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By D. E. Wolfson, D. A. Reynolds, F. W. Smith

IN 1948 the U. S. Bureau of Mines began a three- phase program to evaluate the extent and quality of U. S. coking coal: 1) a factual appraisal of known recoverable reserves in beds of mineable thickness, 2) a study of preparation characteristics, and 3) a study of carbonization properties. A previous paper presented the methods used in assessing reserves.' Although this investigation is only partly completed, data on coking properties of the Pittsburgh district coals are now available. The results are presented in this article. When coals are selected for manufacture of metallurgical coke more factors must be considered than for any other major use, as no basic industry requires coal of such high quality and uniformity. This is particularly true in the Pittsburgh district, where blast furnace practice is based on use of cokes from high quality coals. Although it is true that inferior coals are carbonized in other industrial areas, both here and abroad, the Pittsburgh coals are the best economically obtainable in the required tonnages, even though they are not the most desirable for metallurgical use.

Jan 3, 1957

By R. G. Weavind

ONE of the most important fields of investigation at the Diamond Research Laboratory in Johannesburg is concerned with improvements in metallurgical practices for the diamond mining companies, with particular reference to increased recoveries of the smaller industrial stones. Considerable work has been done on the possible application of flotation processes to the diamond industry.

Jan 7, 1951

By Stanley Herold

AT THE present time five localities in the Argentine Republic are known to bear direct evidences of the presence, of petroleum. The segregation of these localities is more or less arbitrary inasmuch as minor indications may be found to extend from one locality to the other at no regular distance apart, especially in the northern and western part of the republic. These localities are listed as follows: North Argentine-Bolivian region, Salta-Jujuy district, provinces of Mendoza and Neuquen, Comodoro Rivadavia, and the Gallegos-Punta Arenas region. Economic conditions attract us to the possibilities of developing these and other regions of countries in the southern hemisphere. Development work will, naturally, be undertaken first in such localities as present direct manifestations of the presence of petroleum; "hidden fields" may exist, but, unless discovered by accident, their development will be left to the last. The problems to be solved in the development of the petroleum resources of the Argentine republic are mainly of stratigraphy, structure, and transportation. We are not here concerned with the unfavorable climate of the countries to the north in the tropics where, for us of the "far north," life hangs by a thread ready to be severed by a mosquito, gnat, or tropical germ.

Jan 2, 1920

By John D. Ridge, Betty S. Moriwaki

The significant chromite producers listed in Table I11 are not major steel producers, with the exception of the USSR. After manganese, chromium is the most important alloying metal in steel. It would not be surprising to find a direct relationship between steel production and chromite imports. The precise connection is concealed by the other uses of chromite and the grades of steel produced by the various countries involved. In addition, the amount of ferrochromium made for export must figure in any calculation. Norway, a producer of considerable amounts of ferromanganese, imports significant quantities of chromite for ferrochromium manufacture. Most of the ferrochromium is exported to European steel- producing nations. Sweden imports only half as much chromite as Norway but makes far more chromium-bearing steel. Thus Sweden has far less ferro-chromium for export, although it supplies about 2000 tons per year to the U.S. and probably some- what more to such chromite-poor steel producers as Germany and Belgium-Luxemburg.

Jun 1, 1955

By L. E. Snow, L. F. Pett

AT the Utah Copper Pit of Kennecott Copper Corp. a versatile mobile drill unit has been developed and tested. Through increased drilling speed and additional available drilling time, an improvement of 233 pct in drill performance has been realized. Operators using drill power can quickly and easily convert the unit from a vertical to a toe hole drill. Drilling is done with the machine in line with the unit or at right angles to it. Table I covers the 1950 drill record at the mine, showing the types of machines used and the footage obtained. [ ] Development of the new units was prompted by a desire for solution of the following problems: 1-The ever-expanding operations within the Utah Pit, requiring some 65 miles of transmission pipe lines radiating from a central compressed air plant, have now taxed this compressor plant beyond capacity. While 100 lb per sq in. pressure is maintained at compressors, transmission losses from innumerable small leaks result in low terminal pressure at the drills. Fig. 1 illustrates that while terminal pressure varies according to size of air hose and fittings used, the average drill is operating on air pressures within the 60 to 70-lb range. The compressor plant is operated primarily for air rock drills. All drilling is done on day shift, but it is necessary to run two of the three 3720 cu ft capacity compressors during night shift in order to prevent drastic loss of pressure through leaks. On day shift all three compressor units are operated at capacity, so that there is no reserve safeguard available for extensive repairs to any compressor. The calculated volume of compressed air required for operation of 25 drills is but 33 pet of three day-shift compressors. While compressed air is being used to a minor extent for purposes other than drilling, it is felt that satisfactory substitute facilities could be provided in the event that air lines were no longer available. 2-Drill performance has increased beyond the capacity of present 3 ½ -in. drifter machines. 3-The installation, maintenance, and moving of air lines in routine mining is a growing problem. The 2-in. level lines are placed outside electrification towers and must be moved to new location upon completion of each shovel cut. In addition to these moves it is often necessary to dismantle level lines so that excessive shovel spillage, or material covering track following a blast, can be pushed in the clear with bulldozers. Where level room is limited, it is often necessary to remove air lines in giving bulldozers room to prepare grades for wagon drills. In spite of precautions taken, many level lines become buried, twisted, and constricted, with excessive air loss resulting. Excessive back break in blasting often leaves several sections of air line suspended in mid-air. Occasionally air lines come in contact with defective electric transmission towers, so that holes are burned through pipe. 4-Rail-handling of drilling equipment such as wagon drills from one location to another requires considerable locomotive crane crew time. Any new unit developed should travel under its own power. 5-Present practice requires accessory material including hose, water pressure tanks, water barrels, drill steel, and bits to be transported by means of push cars when drill locations are changed on any level. 6-In order to supply numerous drill locations with material, many stock piles of new drill rods, drill bits, and other essentials must be left at strategic points, usually in the vicinity of powder magazines. This practice makes for poor housekeeping and contributes to the loss of supplies. Planning the Unit It was felt that a mobile drill unit which would rectify the foregoing problems should meet certain demands: 1-It must furnish compressed air to operate a 4-in. rock drill at a pressure of 90 to 100 lb.

Jan 1, 1952

By James K. Richardson

FIRST indications that mineral industries expansion is beginning to show results are contained in the report by Defense Mobilizer Charles E. Wilson, The Battle for Production. The report, submitted to the President early this year, says that the United States has reached a $2 billion-per-month rate in military deliveries-three times that of 1950. Plant expansion in 1951 totalled $11.1 billion, the report states. Certificates of accelerated amortization have been approved to cover $11.4 billion in proposed plant construction. In reference to plant expansion significant to the mineral industry, the report states: •Steel industry goal is 120 million ingot tons by 1954, compared with present 108 -million ingot ton capacity. •Taconite beneficiation should result in 15 million tons by 1955. •An existing annual aluminum output rate of 860,000 tons. •An estimated 500,000 tons of sulphur by late 1953 •Manganese production up 50,000 tons as- the result of new projects in 1952. •Montana tungsten project coming into production in 1952. •Present zinc production expansion projects to add an estimated 150,000 tons to the 1951 production figure in 1953. Information gathered from official sources, other than Mr. Wilson's report, indicates an increase in the annual capacity of other segments of the industry by 1955, as shown in Table I. [ ]

Jan 1, 1952

By George C. Gibbons

ALMOST everyone in any of the five counties embracing the great East Texas field depends heavily upon oil for his living whether or not he actually owns a well or piece of royalty himself. Oil is a natural resource that, when utilized, spreads its benefits over a vast area and into many channels. Depending then almost entirely upon agriculture: what is now known as the East Texas oil field a decade ago had a scattered farming population. For many of its people, tomatoes and other vegetable crops coupled with the old southern stand-by of cotton, furnished an adequate living and a small cash surplus. Some farm families on the red hills, however, were not far re- moved from the sowbelly and black- eyed peas, or cornpone and potlikker, standard of living. Kilgore of that day, was a village of less than 850 per- sons. Longview, with just over 5000, apparently had reached the limit of its growth. Tyler was an overgrown farming town of around 17,000 persons, de- pending largely upon the agricultural income of Smith County and surrounding territory for which it was a trading center.

Jan 1, 1941

By Ezequiel Ordonez

I HAVE read ill the Bulletin (May, '1914) a paper by H. von Höfer relating to the Origin of Petroleum, in which the author supports his and Engler's views, expressed before, of the organic origin of petroleum. Von Höfer pronounces strongly against the hypothesis of the volcanic origin of hydrocarbons, as particularly advocated by Eugene Coste. In Mr. Coste's articles, so well known by the public, he refers incidentally to our Mexican oil occurrences, especially of the Gulf coast, as proofs of the volcanic origin of the oils. This belief comes from the fact that, in our Mexican oil fields of the east coast, the majority of the producing wells are located near volcanic necks (remnants of small volcanoes, mainly of the explosive type), or near certain gibbosities in shales, resembling mounds, some of which' are really uplifts due to volcanic forces or to abortive eruptions. The first attempt to explain the oil coming up around volcanic necks in Mexico, was made by me in a small article1 published in 1905, soon after the investigation ordered by the Mexican government as to the outlook of the Mexican Gulf coast as a future oil producer. When E. L. Doheny of Los Angeles, Cal., and I located the first producing well of Mexico, I was also the first to predict the great future of the oil industry in Mexico, just at the time when the government and some Mexican geologists felt rather pessimistic. The Mexican investors and the general public, as a result of these discouragements, did not pay attention to this important source of common wealth until recent days. The realization of the value of this source of wealth has been so sudden that we are menaced by the consequences brought about by a great boom. It was quite impossible, about five years ago, to induce Mexican capitalists to invest money in oil lands. So the few large foreign companies operating since the beginning, easily secured large holdings, in spite of the trouble frequently resulting from faulty titles or ownership.

Jan 10, 1914

By Randy L. McGuire, Dale P. Ingold

The Youghiogheny and Ohio Coal Company expanded computer usage in the areas of engineering and production analyses by establishing a time-share terminal with Ohio University. Through the use of a graduate student on a consulting basis this relationship has enabled the company to gain computer programming capabilities in the scientific languages such as FORTRAN IV. The engineering function has benefitted from programs which dealt with mine power distribution and geostatistical analysis. Additionally, the University has modified a group of simulation programs developed by Virginia Polytechnic Institute so they are interactive enabling data entry from the remote terminal.

Jan 1, 1983

By Albert E. Ketler

Introduction – The introduction of computerized monitoring and control (M/c) equipment into the U.S. coal mining industry may prove to be of truly revolutionary proportions in the 801s.Many of you are aware that the British have developed and have been using such sophisticated M/C equipment for performing production and safety related tasks in their coal mines for nearly a decade. The benefits of M/C systems in the mining industry are usually separated into those which improve productivity, and hence make money for the company, and those which improve safety, and hence cost money. The economic benefits of M/C are startling for the production related functions such as for monitoring and controlling conveyor belts, de-watering pumps, electrical power distribution, and the like. It doesn't take much analysis to show that hundreds and even thousands of tons of coal don't get mined every time a belt shuts down or when power is out due to circuit breakers tripping for any number of reasons. A flood, caused by a malfunctioning pump which goes undetected for lack of feedback monitoring of pumping parameters, can destroy literally millions of dollars worth of mining equipment. The M/C system would be justified or not based on whether or not the productivity benefits balanced the cost within a timespan commensurate with the return on capital philosophy of the company. The safety related benefits are easily underestimated or ignored completely and the purpose of this paper is to under-score some of these benefits, as well as to review the application of M/C to the coal mining industry. The companies involved are Transmitton Ltd of England and Minetics Corp of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Transmitton is probably the most experienced manufacturer of M/C equipment in the world having some 200 installations to its credit. Minetics is the marketing and manufacturing arm for Transmitton in the U.S.A. and is responsible for all aspects of distribution and service. Plans are underway for manufacturing of the Transmitton hardware for U.S. sales to be transplanted into U.S. subcontractors by 1981. Thus our coal mining industry will benefit from British technology, but without the delays and additional costs usually involved in international shipments.

Jan 1, 1981

By H. H. Otto

Fourteen years ago, J. B. Warriner presented before the Institute a paper on anthracite stripping,' describing the progress of stripping in the Anthracite Region from its beginning with an old quarry stripping at Summit Hill, which was operated more than a century ago, through various types of strippings used in 1917. This paper will briefly review the status of anthracite stripping methods from 1917 to the present day and describe in detail the stripping operation of The Hudson Coal CO. at Clinton collicry. It is not intended as a review of the work in the district—that would require a much longer paper. History and Statistics Mr. Warriner said, in part: "The sizes of shovels have gradually increased until now 70 and 80-ton shovels are the rule and larger equipment is coming in." He also referred to a large electrically operated dragline which weighed about 225 tons and had an operating radius of 125 ft. In 1917, a number of strippings used shovels of various sizes, ranging up to the 60 Marion and Bucyrus 70-C railroad type. Material was hauled away in narrow-gage side dumpers, usually of 4 or 5 cu. yd. capacities. Star-type churn drills with 4-in. bits were generally used for drilling purposes. Since 1917 wages in the anthracite field; have increased, but the higher operating costs of strippings are now being successfully combated by continuous improvements in stripping equipment, such as the development of the caterpillar or crawler shovels, the use of larger cars, better drilling equipment, the introduction of shovels of increased capacity and the adoption, in a number of instances, of standard-gage equipment for transportation. In 1918 another large dragline was introduced in the southern fields, which had been in service in the Middle West and is in use today, dipping vertically about 180 ft. to raise coal out of a stripping. About 1918, small shovels with caterpillar traction were introduced. In 1922 the 6-in. well drills began replacing the 4-in. drills, with an attendant saving to the operators. About the same time A. E. Dick placed the first pair

Jan 1, 1931

By Freeman Bishop

The Nation's capital has one over- riding minerals-metals question: How long will prices and wages continue to move upward at the inexorable pace of the last year? Is the wage pattern to settle this year around 10%? The big industrial unions are coming into line, some of them later this year. Steel is standing in the wings for next year. Copper, steel, nickel and most other industrial metals have taken big hikes in their stride. Aluminum, which is making inroads into areas of industrial use formerly sacred to copper and some other metals, seems to be fighting to hold down its prices to attract customers from the higher-priced metals.

Jan 1, 1970

By THOMAS J. CLIFFORD

IN 1926, finer grinding began to be a feature of the milling practice of the Southeast Missouri lead district. Nothing since the adoption of flotation has caused greater changes and greater improvement in results. The trend toward finer grinding, with the consequent discarding of tailing at finer sizes, and consequent lower assays in lead, continued to progress until 1931, when the abnormally low price of lead brought a halt: that is, the better metallurgical results obtained would not offset the increased costs due to higher power and necessary maintenance. Since 1931 a slight tendency toward the discard of coarser tailing has taken place. , In 1926, larger rod mills i.12 ft. 1 in. by 6 ft. 6 in.) than any previously used in the district were installed in cue plant, and a new primary crushing plant, of greater capacity was built. This combination demonstrated immediately the better metallurgical results obtainable by finer grinding and all the mills now running have adopted the practice.

Jan 1, 1934

By L. A. Pursell

Environmental constraints can both delay and raise the cost of a major plant addition, often requiring a complete reevaluation of the plant site and the proposed project. In this case history, steps are presented which were followed in applying for environmental permits for a major addition to a lime plant. Methods are described for determining expected emission increases and for selecting the best control technology for each source. The description progresses through pre-application conferences with control agencies, the formal application procedure, computer modeling the air quality impact, and the methods followed in obtaining a favorable determination.

Jan 1, 1983

By E. P. Whittemore

Experience with the ASC multipoint gas lift system was obtained in Colonia zone of the West Montalvo field near Oxnard, Calif. The wells in this pool produce from depths varying from 10,500 to 12,000 ft. Oil gravity is generally 14 to 15' API with a few extremes of 12 and 20" API. Some salt water is produced which causes some very viscous emulsions. Viscosities at 150F (which is the approximate wellhead temperature) vary from 5,000 to 100,000 SSU. Most of the production is by gas lift, although a few wells are produced by rod and hydraulic pump. About half of the gas-lift wells are on continuous flow and the remainder are on intermittent lift using large, ported, pilot-operated valves for single-point transfer of gas from casing to tubing. Gas-liquid ratios vary from about 6 to 10 Mcf/bbl of gross fluid lifted. Wells are produced to a 450-psi trap system. The following remarks will be confined to intermittent lift only, since this is the type of lift which has been achieved with the ASC valve system. The maximum gross fluid which has been produced by single-point intermittent lift is about 350 B/D in 3-in. tubing and 200 B/D in 21/2-in. tubing with gas-liquid ratios of approximately 7 to 9 Mcf/bbl. Some design changes could reduce this ratio. The ASC multipoint system has provided production as high as 480 BOPD in 21/2-in. tubing with gas-liquid ratios just under 4 Mcf/bbl. To be able to apply the multipoint system, it is recommended that a detailed explanation be obtained concerning transition-point pressure and stabilizer setting—what its significance is to the string design, how it may work for or against the operation of the well, how it is related to tubing sensitivity and how it affects the unloading operation. The unloading operation may only be of academic interest in a technical paper, but to the production foreman, unloading and setting the valves in operation is a very real problem and should be understood in detail. One item touched lightly in the paper was the unloading valve. This valve controls the maximum pressure at which the well can be operated. When lifting heavy viscous fluids, it is most important to set this valve for the maximum possible realistic operating pressure at the surface. If the well lifts easily, it is simple to set the ASC valves at a lower operating pressure and the unloading valve will remain closed; but if the well happens to be heavier to lift than anticipated, it may be desirable to operate on the unloading valve itself and use all the energy obtainable at the bottom of the hole. In the Colonia pool very heavy wet-gas gradients are experienced due to the viscosity of the liquid and the dense mist which is left behind a slug of fluid. There are many combination strings of 3- and 21/2-in. tubing. This aggravates the wet-gas gradient problem and provides wet-gas gradients of about 50 to 70 psi/1,000. An advantage which multipoint lift has provided is increased slug efficiency through better maintenance of pressure under the slug and decreased fall back as the slug passes up the tubing. By using multipoint injection, wet-gas gradients have been reduced to about 30 psi/1,000. This has reduced bottom-hole operating pressure and given a production increase. The ASC valve is not a simple device. It's operation is difficult to understand, and it must be understood to be used efficiently in gas-lift design. Operating problems are difficult to diagnose—whether they be caused by the fluid lifted, valve malfunction, lift gas rate, or operating pressure. Calculations and reasoning are required to find out what is causing the problem. Inherent in the ASC valve is the inability to create large pressure differentials across a slug. Large differentials may be required to overcome the inertia of very viscous fluid as it is being accelerated in the bottom of the hole. This is tied back to the design of the unloading valve and is one reason for the importance of setting the unloading valve for the highest possible operating pressure. ~u; to the narrow spread the ASC valves provide, it is impossible to cycle slower than about 24 cycles/day on choke control. If small production of 150 BOPD and less is expected, a surface time-cycle controller will be required if the most economical operation is to be achieved. To achieve a satisfactory operation, the operator must keep a record of any changes made in the operating pressure of the ASC valves. Anything which may cause changes in casing pressure in excess of the stabilizer setting will change the valve operating pressure, and if this is not noted from daily inspection of the well casing-tubing pressure recorder charts, the operator will lose control of the well. Significant results can be achieved using ASC valves; however, considerable knowledge is required to design with them, and attention to detail is required for satisfactory field operation.

Jan 1, 1965

By Frederic H. Wright

The secondary metals industry might well be defined as the group of remelters, smelters, refiners, and manufacturers that convert scrap metals or residues to commercial forms. In this industry, scrap metals and residues are processed to pro- duce refined metals, ingot alloys, fabricated shapes, and chemical products. Secondary metal is defined as metal recovered from commercial scrap, that is, scrap that has entered the processor's plant in scrap form. Metal recovered by a manufacturer from "home scrap" generated in his own plant is not considered to be secondary, because it represents part of the original stock that simply requires additional treatment before emerging as a finished product. In any economic study, a basic point of measurement must be chosen, and in the case of secondary metals, the melting pot or its counterpart represents the stage in which metal is converted from scrap to some more usable form. Beyond this point there is often no means to distinguish between secondary metal recovered from scrap and virgin metal produced directly from ore. In the last fifteen or twenty years the secondary metals industry has grown to major importance. Some consumers distrust secondary metals, but frequently this distrust serves only to prove an inability to keep up with the times. A rapidly decreasing number of manufacturers like to boast that they use only virgin metals, but a little investigation would show them that more than one third of all

Jan 1, 1943

E L. DEGOLYER, our new president, though a petroleum geologist by profession, has always s been associated with mining, for soon after his birth at Greensburg, Kan., on Oct. 9, 1886, his parents moved to Joplin, and when he went, in the course of time, to the University of Oklahoma, he intended to follow his course there with another at a mining school. He became a field assistant in the U. S. Geo-logical Survey, however, while still an undergradu-ate, and after field experi- ence in Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, Colorado and Oklahoma, he went to Mexico as geologist for the Mexican Eagle Oil Co. This was in 1909, and as a result he was unable to complete his work for his degree until 1911. In Mexico, he located the Potrero de Llaño No. 4, one of the world's largest oil wells, and also the dis- covery well in the Naran- jos pool; and the Colorado School of Mines conferred the honorary degree of : Doctor of Science on him in 1925. On his return from Mexico, he engaged in the consulting business, specializing in financial ap- praisement, the Union and Marland companies being among his clients. In 1919, he organized the Amerada Petroleum Co., with the backing of Lord Cowdray. Last year, control of the company was purchased by an American group, headed by Dillon, Read and Co. Mr. DeGolyer is n o w president of the company. He is also vice-president and general manager of the Rycade Corp, the Rycade Oil Corp., and president of the Geophysical Re-search search Corp. The l a t t e r represents the practical appli-cation of his inter-est in the use of the torsion balance in the locating of salt domes, in which he has pioneered, the Nash dome being the first oil field in America actually brought into production by these methods.

Jan 3, 1927

By N. J. Themelis, R. V. Flint

In a four-year period between 1973-76, the Metal Mining Division of Kennecott Copper Corp. conducted a company-wide program of operations improvement which involved line and staff personnel from all company functions. Specialist teams performed detailed studies of all operational aspects at Kennecott's four copper mines and concentrators, four smelters, and two electrore-fineries. The specific recommendations that resulted may transform the Metal Mining Division into the country's lowest cost producer of copper by the mid-1980s. In this article, N. J. Themelis and R. V. Flint describe the mechanics of MMD's integrated approach to operations improvement.

Jan 6, 1979

By AIME AIME

T HE Mid-Continent Section of the Petroleum Division met on Mar. 11 in the engineer's room of the Tulsa Building, Tulsa, Okla., for the purpose of reviewing the papers presented at the annual meeting in New York. L. G. E. Pignell, chairman and delegate to New York for the Mid-Continent Section, read a brief report giving the outstanding features of the various papers that were presented. He expressed regret that more members of the Division could not be present in New York to hear the interesting papers and discussions. It was his opinion that the various remedies presented for overproduction seemed rather theoretical and impractical and he recommended that the engineers come to the aid of some of the economists in giving more practical consideration to the overproduction problem.

Jan 1, 1929

THE task of the smith who works in iron is very laborious, indeed far more so than that of the coppersmith just described. For he also handles heavy weights continually, and stands constantly erect be- fore the fire of the forge, since the hardness of the iron cannot be softened except by means of heating and boiling it well. In this place he continually moves his body, now thrusting the iron into the heart of the fire with large thick tongs, now removing it to look at it and to put sand, tuff, or other earth over it, now putting on fresh charcoal, now moistening and slowing down the fire, and now cleaning it. Finally, while the iron is hot

Jan 1, 1942