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By Forrest T. Moyer

In 1969, the number of fatal injuries in the coal mining industry was lower than in any previous year and the number of nonfatal injuries was lower than in any preceding year except 1968. Fatal injuries in 1969 totaled 203 with frequency rates of 0.85 per million man-hours of worktime and 0.36 per million tons of coal These rates were new annual lows. Nonfatal injuries totaled 9,917 with frequency rates of 41.76 per million man-hours and 17.42 per million tons. The severity rate for fatal and nonfatal injuries combined was 7,359 days lost or charged per million man-hours. The average severity was 173 days lost or charged per injury. These statistics represent the injury experience of an average of 133,302 employees per day working an average of 225 days in 5,955 coal mines for a total of 237-5 million man-hours worked and a coal output of 565 2 million tons

Jan 1, 1973

By Jarrell C. Grout

The Bureau of Mines has developed a computer program for use in solving nonlinear regression problems. The program is written in a general form so that, regardless of the functional relationship, the unknown parameters may be evaluated by either the Gauss-Newton or the Newton-Raphson methods of iteration. Variances and covariances of the parameters, as derived from the law for the propagation of errors, are also determined.

Jan 1, 1969

By Curt D. Edgerton

This study was made to determine trends in fresh water usage by California petroleum refineries, to forecast fresh water requirements to 1975, and to evaluate water conservation practices. Statistical data used in the study were obtained largely from published sources and from records of selected companies. An adequate sampling of the State's refining capacity was obtained, and the data were extrapolated to the total California refining capacity. A breakdown of the data was then made on the basis of the following refining regions: (1) the Los Angeles Basin and Southern Coastal region, (2) the Southern San Joaquin Valley, and (3) the San Francisco Bay area. An unpublished forecast of crude oil input to refineries by a major oil company operating on the West Coast was used as a basis for predicting fresh-water usage. The 1963 fresh water intake by California petroleum refineries was 84 million gallons per day. This is expected to increase to 128 million gallons per day by 1975. The fresh-water to crude-oil ratio is increasing in all regions except the Southern San Joaquin Valley. At present, the supply of fresh water available to almost all of the State's petroleum refineries, mostly from surface sources and company-owned wells, is adequate, although shortages may develop within the foreseeable future. Present conservation methods are centered around the following four objectives: (1) minimum intake of fresh water of the lowest possible quality commensurate with sound technologic practice; (2) optimum recirculation; (3) proper treatment before discharge; and (4) substitution of air cooling for water cooling.

Jan 1, 1965

By David D. Hottinger

Only a minimum amount of illumination is generally provided for many types of mobile surface mining equipment. This condition presents a hazard to operating personnel working on and around such equipment. To reduce this hazard MSHA has proposed safety regulations requiring minimum levels of illumination for hazardous zones on and in the immediate area surrounding surface mining equipment. This report describes a Bureau of Mines sponsored project demonstrating the feasibility and effectiveness of providing dragline illumination in compliance with the proposed MSHA regulations. A description of the computer aided design, on site installation and field evaluation of individual lighting systems for each of three different size draglines is presented

Jan 1, 1981

By J. D. Davis

THE carbonizing properties of one medium- and and five low-volatile coals from West Virginia and one high-volatile A and two medium-volatile coals from Pennsylvania were determined by 800° and 900° C. BM-AGA carbonization tests and expansion tests in the sole-heated oven. Plastic properties of the coals and the yields and quality of their cokes and other carbonization products were determined. The low-volatile coals comprised a mine and a coke-plant sample of Pocahontas No. 6-bed coal from the. Black Eagle No. 1 mine, Wyoming County, W. Va.; a mine sample of Pocahontas No. 6 bed from the Louisville mine, Mercer County, W. Va. ; Davy Sewell bed was sampled at the Twin Branch mine, McDowell County, W. Va.; and Fire Creek bed was sampled at the Dunedin No. 1 mine, Raleigh County, W. Va. The medium-volatile coals were from the Fire Creek bed, Laurel Creek mine, Greenbrier County, W. Va.; Lower Kittanning bed, Springfield No. 4 mine, Cambria County, Pa.; and Upper Kittanning bed, Springfield No. 6 mine, Clearfield County, Pa. The high-volatile A coal represented the Upper and Lower Freeport beds, Kent Nos. 1 and 2 mines, Indiana County, Pa. In addition to the coals listed, high-volatile A coal from the Pittsburgh bed, Warden mine, Allegheny County, Pa., a standard blending coal, was used in blends in this investigation.

Jan 1, 1950

By Gustav Wade

"INTRODUCTION Analyses of samples of crude oil from several Texas oil fields have been published from time to time in Bureau of Mines reports, some of which are out of print, but many other analyses of Texas crude oils have not been published. The purpose of this paper is to make available in condensed tabular form under one cover all analyses of the Texas crude oils that have been examined by the Bureau of Mines.DIVISION OF TABLEThe table of analyses is divided into six parts in accordance with the geographic subdivisions of the State. (See fig. 1.) This grouping of the oils corresponds only in a general way with the principal formations in each area from which oil is being produced. In general, the principal oil-producing formations in the Texas Panhandle and West Texas areas are of Permian age; those of North Texas are of Pennsylvanian and older ages; those of the East Texas Basin and of Central Texas are of Cretaceous age; and those of the Texas Gulf Coast are of Eocene and younger ages.For convenience in presentation the name of the geologic age has been assigned to each group of the table although same of the oils included in the group may be of another age.Group 1 includes oils of Permian age produced in the Texas Panhandle area, which comprises the following counties: Dallam, Sherman, Hansford, Ochiltree, Lipscomb, Hartley, Moore, Hutchinson, Roberts, Hemphill, Oldham, Potter, Carson, Gray, Wheeler, Deaf Smith, Randall, Armstrong, Donley, Collingsworth, Parmer, Castro, Swisher, Briscoe, Ball, and Childress."

Dec 1, 1934

By F. M. Jenkins

Longwall mining systems are used to mine approximately 50 pet of the world's total underground coal production. Single entries are the predominant method of longwall development in Europe and Asia, where mining conditions are more severe than those encountered in the United States. During the 1970's and early 1980's, the U.S. Bureau of Mines and the U.S. mining industry invested nearly $20 million in single-entry and related research. This report reviews the accomplishments of single-entry research in the United States and describes two U.S. single-entry field projects: the Sunnyside single-entry project in central Utah and the tunnel-boring project in northern West Virginia. Also discussed are a single-entry study conducted by North American Mining Consultants (NAMCO) and a single-entry design study conducted by Ketron, Inc. This Bureau report compares the resulting technology with European counterparts to further assess the utility and efficiency of U.S. systems.

Jan 1, 1990

By William Seymour

"INTRODUCTION Byproduct-coke manufacture is one of our country's most essential in¬dustries; its importance was strikingly accentuated by the demands of World War II. This paper reviews recent progress in various phases of byproduct-coke operations for the production of metallurgical coke particularly that used as blast-furnace fuel.In the early days of the by-product-coke industry in the United States high-grade bituminous coking coals, both high-volatile or gas coal and low-volatile Pocahontas coal, were plentiful, and the selection and mixing of coals for coke-oven use were minor problems.The demands of World War I for the production of iron, steel, and coke aroused and stimulated new interest in the investigation of the reserves, characteristics, and properties of our coking coals. During that war the increased demand for coke reached a critical stage, and the shortage of high-grade coking coals necessitated the use of cols of inferior quality and of different coking characteristics than those previously used.The period of prosperity following World War I brought much progress and development in the by-product-coke industry. Methods of testing coal and coke were improved. The search for satisfactory coking coals was continued, and construction and design of byproduct ovens were improved."

Jun 1, 1946

By Richard H. Otto

Three longwall mining methods practiced in foreign countries are described that have potential for increasing underground recovery and productivity in thick coalbeds of the Western United States. The methods are multislice long-walling, longwall caving, and high-face longwalling. Foreign practice and possible application in the United States are discussed.

Jan 1, 1979

By R. L. Beatty

IN INDUSTRIAL and domestic daily life carbon monoxide is the most frequently encountered toxic gas. hazardous concentrations of carbon monoxide may be present in the vicinity of many industrial operations, such as metallurgical processes, coke ovens, and fuel- and synthesis-gas producers, and may be encountered in confined spaces, such as dwellings, garages, workshops, vehicular tunnels, and mining operations, in connection with the use of heaters, boilers, internal-combustion engines, after blasting operations, and after fires and explosions. Evaluation and control of the health and safety hazard caused by carbon monoxide depend primarily on the analytical detection of the presence of carbon monoxide and determination of its concentration in air and in various gaseous mixtures. The choice of method of analysis in any particular situation depends on such factors as required accuracy, range of concentration involved, convenience, speed of analysis required, quantity of sample available, qualitative composition of sample or atmosphere to be analyzed, and possible effects of interfering gases. Some of the methods described require only adequate understanding of operational techniques, whereas others require thorough appreciation and skill in applying the principles involved. The instruments and analytical procedures commonly used for detecting and determining carbon monoxide are described in detail, and reference is made to more specialized methods:

Jan 1, 1955

By Charles Prasky

This report describes and appraises recent progress in the development of a differential sulfatizing process for recovering a ferrograde manganese oxide from low-grade manganiferous ferruginous materials in the Cuyuna range. Individual process steps were carried out successfully using a 20-inch-diameter shaft for continuous countercurrent sulfatization of the manganese, a multiple-compartment rotary drum for leaching the water-soluble manganese sulfate, a submerged-combustion evaporator for the recovery of monohydrate crystals of manganese sulfate, and a shaft furnace for the thermal decomposition of sulfate crystals for production of a ferrograde manganese oxide and a sulfur dioxide gas suitable for sulfatization of fresh are. Of the two general kinds of Cuyuna manganiferous materials--the carbonate slates and the oxidized ores--only the slates were studied at pilot scale.

Jan 1, 1963

By W. D. Mcmillan

"Magnetic surveys made by the Missouri Bureau of Geology and Mines in 931 and 1932 disclosed a large positive anomaly about a mile south of Bourbon, Mo. 3/ Electrical resistivity measurements made by the Division of Geophysical Exploration of the Bureau of Mines in the winter of 1942-43 indicated that the source of this anomaly was in the pre-Cambrian rhyolite at a depth of more than 1,400 feet. 4/In order to determine the character of the material that caused the magnetic anomaly, which might be either a body of magnetite or a large intrusive of basic rock, the Bureau of Mines drilled four holes to depths of 1,800 to 2,300 feet. Magnetite in rhyolite porphyry was encountered at 1,600 to 2,000 feet, and this is doubtless the main source of the magnetic anomaly, although it is possible that additional iron ore exists at greater depth.Hole 1 was apparently located southeast of the source of the anomaly and encountered only small stringers of magnetite. Hole 2 penetrated four mineralized zones having a total thickness of 125.7 feet and an average weighted content of 43.52 percent iron and 31.62 percent silica. These zones were tested again by a deflection hole, 2A, which gave nearly identical indications. Hole 3, 500 feet north of hole 2, penetrated 58 foot of mineralized rhyolito containing an average 43.4 percent iron.Metallurgical tests showed that the silica in the ore is tightly locked with the magnetite. After grinding to minus 100 mesh, a 66 percent iron con¬centrate with 7 percent silica was obtained by flotation."

Oct 1, 1946

By Joseph J. Wallace

1. The Investigation shows that there are six coal beds of major importance in McDowell County from the standpoint of present production - Pocahontas No. 3, Pocahontas No. 4, Pocahontas No. 5, Sewall, Beckley, and Pochontas No. 6 - and five beds of minor importance - Iaeger, Douglas, Welch, Pocahontas, No. 9, and Eagle. The Pocahontas No. 3 bed contains the largest remaining, known reserves. 2. Known measured, and indicated reserves in all beds, based on a minimum thickness of 174 inches and on 1,800 tons per acre-foot of coal in place, are estimated at 2,217 Trillion short tons as of January 1, 1951. Of this total, 1,731 million short tons are in beds 28 inches and more thick. Areas in each bed were omitted from the estimate because available data relative to the bed characteristics are too meager to make an estimate that conforms with the definitions of measured and indicated coal adopted for this study. Should future drilling or development prove reserves in these area, such reserves should be added to he total estimated reserves.

Jan 1, 1952

By R. H. Schutz

TO ASSIST users in the selection of reliable and satisfactory respiratory protective devices, the Bureau of Mines bas established five schedules of minimum performance requirements for the approval of respirators. The current revisions of these schedules3 include 13D for self-contained breathing apparatus, 141F for gas masks, 19B and the amendments to 19B for supplied- air respirators, 21B for dust, fume, and mist respirators, and 23B for chemical cartridge respirators. Copies of these schedules may be obtained from the Bureau of Mines, Publications Distribution Section, 4800 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15213. Approval tests on respirators are performed only at the request of the manufacturer4 of the respirator and at his expense. If the device meets the approval requirements, a certificate of approval is granted on the complete respirator. This certificate states that as long as the respirator is manufactured as originally approved, or in accordance with any changes covered by an extension of the original approval, the manufacturer may advertise and sell his respirator as being approved by the Bureau of Mines. Many industries and regulatory agencies require that respirators approved by the Bureau of Mines he used where respiratory protection is needed. The Bureau of Mines, however, has no regulatory power over the use of the respirators that it approves. It acts as an impartial testing agency to insure the availability of suitable and safe respirators.

Jan 1, 1966

By R. H. Schutz

TO ASSIST users in the selection of reliable and satisfactory respiratory protective devices, the Bureau of Mines bas established five schedules of minimum performance requirements for the approval of respirators. The current revisions of these schedules include 130 for self-contained breathing apparatus, 141F for gas masks, 19B and the amendments to 19B for supplied- air respirators, 21B for dust, fume, and .mist respirators, and 23B for chemical cartridge respirators. Copies of these schedules may be obtained from the Bureau of Mines, Publications Distribution Section, 4800 Forbes Avenue, Pitts- burgh, Pa., 15213. Approval tests on respirators are performed only at the request of the manufacturer of the respirator and at his expense. If the deice meets the approval requirements, a certificate of approval is granted on the complete respirator. This certificate states that as long as the respirator is manufactured as originally approved, or in accordance with any changes covered by an extension of the original approval, the manufacturer may advertise and sell his respirator as being approved by the Bureau of Mines. Many industries and regulatory agencies require that respirators approved by the Bureau of Mines he used where respiratory protection is needed. The Bureau of Mines, however, has no regulatory power over the use of the respirators that it approves. It acts as an impartial testing agency to insure the availability of suitable and safe respirators.

Jan 1, 1966

By W. H. Strickland

Ultrasonic ranging sensors are inexpensive, have no moving parts, have no lenses to clean, are normally small and unobtrusive, and can measure distances through moderate amounts of dust, smoke, and humidity, so they are well suited to underground mines. In the work reported here, conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Mines, researchers tested ultrasonic ranging sensors for their ability to define rib line features for computer-aided navigation of underground mine mobile equipment. The investigation began with laboratory tests of field of view, angle of incidence, intersensor variation, and ranging accuracy of the individual rangers in a ring array produced by Denning Robotics of Wilmington, MA, The results showed that the sensors have good accuracy and low variability. Additional experiments at AMAX'S Henderson Mine showed the sensors could accurately and reliably measure the distance to mine features, including convex and concave corners and rib intersections. The results showed that when used properly, the ranger data are accurate enough for reliable mine vehicle navigation. When used incorrectly, ultrasonic rangers do not provide the anticipated data. Therefore, this report explains the principles of ultrasonic range measurement, describes the ranger's strengths and weaknesses, and explains proper ranger use and data analysis.

Jan 1, 2010

By Jaan Kiusalaas

This report is a self-contained User Manual for a computer program called SPASID -- Subsidence Prediction and System Identification. The program has two primary functions: (i) Precalculation of ground movements due to underground mining operations using the influence function method; (ii) Computation of influence function and site parameters from measured displacements. SPASID is written in FORTRAN and consists of four modules: (i) Preprocessor Module that prepares and maintains surface and mine data bases; (ii) Subsidence Computation Module that predicts movements of the surface; (iii) System Identification Module which is used to calculate the optimal influence function parameters, and (iv) Postprocessor Module for generating graphic displays of subsidence data. The last module is somewhat machine dependent but has internal documentation to indicate potential changes. All of the modules may be run in either batch or interactive mode. The manual does not assume previous knowledge of the influence function method or programming competence.

Jan 1, 1983

This report briefly describes the broad program of research and technologic work conducted by the Bureau of Mines on coal and related subjects during 1966. In addition to n description of investigations on mining, preparation, and utilization of coal, an account is given of the Bureau's work in mine health and safety, coal resources, mine explosives, and environmental conditions relating to coal mining and utilization. Details of most of the projects are reported in publications cited throughout this report. Centers and laboratories conducting the coal research and related investigations appear in appendix A; organizations, institutions , and companies contributing to the Bureau's coal research and technologic program are listed in appendix B.

Jan 1, 1967

By D. Harrington

The record of fatalities from mine explosions during the past 2 fiscal years has been anything but encouraging; more men were killed by explosions (379) than were killed from the ante cause during to' preceding 6 years combined (368). The reason for the large increase in the number of explosion fatalities during the past 2 years as compared with the previous 6 years is not entirely clear. In some instances, there has been laxity in the enforcement of State mining laws; in others, both workers and operating officials is have failed to observe recognized precautionary measures to prevent explosions. In many of the explosions that lave occurred within the asst few years in mechanized mines it has been evident that speed of operation and a demand for maximum tonnage at minimum cost resulted in neglect of ordinary safety measures.

Jan 1, 1942

By Gary M. Larwood

A study was conducted to determine the amount of transportation equipment required to move 1.2 billion tons of coal in 1985. The Federal Bureau of Mines has investigated a majority of the various practices associated with coal transportation and has gathered information on the regional origin-destination patterns, methods of movement, equipment stocks, rate structures, and operational capacities of the most important modes of coal haulage currently in use. Models employing this information were developed to establish the origin-destination pattern for 1985 coal shipments, estimate practical tonnage capacities for selected coal hauling rivers, develop modal shares for both unconstrained (by river capacity) and constrained cases, and present a range of coal transportation equipment requirements for given sets of constraints. Projected transportation shares for rail ranged from 63.7 to 72.3 percent, and for river, from 8.8 to 16.4 percent. Other coal transportation modes (truck, conveyor, Great Lakes, and tidewater) are expected to retain their historic shares of coal traffic. Equipment estimates were made for 1985 rail and water transportation based on 1973 average and best practice. Average practice estimates ranged from 675,000 to 710,000 hopper cars (100-ton) and 3,100 to 5,940 barges (1,400-ton equivalent). Best practice estimates ranged from 126,000 to 142,000 hopper cars and 1,750 to 3,450 barges. Full implementation of 1973 best practice by 1985 is unlikely.

Jan 1, 1976