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By John O. Farmer

The wire-line tubing perforator is a mechanically operated tool that is run on an ordinary steel measuring line into the tubing of a well, under pressure, to drive into the wall of the tubing, and securely lock in place, a tapered, cylindrical insert containing an orifice. Use of the perforator obviates the necessity of pulling and rerunning the tubing to install jet collars or flow valves, reduces the cost, and simplifies the task, of placing an oil well on gas-lift operation. More important, however, is the use of the tool with a removable check valve and stop, to provide a means of washing drilling mud from the annulus between the tubing and casing, and to complete the well for gas lift operation without exposing the producing formation to the mud column and without moving the tubing string. This paper discusses the origin, development, and mechanics of the wire-line perforator, the various purposes for which the tool was designed, and the method of selecting orifice sizes for any depth, and gives the results obtained thus far in practical application. Origin and Development Several years ago, a tool that could be lowered on an ordinary steel measuring line into the tubing of a well under pressure was designed and constructed for the purpose of punching a hole in the tubing walls above a shale bridge that had completely plugged the tubing of a well in the Long Lake field, East Texas. The well was in a low, swampy area, which excessive rainfall had caused to be in- accessible by car or truck for about four months. The only equipment at the well site consisted of an ordinary steel wire line that had been carried there to measure the depth of the bridge. Since a pulling unit could not be moved to the well site, and as the pressure on the casing was 2100 lb. per sq. in., it became apparent that the only way out of the predicament was to make a perforating tool that could be lowered into the tubing on a measuring line and operated under Pressure. Thus, the first wire-line tubing perforator was designed and built as an expedient, and was not used extensively until it had been redesigned to meet more frequent and increasingly urgent needs. Until recently, it was necessary to pull the tubing to install jet collars or flow the when a well was to be placed On gas lift. Because most companies either maintained or had access to pulling units and crews for this work, little or no thought had been given to eliminating or even simplifying this task. When the manpower and steel shortage became so acute, however, many operators suddenly found themselves without facilities to equip their wells for gas lifting. The wireline tubing perforator already had been tried and proved successful, therefore operators immediately requested its use to punch gas-jet holes in the tubing, to eliminate the pulling and running of tubing strings. The first deficiency revealed by more general use of the perforator lay in the inability to regulate the size of the hole punched through the tubing. The size could not be controlled to any degree of

Jan 1, 1946

By John O. Farmer

The wire-line tubing perforator is a mechanically operated tool that is run on an ordinary steel measuring line into the tubing of a well, under pressure, to drive into the wall of the tubing, and securely lock in place, a tapered, cylindrical insert containing an orifice. Use of the perforator obviates the necessity of pulling and rerunning the tubing to install jet collars or flow valves, reduces the cost, and simplifies the task, of placing an oil well on gas-lift operation. More important, however, is the use of the tool with a removable check valve and stop, to provide a means of washing drilling mud from the annulus between the tubing and casing, and to complete the well for gas lift operation without exposing the producing formation to the mud column and without moving the tubing string. This paper discusses the origin, development, and mechanics of the wire-line perforator, the various purposes for which the tool was designed, and the method of selecting orifice sizes for any depth, and gives the results obtained thus far in practical application. Origin and Development Several years ago, a tool that could be lowered on an ordinary steel measuring line into the tubing of a well under pressure was designed and constructed for the purpose of punching a hole in the tubing walls above a shale bridge that had completely plugged the tubing of a well in the Long Lake field, East Texas. The well was in a low, swampy area, which excessive rainfall had caused to be in- accessible by car or truck for about four months. The only equipment at the well site consisted of an ordinary steel wire line that had been carried there to measure the depth of the bridge. Since a pulling unit could not be moved to the well site, and as the pressure on the casing was 2100 lb. per sq. in., it became apparent that the only way out of the predicament was to make a perforating tool that could be lowered into the tubing on a measuring line and operated under Pressure. Thus, the first wire-line tubing perforator was designed and built as an expedient, and was not used extensively until it had been redesigned to meet more frequent and increasingly urgent needs. Until recently, it was necessary to pull the tubing to install jet collars or flow the when a well was to be placed On gas lift. Because most companies either maintained or had access to pulling units and crews for this work, little or no thought had been given to eliminating or even simplifying this task. When the manpower and steel shortage became so acute, however, many operators suddenly found themselves without facilities to equip their wells for gas lifting. The wireline tubing perforator already had been tried and proved successful, therefore operators immediately requested its use to punch gas-jet holes in the tubing, to eliminate the pulling and running of tubing strings. The first deficiency revealed by more general use of the perforator lay in the inability to regulate the size of the hole punched through the tubing. The size could not be controlled to any degree of

Jan 1, 1946

With the theme of û æUnderground Ore Handling SystemÆ, Kopanang Mine completed an extensive project on a specific system with technologies for the handling of ore from a dedicated drawpoint to the shaft system. The intended rail haulage tramming system had to be capable of handling the shaft design and Life of Mine (LOM) requirements. Kopanang is an AngloGold Ashanti gold mine situated in the province of the Free State in South Africa. In the Sotho language the name æKopanangÆ means to come together as a team. ItÆs an appropriate name given that 25 companies worked on this project. The future focus at Kopanang is to establish four mining levels between 3 to 4 km south-west of the shaft and two mining levels to the west. The mine has an expected life of almost 20 years and capital was approved in order to access this reserve to establish the infrastructure to handle the ore, hence this exclusive rail haulage tramming system of close to R40 million (SA rands), which took three years to construct. Apart from the fact that this system had to be capable of handling 6500 t per shift at a depth of over 2 km over a length of 3.2 km, some of the major considering factors were: safety, economic factors with improved labour productivity, efficiency and reliability, risk termination, and ergonomics. The system comprises two 20 t locomotives operating in a double header configuration from a dedicated draw point to a dedicated tip area for the reef and waste ore. With the objective of handling high speed and high capacity, this 200 t payload train is capable of running at 35 km/h powered from a 500 volt ac overhead line. Each loco consists of two 90 kW dc motors with ac/dc power conversion on the locomotive. For the system to operate at this speed, the rail system is constructed with Class 1 rails over the entire hauling distance. The tipping mechanism is unique and the span of 11 hoppers each with a load of close to 20 t is capable of tipping the pay load of 200 t in about 20 seconds hands free.

Jan 1, 2005

By George L. Richert

The Minas de Matahambre is situated on the north coast of Cuba, in the Province of Pinar del Rio, approximately 150 miles west of Havana. This nine is the only producer of copper in Cuba, and has been worked for the past 15 years. In 1921 the property was affiliated with The American Metal Co., Ltd., and has been worked by them since that time under the direction of Mr. D. D. Homer, General Manager. Extracts from P. D. Wilson's ?Preliminary report on the geology at Minas de Matahambre? have been freely used in this report.

Jan 1, 1929

By Leonard A. Wolff

"The 1980sfor the mining industry can be characterized as the survival of the fittest. High interest rates, low commodity prices, foreign subsidized competition and decreasing ore grades have contributed to a streamlining of the domestic mining industry in the United States, leading to the shutdown of operations or large cutback of work forces. The purpose of this paper is to look at the impact of a layoff on the employees of what was once a major uranium producer in south central Wyoming, twenty months after the final layoff and mine shutdown. INTRODUCTIONDecember 19, 1985, was the date of the final of three successive layoffs over a two-month period, leading to the complete shutdown of Petrotomics Company, a subsidiary of Getty Minerals Company. The final shutdown was due to a combination of depressed U3O8 prices and the takeover of Getty Oil Company by Texaco in January 1984.The layoffs affected 104 employees and included mine personnel, mill personnel and staff. Both hourly and salary workers were involved. The operation was considered non-union, however, a few mill hourly employees were unionized. At the completion of the layoffs. only a handful of employees remained for administrative and miscellaneous functions.For Getty employees, the terms of the merger agreement provided a generous level of separation benefits. The terms that were insisted upon by Mr. Petersen, Chairman of the Board for Getty Oil, stipulated that employees receive one month of severance pay, for each full calendar year of employment up to a maximum of two year's pay. This was the forerunner of what is now commonly known as the ""tin parachute”. All but the union employees of Petrotomics received these separation benefits. Union employees were covered by their separate, less generous, contract.Much of the literature that has been published in recent months has centred around the effects of layoffs on remaining employees, or the psychological effects on the severed employee. This study will emphasize the economic impact and ramifications due to a layoff, using the Petrotomics employees as a case example."

Jan 1, 1989

By P Hatherly, H Gurgenci

With the depletion of the mineral reserves that can be mined by surface mining, demand for highly productive and safe underground mines will increase. Underground drill and blast techniques continue to be refined but true æmass productionÆ is difficult to achieve. As is evidenced by the longwall mining of coal, alternative mining methods based on mechanised mining can meet the expectations but the issues of how to effectively cut strong rocks, how to define the orebody and how the mechanised miners can be automated and maintained all need to be addressed. CMTE is working in all of these areas. We believe that the oscillating disc cutter may provide the long sought-after breakthrough in mechanised rock cutting. Disc cutters are one of the most robust designs of cutting tool and the cutters attack the rock in a manner which effects direct tensile breakage. The internal cutter drive and the inertial damping mean that the already low cutter forces are not all transmitted back to the machine, making it possible to design lightweight, flexible mining systems. For orebody delineation drill monitoring, drillhole logging and geophysical imaging are key procedures being developed at CMTE. To automate mining machines, work is progressing well in the development of systems for autonomous vehicle navigation and mining robotics. A strategic contribution to maintenance issues is being made through the development of procedures for automatic analysis of used oils, monitoring the strength of mechanical structures, and operating point optimisation.

Jan 1, 1998

By Maurizio Siepi, Stefano Trevisani, Pagliaccim Federico, Daniele Vanni

"Abstract: The paper describes a large innovative project completed in 2012-20123 by Trevi Group, to develop equipment capable to install ultra-deep diaphragm wall. The project highlights the capacity of SOILMEC to design and build a new hydromill able to reach an unprecedented depth of 250 m, including new devices for monitoring and correct the verticality. The entire project can take advantage of the long and solid experience matured by Trevi and Rodio (now part of Trevi Group), developing in house or, else, select the elements necessary for a high quality product in the ground.The paper describes the results of different systems used to monitor and control the verticality and the twist of panel during excavation, together with the method used to pour concrete. Finally, the results of verification coring and lab tests on concrete samples recovered at various depths are discussed. The test field has been supervised by representatives of three of the major Italian Universities, and lasts almost one year from August 2012 to June 2013.The verification holes made use of an innovative combination of directional drilling and coring, to check the quality of the plastic concrete for the full length of the panel. The data confirmed that the test panel has high quality concrete, meeting or exceeding to the prefixed requirements.With this test, super-deep cut-off walls reaching depths of 250 m have become a reality. This would change the perspectives of dam engineering both for existing dams rehabilitation and for new dams design and construction. With the execution of this test panel, the technology of milled concrete cutoffs has made a ”quantum leap”, pushing the limit of practicable dams."

Jan 1, 2014

By J. W. Thompson

MEANING OF TERM, The term "minerals" when used in grants or in reservations or instruments of conveyance is not limited to metals or metalliferous deposits, whether contained in veins that have well-defined walls or in beds or deposits that are irregular and are found at or near the surface or otherwise. Byron v. Utah Copper Co., Utah, 178 Pacific 53, p. 58. The term "mineral" in its commercial sense has been defined as any organic substance found in nature having sufficient value sepa- rate from its situs as part of the earth to be mined, quarried, or dug for its own sake or its own specific use. Rockhouse Fork Land Co. v. Raleigh Brick & Tile Co., - W. Va., 97 South- eastern 684, p. 685. CONSTRUCTION AND MEANING. It can not be said that the term "minerals" includes only such substances as are procured by tunnelling and shafting, as much gold is procured by placer mining and rich deposits of manganese and other like ores are found upon the surface of the earth and are some- times obtained without either quarrying or mining. Rockhouse Fork Land Co. v. Raleigh Brick & Tile Co., W. Va. ——, 97 South- eastern 684, p. 685. GRANITE AS MINERAL. It has been determined that granite was included in a grant of minerals. Rockhouse Fork Land Co. v. Raleigh Brick & Tile Co., -W. Va., 97 South eastern 684, p. 685. See Armstrong v. Lake Champlain Granite Co., 147 N. Y. 495, 42 Northeastern 186.

Jan 1, 1919

By G. A. Gamble

Fans used to ventilate subway, passenger rail and vehicular tunnels are similar to the fans used to ventilate underground mines. However, tunnel ventilation fan systems are typically designed to meet NFPA 130 or 502 standards, while mine ventilation fan systems must comply with the appropriate federal mine safety regulations. As a result, fan operation requirements and performance criteria, as well as typical fan and duct configurations differ significantly for tunnel and mine ventilation applications. Variations in environmental conditions in tunnels as compared to mines also result in differences in fan performance and material specifications. The need to enclose tunnel fans within building structures creates space restrictions impacting fan size selection that are not commonly encountered in mine fan installations, resulting in different approaches to selecting fans for the two types of tunnels. This paper discusses the various similarities and differences in design considerations for tunnel and mine ventilation fans.

Jan 1, 2009

By D. H. Platt

Gypsum and gypsite, used in the manufacture of plaster and plaster products, have been mined from deposits near Acme, Hardeman County, Tex., for more than 30 years. The Certain-toed Products Corp., 120 East Lancaster St., Ardmore, Pa., operates the Acme, Tex., mine. Underground hauling was done with storage-battery and Diesel-electric-powered shuttle cars. Many mining companies and individuals have manifested interest in all types of equipment powered by Diesel or Diesel-electric units, as attested by the recent increase in use of Diesel-powered equipment in underground metal and nonmetal mines. The purpose of this paper is to describe the manner in which a storage battery-powered Joy Model 60D2 shuttle car was converted to Diesel-electric power. The conversion was made, at the instance of the operating company, by Stewart & Stevens on Services, 4801 Lemon Ave., Dallas, Tex. This is believed to be the only such converted shuttle car in use.

Jan 1, 1950

By William R. Wayment, David E. Nicholson

A modified percolation - rate test is proposed for use in determining flow rates through hydraulic backfill ; in contrast to the conventional test , a percolation- rate versus void - ratio relationship is established . requirements and a detailed test procedure are described . Equipment Results of a conventional test are compared with those of the proposed modified test . The proposed modified test method yields more accurate , realistic , and usable percolation- rate ( permeability ) data . The significance of obtaining accurate percolation rates for use in analyzing waterflow through hydraulic backfill is discussed .

Jan 1, 1964

By S. J. CRAIGHEAD

IN 1912 the United States Smelting Refining and Mining Company made a large investment in a number of coal properties in Utah and in 1915 a subsidiary, the United States Fuel Co., was organized to take over these properties. Operations started in 1916 and the Company soon became, and remains, one of the major coal producers of the State. It now produces approximately one million tons of coal annually, which is about 22 per cent of Utah's output. The U. S. Fuel Co. owns large reserves of good coal and is in a position to expand operations with the industrial growth now taking place in the West. Traveling through the Western States, one is struck by numerous advertising signs portraying the picture of jovial Old King Cole of nursery rhyme fame. His rotund figure and beaming countenance are the symbols of Utah King Coal, the product of the King mine of U. S. Fuel Co. King Coal is a by-word of quality coal throughout all the Western States.

Jan 1, 1948

By R. I. C. Manning

The Old Dominion Co, at Globe, Ariz., like the: Phelps Dodge Corporation with which it is closely allied, considers safety a major operating problem. Safety is fostered by this company in consideration of both the humanitarian and economic aspects; the officials, take pride in promoting the welfare of employees, and the management has found that the safest way is the most eco¬nomical and that unless an organization is operated economically it can not continue to exist successfully. In planning and operating any safety, organization, terry things must be taken into consideration because an Enterprise can not be operated solely for safety any more than it can for any other single part of the operations. All work must be planned and executed for the common interest.

Jan 1, 1931

By Andrew Popko

Introducing EnCana ?? A leading North American Oil and Gas company ?? Focused on natural gas and oil sands development in 12 key resource play areas across North America ?? In 2007, over 4300 wells drilled, producing about Enterprise value of approximately $50 billion ?? Invest between $5.8 Billion in 2007 ?? Over 7500 employees ?? Headquarters ? Calgary, AB

May 1, 2008

By Benjamin Cebrian

Traditional dilution control systems range from computer modeling, use of physical markers on the field as polypipes to a technology that marks some control points where displacement is measured. The latter includes walking over a muckpile which is prohibited by some mining companies as a safety measure. The new technology presented in this paper is a patented system that is installed on board excavators (backhoe or front shovel types). Several control points are set along ore/waste contacts and their position is uploaded on the corresponding shovel. The operator proceeds on mucking until he is alerted when reaching any of the several control points previously located in the blast patterns and that have moved with the muckpile. A case study is presented at a high grade copper mine, were unique 3D shapes are showing as a result of using an on-board excavator dilution control system. Both ore-loss or dilution cost of opportunities are analyzed.

By Anoush Ebrahimi

Mining dilution is one of the most important factors affecting the economy of mining projects. Ore losses and dilution are present at all stages of mining and while several models can investigate the influence of dilution it is its quantification that poses the most serious challenge (Pakalnis et al., 1995). This paper introduces a methodology to quantify dilution factor in open pit mines. The proposed approach makes use of general mining software available in most mining companies. Therefore it is amenable to most mining operations and provides a readily available tool for understanding mining dilution for operators and consultants. To illustrate the methodology the author uses an example from a hypothetical mine. Dilution increases the operating costs in the mill by increasing the tonnage of material to be milled. In addition to its direct impact on short term income of a mine, dilution causes significant changes in other factors that on the long term reduce the overall value of the project. For example, it prolongs the mine life by reducing mill?s effective capacity. It also reduces the feed grade. In most cases, lower feed grade means lower mill recovery. Dilution also increases the cut-off grade which in turn reduces the overall ore utilization of a mine. In some cases, to take advantage of economies of scale, mining operations tend to plan for higher mining rates. Moving to a larger scale of operation means less selectivity, hence more dilution. This is true for all kind of deposits. High level and uncontrolled dilution may ultimately defeat the purpose of increasing production rates. If not impossible in theory it is nevertheless extremely difficult and expensive to eliminate dilution in practice. Some amount of dilution is practically unavoidable in most mining operations (Scoble and Moss, 1994). Although completely avoiding dilution may be impossible, we can measure and control it. By better understanding the root causes of the dilution and planning accordingly, it can be controlled and reduced. While we do our best to identify and calculate all the other cost items of a project, no matter how small, it is common to make general assumptions about dilution instead of quantifying it. It is common to assume a general dilution such as 5% for massive deposits and 10% for tabular shape deposits. While these figures may be a good starting point in early stages of mining studies, it does not take in to consideration the complexity of the problem. Dilution factor varies within a single mine for different benches and zones. This is due to changes we see in grade distribution and shape of ore body. It also varies based on commodity price. It is necessary to make sure that these variations are taken into account when designing or evaluating a mine. Dilution varies in different mines based on the deposit characteristics, operational aspects and economic cut-off grade. For instance, shape of the deposit, bench height, equipment size, and market conditions will have an impact on the level of dilution in a mine. It is paramount for mining projects to have a better understanding of dilution right from the beginning. In times like today, where mining operations must operate at peak efficiency, it is even more crucial to be able to calculate and have a better grasp of all the parameters influencing the economics of a project including dilution. In order to produce better project evaluations, dilution studies should be an integral part of any project.

Aug 1, 2013

By Clarence O. Babcock

A simple robust rock bolt load gage was tested in the laboratory to define its characteristic behavior and to obtain a measure of its performance. The gage uses three vibrating wire sensors crimped 120 degrees apart into the outer surface of a hollow cylindrical steel tube. The resonant frequencies of the wires change as the gage is loaded. This change is read with a Creare meter developed for the Bureau on a previous contract to read borehole stress gage results. A statistical analysis of data obtained defines the variables influencing results. A U. S. patent (3,914,992) assigned by the author to the Department of the Interior was granted October 28, 1975.

Jan 1, 1976

By J. R. Thoenen

The objective of this circular is threefold: First, to describe briefly the various modes of occurrence of sand and gravel. Second, to emphasize the need for adequate prospect¬ ing and exploration prior to the expenditure of funds for development and plant construction. Third, to describe various methods of prospecting and exploration and their application to the several modes of occurrence of sand and gravel. Sand and gravel may be found in nearly every county or township in the United States. Commercial deposits, however, are by no means so widespread. The introduction of concrete and the consequent impetus given to consumption of gravel and sand aggregates has seriously depleted deposits in some congested areas. Increasing re¬ strictions in the specification requirements for marketing sands and gravels have further narrowed the economic areas. On the other hand, the combination of increasing transportation costs and decreasing selling prices has forced the decentralization of gravel production. As a result smaller, intermittently operated, and widely scattered portable or semiportable unit plants have been encroaching on the territory formerly supplied from centrally located pits with large tr.atment plants. Generally speaking, the small portable plant can not produce any great variety of ma¬ terials to as exacting specifications nor as economically as the large permanent plant.

Dec 1, 1932

By Jerry A. Steding

How many times have you heard "You can't drive piles because of the vibration."? You hear these words come out of the mouths of owners, engineers, and contractors. When a piling contractor hears this, he can almost always do a psychological profile of the individual uttering these words of wisdom. If the owner makes the statement, we know the odds are about 95% that the owner owns the building next door or he wouldn't care what happens to it; or the guy next door has threatened to sue the owner if he even so much as walks across the site of the proposed new building. If the owner owns the building next door to the new construction you can also be just as certain the old structure has undergone settlement. If the statement comes from the mouth of the contractor, it is usually just a case of him being inexperienced.

Jan 1, 1988

By Marcel M. Djivre

Electromagnetic wire rope testing is the only practical non-destructive method to evaluate the current condition of wire ropes in general, and in the mining industry in particular. The method has been successfully used worldwide for decades. In mining it has considerably improved the safety of operations. Yet, problems persist. In particular both the Loss-of-Metallic-Area (LMA) readings, as well as the Local Fault (LF) readings, as obtained by different instrument operators, were found to be unacceptably diverse. Consequently, large sums have been spent internationally, as well as in Canada, comparing a whole range of these instruments in an effort to rate their performance. The published results clearly confirmed operational experience, namely that the LMA and LF readings were, indeed, unacceptably diverse. Excellent pertinent conclusions were also published. In Canada the authors? conclusion was that while the divergence in the LF signal based results could, possibly, be attributed to both hardware and human-error related factors, the LMA signal related quantitative uncertainties were human-error related. Consequently, much attention was paid in Canada to developing novel control methods, namely computerized ones to replace the more error-prone analogue ones. In addition new sensor-heads were developed, both for portable as well as for permanent installation with remote control operations. While these efforts were of considerable benefit, the situation must again be carefully reviewed with very special reference to deep-level mining, now of immediate concern in Canada as well. In this paper the authors supply an overview of the results obtained by three of the four major international projects referred to previously. Relevant conclusions/comments are also restated. Moreover, specific recommendations are put forward as to how current problems might best be remedied.

May 1, 2004