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By A. Oyler

The U.S. Bureau of Mines has compiled data on the major causes of fatal and nonfatal electrical accidents related to mining, and their associated costs, for the 1980-85 period. Specific electrical problem areas were identified, allowing future research to be focused on reducing the frequency of these occurrences. Recommendations for reducing the number of electrical accidents and injuries are provided. The four mining sectors for which data were gathered and compiled are (1) underground coal mines, (2) surface at underground coal mines, (3) underground metal-nonmetal mines, and (4) surface at underground metal-nonmetal mines. Nine categories of information pertaining to specific aspects of the accident are used in this report: activity engaged in when the accident occurred, source of injury, job title, mining method, location, machine, nature of injury, accident type, and part of body affected. The number of years of experience at the specific job the employee was performing when the accident occurred, time of accident, and in the case of nonfatal accidents, the total days lost per year, are also summarized.

Jan 1, 1990

By I. Ruiz Bustinza, L. F. Verdeja, Daniel Sbarbaro, R. Parra, J. Mochón

The oxidation of sulfides is a complex process involving gaseous products and intermediate species given rise to emission and absorption spectra which carry out important information about the reaction process. This information could be used for on line monitoring of pyrometallurgical reactor if the appropriate sensors were available. We present in this paper an analysis of the concept that has been successfully applied in iron and steel making industry, as well on fuel combustion control, where the spectra measurement gives the possibility for online monitoring and automatic control of high temperature processes. This concept has not been widely applied in the nonferrous pyrometallurgical primary production. The design of new sensors is discussed from the analysis of spectra measurements during flash combustion of copper concentrates at laboratory scale.

Jan 1, 2015

By Ronald M. Hays

The White Pine Copper Division of Copper Range Company is a large copper producer operating an underground mine, mill, and smelter on Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Principal water discharges are from the tailings basin where these discharges are high in dissolved solids because of mine water pumped into the basin. Principal air emissions are from the smelter where SO2 emissions are uncontrolled. Although water discharges and air emissions have not had significant environmental impacts, environmental regulations could require additional control procedures. Because of low copper prices and poor profitability, cost of compliance with possible new environmental regulations could have serious impact on White Pine with no apparent significant beneficial environmental impacts.

Jan 1, 1979

By Thomas B. Dellinger

Since 1950, rotary-drilled, large-diameter holes, "big holes", with depths to over 300 feet and diameters of over 30 inches have become numerous and widespread. Fifty such holes have been drilled for access shafts to LPG mined caverns, Over 70 holes have been drilled for various other commercial activities. Over 150 holes have been drilled by the AEC for atomic testing purposes. These holes have ranged up to 300-inch diameters with 1600-foot depths, 120-inch diameters with 570-foot depths, and 72-inch diameters with 4800-foot depths. Equipment is now available to drill a wide range of ?big holes? for varied requirements. At least a dozen drilling contractors are participating or have participated in the drilling of "big holes". The accompanying tables show pertinent historical, technical and economic data on over 250 holes. The illustrations to be presented concurrently with this paper show the various equipment and accessories now in use. (See Appendix I for captions of illustrations.)

Jan 1, 1966

By Walter E. Hopper

(Wilkes-Barre Meeting, June, 1911.) I. LOCATION AND EXTENT. THE Caddo oil-field, shown in Fig. 1, is located in Caddo parish, northwestern Louisiana. The known producing territory of oil is covered by townships 19 N, 20 N, 21 N, 22 N, and ranges 15 and 16 W., shown in Fig. 2. The center of the field may be taken as Oil City, 24 miles north of Shreveport, on the Kansas City Southern railway. Shreveport is the second largest city in the State, and is the connecting point of five rail-road-lines. Drilling at the present time, however, is going on all over northern Louisiana, especially in Caddo and the neighboring parishes. II. HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT. Natural gas escaping at the surface is found at numerous places in northwestern Louisiana. At Shreveport, the plant of the Shreveport Ice & Refrigerating Co. has been lighted by natural gas for 20 years. The well was drilled for water, but was abandoned on account of the gas. A test well, put down in 1905 near the western limits of Shreveport, was driven to 1,650 ft., and encountered indications of gas and oil at various depths, but did not succeed in finding enough to be profitable. Attention was first attracted to the Caddo field in 1895 by indications in water-wells from 40 to 60 ft. deep, in which the pressure of natural gas was noticeable. This indication of gas in a shallow well led to the drilling of the first well in the Caddo field, the old Savage Brothers & Morricell, or the Caddo Lake Oil and Pipe Line No. 1. The rig for this well was erected in May, 1904, and drilling began in June, 1904. The well was bailed Mar. 23, 1905, with a small amount of oil. It was deepened July, 1905, and converted into a "gasser " Jan. 3, 1906. It was abandoned January, 1907. In consequence of the finding of oil in the Savage well, drilling-operations were pushed with energy; and in April, 1905, four wells were drilling. Great trouble was experienced with

Apr 1, 1911

By Francisco Diego Araruna da Silva

necessidade de elevados patamares de competitividade na indústria do aço tem levado à utilização cada vez mais frequente, por parte daqueles que utilizam lingotamento contínuo, de ferramentas de modelagem matemática da solidificação. A construção dessas ferramentas, por sua vez, possui uma etapa importante de validação, onde devem ser comparados os resultados simulados com dados reais do processo sendo estudado. Dessa forma, o presente trabalho tem como objetivo utilizar critérios metalúrgicos de qualidade e processo no lingotamento contínuo para auxiliar na construção e validação de um modelo matemático da solidificação de tarugos de aço. Uma vez que há na literatura diversas formulações para os coeficientes de transferência de calor na refrigeração primária (molde) e secundária (zona de sprays), foram realizadas análises – a luz dos critérios metalúrgicos – dos resultados simulados com nove combinações dessas formulações, sendo possível, ao final, determinar qual combinação melhor modela o processo (ou máquina) em estudo.

Aug 17, 2017

By J. H. Daniel

The reduction of accidents will play an ever increasing role in the mining of coal and hardrock ores as mining operations become more mechanized, the equipment becomes more costly and sophisticated, and as mineral production exploits deeper and more marginal coal and ore deposits. The most effective means to reduce accidents is through the design of mining systems and equipment. Results of safety research by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Mines, to design safer coal extraction and haulage systems and to reduce electrical accidents are presented.

Jan 1, 1991

By Shiro Watanabe

To determine the potentialities of nickel as a substitute for cobalt in catalysts for the synthesis of hydrocarbons from carbon monoxide and hydrogen, RESULTS The maximum oil yields obtained in bench-scale equipment were as follows: Using 100N1:20Mn:100 kaolin:200 diatomaceous earth catalyst, a maximum yield of 133.8 cm.3/m.3 of pure CO+2H2 was obtained from one pass of the feed gas, With a nickel:cobalt mixed catalyst (Ni:Co - 3:7) having the composition 100(Ni+Co):8MgO: 5Th02:200 diatomaceous earth, a maximum of 172.2 cm.3/m.3 of pure C0+2H2 was obtained.

Jan 1, 1951

By J. C. Kerkering, P. M. Daling

This paper discusses a study performed to evaluate the feasibility of transferring formal system safety assessment technology to the mining industry. A representative listing of formal techniques was evaluated to select the most useful methods for the mining industry to implement. Criteria for selecting methods included the interests, needs, and requirements of mine safety officials. This paper describes one of the selected methods, preliminary hazards analysis (PHA), and illustrates the analysis procedure for a mining example. This study also includes an assessment of the adaptability of selected methods to a user-interactive computer system for use by mine safety personnel. This paper includes a description of a conceptual computerized PHA-type safety program that facilitates performance of the safety analysis and can accommodate updates and revisions as necessary.

Jan 1, 1983

By W. D. Bullock

The King-Beaver mine of Asbestos Corporation Limited operates an open pit in the city of Thetford Mines, Quebec. The approximate loca-tion of the open pit is at Latitude 46° 02' North and Longitude 71° 20' West. The general topography is 1020 feet above sea level. Thirty-six percent of the company's scheduled asbestos ore production, for the Thetford Mines area, comes from the King-Beaver pit. The pit operates 24 hours a day, six days a week. Normal production is 10,500 tons of ore per day at a waste to ore ratio of 2 to 1. The remaining ore requirements are mined from the King-Beaver underground mine and the British-Canadian mine.

Jan 1, 1980

By George Markon

The importance of United States coal exports as a component of the national economy, the potential for growth of these exports, and the inter-national character of this sector of the coal industry are described in this report. The report summarizes some of the many background elements in the rise of United States coals to preeminence in highly competitive world markets. It presents some insight into this important sector of United States industry and the positive contribution of this sector to the Nation's balance of payments. It contains pertinent basic statistics on production, trade, and consumption of coal in most major markets for 1960-66. The report examines the movement of United States coals from mines to export markets, tracing and describing origins, exit ports, prices, and trends as well as inland and ocean freight rates and other data vital to an under-standing of some of the practices and complexities of the United States coal markets abroad. A brief sketch of coal production and consumption in principal importing countries is also presented with a short review of some of the more current practices and problems of these countries. Coal produced in inland areas of the. United States can be moved to and distributed economically within coal-producing countries overseas and in Canada. Quality coals from the United States can successfully compete with foreign coals in nearly any area of the world on a truly economic basis because of their high grade and their low cost which derives from the high productivity of the miner and from reasonable ocean freight rates. Because of tariffs, trade embargoes, quotas, and other restrictions, how-I ever, foreign coal markets are relatively limited. Further limitations are imposed in some countries by economic conditions which restrict all imports as a matter of financial and economic necessity. Despite these obstacles, United States coals have brought lower cost quality coals to a large segment of the foreign energy market.

Jan 1, 1968

By Lixue Wen, Jun Xiao, Dongping Shi, Yan Xue, Jinmiao Wang

Mine ventilation energy consumption is one of the main sources of energy consumption in mining production, accounting for about one-third to one-half of the total energy consumption. Therefore, reducing the energy consumption of the mine ventilation system is crucial for mining production. With the premise of meeting the airflow requirements of the underground work areas and achieving sustainable development of mining production, this paper establishes a nonlinear optimization mathematical model for the mine ventilation network with the objective of minimizing the total power. Regarding the model, optimization of the decision variables was carried out using the method of minimum spanning tree. The constraints for air flow balance, wind pressure balance, and fan operating conditions were optimized using the exterior penalty function method, thereby transforming the model into a nonlinear unconstrained model. Based on this model, a modified sooty tern optimization algorithm (mSTOA) was proposed to achieve optimization. Improved the sooty tern optimization algorithm (STOA) by using the uniform reverse strategy, fitness value-distance balance selection strategy, and mutation strategy. The STOA, mSTOA, and three other classical optimization algorithms were applied to the optimization of a ventilation system of an actual mine. The experimental results show that after using mSTOA to optimize the ventilation network airflow distribution in the mine, the total energy consumption can be reduced by about 35.06% while meeting the constraints and demands of the ventilation network regulation and usage. This is of great value to mine roadway operation environment safety and clean production.

Dec 20, 2023

By Jim McKinley

With a growing number of mines reaching closure and seeing closure costs materialize, regulators, lenders, and banks are observing projects that fail economically by miscalculating these costs. Mine closure costs are often categorized as a type of liability which is defined as the money owed by the company to offset effects from the project, and the money available to pay for those debts (e.g., bond). Often, decisions made before Day 1 of mining (e.g., co-disposal, dry stack tailings, waste segregation) can significantly change the bond calculation. Once the bond is calculated and funded, operators are encouraged to conduct closure research and use applied science for progressive bond release prior to final closure. However, this author has observed few instances of financially significant progressive bond release, as there are typically no robust procedures for bond return, either before or during closure activities. As a result, many companies decide that entering a state of Care & Maintenance (C&M) is less risky than attempting to fund closure activities with an unknown bond return mechanism. Although perhaps less risky in the short-term, the primary long-term risk with entering C&M is that it increases the chances of the bond not covering the cost of closure and the chances of the government/regulatory agency inheriting the mine closure. Bonds are typically reevaluated on a regular cycle (e.g., five years) so every mining company goes through this financing challenge eventually.

Feb 22, 2026

By R. S. Douglas

Introduction The operations of The Granby Consolidated Mining, Smelting and Power Company, L1mited, have always been concerned with the mining of low-grade copper ores. In the fifty years of this Company's existence, nearly 60,000,000 tons of such material has been successfully mined and treated. During these years, many changes in mining practice took place. However, at Copper Mountain, due to the large tonnages of very low grade material, it was realized that something more than changing mining methods would have to take place if these low-grade orebodies were to be mined at a profit and the Company and. its employees enjoy many years of successful operation and employment. Production costs were mounting commensurately with rising taxes and the increasing cost of supplies, labour, freight, and smelting, while the value of the product on the market was not increasing in price to compensate for the higher costs of production. A survey of the mineable ore in 1944 indicated that, of the 12,000,000 tons in the reserves, only 3,500,000 tons was now profitable ore. This reduction in the commercial ore reserves was a serious matter, as it meant that the mine had only two years of life at the profitable shipp1ng rate of 4,800 tons per day. Further, the location in the mine of the orebodies making up the 3,500,000 tons was not suitable for such high production.

Jan 1, 1950

By Erik Westman, BEN WESTON, SETAREH GHAYCHI AFROUZ, KATHRYN DEHN

One of the most difficult challenges in underground mining is to forecast significant seismic events prior to their occurrence in order to support the safety of miners and to minimize damage to the underground operation. Passive seismic tomography is a tool to image the seismic velocity changes in a rockmass, which can potentially reveal the rockmass behavior before and after a significant seismic event. In this paper, the changes in seismic velocity of the rockmass before and after three major seismic events are investigated to determine whether there are identifiable precursory velocity changes associated with the major seismic events. Conventional mechanics imply that the induced stress at the hypocenter would continue increasing until failure, in the form of an induced seismic event, occurs. With passive seismic tomography we can image changes to the seismic wave velocity distribution within a rockmass and hence infer the changes to the induced stress near the hypocenter. This paper evaluates the hypothesis that induced stress at the hypocenter (as inferred by the p-wave velocity) increases until the seismic event occurs. In addition to analyzing p-wave velocity changes near the hypocenter, changes to the p-wave velocity at “zone centers” were also analyzed. These “zone centers” are regions within the rockmass that consistently have a p-wave velocity that is much higher than the average p-wave velocity for the rockmass. It is found that the p-wave velocity did not increase at any of the three hypocenters prior to the seismic event occurring, however the p-wave velocity did increase in the closest “zone center” for two of the three events.

Oct 12, 2020

Despite modest improvements in the performance of domestic interest rates and gross national product,1 fixed investment in domestic producers' durable equipment continued to weaken during the second quarter of 1982 and declined at a 12.8 percent annual rate compared with the first quarter.2 Large declines occurred during the second quarter in expenditures on many of the major mineral-consuming industries such as aircraft, computers, agricultural and construction machinery and mining and oil field equipment. These data appear to be consistent with the low level of business investment plans for 1982 reported in the DOC's Bureau of Economic Analysis survey of expenditures on new plant and equipment.3 Domestic and foreign industrial production and mineral industry production activities continued to decline in the most recent period because of weak demand conditions (Tables 1 and 2). The U.S. mining production index declined 7.7 percent between April and June as compared with 1.2 percent for total U.S. industrial production (Table 1).

Jan 1, 1982

By J. C. Barrett

Bureau of Mines research on the arc welding characteristics of titanium was initiated in 1948. Little was known about the art except that the easily contaminated metal required more protection from the atmosphere during welding than most other metals. Chambers were designed and built within which titanium could be welded with adequate inert gas protection. Welds were made and their properties studied, and prototype items were made successfully. This report, presenting a resume of the titanium arc-welding experiments undertaken by the Bureau of Mines, demonstrates that the process is successful if conducted under proper conditions and describes the welding of prototypes. INTRODUCTION The Bureau of Mines' first report on methods of joining titanium covered the subject of spot welding,4/ outlining the conditions necessary for producing spot welds in ductile titanium consolidated by powder metallurgy methods and describing the characteristics of such welds. This report embraces the field of fusion weld-ing of titanium and traces the development of suitable methods and equipment for producing such welds.

Jan 1, 1956

By V. F. Parry

Under the present emergency every consumer should store as much coal as he can. Although there is no shortage of coal, there is likely to be a shortage of labor to mine excessive quantities in the fall, and railroads cannot be expected to deliver coal promptly on account of the need for transporting war materials. Some miners must join the armed forces, and those who are left may be unable to mine coal as rapidly as you will need it when winter comes. When the first cold days arrive, there may be a shortage of trucks to deliver coal. Deliveries may be planned in advance, and your turn might not come until it is too late.

Jan 1, 1942

By Joseph Padgett

Of all the fossil fuels produced in the U. S., coal is by far the most abundant. U. S. reserves amount to an estimated 1.5 trillion tons, 2,500 times the 600 million tons produced in 1970. Although it would not be possible to recover all of this coal economically with current mining technology, a significant portion would be available given the proper circumstances. With existing technology, approximately one-eighth of these reserves is accessible, an amount which would last for several hundred years at the 1970 level of production. On the face of it, this substantial reserve should go a long way in meeting the Nation's energy needs. But coal offers special problems. As additional coal is mined and then burned, there are increased costs to the Nation's land, water, skies, and health. Hence, coal poses a dilemma because of its dual status as one of our most abundant domestic fuels and as one of our major sources of environmental degradation. Against the benefits that would be chalked up in the areas of national security, balance of trade, and economic well-being from the increased use of coal, we must enter on the debit side of the ledger the increased environmental cost. This paper reviews the use of U.S. fossil fuel, the drawbacks of coal as an energy source, the means being developed to overcome these drawbacks, and the background behind the present sulfur emission regulations relative to coal combustion. It also discusses in detail the Federal Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) current policies to ensure the continued use of coal as a major source of energy for fossil-fuel fired power plants.

Jan 1, 1973

By J. van Wijk

"Vertical material transport is one of the major challenges for the successful implementation of deep sea mining projects. The EU research project „Blue Mining” is focusing on sustainable solutions for deep sea mining operations, with one major goal being the advancement of Vertical Transport Systems (VTS). To investigate flow effects under realistic conditions, especially clogging effects, a 136 m high test facility for flow analysis in vertical transport has been constructed using available mining infrastructure. Tests are run in a closed circuit, using a system of downfall and riser pipelines connected to a compact sediment injection- and separation unit as well as the centrifugal pump. The riser is equipped with pressure sensors, as well as temperature sensors, flow meter, concentration meter and high speed camera to allow comprehensive analyses of the flow regime and behavior of transported material within the flow. Additional mobile measurement devices allow wear and tear analyses of pipe material. This paper focuses on the determining factors of the tests leading to the design as well as the installation and trial of the test facility itself and explains the used components and work principles. INTRODUCTION Since the 1970s several research projects had been conducted investigating in the possibility of deep sea mining. In recent times projects for deep sea mining operations have started again, considering the rising demand on natural resources, especially raw earth elements. Yet projects like the Nautilus project on the deposit Solwara 1 [1], or Japanese projects focusing on the region of Okinawa [2] and Chinese projects [3] planning on depths of “only” about 2,500 up to 3,000 m. Until now no economical deep sea mining project was realized, due to the enormous difficulties of deep sea environments. Vertical material transport is one of the major challenges for the successful implementation of deep sea mining projects, considering transportation heights up to 5 km. The EU research project „Blue Mining” is focusing on sustainable solutions for deep sea mining operations, with one major goal being the advancement of Vertical Transport Systems or VTS [4]. Critical parts of the system would be identified and investigated to deliver solutions and higher the technology readiness level to a level were planning of a pilot project can be considered. At first case examples for mining projects of seafloor massive sulfides (SMS, 1,600 m water depth) and manganese nodules (MnN, 5,000 m water depth) had been calculated on basis of economical frame conditions, such as planned production rates to be efficient. As depicted in Figure 1 two major possible systems had been used for comparison, airlift system and pump system, considering multiple pump stations or single pumps. Based on the results and comparisons for the calculated vertical transport systems critical components and flow effects had been identified."

Jan 1, 2018