Search Documents

By R. E. Collom

The commercial development of petroleum and natural gas fields has reached its present status within 60 years and is still considered by some operators to be "100 per cent wildcatting." 1 A tendency to drill for gusher production, the production that yields big returns in spite of any mechanical defects in drilling methods, has frequently caused drillers to pass by oil-bearing strata of comparatively small yield and actually to overlook rich oil zones in proved fields; in addition, whole fields have been ruined by water because development methods were never carried beyond a hole-in-the-ground stage.2 Unfortunately, the petroleum industry has no mine dumps or tail. ing piles as at metal mines to yield fortunes through later and bette!' methods of treatment. The wasted oil and gas are gone, as are the time, money, and effort wasted in ill-advised or haphazard drilling. Probably as production costs increase less oil will be wasted, but the need to develop and produce from sands of low yield will become more urgent with the increase in consumption of oil and the decrease in supply. Hundreds of wells are producing steadily as the result of months and perhaps years of careful prospecting and of tests during drilling. The Bureau of Mines has studied the testing and drilling methods used at such wells, and presents in this paper a criticism of these methods and suggestions on future work. The term pr08- pecting here means correct identification and measurement of strata as they are exposed by the drill. The term testing means the determination of the kind and amount of fluid stored within the pores or crevices of any stratum exposed in the hole.

Jan 1, 1922

By C. W. Davis

During the fiscal year 1935-36, the Ore-Testing Section has been active in carrying out a program designed to attain the objectives that have been set up for it. For the Purpose of standardizing important testing methods, an attempt has been made to develop a rationalized scheme for ore testing, starting with preliminary investigations to determine the physical and chemical properties of the ore, following this with a logical selection and trial of processing tests to find out how the ore may be most effectively treated, and concluding with a discussion of what interpretation may be placed on the results in terms of plant design and operation. A selection of Procedures that appear well-suited to the ore-dressing problems under investigation is included in the following paper of this report so that other experimenters may be enabled to verify our findings and to offer criticisms and suggestions for improving our practice. A tentative scheme for the evaluation of flotation reagents is being investigated, and some progress has been made in a study to determine the significance of small-scale testing. These projects have required 899 analyses. Papers on these and others on ore testing, such as testing for amalgamation and for cyanidation, will be included in future annual reports.

Jan 1, 1937

By C. W. Davis

During the fiscal year 1935-36, the Ore-Testing Section has been active in carrying out a program designed to attain the objectives that have been set up for it. For the purpose of standardizing important testing methods, an attempt has been made to develop a rationalized scheme for ore testing, starting with preliminary investigations to determine the physical and chemical properties of the ore, following this with a logical selection and trial of processing tests to find out how the ore may be most effectively treated, and concluding with a discussion of what interpretation may be placed on the results in terms of plant design and operation. A selection of procedures that appear well-suited to the ore-dressing problems under investigation is included in the following paper of this report so that other experimenters may be enabled to verify our findings and to offer criticisms and suggestions for improving our practice. A tentative scheme for the evaluation of flotation reagents is being investigated, and some progress has been made in a study to determine the significance of small-scale testing. These projects have required 899 analyses. Papers on these and others on ore testing, such as testing for amalgamation and for cyanidation, will be included in future annual reports.

Jan 1, 1937

By James M. Link

A program was initiated tinder sponsorship of the U. S. Bureau of Mines to investigate pipeline behavior of raw and spent oil shale slurries. Slurries were recirculated in pipeline loops with 150-mm and 200-mm diameter horizontal test sections and a 150 -mm diameter vertical test section. Slurry concentrations from 10 to 60 weight percent were investigated. Critical and deposition velocities were observed. Head losses were measured at various velocities. Rheology measurements were made on representative homogeneous samples from the pipeline. From these data, pipeline energy requirements were predicted by computer and compared to pipeline data. Computer programs were also used to analyze pipeline data for two flow models: 1. Heterogeneous flow regime for coarse, settling slurries 2. Homogeneous flow regime for nonsettling suspensions The economics of slurry transport of raw and spent shale were examined. Cost estimates encompassed a range of pipe diameters to transport a wide range of throughputs of both raw and spent shale. Similar estimates were made for conveyor belt systems to provide a valid cost comparison. Economic comparisons are valid in a general sense, but a specific study must be made to determine the cost advantages of hydraulic transport for a given mine.

Jan 1, 1977

By Allan E. Martin, George Glocker, C. E. Wood

"INTRODUCTION As part of a comprehensive investigation of the mechanism of defurization of iron and steel by slags, the Blast Furnace Studies Section, Metallurgical Division, Bureau of Mines, in cooperation with the Institute of Technology, University of Minnesota, has made a study of the forms in which sulfur occurs in blast-furnace slag. This report presents data on the three sulfides most important in iron smelting, namely, ferrous sulfide, manganous sulfide, and calcium sulfide. The tendency of these sulfides to form colloids in the molten slag was determined by an examination of quenched samples with an ultramicroscope.Vogt/ conducted experiments on sulfide silicate melts and examined synthetic blast-furnace slags in a partly crystallized condition. His conclusions were that FeS, CaS, and MnS, or isomorphous compounds, such as (FexCay)S and (MnxCaa)S, were precipitated from the melt, depending on the composition of the slag. In all specimens sulfides were visible and were spherical.Coloration of glass by sulfur also provides indirect information on the nature of sulfur in blast-furnace slags./ There seems to be a general agreement at present among the workers in the field of colored glasses that ferrous sulfide is a strong color producer. Colors that have been attributed to this compound include yellow, orange, brown, blue, and black. Apparently the ferrous sulfide is considered to be dissolved in these glasses. There is no indication that any of them have been examined for a colloidal phase.Lorenz 7/ investigated a single manganese slag in the glassy state and observed a Tyndall beam in an ultramicroscope. His conclusion was that either a manganese compound had precipitated in a finely divided condition or that metallic manganese had volatilized and penetrated into the slag as a vapor and thus formed colloidal particles."

Feb 1, 1941

By Richard J. Mainiero, James H. Rowland

When most people think of explosives transport they think of a hazardous operation. We all know that we aren’t allowed to transport explosives through tunnels and are discouraged from traveling through heavily populated areas. Popular opinion suggests that explosives transport is a very risky operation. The authors decided to look into this a little more thoroughly and found just the opposite to be true. While there have been some disastrous world-wide accidents involving the transport of industrial explosives, this is not the case in the U.S. Over the past 10 years, accidents related to the transport of explosives used in mining and construction have resulted in 5 major injuries, 11 minor injuries, and no fatalities. Explosives and ammonium nitrate (AN) transport outside the U.S. has not had such a good record; there have been 4 major explosives or AN transport accidents resulting in a total of more than 300 deaths. Most of these fatalities could have been prevented if the accident site had been evacuated once the explosive or AN cargo began burning. The safe history of explosives and AN transport in the U.S. is due to diligent efforts by government, labor, and industry. However, accidents will become more common and disastrous if we become complacent.

The Bureau of Mines has reviewed those portions of the "Tariff Schedules of the United States Annotated 1963" that are of interest to the minerals industry. This study shows to what extent rates of duty were altered (increased of decreased), and provides a bridge where possible from the old Schedule A classification system to the new TSUS system of statistical reporting of import data. In general the new tariff has corrected previous classification defects and inconsistencies, but the rates of duties have not been materially changed.

Jan 1, 1965

By J. W. Paul, J. N. Geyer

"GENERAL STATEMENTThe purpose of this report, which is the first of a series of three covering mines in the Fairmont district of West Virginia, is to give the result of a' study conducted in seal mines to ascertain the nature of the safeguards employed to prevent injury to the workmen from falls of roof and coal. In presenting the subject matter, consideration must necessarily be given to factors, features, and conditions such as method of mining, timber regulations and practices, supervision and natural conditions; and, for comparative purposes, a certain amount of statistical matter bearing upon the relation of fatalities and injuries to their causes, tonnage produced, men employed, days worked, and time lost.Those features and practices found to promote safe protection are summarized and suggestions made for such additional safeguards and practices as appear to give greater protection against injury from falls of roof or coal.ACKNOWLEDGMENTSThis study of falls of roof and coal in mines in Harrison County has been conducted by the U. S. Bureau of Mines in cooperation with R. M. Lambie, chief of the Mining Department of the State of West Virginia who assigned L. W. Brown, a district mine inspector, to assist in the field work and in the preparation of individual reports on each mine visited in this study. The writers acknowledge the helpful suggestions and cooperation given by these officials, the latter of whom assisted in the field work and prop red most of these sketches for the individual reports which wore submitted to the operator by the chief of the department. Thin report is a summary of the contents of the individual reports heretofore furnished the individual operator."

Aug 1, 1931

By H. H. Storch

"INTRODUCTION The first paper of this series contained data concerning the behavior of polyhalite (K2S04.MgS04.2CaS04.2H20) upon calcination and subsequent leaching with water at 100° C. It was found that upon heating polyhalite to temperatures between 298 and 500° C. the water of crystallization is driven off, leaving, an amorphous mixture of K2S04, MgS04, and CaS04. Two transition points were located; one at 298° C. which coincides with the vigorous evolution of steam; and one at 551° C. which results in the formation of a hard mass of crystals. The latter probably consist of a solid solution If the compounds langbeinite (K2504, 2MgS04), potassium dicalcium sulphate (K2304. 2CaS04), and anhydrite (CaS04). The heat of decomposition of polyhalite at 298° C. was measured and found to be 66,000 ± 5,000 calories per mol. The optimum temperature of calcination with regard to subsequent extrac¬tion with two parts of water (at "" 0° C.) is 430 to 450° C. for 65 to 100 mesh material, if one half hour at the calcination temperature is allowed. The maximum concentration of K2S04 obtainable in the extraction of calcined polyhalite is 11.4 grams per 100 grams of water. This concentration of K2304 is considerably above the equilibrium value (3.6 g. per 100 L. of H20 at 83° C.) with respect to the solid phases polyhalite, potassium calcium pentasulphate, ¬and anhydrite. The figure 11.4 K. of K2804 per 100 g. of H20 is also somewhat than the equilibrium value (9,65 g. per 100 g, H20) with respect to the solid phases potassium calcium pentasulphate and syngenite."

Oct 1, 1930

7253. Arkhangelsky, A. D. Geological Results of the General Magnetometric and Gravimetric Surveys of the U.S.S.R. (in Russian). Internat. Geol. Cong., Rep. of the 17th Sess., Moscow-Leningrad, 1937, vol. 1, Moscow, 1939, pp. 241-250. Geophysical methods have been used in the U.S.S.R. to study geological problems. Such is the case of the general magnetometric and gravimetric surveys made jointly by the Main Physical Observatory, Main Office of Geodesy and Cartography, Institute of Terrestrial Magnetism, and Main Office of Geophysical Prospecting. Some institutions supplied the data, others processed them. Geological interpretation was made by the author. (1) Regional magnetic anomalies in the plains of the U.S.S.R. are traceable to the folded substratum overlain by sedimentary rocks; these anomalies promise to yield data characterizing the substratum in respect to strike and depth. Anomalies in European U.S.S.R. suggest that the pre-Cambrian -substratum of the East European plateau consists of elements of different ages. In the most ancient of them, the main strike of the folding is almost latitudinal; in the younger ones, the folding is oriented in the meridian. (2) The Faye and Bouguer gravity anomalies are caused primarily by differences in the density of rocks composing the upper crust and by unknown processes producing changes of density at depth; these processes are not connected with isosiatic movements. The anomalies in the European and adjoining Asiatic U.S.S.R. promise to indicate the volume of the pre-Cambrian massif of the east-European plateau and to clarify the interrelations between the Ural, Tian-Shan, and Donetz Basin folding systems, as well as between the Dnieper-Donetz depression and the mid-European depression. - V. S.

Jan 1, 1944

By Charles L. Kimbell

The year 1979 was a period of increased activity for the world's mineral industry, distinctly in contrast with 1978 when estimated world crude mineral output value declined slightly and most phases of the industry's activity were somewhat curtailed. In 1979, most major mineral commodities recorded significant gains in output, with a substantial number achieving new record highs; details on trade levels for 1979 were not available, but increases over those of 1978 were expected on the basis of partial data. Consumption of most commodities edged higher; in some cases the higher demand levels were met largely through draw-downs of stocks accumulated in recent years, while in other cases notable output increases were required to meet demand. Actually, 1978 was not a bad year for all elements of the mineral industry if changes in output levels of the various commodities are considered as a measure of performance. There were far more individual commodities registering production increases between 1977 and 1978 than registered declines, but some of those reported as declining were relatively major commodities (bauxite, aluminum, copper and zinc were notable), Moreover, the upturn in productive activity in 1978 was not matched by increases in profits. However, 1979 was unquestionably a year of renewed expansion efforts, although some commodity areas, most notably the steel industry component, were still experiencing difficulties.

Jan 1, 1981

By Paul L. Michael

This report presents a discussion of perforance parameters for electronic or active hearing protectors that will meet the needs of underground coal miners. This information is incorporated into a proposed set of specifications that can be used to judge the suitability of a particular electronic hearing protector for the coal mine application. Acoustic and electrical tests were performed on a developmental model of an electronic hearing protector built by the U. S. Bureau of Mines. This model showed only a slight reduction in speech intelligibility which was traced to poorly matched components and in particular to the transducers. Tests of alternative components showed the Knowles BL-1671 microphone to be suitable for this application because of its performance and extremely small size. The Roan-well H-143/AIC earphone was found to have a good frequency response but has the disadvantage of being rather bulky which causes a slight degradation of a low frequency attenuation of the hearing protector. A satisfactory installation of these components in a hearing protector muff was demonstrated and tested. Results of tests of several methods of controlling the sound level under the hearing protector muff showed that a simple diode clipper circuit can be used with only a negligible loss in speech intelligibility for normal-hearing listeners. A commercially available active hearing protector, the British-built ACOS A-9000/2 was examined. This hearing protector provides sound level limiting through a saturating amplifier. Preliminary tests have shown that the performance characteristics of this commercial unit meet many of the proposed specifications so further testing and evaluation should be performed to determine its suitability for use 1n underground coal mines. The recommended test of intelligibility for electronic hearing protectors and other communication systems as used in a coal mine setting is the Modified Rhyme Test (MRT) developed by House et al. in 1965. The suitability and method of administering this test are discussed.

Jan 1, 1976

By Todd M. Ruff

This report summarizes ongoing research at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Spokane Research Laboratory, in which collision warning systems for surface mining dump trucks are being evaluated. Common accidents involve these large trucks running over smaller vehicles or pedestrian workers. Collision warning systems currently use one of several methods, including radar, radio-frequency-signal detection, or ultrasonic signals, to detect and warn of the presence of an object or person in the blind spots of the mining equipment. Most available systems have not been tested on large off-highway dump trucks. This report evaluates several systems on two sizes of trucks, a 50-ton-capacity truck commonly used in quarries and construction and a 240-ton-capacity truck commonly used in open-pit mines. Tests were conducted to determine false alarm rates, alarm effectiveness, and reliable detection zones for a person and a pickup truck. The results indicate that radar and radio-frequency identification systems show promise for this application and that several of the improved systems are ready for extensive field tests. However, challenges still exist in applying these technologies to large trucks.

Jan 11, 2000

By Frank H. Reed

This report is one of a series written by members of the Solid Fuels Mission to Germany describing wartime developments in the mining , preparation , and utilization of coal . This mission was organized early in 1945 under the auspices of the Technical Industrial Intelligence Committee , which cooperated with a counterpart British committee . The Solid Fuels Mission operated under the direction of a steering committee headed by Dr. C. J. Potter , Deputy Solid Fuels Administrator . The personnel of the mission consisted of H. F. Yancey, in charge , J. W. Buch, Thomas Fraser , L. L. Newman , and L. D. Schmidt of the Bureau of Mines ; H. H. Lowry , Director of the Coal Research Laboratory , Carnegie Institute of Technology; H. J. Rose , Vice - president and Director of Research , Bituminous Coal Research , Inc .; and F. H. Reed , Chief Chemist , Illinois State Geological Survey . Over 50 reports were written by the members of the Solid Fuels Mission . These , together with microfilms of supporting data obtained in the course of the investigations , are on file at the Bureau of Mines , Washington , D. C. , where they are available for public examination . The Office of the Publication Board in the Department of Commerce is prepared to furnish photolith copies , photostats , or microfilm reproduction of all declassified reports . A Bibliography of Scientific and Industrial Reports is issued weekly by the Department of Commerce , Office of the Publication Board , and is sold by the Superintendent of Documents , Government Printing Office , Washington 25 , D. C. , on a subscription basis . An initial payment of $ 10 will provide for approximately 9 months , and subscribers will be notified when additional remittance is necessary . All subscriptions will begin with volume 1 , No. 1 , unless ordered otherwise . The Bibliography, covers all materials and subjects and gives instructions for obtaining the desired items . The reports of the Solid Fuels Mission relate to the following general subjects : Mining methods in the Ruhr district of Germany , with special reference to mechanical cutting and loading equipment , pneumatic packing , and Diesel mine locomotives ; activities of industrial research laboratories supported by the German coal and coke industry ; coal preparation in western Europe ; low- temperature carbonization processes ; metallurgical coke from

Jun 1, 1948

By W. J. Kroll

This report on the bibliography of zirconium has been confined to those publications and patents that appear to be useful in the commercial development of the metal, both the malleable and the nonmalleable. The methods of production have been stressed and special attention has been given to the alloys. Compounds of importance, like the oxide and chloride, for the manufacture of the metal or of the alloys have been considered. The use of the oxide in refractories anal in the glass and porcelain industries has been omitted. The present survey is critical; that is to say, an attempt has been made to evaluate the effectiveness of suggestions made in the literature. The exhaustive work of Marden and Richy, Bureau of Mines Bulletin 186, published in 1921, has been taken as a base to start from with the intention of bringing the subject up to date with material published in the last 24 years. During this time there was considerable 'advance in the preparation of the metal and Its alloys, and in the development of new uses. On the other hand, there was little progress in the methods of decomposing the ores, so that the chapter on this latter phase is necessarily short.

Jan 1, 1946

By F. Matanzo

[Nine wire rope terminations were pull tested and fatigue tested to destruction to measure the termination efficiency and relative fatigue life. The terminations were selected on the basis off mine site visits and the specimen were assembled in a manner similar to industrial slings. To measure a termination's sensitivity to poor workmanship, both standard and modified assembly specimen were tested. Lang and Regular construction of the 6x19 and 6x37 class wire ropes were used in diameters of 13 mm (1/2 in.), 19 mm (3/4 in.), 25 mm (1 in.), 38 mm (1 1/2 in.), and 51 mm (2 in.). In static pull tests rope class, construction, and diameter interacted with the termination to influence the efficiency of the termination. In axial fatigue tests using only the 6x19 class rope, the effect of rope construction was negligible since failure was primarily dependent on the termination type. The Swaged Socket, a termination requiring a high capacity hydraulic press, gave the best overall performance in terms of efficiency and fatigue life. The short body length of the Zinc Poured Socket (RR-S-550) was attributed with the short fatigue life of this termination. The use of thermosetting resins as a replacement for zinc was demonstrated successfully for some socket designs. The fatigue life of the termination, expressed as a percentage of the fatigue life of the wire rope, was shown to be a guide for the retirement of the wire in these applications where the wiry' rope is primarily in axial loading.]

Jan 1, 1978

By Foster Fraas

The most important lithium resource in the United States is in the form of the feldspathoid mineral spodumene. This mineral has not been used to any important extent as a source of lithium salts or lithium metal, as other more easily decomposed minerals have b en available in sufficient quantity to supply the relatively small demand. The need for cheaper lithium salts for such promising new uses as air conditioning or dehumidification and of lithium feldspar for use in the glass and [ramic] trades has justified the recent work done by the Bureau of Mines on King available, through improved beneficiation and extractive processes, some of the lower grade but extensive spodumene deposits.

Jan 1, 1937

By Foster Fraas

The most important lithium resource in the United States is in the form of the feldspathoid mineral spodumene. This mineral has not been used to any important extent as a source of lithium salts or lithium metal, as other more easily decomposed minerals have been available in sufficient quantity to supply the relatively small demand. The need for cheaper lithium salts for such promising new uses as air conditioning or dehumidification and of lithium feldspar for use in the glass and [ramic] trades has justified the recent work done by the Bureau of Mines on [king] available, through improved beneficiation and extractive processes, some of the lower grade but extensive spodumene deposits.

Jan 1, 1937

By Pamplinm J. W.

"INTRODUCTION For the past six years the United States Bureau of Mines in cooperation with the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Ala., the Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy, Rolla, Mo., and certain operating companies of the Florida land-pebble phosphate district have conducted an investigation to determine the amenability of phosphatic sands to concentration. 4 This paper discusses briefly an investigation of the concentration of fine phosphatic sanads of the land-pebble district of Florida. The process used - namely, the tabling of material previously given a selective oiling treatment - is new in its application to the phosphate industry, although old in principle.The feed to the standard phospidate washery is a hydraulically wined mixture of phosphate pebbles, quartz sand, and clay in which the quartz sand grains are segregated in the fine sizes. Me standard method of concentrating (washing) consists of wet-screening. at about 20 mesh to recover the plus 20-mesh material. 5 Lately some of the washeries have introduced hydraulic classifiers for sizing of the screen undersize to recover the coarser spigot products, but even this additional treatment allows much of the fine phosphate to be wasted."

Dec 1, 1932

The value of processed materials of mineral origin was estimated to have exceeded $310 billion in 1990. U.S. raw nonfuel minerals mine production in 1990 was estimated at $33 billion, a 3.1 % increase over that of 1989. The value of minerals production increased in all but 3 of the last 30 years. The metals component of production value has fluctuated much more than the industrial minerals component. This reflects the greater volatility of metal prices. In 1990, total employment in metal mining continued the increase that began in 1987. This growth was partially offset by a slight decline in employment in industrial mineral mining, resulting in an overall in-crease of 1.1 % to 179,100 in 1990. Continuing high (by historical standards) metal prices led to expansions at some mines, as well as opening or reopening of additional mines, resulting in increased employment.

Jan 1, 1991