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By J. C. Reed, J. M. Hansell

Cinnabar was discovered in southwestern Arkansas on Little Missouri River in sec. 1, T.7S., R.26W., in April, 1930, and near Antoine Creek in sec. 28, T.6S., R.23W., some 15 miles farther east in May of the same year. It was not, however, until June, 1931, that cinnabar was identified as such in a specimen from the original discovery area sent to W. M. Weigell by Walter F. Hintze of Murfreesboro. Almost simultaneously2, in July, 1931, Moritz Norden of Hot Springs identified specimens from the Antoine Creek area as cinnabar. Immediate interest in the district followed the identification of cinnabar and by January, 1932, the district was known to extend as a mineralized belt about one mile wide trending east-northeast from sec. 13, T.7S., R.27W., in Howard County across central Pike County and into Clark County to sec. 19, T.6S., R.23W., thence extending southeast into sections 33 and 34 of the same township. Since then, cinnabar has been found in sec. 6, T.7S., R.22W., thus giving a total east-west length to the district of approximately 30 miles. Interest focused mainly on the two discovery areas, with the result that mining development has progressed most rapidly in those localities. In the Antoine Creek area the Arkansas Quicksilver Co. has done considerable exploration work and has retorted the high-grade ore so obtained. In the Little Missouri area the Southwestern Quicksilver Co. has had a 12-ton rotary furnace in more or less continuous operation since April, 1932, and has been the largest producer in the district. In March, 1934, the United States Geological Survey began a study of the Arkansas quicksilver district, which was made possible by an allotment of funds from the Public Works Administration. Until

Jan 1, 1935

Jan 1, 1961

Jan 1, 1940

Jan 1, 1970

By A. A. Steel

(Spokane Meeting, September, 1909.) DURING. the summer of 1905 I was employed by the U. S. Geological Survey to investigate the geology, Mining, and preparation of barite in most. of the fields of the United States. The Eastern districts have been more or less completely described ; the Virginia field in detail by Thomas L. Watson, in his paper, Geology of the Virginia Barite-Deposits,' and other fields in abstract., including statistics of production and references to current literature, by various authors .2 There have also been published a few details of the occurrence of barite in the lead-mines of Washington county, Mo.3 The other accounts of this district are erroneous and meager, and since this field is the most important one in the United States at the present time, a detailed description of the local geology seems doubly desirable. Barite-deposits are scattered over nearly the whole of Washington and adjoining counties, but. the product, is all mined from the areas indicated upon the sketch-map, Fig. 1, and is shipped from the stations of the St. Louis, Iron Mountain &. Southern railway, between Blackwell and Potosi, from 45 to 60 miles SW. of St.. Louis. The topography is for the most part gently rolling, with slightly graded streams, usually less than 200 ft. below the higher hill-tops. Along Mineral fork and Indian creek are :some steep bluffs and cliffs, affording good exposures of the

Feb 1, 1910

By C. T. Holland

This discussion is concerned with those com-J- paratively infrequent bumps that eject material from the failed mass with enough energy to wreck heavy machinery and seriously injure or kill people. In such cases there is a loud report, and the pressure waves set up in the mine atmosphere wreck ventilation controls several hundred feet from the site of the failure. Vibrations are induced in the earth's crust which may be detected several miles from the point of origin, and explosive gases may be released in large quantities." Usually a dense suspension of dust is produced from the failed mass, together with dust placed in suspension by the resulting air blast. These rock bursts or bumps have also been called mountain shots, bounces, pillar bursts, and crumps. Such occurrences, when extensive, are serious catastrophes, and may force abandonment of the mine.' CAUSES OF ROCK BURSTS Rock bursts in coal mines have occurred in sev-eral places under diverse geological conditions, mining methods, and/or practices. A study of many such occurrences indicates that they depend on the following conditions: 1) cover thickness of 500 ft or more, 2) cover composed of strong members and having a strong member lying close to or on the coal bed, and 3) a floor that does not readily heave. The minimum thickness of cover under which coal mine rock bursts occur is based on observation. Under unusual circumstances involving very strong roof members and/or mining systems, and/or practices especially likely to induce bursts, a burst conceivably could occur under less roof. Under special circumstances rock bursts have occurred in marble quarries almost at the surface.' Furthermore, under very heavy cover it is likely that controlling roof members need not be as strong and as close to the coal bed to cause bumps. Just what constitutes a strong roof or roof member is open to question. Obviously the strength of a roof member is determined by its thickness, the distance between bedding planes across which little or no bond exists, the spacing and development of joints, and the inherent strength of the rock material. Strata sections showing roofs under which rock bursts in coal mines have developed are illustrated in Fig. 2. In several instances the strength of rocks composing the roof of mines developing bumps has been tested. The tests (Table I) show that these rocks develop considerable strength in compression, bending, and shear and that in some cases the strengths are very high. No quantitative data are available concerning joints in roof members over coal beds where rock bursts have occurred, but the author has examined many mines subject to bursts and has received the impression that joints in the shales immediately over the coal beds are always present and well developed. In the main sandstone or conglomerate members themselves, however, where observed, he has yet to see a fracture system indicating well developed joints. Undoubtedly joints are present, but the evidence indicates that they are few, poorly developed, and widely spaced. In a mine subject to bumps, moreover, actual measurements of roof spans up to 225 ft between supports under a cover of about 800 ft have been made before roof failure occurred. Such spans signify strong roof. In coal beds subject to rock bursts, the bottom rock is usually a sandy shale. A few tests (Table I) have been made on the floor rock of coal beds. Observations in mines indicate that they are usually weaker than roof rocks and that under load they show more plastic effects. Observation in ground subject to bursts invariably indicates a relatively strong floor highly resistant to heaving, although some heaving may occur. Other factors listed as favorable to rock bursts are: 1) mountainous surface; 2) steeply dipping beds; 3) proximity of faults, folds, and other similar geologic structures. Many bursts have occurred in mines under mountainous country, although many bursts in mines under a surface with little relief indicate that thickness of cover, not relief, is the essential factor. In steeply dipping beds, many bursts occur in mines that are essentially flat, and rock bursts have been recorded in beds dipping as much as 35o Most rock bursts in the U. S. occur in beds that dip less than 10 pct. It is also true that most U. S. coal is produced from beds dipping less than 10 pct. Geologically, faults are regarded as providing stress relief, but in the vicinity of faults, as well as sharp folds, it would seem that residual stresses could be present. The fact that rock bursts occur in areas remote from faults and sharp folds suggests that their presence is not necessary for this phenomenon to take place. There have been many bursts close to faults and folds, and it may be assumed that occasionally such structures accentuate their occurrence3 The conditions and circumstances under which they occur, coupled with the effects produced, leave In the Crowsnest Pass coalfield, British Columbia, a rock burst is estimated to have released 1.8 million cu ft of methane.

Jan 1, 1959

By A. H. Bell

Continued low prices and restricted markets for crude oil discouraged drilling activity in Illinois oil fields during 1933. Only 36 wells were completed in the state, the smallest number since 1904, and of these the majority were scattered wildcat wells, only 10 having been drilled in producing fields (Table 2). Production was curtailed approximately 40 per cent for the first half of the year. During July, August, and the early part of September there was no restriction on production. On Sept. 8, under the "code of fair competition for the petroleum industry," the quota of allowable production for Illinois was fixed at 12,000 bbl. per day. The state's production in 1933 was 9 per cent less than in 1932. What it would have been had there been no curtailment of production and if economic conditions had permitted a normal amount of cleaning out and repairs to wells, it is not possible to estimate, but it would no doubt have been considerably more than the actual figure. No new pools or new producing horizons were discovered in 1933, but the deepening of a Robinson sand well in Crawford County to the McClosky "sand" horizon (St. Genevieve limestone of the Lower Mississippian) resulted in a production of 3 bbl. per day (Fred Patchel, Savilla Shipman No. 5, NE. 1/4, SW. 1/4, sec. 26, T.6N., R.l3W., deepened from 1122 to 1388 ft., to be tested to the McClosky horizon, and, owing to the rapid variations in porosity within short distances, as shown in the Lawrence County field to the south, one test may not be considered as proving or condemning any large area. The average price of Illinois crude oil in 1933, calculated from the posted prices as published in the Oil and Gas Journal and Oil Weekly, was $0.862 per barrel. This compares with a calculated average price of $1.032 in 1932 and 0.852 in 1931. The total value of Illinois crude oil produced in 1933 obtained by multiplying the average price (0.862) by the total production (4,227,000 bbl.) was $3,643,674. Of the 26 wildcat wells drilled in 1933, only one was drilled on known favorable structure. This was the Walmar Oil Company's William Pepple well No. 1, sec. 12, T.4N., R.12W., Hancock County, which tested

Jan 1, 1934

By WALTER VOIGTLANDER

FOR nearly 100 years wire rope has been fabricated in much the same way. To the great majority of mine superintendents wire rope is just wire rope, little or no semblance of individuality or identifying characteristics. Such an impression was fairly justified until three or four years ago when a practical means was found of performing or preshaping the wires and strands. This discovery permitted a revolutionary change in wire rope manufacture. Instead of merely twisting a number of wires into a strand, then twisting several strands into a complete rope (which twisting would naturally result in great internal strain, thus reducing the resiliency and over-all efficiency of the completed rope), the preformed wires and strands were laid in place without force or twisting. The obvious result was a rope more nearly approximating mechanical perfection. The applied loads are more evenly distributed throughout the component wires and strands, thus reducing unbalanced wire stresses. This results in a higher safety factor. The fact that preformed rope will not unravel when untied at the ends proves the absence of a torsional stress that exists in ordinary rope. A greater useful allowable stress in the wires is therefore possible in actual operating service.

Jan 1, 1926

By David W. Brunton

I. INTRODUCTION. THE list of our past-Presidents comprises the names of runny who, in their official addresses, have sketched the current progress of the arts and professions with which they were familiar. Such addresses are, in my judgment., highly useful, setting forth the results of our own work as a. society, and recalling to our minds the particular lines in which discussion would prove most fruitful. . Following this course with some hesitation, I venture to offer an outline of the recent improvements and the present situation in minim and metallurgy in the Western United States. The wonderful advances in mechanics, chemistry, and electricity have all combined to aid these arts to such an extent that. progress during the last decade has undeniably been more rapid than ever before in the history of the profession.. In all mining countries improved transportation-facilities, in many instances called into existence by the traffic created by the mines themselves, have done much- to enlarge the. field of operations by the reduction of freight-, operating- and living-expenses, thereby bringing lower-grade properties into the producing class. Under normal' conditions, as the age of a district in¬creases, all these differentt factors should combine to off-set. the augmented costs attendant on deep mining, and greatly tend to prolong the profitable life of the mines. The more recent and important improvements in our Western mining-practice which have contributed most toward the advancement of the art may be briefly summarized as follows; but, before beginning this portion of ray address, I wish to thank most heartily the many engineering friends who have so

Sep 1, 1909

SME's Annual Membership Report - 1961 Membership Directory

Jan 7, 1961

By N. R. MacMillan

INTRODUCTION The Bullmoose Coal Project is part of a major development in northeastern British Columbia which comprises a new rail line, a new townsite, powerline, highway, the upgrading of the Canadian National Railway's main line, a new coal port at Prince Rupert and two new coal mines, the Bullmoose mine and the Quintette mine. The total investment by all parties is estimated to be in excess of $2.6 billion and made up approximately as follows : [Table No. 1 $ Millions - Quintette Coal Limited 950 Teck-Bullmoose Coal Inc. 275 Canadian National Railway Company 800 6 British Columbia Railway Company Port at Prince Rupert 280 Townsite, Roads 6- Power ] The new infrastructure is intended to serve not only the Bullmoose and Quintette coal projects but also eventually a number of other coal properties in northeastern British Columbia. The Bullmoose project is structured on a joint venture basis as follows : [Table No. 2 Teck Corporation 51% Lornex Mining Corporation Ltd. 39% Nissho Iwai Coal Development 1 0% (Canada) Ltd. -- 100% ] The mine has a capacity of 2.3 million tonnes of clean coal per year. In the initial years 1.7 million tonnes will be metallurgical coal and 0.6 million tonnes thermal coal. After the first three years of operations the annual production of metallurgical coal will increase to an average of approximately 2.1 million tonnes and the production of thermal coal will decrease to an average of approximately 0.2 million tonnes. At this level of 2.3 million tonnes annual production, the Bullmoose mine has sufficient reserves for at least 26 years of production. History Brameda Resources Ltd. commenced coal exploration in the Bullmoose-Sukunka area in 1969. Teck obtained an option on the Bullmoose coal licences in 1970 and started surface exploration and diamond drilling in 1971. Teck earned a 50% interest in the property, and thereafter expenses were jointly financed by Teck and Brameda. In 1981 Brameda merged with Teck making Teck the sole owner. The initial phase of the exploration program, which was completed in 1975, included 7,200 meters of diamond drilling in 35 holes. During 1976 and 1977, detailed exploration and test work were carried out on the South Fork and West Fork areas where multiple seams close to surfaces indicated the potential for large tonnages of strippable coal. In those two years, work included road construction, detailed mapping and trenching to outline the coal seam traces at the surface, 6,300 meters of diamond drilling in 80 holes, and 300 meters of underground bulk sampling from seven adits. Washability tests and analysis work were carried out on the drill cores and adit samples, and pilot plant washability studies were undertaken. In 1978 and 1979 Teck engineers prepared open pit mining plans and production schedules and Kaiser Engineering was retained to prepare a layout of the plant preparation facility. A feasibility study prepared by Teck's engineering group in January 1982 was the base document used by the Lenders in assessing the technical and economic viability of the project. Property Location The property lies some 650 kilometers northeast of Vancouver, and 87 kilometers south by road from the village of Chetwynd. The Sukunka property (British Petroleum) adjoins to the north, the Mount Spieker property (Ranger Oil Option) adjoins to the east, and the Quintette property is located to the southeast.

Jan 1, 1985

By Arthur Notman

THE raw material men in all industries, and copper is no exception, are accustomed to think of them- selves as the whole show, and not without justice, for if there were no copper mines the world would have no copper. Nevertheless, many different things costing money and resulting in profits must be done to their product before it is ready for the world's use. In other words, they are making the frequent mistake of Chinking in terms of partial costs. Nobody really uses electrolytic copper. Possibly that is why nobody seems willing to pay anything for it. The manufacturers, being canny, do not buy any more electrolytic than they feel that they can work up and sell profitably, although they like to make the raw material men Chink that they will take all that can be produced. This is a state of affairs that has aroused my sympathy and curiosity, and has induced me to study the financial history of the copper wire and brass industry of the country or such portion of it as publishes any records readily available to the curious minded. About 60 per cent of the electrolytic copper used in this country is drawn into wire and consumed by the electrical industries. The remaining 40 per cent is

Jan 1, 1926

THE first session was held in the small hall of the Academy of Music, on Tuesday evening, February 18th, 1879. The proceedings were opened by the reading, by President Eckley B. Coxe, of the following Address : SECONDARY TECHNICAL EDUCATION. Technical education is a subject to which both the American Institute of Mining Engineers and the American Society of Civil Engineers have of late years given much attention, and deservedly so. We all remember the admirable address of our former President, Mr. Holley, at the Washington meeting, upon this subject, and the very interesting reunion of the two societies in Philadelphia for its discussion. The problem to the solution of which the meeting devoted its attention was, "Shall the practical education of the engineer in the mine, in the rolling-mill, in the workshop, or in the field, precede, be contemporaneous with, or follow his theoretical studies in the technical school ?" I do not propose to add anything to what was so admirably said by so many of our leading engineers on that occasion ; but I shall ask your attention to another question in technical education, which seems to me equally worthy of our consideration, and which, I am sorry to say, has as yet attracted but little attention in this country. It is, "Shall the apprentices (I call them so for the want of a better general name), who are growing up and learning their trades in and around our mines and works, and from whose ranks the master mechanics and foremen of the future must be taken-shall they be provided with some means of obtaining as much theoretical training as may be necessary to enable them properly to understand the various processes and operations that they may be called upon to superintend, and not be obliged to pick up, as best they may, here a little and there a little truth mingled with much error?" In the former case, those who have the ability and industry to avail themselves of the advantages that should be offered to them would fit themselves to become real foremen, men who would understand and appreciate the true engineer and his methods. Of late years the young men of this country who have wished to enter our profession have had great facilities offered to them for so doing ; there have been undoubtedly great improvements in the methods of instruction; and although I am very far from imagining that no further progress can be made, or is demanded, yet I feel sure that

Jan 1, 1879

Jan 1, 1879

Mining and oil industry representatives are scheduled to testify May 15 at hearings on the Simpson bill to extend the Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act, Several Congressmen have introduced bills to extend present trade agreements without modification. Price of copper appears to be stabilizing at 30[] per lb, after a period where market price ranged from 27 to 34[]. Copper offerings from abroad were finding no takers at 30.24[] per lb late in April.

Jan 5, 1953

By K. L. Sutherland, J. Rogers

The relationships between collector and mineral, activator and mineral, and activator, collector and mineral will be considered herein. We propose to criticize current theories of flotation but we will not repeat the many pertinent arguments presented by Wark and Cox28 in 1937 in which the "chemical" or more strictly the "solubility" theory proposed by Taggart and co-workers22 is shown to be untenable. Recently Taggart, Arbiter and Kellogg24 have studied the long-chain aliphatic amines as collectors and have attempted to resuscitate the solubility theory for these particular collectors. Dean and Ambrose3 have felt that "we stumble over words" when we distinguish different mechanisms of adsorption. Our view is that nothing is more stultifying to the development of a science than attempts to force widely different phenomena into one classification. This oversimplification leads immediately to difficulties in the interpretation of results. Experimental Procedure The response of minerals to activator and collector was determined by "captive-bubble" tests. The methods of preparation of specimens26 and of testingin have been previously described. Results from captive-bubble tests were confirmed by flotation tests in glass-stoppered cylinders.26 The full lines shown in the figures relating solution composition to contact (flotation) distinguish solutions in which contact (flotation) is possible from those in which it is not. The curve is derived by successive approximation and the accuracy is ±o.2 pH units and ±5 mg. per liter of collector or depressant. Solution compositions for which it was shown experimentally that contact or flotation is possible are marked by a circle, those for which it is not possible by a cross and those for which it is doubtful by a cross within a circle. It is assumed that at all other solution compositions within (without) the curve, contact or flotation is possible (not possible). After testing in the collector solution, the mineral was removed, washed, and tested by the captive-bubble method in water, or floated in a cylinder with frother only. In this way the composition of solutions in which a mineral was conditioned but in which properties of the collector solution prevented contact or flotation can be defined. The composition of solutions in which conditioning was possible lie between the full and broken curve, the experimental results being indicated on the figures by a square. The curves show the limits of composition of solution in which flotation in a cell would be possible. Many factors other than those considered in these tests determine recovery or grade of a given mineral in practice.

Jan 1, 1947

By J. Rogers, K. L. Sutherland

The relationships between collector and mineral, activator and mineral, and activator, collector and mineral will be considered herein. We propose to criticize current theories of flotation but we will not repeat the many pertinent arguments presented by Wark and Cox28 in 1937 in which the "chemical" or more strictly the "solubility" theory proposed by Taggart and co-workers22 is shown to be untenable. Recently Taggart, Arbiter and Kellogg24 have studied the long-chain aliphatic amines as collectors and have attempted to resuscitate the solubility theory for these particular collectors. Dean and Ambrose3 have felt that "we stumble over words" when we distinguish different mechanisms of adsorption. Our view is that nothing is more stultifying to the development of a science than attempts to force widely different phenomena into one classification. This oversimplification leads immediately to difficulties in the interpretation of results. Experimental Procedure The response of minerals to activator and collector was determined by "captive-bubble" tests. The methods of preparation of specimens26 and of testingin have been previously described. Results from captive-bubble tests were confirmed by flotation tests in glass-stoppered cylinders.26 The full lines shown in the figures relating solution composition to contact (flotation) distinguish solutions in which contact (flotation) is possible from those in which it is not. The curve is derived by successive approximation and the accuracy is ±o.2 pH units and ±5 mg. per liter of collector or depressant. Solution compositions for which it was shown experimentally that contact or flotation is possible are marked by a circle, those for which it is not possible by a cross and those for which it is doubtful by a cross within a circle. It is assumed that at all other solution compositions within (without) the curve, contact or flotation is possible (not possible). After testing in the collector solution, the mineral was removed, washed, and tested by the captive-bubble method in water, or floated in a cylinder with frother only. In this way the composition of solutions in which a mineral was conditioned but in which properties of the collector solution prevented contact or flotation can be defined. The composition of solutions in which conditioning was possible lie between the full and broken curve, the experimental results being indicated on the figures by a square. The curves show the limits of composition of solution in which flotation in a cell would be possible. Many factors other than those considered in these tests determine recovery or grade of a given mineral in practice.

Jan 1, 1947

By J. J. Jakosky

The strategic importance of the metallic minerals in our industrial economy, and the declining rates of discovery have focused attention on means of exploration for new mineral deposits. A consideration of exploration techniques leads to an attempt to evaluate the effectiveness of geo- physics as a tool for mining exploration. One means of evaluation will be to compare the use of geophysics in petroleum exploration with its possible uses in mining.

Jan 1, 1949

By Lucius W. Mayer

WHILE the mind of the financier does not normally run along channels similar to those of his technical adviser, engineers, because of their exactness, are ever more called upon to manage affairs where financial matters are involved. It is, true, not a relatively large number have thus far functioned in this capacity. It is also true that the essentially financial mind could not serve in a responsible engineering position; for to be a successful engineer one requires precise thinking, making due allowance for factors of safety. To be a financier seems to require less aptitude for exact thinking than of enthusiasm and confidence in capitalizing prospective possibilities. Both require imagination, the engineer being, more conscious of the limitations of natural conditions. It is to be regretted that the engineer' stands so far aloof from financial matters. Many consider them- selves successful, as did Steinmetz, as long as their reward is the consciousness that they are giving supreme service to mankind. They are 'generally happy in their work and, like our honored brothers who are teachers, gain their greatest satisfaction, not in the amount of their remuneration so much as in the service rendered society and in the excellence of results achieved. Indeed, these sentiments bespeak character and command respect.

Jan 1, 1924