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By D. W. Alexander

Researchers from the U.S. Office of Mine Safety and Health Research (OMSHR) of the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) completed field trials during coal mine rescue contests using simulated gas detectors in place of placards. The gas monitor simulator (GMS) devices replaced static, paper placards to deliver gas concentration data. Eleven teams were observed during the field contest, which was approved by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). GMS devices were given to three team members (the captain and both gasmen). Observation of teams revealed that team members changed behavior by acknowledging and sharing information more often while using the GMS. As a result of this research, it has been demonstrated that under the existing contest format, the newly developed GMS device may be used with no adverse impact on team contest performance. Furthermore, when GMS technology advantages are used, contest realism is improved. In the future, competency assessment may be incorporated.

Jan 1, 2012

By Edward L. McHugh

In 1984, at the request of the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Bureau of Mines studied an 84,165-acre portion of the 84,935-acre Clover Mountains Wilderness Study Area (NV-050-139) in order to evaluates its identified mineral resources. The area studied is in Lincoln County, NV, about 90 miles north of Las Vegas, NV. No mineral resources were identified in the study area. Volcanic rocks are the most common in the study area, consisting mainly of a thick sequence of ignimbrites in a cauldron complex. Cambrian to Triassic marine sedimentary rocks and Cretaceous to Oligocene clastic rocks are along and partly inside the west and south sides of the study area. No mineral production ha s come from the study area, but gold, silver, copper, and fluorspar have been mined nearby. Eleven mines and prospects in or adjacent to the study area were examined. Workings inside the study area include two shafts, 10 and 60 ft deep, and eleven shallow prospect pits at four sites along the west edge.

Jan 1, 1987

By Odin Wilhelmy

Agriculture in the United States today is becoming more and more a business, rather than a way of life. In the light of this, it behooves the farm-supply industries that provide the American farmer with his tools of production--feed, fertilizer, machinery, and the like--to give even greater attention than they have in the past to meeting the needs of the farmer-businessmen they are serving. Increasing competition among the companies that make up these industries merely accentuates this need for better service. An opportunity for such improved service, not yet fully realized, exists in the fertilizer industry today. That opportunity lies in the increased transportation of fertilizer ingredients by water. However, before the benefits inherent in this increased water movement of fertilizers can be fully realized, certain obstacles must be met and overcome. It is the purpose of this paper to outline the nature and magnitude of this opportunity, to point out some of the roadblocks and the steps that can be, or are being, taken to remove them, and to indicate some of the rewards that would logically stem from success in these efforts.

Jan 1, 1961

SIDNEY ROLLE, Chrome, N. J.-I should like to ask if Mr. Bach does not think it rather harmful to let the amen depend entirely on the company, whether it would not be a good plan to let the men aid a little in the support of these organizations? Also whether he has had any experience with utilizing the Y. M. C. A. in this connection. E. E. BACH, Ellsworth, Pa.-That question is always raised whenever there is discussion upon this subject. So far as we are concerned that would not help a bit; our people do not have that feeling, because .we have a company which these men recognize has a corps of very sympathetic officials in every way. I remember the assistant general manager lived out in one of these mining towns for a while. His difficulty was that every man, no matter what, who or where he was, if he had, or thought lie had, a, complaint, had the right of way to his office, and didn't have to stop at all. That is the spirit that predominates all through it. This is also the spirit of the mine foremen, two of whom were trained in our own night school, and it is the spirit of the fire boss and the general spirit of the people. They do not feel that we are trying to feed them with a spoon. As to the Y. M. C. A., we feel that it would be impracticable for us. R H. VAIL, New York, N. Y.-It would be very interesting if Mr. Bach would tell a little more about the control of the dispensing of intoxicants. There are many communities where the state intends to do that but does not succeed very well, and as Mr. Bach has spoken of the speakeasies on the environment of these towns, it would he well to know more about the problem of eliminating those.

Jan 4, 1918

By Leonard Sugin

As we approach the end-of the 20th century we are made more aware of the tremendous role that energy plays both directly and indirectly in our varied way of life. The industralized nations of the world have already established industries and economies which are greatly dependent upon the availability of energy. The underdeveloped and developing nations of the world are slowly and surely moving to the same utlimate requirements. The world wide need for distribution of energy sources is continuing to grow. At the present time there is a great imbalance between the sources of energy and the consuming economies In order to bring about greater equality between supply and demand major efforts and large capital expenditures are constantly being made. Industralized areas are seeking their own independent sources of energy whereas those areas of the world which contain great reserves of energy are limiting its export as well as developing its own industralized capacity. Nevertheless, energy bearing materials are still transported great distances in order to satiate the appetites of power hungry economies.

Jan 1, 1975

By V. H. Wilhelm

WITH rapidly diminishing oil reserves: a great percentage of which are uneconomical at present prices, some of the existing methods of development and production will have to undergo radical re- visions to meet the changes continually taking place in the petroleum industry. Imagination in an engineer is a great asset. The fancy of today is found to be the realization of tomorrow, and with this thought in mind, there is here presented a more or less imaginative picture which, to my mind, has a meritorious basis. Directed drilling has reached a stage of accuracy sufficient to allow the prediction that this art will be used in the future development of oil structures, especially those \\,it11 thin sand bodies 'and steep dips. Directional drilling in a number of fields in California has gratifying results. Wells which practically laid pipe lines through the oil sands have enjoyed a greater drainage radius with a consequent greater initial and cumulative production. In one field where the vertical thickness of sands was approximately 550 ft., wells drifting at an angle as great as 55 deg. fro111 vertical had over 1100 ft. of perforated pipe in contact with these sands. These wells were, and are, remarkable for their great initial pro-

Jan 1, 1936

By R. W. Smith, D. L. Taylor, K. A. Altman

Recent research has shown that traditional sensitivity, what if and best case/worst case analysis of metallurgical data has the potential to over estimate the value of mining projects. Use of simulations, which rely on the input of statistical information, may provide more realistic predictions of the value of future projects. Actual metallurgical data is used to demonstrate that analyzing the data from a statistical perspective can give insight into completing an optimum amount of metallurgical testing and a mechanism to determine that samples used for the testing are truly representative of the ore that will be processed.

Jan 1, 2000

By S J. Schafrik, M Long

There are several factors that are increasing the need for new graduates to be ready to design and manage more autonomous operations at mines. Autonomous controls and systems range from the start-up, control, and shutdown of processing plants to the autonomous operation of vehicles. These operations require the workers, engineers, and management to have additional skills for programming, debugging, tasking, and maintaining the equipment. The future survivability of many mining operations will be influenced by a company’s willingness and ability to understand, accept, and utilise this technology for safe and productive operations. This is an educational opportunity and challenge that needs to be addressed throughout the student’s experience, from first year to graduate level. This paper discusses the lessons learned from a decade of multidepartment effort at all student levels and many courses that are able to incorporate data science, controls, and autonomous design into the already topic-rich national curriculum. This approach also exposes other engineering disciplines to the mining industry which is a valuable recruiting tool for talent outside of the mining engineering departments.

Sep 1, 2024

By E. H. Henderson

Introduction Stamp-Milling and amalgamation is, perhaps, one of the oldest processes of recovering gold from its ores. Many papers, theses, and textbooks have been written on the subject of stamp-milling practice in general, but, to my knowledge, there have been no publications describing the modern stamp-mill as designed, developed, and operated in Nova Scotia. Although it may be said that the gravity stamp-mill is the most primitive, and perhaps the crudest, crushing machine in existence, it is at the same time the most satisfactory all-round milling and amalgamating device yet contrived. Originating in Saxony, and used in North America first in Virginia and Georgia, the stamp-mill, in a primitive form, later found its way to California and Colorado. Here, it speedily developed from an affair of wood shod with iron, and operated with the crudest gearing, to substantially its present form. Briefly, it consists (see Figure 1) essentially of a series of hammers (the stamps), which fall upon a mixture of ore and water contained in a cast-iron box (the mortar). The resulting crushed ore (the pulp) is splashed out through a screen on the front of the box. For some years after the discovery of gold in Nova Scotia, in 1861, the ? arrastra and Chilean mill were used to recover the gold from the rich ores. The stamp-mill followed, and various types were used, principally the California and Gilpin County types. Then, in 1895, Mr. M. R. O'Shaughnessy, one of our foremost amalgamators, conceived the idea of a new type of stampmill, which has since become standard in Nova Scotia gold mines. This mill, unique in its design and operation, is specially adapted for the most efficient extraction and recovery of gold as it occurs in our Nova Scotian ores. It is commonly known as the Underwater Feed type, as opposed to the usual Overwater or Top Feed type, and it may be rightly termed The Nova Scotia Self-Classifying Stamp Amalgamation Mill. It is conceded by experienced mill-men that it is superior to any other type of mill for recovering the very coarse and granular gold typical of the ores of this Province. The particular installation and practice to be described in this paper is that of the Guysborough Mines, Limited, at Goldenville, Guysborough county. Emphasis will be laid on certain operating innovations of extreme simplicity and high efficiency.

Jan 1, 1935

The following is an incomplete list of members and guests who. called at Institute headquarters during the period Dec. 10, 1917 to Jan. 10, , 1918: A. A. Arluck, Camp Merritt, N. J. W. Spencer Hutchinson, Boston, Mass. C. L. Bruns, Santiago de Cuba. William F. Jahn, New York, N. Y. Henry C. Carr, New York, N. Y. C. H. James, Tucson, Ariz. L. J. Charles, Santa Fe, N. M. Charles Janin, San Francisco, Cal. W. A. Deane, Waxhaw, N. C. Joseph T. Kupferstein, Shreveport, Pa. P. St. John Dixon, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Richard Lamb, New York, N. Y. M. C. Drake, Marquette, Mich. Walter R. Malm, San Francisco, Cal. F. W. Draper, Petrograd, Russia. W. H. Nash, Buffalo, N. Y. Paul W. Gaebelein, Boise, Idaho. Edmund Newton, Minneapolis, Minn. H. F. E. Gamm, Rutherford, N. J. Guy C. Riddell, Port Pirie, South Australia. C. A. Grabill, El Paso, Tex. Williams A. Simkins, San Francisco, Cal. William H. Hampton, New York, N. Y. Henry B. Smith, Northampton, Mass. R. M. Henderson, Brackenridge, Colo. H. E. Smith, Chicago, Ill. Geo. B. Holderer, Northpines, Ont., H: C. Spaulding, Washington, D. C. Canada. Y. Wakabayashi, Tokyo, Japan. H. H. Howry, Camp Upton. N. Y. A. P. Watt, Mine La Motte, Mo. L. Douglas Anderson", superintendent of the Midvale, Utah, smeltery of the United States Smelting Co., has been appointed manager of smelteries for the company at Salt Lake City, Utah.

Jan 2, 1918

By C J. Unger, T Baumgartl, C J. Bond, P Sabourenkov, V C. Glenn

Social licence to mine is influenced by society’s perception of the mining sector’s ability to effectively rehabilitate mined land and for governments to appropriately regulate that process for the broader community benefit. In Queensland, Australia, many mine rehabilitation personnel working for active coalmines, as either staff, consultants or contractors, belong to the Central Queensland Mine Rehabilitation Group (CQMRG). The CQMRG was established 23 years ago with the aim of sharing informal knowledge related to practical aspects of rehabilitation in order to leave as positive a legacy as possible from mined land. This voluntary group of professionals also includes members from regulatory agencies and civil society. Within the dynamic regional mining environment, mine rehabilitation professionals benefit from sharing their informal knowledge.CQMRG is currently a group in transition. Mining boom and downturn cycles have exacerbated the loss of accumulated knowledge in the core CQMRG membership due to rapid changes in personnel at mines in the region. Additionally, some of the most experienced CQMRG-affiliated rehabilitation practitioners are approaching the end of their careers and want their valuable and less formal knowledge retained. This paper discusses the development of a research project that emerged in response to the anticipated loss of several decades’ worth of valuable knowledge as rehabilitation practitioners in CQMRG left the region or the workforce.CITATION:Unger, C J, Bond, C J, Baumgartl, T, Glenn, V C and Sabourenkov, P, 2016. ‘MRC-wiki’ – a mine rehabilitation and closure knowledge management tool for Central Queensland coalmine practitioners, in Proceedings Life-of-Mine 2016 Conference , pp 39–42 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Jun 28, 2016

By X Li, W McKeague, M S. Powell

This paper explores the importance of operators in the overall efficiency of mineral processing plants. With the potential of future control configurations becoming more remote, it is time to review the implementation of control and utilisation of operators. This paper is based on a preliminary review of operators and control room operations and clearly shows that, in the minerals industry, operations are typically run in a reactive mode (with a focus on ensuring equipment operation), rather than in a proactive mode (with a focus on optimising the process performance). The primary reason for this misguided approach is the short sighted thinking applied to the challenges of designing technology and organisational tools capable of addressing the essential operational needs: an approach which inevitably results in a disconnect between people and technology. Contrary to the popular approach of replacing operators with expert systems, the thesis of this paper is that the shift to more complex circuits, with higher demands on processing capability and control, will require the actual upskilling of operators. Experience in mineral processing and other industries indicates that expert systems cope well with small changes but are typically unable to respond to major changes in feed material and this is where the expert operator becomes crucial. Providing operators with ongoing high level training in process understanding, and restructuring how they interact with the plant and interface with the control system is the approach being proposed here - an approach surprisingly underutilised and often absent in the minerals industry today.CITATION:Li, X, Powell, M S and McKeague, W, 2012. Unlocking processing potential by empowering our operators, in Proceedings 11th AusIMM Mill OperatorsÆ Conference, pp 333-340 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Oct 29, 2012

By L. C. IlsLey

The theory and practice followed by the Bureau of Mines in investigating electrical equipment4/ made for service in gassy mines are of particular interest not only to manufacturers but also to those organizations that deal with safety anal inspection at the mines. This publication purposes to discuss the theory upon which tests of equipment in explosive atmospheres are based and to consider inspection and other matters pertaining to investigations made by the Bureau in ascertaining whether a machine merits approval. The material in this report is taken from an earlier bulletin,5/ which is row out of print, and has been revised and brought up to date to make the information again available to manufacturers, inspectors, and others interested in the development of safe equipment.

Jan 1, 1954

By Guillermo P. Selas

Perhaps this is the first time that an analysis of the industrial minerals panorama has been made in Mexico for that type of commodities. Because the non-metallic minerals lack the glamour of the metallic minerals and are usually of less unit value than metallics, a comparative study of these commodities has seldom been attempted. Sulphur, fluorite, barite and few others are an exception. Consequently, the statistics on the lowest per unit value industrial minerals, such as limestone, dolomite, gravels, sands, etc., are usually scarce and not always accurate. The following, then, will be an attempt to show a general status of the industrial minerals in Mexico with due reservations regarding volumes and values. According to Kruger (1971), this group of minerals surprisingly very little known, and called non-metallics because the lack of metallic luster, is the largest group of the mineral kingdom. It constitutes perhaps 75% of all the mineral varieties. For the most part, these minerals are compounds of common acids, sulphides, hydroxides and two elements carbon and sulphur. The list of non-metallic minerals is therefore very long. It includes the borates, carbonates, chlorides, fluorides, nitrates, phosphates, silicates, sulphates and less commonly arsenates, chromates, molybdates, sulphides, tungstates and vanadates. The latter group and many of the oxides are sought usually for their metal content.

Jan 1, 1974

Most mining operations have been happy to live in blissful ignorance of what their equipment is really capable of. Shareholders have been shown increasing tonnes output per employee (due to rationalising employee numbers). It is now known that the best practice for large mining trucks is 52 per cent higher than average or best practice for excavators is 41 per cent higher than average, or 38 per cent in shovels or 35 per cent with draglines, etc. The data is available. The bell curve of performance is flat. Substantial underperformance is rife. If you are working in or supplying equipment or services to one of the majority of operating mines that donÆt achieve best practice surely you want to know why. Or maybe you donÆt? For many mining people this sort of knowledge could be dangerous to their career so keeping the MD or CEO in the dark is a good option. Many suppliers donÆt want the performance of their equipment benchmarked? Mining consultants donÆt have the data so they are happy to keep guessing. Unfortunately, many Business Improvement or Business Excellence projects are about ticking the participantÆs æcareer boxesÆ. The first step to capacity utilisation is knowing what the capacity is. Even then people and culture will get in the way. People are the biggest hurdle to capacity utilisation. This paper will discuss what the mine of the future (and today) will need to do to utilise the productive capacity of its assets. It is not just benchmarking. It is not just automation. It is not just technology. It is about engaging those people who impact on equipment performance; right from the operator up to the Mine Manager. Doing it better involves a process to facilitate change and a culture which says it is OK to try even if you are wrong.

Jan 1, 2009

By M. R. Geer

Samples of coal from six beds in the Roslyn-Cle Elum field of Washington were subjected to float-and-sink tests to determine their amenability to the production of high-ash boiler fuel for on-site power generation. Grindability tests and analyses of ash were made. All of the coals would require some degree of cleaning to insure a product of 25 percent ash. With two of the coals the entire size range would have to be washed. With the other four, it would suffice to clean only the coarse coal and bypass the raw fines.

Jan 1, 1965

By D. Bahrami, W. K. Asante, G. L. Danko

It is prudent to interpret atmospheric monitoring signals in real time for checking the safe limits of the air conditions in underground mines. In gassy mines, real-time evaluation increases the safety of operations. In all mines, continuous monitoring and evaluation contributes to maintaining air conditions within healthy and safe limits. Signal interpretation for safety conditions in mines is difficult for many reasons. An increase in hazardous contaminant concentrations can be predicted by signal pattern recognition, root cause analysis of rapid changes toward deterioration, and forward prediction in time using algorithms and numerical models. The paper describes an early warning system for analyzing monitored signal patterns continuously in real time as well as forward predicting the various environmental and working conditions to recognize dangerous trends that may affect safety and health in underground mines. A dynamic, numerical ventilation model with heat and gas contaminant simulation components is used for the analysis of atmospheric data. Methods and test results are discussed with numerical examples for signal propagation prediction. Several mine examples are studied using controlled, synthetic data for malfunction simulations to evaluate time delays between the detection time of suspicious signal trends and the time of dangerous threshold crossing marking an accident scenario. Delay time is found in the order of 20 min in the examples, signifying the useful time period for preventive intervention between EWS warning and the likely breakout of a following accident.

By Len Blackman

The Absaroka-Beartooth Study Area is a tract of approximately 1.4 million acres of National forest land in southern Montana, part of the Greater Yellowstone Area. This study evaluated the mineral potential of four mineral terranes containing undiscovered resources in the area. The geological data is probabilistic, with estimates of the possible number: of deposits and their grades and tonnages. Possible future development scenarios range from no development to many mines, including some very large. As two thirds of the study area is within the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, the future development scenarios reflect the area's mineral potential, not what we expect to see in the foreseeable future. Based on the analysis performed on these four terranes, the most likely future scenario for the study area would include the potential for two medium sized, (predominately) gold, mines, each employing a few hundred workers. There is a small chance, less than 5%, that a large Porphyry Copper or Superior Iron deposit would be discovered and be economically feasible to develop.

Jan 1, 1994

By R. Paul De Bruyn

A. Crane Check List -- Make -- Model -- Year of Manufacture -- Where is load chart? Is it for this crane? -- Boom style and length -- Boom tip drawing (sketch) for fixed lead connection. Has the crane manufacturer been consulted on the point of attachment? -- How many drums; diameter and length of wire rope. -- Is the single part line pull enough to lift pile or hammer on single part line? -- What is the effective weight of the whole driving system - leads, pile, hammer, etc? -- Are there any auxilliary hydraulic systems? Are the line pulls on these adequate to lift the pile or hammer? -- What is the anticipated working radius? Will the spotter collapse to that length? -- Nature of foundation under crane - barge, marsh, unstable sand, etc. -- Does the crane meet OSAH and state regulations -current certification. Note - the operator is responsible for compliance with regulations. -- Is there any extra weight added to counterweight by compressors or hydraulic systems? What does crane manufacturer say? Consult factory before adding.

Jan 1, 1990

By E. J. Gleim

[THE ORGANIC act under which Federal Bureau of Mines was established provided for the investigation of the safe use of electricity in mines. Each Congress appropriates funds for conducting this investigation. As part of this investigation, electrical apparatus used in mines is studied to determine if its operation and use might introduce a hazard. From this study, certain safety standards have been developed. These standards, established with the aid of both the manufacturer and user of such apparatus, are published in schedules, and apparatus that complies with the requirements set forth these schedules is classified as "permissible." This term is defined to designate apparatus as "completely assembled and conforming in every respect with the design formally approved by the Bureau of Mines." In the judgment of the Bureau, the manufacturers of such apparatus have adhered to certain minimum standards of safety in supplying a product that when properly used and maintained is safe for operation in mines where flammable gas or coal dust may accumulate. This work of the Bureau of Mines for increasing safety does not make it obligatory for manufacturers of mine equipment to produce only that of permissible classification. Before the effective date of the Federal Mine Safety Code,5 the Bureau sought to promote safety by recommending that mine operators install permissible equipment in gassy mines as a preventive measure against gas and dust explosions initiated by electrical equipment. For some years, the mining laws of several States have prescribed the conditions under which permissible equipment must be used. The Federal Mine Safety Code requires that ?all new electric face equipment and replacements of equipment purchased for mines where nonpermissible equipment is now being used shall be of a permissible type approved by the United States Bureau of Mines,]

Jan 1, 1955