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By J. Douglas Causey

In 1986, at the request of the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Bureau of Mines studied the 7,940-acre Southern Otay Mountain Wilderness Study Area (CA-060-029), and the 5,750-acre Western Otay Mountain Wilderness Study Area (CA-060-028) in order to evaluate their mineral resources. The wilderness study areas are located in San Diego County, CA, about 20 miles southeast of San Diego. No mineral resources were identified in the Southern or Western Otay Mountain Wilderness Study Areas, based on literature, field observations, and sample results. The wilderness study areas are underlain by a complex blend of Late Jurassic, moderately metamorphosed sedimentary and volcanic rocks. Evidence of mineralization is not obvious.

Jan 1, 1987

By R. C. Becker

Welding is playing an important role in the manufacture of construction equipment as used in the mining industry. It provides design possibilities which are unique to this method of manufacture, and normally makes possible lighter weight but stronger products, which can be a definite advantage to a user. Welding is an industry that has experienced major developments over the past decade, all of which have improved our capability to make better welds and make them more economically. International Harvester Company has been introducing these newer welding methods into its manufacturing plants, particularly those producing construction equipment, just as fast as their value has been proven. This paper discusses how modern welding methods are contributing to the manufacture of strip mining equipment.

Jan 1, 1966

By M. Ploc

The grinding process in the mining industry has seen an increased throughput to accomplish greater production and lower overall production costs. Up to 8-9 MW, a single motor can be connected to drive the mill through a pinion and ring gear. Above the single-pinion drive limit, the dual pinion approach was developed to allow two drive motors to be used. This allowed the mill input power to be increased to 16-18 MW. Recent developments in clutch and ring gear materials and design are allowing greater input powers of up to 20 MW to be considered. To avoid damage to the ring gear by uneven load sharing between the two motors, it is critical that the two machines accurately share load. This is typically achieved by either drives capable of controlling load torque between motors or using a GE proprietary control system that accurately controls the load torque from each motor.

Jan 1, 2010

By Chris Vagasky

On July 10, 1926, lightning struck at Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey, and caused the explosion of at least 600,000 pounds (272,000 kilograms) of ammunition, resulting in more than $600 million (2015 dollars) in damage, the destruction of 200 buildings, and 22 deaths. Fortunately, there has not been a major incident involving lightning and explosives in the US in some time, though lightning has destroyed fuel storage tanks in recent years, including in North Dakota, Texas, and Ohio. Lightning poses a significant hazard to the explosives industry. Carrying high currents and temperature, lightning can cause explosives to detonate, start fires near storage facilities, and injure or kill operators.

Jan 1, 2017

By B. W. Haynes

With the national focus on energy, the combustible fraction of urban refuse is being extensively considered as a fuel supplement for coal in the generation of heat and power. The objective of these analytical studies by the Bureau of Mines was to determine the concentration of major, minor, and trace elements in the combustible fractions collected at various locations in the Bureau's urban refuse recycling pilot plant located at College Park, Md. The samples processed through the plant were submitted by various municipalities that are considering resource recovery as an alternative to landfill or other means of disposal. Twenty-five elements were determined in samples from six geographic areas and were compared with element concentrations found in typical coal samples.

Jan 1, 1977

By H. H. Heady

This Bureau of Mines report provides specific information regarding the analysis of ores, concentrates, and bullion. It describes analytical services provided by some Federal agencies, and discusses analytical techniques applicable to the precious metals. The appendixes list Bureau of Mines State Liaison Offices and commercial assay laboratories.

Jan 1, 1976

By Harry F. Weaver

WHEN 1 was assigned by the Director of the United States Bureau of Mines to present a paper at this annual meeting of the Mining Society of Nova Scotia, 1 was grateful, honoured, and elated to realize finally a life-long desire to see your beautiful land and visit with you who have the good fortune to live and work here. Naturally, in preparing for this important event, 1 wanted to give you something of special interest within the limits of the subject so I chose an area dose to my heart -the operation of our Federal coal mine inspection service, which has, as its fundamental purpose, the prevention of accidents in and around ?Coal mines. In 1957 the United States had 10,879 active coal mines scattered throughout 28 States and the Territory of Alaska. The production of coal for the year was about 515,472,000 tons, including 2.5,472,000 tons of anthracite and 490,000,000 tons of bituminous coal and Hgnite. Anthracite is mined principally in a comparatively small area of one State. AU the 28 States and the Territory produce bituminons coal and/or lignite. The beds mined range from 18 inches to more than 100 feet in thickness and from the horizontal to the perpendicular.

Jan 1, 1958

By Wayne R. Hopkins

Southern Arizona has one of the world's principal concentrations of copper ore bodies. Twenty miles south of Tucson, close to the Mexican border at Sahuarita in Pima County, is the Twin Buttes mine. In mid-1973, the Anaconda Company and American Metals Climax Incorporated (AMAX) established a 50-50 partnership to operate and expand the Twin Buttes property. Anamax Mining Company was established as the operating company for this joint venture. The production from the Twin Buttes mine is shared between the two partners who market independently. A major expansion of the Twin Buttes operation has included an accelerated stripping programrne for the pit, an expansion of the sulphide concentrator, the construction of an oxide leach plant and a 57 MW diesel generating power station. Part of this major expansion, the large tonnage oxide processing plant was brought on stream in 1975 and is now close to design capacity. The "mine to market gap" has been closed by producing high-purity copper cathodes at the mine site from oxide ore reserves. By using a hydrometallurgical process route, copper production is possible with negligible effects on the environment.

Jan 1, 1976

By H. B. Hill

Virtually from the date of its discovery in December 1928 the Oklahoma City oil and gas field, Oklahoma County, Okla., has attracted national and international attention. The history of the field has been associated closely with rules and regulations pertaining to production control and proration practices. Early development was rapid, and Oklahoma City soon attained the distinction of being the first major field in which the producing wells were over a mile in depth. Before the structural features of the reservoir had been disclosed every outpost well was considered a "wildcat", so complex appeared the underground geology. The wells not only were deep and the reservoir pressures high, but the production from the early wells was a high A.P.I. gravity oil, accompanied by large volumes of gas. Several "blow-outs" and fired occurred during the early development, and the close proximity of these now unusual events to a large city gave the field much publicity, both local and national. Later, when its production threatened to demoralize the market for oil and its products, the Oklahoma. City field again attracted wide publicity. The then little understood geology of the underground reservoir and the diversity of ownership of the land overlying the producing structure made orderly development and production difficult to enforce. Proration was enforced with difficulty, and the rate of production from the field continued to increase until, on August 4, 1931, martial law was declared in all prorated fields of the State, and most of the wells in the Oklahoma City field wore shut in. On October 9, 1931, permission was granted to reopen and produce the wells in the Oklahoma City field. The order permitting production of the wells provided that during the period beginning October 10 and extending to October 20, 1931, all wells in the field that had not produced more oil than specified under the earlier proration orders and that had been shut in for the required 65-day period were permitted to produce 5 percent of their last potential during that 10-day period.

Jan 1, 1936

By L. Alan Weakly

The Powder River Basin is the largest strippable reserve of compliant coal in the United States. It is the mother lode, for this Basin is currently supplying 25 percent of the coal produced in the US annually. This paper updates what has happened in the Basin since 1993 in terms of increased production, higher productivity, changes in mine ownership, safety statistics, new equipment, latest coal technologies, and electrical deregulation ramifications.

Jan 1, 1998

By H. B. Hill

Virtually from the date of its discovery in December 1928 the Oklahoma City oil and gas field, Oklahoma County, Okla., has attracted national and international attention. The history of the field has been associated closely with rules and regulations pertaining to production control and proration practices. Early development was rapid, and Oklahoma City soon attained the distinction of being the first major field in which the producing wells were over a mile in depth. Before the structural features of the reservoir had been disclosed every outpost well was considered a "wildcat", so complex appeared the underground geology, The wells not only were deep and the reservoir pressures high, but the production from the early wells was a high A.P.I. gravity oil, accompanied by large volumes of gas. Several "blow-outs" and fired occurred during the early development, and the close proximity of these now unusual events to a large city gave the field much publicity, both local and national. Later, when its production threatened to demoralize the market for oil and its products, the Oklahoma City field again attracted wide publicity. The then little understood geology of the underground reservoir and the diversity of ownership of the land overlying the producing structure made orderly development and production difficult to enforce. Proration was enforced with difficulty., and the, rate of production from the field continued to increase until, on August 4, 1931, martial law was declared in all prorated fields of the State, and most of the wells in the Oklahoma City field wore shut n. On October 9, 1931, permission was granted t o reopen and prod e the wells in the Oklahoma City field. The order permitting production of the wells provided that during the period beginning October 10 and extending to October 20, 1931, all wells in the field that hid not produced more oil than specified under the earlier proration orders and that had been shut in for the required 55-day period were permitted to produce 5 percent of their last potential during that 10-day period. On November 7, 1931, the Corporation Commission of Oklahoma issued an order which divided the Oklahoma City field into the Wilcox, Arbuckle, and Lower Simpson zones for proration purposes. Wells producing from the Wilcox zone were allowed to produce 4 1/2 percent of their potential5/ from November 1, 1931, to January 1, 1932; Arbuckle limestone wells were allowed to produce 250 barrels of oil daily; and Simpson sandstone wells which had a potential of over 2,000 barrels per day or which made 3 percent or more water were allowed to produce 200 barrels of oil per day.

Jan 1, 1937

By T Casten

Freeport IndonesiaÆs DOZ (Deep Ore Zone) mine is scheduled to commence production in the second half of 2000. The DOZ will produce 25 000 tpd using mechanised block cave mining methods and will have a number of major improvements when compared to previous block cave mines in the district. The DOZ will have an independent and improved ventilation system, a flexible and efficient truck haulage system, and a more reliable crushing and conveying system than in previous underground mines in the district. This paper will describe the mine plan, haulage, and ventilation systems, and compare them to those used in other operations in the district.

Jan 1, 2000

By E. J. Gleim

To make a thorough survey of a coal mine in order to eliminate hazards, the competent safety engineer must be familiar with mere than one branch of engineering. It is essential that he know the properties of mine gases and the methods of detecting them, as well as hew to prevent dangerous as accumulations. It is also essential that he understand the action of overlying strata when the coal is removed, and the proper methods of protection by timbering or other suitable means of support. He must know the value of protective clothing in reducing injuries and mast be informed as to the correct handling and use of explosives to avoid premature blasts, misfires, and ether failures in blasting practice. He must understand hew to operate locomotives and cutting, loading, and various other types of machines to be able to recommend effective safeguards for protecting the men who use them in addition to being informed as 'to these and many ether activities connected with the mining of coal, he must net overlook electrical engineering if he wishes to combat the fire, shook, and ignition hazards attendant upon the use of electrical machinery and circuits in and around the mine intelligently. There are many points relating to safely in the selection, maintenance, and use of electrical circuits and equipment that are perfectly obvious to the electrical engineer but perhaps are not se evident to those not trained in this particular branch of engineering. Engineers of the U.S. Bureau of Mines who have made a special laboratory study of electricity as related to safety in minus haw e also made inspections of electrical installations at a large number of bituminous mines. These inspections have revealed practices and conditions that not only do not contribute to safety but that add nothing to efficiency and economy in the operation of the mine.

Jan 1, 1936

Ceremonies for the induction of four mining industry pioneers into the National Mining Hall of Fame will be held Saturday, Sept. 11, 2010 at the Charles F. Barber Pavilion of the Museum Convention Center in Leadville, CO. The 23rd Annual National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum Banquet will begin with an open house and reception at 5:30 p.m., followed by the dinner and program at 7 p.m. The four inductees are: William Wheeler Coleman who served 46 years, from 1911 to 1957, as president and chairman of the company that is now Bucyrus International of South Milwaukee, WI, a world leader in the manufacture of surface and underground mining equipment. Dr. Allen Van Heyl, Jr., an economic geologist who served with the U.S. Geological Survey for nearly 50 years beginning in 1943. He studied more of the nation?s mineral deposits than most could begin to imagine. Arthur Lakes contributed enormously to the geological and mining sciences in the western United States as a geologist, teacher, writer and artist over a period of more than four decades beginning in 1869. The Arthur Lakes Library at the Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO, is named for him. Samuel Calvin McLanahan, through his inventive genius, changed the direction of his family?s company from that of a foundry to a leading manufacturer of minerals processing equipment to become today?s McLanahan

Jul 1, 2010

By J. P. BONARDI, C. W. Davis, R. B. Moore, J. W. MARDEN, S. C. Lind, J. E. Conley

The rare metals are becoming increasingly important to our industries. Rare-metal alloys have properties which indicate that we are only on the threshold of the possibilities of their utilization, not only in making nonferrous alloys, but also as special steels. Not only are their uses broadening rapidly, but the metals are affecting our industries in other ways. The oxides and some salts are used as pigments; others have medicinal value. The pure metals are made into filaments for incandescent lamps, and targets for X-ray tubes. By their efficient use in alloys, the weight of automobiles is reduced, • and the wear and tear on tires and roads is thus minimized; in machine shops they help to give greater efficiency to tools and reduce production costs. Their development has marked a milestone in the progress of civilization. There has been considerable uncertainty regarding analytical methods for the rare metals. A great deal has been published, but the weak and the strong points of the various methods have not been investigated as carefully as is needed. The Bureau of Mines at its Rare Metals station in Colorado necessarily had to do a great deal of analytical work in connection with the metals covered by this bulletin, which aims to give the results of the experience so acquired. No claim for much originality is made, although some published methods given have been modified, and some new ones have been developed by members of the staff. The principal methods available were studied critically, and it is to be hoped that the work will assist those interested in analytical work in connection with the metals named.

Jan 1, 1923

By Frank B. Fulkerson

Three of the five primary aluminum producers in the Pacific Northwest have facilities in the region to make aluminum mill products. Only one of the three, however, produces a variety of shapes and forms. The principal reason for the lag in development of an aluminum mill products industry was found to be transportation cost. The long range outlook is for expansion, based mainly on growth of the western market for aluminum used in construction, containers and packaging, electrical applications, diesel trucks, mobile homes, and irregation pipe. Consumption of western aluminum mill products in 1985 is projected at 1.1 million tons, compared with estimated consumption of 250,000 tons in 1961.

Jan 1, 1965

By F. S. LOTT

The number of petroleum refineries in the United States decreased from 399 on January 1, 1947, to 390 on January 1, 1948. On the latter date two additional refineries were under construction , a large one in New Jersey and a small one in Texas . This Crude oil charging capacity, based on complete facilities only , increased in 1947 from 5,569,482 barrels to 6,034,252 barrels per day , owing to material gains reported in all of the larger refining districts . great increase in effective capacity is only in part the result of the completion of major new units for crude-oil processing . Much of it is due to rearrangement and minor additions to existing facilities to permit more efficient and complete utilization . Recent experience has apparently demonstrated that many processing units are capable , with greater emphasis upon maintenance and precise controls , of sustained operations at higher volumes than were indicated in their old rated capacities . This situation doubtless has caused some upward revision in capacity data .

Aug 1, 1948

By K. Eklund, T. Ahokainen

The Flash Smelting process is the most used production method for primary copper in the world. The basic idea of the Flash Smelting is to utilize the thermal value of sulfidic concentrates and melt the reaction product, in controlled conditions, without a need for external energy. This basic principle is utilized both in matte smelting and in Direct-to-Blister Flash Smelting Processes. In this paper, the behavior of normal (CuFeS2) concentrate of FSF-process is compared to the behavior of high grade feed material produced by Outokumpu Concentrate Upgrade Process with the aid of computational fluid dynamics (CPD) simulation using add-in subroutines developed by Outokumpu Technology. Results consist of the information concerning the behavior of the suspension, reaction efficiency and other parameters concerning the reactions of the feed material. It will be shown that, using the Upgrade Process, the throughput of copper from the Flash Furnace can be almost tripled.

Jan 1, 2007

By Jürgen Kretschmann, Christina Suarez, Jürgen Brune, Stefan Möllerherm

"The Ruhr region in Germany’s North-Rhine Westphalia is going through significant change. By the end of 2018, the last two underground hard coal mines in the Ruhr, Ibbenbüren and Prosper-Haniel collieries, will close their portals and bring an end to more than 200 years of coal mining and an industry that was once the economic and cultural backbone of the area. Ruhr is undergoing an impressive economic and cultural transformation, as it gradually shifts from being a region once dependent on coal and steelmaking to a post-mining region focused on redesigning itself as a cultural center. This article focuses on the socioeconomic impacts of the transformation into post-mining and the roles of the government, labor unions and local community to aid the transformation from the perspective of an American student. It will look into the cultural values that are helping to drive the transformation and compare them to American standards and values in order to determine if a similar approach can be used in the United States and its coal industry. History and backgroundUnderground hard coal mining has had a long history and a significant impact on the culture and economy in Ruhr since the early 19th 20century. The Ruhr region is located in the heart of the German state of North- Rhine Westphalia. Ruhr is bounded by the Rhine River in the west, the Ruhr River in the south and the Lippe River in the north, with the Emscher River running through its center.The Ruhr is home to around 5.1 million people and spans an area of approximately 4,500 km2 (1,730 sq miles). Before the era of industrialization, the Ruhr was a rural, agricultural region. Small-scale coal mining began in the 13th century, with coal being used for heating, cooking and metallurgical processes, including steelmaking. With 19th-century industrialization, coal mining became a significant driver of the region’s economic structure. Steam engines, and soon, electric motors, allowed for the pumping of mine water and for powerful hoists hauling from deep shafts, enabling miners to reach deeper coal seams that were once thought impossible to mine. The Ruhr mining boom began in the 1850s, supported by Prussian economic policies that attracted many workers and their families to the region. The population grew from 400,000 in 1850 to 5.7 million in 1957. The coal and steel industries were key contributors to Germany’s “Wirtschaftswunder” — or “miraculous economic recovery”— in the 1950s. In 1956, the coal industry reached its peak production of around 112 Mt/a (124 million stpy) of coal and employed almost 600,000 miners."

Mar 1, 2019

By G. L. Oldright

As a rule, the usual zinc retort smelter fired with natural gas made its own burners, of which there might be 300 per block, out of standard pipe fit-tings. The gas was discharged through a feeder pipe at various distances into a cylindrical horizontal "blow hole" through a pillar block and thence into the furnace; the best location of this gas-feeder pipe was at the horizontal central axis of the blow hole; the side entry into the blow hole usually was used. The air entered the same blow hole behind the gas, through a short nipple, in the inner end of which was a constructing orifice in a clay plug; in this ,work cone-shaped funnels of various lengths also were used. Even with the air and gas correctly proportioned to each burner, small differences in their dimensions were found to influence greatly the temperatures reached, their uniformity, and consequently the percentage of zinc extracted. This fourth paper of a series on cooperative work in the zinc retort plants of the Eagle-Picher Mining & Smelting Company discloses the methods and principles followed in approximating closely the optimum dimensions for various burners, with examples from experimental and commercial furnaces showing the interrelation of such dimensions with combustion and temperatures in the furnace.

Jan 1, 1948