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By J. W. Paul

A superintendent is one who has the oversight and charge of some organiza- tion or enterprise, with porer of direction. The superintendent of a coal mine is the official who is in general charge of conducting the operation of the nine for the purpose of producing coal; he is accountable to his superiors for all matters that relate to the cost of production and safety in operation, ed under him are all the underground officials and other personnel making up the mine organization. The responsibility of the superintendent covers all the principal phases of mining, purchases of materials, issuance of supplies, accounting, and upkeep of the property and equipriont. In a broad sense, the superintendent must view his job as embraced under four gneral heads: (1) Construction, (2) instruction, (3) supervision; and (4) discipline. The degree of efficiency with which each of these phases of his work is conducted is a measure of the safety factor which the superintendent injects into his job. Injury to workmen and damage to property may be due to neglect of one of these general headings; as for example in the collapse of a scaffold there has been faulty construction which may be found upon investigation to have been the result of faulty instruction or lack of instruction. It may be that the condition of the scaffold was not ascertained in advance of its collapse through faulty supervision, or the discipline of the workmen had been neglected.

Sep 1, 1930

"One of the functions of the United States Bureau of Mines is to investigate the ability of electrical mining equipment to operate in a gassy mine without danger of igniting explosive atmospheres. To accomplish this purpose, tests are made in which mixtures of gas and air are ignited in the equipment while it is surrounded by explosive atmospheres of the same composition. In such tests, records of pressures developed by the internal ex-plosions are obtained and observations are made of any flames, sparks, or smoke which may issue from bearings and joints. Occasionally the explosion pressures in a mining machine rheostat or a compartment of some other machine reach a value which is judged to be excessive or abnormal.A number of factors are known to influence the explosion pressures, and both German and. British investigators have irate extensive research on their effects. Much of this work had been done with artificial compartment which certain conditions could c held, constant while others were being varied. The U. S. Bureau of Mines has not made any research on a scale to compare with that of the British or German investigators; however, special studies have been necessary from time to time to determine the cause and remedy for high pressures obtained in the routine test of some piece of mining machinery. Thus it has been possible to verify some of tee theories established on a purely experimental oasis by practical tests of machines as actually built for mine use.Some of the factors determined the pressure that will result when an explosive mixture in a compartment or connected compartment is ignited are: (1) The volume of explosive mixture ignited, (2) the percentage of as in the mixture, (3) the amount of coal-dust in the compartment or compartments, (4) the degree of movement or turbulence of the mixture at the time of ignition, (6) tightness of the joints and bearings, (6) the size of opening between, compartments, (7) the distance between the point of ignition and openings, and (8) the cooling, effect of surfaces and of material inclosed in the compartments."

Dec 1, 1929

By Scott A. Stebbins

This Bureau of Mines publication presents a method for estimating capital and operating costs associated with the exploration, mining, and processing of placer deposits. To ensure representative cost estimates, operational parameters for placering equipment and basic principles of placer mining techniques are detailed.

Jan 1, 1987

By J. W. Watkins

This report describes in detail methods of making corrosion tests and chemical analyses that have been used extensively and satisfactorily in a study of plants in which various surface, waters and brines are conditioned and used for water flooding, brine disposal, and reservoir-pressure maintenance in Kansas, Oklahoma, and North Texas. The tests and analyses described were designed and adapted for use in the field in determining the relative corrosive and plugging tendencies of waters from various sources conditioned by different methods. Although the described methods were developed and used in testing oil-field waters in the Midcontinent oil-producing area of the United States, these same methods should be equally applicable to testing oil-field or highly mineralized waters throughout the world. Many of the methods used have been discussed by the writer (1)2/ previously, and some of them have been used for similar work in other laboratories. Early in the development of the practice of the subsurface injection of brines for disposal and increasing the recovery of oil, it became evident that different methods of chemical treatment and conditioning equipment would have to be devised to sustain desired injection rates into water-input wells. These changes became necessary because the highly mineralized waters produced with petroleum from deep formations became chemically unstable when pumped to the surface, owing to loss of dissolved gases as pressure and temperature dropped to atmospheric and to the contact with atmospheric oxygen at the surface.

Jan 1, 1954

This publication summarizes the research (in-house and contract projects) programmed by the Bureau of Mines for fiscal year 1985 (October 1, 1984-September 30, 1985) under its Health and Safety Technology Program. The objective of these projects is to provide an ordered and sequenced advance toward the Bureau's overall goal of providing the system technology required to create a more healthful and safer working environment for the Nation?s mining and minerals processing workers.

Jan 1, 1985

By Yael Miron

The presence of pyrite (FeS2) in coal can cause or contribute to several problems for the coal mining industry. These problems, which include spontaneous combustion, roof falls, floor heave, and accidental explosions in coal surface mining when ammonium nitrate fuel oil (ANFO) explosives are used, result from pyrite oxidation. Pyrite oxidizes exothermically in the presence of air and moisture to form a large variety of products, including hydrated ferrous and ferric sulfates, and sulfuric acid. Some of the products are reactive chemicals and strong oxidants. The volume of many of these oxidation products exceeds the original volume of the pyrite; as a result, the adjacent coal disintegrates and its surface increases, rendering it more susceptible to oxidation. The heat from pyrite oxidation raises the temperature of the adjacent coal, accelerating the oxidation and self-heating rates of the coal. These combined chemical, physical, and thermal effects are the cause of the aforementioned problems. When ANFO is used in surface coal mines and contacts ferrous sulfate, a highly exothermic reaction ensiles. Additional hazards are fires or explosions caused by the frictional ignition of methane when the pyrite in the coal is struck by a cutting bit during mining.

Jan 1, 1994

By R. E. Morgan

Two sizes of Pennsylvania anthracite were gasified in the new-type Lurgi pressure generator at the Dorsten, Germany, works of the Steinkohlengas, A. G. These tests demonstrated that Chestnut-size anthracite and a Rice-Buckwheat mixture containing 27 and 19 percent ash, respectively, could be gasified satisfactorily at an elevated pressure in a fixed bed with oxygen and steam. These coals were especially prepared to approximate a rough-cleaned coal and a washed and screened product. The operating data obtained from the two tests and materials requirements are summarized. A wide range of reactant ratios could not be tested, nor could optimum operating conditions be determined, as the generator was being used throughout the testing program, employing normal operating practices, to produce gas for the gas grid; and the most economical coal, steam, and oxygen ratios may not have been used. Comparative costs are presented of the raw materials required for producing a high-B.t.u. gas, based on the operational data obtained from these tests and, to some extent, on data extrapolated from laboratory experimentation. A flowsheet of a proposed process for producing a high-B.t.u. gas by Lurgi gasification, followed by methanation, is also included.

Jan 1, 1958

By M. C. Irani

This Bureau of Mines report tabulates methane emissions from U.S. bituminous coal mines with daily emission rates of at least 100,000 cfd according to States, counties, and coalbeds. Most of the methane emitted is from mines in the Appalachian States. Total daily emission in 1975 was 216.3 MMcfd, compared with 227.0 MMcfd in 1971 and 214.5 MMcfd in 1973. Thirty counties in nine States hid daily methane emissions of 1 MMcfd or more. These emitted 93 percent of the total methane. The highest emissions were from Monongalia County, W. Va., which accounted for 18.9 percent of the total. This was followed by Marion County, W. Va., 9.6 percent; Buchanan County, Va., 8.3 percent; Jefferson County, Ala., 6.1 percent; and Washington County, Pa., 5.9 percent. The Pittsburgh coalbed emitted 45.7 percent of the total methane, followed by the Pocahontas No. 3 coalbed with 12.9 percent. The report lists 196 mines, of which 60 had daily methane emissions of 1 MMcfd or more. Included in this compilation are the identification and thickness of the coalbed, methane emission, coal production and ventilation rates, number of drifts, shafts, and slopes used for ventilation purposes, shaft depth, age of mine, and gas-to-coal ratio.

Jan 1, 1977

By Arne Landsberg

The Bureau of Mines measured the vapor pressure of FeC12 , FeBr2, FeI2, Sb, Bi, Cd, Mg, Pb, FeC13 , and VCl2 using the Knudsen-and torsion-effusion methods, and on FeC13 -NaC1 mixtures, Au2Cl6, and MgNi2 using only the Knudsen method. Apparent vapor pressures calculated from the experimental data vary with orifice size and method of determination. Reaction with residual oxygen in the instruments was noted to have an effect on the iron halide data. Vapor pressure curves plotted as log P versus 1/T (where P is pressure and T is absolute temperature) for one substance using several orifice sizes tended to converge at a single point when extrapolated beyond the experimental region. All of the data, except those of VC12, agree with previously published results. The importance of comparing effusion measurements with those obtained by other methods and the variations encountered with various orifice sizes are discussed.

Jan 1, 1977

"Qatar, crude petroleum, production, annualdata MY 1949-51Quality mine, Ark., coal, carbonizing properties TP 667washabilty study RI 496N. Dak., lignite, grindabilty as function ofmoisture, tests, results RI 5167"

Jan 1, 1960

By Frank C. Morris

This report presents the results of a Bureau of Mines study to identify clays found in several petroleum-reservoir rocks in the Tejon-Grapevine area, Kern County, Calif., and to determine the effect of water sensitivity of the clays on the permeability of the reservoir rocks. The clays in the porous rocks were examined in detail, and the clay-mineral types were identified by differential thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction, and optical and dye-staining methods. Fresh-water damage to the permeability of the oil-reservoir rocks was indicated by a study of 125 core samples from productive formations. The study indicated that, although clays were generally less than 5 percent of the reservoir rocks, they swelled in water, particularly fresh water, and nearly blocked the flow channels through which oil flows to the well, effectively reducing the permeability of the formations. The average permeability of rock decreased from 1,600 millidarcys in air to 620 millidarcys in salt water and 120 millidarcys in fresh water. The dominant clays in the oil-bearing sandstones were members of the montmorillonite group. They were associated with smaller quantities of clays found to be in the mica or illite group. None of the cores appeared to contain clays of the kaolinite group. In the lower section of the J.V. sandstone indications of what appeared to be the mineral sepiolite were noted.

Jan 1, 1959

By Richard D. Miller

This publication contains routine analyses and related source data for 350 natural gas samples from 19 States collected during calendar year 1962 as part of a continuous survey of the United States for occurrences of helium in natural gas. This survey has been conducted by the Helium Activity of the Bureau of Mines since 1917. The analyses published herein were made by mass spectrometer and a special helium analysis apparatus. Four previous publications have been made to present the results of 5,648 gas analyses made by the Bureau of Mines, Helium Activity, prior to 1962. The first, Bulletin 486, 3/ contains analyses and data on 2,195 gas samples collected during the period 1917-47. Bulletin 576, 4/ the second publication, includes data and analyses for 1,575 samples collected from 1947 through May 1956. The third bulletin 5/ contains 1,444 analyses and source data of samples obtained from May 1956 to January 1, 1961.

Jan 1, 1964

By R. F. Abernethy

Recent investigations in the United States and in other countries have produced considerable information on the nature and occurrence of minor elements in coal. The possibility of recovering certain elements, particularly germanium and uranium, from coal ash and other coal products has received considerable attention. Some flue dusts are potential sources of germanium, and certain lignite deposits are potential sources of uranium, but industrial recovery of these elements has been limited to small quantities for technical and economic reasons. Considering the large amount of coal mined annually, a small percentage of a rare element may have industrial significance if an economical method of recovery can be developed. In 1944 information on the occurrence of rare elements in coal was reviewed in Bureau of Mines Technical Paper 669 (46).3 This report is a revision of that paper with the view of summarizing published information available for United States coals, and pertinent information concerning coals of other countries. Selected references from the original paper are retained. New references do not include all preliminary reports when more permanent literature describing complete projects is available. Consequently, the list of references should not be considered complete.

Jan 1, 1963

By W. F. Watts

The U.S. Bureau of Mines has conducted research on methods to reduce and to measure diesel particulate matter (DPM) aerosols in underground coal mines. One objective of this report is to present findings from an investigation of the DPM reductions obtained by an engine-mounted integrated control system consisting of a dry system (DS) and a diesel particulate filter (DPF). Another objective is to present results from the usc of a size selective personal sampler to measure DPM concentrations in an underground coal mine. Bureau laboratory tests of the integrated dry system and diesel particulate filter (DS-DPF) have shown that DPM emissions can be reduced up to 97 pet with little change in gaseous emission concentrations. The DS-DPF is undergoing certification tests conducted by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). Subsequent to passing all safety requirements, it will be tested in an underground coal mine. A baseline survey of DPM concentrations and aerosol size distributions in a cooperating mine was completed in August 1988. A prototype DPM personal sampler was tested during this survey. Based on results from this test, an improved unit has been developed. This unit is scheduled for extensive field testing by MSHA in 1989.

Jan 1, 1989

By B. W. Gandrud

The upper part of the Alabama deposits of crystalline graphite consists of an oxidized ore derived from the underlying unoxidized ore through prolonged Weathering. The degree of oxidation in different sections and at different depths within the bed is not uniform. The original ore is hard and blue-gray; the weathered product is soft and brown and is the only part that has been mined to any extent. Samples of both oxidized and unoxidized ores were obtained from two of the large graphite deposits of Clay County. Three additional samples of oxidized ore were obtained from different portions of a third property in the same region. In this report, ores 1 to 5 are of oxidized material and ores 6 and 7 of unoxidized.

Jan 1, 1934

By C. K. Eilerts

Knowledge of the phase relations of the fluids that exist in the porous spaces of rocks constituting natural petroleum reservoirs and of the behavior of these fluids under various field conditions of operation is essential to the conservation of petroleum and natural gas and to their efficient recovery. The problem of determining whether these fluids axe in the liquid or gaseous state send of recognizing the transitions that may take place as the material in the reservoir is subjected to different conditions of pressure and temperature confronts many producers today, especially in certain fields. The subject has grown rapidly in importance since the discovery of and production from deeper reservoirs that have correspondingly higher pressures rind temperatures as compared with shallower

Jan 1, 1938

By N. S. Petersen

As part of the Demand Evaluation Program of the Bureau of Mines to determine future needs for minerals, a study was instituted to develop and describe a methodology for approaching the problem of substitution between mineral commodities and between mineral commodities and other materials. The report comprises three sections: A review of general factors relative to substitution, a case study of the effect of substitution on zinc die-casting markets in recent years, and a general methodology for reviewing materials substitution with specific emphasis derived from reviewing substitution in the domestic zinc die-casting markets.

Jan 1, 1971

By Richard D. Miller

This publication contains routine analyses and related source data for 350 natural gas samples from 19 States collected during calendar year 1362 as part of a continuous survey of the United States for occurrences of helium in natural gas. This survey has been conducted by the Helium Activity of the Bureau of Mines since 1917. The analyses published herein were made by mass spectrometer and a special helium analysis apparatus. Four previous publications have been made to present the results of 5,648 gas analyses made by the Bureau of Mines, Helium Activity, prior to 1962. The first, Bulletin 486, 3/ contains analyses and data on 2,195 gas samples collected during the period 1917-47. Bulletin 576, 4/ the second publication, includes data and analyses for 1,575 samples collected from 1947 through May 1956. The third bulletin contains 1,444 analyses and source data of samples obtained from May 1956 to January 1, 1961.

Jan 1, 1964

By A. Visnapuu

The Bureau of Mines, as a part of its goal to minimize occupational hazards associated with mining and mineral processing operations, has developed and field tested a compact exhaust air muffler for mechanized, jumbo-mounted pneumatic rock drills. The muffler is constructed of 1/8-inch sheet steel and has nominal dimensions of 1-3/4 by 9 by 13 inches. A directed air passage, flexible neoprene baffles, and an expandable slit-type outlet are incorporated to reduce drill exhaust air noise and eliminate muffler icing. Field tests in actual mining operations showed a l5-dbA reduction in exhaust noise and an 8-to 12-dbA reduction in overall drilling noise with no icing problems or decrease in drill performance. Data are presented on muffler construction, laboratory, and field test results.

Jan 1, 1979

By Albert S. Konselman

This paper describes the mining methods and operating costs for 1938 at the South Burns shaft, situated in the Cripple Creek district, Colorado. The shaft is operated by Golden Conqueror Mines, Inc., through which portions of the properties of the Acacia Cold Mining Co., The Free Coinage Gold Mining Co., and The United Gold Mines Co. are worked under lease. During 1938, 30,773.61 dry tons of ore averaging $9.59 in gold per ton was mined. Of this, 10,138.439 tons averaging $10.65 per ton was produced on company account, and 20,635.171 tons averaging $9.05 per ton was produced by "split-check" lessees.

Jan 1, 1940