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By B. W. Dyer

In 1924, the Crescent Eagle Oil Co., while drilling the salt section of the Paradox formation in Grand County, Utah, encountered a salt that did not appear to be sodium chloride. This salt was analyzed and showed the presence of potash minerals, both sylvite (KCl) and carnallite (KMgC12.6H2O). Because of the high potash content of the sample, there was considerable speculation: (I) as to whether the hole had been salted, and (2), if not, the extent, richness, and the depth at which the deposit occurred. The discovery caused a large amount of activity in the area. During the next few years, 68 potash prospecting permits were issued by the Government, 24 under the Act of 1917 and 44 under the Act of Feb. 7, 1927, each including about four sections of land. Several holes, all shallow, were drilled for potash. A number of holes were drilled for oil into the salt horizon and the cuttings collected at the oil wells were examined petrographically and chemically. The shallow test holes were not sufficiently deep to reach the potash horizon and revealed nothing of value, but several of the oil test holes gave some indication of where potash might be found. Location and Geology of Deposits The potassium and magnesium salts have been found in various places from the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad tracks about seven miles west of Thompsons, in eastern Utah, to Cane Creek, a tributary of the Colorado River— a distance north and south of about 35 miles. In this locality, there appear to be five separate deposits: the Crescent Eagle area, which is in T. 22 S., R. 19 E.; the Salt Valley area, in the vicinity of the north-south line of T. 23 S., between R. 20 E. and R. 21 E.; the Seven Mile area, in the eastern part of T. 25 S., R. 20 E.; the Cane Creek area, on the Colorado River, in T. 26 S. and T. 27 S., R. 20 E. and R. 21 E.; and the Salt Wash area, in T. 22 S. and T. 23 S., R. 16 E. and R. 17 E. (Fig. I.) The Crescent Eagle and Salt Valley areas are in the Salt Valley anticline, some of the wells being in the fault graben and others outside. Structurally, the Salt Valley anticline is very complex, and can be described in general terms as a northwesterly plunging collapsed anticline about 15 miles long. In the Crescent Eagle area, the valley graben is about 1 1/2 mile wide and the salt probably forms a plug, the apex of which is in the vicinity of the Crescent Eagle well. Owing to the complex structure, there has been every opportunity for flowage in the salt to cause local thinning or thickening of beds. The regular succession of formations in the general area* is: Cretaceous Mancos Dakota Jurassic Morrison Summerville Entrada Carmel

Jan 1, 1948

By B. W. Dyer

In 1924, the Crescent Eagle Oil Co., while drilling the salt section of the Paradox formation in Grand County, Utah, encountered a salt that did not appear to be sodium chloride. This salt was analyzed and showed the presence of potash minerals, both sylvite (KCl) and carnallite (KMgC12.6H2O). Because of the high potash content of the sample, there was considerable speculation: (I) as to whether the hole had been salted, and (2), if not, the extent, richness, and the depth at which the deposit occurred. The discovery caused a large amount of activity in the area. During the next few years, 68 potash prospecting permits were issued by the Government, 24 under the Act of 1917 and 44 under the Act of Feb. 7, 1927, each including about four sections of land. Several holes, all shallow, were drilled for potash. A number of holes were drilled for oil into the salt horizon and the cuttings collected at the oil wells were examined petrographically and chemically. The shallow test holes were not sufficiently deep to reach the potash horizon and revealed nothing of value, but several of the oil test holes gave some indication of where potash might be found. Location and Geology of Deposits The potassium and magnesium salts have been found in various places from the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad tracks about seven miles west of Thompsons, in eastern Utah, to Cane Creek, a tributary of the Colorado River— a distance north and south of about 35 miles. In this locality, there appear to be five separate deposits: the Crescent Eagle area, which is in T. 22 S., R. 19 E.; the Salt Valley area, in the vicinity of the north-south line of T. 23 S., between R. 20 E. and R. 21 E.; the Seven Mile area, in the eastern part of T. 25 S., R. 20 E.; the Cane Creek area, on the Colorado River, in T. 26 S. and T. 27 S., R. 20 E. and R. 21 E.; and the Salt Wash area, in T. 22 S. and T. 23 S., R. 16 E. and R. 17 E. (Fig. I.) The Crescent Eagle and Salt Valley areas are in the Salt Valley anticline, some of the wells being in the fault graben and others outside. Structurally, the Salt Valley anticline is very complex, and can be described in general terms as a northwesterly plunging collapsed anticline about 15 miles long. In the Crescent Eagle area, the valley graben is about 1 1/2 mile wide and the salt probably forms a plug, the apex of which is in the vicinity of the Crescent Eagle well. Owing to the complex structure, there has been every opportunity for flowage in the salt to cause local thinning or thickening of beds. The regular succession of formations in the general area* is: Cretaceous Mancos Dakota Jurassic Morrison Summerville Entrada Carmel

Jan 1, 1948

By J. L. Gillson

In a brief summary of the many occurrences of fluorspar in our western states, it is not possible to go into detail in regard to the geology, mining and milling methods, and reserves about individual deposits. Rather a broad review is made of the occurrences and an analysis of how the western deposits may fit into our future domestic economy is presented. General Statement on Fluorspar Situation Fluorspar has been used for years as a flux in the manufacture of basic open-hearth steel, in foundry cupolas for melting pig iron, in the manufacture of opalescent glass and in the preparation of hydrofluoric acid. In 1880 the annual production of fluorspar in the United States was around 4000 tons per year. By 1900 it was up to 21,656 tons and between 1902 and 1908 it averaged about 40,000 tons annually. Prices were then so low, by present standards, that it seems impossible to believe now that mining could have been performed profitably at the price levels then prevailing. In 1890 fluorspar sold at the mines for $6.70 per ton, in 1901 for $5.81, in 1916 for 85.92. When the United States entered World War I, flyorspar production and price skyrocketed; the production reached 263,817 tons in 1918, with prices above $20.00 per ton, and prices were even higher in 1919 and 1920. After 1920, the domestic production fell from the 1918 level to about 125,000 tons annually and the average price dropped back to about $18.00 per ton. By 1935 the average price had fallen to $15.00, but in 1940 with a rising demand the average price of all grades had gone back up to $20.31. Today it is 75 per cent higher than in 1940 and presumably the price of acid grade at .least would be even higher if it were not for price ceilings. The first subsequent year that the domestic production exceeded that of 1918 was 1941, and the 1944 production is expected to exceed 400,000 tons, or over one and a half times that of 1918. In five-year periods, average production and imports were as are shown in Table I. Many people concerned with the consumption of fluorspar believe that the postwar period ahead will show a repetition of price trends of the last such period. They believe that imports will be again an important factor in the available supply and the price will fall back gradually toward the prewar level. The following basic factors are pertinent in analyzing this conclusion:

Jan 1, 1948

By J. L. Gillson

In a brief summary of the many occurrences of fluorspar in our western states, it is not possible to go into detail in regard to the geology, mining and milling methods, and reserves about individual deposits. Rather a broad review is made of the occurrences and an analysis of how the western deposits may fit into our future domestic economy is presented. General Statement on Fluorspar Situation Fluorspar has been used for years as a flux in the manufacture of basic open-hearth steel, in foundry cupolas for melting pig iron, in the manufacture of opalescent glass and in the preparation of hydrofluoric acid. In 1880 the annual production of fluorspar in the United States was around 4000 tons per year. By 1900 it was up to 21,656 tons and between 1902 and 1908 it averaged about 40,000 tons annually. Prices were then so low, by present standards, that it seems impossible to believe now that mining could have been performed profitably at the price levels then prevailing. In 1890 fluorspar sold at the mines for $6.70 per ton, in 1901 for $5.81, in 1916 for 85.92. When the United States entered World War I, flyorspar production and price skyrocketed; the production reached 263,817 tons in 1918, with prices above $20.00 per ton, and prices were even higher in 1919 and 1920. After 1920, the domestic production fell from the 1918 level to about 125,000 tons annually and the average price dropped back to about $18.00 per ton. By 1935 the average price had fallen to $15.00, but in 1940 with a rising demand the average price of all grades had gone back up to $20.31. Today it is 75 per cent higher than in 1940 and presumably the price of acid grade at .least would be even higher if it were not for price ceilings. The first subsequent year that the domestic production exceeded that of 1918 was 1941, and the 1944 production is expected to exceed 400,000 tons, or over one and a half times that of 1918. In five-year periods, average production and imports were as are shown in Table I. Many people concerned with the consumption of fluorspar believe that the postwar period ahead will show a repetition of price trends of the last such period. They believe that imports will be again an important factor in the available supply and the price will fall back gradually toward the prewar level. The following basic factors are pertinent in analyzing this conclusion:

Jan 1, 1948

By Jasper L. Stuckey

It is not known when kaolin mining was first begun in North carolina, Evidence, in the form of excavations and primitive tools, indicates that some of the deposits were worked in prehistoric times. It has been suggested that the prehistoric mining was for mica, but the workings were all in altered or partly altered pegmatite material and the dumps do not represent the amount of material removed. some of the early openings may have been made in search of kaolin or semi-kaolinized feldspar which was sold to English1 traders along the coast and used in some Of the early English porcelains. In 1744,2 an application was made for an English patent to produce porcelain from an earthy mixture obtained from the Cherokee Nation in North America. It is well established, however, that the occurrence of kaolin in western North Carolina was known in England by 1767. In that year, Josiah Wedgewood sent T. Griffiths3,4 to what is now Macon County, North Carolina, to secure a supply Of kaolin for use in England. Griffiths diary, now in Etruria Museum, Stokes-on-Trent, contains a most interesting account of his experience. Kaolin was discovered at St. Austell, England, shortly after the voyage Of Griffiths, which probably accounts for the lack of further interest in American kaolin. Between 1767 and 1888, there are no records of kaolin mining in North Carolina. In the latter year, however, mining was begun near Webster, Jackson County, and, in the intervening period, has become an important industry. 'Or some 20 years, kaolin mining was carried On chiefly in Jackson, Macon, and Swain Counties. About 1904, it was begun in the Spruce Pine district and for the past 20 Yea's most of the kaolin mined in the State has come from Avery, Mitchell, and Yancey Counties. Distribution The kaolins of North Carolina are limited in occurrence to the Piedmont Plateau and Appalachian Mountain area of the State. While kaolins are widespread in the Piedmont Plateau, having been prospected for in Rutherford, Cleveland, Gaston, Granville, Lincoln, Catawba, Ire-dell, Richmond, Moore, Randolph, and Montgomery Counties, the production from that area has never been important. The known deposits of commercial importance are limited entirely to the mountain area of the State. While kaolins occur widely distributed throughout the mountain area and have been prospected for in many counties of that area, commercial production has come chiefly from two districts. One of these includes Jackson, Macon, Swain, and Haywood Counties. The other includes Avery, Mitchell, and Yancey Counties. Geology With few exceptions, all the known kaolin deposits in North Carolina contain

Jan 1, 1948

By Jasper L. Stuckey

It is not known when kaolin mining was first begun in North carolina, Evidence, in the form of excavations and primitive tools, indicates that some of the deposits were worked in prehistoric times. It has been suggested that the prehistoric mining was for mica, but the workings were all in altered or partly altered pegmatite material and the dumps do not represent the amount of material removed. some of the early openings may have been made in search of kaolin or semi-kaolinized feldspar which was sold to English1 traders along the coast and used in some Of the early English porcelains. In 1744,2 an application was made for an English patent to produce porcelain from an earthy mixture obtained from the Cherokee Nation in North America. It is well established, however, that the occurrence of kaolin in western North Carolina was known in England by 1767. In that year, Josiah Wedgewood sent T. Griffiths3,4 to what is now Macon County, North Carolina, to secure a supply Of kaolin for use in England. Griffiths diary, now in Etruria Museum, Stokes-on-Trent, contains a most interesting account of his experience. Kaolin was discovered at St. Austell, England, shortly after the voyage Of Griffiths, which probably accounts for the lack of further interest in American kaolin. Between 1767 and 1888, there are no records of kaolin mining in North Carolina. In the latter year, however, mining was begun near Webster, Jackson County, and, in the intervening period, has become an important industry. 'Or some 20 years, kaolin mining was carried On chiefly in Jackson, Macon, and Swain Counties. About 1904, it was begun in the Spruce Pine district and for the past 20 Yea's most of the kaolin mined in the State has come from Avery, Mitchell, and Yancey Counties. Distribution The kaolins of North Carolina are limited in occurrence to the Piedmont Plateau and Appalachian Mountain area of the State. While kaolins are widespread in the Piedmont Plateau, having been prospected for in Rutherford, Cleveland, Gaston, Granville, Lincoln, Catawba, Ire-dell, Richmond, Moore, Randolph, and Montgomery Counties, the production from that area has never been important. The known deposits of commercial importance are limited entirely to the mountain area of the State. While kaolins occur widely distributed throughout the mountain area and have been prospected for in many counties of that area, commercial production has come chiefly from two districts. One of these includes Jackson, Macon, Swain, and Haywood Counties. The other includes Avery, Mitchell, and Yancey Counties. Geology With few exceptions, all the known kaolin deposits in North Carolina contain

Jan 1, 1948

By George D. Dub

Owens Lake is at present a source of important nonmetallic minerals, sodium carbonate (soda ash, Na2CO3); sodium sesquicarbonate (trona, Na2CO3.NaHCO3.-2H2O) and borax, (Na2B4O7.10H2O). Owens Lake is a closed basin in the southern part of Inyo County, California, at the southern end of Owens Valley, east of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and west of the Coso and Inyo Mountains. Broadly considered, it is in the Great Basin area, but at no time was it a part of Lake Lahontan. Closed Basins Closed basins are phenomena of arid or semiarid regions where outflow is considerably less than inflow and where accordingly soluble salts concentrate in residual liquid. When inflowing waters originate in areas where the rocks are predominantly marine sediments, the residual basin liquid is primarily a chloride, brine; if the rocks are largely igneous, the residual brine tends to be alkaline containing carbonates, and sometimes borates as well. Since normally, both types of rocks occur in regions contiguous to closed basins, residual liquids do not often fit into the two broad divisions mentioned. No two residual brines are exactly alike, just as no two ore deposits are exactly alike. Even out of the same closed basin, it is possible to get widely different analyses of liquids since underground and surface flows, as well as local evaporation rates and other conditions might have a marked influence on residual-liquid compositions. At Searles Lake, The American Potash and Chemical Corporation is building a plant to process a lower-level brine which is considerably higher in sodium carbonate and borax, and lower in potassium chloride, than that company has processed for many years. F. W. Clarke1 has classified waters of closed basins as follows: I. Chloride type; largely sodium chloride (NaC1) and of oceanic type, such as Great Salt Lake. Related is -the Dead Sea, a bittern residue of magnesium, potassium and sodium chlorides. a. Sulphate type; largely sodium sulphate (Na2SO4) with considerable sodium chloride such as Sevier Lake, Utah; Laramie Lakes, Wyoming; Dale Lake, California. 3. Carbonate type; high in carbonates and fairly high in sulphates, such as Moses Lake, Eastern Washington; and the Nebraska Potash Lakes. 4. Carbonate—chloride type; lower in carbonates than type 3 and about equally rich in sulphates, such as Pyramid Lake, Nevada. 5. Sulphate—Carbonate type; quite high in sulphates and carbonates, such as Pelican Lake, Oregon. 6. Triple type; considerable quantities of carbonates, sulphates and chlorides

Jan 1, 1948

By George D. Dub

Owens Lake is at present a source of important nonmetallic minerals, sodium carbonate (soda ash, Na2CO3); sodium sesquicarbonate (trona, Na2CO3.NaHCO3.-2H2O) and borax, (Na2B4O7.10H2O). Owens Lake is a closed basin in the southern part of Inyo County, California, at the southern end of Owens Valley, east of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and west of the Coso and Inyo Mountains. Broadly considered, it is in the Great Basin area, but at no time was it a part of Lake Lahontan. Closed Basins Closed basins are phenomena of arid or semiarid regions where outflow is considerably less than inflow and where accordingly soluble salts concentrate in residual liquid. When inflowing waters originate in areas where the rocks are predominantly marine sediments, the residual basin liquid is primarily a chloride, brine; if the rocks are largely igneous, the residual brine tends to be alkaline containing carbonates, and sometimes borates as well. Since normally, both types of rocks occur in regions contiguous to closed basins, residual liquids do not often fit into the two broad divisions mentioned. No two residual brines are exactly alike, just as no two ore deposits are exactly alike. Even out of the same closed basin, it is possible to get widely different analyses of liquids since underground and surface flows, as well as local evaporation rates and other conditions might have a marked influence on residual-liquid compositions. At Searles Lake, The American Potash and Chemical Corporation is building a plant to process a lower-level brine which is considerably higher in sodium carbonate and borax, and lower in potassium chloride, than that company has processed for many years. F. W. Clarke1 has classified waters of closed basins as follows: I. Chloride type; largely sodium chloride (NaC1) and of oceanic type, such as Great Salt Lake. Related is -the Dead Sea, a bittern residue of magnesium, potassium and sodium chlorides. a. Sulphate type; largely sodium sulphate (Na2SO4) with considerable sodium chloride such as Sevier Lake, Utah; Laramie Lakes, Wyoming; Dale Lake, California. 3. Carbonate type; high in carbonates and fairly high in sulphates, such as Moses Lake, Eastern Washington; and the Nebraska Potash Lakes. 4. Carbonate—chloride type; lower in carbonates than type 3 and about equally rich in sulphates, such as Pyramid Lake, Nevada. 5. Sulphate—Carbonate type; quite high in sulphates and carbonates, such as Pelican Lake, Oregon. 6. Triple type; considerable quantities of carbonates, sulphates and chlorides

Jan 1, 1948

By Chingyuan Y. Li, C. Y. Hsieh

Realizing that aluminum will have a great role to play in the coming industrialization of China, Chinese geologists have long been looking about for some aluminum deposits. The possible sources appear to be alunite, the alumina-rich shales, and the bauxite deposits. The locations of deposits are shown in Fig. I. Alunite Our attention was first directed to the alunite deposits along the southeastern coast of China. Table I summarizes the reserves now believed to exist in that region. Other alunite deposits have been found in Kiangpei, Szechuan province; Charming. Liuyang and Hsanshan, Hunnan province Tsingchow and Chowyuan, Shantung province. No reserve figures are available. High-alumina Shale Shale high enough in aluminum to serve as a source of that metal has been found in northeastern China(Tab1e 2). In Manchuria, the Manchuria Light Metals Co., at Antung and Fushun, operating under Japanese control, has been the only active producer of aluminum. It is not known, however, whether the company uses local raw materials or imports ore from elsewhere.* Shantung Bauxite Bauxite was first recognized in China at Paoshan, Shantung province. Although the reserve is reported to be large (estimated at 271 million tons), the high content of insoluble residue (SiO2) and mineral composition (diaspore) are dis-

Jan 1, 1948

By Chingyuan Y. Li, C. Y. Hsieh

Realizing that aluminum will have a great role to play in the coming industrialization of China, Chinese geologists have long been looking about for some aluminum deposits. The possible sources appear to be alunite, the alumina-rich shales, and the bauxite deposits. The locations of deposits are shown in Fig. I. Alunite Our attention was first directed to the alunite deposits along the southeastern coast of China. Table I summarizes the reserves now believed to exist in that region. Other alunite deposits have been found in Kiangpei, Szechuan province; Charming. Liuyang and Hsanshan, Hunnan province Tsingchow and Chowyuan, Shantung province. No reserve figures are available. High-alumina Shale Shale high enough in aluminum to serve as a source of that metal has been found in northeastern China(Tab1e 2). In Manchuria, the Manchuria Light Metals Co., at Antung and Fushun, operating under Japanese control, has been the only active producer of aluminum. It is not known, however, whether the company uses local raw materials or imports ore from elsewhere.* Shantung Bauxite Bauxite was first recognized in China at Paoshan, Shantung province. Although the reserve is reported to be large (estimated at 271 million tons), the high content of insoluble residue (SiO2) and mineral composition (diaspore) are dis-

Jan 1, 1948

By Robert B. McCormick

World War II has developed a use for the nonmetal mineral quartz crystal that was unknown in World War I. During the interim period of peace, experimental work in the radio field with the piezoelectric properties of quartz crystal resulted in the almost universal adoption of quartz-crystal radio oscillator plates to control frequency in radio broadcasting, police, commercial and amateur communications equipment. Telephone resonators and filters made from quartz crystal also were developed, which vastly improved the frequency control of long distance telephone circuits. Expansion of the Industry The sudden war demands of the armed services for radio equipment using quartz crystal for frequency control led to an unprecedented expansion of the manufacturing industry. It is estimated that the 1940 peacetime volume amounted to approximately $1,500,000, while today a vast new quartz-crystal industry supplies more than $150,000,000 worth of quartz oscillator plates to the Army and Navy each year. This demand has caused an enormous expansion not only of American manufacturing facilities but also of Brazilian mining output, virtually our only source of raw quartz crystal. Actual figures of imports and consumption cannot be cited, for security reasons, but certain comparisons have been made, which indicate the transformation of quartz crystal from a minor to a major nonmetal. Lundl has shown that the value of quartz-crystal exports from Brazil is now about equal to that of phosphate rock produced domestically in 1941 and actually exceeds the combined value of crude feldspar, gypsum and fluorspar production in the United States in the same year. This great expansion under wartime pressure was not accomplished without some anxious moments, but all the demands of industry have been met and the Government has been able also to accumulate a substantial stock pile of material against future contingencies. Inspection and Grading of Quartz Crystal The swift growth of the quartz-oscillator industry necessitated the simultaneous evolution of methods and criteria for inspecting and grading quartz crystal. It has been found that, generally speaking, it is economically feasible to cut only crystals that are at least 30 per cent by volume free from major defects such as optical and electrical twinning, cracks and fractures. Blue needles, bubbles, "chuva" and other minor imperfections can be tolerated in the usable portion unless present in great excess. The present marketing system in use in both Brazil and the United States, as far as quality is concerned, depends solely on the "usability" of a crystal, which is defined in the Brazilian-American agreement2

Jan 1, 1948

By Robert B. McCormick

World War II has developed a use for the nonmetal mineral quartz crystal that was unknown in World War I. During the interim period of peace, experimental work in the radio field with the piezoelectric properties of quartz crystal resulted in the almost universal adoption of quartz-crystal radio oscillator plates to control frequency in radio broadcasting, police, commercial and amateur communications equipment. Telephone resonators and filters made from quartz crystal also were developed, which vastly improved the frequency control of long distance telephone circuits. Expansion of the Industry The sudden war demands of the armed services for radio equipment using quartz crystal for frequency control led to an unprecedented expansion of the manufacturing industry. It is estimated that the 1940 peacetime volume amounted to approximately $1,500,000, while today a vast new quartz-crystal industry supplies more than $150,000,000 worth of quartz oscillator plates to the Army and Navy each year. This demand has caused an enormous expansion not only of American manufacturing facilities but also of Brazilian mining output, virtually our only source of raw quartz crystal. Actual figures of imports and consumption cannot be cited, for security reasons, but certain comparisons have been made, which indicate the transformation of quartz crystal from a minor to a major nonmetal. Lundl has shown that the value of quartz-crystal exports from Brazil is now about equal to that of phosphate rock produced domestically in 1941 and actually exceeds the combined value of crude feldspar, gypsum and fluorspar production in the United States in the same year. This great expansion under wartime pressure was not accomplished without some anxious moments, but all the demands of industry have been met and the Government has been able also to accumulate a substantial stock pile of material against future contingencies. Inspection and Grading of Quartz Crystal The swift growth of the quartz-oscillator industry necessitated the simultaneous evolution of methods and criteria for inspecting and grading quartz crystal. It has been found that, generally speaking, it is economically feasible to cut only crystals that are at least 30 per cent by volume free from major defects such as optical and electrical twinning, cracks and fractures. Blue needles, bubbles, "chuva" and other minor imperfections can be tolerated in the usable portion unless present in great excess. The present marketing system in use in both Brazil and the United States, as far as quality is concerned, depends solely on the "usability" of a crystal, which is defined in the Brazilian-American agreement2

Jan 1, 1948

In 1985 BMR assessed Australia's economic demonstrated resources of mineral sands as follows: rutile 8.0 Mt, ilmenite 41.4 Mt, zircon 11.5 Mt, and monazite 229 000 tonnes. These resources are located along the east coast of Australia, in the southwest corner of Western Australia, and in the Eneabba region, north of Perth, WA. However, over 40% of Australia's rutile and zircon resources, particularly those on the east coast, are presently not available for mining because of environmental considerations. As well, east coast ilmenite has been considered unsuitable for use by sulphate route pigment producers because of its relatively high chrome content. World demonstrated resources of rutile and zircon are estimated by BMR as 29 Mt and 38 Mt respectively. Demonstrated resources of ilmenite amount to about 1 billion tonnes. These occur predominantly in hard rock deposits in Norway, Canada, USSR and China, as well as alluvial deposits in Australia, South Africa and India. Quantitative data for world monazite resources is sparse. However, world production of rare earth oxides is now mainly from bastnaesite, a hard rock resource. Australia is presently the world's principal producer of rutile and zircon, and also provides a major share of the world's ilmenite. With the expected increase in Australia's rate of output of these commodities, combined with restrictions on mining along parts of the east coast, its position could diminish substantially over the next 25 years.

Jan 1, 1986

By H. Shafick Hanna, Carl Rampacek

Wastes generated by the mining, mineral processing and metallurgical industries now total about 1.8 billion tons annually. The wastes include gases, dusts, solutions and a variety of massive solid mineral materials such as tailings and slags all of which now must be disposed of with a minimum of environmental degradation and at an acceptable cost. Some of the metal and mineralconstituents have potential economic value and their recovery can augment our primary mineral and metal resource supply base. The resource potential of wastes generated by the iron and steel, aluminum, clay, phosphate, copper, coal mining and processing, nonmetallic, and selected secondary metals industries is identified. Information on current efforts being made to recover these resources and the technology now employed or under consideration are presented.

Jan 1, 1980

By Toshimitsu Kokubo, Yoshio Yamagata, Tadao Moro, Kenji Tomita

Owing to the traffic jam in collection, and transportation of wastes, the air- and water- pollution in incineration plants, and the sanitary trouble in reclaimed land, it seems that the defective existing system of the solid waste treatment in Japan can not follow the change in quality and the increase in quantity of solid wastes. Under these situations, the objective of the municipal solid waste treatment must be to actualize the pollution-free system for environmental protection and the resources recovery system for resource- and energy- saving. From this point of view, AIST of Japan is now engaged in the research and development of the resources recovery system from municipal solid wastes. This paper reports on the outline of the development of resources recovery technology in Japan, including the AIST's project on this matter.

Jan 1, 1976

By J P. Sykes, A Trench

"World-class mine projects are increasingly failing to become world-class mines. Non-technical, socio-political and environmental problems seem, in part, to be the cause. However, the intangible and qualitative nature of these problems means overcoming them will require a greater systemic understanding of how the various technical and non-technical factors interact. This is particularly important as the concept of sustainable development has changed the industry paradigm sufficiently that it is no longer clear what world-class means. Finally, this better systemic understanding of mine projects needs communicating back to the exploration sector to improve exploration targeting.However, a disconnect between the exploration and mining sectors and between geologists and mining’s other professional disciplines means this is currently not possible. The use of economic evaluation techniques to assess the risk and value presented by the various technical and non-technical factors can assist with this by giving the varied professions a common language and including inputs from all disciplines. This paper therefore suggests a theoretical framework for analysing the various technical and non-technical factors, particularly the most challenging intangible and qualitative ones, and incorporating them into the typical economic evaluation techniques used in the mining industry.Understanding the risk and value relating to both technical and non-technical risks, however, places a greater emphasis on mining geologists to be conversant with a wide range of disciplines. Mining geologists will have to develop three types of knowledge:focusedinter-disciplinarybroad. In addition, they will have to become systemic thinkers to connect these types of knowledge. This multidisciplinary approach will require the use of fundamental critical thinking skills, common sense, intuition, experience and quantitative modelling techniques, dependent on the situation. As a result, both companies and professional societies, such as the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, will have to develop ways of improving mining geologists’ inter-disciplinary and broad knowledge.CITATION:Sykes, J P and Trench, A, 2014. Resources versus reserves – towards a systems-based understanding of exploration and mine project development and the role of the mining geologist, in Proceedings Ninth International Mining Geology Conference 2014 , pp 243–270 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne)."

Aug 18, 2014

Projections of coal reserves in Central Appalachia are essential for long-term planning in the region. Annual production is declining in some states, such as Virginia, and mineable reserves for the Central Appalachian Coalfield are challenged by difficult geological, mining, and market conditions. In order to project coal mining longevity in this region, interviews with mining companies were conducted to assist in the determination and assessment of technical and economic factors that impact coal seam mineability. This information was applied to seam and coal reserve data developed by state and federal governments. The results were carefully analyzed to determine the effects of various factors on the overall mineable coal reserve base.

Jan 1, 1998

Projections of coal reserves in Central Appalachia are essential for long-term planning in the region. Annual production is declining in states such as Virginia. And minable reserves for the Central Appalachian coalfield are challenged by difficult geological, mining and market conditions. To project coal mining longevity in this region, interviews with mining companies were conducted to determine and assess technical and economic factors that affect coal seam minability. This information was ap- plied to seam and coal reserve data developed by state and federal governments. The results were analyzed to determine the effects of various factors on the overall minable coal reserve base.

Jan 1, 1998

By Chris Campbell-Hicks

Methods used for assay of gold values in resource estimation, grade control or downstream processing are based almost entire­ly on Fire assay or Aqua Regia techniques. Both these tech­niques frequently produce spurious results. The mechanism of error is explained. Major decisions are made based on this often flawed data. This is what our operating budgets and projected cash flows are based on. Project economics demands metallur­gical accountability for performance predicted. Accountants and more astute members of the board are often not sympathetic to gold out-tum from plant production which is occasionally or consistently less than that predicted. Equally importantly, better than budgeted gold out-tum, resulting from under assaying will produce reconciliation or accounting problems (surplus cash flow) often denying correct timing of expansion or acquisition. Both these scenarios can be avoided if 'real world' extractable gold values are presented to financial managers at all stages. Such extractable gold results are now possible, and compared to fire assay and aqua regia, the assays are faster, cheaper, simpler and more accurate.

Jan 1, 1996

"One of the corporate values mentioned by many companies deals with respect for people. This paper discusses one aspect of this value, namely, the need for clarity of accountabilities and authorities. The job of the manager in achieving this goal is analyzed and the benefits of enhancing the manager-employee conversation outlined. IntroductionCorporate values usually refer to the standards of behaviour that the leaders of the organization expect of all employees, including themselves, in carrying out their duties. Terms such as integrity, respect for the individual, continuous improvement, continuous learning, teamwork, speed, and innovation are quite common. The company-specific values are typically developed by the top executives of the company, and then tested with a broader group of employees. Where the process works, employees have a good understanding of what behaviour is expected of them in doing their work, in making difficult decisions, and in interacting with others.Having spent considerable time in his career investigating and studying the management systems at over 50 of the most successful companies in Canada, the United States, Europe and Japan, the author has had the opportunity to visit organizations such as Hewlett-Packard, 3M, Xerox, Intel, Toyota, NEC, Komatsu, British Airways, and Eastman Chemical. These experiences, together with the work of many other researchers, including the work of Dr. Elliott Jacques, have helped significantly to form the thoughts expressed below.Rather than reviewing the creation of corporate values and their deployment through the organization, these remarks focus on issues over which managers and employees have some control. The value in which managers can have significant impact deals with people and the respect shown them in the workplace. The component of respect to be emphasized is to be clear about expectations or accountabilities for oneself and the people who report to you, and to ensure that personal authority matches those expectations."

Jan 1, 1999