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By John J. Baz-Dresch, Kenneth L. Bickel, Winthrop F. Watts

Catalyzed diesel particulate filters (CDPF's) reduce the concentration of diesel particulate matter (DPM) and may reduce the emissions of carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbons (HC) in diesel exhaust. Asamera Minerals' Cannon Mine first installed CDPF's in 1987, and currently has 12 diesel- powered vehicles equipped with CDPF's. The Cannon Mine and the U.S. Bureau of Mines collaborated to evaluate the durability and performance of a CDPF. One of the CDPF's used at the mine was periodically evaluated in the USBM's diesel emissions laboratory after 839, 1,584, and 2,881 h of in-mine service. The objectives of this report are to present results from the USBM's evaluation of this CDPF, to describe the Cannon Mine's experience and cost analysis of using CDPF's, and to make recommendations for the future use of CDPF's. CDPF's improve air quality at the Cannon Mine, but they frequently become plugged and are subject to excessive mechanical shocks and stress, shortening their useful life. Mine records indicate that CDPF's account for 0.8 to 4.9 pct of the vehicles' operating cost at the mine. CDPF life to date has ranged from 1,671 h to more than 5,992 h. Laboratory tests of the CDPF determined that DPM removal efficiency decreased and regeneration temperature increased over time.

Jan 1, 1994

0PINION was general that this year's meeting of the Institute of Metals Division was one of the best in its history. In addition to its full and exceptionally fine program of professional papers, there were several other features of general interest-an in-spiring annual lecture by Dr. Cecil H. Desch which appears in abstract elsewhere in this issue, Mr. Sing-master's talk on the zinc industry at the annual dinner, and the presentation of the James Douglas Medal to one of the members of the Division, Dr. Zay Jeffries. Four technical sessions of the Division were held, dealing respectively with zinc, copper, aluminum, and general metallography, and in addition there was a joint session with the Non-ferrous Metallurgical Committee of the Institute. All of the papers presented were at-tended with much interest and followed by considerable discussion. The papers on plastic deformation of zinc by Messrs. Mathewson and Phillips, Romig, and Hoyt were of particular interest and awakened an extended discus-sion. They well illustrated the progress which is being -made today in the understanding of the mechanism of flow of metals, and the ingenuity of the authors in their crystallographic method of attack of this difficult problem was quite generally admired. A very old subject was treated in a modern way by Messrs. Corson and Bain in two papers on the harden-ing of copper and copper alloys. There has always existed a myth that the ancient Egyptians were masters of an art not possessed by ourselves; viz., that of hard-ening copper. This myth must have been quite defi-nitely dispelled in the minds of all those who listened to this admirable paper. Mr. Corson has applied the modern art of precipitation hardening to this old prob-lem with substantial success, employing small amounts of chromium, nickel, silicon, and cobalt for this purpose. The commercial application of these very important .developments of Mr. Corson is being actively investi-gated at the present time.

Jan 3, 1927

By J. R. McWilliams

THE task of recovering most of the contents of an oil and gas reservoir economically presents many and varied problems. In order to attempt intelligently a solution to these problems, an understanding of fundamental physical laws is essential. As the pertinent facts needed in applying these laws to recovery problems are not readily obtainable, observation must be made and the data tabulated. Here, good judgment must be exercised, for at best the information is meager. The engineer is well fitted to undertake the task of solving this problem. In my opinion, the decision on the part of some production executives to allow the engineer to cope with the oil recovery situation and other problems, is an outstanding example of improvement in production methods. The executive head must make this decision or the qualified engineer will be working under a severe handicap with the present system of supervising the production of oil and gas. A qualified engineer should have not only the required technical training but also enough field experience to enable him to understand the difficulties encountered in producing oil and gas. Such a man tactfully cooperating with the practical oil man can greatly improve present methods of oil recovery. The realization that nature's forces have not been efficiently controlled in past recovery of petroleum deposits has recently brought distinct improvement in production methods. Papers are to be presented at this meeting discussing in detail improved methods of conserving gas in both flowing and pumping wells, and also methods of lifting oil after Nature's supply of gas has proved inadequate. The application of back pressure to producing oil wells has not, to my knowledge, been extensively applied in Oklahoma or Kansas up to the present time. Most of the flowing wells are allowed to flow through the casing until the rock pressure has been dissipated. However, some flowing wells have been tubed before the well stopped flowing through the casing. Recording pressure-gages can be installed to study well performance.

Jan 11, 1926

By Robert H. Richards

The group of four papers on ore dreseing read at the Butte meeting, all of them dealing with the recent developments at the Great Falls and Washoe plants of the Anaconda Company, form an extremely important contribution to the subject of ore dressing. It proves the efficacy of the new hindered-settling principles first brought out in a paper entitled Close Sizing Before digging' and later elaborated in a paper entitled Development of Hindered-Settling Apparatus: and it is the first large demonstration on this class of mill that has been made. It must be very gratifying to all mill men to have these papers at hand, charged with careful investigations and results pointing to the conclusions reached; the papers cannot fail to be a great help to every designer of mills and to mill men who are working on this class of concentration. The papers have dealt with their subjects so completely and have demonstrated every point from beginning to end in each case so thoroughly it leaves little for the commentator to say in the way of criticism. Therefore it seems best to him to confine himself to adding a few points of history which he believes will be interesting to the readers. Referring to the paper by Mr. Wiggin, and to the fact that the Richards hindered-settling pulsator classifier was turned down, the writer wishes to say that this classifier was the first of its kind that had ever been introduced, and since that time it has undergone great developments which he believes would overcome the difficulties encountered in the test,. In fact, there was one test made at Great Falls which with the Wilfley tables and vanners brought all the tailings down to 0.36 per cent. copper except the fine slime. Since that time, and since the classifier has been further developed, in one Colorado mill it proved a wonderful amalgam catcher, catching in all

Jan 1, 1914

By O. G. Bell

Development and exploratory work continued vigorously during 1933 in Southwest Texas and, from a standpoint of new production discovered, the new discoveries probably equal or may even exceed any previous year in the history of this area. While exploratory work has been general over the area much of it has been confined to two localities; namely, northern Duval-southern McMullen counties and Starr County. A persistent effort has been made to open new productive areas in northern Duval County and the adjacent part of McMullen County, occasioned primarily by the fact that the Government Wells group of fields in northern Duval County have been by far the best fields so far developed in this part of the state, and the possibility of being able to find new fields in the same general area under similar geologic conditions. This has resulted in the discovery of three new fields, Northwest Government Wells, Moca and Eagle Hill. In addition encouraging shows have been found in North Kohler, Hoffman, Smith-Hunter and the Ignacio areas with the prospect that continued exploratory work will develop some of these prospects into fields. Wildcatting in Starr County was the continued result of an effort to find a trend of production through the county southwestward from the older Reynosa Escarpment fields in Webb, Jim Hogg and Zapata counties. This same impulse has caused most of the wildcatting in Zapata County. New Fields Cuevitas.—During the early part of the year the Sun Oil Co. began some core-drill work on a block of leases in northern Starr County, then in June drilled a test which found production in the McElroy member of the Jackson at 2200 ft. Drilling in this field has continued but the productive area has not as yet been clearly defined. Seven oil wells and three gas wells have been completed. There is as yet no pipe line outlet for this production, hence no productive history of the wells has been

Jan 1, 1934

By E. C. Perkins

Preliminary experiments are reported utilizing bacteria to leach manganese from a variety of domestic low grade manganiferous materials. In two large leaches manganese extraction ranged from 71.7 to 92.5 percent, and the products analyzed over 48 percent manganese. Nutrient requirements and leaching time experiments were made. The mechanism of leaching is not understood, but is different than the mechanism encountered in the microorganism accelerated leaching of copper in the presence of sulfide minerals.

Jan 1, 1962

By B. J. Buys

Rock bolt integrity is a critical issue for the mining industry because of its influence on the safety of mining operations. Guided ultrasonic wave testing of the defects associated with resin-anchored rock bolts was investigated. Axisymmetrical and three-dimensional finite element models were built, one of a partially encapsulated bolt and the other of a bolt with a simulated local corrosion crack. Experimental bolts were then installed in a testing block and typical responses were compared to finite element models of different defect scenarios. Encouraging results were obtained for the smaller axisymmetrical and three-dimensional finite element models, as well as during the experimental investigation. It is recommended that software with energy-absorbing elements should be utilized to consider higher frequencies and longer bolts. Once the integrity of models such as these has been established, the models could in principle be used to train neural networks for use in commercial equipment to determine the integrity of the installed bolt.

Jan 1, 2009

By J. L. Dumanoir, Maurice Martin

The induction-electrical log is a combination of a SP curve, a short normal curve, and an induction log; all three logs being recorded simultaneously in a single run. The spacing of the short normal is 16 in. The induction log is designated as 5FF40, which means that the sonde involves five coils and a focusing system, and that the distance between the main coils is 40 in. Examples of induction-electrical logs are shown in Figs. 13 and 15. The right-hand track contains the induction conductivity curve. The scale of this curve is linear with the units of conductivity, i.e., mhos/m or millimhos/m (mmhos/m), increasing from right to left. The same curve can be read in the reverse direction as a resistivity log, with a hyperbolic scale. In the middle track, the solid curve represents the short normal. (An amplified short normal is also shown in Fig. 15). The dotted curve is the resistivity curve of the induction log, i.e., the reciprocal of the conductivity curve, recorded with the same linear scale as the short normal. The SP is in the left-hand track. In this combination, the SP curve and the 16-in. normal are the essential correlation curves, as in the conventional electrical log. The induction log provides a more accurate and detailed record of formation boundaries than the conventional log, especially in hard rock territories. Furthermore, the induction-electrical log makes possible the determination of fluid content, particularly in thin beds—at least qualitatively and very often quantitatively. In such thin beds, because of the adverse effect of the adjacent formations, the responses of the conventional devices are generally doubtful and/or incom-plete. Another advantage of the new combination is that the induction log is little affected by the presence of thin hard streaks interbedded within the permeable sections, whereas such occurrences are the cause of serious distortions of the long normal and lateral curves. The evaluation of saturation from any resistivity log implies the knowledge of the true resistivity R, of the bed and of the resistivity R.. of the flushed zone, or at least of the ratio Rxo/Rc. With the induction-electrical log run in fresh mud, the 16-in. nor-mal has a smaller radius of investigation than the induction log, so that the former reads closer to R.. and the latter closer to Rt. Thus, it has been observed that the ratio of the 16-in. normal to the induction log readings can be used as a basis for the interpretation in terms of saturation, with the help of appropriate charts. The purpose of the present paper is essentially to explain this procedure and to provide the corresponding charts. On the other hand, when a formation is deeply invaded, the response of any log (in particular the induction log) depends upon the radial distribution of formation resistivities behind the wall of the hole, which itself is a function of the arrangement of the fluids saturating the formation pore spaces. This paper, accordingly, will begin with a schematic description of the distribution of fluids and resistivities in the invaded zone. Next, some essential characteristics of the induction log will be reviewed. Finally, the determination of the interpretation charts and their application will be explained. The discussion will be confined to the case of fresh muds, i.e., muds whose resistivity is at least five times as great as that of the formation waters. With the present equipment the induction log is not well adapted for logging in salty mud. The Laterolog and guard electrode log are at their best under conditions of low resistivity mud. Accordingly, when these tools were introduced a few years ago, the use of salty mud was recommended. Now, with the introduction of induction logging, spe-

Jan 1, 1958

Remote sensing methods have been used to evaluate vegetative growth patterns for many applications, though relatively little work has focused on tracking mine reclamation progress. For coal mines in Central Appalachia, reclamation approaches that include production of biofuel feedstocks are increasingly attractive, as these may yield significant post-mining land values and contribute to carbon-neutral energy supplies. To optimize productivity, the influence of reclamation parameters must be well understood ? which necessitates tracking biomass production over long time periods. Satellite-based estimations may offer low-cost alternatives to conventional biomass appraisals, and also the potential to provide critical input for carbon accounting at varied spatial scales. In this paper, we use biomass production experimental plots on reclaimed mine sites established by the Powell River Project (PRP) for a comparative study between satellite measurements of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index and inventory estimates of biomass under a variety of conditions. The PRP is a unique public-private partnership in the coalfields of southwestern Virginia dedicated to enhancing beneficial use and environmental protection of mined lands.

Feb 27, 2013

By D. J. Reddish

An understanding of the mechanisms that cause large seismic events in a deep mine provides a foundation for designing effective measures to reduce the incidence of these events, as well as reduce the potential for damage arising from these events. The work described in this paper focuses analytical efforts on major recognizable and controllable factors that influence mining-induced seismicity and serves to screen out many of the more random aspects of individual events. Information used in this study was developed in the course of a long-standing rock burst research program conducted by the U. S. Bureau of Mines in cooperation with mines in the Coeur d'Alene Mining District and regional universities. Information was collected on 39 seismic events having local magnitudes greater than 2.5 that occurred between 1989 and 1994. Five major types of events were developed from these data that describe all but two of the 39 large events. The characteristic mechanisms, tint-motion pattern, damage pattern, and relationships to mining and major geologic structures were defined for each type of event. This information provides a foundation for assessing whether or not changes in mining activity aimed at reducing one type of rock burst will increase the incidence of other types.

Jan 1, 1996

Geophysical methods are useful non-invasive means of collecting subsurface information on the environmental impacts of resource developments. Techniques such as seismic refraction, ground probing radar and magnetics are well established tools for environmental studies of waste disposal sites. Repeat resistivity surveys, gravity surveys, and infrared or multispectral remote sensing hold great promise for monitoring environmental changes. Examples from New Zealand include geothermal field monitoring, which may involve the use of geophysics for .detecting changes of surface thermal activity, hydrothermal eruptions, induced earthquakes, contamination or depletion of shallow groundwater, and subsurface fluid recharge. Other examples include resistivity monitoring of contained effluent disposal ponds, tailings dams and landfills. Experience has shown that care is necessary to identify the natural variability of the parameter measured before drawing conclusions regarding an observed change.

Jan 1, 1994

By L. F. Bishop

THE ore bodies of the Butte district1 are found in many different vein systems having many different structural characteristics; some are narrow with self-supporting ore but with weak walls; some are wide with weak or strong ore and weak walls; some of the veins dip steeply and others do not; some have well defined walls, and others, in the "horsetail" area, are mined to sample limits. Consequently, many types of stoping methods are used in mining these ores. The stoping methods used in the Anaconda Copper Mining Company's properties are the square-set and cut-and-fill. The square-set method is the principal stoping method used because, generally speaking, the ore and walls are weak, the ore is high grade, and good extraction is required. These square-set stopes may be classified as conventional, vertical slice, slot, timber rill, and Mitchell slice types. The conventional type square-sets are those of various shapes and sizes, mined by horizontal slicing to the boundaries of the stopes. The rock is slid to the chute and the filling is moved by gravity. The ore and waste may be handled with a scraper when local conditions require it. The vertical-slice square-set system is the type used in narrow veins that are mined in vertical panels. The slot stopes are stopes in wide veins that employ a slot across the vein instead of a con- ventional chute to handle the ore. The timber rill fs a type of square set in which the ore is mined as in inclined cut and fill but the square-set timber is used. The Mitchell slice is the type used for some broken or heavy ore blocks, or for pillar extraction between two converging slot stopes. The cut-and-fill method is used where the ore will stand without much support although the walls may be weak. The principal type of this method is the horizontal cut-and-fill, with mechanical scraping. The inclined cut-and-fill, or rill, stopes are used in some veins too narrow for scraping. The production from the various meth: ods in use for the second six months of 1944 are shown in Table I. [ ] This paper deals mainly with the vertical slice and slot types of square-set stoping, because of their effect on production locally and their potential possibilities here and in other districts, with sufficient reference to conventional square-setting for comparison.

Jan 1, 1945

By S A. Steyn, P Terrett

Air decking has become a widely practised method internationally for modifying fragmentation results and providing cost savings from reduced explosive consumption. Duvha has been applying air deck technology to overburden and midburden blasting for a few years. A thorough evaluation of air decking at Duvha has been made by instrumenting a number of blasts and analysing costs from direct savings in reduced explosives costs to savings in improved dragline productivity.

Jan 1, 1995

The Thermo-MIE personal DataRAM dust monitor (pDR) is a light-scattering instrument approved for use in gassy underground mines by the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). However, the use of light-scattering monitors has been inhibited by concerns about inaccurate readings resulting from changes in dust size distribution and composition, as well as concerns about the impact of moisture in the mine air. Because of this concern, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) evaluated the pDR using available data from laboratory tests and mine surveys. The data show that accuracy can vary widely from test to test and mine to mine. In most cases, the results can be improved by using a companion gravimetric measurement to adjust the pDR data.

Jan 1, 2006

By Pablo Velasco

The Belize economy recorded modest growth during 1980; the growth of the gross domestic product (GDP) in real terms was between 1% and 2%. At current prices, the 1980 GDP reached $108 million2. This output was largely attributed to the performance of a few industries, mostly nonminerals. Such performance improved significantly the balance of payments situation by reducing the deficit from $19 million in 1979 to $4 million in 1980. The rate of inflation was an estimated 18% in 1980 and would have been greater if not for a conservative monetary policy and price control on a number of essential items. Expert earnings increased $43 million, or 50%, from the 1979 level. After increasing more than 25% in 1979, imports increased only 6% in 1980 to a level of $141 million owing to the decline in investment and stabilization of petroleum prices. The balance of trade deficit was $9.8 million in 1980, a marked improvement from the 1979 level of $45.1 million. The mineral output for Belize accounted for only a fraction of 1% of the GDP. Such activity was limited to the production of limestone, marl, and sand and gravel, all of which were primarily used in construction of the Northern Highway between Orangewalk and Belize City. Mineral resources are deficient or nonexistent in Belize for the majority of metals and nonmetals, although the Government and others continue to believe that petroleum must exist in Belize. The proximity to Mexican oilfields and the growing finds in the Peters area of Guatemala support this expectation. The Government continues encouraging exploration onshore and offshore and offers terms that

Jan 1, 1982

By Mohsen Sanai, Paul Gefken

"SRI International has developed and patented* a castable dilute explosive tile @ET) that offersunique advantages over conventional high explosive. The primary advantages of DET are that itsdetonation pressure can be adjusted over a wick range and its impulse can be controlled independently by adjusting its thickness and configuration. Because DET has a much lower detonation velocity than conventional explosives, the pulse duration produced by DET is as much as 10 times longer than the pulse duration produced by conventional explosives for equal explosive weights. These features of DET present several advantages to the mining industry. For example, DET can be tailored so as to control fragment size and distribution to enhance extraction of desired elements from ore or breakup of specific regions."

Jan 1, 1995

By C. H. Fisher, M. L. Fein, A. Eisner, G. C. Sprunk, Loyal Clarke, H. H. Storch

"The large reserves of low-rank coals in the western United States are at a disadvantage in competing with the more mature but less plentiful eastern coals, which are nearer important markets and are more suitable for combustion and coke production. However, low-rank coals generally are amenable to hydrogenation, and the western coals might become an important source of liquid fuels and organic chemicals when petroleum is less plentiful.In view of these facts an the tremendous quantities available, further information on the western coals clearly desirable. The purpose of the work described in this paper was to study the hydrogenation characteristics of some of the low-rank western coals in discontinuous converters. The data obtained in this manner, which are inadequate for predicting the suitability of coals for large-scale continuous hydrogenation, were used as a basis for selecting samples for further study in the Bureau's experimental coal-hydrogenation plant (26, 35). 8/ Because of the general importance of the western coals and recently demonstrated relation between coal hydrogenation and petrograghy (14, 15, 16), the proportions of anthraxylon, (vitrain), translucent attritus, and opaque matter were determined. In some instances samples of anthraxylon were isolated and hydrogenated separately so that their properties might be compared with those of the entire coal. The samples studied include peat, brown coal, lignite, sub-bituminous coals, and low-rank bituminous coals."

Mar 1, 1940

By Earl L. H. Sackett

Barite, although not a glamour mineral and probably little known to many of those in the mining business, is produced in the US. in very respectable quantities and is an important factor in the mineral economy of this country. The scope of the various uses of this mineral is perhaps one of the most misunderstood things about it, for it is surprising how many of those with a casual knowledge of the subject speak of its primary utilization in terms of paint pigments and barium chemicals. The life blood of barite utilization, however, is the petroleum industry by virtue of its dependence on this high specific gravity, inert mineral as the weighting material in its drilling fluids. From 80 to 85% of barite usage in the U. S. is accounted for in this manner-in fact, its role in oil well drilling is the only excuse for some of the large-scale barite production facilities which have been developed. Other uses are important and widely varied, but comparatively they are of small scale. They include fine crushed barite of low iron content as a component in glass manufacture, barite as a source material for manufacture of barium chemicals, finely divided barite as a component of some rubbers and ground, bleached barite in pigments. The formerly substantial use of barite in lithopone, however, has declined markedly because of replacement of lithopone by titanium pigments

Jan 5, 1962

By Magnus Ruin

The dry deep mixing method for stabilization of soft soil has been used in the Scandinavian countries for 25 years. The typical application has been stabilization of soft inorganic clay. Today the method is used more frequently in organic soil with good results. The Limix System, introduced in the USA by Hercules Grundläggning AB and TREVIICOS Corporation, is a cost-effective dry deep mixing method used to stabilize most types of soft soil. This paper presents the general principles of stabilizing organic soil with the dry mix method and two case histories of soil stabilization projects in organic soil. Between October 2000 and June 2001 the Limix System was used in England to stabilize soft organic alluvium at the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, Contract 440. During year 2000 the Limix System was used in soft organic soil in Holland near the Groene Hart Tunnel entrance to support trench excavations for slurry walls and concrete barrettes.

Jan 1, 2001

By Miller F. S

The famous Golden Mile of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia was, between 1888 and 19ft, one of the richest and most important gold camps in the world. Annual production, which reached a peak of nearly 1,300,000 oz. in 1903, however dropped to below 400,000 oz. after 1920.Depression seized the camp, and many mines closed down. The output from this old field is now steadily mounting under the stimulus. of a higher price for gold. In 1935 300,000 oz. of precious metal were recovered and the future is bright. Total production from the field is 21,400,000 oz., whereas something like £23,600,000 have been paid in dividends.The Golden Mile has been studied by many geologists. Their somewhat diverse findings were published for the most part in the Australian technical press which, unfortunately, is not sufficiently represented in foreign libraries.The following article is based on an eighteen months' study in the district for Gold Mines of Kalgoorlie Ltd., preceded by four years' experience with almost identical rock types in the, Porcupine district of Ontario. The excellent record of observed fact left by previous invesigators, augmented by talks with observant mining men...

Jan 1, 1937