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By Bradley Johnson

Introduction Since its creation in 1910, the Bureau of Mines has conducted a wide-ranging program of research on mining technology. Over the years, the Bureau has perhaps become best known for its accomplishments in mine health and safety technology, a field that has been the object of much public attention. Nevertheless, the Bureau's program in other areas of mining technology has always been strong and remains so today. A distinguishing feature of the current effort is its tendency to concentrate on high-risk, high-gain projects. Throughout the federal research establishment, the Administration's policy has been to phase out short-term research that could be performed by private industry, in favor of long-terms projects that industry cannot usually afford to fund. This tendency is evident in the following account of the highlights of the Bureau's current mining technology research program. Underground Mining Technology Fragmentation. Research studies on fragmentation have focused on nonexplosive concepts. If successfully developed, these concepts would lend themselves to continuous automated operation and reduce time and costs of fragmentation in underground mines. A special laboratory-scale device to investigate ripper cutting was designed and fabricated in 1982. Experiments were conducted with large drag cutters to develop an efficient cutting technique for hard rock. Tests were successfully conducted with 76- and 152-mm (3¬and 6-in.) bits in rocks up to 138-MPa (20,000-psi) compressive strength. Because of the success of these initial tests, larger-scale proof-of-concept tests are planned. To prepare for these tests, a tester capable of cutting a 1.8-m (6-ft) opening was fabricated. This device will allow ripper cutting to be carried out at full scale, and will also allow mucking and holddown requirements to be investigated. Preliminary estimates indicate that this concept has the potential to double excavation rates while reducing costs up to 30%. Mobile Hydraulic Monitor. A mobile hydraulic monitor system was designed, fabricated, and used to mine the St. Peter sandstone at an average rate of 22 t/h (25 stph) from a face in Martin-Marietta's foundry sand mine at Clayton, IA. A slurry transport system worked in tandem with jet cutting, resulting in a continuous mining and transport system. Problems with spray from the jet hitting the sandstone showed that a remote-controlled mobile monitor was needed at a station 15 m (50 ft) from the face, so the operator would have a clear view of the face and be safely out of the backwash. Crushers. Research on crushing systems to improve efficiency in underground mines is continuing. Final testing of a low-profile, portable crusher for underground applications has begun. A system for handling oversize feed to the crusher was conceived and tested. Underground crushing systems, portable enough to be kept near the face, offer considerable improvement in materials handling because main haulage by conveyor is often less costly. Hoists. Research to increase hoisting efficiency and speed and to reduce energy requirements has led to experimental ore skips. The skips feature guide rollers to improve riding characteristics, bearing improvement at critical locations, and weight savings of about 1.8 t (2 st). An experimental aluminum skip was installed last year at Kerr McGee's Church Rock mine. Performance is being monitored under production conditions. A portable service hoist for low-cost, efficient movement of men and supplies in raises between mine levels was designed, fabricated, and tested on the surface. The hoist has maximum equipment payload of 570 kg (1,250 lb) at

Jan 11, 1983

By Jakub Nalaskowski, Vamsi K. Paruchuri, Marcin Niewiadomski, Jan D. Miller

Spherical oxide particles can be used as mineral fillers, paint pigments, polishing materials and catalysts. They can be prepared using various techniques involving precipitation and spray drying. Melting of particles in a high-temperature flame is a simple technique which produces particles with a high degree of sphericity and high smoothness from non-spherical feed material. In current research the preparation of alumina particles by melting the feed material in a hydrogen- oxygen flame is described. The spherical particles obtained were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray difiaction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and electrokinetic measurements. The particles pre- pared exhibit a high degree of sphericity and a low level of roughness. The chemical composition of the material after preparation is unchanged, however the crystallographic structure is different. It is suggested that alumina changes from pure a-alumina to a mixture of different transitional forms. Changes in the electrokinetic behavior were also observed for alumina which can be attributed to the strong dehydration of the oxide surface and/or change in the crystallographic structure. Also, the possible accommodation of trace amount of impurities in the surface zone during melting cannot be ignored.

Jan 1, 2003

By William Bogan, Mark Vaivoda, Richard Daniele

Many factors must be considered when performing engineering and construction work for a major minerals project. Dravo's Afton copper smelter in British Columbia illustrates some of the E&C factors considered when setting up this new operation. In March 1978, Afton Mines Ltd., a Tech Corp. subsidiary, began blister copper production at the world's first integrated copper ore mining, milling, and smelting operation to use Top Blow Rotary Converter (TBRC) process smelting technology. This key TBRC smelting element is licensed by INCO Ltd. to Dravo Corp. The TBRC process uses a single vessel of modular design. It rotates for mixing and provides complete processing capability, from concentrate through blister copper. The Afton facility is about 16 km west of Kamloops, a town in south-central British Columbia. To make its operation as economic as possible, Afton officials considered several options for the copper smelter, the first in modern times in the province. Inability to extract precious metals-primarily gold-from the concentrates ruled out hydro-metallurgical processes. The final choice was between a conventional electric furnace/ Peirce-Smith converter combination and the TBRC process. The TBRC process was chosen for its versatility in processing the various Afton concentrates and grades and its 40% lower capital cost compared to the electric furnace converter system. The TBRC smelter -including concentrate slurry receiving, drying, storage, smelting, off-gas cleaning, and copper casting-had an installed cost of about $25 million. In December 1974, a pilot program was conducted by Teck, Dravo, and INCO at INCO's Port Colborne, Ontario, research facility. The pilot program demonstrated the TBRC's ability to smelt, convert, and clean copper slags. After the successful pilot effort, Dravo performed additional research to find an effective fixation system for high grade, intermittent SO2 gases. Once the go-ahead was given, design and procurement for the Afton copper smelter was provided by the Denver Division, Dravo Engineers and Constructors. Commonwealth Construction, Vancouver, constructed all Afton facilities. Afton's single furnace smelter is designed to produce 25-kt/a blister copper in 363-408 kg cake form. The product is sold to England for electrolytic refining. The TBRC process is only one of several innovations proposed by Dravo and chosen by Afton to insure the most modern smelter in North America and meet all British Columbia's environmental restrictions. Conventional smelting methods use a separate furnace for each process step. The TBRC process employs but one furnace. The Afton TBRC vessel measures 6.4 m in length and 4.3 m in diameter. The furnace is supported on a set of motor-driven rollers. These permit the vessel to rotate at variable speeds to 40 rpm. Rotation provides good mixing, high reaction rates, and effective heat transfer from the refractory sides to the molten bath resulting in a low thermal gradient. The furnace can tilt through a full 360° for charging, firing, and pouring. Smelting at Afton is accomplished in sequential fashion. Flotation concentrate and limestone flux are initially charged to the hot, empty vessel. Using the water-cooled, oxy-fuel lance, the initial charge is smelted. Once sufficient molten bath is obtained and slagging completed, the metallic concentrate is charged. Materials are charged through the water-cooled, variable position additive chute mounted on the TBRC

Jan 10, 1980

By Henry Rumfelt

Strip mining in the domestic coal industry is contributing a greater proportion of overall production than at any time in the past. U. S. Bureau of Mimes statistics show that the percentage of total production mined in 1958 by stripping methods in- creased to more than 30 pct, up from 22 pct in 1951. The tendency to favor strip and open pit mining exists in other mining activities, but such trends are not as clearly outlined as in the coal industry. Significantly, the depth of overburden in coal properties considered suitable for stripping is also increasing. A depth of 50 to 60 ft of overburden was once considered to be about the maximum amount that could be handled economically, Today, a depth of 80 to 100 ft is frequently taken into consideration for simple overcasting operations (i.e., excavating over- burden and dumping it in the spoil position where it remains indefinitely). Significantly, the depth of overburden in coal properties considered suitable for stripping is also increasing. A depth of 50 to 60 ft of overburden was once considered to be about the maximum amount that could be handled economically, Today, a depth of 80 to 100 ft is frequently taken into consideration for simple overcasting operations (i.e., excavating overburden and dumping it in the spoil position where it remains indefinitely).

Jan 1, 1960

By Richard O. Rouse

Today, I want to challenge this audience by charging each of you to be a greater manager and superior engineer to manage and engineer our way through the 1980's and profitably overcome all the present and proposed government regulations. May of the present and proposed regulations will tax you and your company's management and engineering to the brink of physical and monetary exhaustion, but I believe we can succeed and coal can be America's answer to her hungry energy needs. To put our 1980's challenge into perspective, I want to give two great challenges we must overcome. First - We must improve on our process of compliance to new government regulations in the technical and equipment end of our industry. The Lord said, "Let There Be Light". MSHA said, "Let there be light in underground coal mines". Since that time, we have lived through an unmanageable and tremendously costly period of compliance.

Jan 1, 1980

As 1979 drew to a close, it was obvious that China would have another good year with output of most industrial products at 3-9% above levels attained in 1978. Most increases were registered on the basis of maximum utilization of existing capacities and nationalization of procedures and methods. There were also distinct improvements in the quality and variety of products. Coal output probably surpassed the 650-Mt level in 1979. Steel output was expected to reach the 35-Mt level, an increase of nearly 10% over 1978. Based on the vast amount of housing and road and project construction, cement production more than likely surpassed 70 Mt. The nonferrous base metal industries improved somewhat in 1978, but actual output levels in recent years may have been a little higher than previously estimated by the outside world. Stagnate world demand slowed growth in the "export metals" sector. Minerals like magnesite and talc were produced at tonnages much larger than previously thought, with gold also falling into this category. Sulfur and pyrite production are still short, although a big pyrite mine was being brought into production. Barite out-put was reportedly up and fluorspar output held its own. Westerners generally concede that difficulties in transportation and power supply are holding back mineral production. Throughout 1979, basic construction continued on the majority of projects started by the Chinese and those few foreign projects contracted before the adjustment of industrial priorities. Foreign Ventures Perspective The foreign connection looms large in China's plan for modernization. In effect, it is an extension of what China wants to do in terms of "walking on two legs"-that is, develop what can be done locally to the fullest extent, then rely on international technology to move into the bigger and more complicated projects. Foreign projects are designed to complement domestic projects rather than replace them. Many foreign projects were started or continued by the Chinese in 1979. Building the necessary infrastructure for the projects is usually a Chinese endeavor and requires Chinese technicians and money. In areas with a strong economic base, this activity proceeds without foreign aid. In other areas, added funds are requested. Foreign funds can come in many forms-equipment technology, low interest loans, equity capital, advance-of-funds on the basis of future delivery in kind, and joint venture money. The Chinese are exploring all these avenues, with the strategy of minimizing foreign exchange needs for individual projects. They feel very uncomfortable with high interest rates, even though interest can be treated as operating ex¬pense rather than capital expense. Then there's the question of rights. Will Chinese sovereignty be affected? Can foreigners own land, in addition

Jan 3, 1980

By Kanchan Mondal, Gopi Bylapudi, Anand Bhagwat, A. J. S. (Sam) Spearing

Corrosion of steel roof support systems can cause potential premature failure of the support, thus adversely affecting the excavation stability and rock-related safety. An in-house corrosion test system was designed and developed to test full-length roof bolts for material performance based on tensile load capacity and strength under different corrosive conditions found underground. Initially, ASTM A615 grade 60 steel roof bolts, which are the most commonly used bolt material in the United States, were tested with and without stresses in a simulated underground coal-mining environment for approximately six months. This paper mainly discusses the test system, protocol and system shortcomings, and makes recommendations based on the observations and results.

By E. C. H. Becker

When data points, plotted on X-Y coordinates, lie along a simple line, their regression can be matched to a high degree of accuracy by one or other simple algebraic expression (Boot and Cox, 1970). Under these conditions, interpolation is axiomic. Further, if the expression defines no more than a straight line, a parabola or other such line which can be related to some specific mechanism which generates the points, then extrapolation might be valid. However, any extrapolation would depend on the continued, unchanged functioning of the mechanism. Studies of more intricate assemblages of data points have long been based on representation by means of series (Fourier, 1811). If sufficiently complicated, several different algebraic expressions can represent the same intricate regression accurately (Hoerl, 1954). However, without reference to a mechanism, no extrapolation is contemplated. Typically, variations in the prices of minerals with time are. sufficiently complicated to render invalid any simple attempts at extrapolation. The computer, however, can be used to derive algebraic expressions which match complicated regressions and also can be represented by the functioning of a mechanism (Becker, 1984). The techniques involved have been applied with advantage in the study of time series representations of mineral prices.

Jan 1, 1986

By M. Li, J. K. Thompson, A. S. Azman

Powerful mining systems typically generate high-level noise that can damage the hearing ability of miners. Engineering noise controls are the most desirable and effective control for overexposure to noise. However, the effects of these noise controls on the actual hearing status of workers are not easily measured. A tool that can provide guidance in assigning workers to jobs based on the noise levels to which they will be exposed is highly desirable. Therefore, the Pittsburgh Mining Research Division (PMRD) of the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) developed a tool to estimate in a systematic way the hearing loss due to occupational noise exposure and to evaluate the effectiveness of developed engineering controls. This computer program is based on the ISO 1999 standard and can be used to estimate the loss of hearing ability caused by occupational noise exposures. In this paper, the functionalities of this software are discussed and several case studies related to mining machinery are presented to demonstrate the functionalities of this software.

Jan 1, 2016

By Gabriele Eccher, Michele Caponero, Paolo Cucino, Roberto D’Angelis

"This paper describes the optic fiber structural monitoring system implemented for Pavoncelli Bis tunnel. The paper highlights the optic fiber sensors customization capabilities, how they smoothly fit precast concrete lining processes and TBM operations, and how a lifelong service monitoring can be achieved. An overview of readings’ evolution during excavation concludes the paper.INTRODUCTIONPavoncelli Bis is a 10 km hydraulic tunnel designed to by-pass the existing Pavoncelli tunnel which experienced severe damages during the 1980 Irpino-Lucano earthquake, in south of Italy (Barla 2009). Pavoncelli Bis excavation work commenced in 1988-90, however, when excavation approached pk. 0+583 in 1992, water percolations became more and more consistent and resulted in work suspension. The tunnel was eventually sealed at pk. 0+383, leaving a flooded section between pk. 0.383 and pk. 0+583. Work resumed in 2012 where EPB-TBM excavation was adopted to cross the flooded section and to overcome complex hydro-geological conditions in various lito-types and, in particular, in the Varicolori Clay-shales area (Figure 1).Consequently, stress evolution monitoring is extremely important during construction and during the service life of tunnel lining in clay-shales and in faults areas. In particular, the paper focuses on the monitoring system proposed for the newly EPB-TBM excavated portion from pk 0+583 onwards where optic fiber sensing technology was chosen for its reading stability and reliability in presence of water and its ability to be connected in series and remotely interrogated at kilometers of distance. FBGS OPTICAL FIBER SENSOR TECHNOLOGYFiber Bragg Grating Sensors (FBGS) are gaining increasing attention in the field of experimental stress analysis. Basically, Fiber Optic Bragg Sensors are strain-measuring devices and therefore provide many of the advantages of the well-known metal foil strain gages (Kreuzer 2007).Bragg gratings are written into so called single-mode fibers. These fibers consist of a very small inner core of 4 to 9 µm diameter and an outer part (cladding) of pure glass (SiO2) of 125 µm diameter. The difference of refraction indexes between inner core and cladding causes the light to propagate only inside the small core."

Jan 1, 2016

The processing capability of a semi-autogenous (SAG) mill is greatly affected by ore geology and operating variables within the mill. The SAG mill is problematic because it cannot be conveniently studied on a smaller, laboratory-scale mill. The interior of the mill, where grinding takes place, cannot be observed using instrumentation available today. Yet the motion of the rock and ball charge determines the power draft and hence capacity of the mill. Therefore, mill optimization is pursued with a charge motion simulation software. This software uses the discrete element method to describe the individual motion of numerous ball and rock particles in the mill. It is shown that by simply increasing the chord length between the lifters and increasing the face angle of the lifters the capacity of the mill can be increased. Such a configuration of lifters allows the operator to increase mill speed, hence drawing higher power while considerably minimizing direct ball strikes against shell plates and lifters. A case study of a 36 ft. diameter x 15 ft. long mill is presented. Reducing the direct ball strikes leads to lesser steel consumption both in terms of balls and lifters.

Jan 1, 2000

By E. Woodburn, R. P. King, R. Putman

Flotation plant simulation, a relatively recent methodology in mineral processing, is defined and corresponding uses are discussed. Typical simulation structures are compared. Current problem areas exist although these are not insurmountable. Following a brief state of the art discussion, the N. I. M. simulation program is reviewed. In general, digital plant simulation is expected to be of substantial benefit in the near future.

Jan 1, 1976

By Andrew B. Allen, Charles W. Robinson, Robert L. Schneider

In April, the US Synthetic Fuels Corp. broke a three-year silence and made its first financial award by approving a $820,750 loan for the First Colony peat-to-methanol project in North Carolina (ME, May, page 403). Peat Methanol Associates (PMA), a partnership between Koppers Co., ETCO Methanol Inc., Transco, Peat Methanol Co., and l. B. Sunderland, broke ground at First Colony last year and plans to begin production in Dec. 1985. Although the award is only a small part of Synthetic Fuels Corp.'s $15-billion budget, it does signal the corporation's intention to move aggressively ahead. It also is a positive indication that First Colony will be completed and operated successfully. This article describes the methods and equipment that will be used to harvest peat at First Colony, as well as how the peat will be converted to methanol. Introduction Peat deposits found along North Carolina's coastal plain contain high-quality fuel-grade peat with an average heating value of more than 23.3 MJ/kg (10,000 Btu/lb) (dry), with a low sulfur and ash content. The deposits differ from other US peats in that they contain large, sound Atlantic White Cedar and Cypress logs, stumps, and roots that may extend throughout the full depth of the deposit. A second difference is that these deposits are much more highly decomposed and, in the raw state, have the appearance and feel of a heavy, reddish-brown grease. These factors make it impractical to use standard production equipment so a new line was developed. Also, because of these conditions, techniques were modified to facilitate production. First Colony Farms, located near Creswell, NC, developed and evaluated a milled peat program. Equipment for this production method was designed and built, production rates were established from field operations, drying rates were established, weather data were analyzed, and total operating and capital costs were estimated. The method depends on the sun and wind for drying peat to the desired moisture content, in this case around 40%. Therefore, field preparation is actually the construction of a large solar collector to dry the peat so it can be harvested and stockpiled. It is essential that this collector be properly profiled initially and maintained during production to prevent precipitation from ponding. Initial Field Preparation Initial field preparation includes cleaning existing canals and constructing ditches and water control structures for proper drainage of rainwater run-off, building adequate roads for site access, removing surface vegetation, and profiling and sloping the fields. At First Colony, the 60.7-km2 (15,000-acre) harvesting area was divided into 129.5-hm2 (320-acre) blocks about 1.6 km (1 mile) long and 805 m (0.5 mile) wide. This was accomplished by cleaning main outfall canals with adjacent roads built from canal spoil at 1.6-km (1-mile) intervals. Existing intermediate canals that feed into main outfall canals at 805-m (0.5-mile) intervals also are cleaned. Headland roads are constructed from canal spoil along each side of each intermediate canal. This 129.5-hm2 (320-acre) block is then divided into 32 harvest strips by small V-ditches constructed at 50-m (165-ft) intervals. At the end of the field with the lowest elevation, corrugated steel pipe culverts are installed under the headland road in each V-ditch to control rainwater runoff into intermediate canals. Runoff water from the fields is diverted to a holding pond to prevent any increase in peak water runoff rates and to allow for more uniform drainage rate than experienced to date. After the drainage system is installed, harvest strips are ready for grinding and sloping operations. Surface vegetation, made up of small, waxy-leafed shrubs such as Gallberry, Bayberry, Magnolia, and scattered pond pine, can be effectively ground and incorporated into the upper surface of the peat layer. Here, it will rapidly decompose and have little effect on overall peat quality, thus eliminating the standard practice of pushing the vegetation and upper wood layer into long windrows with bulldozers and hauling this debris from the fields. Incorporating vegetation into the upper surface is known as the initial 102-mm (4-in.) surface vegetation grind and is accomplished by using a modified Bros Rota Mixer. Following this operation, and by using the same unit, a sec¬ond grind with a depth of 200-255 mm (8-10 in.) is made. This reduces the debris to a finer consistency, mixes it with the upper peat layer, and grinds any wood found in the upper 200-255 mm (8-10 in.). After initial grinding operations are completed, the augering or sloping operations can be accomplished with little or no hin-

Jan 7, 1983

By Ch. Apostolaki

Eighty samples from Roman wall paintings from ancient Corinth were studied by means of optical and scanning electron microscopy coupled to an energy dispersive analyzer, X-ray diffraction and image analysis techniques. The goals of the study were the identification of the exact nature of the pigments and the technical features of paint application (binding medium, adherence to plaster, thickness of the pigment layer), which would provide evidence about the painting technique (fresco or secco). The main plaster is calcitic with secondary calcite as a cement binder to the primary calcite grains. All pigments, except Egyptian Blue, were naturally occurring ochres or pigment minerals, such as limonite, goethite, hematite for yellow, brown and red hues, cinnabar for red hues and celadonite for green color. The presence of specific elements such as Ni and Cr or minerals such as olivine, in the yellow, brown and red pigments, gave an indication about the provenance of the original pigments, which seems to be from Cyprus. The black color was represented using charcoal. It seems, finally, that for the pigment application the fresco technique was used, while secco is also apparent.

Jan 1, 2006

By John R. Riede

Most modern crushing and grinding facilities are automated to some degree. Some, of course, have a very minimum of automatic control whereas others utilize very complex control equipment. However, with very few exceptions, the re has not been a new basic control philosophy applied in this field in the past seven years. The philosophy has been broadened in scope and applied to larger plants, some of them with data logging and so- called computer control, but almost always the same tried and proven basic control philosophy is the basis for the control system. New types of control devices to better implement the automatic control have been developed and are continuing to be developed. These devices and their application will be explained and the advantages and disadvantages of each will be discussed. Automatic lubrication of plant equipment is most essential, but this paper will not cover these systems. The use of data logging and computer analysis of the data obtained is fairly recent and it is hoped that by careful analysis of this information that new and better basic control philosophy will be forthcoming. This paper will describe the basic philosophy applied in its simplest form to several types of crushing and grinding equipment, and it will describe how it is being expanded to more complex systems. Some of the economics with regard to first cost, return on investment and maintenance will be covered.

Jan 1, 1965

By Michael G. Nelson

In 1992, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation received a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to fund the reclamation of an abandoned placer mine. The project also included the development of a water-quality and hydrologic-monitoring program. The grant was provided under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act and is administered through EPA's Region X Water Division. For the past 100 years, Alaska's interior has been the site of extensive placer-mining operations. Early surface and underground operations left small tailings piles, some of which are still visible. Dredging left larger tailings piles, similar to those in California and elsewhere. The only reclamation of these tailings involved use as road base and fill and other civil applications. Most active mines in Alaska are on state and federal lands. The standards of reclamation for mines on federal lands are established under US Mining Laws, 43 CFR 3809. They address only mines operated since 1981. Under a state statute passed in 1990, the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water and Mining, has issued reclamation regulations. These regulations apply to sites on state, federal and private lands, but only those mined since Oct. 15, 1991.

Jan 1, 1995

By MAURICE SUNKPAL, Taghi Sherizadeh, ELAHEH TALEBI, PEDRAM ROGHANCHI

Excessive heat exposure is among the health and safety hazards for mine workers. The nature of the underground climate makes it a convenient avenue for heat generation and accumulation from several heat sources, including autocompression, equipment and heat from strata. This study investigates the effects of clothing insulation and acclimation on the thermal comfort of mine workers exposed to heat in underground working environments. Several clothing ensembles were considered to analyze the effect of the thermal resistance of clothing on the workers’ thermal comfort. To investigate the impact of clothing insulation, the thermal comfort limit of an underground miner was calculated in the form of maximum allowable exposure time for an eight-hour shift.

By Leonard Bronitsky

The construction mineral aggregates industry--the largest industry on a tonnage basis--is threatened with large shortages in the near future. Ironically, these common minerals which include sand, gravel, and stone are among the most plentiful in the earth's crust. However, as these minerals are low in value and used in large volumes, they are extremely sensitive to transport cost, e.g., a haul of 20 miles doubled the delivered cost of mineral aggregates. Consequently, these minerals must be located close to points of demand to have economic usefulness. But the development of new deposits is virtually impossible near many urban areas for legal, sociological and economic reasons. The spector of unfinished urban transport systems, curtailed residential construction, and a general deterioration of the physical urban plant, looms as a direct consequent of future mineral aggregate shortages in the U. S. metropolitan areas. The shortages of mineral aggregates in the Greater New York Metropolitan Area (G.N.Y.M.A.) are prototypical of the shortages faced by the U. S. Metropolitan areas. This paper presents an economic analysis of the consequences of not considering the broad aspects of conservation economics as a major component of resource management. The needless annual cost for the G.N.Y.M.A. is shown to be $30 million.

Jan 1, 1974

By V. C. Kelessidis

Demand for multifunctional drilling fluids continuously increases. In the quest for more hydrocarbons, drilling has extended to deep water areas (now in excess of 2.000 m) and to very deep wells (now in excess of 6.000 m). In these extreme conditions, low temperatures, as low as 1-5°C on the sea bed, high temperatures, in excess of 200°C, and high pressures, more than 1.000 bars, in the bottom of the well, are frequently encountered. In these harsh environments, synthetic oil and oil based drilling fluids are used, but the former are expensive while strict environmental requirements have limited the use of the latter. Thus, drilling industry has turned back to water based drilling fluids which use bentonite as primary viscosifier and as a fluid loss control additive. However, in conditions of high temperatures, bentonite suspensions gel and loose their exceptional low temperatures properties, thus, additives are needed to overcome such problems. In this article we review these challenging drilling environments and establish the requirements for the multifunctional drilling fluids. Our research indicates that demand for continuing use of bentonite by drilling fluid industry is strong. Furthermore, we bring forward the opportunities for new additive development which can expand the operational ranges of bentonite suspensions.

Jan 1, 2007

By John F. Burst

For several generations now, the high alumina clayey sediments of Southeastern Alabama and Southwestern Georgia have supplied those regions with steady, mineral-based income although the impact of that income has been relatively minor until recently. Since World War II, mining activity has increased algebraically with over half of the total ore value in the Alabama area having been recovered since that time. The Georgia area production increases are even more dramatic. The trends are continuing and the next decade should see ore winning figures which will dwarf all previous production. It's time for the mining engineers to take note of this development as the mining methods, similar to the production, have developed rapidly and now offer challenges for the most competent professional. The development of mining techniques has followed a classic pattern. Beginning almost a hundred years or so ago, with the loading of weather-resistant surface boulders into mule-drawn wagons, mining methods have progressed to discovery of limited surface exposures in outcrop and eventually to stripping and development of non-obvious, subsurface deposits. Little by little, the overburden thickness of new pits has increased until, at present, pits with 100' -125' of overburden are being actively worked. Ground water problems in the Eufaula District are particularly challenging. At A. P. Green's J. W. Baker Pit, #l, in Barbour Co., Alabama, it is necessary to continually pump groundwater at the rate of about 400 gallons per minute from wells on the periphery of this large pit in order to keep the water table low enough to allow mining of the ore body.

Jan 1, 1972