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By Charles Bohdanowicz

As in preceding years, the most intensive drilling activity during 1934 took place in the old fields of the western part of the Polish Carpathian petroleum province (district of Jaslo). The number of wells completed to the end of 1934, expressed in percentages, is as follows: Jaslo district, 57 per cent; oil fields outside Boryslaw-Tustanowice-Mraznica, 27; Stanislawow district 8 and Boryslaw fields only 7 per cent. The number of meters drilled (Table 2), expressed in percentages, for the same fields are as follows: Jaslo district, 51 per cent; oil fields outside Boryslaw-Tustanowice-Mraznica, 26; Stanislawow district, 12, and Boryslaw oil fields, 11 per cent. This comparison shows that most of the new

Jan 1, 1935

By H. O. Hofman

The mining and metallurgical laboratory, as we understand the term in this country, is a place .in which mechanical and chemical working-tests are made on ores, fuels and furnacematerials. It is of quite recent origin. The first laboratory of this kind to be used in connection with teaching was put into operation in 1871 at the Massachusetts Institute of Techilo1ogy. † The idea had already existed in the mind of President W. B. Rogers when he wrote, in 1864, his pamphlet 'on " The Scope and Plan of the School of Industrial Science of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology;" but several years elapsed, and an extended visit to the mines and mills of Colorado, Utah, Nevada and California was required before this idea could take a form adapted to the purposes of original research as well as of instruction. The laboratory was given from the first into the charge of Prof. R. H. Richards, who, by improving its methods and enlarging its scope, has brought it to the position which it occupies to-day as the leading representative of its class. Private laboratories for making tests upon ores had previously existed here and there, especially on the Pacific coast, for silver and gold ores; but in the educational field the

Jan 1, 1896

By Edward Griffith

The anthracite industry, which produces about 50 million net tons of coal annually, has been talked of as being able to last for another century; but if the water record of the past century continues into the expected century, this expectation of many years production still to come out of the remaining reserves will not be attained. The industry will be a submerged one in fact as well as in name. A recorded forecast of what has since occurred appears on page 34 of the Mine Inspectors' reports of 1897: It should also be noticed that bodies of water had accumulated in parts of abandoned mines before duplicate surveys of the same were required by law; and as a result we have today to contend with bodies of water, the exact location and position of which are not correctly known. Since that date, 47 years ago, the implications of the foregoing comment have grown enormously. This is shown in Fig. I and in the following table showing flooded and partially flooded areas that have come into existence since the early 1930's in the northern anthracite field: Number of Year Flooded Areas 1932...................... 2 1933...................... 3 1934..................... 3 1935...................... 5 1936...................... 7 1937...................... 9 1938.................... 11 1939...................... 11 1940...................... 11 1941...................... 14 1942...................... 14 1944...................... 26 Similar conditions exist in other fields in the anthracite region. In the period between 1923 and 1940, abandonment of collieries in the southern field resulted in the flooding of approximately 60 sq. miles (30 per cent) of the field. The ahandonment of collieries in this field has imposed additional expense for pumping on the collieries still operating. This condition will be aggravated by the extension of developments and cause suspension of operations if economic conditions do not justify the assumption of additional pumping costs. During the years, the region's rainfall has not altered, but the quantity going inside the mines through breakages in the surface, brought about by extraction of the coal, has increased materially, as indicated by the ratio of tons of water pumped to tons of coal produced underground for one of the large companies in the northern anthracite field: Year Ratio 1920................. 8.4:1 1925.................. 10.6:I I930.................. II.4:I 1935................. 26.2:1 1940.................. 32.7: I 1942.................. 30.3:I The data in Table I shows the total amount of water pumped and its ratio to underground production for one of the large companies in the southern anthracite field, and shows a rapidly growing serious situation. Rainfall quickly affects the workings in all the fields. In mine inspection district 7 of the southern field the rainfall in 1935 was 92,083,000,000 gal. The total water pumped was 36,274,000,000 gal. (39.4 per cent of the rainfall). The operating mines

Jan 1, 1947

By Edward Griffith

The anthracite industry, which produces about 50 million net tons of coal annually, has been talked of as being able to last for another century; but if the water record of the past century continues into the expected century, this expectation of many years production still to come out of the remaining reserves will not be attained. The industry will be a submerged one in fact as well as in name. A recorded forecast of what has since occurred appears on page 34 of the Mine Inspectors' reports of 1897: It should also be noticed that bodies of water had accumulated in parts of abandoned mines before duplicate surveys of the same were required by law; and as a result we have today to contend with bodies of water, the exact location and position of which are not correctly known. Since that date, 47 years ago, the implications of the foregoing comment have grown enormously. This is shown in Fig. I and in the following table showing flooded and partially flooded areas that have come into existence since the early 1930's in the northern anthracite field: Number of Year Flooded Areas 1932...................... 2 1933...................... 3 1934..................... 3 1935...................... 5 1936...................... 7 1937...................... 9 1938.................... 11 1939...................... 11 1940...................... 11 1941...................... 14 1942...................... 14 1944...................... 26 Similar conditions exist in other fields in the anthracite region. In the period between 1923 and 1940, abandonment of collieries in the southern field resulted in the flooding of approximately 60 sq. miles (30 per cent) of the field. The ahandonment of collieries in this field has imposed additional expense for pumping on the collieries still operating. This condition will be aggravated by the extension of developments and cause suspension of operations if economic conditions do not justify the assumption of additional pumping costs. During the years, the region's rainfall has not altered, but the quantity going inside the mines through breakages in the surface, brought about by extraction of the coal, has increased materially, as indicated by the ratio of tons of water pumped to tons of coal produced underground for one of the large companies in the northern anthracite field: Year Ratio 1920................. 8.4:1 1925.................. 10.6:I I930.................. II.4:I 1935................. 26.2:1 1940.................. 32.7: I 1942.................. 30.3:I The data in Table I shows the total amount of water pumped and its ratio to underground production for one of the large companies in the southern anthracite field, and shows a rapidly growing serious situation. Rainfall quickly affects the workings in all the fields. In mine inspection district 7 of the southern field the rainfall in 1935 was 92,083,000,000 gal. The total water pumped was 36,274,000,000 gal. (39.4 per cent of the rainfall). The operating mines

Jan 1, 1947

By F. H. McDowell

The increasing interest in the subject of electrical separation warrants the addition to what has already been written of a few lines covering the practical workings of the Tilly Foster mill under the direction of Mr. E. S. Moffat, General Manager. Since my last paper was presented to the Institute, Mr. S. P. Tomkins, the superintendent, has had thrust upon him for solution several problems complicated by the introduction of new conditions. 1. The richer portion of the lean ore dump, and that nearest the railroad track, having been worked up in 1890, the handling of the balance, including a largely increased amount of rock, could only be accomplished at an increased cost. 2. The tailings had accumulated close about the mill to such an extent that arrangements had to be perfected to move them further away.

Jan 1, 1893

By P. Payson

INTERGRANULAR corrosion in corrosion-resistant chromium-nickel steels has been widely discussed in the last few years. So far as the author knows, nothing has been published which definitely shows that this tendency can be eliminated, although suggestions have been made that a remedy is possible if certain specifications are satisfied. Strauss, Schottky and Hinueber1 suggested an increase in chromium content to an extent that would prevent the impoverishment of chromium on carbide precipitation sufficient to cause impaired corrosion resistance in the matrix. Pilling2 suggested an increase in nickel, so that the stability of the austenite matrix would be increased. Aborn and Bain,3 say that "intergranular attack-may be eliminated by preventing carbide precipitation (e. g., by lowering the carbon content or somehow raising its solubility) or by precipitating it permanently under conditions which will not remove chromium from solid solution so drastically at any points." In a later paper Aborn and Bain4 state that many different metallic elements, tungsten, vanadium, copper, aluminum, molybdenum, titanium and zirconium, have been added in small per-centages to increase the stability of these alloys, but that it has been reported that according to the copper sulfate test these added elements act only to retard the intergranular corrosion, and that increased nickel and chromium contents have similar effects. Newell5 showed that the lower the quenching temperature before reheating, the less severe was the intergranular attack.

Jan 1, 1932

By D. W. Fuerstenau

On page 1243, column 1, the first line of the author's reply should read "D. W. Fuerstenau (author's reply)---," rather than D. E., as printed. In the sentence immediately preceding the first equation (page 1243, column 2)' the word "none" was omitted. The sentence should read: "However, if enough ore is put into the mill [so] that none of the energy put into the mill is wasted on metal-to-metal impact, then the product should have size modulus determined by the relation: ..."

Jan 1, 1961

By Tenney, J. B.

DEVELOPMENT of complex ores in the south- western part of the Rocky Mountain region has been retarded by the prohibitive distance to the nearest suitable zinc treatment plants. In the north- western and central Rocky Mountains the building, cluring tlie past decade, of electrolytic zinc plants at Anaconda, Great Falls, Trail, and Burke has tremendously stimulated the mining and exploiting of such .ores, greatly increasing the production of lead, zinc, copper, gold, and silver. Selective flotation permits the making of high-grade led, copper, and zinc concentrates. If the zinc concentrates could be made free from lead, copper, gold, and silver, they could be shipped economically to Mid- Western retort plants designed for such concentrates. Unfortunately a considerable proportion of the precious metal content accompanies the zinc blende in the ores of this region. Although some of it is saved in 'retort residues, the treatment cost is thereby increased so materially and the proportion saved so small, that .concentrates of ordinary grade cannot stand treatment charges and freight.

Sep 1, 1928

G. A. Moore—The tin-fusion method has been a very favorable possibility for many years. The authors apparently have settled the question that delayed the method for a long time by showing that no hydrogen is absorbed in the tin. This, of course, is very important. I want to make a few remarks concerning the absolute accuracy of analysis, which must be the final basis for deciding among the various methods. From the figures in the paper, there seems to be some re-maining slight discrepancy on the actual amount of hydrogen present in various samples which may be presumed essentially identical. (This is of the order of the precision of individual analyses but appears in averaged results.) From the analyst's viewpoint, the tally of hydrogen content can be regarded as occurring in three portions. First is a large portion which comes off easily and automatically during sample storage and later on heating in the apparatus. This is fairly easily analyzed. Second is an item which may be either positive or negative in the tally sheet. In warm or hot evolution, this is a portion which, in practice, can never be re-

Jan 1, 1951

By George Straghan, Ralph Thomas

OIL production in Kentucky in 1941 was 5,191,024 bbl., one barrel less than in the preceding year. The total completions for the state numbered 714, of which 256 were gas Manuscript received at the office of the Institute Feb. 26. 1942. * Geologist, .Kentucky Weal Virginia Gas Co., Ashland, Ky. † Geoloneist. Inland Gas Co.. Ashland. Kv. producers, 220 oil wells, and 227 dry holes. The total number was 95 more than in 1940. No new important oil or gas pools were discovered. The number of dry tests was large, although many of the dry holes could be considered wildcat tests. In western Kentucky, 365 wells were drilled, of which 145 were oil producers,

Jan 1, 1942

By Ralph Thomas, George Straghan

OIL production in Kentucky in 1941 was 5,191,024 bbl., one barrel less than in the preceding year. The total completions for the state numbered 714, of which 256 were gas Manuscript received at the office of the Institute Feb. 26. 1942. * Geologist, .Kentucky Weal Virginia Gas Co., Ashland, Ky. † Geoloneist. Inland Gas Co.. Ashland. Kv. producers, 220 oil wells, and 227 dry holes. The total number was 95 more than in 1940. No new important oil or gas pools were discovered. The number of dry tests was large, although many of the dry holes could be considered wildcat tests. In western Kentucky, 365 wells were drilled, of which 145 were oil producers,

Jan 1, 1942

By A. Perry Thompson

I. GENERAL DISTRIBUTIONS APPEARANCE, AND RELATIONS MINING in Butte has seldom encountered covellite in commercial quantities. The notable occurrences, extending vertically and laterally perhaps several hundred feet, presented scattered, bladed lenses of this mineral in a matrix of quartz, pyrite, enargite, bornite, and chalcocite. But under the microscope covellite is seen to be widespread in the Butte ores, though in such small quantity that megascopic examination will not discover it. In early mining operations covellite was found in the Gray Rock vein, a member of the Blue vein system. As described by Sales,1 it persisted as an occasional ore mineral, associated with quartz, pyrite, tetrahedrite, bornite, chalcocite, and minor amounts of sphalerite, from the 700-ft. to the 1,200-ft. level of the East Gray Rock and Diamond mines. Crushed quartz-monzonite and later quartz completed the vein filling between

Jan 4, 1915

By Ellsworth Daggett

In the first paper on the Russell process presented by Mr. Stetefeldt, in May, 1884 (Transactions, xiii.), the process was treated from a purely theoretical standpoint.. 111 his second paper of October, 1886 (Transactions, xv,), the details of the plant, the chemicals used, and the manipulation in both mill and laboratory were treated. The aim of the present paper is to present economical results recently attained, new data affecting the preparation and manipulation of ore in the mill, and a more complete and systematic scheme of laboratory work. This paper is compiled mainly from Mr. Russell's notes of his own experience. Many of these notes, particularly those relating to work at Cusihuiriachic,* Mexico, have been upon work directly under the personal observation of the compiler, who takes pleasure in thus presenting to the Institute, data and considerations of much interest and value pot only to users of the Russell process, but to mill men generally. The description of the chemicals used and of the preparation of the mill-solutions being' in part the same now as when Mr. Stetefeldt's second paper was published, some use is here made of portions of that paper. No theoretical matter is here given. For a treatise containing also the theory of the process the reader is referred to Mr. Stetefeldt's complete work on " Lixiviation of Silver Ores by Hyposulphite Solutions," now in preparation. To facilitate the consultation of this paper, the following synopsis and index is prefixed. The figures in parenthesis indicate the page of this paper on which the subject is treated.

Jan 1, 1888

By Benj. Lazer

Multiple seam mining has been studied and writ- ten about extensively in the past and in the latest review of the subject in 1956 David Stemple covered it exhaustively. The present discussion has to do with only one phase of the problem-"The effects on upper seams when the lower seams have been mined first." The study presented here is based on observations made in mining operations in southern West Virginia and adjoining areas of Virginia and Kentucky during the past 43 years. These observations are largely confined to the Pocahontas coalfields of southern West Virginia which have, since 1883, produced well over one billion tons of coal from an area of about 300 sq miles and where multiple seam mining has been active, or is now active, at more than 40 operations. The observations and conclusions as to the effects on upper seams when lower seams have previously been mined are therefore related only to the local coalfields in the area of the three states named but I believe that they can be applied generally to other coalfields.

Jan 9, 1965

By AIME AIME

The Bulletin. The Bulletin of the Institute will be issued hereafter monthly instead of bi-monthly as heretofore. Among other reasons for this change, it is desired to effect thereby the earlier transmission to members of important papers, lists of candidates tin? membership, and other items of timely information. The New Haven Meeting. As already announced in special circular, the XCVIth meeting of the institute for the reading and discussion of papers will be held at New Haven, Conn., beginning Feb. 23, 1909. The Secretary of the Local Committee is Prof. J. D. Irving, Box D, Yale Station, New Haven. The program embraces visits to many interesting works in New Haven, Ansonia, Bridgeport, etc. The leading topics for discussion at the sessions will lie: The Conservation of Natural Resources; A Sea-Level Canal at Panama; and The Technical Education of Mining Engineers. But papers on other subjects also are announced. Lt is probable that a supplementary session of this meeting, will be held in New York City, at some time during March, 1909, as a joint session with other national engineering societies, for the farther discussion of the subject of The Conservation of Natural Resources. A Pacific Coast Meeting. It is now reasonably certain that the XCVIIth meeting will be held oil the Pacific Coast, including a. visit to the Exposition at Seattle, and various other points en. route going or coming, depending upon the route and program finally adopted. (lore definite information will be announced at the New Haven Meeting, or at the earliest possible date thereafter.

Jan 1, 1909

By F. F. Hintze

Petroleum production in the Rocky Mountain district during 1929 registered a small decline from that of the previous year, conforming with a gradual decrease in the amount of oil produced during the last few years. A number of causes may be mentioned to account for this result, chiefly overproduction in other regions and the apparent desire of operators in this territory to conform to the policy of proration and retrenchment adopted by special agreement among operators in many of the fields. Unit operation has been adopted to control oil production from the Sundance sands in the Salt Creek field, Wyoming, in line with the general effort to stabilize this phase of the industry and prevent excessive drilling of new wells. Another factor which greatly retarded development in the Rocky Mountain region was the executive order of President Hoover issued in March refusing the award of new prospecting permits to future applicants and threatening cancellation of all existing permits upon which actual drilling had not been done as specified by law. Only four states in the Rocky Mountain region are important oil producers. In 1929 Wyoming led with an average daily output of 52,600 bbl., followed by Montana, with 10,730 bbl.; Colorado, with 6500 bbl., and New Mexico with 2700 bbl. daily average. These states bear the following percentage relation to total production in the Rocky Mountain district: Wyoming, 72; Montana, 15; Colorado, 9; New Mexico, 4., (Table 1.) The total average daily production was approximately 73,000 bbl. and the total production of all four states during the year was 26,534,606 bbl. This is 2.7 per cent. of the total oil production of the United States during this period. Colorado Although Colorado is not a large producer of oil and natural gas, its oil operations are widely distributed over the state. The Florence field is one of the oldest oil fields in the country, and there are good reasons for believing that the state will retain its place for many years to

Jan 1, 1930

By S. Norton, S. LeFevre

In the West, capitalists have expended many millions of dollars developing the low-grade porphyry ores of copper. Half a dozen of these great enterprises have proved to be wonderful commercial successes. They have demanded improved crushing and concentrating machinery and consequently it has been developed. Many improved methods, cheap power, superior business organization, all these have contributed to this success, but the main feature is the handling of the material in enormous quantities, on a manufacturing scale. The mining chance of "striking it rich" has been eliminated by the manufacturing certainty of handling large quantities of material of known value, which while of relatively low grade, is available in large tonnages, assuring a supply for many years' run of the mill. Then the returns on the money invested are sure. The concentration of low-grade magnetic iron ores, separating the magnetite crystals from the gangue by the use of magnets, is a field of work in which the lessons taught by the development of the porphyry coppers can be studied to advantage. Large-scale operations, and the liberal expenditure of enough money at the start to insure the most economical operations, are the means of securing the desired results. The problem is to utilize millions of tons, and we may safely say billions of tons, of now worthless iron-bearing rock and to produce from it 10,000,000 to 20,000,000 tons per year of high-grade ore carrying 60 per cent. iron or higher; to take the lean material as found in nature, varying widely in iron content, and bring it up to a uniform standard of shipping ore. At present these ores are mined carrying from 25 to 50 per cent, iron, and the shipping product is brought up to 60 or 65 per cent. Fe. If future economies of operation make it possible to extend this process so that 15 per cent. iron in the crude ore can be treated as a commercial success, the additional tonnage available will be enormous. A 15 per cent. Fe crude ore raised to 60 per cent. Fe concentrate with 5 per cent.

Jan 1, 1917

By Henry Ferguson

THIS paper is a preliminary statement, intended to present the more important results of the recent studies of the ore deposits of the Alleghany district in advance of the publication of the complete report, now in preparation. The Alleghany district (Fig. 1) has been a producer of gold since the early days of California gold mining. As in other California gold camps, placers yielded the bulk of the earlier production, but during the last 30 years lode deposits have been the only important source of output. The district differs from other California gold-quartz districts in that nearly all the production is from small shoots of high-grade ore. The mining camps of Alleghany and Forest are on the western flank of the Sierra Nevada range about 20 miles west of the crest. The gently sloping lava-covered plateau which controls the upland topography has been trenched by deep canyons of the westward flowing streams, which are cut to depths of as much as 2000 ft. below the crests of the ridges. The district is about 18 miles from Nevada City but the automobile road which connects the two places is 31 miles long. The senior writer first visited the district in 1913 and published a short description of the lode deposits.1 The increasing importance of the district made further study desirable. A detailed topographic map was therefore made by W. B. Upton, Jr., of the U. S. Geological Survey, in the spring of 1924, and the senior writer spent parts of the field seasons of 1924 and 1925 in the district. For the second field season the Geological Survey was fortunate in securing the services of R. W. Gannett, who had already done geologic work in the district for several of the mining companies. Owing to the death of Mr. Gannett in October, 1925, just before the close of his field work, the work of preparation of the entire report fell to Mr. Ferguson. He takes this opportunity of acknowledging how deeply he is indebted to Mr. Gannett for his excellent work in the field, and his realization of how greatly the completion of the report on the district has suffered from lack of Mr. Gannett's assistance in the office. In October, 1.928, after the completion of the first draft of the manuscript, Mr. Ferguson made a short visit to the district.

Jan 1, 1929

By L. Dr. Edeleanu

CRUDE petroleum is a mixture of various groups of hydrocarbons and some bodies containing oxygen or sulphur. These constituents possess properties differing considerably one from another and the proportion in which they are contained in the crude oils is also very different. Owing to this complicated composition the practical use of crude petroleum is much restricted. For example it is sometimes used as a liquid fuel. But its employment in this way is uneconomical because various valuable qualities of the individual constituents are not made use of. The rational utilization of petroleum can only be accomplished if the various groups of hydrocarbons are separated. The mixture of hydro-carbons present in the crude oil must be split up in such a way that the hydrocarbons are divided into various groups having certain predominant characteristics and uses. To accomplish such a separation is the aim of the technical refining of petroleum. ORDINARY REFINING BY DISTILLATION AND CHEMICAL TREATMENT Hitherto this has been accomplished by two processes, namely, fractional distillation and chemical treatment of the distillates obtained. Distillation Process The process of distillation consists in the separation of the constituents of petroleum into various fractions, the boiling points of which lie within certain defined limits. The fractions so separated possess certain special qualities in common, which enable them to be applied for specific purposes in practice. For example, we have the fractions known as benzene, illuminating oils, heavy oils, lubricating oils, etc.

Jan 9, 1914

By Robert Baker

IT has been demonstrated in the laboratory by A. J. Phillips1 that a transformation or conversion from beta directly to alpha may take place in a brass of 61 to 62.5 per cent copper content. The completion of the transformation is dependent on a rapid rate of cooling from the all-beta field through the alpha + beta range to the alpha field. Phillips states that in a slowly cooled alloy containing 62 per cent copper and 38 per cent zinc the copper content of the beta is progressively decreased from 62 to 56 per cent by precipitation of alpha. Rapid cooling tends to prevent the separation of alpha with a copper content of more than 62 per cent by reducing to a minimum the time required for passing through the alpha + beta range. Upon crossing beyond the (alpha + beta.)/(alpha) boundary to the all-alpha region below, the material is transformed from beta to alpha. It is essential that there be no change in composition. Phillips obtained his results by quenching a 62:38 copper-zinc alloy from 850° C. in iced brine at -8° C. No reference to the occurrence of this transformation in a manufacturing process has been found in the literature. An investigation of the microstructures of a number of hot forgings made from leaded brass rods yielded one forging in which this striking conversion from beta to alpha had occurred. The purpose of this paper is to describe the transformation and certain conditions under which it may occur during the hot pressing of brass. The conversion was noted in a shape forged from a leaded brass rod, the composition of which was: Cu, 60.26 per cent; Zn, 37.86; Pb, 1.88. In this study the lead content was disregarded and the alloy was considered to be equivalent to an alloy of 61.40 per cent copper and 38.60 per cent zinc (98.12 parts = 100 parts). The possibility that the lead might obstruct or accelerate the precipitation of alpha was not studied. The lead appears as black globules in the photomicrographs and has a negligible solubility in the alloy.

Jan 1, 1931