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By Terry R. Neumann

During 1983, U.S. Bureau of Mines personnel examined mines, prospects, and mineralized zones to evaluate the mineral resources and potential of the Funeral Mountains Wilderness Study Area (WSA), Inyo County, California. Eleven mineral properties and two mineralized zones were examined during this study. Of these, six are within the study area and seven adjacent. There are no active mines, in the WSA, nor is there evidence of past production from any claim within the study area. The WSA contains no identified mineral resources. However, occurrences of bentonite, zeolites, and strontium were found in the area. There is little likelihood for resource development of any occurrence in the WSA. The area, in the Basin and Range Physiographic Province, is dominated by a Paleozoic marine sequence. Segments of Tertiary continental fluviolacustrine sediments, including volcaniclastic rocks, abut and overlie the Paleozoic rocks in fault controlled basin areas. Significant concentrations of bentonitic clay and zeolites occur as alteration products in Tertiary tuffaceous sedimentary rocks. However, they are generally low-grade, thin, and discontinuous, precluding commercial development. Limestone, quartzite, and sand and gravel in the area are suitable for many types of construction uses, but similar deposits outside the WSA are closer to markets. No energy resources have been identified in the WSA.

Jan 1, 1984

By Leonard Obert

This report describes a gage which, when used with my procedure for producing strain relief, will measure the resulting borehole deformation, From the borehole deformation the magnitude and direction of the principal stresses in a plane normal to the axis of the borehole can be calculated. The design considerations, mechanical construction, sensitivity, and stability of the gage are discussed. INTRODUCTION During the past two decades an increasing mount of consideration has been given to the problem of measuring and evaluating stress in rock around underground openings. Several investigators have made theoretical and model studies of the stress and (or) strain concentrations around simulated mine openings or in structural members, such as mine pillars or immediate roof. Other investigators have developed gages for directly or indirectly measuring stress or strain, and a number of reports present the results of measurements made with these gages. Because various methods and instruments have been developed, factors involved in this type of measurement will be briefly considered.

Jan 1, 1962

Collins Radio Company, through this contract with the Bureau of Mines, has conducted a System Study of Coal Mine Communi¬cations. The program was a three phase program to establish a data base, perform communication system analysis and optimi¬zation, and prepare equipment specifications to be included in this final report. At the start of establishing a data base both a knowledge of mine communication and coal mines in general was obtained. Communication system requirements and constraints were determined along with a survey of current and potential mine communication equipment. An investigation was completed concerning theoretical LF and VLF propagation characteristics, and UHF propagation tests were conducted in a working coal mine. Different mines were contacted and on-site surveys completed with respect to coal mine communication requirements.

Jan 1, 1973

By F. J. Prokoski

The COALSTAR Project, which operated from November 1981 to December 1982, was a research and development project aimed at providing a reliable and inexpensive means of monitoring various waste site conditions via the GOES satellite system. The GOES system provides data transfer from unattended isolated sites where neither power nor telephone lines exist. The reliability and resolution of the data received while using the satellite link were excellent; however, the site instrumentation gave considerable trouble. The disastrous failure of a large coal waste embankment in 1972 led the Bureau of Mines to undertake a comprehensive program to reduce the likelihood of such an occurence again. Part of this program involved the installation of instruments to monitor the stability of a specially-selected embankment operated by Armco Incorporated near Montcoal, West Virginia. Initially, the instruments were monitored by normal telephone lines and used normal commercial power from the local utility. The project described here was initiated to replace this monitoring system with an unmanned, solar-powered data collection system which transmitted data via satellite to a central computer facility. The satellite data network is the National Earth Satellite Service of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Jan 1, 1984

By T. F. Myners

This paper, describing the concentration methods and costs of Witherbee, Sherman and Company at Mineville, N. Y., is one of the series of papers on milling methods and costs being prepared by the United States Bureau of Mines. It deals principally with the production of high-grade concentrate. ACKNOWLEDGMENT The author is indebted to C. F. Jackson, principal mining engineer, United States Bureau of Mines, to A. M. Cummings, general superintendent of Witherbee, Sherman and Company, and to the company's engineering staff, for assistance in preparing this paper.

Jan 1, 1932

By B. J. Moore

The Bureau of Mines has estimated helium resources of the United States at 727 billion cubic feet as of January 1, 1979. These resources are divided into four categories in decreasing degrees of assurance of their existence: (1) Helium in storage and in measured natural gas reserves, 185 billion cubic feet; (2) helium in indicated natural gas resources, 150 billion cubic feet; (3) helium In hypothetical natural gas resources, 186 billion cubic feet; and (4) helium in speculative natural gas resources that makes up the remaining 206 billion cubic feet. The identified helium reserves, which are made up of that in measured and indicated natural gas categories, are further divided into depleting, non- depleting, and stored classifications. The depleting resources are those that are associated with natural gasfields that are, or will be, produced for the natural gas they contain. All of the helium in undiscovered natural gas resources are included in this classification. These depleting resources comprise 600 billion cubic feet of the total resource base. The nondepleting helium resources are estimted tototal 88 billion cubic feet. There is 39 billion cubic feet of helium in storage in Cliffside gasfield near Amarillo, Tex.

Jan 1, 1980

By Terry J. Close

In 1986 and 1987, at the request of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Bureau of Mines personnel studied 7,040 acres of the 7,240-acre Sheep Mountain Wilderness Study Area (OR-006-003) in order to evaluate its identified mineral resources. The area studied is along the divide between the Snake River and Pine Creek about 1.5 mi south of the village of Oxbow in Baker County, OR. No mineral resources or mineral-related activities were identified in the Sheep Mountain study area. The basalt covering most of the study area has no known mineralized sites. However, it contains common agate and opal that is of limited interest to mineral collectors. This basalt (stone) could be used locally as construction material (crushed stone or fill); however, suitable material is wide spread in the region and more accessible to possible markets.

Jan 1, 1987

By Rudolf E. Grauer

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Jan 1, 1981

By Edward A. Barrett, Kathleen M. Kowalski-Trakofler

This paper discusses the application of a training intervention that uses degraded images for improving the hazard recognition skills of miners. Method: NIOSH researchers, in an extensive literature review, identified fundamental psychological principles on perception that may be employed to enhance the ability of miners to recognize and respond to hazards in their dangerous work environment. Three studies were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the degraded image training intervention. A model of hazard recognition was developed to guide the study. Results: In the first study, miners from Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Alabama, who were taught with the aid of degraded images, scored significantly better on follow—up hazard recognition performance measures than those trained using traditional instructional methodologies. The second and third studies investigated the effectiveness of the training intervention at two mining companies. Data collected over a3—year period showed that lost—time injuries at mines in Alabama and Illinois declined soon after the training intervention was instituted. Impact on Industry: Further exploration of the hazard recognition model and the development of other interventions based on the model could support the validity of the steps in the hazard recognition model.

By James P. Ulery

In This Chapter [Geologic features associated with anomalous methane emissions Gas outbursts and blowers Methane drainage strategies for mitigating anomalous methane emissions and General considerations for a methane drainage program] This chapter summarizes how certain geologic features may be associated with unexpected increases in gas emissions during coal mining. These unexpected emissions have the potential to create explosive conditions in the underground workplace. Also discussed are the generally used practices to alleviate potential hazards caused by gas emissions associated with these geologic features. INTRODUCTION Unforeseen mine gas emissions in quantities sufficient to create hazardous conditions have been attributed to sources outside the mined coalbed since the first documentation of methane explosions in coal mines [Payman and Statham 1930]. Geologic features such as faults have long been recognized as conduits for gas flow from strata adjacent to mined coalbeds [Moss 1927; Payman and Statham 1930]. Other features such as sandstone paleochannels, clay veins, and localized folding have also been recognized for their impact on gas emissions into mine work-ings [Darton 1915; Price and Headlee 1943; McCulloch et al. 1975; Ulery and Molinda 1984]. The fact that strata adjacent to mined coalbeds can emit large quantities of methane gas into mine workings is not surprising from a theoretical perspective. Many researchers have recognized that during the burial and diagenesis of the organic matter forming today’s minable coalbeds, similar dispersed organic matter in adjacent strata has produced methane in quantities far exceeding the storage capacity of the coal and surrounding rock [Juntgen and Klein 1975]. It is not surprising then that large quantities of methane can remain trapped in these strata. A potential hazard occurs when mining of a nearby coalbed causes pressure differentials and mining-induced fractures conducive to gas flow into the mine workings from these strata. This gas flow may be facilitated or temporarily impeded by the presence of geologic structures or anomalies.

Jan 6, 2006

During the period 1979 thru 1982, Multi Mineral Corporation conducted a mining research program at the United States Department of the Interior's Bureau of Mines Oil Shale Mining Environmental Research Facility in the Central Piceance Creek Basin, Rio Blanco County, Colorado. The program consisted of mining, environmental and geotechnical research data and. the results are described in this report.

Jan 1, 1983

By D. Harrington

The experience of the past 2 years has demonstrated clearly that mine explosions with heavy loss of life can be prevented. The investigations of the Safety Division of the United States Bureau of Mines disclose that during the fiscal year 1934 there were only 28 deaths from mine explosions in the United States, and during the fiscal year 1935 there were 54 deaths, a very favorable reduction when compared with an average death toll of 265 from this cause during the 20-year period prior to 1929. Although the frequency of occurrence of explosions has not decreased greatly during the past 7 years, there has been a marked decrease in severity, indicating that the coal-mining industry is taking more effective precautions to prevent the spread of explosions. A number of large coal-producing States, which in past years have experienced numerous disastrous explosions, have been free from such disasters for continuous periods of as much as 5 years or even longer. A study of several hundred mine explosions occurring in the United States during the past 10 years or more indicates that the factors mainly responsible for these explosions are inadequate or defective ventilation and disregard of the hazards from explosive gas. Both of these factors are subject to control, and if controlled it is safe to say that deaths from explosions would be reduced to a negligible number as relatively few explosions are now initiated by dust.

Jan 1, 1936

By G. Andrews

This case study details the process that was used for project planning and permitting for the Greens Creek Mine, located near Juneau Alaska, as seen through the eyes of one of the primary environmental consultants. This case shows how a Company could involve the public and the agencies in the early 1980's and develop a project sensitive to concerns expressed with a high level of environmental protection. Comparisons are made to the current environmental permitting situation. Initial baseline studies performed during the exploration phase provided helpful information for more detailed environmental work in 1980-1981 as planning and permitting formally got underway. Since the mine was in a National Monument and abuts up to a designated wilderness, the Monument Manager administered the project for the lead agency, the USDA Forest Service. Planning and permitting progressed smoothly to a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) in 1983. Metal prices were depressed when the FEIS was completed and the project permitting proceeded slowly. Ownership changed several times in the mid-1980's. New owners re-evaluated the project and suggested five changes that required a supplemental EA prior to development. The project was fully permitted and started construction in 1988. Operation began in 1989. Today the environmental process in southeast Alaska is now much more complex, detailed, expensive, and time consuming than in the early 1980's. Significant issues discussed that may impede development and operation include overlapping agency jurisdictions, personal agendas of agency staff, conflicts between agencies that impede project progress, changing regulations, and a well organized environmental opposition.

Jan 1, 1993

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Jan 1, 1979

By M. K. McCarter

Previous investigations suggest the possibility of determining shear strength of geologic materials by measuring the force necessary to rupture the web between two closely-spaced, parallel holes using a borehole jack. Current research using finite element modeling and laboratory testing of intact rock indicates that web failure initiates by tensile fracturing induced by a complex stress field. Based on these results, a theoretical justification for relating web strength with shear strength appears unlikely for holes of equal diameter spaced two diameters apart. Empirical results, however, show a strong correlation between average web strength and average unconfined compressive strength for some rock materials under laboratory conditions. A good correlation also exists between residual web strength and the residual angle of friction under the same conditions. This research project involves the construction and field testing of a large borehole jack. The jack is designed to operate within a conventional 12-1/4 inch rotary blasthole common to open pit mining. The system is capable of exerting approximately 800,000 pounds on curved platen measuring roughly 4x24 inches. Field tests indicate that the system will operate in a mining environment, and preliminary results suggest the possibility of using the force-displacement data generated by the jack to rank the competency of material within a mine bench.

Jan 1, 1982

By G. P. Houston

This is the final, report submitted for the Contract No. H0220002 with the U. S. Bureau of Mines for the design and development of a Permissible Automatic Data Acquisition System (PADAS) to measure and record roof stresses in underground mines Basically the PADAS is a portable, battery powered, 24-channel data acquisition system designed for safe unattended operation of up to 30 days duration in explosive environments. The unit will accommodate twenty-four pressure transducers or eight borehole deformation gages (or any combination) at distances up to 300 feet from the PADAS to measure pressures up to 10, 000 psig. All 24 channels as a selected group are scanned sequentially at one of several selectable rates.

Jan 1, 1973

By S. L. Windes

This report presents physical and petrographic properties of approximately 60 types of rock from operating mines or mineral-investigation projects and supplements Repot of Investigations 4459, Physical Properties of Mine Rock (hereinafter referred to as Part I). The physical properties evaluated include the following: Apparent specific gravity Apparent porosity Compressive strength Flexural strength (modulus of rupture) Impact touchiness Abrasion hardness Scleroscope hardness Modulus of elasticity (Yourg?s modulus) Modulus of rigidity Specific damping capacity Longitudinal bar velocity

Jan 1, 1950

By Sean Gallagher

Humankind's interest in measurement of human physical strength probably dates to the first humans. At that time, life was truly a struggle in which the fittest survived. To a great extent, fittest meant strongest. Interestingly, current interest in human physical strength in the workplace stems from 1970-1980s vintage research demonstrating that persons with adequate physical strength are less likely to be injured on physically demanding jobs. Survival in many modem workplaces may still be a case of survival of the strongest. There is, however, a flip side to this issue - that persons with limited strength are more likely to be injured on "hard" jobs. To address this problem, we can apply what we know about physical strength to job design. "Hard" jobs can be redesigned to be within the physical strength capability of most people. Since physical strength is important to these jobs, we must find ways to quantify it through testing. This publication concerns human physical strength testing. Its purpose is not to recommend any particular type of testing, but rather to describe the types of testing available and their uses. It is up to each individual user of strength testing to decide which testing technique is most appropriate for his or her particular application. This booklet discusses four types of strength testing: isometric, isoinertial, psychophysical, and isokinetic.

Jan 1, 1998

By J. Torma-Krajewski, C. Hipes

Although many mining companies apply ergonomic principles, it is usually done either informally and/or reactively. An example of an informal approach is replacing worn equipment (such as seats) with models that have ergonomic features. Another example is modifying a task to eliminate safety hazards. Such approaches reduce risk-factor exposures that can lead to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). A reactive approach is followed when modifying a task/ equipment after an MSD occurs. However, neither of these approaches involves a systematic method of proactively applying ergonomic principles to actually prevent injuries or illnesses. This paper discusses how Vulcan Materials Company applied ergonomic principles and implemented interventions to reduce risk-factor exposures.

By Stephen D. Smith

The following tables summarize data on crude nonfuel mineral production for the United States, its island possessions, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Although crude mineral production may be measured at any of several stages of extraction and processing, the stage of measurement used in these tables is what is termed "mine output." It usually refers to minerals or ores in the form in which they are first extracted from the ground, but customarily includes the output from auxiliary processing at or near the mines. Because of inadequacies in the statistics available, some series deviate from the foregoing definition. For copper, gold, lead, silver, tin, and zinc, the quantities are recorded on a mine basis (as the recoverable content of ore sold or treated). However, the values assigned to these quantities are based on the average selling price of refined metal, not the mine value. Mercury is measured as recovered metal and valued at the average New York price for the metal. The values shown are in current dollars, with no adjustments made to compensate for changes in the purchasing power of the dollar.

Jan 1, 1995