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By A. F. van Everdingen

The pressure drop in a well per unit rate of flow is conrolled by the resistance of the formation, the viscosity of the fluid. and the additional resistance concentrated around the well bore resulting from the drilling and completion technique employed and, perhaps, from the production practices used. The pressure drop caused by this additional resistance is defined in this paper as the skin effect. denoted by the symbol S. This skin effect considerably detracts from a well's capacity to produce. Methods are given to determine quantitatively (a) the value of S, (b) the final build-up pressure, and (c) the product of average permeability times the thickness of the producing formation. INTRODUCTION Equations which relate the pressure in a well producing from a homogeneous formation with pressures existing at various distances around the well are generally used within the industry. The relation ii quite simple when the fluid flowing is assumed to be incompressible. It becomes somewhat more complicated when the flowing fluid is considered compressible so that the duration of the flow can he considered. In each case the major portion of the pressure drop occurs close to the well bore. However analyses of pressure build-up curves indicate that the pressure drop in the vicinity of the well bore is greater than that computed from these equations using the known, physical characteristics of the formation and the fluids. In order to explain there excessive drops it is necessary to assume that permeability of the formation at and near the well bore is substantially reduced as a result of drilling. completion and, perhaps. production practice. This possibility has been recognized in the literature. A method to compute the pressure drop due to a reduction of the permeability of the formation near the well bore. which is designated as the skin effect. S, is given in the following paragraphs. To start, equations normally used to describe flow in the vicinity of a well are given without considering this effect. These equations then are modified to include the effect of a skin on the pressure behavior. Finally a method is given to estimate the effect of the skin on the pressure and production behavior of a well. PRESSURE EQUATIONS Incompressible Fluid Flow If p is defined as the flowing pressure in a well of radius the pressure at distance r from the well has been shown to be:" The total pressure drop between the drainage boundary, and the well bore is given by These equations are valid only if the flow towards the well occurs in a horizontal homogeneous medium and the fluids are incompressible. The assumptions imply that all fluid taken from the well enters the system at r a condition rarely encountered in practice. Compressible Fluid Flow, Steady State A more realistic equation is obtained if it is assumed that the compressibility, c, of the flowing fluids is small and has a constant value over the pressure range encountered. After the well has been producing for some time so that its rate has become constant and steady state is reached, the pressures throughout the drainage area are falling by the same amount per unit of time, and the pressure differences between a point in the drainage area and the well are constant. When these conditions are met. the rate of production, q, from a well is equal to where dp/dt is the pressure drop per unit time. The fluid flowing at a distance from the center of the well is equal to From the last equation and from Darcy's law it can be shown that The equation holds for a depletion-type reservoir of radius drained by a well located in its center, provided the compressibility of the fluid per unit pressure drop is small and constant, and no fluid moves across the boundary Compressible Fluid Flow — Nonsteady State Table 111 of reference (5) shows the relationship between the pressure at the well bore and the reduced time, The pressure-drop function, p represents the drop below the original reservoir pressure, p caused by unit rate of production for several values of R, the ratio of drainage boundary radius to well radius, r In most reservoirs the values of approach infinity. and under these conditions the values of p shown in Table I of reference (5) can be used where p then signifies the difference between the pressure in the well and the prevailing reservoir pressure per unit rate of flow. The total pressure drop below prevailing reservoir pressure amounts to where the factor converts the cumulative pressure drop per unit rate of production to cumulative pressure drop for actual rate. q. For values of T > 100 the P function may be written (equation VI-15 of reference 5) as Using the time conversion the difference in pressure between reservoir and well becomes If values for the physical constants of the formation and the fluids are inserted, it is found that T exceeds 100 after a few seconds of production (or closed-in time), so that the approximation becomes valid almost at once. A simple relation between the pressure in the well and in the reservoir can also be derived by considering the well as a point source"" '" instead of a unit circle source, that is, by using Lord Kelvin's solution instead of the unit circle source

Jan 1, 1953

By Carl F. Dietz, Dyke V. Keedy

The problem of drying ores is one that most mill-engvineers are sooner or later called upon to meet, and it may be timely to point out some of the difficulties resulting from such operations from purely a metallurgical and economic standpoint. We mean, in the following pages, to discuss primarily the effect of such operations on the ore. itself, without particular reference to the mechanical or cost features of the subject. That an appreciable tonnage of the ore fed to the usual form of drier, either rotary or stack, is lost, is fairly well appreciated, but we believe that only a few mill-managers know just what their drier-losses amouilt to, and we have found that in most cases they console themselves with the fact that the drier-smoke is not very much discolored, and it is generally believed that the draft is not sufficient to carry away more than a negligible percentage of the values.

Jan 1, 1913

By Herbert Hoover

IT is always a pleasure for me to join in the Ameri-can Mining Congress, for not only has my own professional life been closely linked with the industry, but the Secretary of Commerce is specifically enjoined in the organic act creating the office to promote and foster the interests of the mining industry. And it is a vital part of our national life. It is one of those indus-tries without which. the nation could not go on for a week. It ranks second only to the agricultural industry in its contribution to our raw materials. Its production amounts to nearly 6 ½ billions annually, providing direct support to probably ten millions of our people through employment to about two million workers. But the in-dustry has a greater importance than even these figures indicate, for with agriculture, forestry, and water power it furnishes the raw materials upon which the whole work of our civilization rests. When the raw ma-terials of our mines emerge. from manufacture with the added expenditure of labor and capital upon them, they have a wholesale value of over fifteen billions of dollars. And in this, the second stage of their application, they give employment to another two million workers and support to about ten million more of our people. A large portion of these manufactured commodities must filter through the retail trade; their total value when delivered to the consumer exceeds twenty billions of dollars. And from this distribution arises the support of many more millions of our people. It is estimated that the products of agriculture when they reach . the consumer, with transportation, manu-facturing, and distribution costs added, have about the same value as the mineral industries-each of them thus contributing about one-quarter of our total na-tional income. No other continent has demonstrated its possession of such a magnitude of minerals as has ours, and such a bountiful distribution over our whole land. But our mineral resources differ in one essential from our other natural resources-they are not renewable. Agricul-ture, forests, and water power replenish their supplies from season to season. Some people conclude from the non-renewable character of the mineral supply that they must shortly be exhausted. The practical question is ,one of time, and time in these matters needs to be measured in generations, and apprehension of exhaus-tion needs to be tempered with many probabilities in-cluding the advance in technical methods of extraction. In some of our minerals, such as coal, iron, and building materials we can, through a knowledge of their geologi-cal structure and occurrence, make fairly good estimates of our reserves. We. know that they will outlast many generations of Americans. In non-ferrous metals and oil, geology affords us no great basis for an estimate of future supply. We only know of the occurrence of minerals of this type by actual exposure of them, and we can thus make no estimates except upon reserves which have been proved by actual development by the process of mining. To develop them ahead merely for national satisfaction of assured future supply would imply an unbearable waste of capital. The consequence is that in these groups there is never a demonstrable assurance of more than a few years' supply ahead of us. Yet we have never failed from year to year to find new deposits and extension of old deposits.

Jan 1, 1928

By Jerome Alexander

The object of this paper is to show that many of the important phenomena of metals and alloys are due to the facts that, at some stage, metals and alloys, or some of their constituents, are in a colloidal state and that a portion of the metal or alloy tends to remain in this state. The so-called amorphous phase in pure metals is an isocolloid, consisting of colloidal groups of metal molecules that may be dispersed in still more finely subdivided metal; these colloidal particles are not truly amorphous, but may consist, in part, if not entirely, of ultramicroscopic crystals; as a result the expressions amorphous phase and amorphous theory might he replaced by the expressions colloidal phase and colloidal theory. Any substance is in the colloidal state when the constituent particles consist of molecular or atomic groups, whose size varies approximately from about 100 down to about 5pp, that is from just below the limit of microscopic resolvability to the dimensions commonly ascribed to the larger molecules. Colloidality involves no assumption as to the shape, internal structure, or orientation of the colloidal particles; size alone is the critical factor. A colloidal system may therefore contain crystalline groups, or amorphous groups (non-crystalline, random or haphazard clusters), or a mixture of the two. All colloids consist of at least two phases, the subdivided substance, or dispersed phase, and the substance into which this is subdivided, the dispersion medium. It is not necessary that there be any chemical difference between the dispersed phase and the dispersion medium. As molecular forces are extremely powerful, their application may produce marked changes in the physical properties of metals. It is doubtful whether metal in the interior, especially of large masses, possesses the same properties as that on or near the surface, which alone is open to inspection.

Jan 1, 1921

By Will B. Jamison

It is a fact that the most serious safety problems encountered in US underground coal mines are related to roof-bolting operations. It is also true that roof bolting is usually the operation which limits coal production from a mine section. There has been a recent focus on activity involving roof bolting research, development, and new ideas as people concerned about mine worker safety and productivity realize that significant progress can be made in these areas, even with equipment presently available.

Jan 7, 1977

By John S. Alexander

DURING the past few years the block coal of Indiana has been talked about and written upon to such an extent, that almost every one at all interested in such subjects, has been made acquainted with the area and geographical position of the field, the quality and peculiar properties of the coal, the thickness of the veins, the manner of mining, etc. The writer, therefore, taking for granted that to those present all this is familiar ground, desires more especially to call attention to the position this coal takes in the market, and at those points of consumption where it is brought in direct competition with rival fuels. Chicago, thus far, has been the chief consumer of Indiana block coal, the distance from the mines at Brazil, via Terre Haute and the 25

Jan 1, 1873

By Pete Turcic, Wade E. Cooper

Many factors influence radon-222 influx and radon-daughter concentrations in underground uranium mines. A brief review of some of these factors is presented. Current radon-222 and radon-daughter control principles and practices for U.S. underground uranium mine atmospheres are discussed and a brief review of the applicability of other possible control methods such as rock sealants, radon-222 removal, and radon-daughter removal is given.

Jan 1, 1982

By Chu-Phay Yap

This is the second of a series of theoretical papers on the iron-carbon system. The solidus lines obtained as a result of the different methods of investigation fall naturally into three classes; namely, (1) a straight solidus originally suggested by Roozeboom and supported in the main by the work of Carpenter and Keeling, Andrew and Binnie, et al., using the thermal analysis method; (2) a slightly curved solidus obtained by Honda and his associates, using the magnetic and resistance methods: and (3) Gutowsky's solidus obtained by the Heycock and Neville method of quenching at successively higher temperatures. Although the thermodynamic method as shown in the first paper indicates that the straight solidus line is correct, no explanation has ever been advanced to account adequately for the disagreement in the shape and position of the solidus lines obtained. The nature of the solute in austenit.e is theoretically discussed. On the basis of such discussions, the data obtained by Honda and Endo on the change of magnetic susceptibility of steels with respect to temperature were critically subjected to a graphical analysis, which is shown to yield a rational explanation of the curved solidus lines.

Jan 1, 1931

By R. C. Mahon

THE importance of ground water control in glacial drift overlying mines is widely recognized. Adequate handling of the problem results in considerable saving in overall pumping costs, as the cost of pumping the larger quantity of water under low heads from surface wells is more than offset by the decrease in the quantity of water to be pumped from the mine under high heads. Eliminating or partly reducing seepage of water through the ledge reduces moisture content of the ore, a factor especially important in iron ore mines, where a reduction of 1 pct in moisture effects a very material saving. An important though indeterminate saving is also brought about by the elimination of water in the working places underground. The Homer and Wauseca mines of Hanna Coal & Iron Co. at Iron River, Mich., cover 480 acres. When these mines were started it was possible to operate on only one 40-acre tract, as the depth of water over the remainder of the property was too great to permit operation. Although the average depth of the ground water over the area being mined at that time was less than 50 ft it was necessary to pump 1200 gpm from the mine, the greater part from a depth of 750 ft. The slate footwall and graywacke hanging wall are almost impervious, and it was apparent that seepage into the mine was mainly through the iron formation in which the orebodies were located. Analysis of the water in the iron formation showed it to be of the same character as that in the glacial drift, while the water in both walls was heavily mineralized, also indicating that the water passed much more freely through the iron formation. The first attempt to take off the water above the ledge was by means of drainage drifts driven 15 to 20 ft below the ledge, Fig. 1. Various schemes were used to get the water into these drifts: 1—Holes 15 to 20 ft long were drilled from the back of the drifts to the ledge, but these were difficult to drill and blocked easily. 2—Sections of the drifts were blasted down. This gave a large flow for a time but eventually almost total blockup occurred. 3—Raises 4x4 ft were driven above the drifts to within 8 ft of the

Jan 1, 1955

By G. H. Matheson, J. M. W. Mackenzie

The flotation rate of coal has been studied using a continuous laboratory flotation cell and a multiple exposure photographic technique. The effects of particle size, reagent additions and cell turbulence on the flotation rate of coal have been investigated. The results have been analyzed in terms of current theories of particle bubble encounter and adhesion. The rupture forces which occur during particle bubble encounter have been shown to have an important effect on the flotation rate of coarse coal particles. The flotation of coal is a time dependent process, and in order to obtain a complete understanding of the operation it is necessary to determine the kinetics of the process. In coal flotation, the flotation rate and the associated values of cell productivity in terms of tons per kilowatt-hour and tons per cubic foot of cell volume are of greater importance than in most other mineral flotation operations. The reasons for this are associated with the low unit value of coal and the relatively high cost of coal flotation compared with other coal cleaning processes. An important aspect of coal flotation kinetics is the design of coal flotation cells. The cells used in many coal cleaning operations are often replicas of those used for the treatment of sulfide ores and are not necessarily suitable for the treatment of coal washing pulps, which usually contain a higher percentage of coarse and floatable material than the sulfide pulps for which the cells were designed. This disadvantage of many coal flotation cells has been recognized by Russian engineers who, by the addition of baffles to their subaeration coal flotation cells have increased the cell capacity by 100%. Investigation of the variables which influence flotation kinetics and cell productivity are, therefore, important to the coal industry where flotation is the only accepted method of cleaning the fine (-1/2mm) coal. The kinetics of the flotation process have been investigated in detail by Schumann10 who developed a continuous flotation cell which permitted the study of flotation under steady state conditions. This technique has been used by Gaudin et a1.,6 Brown and Smith and recently by Jowett and Savfi.7 The latter authors have developed a refined mathematical treatment for interpreting the results of continuous laboratory tests. Attempts have also been made to study flotation kinetics using conventional batch testing techniques. The experimental difficulties, however, and the problems of determining the order of the flotation rate process have made this technique of dubious value. A summary of the proposed rate equations for batch testing and the difficulties associated with this technique is given by Brown and Smith. 2 The experimental techniques described above are concerned with the rate of production of froth product. However, several authors, notably Sutherland, 11 Bogdanov1 and Philippoff, 9 have analyzed flotation

Jan 1, 1963

By J. C. Wilhoit, J. B. Cheatham

Although an oil well is a long cylindrical hole with an irregular bottom, it appears likely that the nature of the stress concentration at the bottom of the hole can be ascertained from an analysis of the stresses around a short cylindrical cavity with rounded comers and smooth bottom. Such a cavity is studied primarily because it leads more readily to a solution to the problem by the use of stress functions. In this paper the stress distribution around a short cylindrical cavity subjected to bit loading, overburden and drilling-fluid pressures is determined by means of an analytical solution which approximately satisfies the boundary conditions of the problem. From this solution the stresses at the corner of the hole are calculated to be about 35 per cent lower than comparable results obtained by photoelastic and relaxation analyses. This difference is apparently due to the large radius of curvature at the corner of the cavity in the present analysis. Since good agreement is obtained between the results of this analysis and the stresses calculated for a similar loading on a semi-infinite elastic solid, it is concluded that the bit action in the region near the center of the hole is not appreciably affected by the presence of the sides of the hole. INTRODUCTION Much has been written concerning drilling "under down-hole conditions" and pertaining to the stress distribution in the rock at the bottom of an oil well.1-5 For example, it is known that identical rocks can be drilled more rapidly at the surface than under subsurface conditions of pressure and stress.6 Information on the behavior of rocks under loading can be obtained from triaxial test data.7-9 From such tests it is found that rocks exhibit brittle failure when the confining pressure and pore pressure are equal, but the mode of failure may change to ductile as the difference between the confining pressure and the pore pressure is increased. Brittle failure implies that there is very little permanent deformation before fracture, whereas ductile failure indicates that permanent deformation takes place before fracture. Some rocks are ductile at differential pressures of 5,000 psi , but other rocks are brittle even at differential pressures of more than 50,000 psi. Cuttings embedded in mud at the bottom of the hole may act as a plastic mass which the bit teeth must penetrate in order to attack the virgin rock below. 10 During drilling, the mud pressure acts as the confing pressure, and in many cases the difference between the mud pressure and the formation pore pressure IS sufficiently low so that the rock most likely falls in a brittle manner. Very little penetratiori by the bit teeth may be required for brittle failure of the rock. For these brittle materials, the elastic stress distribution is of practical interest in determicing the possible effects of a given loading on failure. The penetration of bit teeth into ductile or plastic rock has been analyzed previously ll,12 and will not be considered further in the present work. During actual drilling, many teeth act at various points ovel an irregular hole bottom. In the present analysis a solution is obtained for an idealized problem of determining the elastic stress distribution caused by only one tooth acting alone at the center of a smooth hole bottom. It obviously is not proposed that any driller should put a special one-tooth bit on bottom, but it is hoped that extensions of the simpler problems can eventually lead to a better understanding of more complex actual drilling phenomena. To obtain a solution by the use of stress functions, a short cylindrical cavity with rounded corners and smooth bottom is studied. The solution to this problem should give an insight into the nature of the stress concentration at the bottom of an oil well which is in reality a long cylindrical hole with an irregularr bottom. After selection of the proper curvilinear co-ordinate system, the stress functions are expressed as series of Legendre polynomials. The coefficient of each term in the series is then determined to satisfy the boundary conditions at a finite number of discrete points on the boundary of the cavity with least square error. Results are compared with bottom-hole stresses obtained by photoelastic and relaxation analyses.

By W. R. Wawersik, A. M. Starfield

The classical approach to room-and-pillar mine design in flat-lying, tabular ore bodies limits itself to the special case of an extensive and uniform system of pillars. Each pillar is then assumed to carry the same load, and this load is readily calculated from the extraction ratio e and the weight of the overburden : average pillar stress = [ ] where H is depth below surface, p is average density of overburden, and g is acceleration due to gravity. The average pillar load does not, in this case, depend on the mechanical properties of either the pillars or the surrounding rock mass. The only relevant physical property of the pillars is their compressive strength, (i.e., the maximum load-carrying ability) and the criterion for design is that the average pillar stress should not exceed this strength. The wider the pillar, the greater its strength, and the design of the system is concerned with reconciling this increase in strength to the requirements of roof control so as to optimize extraction.l Any departure from a uniform distribution of pillar loads invalidates the classical approach. Such departures may, for instance, be brought about by: (1) a nonuniform layout of pillars and remnants resulting from selective mining, (2) variations in geology which result in gross changes in the properties of part of the seam or the host rock, (3) deliberate use of abutment support in narrow panels, and (4) the use of yielding pillars for local roof support in conjunction with barrier pillars to carry the overburden load.

Jan 1, 1972

By M. P. E. Desvaux, P. Charsley

OLIP-line observations on copper alloys, using the electron microscope, have been made by a number of workers,13 but this work has been confined to a brass. In a CuAl alloys Koppenaal4 and Koppenaal and Fine5 have made observations with the optical microscope and by the use of interferometry. They found that the observed slip step heights inside the Liiders bands accounted for only 42 pet of the total macroscopic strain. The suggestion was put forward that optically unresolvable slip in other parts of the specimen accounted for a major part of the macroscopic strain. This is surprising since it is known from other workers that slip in a brass is inhomogeneous; i.e., large amounts of slip occur on individual {lll) closelys paced than being shared by a large number of closely spaced planes. Furthermore, a brass and a CuAl alloys with high concentration of aluminum exhibit similar deformation characteristics and slip-line patterns. Prior to investigations into the behavior of copper and a CuAl alloys under reversed stresses in tension and compression, some preliminary experiments have yielded results which the authors think resolve this discrepancy, and throw some further light on the behavior of a CuAl in tension. An experiment was carried out on a 10 at. pet CuAl single crystal, of gage length 7.5 cm, diameter 3.1 mm, and orientation shown in Fig. 3 (inset), for the purpose of resolving the above discrepancy. The specimen gage length was electropolished for 10 min in a 50:50 orthophosphoric acid (SG=1.75)-distilled water system, with 2 v across the cell and a current density of 0.5 amp per sq cm. The cathode was made of copper. After a tensile strain of 0.067 ± 0.001, intense slip was observed over a length 2 cm of the gage length whilst the rest of the specimen was relatively undeformed. In the lightly deformed region, slip bands of mean width 20 /x were spaced about 1 mm apart on average. The transition from the heavily slipped region (usually called a Liiders band) to the lightly deformed region was gradual, the slip-band density increasing as the "Liiders band" was approached. In the latter, the slip bands became so close together that, to the naked eye, the specimen appeared to be continously slipped, and the typical microtopography of this region is shown in Fig. 1. Twelve electron micrographs were taken at random from replicas of the Liiders-band region, and the widths of the slip lines were measured. The slip lines account for an over-all tensile deformation of 7.0 ± 0.7 pet, after allowing for the lengths of the un-slipped regions, which is in good agreement with the macroscopic strain. The distribution of slip-line widths was also measured and is shown in Fig. 3. Since Koppenaal could not resolve slip lines with height less than 540A (limit of resolution represented by dashed line), then it was deduced that he could have measured only about 50 pet of the deformation within the 'Liiders Band'. It is concluded, contrary to the suggestion of Koppenaal,5 that virtually all the macroscopic strain is accommodated within the "Luders band" and that there is no need to invoke fine slip distributed uniformly over the gage length.

Jan 1, 1967

By Robert E. Delavault, Harry V. Warren

Circumstances determine whether it is better to make analyses in the field or in a permanent laboratory. The rubeanic acid test described in this article has been designed primarily for field use: it is simple and virtually foolproof, and it requires a minimum of field kit.* It is sensitive, easily detecting 4 ppm of readily extractable copper in a soil. This is by no means a quantitative test, but it is accurate enough to provide a valuable indicator of copper anomalous areas for both prospectors and field geologists. The easiest method for detecting metal deposits that do not produce visible float or stains is to make a simple chemical test for the metal in overlying soil, or in the silt of a stream that may have picked up metal farther upstream.

Jan 11, 1958

By E. J. Roberts, E. B. Fitch

THE mechanism of classification by settling pools is most simply shown in the case of batch sedimentation such as was analyzed by Oden.1 The batch model will be considered, therefore, and it will be shown that the same mechanism applies to continuous operation. Classification in Batch Settling Pools: Consider a beaker or tank of slurry containing particles so dispersed that they can settle independently of one another under the influence of gravity. Originally all particle sizes are uniformly distributed throughout the suspension. All particles start immediately to settle towards the bottom at rates determined by their size, shape, and density—among other factors. Particles reaching the bottom settle out of suspension. After some given time the slurry above the deposited solids is siphoned off or otherwise removed, leaving the deposited solids behind. The deposited solids, together with entrained and any unremoved supernatant slurry, represent the underflow of a classifier. The slurry removed represents the overflow. There is a certain separation, size of particle which during the sedimentation has just time to settle from the top surface of the slurry to the level at which underflow and overflow are parted. All particles with a faster settling rate will have dropped to below this level, no matter where in the beaker they started from originally, and therefore will be absent from the overflow. Particles with a slower settling rate will not reach this level if they started from the top of the slurry, but a portion of them,

Jan 1, 1957

By H. R. Tunnell

Every one connected with a mine knows that it is hard to keep down the costs of moving ore from the place where it is broken to the shaft or portal. Considered broadly, the subject of handling would cover all work done in a mine, but here it has been limited to handling ore in stopes and drifts, through chutes, and on levels. Good ventilation and a strict enforcement of rules for the prevention of dust safeguard the health of the men and lower transportation costs. Handling ORe in Stopes and Drifts The object of all stoping is to mine ore of good grade at low cost. In Butte, most of the ore is mined, from veins dipping from 60° to the horizontal to those which are vertical, by means of square-set, rill, timbered-rill, and back-filling stopes. When blasted, a part of the rock is carried by gravity to the grizzlies over the chutes, the rest is shoveled. Rock, when broken in a stope, may be deflected by inclined floors or slides toward the top of a chute leading to the level below. Ore broken clean enough to ship should be carried, by the force of its fall, into a chute or.as nearly into that chute as the safety of the stope and the men permits. Ore that requires sorting, about 80 per cent. of all ore mined, is caught on a grizzly and the waste picked out. Waste rock broken in a stope is used to fill that stope and should be blasted into the gob with as little handling as possible. About two-thirds of all the ore mined in Butte comes from square-set stopes; this method was used in nearly all cases until 1912, when the rill method of stoping was introduced in the Tramway mine, of the Anaconda Copper Mining Co. The shoveling and timbering costs in square-set stopes are high when compared with the costs in the rill stopes. All the ore cannot be carried to the chute, in falling from place, unless the chutes are very close together or the distance from the back of the stope to the top of the chute is sufficient to slide all the ore broken. The number of chutes is limited by the tendency of the ground to cave; if carried too close together the stope is weakened. Small stopes, or blocks,

Jan 1, 1923

By H. R. Tunnell

Every one connected with a mine knows that it is hard to keep down the costs of moving ore from the place where it is broken to the shaft or portal. Considered broadly, the subject of handling would cover all work done in a mine, but here it has been limited to handling ore in stopes and drifts, through chutes, and on levels. Good ventilation and a strict enforcement of rules for the prevention of dust safeguard the health of the men and lower transportation costs. Handling ORe in Stopes and Drifts The object of all stoping is to mine ore of good grade at low cost. In Butte, most of the ore is mined, from veins dipping from 60° to the horizontal to those which are vertical, by means of square-set, rill, timbered-rill, and back-filling stopes. When blasted, a part of the rock is carried by gravity to the grizzlies over the chutes, the rest is shoveled. Rock, when broken in a stope, may be deflected by inclined floors or slides toward the top of a chute leading to the level below. Ore broken clean enough to ship should be carried, by the force of its fall, into a chute or.as nearly into that chute as the safety of the stope and the men permits. Ore that requires sorting, about 80 per cent. of all ore mined, is caught on a grizzly and the waste picked out. Waste rock broken in a stope is used to fill that stope and should be blasted into the gob with as little handling as possible. About two-thirds of all the ore mined in Butte comes from square-set stopes; this method was used in nearly all cases until 1912, when the rill method of stoping was introduced in the Tramway mine, of the Anaconda Copper Mining Co. The shoveling and timbering costs in square-set stopes are high when compared with the costs in the rill stopes. All the ore cannot be carried to the chute, in falling from place, unless the chutes are very close together or the distance from the back of the stope to the top of the chute is sufficient to slide all the ore broken. The number of chutes is limited by the tendency of the ground to cave; if carried too close together the stope is weakened. Small stopes, or blocks,

Jan 1, 1923

By Eugene P. Pfleider

Research indicates that the cube diamond is a superior stone for drill bits. It can be oriented to combine a long cutting edge with structural strength and high resistance to wear. Test bits set with preferred orientation give double the bit life at astoundingly low diamond loss in comparison to oriented octahedral diamonds.

Jan 10, 1953

By Glenn M. Boyce

This paper discusses the results of a laboratory testing pro- gram to determine the validity of hydraulic fracturing stress measurements in salt. Tests were performed on 15 cm diameter samples loaded under hydrostatic stress conditions to determine the influence of time, confining pressure, flow rate, borehole diameter, and packers on breakdown pressure. Tests were also performed in a polyaxial loading frame to determine whether or not hydraulic fracturing could be used to measure non-hydrostatic stresses. The test results indicate that the breakdown pressure is not affected by time delays of up to 64 hours between the application of load and fracturing the rock. Breakdown pressures were found to fall short of predicted elastic values at higher confining pressures for the hydrostatic tests. The ratio of the horizontal stresses in non-hydrostatic tests had no effect on breakdown pressures. Flow rate and borehole diameter variations were found to have a marked effect on breakdown pressures. Shut-in pressure values, which are generally used as an indication of the minimum stress value, exceeded the applied minimum stresses by 10 to 60% depending on the method of determination used. The lack of a relationship between breakdown pressure and horizontal stress ratio may preclude hydraulic fracturing from being used in salt as it is conventionally applied in brittle rocks.

Jan 1, 1984

By J. A. Herbst, D. W. Fuerstenau

The effect of mill speed and ball load on the dry ball milling of dolomite is examined in the context of the batch grinding model. Observed changes in the parameters of the model are interpreted, as far as possible, in terms of the mechanics of particle motion in the mill. A parameter estimation scheme previously proposed by the authors is shown to provide the basis for a successful simulation of grinding behavior over a wide range of mill speeds and ball loads. Finally, a combination of experimental and simulated results is used to determine the optimum mill speedball load for closed circuit grinding in this mill-material system.

Jan 1, 1973