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By G Njowa

Mineral resource evaluation and estimation process is not an exact science; however it depends on the knowledge and experience of the competent person and his ability to apply his mind, make reasonable assumptions, interpretations and exercise sound judgment in the mineral resource estimation process. The mineral resource evaluation results in a mineral resource statement are disclosed to investors. The minerals industry is presently undergoing rapid changes in legislation governing the public reporting of mineral assets. It has gone through different phases of development with respect to the reporting of mineral resources and mineral reserves (mineral assets). In the past no reporting was done and currently mineral assets are reported as a supplementary section that briefly describes the mineral asset termed ?the mineral reserve and mineral resource statement?. The current industry trend appears to be going towards recognition and disclosure of the mineral assets on to the balance sheet. This paper explores the salient issues behind the mineral resources and mineral reserve statement of vein and reef deposits published in the public domain. It also highlights the potential misleading consequences of these issues and which filter through to the valuation of these particular mineral assets. The creation of reporting standards in the minerals industry has made significant inroads in standardizing and consolidating the interpretation and understanding of the different classification categories in the industry in an effort to promote common interpretation towards these salient issues.

Jan 1, 2008

By J. L. SILSBEE

THE existence of large saline deposits in that flat arid basin, known as the Great Salt Lake Desert, has long been recognized, but the extent and great commercial value of these deposits has not been generally appreciated. That a very considerable interest has recently developed is indicated by the fact that about 263 prospecting permits-each covering about 2560 acres of land in this Desert-have been issued under the Potash Leasing Act (Act of 0ct. 2, 1917-40 Stat. 297), and patents granted on approximately 40,000 acres. It is reported that patents and leases have, or will be applied for on an additional 80,000 acres in the basin. , Tests have been made on probably less than 10 per cent. of the total area of the basin, but these have proved a practically unlimited supply of brine available -sufficient, probably, to. furnish the potassium and magnesium chloride requirements of this country for at least a hundred years.

Jan 1, 1925

By Roberto Busato Belger

- Fertilizer Business Overview - Supply -Demand Balance in the World - Supply -Demand Balance in Brazil - Brazilian Market Growth Opportunities - Fosfertil Operations - Fosfertil Expansion Plan - Salitre Project - Project Characteristics - Technical Challenges and Solutions - Technical Support Studies Conclusions

May 1, 2010

The blasting of the 2190_6095 stope at Kimberley Nickel MineÆs Sally Malay operation in Western Australia is an example of what can be achieved with electronic detonating systems when a drill and blast engineering team is faced with complex blast geometry and a major pump station in close proximity to the stope. Using Dyno NobelÆs HotShotÖ system, the engineering team successfully designed and initiated the 36.5 Kt stope firing, with a powder factor of 0.35, resulting in no damage to the pump infrastructure, better fragmentation of the ore and less overbreak in what had previously been a geotechnical and geometrically challenging stoping environment. This paper will discuss the design parameters used for this stope blast as well as the benefits the operation found in using precision detonator timing in this 252 hole shot over two levels using a combination of up and down and slashing rings that were initiated in four different directions.

Jan 1, 2007

By Charles H. Jacoby, Stanley J. LeFond

Salt, or halite, has had a long and most varied history. While we know the Chinese were producing salt as early as 3000 B.C., the first written reference to salt appears in the book of Job recorded about 2250 B.C., which reads: "Can nothing which is unsavory be eaten without salt?" We do not know when man first used or realized that he needed salt. Perhaps one of our early Eolithic ancestors noted a piece of salt shining along the shore of a salt lake or a bay. He may have been attracted by its shining luster and tasted it. He found that it had a tart, zesty, distinctive flavor and perhaps chewing a large piece, became ill. However, by experimentation he soon learned that taken in the proper proportions salt was a very pleasant additive to his food. He may have noticed, too, that it increased his feeling of well-being. Thus, when the curtain of recorded history rises, we find man using salt for his health's sake, seasoning his food with it, feeding it to his animals, and using it in many superstitious and religious ceremonies. These uses, however, are a far cry from the uses for salt today. The first attempts of white man to make salt in continental United States were reported in the year 1614, while the first commercial production was in 1790. Practically all of this salt was for human consumption, preserving food, and curing hides. Prior to the coming of the "white man" Indians are known to have made salt from such salt springs as those that existed at Avery Island, La., Charleston, W.Va., Saltville, Va., and Onondaga, N.Y. In 1862 the first rock salt was mined in the U.S. from the Avery Island salt dome. Almost immediately thereafter, rock salt was mined at Saltville, Va., and then at Retsof, N.Y., in 1885. Of the more than 40 million tons produced annually in the United States, about 68% or 27 million tons are consumed by the chemical industry in the production of chlorine, caustic soda, hydrochloric acid, sodium metal, and some 30 other basic chemicals. These basic chemicals, in turn, are used in the preparation of approximately 14,000 chemicals which range from soap and detergents, to such chlorinated hydrocarbons as DDT, BHC, carbon tetrachloride, etc.

Jan 1, 1975

By Robert T. MacMillan

Of all the mineral substances utilized by man, salt or sodium chloride has one of the longest and most varied histories. Because all animal life is descended from marine organisms, sodium and chlorine became necessary to life, and as sodium chloride meets requirements most readily, common salt has been essential to human and animal diets from earliest times. As civilization progressed, man learned to evaporate sea water and brines of saline lakes and springs to obtain salt, and gradually ceased to depend on the flesh of animals and the occasional salt outcrops or "salt licks" they frequented. He also learned that salt had a multitude of uses, particularly as a preservative of meat and other foods. The importance of salt in the minds of early men may be readily seen from many allusions in the Bible and other ancient writings. Expressions such as "not worth his salt," and "the salt of the earth" are deeply embedded in the English language. Salt has symbolized friendship, fidelity, purity, and hospitality. It has been used as currency; had religious significance; caused wars; and has been a favorite commodity for taxation. The English word "salary" stems from the Latin word for salt, in which Roman soldiers received part of their pay. Although salt today retains its dietary importance, it has thousands of other uses. Of each 100 pounds produced in the United States less than three pounds is for table use. The other 97 pounds goes for agricultural, industrial, and chemical uses. Fortunately, reserves of salt are enormous and reasonably well distributed on the face of the earth. The sea is an inexhaustible source of salt which may be had at prices which vary with climate and other factors. In addition, large underground salt deposits and many salt lakes, springs and playas are scattered throughout the world. Most countries have access to a salt supply, although some are more favored than others. Properties Crystallized sodium chloride or common salt is known as halite. Its molecular weight is 58.454 and it contains, by weight, 39.34 pct sodium and 60.66 pct chlorine. Alternate positions in the cubic lattice are occupied, respectively, by negative chloride and positive sodium ions; the crystal form is isometric. Crystallization from water produces concentric shells, and when broken, a crystal shows conchoidal fracture. Salt has a hardness of 2.5; its specific gravity ranges from 2.1 to 2.6 for rock salt and is 2.165 for the pure crystal. The refractive index is 1.554; it melts at 800.8 ± 0.5°C and boils at 1413°C. Its heat of fusion is 123.59 cal/ gram. Salt is transparent or translucent and highly diathermous. It is colorless when pure and has a vitreous luster. Salt containing traces of iron oxides has varying shades of yellow, orange, brown, pink, or red. The peculiar shade of red sometimes found in that produced by solar evaporation of sea water has been attributed to tiny organisms. Blue mottlings sometimes seen in halite crystals have been attributed to colloidal sodium. Salt is soluble in water to the extent of 35.7 parts per 100 parts of water at 0°C and 39.8 parts per 100 of water at 100°C. The small difference in solubility with increasing temperature is important in the economics of producing salt by evaporating brine. Salt has a negative heat of solution which is 1.281 kg-cal/ mole at 18°C in 200 moles of water.

Jan 1, 1960

By Dennis S. Kostick

Sodium is a silver-colored metal that is so unstable that it reacts violently in the presence of water, and chlorine is a greenish-colored gas that is dangerous and lethal. Yet the combination of these two elements forms sodium chloride, commonly known as salt, which is a white-colored compound essential to life itself. Salt is perhaps the only mineral in the world that is used virtually by every human being in every country. Although its importance has diminished over time, salt has had a profound influence on history. Sources of salt have determined the location of cities, such as Salzburg, Austria, Salzgitter, Germany, Salt Lake City, UT, and Saltville, VA. Populations have migrated in search of salt, and wars have been fought to obtain or to protect it. Although there is no written record of when prehistoric man first discovered salt, he probably instantly appreciated its unique and distinctive taste and sought more of it. He noticed animals were attracted to salt springs and salt licks, where they satisfied their innate cravings. Man used this knowledge to hunt for food; where he found the salt, he would find the animals. Because prehistoric man was not aware of his physiologic need for salt, he automatically received his salt requirements from the meat of the animals he ate. A Mesopotamian tale tells of a wounded pig that ran into the ocean and drowned. After being recovered from the ocean, where it was saturated in the salt brine, the pork was found to taste better than unsalted meat. It was not until man graduated from a nomadic to an agricultural society when he introduced vegetables and cereals into his diet that he realized he needed additional supplements of salt. The Sumerians ate salted meat and used salt to preserve food about 3500 BC. In approximately 1000 BC, the Trojans learned to use salt for preserving fish. The maritime civilizations, such as that of the Phoenicians, engaged in an extensive salt trade throughout the Mediterranean. Many superstitions, customs, and traditions surround the religious, social, economic, and political aspects of civilization. Although some commodities have provided the basis of some ageless metaphors and cliches (i.e., heart of gold, strong as steel, etc.), none are more commonly used than those pertaining to salt. Being "the salt of the earth" referred to a person's worthiness, as referenced in Matthew 5:13 of the Bible. Someone "not worth his salt" reportedly was used in ancient Greece in bartering salt for slaves. When a laborer was worth his salt, he was paid a salary (sal is Latin for salt), a term still in use today that dates back to Roman times when part of a soldier's pay was salt rations. Fearing those around him, the Roman leader Pompey was known to add a grain of salt to his drinks as a supposed antidote to poison. Hence, "taking it with a grain of salt'' is to regard something with suspicion. The earliest known record of salt production was in China about 2000 BC when Emperor Yu decreed that salt had to be supplied to the court as a tribute. Because salt was a commodity that had universal demand, governments often intervened to control salt production and distribution to generate revenue for major national projects. State-run salt monopolies were common in history, such as in Rome about 506 BC. Revenue was also derived from taxes levied on salt sales. The word gabelle refers to the direct salt tax used in France. This tax was so despised that it was a major cause of the French Revolution. Although the tax was repealed in 1790, it was reinstated in 1805 to raise revenue for war. France continued to used the gabelle until 1945. Salt making was an important economic activity in many areas of the world. Archaeological evidence indicates that salt was quarried from hills near the Dead Sea before the Bronze Age. At Hallstatt in the eastern Alps of Austria, rock salt was mined as early as 1400 BC. Solar salt was being produced in the northern Yucatan peninsula by the Mayan civilization from about 50 BC to AD 300. Other than the prehistoric use of salt in the southwestern part of the United States by the Native Americans, the first production of salt by American colonists began in June 1614 on Smith's Island, VA, seven years after the founding of the Jamestown colony. The short-lived activity was in response to the high price of salt being charged by ship's captains who brought salt over as ballast from England. Although Nathaniel Loomis is credited with starting the first commercial inland salt production in the United States at Onondaga Lake in New York in 1790, salt had been made by individuals for private use years earlier. Indians had long known of the salt springs in the Kanawha Valley of Virginia (now known as West Virginia). In 1755, Mary Ingles, a white settler, was kidnapped by Indians and was forced to make salt from the saline springs. After her escape, she told other settlers how to make salt. At Saltville, VA, Arthur Campbell began making salt in 1782 by boiling brine obtained from salt springs. In 1799, William King sank a shaft about 3 m in diameter down about 61 m to the underlying Saltville salt deposits. The shaft flooded before he could extract any rock salt; however, King has the distinction of digging the shaft of the first salt mine in the United States. Fig. 1 shows the King site as it appears today in Saltville, VA. Production of brine from the shaft continued until 1892. Settlers moved into the Kanawha Valley in 1785, but it wasn't until 1806 that Elisha Brooks established the first commercial salt works in Kanawha.

Jan 1, 1994

By Charles H. Jacoby, Stanley J. LeFond

Salt, or halite, has a long and most varied history. While we know the Chinese were producing salt as early as 3000 B.C., the first written reference to salt appears in the book of Job recorded about 2250 B.C., which reads: "Can nothing which is unsavory be eaten without salt?" We do not know when man first used or realized that he needed salt. Perhaps one of our early Eolithic ancestors noted a piece of salt shining along the shore of a salt lake or a bay. He may have been attracted by its shining luster and tasted it. He found that it had a tart, zesty, distinctive flavor and perhaps chewing a large piece, became ill. However, by experimentation he soon learned that taken in the proper proportions salt was a very pleasant additive to his food. He may have noticed, too, that it increased his feeling of well-being. Thus, when the curtain of recorded history rises, we find man using salt for his health's sake, seasoning his food with it, feeding it to his animals, and using it in many superstitious and religious ceremonies. These uses, however, are a far cry from the uses for salt today. The first attempts of white man to make salt in continental United States were reported in the year 1614, while the first commercial production was in 1753 from the Kanawha licks. Practically all this salt was for human consumption, preserving food, and curing hides. Prior to the coming of the white man, Indians are known to have made salt from salt springs such as those that existed at Avery Island, LA, Charleston, WV, Saltville, VA, and Onondaga, NY. In 1862 the first rock salt was mined in the US from the Avery Island salt dome. Almost immediately thereafter, rock salt was mined at Saltville, VA and then at Retsof, NY in 1885. Of the more than 39 million tons produced annually in the United States, about 58% or 23 million tons are consumed by the chemical industry in the production of chlorine, caustic soda, hydrochloric acid, sodium metal, and some 30 other basic chemicals. These basic chemicals, in turn, are used in the preparation of approximately 14,000 chemicals which range from soap and detergents, to such chlorinated hydrocarbons as DDT, BHC, carbon tetrachloride, etc. Utilization of cavities created in salt beds and domes has grown rapidly since 1947 until now the waste salt is creating an ecological problem. The uses for both dry- and solution-mined cavities range from the storage of liquid hydrocarbons to containerized storage of toxic wastes, from compressed air for the peak shaving of power to storage of nuclear wastes. Geology Mineralogy Properties: Because of its simple structure, halite, the mineralogical name for salt, was the first structure to be analyzed by X-rays. It has the following properties: Formula: NaCl (Na-39.34%. Cl2-60.66% ) Crystallography: isometric, hexoctahedral, 4/m 32/m Space group: Fm3m A0: 5.627 kX Cell contents: Na4CI4 Habit: usually cubic, rarely octahedral, massive, granular to compact Physical properties: Refractive index: 1.554 Twinning: observed on {111} Cleavage: {001} perfect Fracture: conchoidal, brittle

Jan 1, 1983

amounted to about 2000 metric tons. The total output is increasing from year to year. Marine salt is now produced in Haiti in quantity sufficient to supply nearly all the requirements of this Republic, so production tax is now collected. Central America Guatemala-The major production of salt in Guatemala is solar salt derived from sea water, but the Indian population prefers salt derived by boiling coastal marine earth. Salt is taxed by the Government. The industry has been beset by controversies in recent years, especially following the revolution of October 1944. The Government issued a decree in August 1940 designed to control production and price of salt. The creation of a salt consortium was provided for and marketing was to be governed by production quotas. It is understood that the Government pool was later dissolved and the industry is now under older laws whereby production and sales have no limits. South America Panama-Output of salt in Panama in a very recent year was 11,000 net tons of solar-evaporated sea salt. A Government bank is in charge of output and distribution of the product. Colombia-Rock-salt deposits are known in five places-Zipaquira, Nemocon, and Sesquile, in the Department of Cundinamarca, the Cumural y Upin near Restrepo, and San Miguel y Barital, near Medina in Meta Intendency. The latter deposit never has been worked on account of its inaccessibility. Saline springs are worked in four locations. The largest producer among marine salinas is Manare but it is now planned to make Bahia Honda the largest. Some evaporated salt is made in vacuum pans. The deposits at Zipaquira, Nemocon, and Sesquile are believed to occur in the domal type of deposit. All the salt resources are under Government control. Venezuela-The salt industry in Venezuela is under Government control and is taxed. Taxes in recent years, however, have been reduced for salt used in curing hides and salting meats, fish and fish products. Production has approximated 25,000 metric tons yearly but may now be considerably above that figure. The basin on the peninsula of Araya, State of Sucre, which at present is the only important source of salt, could produce at least 175,000 metric tons if more ground were provided-a larger supply than the entire country could consume. This unique landlocked basin of nearly 1000 acres lies 12 ft below sea level. Ecuador-Salt is a Government monopoly in Ecuador and is produced chiefly by solar evaporation close to the shore. The main producing center is on the Santa Elena peninsula, which supplies about 90 pct of the salt. Small fields are at Punta Arenas, Payana, and Chara-

Jan 1, 1949

By Joseph C. Buchen

In principle, productiorl of salt from sea water is a simple operation. The sun and wind cause evaporation of sea water trapped in ponds, and what is left is principally salt. Commercial production, however, requires consideration of many factors. First is a high consistent annual rate of evaporation, as well as large areas of suitable low-lying ground close to economical shipping facilities. The south end of San Francisco Bay has these requisites. Large ponds are built, by using clamshell dredges to build up levees to a height of approximately 3 ft. on ground usually lower than sea level, so that the water may be taken in through tide gates without pumping. Ponds are divided into extremely large concentrating ponds and smeller crystallizing ponds. Approximately ten times more area is required for concentrating than for crystallizing. The concentrating ponds are irregular in shape and size but the crystallizing ponds are rectangular and fairly regular in size, to aid in harvesting. The ocean water is taken into the first of a series of concentrating ponds and gradually moved forward from pond to pond as it increase:: in density, reaehing the crystallizing area as a saturated brine. This brine is pumped into the crystallizer at the beginning of the net evaporating season, usually in May, and further evaporation causes its sodium chloride content to deposit on the bottoms of the ponds. The brine must be drawn off and a fresh supply added from time to time to prevent other undesirable salts from depositing with the sodium chloride. Harvesting usually begins near the end of August and now is accomplished almost entirely by mechanical means. After harvesting, the salt is stored in large sbockpiles until required for shipping or refining. The greatest amount is used for industrial purposes and is shipped without any processing other than screening, but all salt for domestic use produced by the Leslie Salt Co. is refined by the racuum process, giving a produet consistently testing over 09.9 per cent sodium chloride.

Jan 1, 1938

By Joseph C. Buchen

In principle, productiorl of salt from sea water is a simple operation. The sun and wind cause evaporation of sea water trapped in ponds, and what is left is principally salt. Commercial production, however, requires consideration of many factors. First is a high consistent annual rate of evaporation, as well as large areas of suitable low-lying ground close to economical shipping facilities. The south end of San Francisco Bay has these requisites. Large ponds are built, by using clamshell dredges to build up levees to a height of approximately 3 ft. on ground usually lower than sea level, so that the water may be taken in through tide gates without pumping. Ponds are divided into extremely large concentrating ponds and smeller crystallizing ponds. Approximately ten times more area is required for concentrating than for crystallizing. The concentrating ponds are irregular in shape and size but the crystallizing ponds are rectangular and fairly regular in size, to aid in harvesting. The ocean water is taken into the first of a series of concentrating ponds and gradually moved forward from pond to pond as it increase:: in density, reaehing the crystallizing area as a saturated brine. This brine is pumped into the crystallizer at the beginning of the net evaporating season, usually in May, and further evaporation causes its sodium chloride content to deposit on the bottoms of the ponds. The brine must be drawn off and a fresh supply added from time to time to prevent other undesirable salts from depositing with the sodium chloride. Harvesting usually begins near the end of August and now is accomplished almost entirely by mechanical means. After harvesting, the salt is stored in large sbockpiles until required for shipping or refining. The greatest amount is used for industrial purposes and is shipped without any processing other than screening, but all salt for domestic use produced by the Leslie Salt Co. is refined by the racuum process, giving a produet consistently testing over 09.9 per cent sodium chloride.

Jan 1, 1938

By A. H. Miller, G. W. H. Norman

This survey is one of the more recent tests of geophysical methods of prospecting by the Dominion Observatory and the Geological Survey of Canada, of which the purpose is to find out what application such methods may have to geological problems in Canada. The Malagash salt deposit lies on the north shore of Nova Scotia about 40 miles east of the New Brunswick boundary, arid forms a part of faulted and folded Carboniferous strata. The salt beds are exposed only in the mine workings, which are about 1000 ft. deep and at one place extend for 1000 ft. along the strike. Lack of rock exposures, complicated folds, and faults make it impossible to predict the location of salt away from the mine. A survey of an area in the vicinity of the mine was therefore undertaken to find out whether the salt could be located by the torsion balance and whether its extension from the mine workings could be traced. As the gravitational effects at Malagash may be fairly typical of those at other concealed salt deposits in the Carboniferous rocks of the Maritime Provinces of Canada, the survey has a direct bearing on prospecting for other deposits. The survey was made in 1934 by A. H. Miller in collaboration with Dr. W. A. Bell, of the Geological Survey of Canada. Observations began on June 15 and were completed four months later, on Oct. 15. Definite gravitational effects including a lowering of gravity were observed over the deposit. The survey also disclosed one other area of low gravity cast of the mine hut whether this area is underlain by a large body of salt is not yet established.

Jan 1, 1938

By G. W. H. Norman, A. H. Miller

This survey is one of the more recent tests of geophysical methods of prospecting by the Dominion Observatory and the Geological Survey of Canada, of which the purpose is to find out what application such methods may have to geological problems in Canada. The Malagash salt deposit lies on the north shore of Nova Scotia about 40 miles east of the New Brunswick boundary, arid forms a part of faulted and folded Carboniferous strata. The salt beds are exposed only in the mine workings, which are about 1000 ft. deep and at one place extend for 1000 ft. along the strike. Lack of rock exposures, complicated folds, and faults make it impossible to predict the location of salt away from the mine. A survey of an area in the vicinity of the mine was therefore undertaken to find out whether the salt could be located by the torsion balance and whether its extension from the mine workings could be traced. As the gravitational effects at Malagash may be fairly typical of those at other concealed salt deposits in the Carboniferous rocks of the Maritime Provinces of Canada, the survey has a direct bearing on prospecting for other deposits. The survey was made in 1934 by A. H. Miller in collaboration with Dr. W. A. Bell, of the Geological Survey of Canada. Observations began on June 15 and were completed four months later, on Oct. 15. Definite gravitational effects including a lowering of gravity were observed over the deposit. The survey also disclosed one other area of low gravity cast of the mine hut whether this area is underlain by a large body of salt is not yet established.

Jan 1, 1938

By E. F. La Vigne

On Aug. 10, 1884, the Retsof Mining Co. began the sinking of an 18 by 12-ft. shaft at Retsof, N. Y. Rock salt was reached in 1885, in September, at 1008 ft. below the surface. The first salt was shipped in the fall of 1885. A timber breaker was built in 1886. In July, 1895, there was a consolidation of the Retsof Mining Co., the Greigsville Salt & Mining Co., the Livonia Salt Co., and the Lehigh Salt & Mining Co. These consolidated salt companies are now known as the Retsof Mining Co., a subsidiary of the International Salt Go. Eventually all of the mines were closed except the mine of the Retsof Mining Co., at Retsof, Livingston County, New York. On July 6, 1921, about 1/2 mile south of the original shaft arid plant of the Retsof Mining Co., a new 9 by 28-ft. concrete-liried shaft was started. The shaft is 1063 ft. deep from the top of the shaft collar to the bottom of the salt bed. At the same time a reinforced-concrete breaker and other buildings were erccted. This new plant began operations on Dee. 15, 1923. It was designed for a capacity of 3000 tons in 8 hours. Geology The workable rock-salt bed is 1063 ft. below the surface and 326 ft. below sea level, and varies in thickness from 9 to 10 ft. The total thickness is greater than that but is contaminated with shale above and below the pure mineral. The characteristics of the formation are shown in Tables 1 and 2. The bed dips uniformly 0.87 per cent to the south. Prospecting As the salt deposil in New York State is known, very little prospecting has been necessary. Before the sinking of the Retsof No. 1 shaft, a well was drilled to prove the existence of salt. No. 1 shaft was sunk where the well was located. The several salt wells drilled in Livingston Courlty proved generally the existence of salt throughout the county. (See U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 669: Salt Resources of the U. S.)

Jan 1, 1938

By E. F. La Vigne

On Aug. 10, 1884, the Retsof Mining Co. began the sinking of an 18 by 12-ft. shaft at Retsof, N. Y. Rock salt was reached in 1885, in September, at 1008 ft. below the surface. The first salt was shipped in the fall of 1885. A timber breaker was built in 1886. In July, 1895, there was a consolidation of the Retsof Mining Co., the Greigsville Salt & Mining Co., the Livonia Salt Co., and the Lehigh Salt & Mining Co. These consolidated salt companies are now known as the Retsof Mining Co., a subsidiary of the International Salt Go. Eventually all of the mines were closed except the mine of the Retsof Mining Co., at Retsof, Livingston County, New York. On July 6, 1921, about 1/2 mile south of the original shaft arid plant of the Retsof Mining Co., a new 9 by 28-ft. concrete-liried shaft was started. The shaft is 1063 ft. deep from the top of the shaft collar to the bottom of the salt bed. At the same time a reinforced-concrete breaker and other buildings were erccted. This new plant began operations on Dee. 15, 1923. It was designed for a capacity of 3000 tons in 8 hours. Geology The workable rock-salt bed is 1063 ft. below the surface and 326 ft. below sea level, and varies in thickness from 9 to 10 ft. The total thickness is greater than that but is contaminated with shale above and below the pure mineral. The characteristics of the formation are shown in Tables 1 and 2. The bed dips uniformly 0.87 per cent to the south. Prospecting As the salt deposil in New York State is known, very little prospecting has been necessary. Before the sinking of the Retsof No. 1 shaft, a well was drilled to prove the existence of salt. No. 1 shaft was sunk where the well was located. The several salt wells drilled in Livingston Courlty proved generally the existence of salt throughout the county. (See U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 669: Salt Resources of the U. S.)

Jan 1, 1938

By W. M. Weigel

Salt production in Louisiana and Texas at the present time is entirely from salt domes of the interior and coastal groups. Before and during the Civil War salt was recovered from numerous salines and salt springs by evaporation in open kettles. The location of these in nearly every instance was near what is now known to be a salt dome, and the source of the salt in the salines and spring waters was that in the salt core. The tops of many of the shallower domes have been subjected to erosion1. The discovery that the salt occurred as large masses of rock salt in the form of domes was made in May, 1802, at Avery Island, La., by John Marsh Avery, grandson of the original owner, John C. Marsh, who built the old salt works in 18122. The first shaft for mining was sunk on the Avery dome in 1867 by Chouteau and Price. It was 90 ft. deep, about 58 ft. being in solid salt. It was abandoned in 1870. There are three general groups or fields of salt domes; interior Louisiana in northern Louisiana, interior Texas in northeastern Texas, and the coastal domes nearer the Gulf Coast and extending from the Mississippi River to the Rio Grande. This last group contains by far the greatest number of domes. As many of the coastal domes especially are prolific producers of petroleum and a few of sulfur, their geology has been intensively studied and fully covered in the literature. The depth to the top of the salt varies from near the surface, where shallow ground waters have dissolved the salt to just below recent deposits, to several thousand feet, where the depth has been cstimated only by geophysical methods. The diameter of the salt core varies from less than 1/2 mile to over 2 miles. Only domes where the salt is comparatively near the surface have been developed for commercial salt. Three deeper domes, which will be described later, have recently been developed or are in process of development, as a source of brine for chemical use. Fig. 1 shows the location of the domes so far developed for commercial salt and brine. Nos. 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 9 and 10 are in the Gulf Coastal field,

Jan 1, 1938

By W. M. Weigel

Salt production in Louisiana and Texas at the present time is entirely from salt domes of the interior and coastal groups. Before and during the Civil War salt was recovered from numerous salines and salt springs by evaporation in open kettles. The location of these in nearly every instance was near what is now known to be a salt dome, and the source of the salt in the salines and spring waters was that in the salt core. The tops of many of the shallower domes have been subjected to erosion1. The discovery that the salt occurred as large masses of rock salt in the form of domes was made in May, 1802, at Avery Island, La., by John Marsh Avery, grandson of the original owner, John C. Marsh, who built the old salt works in 18122. The first shaft for mining was sunk on the Avery dome in 1867 by Chouteau and Price. It was 90 ft. deep, about 58 ft. being in solid salt. It was abandoned in 1870. There are three general groups or fields of salt domes; interior Louisiana in northern Louisiana, interior Texas in northeastern Texas, and the coastal domes nearer the Gulf Coast and extending from the Mississippi River to the Rio Grande. This last group contains by far the greatest number of domes. As many of the coastal domes especially are prolific producers of petroleum and a few of sulfur, their geology has been intensively studied and fully covered in the literature. The depth to the top of the salt varies from near the surface, where shallow ground waters have dissolved the salt to just below recent deposits, to several thousand feet, where the depth has been cstimated only by geophysical methods. The diameter of the salt core varies from less than 1/2 mile to over 2 miles. Only domes where the salt is comparatively near the surface have been developed for commercial salt. Three deeper domes, which will be described later, have recently been developed or are in process of development, as a source of brine for chemical use. Fig. 1 shows the location of the domes so far developed for commercial salt and brine. Nos. 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 9 and 10 are in the Gulf Coastal field,

Jan 1, 1938

By C. D Looker

Common salt is mentioned in the most ancient writings as an important article of diet. It is fairly certain that it was used by men and animals long before the dawn of civilization. Its presence in natural springs has often been the determining factor in colonization; wars have been fought for possession of salt deposits; trade routes have been established expressly for the purpose of traffic in salt. Naturally this led men into adventures and discoveries that altered history and advanced civilization. In the early days the uses for salt were few and the methods of manufacture were crude and the purity low when compared to salt of the present day. Then the salt came largely from springs, shallow wells or the ocean, while today deep wells must be drilled to the natural brines or beds of rock salt and spacious shafts sunk so that the ancient deposits may be made to yield their supply of stored mineral. Mining and Purification The quantity of available salt seems inexhaustible. It occurs in practically every country of the globe. About 20 million tons is produced and consumed annually in the world. Of this amount about 7 million tons is produced in the United States; 13/4 million tons of rock salt, 2 1/4 million tons as evaporated salt and 31/2 million tons in brine used in the chemical industry. Mined rock salt is used in its natural state without purification. It is classified for the trade by crushing and screening. The average purity of rock salt mined in the United States is about 98.3 per cent pure sodium chloride1. The usual impurities are gypsiferous shale, anhydrite and silica, with traces of potassium, magnesium and calcium compounds. Refined or evaporated salt is made by crystallizing the salt from brine in open pans or vacuum pans. A comparatively small amount of salt is made from ocean water or the brines of inland lakes or seas, sometimes by solar evaporation. By far the larger amount of brine is obtained by drill-

Jan 1, 1938

By C. D. Looker

Common salt is mentioned in the most ancient writings as an important article of diet. It is fairly certain that it was used by men and animals long before the dawn of civilization. Its presence in natural springs has often been the determining factor in colonization; wars have been fought for possession of salt deposits; trade routes have been established expressly for the purpose of traffic in salt. Naturally this led men into adventures and discoveries that altered history and advanced civilization. In the early days the uses for salt were few and the methods of manufacture were crude and the purity low when compared to salt of the present day. Then the salt came largely from springs, shallow wells or the ocean, while today deep wells must be drilled to the natural brines or beds of rock salt and spacious shafts sunk so that the ancient deposits may be made to yield their supply of stored mineral. Mining and Purification The quantity of available salt seems inexhaustible. It occurs in practically every country of the globe. About 20 million tons is produced and consumed annually in the world. Of this amount about 7 million tons is produced in the United States; 13/4 million tons of rock salt, 2 1/4 million tons as evaporated salt and 31/2 million tons in brine used in the chemical industry. Mined rock salt is used in its natural state without purification. It is classified for the trade by crushing and screening. The average purity of rock salt mined in the United States is about 98.3 per cent pure sodium chloride1. The usual impurities are gypsiferous shale, anhydrite and silica, with traces of potassium, magnesium and calcium compounds. Refined or evaporated salt is made by crystallizing the salt from brine in open pans or vacuum pans. A comparatively small amount of salt is made from ocean water or the brines of inland lakes or seas, sometimes by solar evaporation. By far the larger amount of brine is obtained by drill-

Jan 1, 1938

The stabilization of a gravel road with soil is a method of treatment developed in recent years by the United States Bureau of Public Roads for the purpose of binding the constituents together better, and maintaining a more durable surface. The process consists in adding to the gravel or crushed stone and sand, a soil mortar, so-called, of fine sand, silt and clay, mixed in the proper proportions. The coarse gravel and sand supply structural strength and hardness; the fine sand adds embedment support to the coarse sand; the silt acts as a filler to prevent the granular particles from rocking; while the clay serves not only as a binder but also provides pores minute enough to cause connecting moisture films which are supposed to have high cohesive properties'. It will be recognized that the clay is an important ingredient both when wet and dry, and should not show excessive expansion when wet, nor correspondingly high shrinkage in drying, as otherwise there is danger of unseating the nonplastie particles. Such a stabilized road, although an improvement on one with a floating surface, will in course of time be subject to wear, and become dusty when the clay dries out and breaks up. It has been found that if some salts are added to the road mixture they tend to maintain the soil moisture and prevent dustiness of the road or raveling of the road surface. In addition to this, it is claimed that these dissolved salts cause a thinning of the moisture films on the particles, thus permitting greater compaction of the road mixture, and thereby increasing its density. This fact can be proved by noting the increased compaction which a road mixture shows when certain salts are added to the soil water. Since certain chemical substances such as sodium chloride are electrolytes, the question arises whether they cannot have wine effect on the qualities of the clay in the soil mortar, and perhaps improve them. In view of the fact that certain salts seem to exert a favorable effeet on the road mixture it is desirable that they he held in the road soil as long a time as possible.

Jan 1, 1938