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By Charles Bohdanowicz

As in preceding years, the most intensive drilling activity during 1934 took place in the old fields of the western part of the Polish Carpathian petroleum province (district of Jaslo). The number of wells completed to the end of 1934, expressed in percentages, is as follows: Jaslo district, 57 per cent; oil fields outside Boryslaw-Tustanowice-Mraznica, 27; Stanislawow district 8 and Boryslaw fields only 7 per cent. The number of meters drilled (Table 2), expressed in percentages, for the same fields are as follows: Jaslo district, 51 per cent; oil fields outside Boryslaw-Tustanowice-Mraznica, 26; Stanislawow district, 12, and Boryslaw oil fields, 11 per cent. This comparison shows that most of the new

Jan 1, 1935

By E. O. Abrokwah

Directionally solidified (DS) Rene 80 Superalloy was tested in thermo-mechanical fatigue (TMF) over the temperature range 500-900°C and plastic strain levels from 0.2 to 0.8% using a DSI Gleeble thermal simulator. Thermo-mechanical testing was carried out on the parent material in the conventional solution treated and aged condition (STA), as well as gas tungsten arc welded with an IN-738 filler, followed by solution treatment and ageing. Comparison of the base TMF unwelded alloy with that of the welded and heat treated alloy showed that varying crack initiation mechanisms, notably oxidation either by stress assisted grain boundary oxidation, or associated with grain boundary MC carbides fatigue crack propagation along grain boundaries and creep deformation were operating, leading to different "weakest link" failure initiation points.

Jan 1, 2011

By Bill Elverman

Randy and Kenny Robison have visited every coal mine that would let them in the door, to survey the best mining practices. The brothers have spent nearly their entire lives working in coal operations. The Robison’s started out on lube and grease trucks and worked their way up to respected industry leaders in Alabama. The Robisons have owned MS&R since 1989. Since then, they have created a niche for themselves in providing coal for Alabama’s metallurgical coal market. A great deal of the knowledge the Robisons have amassed throughout the years has come from observing — taking note of what works and what does not. In early spring 2004, they commissioned a Komatsu America PC3000 Super Shovel. Outfitted with a backhoe attachment and a 16-m3 (21-cu yd) bucket, MS&R’s PC3000 is currently one of the largest mining excavators working in Alabama.

Jan 1, 2005

By Ogden Malin

IN conducting the manufacture of extruded brass rods and brass forgings it has been noticed that there is considerable variation in the physical properties, particularly the machinability of different rods and forgings, even though the composition, working temperatures and method of manufacture remain the same. It is the purpose of this paper to attempt to establish the cause and extent of this variation, and also to determine whether variations in composition within certain defined limits influence hardness and machinability to any marked degree. The writer believes that this variation probably is due to the variation in grain size of the metal, therefore the microstructure of several compositions under various conditions of working were examined in an effort to establish this as a fact.

Jan 1, 1932

By Georgene Renner, William R. Yernberg, William Gleason

American Commercial (ACI) offers a selection of ground control solutions. Beginning with steel liner plates installed in the Gratiot Avenue sewer system in Detroit, MI 1920, ACI is one of the leading designers and manufacturers of underground steel supports in North America. ACI is also a leader in fire-proofing underground structures with its Promat Fire Protection Boards. The sandwich panels have been used in many new and retrofit tunnel and underground construction projects worldwide. Ease of installation and replacement, cost effectiveness and superior performance have made this product line the premier choice of owners and designers for structural protection, fire-life safety requirements and architectural finish needs.

Jan 1, 2007

By Luis Castelli, Aldo Bonomelli, Giselle Schifferli, Claudio Zamora

"This paper introduces the operational concept and the description of a multi-site Remote Support Center for knowledge management and long-term process performance improvement.This centralized Support Center provides real-time monitoring of open-platform process automation systems, and on-line access to process data and control applications information for multiple sites.Considering that process automation is a key enabler to business performance improvement, sustaining effective performance benefits over time becomes essential. Unfortunately, changes in manufacturing process dynamics, technology obsolescence and in plant operational practices cause the control strategies to lose their effectiveness over time unless their performance is periodically evaluated, and if required, tuned to the new process conditions.A new concept in process automation is proposed through the addition of a new control loop based on performance analysis methodology which is intended to feedback process and automation operation information to system and process specialists, allowing for continuous manufacturing process improvement and sustainable production benefits through effectual control strategies.A remote support center can play a key role in the delivery of such services, by providing the base platform from which a comprehensive process overview and a centralized knowledge database can be executed and additionally, as an enabler for plant operational practices change.INTRODUCTIONA Benchmark on Automation Level in Copper Concentrators conducted by AMIRA in 2004, reported that the Codelco divisions scored below their peers in several categories.Codelco had thereafter been looking for a new automation concept, and had focused on process automation as a key enabler for process manufacturing and business performance improvement. The final decision was to create a strategic alliance with a world-class automation technology provider.The traditional approach based on isolated automation solutions/projects, showed that the control strategies benefits were decreasing progressively over time, because of the on-going need to adapt the control models to the ever-changing process conditions and different plant operational practices. Another consequence of this traditional approach was the wide variety of technologies and automation systems deployed in the different plant sites, with no common automation standards, and with low opportunities to transfer knowledge or practices."

Jan 1, 2010

By Frederic P. Dewey

(New York Meeting, February, 1912.) By the old method of determining platinum in ores and bullion, the silver-alloy first obtained in the regular course of assay is parted in strong sulphuric acid and the residual metal weighed. This is re-alloyed with silver by a second cupellation and parted in nitric acid, the residual metal being again weighed. Any difference shown between the two weighings is assumed to be, and is called; platinum. Sometimes it is so, and if any considerable amount of platinum be present, there will be a decided difference between the two weighings; but a slight difference is no real evidence whatever of the presence of platinum. On the other hand, the second weight may equal or possibly exceed the first, even when traces of platinum are present. Again, other members of the platinum group may go into solution in nitric acid more or less. If present, these would be called platinum and escape detection. The method does not provide any direct tests whatever as to the presence or absence of platinum. It is often indecisive, and sometimes jives erroneous results. It is, therefore, quite unsatisfactory. Being called upon many times to determine platinum in a wide variety of materials, particularly when present in very small amounts, I have realized the disadvantages and defects of this old method. In an article on the solubility of gold in nitric acid, 1 I have briefly outlined a method of gathering a little gold out of a solution containing much silver, which furnishes the basis of

Apr 1, 1912

By Richard H. De Voto

The McDonald gold project and two satellite gold deposits near Lincoln, MT were discovered in the early 1990s. They contain at least 307.9 t (9.9 million oz) of gold and 933 t (30 million oz)of silver. The McDonald gold deposit alone contains 223.9 t (7.2 million oz) of gold reserves that can be open-pit mined and processed by cyanide heap leaching at a projected cash operating cost of $6.10/g ($190/oz). The deposit is predominantly oxidized with no chance of acid production. It can be mined, operated and reclaimed with minimal permanent environmental disturbance other than the creation of an open-pit filled with a fresh-water lake that would support trout.

Jan 1, 2000

By V. V. Nazimko

Abandoned coal mines cause subsidence and structural damages. Shallow abandoned mines induce the most severe and harmful damages. In addition, they produce time-dependent subsidence which is difficult to predict. Backfilling of underground cavities with waste materials have been used to prevent the time-dependent subsidence or to mitigate its effect. However, this procedure is expensive. A new drill and blast technique has recently been proposed to prevent surface damage from time¬dependent subsidence over abandoned mines. It utilizes the principle that blasting in the caved rock and roof in the vicinity of a cavity will dilate the ground and create a self-supporting effect owing to increase in the volume. Physical modeling has demonstrated that artificial dilation of caved rock using the drill & blast technique creates positive effects due to the following sequence of events: the dilated rock creates a supporting effect for the suspended rock strata and reduces its span which decelerates 3.4 times the process of caving. The roof span is reduced by the next caved layer, which causes the hole boundaries to incline to each other. This effect converts the process of caving from a developing mode to a reduction mode. Finally, the sinkhole zone assumes a triangular shape with a negative angle of draw 64-700 in contrast to a rectangular shape of the chimney zone for natural caving. Vertical dimension of the triangular zone is 3.87 times of the room height. Final surface subsidence decreases at least 2.09 times; displacement 1.31 times, slope 2 27 times; curvature 3.42 times, horizontal strain 1 21 times in comparison to natural caving of the ground over an abandoned mine.

Jan 1, 1999

By R. Jolicoeur, J. F. Jackson, M. A. Green

"The design, construction and commissioning of Kiena Gold Mines Limited's new mill was completed in 15 months ending in September 1984. Rated at 1250 tonnes per day the mill incorporates the latest innovative technology such as semi-autogenous grinding, carbon in pulp, pressure stripping and induction furnace refining. The mill is housed in a pre-engineered building with the leach tanks and thickeners located outdoors in spite of the intense winter cold. 1.0 INTRODUCTION AND HISTORYThe operations or Kiena Gold Mines Limited are located in Dubw1sson Township, approximately 10 Km west of Val d'Or, in the Abitibi region northwestern Quebec. Comprised of 59 mining claims covering 1214 hectares, a large portion of the mining property is overlain by the waters of Lac de Montigny. Sometime between 1911 and 1914 Barney Parker discovered gold in a shear zone on an island in Lac de Montigny that now bears his name. The first shaft the Parker Shaft, was sunk in 1936 from the island to a depth of 136 meters but owing to the known veins being of limited extent and the onset of the Second World War operations were terminated in 1940. In the early l960 1 s exploration drilling indicated an orebody of 4,500.000 tonnes at 6.3 grams of gold per tonne. A causeway was built to link the island to the mainland in 1963 and a new 3 compartment shaft was sunk to 403 metres. The orebody was further delineated and the ground conditions within the orebody and surrounds were evaluated.At the end of 1965 the property was placed on a care and maintenance basis as a mining operation would be marginal with gold selling at $35 per ounce."

Jan 1, 1986

By S. Auger, S. McDonald, K. Ward

"This preliminary paper provides a summary of lab and mill flotation investigations into the copper collector at two Canadian operations. The orebodies illustrated in these studies both contain mainly copper and zinc with uneconomic quantities of lead. Silver is also present as a secondary precious metal.Each mill has advanced to the extended mill trial stage with Uniflot SP129 as the sole copper collector. The preliminary metallurgical results have indicated higher copper circuit zinc and lead rejection is possible as shown in Case Study #2. In Case Study #1, improved zinc circuit metallurgy has been realized during all the Uniflot copper circuit collector trials. A slight increase in silver recovery has also been observed in the extended trials at both operations. INTRODUCTIONThe Canadian base metal industry is presently going through a rationalization period in response to low metal prices and low grade ore bodies. The response from flotation mills has been to reduce costs by incorporating new technologies such as energy efficient large cells, low moisture pressure filters and low steel consumption SAG mills. Other optimization strategies have been incorporated to get better metallurgical performance such as improved process control and monitoring techniques.The newer flotation plants have embraced many of the latest equipment innovations but they continue to incorporate off-the shelf reagents like xanthate and methylisobutylcarbinol (MIBC) . New collector chemistries have been mostly unsuccessful. Our approach incorporates the best of the old and new chemistry into proprietary formulations that match the application. We have found most single chemical formulations cannot meet the demands of the optimized modern flotation plant."

Jan 1, 1992

By R. L. J. Phillips

"The environmental impact of the Rabbit Lake project is presented. Baseline data for fish, water, air and radon collected in 1973, 1975, 1980and 1986, are compared with post-development environmental monitoring data. Predicted environmental impacts for the developed Rabbit Lake and B-zone deposits are compared to the actual impacts. INTRODUCTIONThe environmental impact of the Rabbit Lake project has been documented through the years in several submissions to the government agencies. In 1972, the environmental baseline study for the Rabbit Lake area was completed prior to any mining activity at the Rabbit Lake pit (Fig. 1).Sampling concentrated on Hidden Bay and Pow Bay, which received the treated effluent and the waters drained from Rabbit Lake respectively.A second baseline study was done on the Collins Bay area in 1980(Fig. I) in preparation for the mining of the B-zone pit. The detail in this study was considerably greater than the detail in the previous study. Collins Bay and Harrison Peninsula were the areas sampled. The B-zone deposit is being mined at present.With the discovery of the A-zone, D-zone and Eagle Point deposits, it was decided in 1986 to begin proceedings to obtain approval from Saskatchewan's Department of the Environment, and from the Atomic Energy Control Board to develop these deposits.In preparation, a third baseline study of both the Rabbit Lake and Collins Bay areas was done in 1986 and 1987. The emphasis was to establish the baseline at the three new deposits, to quantify the actual impacts of the existing Rabbit Lake operations and to confirm the Collins Bay B-zone (1980) impact predictions. The new deposits will allow us to continue to produce uranium into the future. In January 1988, Saskatchewan approval was received.Since 1975 in the Rabbit Lake area and 1980 in the Collins Bay area, routine environmental monitoring has been done. This has resulted in one of the largest and most comprehensive environmental data bases in North America in mining. By the time the Eagle Point deposit is mined to completion, there will have been data collected for approximately 40 years.Further discussions follow which describe the impacts of the past (1972 to 1984), the present (1985 to 1987) and the future. In addition, the past and present performances and the future plans of the .waste management systems will be discussed."

Jan 1, 1989

By S. A. Aye

Vibration levels on a variety of equipment in a South African opencast mine were measured in this study. The well-established ISO 2631-1 (1997) standard methodology was used for the computation of weighted root mean square (WRMS) and vibration dose value (VDV). This method was used to evaluate the whole-body vibration (WBV) on a wide range of equipment in the opencast mine using the two main parameters, namely the daily exposure A(8) which is based on the WRMS concept and the VDV which measures shocks. The results obtained show that while the majority of the equipment rendered exposure levels that are below the exposure limit value (ELV), exposure levels on about half of the equipment do exceed the exposure action levels. The study also highlights the importance of shock in the observed responses.

Jan 1, 2011

By P. M. Ambrose, A. C. FtELDNER

This , the twelfth annual report of research and technologic work conducted by the Bureau of Mines on coal and coal products , summarizes the research and tests conducted frah July 1, 1946, to July 1, 1947. The organic act of Congress establishing the Bureau of Mines authorized tech- nologic investigations of all phases of mining, preparation, treatment, and utilization. These investigations cover eight main fields of activ-. projects varies from time to time. The on ity. The emphase-half of the coal reservos of the world. United States These reserves are not always of the quality desired or in the place where they could best be used. It is necessary to continue research in order that increased output, greater recovery, and better quality can be main- tained under safe mining conditions. Coal comprises 98 percent of the known fuel reserves of the United States and ad eventually must take over much of the requirements now supplied by petroleum and natural gas.. The purpose of this report is to bring to the reader a resume of the work of the fiscal year. The material presented herein is based largely upon publications. In a few instances the results of research that would not otherwise be available in the immediate future are presented. For details concerning the research, it is suggested that the readers consult the publications given in the footnote references." Collected references to all Bureau of Mines publications on coal are published in a series of bibliographies. Technical Paper 576 covers 1910 to 1935; Technical Paper 639 covers 1935 to 1940; and Technical Paper 698, issued in 1947; covers' 1940 to 1945.

Jan 1, 1948

By P. D. Rao, D. E. Walsh

Chemical and physical properties of typical low-rank coal (LRC) ash are significantly different than bituminous coal ash. With the exception of extraneous ash, which is incorporated during mining or is due to ash partings within or between coal seams, LRC ash consists primarily of inherent ash that is bonded into the coal's organic matrix or finely disseminated mineral matter. This paper reviews the nature of LRC ash, both inherit and extraneous, and how this impacts the prospects of washing and utilizing LRCs. A literature review, as well as washability data, proximate and ultimate analyses and ash analysis of 25 Alaskan LRC seams are used as a basis for this discussion. The authors' remit research into the nature and distribution of phosphorous in an Alaskan LRC is also discussed

Feb 24, 1997

By Lewis Blanchard Brown

It is my purpose in the following paper to describe the south-central part of Siberia, with special reference to its geology and the mineral deposits. This region is known politically as the Achinsk and Marinsk districts of the Tomsk Government. It is situated among the Altai mountains, in. ]at. 50° to 55O n and long. 87O to 93O E., not far from the northern frontier of Mongolia, and is divided as follows: Mining Districts.—(1) The Tomsk mining district, including the political districts of Altai (belonging to the private crown lands of the Russian Emperor) and Marinsk; (2) the AchinskMinusinsk mining district, including the political districts of Achinsk and Minusinsk; and (3) the North Yenisei mining district, situated in the northern part of the Yenisei political district of the Yenisei Government. Fig. 1 is a map of the Tomsk mining provinces, showing the useful mineral-deposits, excepting those of gold, and giving the routes of the railroads and post-roads connecting the various districts. Political Divisions.—The Tomsk Government is sub-divided into seven " oojesdy " or districts, as follows: Barnaul; Biisk; Kuznetsk; Kainsk; Kolyvan; Marinsk; Narim; and the Altai district (private land, as above). The Yenisei Government is sub-divided into five "oojesdy" or districts, as follows : Erasnojarsk ; Kansk; Yenisei; Achinsk; Minusinsk. Concerning the geology of the region, in addition to the record of my own observations, references will be made to the works of earlier writers. These have been consulted for the purpose of comparison, as regards the districts which I have actually traversed, and for the purpose of completing my account of such portions as I have not been able to visit.

Jan 1, 1904

By K S. Smith

Mineral-deposit geology, geochemical processes, and biogeochemical processes are fundamental controls on the environmental conditions that exist naturally in mineralised areas prior to mining, and that result from mining and mineral processing. Input from economic geologists and geochemists is therefore crucial to effectively predict, assess, mitigate, and remediate the environmental effects of mineral-resource development. Recent open pit gold mining at Summitville, Colorado , has received intense public scrutiny for a variety of environmental problems, most important of which has been extreme acid drainage. Now a Superfund environmental cleanup site, Summitville exemplifies how economic geology and geochemistry principles: 1. could have been better utilized to first predict and minimise the environmental problems, and 2. can now be used to optimize the environmental cleanup.

Jan 1, 1995

By B. J. Arnold, N. Terblanche

The features of the ‘Turbo’ froth flotation column will be discussed, including the double aeration system that improves flotation yield while not sacrificing grade, the internal launder system, and the unique feed/tailings sump that evens out flow to the flotation column preventing upset conditions. Results from various test programs and installations will be presented.

Jan 1, 2001

By Thomas C. Shapiro

This is the final article in a three-part series on microcomputers and application software in the mineral industry. The first article covered microcomputer terms and concepts. The second discussed exploration and mining software. This article will examine plant, administrative, and geotechnical software. Every effort has been made to be current in the latest software developments. Rapid change, however, is a fact of life in the computer world and any omission is inadvertent. Introduction Geotechnical disciplines have received considerable attention in software programming. Calculations are repetitive and the formulas needed to solve them are not extremely complicated. These programs are ideally suited to the microcomputer and the microcomputer is ideally suited to the consulting geologist or engineer, due to its low cost and reliability. In fact, the advent of the Apple (a registered trademark of Apple Computer Inc.) and, more recently, the IBM personal computer has caused an explosion of inexpensive software programs available to the microcomputing public. Another area that has benefited from computerization, although not in the same way, has been mineral beneficiation. Here, process control for start-up or phase-down operations has been used in newer plants for some time. Programs to perform various calculations are becoming more common as micros increase in number. Tappi Journal has a section with solutions to handheld-calculator and microcomputer problems. Process Modeling Most process modeling is still done only on mainframes. One such program is called ASPEN PLUS (a registered trademark of Aspen Technology), and a one-week course is recommended so the user can best use the program. This program is available through timesharing from University Computing Co. Programs to find an optimal solution using Linear Programming (LP) have been around for some time. Also, plant process simulation has been possible using simulation programs. Both simulation and LP are expensive to program and run. Although there are LP programs available for some micros, the user must be fairly knowledgeable about how to set up the problem. This is because each problem must be set up as a unique program that typically requires custom programming. There are some programs that can handle blending of mine crudes and examine economic parameters over the life of the mine. Plant Applications Areas relating to mine and plant applications with programs available for micros are maintenance, production reporting, inventory, accounting, and personnel scheduling. Maintenance Maintenance typically requires that certain jobs be performed in a particular sequence and parts be ordered with enough lead time for maintenance to take place on time. There is, therefore, a critical sequence of tasks that must be performed or the scheduled maintenance will not take place. Two answers needed for maintenance project scheduling are: what is the lead time needed

Jan 4, 1984

By D. Harrington

"FOREWORDVirtually all government agencies undertook many additional responsibilities during the period immediately preceding World War II; these responsibilities increased vastly in importance and scope after the actual declaration of war following the attack on Pearl Harbor. The Bureau of Mines was one of the agencies thus affected, and it was called upon to perform many duties foreign to its normal peacetime activities.The Health and Safety Division of the Bureau of Mines, at that time designated the Health and Safety Branch, was given several important and difficult duties and responsibilities of an unusual nature because of the war while of necessity-continuing its normal functions of assisting the mineral industries in the preservation of life and health and the protection of property, this being of especial importance in wartime because of the pre-eminent importance of having maximum output of essentially all types of mineral products. Some of these additional functions were given to the Health and Safety Division because the organization of the Division, with its field set-up dividing the Nation into districts with competent, experienced personnel in charge of its work, provided the nucleus of personnel and procedure through which rapid and smooth expanded functioning was feasible.In addition to the responsibilities directly attributable to definite war activities, such as the administration of the wartime Federal. Explosives Act and the Mineral Production Security Branch a new branch (then designated division) was formed to investigate coal-mine health and safety problems after the enactment of the Federal Coal-Mine Inspections and Investigations Act, which became a law on May 7, 1941, but which actually began to function actively after the declaration of war in December 1941.The purpose of this publication is to provide a brief historical record of the activities of the Health and Safety Division as a whole and of its individual branches during the war. The detailed record has been filed in the Archives Building, Washington, D. C."

Jan 1, 1949