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By Paul C. Hyndman

The U.S. Bureau of Mines investigations of the three subunits (fig. 1) of the Homestead RARE II area (No. 6291) revealed no evidence of mining activity or mineral deposits in the area. The Iron Dyke Mine, 3 mi (5 km) outside the study area produced ore between 1916 and early 1982 from a volcanogenic massive sulfide deposit in the Permian volcaniclastic Hunsaker Creek Formation of the Seven Devils Group. The Hunsaker Creek Formation does not crop out in the RARE II area, but extends into the area beneath Miocene flows of Columbia River Basalt. The abundant basalt in the area could be used as aggregate or dimension stone, but equivalent deposits exist closer to markets. INTRODUCTION Location and Access The Homestead RARE II area (fig. 1) encompasses 6260 net acres (253U ha), in three units, of the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest in Baker and Wallowa Counties, Oregon. Two small units of 160 and 300 acres (65 and 120 ha) are 5 mi (8 km) north and east of the main study area. Homestead, Oregon, on the Snake River, is about 3 mi (4 km) south of the two small areas, and about 3 mi (4 km) northeast of the main study area. Peripheral access is provided by State Highway 86, U.S. Forest Service Road 39, and ancillary roads and trails.

Jan 1, 1983

By Michael J. Klishis

It was the goal of this project to develop training materials specific to two areas of the mining industry: (1) safe use and care of the self-contained self-rescuers, and (2) awareness and avoidance of electrical hazards. This report describes the development of the following training material: Instructor's modules for the OCENCO EBA 6.5, CSE AU-9A1, and PASS 700E self-contained self-rescuers; and a textbook, slide tapes, and accident case study scenarios for mine electricity, and a computer based instructional package on mine electricity and electrical hazards. The report concludes that additional efforts are needed in mine training and four recommendations are made: (a) tailor existing materials to fit specific mine sites, (b) develop and evaluate computer based instructional material, (c) develop parallel training materials for metal and non-metal mines and, (d) develop additional training materials for preparation plants and surface areas of underground mines.

Jan 1, 1985

"INTRODUCTION Early in 1936 the Interstate Oil Compact Commission and other groups interested in forecasts of demand for petroleum requested the Bureau of Mines to make a physical inventory of crude-oil stocks in the United States, Accordingly, the 74th Congress appropriated funds for conducting such a survey during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1937. In the discussions and hearing 2/ relative to the need for the survey, the opinion was expressed that crude oil held in storage for long periods had lost so much of its gasoline content that the economic significance of total stocks should be discounted materially. Therefore, a primary objective of the survey was to make a physical inventory of the crude oil held in storage above ground and to determine the quantities and characteristics of the light fractions contained in the various stocks."

Sep 1, 1938

By A. B. Hooker, L. C. IlsLey

"The last previous Bureau of Mines publication relative to details of permissible electric mine lamps is Bulletin 332, which describes 16 lamps approved prior to May 1930. Some of the lamps have become obsolete through the development of improved models which, with several new types, make it desirable to supplement the Bureau's published data relative to permissible electric mine lamps.In the following descriptions, lamps approved since May 1930 and prior to July 1, 1935, are placed in the three following groups: (1) Electric cap lamps, (2) electric hand lamps, and (3) lamps for miscellaneous applications,ELECTRIC CAP LAMPS APPROVED UNDER SCHEDULE 6B1. Edison model J lamp, approval no. 24. - The features that distinguish this lamp from earlier models of Edison electric cap lamps are:(a) The battery consists of two F-2 cells of square cross section and about 1-1/4 inches higher than M-14 cells in the model H lamp, making the battery narrower and higher than any of the earlier models of Edison cap lamps.(b) The cells are insulated from each other and the Monel-metal casing by enclosure in vulcanized-rubber baglike enclosures. Both cell terminals are insulated from the cell jar.(c) The battery is equipped with rubber-tube Bunsen-valve-type gas vents.(d) The battery casing is secured by a new-type magnetic lock.(e.) The battery and cover terminal clips have been redesigned to give a wiping contact."

Jun 1, 1936

By James Noll, Sam Janisko

Underground miners are exposed to some of the highest levels of diesel particulate matter (DPM) in the United States. Therefore, it is important to monitor the exposure of miners to DPM, but it can be difficult because of the complex composition of DPM and the number of interferences. Currently, elemental carbon (EC) is used as a surrogate because it makes up a significant fraction of the DPM and is not affected by interferences. Standard measurement methods for EC can be time consuming and only record end of shift results. In this research, a laser absorption technique that enables one to measure EC concentration in near real time was shown to be a beneficial tool. The real time data showed that the fresh air being drawn into a stone mine was not properly reaching the working area and needed to be redirected to decrease DPM concentrations. The real time data also provided a more accurate efficiency ofan environmental cab compared to just using the standard method by detecting the opening of the cab's window and door. The EC optical monitor was also worn by researchers in a mine to show how it can give not only the average concentration for the shift but also reveal when and where a miner is exposed to DPM. Keywords: Laser absorption, diesel, elemental carbon, mining, exposure

By S. Gallagher, A. G. Mayton

Back injuries account for a high proportion of lost workdays in the mining industry and are a leading cause of disability in mine workers. Two risk factors for low back injuries are manual lifting and whole-body vibration exposure when operating mobile equipment. Recent research has shed light on possible mechanisms through which low back injuries may occur, and the results of these studies can be used to improve the design of lifting tasks and seats to decrease injury risk. This article discusses recent research results and how this knowledge can be leveraged to reduce the risk of low back pain.

By Albert L. Toenges

This paper is the third of a series4/ that describes some methods and practices of mining coal mechanically where operations are conducted on more than one shift. The mining of coal by means of mechanical devices has emphasized the need for continued study of the relationship, of these devices to existing physical conditions and to planning of the operations for increased safety and economy. The purpose of this investigation is to stud the operations of different types of mechanization used in mines under various systems of mining and physical conditions to reach conclusions as to the safest and most economical methods and practices of mining. Physical conditions very in different and in the same mining districts and determine, together with economical conditions, the systems of mining and the types of mechanical loading equipment used. The information presented in this paper

Jan 1, 1941

By Marc Ruest, Lewis Martin

A new instrumented cable bolt has been developed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health at the Spokane Research Laboratory in Spokane, WA. Although various instruments are available to measure load distribution and magnitude along a grouted cable, this instrument is innovative in that it uses strain gauges internal to the cable as load-measuring sensors. The instrument has been successfully tested in the field at FMC’s Granger Mine, Meikle Mine, and Getchell Mine. A “split-pipe” laboratory pull test was performed on each of three cable bolts instrumented with the new device. Each test consisted of grouting a 1.83-m-long cable in two 0.91-m-long sections of schedule 80 pipe. A numerical analysis was then performed in which laboratory boundary conditions were simulated and model properties derived from textbook guidelines. The loads calculated by the model were then compared to the measured loads.

By S. J. Schatzel, W. P. Diamond

High methane emissions originating from the active face areas and from the fractured formations overlying and underlying the mined coalbed can adversely affect both safety and productivity in underground coal mines. Since ventilation alone may not be sufficient to control the methane levels in the longwall mining environment, gob gas ventholes have become a standard supplementary methane control option in many mines. As mines progress into deeper and gassier coalbeds, or as longwall panel size increases, ventilation and gob gas ventholes together may not be sufficient to maintain methane levels within statutory limits. To decrease the risk associated with methane emissions under these circumstances, in-seam horizontal methane drainage is often used to reduce the gas content of the coalbed prior to mining. Horizontal methane drainage borehole completion designs, drilling strategies, and degasification lead times may need to be adjusted for site-specific conditions due to mine design, geology, and the gas content of the coalbed. This study investigates different horizontal methane drainage borehole patterns, borehole lengths, and degasification times prior to and during panel extraction to evaluate their effectiveness in reducing methane emissions using a "dynamic" 3D reservoir modeling of a 38 1-m wide longwall panel operating in the Pittsburgh coalbed. Results of this study showed that dual and tri-lateral boreholes are more effective in decreasing emissions and in shielding the entries compared to fewer shorter, cross-panel, horizontal boreholes parallel to the longwall face. Modeling results showed that after 12 months of pre-mining methane drainage, the average longwall face emission rates can be reduced by as much as 10.3 m3/min and 6.8 m3/min using tri- and dual-lateral boreholes, respectively. It was also shown that if pre-mining methane drainage time is short, it is important to continue methane drainage during the panel extraction to maximize reductions in longwall face emissions since additional face emission reductions achieved during this period can be comparable to pre-mining degasification.

By J. R. Thoenen

In June 1929 the Bureau of Mines issued a 13-page Information Circular entitled "Mineral wool." This was one of the first publications to present to the public some technical aspects of the mineral-wool industry. Since that time several articles have appeared on the subject in the technical press as well as publications by State organizations. Inquiries for information on mineral wool have continued to be received by the Bureau of Mines in large numbers, and in 1935 it was decided, with the cooperation of the is industry, to make a field survey of the plants then producing and to collect therefrom technical data to be compiled in a paper for public distribution. As a first step, a brief questionnaire was mailed to the known producers asking if they would cooperate for publication. Favorable replies were received from of percent of the manufacturers, and the field work was started. As the study progressed and tie number of plants visited grew, it became more and more apparent that the industry had made rapid strides in technical operation and control of their product, as well as in increasing production during the mast decade.

Jan 1, 1938

By H. G. Miller

The success of any project in which gas is injected into oil-producing sands to increase the current rate or the economic ultimate production of oil or in which surplus gas from oil-producing operations is stored temporarily in reservoir sands that have been wholly or partly depleted of their producible oil depends mainly upon an understanding of the underground movements of oil, water, and injected gas and the ability to control their speed and direction of migration through the reservoir sends. Many operators believe that injected gas always travels up the structure and drives oil to wells structurally higher than the injection wells, because the specific gravity of the injected gas is less than that of the fluid substances in the formation. Consequently, many injection wells are located on the flanks of oil-bearing structures with the idea of utilizing the energy of the injected gas to drive the oil to producing wells higher on the structure. It is true, under certain conditions of pressure and fluid depletion of the reservoir sands that injected gas will move in an up-structure direction, but the theory that injected gas always moves up the structure is based on an erroneous conception of the laws that pertain to the expansion of gases. By definition, "a gas is distinguished by its property of infinite expansion and is limited in volume only by the walls of the vessel which contains it." The expansion of gas that is injected into reservoir sands also is limited by "walls" that surround the space influenced by the injected gas. The walls of the majority of undrilled or virgin oil-bearing reservoirs in California are the impervious shales overlying and underlying the productive strata and the "dams" or effective barriers of edge water around the rims of the reservoirs. When gas is injected into the sands of a producing reservoir, regardless of the location of the injection well on the structure or the degree of depletion of oil from the sands, one of the walls which confine the gas in the structure about the injection well is fluid. This wall will be edge water in a nearly depleted reservoir, where the drainage cones or regions of reduced pressure about injection and producing wells intersect; and, where there is no interference of drainage cones and the injection well is structurally above the edge water, the wall will be oil. In some producing reservoirs bottom water may be the lower wall of the space that confines the gas about injection wells, but the effect of bottom water on limiting the expansion of gas is the same as if the water was not present and impervious formation separated the producing from the underlying nonproducing strata. Therefore, since compressed gas always seeks regions of reduced pressure and its final volume is limited only by formation and fluid barriers and since the force exerted by the gas under pressure is equal in all directions, the course of migration of injected gas in reservoir sands in California and the effect of the gas pressure on fluid movement does not depend necessarily upon the up-structure location of low-pressure regions.

Jan 1, 1932

By Jacob Schoder

This is one of a series of papers published by the Bureau of Mines on mining and milling methods and costs. The Tennessee-Schuylkill Corporation, Chloride, Ariz., mines and mills a lead-zinc ore containing gold, silver, and a small amount of copper. The mill products are lead and zinc concentrates that are shipped to smelters. The company was the second largest producer of lead and zinc in Arizona in 1937 and was seventh in gold production. Operations discussed are those being conducted at the mine in October 1938 and are representative of the complete operating period from 1936 to date.

Jan 1, 1939

By Leo J. Neill, O&apos

Abrasives are essential to the manufacture of munitions - airplanes, gas, shells, tanks, and in fact every product that involves metal forming or finishing. An indication of the importance of abrasives in the national defense and aid-to-Britain programs is the close peace-time correlation between demand for abrasives and automobile production, which in recent years has consumed more than 35 percent of the total output of abrasives. Unprecedented demands on the abrasives industry are forecast by the rapid expansion in airplane output, tie increased mechanization of all armed forces, and the consequent speeding up not only of the factories where finished munitions are made but also of the steel mills and other factories were additional large quantities of abrasives are needed for snagging or rough-grinding semifinished products before they can be used by the fabricators. A recent survey by the artificial abrasives manufacturers indicates that they can readily increase their output 75 percent compared with the previous peak of 1937 without building new plants. By overhauling production schedules, their maximum production possible could be increased to 182 percent of the 1937 output, and the nature of the industry is such that plant capacity could be increased rapidly if need therefor should arise. No figures on the estimated requirements for abrasives in 1941 or 1942 have as yet been compiled, but the industry feels that it can meet demands as they develop.

Jan 1, 1941

By T. E. Gray, A. W. Deurbrouck

This report describes the preparation characteristics of significant coalbeds in Kanawha County , W. Va . It is one in a series of Federal Bureau of Mines reports planned to determine coals suitable for producing metallurgical coke , either as mined or after beneficiation . Almost 9.4 million tons of coal was produced in Kanawha County , W. Va . , in 1959 , of which about 67 percent was cleaned mechanically in 10 cleaning plants . It has been estimated that more than 5,505 million tons remain in the county . Samples were collected from Pittsburgh , Stockton - Lewiston , Winifrede , Cedar Grove , Peerless , Upper Kittanning , Coalburg , Powellton , Eagle A , No. 2 Gas , and the Lower Kittanning beds . These beds were selected by the Bureau based on current production rates and estimated minable reserves . Float - and - sink tests of the samples collected from Eagle A , Peerless , Cedar Grove , Winifrede , and No. 2 Gas beds show that these coals at one location each are suitable for metallurgical use without washing . Lower Kittanning bed at four locations ; Pittsburgh , Stockton - Lewiston , and No. 2 Gas beds at two locations each ; and Coalburg , Powellton , Winifrede , Peerless , Upper Kittanning , and Cedar Grove beds at one location each can be upgraded to metallurgical quality by mechanical cleaning . Crushing the samples to 3/ 8- inch top size increased yields substantially at 1.30 specific gravity of Pittsburgh ( 17.5 percentage points ) and Upper Kittanning ( 13.0 percentage points ) beds and increased yield for the other beds sampled to a lesser amount . At this specific gravity , finer crushing caused In the 1.58 specific gravity float a general decrease in ash and sulfur . fractions of the other samples tested , most of the yields , and ash and sulfur contents , were lowered slightly by finer crushing .

Jan 1, 1963

By Reinhardt Thiessen

This paper presents only the highlights of previous research on the paleobotany of coal. The accumulated material has become so vast that a comprehensive review of all findings relating to paleobotany would be far too long. The fact that coal is derived from plants is now so well-known that no further comment is required, but knowledge of the mode of transformation of plant substances into coal is not so general. The plant matter goes first through processes of semirottins-, maceration, and elimination of certain material to form peat, which is then further transformed into coal. The first stage has been termed the "biochemical process," because the more important changes take place under the influence of micro-organisms. Near the end of the biochemical action an unconsolidated peat is formed. The second or "dynamochemical process," caused by the addition of superincumbent rock strata such as sandstones and shales and application of additional pressure and possibly heat through mountain-building forces, results in the formation of higher-rank coals ranging from brown coal to anthracite. These stages in trans-formation of plant material to coal have been described in previous reports.4 The main object of this paper is to bring to the notice of paleobotanists the fact that coal contains an enormous amount of material in a remarkably good state of preservation. Although some of the coal-forming matter has lost its identity, much of the original structure is retained. A large proportion of the coal, therefore, particularly of common bright coals, comprises constituents or components that invariably have retained some of the original plant structure, and many of these structures may be assigned to certain plants. The identity of these plants and of the remains forms the subject of this paper.

Jan 1, 1941

By G. S. Scott

The investigation of the causes, behavior, and control of anthracite mine fires, which the Bureau of Mines has been carrying on has yielded several publications directly applicable to mine-fire problems. 3/, 4/, 5/, 6/, 7/, 8/ As a further step in elucidating the causes of heating in certain anthracites subjected to oxidation, reliable information vial needed relative to the actual amount of heat that is liberated when a unit volume of oxygen combines with anthracite at varying temperatures.

Jan 1, 1939

By L. S. Breckon

This paper describes the methods and equipment used by the Utah Copper Co. in constructing a vehicular tunnel at Bingham Canyon, Utah, Completion and use of this tunnel for vehicular and pedestrian traffic permitted abandonment of the long-used county highway connecting Bingham and Copperfield. Expanding- operations of the Utah Copper open-cut mine, necessitated construction of a vehicular route away from the ore body. The site Of the tunnel is well beyond ultimate nit slopes and future mining operations. The tunnel not only diverts vehicular and pedestrian traffic is but also carrier, creek water, copper water, sewage, pipe lines, and. power and telephone cables between the two communities. The dimensions of the tunnel permit one-way traffic only. Traffic-control lights have been installed. Owing to the possibility of accumulation of carbon monoxide gas from automobile exhausts, automatic gas detectors has been installed at various stations. These detectors control the operation of a large exhaust fan situated at the upper portal of the tunnel.

Jan 1, 1940

By E. Chin

The Asia and the Pacific region has large mineral resources of antimony, barite, bauxite, bismuth, copper, fluorspar, gold, graphite, iron ore, magnesite, mica, rare earths, salt, talc and pyrophyllite, titanium, zinc, and zirconium. The region overall lacks large resources of oil and natural gas, but it has large resources of anthracite and bituminous coal. In terms of exploitation, many minerals, metals, and fuel are produced in significant quantities in the Asia and the Pacific region as shown in table 1. Collectively, the area accounts for a substantial amount of the world production of antimony, barite, bauxite, fluorspar, gold, graphite, ilmenite and rutile, iodine, iron ore, lead, magnesite, manganese, nickel, salt, tin, tungsten, and zinc. Total coal production of the region exceeds 1.6 billion metric tons. The production of bituminous coal accounts for more than 80 % of the total output. China is the region's largest coal producer, with an output of almost 1.1 billion tons. Other major producers are Australia and India. The combined production by Australia, China, and India is more than 1.5 billion tons or 93 % of the area's output. The remainder of the coal output in the region comes from Afghanistan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, the Korean peninsula, Malaysia, Mongolia, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Taiwan. The production of crude oil throughout the Asia and Pacific region is close to 2.4 billion barrels. China and Indonesia together account for 67 % of the total output. The remainder of the output is primarily from Australia, Brunei, India, and Malaysia. Indonesia is the largest producer of natural gas in the region with an output of close to 58 billion cubic meters, followed by Malaysia and Australia with 23 and 22 billion cubic meters, respectively. Other producers in the region of lesser stature by output include Brunei, China, India, and Pakistan.

Jan 1, 1993

By E. J. Matson

This report covers the investigation of the MacArthur copper deposit and several adjacent claims in the Mason mining district; Lyon County, Nev. (fig. 1). As a part of the Bureau of Mines program of investigation and development of domestic mineral deposits, a project was begun first on the MacArthur claims. Work was done later on some adjacent claims in the immediate area, as shown by figure 2. Field work was begun by the Bureau of Mines on January 16, 1950, and completed on October 25, 1950. Eight diamond-drill holes were completed, for an aggregate of 3,414 linear feet, Analyses were made of' each drilling interval. The report includes a brief history of the district and a description of the deposits and of the work done by the Bureau of Mines.

Jan 1, 1952

By William W. Adams

The stone-quarrying and related industries of the United States made large gains in employment in 1936 over 1935, according to reports furnished by operating companies to the Bureau of Mines, United States Department of the Interior. Not only were more men employed, but also increases were made in the number of man-days of labor performed and in the number of man-hours worked in 1936. The increase in employment, however, was accompanied by an increase in the number of accidental deaths and injuries among the workers and by a slight increase in the accident-frequency rate per million man-hours worked. The fact that the larger number of accidents resulted in only a slight increase in the accident rate is explained by the large gain made in the number of man-hours worked during 1936. The accident rate in 1936, although higher than in 1935, was the lowest and therefore the best that the industry has experienced in any previous year except 1932 since complete and comparable figures first became available in 1916, a period of 21 years. Operators' reports to the Bureau of Mines showed that the industry as a whole employed an average of 80,022 men in 1936 and that the men worked a total of 18,874,254 man-days or 147,064,448 man-hours. Accidents in and about the plants caused 91 deaths and 5,717 nonfatal lost-time injuries among the workers. The number of injuries and deaths represented an accident-frequency rate of 39.5 per million man-hours worked, compared with a rate of 38.2 in 1935.

Jan 1, 1938