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By Gary J. Brown

AMAX Coal Company, the nation's third largest coal producer operating in Indiana, Illinois and Wyoming, is a division of AMAX, INC., a United States based natural resources corporation that operates world wide. The operations in Wyoming (The Western Division) include Belle Ayr and Eagle Butte Mines. Belle Ayr Mine, located 18 miles south of Gillette, Wyoming, presently employs 440 people. It was started into production in 1973 and has been the largest producing coal mine in the United States since 1977. Final figures will show that the mine was again the largest in 1980 with production levels of approximately 16.1 million tons, total production of coal in the United States being in excess of 800 million tons during this last year. As one of the first commercial producers of sub-bituminous coal in the Powder River Basin, Belle Ayr has served as an example for the many other mines which have since been constructed in that region. The four coal storage silos are the first and most dominant features of the mine to be seen for miles across the Wyoming prairie. Each silo has the capacity to load a 110-car unit train in excess of 11,000 tons. All service facilities at the mine are under one roof. Included in the service building are off ices, warehousing, seven garage bays, and washhouse facilities for all employees. Preparation of coal for shipping at Belle Ayr consists only of crushing from pit-run size to 2 x 0-in. Primary crushing is done under the truck hoppers to 6-8-in. product size. Secondary crushing is performed in the two large crusher buildings. The smallest plant can produce at the rate of 2,500 tph, while the larger can produce

Jan 1, 1983

By C. P. Watson

It is perhaps significant that a few years ago the sessions held here were chiefly occupied with production. In the last two years these sessions have been concerned with production curtailment, unitization and conservation, notwithstanding that production in the United States in 1929 reached a total in excess of 1,000,000,000 barrels. A study of the leading producing units in the United States shows that Oklahoma, Texas and California in 1929 yielded 84 per cent. of the total production from 33.5 per cent. of the total number of producing wells. Production in the United States in 1929 showed an increase of 107,000,000 bbl. over the 1928 figures. This increase in itself perhaps is not enough to have caused the serious situation that is now confronting the industry. However, taking into account the gradual encroachment on the consumption of fuel oil through the greater utilization of natural gas, probably we have reached the point in the United States where prices will determine to a large extent,' in 1930, the amount that will be produced. In the states of Texas, Oklahoma and California, the most significant developmcnt of 1929 has been the desire of operators to reach some agreement to bring production more or less in control with the estimated demand. In November, production in California, particularly in the Santa Fe Springs field, was drastically cut to meet a certain requirement. Similarly, in Texas, the Yates field has been developed and has been producing under an agreement on the part of the operators; and more recently in Oklahoma City, serious efforts have been made to keep produetion in line with consumption. For the year 1930 we can see nothing in sight except drastic curtailment. This is a matter that I am sure is occupying the attention of all the leaders of the industry.

Jan 1, 1930

By John T. Galey

In all, 210 wellst were completed in southwestern Pennsylvania during 1939, which is 59 more than were drilled during the preceding year. Of this number, 137 were gas wells, which is a considerable increase from the 81 completed during 1938. Only 25 oil wells were completed, as against 28 in the previous year, and 28 dry holes, 6 more than last year. Shallow Development—Gas The increase in the number of gas wells is largely the result of a search for additional gas in Armstrong and Indiana Counties. Although a considerable number of wells were drilled in the latter county, the majority of them produced less than 100 M cu. ft. initial open flow. In Armstrong County, a new pool was opened in Cowanshannock township, producing from the third Bradford sand. Several large wells were obtained there, one of which produced an initial of nearly 12 million cu. ft., with a reservoir pressure of 1100 Ib. However, the productive area has been fairly well outlined by further drilling and shows that the pool covers only about 800 acres. The sand is 20 to 30 ft. thick, and probably has 5 to 6 ft. of pay. Thus this reserve is not an important one. Several wells were found in Menallen township, Fayette County, where the Big Injun sand has been having a play for the past three years, but the activity there is much less than a year ago. Oil On the west side of the Bradford sand gas pool, Cowanshannock township, Armstrong County, a well was drilled which flowed 100 bbl. the first day from the Tiona sand. The probability is that this well is a freak, as the Tiona has been drilled within a fairly close distance on every

Jan 1, 1940

Discussion of Papers. Meetings of the Institute offer opportunity for social acquaintance and exchange of ideas, for the presentation of papers, and for discussions thereon ; also incidentally for viewing under especially favorable conditions mining operations and industrial establishments, and for hospitals-ties which demonstrate the brotherhood due to kindred interests. Placing sociability prominent is not to be assumed as relegating other features of meetings to subordinate positions; but during about 40 years of membership in the Institute, the value of acquaintances formed (often ripening into close friendship), and the interchange of data, have frequently demonstrated that the social feature of meetings is of great and lasting value to the membership. Of' a roll embracing 4,011 members, resident in all parts of our country, and scattered in various portions of the world, only a small fraction are able to attend meetings, even if the localities selected are alternately widely separated. Hence, the return which most -members receive for their annual assessment of dues is limited to the publications issued, and the credit of being recognized as a member of a great and worthy organization. Tile greater the value of tile contents of our publication, the fuller the return which goes to members. While the Institute disavows responsibility for views or statements made in papers which appear in its Transactions, the fact that these contributions, after passing proper censorship, are accepted by the Institute and spread before the world may properly be received by the writers as endorsements of their (the writers') ability to present a specific technical or industrial proposition worthy of being carefully read. But the mere presentation and publication of contributed papers falls short of fulfilling one important feature of our meetings. If the purpose is confined to having the writers' views, discoveries, theories, or methods published, this can be obtained through the technical or trade journals and magazines.

Jan 7, 1913

By John A. Church

AT the last meeting of the Institute, a discussion arose upon the question, Is there pressure in coke ovens?" and many of the members seemed to think that the superiority of the Belgian furnace might be due to the fact that it is a completely closed chamber, in which the gases given off by the coal are, or may be, at more than the atmospheric reassure. It seems to me that this position is untenable, 'and that an examination of one of these ovens in operation will show, not only that there is no excess of pressure in the coke chamber, but that the contrary is true, and a partial vacuum exists. The Belgian or Francoise oven consists of a rectangular chamber closed at the ends by sliding doors, and furnished with flues in the side walls and floor. The new charge is introduced at a time when the furnace is so hot as to cause immediate and copious discharge of the volatile constituents of the coal. The gases pass downwards through the side flues giving out their heat to the walls and thus to the coal. Underneath the floor air is introduced and the gases burn, producing intense heat. Heat is also reflected from the arched roof upon the coal which is therefore heated from all sides. The especial advantage which this construction was designed to secure is that no air is admitted to the coke-chamber. All the heat is produced by the combustion of the unsociable gases, and the yield ought to be a maximum. I t is so in fact, allowing for the imperfections inseparable from furnace construction and management. Sometimes the yield is in excess of the percentage indicated by assay, showing that

By John T. Galey

In all, 210 wellst were completed in southwestern Pennsylvania during 1939, which is 59 more than were drilled during the preceding year. Of this number, 137 were gas wells, which is a considerable increase from the 81 completed during 1938. Only 25 oil wells were completed, as against 28 in the previous year, and 28 dry holes, 6 more than last year. Shallow Development—Gas The increase in the number of gas wells is largely the result of a search for additional gas in Armstrong and Indiana Counties. Although a considerable number of wells were drilled in the latter county, the majority of them produced less than 100 M cu. ft. initial open flow. In Armstrong County, a new pool was opened in Cowanshannock township, producing from the third Bradford sand. Several large wells were obtained there, one of which produced an initial of nearly 12 million cu. ft., with a reservoir pressure of 1100 Ib. However, the productive area has been fairly well outlined by further drilling and shows that the pool covers only about 800 acres. The sand is 20 to 30 ft. thick, and probably has 5 to 6 ft. of pay. Thus this reserve is not an important one. Several wells were found in Menallen township, Fayette County, where the Big Injun sand has been having a play for the past three years, but the activity there is much less than a year ago. Oil On the west side of the Bradford sand gas pool, Cowanshannock township, Armstrong County, a well was drilled which flowed 100 bbl. the first day from the Tiona sand. The probability is that this well is a freak, as the Tiona has been drilled within a fairly close distance on every

Jan 1, 1940

By Ernest F. Burchard

In connection with the work of testing structural materials for the use of the U. S. government at the laboratories of the technologic branch of the U. S. Geological Survey at St. Louis, Mo., from September, 1904, to April, 1909, and since then at Pittsburg, Pa., large quantities of sand, gravel, and crushed stone have been needed from time to time, besides samples of building-stone, clays, and other quarry-products. In many instances it has been necessary to obtain single samples of sand, gravel, or crushed stone in lots of a car-load or more. For obvious reasons all these collections have had to be made by a representative of the Survey. As the work progressed it was found essential that numerous geologic data should be gathered regarding the materials collected, in order that they might be properly classified as to kind of material, source, geologic age, etc., and that they might be rated according to quantity available, accessibility to transportation facilities, approximate costs, suitability for special purposes, etc., and that notes might be taken regarding undeveloped deposits of possible value. Furthermore, it mas desired that the selection of materials for tests should be made broadly, so as to cover, first, the representative types of material, and later, if possible, the typical materials of the more important building-centers in the United States. In order to insure a certain degree of uniformity in this work and economy of effort and expense, it was decided that as much of the sampling as was practicable should be done by a member of the geologic branch, whose regular field-trips could be combined conveniently with those necessary for procuring materials for the laboratory. During parts of the last three years 1 have been engaged in field-work of this sort.

Jan 1, 1911

DESPITE the very small number of engineers who can get away from their tasks to New York, a point so far from the Mid-Continent and Cali-fornia oil fields, where the real important, engineering progress in the industry is being made, the attendance was remarkably good, and it was generally remarked that all the sessions were "snappy," and there was no drag. This was largely because, under instructions from the chairman, very few papers were permitted to be read, and the "high lights" of each paper were pre-sented orally as an introduction to the large and varied discussions, many of which were prepared in advance. The round table discussion on petroleum engineering research problems, conducted by W. E. Wrather, proved a greater success than was anticipated, considering the difficulty in getting many of the men to discuss such problems. There has been no crystallization of opinion heretofore of what are important engineering research problems, as distinguished from pure science problems, and a digest of the discussion will be made available so as to present the results obtained. It is hoped that further round table discussions, as well as committee work, in the meantime summarizing problems appear-ing in papers published the last two to three years, will enable the oil industry to determine intelligently which of the problems are most important for immediate attack. The roundtable discussion on petroleum engineering educational problems, conducted by H. C. George of the University of Oklahoma, was equally fruitful, and since managers of companies, consulting engineers, and pro-fessors cooperated in these sessions, a cross-section of their opinions on improving the curricula for training the large number of petroleum engineers, which the industry can absorb in-the next few years, was obtained.

Jan 3, 1927

By John J. Reed

This paper was prepared as a supplement to the general review by Dr. N. G. W. Cook. His analysis of the problem in terms of the strain energy involved in making the excavation is excellent. It will contribute much towards a clearer understanding of rock behavior and control. Several of the practical applications described herein can be directly related to Dr. Cook's theories and conclusions, and are based on the very same principles. CONTROLLED BLASTING IN ROCK EXCAVATION Generally speaking, the natural rock is a relatively strong and competent structural material, if we conserve its inherent good properties and perhaps reinforce its weak spots. The difficulty often lies in blasting out the tunnel or chamber without damaging the walls and roof we wish to have remain afterwards. Much progress has been made in the last five years in better understanding the controlled excavation of rock. The specialized techniques known as smooth wall blasting and presplit blasting have now developed from the status of curiosities of rock excavation to the point where these techniques are specified in contracts drawn up for such rock excavation projects as tunnels, underground pourer houses, etc. These techniques have been well described and discussed in previous publications; there is no need to reiterate here. It might be well to point out that recent research has demonstrated the effect that inherent rock stress may have on presplitting in certain directions. Material can be presplit most readily parallel to the direction of maximum compressive stress, and this may not always be in the direction desired. Inherent rock stress measurements by stress relief over coring, etc., may have important value in deciding how to best presplit proposed excavations. In addition, recent work at the Colorado School of Mines has demonstrated the feasibility of con-

Jan 1, 1967

By G. B. Pryde

IN laying out a new mine, provision should be made for the ultimate recovery of as much coal in any given bed as is consistent with safety and economic mining. Though each mining district, if not each individual mine, has problems that make the adoption of any hard and fast rule impossible, certain basic principles are adapted to practically all conditions. One of the most vital is the provision for barrier pillars of ample dimensions to protect all haulage and permanent airways during the life of the property. Where conditions permit, room or butt entries should be driven on the strike or slightly to the raise and rooms turned at right angles to said entries. The width of rooms and room pillars is governed by conditions prevailing in the mines under consideration. A safe rule is: In advancing, extract not more than 25 to 35 per cent. of the entire seam; in exceptionally thick seams, considerably less than 25 per cent. should be taken. Rooms usually vary in length from 250 to 350 ft. (76 to 106 m.) with a barrier pillar of not less than 80 ft. between the last crosscut in rooms, and entry and room crosscuts should be driven on sights; room crosscuts should be driven at right angles to the direction of the rooms. In mines under excessively heavy cover or where roof conditions are bad, rooms should be driven narrow and a barrier pillar left at every fifth to tenth room. This barrier should be of such dimensions that one or more rooms, with pillars of usual dimensions, may be turned through it when the barrier is no longer required. Two of the advantages of such a barrier are the protection of the panel against peaking of roof load during pillar extraction and the easy closing of the entry in case of fire.

Jan 2, 1921

By Carl Henrich

In the winter of 1895 to 1896, during the construction of the Jackson and Cincinnati railroad, running from Addison, Lenawee county, Mich., to Jackson, Mich., in a northerly direction, I had occasion to observe some interesting geological features, described below, in a cut of this railroad made through the low ridge of gravel and sand, dividing the valley of Silver Lake and Silver Creek from the Goose Lake and Goose Creek valley, in Lenawee county. The surface-deposits of this part of the county are, as is well known, of glacial origin. Gently rounded, long ridges of sand, gravel and clay intervene between the marshy bottoms and the lakes of the valleys. The nature of the deposits, varying from a sandy clay or clayey sand to fine and coarse gravel and pure siliceous sand on the one hand, and to a very tough, fine, uniform and often indurated clay on the other, as well as the irregular and sudden changes, sharply divided, between these materials composing the ridges, in the cuts made through them by the railroad, would admit of no doubt that this country owes its present surface-configuration primarily to the action of the last glacial period, which covered its surface with an immense ice-sheet. The well-known ice-markings on the huge granite, schist, greenstone and conglomerate boulders found everywhere imbedded and protruding from the surface, add their testimony to the other characteristics mentioned. Most of the cuts made by the railway through the ridges showed in a marked degree the irregular arrangement and the sudden changes of and between the materials mentioned above. One cut, however, known as Kelly's cut, or Kelly's gravelpit, about 4 1/2 miles north of Addison, and about 1 1/2 miles south

Jan 1, 1897

By G. Bassi

RECENTLY Wallbaum¹ found that copper wires with different degrees of deformation up to 98.7 pct area reduction recrystallize giving a [112] texture, while deformation over 98.7 pct gives either a [l00] texture at low temperatures or a [1ll] texture at high temperatures. Furthermore it was found that the recrystallization temperature as a function of deformation up to 98.7 pct decreases as expected, but increases over that deformation. Wallbaum concluded that the different textures have different recrystallization temperatures. The [112] texture has the lowest and [Ill] the highest. At the same time Bassi² found that for high deformation (over 99 pct area reduction) and for an annealing temperature of 400°C, the [l00] texture first forms and with prolonged annealing time the [12] texture appears through grain growth. This secondary texture does not appear if the wire is annealed at 1000°C before the deformation. From these two papers it might be concluded that the [I12] texture can appear either as a primary or as a secondary texture after annealing. The texture formed in a special case depends on the previous history of the wire. Probably the texture of the wire prior to the last deformation is important. To investigate this, wires were produced by adequate deformation and annealing to give a [l00], a [112], and a [lll] texture. The wires then were given a series of different deformations and were annealed at various temperatures, after which the textures were studied. Experimental Work The copper used was electrolytic tough-pitch (Cu 99.90 pct and 0, 0.04 pct). Three wires with the different initial textures were made in the following way: The [l00] and [112] by drawing a 16 mm rod to 1 mm and annealing it 16 hr at 200°C and 2 hr

Jan 1, 1953

By Meredith Johnson

THE year 1924 saw little change in the production of oil and gas it either Pennsylvania or New York. In the early months of the year the price of Pennsylvania crude oil, $4.00 to $4.50 a barrel, was sufficiently high to cause operators to lay plans for rather extensive drilling opera-tions. But when, in August, the price dropped to $2.85 a barrel, there was no inducement for new work and drilling was curtailed. In spite of the curtailment, however, the combined production of the two states for the year showed a slight increase over 1923, the production being 8;859,000 bbl. in 1923, and 8,901,000 bbl.1 in 1924. The increased production was due entirely to. the continued development of flooding operations in the Bradford field, all other oilfields showing a decline for the year. TABLE 1. Production of Crude Oil in Pennsylvania and New York for the Last Ten Years a Production, Barrels Production, Barrels Year Year Pennsylvania I New York Pennsylvania I New York 1915 7,838,000 888,000 1920- 7,438,000 906,000 1916 7,593,000 874,000 1921 7,418,000 988,000 1917 7,733,000 880,000 1922 7,425,000 1;000,000 1918 7,408,000 809,000 1923 7,609,000 1,250,000 1919 8,137,000 851,000 1924 7,535,0006 1;366,0006 a U. S. Geological Survey figures. b Estimated. Much of the drilling in the southwestern part of Pennsylvania was done in search of gas. Natural gas in Pennsylvania is fast being recognized at its true worth and the increased prices allowed 'the gas companies for their product induced quite a bit of new work. The relative importance of natural gas compared with manufactured gas is shown in Table 2.2

Jan 3, 1925

Rep. William S. Hill (R.- Colo.) will preside over a Congressional hearing investigating the problems of the mining industry to be conducted in Phoenix, Ariz., late in April. Rep. Hill has expressed the desire to hear from the industry itself all possible testimony on the needs of domestic mining and how Congress can help. Rep. John J. Rhodes of Arizona is also expected to attend the hearing. Two new features are incorporated into an SO2 process for treatment of low grade manganese ores disclosed by Chemical Construction Corp. The new approach includes a high temperature autoclaving step and a sintering operation. Data was given for work performed on Cuyuna Range ores.

Jan 4, 1953

By R. E. Allen, A. C. Jephson

ELECTROLYTIC zinc plants of the American Smelting and Refining Co. are located adjacent to the present city limits of Corpus Christi, Texas. The original plant commenced operations during 1942, and is designed for the production of special high grade zinc from zinc sulfide concentrates.' Subsequent changes include the erection of an additional acid plant during 1950, and additions for increased generating and production capacity during 1951. New Electrolytic Plant—The new electrolytic plant is a separate unit erected for the treatment of densified fume produced at Asarco plants located in El Paso, Texas and Chihuahua, Mexico. Construction was completed and operation commenced during June, 1953. Decision for the erection of a separate plant for the treatment of densified fume is based on several factors. One of the principal reasons is the assurance of continued production rate of the original plant, which might have been jeopardized by combined treatment of calcine and fume. Of equal importance is the advantage of locating a plant on a site with adequate space for eventual expansion. General Description—The new plant for the treatment of densified fume consists of four main buildings for the following operations: storage and grinding of fume, leaching and purification, electrolyzing and casting, and rectifier units. Auxiliary buildings include a baghouse, reagent storage, and a lunch room. Leaching of ground fume with electrolyte from the cells is a batch type operation in tanks equipped with mechanical agitators and weightometers. Completed leaches are pressure filtered, the resultant residue being recovered for shipment to El Paso by conventional use of thickeners, drum type vacuum filters, and a direct-fired dryer. Filtrates from the filter section are purified in mechanically agitated tanks, filtered after completion through plate and frame presses, and then pumped to an evaporative type cooling tower. Solution discharged from the basin of the cooling tower is collected in storage tanks for use in the cells. The cool purified solutions are pumped as required from storage to the solution circuit for circulation of electrolyte through the cells. Except for the addition of purified feed solution and withdrawal of electrolyte for leaching, the circulating system for the cells is essentially a closed continuous circuit that includes the use of evaporative cooling towers for control of solution temperatures. Aluminum cathodes and Ag-Pb anodes are used for electrolysis, which is maintained at a current density of about 82 amp per sq ft. Cathode zinc produced is melted in a gas-fired reverberatory furnace and then cast into slabs on a straight line casting machine. Unloading and Storage—Fume produced by the Chihuahua plant is shipped in box cars, and fume by the El Paso plant in hopper bottom dump cars. Shipments as received are weighed on a 7 5-ton capacity railroad scale, sampled, and then moved over one of the two unloading hoppers with a car puller. The cars are then unloaded with mechanized equipment, a car scoop being used for unloading of box cars and a car shaker for the hopper bottom cars

Jan 1, 1958

CALAMINE is one of the semiminerals that have great similarity to the metals. It is a very heavy mineral earth of a yellowish color. It is found in Germany near the lead mines and in Italy in a mountain between Milan and Como. It is also found, as I have heard, in other places, as at Fosini in the territory of Siena. I believe that it is almost certain that some exists there because there are many other kinds of minerals there- about, although none is mined there in these times. But this does not mean that it could not be mined or that there is not some there that is real. Someone says that he med to melt what he could find with copper [36v]

Jan 1, 1942

W. H. BASSETT, * Waterbury, Conn.-Manganese should not be expected to remedy all the defects that are due to poor melting practice. It is undoubtedly valuable in helping to eliminate porosity in many of the alloys. In the copper-nickel alloys, its use is becoming almost universal, for, beside helping to make sound castings, it tends to hold the carbon in solution in the solidified alloy. GWILLIAM H. CLAMER,? Philadelphia, Pa.-I have found that manganese copper is satisfactory for eliminating sulfur and that it works very well in the crucible and when you have reducing conditions; but in a large reverberatory charge, where the conditions are oxidizing, we were not able to eliminate the sulfur.

Jan 1, 1919

By Denis Yeung, B. H. G. Brady

A hybrid finite element-boundary element code with eight noded isoparametric finite elements and three noded boundary elements is described for plane strain and linear isotropic elasticity. In the direct formulation of the Boundary Flement Method, quadratic variation of geometry and displacements, and linear variation of tractions with respect to the element intrinsic coordinates are used. The boundary element region is treated as a "super-element" in the finite element sense.

Jan 1, 1982

The volumes of Transactions, which are published annually, contain the list of officers, rules, etc , the Proceedings, and the papers revised for final publication (In this revision, after the prelimi¬nary publication, authors are permitted to use the largest liberty , and the changes and additions made in papers are sometimes important It should be borne in mind by those who study or quote a paper in the preliminary edition, that they may not have in that form the ultimate and deliberate expression of the author's views It should be added, however, that in the majority of cases there are no important changes) These volumes are for sale as follows, in paper covers

Jan 1, 1910

By E. A. G. Colls

Discusses corrosion in Trail chemical plants producing ammonia, sulphuric, nitric and phosphoric acids, ammonium phosphates, sulphate and nitrate, together with miscellaneous allied material problems and their solution using erosion or corrosion proof materials. Conclusion, that for work of this nature, most costly material may well be cheapest in the long run.

Jan 4, 1950