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By A. B. Needham

This report describes the exploration work done in 1941 in connection with the search for strategic minerals as authorized by the Strategic Materials Act approved by the President on June 7, 1939. It deals with the various manganese deposits and showings in the Tombstone mining district of Cochise County, Ariz. The exploration project comprised a study of the geology, mapping of the areas, and exploration of various mines and deposits by sampling old drifts, crosscuts, and scopes, supplemented by diamond drilling from underground stations. The Federal Government's manganese-purchasing programs have revived interest in occurrences such as the scattered deposits near Tombstone. Because of this, the Bureau of Mines project report on the Tombstone district, prepared originally in 1941 but not published, has been revised and now is being made public.

Jan 1, 1956

By John J. Sammarco

The U.S. Bureau of Mines is conducting research into computer-assisted mining, which requires investigation of new techniques for development and application of computer-based technologies. Today's technology can require significant effort in software development, as has become evident in the early stages of this Bureau research. Technologies for software automation, such as computer-aided software engineering (CASE), are available. This report explores CASE, its general features, and its importance in software development. Information is presented to assist in selection and application of the variety of CASE tools and methods for automating various stages of software development. When evaluating CASE for use, it is important to examine tools that support an organization's existing methods of software development. Support for existing hardware platforms must also be examined. Merely selecting a "good" CASE tool does not insure success. Thorough evaluation of implementing CASE is also critical. Subjects to evaluate for CASE implementation include organization culture, support from management and end users, training resources, and pilot projects. Organizations that benefit the most from CASE evaluate CASE features with respect to their needs and they properly implement CASE.

Jan 1, 1990

By D. Harrington, C. W. Owings

The mining industry is gradually realizing that safety education and safety inspection are economic factors that may not be overlooked as a means of reducing operating costs . Many mine operators , however , have failed to realize the benefits of safety , and the efforts of the more progressive mining companies are offset by the carelessness of neighboring companies when the accident records of a community or a State or the nation as a whole are considered . This tendency is indicated by the data collected by the safety division of the United States Bureau of Mines . During the fiscal year ended June 30, 1930 , relatively definite information: was secureä concerning 34 mine explosions , 24 mine fires , and 29 miscellaneous accidents ; these accidents are by no means all of the explosions , fires , and miscellaneous accidents which occurred in the mines of the United States during the period; but the data on the fires and explosions constitute a record of all of those types of accidents that were called specifically to the attention of the safety division , and the miscellaneous accidents include those on which definite , detailed data were obtained by the safety division .

Jan 1, 1931

By J. H. East, D. Harrington

"INTRODUCTION Mining at its best is not a clean occupation for either surface or underground employees; and this applies alike to coal, metal, and non-metallic mines. The employees are handling minerals that have been blasted, or broken by some means and are subjected to mineral dust, whether it is coal, quartz, or talc. The employees usually wear clothes specifically adapted to the work in which they are engaged, and frequently these clothes are not suitable for use away from the mine. Many mines are wet, and employees must wear rubber boots to remain at least partly dry, and even on relatively dry mines, some parts of the mines usually have water falling from overhead, there are accumulations of water, or the floor or other surfaces are wet or muddy, Some mines are dusty, and the air-borne dust quickly settles on the clothes and body of the miner, especially, when he is working in confined areas, or in places that are hot, humid, or poorly ventilated. Most occupations around a coal tipple, anthracite breaker, or a mill at a metal or nonmetallic mine have their own problems of cleanliness as to skin or clothes or both. Mining in any of its phases is inherently dirty work, and the employees dress accordingly while at work.In the early stages of mining it was the custom or workers to wear their dirty clothes home and change there. This necessitated their going home after work in dirty clothes which were usually damp from perspiration or from contact with wet or muddy matelials or surfaces, and, in addition to being inconvenient this was a frequent cause of colds, pneumonia, other pulmonary diseases or, possible skin ailments. Men working in very wet mines found that it was more satisfactory to change into dry clothes in the boiler room at the mine after work and allow their wet clothes to dry overnight. The mining companies later provided the first of the so-called ""dry-houses"" which were heated but had, few, if any, conveniences, such as showers, lockers, or latrines. The miners changed into dry clothes after work, but would not bathe or ""clean up"" until they reached their homes. Later, progressive mining companies provided bathing facilities for the employees, and eventually the present modern wash and change houses were evolved. Unfortunately, many mines, still have no bathing accommodations, and many have only makeshift accommodations."

Dec 1, 1947

By S. H. Ash

In the early nineties it was observed by several European investigators and by C. S. Rice4 that an explosion could be checked and would not propagate in the parts of a mine where shale or other inert dust was present in large amounts.5 After the disastrous Courrieres explosion in France that killed 1,100 men, coal-dust explosion tests were made in France in 1907 and in Great Britain in 1908 which resulted in the conclusion that if enough incombustible dust were properly spread throughout passageways charged with coal-dust, the propagation of an explosion by the coal-dust could be prevented. In 1908 the Federal government authorized the investigation of the causes of mine explosions and of possible methods of preventing them, with the result that during 1911 the United States Bureau of Mines, after making several tests, suggested that rock-dust be used in gassy or dusty bituminous coal mines. Since that time, experiments and investigations6 have proved conclusively that widespread explosions can be prevented in coal mines by efficient rook-dusting.

Jan 1, 1930

By Berger

A detailed description is given of radio apparatus for controlling a coincidence outfit for relative gravity measurements. This is probably of little interest, since many types of apparatus could be used. The general method employed is the interesting thing about this paper. As long ago as 1883 von Sterneck made a proposal to control two coincidence boxes with the, seine, clock, and many persons have suggested the use of radio for this purpose. In accomplishing this it would appear to the reviewer that this method is probably inferior to that used by the Marland Oil Co., but Berger and Brückner must be given the credit for important advances in the coincidence method. In their apparatus a clock at a central station actuates a relay, which operates a short-wave transmitter (40 m.). At the receiving station the amplification is accomplished at low frequencies... The signal operates a relay which moves a slitted screen in a coincidence apparatus. This screen has been improved considerably, to decrease the mean error in observing a coincidence. As usual, a telescope is used to observe the flashes of light. It has a scale in its focal plane and positions of successive flashes are easily read off and recorded by a second observer. This makes possible' a: higher accuracy in determining the exact instant at which coincidence would have occurred at the zero point on this scale. This method obviously depends on the constance of the mechanical and electrical lag inn both sending and receiving apparatus, and may be adversely criticized from this standpoint. -- A. E. Ruark.

Jan 1, 1929

By A. M. Cummings

Each mining district presents different problems as to the methods of ore extraction cad underground support, which are dependent upon the type of the ore deposit and the character of the inclosing rock. Mining costs, however, depend largely aeon the efficiency with which the methods employed underground are [applie] as well as upon the selection of the method best adapted to the physical conditions. The purpose of this paper is to present to the operator in other districts a detailed description of ho mining method used ins results obtained in tie exploitation of the bedded magnetite deposits of the Mineville district. The town of Mineville is situated in the Adirondacks, five miles west of Port Henry on Lake Champlain.

Jan 1, 1928

By L. W. Kelly

The purpose of this paper is to describe several methods that have been employed in successfully recovering roof bolts in Indiana, Illinois, and western Kentucky coal mines, the States where successful roof-bolt recovery was started. As far as is known, the first bolts were recovered in a mine in western Kentucky in January or February 1951. In April 1951 a meeting was held at that mine to discuss the recovery of roof bolts. The meeting was attended by A. D. Sisk, former Chief, Kentucky Department of Mines and Minerals; and L. W. Kelly, Federal Bureau of Mines; and officials of the coal company. Inasmuch as roof bolting was in its infancy, the thinking regarding roof bolts at that time was on the problem of getting them in, not getting them out; consequently, the thought of recovering them was revolutionary. The subject was discussed at length from all angles, and it was finally agreed that, if certain safeguards were taken, no agency represented at the meeting would oppose the practice. That this decision was sound has been proved, as thou-sands of bolts have been recovered in the Middle West without a lost-time accident. Recovering roof bolts is a simple operation; consequently, no complicated equipment had to be designed or built for this purpose. However, about 5 years ago, officials of the Traux-Traer Coal Co. conceived the idea and constructed a mechanical device for recovering bolts that has been very successful and has been copied widely in this area. This device will be discussed in detail in part II of this paper.

Jan 1, 1958

By F. A. Rutledge, J. J. Mulligan, W. H. Kems, R. L. Thome

"As a part of the United States Department of the Interior program for the development and use of Alaska raw materials, the Bureau of Mines is conducting an investigation of deposits f nonmetallic minerals accessible to the Alaska Railroad for use in building materials in the Alaska Railroad-belt area. The results of the investigations, to date, indicate that raw materials for the production of brick products are in plentiful supply as clay in the Anchorage area, as fire clay at Sheep Mountain, and as shale in the Healy Creek coal formations near Healy, Alaska.Shale for the production of lightweight aggregate or Haydite occurs near mile 67 on the Glenn Highway, and preliminary tests give excellent results. Physical tests are new in progress on commercial-size concrete building units made with this aggregate. Another shale deposit in the same formation was located at mile 16 on the Matanuska Branch of the Alaska Railroad, and preliminary tests give comparable results.Natural lightweight aggregate in tree form of pumice and pumicite occurs in Katmai National Monument and has been used with excellent results in lightweight-building units in Anchorage and Fairbanks. These deposits will be investigated in more detail by the Bureau of Mines during 1952.One small perlite deposit near Healy, Alaska, showed excellent expanding properties, and the product compares favorably with commercial perlites being used in the States for plaster and concrete aggregates. Additional investigation by the Bureau of Mines to delimit the known occurrence and, if possible, discover others were planned for the 1951 field season.The pumice from Katmai National Monument also was considered for use as a pozzolan in pozzolan-portland concrete. Tests by the Bureau of Reclamation indicate that the pumice sample submitted by the Bureau of Mines would be satisfactory in strength development but is not outstanding. Natural activity is good and is greatly improved by calcination at 1,4000 F. Water requirements and shrinkage also are satisfactory. However, the material is ineffective in reducing expansion owing to alkali-aggregate reaction; and, if reactive aggregate is used to make concrete, it would not insure against excessive expansion. An attempt will, be made during the 1952 field season to delimit pumicite deposits along the Alaska Peninsula more amenable for use in pozzolan-portIand concrete.Because the Railroad belt has such a rigorous climate, insulation for new construction is of prime importance. Luring the Bureau of Mines, investigation of building materials all samples were submitted for chemical analyses as possible sources of raw materials for the production of rock wool, one of the best insulation mediums. Four areas having deposits of the required constitu¬ents were located as follows: Anchorage area, with Potter limestone and argillite; Cantwell-Windy area, with limestone and shale; West Fork of the Chulitna River area, with limestone and agrillite; and Homer-Seldoyla area, with Seldovia limestone and Homer clay. It was planned to take bulk samples of these formations and submit them for testing during the 1951 field season."

Mar 1, 1953

By William W. Odell

In Europe and in certain other foreign countries studies have been made, extending over a period of years, relating to the winning of oil from oil shale. More work has been done in these countries than in the United States, for the reason that a supply of natural petroleum has not been so generally available there as here. Information has been obtained relating to present practices in these foreign lands in the development of a shale-oil industry. It is realized that in the past there has been very little inducement to invest capital in shale-oil enterprise in the United State's because the supply of petroleum has been plentiful; however, the time possibly is not far distant when the utilization of oil shale may be cons¬idered a desirable and financially sound venture, as it may be necessary before long to augment our supply of oil with that recovered by processing shale. The data presented herein portrays at least some of the thoughts of those engaged in obtaining oil from oil, shale in Europe, and they depict some of the results thus far obtained as well as certain plans for further efforts to win oil from shale; it is hoped that those who undertake the development of a shale-treating industry in this country will find useful information in this report.

Jan 1, 1946

By H. N. Dunning

A comprehensive research program designed to aid development of new and improved methods for more complete production of petroleum from partly depleted reservoirs is being conducted at the Bureau of Mines Petroleum Experiment Station, Bartlesville, Okla. Water flooding has accounted for much of the petroleum produced by secondary-recovery methods; however, a considerable portion of the crude oil commonly remains in place after water flooding has been terminated. In recent years the possibility of increasing the efficiency of water flooding by using surface-active additives has received wide attention. In general, the results of laboratory research have shown that use of detergents as water-flooding additives will reduce the residual petroleum in porous media (1).3/ Some less extensive field tests have supported this conclusion but have not been entirely conclusive (2). Later studies (3, 4) have given conflicting evidence as to the relative worth of detergent additives for water floods in water-wet (hydrophilic) or oil-wet (hydrophobic or lipophilic) reservoir materials. The results of these studies emphasize the need for a more complete understanding of the fundamental principles involved in displacing petroleum from reservoir surfaces by injected fluids. Accordingly, a comprehensive research program was initiated to investigate the practical and fundamental aspects of detergency in petroleum production.

Jan 1, 1953

By Robert D. Saltsman

Two modes of seal application were identified, and promising state-of-the-art seals of both types -shaft and drum -were selected for initial rating by non-destructive testing. Only one shaft seal survived the initial test, and a search was made for other candidate seals including new seals. One new type of seal was found that gave promising enough operation, as both a shaft and drum seal, to be recommended for installation in prototype wet-head machines.

Jan 1, 1975

By Robert L. Davidoff

Growing domestic and global demands for mineral resources have established an imperative need for developing comprehensive, versatile mineral supply analysis evaluation tools. The Minerals Availability System (MAS) of the Bureau of Mines is meeting this need with its computerized Supply Analysis Model (SAM). This paper describes the SAM system and the quantitative methods used by the MAS for mineral supply analyses. The MAS evaluating process consists of deposit identification, tonnage and grade determinations, engineering and cost evaluations, financial analyses, and supply curve generation. MAS has developed this computerized system primarily to facilitate the maintenance of data information for the constructing of commodity supply curves. The SAM system presently has the analytical capabilities of simultaneously (I) evaluating many mineral deposits, (2) updating mineral supply information to reflect inflationary changes in costs and prices, and (3) conducting sensitivity analysis to determine impacts on mineral supply under various conditions. Many potential users in both government and industry will find the SAM system a valuable tool for policy analysis, forecasting, and planning. The SAM system has been constructed so that any types of information that are similar to the data elements in the MAS data base may be used to perform supply studies. The storage space needed for the SAM system?s programs, files, and output data is approximately 14 million characters.

Jan 1, 1980

By F. A. Rutledge

"The chromite deposits of Red Mountain, 10,miles southeast of Seldovia, Alaska, are in an intrusive of ultramafic rocks. The earliest reference to the deposits was made by U.S. Grant3/; J.B. Mertic, Jr. 4/ made a brief examination in 1917; and A.C. Gill5/ spent 7 weeks studying the ore bodies and geology of the region in 1918. The Federal Geological Survey had a field party in the region from July until September 1940 and the Red Mountain area was mapped and geological data were assembled by P.W. Guild.6/A preliminary investigation of the Kenai chromite deposits was made in July 1941 by R. S. Sanford,7/district engineer of the Bureau of Mines, accompanied by P. W. Guild, assistant geologist of the Geologi¬cal Survey. This was followed by surface sampling and core drilling, which were completed in September 1942 under the direction of John W. Cole,8 associate engineer of the Bureau of Mines. G. O. Gates, associate geologist, and A, B. Unkelsbay, junior geologist, of the Geological Survey, logged cores and interpreted geologic features revealed by Bureau of Mines drilling and trenching.9/J. C. Roehm, associate engineer of the Territorial Department of Mines; examined the Red Mountain area in august 1941.10/Additional exploration of other deposits in. the Red Mountain area was completed during the summer of 194. Work consisted of surface sampling, core drilling, and mapping. G. O. Gates, associate geologist of the Geological Survey, spent 4 days in August investigating results of the Bureau of Mines program.Throughout the exploratory work conducted by the Bureau of Mines the cooperation of Red Mountain Chromite, Inc., and especially of John Blodgett, Jr., and Collis 2, Druley, president and superintendent, respectively, was greatly appreciated. Use of their camp in the Windy River cirque and shops at Kasitsna Bay facilitated the Bureau of Mines program."

Apr 1, 1946

By Thomas Fraser

"INTRODUCTION The Santa River Valley of northern Peru contains extensive deposits of a good-grade anthracite that offer one of the most accessible sources of solid-fuel supply for South America. This region is served by the narrow-gage railroad of the Corporation Peruana del Santa, which taps the coal fields along the Chuquicara River and terminates at the port of Chimbote, where facilities have been provided for loading coal into ocean-going vessels.This Government-sponsored corporation is prosecuting a vigorous program of development in this region, envisaging an intensively industrialized area around Chimbot Bay, fueled and powered by the anthracite of the upper valley and a hydroelectric generating plant now being constructed in the Cahn del Fate, where the Santa River has cut through the coastal range of the Andes.This development also includes the construction of extensive irrigation works to greatly expand agricultural production in the valley and thus estab¬lish the basis for a prosperous, well-balanced, industrial and agricultural community. It is hardly necessary to point out the importance of the local anthracite-mining industry to this general plan.At the invitation of the Peruvian Government, through the agency of David Dasso, chairman of Corpoacion Peruana del Santa, a technical mission was sent to Peru in March, April, and May 1945 to examine these coals and assist the corporation in promoting preparation of the coal for most effective use in the contemplated expansion of industry and trade."

Feb 1, 1948

By C. E. Lapple

To improve mine health and safety conditions, there is need for a portable instrument that mine inspectors can use routinely for rapidly checking concentrations of dust in mine atmospheres. On October 23, 1969, Stanford Research Institute was authorized by the U.S. Bureau of Mines to conduct a study aimed at developing such an instrument under Contract No. H0100186. The results of that study are reported in Technical Report No. 1, "Development of Portable Instrument For Measuring Coal Mine Dust Concentration," August 1970. In that study it was demonstrated on bench-scale that a near-forward optical scattering device gives a linear correlation between mass concentration and optical readout over a range of 2 to 200 mg/m3 with excellent reproducibility. The same correlation was obtained for the Respirable* dust fraction of three different coal dusts within ± 10% and an extreme spread of ± 30%. Based on these results a prototype instrument was designed which was expected to meet all the necessary requirements of a portable instrument for mine use. Because of the excellent results obtained, a further study was authorized by the Bureau of Mines on May 10, 1971 under Contract No. H0111688. The prime objective of this study was to build, calibrate, and deliver to the Bureau of Mines two prototype instruments based on the design previously developed. The emphasis was to be on providing instruments which would meet certain minimum standards of size, weight, response time, sensitivity, ruggedness, reproducibility, permissibility, and cost (ultimate); optimization of the design was to be considered only insofar as it would not significantly delay the development. One instrument was to be delivered after initial calibration of both instruments with Coal Dust PGH. The second instrument was to be used for further calibration with a number of other coal and rock dusts and for assessing other relevant performance characteristics. This report summarizes all the results of this second study.

Jan 1, 1972

To reduce operator exposure to noise from vibrating screens at coal preparation plants. Background Hearing loss is one of the most common occupational illnesses in the United States. In the U.S. mining industry, hearing loss is 2.5 to 3 times greater than what is expected for the average population that is not exposed to occupational noise. Furthermore, studies by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) showed that by age 50, 90% of coal miners have a hearing impairment versus only 10% of the population that is not exposed to occupational noise. A NIOSH cross-sectional survey of coal preparation plants showed that 43.5% of employees were overexposed to noise. The study also found that vibrating screens were one of the top five loudest types of equipment at these plants?as well as the most numerous?making them a key noise source to address.

Nov 1, 2009

By Edmund S. Leaver

[In previous reports 5/ of ore-testing studies standard methods of conduction tests with precious-metal ores selected as representative of certain mining districts were discussed in considerable detail.]

Jan 1, 1941

By J. B. Clemmer

Fluorspar is one of the most important nonmetallic minerals and is used extensively in the metallurgical, ceramic, cement, and chemical industries. The steel industry consumes most of it, but as the Mineral is the chief source of fluorine, it is becoming increasingly valuable to the chemical industry in the production of fluorine compounds The development of nontoxic organic fluorides for use as refrigerants in mechanical refrigeration and air-conditioning units illustrates the increasing use of fluorspar in the chemical industry. Most domestic flurospar comes from deposits in the Illinois-Kentucky district, which centers around Rosiclare, Ill. About a dozen companies operate in the district, which comprises parts of Pope and Hardin Counties in southern Illinois and Crittenden, Livingston, and Caldwell Counties in western Kentucky. According to the latest available statistics, this district supplied 1/5,960 short tons of fluorspar in 1937, compared with the total domestic production of 181,230 tons. Imports totaled 37,063 tons.

Jan 1, 1939

By J. B. Clemmer

Fluorspar is one of the most important nonmetallic minerals and is used extensively in the metallurgical, ceramic, cement, and chemical industries. The steel industry consumes most of it, but as the Mineral is the chief source of fluorine, it is becoming increasingly valuable to the chemical industry in the production of fluorine compounds. The development of nontoxic organic fluorides for use as refrigerants in mechanical refrigeration and air-conditioning units illustrates the increasing use of fluorspar in the chemical industry. Most domestic flurospar comes from deposits in the Illinois-Kentucky district, which centers around Rosiclare, Ill. About a dozen companies operate in the district, which comprises parts of Pope and Hardin Counties in southern Illinois and Crittenden, Livingston, and Caldrell Counties in western Kentucky. According to the latest available statistics, this district supplied 165,960 short tons of fluorspar in 1937, compared with the total domestic production of 151,230 tons. Imports totaled 37,063 tons.

Jan 1, 1939