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By D. J. Dollhopf

The specific objective of this three year study is to investigate the means of reestablishing non-polluted hydrologic systems in areas where surface mining directly impacts shallow ground-water resources. The research area chosen for the study is located near Colstrip, Montana it a new mine site where chemical analysis of core samples from the overburden suggested that excessive concentrations of several elements would he encountered during the mining process. This report discusses local vegetation; soils; and regional geology, and hydrology. Stratigraphic cross sections and regression analyses were used to study the litho-chemical relationships in the overburden. Cross sections indicated Inimical material may be related to both rock tune and position within the overburden profile. In overburden zoness where clay content was high, there was a greater probability that Pb, Cu, Ni, and Mn concentrations would also be higher than average; similarly, the likelihood of overburden exceeding a suspect level became less as the sand content increased. Highest value, of conductance were usually found within a few meters of the surface. High concentrations of clay, nickel, and zinc were frequently found directly above and below the Rosebud coal. Regression analysis indicated overburden SAR was predictable with only a Na analysis. A strong relationship also existed in the overburden between conductance, Ca, and Mg.

Jan 1, 1977

By Mackenzie Burnett

An inducer-type pump, capable of injecting dry coal into a hydraulic transport pipeline has been developed and installed in a specially designed and fabricated slurry injector vehicle. The full scale prototype injector system can deliver up to 11 ton/min of coal into an 8-in pipeline t pressures up to 95 lb/in2. The Helical Inducer Injector operates on centrifugal principles with flow passing axially through helical pitched conical rotor. Water is delivered to the pump through an annular slot at the atmospheric pressure coal inlet. The spinning rotor maintains an air-core vortex of water which pressurizes the discharge housing. A screw feeds coal through the open inlet into this vortex. The inner radius of the vortex contracts as pressure is increased, giving a limiting maximum pressure which is proportional to the square of the rotor speed. Below this limit, flow rate, discharge pressure, und rotor speed re independent variables. The self-powered, 4 -in high slurry injector vehicle follows and receives ROM coal from a continuous miner, reduces the top size to 3-in, and delivers the sized coal to the injector feed screw for slurry formation and pumps it through a mobile hose attached to the vehicle's outby end.

Jan 1, 1983

By H. S. Martin

This paper, describing the concentrating practices at the plants of the Utah Copper Co., is one of a series being prepared by the United States Bureau of Mines in which the data are given in as nearly uniform c manner as possible. The Magna mill is 19 miles west of Salt Lake City on the routes of the Lincoln and Victory highways, and the Arthur plant is 1 mile west of the Magna mill. Both are on the main road west of the town of Magna and east of the town of Garfield.

Jan 1, 1931

By G. L. Oldright

By means of a technique developed in cooperation with the Eagle-Picher Mining & Smelting Co. and outlined in the first report of this series (R. I. 4333 ), it was possible to take many thermocouple readings with base-metal couples at temperatures over 2300° F with unsupported protection tubes for over half the lengths of the Henryetta retorts. -This technique made it possible to avoid the use of the usual optical pyrometer, which gives temperatures dependent upon the luminosity of the flames, and which is not conveniently usable to read temperatures for the lengths of the retorts from the front of the furnace. The temperatures of the retorts themselves were necessary in order to set upper limits for safe operation; the lower limits of operating temperatures are set by the zinc content of the retort residues. The zinc content left in the retort residues for various sections of length also varies with retort temperatures rather than with flame temperatures. The variations in temperature along the retort can then be used as guides to distill more zinc from the residues, to avoid fluctuations in the rates ,of flow of zinc vapor into the condenser and to employ lower temperatures if such rates become high enough to cause losses of uncondensed zinc.

Jan 1, 1948

By Joseph A. DeCarlo, Eugene T. Sheri dan

The process of converting coal into coke is known as carbonization. Essentially, carbonization is destructive distillation in which the volatile matter of coal is released when coal is heated above its decomposition temperature and passes through a plastic stage before solidifying and forming coke. The mechanics of coke formation are complex, and the specific properties of certain coals that allow them to "cake" or form coke are still unknown. Coke is a hard, cellular, carbonaceous mass, formed by heating coal in the absence of air. It is porous, irregular in size and shape, and is similar in appearance to wood charcoal. Coke, however, is denser, more porous, and more abrasive than charcoal. Coke has been in use for several thousand years. History has recorded its use in Greece before the birth of Christ, and it is thought to have been used in China even before that time. It was not until the l6th century, however, that a method for coking was developed in Europe that subsequent ly evolved into the coking process that is known today. The coke industry in the United States began in the latter half of the 19th century when beehive-coke ovens were built to supply fuel for iron blast furnaces. Before this time, an iron industry fueled principally by charcoal had been in existence for several hundred years. With the depletion of timber resources, coke gradually replaced charcoal as blast-furnace fuel, and by 1875 more iron was made with coke than with any other fuel. Before 1893 a 11 coking was done in beehive ovens. These ovens are refractory kilns with arched roofs, sometimes joined together to form batteries.

Jul 1, 1964

By S. R. Rannels, D. E. Rannels

"I. IntroductionThe alveolar surface of the lung is covered by two populations of pneumocytes, type I and type II epithelium. The type I cell, which accounts for most of the alveolar surface area and provides a highly specialized barrier for gas exchange (Rannels et al., 1991), is poorly understood. Although approaches to type I cell purification have been discussed, they have not been applied widely because of the lack of phenotypic markers to monitor isolation procedures (Dobbs et al., 1988; Danto et al., 1992). In contrast, the type II cell has been studied extensively, largely because of the development of reliable procedures for its isolation and primary culture. Investigations based on the use of purified populations of cultured type II cells have provided convincing evidence to support a role for the pneumocytes both in the maintenance of normal lung function and in the response of the lung to injury (for review, see Rannels and Rannels, 1989).While type II cells can be isolated by a variety of approaches, the protocols used most commonly are modifications of the gradient method of Dobbs and Mason (1979) or of the panning method of Dobbs et al. (1986). Purification of the cells based on density gradient centrifugation is reliable and consistent, with yields of 30 to 40 X 106 type II cells per rat of 230 g body weight. Isolation procedures applied to a minimum of three to four rats provide the best results, as lower cell yields are common with the use of fewer animals. The protocol below is designed to obtain a maximal cell yield from the lungs of six rats.II. Materials and InstrumentationMaterialsCalbiochem: DNase I (Cat. No. 260912); Corning: culture flask, 75 cm2 #25115; Costar: culture plate, 24-well #3424; disposable serological pipette #4101; Elastin Products Inc: elastase #E-134; Falcon: cellulose nitrate membrane filter, 0.22 µm, #7105; conical tube, 50 ml, #2070; culture dish, 100 mm, #3003; culture plate, sixwell, #3046; Fisher: BaS04 , #B68-500; NaCl, #5271-3; NaHC03 , #5233-50; Fort Dodge Laboratories: pentobarbital, #1206-lE; Gibco: Dulbecco's minimal essential medium (DMEM), #430-1600EC; Hanks' balanced salt solution (HBSS), #310- 4185AG; Joklik's modified Eagle's medium (JMEM), #410-2300EC; HyClone Laboratories Inc: fetal calf serum (FCS ), # A-1115-L; I CN Biochemicals (Flow Labora tories): amphotericin B, #16-723-48; newborn calf serum (NCS), #29-121-54; try pan blue, # 19 5 5 32; Na/gene: Erlenmeyer flask, # 100-4116C; Pharmacia: Percoll, #17-0891-01; density marker beads, #17-0549-01; Sigma: gentam1cm sulfate, #G3632; penicillin/streptomycin, #P3539; trypsin inhibitor, #T9128; Tetko: HC- 160 nylon mesh, #3-160-53."

Dec 1, 1995

By Paul G. Swanson

This manual of practice is to be used in combination with the final reports for the study of spoil stability in the Eastern Coal Province. The manual applies the predictive matrices developed in the parent study for use in evaluating the stability of typical mine spoil slopes. The values of internal friction and pore pressure coefficient are derived for many varied slope conditions. The results can be used in conventional stability analysis equations to assist the mine operator or regulatory personnel in evaluating spoil stability from very limited information.

Jan 1, 1983

By Koehler Stout

Previous work done by the authors of this report indicates that hydraulically-placed backfill can be strengthened several fold by various placement methods. Sunshine mill tailings were tested by these placement methods and strength increases up to thirty times were achieved over the ordinary placement methods. A computer simulation study of the test stope in the Sunshine Mine showed that a high-modulus fill absorbs up to 27% of normal stresses versus 7% for "normal" fill while reducing maximum convergence 28% versus 8% for "normal" fill. Although high-modulus fill was not placed in the test stope during this contract, various instrumentation was purchased, designed and built to record necessary data in the stope. Stress gauges were placed in the pillars and recorded data corresponded quite closely with theoretical projections.

Jan 1, 1983

By C. S. Compton, T. E. Marshall, D. R. Dolinar, R. Grau, L. J. Prosser, A. T. Iannacchione, D. C. Oyler

Unrecognized roof beam failures resulted in 69% of the falls of ground injuries occurring in underground U.S. stone mines from 1990 to 1996. Field investigations at 45 underground stone mines suggest that excessive beam sag or deflection is the principal unstable roof behavior characteristics associated with miner injuries. Laminated roof structures, common in most underground stone mines, allow the immediate roof to separate into distinct beams. The timely determination of roof beam deflection could provide stone miners with advanced knowledge of potentially hazardous roof. Existing methods to assess roof conditions consist of observational and monitoring techniques. Observational techniques include open drillholes, sounding, wedging, and borescopes. Monitoring techniques include scratch tools, extensometers, telltales, Miners Helpers, and Guardian Angels'. Miners have difficulty utilizing these techniques because roof beams are located an average of 8 m (26.5 ft) above the miner's head in environments that are dark, dusty and noisy and these deflections are measured in millimeters of movement. To help mitigate the potential for falls of ground injuries to underground stone miners, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has developed the Roof Monitoring Safety System (RMSS) to aid in monitoring dangerous levels of roof beam deflection. If enough site-specific information is collected and placed on highly visible maps, individual mining operations could establish general guidelines for responding to specific roof beam deflection occurrences. This would help in implementing a pro-active, comprehensive roof control plan for reducing falls of ground injuries.

By d&apos, Dennis V. Andrea

The Bureau of Mines and El Paso Mining and Milling Co. conducted a cooperative in situ leaching research program at the Emerald Isle mine near Kingman, Ariz. The objective of this research was to develop in situ leaching methods for 200,000 tons of ore exposed in the pit bottom and also 3,000,000 tons of ore under 200 feet of overburden adjacent to the pit. The research included core drilling for fragmentation analysis, inplace permeability testing, seismic surveys, blasting tests, blast vibration measurements, inplace leaching, and ground water monitoring. A l5,000-ton test area in the pit bottom was blasted and leached inplace for 117 days. This successful test was followed by leaching 100,000 additional tons of unblasted pit bottom ore. Two test blasts, under 205 feet of overburden and extending to 290 feet, were detonated in an area near the open pit. The second blast was detonated because the first blast did not create adequate permeability for leaching. Pit bottom leaching was discontinued and the test area under 200 feet of overburden was not leached because the company terminated operations at the Emerald Isle mine. Based on the research completed, an expanded in situ leaching system was designed, but not implemented, to recover copper from a 1,500,000-ton area at the Emerald Isle mine.

Jan 1, 1977

Watershed Jll in Jefferson County, Ohio we instrumented in 1977 as one of three watersheds established for the purpose of investigating surface mining and reclamation effects upon local hydrology, sediment discharge, and sediment and water quality. Each watershed was less than 50-acres in size, and was in a different geologic setting within southeastern Ohio. Surface runoff and ground¬water levels were monitored. Samples were taken for sediment determination and chemical analysis prior to mining. Monitoring and sampling continued through the period of watershed disturbance caused by mining and reclamation activities, which began in May 1980 at Watershed Jll. A psuedo-postreclamation period followed the initial cessation of man-machine activity on the watershed. A second reclamation effort occurred in the fall of 1981 and was to be followed by a third in 1982 after observations ceased. A true final postreclamation period was not monitored at this site, because the erosion control practice (terrace diversions) failed after each reclamation. Watershed Jll was a small pasture and wooded watershed with sandstone and shale above the mined coal seam prior to mining. A clay layer under the coal supported a perched saturated zone, termed the top aquifer for convenience. A lower underclay supported a second saturated zone called the middle aquifer. A lower perched aquifer had been dewatered by previous deep mining. After about three years of premine data and about two and one-half years of mining reclamation and psuedo-postreclamation data, the following general observations may be made: 1. The mining-reclamation phase was very short, and the postmining period was characterized by erosion failures and remedial disturbances that kept the watershed condition and size in a state of change. It was impossible to collect sufficient data to confidently characterize the hydrologic-sediment-chemical aspects of the mining period or of a postreclamation period and, most importantly, of the future watershed after its various properties and characteristics have ceased adjusting to its severe disturbance and reconstitution. 2. A seeding of wheat followed by grasses and legumes was not a particularly successful reclamation practice in terms of stabilizing the new soil. Numerous rills and small gullies developed in spite of installed diversions. 3. Storm runoff rates and yields at the watershed outlet increased from the premine, (phase 1) to the mining-reclamation (Phase 2) periods, and remained at or near the Phase 2 level through the postreclamation (Phase 3a) period. 4. The top aquifer changed in physical and chemical character as a result of mining and was becoming reestablished as the project drew to a close; but it is impossible to predict its final configuration or character. 5. Dewatering of the top aquifer resulted in a complete cessation of baseflow because the middle aquifer water table lay below the elevation of the watershed outlet. 6. The top and middle aquifers were merged in one area of the watershed where the upper coal underclay was disturbed. 7. Failure of the diversion terraces and their outlet obscured the effects of the reclamation practice upon sediment concentration and yields. There was little difference in sediment concentrations between Phases 2 and 3a. 8. Drinking water standards were met by surface waters throughout the period of observation except for two samples that exceeded the nitrate-N allowable level of 10 mg/l. 9. In all Phase 3 surface-water samples, iron concentrations were within the limits established by OSM, and manganese concentrations exceeded the regulation level only once. pH fell below the lower regulation level of 6.0 between 10% and 20% of the time. 10. The chemical quality of sediments was generally about the same after reclamation as before mining, with the exception of organic carbon, which decreased.

Jan 1, 1983

By W. D. Dietzman

In view of the developments and recent interest in recovering heavy oil, this report was prepared to present general information on more than 2,000 heavy oil reservoirs in more than 1,500 fields in 26 states. Information given on each heavy-oil deposit includes the following items: Field and formation, location, average or range of depth, average API gravity of oil, aver- age thickness of formation, areal extent of field, total productive wells drilled in field, discovery date of field, field status in 1963, cumulative production to Jan. 1, 1964, and all known types of secondary-recovery operations initiated (active and terminated) in the reservoirs. The geographical location of heavy oil accumulations in the United States is shown by a map, and a brief discussion of 14 different areas is given in the text. As of Jan. 1, 1964, 75 percent of the heavy oil reservoirs in the United States had produced more than 10 billion barrels of oil and are estimated to contain over 90 billion barrels of oil in place. It is also estimated that if the deposits which have had little or no production history, such as the one in Missouri, were included, the total remaining heavy oil in place would be in excess of 150 billion barrels. To find economical ways of recovering this vast reserve of heavy oil, industry is developing technology in several types of thermal-recovery methods. Some of the general considerations and more suitable limitations in selecting a prospect to study fur thermal-recovery techniques are: Lithology, depth, viscosity of reservoir fluids, gravity of oil, reservoir thickness, oil in place, and permeability and porosity.

Jan 1, 1965

By W. D. Dietzman

In view of the developments and recent interest in recovering heavy oil, this report was prepared to present general information on more than 2,000 heavy oil reservoirs in more than 1,500 fields in 26 states. Information given on each heavy-oil deposit includes the following items: Field and formation, location, average or range of depth, average API gravity of oil, aver- age thickness of formation, areal extent of field, total productive wells drilled in field, discovery date of field, field status in 1963, cumulative production to Jan. 1, 1964, and all known types of secondary-recovery operations initiated (active and terminated) Fn the reservoirs. The geographical location of heavy oil accumulations in the United States is shown by a map, and a brief discussion of 14 different areas is given in the text. As of Jan. 1, 1964, 75 percent of the heavy oil reservoirs in the United States had produced more than 10 billion barrels of oil and are estimated to contain over 90 billion barrels of oil in place. It is also estimated that if the deposits which have had little or no production history, such as the one in Missouri, were included, the total remaining heavy oil in place would be in excess of 150 billion barrels. To find economical ways of recovering this vast reserve of heavy oil, industry is developing technology in several types of thermal-recovery methods. Some of the general considerations and more suitable limitations in selecting a prospect to study fur thermal-recovery techniques are: Lithology, depth, viscosity of reservoir fluids, gravity of oil, reservoir thickness, oil in place, and permeability and porosity.

Jan 1, 1965

By W. E. Brown, P. R. Porath, V. Miller, C. E. Wood, C. Prasky, E. P. Barrett

"INTRODUCTION This investigation was a part at the Bureau of Mines program for the production of critical and essential materials needed for the war.The Boykin Committee for investigating the steel shortage aided in obtaining an appropriation to be expended by the Bureau of Mines in studying the utilization of North Dakota lignite in the manufacture of hydrogen that could be used in the production of sponge iron from low grade ores of Minnesota.OBJECT OF INVESTIGATIONThe investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Mines to ""determine the workability of the proposed bubble-hearth process and its possible use in connection with an experimental plant for the gasification of lignite being operated by the Coal Division of the Bureau of Mines at Grand Forks, North Dakota.ACKNOWLEDGMENTSThis report is one of many on various aspects of the Bureau of Mines program directed toward the more effective utilization of our mineral resources.Investigations of our mineral resources are conducted by the Mining Branch, L. B. Moon, chief, and by the Metallurgical Branch, O. C. Ralston, chief.The scope of the report falls in the province of the Metallurgical Branch, whose activities embrace the separation of difficulty beneficiated ores, the production of pure metals from domestic deposits, the exploration of marginal ore reserves, the recovery of secondary metals, and the improvement of present industrial metallurgical practice."

Jun 1, 1947

By Cleo G. Rall

The value of brine analyses in the study of petroleum-engineering problems was recognized early in the history of petroleum. The Bureau of Mines before 1928 had indicated in several reports.3/ ways in which analyses might be used. Because of the confusion resulting from attempts to correlate the work of different chemists using greatly varying methods of analysis and systems of computation and expression of results, a paper presenting the methods used by the Bureau of Mines was prepared and published in 1928. This system of determining the characteristic constituents of oil-field waters and of calculating and reporting results has been widely adopted by the petroleum industry. The earliest and most obvious use of water analyses is determination of the source of water infiltrating into petroleum and natural-gas wells. For this purpose it is necessary that an analysis of the connate water of the formation from which the oil is produced be available and that an analysis of the contaminated water be made. By comparing these analyses with those of connate waters from formations higher in the structure, the formation from which the infiltrating water comes may be identified.

Jan 1, 1953

By Cecil Q. Cupps

Results are presented of a comprehensive study of the characteristics of the original oil in the Weber sandstone reservoir, Rangely oil field, Colorado. Through the medium of subsurface sampling, adequately representative samples of the original reservoir oil were obtained from many parts of the reservoir over a period of 5 years concurrent with active development of the reservoir. Data of differential gas liberation, pressure-viscosity, and. pressure-volume-temperature relationships are shown for 12 subsurface oil samples. Data also are given of reservoir pressure and. temperature, composition of liberated or solution Gas, composition of 22 produced-gas samples, and Hempel analyses of crude-oil samples from 18 wells. The characteristics or physical properties of the 12 subsurface oil samples, as determined by laboratory analyses, were correlated with elevation of the top of the Weber sandstone. These relationships of oil characteristics to elevation in the reservoir show that only the oil in contact with the initial gas cap was gas-saturated at the existing pressure and temperature. The characteristics of the original reservoir oil were marked by an appreciable decrease of saturation pressure and solution gas-oil ratio and increase of viscosity and density with depth below the gas-oil contact. The composition of solution gas and of' produced was also was found to vary with elevation of the oil in the reservoir.

Jan 1, 1951

By Guy E. Dent, Robert S. Sandford, W. T. Millar, Hugo E. Kuehn

"INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARYDuring the latter part of 1943 a magnetometric survey was conducted by the Geophysical Division of the Bureau of Mines at the mine, Putnam County, N. Y., in an endeavor to locate a segment of the body that reports state was cut off by a fault. The Mahepac mine was abandoned about 1895 after producing nearly 1,000,000 tons of high-grade magetite iron ore. The results of the investigation indicate the termination of the ore body by ""pinching"" or a displacement of such magnitude as to place any extension at a considerable distance the original ore body. This report describes the work done on the project and presents the data obtained. ACKNOWLEDGMENTSThe Bureau of Mines has been investigating deposits of critical and essential minerals in the United States and Alaska since 1939. The Mahopac mine was visited by W.T. Millar, an engineer of the Bureau of Mines, on June 5, 1943, accompanied by Dr. William Agar of the Federal Survey, and again on July 29, 1943, accompanied by Dr. A. F. Buddington and H.F. Hawkes, both of the Geological Survey.The mineral investigation was under the general supervision of Paul M. Tyler, formerly regional engineer, Eastern Region; J. D. Bardill, formerly district engineer; and Dr. F.W. Lee, formerly chief. Division, Geophysical Exploration. The work was done under the immediate supervision of W. T. Millar, project engineer. The Geophysical Survey was made by Hugo Kuehn and Guy E. Dent."

Sep 1, 1948

By E. L. Garton

The oil-producing district, "Southern Oklahoma," is generally considered to be that part of the: State lying southwest of the Arbuckle Mountains. It includes six counties: Cater, Cotton, Garvin, Jefferson, Kiowa, and Stephens. At present cost of the oil is produced from formations of Pennsylvanian age. The individual crude oils resemble those produced in other parts of the State, except that the sulfur content is rather high. This report is a continuation of a study of Oklahoma crude oils3/being made, by the Bureau of Mines, Petroleum Experiment Station, Bartlesville, Okla. in cooperation with the State of Oklahoma. Analyses are given of 27 samples obtained from 21 fields in the southern part of the State, end the physical and chemical characteristics of these crude oils are discussed briefly. Analyses of crude oils from other Oklahoma areas and publications in which these analyses may be found are listed in tables 2 and 3.

Jan 1, 1941

By S. H. Ash

For many years the Federal Bureau of Mines has been investigating fires and explosions in mines, tunnels, buildings, and hazardous processes of various kinds. Means and methods for controlling and extinguishing mine fires and preventing explosions and other accidents in many hazardous processes require the collection and analysis of samples of the atmospheres surrounding the sources of ignition. Complex mixtures of gases often encountered in mines, tunnels, and industrial processes may well presage imminent danger from explosions. This report discusses some practicable methods of utilizing the analyses of samples of complex mixtures of gases in their application to the many problems that arise from their presence.

Jan 1, 1948

By Arel B. McMahan

The U.S. Bureau of Mines investigated mines, prospects, and mineralized areas in the Owlshead Mountains Wilderness Study Area (WSA) in 1982. Within the WSA, subeconomic manganese, iron, zinc, and lead resources were identified at two mines; sample analyses indicate five other mines and prospects may have gold, silver, iron, manganese, and copper resources. Three mines examined adjacent to the WSA have identified manganese and iron resources; and sample analyses indicate manganese, iron, and gypsum resources may exist at two prospects. Greatest likelihood for future identification of mineral reserves is for manganese at the Black Magic Mine in the southeast part of the WSA. The southern half of the WSA contains nearly all identified mineral resources, and properties at which sample analyses indicate additional resources. The most significant are manganese and iron resources at the Black Magic Mine in the southeastern part of the WSA; and the Ellie, New Deal, and Owl Hole Mines adjacent to that part of the area. Manganese and iron minerals filled fractures and replaced limestone in brecciated and faulted contacts with intrusive granitic rocks. In the southwest corner of the WSA, sample analyses indicate four prospects may have gold and silver resources. These precious metals are in gouge zones along contacts where diorite has intruded volcanic rocks. A small identified resource at the Kennedy Boys Lead Mine in the western part of the WSA consists of quartz veins with zinc and lead minerals along a brecciated contact between granite and limestone roof pendants.

Jan 1, 1985