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By Gregory R. Wagner

As you know, NIOSH is the part of the United States Public Health Service with responsibility for conducting and supporting research leading to prevention and control of occupational diseases and injuries. Some years ago, NIOSH went through a process of identifying and leading occupational health and safety problems in the United States. Candidate problems were evaluated in terms of the number of people affected, the importance of the effects, and how amenable the conditions are to preventive interventions. Lung diseases were ranked first on the resulting list. Diseases from mining continue to contribute substantially to this unfortunate position of prominence. The work of the Generic Center is one of many answers to this critical problem. Although the research is often expressed in terms of dust characterization or dust control, the reality is that high dust levels are much like high blood pressure. No one cares about hypertension per se. We are concerned about the consequences of exposure to untreated high blood pressure--heart disease, kidney disease, and stroke. Similarly, if dusts were truly only a nuisance, there would be little justification for the diverse research program supported by the Bureau of Mines or by NIOSH. But mineral dusts do cause a range of significant health problems: pneumoconiosis, bronchitis, and emphysema. The research supported by the Center is aimed at doing something about them. Within a public health approach to occupational health, we have a hierarchy of interventions. Primary prevention of problems is prevention at the source: solving a problem before it affects a worker. What we call secondary prevention is an attempt to identify health problems at a sufficiently early stage that some intervention will interrupt the disease process or the development of significant impairment. Tertiary prevention refers to rehabilitation of the worker who has already suffered significant loss of function. At NIOSH, and in the Generic Center research programs, the focus is on primary prevention. Basic investigations into those things about specific dusts that promote or reduce toxicity is critical for our understanding of how to prevent disease. Also, the search for engineering solutions to reduce or control dust generation is essential to solving problems of dust over-exposure. But until the engineers create the foolproof safe environment, it will also be necessary to discover better ways to identify the earliest markers of disease. To do this, we must explore and explicate the basic mechanisms of disease through laboratory investigations as well as human observation and physiologic testing. The unique opportunity provided by the Generic Center program and highlighted in this diverse program over the next few days is that these efforts are being carried out in multiple disciplines concurrently. Also, there are periodic small and large gatherings such as this one where investigators have the chance to get together, formally present papers, and informally stimulate each other's progress towards disease prevention. To ignore the potential for this cross-cutting interaction would be a significant loss. To take full advantage of it is potentially revolutionary. I recently pulled out a book I hadn't read since I was an undergraduate. It specifically concerns the nature of intellectual ferment surrounding the development of the concept of a sun-centered rather than an earth-centered universe in the sixteenth century. The book is about more than developments in astronomy: it is a discussion of the nature of scientific revolutions. Scientific revolutions result from the brilliance, insight, and good fortune of the few superimposed on the evolutionary work of the many. They both cause and reflect significant itellectural and social ferment. For example, the revolutionary work of Copernicus in recognizing the limitations of the concept of an earth-centered universe reflected contemporaneous developments in optics, mathematics, physics, economics, and philosophy.

Jan 1, 1991

By John D. Sullivan

The recovery of copper by leaching from relatively low grade ores containing both oxidized and sulphide minerals is rapidly gaining in commercial importance. There is an economic limit below which certain ores can not be treated by concentration methods, and material with values below this limit must be discarded, possibly to be treated later, or the copper must be extracted by wet processes. Heap leaching has been carried out by the Phelps Dodge Corporation, Copper Queen Branch, for several years, and to-day its plant is a large producing unit. The Ohio Copper Coy at Bingham, Utah; has been leaching in place since 1919. Many other leaching operations are also being; carried out in various parts of the United States and in foreign countries. The plant at Rio Tinto, Spain, may be considered the father of heap leaching.

Jan 1, 1931

By R. Castro, R. Gómez, F. Betancourt, M. Moncada

In block cave mining, rock fragmentation is a key parameter that influences the production level design and mine planning. Fragmentation occurs mainly by natural breakage during the caving process and in the draw column. The breakage that occurs within the column is known as secondary fragmentation. Secondary fragmentation has been successfully described using the block caving comminution model, which replicates the fragmentation mechanics between particles under drawn and vertical loads in a draw column. This model is based on a kinetic and population balance approach, in which non-normalized and normalized assumptions can be used depending on material and comminution system behaviour. In this paper, the non-normalized and normalized approaches are applied and compared to laboratory data to determine which assumption should be used for secondary breakage in block caving. Approaches are compared graphically, with the mean square error and the Fisher test with a false-rejection probability of 0.05. Based on a statistical analysis, the results show that the normalized model can be applied to all the rock types tested.

Nov 1, 2021

By Donald C. Barton

OF the four papers that comprise this Technical Publication, three are case histories of individual geophysical prospects, subsequently tested by drilling. The bibliography of Dr. Barton's published scientific paperst includes investigations in physiography and surface geological mapping, as well as his geophysical papers, and from this list it is to be observed that he early recognized the place of different types of geophysical prospecting methods in the search for geological structures of economic importance. Moreover, his viewpoint was not merely that the structures should be found, but that the geophysical data should be examined quantitatively to determine the geometry of the structures. In other words, that although these data are insufficient to deduce a unique form for the structure that caused the effects measured in the data, the engineering computations should be carried out to give as much of a definite configuration to the structure as the data permitted, in order that the testing of the structures could be conducted in the most economical manner and with the idea that the experience so gained could be later incorporated in the study of structures subsequently found. Dr. Barton continually emphasized the quantitative use of geophysical observations, whereas at the time that he began his specialization in geophysics it was considered sufficient to use observations only qualitatively. He, more than any one else, was responsible for the first volume on geophysical prospecting issued by the Institute in 1929, and his three articles in that volume stressed the quantitative use of geophysical prospecting. The fourth article in this present Technical Publication is a further contribution to this branch of geophysical interpretation, and is a supplement to the paper in the 1929 volume, "Calculations in the Interpretation of Observations with the Eötvös Torsion Balance." From the successful demonstration by Dr. Barton of the usefulness of quan-

Jan 1, 1946

By Donald C. Barton

OF the four papers that comprise this Technical Publication, three are case histories of individual geophysical prospects, subsequently tested by drilling. The bibliography of Dr. Barton's published scientific paperst includes investigations in physiography and surface geological mapping, as well as his geophysical papers, and from this list it is to be observed that he early recognized the place of different types of geophysical prospecting methods in the search for geological structures of economic importance. Moreover, his viewpoint was not merely that the structures should be found, but that the geophysical data should be examined quantitatively to determine the geometry of the structures. In other words, that although these data are insufficient to deduce a unique form for the structure that caused the effects measured in the data, the engineering computations should be carried out to give as much of a definite configuration to the structure as the data permitted, in order that the testing of the structures could be conducted in the most economical manner and with the idea that the experience so gained could be later incorporated in the study of structures subsequently found. Dr. Barton continually emphasized the quantitative use of geophysical observations, whereas at the time that he began his specialization in geophysics it was considered sufficient to use observations only qualitatively. He, more than any one else, was responsible for the first volume on geophysical prospecting issued by the Institute in 1929, and his three articles in that volume stressed the quantitative use of geophysical prospecting. The fourth article in this present Technical Publication is a further contribution to this branch of geophysical interpretation, and is a supplement to the paper in the 1929 volume, "Calculations in the Interpretation of Observations with the Eötvös Torsion Balance." From the successful demonstration by Dr. Barton of the usefulness of quan-

Jan 1, 1946

By Paul Weaver

OF the four papers that comprise this TECHNICAL PUBLICATION, three are case histories of individual geophysical prospects, subsequently tested by drilling. The bibliography of Dr. Barton's published scientific papers† includes investigaions in physiography and surface geological mapping, as well as his geophysical papers, and from this list it is to be observed that he early recognized the place of different types of geophysical prospecting methods in the search for geological structures of economic importance. Moreover, his viewpoint was not merely that the structures should be found, but that the geophysical data should be examined quantitatively to determine the geometry of the structures. In other words, that although these data are insufficient to deduce a unique form for the structure that caused the effects measured in the data, the engineering computations should be carried-out to give as much of a definite configuration to he structure as the data permitted, in order that the testing of the structures could be conducted in the most economical manner and with the idea that the experience so gained could be later incorporated in the study of structures subsequently found. Dr. Barton continually emphasized the quantitative use of geophysical observations, whereas at the time that he began his specialization in geophysics it was considered sufficient to use observations only qualitatively. He, more than any one else, was responsible for -the first volume on geophysical prospecting issued by the Institute in 1929, and his three articles in that volume stressed the quantitative use of geophysical prospecting. The fourth article in this present TECHNICAL PUBLICATION is a further contribution to this branch of geophysical interpretation, and is a supplement to the paper in the 1929 volume, "Calculations in the Interpretation of Observations with .the Eötvös Torsion Balance." From the successful' demonstration by Dr. Barton of the usefulness of quan-

Jan 1, 1944

By Mizuta T, Sakurai M

The Pine Creek Inlier produced 12 440 kg of gold in the period from the first gold discovery in the 1860s to the early-1900s. During the 1930s renewed large-scale prospecting took place and gave a foothold for today's gold mining operations. The rise of the gold price and improved mining methods in the 1970s and 1980s made possible low cost, bulk low grade mining operations. Various gold deposits including vein, network and stratiform types occur in the Pine Creek Inlier (Nicholson and Eupene, 1990). The Tom's Gully deposit is located 100 km south-east of Darwin in the Northern Territory. It is hosted in the early Proterozoic Wildman Siltstone and lies north-east of 1800 my old Mt Bundey Pluton (Figure 1). Around the Mt Bundey Pluton, there are several prospective base and precious metal deposits such as Quest 29. The Tom's Gully gold deposit was discovered in 1986 and yielded a total of 3070 kg of gold from ore averaging 9.35 g/t gold between 1987 and 1990 when the mining operation was terminated.

Jan 1, 1994

By Leonard J. Friedman

There have been considerable changes in systems, equipment design and materials used in the modern Sulfuric Acid process. Many of these will shape the metallurgical sulfuric acid plant for the year 2000 and beyond. Advances have come from all over the world, and include new scrubbing area designs, catalyst contacting devices, silicon stainless alloys for unlined acid systems, energy recovery from acid heat, stainless converters and heat exchangers, etc. This paper describes each of the process "advances" and presents a review and analysis indicating advantages, operating experience and limitations.

Jan 1, 1988

By Ken Norris

"Campbell Mine which has been in continuous operation since 1949 has undergone numerous operational changes in the past 3 years. This paper describes the process changes which have occurred at the Campbell Mill since 1991. The paper discusses the engineering, construction and startup of the effluent treatment circuit, the new oxide filtering and merrill-crowe precipitation circuit, and the changes to the pressure oxidation circuit. Particular attention is paid to startup problems and solutions to these problems. A review of the benefits and results of these process changes is also discussed. Future changes are also briefly reviewed with anticipated goals and expectations.IntroductionCampbell Mine is a gold mine 100% owned and operated by Placer Dome Canada. It is located in Balmertown, Ontario which is located 300 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Campbell Mine has been in continuous operation since 1949, producing nearly 8,000,000 ounces. In 1993 Campbell Mine is budgeted to produce 289, 750 ounces of gold at a cash cost of $157 US/ounce. Daily mill tonnage is budgeted for 1,430 tons/day but has milled as high as 1,600 tons/day on a consistent basis. Recovery in 1993 is 93.4% and is budgeted to average 94.5% in 1994.In the 1992 edition of the proceedings of the Canadian Mineral Processors conference I described the changes that were made at Campbell starting in 1989. This paper continues where the 1992 paper ended and discusses the changes to the Campbell mill since that lime. The changes to Campbell since January 1992 have been numerous with capital expenditure in the mill exceeding $14.1 million. This paper describes three primary projects since that lime: the effluent treatment project ($5.5 million), the oxide leach/filtering and merrill-crowe project ($4.6 million) and the pretreatment project ($2.81 million). The focus of this paper is to highlight the justification of each project, the design and engineering, and some of the initial operational problems and solutions applied to those problems."

Jan 1, 1994

By D. Nyungu

Despite observations of spalling and damage of mine excavation wall rock in the Bushveld Complex (BC) over the passage of time, there have been very few time-dependent or creep tests carried out in South Africa on rock, particularly on BC rock types. The research described in this paper deals with the investigation of stress and strain conditions influencing spalling of wall rock in BC mine excavations, and the influence of time on the tensile strength of several BC rock types. Time-dependent laboratory testing of BC rocks was carried out in indirect tension. The results show that the magnitude of the tensile strength of BC rock types is approximately 5% of their uniaxial compressive strength magnitudes. The average long-term uniaxial compressive strength of the BC rocks, interpreted from the axial stress-volumetric strain graphs, is 56% of the UCS value. The long-term tensile strength is shown to be less than 70% of the normal tensile strength. Extension strains at tensile strength failure ranged between 0.16 and 0.21 millistrain. Values corresponding with the long-term tensile strength are less than 70% of this range, namely, 0.11 to 0.15 millistrain. These results represent new knowledge, since such rock testing and analysis does not appear to have been carried out previously on BC rock types. Elastic numerical modelling was carried out to illustrate the extents of tensile stress zones and extension zones around of typical BC mine excavations. The models showed that large zones of extension strain can occur around BC excavations, and that the magnitudes of the extension strain can substantially exceed the critical values determined from the laboratory testing. The implication of this is that there are substantial zones surrounding BC mine excavations that will be prone to time-dependent spalling conditions and perhaps more significant failure.

Jan 1, 2014

By Clement K. Chase

Since the dawn of cyanidation leaching techniques for precious metals, certain manganese-bearing silver ores have been a problem due to low silver extraction. Since simultaneous occurrence of silver and manganese is common in nature, this situation has made many otherwise attractive silver deposits uneconomic in the past. Several older techniques have been useful but at $1.29 per ounce of silver, the economics were unfavorable. With the new look in silver prices and some improvements in processing technology, neglected silver districts offer new promise.

Jan 1, 1981

By R. W. Baker

"The development of uppers drilling at Brunswick Mining is reviewed. This paper describes design criteria for drilling patterns and the research required for selection of a suitable drill jumbo. The success of the uppers drilling program based on operating procedures is highlighted. IntroductionBrunswick Mining and Smelting Corporation Ltd., operates a 10 500 tonnes per day lead /zinc/copper I silver underground mine some seventeen miles southwest of Bathurst, New Brunswick .The No. 12 orebody, first discovered in 1952 by a group headed by M.J. Boylen, had extensive development, including two shallow shafts (500 ft), and test work carried out on it by St. Joe Lead between 1953-1957. However due to complex metallurgy and depressed metal prices, the operation was suspended.In 1961, a group comprised of M.J . Boylen, K.C . Irving and Patino acquired the rights of St. Joe Lead to the No. 12 property. A concerted development plan was initiated along with construction of the necessary sur face facilities and by July 1964, the property was in production at 4500 tons per day.In 1967 Noranda Mines Ltd. acquired operating control of Brunswick Mining and Smelting Corporation Ltd."

Jan 1, 1988

By Vladyslav M. Sokolov

The cost effective and environmentally friendly recycling technology was developed and tested. It enables utilization of the fine nickel-base superalloy scrap in a form of heavily oxidized scarfing granulates. The process of granulates generation was discussed in details. Their properties were investigated. The results of literature search showed anticipated sufficient improvement of the properties of cast iron by its alloying with the elements from the scarfing granulates. The novel alloying approach is based on the two stage reduction operation. Firstly thegranulates were partially reduced in a solid state by their exposure with powdery carbon at the range of 1550 ? 1700°C. Then the gotten product was efficiently introduced into liquid iron since it has a form of fine natural agglomerates for arranging the optimal conditions for reduction of the granulates. The thermodynamic evaluation demonstrates higher reduction efficiency of carbon and silicon dissolved in iron than of the same elements in a form of the separate phases. The considered process partially provides itself by energy since the reaction of reduction of the chromium oxide by silicon dissolved in liquid iron has exothermal character. The mostly complete extraction of Ni was received. The sufficient reclamation of Cr was gotten at the same time.

Jan 1, 2006

By Jocelyn Bouchard, Claude Bazin, Sami Makni, Rolando Quispe

"Finely disseminated minerals in ores require intensive size reduction to achieve sufficient liberation for the subsequent concentration process. The use of small grinding media in conventional ball mills as a replacement for the usual 2.5 to 3.8 cm balls (1.0 to 1.5 in) produces a finer size distribution at a lower power drawn by the mill motor. However, the conditions ensuring a successful application of using small media for fine grinding are still not fully understood and some plants faced issues to keep the newly introduced steel charge inside the mill during industrial trials. The retention conditions of small media are investigated in this paper using a continuously operated 40 x 40 cm laboratory grinding mill. The tests assess the effect of the steel charge level, the slurry solids concentration and the feed rate on the rate of ejection of the grinding media. The dominant variable is found to be the filling of the mill with the grinding media, followed by the mill feed rate. Results show that increasing the slurry solids concentration within a grinding mill may be favorable for the retention of the media inside the mill.IntroductionProcessing of complex ores often requires the use of fine grinding to liberate finely disseminated minerals. Grinding requirements for a P80 of less than 0.02 mm are not uncommon, and different grinding mills are available for such application (Leonida, 2014; Pease et al., 2006; Davey, 2006; Orford et al., 2006; Nesset et al., 2006). Even conventional horizontal ball mills charged with of 2.5 cm or larger grinding media can be used for fine grinding. However, simulation (Orford and al., 2006) and plant observations (Alves and L-Bouchet, 2005; Brisette, 2010; Brisette and Roman, 2012) demonstrated the advantages of using smaller grinding media in terms of size reduction and energy consumption."

Jan 1, 2015

By Andy B. Wallace

Veins in the Pyramid district of northwestern Nevada occur along steep fractures in Oligocene and Miocene quartz latite tuffs. The vein mineralization is zoned from a central enargite-pyrite zone outward through a complex polymetallic intermediate zone and an outer zone of galena and pyrite. Wall rock alteration includes advanced argillic and sericitic envelopes along veins superimposed on district-wide propylitization. The ore distribution and alteration patterns were probably produced by an increase in pH, a decrease in sulfur fugacity, along with cooling of the migrating hydrothermal fluid.

Jan 1, 1978

By W. B. Greer

The performance of seals in boreholes, shafts, and tunnels is an important concern in mine safety, in the control of effluents from operating and abandoned mines, and in the underground containment of hazardous wastes (Einarson and Abel, 1990; Mining Waste Study, 1988). Despite the clear need for effective seals, few documented test results are available concerning the performance of in-situ seals. Some evidence indicates that horizontal or near-horizontal holes are especially difficult to seal properly (Kelsall and others, 1982). This research involved the installation, extensive hydraulic testing, removal, and post-test examination of a l0-cm-long by 10-cm-diameter cement grout seal in a near-horizontal borehole in limestone. The work was performed in an underground mine on Marble peak in the Santa Catalina Mountains, Arizona. A test hole was diamond cored in the re-crystallized limestone of the Escabrosa formation. The hole is 33.24 m long, 10 cm in diameter, and dips at 10.4 degrees. The hole extends between two drifts and thus is accessible from both ends.

Jan 1, 1992

By J. A. Kosek

Work has been carried out under Bureau of Mines Contract No. HO395132 to develop and fabricate gas sensors for mining applications. Promising new instruments have been designed, developed, tested and supplied to meet BuMines requirements. These instruments include prototype 1) remote-sensing, diffusion-type CO monitors for mine operation which can be operated in conjunction with a surface computer, 2) control modules for alternate in-mine readout of the remote diffusion type CO monitors, 3) personal CO diffusion-type dosimeters and 4) personal NO diffusion-type dosimeters. In addition, retrofit modifications were made to update and optimize operation of CO and NO2 direct-reading type detectors provided under a previous contract. Studies were conducted to evaluate and demonstrate the availability of stable, portable N02 calibration sources for NO2 instrumentation. The use of selected, commercially available cylinder sources for NO2 instrument calibration were recommended. Additional studies were also conducted to investigate the feasibility of instrumentation for rapidly monitoring CO, NO and NO2 in diesel exhaust.

Jan 1, 1981

By B. A. Wilcox, A. H. Clauer

The tensile and creep deformation characteristics of fiber reinforced composites have been studied, primarily at room temperature. The matrix was an alloy of Mg-14 wt pct Li-1 wt pct Al (LA141A alloy) and the reinforcing fiber consisted of continuous wires of a high strength precipitation hardening stainless steel (AFC-77 alloy). The ultimate tensile strength and strength-to-density ratio of composites were much improved over that of the mmix, both at room ternperatwe and up to 200°C. Creep studies at room temperature revealed logarithmic weep behavior for wires and composites and steady state creep for the nonreinforced matrix. It was concluded that creep of the fibers controlled composite creep. The instantaneous logarithmic weep rate of the composite, 6, was related to the average tensile stress on the fibers, where n = 3.4. Mg-Li alloys are the lightest structural metals commercially available, e.g., the alloy LA141A (Mg-14 wt pct Li-1 wt pct Al) is 27 pct less dense than beryllium Although Mg-Li alloys have moderate tensile strengths at normal strain rates and ambient temperature, their creep strength is relatively poor, even at room temperature. Reinforcement by fibers offers a means of increasing the tensile strength as well as overcoming the limitations of low creep strength. With a proper choice of reinforcing filament, composites could be designed with higher strength-to-density and modulus-to-density ratios than the matrix alloy. This communication reports a study on the tensile and creep characteristics of alloy LA141A reinforced with continuous wires of a high-strength precipitation hardening stainless steel (AFC-77 alloy). The matrix has a bcc structure, with possible precipitates of AlLi and MgLi2A1,3 and is ductile at room temperature Stainless steel wire was chosen as the -reinforcing filament since previous work at Battelle4 showed that a good bond between wire and matrix could be produced in this system. For all volume fractions of reinforcing wire, the theoretical composite strength-to-density ratio is greater than that of the matrix and the modulus-to-density ratio is somewhat lower than that of the matrix. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES The 0.004-in. diam AFC-77 wire was obtained from two suppliers: National-Standard Co.* and Crucible 0.13 Si, 0.18 V, 0.011 P, 0.012 S, balance Fe. In the as-received condition, wires from both sources had room-temperature ultimate tensile strengths of 585,000 to 590,000 psi with approximately 2 pct total elongation and 40 pct reduction in area. Composite preparation was accomplished by the vacuum infiltration technique. This involved placing the continuous wires in a mild steel tube (1/8-in. ID), capping one end of the tube with a sheet of the matrix alloy, and evacuating the other end of the tube. When the capped end was placed in a crucible of the molten matrix alloy and held for 31/2 min at 70O°C, the liquid metal was drawn up the tube approximately 7 to 8 in. A cross-sectional view of a typical composite is shown in Fig. 1. This preparation technique promoted excellent bonding between the matrix and wires, and porosity was rarely observed. Test specimens for both creep and tension studies were prepared by machining off the steel tube. Tensile tests on the wires and composite specimens were made in an Instron using a cross-head speed of 0.01 in. per min. The composite specimens had no reduced section and were held in self-tightening grooved serrated grips. Most of the specimens broke in the effective 1-in. gage section. Even though several tests fractured in the grip section, their ultimate strengths were essentially the same as those of specimens which fractured in the gage section. Creep specimens of the composite were gripped in a similar manner, and

Jan 1, 1970

By H. Kazemi, M. S. Seth

The effects of anisotropy and stratification on flow behavior and production performance of oil and gas wells have been studied by numerous authors.1-3 Lefkovits et al.l studied the performance of totally penetrated, stratified bounded reservoirs with no crossflow. Others have studied a similar problem, but with crossflow; Russell and Prats2 have summarized the findings of these papers. Muskat3 studied the steady-state behavior of liquid flow for a partially penetrating well in an anisotropic system and concluded that the productivity weakly depended on the directional permeability ratios (kz/kr>0.1). Nisle4 used the classical method of point source solution to the diffusivity equation to study the effect of partial penetration on pressure buildup of oil wells in an isotropic system. He found that the theoretical pressure buildup curves consisted of two straight lines, the one at early buildup times having a slope proportional to the flow capacity of the open interval (l-d)k, and the other having a slope proportional to the flow capacity of the entire formation hk,. Later Brons and Marting5 supplemented the findings of Nisle and concluded that partial penetration gave rise to a pseudo damage, which reflected itself as a skin factor in pressure buildup calculations. Using the pseudo skin, they calculated the impairment of productivity of the production wells, which agreed well with the results of Muskat.6 Pizzi et al.,? using an electrical analog of a stratified system, concluded that a high pseudo damage resulted if the reservoir was partially penetrated. Harriss studied the optimum spacing and arrangement of perforations in cased holes. Hantush9 derived an expression for pressure distribution in an unbounded reservoir with restricted flow entry. Seth10 extended Hantush's work to a bounded reservoir. Odehl1 has studied a similar problem for steady-state conditions. The purpose of this work was to investigate: (1) the combined effects of anisotropy, stratification with crossflow, and restricted flow entry on pressure transient analysis of flow and buildup tests, (2) the feasibility of calculating the horizontal permeabilities of intercommunicating stratified systems, and (3) the pressure interference tests in such systems. Theory The partial differential equation governing the isothermal flow of homogeneous fluids of constant compressibility is given by Eq. 1: The initial and the boundary conditions are: 1. The reservoir potential is initially constant, say 4v

Jan 1, 1970

By T. K. Bundtzen, C. B. Green

Exploration expenditures in Alaska last year amounted to $8.9 million. This was comparable to 1985's $9.1 million. Development expenditures dropped 29%, $24.3 million in 1986 vs. $34.1 million in 1985. The exploration industry is restructuring and stabilizing after the loss of major mineral firms during the last few years. These included Anaconda Minerals, Asarco, Hecla Mining, Enserch Exploration, Phillips Minerals Division, Exxon Minerals, Noranda Inc., General Crude, Mohawk Oil & Gas, Inspiration Development, Teton Exploration, and St. Joe Minerals Division. Some of these companies were mineral subsidiaries of oil companies and were either dissolved or redirected to programs outside of Alaska. However, recent entry exploration firms include Echo Bay Mines Ltd., Long Lac Minerals, and Exvenco. They are busy evaluating prospects and mineral developments in the southeastern panhandle. In the 1970s, about $254 million was spent on Alaska mineral exploration. Of this, about 5% ($12 million) was for nonmetallics and coal, about 26% was directed at precious metals ($66 million) mainly gold, and 69% ($175.3 million) for the base metals zinc, copper, molybdenum, tin, tungsten, and nickel. Since the early 1980s, trends have reversed. Of the nearly $196.3 million spent from 1981-1986, 48% has been for precious metals ($94.3 million) and 40% on nonmetallics and coal. In the last two years, nearly 70% of the Alaskan exploration dollar has been spent in search of precious metals. Three gold skarns were explored during the year - the Nixon Fork project in western Alaska (Battle Mountain Mining Co.), the Nebesna and Rambler lodes of the northern Wrangell Mountains (Nebesna Mining Partners), and the Zackley project near Paxson in southcentral Alaska (Nerco Minerals). Nearly 7.6 km (25,000 ft) of diamond and rotary drilling were conducted on these three properties. Aspen Exploration announced that significant gold mineralization was found under the Nome coastal plain in western Alaska. Meridian Minerals joint ventured with Resource Associates of Alaska, exploring precious metal

Jan 5, 1987