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In 1967 the United States consumed 58.8 quadrillion Btu of energy. Both the Atomic Energy Commission and the Resources for the Future, Inc., a private economic forecasting group, predict that the United States energy requirements will reach 135 quadrillion Btu by the year 2000. In 1967 bituminous coal produced 21.4 percent of the energy used in the United States and anthracite coal another 0. 5 percent. Coal Reserves Coal reserves make up about four-fifths of the United States storehouse of fuel in proven reserves. Seventy-five percent of all fuel, likely to be found and recovered is coal. Electric utilities consume more than half of the bituminous coal mined in the United States in generating 53 percent of the nation's electricity. Atomic Energy Commission analysts have proposed the development of a vast "national energy system" based upon long-distance electrical transmission from abundant untapped coal reserves in the western United States. The study predicts that even if uranium supplies are available and economic breeder reactors developed, coal requirements for electricity generation will more than double by 1980 and increase another 50 percent before the year 2000.

Jan 1, 1970

By B. A. Filas

Stabilizing fine coal refuse ponds for reclamation at Monterey Coal Company's No. 1 Mine has been difficult. Entrained water in the stored refuse causes liquefaction as reclamation caps are placed, resulting in additional material requirements than originally projected to stabilize the pond surface. Laboratory results indicate that in-place refuse densities may be substantially improved at No. I Mine by converting from a single-point to a managed slurry distribution system. Increased densities result in improved storage efficiency, less entrained moisture and a more stable refuse mass, thereby providing an improved working surface for reclamation and improved post-closure cover stability.

Jan 1, 1993

By Walter L. Fisher

The public interest in the Alaskan situation is such that, with the consent of the President, I have concluded, at the request of the American Mining Congress, to make at this time a candid, if somewhat informal, expression of the views I have formed as Secretary of the Interior, under whose official supervision much of the administration of the Territory is now placed. Pressure of other matters imperatively requiring attention has prevented their presentation in as precise and comprehensive a form as I had hoped. The absence of the President from Washington has also prevented the submission to him of what I have prepared. I wish to say, however, that no one is more earnest than he in the desire to see a policy of prompt and wise development inaugurated in Alaska, and that the general policy contained in this address has been discussed with him, meets his approval, and will have his support. I have recently returned from an altogether too brief but nevertheless a most interesting and profitable visit to those portions of Alaska that are more immediately involved in the questions now under public consideration. Favored by extraordinary weather and the cooperation of steamship and railroad lines and the assistance of all of the governmental agencies, including the Revenue-Cutter Service, I visited every port in Alaska that seems likely in the near future to become an important entrance to the country. I examined all of the harbor and town sites which for this purpose have attracted any considerable public attention. I traversed the entire length of each of the three railroads that have been constructed in the Terri.tory and made a short trip from White Horse down the upper Yukon. Both before and during the journey I examined a mass of books, records,' and papers relating to the country and its resources. I had conferences with official committees representing the principal communities I visited and with numerous individuals, residents both of the coast and of the interi.or, and conferred with engineers, miners, prospectors, railroad officials, business and professional men.

Jan 1, 1911

By Russell J. Foster

Public awareness of, and involvement in, recycling has increased significantly in recent years. Nevertheless, recycling is generally perceived as a new development, and is familiar only in the context of municipal solid waste management. The actual magnitude and scope of metals recycling in the United States have gone virtually unnoticed. Over time, both the quantitative and qualitative aspects of secondary metals recovery and reuse have changed substantially, while the attendant regulations have become increasingly stringent. This U.S. Bureau of Mines report examines trends and developments in major metal demand and recycling, and analyzes the possible impacts of regulations with regard to recycling activities.

Jan 1, 1994

By James Westfield

A brief résumé follows of recent activities of the Division of Coal-Mine Inspection that have had a favorable effect on health, safety, and the reduction of injuries at coal mines: 1. The Federal Mine Safety Code for Bituminous Coal and Lignite Mines of the United States was issued originally by the Director of the Bureau of Mines on July 24, 1946, after consulting with management and labor representatives of the coal-mining industry. The code has been used by Federal coal-mine inspectors while inspecting bituminous-coal and lignite mines as a basis for determining the existence of unhealthful and unsafe conditions and practices in these mines. A revised code was issued by the Secretary of the Interior on October 8, 1953, after further consultations with representatives of management and mine workers and was incorporated by reference in the 1952 and subsequent bituminous-coal wage agreements. The agreement of May 29, 1946, between the Secretary of the Interior, acting as Coal Mines Administrator under authority of Executive Order 9728, and the United Mine Workers of America, covering bituminous-coal and lignite mines in Government possession, charged Federal coal-mine inspectors with the responsibility of making periodic investigations of the mines and reporting to the Coal Mines Administrator any violations of the Federal Mine Safety Code. Federal coal-mine inspectors also had temporary authority to close mines found to be imminently dangerous, but such authority (under Executive Order 9728) was removed on June 30, 1947, when Government control of the mines was terminated.

Jan 1, 1958

By R. R. Sayers

Although the attention of those interested in diseases peculiar to mining as teen focused recently on one duct disease - silicosis - other respiratory diseases may cause more suffering and economic loss. The increased incidence of these diseases usually is attributed to exposure to abnormal air conditions underground, such as sudden changes from high to low temperatures, excessive dust, and noxious gases. The principal respiratory diseases to which the mine is subject axe bronchitis, influenza and pneumonia, pulmonary tuberculosis, anthracosilicosis, and. silicosis. Although the mortality statistics in some of the tables included in this paper are old they have been corroborated by later, lees complete data Bronchitis Bronchitis is en inflammation of the bronchial tubes due, among other causes, to the inhalation of irritants such as dusts (organic and inorganic). Occupations that entail exposure to atmospheres polluted, by irritating gases carry with them the risk of bronchitis. According to Collie (1), it cannot be distinguished clinically from bronchitis occurring among the general population, and its association with tae inhalation of dust or gases usually is unrecognized.

Jan 1, 1941

By GEORGE ROBERT DE BEQUE

WHAT is wrong with oil shale? The answer is of interest to the public, to the oil refiner, and to the engineer. Many people have invested in shale land or shale securities, and others would invest if early development of the industry were certain. In the face of increasing demands for oil products, oil refiners are threatened with inability to maintain present output unless the supply of domestic petroleum is supplemented. Development of the oil shale industry would open a new field for engineering services. The object of this paper is to suggest reasons why there is but one shale plant in operation in the United States, and to discuss the probable time when the business will be firmly established in Colorado. As the Colorado deposits are the richest and largest in the world, ample supply of material is assured, consequently, this discussion will be confined principally to technical problems and economic problems affecting shale development.

Jan 1, 1924

By Lowell Stroud

Since 1929, the Helium Activity of the Bureau of Mines has operated a helium-extraction plant at Amarillo, Tex. The natural gas that supplies this plant is obtained from the Cliffside geologic structure 12 miles to the northwest and over the years, has become known simply as "Cliffside gas," There is need for published data on the low-temperature phase equilibria of helium-bearing natural gases. To date, little information has been published on the equilibrium phase compositions, solution of helium in condensed natural gas, condensation characteristics, or equilibrium vaporization coefficients for methane, nitrogen, and helium in helium-containing systems. A windowed phase equilibrium apparatus (8)6 was used to obtain 105 equilibrium samples, representing 35 experimental conditions of condensed Cliffside gas at pressures of 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 p.s.i.a. and temperatures from 0° to -270° F. Data on equilibrium vapor-liquid composition for Cliffside gas are presented in both tabular and graphic form and are discussed in detail to show their relationship to certain criteria that must be met to effect an efficient separation of helium from natural gas by means of low-temperature processes. Facts about condensation characteristics and solution of helium in the liquid phases are included, The important relationship of these two factors in decreasing the percentage of total helium lost by solution in the liquid phase is discussed.

Jan 1, 1961

By Jeff LeBlanc, George Gutierrez, Carl Pitzer

The Bay Park Conveyance Project was one of the largest microtunneling and rehab projects in the United States at the time of completion. The completed project conveys treated water from the South Shore Water Reclamation Facility located in Nassau County, New York, which currently discharges an average of 50 million gallons per day (MGD) of treated water into Reynolds Channel, to the Cedar Creek Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP) ocean outfall pipe. The pipe carrying treated wastewater was installed approximately 20–60 feet below the surface. The treated wastewater is conveyed via microtunnel construction of a 2-mile long force main from the South Shore Water Reclamation Facility to an existing aqueduct under the Sunrise Highway, the rehabilitation of an 7.3-mile stretch of the aqueduct via sliplining, and construction via microtunnel of a 1.6-mile-long force main to connect the rehabilitated aqueduct to the existing Cedar Creek Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP) outfall, which discharges and diffuses treated water three miles offshore in the Atlantic Ocean. This paper will review the Design-Build requirements, the chosen innovative solutions during planning for the micro tunneling portion of the project and review the microtunnel construction on the project.

Jun 23, 2024

By AIME AIME

THE Coal Division holds its fall meeting in the Pocahontas coal field, at the West Virginian Hotel, Bluefield, W. Va., Oct. 9 and 10. The first day will be a busy one-two sessions for the presentation of papers and a dinner in the evening. Hon. E. Fudge, Assistant Undersecretary, Mines Department, and R. V. Wheeler, head of the Mines Research Board of Great Britain, will be the guests of the Division. Mr. Wheeler will discuss the British Mining Act as relates to the coal industry. George S. Rice, Chief Mining Engineer, U. S. Bureau of Mines, will present an account of the recent meeting at Buxton in England, of representatives of England, Germany, France, Belgium and the United States to formulate a plan and to correlate research work now in progress in the various countries. The second day the members will be the guests of the operators on a trip through the Pocahontas field. The work of preparation for the meeting is being actively pushed by committees headed by T. H. Clagett, R. M. Lambie and H. D. Smith, and a good attendance, both local and from the general membership of the Division, is anticipated. Because many will make the trip by car the principal automobile as well as rail-road connections to Bluefield are given here. The program for Friday, Oct. 9, follows:

Jan 1, 1931

By C. Hsu

Underground coal gasification (UCG) is becoming more popular as the reserves of good quality, mineable coal are starting to diminish, and yet the global energy demand from coal is still increasing. The purpose of this research project was to investigate cavity formation within a coal block due to the combustion reactions in the context of UCG. The cavity plays a pivotal role in the UCG process, as it is essentially the gasification reactor. Cavity formation in an in situ gasification process using the forward combustion linking method (FCL) had been investigated, and a laboratory model was created to simulate the process. The experiment was performed by drilling a U-shaped tunnel into a coal block, which was then combusted internally with air that was fed through an injection hole. A heating element (at approximately 500°C) was used to supply the required heat for combustion at the base of the injection well. The coal blocks were analysed using micro-focus X-ray tomography. The tomography results showed that the coal tended to crack along the bedding plane after a short duration of combustion, due to either the formation of clinker or the expansion of swelling vitrinite along the horizontal tunnel. The deposit was thicker at the base of the injection well compared to the base of the production well; this may have been caused by the turbulence of the air flow and the relatively high oxygen concentration at the base of the injection well. A comparison of the results with work by Daggupati et al. (2010) showed the same trend, despite the slightly different methodology applied.

Jan 1, 2014

By Gökhan Çevikbilen, Ümit Karadoğan, Sevde Korkut, Berrak Teymur

This study proposes a methodology for dewatering of mine waste using a multistage process, combining geotextile tubes and anionic polyacrylamide (PAM), which accelerates the recycling process of water for aggregate mine waste facilities. For this purpose, waste from a rock quarry located in Istanbul was investigated. Flocculation tests revealed that the use of anionic PAM at an optimum dosage reduced sedimentation time and decreased turbidity. The compatibility of geotextiles and mine waste conditioned with different dosages of the effective PAM was evaluated by rapid dewatering tests, considering the water content of the filter cake, amount of infiltrated solid content, and rate of filtration. Geotextile dewatering tests were also performed on PAM-free and conditioned suspensions. The dewatering process was optimized by the use of a geotextile tube in two stages: (i) on the unconditioned suspension and (ii) on recovered PAM-conditioned leachate. Directing PAM-free non-hazardous soil-based material obtained in stage i to alternative beneficial uses is suggested, to minimize the volume of waste. Furthermore, recycling of the effluent obtained at the second stage of the proposed method will ensure more efficient water reuse

Sep 29, 2022

By Mary L. Pearson

Ibis report summarizes the results of the contract. Included are summaries of existing legislation pertaining to outcrop barriers and a state-of-the-art survey of outcrop barrier designs and related, mine closure techniques. Six sites were inspected in the field and are presented as case histories The data analysis presented includes a computer modeled seepage analysis, an overburden blew-out analysis, and a wedge stability analysis. The results tit these analyses are interpreted to form recommendations for coal outcrop barriers which will minimize seepage and the potential for failure. Supplementary support and reinforcement alternatives are also discussed.

Jan 1, 1981

Contributions made by mining have played a much more significant role in the development of civilization than is generally conceded by historians or recognized by ordinary citizens. In modern society, mined products pervade all industry and the lives of all civilized people. Early man relied largely on stone and ceramics, and eventually metals, to fashion tools and weapons. Civilization was advanced by discoveries such as abundant supplies of high-quality flint in northern France and southern England and firesetting to break rock. Middle Eastern cultures flourished not only because of agriculture and trade, but also because of mineral-rich deposits nearby. The earliest miners date back perhaps to 300,000 BC; their quest was for nonmetallic minerals (chert, flint, obsidian) suitable for utensils and eventually for weapons. Other rocks and minerals (ceramics, clay, salt, meteoric iron) attracted the miners for jewelry, cosmetics, construction materials, food seasoning, and coinage. At first, their excavations were confined to the surface, either pits or placers. But by about 40,000 BC, mine workings had been extended underground as short adits or shafts, and by 8000 BC as elaborate interconnected openings 300 ft (90 m) in depth. Metallurgical separation of metals from their ores and their subsequent fabrication evolved gradually over the centuries, copper being the first liberated (c. 7000 BC) followed by lead, silver, gold, and iron. Man enhanced both the sophistication of his

Jan 1, 2008

By H. S. COOLEY

TO talk about a "factor of economy" in connection with the wire ropes used in mining practice may be coining a new phrase. If such be the case it needs no other apology than that economy in wire rope usage is so bound up with the factor of safety as to justify a similarity in naming that makes one suggest the other. At the latest Wire Rope Research Conference, held under the auspices of the A. S. M. E., Re- search Committee and Engineering Foundation, data were introduced covering mine ropes working under

Jan 1, 1930

By C. Okrusch, C. Roos, M. Akers, S. Rosenthal

Modern mining consistently faces controversy. Public sentiment impacts the permitting and development of mines, so a quality public relations (PR) program for mining companies may improve society’s impression of the mining industry. Developing mines face more permitting challenges than operating mines, which stems from a lack of societal trust given the history of mining and its impact on the environment. Two case studies were selected based on the type of public controversy they face to demonstrate how pervasive permitting issues are in industry. Both Pebble Mine, owned by Northern Dynasty Minerals (NDM), and Black Butte, owned by Sandfire Resources America Inc (SRA), experienced difficulties with their water permitting due to potential risks their mine developments posed to local fish populations. Pebble has, to date, failed in all of their attempts to become permitted due to concern for the water and the fish. Black Butte dealt with the same problems, on a smaller scale, but was able to become permitted. These two mines will be discussed in detail including local history, mine setting, mining history in America, prevalent culture groups, technology development, and intercultural communication competence (ICC). The mining industry needs to evaluate its ICC skills since ICC directly determines the effectiveness of PR. Based on Barna’s Stumbling Blocks for intercultural communication, methods for improving the mining industry’s PR will be suggested in the hope of easing the permitting process for future mines by developing ICC.

Mar 2, 2022

By John B. Gayle

The probable inadequacy of physical tests of coke for the purposes for which they are made has been a subject for discussion for many years. However, little has been published in this connection, even though most workers in the field believe that the physical properties of coke are of major importance in its utilization in the steel and allied industries. In fact, the reproducibility of the recognized tests is largely unknown or can only be approximated. This situation occasions many difficulties when attempts are made to judge the coke-production qualities of various coals or coal blends. During World War II the Coke Production Committee, composed of representatives from industry and the Solid Fuels Administration, concluded that study of existing testing methods and possible improvements would be of material assistance in answering questions relating to coke quality. Since that time the Bureau of Mines has taken samples of coke produced in industrial slot-type coke ovens in connection with studies aimed at extending coking-coal reserves by adding to the list of sources known to be suitable for this purpose. Testing procedures on these cokes were arranged so that the data obtained would yield information on (1) the degree of precision of tests commonly used in the industry, (2) the causes of the known poor reproducibility in several of the physical tests, and (3) possible improvements or modifications of existing physical testing procedures.

Jan 1, 1953

Although out of the ordinary, MINING ENGINEERING is pleased to present a few photographs that typify Western US mining activity during WWII. The photographs, taken by R.G. Zellers at Colorado mining operations between 1942 and 1946, were primarily intended for equipment manufacturers. The pictures capture scenes of hardworking miners during a time when output was essential to fuel a wartime effort. In addition to providing a rare opportunity to step back 40 years and view the equipment and activity common at the time, Zellers' skill with photo composition and his ability to obtain clarity in dimly lit underground operations gives viewers an acute awareness of the dampness and dirt of the mines, and a sense for the miners' limited working space.

Jan 6, 1983

By Charles V. Riley

While the late 1960's are known as the years of the public recognition of impending environmental crises, the 1970's will be known as the decade of public concern for improving the quality of that environment. One of the present major environmental concerns is the temporary disturbance resulting from coal surface or open cast mining. To realize that this concern will continue in the future, one need only observe the daily news media. Increasing energy demands in the U.S., a doubling of electrical power consumption each decade during the present century, and the projected needs for the remainder of the century are indica¬tions that coal surface mining as a major extractive industry will continue. Coal and lignite, prime energy resources and extremely abundant in these United States, in the face of seemingly limited gas, oil and uranium reserves, are both destined for expanded future use. Presently some extremely serious techno-logical and environmental problems are associated with the develop¬ment and use of nuclear power. It is true that the extraction and use of coal as an energy fuel poses disruptive problems for the environment, but the solutions to many of the problems are known or can be solved within a reasonable time framework. Certainly our national well-being and continued survival, as a free nation within the world community, automatically dictate the continued use of the coal resource for energy. Concurrently, those engaged in coal surface mining, with the temporary disturbance of the land and water resources, must also realistically conclude that public concern for maintaining and improving the quality of the environment will not diminish. Although as ecological, economic, social and aesthetic elements

Jan 1, 1972

By H. R. Hanley

IN AS MUCH as the interesting changes in the economics of the zinc industry are covered nowhere else in this issue, and they are related to technological progress in the metallurgy of zinc, some reference to prices and production will first be made. The latter part of 1939 is outstanding in the large war demand for metals including zinc, whereas in the first eight months the demand for zinc was subnormal. The cause of the rapid in- crease in demand was the European war and hence the future is problematical. When the year began zinc was in the doldrums, with low prices, and continued thus until August when an advance in price started, reaching 6.5. per pound early in October. (Prime Western, St. Louis.) Rapid changes in the price of any metal are viewed adversely by the metal industry. The persistent low price for zinc of 4 to 49512 for about two years curtailed production and in one instance closed one large plant for a brief period.

Jan 1, 1940