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By Dight P. M

The challenge of narrow vein mining is to produce ore with as little dilution as possible, at the least cost -commensurate with the increasing degrees of safety being demanded for mine workers by the modem 'duty of care' legislation. Geotechnical factors play an important, if not overriding, role in these areas. The geotechnical factors cover the complex interaction over a period of time, between the in situ and induced rock stresses, rock structures, rock mass strength and the cable, rock bolt and other ground support members. In the Archaean schist belt areas where many of our narrow vein mines occur the pre-mining in situ rock stresses are commonly significantly higher than the overburden stresses. These are concentrated in areas beneath previous open pits and may be highly concentrated in the pillars and abutments of stopes on narrow veins. The presence of high in situ stresses may be suspected from the appearance of drill cores and underground development long before they become sufficiently concentrated by mining to cause damage or bursts. These initial indications are discussed and modem low cost methods of stress measurement are described. Practical and quick methods of analysing the stress redistribution around scopes and other underground excavations are now available and guidelines for interpreting them in terms of rockmass characteristics, stope stability and support requirements are developed with the object of increasing safety, whilst reducing overall costs and dilution.

Jan 1, 1993

By William N. Patterson

Drive systems for mining machines are usually sized to accommodate anticipated peak loads. Usually, the average power requirements are considerably less. Energy storage and power averaging are attractive concepts for mining machinery and could have far-reaching implications. The purpose of this program was to: ? Identify truly feasible concepts, ? Identify advantages/disadvantages, limitations, and constraints, ? Evaluate feasibility based on today?s technology, ? Identify anticipated safety problems, and ? Provide the designer with a comprehensive literature base. Concepts evaluated include flywheels, high energy batteries, gas charged accumulators, inductive storage, capacitive storage, springs and counterweights, thermal, closed cycles, internal combustion engines, trolley systems, and hybrid systems. A comprehensive reference index is provided. Included is an appendix containing abstracts of the pertinent literature.

Jan 1, 1980

By L. J. M. Smits

A theoretical equation is developed describing membrane potentials of shaly sands as a function of the cation-exchange capacity per unit pore volume of the rock and saturating water salinity. This equation is based on the same simple physical model as that employed earlier7 describing the electrical conductivity of shaly sands. Experiments conducted with NaCl solutions showed that the equation is obeyed, except in the case of saturated salt solutions where minor deviations were observed. A possible explanation is given for this discrepancy. As the clay content and the porosity of shales may vary appreciably, shale membrane potentials also vary. It was found that membrane potentials of shales can be calculated accurately with the aid of the same theory. Consequently, changes in membrane potentials can be accounted for by simple measurement of cation-exchange capacities per unit pore volume of both shales and shaly sands. Charts are given to facilitate interpretation of the electrochemical part of the SP in terms of cation-exchange capacities and the salinities of mud filtrate and formation water. INTRODUCTION A spontaneous potential (SP) log is a record of the way in which the electrical potential of a sonde varies as it passes down a borehole. Such variations frequently reflect rock texture, e.g., permeable beds intercalated in an impermeable series often are indicated by a sharp change in potential. Nowadays it is recognized that SP logs may be interpreted in terms of formation-water salinity and formation shaliness. The four sources of the SP are illustrated in Fig. 1. El and E4 represent streaming potentials generated by the flow of mud filtrate through mud cake opposite permeable formations and through shale, respectively. An extensive review of the literature on the evaluation of these streaming potentials is given by Lynchl and will not be discussed here. The remaining part of the SP generally is called the electrochemical potential, which is divided into two parts: a membrane potential across the shale (E3, Fig. 1) and a membrane potential in the permeable sand at the diffusion boundary between formation water and mud filtrate (E2, Fig. 1). It was found by wyllie2 that the membrane potential across the shale, E3, is the most important contribution to the electrochemical potential, the shale acting as a semi permeable membrane. When the sand is clean it does not influence the diffusion process, so E2 equals the value of the so-called liquid-liquid junction potential observed when the two solutions diffuse freely into each other. When the sand contains clay, however, this interferes with the diffusion process and affects the diffusion potential generated. The greater the proportion of clay, the stronger this effect will be. Wyllie,3 Doll4 and Poupon et al.5 took this effect into account theoretically, starting from a physical

Jan 1, 1969

By Dorsey Hager

DORSEY HAGER, Tulsa, Okla.-I have been asked why the Dexter region is dry. I would like to know myself. I drilled two dry wells on that same anticline which has production to, the east and west and south and north. That same anticline has seven domes that have been drilled and only three have proven productive out of the seven. In other words, you have one well-defined anticline with seven domes along its length, all mappable, all checked carefully, and only three of those seven have produced. Now why the others did not produce, I do not know. L. L. HUTCHISON, Tulsa, Okla.-There is no appreciable difference in the character or structure of the sands? DORSEY HAGER.-NO, I have never .been able to see any appreciable difference in the sands where we got production and Where we did not get it. I will say that the deepest wells we drilled, in the vicinity of Dexter, had no sands at the point where they got the production farther north. I. N. -KNAPP, Ardmore, Pa.-I first went to the Kansas-Oklahoma field in 1895 and occasionally thereafter until 1899, when I began drilling; for oil. I started close to wells that were producing gas and which, when drilling, lead made good oil showings in a sand above the gas. I thought these showings were good enough evidence of an oil pool for me without looking for any anticline and I made a paying development in what' I was afterward told by geologists was probably a synclinal trough. If I remember correctly Dr. Orton's report on the lola gas pool (about 1898) he distinctly said that he found no evidence of anticlinal structure and concluded from the records of a large number of wells that there, was a terraced structure of the productive gas sands, of which there were no surface indications.

Jan 4, 1917

In a coal mine there are many substances capable of ignition under certain circumstances, which can be placed in the following groups: ordinary combustible solids, dusts, liquids and vapours, gases, metals and plastics. There are many factors influencing ignition, including temperature, minimum ignition energy, particle size, explosion pressure level, rate of pressure rise, specific energy content and also explosive limit. Not all are applicable in every case. Frictional ignition of methane is an accident statistic of increasing concern and is considered in some detail. Practical measures that can be taken to reduce the incidence of frictional ignitions are considered, and also possible ways of ignition suppression.

Jan 1, 1981

By Valentin R. Garfais

The world's petroleum production in 1928 is estimated at 1,322,896,-000 bbl., an increase of about 62,000,000 bbl. over 1927, as compared with an increase of over 133,000,000 bbl. in the previous year. The daily average was close to 3,600,000 bbl., of which the fields on the American continent produced about 84 per cent. The most important development during the year has been the partial success of the attempts to temporarily control production without appealing to legislation and, as a consequence, the increasing realization that, in order to reach a permanent cure for this situation, some form of legislation is necessary to' make possible the conservation of the oil supply and the stabilization of the industry. The importance of such a control over American production is not merely local but worldwide, as the American oil supply is now and for years to come will be the controlling factor of the industry. United States.—Production in the United States, which in 1927 increased about 15 per cent. over the previous year, remained practically stationary in 1928, the total being estimated at 902,000,000 bbl., or 68.2 per cent. of the world's output. This uniformity in production during the last two years was due primarily to the curtailment of output from wells already drilled, it being estimated that the available or shut-in production at the end of the year was close to 500,000 bbl. per day, or equivalent to the combined production of Venezuela and Russia, the countries ranking second and third. Venezuela.—With a production estimated at 106,000,000 bbl., Venezuela has trebled its output in the last three years. The increase in 1928 was 43,000,000 which placed this country as second in rank, a position which it should easily maintain for years to come. The output could have been considerably larger had not the oversupply in the United States made it advisable for Venezuelan operators to enter into tentative conservation agreements. Russia.—In Russia, production has doubled in the last five years, and reached a new peak in 1928 with an output estimated at 87,800,000 bbl., or an increase of 10,000,000 bbl. over the previous year. Difficul-

Jan 1, 1929

By S. R. Krom

In connection with perfecting a system of pneumatic concentration I had in view the improvement of machines for crushing and pulverizing ores. A study of the whole subject convinced me that the principle upon which the construction of the Blake crusher, and that of rolls, is based, possessed the mechanical elements which, if perfected and simplified, would make these machines the successful rivals of every other device. It is well-known that until very recently the stamp-battery held undisputed possession of the field; and mill-men and mill-builders almost universally believed that stamps would not be superseded by any other machine for fine crushing. The first step to drive stamps from the field was the introduction of rollers in the Bertrand and the Mt. Cory mills. In both of these mills the great superiority and economy of a system of crushing with rollers instead of stamps has been fully demonstrated. While perfecting the rollers, I had the fact confronting me that they had frequently been tried without success. In fact, the universal opinion prevailed that rollers could be used only for coarse, and not for fine crushing. The secret of the difficulty I discovered to lie in the imperfect and weak character of the rolls heretofore used, due to a misconception of the requirements for a machine for such work, and a failure to appreciate the advantages of continuous, rolling, crshing- surfaces, operating on the toggle-lever principle, which gives the greatest crushing pressure with the least power. expended, and the minimum of wear.

Jan 1, 1886

By J. E. Brantly

In October 1939, a drilling program was commenced on the Atlantic seaboard of Brazil, with three steam rotary rigs of medium capacity. One of these was assigned to the State of Alagbas and the other two to the State of Bahia. During the remaining few months of 1939 and during the year 1940, some eight wells were drilled, two in Alagbas and six in Bahia. Two small producers were found in the latter state. In early 1941 three medium-weight Diesel rigs were added to the equipment, thus permitting the drilling of some 15 wells during the year 1941. The two small producers found in 1940 in the State of Rahia were near the city of Silo Salvador. In 1941 three additional small wells were brought in, in the same area, and a further producer on an isolated structure some 75 km. to the northwest of this production. No commercial production has been found in the State of Alagbas. Approximately 26 wells have been drilled or are drilling, six of which are producers— five in one area and one in another. The program for 1942 calls for the development of the two areas in which wells have been found and also the drilling of several wildcat structures located either by geophysics or surface geology. All production in the area of the several producing wells is somewhat less than 2000 ft. and in the other area about 3800 ft. The area of the several wells is known as the Lobato field, and is practically within the city limits of Sao Salvador. The area 75 km. northwest of the city will be known as the Candeias field.

Jan 1, 1942

By J. E. Brantly

In October 1939, a drilling program was commenced on the Atlantic seaboard of Brazil, with three steam rotary rigs of medium capacity. One of these was assigned to the State of Alagbas and the other two to the State of Bahia. During the remaining few months of 1939 and during the year 1940, some eight wells were drilled, two in Alagbas and six in Bahia. Two small producers were found in the latter state. In early 1941 three medium-weight Diesel rigs were added to the equipment, thus permitting the drilling of some 15 wells during the year 1941. The two small producers found in 1940 in the State of Rahia were near the city of Silo Salvador. In 1941 three additional small wells were brought in, in the same area, and a further producer on an isolated structure some 75 km. to the northwest of this production. No commercial production has been found in the State of Alagbas. Approximately 26 wells have been drilled or are drilling, six of which are producers— five in one area and one in another. The program for 1942 calls for the development of the two areas in which wells have been found and also the drilling of several wildcat structures located either by geophysics or surface geology. All production in the area of the several producing wells is somewhat less than 2000 ft. and in the other area about 3800 ft. The area of the several wells is known as the Lobato field, and is practically within the city limits of Sao Salvador. The area 75 km. northwest of the city will be known as the Candeias field.

Jan 1, 1942

By Nuno Cruz

"The concrete overbreak estimation for bored piles provides the quantification of the shaft’s expansion beyond its theoretical volume. There are stability analysis methods that can be employed before and after concrete pour but as for the moment of decision, during pile cast, the most common method still consists in measuring the rising of the concrete level in order to compare its poured volume with the theoretical pile section volume. This is a determinant parameter to monitor, not only because it assesses the bored shaft stability but also because it represents a direct cost. When analyzing the estimation methods commonly applied on-site it becomes evident that these are often affected by human errors that lead to misleading results. The objective of this paper is to identify those errors and discuss a subject which is usually overlooked. As a general conclusion, it was ascertained that most errors derive from inaccurate volumetric data, working procedures and gauging equipment. By acknowledging these widespread practices deep foundations contractors will be in a better position to make informed decisions on how to correct and improve bored pile stability.GENERALBackgroundWhen executing bored piles, the estimation of its concrete overbreak allows a swift appraisal of the excavation stability during the drilling process. This is simply obtained from the proportion of the poured volume of concrete over the drilled shaft theoretical volume, as shown in equation [1].Where CO = concrete overbreak percentage, Vc = volume of poured concrete, Vr = pile’s theoretical volume. This calculation not only provides a general idea of the shaft’s expansion from its theoretical volume, but also the outline of the excavated column’s geometry. For the latter, the outline will be as accurate as the number of measurements taken for each partial known volume of poured concrete. This means that for each load placed inside the excavation there is a corresponding rising of the concrete level. The profile of the definite pile is then plotted (see Fig. 1) and allows inferring about how stable remained the shaft walls up to the moment of casting.The technological developments in this area have provided other methods for determining pile stability before and after pile cast, such as ultrasonic echo sensing, cross-hole sonic logging or thermal integrity profiling systems. Notwithstanding, concrete overbreak assessment remains as common practice and confers the advantage of providing stability information during the process of pile casting."

Jan 1, 2017

concentrations) and physical nature of receiving streams, which in turn affects the stream ecosystem. Benthic macroinvertebrates are used to illustrate these impacts, and to investigate natural recovery in affected streams. In Charming Creek, a severely impacted stream in the Buller District, the macroinvertebrate community recovers diversity and the proportion of sensitive species (EPT) in the community is more significant with increasing downstream distance from the source of AMD. This is most likely due to dilution of AMD contaminated water by tributaries to the Charming Creek mainstream. Other impacted systems with less dilution from tributaries did not display similar levels of recovery. The effectiveness of remediation products BauxsolÖ and Zeolite was investigated using laboratory trials. Both products mitigated the toxicity of AMD and enhanced the survival of mayflies exposed to AMD contaminated water. Such products may be of use in the New Zealand environment but are likely to be most effective in conjunction with other systems (eg wetlands). Mitigating the impacts of AMD on stream ecosystems needs to include systems to directly address water chemistry issues (low pH, high metal concentrations) as a component of a holistic approach to restoring environmental conditions.

Jan 1, 2003

By Werner Burger

The Hallandsås project with a long history, first started in 1991, is well known in the tunneling community. In the past it has been stopped twice for technical and environmental reasons. The third attempt started in 2004 using a dual mode rock TBM. The heterogeneous highly fractured and abrasive rock mass as well as large areas of water bearing zones present most difficult subsurface conditions. The tunneling concept is based on the use of watertight segmental lining and a TBM able to operate in open mode, possibilities for extensive pre excavation grouting and high pressure closed mode operation up to 13 bar to cover exceptional conditions.

By T. Norvell, R. Gosine, S. O’Young

"This paper describes the use of dynamic scheduling and discrete event control to provide coordinated control of multiple automated vehicles. This work has been carried out within ongoing research into multi-robot coordination developed around the underground mining scenario. Demonstrations using scaled laboratory models of underground mines illustrate the potential for this technology for full-scale implementation for mine-wide automation. IntroductionIn the past decade, the mining industry has been improving the efficiency of underground mining operations. Robotics and automation have demonstrated the potential to further reduce costs. Tele-operation of underground vehicles from above ground and autonomous navigation have reduced travel delays and allowed for single operator control of multiple vehicles (Bloomquist and Hinton, 2001). Other recent projects include the automation of the digging process as well as the drilling and blasting operations. Infrastructureless guidance systems are also being developed (Bloomquist and Hinton, 2001).Mine-wide automation requires significant developments at two levels: (1) the development of mining robots capable of performing tasks either autonomously or semiautonomously; and (2) the development of methods for automating operations at a systems level. This paper focusses on the latter, and describes a general framework for the coordination of multiple mobile robots in an unstructured or semi-structured environment."

Jan 1, 2003

By Feng Liu

"With seven new applications for plans of work for exploration in the international Seabed Area approved by the Council during its twentieth session of the International Seabed Authority, 26 total approvals have been made by the Council up to date. Among them, three contracts were made with COMRA. On 8 August 2014, China Minmetals Corporation submitted another application to the Authority for approval of a plan of work for exploration for polymetallic nodules in the Area, which is also sponsored by the Government of the People’s Republic of China.China is one of the main contributors to the international seabed regime. The Presentation will describe China’s activities in the Area, such as exploration, technology development, environmental protection and policy making.JIAOLONG is a submersible with capacity of 7000 meters. JIAOLONG’s sea trials were carefully made in 4 years, from 2009 through 2012 and it successfully dove to a depth of 7062m in June 2012 at Mariana trench. A so called "Test Application Phase" started thereafter, and is planned to last for 3-4 years. Two cruises and 4 legs have already been made since then. A wide-range of findings were obtained during dives in South China Sea, and in COMRA’s Exploration Contract Areas for polymetallic nodules and cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts. This presentation will reveal the colorful findings."

Sep 1, 2014

By H. A. D. Kirsten

The professions are subject to a wide range of changing conditions, and are as a result forced to become more competitive. Although there is a need for specialization under these circumstances, no formal recognition, definition, or control of specialists exists. Some of the professions have attempted, over extensive periods of time, to resolve the issues involved, and have met with varying degrees of success. It appeared from the replies to a questionnaire sent to over one-hundred-and- .fifty professionals, that both advanced education and experiential training, are considered to be necessary qualifications for specialization. The opinion as to whether it should be lift to the individual to cal himself a specialist, or whether recognition should be based on peer review, was divided The majority did not want the number of specialists to be controlled The response to the reservation of work for specialists was ambivalent.

Jan 1, 1995

By Maurice Guillaud

The most striking innovations on diaphragm-wall construction plant are those associated with continuous real-time trajectory monitoring of the excavating tool (either a grab or a hydro-cutter). The recent equipments are fitted with clinometers and gyrometers to control deflection, rotation or deviation from the vertical, thus allowing to install diaphragm-walls with a verticality accuracy of less than 0.3%. One of the greatest advantages of extensive use of on-board IT systems on the Hydrocutters and hydraulic grab machines is that it aids quality control by automatically producing complete real-time reports of all excavating data (verticality, depth, type of ground, rate of progress, stoppages, etc.). These reports are available to the Engineer, providing the total transparency required for Works Supervision and the Quality Assurance Plan. They also provide the Contractor with input data for databases used for optimising efficiency and progress criteria on future jobs.

Jan 1, 2002

By Roger J. Hornberger, Paul F. Ziemkiewicz, Dirk J. A. vanZyl, Gene E. Krueger, Harry H. Posey, Kim A. Lapakko, Charles H. Buckmam

The Acid Drainage Technology Initiative (ADTI) was initiated in 1995 by federal agencies, the National Mining Association and the Interstate Mining Compact Commission to identify, evaluate and develop cost- effective and practical acid drainage technologies. In 1999 ADTI was expanded through the addition of the metal mining sector group, which began organization efforts in 1998. ADTI addresses drainage quality issues involving metal mining and related metallurgical operations and acid drainage from coal mines, for abandoned, active, and future mines. ADTI is a technology development program. It is not a regulatory or policy development program. The guiding principle of ADTI is to build a consensus among industry, federal and state regulatory agencies. ADTI is focusing these efforts on technology development and technology transfer in the areas of mine drainage sampling/monitoring, prediction, avoidance/remediation and modeling.

Jan 1, 2000

By George W. Maynard

In the biographical notice of Thomas F. Witherbee, published in.Bulletin NO. 32, August, 1909 (p. xxv), it is said that "he is believed to have been the first manager in America to use the chemical laboratory for the purpose of controlling the regular running of the blast-furnace." Since the year is not given, I cannot decide as to Mr. Witherbee's priority; but the statement leads me to contribute a bit of history, showing an early departure from the " rule-of-thumb " blast-furnace work to the employment of a chemist. In the autumn of 1868 the department of mining and metallurgy was established at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. In connection with the assay-department a laboratory was equipped for making general commercial analyses. In January, 1869, Alexander L. Holley, the manager and builder of the Bessemer plant at the Rensselaer Works of John A. Griswold & Co., the first plant erected in the United States under the Bessemer patents, began to send me samples

Jan 1, 1911

By M. M. Slotnick

IT was once aptly said that a sign of approaching senility is ceasing work on a subject and beginning to talk about it. Perhaps that explains why, after many years in which part of my duties has been the training of college men in various branches of petroleum exploration geophysics, I have now begun to talk about it. In making an outline of what I believe ought to be discussed under the general heading of the title, I found it almost impossible to subdivide the ideas into an ordered set of discrete subjects. Rather, the pertinent remarks seemed to interlock almost everywhere. The consequence is that it will be necessary to start with the conclusions and then try to justify them by jumping back and forth. However, based on the types of men with whom I have had to deal, the subject naturally divides itself into two parts. In the first part, I should like to deal with the case of those undergraduates whose natural bent is toward the physical sciences and who may decide to enter the geophysical fold as a career. The other part will deal with those many men, geologists and engineers for the most part, who have drifted into exploration geophysics by one means or another, and whom it is necessary to train for geophysical work while they are occupied in their routine jobs. Here it may be in point to remark that most men in exploration geophysics at present have been developed from precisely the latter group, and that the problem of training here is of great importance even though, in this paper, it will perforce occupy the secondary place. TRAINING OF A GEOPHYSICIST The outstanding reason for the perplexing problem on the training of a geophysicist is that ideas differ on the answer to the question: "What is a geophysicist?" In any of the scientific "specialties," like physics, for example, it is relatively simple to pigeonhole a man as being qualified to call himself a physicist. That appellation applied to an individual does not mean that he has mastered only the branches of intellectual endeavor usually associated under the broad name of "physics." We expect him also to have a more than mere acquaintance with mathematics and chemistry and some understanding of most of the other sciences. But note this important point-we expect our physicist, whom we have chosen as an example, to be intelligently trained so that, if necessary, he can and will know how and where he can get the proper information on a subject in which he is not a specialist; he will know how to absorb that information and turn it to his uses. It seems to me that this is the outstanding characteristic of a man who can truly call himself a scientist: that he is a specialist in one of the broad branches of science and that he has enough training and discipline in the scientific approach so that, when called upon to do so, he can intelligently absorb knowledge from another bordering science (and all sciences not only border upon one another to some extent, but more often, overlap one another), and

Jan 1, 1941

By Andrea Gambi, Giancarlo Olivucci, Maurizio Lenzi

"In the paper a criterion for the evaluation of the sharing of the lateral loads in a piled foundation is presented. It relies on the the compatibility condition between the rotation of the rigid pile cap and the rotations of the pile heads, following in that the criterion suggested by the Eurocode 8 - Part 5. This assumption leads to an analytical solutions which allows to deal with the sharing of the lateral loads and moments by means of two main interaction parameters only. A sharing domain is also derived and it shows the role played by the eccentricity of the lateral load on the values of the axial forces and of the bending moments at the head of the piles.INTRODUCTIONIt is well known that the interaction among soil, piles and foundation is one of the most complex subject to deal with in Geotechnical Engineering. Its rigorous study needs to employ suitable finite element software nowadays available and able to take into account the non linear behavior of the soil as a continuum and the inelastic response of the structure. A deep insight to the topic of the sharing of the loads cannot obviously renounce to this approach.On the other hand it is a daily need of the designers to have at their disposal simple tools that allow to make preliminary evaluations of the basic equilibrium conditions. To this purpose many methods of analysis have been developed in the past to face the sharing of the loads in a simplified version. The present contribution follows this way trying however to introduce some improvements that leads to find a solution that satisfies both the equilibrium of the forces and the compatibility of the movements (Lenzi, Gambi, Olivucci, 2002). The proposed model allows to identify the basic parameters which govern the sharing of the lateral load and it allows to perform also parametric analysis and quick checks that may be useful in the design of the piles."

Jan 1, 2005