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The Climax Molybdenum Company' s newest operation is the Henderson project, which is located on the east side of the Continental Divide. Ore reserves are estimated at more than 300 million tons at a grade of 0.49% MoS2. For mining the ore a modified panel caving system is used. The ore is transported to the Henderson mill on the west side of the Continental Divide on a 42 in. (1.07 m) gauge railroad through 9.6 miles (15.4 km) of tunnel and 4. 8 miles (7.7 km) of surface track, a total distance of 14.4 miles (23. 2 km). Each train consists of 30 ore cars with capacity of 22 st (20 mt) of ore or 660 st (599 mt) per train. The unmanned trains operate completely automatically. At the 54 in. by 84 in. primary gyratory crusher, the bottom dump ore cars pass over a dump scroll to discharge at a maximum rate of 100 st (91 mt) per minute. Dumped ore falls onto a rock box before passing over a 17 ft long by 46 ft wide (5. 2 m by 14 m) grizzly set at a 40° angle with bar spacings of 7 ½ and 8 ½ in. (191 mm and 216 mm) openings. An estimated 30 to 50% of the ore (which at times is wet and sticky) passes through the grizzly. The operators report that a shallower angle on the grizzly, perhaps 35º to 37º, would have been sufficient and would have prevented impact on the back of the crusher pocket by large boulders. This pocket as well as the crushed ore pocket under the crusher is lined with AR plate. The accompanying drawings show a "future splitter" and the operators are planning the installation of this unit to prevent impact and subsequent damage to the crusher spider. Crushed ore at an 8 to 9 in. (203 mm to 229 mm) size joins the grizzly undersize in the pocket beneath the crusher. This pocket is sized at 660 live st (599 mt) so that it will accept an entire trainload of ore. Crushed ore is removed from the pocket by a four-speed, 84 in. (2. 1 m) apron feeder operating at 9.6 to 29. 3 fpm (2.9 to 8.9 mpm). A 60 in. (1.5 m) takeaway conveyor operating at 480 fpm (146 mpm) delivers the crushed ore to a 58,000 st live and 193,000 st total (52,600 and 175, 100 mt) open stockpile under an A -frame supported tripper gallery. Impact idlers on the takeaway conveyor under the apron feeder discharge are mounted on wood blocks for a cushioning effect and ripped belt detecting bars are located behind each impact idler. The conveyor tunnel is of corrugated and galvanized steel construction rather than concrete. The concrete crusher enclosure is circular in design from its lowest level at elevation minus 110 ft 4 in. (minus 33. 6 m) to elevation

Jan 1, 1978

By Beth Robinson

Central Mexico's mining districts, opened centuries ago during the Spanish conquest, still form the backbone of metal mining in the country today. Beginning at Chihuahua City, the Second Mexican Mining Rail Excursion traveled southeast from camp to camp through this major mining area to Taxco. Improved exploration, exploitation, and beneficiation methods have permitted continuous mining of many old deposits, and led to the discovery of new ones. Minerals not sought by early miners-lead, zinc, copper, and fluorite-now contribute substantially to mining activity in central Mexico. Of Mexico's five physiographic provinces, the rail excursion passed through two: the Mesa Central, and the Sierra Madre Occidental. The Mesa Central province is a wide tableland with basin and range topography, containing important base metal deposits. Mining in this region is primarily of limestone replacement ore bodies. Massive deposits form horizontal mantos or vertical chimneys. In northern Zacatecas, the Santa Eulalia and Naica mines demonstrated this character. The Sierra Madre Occidental lies west of Mesa Central in northern states, then widens to almost the entire width of the country from outside Mexico City to the southern border. The area consists of volcanic beds, several kilometers thick. These intermediate volcanics are primarily andesitic, of Tertiary age. Resting on older strata of adjoining physiographic divisions, the volcanic beds are overlain by a thick series of acidic flows and tuffs. Economic mineralization in the Sierra Madre Occidental is vein-type, primarily gold and silver. Mines at Fresnillo, Guanajuato, Pachuca, and Taxco contribute to the claim that this region is the center for precious metals in Mexico. A third type of mineralization, contact metamorphic deposits, is commercial at Santa Eulalia. First Stop, Santa Eulalia Mine tours began with the Santa Eulalia unit, located 25 km east of Chihuahua City. Mining in the region dates back to the early 1700s. The oxidation zone was worked until 1790, but mining declined until Asarco arrived in the early 1900s, building a selective flotation plant for treating primary sulfides. Asarco still owns 34% of Industrial Minera Mexico, S.A. (IMMSA), operator of the Santa Eulalia mine. Santa Eulalia currently has a milling capacity of 850 t/d. The San Antonio and Buena Tierra mines provide feedstock. Head grades at San Antonio, the mine participants toured, average 80-120 g/t of silver, 1.5-4.5% lead, 4-16% zinc, and 0.1-2.5% copper. Tin and vanadium were also recovered between 1930 and 1940. Estimated proven and probable reserves total about 7.6 Mt, although 1.8 Mt of reserves are located in areas of high water pressure and volume, which makes extraction difficult. Water is a significant production problem at the San Antonio mine. In one area, an AX drill hole encountered 2.6 m3/min (700 gal/min) at a pressure of 2.5 kPa. Precautions are taken to cope with the problem: protective drilling in advance of blasting is performed;

Jan 2, 1982

By Cuppam Dasarathy

THE object of this note is to report briefly certain results of investigations on the Fe-In phase diagram. BISRA-high purity H-iron and 99.9 pct pure indium were used to prepare the alloys. The experimental techniques consisted of thermal analysis, optical metallography, and X-ray diffraction. A phase diagram based on the present results as well as those reported earlier by the author' is shown in Fig. 1. It is seen that the liquidus points fall on a smooth line which meets the monotectic isotherm at 1470°C. The liquidus extends up to 3.4 at. pct In. The phase boundary separating the two liquidus L1 and L2 is shown dotted. The experimental solidus meets the monotectic isotherm at -0.9 at. pct In. The 6/6 + L2 boundary drops steeply to the 6 + La/y + L2 boundary at -1350°C. In this region, it is impossible to detect satisfactory thermal arrests because of the steep phase boundary. The present diagram shows that indium lowers the temperature of the d/y transforma-tion and raises the temperature of the y/a transfor-mation. The y +d region is found to be very narrow. Indium gives rise to a restricted y field when alloyed with iron. The width of this field is between 0.4 and 0.5 at. pct In. Details of the alloys containing 40 and 50 at. pct In have already been reported by the author' and the transformation temperatures of these alloys are included in Fig. 1. It appeared from optical metallography and X-ray diffraction that the room temperature solubility of indium in a iron is less than 0.28 at. pct since alloys of 0.28 at. pct In and above, slow cooled to room temperature, contained dark etching second phase particles situated both in the matrix and grain boundaries of the a-grains, see Figs. 2 and 3. These particles were identified to be unalloyed indium by X-ray diffraction. The lattice parameter of the a phase reached a maximum of 2.8672A at the indium level of -0.28 at. pct. The present diagram, Fig. 1, is in substantial agreement with that of Stadelmaier and Fiedler' except for certain differences in detail. For example, they found the monotectic composition and temperature to be 7.0 at. pct In and 1443oC, respectively, while the present work indicates them to be 3.4 at. pct In and 1470°C. The 6 + L2/y + L2 transformation is indicated in the present work to occur at -1350°C, whereas Stadelmaier and Fiedler find this to occur at -1320°C. They also claim that the width of the y field is 0.2 at. pct In while the present work shows the width to be between 0.4 and 0.5 at. pct In. 1) Indium, when alloyed with iron, gives rise to a restricted y field, the width being >0.5 at. pct In.

Jan 1, 1970

By David M. Parkes, Mike Fisher

In 1947, coal production in Western Canada was 10 Mt (11 million st) which predominantly came from 120 underground mines. By 1968 production was down to 1 Mt (1.1 million st). Production in 1981 was back up to 29 Mt (32 million st), but only 1.5 Mt (1.7 million st) of the total was from underground mines. In fact, because of competition from open-pit mines, only two underground mines were operating in 1981-the McIntyre and B.C. Coal mines. While several other underground mines are being planned, this article will deal with only the two in production. Geology The geology in Western Canada is frequently complicated; hence only more regular deposits are mined. Coal is generally thick, often steeply pitched and usually soft or well cleated. The 5000-km (3,100-mile) coal belt that runs from the Yukon to Mexico is well developed in Western Canada. It is divided into two distinct regions-the Rocky Mountain Lower Cretaceous coals and the mostly uniform level Upper Cretaceous coals of the plains area to the east. Isolated pockets of coal occur at Vancouver Island and Hat Creek. Hat Creek's massive 300-m (984-ft) thick geologically recent lignite deposit is 250 km (155 miles) inland. Geography The infrastructure of Western Canada is shown in Fig. 1 along with the locations of the two mines. Both rely on exports of premium low volatile metallurgical coal mostly to the Pacific Rim. The rail distance from both mines to port is 1100 km (684 miles)-accounting for a significant portion of the sales cost of the coal. Mining Methods Two main mining methods are used-room and pillar and hydraulic. Longwall has been attempted and is being considered again. In the past, a simple hand method used gravity to help mine most of the coal on steep pitches. Levels were driven in the seam, rising slightly to assist in draining. On the advance, mining would start at the upper level, usually from adits driven in the side of the mountain. Rooms or angles were driven up 100 m (328 ft) at a suitable angle for the coal to flow down. On retreating out of the level, the pillars would be taken, starting from the highest point, using batteries to stop coal or rock flushing down the room. Batteries consisted of three to six stout wooden posts set at an angle to resist material flow. Coal loading was directly from chutes at the bottom of raises into 1- to 2-t mine cars hauled by diesel or battery locomotives. Often output was restricted by the supply of empty cars. Mechanization began in the 1960s but was difficult in these conditions. Mines such as Canmore and Coleman continued operation into the 1970s but closed because steep seams, high methane emissions, and faulting made mining difficult. McIntyre Mines The McIntyre mines are located 360 km (224 miles) west of Edmonton, Alberta, in the foothills of the

Jan 4, 1983

By J .. R. Dalton

"Blasting in high sulphide content ores presents at least two major safety considerations: (1) compatibility of the explosives with the ore while resident in the borehole; and (2) introduction of a flame and shock producing explosive into this environment, while minimizing the risk of reactive ignition in the chemical reaction products/sulphide dust cloud resulting from the detonation. This paper will discuss only the second consideration, i.e. post detonation reactivity.The ETI (Explosives Technologies International) Technical organization, in consultation with the U.S. Bureau of Mines, reasoned that the most relevant considerations in the development of an explosive for this application are:• minimization of reactive gaseous detonation reaction products;• flame duration reduction;• flame temperature reduction;• increased explosive sensitivity;• reduced probability of ""low order"" detonation; and• maintenance of energy level as high as possible.Obviously, not all of these are totally independent properties, i.e. increased sensitivity will reduce the probability oj low order detonation as will higher energy levels. However, these considerations were examined separately as if they were independent."

Jan 1, 1994

By CK Tsang, Jack Muir, Dharman Gersch, Joshua Barry

Correct face pressure is critical to safe operation of a closed face TBM. If inadequate face pressure is applied, this will lead to excessive ground movement, and may result in collapse of the tunnel face. Face pressure calculations are performed manually every few meters along the tunnel alignment. With the application of a 3D ground model, ground profile information can be extracted for automatic computation. This will significantly improve the efficiency and accuracy and is adaptable to changes in design parameters. This paper will discuss the development of automatic computation techniques in extracting information from a 3D ground model.

Jun 13, 2021

By N. Shi, T. G. Joseph

ABSTRACTA series of algorithms were developed to perform geometric and kinematic analyses of cable shovel dipper-ground interactions for a given set of mining face conditions. The routines examine and analyze (a) the position of the dipper in relation to the shovel; (b) the dipper in relation to the face conditions; (c) the dipper position in relation to possible interference or collision with crawler tracks during digging cycles; and (d) kinematic and geometric considerations with respect to any point on the dip-per as it conducts a duty cycle. In all cases, field measurement verifcation provided good agreement(within 4% variance).

Jan 1, 2011

By L. E. Young

THE purpose of this paper is to start a discussion on: (1) methods of supporting the immediate roof, particularly of local areas of poor roof, during the mechanical loading of coal; (2) methods of increasing the rapidity of the movement of the mining faces so that, without the use of cribs, jacks, pack walls, and filling, there will be no danger to men, equipment,, and working places from the subsidence of the overlying strata. In the Pittsburgh district the application of mechanical loading devices in mines working in the Pittsburgh seam, has been retarded by the difficulties of holding and handling the draw slate. Normally the thickness of this slate averages about 8 in. but the hardness varies, and a cut of coal cannot always be loaded without placing posts or crossbars to support the slate. Locally, the slate may be thicker and special methods of support may be required. If crossbars are placed to hold the slate when the coal averages 5 ft. in thickness, the standard methods of transporting the coal cannot be followed, and the use of conveyors may be desirable. Very little information is available on the effect of increasing the rate of movement of advancing or retreating break lines or longwall faces. A few British publications have presented some data but all such data relate to longwall faces that have moved not more than 6 ft. a day. The most rapid rate of movement of longwall faces in Germany is 6 ft. per day. In the ordinary hand-loading mine in western Pennsylvania break lines on full retreat will move about 2 ft. per day. If loading machines are used under similar conditions the, rate of retreat may reach 4 ft. per day. In a mine where coal is loaded by hand on conveyors three shifts per day, the rate of retreat has ranged from 11 to 16 ft. per day, with an average of 13 ft. If mobile loading machines could be used to load on con-veyors on break lines, the rate of retreat should be increased substantially.

Jan 1, 1938

By B Petrie, D J. MacKenzie

The Macraes mine is producing 175 000 ounces Au/year from a mesothermal deposit with total resource of at least five million ounces. The deposit is hosted in greenschist facies Otago Schist, a widespread Mesozoic metasedimentary sequence that forms the basement of the South Island of New Zealand. Mineralisation was controlled by a late metamorphic shear zone which had both brittle and ductile structures accompanying mineralisation. The shear zone dips shallowly (about 15¦), subparallel to the shallow-dipping regional foliation, and mineralization occurred during southwesterly-directed thrust motion. Mineralisation occurred under greenschist facies conditions (about 350¦C) during uplift of the Otago Schist in the late Jurassic. No syn- or late-metamorphic igneous bodies occur within the schist belt. The hosting shear zone is up to 120 m thick, and is traceable for more than 30 km along strike. The shear zone is truncated by an underlying low angle normal fault that juxtaposes mineralised lower greenschist facies rocks on to unmineralised upper greenschist facies rocks.

Jan 1, 2004

By T. R. von Ow

The method of powering mills such as AG, SAG and Ball has a long and technically interesting history. It can be said that almost every decade in the last half century had its own trend. The trends were dominated by the market demand, the advanced process development and requirement of the mechanical and the electrical technology but mostly by the price of the applied technology. The increasing size of the ring geared mills in the last years requires more awareness on the drive train solution. Special attention must be paid to the mechanics and the requirements of the power grid. Operational challenges such as soft starting and controlled operation as well as the protection of the equipment have gained importance. Frequency converter drive solutions dedicated to single or dual pinion ring-geared mills offer significant advantages over conventional drives due to their application specific features and controls. Solutions with low speed motors as well as high speed motors cover all possible configurations available for ring geared mills.

Jan 1, 2010

By W. G. Matteson

The Gulf Coastal plain of the southern United States is that area bordering for a large part, the Gulf of Mexico and extending inland and northward to the main interior highland region. It is more or less V-shaped and includes the States of Florida, extreme southern Alabama, all .of Mississippi and Louisiana, the eastern and southern half of Arkansas, and the eastern, southeastern, and southern portions of Texas. While the contents of this paper apply to. the Gulf Coastal plain in general, they are intended to refer more specifically to that portion of the plain included between the 90th and 97th meridians, and the 29th and 33d parallels, an area that may be described geographically as comprising western Mississippi, all of Louisiana, part of eastern and all of south-eastern Texas. It is within this area that numerous and prolific oil pools have been developed during the last 17 years.

Jan 2, 1918

By Lawrence Addicks

Some three years ago the smelter connected with the Chrome, N. J., refinery of the United States Metals Refining Co. found itself embarrassed by constantly increasing piles of unsmelted blast-furnace flue dust. The charge was fine and 10 to 15 per cent. of it was blown over into the flue. Sulphur was at that time too scarce to make the sintering of the finer part of the charge attractive, and raw-ore smelting in a reverberatory with a partly oxidized charge was not to be thought of. A great many schemes were considered, including leaching, blowing into the converters, and briquetting, the problem finally narrowing down to blast roasting and nodulizing. It was found by experiment that blast roasting would not yield a satisfactory sinter without the addition of coke dust or sulphide fines to augment the fuel value of the flue dust, and on this account, together with the low first cost of a kiln, the latter was decided upon. A couple of tons of flue dust were tried out in the experimental kiln in the laboratory at Yorktown, Va., of J. H. Payne, who acted as consulting engineer in this connection. This kiln was approximately 2 ft. in diameter and 20 ft. long and was fired with fuel oil. A run of several hours yielded excellent nodules. The ki1n showed no tendency to build in and form "nose rings" and gave a fuel consumption of 50 gal, of oil per ton of flue dust. There was no indication of any stack loss. The roasting was strongly oxidizing. A study of what full-size kilns were doing on cement clinker and on nodulizing pyrites cinder indicated that a 60 by 6 ft. kiln would certainly not consume over half of the oil per ton of flue dust shown on the test and as fuel oil at that time was selling around 2 1/2 c. per gallon it was decided to let it go at that. A 60 by 6 ft. kiln was decided on, as that size is standard in cement practice, although fast being replaced by much larger ones with their greater fuel economy, and as it fitted in the building space available. A 6-in. brick lining brought the net diameter down to 5 ft. The inclination

Jan 1, 1915

By E. V. Foran

AMONG the many newer disclosures that have accompanied the petroleum industry's progressively deeper exploratory drilling is the increased frequency with which the operators are encountering reservoirs of which the products at the time of discovery exist wholly or predomi-nantly in the gas phase. The popular term "distillate pool" is most often used within the industry when referring to this type of reservoir, and in this paper the term is used in that sense. These pools have been observed in many different surroundings. In some places the entire reservoir is filled with the wet gas containing its water-white condensible products in the gas phase but apparently with no dark oil or other hydrocarbon liquids in the reservoir. The 8200-ft. horizon in the Big Lake field in West Texas is a good example of this type. At other places the wet, or distillate-bearing, gas may form a large gas cap directly overlying and in contact with an extensive reserve of dark oil. Oklahoma City, Kettleman Hills, the 8500-ft. horizon in the Big Lake field, and many others are examples of this type. There are also many places in which the wet distillate-bearing gas fills nearly the entire reservoir space, while the dark oil occupies only a narrow, bandlike zone, which marks the boundary of the reservoir along its lowest productive contour. The heavier components of these deep pool gases are generally water white in color, a large portion of which are condensible in a conventional oil and gas separator, when operated under pressures of the order of 400 to 800 lb. per sq. in. Although the water-white products recovered in the separator sometimes have end points of 650° F. and higher on standard Engler distillation, they occur only in the gas phase in the reservoir. It is entirely possible that even some small amounts of dark colored reservoir components may occur in the gas phase when the temperature is 300° F. and pressures exceed 6000 lb. per sq. in. Close approaches to these conditions have been encountered in the deepest producing wells. The condensible content of the deep reservoir gases of the many pools that have been tested or produced to date shows a wide variation in both condensible content, per 1000 cu. ft. of gas, and physical character.

Jan 1, 1939

By Harvey S. Mudd

AMONG the highly skilled craftsmen of the Renaissance were those who worked with ores and metals. The author of this book, Vannoccio Biringuccio, was a master craftsman in the practices of smelting and of metalworking. Contrary to the customs of a trade, Biringuccio was moved to impart his knowledge to all and thus he has given us the earliest hand- book on metallurgy-in fact, the first printed book dealing with the applied metal arts and the processes of ore reduction. We should remind ourselves that metallurgy is an ancient art and then it fair1y may be said that Biringuccio sought to describe the techniques that had been in course of development since the Bronze Age of western civilization. Whether Biringuccio was a man of learning or a scholar according to the standards of his time we do not know, but today we recognize him as a man of science who gave his wisdom to succeeding generations. It was not until the coming of the Power Age at the end of the eighteenth century that progress was resumed in the science of which he wrote more than two hundred years before. Little is known of Biringuccio's training in his native Siena. It can be surmised that there, as in Florence, where his contemporary Benvenuto Cellini lived, he received his training in the craftsman shops where the industrial arts were taught and flourished alongside the fine arts. Perhaps he and Cellini were acquainted, although there is no mention of Biringuccio in Cellini's autobiography-an omission that Cellini's vast egotism makes understandable. He was the great artist, and Biringuccio was a practical, studious, unromantic figure with no favors to dispense. In the April 1940 issue of Mining and Metallurgy Dr. Smith describes Biringuccio's book under the title of "A Neglected Italian Metallurgical Classic." The article, revised and extended, forms the basis of the introduction to the present volume, and I urge all who take up Pirotechnia to read what Dr. Smith has written in the Introduction. Biringuccio's work is a classic and in its translation Dr. Smith and Dr. Gnudi have brought to bear the high degree of scholarship that it deserves. Dr. Gnudi made the translation at Dr. Smith's request and it was then refined "in the fire" of his scientific knowledge of the subject. The result is a book which the Institute is proud to place before its members and which the Memorial Fund Committee considers it a privilege to publish.

Jan 1, 1942

By Gifford White

Considerable attention has been directed in recent years to methods of electric prospecting other than the conventional direct-current techniques. It has been extensively recognized that electrical data of a more general nature than that possible by direct-current methods might be useful in geophysical studies. To this end, a number of different types of electric currents have been employed, such as single-frequency alternating currents, square-topped periodic current waves,4 periodic surges of a less specific nature,s and suddenly applied direct current.1,2 Yet, to the author's knowledge, little analysis of these different types of driving currents has been made from the standpoint of network theory to determine just what typc of currents would give the most useful data, and, most important of all, to determine the relation of the data taken by one method to those of another. Without touching on the actual theoretical problem of how currents flow in the earth under specified boundary conditions, some very useful information can be obtained from the study of the fundamental integral equations of electrical networks, throwing light on the problem not ordinarily appreciated by the field worker. Some manipulation of the standard network equations will be made, with the sole purpose in mind of developing expressions leading to practical results. Suppose that four points in the earth have been located and it is wished to obtain the most useful type of electrical data by inserting current into two of them and measuring the potential developed between the other two. The first problem that arises is that of which pair of the four shall be chosen as current grounds. In the direct-current case, where only steady potentials are measured, the selection is of little consequence, but as soon as currents varying with time are used at the current grounds, a new effeet arises. The fact that a varying current is flowing in the current-carrying conductor between the current grounds means that magnetic and electric fields varying with time will be produced

Jan 1, 1940

By Gifford White

Considerable attention has been directed in recent years to methods of electric prospecting other than the conventional direct-current techniques. It has been extensively recognized that electrical data of a more general nature than that possible by direct-current methods might be useful in geophysical studies. To this end, a number of different types of electric currents have been employed, such as single-frequency alternating currents, square-topped periodic current waves,4 periodic surges of a less specific nature,s and suddenly applied direct current.1,2 Yet, to the author's knowledge, little analysis of these different types of driving currents has been made from the standpoint of network theory to determine just what typc of currents would give the most useful data, and, most important of all, to determine the relation of the data taken by one method to those of another. Without touching on the actual theoretical problem of how currents flow in the earth under specified boundary conditions, some very useful information can be obtained from the study of the fundamental integral equations of electrical networks, throwing light on the problem not ordinarily appreciated by the field worker. Some manipulation of the standard network equations will be made, with the sole purpose in mind of developing expressions leading to practical results. Suppose that four points in the earth have been located and it is wished to obtain the most useful type of electrical data by inserting current into two of them and measuring the potential developed between the other two. The first problem that arises is that of which pair of the four shall be chosen as current grounds. In the direct-current case, where only steady potentials are measured, the selection is of little consequence, but as soon as currents varying with time are used at the current grounds, a new effeet arises. The fact that a varying current is flowing in the current-carrying conductor between the current grounds means that magnetic and electric fields varying with time will be produced

Jan 1, 1940

By Juan Alcalde

El presente texto señala el sistema de minado y sus técnicas aplicadas en la mina de San Vicente. Dicho yacimiento es la única operación minera ubicada en la región Selva y que a su vez es un monoproductora de zinc. Otra particularidad que tiene son sus características geológicas las cuales están conformadas por cinco mantos principales ubicados en paquetes sedimentarios. Asimismo, sus niveles de producción la colocan en el tercer lugar a nivel mundial como productor de zinc, después de Canadá y Australia.

Nov 1, 1982

By W. D. Steele, S. D. Brady

THE Pittsburgh coal seam in West Virginia contains the largest coal reserves of any coal seam in that State and is, therefore, one of the most important seams, and attains mineable thickness and purity throughout that part of the seam extending from the Northern Panhandle to Monon¬galia Co. thence south and southwest across the state to Wayne Co. near Huntington. The Pittsburgh coal is also mineable in the Upper Potomac region but is now practically exhausted there. The total mineable areas of this coal amount to 2,165 sq miles and are estimated, by the West Virginia Geological Survey, to contain 13% billion net tons. The largest body of Pittsburgh coal outcrops on the western edge of West Virginia, along the Ohio river as far south as Moundsville, West Va., going under the river at that point and extending at various depths down the river as far as Wetzel Co. line where it thins out to such an extent that it has little practical value, and on the eastern edge this large body outcrops along the Monongahela River. The territory to be covered by this paper is the area known as the Northern. West Virginia District comprising Wetzel, Monongalia, Marion, Preston, Harrison, Doddridge, Taylor, Barbour, Upshur, Lewis, Gilmer, Braxton and Calhoun Counties, and is also known as Dist. 3 under the Bituminous Coal Act. This region was originally opened for commercial mining along and adjacent to the Monongahela River around 1852 when the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was constructed to Fairmont. It has been extensively developed, first, in 188o (when the Monongahela River Railroad, now B. & O. R. R., was constructed) between Fairmont and Clarksburg, and later, in 1916, between Morgantown and Fairmont when the Monongahela Railway was constructed and placed in operation, this area furnishing the major portion of the production over the past years. With the mining out of a great deal of this territory adjacent to the Monongahela River considerable interest has been developed in the back acreage; and within the past few years a number of diamond core drill holes have been made in the back areas of Monongalia and Marion Counties. In this back area the oil and gas well drilling showed that the Pittsburgh coal seam was of mineable thickness and ranged in depth from 350 to 1,000 ft below the surface of the stream valleys but this drilling did not furnish any definite data as to its thickness and quality. ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE The Pittsburgh seam in Northern West Virginia is of primary importance as a coal resource not only because of its large reserves but because of its contributing a very large part of the coal used in this country for general steam uses. The Pittsburgh seam is a consistently thick seam, averaging 8 ft in thickness, with very easy grades underground, so it has always been

Jan 1, 1948

By Paul J. Sirkegian

The problem of properly controlling the movements of underground trains in the Emma Nevada and Morris Brooks workings of the Consolidated Coppermines Corporation of Kimberly, Nev., became more complex as the rate of production increased. Ore from these mines, which are connected through a 7000-ft. single-track haulageway (Fig. I), is hoisted through the Emma Nevada shalt. All production to date has been from one level. Because of heavy ground, even on the main haulage horizon, experience has shown that it is necessary to have a minimum cross section in the drifts, thus making it impractical to have a double track system. In 1937, production was 3000 tons per day; in 1938 it was increased to 6000 tons per day and in 1940 to 9000 tons per day. Each increase necessitated a revision in the method of controlling the underground traffic. In 1937 the tramming signal system consisted of a few signal lights in the main haulage drift. These lights were two 100-watt bulbs in a metal box that had one green and one red lens on each side. The box was mounted on the underside of a drift cap timber and could be seen For a considerable distance. The lights were so arranged that all boxes showed either red or green at the same time and all were controlled by a magnetic contactor at the entrance to each lateral drift. When the lights showed green, the main haulage was clear of traffic and a train could enter it. As the motor entered the main haulage drift, the motorman pulled the cord of the magnetic contactor switch, thus changing all the main haulage lights to red, which indicated that no other train could use the main haulage until the first train had turned into a lateral drift. When a train left the main line, its motorman pulled the cord connected with the magnetic contactors, causing the haulage lights to show green again. This arrangement permitted only one train at a time to use the main haulage and thus limited the number of train trips per shift, but it was satisfactory when the ore handled was only 3000 tons per day. Second SystEM Installed With a gradual increase in production it became necessary to place a train dispatcher in charge of all trains. He controlled their movements orally, giving his orders direct or by mine phone, instructing them where to load, when to leave for the station and when to return. His objective was to group several trains traveling in the same direction. Because of the human element involved, some mistakes were made. The danger of a serious collision was always possible. There was a 90° turn and curve in the underground haulageway, therefore travel in this section was always dangerous if mistakes were made in directing traffic. To protect the train crew, particularly the rear switchman who rode the last car or caboose, a two-way push button and flash-signal system was installed on the

Jan 1, 1946

By Wm. D. Owsley, R. E. Moeller

In the petroleum industry, the process known as oil well cementing is the equivalent of pressure grouting in the mining and construction industries. The science of oil well cementing has been known and practiced for many years. At the present time it has been brought to a high degree of perfection in the handling of many different types of jobs, all of which are known as oil well cementing. In order to understand more easily these processes, we will discuss briefly several different types of oil well cementing jobs, the purposes for which they are performed, and the methods of their accomplishment. It is believed that some of .these procedures, in a modified form, can be applied to pressure grouting projects in general. Originally, oil well cementing consisted of placing a neat cement slurry about a steel casing set in a bore hole. Cement is used about these casings to protect them from the corrosive effects of ground waters, to protect the oil and gas zones from encroachment of undesired water from other levels, to prevent the blowing out of high pressure oil and gas zones from shallow levels, and to strengthen generally and support the casing being placed in the bore hole. After the bore hole is completed to the desired depth, casing is run into the well, pumps are attached to this casing and circulation of the mud fluid in the hole is established; this circulation being from the inside of the casing into the annulus about the casing, and thence back to the surface. Next, a cement slurry is mixed and pumped into the inside of the casing string, A plug, which acts as a piston within the casing, is placed above the cement slurry. This is to separate the top of the cement slurry from mud or water which is used to shove the cement down through the casing and out into the annulus. This plug further serves the purpose of shutting off against a baffle in the bottom end of the casing string, thus stopping the flow of cement out of the casing and leaving the shoe, or lower end of the casing, surrounded by cement and also filling the annulus there above. Casing strings cemented in the above described manner may vary in length from a few feet of large diameter pipe to very long lengths of smaller pipe. As of the present date the longest string of casing which has yet been cemented is some 16,600 ft deep. As a general rule, the deeper the well and the more cement slurry used, the higher the pressures which are required to place the slurry. In parts of West Texas, it is not uncommon to use 4000 sacks to cement a single string of casing in place. Machinery used to mix the cement and place it into the casing is mounted on heavy duty, powerfully equipped trucks which are capable of negotiating any type of highway or country roads. These trucks

Jan 1, 1949