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By Richard D. Miller

This Bureau of Mines publication contains analyses and related source data for 271 natural gas samples from 22 States collected during calendar year 1982. All samples were obtained and analyzed as part of Bureau of Mines investigations of the occurrences of helium in natural gases of countries with free market economies. This survey has been conducted since 1917. The analyses published herein were made by the mass spectrometer and chromatograph. The results of the investigation of the occurrences of helium are published annually to make the information available to the petroleum industry and the general public. Twenty-six publications have presented the results of 13,051 gas analyses vide prior to 1982. The first 3 bulletins (1-3)3 contain analyses and related source data on 5,218 gas samples collected from 1917 through 1960; these bulletins have been supplemented annually by information circulars (4-17, 19-24, 26) containing 7,833 analyses of samples collected since 1960.

Jan 1, 1983

By D. G. Foot

The Bureau of Mines investigated energy-efficient methods for recovering potash values from process and waste brines. Laboratory pan evaporation of four chloride brines produced crude salts containing predominantly sylvite, halite, and carnallite. Six sulfate-chloride brines produced crude salts containing primarily schoenite, kainite, leonite, sylvite, carnallite, and halite. Potash grades ranged from 7.2 to 22.2 pct K20, and recoveries from 84 to 99 pct. Sylvite flotation from chloride evaporites, with amine collector, recovered 90 to 97 pct of the potash in a concentrate containing 54.3 to 60.3 pct K20. Fatty acid flotation of the high-sulfate evaporite recovered 78 pct of the sulfate minerals in a 27.8-pct-K20 concentrate. Flotation of the chloride minerals with amine collector recovered 80 pct of the potash in a 59.7-pct-K20 concentrate. Solar evaporation of 10,000 gal of brine recovered 99 pct of the potash in a crude evaporite containing 24.5 pct schoenite and 20 pct sylvite. Continuous flotation in a 100-lb/h process research unit recovered over 95 pct of the potash in schoenite and sylvite concentrates containing 28.0 and 62.3 pct K20, respectively. An economic evaluation suggested a rate of return of 3 pct for a new facility and 9 pct if. the process is adapted to fit an existing plant.

Jan 1, 1984

By C. M. Frost

Two Federal Bureau of Mines recycle hydrogenation experiments to prepare catalytic cracking feed stock were made at 3,000 pounds pressure with crude shale oil retorted from Green River (Colo.) shale in the gas-combustion retort. The hydrogenated product from the first experiment, made at 784° F., was used for investigating the effects of nitrogen content on catalytic cracking yields and for determining the quality of the catalytically cracked gasoline. Hydrogenated product containing 0.14 percent or more of nitrogen produced less gasoline when cracked in a CAT "A" unit than was obtained from East Texas light gas oil cracked at the same conditions; product containing 0.10 percent or less nitrogen produced a quantity of cracked gasoline equal to that obtained from the East Texas light gas oil. The catalytically cracked gasoline had research octane numbers calculated to be approximately 95 clear and 103 with 3 ml. of tetraethyl lead. The principal product from the second experiment, made at 828° F., was a low nitrogen content gas oil which was used for investigating the yields of cracked products obtained when it was catalytically cracked to different degrees of conversion. Yields of cracked products, when plotted as functions of conversion, were essentially the same, within the experimental range of the data, as published yields from catalytic cracking of East Texas heavy gas oil; however, yields from cracking the shale-oil product did not display the sensitivity to change of cracking temperature that has been found for East Texas gas oil.

Jan 1, 1960

By Otto Ruhl

"INTRODUCTION With the conclusion of the war and the ensuing readjustment of industry to peacetime conditions, the Bureau of Mines recognized that definite and complete figures on the reserves of zinc and lead ores in the Tri-State District would be needed for an evaluation of the problem of reconversion. In October 1945 its engineers began examination of all the mines and pros¬pects in the Tri-State area and assembling of the basic data for a complete detailed estimate of the reserves of the field. Six to twelve months will be required to complete the report with the personnel available; therefore, it has been deemed advisable to provide as much data as possible for imme¬diate use. Accordingly, a confidential report prepared in January 1944 for the use of and in cooperation with the War Production Board has been brought up to date to form the basis of this preliminary estimate of reserves.The 1944 report has been revised by first subtracting from the reserves then set up for each mill group the amounts mined and milled by those properties for 1944 and 10 months of 1945, with November and December estimated. These production statistics were taken from the monthly reports of the Metal Economics Division of the Bureau of Mines. The remaining reserves were then adjusted by additions of tonnages of new reserves disclosed by developments during the years 1944 and 1945. Such additions were based upon the data furnished by various operators, upon estimates supplied by the Federal Geological Survey District Office at Miami, Okla., and upon estimates of the engineers of the Bureau of Mines Joplin field office.It is apparent from the work so far accomplished in the detailed exami¬nations now under way that the final estimate of reserves will probably be somewhat greater and will differ to a certain degree from these preliminary totals, not only as to the tonnages of ere but also as to grades and distribution by areas. This is due to the fact that all the factors of development, exploration, and geology are being considered in the present examination and report for each individual mine and prospect, whereas the previous reports covered only the immediate development factors surrounding each mill group then in active operation or projected for operation at some early date in accordance with the possible needs for war production."

Aug 1, 1946

By Walter T. Ackley

[The geophone has occupied a prominent position as a mine signalling device since its first introduction. The Bureau has carried out tests at different times with a view to improving the early geophones. The following paper describes briefly the adaption of the vacuum-tube audio frequency Amplifier to a new form of geophone. It is not intended to convey the idea that the results described are sufficient to warrant the drawing of definite conclusions as to the practicability of the electrical geophone, but the data and tests liven herein are made public because of their possible use to the industry and as a result of inquiries received as to the feasibility of such adaptions and modifications of the early geophones. Because of the limited time available to the authors, only one geophone with its auxiliary amplifier was constructed. As is well known, two geophones are necessary in order to determine the direction of a sound. Although the principles upon which the electrical geophone operates appear to be fundamentally correct, it is not possible to state whether two such devices 'rill function as efficiently, (as regards determining direction of sound) as the present geophone. In order to operate efficiently as a direction finder, the amplifiers of the electrical geophone must each amplify with exactly the same degree of magnitude. By proper design and adjustment this can probably be accomplished without greatly complicating the design. inasmuch as audio frequency amplification is used, no tuning; is necessary as is the case with tuned radio-frequency circuits. The same filament and plate batteries can be used to operate the amplifiers and by the use of dry cell tubes, requiring shall filament and plate currents, it if believed that a compact, portable and practical instrument can be evolved. Further investigations of the electrical geophone should be conducted to determine the points outlined in this preliminary report.]

Jan 1, 1924

By B. W. Haynes

With the national focus on energy, the combustible fraction of urban refuse is being extensively considered as a fuel supplement for coal in the generation of heat and power. The objective of these analytical studies by the Bureau of Mines was to determine the concentration of major, minor, and trace elements in the combustible fractions collected at various locations in the Bureau's urban refuse recycling pilot plant located at College Park, Md. The samples processed through the plant were submitted by various municipalities that are considering resource recovery as an alternative to landfill or other means of disposal. Twenty-five elements were determined in samples from six geographic areas and were compared with element concentrations found in typical coal samples.

Jan 1, 1977

By P. R. Jones

A computer program was written for the design of a shell and tube type heat exchanger on a price optimum basis. The program was designed to meet the following requirements: (1) Triangular pitch; (2) single or multiple pass; (3) heating or cooling; and (4) no change in phase. Price optimum design was obtained for four standard tube sizes and standard pitch. Pressure drop both inside and outside were computed and the nearest standard shells having at least the required area were listed. With this information, the estimator can select the heat exchanger best suited for the need. The program was made adaptable to various fluids and to various tube sizes and spacing by reading in much of the required data such as physical properties of the fluids, tube data, and standard shell data in tabular form.

Jan 1, 1967

By Jr. Karr

The Bureau of Mines studied the influence of carbonization method, temperature, and carrier gas on the composition of eight different low-temperature tars produced from a Colorado subbituminous coal. A fluidized bed was compared with an entrained bed, temperature was varied from 500° C to 650° C, and external heating using recycle gas as the carrier gas was compared with internal heating using oxygen-containing gas. The entrained bed yielded significantly more m-cresol and m-ethylphenol, indicating that thermodynamic equilibrium was more nearly approached in the system. Increasing the temperature greatly increased the yield of benzenes and naphthalenes, while paraffins, olefins, and total tar acids were reduced. Using oxygen in the carrier gas decreased the yield of low-boiling phenols and increased that of paraffins and olefins at 650° C.

Jan 1, 1966

By K. Robert Dorman

Spray-applied polyurethane foam was used to insulate the walls of heated rooms excavated in permafrost. The experiment was designed to determine whether polyurethane foam can be sprayed successfully on frozen ground under freezing conditions and to measure the effectiveness of the insulation in maintaining--at elevated temperatures for an extended period--a room excavated in frozen ground. Two manufacturers' foams were investigated in the laboratory. Subsequently, one of the foams was employed to insulate two small rooms, one in frozen gravel and one in frozen silt, in an experimental tunnel belonging to the U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (USACRREL) near Fairbanks, Alaska. Following insulation, heat was introduced into the two rooms. Heat migration across the insulating barrier into the walls, in addition to wall closures, was monitored over an 8-month period. The results show that polyurethane foam can be successfully sprayed on frozen ground in below-freezing temperatures. Given this type of insulation, together with winter cold to supercool the surrounding ground, it should be possible to maintain a shaft or heated room in permafrost for several years.

Jan 1, 1970

By C. W. Owning

"The Bureau of Mines has repeatedly emphasized the necessity of completely ""rock-dusting all coal mines, except anthracite mines, in every part whether in damp or dry condition."" Every open accessible part of, the, mine without exception should be thoroughly rock-dusted, including parallel entries, air courses, trackless entries, crosscuts, and rooms to within at least 40 feet of every coal face. Very few mines have followed this recommendation and warning, with the result that there have been explosions not only in mines which have not used rock dust but also in so-called rock-dusted mines. Following a number of mine explosions it has been reported that the mine was rock-dusted,"" whereas it is probable that only some of the haulage roads had been given a hurried application of rock dust and in most instances not as much as 5 per cent of the mine was really rock-dusted. That is not rock-dusting.Some conscientious, well-meaning mining men have felt that rock-dusting of haulage roads would effectively stop an explosion; however, when shown, through widespread explosions in mines ""well rock-dusted"" according to the above method, that leaving large areas undusted, furnishes paths through which a violent explosion may travel, these mining men have realized the necessity of thorough rock-dusting and have adopted this explosion-prevention method.The Mather Collieries mine, Pickands, Mather and Co., operators, at Mather, Pa., was the first mine in Pennsylvania to receive, full credit for rock-dusting under the new 'stringent ruling of the Pennsylvania Compensation Rating Bureau, the provisions of which require that:"

Feb 1, 1931

By A. U. Miller

Definite progress has been made in accident prevention in Illinois during the past few years; the State Department of Mines and Minerals is receiving excellent cooperation from coal companies and employees, the companies are making greater effort to maintain their mines in good condi- tion, and the employees are eliminating more unsafe practices. As a result, some coal companies have made commendable safety records that prove that coal can be mined with a comparatively low accident rate. However, there is need for further improvement, as the accident rate of the State as a whole is much higher than it should be. During the 55-year period 1882-1936, in- clusive, reports of the State Department of Mines and Minerals show a total of 7,005 (an average of 127.36 per year) men killed in and around the coal mines. Of this number, 6,425 (91.7 percent) were killed underground, 346 (4.9 percent) in the shaft, and 234 (3.3 percent) on the surface. Of the fatalities underground, 3,300 (51.3 percent) were killed by falls of roof, sides, or face coal, 1,167 (18.1 percent) by haulage, 639 (9.9 percent) by handling explosives, 579 (9 percent) by explosions, 151 (2.3 percent) by electricity, and 589 (9.1 percent) by other means. Of the fatalities in the shaft, 171 men (46.5 percent) were killed by falling down the shaft, 14 (41.6 percent) by the cage, and 31 (8.9 percent) otherwise. On the surface, 113 (48.2 percent) of the fatalities were due to railroad cars, 51 (21.7 percent) to machinery, and 70 (29.9 percent) to other causes. The fact that 7,005 lives (an average of 127.36 per year) were lost during 1882-1936 is sufficient evidence that in the past too little interest has been taken in safety by either the management or workers. A realization of this deplorable loss of life should act as an incentive to the industry to make greater effort to prevent accidents in the future. After an accident occurs, the facts pertaining to it become history, and anything that may be done afterward cannot change in any way the damage that has already been done, such as loss of life, personal injury, and destruction of property. The main benefit that can be derived from an acci- dent is that suitable procedure may be adopted and some lesson may be learned to aid in preventing a similar accident in the future. All accidents, par- ticularly serious ones, therefore should be investigated and an effort made

Apr 1, 1938

By E. L. Burwell

Preliminary results of an in situ oil shale retorting experiment conducted by the Bureau of Mines in a shallow bed of Green River oil shale at Rock Springs, Sweetwater County, Wyo., are described. Eleven wells were drilled into a 20-ft-thick section of the shale lying between 68 and 88 It deep, and attempts were made to connect the wells through the shale with a fracture system created by application of high-voltage electricity (electro-linking), hydraulic fracturing, and explosive fracturing. Ignition of the shale through the central well was easily achieved with a propane burner, and shale oil began to collect in three wells within 3 hours. Propane injection was discontinued after 7 days, and combustion continues, although attempts to control the direction of the combustion front have been unsuccessful. Production rates as high as 4 ½ barrels of nil per day have been recorded, but too little is known about underground conditions to permit an estimate of recovery efficiency at this time.

Jan 1, 1969

By Lewis C. Karrick

Although the Bureau of Mines has thus far made no large-scale experiments with oil shales, and the feasibility of the commercial manufacture of shale-oil products suited to present market requirements has not been demonstrated, there is ample reason to believe that these products will eventually supplement the more commonly used petroleum products and give equally good service. In 1919 the bureau, in cooperation with the Department of Metallurgical Research, University of Utah, began investigating the oil shales of the United States to obtain detailed information on their value. The States of Colorado and Indiana also cooperated through their State universities, in which research laboratories were organized to assist in carrying on the oil-shale studies planned and directed by the bureau. As a result of these studies much information is now available concerning laboratory methods of producing the greatest yields of the best products from oil shale. In order to study the principles that govern the retorting of oil shales and to test the oils produced, it has been necessary to develop and standardize reliable apparatus and methods for distilling shale, and to adapt to the testing of shale oils some of the methods the Bureau of Mines uses for testing petroleum. The methods employed by the Scottish shale-oil manufacturers were also studied, but most of them have been superseded by those described in this bulletin, which give more comprehensive and accurate results and employ more convenient apparatus. This paper is presented, therefore, as a manual of apparatus and methods that the bureau has developed for work on oil shale and found satisfactory for routine tests and for research. Explanation and discussion of the principles underlying the methods of testing are included wherever necessary for a clearer understanding.

Jan 1, 1926

By Ted A. Lewtas

The effectiveness of induction fans in ventilating dead headings was studied in the laboratory and underground. The following fan attachments were evaluated: a. Aerodynamic nozzle b. Various lengths of vent tube c. Honeycomb airflow straightener. Various fan locations were also tested. The following conclusions were reached: a. A nozzle on a fan located against the drift wall gives the greatest jet penetration distance. b. Air straighteners are ineffective in increasing jet penetration. c. Induction fans are ineffective in removing contaminants from dead headings without sufficient main ventilation flow.

Jan 1, 1980

By Jr. Herty

Ferromanganese continues to be an indispensable requirement in steel manufacture. Approximately 470,000 of the 80 per cent ferro-alloy was consumed in 1929 and increasing amounts will be required annually by the steel industry unless some satisfactory substitute is found. An average of 14 pounds of metallic manganese is used for each ton of steel produced, The principal use of manganese is for de-oxidation of the metal in the steel refining processes, although a considerable amount is also used for the production of special manganese steels. Unfortunately, domestic production of manganese ore is inadequate to meet normal peace-time requirements, not to mention increased abnormal war-time demands. The rather large quantities of low-grade manganiferous iron ores which occur in the Coruna Range in Minnesota have for a number of years greatly appealed to those interested in the development of a domestic source of the supply. The North Central Experiment station of the Bureau of Mines has made an elaborate study of the possibilities of the pyrometallurgical treatment of ores from these deposits and much of the valuable information secured by them has already been published.

Jan 1, 1930

By C. H. Herty

[Ferromanganese continues to be in indispensable requirement in steel manufacture. Approximately 470,000 tons of the 80 per cent ferro-alloy was consumed in 1929 and increasing amounts will be required annually by the steel industry unless some satisfactory substitute is found. An average of 14 pounds of metallic manganese is for each ton or steel produced, The principal use of manganese is for deoxidation of the metal in the steel refining processes, although a considerable amount r s also used for the production of special manganese steels. Unfortunately, domestic production of manganese ore is inadequate to meet normal peace-time requirements, not to mention increased abnormal war-time demands.]

Jan 1, 1930

This project was started 8 June 1971. As set forth in our Proposal of 28 April 1970, responding to the RFP of 30 March 1970, the plan was twofold: 1) choose fluids and develop techniques for measuring coat porosity, and 2) construct a porosimeter for making such measurements, By the time plans for the porosimeter had been drawn up, the picture had changed; and it was found more advisable to do further researches on porosity rather than build the equipment. This development arose from a meeting with Dr. Fred N. Kissell on 14, 15 October 1971, annotated in our letter of 19 October 1971, and was contracted for 6 December 1971. The technical effort of the project was completed 7 May 1972. From the beginning it was realized that the ratio of 'hole volume to the whole volume' might be too simplistic a definition for coat porosity and that its measurement might be confounded by complications which were not yet known, We were hopeful that an exploration of fluids and techniques would provide early feedback on both these points which could be used in subsequent developments. This turned out to be the case.

Jan 1, 1972

By F. D. Everett

The exploration work on a seleniferous tuff deposit near Lysite, Wyo., was confined chiefly to an area of approximately 1 square mile selected on the basis of prior examination and sampling work by the Bureau of Mines. This area was superficially explored by digging and sampling over 2,000 feet of trenches and 15 test pits. The surface sampling indicated that the deposit might contain a multimillion-ton reserve of easy-to-mine volcanic tuff assaying more than 0.01 percent Se. Later, 11 holes, ranging in depth from 57 to 135 feet and totaling 929.4 feet, were drilled under contract using a dry rotary drill. Samples for assay were cut at 5-foot intervals or at noticeable physical changes in the formation being drilled. Of the 206 samples assayed from the drilling, only 8 contained more than 0.005 percent selenium, and 2 of these assayed as high as 0.012 percent Se. Chemical analyses of samples obtained from six holes drilled by the Nugget Coal & Timber Co. to the south of the area explored by the Bureau of Mines showed that no selenium-bearing formations were encountered in that work. Two of 72 samples taken from 42 validation pits dug by claim holders contained more than 0.005 percent selenium. The exploratory work established that the selenium mineralization is erratically distributed in small irregular bodies and is not confined to any one tuff bed. Because of the lack of correlation between the infrequent showing of low-grade tuff, neither the extent nor grade of the reserves could be calculated.

Jan 1, 1957

By Paul B. Harder

Round Mountain Gold (RMG) in central Nevada, reports that over a nine-year period and a million operating hours, its fleet of 150-ton and 190-ton haul trucks has averaged better than 93% availability, with some of the trucks approaching 70,000 operating hours. Repair costs have been far below industry averages. Mine operations manager Pete Kesl credits the high availability and low repair costs to a succession of Product Support Agreements between RMG and Caterpillar dealer Cashman Equipment. He adds that good equipment and a high level of trust and co­operation between all parties to these agreements have been essential to their success at Round Mountain.

Jan 1, 1998

By Raymond B. Ladoo

"The recent discovery and exploitation of petroleum territory have resulted in the enactment of new petroleum laws in most of the South American Republics. The activities in the discovery of these new fields were engendered by the knowledge of the fact that present producing fields must within well defined periods be exhausted. Oil operators were willing to take the initial steps in exploitation in the absence of legislation that applied strictly to petroleum operations. The enactment of modern legislation in many of these Republics encouraging and protect¬ing exploitations may cause tremendous oil activities in these countries, and the results may be comparable with the magnitude of the undertakings and the prestige of the companies now entering this territory.These, oil fields are admirably located for convenient distribution of petroleum by water to all the Nations using oil as fuel for shipping and industrial concerns. The oil markets of the western coast of South America will derive immense benefits from the Panama Canal. This navigation route brings these markets into direct ocean shipment with the Atlantic coasts of the Western and Eastern Hemispheres.One deterrent to oil production in the Republics of South America is the want of inland. transportation facilities, but the recent laws of these Republics without exception provide for acquiring rights of way for pipe lines and other modes of transportation; and doubtless the great interests and. syndicates already operating in these regions will, as production increases, provide ample pipe line transportation sufficient to convey to the coast the oil produced. It way be assumed, from the legal guarantees afforded, and from operating equipment and machinery that are now being concentrated that refineries will be erected at shipping points for the purpose of making these petroleum products accessible to the world."

May 1, 1921