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By O. C. Wheeler

There was a marked increase in the investigation of undeveloped areas in Colombia during 1936. The Shell company commenced geological and geophysical investigations on an intensive scale in the Upper Magdalena Valley and at the end of the year had several geological and geophysical parties working in that area. These investigations were supplemented by aerial photography and it is understood that negotiations are under way for having this work continued. The Shell is reported to have acquired some options and leases on private properties in the Upper Valley region and in the western part of Cundinamarca. The Socony Vacuum was making preparations to begin seismograph work on its property north of the Sogamoso River, acquired in 1934 from Sefior Luciano Restrepo. This company will probably start drilling on the property during 1937. The Richmond Petroleum Co. (Standard of California) is said to have renewed geological investigations in the Upper Magdalena Valley above Honda. Local Colombian interests took an active part in applying for concessions on nationally owned lands in the area between the Carare and Magdalena Rivers. The application of the Sociedad National del Carare for a concession in this area was granted during the year. Subsequently an agreement was reached between this

Jan 1, 1937

By Thomas L. Watson

The occurrence of zircon in pegmatites of acidic composition is recorded by many observers both in this country and abroad, and they form one of the most important geologic modes of occurrence of the minera1. As is well known, commercially the most important American locality for zircon is near Zirconia in Henderson County, North Carolina, where many tons of the mineral have been obtained from a kaolinized pegmatite dike 100 ft. wide and traced for 1 1/2 miles along the direction of strike N. 50" E. Zircon may be developed in pegmatites as inclusions in the principal rock-forming minerals, chiefly quartz and feldspar, and as a separate megascopic constituent in the form of grains and crystals not exceeding, as a rule, 2 in. in size, and usually smaller. In the Henderson County, North Carolina, pegmatite, zircon occurs in prismatic crystals with pyramidal terminations measuring up to 30 mm. in diameter, associated chiefly with the feldspar. In some of the apatite veins of Canada, which are closely allied to pogmatite dikes, zircon is reported in crystals upward of 6 in. in length and 2 in. and more in thickness. Zircon in large masses occurs in Virginia in the well-known pegmatites near Amelia in Amelia County, and near Gouldin in Hanover County. Both localities are in the middle eastern portion of the Piedmont Plateau province, and are separated by a distance of about 40 miles in a northeast-southwest direction. The rocks of both areas, including the pegmatite bodies, are in an advanced stage of decay, and the hard and moderately fresh rocks are concealed beneath a cover of variable thickness of rock decay derived by the normal processes of weathering. Exposures, there-

Jan 1, 1917

By James Douglas

An address before the Meeting of the New York Section, Nov. 4, 1914. As life advances one is inclined to look backward instead of forward, and the vista over which my memory carries me has been filled with such a shifting panorama of changes in metallurgy that the whole practice of the art seems to have been re-created. The first cupola furnace that I saw in operation was at one of the group of mines at Capelton, Quebec, from which the Nichols company still draws some of its sulphur supply. At that time it was operated by a Hartford, Conn., company, under a General Adams. When its small brick furnaces made a campaign of a week and smelted 10 tons a day, the feat redounded to the credit of the operator. The introduction of the water-jacketed cupola dates forward to the next decade. I was using one in Pennsylvania, making copper matte, to the horror of a noted metallurgist, who could not conceive it possible that you. could bring fused sulphides in contact with steel without rapid corrosion. In our ignorance we were doing what seemed to be an impossibility, and it is just that recklessness and disregard for precedent which has characterized so much of the work of American metallurgists, and carried us forward at such headlong speed. Once the water jacket was accepted as the type of the. copper cupola, its almost unlimited expansion in length, but not in width, was a matter of convenience rather than of skill. In Butte the cupolas have been enlarged by adding furnace to furnace. The first reverberatories which I saw in operation were those in Professor Hill's Black Hawk establishment, where the concentrates from the Gilpin County gold mills were run down into matte for separation in England. Sixty dollars per ton was the usual deduction in those days before gold and silver was paid for. Smelting was done with wood as fuel, and the capacity of the furnace was about 10 tons per diem. Shortly after this Professor Hill formed an alliance with Richard Pearce, who was running what, if I recollect aright, was called the Swansea Works, at the bend of the river approaching Georgetown.

Jan 4, 1915

By C. L. Sollenbeger, R. B. Greenwalt

PERHAPS the most widely used dispersants or gangue depressants in nonmetallic flotation are sodium silicates, which vary in silica-to-soda ratio from 1 to 3.75. Typical manufactured silicates in order of decreasing solubility and increasing amounts of silica are Metso, silica-to-soda ratio of 1.00; D, 2.00; RU, 2.40; K, 2.90; N, 3.22; and S-35, 3.75.* References in flotation literature1,2 to the use of sodium silicates are often weak because they fail to mention the type of silicate used. Metso and silicate N have occasionally been mentioned, but when the type of silicate is not mentioned, it is usually assumed to be N, the cheapest of the soluble silicates and the one recommended by sodium silicate manufacturers as a flotation agent. In the All is-Chalmers Research Laboratories a systematic study was made of the effect of different alkali-silica ratios on the concentration by flotation of two scheelite ores. One of these was a high grade ore from the Sang Dong mine in Korea. The effect of such factors as pH; addition agents; and conditioning time, temperature, and pulp density on the flotation efficiency of this ore have been described previously. The other ore was a low grade ore from Getchell Mines Inc., Nevada. The mineralogy and techniques of concentrating this ore have been described by Kunze. Hereafter these ores will be referred to as the Korean and Nevada ores. Experiments were made with both to determine the effect of three factors—-type of silicate, concentration of silicate, and pH of the pulp—on recovery and grade of tungsten in a rougher concentrate. Average WO, content of the Korean ore was 1.50 pct and of the Nevada ore 0.27 pct. The predominant tungsten mineral in both ores was scheelite, which was accompanied by a small amount of powellite. The powellite and scheelite were finely disseminated through both ores and required a —200 mesh grind for liberation. Major gangue minerals in the Korean ore, in decreasing order of abundance, were amphi-boles, quartz, biotite, garnet, fluorite, and calcite. Bulk sulfides composed about 3 pct of the total weight. Gangue in the Nevada ore, in descending order of abundance, was garnet, alpha quartz, calcite, phlogopite, wollastonite, and amphiboles. Sulfide minerals were 3 to 4 pct of total weight. Batch flotation experiments were made with 500-g samples of ore, each sample wet-ground to 90 pct passing 200 mesh. The finely ground ore was floated in a Fagergren batch cell at 25 pct solids. The natural pH of the Nevada ore was 8.9 and of the Korean ore, 8.5. The D, RU, K, N, and S-35 sodium silicates were obtained in colloidal dispersions with varying amounts of water. The most alkaline, Metso, was in dry powdered form. For convenience in addition, 5 pct solutions by weight were prepared from each of the silicates, on the basis of dry sodium silicate dissolved in the correct amount of distilled water. Chemical analyses of the various silicates are given in Table I, together with the pH of the 5 pct solutions. A preliminary bulk sulfide float was made with secondary butyl xanthate as the collector and pine oil as the frother. The WO] analysis of the sulfide concentrate was nearly 1 pct for the Korean ore and about 0.1 pct for the Nevada ore. The tungsten contained in the sulfide concentrate constituted about 3 pct of the total tungsten in each ore. No effort was made to recover these tungsten values. The scheelite was floated with oleic acid. Adjustments in pH were made with sulfuric acid or sodium carbonate. A 1 pct solution of 85 pct Aerosol OT was sprayed on the froth and sides of the cell during the scheelite float to aid in dispersing the minerals and to decrease the entrapment of gangue particles. Six tests were planned for each of the six types of silicate in which concentrations of 1, 2, and 4 1b of silicate per ton of dry ore were investigated at both 6.5 and 10 pH. All tests were made at room temperature. The performance of each silicate was judged from the grade and recovery of WO, in the scheelite rougher concentrate. Tungsten recovery was calculated on the basis of the scheelite remaining in the ore after the preliminary sulfide float. Testing of each silicate at three levels of concentration and two levels of pH required 36 tests with each scheelite ore. Variance analyses were performed on the concentrate grades and recoveries to determine whether or not the type of sodium silicate, the concentration of sodium silicate, or the pH significantly affected recovery or grade. Results Concentrate Grade: A variance analysis of the concentrate grades for the Korean ore showed that concentration of the silicate and pH of the ore pulp were major factors in producing a high grade concentrate. Also, the silica- to-so da ratio was important as an interaction with pH. The concentrate grade vs silica-to-soda ratio is plotted in Fig. 1. The curves show that the concentrate grade improved with an increase in concentration of sodium silicate and also

Jan 1, 1959

By W. L. Price

Since they were first introduced in the United States in 1964, rail mounted bucket wheel stacker-reclaimers have gained wide acceptance by the coal burning power plant group. Other installations include those in phosphate and steel mill ore storage areas. First Installation in the U.S.A. Three basic types of bucketwheels for handling stored bulk materials are now being used in the U.S. Bucketwheel stacker-reclaimers came into use in the U.S.A. in 1964 at the Chalk Point power station built by the Potomac Electric Power Co. It was decided, after serious study, to install the first slewing-boom, rail mounted bucketwheel stacker-reclaimer at this installation. It was designed with a separately counter- weighted wheel boom because the fixed counterweight of the European designed bucketwheel made it possible for the machine to overturn backwards if the wheel rested on the ground due to a possible failure of the luffing system.

Jan 1, 1970

By Branko Ladanyi

In reviewing the current issues in rock mechanics, the author puts an' emphasis on problems related with the needs of extrapolation in scale and time, and of establishing proper conceptual models, especially in connection with the most recent large-scale and long-term projects such as underground disposal of nuclear waste. In such projects, where valid case histories will not be available for many years to come, the observational method can only be successful if combined with a proper framework approach, such as general rock mass classification systems and behavioral models.

Jan 1, 1982

By H. M. Morse

During the year of 1940, wildcat wells were drilled in 32 counties of Mississippi; 85 wells in all. These were scattered over the state from the most northern county to the southern counties and from the Mississippi River on the west to the Alabama line on the east. Yazoo County, with 19, received the largest number. The average depth of all the wells was 5333 ft. The shallowest well completed as a dry hole was in Yalobusha County, aban-doned at 1392 ft. in the Selma. The deepest well drilled was in Scott County, abandoned at 10,365 ft. in the Lower Cretaceous Paluxy. G. C. Grasty drilled the Kentucky Lumber Company No. I well, sec. 7, T. 10 S., R. 10 E., Itawamba County, to a depth of 3530 ft. and bottomed his hole in the Ordivician. Tinsley Oil Field.—In the Tinsley oil field 104 wells were completed as producers during 1940. Five producing sands have been logged with a total average thickness of I57 ft. of oil sand. One of these sands is in the Selma, three in the Eutaw, and one in the Tuscaloosa. Vaughan-Pickens Field.—The Vaughan-

Jan 1, 1941

By H. M. Morse

During the year of 1940, wildcat wells were drilled in 32 counties of Mississippi; 85 wells in all. These were scattered over the state from the most northern county to the southern counties and from the Mississippi River on the west to the Alabama line on the east. Yazoo County, with 19, received the largest number. The average depth of all the wells was 5333 ft. The shallowest well completed as a dry hole was in Yalobusha County, aban-doned at 1392 ft. in the Selma. The deepest well drilled was in Scott County, abandoned at 10,365 ft. in the Lower Cretaceous Paluxy. G. C. Grasty drilled the Kentucky Lumber Company No. I well, sec. 7, T. 10 S., R. 10 E., Itawamba County, to a depth of 3530 ft. and bottomed his hole in the Ordivician. Tinsley Oil Field.—In the Tinsley oil field 104 wells were completed as producers during 1940. Five producing sands have been logged with a total average thickness of I57 ft. of oil sand. One of these sands is in the Selma, three in the Eutaw, and one in the Tuscaloosa. Vaughan-Pickens Field.—The Vaughan-

Jan 1, 1941

The world's production of petroleum in 1926 amounted to nearly 150 million long tons, of which India contributed 0.72 per cent. In 1927, this figure jumped to some 172 million long tons, of which the Indian proportion, on a practically stationary production, fell to 0.64 per cent. In 1928, there was another substantial rise in the world's production, which reached the figure of over 181 million tons. In 1929, there was another jump to over 202 million tons, but in 1930 the world's production fell to about 193% million tons, in 1931 to about 187 million tons, and in 1932 to about 183 million tons, while in 1933 the production rose again to about 202 million tons, in 1934 to about 215 million tons, and in 1935 to 233 million tons1. Decreases were shown by Poland, Sarawak, Egypt, Rumania and France. All other important producers showed an increase in production, by far the largest being due to Iraq, as a result of the opening of the pipe line to the Mediterranean. The United States contributed 60.9 per cent of the world's supply in 1935, Russia 10.7 per cent, Venezuela 9.4 per cent, Rumania 3.9 per cent and Iran 3.1 per cent. In 1928, India contributed 0.64 per cent, which fell to 0.60 per cent in 1929 and rose to 0.62 per cent in 1930, 0.63 per cent in 1931, and 0.64 per cent in 1932, and fell again to 0.62 per cent in 1933, to 0.60 per cent in 1934 and to 0.50 per cent in 1935; her position on the list of petroleum-producing countries fell from eleventh in 1929 to twelfth in 1930 to 1933, her place being taken by Trinidad and to thirteenth in 1934 and 1935, owing to the production by Iraq. The production of petroleum in India (including Burma2) increased slightly from 322,025,280 gal.3 in 1934 to 322,662,336 gal. in 1935, the highest figure in the history of the industry. The increase in 1935 is due to an increase of some 4 million gallons in Assam, almost offset by a decrease of 31/2 million gallons in Burma. This increase in output in 1935 was accompanied by an increase in estimated value amounting to Rs. 22,73,550 (£170,944).

Jan 1, 1937

By G. S. Hume

The largest development program in the history of Alberta was undertaken in 1941 in an effort to increase oil production. The drilling record is as follows: In Alberta there was the largest exploratory campaign for oil in the history of the Province, although drilling of wildcat wells was somewhat less than in the previous year. A great deal of geophysical work was done. This included three gravimetric and five seismic parties as well as a number of geological survey parties by the major oil companies and by the Geological Survey of Canada. Seismic work was done by one party in southern Saskatchewan. The production of petroleum in Canada is shown in Table I. About 98 per cent of the total production comes from Alberta and the yield of the various fields is shown in Table 2. The greatest developments in Turner Valley have been in the north end. In 1941 about two miles of new productive area was proved by drilling, extending the field to a length of 20 miles. The wells at the

Jan 1, 1942

By G. S. Hume

The largest development program in the history of Alberta was undertaken in 1941 in an effort to increase oil production. The drilling record is as follows: In Alberta there was the largest exploratory campaign for oil in the history of the Province, although drilling of wildcat wells was somewhat less than in the previous year. A great deal of geophysical work was done. This included three gravimetric and five seismic parties as well as a number of geological survey parties by the major oil companies and by the Geological Survey of Canada. Seismic work was done by one party in southern Saskatchewan. The production of petroleum in Canada is shown in Table I. About 98 per cent of the total production comes from Alberta and the yield of the various fields is shown in Table 2. The greatest developments in Turner Valley have been in the north end. In 1941 about two miles of new productive area was proved by drilling, extending the field to a length of 20 miles. The wells at the

Jan 1, 1942

By Kendall E. Born

Production of crude oil in Tennessee during 5945 was slightly more than 6000 bbl., the lowest figure since 1916. Approximately 5500 bbl. was produced from the "Mississippi lime" in Scott and Morgan Counties. The remainder was from two wells each in Clay and Fentress Counties. Thirty million cubic feet of gas was marketed off the lease in Morgan County and about 10 million cubic feet was produced in the Jamestown field in Fentress County. The production of oil by counties is shown in Table 1.

Jan 1, 1946

By Fred H. Kan

The production of petroleum in Venezuela during 1931 was approximately 118,767,000 bbl., a decrease of 18,904,000 bbl., or 13.7 per cent, compared with the previous year. This is the first break in production, which has risen steadily since 1920, and is attributable to restriction of output and drilling operations, in harmony with lessened demand, rather than to any real decline in potential production. Venezuela ranked third among the world's producers, having lost second place to Russia. The Bolivar coastal fields, which were extended approximately 14 miles southward during the year, continued to supply most of the oil. La Concepcion, Los Manueles and Quiriquire all showed marked increases. A new field of light oil was discovered on the north coast near Puerto Cumarebo, State of Falcon. Exports declined 15.7 per cent, from 137,377,000 bbl. in 1930 to about 115,800,000 bbl. in 1931. Crude oil in storage at the end of the year amounted to 7,450,000 bbl., a decrease of 2,150,000 as compared with 1930. Tankage utilized is about 40 per cent of the available space. A drastic decline in drilling activity reduced the number of wells completed in producing areas from 401 in 1930 to 116 in 1931. Only three wells were drilled in the Lagunillas field proper, but, the amount of closed-in production and proven acreage gave assurance of a satisfactory potential output. Of the 1580 wells drilled to the close of 1931 in the producing areas of the Bolivar Coast, 631 were active and 853 were closed in; 96 had been abandoned. The status of the active wells at the end of 1931 was as follows: flowing, 331; pumping, 99; gas-air lift, 201. Producing wells closed in numbered 452; workovers, 8; totally inactive, 393. Lago Petroleum Corp. and Venezuela Gulf Oil Co. placed in operation the first units of their electric power plants, the former at Punta Gorda and the latter at Las Morochas, and are replacing steam power in their operations as rapidly as possible. Compressor stations were also installed for use in connection with air-gas lift operations. A considerable volume of gas was treated in gasoline extraction plants, the tail gas being recom-pressed and utilized together with natural high-pressure gas, for stimulation of production.

Jan 1, 1932

By E. C. Reed

Drilling operations in Nebraska during 1943 were reduced to approximately two thirds of the 1942 number. Twenty-seven wells were completed during 1943 and five wells were drilling at the close of the year. Eight of the completions, in provcn fields, were producers. The operations were distributed throughout the state as follows: eleven in Richardson County, four each in Buffalo and Harlan Counties, three in Furnas County, and single operations in Antelope, Butler, Dakota, Dawes, Gage, Nemaha, Otoe, Pawnee, Scotts Bluff and Sherman Counties. Thc principal feature of exploration drilling in the state during the year was the more extensive testing in the central Nebraska Basin region, principally in Buffalo and Harlan Counties, where

Jan 1, 1944

By E. C. Reed

Drilling operations in Nebraska during 1943 were reduced to approximately two thirds of the 1942 number. Twenty-seven wells were completed during 1943 and five wells were drilling at the close of the year. Eight of the completions, in provcn fields, were producers. The operations were distributed throughout the state as follows: eleven in Richardson County, four each in Buffalo and Harlan Counties, three in Furnas County, and single operations in Antelope, Butler, Dakota, Dawes, Gage, Nemaha, Otoe, Pawnee, Scotts Bluff and Sherman Counties. Thc principal feature of exploration drilling in the state during the year was the more extensive testing in the central Nebraska Basin region, principally in Buffalo and Harlan Counties, where

Jan 1, 1944

By G. S. Hume

In Alberta, an oil well with an estimated capacity of 60 to 100 bbl. was "brought in" at Wainwright, the oil being derived from the Colorado group of rocks. In the Norman fields, Mackenzie River area, two new holes completed showed no oil in commercial quantities whereas the "Discovery" well has now an increased flow amounting to about 100 bbl. In Kent Co., Ontario, a well from low down in the Trenton formation gave an initial flow estimated at 200 bbl. This opens up new possibilities for the Ontario fields as this is the first oil from this depth in the Trenton. ACTIVE drilling operations for oil were carried on during the summer of 1923 in various parts of western Canada, particularly in Alberta. During the early part of the summer, interest centered in southern Alberta, in the Coutts area, just north of the producing Kevin-Sunburst field of Montana; but on Nov. 14 a strike of oil by British Petroleums Ltd. at its well near Wainwright, 120 mi. east of Edmonton, diverted public attention to a new field. According to present estimates, this well has a possible production of from 60 to 100 bbl. a day; the oil is 15° Bé. with an asphaltic base and is obtained from a sand at the depth of 2019-2036 ft. The oil stands at 1700 ft. in the casing and there is sufficient gas pressure to cause it to flow when the well is opened. The oil horizon is in a sandstone in rocks of Colorado age. It is known that there is a terrace structure of which the western edge extends in a northwesterly direction from the vicinity of Hardisty to Viking, where it probably swings more to the north. At Viking a small dome-like structure on this terrace gives rise to an important gas field. Wainwright lies directly northeast of Hardisty. The exact structure in the Wainwright field is unknown. At Fabyan, 6 mi. northwest of Wainwright, the Imperial Oil Co.1 last year brought in a large gas well estimated at 14,000,000 cu. ft.; the escaping gas sprayed a small amount of heavy black oil over the derrick. The gas was obtained at a depth of

Jan 2, 1924

By David M. Parkes

This paper outlines the achievements to date at the British Columbia mine of Kaiser Resources Ltd. Almost one million raw short tons (855,000 metric tonnes) are now produced per year from a single monitor operation working 15 short shifts per week. Progress has been made in reducing the angle at which coal will flow in flumes by modifying the shape and the plastic linings. Improvements have been made in transporting coal from heading machines, and in the design of the present and future coal: water circuits. The development of hydraulic mining is still young and many improvements are being made.

Jan 1, 1976

By Gilbert P. Moore

The production of petroleum in Argentina during 1932 was greater than in any preceding year. The total amount produced was 13,012,-756 bbl. This figure represents a decided increase in the production of oil in Argentina and can be attributed largely to the increased activities of the Royal Dutch operations at Kilometer 27 in the Comodoro Rivadavia district and those of the Standard Oil Co. of Argentina in the Salta region. Production from the Royal Dutch wells amounted to considerably more than 10,000 bbl. per day over quite a long period during the year. Of the 13,012,756 bbl. of oil produced during 1932, the Government Agency (Y. P. F.) was responsible for some 5,578,954 bbl., while 7,433,-802 bbl. were produced by private companies. Although in 1930 the Y. P. F. produced about 55 per cent of the total production and in 1930 50 per cent of the total, in 1932 its production had fallen to about 42 1/2 per cent of the total. This decrease in the proportion produced by the Y. P. F. was not due to a decrease in its production but to the decided increase in the production of private companies, particularly those two whose names are given above. One new discovery was recorded during the year. This was a well drilled by the Y. P. F. at Cacheuta in the province of Mendoza which came in pumping 80 bbl. of 15" gravity oil from a depth of 673 meters. This well was completed at approximately the same time that the provincial government of Mendoza granted a concession to the Y. P. F. and declared the whole province as a reserve in which no concessions may be granted for a period of 10 years. Under these conditions, the federally operated Y. P. F. will have no competition in the Cacheuta area from private companies such as they have in the other three fields of the republic. The Y. P. F. wildcat west of Comodoro Rivadavia at Pampa Maria Santissima on the Rio Senguerr was completed as a dry hole during 1932. This we11 was reported as a producer in 1930 by persons returning to this country from Argentina but it appears that they had been misinformed. The site of this test has been abandoned and a new location made north of the Rio Senguerr.

Jan 1, 1933

By E. C. Reed

Drilling activity in Nebraska continued to decline during 1944. Nine tests for oil and gas were completed during the year and four wells were drilling at the close of the year. Four wells were drilled in Richardson County, three in Hitchcock County and single wells were drilled or drilling in Butler, Gage, Holt, Nemaha and Scottsbluff Counties. Only one of the completions resulted in commercial pro- duction, the others being abandoned as dry holes. A number of stratigraphic test holes were drilled in the state by the Stanolind Oil and Gas Co. and the Sinclair-Prairie Oil Co., in Johnson, Otoe, Chase, Dundy and Garden Counties. No new fields were discovered during 1944 but the limits of the Barada field, Richardson County, was extended a short distance southward. Oil production continued to drop and about two thirds as much oil was produced in 1944 as in 1943.

Jan 1, 1945

By E. R. Borcherdt

METHODS and equipment are subject to study in the Butte district at all times in order that advantage may be taken of any new developments that might serve to increase efficiency and lower costs. Detailed time studies of each operation involved in the entire mining process have been of invaluable assistance in analyzing the individual operation for possible improvement. In other words, the fact that a practice has been in vogue for many years does not exempt it from change provided an easier and cheaper method can be found. EXPLORATION Ore occurs in the Butte district in such manner that structures must be drifted on, no matter how small or unimportant they appear when intersected by a crosscut. Parallel structures also add to the crosscut requirements. This prospecting work, which formerly was done entirely by drifting and crosscutting, is now being supplemented by diamond drilling, to aid in greatly decreasing the amount of waste. In long-shot prospecting, or in second or third class prospecting, where the chances of developing commercial ore are not very great, diamond drilling is of particular value. In prospecting where chances of encountering commercial ore are certain or where crosscuts can be used later for haulage or ventilation, drilling obviously is not applicable. Improvement in drilling machines and bits has contributed greatly to the present success of diamond drilling. STOPING For many years square-set filled sloping was the principal mining method used in the Butte district. Later timbered and untimbered rill stopes were used, also some horizontal cut-and-fill sloping where both ore and walls were particularly strong. Because of the amount of timber required for square-set stoping, and the relatively low production per scope unit, experiments with horizontal cut-and-fill scopes were begun in ore bodies of which many had fairly weak walls. It was felt that increase in the speed of the stoping operation, followed closely by filling, to avoid weight being produced by permitting ore and walls to remain insufficiently supported over comparatively long periods, would maintain the walls and backs in safe condition without the use of timber and without ore dilution from wall slough. Cycles of drilling, scraping ore, and filling were devised, which have materially increased stope production and decreased timber consumption, so that both stope labor and supply costs were lowered appreciably without materially affecting grade control. In the larger mines of the district, where wide veins favor this stoping method, half of the total production is now being mined by horizontal cut-and-fill stopes (Fig. I). The increase of the filling rate demanded by the increased stoping rate was the greatest obstacle encountered in the accelerated stoping operations. Finally this problem was solved by replacing the time-honored method of transferring filling waste by small cars, which were hoisted or lowered in the auxiliary shaft, by a transfer

Jan 1, 1941