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By AIME AIME

IN a recent technical paper of the Central Committee of the French Coal Mines (Note technique No. 198, by L. Lahoussay) the author points out that continuous in¬crease in depth of mine shafts makes it more and more necessary to look for appropriate means to reduce the weights and dimensions of the hoisting ropes. Increasing depth demands a larger section and weight for the cable if the useful load is not to be cut down at the same time. This naturally leads to increased cost per ton, and at the same time creates serious mechanical difficulties. The dimensions of the hoisting engine must be increased, acceleration at the start must be decreased so as to avoid periods of excessive peak power loads, and a longer time be allowed to slow down the speed of the hoist when applying brakes. The hoisting rope, upon which depend the dimensions and hence the mass of the hoisting engine, presents the greatest obstacle to the development of hoisting from greater depths. Evidently, for a given depth, the total weight of the rope can be notably reduced by utilizing a wire rope of decreasing section, approaching the theoretical logarithmic form. This is a solution frequently adopted for great depths. Of course, the weight of the rope could be easily' diminished by reducing the useful load, but it is certain that with increasing depth of mining, more effort must be made to confine the hoisting to a small number of shafts, and increase the load hoisted per trip.

Jan 1, 1933

By Carel Robinson

MECHANIZATION of coal mine, is radically changing the requirements for under-ground transportation. It has increased materially the need for reliability and belt conveyors are the most dependable means of moving coal away from the place where it is mined. Their record of freedom from delays is almost 100 per cent. Why then are- not belt conveyors in more general use. Part of the answer lies in the pour records made at some of the earlier installations, and in the fact that belts have so long been identified as a type of equipment suitable, in the main, only to thin seams. Another reason is lack of knowledge of the full potentialities of belt transportation.

Jan 1, 1941

By DR. DOUGLAS

Discussion of the Paper of Dr. Douglas, presented at the Toronto Meeting of the Institute, July, 1907 (Trans., xxxviii., 455 to 471). EDGAR HALL, Silverspur, Queensland, Australia (communication to the Secretary*) :-Dr. Douglas has written on this subject before, and his influence has had a powerful effect on the side of freedom among the younger generation of engineers. Moreover, it is not the first time that he has attributed the decline of the copper-smelting industry in Swansea to the secrecy maintained by the firms there engaged in smelting-operations. In this latter statement I think his conclusions are open to criticism. Whether the firms referred to have suffered by their secrecy is their own business-I. bold no brief for them ; but that the decline of the copper-industry at Swansea was inevitable seems to me to be proved conclusively by Dr. Douglas's own writings. In his paper on The Copper Situation,1 Dr. Douglas says "In comparing iron and copper mining, . . . it must be remembered that 2 tons of average iron ore from the most prolific source now available will make 1 ton of metal; whereas from 33 to 75 tons (say an average of 50 tons) of copper ore must be mined to produce 1 ton of copper." And further: "Last year's production of iron was made from approximately 50,000,000 tons of ore. Our copper mines, to yield a production of 900,000,000 pounds, must have handled approximately 22,000,000 tons of ore, or nearly half the quantity raised from our iron mines." Is not this the key to the whole situation ? In transporting the 50,000,000 tons of iron-ore, 25,000,000 tons of the metal iron were carried so much nearer to the market, but the transportation of 22,000,000 tons of copper-ore would have carried only 450,000 tons of the metal copper nearer to its ultimate destination. The small percentage of copper available in its ores makes

Sep 1, 1908

By John Hays Hammond

Discussion of the paper of John Hays Hammond, presented at the Chattanooga meeting, October, 1908, and published in Bi.-Monthly Bulletin., No. 24, November, 1908, pp. 1171 to 117S. PROF. HENRY Louis, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, En j. (communication to the Secretary'`) :-I welcome Mr. Hammond's paper as an. attempt to give definiteness to the best modern professional practice. Such a codification of our professional ethics is urgently needed, seeing how widely the views of mining engineers differ on some of the point-,. raised, for example, I have no hesitation it) performing a class of work, as to which Mr. Hammond seems to entertain some doubts, and, on the other hand, I strongly condemn a practice which he appears to recommend. I have not the least hesitation in making reports for vendors of mining properties, and am constantly doing so; . the best justification for this practice may be found in the fact that such reports have been repeatedly accepted by buyers as giving a correct representation of the facts of the case, which is all that should be demanded from any report. On the other hand, Mr. Hammond advocates that mitring engineers should take payment for their reports tin shares of a company to be floated upon the basis of such reports. I hold that this is ethically wrong, as even the most honest of men is liable to be unconsciously biased under these conditions. Indeed, I go much further, and maintain that a mining engineer who re¬ports or advises upon mining properties should never hold any-mining shares at all, or be himself interested in any mine,' and this has been my consistent practice for many years. A man who holds shares in a mine, and is called upon to report upon a neighboring property or a similar mine, can never be wholly unbiased, and even if lie could be, he would always lay himself open to the suspicion that he was giving a favorable report so as to-enhance the value of the property in which he himself is interested, or an unfavorable report so as to stifle competi-

Jun 1, 1909

Jan 1, 1903

By Perry Olcott .

THE Taka oil field is in the northern part of Titus and Franklin Counties, in north- eastern Texas. The small town of Talco, from which the field derives its name, is on the P. & Mt. P. R. R., about 15 mi. north of Mt. Pleasant, the county seat of Titus County. The oil field extends east and west from the town of Talco, the approximate center. In May, 1924, R. L. Cannon, while doing surface geology for the Humble. Oil & Refining Co., mapped the surface trace of this fault structure as evidenced by Upper Midway faulted down against Lower Midway. In the interval of sixteen years between the original surface work and the recent productive well completion, approximately eight wells were drilled into the Woodbine sand without success. The structure was well defined by those tests and all of the wells en-

Jan 1, 1936

By Elmer W. Pehrson

Minerals have played a prominent role in the affairs of man and nations since time immemorial but with the advent of the industrial revolution, expanding use of the products of the mineral kingdom became synonymous with the material progress of mankind. Individuals and business groups have recognized this fact so have been aggressive in searching for and utilizing mineral resources, with notable success. Indeed, their achievements are primarily responsible for the present Machine Age. On the other hand, until recently the body politic has failed to grasp fully the essentiality of minerals although, at times, access to mineral supplies has been an important factor in the political maneuvers of nations. This chapter is concerned primarily with the broader political and economic relationships of mineral resources to the world economy, and with the internal and external actions of nations in the field of minerals. Many factors that condition the mineral economy of regions and the world as a whole, influence the internal and external affairs of individual nations. The more important of these are: 1. The nature of man's dependence on minerals. 2. The problems resulting from the unique characteristics of mineral occurrence. 3. Geopolitical concepts. 4. Minerals and world power. Actions of individual nations affecting their mineral economy seek two basic objectives: 1. Attainment and maintenance of prosperity. 2. Military security. Other objectives may be cited but on careful analysis they become integral parts or extreme phases of the two points noted above. For example, the twentieth century aggressions of the USSR, Germany, Italy, and Japan might be considered as direct bids for world power but they also can be interpreted as exaggerated or mistaken efforts toward military security and peacetime prosperity. Similarly, trade barriers, nationalization of industries, foreign exchange manipulations, taxation, monopolistic prac-

Jan 1, 1964

By Eugene A. Stephenson

NUMBER of noteworthy events in the petroleum industry may be reported for 1941, of which the most spectacular was doubtless the rise in the daily rate of crude-oil production to a peak of approximately 4,300,000 barrels. This enormous daily rate did not ensue from the furor of flush pools but represented for the most part merely a slight additional daily delivery from many wells that had previously been operated on a more restricted basis, in line with good conservation practice and also from the adroit increase in the number of days per week by the Texas Railroad Commission. Another important fact was the increase in price throughout the Mid-Continent area from the static level of $1.02 for 36°, A.P.I., crude, to $1.17 per barrel. Efforts to elevate the price above this point have met with severe opposition from the O.P.A.. as has also a similar effort by the PennsyIvania Crude Oil Producers' Association, but the vastly increased costs for materials and labor may shortly give the industry the enhanced price which it has long deserved.

Jan 1, 1942

Edward Halse, Puerto Berrio, Colombia, So. Amer. (communication to the Secretary*): The Taviche mining-district is generally known as " Taviches," being named from the two villages called respectively San Pedro Taviche and San Jero-nimo Taviche. It is so called by Jose G. Aguilera, in his paper on the Geographical and Geological Distribution of the Mineral Deposits of Mexico;' and in published reports by the late N. W. Rudston Read ;2 and by Juan de Dios Villarello3 The region is a large one, measuring about 24 miles long and 7 miles wide. Dr. Chance, in his interesting paper, tells us very little about the nature of the ores, and, with regard to the geology of the district, contents himself with observing that " the country, as a rule, consists of eruptive rocks; and no evidences of sedimentary strata appear near the mines." The latter part of the above statement is hardly correct. The formation is mainly

Jan 1, 1906

By AIME AIME

AT FOUR O'CLOCK members gathered in the auditorium for the annual business meeting of the Institute which, according to its charter, must be held on the third Tuesday of February each year. President Turner presided and after the usual formal action on minutes announced that he would create a precedent by transferring the President's annual address (which by tradition has always been delivered at the banquet on Wednesday evening) to the business meeting, and, furthermore, would only present a brief abstract of it. Since it appears in full on pages 127-131 of this issue it can be followed with the careful attention its thoughtful analysis of current conditions deserves.

Jan 1, 1933

By Robert T. DeGavre

INTRODUCTION The $645 million financing for Inco Ltd's Soroako nickel project in Indonesia not only represents a significant human achievement but also there are certain important lessons that can be derived from Inco's experience in financing the project. The paper will not present a technical assessment of the project since Inco Ltd. submitted a series of papers on this subject at the international Laterite Symposium as part of the 108th Annual Meeting of the AIME in February 1979. BRIEF HISTORY OF THE SOROAKO PROJECT Table 1 summarizes the milestones achieved in the Soroako project and its financing. Exploration Phase A contract of Work was signed on July 27, 1968 by the Republic of Indonesia and F.T. International Nickel Indonesia (P.T. Inco) covering an extensive area of over 25,000 square miles on the two southeastern arms of the island of Sulawesi. The Contract provides that P.T. Inco has the sole responsibility for financing the project and determining the terms on which the financing should be obtained, that P.T. Inco has the right to receive and hold outside of Indonesia foreign exchange revenues and to freely dispose of such revenues, and that Indonesians have the right to purchase up to 20% of the equity of P.T. Inco over a period following start of production. P.T. Inco began field investigations in the Contract Area in August 1968. Preliminary reconnaissance sampling with portable drills broadly outlined areas of favorable laterite terrain which were then systematically sampled on surveyed grids. By early 1971 sufficient exploration work had been completed to indicate that the laterite deposits near Soroako could sustain a major nickel-producing plant (figure 1). Pilot plant studies in 1970 and 1971 at Inco's research station in Port Colborne, Ontario, using two bulk samples of Soroako ore material, also confirmed that the ore could be upgraded and treated for the recovery of its metal values. Feasibility Phase Encouraged by the results of its exploration program and pilot-plant work, Inco Ltd. commissioned Toyo Engineering Company of Japan in August 1971 to prepare a capital cost estimate for a relatively small nickel project called "Stage I". Stage I was to be a single-line pyrometallurqical process plant with an annual capacity of approximately 15,000 metric tons of nickel contained in 75% nickel sulphide matte (see Figure 2). Electric power was to be supplied by a thermal power station. It is important to recognize that Inco's strategy was to develop the Soroako ore deposits in several stages: first, construct a small project to gain experience and to reduce the initial capital outlay and then later expand in one or more steps to a much larger project to achieve maximum economies. The strategy reflected both Inco's financial position in 1971 as its sales and earning dropped sharply and the difficulties previously experienced by Inco in trying to launch in the late 1960's very large "greenfield" nickel projects in New Caledonia and Guatemala. Toyo's Project Development Study was completed. in January 1972. Based upon Toyo's cost estimate for physical facilities, Inco estimated the total capital cost of Stage I to be $115 million. For the next several months, Inco ran numerous in-house financial feasibility studies, using as inputs Toyo's cost estimate and the results of its exploration and pilot plant programs. In September 1972, Inco completed a project feasibility study which was based upon a capital cost estimate of $135 million. The feasibility study was immediately made available to potential partners and lenders. Partner Negotiations The Japanese nickel market had from the outset been central to Inco's planning for the Soroako project. That market had been growing dramatically at rates in excess of 20% per annum during the 1950's and 1960's. Japan had established, for rational security and other reasons, a domestic

Jan 1, 1985

Jan 1, 1923

Jan 1, 1923

By Francis P. Sinn

LOW prices have made 1938 a difficult year for the zinc industry of the world. Particularly in the United States, output had to be radically curtailed to bring production into line with consumption. Despite these unfavorable conditions, some additional plant construction is contemplated. In Jugoslavia, through co-operation with the Government, Trepca Mines is lo build a zinc plant to produce 10,000 metric tons annually, the plant to be ready for operation in July, 1941). Cerro de Pasco is proceeding with its plans for an electrolytic plant in Peru. A pilot plant, to be ready next summer, is under construction. In eastern Canada an electrolytic plant is planned in Quebec to treat concentrates from Yoranda and other mines but no defi-

Jan 1, 1939

MEMBERS, JUNIOR MEMBERS, ASSOCIATES AND JUNIOR ASSOCIATES LIST OF MEMBERS ALPHABETICALLY ARRANGED EXPLANATION OF SYMBOLS ** Junior Member. t Associate. || Junior Associate. Members are not marked. Capital letters signify Honorary membership. Student Associate and Rocky Mountain members on pages 165-167. Abadilla. Quirico A Catanawan. Tayabas, P. I. Abbey. Robert Graham. District Mgr The W. W. Sly Mfn. Co., 60 Church St New York. N. Y. Abbott. A. N Mines Supt Mazapil Copper Co Ltd . .Conception del Oro. Zac., Mexico. Abbott. Ckrence E Mgr Mines & Quarries, Tenn. Coal. Iron & R. R. Co 1242 Brown Marx Bldg Birminrham. Ala. Abbott. Louie Benjamin. Chief Enar Consolidation Coal Co Elkhorn Div .Jenkins, KY. Abeel. Gsorge H Jr., Cons. Min. Enar .Box 427. Santa Monica. Cal. Abel. Albert E Asst. to Pres Valley Mould & Iron Corp Hubbard. Ohio. Abel. Raymond L. Asst. Prof., Dept. of Pet. Refin Univ. of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh. Pa. Abernathy. George Elmer. Prof. of Geol. & Min Kansas State Teachers College. Pittsburg. Kans. IlAbernethy. D. Carl, Jr. Min. Engr Hudson Coal Co .Scranton. Pa. Abey, Hiroshi. Min. & Met. Engr., Min. & Met. Dept., The Higher Technical School, Osaka. Japan. tAbarn, Robert H Instructor in Met Harvard University Cambridge, Mass tAbozeid,Mahmood. Pet. Production E r . . Marland Oil Co. Ponca City, Okla. Abraham. Arthur W Geol., Richfield Oil Co Box 788. Bakersfield, Cal. Abraham, W. E. V Member, Staff of Burmah Oil Co Ltd. Nyaunghla. Upper Burmz, India. Abrahams. Alexander I Gen'l Mgr., Racon Electrical Co Slough, Bucks England. tAbrahammn. C. W Min. Engr The Mond Nickel Co Ltd . Coniston, Ont Canada. IlAbmn. Guy W., Asst. Metallographist, Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co., Research Dept., Youngstown. Ohio. Abstein. Henry T., Engr. & Mgr Profile-Tamarack Mines Co . .Yellow Pine, Idaho. tAcker. E. O'C Met I28 East Washington Lane. Germantown, Philadelphia. Pa. Ackerman. D. E Met. Research Lab International Nickel Co Inc Bayonne. N. J. tAbckerman. Ernest R Pres., Lawrence Portland Cement Co . .Plainfield. Union Co N. J. ||Ackerman. George F Jr. Min. Engr El Potosi Min. Co. .Apt. 13. Chihuahua, Chih Mexico. Acres, T. H Geol. Dept Valuation & Pet. Engr., Richfield Oil Co. 655 S. Flower St Los Angeles. Cal. Adachi. Jinzoo Address Wanted. Adair. Arthur C Valuation Enar., Internal Revenue. Treasury Dept., Washington, D. C. Adam. John. Min. Ennr., The Zinc Corp. Ltd., Box 4 C. Broken Hill, N. S. W Australia. Adami. Arthur E V. P Montana State School of Mines.Butte, Mont. Adami. Charles J Min. Ensr St. Joseph Lead Co 4540 Lindel Blvd., St. Louis, Mo. Adams. C. W.729 South Normandie St LaGranada Apt Los Angeles, Cal. Adams. Cmyler Geerwwd. Minn. Adams. F. J Gen'l Anent. Gulf Production & Pipa Line Cos .Fort Worth. Tex. ADAMS. FRANK DAWSON. Logan Prof. of Geology and Dean, Faculty of Applied Science, McGill Univ Montreal. Que Canada. Adama, Gale L Research Enar., General Pet. Corp. of California, Higgins Bldg Los Angeles. Cal. Adams. George I, Prof. of Geol. & Mineralogy Univ. of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Ala. Adams. H. H Cons. Geol Room 416, W. T. Waagoner Bldg Fort Worth. Tex. Adams, Henry. Cons. Min. Ennr 1050 Edgewood Ave., Plainfield, N. J. Adams, Henry H.285 Madison Ave., New York. N. Y. Adams, Henry Farnum. Engr., Charge. Experimental Work. Inspiration Concentrator, Inspiration Cons. Copper Co Box 354. Inspiration. Ariz. Adams. Huntington. Min. Enar I41 Broadway, New York. N. Y. Mama, Leland D., V. P., Leslie-California Salt Co 166 Montgomery St., San Francisco, Cal. Adams, Louis W., Illinois Steel Co .Gary. Ind.

Jan 1, 1929

By EDWARHD HALSE

Discussion of the Paper of Dr. H. M. Chance, presented at the Lake Superior Meeting, September, 1904. EDWARD HALSE, Puerto Berrio, Colombia, So. Amer. (communication to the Secretary*) : The Taviche mining-district is generally known as a Taviches," being named from the two villages called respectively San Pedro Taviche and San Jeronimo Taviche. It is so called by José G. Aguilera, in his paper on the Geographical and Geological Distribution of the Mineral Deposits of Mexico;' and in published reports by the late N. W. Rudston Read ;2 and by Juan de Dios Villarello.3 The region is a large one, measuring about 24 miles long and 7 miles wide. Dr. Chance, in his interesting paper, tells us very little about the nature of the ores, and, with regard to the geology of the district, contents himself with observing that ? the country, as a rule, consists of eruptive rocks; and no evidences of sedimentary strata appear near the mines.? The latter part of the above statement is hardly correct. The formation is mainly eruptive, being hornblende-audesite of Tertiary age, which is limited on the east by the calcareous (Cretaceous) formation, and on the west by the Huronian rocks of Ocotlan. Limestone is seen close to the Santa Càtarina mine, at the northern end of the region. In the surface-working known as La Cueva, a little northeast of San Pedro, limestone forms the eastern wall of the deposit which consists of spots (moscas) of pyrargyrite in white opaque or transparent quartz. Ill one place the ore is associated with stibnite, and the quartz frequently exhibts a

Sep 1, 1905

By V. T. BERNER

THIS apparatus was designed primarily to meet the demand for a quick, efficient stopping to seal off the burning area temporarily during a mine fire, but it can be used in any circumstance where an immediate brattice is required for ventilation control. In using the old style brattice, mine-rescue workers have found it difficult, in smoke-laden drifts and stopes, to erect an effective stopping with wooden frame and canvas. Stulls must first be cut to the proper length, the canvas tacked in place, and the numerous irregularities of the walls and back must be caulked. This operation requires the employment of axes, saws, and hammers, which cannot easily and safely be handled in dense smoke. The fire fighters have often been forced to abandon their brattice, unfinished, because of the rapid approach of the fire, or because of the exhausted sup- ply of oxygen in their breathing apparatus. It is neces-

Jan 1, 1930

By C. M. Smith

HOWARD N. EAVENSON, acting for the last time as president of the Institute, presided at the annual business meeting on Tuesday afternoon at 4 o'clock. He spoke briefly of his visits with Local Sections last fall, and read a scholarly address on "Mineral Fuels and Civilization," scheduled for early publication in these columns. Karl Eilers presented the Treasurer's report, showing last year's income to be $134,967.44, compared with expenses of $133.266.51. Comparable figures for 1933 were $121,689.90 and $115,462.60. The Institute's peak income was in 1923 about $208,000. Newell G. Alford read the report of the Membership Committee showing 750 new members elected and placed on the rolls in 1934, compared with 328 in 1933. Losses by resignation last year were 81, compared with 262 in 1933; and 691 were suspended for non-payment of dues, compared with 747 the year before. Total membership, including 579 Student Associates, was 7742 at the end of 1934. Applications for membership have been coming in freely the last few months.

Jan 1, 1935

By A. W. Fahrenwald

FLOTATION practice in Idaho is now about 13 years old. The advance has been steady during these 13 years. The operators have been alert to take advantage of the newest developments and they have themselves made a constant effort to improve their work. The metallurgical improvements are clue to the development of (1) better equipment, (2) better reagents, and (3) better understanding and control of the process. During the 8 years which the writer has been in this district, there has been continuous experimentation by several companies to improve the ore dressing by flotation methods. Gravity concentration has fought hard to hold its place, and although it is true that gravity processes have been improved during this period, nevertheless, in several of the important mills of the district the few tables that managed to hang on have finally given way. On the straight-lead ores, tables and jigs are still used; and, due to better classification, their hold on this job has been strengthened.

Jan 1, 1927

By Henry Newton

It may seem somewhat a work of supererogation to present to the American Institute of Mining Engineers, composed largely of gentlemen with whom the subject is so familiar, a paper on iron ores and their distribution. To many of them, however, it possibly will not be without interest, as there may be some, like myself, who hare nowhere found a connected account of the character of the deposits and the circumstances upon which are founded the great iron-producing centres of the world. This blank I have endeavored to fill,