Search Documents

By B. M. Larsen, L. S. Darken

SOME years ago we collated all laboratory data then available to us on the distribution at equilibrium of manganese and of sulphur between metal and simple slags, and used the results in setting up an equation, which proved to be in accord with determinations of the distribution ratio of manganese and of sulphur between liquid steel and open-hearth slag, over a wide range of operating conditions. We now present an outline of our calculations and inferences on these two closely related questions, which are of especial importance because of the advisability of conserving manganese wherever possible. In general, our results show that in the open-hearth furnace equilibrium between metal and slag, with respect to both manganese and sulphur, is substantially attained during the finishing period of the heat, or in about a half hour to an hour after any additions were made. This implies that the end result will be identical whether manganese is added as alloy or metal to the liquid steel or as oxide to the slag. The proportion of total manganese retained by the steel is favored: (I) by use of the minimum amount of lime, consistent with other operating limitations, required to give a lime-silica ratio of about 2.4, which usually corresponds to a minimum practical slag volume; (2) by a high concentration in the slag of MnO relative to FeO; (3) by high operating temperature. Absorption of sulphur by the slag from the liquid metal is favored: (I) by large slag volume; (2 by a high concentration of active (or "free") lime and of manganese oxide dis) solved in the slag; (3) by low concentration of silica, iron oxide, and phosphate dissolved in the slag. DISTRIBUTION OF MANGANESE BETWEEN SLAG AND METAL AT EQUILIBRIUM On the basis that the distribution of manganese between liquid steel and slag is controlled by the reaction [FeO + Mn = MnO + Fe [A]slag metal slag metal] the distribution at equilibrium, at a given temperature, is expressed by the equilibrium constant for this reaction, which is defined as [K" aMoO aFeI1 dFec) aMn] where a is the activity of the molecular species denoted by the subscript. The activity of each of the several components, although it is not known precisely, is approximately equal to the concentration of each component expressed as its mol fraction; that is, as the ratio of the number of mols of the given component to the total number of mols of all the molecular species present in the metal or slag, as the case may be. Moreover, since the activity, or concentration, of iron in the liquid metal is in fact substantially constant, the term [afe] may be combined with K" to give a new constant K'. Making these changes,

Jan 1, 1942

By Luis N. Henriquez

One form of encouragement for the small copper mining sector in Chile has been the construction and management of custom mill facilities to process the ore. The paper describes an economic analysis framework for the evaluation of government custom milling opportunities. Feasible mill locations and capacities within a region are selected and the infrastructure and milling costs associated with each combination of location and capacity are assessed. For each combination, the economics of developing and operating known copper deposits in the region is evaluated, and an optimum cut-off grade and mine capacity is selected for the deposits which justify development. Since the total ore supply from mines in the region may exceed a particular custom mill capacity, mine development is scheduled to optimize the economics of the mill facility. Finally, the best custom mill location and capacity is selected on the basis of overall costs and benefits. A copper mining region in northern Chile is used to illustrate the application of the model. A mobile mill approach is examined and compared with the fixed location mill alternatives. Results are analyzed as a function of copper price.

Jan 1, 1977

By W. A. Dickinson, H. F. Hendershot

THIS paper is a brief discussion of the past and present methods employed by the Huntington Works of The International Nickel Co., Inc., in the production of nickel and high nickel alloy seamless tubing. The various operations for both hot and cold processing will be considered in their natural sequence, together with the processing characteristics of the high nickel alloys and some descriptions of the equipment used. The tools and lubricants currently in use will be described. This discussion will relate primarily to nickel, Monel,† and Inconel,† since these are the most common of the many alloys processed into tubing at the Huntington Works. The nominal compositions of the materials are shown in Table I. CONVERSION FROM SOLID BILLETS TO TUBE SHELLS History The commercial production of seamless nickel and high nickel alloy tube shells is a comparatively recent development, the first nickel shells having been produced in 1922, Monel in 1930, and Inconel in 1931 on rotary-type piercing mills. Rolled or forged billets, ranging from 3 ½ - to 7 ½ in. diam, were pierced to produce shells ranging' in size from 4 3/8 in. OD X 0.180 in. wall to 8 3/8 in. OD X 1.0 in. wall. After piercing, the shells. were further processed by hot rolling, reeling, and sizing. Subsequent to these operations the shells were either supplied to the trade as "hot finished" tubes, or were processed by cold drawing to smaller sizes at the Huntington Works of the International Nickel Co. The extrusion of nickel and high nickel alloys also may be classed as a relative newcomer to the field of hot-forming methods, for it was not until 1928 that the commercial extrusion of these alloys was begun on a 600 long ton vertical extrusion press installed at Zenith Works of Henry Wiggin and Co., Ltd., Glasgow, Scotland. This press did considerable pioneer work and the results were so favorable that in 1937 a -2200 long ton horizontal press was installed. The quality of the inside surface of the tubing produced on this press was superior to that produced by piercing on a rotary-type mill and, as a result of this experience, a 4000 ton horizontal extrusion press was installed at the Huntington Works in 1943. Billet Preparation The first step in the extrusion, process is the selection of ingots with good hot malleability, as indicated by the test described by Martin and Bieber.1 Ingots then are forged into rough rounds which are machined to the desired billet diameter on a "bar peeler." This machine consists of a rotary head which carries the cutting tools and is driven by a 200 hp, dc motor. The feed mechanism consists of hydraulically driven input and output carriages on the respective sides of the cutter head. The diameter of the forgings used and the machined size or "billet diameter" that corresponds to the four different sizes of

Jan 1, 1951

By C. L. Sainsbury

Lode and placer tin deposits of the western Seward Peninsula, Alaska, have produced more than 2200 tons of metallic tin and constitute the only known domestic deposits of economic grade and size. The lode deposits consist of quartz-topaz greisens containing cassiterite and wolframite as well as numerous base-metal sulfide minerals, and most are in or near altered biotite-granite that forms isolated stocks or in rhyolitic dikes near granite. Within the main lode-producing area in the central York Mountains, nonpegmatite beryllium deposits, consisting principally of fluorite, chrysoberyl, diaspore, tourmaline, and white mica, with minor euclase, bertrandite, phenakite, hematite, and todorokite, are distributed zonally around the tin deposits and locally are transitional with them. All the known beryllium deposits are replacement lodes in carbonate rocks. In the area discussed, both tin and beryllium deposits are localized in a structural belt striking N70° to N85°E across the central York Mountains. The belt is characterized by numerous normal faults, which cut extensive thrust sheets, and by dikes of rhyolite, rhyolite porphyry, and lamprophyre that were injected along the faults. Ore deposits are localized where the dikes intrude brecciated rocks beneath thrusts and, although complex in detail, form tabular lodes that tend to lie along the thrusts. The granites contain abnormal amounts of tin, beryllium, lithium, and boron, and the tin and beryllium lodes are believed to be genetically associated with these enriched granites

Jan 1, 1968

By Francis Foley

IN examining steel under the microscope, one is constantly confronted with structures that are difficult to interpret. Recently, in a collection of samples for exhibition purposes, the writer found apiece of open-hearth runner metal, 2 in. (50 mm.) in diameter, that had been fractured for use as a sample of cast-steel structure. On polishing and etching a section for the purpose of photographing a field to typify the microstructure of steel in the "as cast" condition, a variety of structures was found (Fig. 1) so arranged as to arouse interest at once. For a distance of about 0.065 in. (1.6 mm.) from the skin of the runner, normal ingot structure was found (Fig. 2); this was followed by a zone, about 0.215 in. (5.5 mm.) wide, of considerably lower carbon content in which occurred a most pronounced Widmannstättian structure (Fig. 3); from this point on to the center of the runner, the metal was again of normal ingot structure (Fig. 4). Representative samples taken from the metal in the three zones showed the following analysis: C Ni Cr Metal from skin 0.34 1.26 0.63 Widmannstättian zone 0.21 1.18 0.63 Metal from center 0.34 1.32 0.67

Jan 7, 1919

By W. M. Johns

The geological mapping of Lincoln and Flathead Counties was a five-year project undertaken by the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology. This paper, written by the Project Geologist of the survey, is primarily concerned with the stratigraphy of the Belt rocks encountered in mapping. Lincoln and Flathead Counties of northwestern Montana are underlain by sedimentary rocks of the Belt Series of Precambrian age. In only a very small part of the area, near Libby and Troy, have economic mineral deposits been worked with any success. Most of the area has been inadequately mapped as to geology. The region is crossed by the Great Northern Railway and served by the Pacific Power and Light Co.; officials of these two companies believed that with better geologic maps, prospecting might be stimulated and lead to the discovery of mineral resources that would contribute to new economic development within the area. A cooperative mapping agreement was proposed jointly by the two companies to the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology in May 1958, and thus was born the Kootenai-Flathead five-year project. The dual objectives of this project are: 1) the possible location of mineral deposits of economic value, and 2) the ''stimulation of prospecting exploration" by others. This was to be achieved by geologic mapping of some 6800 sq miles and by establishing a field office in Kalispell where prospectors could come to have their rocks and minerals identified and receive geological advice on their problems. This writer has finished four field seasons as Project Geologist and thus became familiar with the Belt section in the Libby, Yaak River, Ural, Thompson Lakes, Pleasant Valley, and Stryker quadrangles (see Fig. 1). Progress on the project is given in annual reports issued by the Bureau.* This *Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology, Bulletins 12 (1959), 17 (1960), and 23 (1961). paper is concerned essentially with the stratigraphy of the Belt rocks so far encountered in mapping. PREVIOUS WORK IN THE AREA Willis28 made the first study of the stratigraphy and structure in the Lewis and Livingston Ranges of Glacier Park just east of the project area. In 1904, Daly made a study of the Belt rocks of the 49th parallel, using the names from bottom up, Creston, Kitchener, Moyie, and Gateway, for rocks ranging in age from that of Prichard to that of basal Missoula group. Walcott26 studied the Belt rocks exposed in the Mission Range (see Fig. 1) and other areas to the south of the area under discussion. Calkins and McDonald made a reconnaissance of northern Idaho and northwestern Montana in 1905. Calkins was the first to use Walcott's term 'Ravalli' as a group name for the strata equivalent to the Burke, Revett, and St. Regis formations (see Table I). Clapp worked on the Belt of western Montana (including Lincoln and Flathead Counties) throughout his lifetime. The Fentons9 studied the Belt of Glacier Park and

Jan 1, 1962

By David Reger

Introduction THE exhaustion of oil and gas in the United States is proceeding at a rapid pace. This is especially true in fields where the light oils that furnish the most fuel for internal-combustion engines are found, leading to a late estimate by Arnold that the petroleum resources are 36 per cent. exhausted.1 The further remark by Dr. David T. Day at the New York meeting of the Institute, in February, 1916, that the operators of the country are now scarcely able to supply the ever-increasing demand for gasoline, leads the writer to believe that a determined effort will soon be made to secure deeper producing horizons in those regions that now furnish high-grade oil, and in which pump stations and pipe lines offer convenient means for the economical handling of new production. A study of Arnold's table shows further that the States that produce paraffin oil exclusively are 45 per cent. exhausted, this figure being much higher than the average of paraffin and asphalt States altogether. The most extensive of all the paraffin-oil-producing areas is the Appalachian Field, extending with the Appalachian Geo-Syncline from western New York southwestward through western Pennsylvania, western West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee, where oil of high gravity is always secured. Of these States, Pennsylvania and West Virginia rank highest in. the quality of their product. In West Virginia, the oil sands dip to a lower level than in any other locality in the Appalachian Geo-Syncline, the Pittsburgh Coal of the Pennsylvanian being only 50 ft. above sea level along the Nineveh Syncline at Wileyville, Wetzel County.2 The very significant fact that the sands of the Mississippian and Upper Devonian Measures furnished the richest oil pools of the State along this

Jan 9, 1916

By James Herbert Bartlett

The MANUFACTURE of Iron in the PROVINCE of Quebec. The St. Maurice Forges.—The deposits of iron-ore in the St. Maurice district, in the rear of Three Rivers, were probably known to the Indians and .Jesuits, but it is not till 1667 that any discovery is reported. The affairs of the colony were then in the control of the " West India Company," who amongst other monopolies had a right to all mines and minerals." Specimens of the iron-ore were examined in Quebec. in 1668 by the Sieur la Potardière, who reported unfavorably on them. In 1671, Louis de Buade, Comte de Frontenac, was appointed governor of La Nouvelle France ; and in the original manuscripts relating to his administration some allusion is occasionally found to the St. Maurice iron mines.? In a letter to the Imperial Government, dated 2d November, 1672, he says: "The iron mine of which I have already spoken is of great consequence. I have visited it myself, in order that I may be enabled to give a more accurate account of its nature. I am gratified to learn that another mine has been discovered in Champlain, which is much richer than the Cap de la Madelaine mine, and the ore is in greater

Jan 1, 1886

By C. M. Wayman, S. R. Rauze

It was recently reported' that the initial transformation in (100) iron whiskers grown in the bcc condition can be nucleated on heating in regions of the whisker which are not necessarily the hottest. Although this behavior was observed1 several times, its sporadic nature precluded any documentation other than occasional visual observations during hot-stage optical-microscope heating experiments. The purpose of this communication is to report how, in one instance, the a-y transformation in such a (100) iron whisker was initiated in a region which was clearly at a lower temperature than an adjacent region which did not transform at all.

Jan 1, 1967

By H. Sevim, T. M. Yegulalp

This paper summarizes recent developments in modeling of underground coal slurry haulage networks to determine optimum design and operating parameters. The model presented is based on a stochastic dynamic program¬ming formulation. It is applicable in any typical room-and-pillar or longwall mining configuration commonly practiced in the US. The formulation and structure of the model is general enough to handle design problems involving more than one face and mining method. Given the stochastic operating characteristics and a system layout, the model can be used to determine the equipment configuration and operating regimes that minimize the overall unit cost of coal haulage.

Jan 1, 1985

By J. L. Bruce, G. W. Nicolson

THE country rock of the Mavrovouni mine of the Cyprus Mines Corp. is hydrothermally altered, disintegrated pillow lava, with very little tensile strength ("short" ground). In places, especially when wet, it is heavy ground, though not extremely heavy except where movement has been caused by underlying or nearby stoping operations. Damage by caving from roof or sides of galleries is not sudden but progressively faster when the size of the cave increases as a result of the fall of small pieces. CEMENT AND CONCRETE LININGS During early operations, galleries in the country rock were supported by customary mine-timbering methods. Available timber, however, was of poor quality and of relatively high price, and replacements were frequent and expensive. Furthermore, the massive sulphide ore bodies required large volumes of fresh air for ventilation and cooling, and it was therefore desirable to provide smooth-lined galleries with low resistance for the introduction of air to the ore bodies. It was also desirable to eliminate hazards of fire in shafts and underground workings insofar as this would be practical. Cement and concrete were relatively cheap, and plans for using these in support of shafts, underground galleries, raises, and chutes, were developed steadily. Circular shafts with diameters ranging from 10 to 15 ft were adopted for all permanent shafts and airways. In places these were lined with concrete poured behind sectional pressed-steel forms especially constructed for this purpose. In other places, they were lined with precast-concrete blocks. It was found that such precast concrete of good quality could be produced on mass production scale and delivered at the mine from most favorable point of manufacture, at a cost of about 25 cents per cubic foot of concrete. This refers to prewar costs. As the use of concrete blocks in circular lined galleries was developed, it was found that there were very great advantages in the reduction of air resistance as compared with customary timber supports. After best methods had been developed, it was found that breakage and replacements were extraordinarily low, averaging only about 1 ½ pct per year during a period of about 15 years. Furthermore, it has been possible to reclaim for re-use a very large percentage of the concrete blocks from abandoned galleries. During the history of the operations precast-concrete blocks have been used for lining shafts, raises, ore chutes, galleries, and shaft stations, ranging from 3 to 16 ft id. The thickness of lining has varied from 5 to 10 in.; with I2 in. thickness in a few cases. Junctions of two galleries at angles ranging from about 30 to 60° are usually made of poured concrete behind sectional forms, or of a combination of poured concrete and precast blocks. In nearly all cases it has been found advisable to make the point of the wedge at the junction, of

Jan 1, 1947

By Richard Kunter

INTRODUCTION Additional work has been done on the CIP circuit at Creede, and a brief description of this work is presented in this paper. DREDGE The original dredge for the Bulldog was built by Al Hack, Inc. of Denver. The dredge cutter head is mounted on a boom made of 6-inch diameter pipe which is raised and lowered by a cable-pulley system. Maximum cutting depth is 8 feet. Slurry from the dredge flows through a floating 6-inch diameter pipe supported on 55-gallon drums which runs from the dredge to the shore and then to a trash screen and pumping system. See Figures 1 and 2. The cutter head, suction pump, winches for dredge movement, and all other operations are controlled from a small operations house located toward the rear of the dredge. All of the basic dredge equipment is mounted on a chassis about 8 ft x 16 ft in size. Additional buoyancy was originally provided by sealed 55-gallon drums supported along the sides of the chassis by a small wooden framework. Additional framework and barrels on the front of the chassis on either side of the cutter boom provided additional stability, particularly when digging in hard material. The dredge was quite stable, but two problems were apparent. For one, it could have been sunk by someone from the shore firing a rifle into all of the barrels. In prime deer-hunting and sportsman country

Jan 1, 1983

By L. O. Bacon, D. O. Wyble

THERE has been considerable speculation among mining geologists and mining men in general as to the relative merits of gravity methods in iron-ore exploration. Most of the investigations which have been carried out in recent years have been done by mining companies, and few if any of the results have been published. Three gravity surveys have been made in the Iron River-Crystal Falls area,1,2 one by the U. S. Bureau of Mines, with inconclusive results, and the other two by Radar Exploration Co. for the Cleveland-Cliffs and the M. A. Hanna companies, with results not known to the writers. Both the last-mentioned surveys were detailed investigations, the stations being spaced as close as 10 ft along traverses,1 and were made to determine the feasibility of locating iron ore by gravitational methods. Because of the presence of a large body of ore already extensively drilled, Dr. Harold L. James of the U. S. Geological Survey, Iron River, Mich., suggested that a further test of gravitational methods of exploration be made in the Round Lake area of Iron County, see Figs. 1 and 2. This survey indicated a considerable regional gradient and led to a study of the surrounding gravity field and its relation to the major structural features of the syncline within which the iron formation lies. The southwestern part of Iron County presents a series of hills and hollows elongated in a roughly north-south direction. The bedrock topography is of pre-glacial origin. Relief is moderate; a maximum elevation difference of approximately 350 ft was observed during the survey. Major drainage is dendritic with the larger streams: the Brule to the south, the Paint to the north, and the Iron in the central part. Hills are thickly grown with hardwoods, and lowland areas, not under cultivation, are usually covered by second-growth softwoods. The area covered in this paper includes the southern half of Iron County, Mich., with a deep synclinal basin occupying the central part of the area, and the southeast corner of Gogebic County, immediately to the west of Iron County. The upper Huronian iron formation, slates, and graywackes which form the synclinal basin rest upon a greenstone basement. The basin has not been completely outlined by exposures, drill records or other means, as outcrops are scarce and the thick mantle of glacial drift makes geological investigations extremely difficult. Glacial drift varies in depth up to 300 ft or more. The drift is usually thickest under the hills and is thinnest in the depressions and along drainage courses where most of the bedrock exposures occur. The area over which gravity investigations were made is almost entirely covered by glacial material. Bedrock of the basin consists of a complexly folded series of iron formation, slates, and graywackes. One of the series of slates has a high magnetic susceptibility due to the fine-grained magnetite it contains. This formation can be detected readily by magnetic methods and provides a marker horizon which can be easily followed. The magnetic slates are stratigraphically above the iron formation, and much of the geological interpretation of the area is based upon the magneticc anomalies they produce.

Jan 1, 1952

By R. A. Pallanch

PROBABLY one of the most perplexing problems with which a mill operator contends is the proper evaluation of his mill results. True, he accurately determines his recoveries of metals and grades of products monthly, weekly, and often daily. These figures do not of themselves directly translate to mill economics. When one figure is unusually good there may be an offsetting circumstance. The advantage of high lead or zinc concentrate grade may be offset by poorer recovery; high lead recovery may be offset by poorer zinc recovery, or vice versa; and so on. Besides, grades or recoveries may not of themselves mean more than a reflection of the grade and character of the ore during the period under study. What the operator sorely needs is some one measuring stick that tells him when he has achieved his greatest return, regardless of grades or recoveries-for if he knows his methods and practices are yielding the optimum return he need no longer concern himself with the assays of products and tailings, or the corresponding distribution of metal values. At first blush it would appear that the obvious answer to this is the actual money return to the mill. Paradoxical as it may seem, however, money return does not make a dependable yardstick any more than do grades and recoveries, as ore conditions would vary enough to bring about greater money return during periods when the actual metallurgical work is not as good. The mill operator, of course, should always aim for the greatest return on the ore, once it is in the mill bins, with proper attention always to mill treatment cost. The need of a proper yardstick becomes more imperative with the increasing complexity of the problem. In the case of a simple, single-product operation on a fairly uniform ore, in which only one metal is of significant importance, the need is not great, as grade and recovery pretty well tell their own story. At the other extreme is the operation that makes three or four separate marketable products from a complex mixture of heterogeneous ores that vary tremendously in individual metal contents and ratios, degree of oxidation, and other characteristics, and in which gold, silver, copper, lead and zinc are all significant values. ECONOMIC RECOVERY The first attempt at obtaining a proper single yardstick for a fairly complex ore with which I am familiar is the use of the "Economic Recovery" term at the leadzinc flotation mill of the Sunnyside Mining and Milling Co., Eureka, Colorado. This method had been applied there early in Sunnyside flotation-mill history (not later than 1920) and credit for the innovation I believe belongs to Messrs. Kuryla and Marquand. The term "Economic Re-

Jan 1, 1947

By C. P. Proctor, E. D. Hummer, J. A. Younkins

COMPARATIVELY little has been published relating practical experience with the control of the solid content of washery water systems that must be "closed." A "closed" system is one that for some reason may not be cleaned by the emission of any effluent of high solid content to be replaced by clean water in order to hold the solid content of the waste water within reasonable bounds for efficient washing. It is the purpose of this paper to describe practical experience with such a water system and to present data that it is hoped may be of some use to those who are faced with a similar problem. The washery clarification system described comprises three thickeners and three filters, and although it is admitted that each of the fields of water settling and thickening and filtration offers a wide scope for investigation, the authors are not attempting to present the answers to these problems but to set down the results of some experience along these lines, making no claims as to the ultimate solution of the problems in hand. The subject of water clarification has vast ramifications; for example, the science of flocculation as applied to water settling and filtering opens up fields of wide possibilities of which as yet little is known. A comparatively recent entry into the field of water treatment, which may offer possibilities of practical application, is the use of "wetting" agents such as "Aerosol." GENERAL ARRANGEMENT OF WATER SYSTEM So that the reader may obtain a comprehensive picture of the factors concerned in the control of a closed water system, it is necessary to give a brief description of the washing plant that is serviced by the water system to be described in the following pages. As we are not primarily concerned with the washing plant in detail, only a brief description of the flow of coal as it relates to the water system will be given here. For a more detailed account of this type of washer, the reader is referred to earlier papers.1.2 The washer, which handles 0 to 4-in. raw coal (750 tons per hour) is an American Rheolaveur plant of two complements; the coarse coal or sealed discharge plant and the fine coal or free discharge plant. The sealed discharge plant (Fig. r) consists of twin 48-in. primary launders, each having two washing boxes, supplemented by one 32-in. rewash launder, which also has two washing boxes. "Push" water for washing and conveying coal in these launders is supplied from a constant-head tank under pressure head of 10 ½ ft. at the point of introduction at the feed end of the launder. This tank also supplies water for upward or vertical currents used in the Rheolaveur or washing boxes. Each box discharges into a sealed boot elevator (Fig. I).

Jan 1, 1942

By NORMAN D. FitzGkrald

IN 1942 the outstanding characteristic of the petroleum industry was the multiplicity of war-induced distortions in virtually every segment of the business. So devastating was the success of the Nazi submarine campaign along the shores of the western Atlantic and on transoceanic routes that within six months after our entry into the war petroleum rationing was necessary in the East Coast area. The conquest of the Netherlands Indies by the Japanese three months after the opening of the war in the Pacific cut off our normal sources of rubber, and in our first year of war nationwide rationing of gasoline had to be invoked to conserve rubber-borne transportation facilities. Meanwhile the oil industry faced the imperative necessity for rapid expansion in the output of aviation gasoline and later accepted the vast responsibility for developing a new industry. synthetic rubber manufacture. Probably no other essentially peacetime industry has been forced to make so many complicated adjustments, yet its response to its wartime obligations has been nothing short of dramatic.

Jan 1, 1943

By Eugene Guccione

Evidence that the United States is gradually converting to the metric system of measurement can be perceived today even by housewives in a supermarket. The question is no longer whether but when the country will have completed the conversion. To the extent that any bickering about metrication still exists, the debate now centers on such issues as finding agreement on details of implementation, and whether federal legislation should speed up the metric-conversion process or allow it to proceed along its present evolutionary and voluntary course. Apparently, the voluntary or "make-haste-slowly" approach is gaining widespread support. According to The Research Institute of America, Inc., if and when federal legislation is enacted it will likely include the following national ground rules: (1) A National Metric Conversion Board will develop and submit to the President and Congress a comprehensive plan to achieve a coordinated, minimum-cost changeover. (2) The change- over will be completed 8 to 10 years after the board's plan goes into effect, and by that time the US will be predominantly, though not exclusively, metric. (3) Costs will "lie where they fall"; subsidies, special tax concessions, and antitrust exemptions will not be authorized by the legislation. (4) The changeover will be voluntary because of the recognition that while some firms can "go metric" in a matter of weeks, others may require 15 years or more, and a few might never convert. (5) In determining whether or not to convert, on an individual company basis, adherence will be to the "rule of reason-that is, ". . . do not convert unless the engineering, economic, or other benefits outweigh any metric-related disadvantages. No one is talking about rip- ping up our railroad tracks or rewiring our homes just to conform to the practice of metric nations in Europe." (6) Government is to be part of the solution, not part of the problem; in effect, says The Research Institute of America, the leverage of federal procurement will not be exerted to force-feed the metric changeover but will be coordinated with the sector-by-sector conversion of the economy.*

Jan 12, 1975

By G. Ferrara

The reserves of lead and zinc ores in the metalliferous district of Iglesias in south-western Sardinia are today estimated at about 30 million tons, grading from 4 to 10% Pb + Zn. Of these reserves, about 40% are in the mines owned by AMMI Sarda S.p.A. The working of these resources goes back to ancient times. Not infrequently, traces of old Roman workings and remains of ancient implements are come upon in the higher parts of some of the ore bodies. Exploitation of these mines on larger scale, however, dates from the middle of the 18th century. Initially, the more accessible zones of the ore bodies and the richer ores were worked - the galena and the rich oxidized ores (calamine* with 25-35% Zn), which were often found in large masses, the enormous empty cavities of which still remain. The poorer grade deposits have been gradually rendered workable by the development of technology - the perfecting of the

Jan 1, 1970

By Kendall E. Born

Production of crude oil in Tennessee during 1940 was slightly more than 15,000 bbl., a decrease from 1939 of about 36,000 bbl. This sharp decline has been caused largely by curtailed activities in the shallow pools in Clay County, where approximately 3000 bbl. was marketed off the lease during the year as against more than 37,000 bbl. in 1939. The flashy production found in 1938 in the Celina area has been short-lived and the area is essentially abandoned. Failure to find steady production has been the major factor retarding developments in the northeastern Highland Rim area. The Mississippi lime production in Scott and Morgan Counties continued to show a steady decline. The Tennessee production by counties is shown in Table I. Table i.—Oil Production in Tennessee it1 1940 Production. Bbl. Number of County Wells Pumped 1939 1940 Scott............ 4 4,332 3.596 Morgan.......... I: 6,479 5,751 Fentress.......... 3 I,2XX 1,5xz Pickett........... 1 1.2XX Clay............. 8 37.200 3,XXX Developments There were 32 wells spudded in during 1940, four of which were drilling or only temporarily suspended on Dec. 31, 1940. Twenty-eight wells were completed during the year, four of which were commercial producers. The total footage drilled was 3I,214 ft. The more important wildcats are listed in Table 2; the distribution of 1940 oil and gas tests according to physiographic divisions is given in Table 3. Cumberland Platenu.—Thcre was one completion in the coal area of the state, a test that attempted to extend the Mississippi lime production in the Coon Hollow pool to the southeast in Morgan County. This test encountered only slight shows of oil in the producing horizons of the near-by Coon Hollow and Boone Camp pools. Some surface work was carried on by private interests during the year in Scott and Morgan Counties and two wells were spudded in early in 1941 The revival of interest in the Kentucky portion of the plateau will probably result in increased activity in this part of Tennessee during 1941. Several sizable blocks of acreage, some by major oil companies, are held in Scott, Morgan, and Cumberland Counties. Middle Tennessee.—The northeastern Highland Rim continued to be the most active area in the state with 20 completions, although this figure is about one third of the number drilled in 1939. Four oil wells, none with initial productions of more than I00 bbl., were completed in Clay, Fentress, and Pickett Counties. The producing horizons discovered in Pickett and Fentress Counties were in the "Sunny-brookJ' pays of Trenton age. The Clay County producer was an old test drilled deeper in which oil was found at 671 ft. in the upper part of the Stones River group of limestones, a common pay in this area. All four wells were drilled in or close to old shallow production. Deeper testing into the Knox dolomite group in this area was not particularly encouraging, although one well in Fentress County encountered some saturation at 1860 to 1869 ft. in the upper

Jan 1, 1941

By Kendall E. Born

Production of crude oil in Tennessee during 1940 was slightly more than 15,000 bbl., a decrease from 1939 of about 36,000 bbl. This sharp decline has been caused largely by curtailed activities in the shallow pools in Clay County, where approximately 3000 bbl. was marketed off the lease during the year as against more than 37,000 bbl. in 1939. The flashy production found in 1938 in the Celina area has been short-lived and the area is essentially abandoned. Failure to find steady production has been the major factor retarding developments in the northeastern Highland Rim area. The Mississippi lime production in Scott and Morgan Counties continued to show a steady decline. The Tennessee production by counties is shown in Table I. Table i.—Oil Production in Tennessee it1 1940 Production. Bbl. Number of County Wells Pumped 1939 1940 Scott............ 4 4,332 3.596 Morgan.......... I: 6,479 5,751 Fentress.......... 3 I,2XX 1,5xz Pickett........... 1 1.2XX Clay............. 8 37.200 3,XXX Developments There were 32 wells spudded in during 1940, four of which were drilling or only temporarily suspended on Dec. 31, 1940. Twenty-eight wells were completed during the year, four of which were commercial producers. The total footage drilled was 3I,214 ft. The more important wildcats are listed in Table 2; the distribution of 1940 oil and gas tests according to physiographic divisions is given in Table 3. Cumberland Platenu.—Thcre was one completion in the coal area of the state, a test that attempted to extend the Mississippi lime production in the Coon Hollow pool to the southeast in Morgan County. This test encountered only slight shows of oil in the producing horizons of the near-by Coon Hollow and Boone Camp pools. Some surface work was carried on by private interests during the year in Scott and Morgan Counties and two wells were spudded in early in 1941 The revival of interest in the Kentucky portion of the plateau will probably result in increased activity in this part of Tennessee during 1941. Several sizable blocks of acreage, some by major oil companies, are held in Scott, Morgan, and Cumberland Counties. Middle Tennessee.—The northeastern Highland Rim continued to be the most active area in the state with 20 completions, although this figure is about one third of the number drilled in 1939. Four oil wells, none with initial productions of more than I00 bbl., were completed in Clay, Fentress, and Pickett Counties. The producing horizons discovered in Pickett and Fentress Counties were in the "Sunny-brookJ' pays of Trenton age. The Clay County producer was an old test drilled deeper in which oil was found at 671 ft. in the upper part of the Stones River group of limestones, a common pay in this area. All four wells were drilled in or close to old shallow production. Deeper testing into the Knox dolomite group in this area was not particularly encouraging, although one well in Fentress County encountered some saturation at 1860 to 1869 ft. in the upper

Jan 1, 1941