability to where corporate leadership and directors are proactively prioritizing ESG issues from the top down within their companies. This paper aims to convey what the authors believe one needs to know to be able to conduct and prepare effective ESG audits and reports. The emphasis is on how ESG fits within the mining sector, some of the ways that many mining companies have been practicing ESG responsibility for decades, the importance of effective communications with stakeholders, and the roles that regulatory and international lending institutions play in enhancing ESG practice on a global scale as a precursor to the discussion on ESG auditing and reporting. Without this background, the ESG audit may become a purely academic exercise.

Feb 1, 2023

Anaconda Aluminum Co. began production from a new 60,000-ton-per-year potline at Sebree, KY, which brings the total capacity of the plant to 180,000 tons per year. A strike by workers at Alcan Aluminium Corp. primary aluminum smelters at Arvida, Que., Isle Maligne, Que., and Beauharnois, Que. shut down the plants and the company announced force majeure on part of its ingot supply commitments. Kaiser Aluminum and Chemical Corp. announced plans to increase its price for primary aluminum from 60.0 cents per pound to 63.0 cents per pound effective July 1.

Jan 1, 1979

By Jos. R. Guiteras

This paper is one of r series published by the Bureau of Mines dealing with the mineral resources of western South Dakota. The mining of pegmatite minerals is described mainly from the standpoint of the feldspar industry, as most of the other .pegmatite minerals produced are recovered as byproducts from the mining of feldspar. Feldspar is shipped from the Black Hills by three companies, all operating in the southern Hills. Because the pegmatites of the northern Hills, represented by tae Tinton area, have been described in other papers3/ of this series, the present paper is confined to the pegmatite dikes of the southern Black Hills. Emphasis is placed upon the current activity in pegmatite mining; little attention is given to the history of many famous mines in the district, and information concerning them may be obtained by consulting resorts cited in the bibliography. The field work was carried on from July 28 to October 15, 1938. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The geology of the Black Hills has been studied almost continuously during the last half century. A wealth of literature has attempted to explain the geology and mineralogy of the pegmatite dikes of this region. The writer acknowledges his indebtedness to all earlier investigators, as well as to the following men, whose assistance in the field was of particular value: F. C. Lincoln, professor of mining, South Dakota School of Mines; Mont Heumphreus, State mine inspector, South Dakota; Harold. H. Eyrich, superintendent, and Batemen Eilbeck, mine foreman, b. E. Schundler Feldspar Co.; J. W. Mitchell, field man, Consolidated Feldspar Corporation; John Wells, mine operator and local mineral buyer, Ouster, S. Dak.; Frank Hughes, general superintendent, and Harry Wasson, nine foreman, Hugo mine; D. W. Peterson, mine superintendent, Etta mine.; Lon Walker, Mine superintendent, Peerless

Jan 1, 1940

By Pat McCarran

WHEN this Government was founded, the framers of the Constitution wrote into that instrument a provision that Congress should "coin money and fix the value thereof;" and the Constitution prohibits making anything but "gold and silver" lawful money. So silver is written into our basic law. Shortly after President Washington took office in 1789 the Congress passed the first Mint Act, setting up the U. S. Mint. In that Act, signed by President Washington on April 2, 1792, the weight of the American dollar was fixed, and it was provided how much silver should be contained in a silver dollar and how much gold should be contained in a gold dollar. It was decided that 371 1/4 grains of pure silver was to be the standard dollar of America. That standard with respect to the pure silver content of the dollar has never changed.

Jan 1, 1947