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By W. A. Grosh

The Piquette Mining and Milling Co, operates a zinc mine and concentrating mill in the Upper Mississippi Valley zinc-lead district near Tennyson, Wis. The principal ore mineral is zinc sulfide, which occurs in limestones and dolomites of the Decorah formation. Exploration in the district is by churn drilling from the surface. An adit at the base of the ore zone provides access to the mine. A room-and- pillar mining method with irregular pillars is used. Drilling is done with Jumbo-mounted drills. The broken ore is loaded by crawler-mounted front-end loaders into diesel-powered trucks for haulage direct to the mill.

Jan 1, 1959

By R. L. Rough, W. K. Overbey

The Bureau of Mines obtained samples of oil - reservoir rock from wells in Ohio , Pennsylvania , and West Virginia as part of an investigation of the susceptibility of petroleum reservoirs to secondary - recovery techniques . Illustrations and tables showing the geographic and stratigraphic sequence of the cored reservoirs and 40 tables of detailed lithologic descriptions of the reservoirs are presented . Information relevant to geologic surroundings , oilfield history , coring and well logging operations , and reservoir core analyses are referenced throughout the report .

Jun 1, 1970

By William H. Lesser

Never before have mine managers in the anthracite region of Pennsylvania been so seriously concerned about the rising cost of pumping mine water. Many of them know that future pumping charges may affect their operating profits adversely to an extent that will make it necessary to abandon some mines. Increased pumping charges in the anthracite industry are currently comparable in importance with higher mining costs; in fact, profitable operation of some mines depends not only upon the cost of mining coal but also upon whether they can be kept free from water at reasonable cost. Pumping charges are relatively low during the early development of a mine, but they increase rapidly as development progresses. Numerous crop falls, strippings, and. abandoned adjacent properties contribute unfavorably to the volume of water produced during mining. The foregoing conditions and the existence of large underground pools below existing mining levels present water problems of such magnitude and cost that some mine owners cannot continue to operate profitably.

Jan 1, 1950

By Forrest T. Moyer

The overall disabling work injury experience, excluding office- workers, at nometal mines and mills during the period 1961-63, as reported to the Bureau of Mines by operators, was 77 fatal and 7,201 nonfatal injuries during an aggregate worktime of 335,029,685 man- hours. These injuries, fatal and nonfatal combined, occurred at a frequency rate of 21.72 per million man-hours, comprising 0.23 for the fatal and 21.49 for the nonfatal injuries. The combined severity rate of the disabilities was 2,312 days lost or charged per million man-hours, consisting of 1,379 for the fatal and 933 of the nonfatal injuries, The average severity of all disabilities during 1961-63, was 106 days per injury, The number of days lost or charged, excluding officeworkers, at nonmetal mines and mills during 1961-63, was 462,000 days charged to fatal injuries and 312,461 days lost from nonfatal injuries. The outstanding causes for fatal injuries were explosions (18 fatalities occurred in a major mine-explosion disaster in a potash mine in Utah in 1963) and falls of rock or ore from back or side, while most nonfatal injuries were caused by handling materials, slips or falls of persons, haulage, and machinery. The parts of the body most frequently injured during the period 1961-63 were the trunk, hand and finger, and foot and toe, An average of 52,810 men were at work daily, There were 20 nonfatal disabling injuries reported for office- workers at nonmetal mines and mills during the period 1961-63 during an aggregate worktime of 23,088,496 man-hours, These injuries occur- red at a frequency rate of 0.87 per million man-hours, There were no fatal injuries reported.

Jan 1, 1967

By L. W. Kelly

The primary purpose of this paper is to show the appreciable savings that were made by roof-bolting the main west entry of the Kings mine, which was to be the permanent, main haulage road, as compared to the cost of supporting the same roof with peg timbering as first planned. Additional items that might prove valuable to other mine operators are contained in this paper and detailed below. 1. A detailed cost of the system of roof support known locally as the peg-timbering method is given. It consists fundamentally of supporting steel cross bars on pegs inserted into holes drilled in the ribs close to the roof. 2. A method of supporting the roof in caved entries is shown, where such support must endure for an extended period in haulageways and air courses.

Jan 1, 1952

By Alan A. Campoli

OD March 20, 1989, a meeting was held at the U.S. Bureau of Mines Pittsburgh Research Center at the request of Senator Pete V. Domenici of New Mexico. The purpose of the meeting was to engender a technical relationship between the National Laboratories and the minerals industry. During the meeting, the Director of the Bureau of Mines, T S Ary, suggested that since the Bureau is the focal point for mining research in the United States, it would be appropriate for the agency to act as the liaison between the National Laboratories and the minerals industry. As the first step in this process, the author was selected to perform a 6-month investigation to better define the proper role of the Bureau in this area. As part of the investigation, the mining and mineral-related technology available at 21 major U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Research Laboratories was reviewed. It was assumed that the broad range of scientific and technical areas covered DOE research would provide fertile ground for mining-related technologies. It was hoped that the applicability of DOE research to this liaison effort would be indicative of Federal laboratories in general.

Jan 1, 2011

By G. A. Savanick

The Bureau of Mines has designed, fabricated, and field tested a water jet cutting device capable of perforating nonmetallic well casings for the purpose of completing or stimulating in situ uranium leaching wells. The device is lowered into the wellbore, where it issues a high-velocity water jet that penetrates either a polyvinyl chloride or fiberglass casing, cement, and from 1 to 4 feet into the surrounding uraniferous sandstone. The resulting perforations allow leaching solution to pass between the sandstone and the wellbore. This report describes the water jet perforator, tells how it is used, presents cost data, and discusses the results of laboratory and field tests. The tests were designed to (1) determine the optimum operating conditions for water jet perforation, (2) assess the effects of changes in these conditions, (3) evaluate the performance of the water jet perforator under actual conditions, and (4) compare this method with other methods of well completion. These tests showed that water jet perforation is superior to conventional well completion methods for selectively achieving communication between the well-bore and adjacent sand while maintaining sand control, for restoring permeability lost through wellbore damage, for stimulating poorly performing wells for completing wells with casings that have inside diameters as small as 2 inches, and for extending the effective well diameter.

Jan 1, 1981

By W. L. Dare

This paper is one of a series being prepared by the Bureau of Mines on the methods and costs of mining uranium on the Colorado Plateau. The Continental No. l mine is at the south end of the Big Indian mining district, San Juan County, Utah. The mine is on a school section owned by the State of Utah and leased by Continental Uranium, Inc. A 70,000-ton uranium-vanadium ore deposit was discovered as a result of an exploratory drilling program completed in 1954.

Jan 1, 1957

By A. R. Rule

A flotation process was developed by the Bureau of Mines for separation of carbonate and phosphate minerals occurring in unaltered phosphate ores of the Phosphoria formation. The process involves depression of phosphate minerals with fluosilicic acid and flotation of carbonate minerals with fatty acid emulsions. In individual laboratory tests, selective removal of carbonates was achieved with phosphate recoveries ranging from 60 to 80 pct P205. In continuous-circuit testing, sizing and separate treatment of coarse and fine fractions was necessary to achieve 65-pct P205 recovery. Concentrate grade ranged from 26 to 33 pct P205. The flotation tailings containing primarily carbonate and phosphate minerals is a potential fertilizer material. When reacted with H3P04, concentrated superphosphate containing approximately 40 pct available P205 was obtained.

Jan 1, 1974

By Melvin E. Poad

This Bureau of Mines report presents two phases of a research program to evaluate a single-entry system for longwall development. Organizations participating in the program; which began in July 1971, include the Bureau of Mines, the Mining Enforcement and Safety Administration, and the University of Utah, working under a cooperative agreement with Kaiser Steel Corp. at its Sunnyside mine in Utah. Part 1 of this report describes the present longwall mining practice, including a brief history, and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of a single-entry development system and its introduction in the United States. Part 2 of the report presents the research program; test design, instrumentation for ground and support evaluation, and the test results from the No. 2 mine. Subsequent reports will describe the research conducted in the No. 1 mine.

Jan 1, 1977

By N. N. Moelbs

The U.S. Bureau of Mines is conducting research on many topics relating to the hazards of coal mining, increased production, and protection of the environment. One area of research that has received scant attention in recent years is that of water inflows, probably because few fatalities in the United States have been attributed to them. As mining goes deeper, the problem of water in 1ow could increase dramatically because of adjacent or overlying mines in which huge water pools are impounded. Inaccurate mine maps and ineffective barriers can constitute a serious problem for operators both from gradual inflows and sudden inrushes of water. This report describes a wide but ineffective barrier that permitted an average 240-gpm inflow to a developing mine from an adjacent mine. The anomalous geologic structure that facilitated this leakage is described, demonstrating that size, alone, is no assurance against serious leakage. Some recommendations for managing serious water inflow are included.

Jan 1, 1989

By C. D. Litton

This Bureau of Mines report presents a set of guidelines for determining the distribution of product-of-combustion fire sensors in underground mines. Sensor spacing is defined in terms of sensor alarm threshold, ventilation flow rate, and mine entry dimensions. Sensor spacing guidelines are presented for detection of fires from two primary combustibles, coal and wood, which are common to the majority of underground mines. The guidelines are based on data from full-scale and intermediate-scale fire tests conducted by the Bureau of Mines.

Jan 1, 1983

By Henry E. Hilliard

The production, use, and emission of vanadium in the United States has been traced for the year 1991. Consumption was 3,300 tons2, exports 1,285 tons, and imports 2,013 tons. About 98% of production was used in metallurgy; the remainder was consumed in chemicals, including catalysts. Total emissions to the environment in 1991 were estimated at about 3,100 tons, including emissions due to the combustion of coal and petroleum products. Emissions resulting from the production of ferrovanadium were 130 tons, and emissions from the production of steel about 6 tons. Dissipative losses, defined as losses that occurred during use or as a result of wear, were estimated to be no more than 3 tons. Disposal losses were estimated to be about 4,600 tons. Most of these losses were steel products that contained 0.1% or less vanadium and mayor may not have been recycled. When these products are recycled by the steel industry, vanadium ends up in the steelmaking slag and does not return to vanadium use cycle. Worldwide emissions due to anthropogenic and natural sources were briefly reviewed. It was concluded that industrial emissions were about three times greater than emissions from natural sources.

Jan 1, 1994

By R. H. Sprute

This report describes a feasibility study to consolidate coal waste sludge in a 100-acre pond by applying direct current between floating and buried electrodes. The study was conducted by the Bureau of Mines under a cooperative agreement with Washington Irrigation and Development Co., located near Centralia, Wash. Part 1 covers results of laboratory tests at the Bureau's Spokane Research Center and a small-scale field test at the cooperator's coal preparation plant in western Washington. The process is efficient and cost-effective when power is applied at low current density. A proposed system, fully described in part 2, has electrodes covering 21 acres of pond surface radially arranged around a central power platform. Densification of pond contents would require 2 to 3 years of treatment. Total cost of equipment, labor, and material is approximately $500,000.

Jan 1, 1982

By M. J. Ankeny

This is a study of 58 fatal haulage accidents investigated by Federal coal-mine inspectors during the period January - June 1951. The information presented in this circular was obtained by analyzing fatal haulage accidents in 33 bituminous-coal producing counties representing 11 States. The physical conditions represent a cross section off producing coal beds. Mining and transportation methods vary, from those of small hand-loading mines to those of large modern mechanized operations. These data are thought to be representative of haulage conditions within the bituminous-coal mining industry and are submitted to follow up the Information Circular 7604 ?Analysis of Haulage Fatalities in Bituminous-Coal Mines - 1950.? Coal-mine haulage ranks second as a cause of coal-mine fatalities, and the problem of haulage safety is complex. It is subject to constant change and is comprised of numerous influencing variables, which are not always obvious. The solution to this problem will not come through the application of any standard formula or mechanical approach since the inherent factors are strongly influenced by the human equation, and the chain of circumstances is further affected by expediency.

Jan 1, 1951

By Laurel A. Powers

The Bureau of Mines process for recovering Ni and Co from low-grade domestic laterites uses a reduction roast followed by an ammonia, ammo-nium sulfate leach. This investigation examined the waste streams of the process for their potential environmental impact and focused on the laterite residue produced. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's extraction procedure (EP) toxicity tests and column leaching showed that leachable metal concentrations would be low enough so that the residue would not be considered a hazardous waste under present definitions. Under nonacid leaching conditions, about the same amount of metal was extracted from laterites as from their residues, and the leachates were similar to water samples from an undisturbed laterite deposit. Washing tests on the laterite residue showed that ammonia and ammonium sulfate concentrations were reduced according to equilibrium stage calculations, resulting in residues that would be acceptable for revegetation. With water washing only, the residue would not be considered a hazardous waste even though significant amounts of Ni and Co were absorbed from entrained leach solution onto the residue. Washing first with fresh leach solution and then with water prevented this absorption and thus improved the overall metal recovery.

Jan 1, 1983

By O. C. Blade

The oil fields of Arkansas, all situated in the southern part of the State, have played an important part in the development of petroleum production in the northern coastal plain region of the Mid-Continent area. From the first discovery of oil in southwest Ouachita County in 1920 to December 31, 1930, a total of 480,167,5604/ barrels of crude petroleum has been produced from' this region. Development of the Arkansas fields proceeded rapidly after 1920. The El Dorado field was discovered in Union County in 1921. Drilling in Ouachita County resulted in the discovery of the Smackover field in 1922 and subsequently in the development of the whole southern area. To November 31, 1939,459 / producing wells had been drilled in 25 fields, aggregating 53,7356 acres of proved territory in 6 counties. Peak annual production for the State was reached in 1925, when 80,823,7007/ barrels was produced, resulting largely from flush production from the Smakover field, which rose td an average of 444,9507 barrel daily during that year. During 1924, 1925, and 1926 Arkansas ranked fourth among the oil-producing

Jan 1, 1940

By O. C. Blade

The oil fields of Arkansas, all situated in the southern part of the State, have played an important part in the development of petroleum production in the northern coastal plain region of the Mid-Continent area. From the first discovery of oil in southwest Ouachita County in 1920 to December 31, 1930, a total of 480,167,5604/ barrels of crude petroleum has been produced from' this region. Development of the Arkansas fields proceeded rapidly after 1920. The El Dorado field was discovered in Union County in 1921. Drilling in Ouachita County resulted in the discovery of the Smackover field in 1922 and subsequently in the development of the whole southern area. To November 31, 1938, 6,4595/ producing wells had been drilled in 25 fields, aggregating 53,7356/ acres of proved territory in 6 counties. Peak annual production for the State was reached in 1925, when 80,823,7007/ barrels was produced, resulting largely from flush production from the Smackover field, which rose td an average of 444,9508/ barrel daily during that year. During 1924, 1925, and 1926 Arkansas ranked fourth9/ among the oil-producing

Jan 1, 1940

By Donald E. Redmon

This Bureau of Mines report reviews injury experience in the metallic mineral industries for 1966-67. For each of the years, 27 tables summarize disabling work injuries by department, source of injury, extent of disability, part of body injured, and nature of injury. Correlative information on employment, worktime, and operating activity is also presented.

Jan 1, 1973

By Forest H. Majors

"INTRODUCTION The Brutch sulfur deposits were explored by the Bureau of Mines during the spring and summer of 1944. Old workings were rehabilitated and sampled, test pits and shafts were sunk, and trenches were cut through the surface alluvium.ACKNOWLEDGMENTSIn its program of exploration of mineral deposits, the Bureau of Mines has as its primary objective the more effective utilization of our mineral resources to the end that they make the greatest possible contribution to national security and economy. It is the policy of the Bureau to publish the facts developed by each exploratory project as soon as practicable after its conclusion. The Mining Branch, Lowell B. Moon, chief, conducts prelimi¬nary examinations, performs the actual exploratory work, and prepares the final report. The Metallurgical Branch, R. G. Knickerbocker, chief, analyzes samples and performs beneficiation tests. Both these branches are under the supervision of Dr. R. S. Dean, assistant director.Special acknowledgment is due S. R. Zimmerley, regional engineer, and Paul T. Allman, principal engineer, Bureau of Mines, Salt Lake City, for their supervisory aid, and to the metallurgical staff, Salt Lake City, for beneficiation of samples."

Oct 1, 1946