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By Guy T. McBride

The 1970's have been considered a pivotal decade for the mineral industries. Undergraduate mineral engineering education is relevant to this theme; in particular, there are three interrelated problems: 1) The goals, and therefore the course requirements, of the under- graduate curricula are in question; 2) The unit costs of undergraduate education appear excessive to those who bear the charges; and 3) The present social ambience detrimentally affects the work attitudes and career motivation of both prospective and in-course students. Any discussion of these problems must bottom upon recognized national needs for minerals and a technologically sound minerals industry staffed by competent engineers, particularly at the exploration, development and production levels. Fortunately, these needs have been recognized and to some extent quantified, and they are even now under further intensive study by some of the most competent members of society and the profession.

Jan 3, 1973

By Robert B. Schlosser

Anaconda's Jackpile uranium mine is a multi- million-ton open pit sandstone deposit, producing some 3000 tpd for the company mill. With minor exceptions, the orebody is in equilibrium, and the backbone of ore-grade control is the radiometric assay, which fortunately is dependable. Preparatory Sample Drilling: Before it is stripped, the orebody is diamond-drilled on 200-ft centers N-S and 100-ft centers E-W. Drill core is logged, split, and assayed radiometrically, and several samples are assayed chemically to check the equilibrium status. This information establishes the pit outline and the first rough estimate of ore. After stripping, diamond drill data is supplemented by rotary drillholes on 50-ft centers. Dry chip samples, collected every 2 ft, are prepared and assayed radiometrically at the mine. Details of the orebody are then available for study, and the basic mining plan is drawn up.

Jan 10, 1958

The visitors to the October meeting will be given opportunity to visit the coal fields in Illinois, adjacent to St. Louis, the steam-shovel operations near Pittsburgh, Kan., and the Oklahoma oil fields. The coal mines of Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas furnish fuel over all of the central region of the country. Especially at this time, this district is of importance because of the necessity of producing enormous quantities to meet the country's demand. Some of the mines produce as much as 5,500 tons in 8 hr., and. the total output of Illinois, alone, in 1916, was 63,000,000 tons. Visitors may see elaborate underground electric tram systems, large underground machine repair shops, surface plants equipped for rapid loading, and some of the most modern coal-washing installations. The conditions for mining here are somewhat simpler than in the east.

Jan 8, 1917

By N. H. Cone

It is somewhat surprising that among the many mechanical devices that were brought into the State of Colorado, that the Brückner cylinders alone have stood the test for roasting ores. The brick walls of the Arey and Stetefeld furnaces have been remodelled into reverberatories and compound reverberatories, their binding and anchor irons have been forged into hoes and shovels, while the Crosby and Thompson cylinders have been rent by the ruthless hand of the foundryman searching for a tough piece of boiler plate. Two only of these furnaces remain in operation, of the large stock that came into Colorado by car-loads several years ago, and they occupy only a subordinate position to some reverberatories on the North Boulder Creek. But to-day there are in Colorado, in active operation, ten Brückner cylinders, and two or three more running part of the time. Dur-

By N. E. Cone

IT is somewhat surprising that among the many mechanical devices that were brought into the State of Colorado, that the Brückner cylinders alone have stood the test for roasting ores. The brick walls of the Arey and Stetefeld furnaces have been remodelled into reverberatories and compound reverberatories, their binding and anchor irons have been forged into hoes and shovels, while the Crosby and Thompson cylinders have been rent by the ruthless hand of the foundryman searching for a tough piece of boiler plate. Two only of these furnaces remain in operation, of the large stock that came into Colorado by car-loads several years ago, and they occupy only a subordinate position to some reverberatories on the North Boulder Creek. But to-day there are in Colorado, in active operation, ten Brückner cylinders, and two or three more running part of the time. Dur-

Jan 1, 1876

Three years ago, when Sun Energy Development Co. (Sunedo) dedicated its Cordero mine in Wyoming, the company noted that its decision to venture into the coal industry was prompted by the need for domestic energy self-sufficiency. Now, as the energy situation assumes crisis proportions and the cry For coal intensifies, Sunedoo has begun a $21 million expansion program that will double the mine's productive capacity by the mid-1980s. When the Cordero come was originally conceived, Sunedoo obtained permission from permitting authorities to produce up to 11 million t/y (12 million stpy) of coal. But seeing opportunities in the coal market, Sunedoo returned to the agencies in 1976 and came away with permission to produce 22 million t/y (24 million stpy). Of that total permitted capacity, Cordero is expected to produce about 3.6 million tons (4 million st) this year.

Jan 9, 1979

By John C. Smock

George Hammell Cook was born at Hanover, Morris County, New Jersey, January 5, 1818. His early education was obtained in the country school, and he was, for a short time, a teacher in his native town. In 1836 he was engaged, as a civil engineer, in making surveys and locating the line of the Morris and Essex Railroad from Newark to Morristown, and the extension of the road to the Delaware River. Appreciating the advantages of a thorough education, and seeking a wider field of usefulness, he entered the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute at Troy in 1838, and, was graduated from that .school in 1839. In this institution he heard the lectares of Amos Eaton, the famous teacher, from whom so many of our older scientists caught their inspiration and love for the natural sciences. After graduation, he was employed as a tutor in the school, and subse-

Jan 1, 1890

By T. Cuscino, D. D. Lane, C. Cowherd, T. E. Baxter

Three types of commercially-available dust suppressants, commonly used in the surface mining industry to control fugitive particulate emissions from unpaved roads, were tested in the laboratory for cohesive strength and resistance to reduced effectiveness by large water addi¬tions. Results indicate that each product tested varies in cohesive strength with a range of 34-300 kPa (5-44 psi). Total cohesive strength depends on the aggregate moisture content and the means by which the sample is dried. Results show that laboratory testing can be used as a decision¬making tool concerning the type of dust suppressant for a particular mining operation. Also, the road surface aggre¬gate moisture content u critical to successful dust suppres¬sant performance. Large water additions to the aggregate road surface after initial suppressant application can pro¬duce nondesirable results. A modified wet sieving analysis is presented to test the effect of water addition.

Jan 1, 1984

By Joseph W. Mills

In 1956 the discovery of nickel on Jumbo Mountain, Snohomish County, Washington, focused attention on this part of the Cascade Range, far more renowned for its timber than for its mineral resources. Hand specimens assaying as high as 13 pct Ni encouraged Discovery Mines Inc. of Mount Vernon, Wash., to stake 12 claims in Township 31 North, Range 9 East of the Willamette Meridian. The property was leased to Climax Molybdenum Co. in January 1957. Trenching, sampling, and geologic studies were carried out during the late summer of 1957 when most of the snow had disappeared. Although the deposits are only about four miles south of the logging town of Darrington and about two miles, as the crow flies, southeast of the end of a good gravel road from that town, all camp supplies and equipment were air-dropped, owing to the extremely rugged nature of the terrain.

Jan 3, 1960

By T. M. Anderson

From the start of production in 1915 until 1948, underground block caving operations accounted for all of the ore production of Inspiration Consolidated Copper Co. Open pit development work began in 1947, and ore production from the open pit commenced in March 1948. Thus began the transition from underground to open pit mining which continued until August 1954. Since then, open pit mining has accounted for all ore production which presently averages 105,000 tons of ore and 75,000 tons of waste rock each week. Open pit mining operations at Inspiration is carried on in two separate pits-the Live Oak Pit and the Thornton Pit. The Live Oak Pit covers an area of approximately 1500x3000 ft and the Thornton Pit, 2500x2000 ft. The geographic centers of the two pits are 4000 ft apart and, at their nearest point, the surface slopes are 500 ft apart.

Jan 1, 1961

Fred D. DeVaney (Magnetic Roasting of Iron Ores, P. 1219) has presented several other AIME papers, all of them concerned with grinding and concentrating problems. He is chief metallurgist, Pickands Mather & Co., at Hibbing Minn., after working for the U. S. Bureau of Mines at Tuscaloosa, Ala., and Rolla, Mo., as a junior metallurgist and a metallurgist. DeVaney started as a research metallurgist with Pickands Mather in 1942. He set up the first laboratory in the Lake Superior district devoted to taconite concentra¬ [ ] tion, his major interest. He has been an AIME member since 1923, holding various offices, including the first presidency of the Minnesota Section. DeVaney has a Bachelor's in Mining, and Master of Science earned at the University of Alabama in 1924. He is a member of the Engineers Club of Northern Minnesota and plays golf for relaxation and enjoyment.

Jan 1, 1952

By J. H. Berryman

THE use of oxygen as a bath reagent in hearth furnaces during the refining period is a familiar story. Investigations and tests in which oxygen was substituted for iron ore to reduce carbon date back 25 years and include the work of Bigge,1 Browne,2 and Chelius.3 During this past year the majority of the experimental work in the use of oxygen was carried on mainly in open-hearth shops, since it was felt that the greater field for application lay in this type of furnace. Much constructive work was done in evaluating the carbon-oxygen relationships, as reported by Slottman and Lounsberry4 and by Hughes.5 Steelmakers using the electric furnace have been actively engaged meanwhile in an experimental program of their own, with such success that the oxygen injection pipe has become a tool in the day to day production of low-carbon and stainless steels.

Jan 1, 1947

By S. Webster, M. Karmis, C. Haycocks

Mining any seam can seriously affect subsequent operations in coal seams both above and below the one being mined. The effect is often detrimental to the recovery, cost and safety of mining the subsequent seams. This paper describes the ground control mechanisms involved in mining through a passive subsided zone or all actively subsiding trough. Data were extracted from case studies, primarily from the Appalachia region, for construction of empirical models to predict interaction problems that can occur in overlying seams. Inner-burden thickness, innerburden lithology, percentage extraction, lower seam height, time and overburden were analyzed to determine their effect on upper seam damage. Magnitude of upper seam subsidence was incorporated, together with a broad classification of rock types, to predict the type and range of damage that can occur in the upper seam. Results are summarized in graphically and nomogram form for use in. engineering design.

Jan 1, 1984

By R. M. (Mike) Robb

Introduction The requirements to investigate a wide range of alternatives and analyze a variety of ‘what if’ questions make the automation of pit design a requirement in today’s rapidly changing mining industry. The wide-spread application of computers has relieved the engineer of much of the tedious and error-prone work related to mine design. He is thus free to do the creative and innovative thinking for which he is trained. It is now possible to investigate a large number of alternative pit designs in a reasonably short time period. In the past it was very easy for a team of engineers to consume 12 to 14 man-months in the detailed hand design of a large open pit. The pressure of today's mining industry, the desire to investigate a variety of alternative designs, and the shortage of qualified engineers make the slowness of hand design less preferred.

Jan 1, 1979

Would you give us a short biographical sketch including your birthplace, education and current activities? I was born Jan. 16, 1920 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and lived there the first 22 years of my life. I also spent quite a bit of time on a farm about fifty miles north of Minneapolis owned by relatives. During the Depression, we lived off of ten cows and about fifty chickens. I'm a full-blooded Swede all along the line, and I'll be the last one in my family since my wife is not of Swedish descent. I attended Macalester College, a small school in St. Paul, to study for the ministry originally. However I soon realized that I really didn't have the talents for the ministry and I could probably do as much or more in a field where I did have some talent.

Jan 3, 1974

By Mario L. Villa

Oil activities and the petroleum industry in general have suffered severely in this country as a result of present war conditions. War has imposed a very heavy and unpleasant burden on the shoulders of those whose duty it is to keep .Argentina supplied with the necessary oil to meet industry's growing demands. Since 1940, imports of manufactured products from Europe and the United States have fallen to a minimum, making it necessary to manufacture as many of them as possible locally. This has brought about the establishment of many new industries and the enlargement of already existing plants, creating new demands for fuel that drain heavily the country's stocks, which already were overtaxed because of the diminished supply imported. To cope with this problem, a plan for an intensification of oil-field activities was drawn up by Yacimientos Petroliferos Fiscales (Argentine Government Oil Fields) which included the drilling of many new

Jan 1, 1943

By Knut Conradsen

In the study 208 heavy mineral concentrates (pan samples) from Jameson Land, East Greenland, are considered. Each concentrate has been analysed (by spectroscopy) for the content of (approx.) 25 elements. Furthermore the exact sampling position and the geological characteristics of the environment have been registered. In the study is shown how different multivariate methods combined with geological knowledge of the area can be used in the interpretation and classification of the data. Special emphasis is put on the problem of finding reliable expressions for the background level of the element concentrations in the area. This is done by means of severel discrimination procedures. The other main subject is a demonstration of the applicability of isoscore maps - originating from factor analyses - in the evaluation of the co-variability of the data, and thus give another way of classifying the individual samples according to the content of different elements.

Jan 1, 1977

By Gloyd M. Wiles

Since D. C. Jackling was famous for his adeptness at organizing and training teams of operating personnel, the subject of mine management is particularly appropriate for a Jackling Lecture. In fact, it is doubly appropriate because in very basic ways Jackling's career changed the nature of the tasks and challenges facing a mine manager. Management of mines, of course, is the art of finding and winning minerals economically from the earth's crust, and it involves the use of all the engineering sciences. But also of prime importance is a skill which is not yet a science-the area of management often referred to as human engineering. Since expenditures on staff and labor may well involve more than 50% of the direct costs of operating a mine, ability at human engineering is just as important as the ability to plan and put into effect the most efficient operating procedures.

Jan 5, 1962

By Mario L. Villa

Oil activities and the petroleum industry in general have suffered severely in this country as a result of present war conditions. War has imposed a very heavy and unpleasant burden on the shoulders of those whose duty it is to keep .Argentina supplied with the necessary oil to meet industry's growing demands. Since 1940, imports of manufactured products from Europe and the United States have fallen to a minimum, making it necessary to manufacture as many of them as possible locally. This has brought about the establishment of many new industries and the enlargement of already existing plants, creating new demands for fuel that drain heavily the country's stocks, which already were overtaxed because of the diminished supply imported. To cope with this problem, a plan for an intensification of oil-field activities was drawn up by Yacimientos Petroliferos Fiscales (Argentine Government Oil Fields) which included the drilling of many new

Jan 1, 1943

By John M. Pitt

Shear strength assessment and the associated variability in rock masses historically have been hindered by high costs and biases in laboratory testing programs. An in situ direct shear device was developed on the principle of the previous borehole shear device for soils. Using wedge action to simultaneously apply normal and shear stress to an envelope of material on the periphery of a borehole, the device develops a complete Mohr-Coulomb failure envelope. Tests performed in homogeneous materials show expected strengths and their variability equivalent to laboratory tests. However, tests in a structurally non- homogeneous coal did not display significant variability. A 38 mm diam borehole was used in this work; however, larger or smaller bore- holes may also be used within the size limits of the device. The device is employed in holes commonly drilled for rock bolt placement, at 1 to 2 minutes per test.

Jan 1, 1984