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Geophysical Abstracts 1 - 86 were issued in mimeographed form by the Bureau of Mines; Abstracts 87 - 111 were published in bulletins of the Geological Survey; Abstracts 112 - 120 were issued in mimeographed form by the Bureau of Mines as Information Circulars 7256, 7257; 7267,`7273; 7285, 7292, 7303, 7310, and 7324. 1. GRAVITATIONAL METHODS 7933. Ansel, E. A Eine Untersuchung zum Problem der Isostasie (An Investigation Regarding the Problem of Isostasy). Gerlands Beitr. Geophys., Leipzig, vol. 59, 1942, pp. 16-26.

Jan 1, 1945

By Jack Wright

The analysis of water produced with crude petroleum has interested oil producers since inception of the industry. Records of the first analysis of mineralized water produced from an oil-productive formation are obscure, and references to the first use of brine analyses to assist in solving problems of petroleum production are not available in the technical literature. However, many early reports of the Federal Bureau of Mines5-8 and Federal Geological Survey,9-11/ as well as articles in engineer and geological journals12-14/ placed special emphasis on the importance, interpretation, and application of water analyses. One of the earliest applications of water analyses, and still a major one today, is for identification of intrusive waters in oil wells. This may be done by comparing the chemical constituents of a sample of water indigenous to the oil-productive formation with those of samples from upper, water-bearing formations within the same general area. Some earlier investigators recognized the need for Analyzing samples of all waters encountered in drilling operations. Ambrose15/ stated, in part, "In wells being drilled, the engineer should grasp every opportunity to get a true sample of water from each sand. . .," and, "The waters of each oil field are chemically different from those of another field." The validity of the latter observation and the importance of the former one have been borne out by comparing the results of analyses of many samples and noting the differences in relative concentrations of like constituents of waters from the a geological formation in different localities or oil pools.

Jan 1, 1957

By E. J. (Kirk) Conway

Thirty-five years ago underground coal mining equipment consisted of simple but rugged machines powered by electric motors and hydraulics. The machines were maintained by maintenance personnel armed with a basic knowledge of hydraulics, electricity, and mechanical design. Over the years the the machine has been transformed into powerful complex mining systems. The maintenance burden has also increased. During this period significant advances have been made in maintainability engineering and system design techniques. Many of these innovations and techniques are applicable to the design of underground mining equipment. The objectives of this project were to; (1) determine the extent to which maintainability design concepts and principles have been applied to the design of underground coal mining equipment, (2) try to assess the impact of equipment design for maintenance on productivity and safety, and (3) develop a maintainability design guideline to enhance the design of new or rebuilt equipment. An equipment design review was completed at ten operational coal mines. Interviews were also conducted with mine management, safety, and maintenance personnel to identify machine specific design advantages and problems. Visits were also made to six original equipment manufacturers to discuss the design of their equipment for maintenance. Volume I presents an overview of the protocol used and a summary of the findings. Volume II includes the maintainability design guide for underground mobile mining equipment.

Jan 1, 1989

By Agne Rustan

This paper is intended to give a summary of the first ten Symposia on Rock Fragmentation by Blasting where the symposia activities were governed by a Steering Committee replaced at Fragblast 2 by an International Organizing Committee (IOC). At Fragblast 9 the name was changed to Fragblast International Organizing Committee (FIOC). Eighty four pages of statistical data about Fragblast 1-10 is documented on the Fragblast Website (ISEE.org).

Jan 1, 2014

Before presenting this address I desire to express my appreciation of the honour which has been conferred on me by my election as iPresident of The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. At this stage it might not be out of place to recall that Broken Hill was the birthplace of The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, originally formed as the Australasian Institute of Mining Engineers in 1893.In selecting for my address the topic of "The Broken Hill Mining Industry and its Contribution to the Economy of Australia" I realise it is impossible to cover fully every aspect of the nation's economy which owes all or part of its origin to the Broken Hill field. Nevertheless, I feel that some attempt should be made to give credit to the Broken Hill mining industry for its part in the progress which Australia has made over the past seventy years.. If we care to reflect for a moment it soon becomes apparent that, not only is the Broken Hill mining industry an important producer of base metals for domestic and overseas consumption, but its profits have provided the means whereby many of Australia's leading secondary industries have been established or built up. Examples which come to mind are the founding of the iron and steel industry by the Broken Hill Proprietary Company; the establishment of plants at Port Pirie in South Australia, and at Risdon in Tasmania, for the production of metallic lead and zinc; and also at Port Kembla for the smelting of copper ores. From profits derived from operations at Broken Hill, capital has also been provided to assist other new essential...

Jan 1, 1956

By Jeffrey Y. Foley

The Bureau of Mines sampled surface exposures of podiform chromite in the Caribou Mountain-Melozitna ultramafic belt in the Kokrines-Hodzana Highlands, central Alaska. Fieldwork began in 1979 as part of an assessment of the mineral potential of lands adjacent to the trans-Alaska pipeline corridor, for the Bureau of Land Management, and continued through 1981 as a Bureau of Mines investigation. The belt comprises six complexes of which the three closest to the pipeline corridor were investigated. Concentrations of chromite disseminated in dunite host rock make up mineralized intervals ranging in thickness from less than an inch to 5 ft and in grade from 3 to 23 pct chromium. The largest occurrence has an exposed strike length of 80 ft. Bulk surface samples were collected from 10 of these exposures, and beneficiation tests on the samples produced concentrates of metallurgical, refractory, and subindustrial grades. Part I--this report--describes the fieldwork; part II--1C 8916--describes the beneficiation work.

Jan 1, 1983

By F. Habashi

The changes that took place in China between 1984 and 2004 are remarkable. Visits were made to universities, research institutes, metallurgical industry, and many cultural centers within five trips during this twenty years period. The impressions of these visits are outlined.

Jan 1, 2007

This paper describes the methods of constructing timber barricades against pillars of ore in the South Mine, property of Broken Hill South Limited, Broken Hill, N.S.W., and discusses the behaviour of the various types of barricade alongside trucked sand filling and hydraulic stowed sand filling.Since the introduction of hydraulic stowing, cut and fill and overhand square letting methods have been used in mining the pillars. Such methods could not be used where the pillars had failed badly. The filling used is partially deslimed concentrating millresidue containing among other gangue minerals, calcite and a small amount of pyrrhotite and pyrite.The author is indebted to the mine superintendent of Broken Hill South Limited for permission to publish this paper.OLD METHODS OF CONSTRUCTING BARRICADES.Square Set Stopes.Before filling each stope the outer row of legs was lined inside with 10 in. x 2 in. boards spaced 2 in. apart. It was usual to tie the row of legs and caps together with timber dogs. As the space between the barricade and ground varied from nil to several feet, it was general practice to fill behind the lining boards. No provision was made to retain this sand during subsequent pillar stoping, consequently a run of sand right up the barricade could cause adilution of ore and serIOUS dIstortion of the barricade.

Jan 1, 1946

Tellurium (Te) is one of the least abundant elements in the crust and tends to form minerals associated with copper, lead, zinc and iron sulfide deposits. Today, most tellurium production comes from the anode slimes and other wastes generated in metal refining. Most of the current tellurium produced in the world is used as an alloying agent in iron and steel, as catalysts, and in the chemical industry. However, future demand and production could increase because tellurium is increasingly used in solar panels and some electronic devices. Tellurium minerals are found in Au-Ag districts in New Mexico, but were not considered important exploration targets in the past. In New Mexico, tellurium is found associated with porphyry copper deposits in southwestern New Mexico and with Au-Ag veins in the Eureka, Sylvanite, Organ, Lordsburg, Steeple Rock, Wilcox, Mogollon, Chloride, Cuchillo, Hillsboro, Zuni Mountains, White Oaks, and Nogal-Bonito districts. The only tellurium production from New Mexico has been from the Lone Pine deposit (Wilcox district), where approximately 5 tons of tellurium ore was produced. Gold-tellurides are found with gold, silver, pyrite, and fluorite in fracture-filling veins in rhyolite at Lone Pine, with reported assays as much as 5,000 ppm Te. Other districts in New Mexico have potential for tellurium, but require field evaluation.

Feb 27, 2013

By K Nilsson, D Connelly

Troy Resources acquired the Karouni Gold Project in Guyana, South America in 2014 and immediately proceeded to a Pre-Feasibility Study and project implementation. The study considered two open pit mines feeding a conventional carbon in leach (CIL) gold plant with a capacity of 1Mtpa. The study assumed a total of 2.61 million tonnes of ore with an average grade of 3.84 g/t gold with a recovered gold production of 303,526 ounces over a three year mine life.The project development involved drilling metallurgical test holes, securing second-hand major pieces of equipment where suitable, and arranging shipping to Guyana. The remote location meant logistical considerations were paramount. The plant consists of conventional two-stage crushing with single stage ball milling and a gravity circuit. The tailings circuit includes DETOX.The extremely high rainfall presented challenges with water management and the necessity to dispose of clean water to the environment. The DETOX was also mandatory due to the highly sensitive environment and past history in the area. The criticality of this meant that in the design, any cyanide in the tailings would precipitate in a plant shutdown.Lessons were learned and the project has been both profitable and successful for Troy Resources in a new operating location. In addition, the project has created jobs, delivered royalties and brought new skills into an area where previously there was little current mining activity.CITATION:Nilsson, K and Connelly, D, 2015. Karouni Gold Project from drill core to commissioning, in Proceedings MetPlant 2015, pp 197–206 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Sep 7, 2015

By N. P. Kripakov

Results of a complex three-seam interaction analysis in a western U.S. coal mine are presented. The physical situation simulated by the models represents the development of a set of entries underneath two previously mined seams with all three seams in proximity to each other. The layout and the geometry of the remnant pillars in the upper seams were nonuniform and not always directly superimposed over each other, creating a very challenging modeling problem. The U.S. Bureau of Mines' MULSIM/PC computer code was upgraded and enhanced to perform the required three-seam interaction calculations. Analysis was limited to simple linear-elastic assumptions as only peak stresses were required. Results clearly indicated that stress concentrations in the lower seam increased approximately 100 percent when compared to cases simulating no extraction in the two upper seams. These stress concentrations generally occurred in zones directly below points of highest abutment pressures in the upper seams. Overall, the model results compared favorably with actual documented observed behavior where roof failures were known to have occurred.

Jan 1, 1996

By Daniel H. McClain

A unique partnership between the Colorado Mine Safety and Training Program (CMSTP), the Colorado Rock Products Association (CRPA) and the Higher Education and Advanced Technology (HEAT)Center resulted in a video CD-ROM training program for new miners entering the aggregate industry. Cooperation from everyone involved, including the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA),made this the product against which other training materials in the mining industry will be measured in the 21stcentury. This product’s versatility and wide application make it a tool that is as critical to a mine’s success as any earthmoving machine. The state and federal grant money involved allows this product to be affordable to small operators and independent contractors. The quality of this two CD-ROM set rivals any commercially made CD-ROM training.

Jan 1, 2003

By Karl R. Becker

A variety of commercial detonators (fuse type and electric instantaneous and delay types) were subjected to impact and thermal stimuli to determine initiation stimulus levels and the dominant parameters in resistance to initiation. In the impact trials the detonators were impacted along their length to find the most sensitive region; threshold initiation limits obtained for these regions ranged from 3.47 to 20.82 joules (2.6 to 15.4 ft-lb). The friction sensitivity of the explosive component was an important parameter in determining sensitivity; various construction features of nonexplosive components played a role as well. In the thermal sensitivity trials, the detonators were heated from ambient to 100° C at an average rate of about 1.0° C/min, and thereafter at 0.5° C/min until they exploded; the explosion temperatures observed ranged from 121° to 188° C. These temperatures correlated quite well with the reaction temperatures of certain characteristic explosive components used by different manufacturers. The data also indicated an effect of confinement on explosion temperatures of detonators.

Jan 1, 1975

The addition of a thallous salt to the cyanide leach of a calcined pyritic concentrate causes a marked increase in the rate of extraction of gold. This is due probably to the activation of passive gold by the thallous ions. Lead, bismuth, and mercury salts, which should produce a similar effect, fail to do so. It is postulated that this latter result, together with the reprecipitation of silver at low cyanide levels, is due to the presence of soluble sulphide.INTRODUCTIONThe work of Fink and Putnam (1950) showed that the rate of solution of gold in cyanide can be increased by the addition of small amounts of lead, bismuth, mercury, and thallium salts. Mills (1951), during a study of the electrochemistry of gold, with particular reference to cyanidation, was able to show that gold may become passive towards cyanide solution. The addition of lead or thallium salts prevented this passivity, although the action of lead was limited to the pH range 10 to 12. In a recent paper Cathro (1963) confirmed the findings of Mills, and presented results which showed that the addition of thallium to a cyanide leach of a calcine from Lake View and Star mine, Kalgoorlie, increased the rate of extraction of gold appreciably. In, this paper the use of thallium to prevent the gold becoming passive, and hence to decrease leaching time and cyanide consumption, is examined.EXPERIMENTALA series of leaching tests was carried out on a sample of Lake View and Star calcine, comprising calcined pyrite (about 70 per cent.) and siliceous gangue (about 30 per cent.) and containing 165 p.p.m. gold, 45 p.p.m. silver, 0·1...

Jan 1, 1964

By AIME AIME

THE 122d meeting of the Institute was held in the Lake. Superior Copper and Iron Country Aug. 20 to Sept. 3, 1920 with an approximate registration of 1100 members and guests. This is the 'first visit of, the Institute to this vicinity since 1904 although previously it held meetings there every six or, seven years. 'The eastern party assembled at Buffalo and sailed on the S. S. "Tionesta ". on Friday morning, Aug. 20, arriving at Houghton, Mich., Monday, Aug. 23. En route stops were made at Detroit, where sightseeing auto trips were taken, and at Mackinac Island, where a short stop permitted a visit to the picturesque and historic Fort Mackinac.

Jan 1, 1920

A pilot steel ladle injection facility designed to assist in the production of high quality steels suitable for use in pipelines has been built and commissioned at the Basic Oxygen Steelmaking (BOS) plant at Port Kembla Works.The plant design and the injection procedure are described.The performance of the unit and some metallurgical results are discussed in terms of the addition to the steel ladle of various quantities of calcium silicide and a lime based material. The effects of these additions on sulphur content and inclusion morphology and hence on steel ductility are also presented. The influence of ladle lining on desulphurisation is illustrated.On the basis of the experience gathered in the pilot plant a permanent and more sophisticated injection facility has been designed.

Jan 1, 1983

By Bijan Taheri, Behrouz Maghsodi, Monireh Heshami, Reza Kohan

A common problem recently encountered with the increase in the rate of input feed at Enrichment Plant 2 of the Sarcheshmeh Copper Complex is the loss of value to the tails, translating to lower recoveries. The feasibility of the direct transfer of part of the high-grade concentrate from rougher stages to an appropriate position along the circuit was studied, and two positions were proposed for direct transfer of the concentrate. One position was the feed flow into cleaner cells, and the other was the feed flow into the recleaner cell. The results indicated that transferring the concentrate from the first unit of the rougher stage to the feed flow into the cleaner cells was feasible, with no limitations, while the second position required the installation of a set of hydrocyclones. It was found that the transfer of concentrate to the proposed positions not only addressed the problem of limited cell capacity, resulting in debottlenecking of the circuit, but also improved metallurgical separation efficiency up to 1.4%.

The occurrence of molybdenite in a small shaft in the western margin of the Wuuluman Granite in central western New South Wales is noted. Full petrographic and mineragraphic descriptions are given of a mineralized contact zone between the granite and a basic hornfels.Mineralogical data .indicate a similarity between this mineral occurrence and other occurrences in larger mines remote from the granite.

Jan 1, 1968

It has been fairly firmly established (Fisher, N. H., 1945) that the fineness of the gold in any ore deposit varies with the depth from the surface at which the deposit was formed, and, as a corollary to this, that it is dependent upon the temperature and pressure at the time of deposition. This relationship is such that, under certain conditions, the gold fineness, taken into consideration with other recognised criteria, furnishes a very sensitive and reliable guide to the relative temperature of ore formation, at least within the epithermal and the upper part of the mesothermal range.Definition of Fineness.The fineness of gold is calculated in parts per thousand and refers to the proportion of gold present in the naturally occurring metal in the lode, which is actually a gold-silver alloy, containing usually about 10 parts per thousand of base metal and up to 500 parts perthousand of silver. A clear distinction should be made between fineness and gold-silver ratio. The latter refers to the total gold and silver in the lode as determined by assay and is usually expressed as the ratio Au:Ag. Only in deposits where other silver-bearingminerals are entirely absent, which occurs comparatively rarely, can the gold-silver ratio be used as a measure of gold fineness and, in many cases, the two have no relationship. For instance, in the Edie Creek area in New Guinea, the lodes formed under shallow epithermal conditions all carry gold 500 to 550 fine, although the gold-silver ratio ranges from 1:100 to 1:1, in places in adjacent lodes.Determination of Gold Fineness.The fineness of lode gold can be determined only after it has been separated from all other minerals. Amalgamation recovers gold fairly cleanly - unless native silver is present - and the fineness of amalgam bullion is generally a reliable indication of the correct fineness of the gold. If the use of plates is involved, the bullion may be adulterated, but the effect of any copper, or other metal, that may have been introduced can be cancelled by assuming that the gold and silver shouJrl add up to about 990 fine, or by ignoring the base metal content altogether, which varies little in naturally-occurring gold, and in calculating for comparison purposes all fineness figures to the basis Au + Ag = 1,000.The composition of bullion obtained from cyanidation is generally intermediate between the true gold fineness and the total gold-silver proportion as determined by assay of mine or mill-head samples of Cyanide solution dissolves other silver-bearing minerals and the fineness of the resulting bullion is thereby lowered. Consequently, the fineness of cyanide bullion rarely corresponds to the true gold fineness and is useless for diagnostic purposes, although it is a common fallacy to refer to the fineness of cyanide bullion as the fineness of the gold.

Jan 1, 1950

By J Lapwood, S Pal, M Pascoe

The devastating failure of Dam I at the Corrego do Feijao iron ore mine near Brumadinho in Brazil on 25th January 2019 left at least 270 people dead or missing. In the immediate aftermath of this event, many mining companies commenced reviews of their tailings and water storage facilities (T&WSFs), and Rio Tinto was no exception. Rio Tinto has an interest in over 250 T&WSFs across 47 sites in 13 countries as owner-operator, as managing JV partner, and through non-managed partnerships and other ownership arrangements; T&WSF experts from Rio Tinto’s Surface Mining Centre of Excellence visited the sites in order to complete Technical Risk Reviews of each facility. These reviews looked beyond the day-to-day operational aspects of T&WSF management, and the site’s compliance with local regulations and Rio Tinto’s internal D5 Standard – Management of tailings and water storage facilities, in order to provide a strategic, second line of assurance perspective. The reviews focused on design and construction; operational controls; risk control framework; and competencies and capabilities of personnel involved in the design, operation and closure of the facilities. Additional activities were carried out in parallel with these reviews, including the development of a consistent approach to dam break studies; the public disclosure of information on Rio Tinto’s tailings storage facilities and their management; and contribution to external programs such as the initiatives being co-ordinated by the International Committee on Mining and Metals. This paper provides an overview of the tailings and water storage assurance work undertaken by Rio Tinto’s Surface Mining Centre of Excellence Tailings Validation Taskforce to date; work that will continue to improve governance and assurance for all of Rio Tinto’s T&WSF.

Jul 1, 2021