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By Julien Favre, Akihiko Chiba, Damien Fabregue, Yuichiro Koizumi, Eric Maire

"The mechanical behavior of Co-20Cr-15W-10Ni alloy is studied by compression tests at high temperature. Microstructures after deformation are evaluated using SEM-EBSD. Significant grain refinement occurs by dynamic recrystallization for high temperature and low strain rate (T>1100°C, <0.1s-1), and at high strain rate (~10s-1). Dynamic recrystallization is discontinuous and occurs by grain boundaries nucleation, leading to a necklace structure. The nucleation mechanism is most likely to be bulging of grain boundaries. However, recrystallization occurs also by rotation of annealing twins which can bulge as well. The modeling of mechanical behavior gives a fair quantification of flow softening due to dynamic recrystallization, indicating the progress of dynamic recrystallization with deformation.IntroductionCobalt-chromium alloys are used in biomedical applications for the elaboration of implants due to their outstanding mechanical properties and their high resistance to corrosion. For stent application a large ductile behavior is required in addition to the high mechanical strength. Indeed stents have to undergo a deformation until e˜40% during their expansion [1]. Conventional Co-Cr-Mo (CCM) alloys exhibit limited ductility (maximal deformation about e˜30%) [2]. Co-Cr-W-Ni (L-605) alloy is a better candidate for stent elaboration since its fracture strain can exceed 40% (comparable to nickel superalloys (Figure 1), while it keeps high mechanical strength. In spite of the presence of nickel element in this alloy, biocompatibility is sufficient for vascular implants, therefore L-605 alloy is extensively used for heart valves and stent elaboration [3]."

Jan 1, 2012

The Bougainville ore body was discovered in 1964 by a partnership of Conzinc Rio Tinto of Australia and New Broken Hill Consolidated Limited. The ore body is a porphyry copper in a fine-grained quartz diorite, which intrudes andesite volcanics and is located at an elevation of about 2, 000 ft in the Crown Prince Range of Bougainville in the Solomon Islands. Mineralization is predominantly chalcopyrite with some bornite and some gold and silver present. Rainfall in the area amounts to 200 in. (5. 08 m) per year. An active volcano is situated only 24 miles (38.4 km) from the mine, and all structures were designed to resist seismic shocks. An interesting and unique feature of the Bougainville operation was that the overburden was stripped with hydraulic monitors. Bougainville Copper, at 90,000 tpd, is the largest copper concentrator to be designed and constructed at one time; and besides the twin 54 in. by 74 in. Allis-Chalmers gyratories, it features seven 7 ft (2. 13 m) standard and fourteen 7 ft shorthead crushers, in addition to nine 18 ft diameter by 21 ft long (5. 5 m by 6. 4 m), 4250 hp, single -stage ball mills. During the design stage of the Bougainville primary crushing plant, several alternates were studied because the ore was expected to break with the production of large amounts of small-sized particles but with a minimum of fines. These alternates included two 54 in. by 74 in. gyratories with grizzlies, two 60 in. by 89 in. gyratories, and one 72 in. by 96 in. gyratory, the latter two installations without grizzlies. The two 54 in. units with grizzlies were finally selected as giving good reliability and the ability to handle the large amounts of small material in the feed. As originally installed, grizzly bars were set at 8 in. (203 mm); but, in an effort to perform more interparticle crushing in the primary and less rock-on-steel crushing in the secondaries and tertiaries, a test is underway (1976) to determine the effect of using 6 in. (152 mm) grizzly spacings (see write -up on Anaconda&apos;s crusher at Butte). The Bougainville ore is mined with 17 cu yd (13 cu m) shovels and hauled in 105, 170, and 210 st trucks to the crushers, which are equipped for two-side dumping. Up to 40% of the ore passes the grizzlies, which are equipped with splitters; and additional horizontal splitter bars are located directly above the spider caps. Because of the grizzlies, the crushers are supported by unique U-shaped enclosures, which are in turn supported by the end and center walls of the installation.

Jan 1, 1978

By Y. V. Vasylchuk

This paper presents an algorithm for optimizing the classification of surface mine material subject to excavating constraints. High-resolution expected profit models are input and optimized to classification maps subject to site-specific rectangular excavating constraints. This optimization problem defies traditional closed-form analytical solutions; a practical heuristic algorithm has been developed to quickly determine the optimal final destination for the material subject to realistic constraints. The optimization is fast and generates results that achieve up to 98–99% of the total expected profit achieved with free selection. This algorithm provides a fast viable option for practical application in short-term grade control and in managing multiple realizations in long-term resource estimation.

By Edward C. Stephens, Robert R. Coats

High-grade copper ore was discovered in 1932 in the long-dormant Mountain City (Cope) mining district, Elko County, Nevada. From 1932 to 1947, the one producing mine in the district, the Mountain City Copper Mine, produced 1,109,878 short dry tons of ore averaging 9.745 per cent copper, 0.274 ounces of silver, and 0.0057 ounces of gold per ton. The Mountain City Copper Mine is developed in eugeosynclinal rocks of Ordovician age, the Valmy Formation, which is part of the upper plate of the Roberts Mountains thrust. On the Valmy were deposited unconformably first, a elastic formation of Devonian or Mississippian age, the Grossman Formation, succeeded unconformably by a ·sequence of three conformable formations, the Banner, the Nelson, and the Mountain City. The Banner Formation probably is early Late Mississippian in age; the ages of the Nelson and Mountain City are not known precisely but are believed to be of Late Mississippian and Carboniferous(?) age, respectively. A thick formation of elastic rocks, limestone, and volcanics, the Reservation Hill Formation, has been thrust over the Mountain City. The age of the Reservation Hill is unknown but is presumed to be Pennsylvanian(?) and Permian(?). Several plutons of Cretaceous quartz monzonite intrude the Paleozoic formations; they and the intruded formations have been laid bare by erosion, and several sequences of volcanic rocks of Miocene and Pliocene age, and perhaps in part older, have been successively deposited on irregular erosion surfaces. The primary mineralization of the Mountain City Copper Mine is believed to postdate the deposition of the Nelson Formation and to predate the intrusion of the quartz monzonite. The primary ore bodies are lenticular in shape and are composed largely of quartz, pyrite, and chalcopyrite. The ore lenses, in general, strike northwestward and dip northward. They occur in the Valmy Formation within a definite stratigraphic sequence composed largely of shales with associated minor quartzite lenses. The ore is epigenetic. The principal ore body, the "200," was completely leached to the 200 level. Abruptly beneath the barren gossan was supergene copper sulfide ore, much of which assayed 50 per cent copper. The secondary copper minerals are sooty and massive chalcocite, bornite, and covellite. The supergene enrichment of the ore may have required a large part of Tertiary time.

Jan 1, 1968

By L. K. Witika, J. H. Masinja

"Investigations of flotation characteristics of Lumwana and Kansanshi ores using formulated frothers were carried out. Of the six frothers tested, two came from the alcohol family, two from the glycol family and last two were formulated products. The initial work involved determining the optimum mesh of grind and frother dosage for Lumwana and Kansanshi ores. Further work involved carrying out surface tension, bubble size and froth stability measurements. Finally, water recovery tests were conducted at Lumwana and Kansanshi mine sites. For froth stability tests, six frothers were tested on a two-phase (water–air) system using the Bikerman column flotation cell, while water recovery tests were conducted using a total of seven frothers, including the standards for each plant. The results of the testwork showed that (i) although a stable froth is essential for optimum recovery of valuable minerals, a higher molecular weight frother, like Dowfroth 250, caused poor selectivity when used on fine ores and (ii) a lower molecular weight frother was suited for Lumwana ore, while a mid to higher molecular weight formulated product was suitable for Kansanshi sulphide ore. INTRODUCTION Investigations of flotation characteristics of Lumwana and Kansanshi ores using formulated frothers were carried out. The initial work of this project involved determining the optimum mesh of grind and frother dosage for Lumwana and Kansanshi ores. Further work involved carrying out surface tension, bubble size and froth stability measurements. Finally, water recovery tests were conducted at Lumwana and Kansanshi mine sites. In order to investigate the gangue entrainment levels in the Lumwana and Kansanshi sulphide ores, two well-known methods (froth stability and water recovery) were used. Firstly, froth stability tests were conducted using six frothers, two from the glycol family (Dowfroth 200 and Dowfroth 250), two from alcohol family (MIBC and pine oil) and other two from the formulated family (Betafroth 20 and Betafroth 245), at the University of Cape Town’s Centre for Mineral Research (CMR) laboratories. Froth formation and stability measurements were conducted using the Bikerman column flotation cell."

Jan 1, 2015

By Thomas C. Anderson, Terry Weiss

The Mount Gunnison No. 1 Mine of the West Elk Coal Company (wholly owned subsidiary of ARCO Coal) had secured contracts to provide low sulfur, high Btu steam coal to various utility companies. This called for the development of the B-Seam at the Mount Gunnison Mine located some 400 feet below the operating F-Seam workings being mined with conventional room and pillar techniques. The B-Seam, to meet production goals, will be mined by a new 600-foot longwall machine making a 13-foot high cut. American Mine Services was awarded a competitively bid contract to drive two 2000-foot, 13-foot by 16-foot slopes at -15 percent, sink a 16-foot diameter ventilation shaft 400 feet between the F- and B-Seams, install a 60-inch conveyor in one of the slopes, remove 7000 feet of existing conveyor and rehabilitate 7000 feet in two entries to accommodate the placement of the longwall machinery. The slope portals were located 7000 feet in by the surface portal. Unique to the project was the placement of work shops and other infrastructure 7000 feet underground with an entry height of 6 feet. The $7 million contract was completed in less than one year using a mix of permissible (Schedule 31) and standard (Schedule 24) LHD equipment, all pneumatic jumbos and shaft sinking gear.

Jan 1, 1993

Develop quieted, hand-held pneumatic percussion drills that can replace standard hand-held drills in many underground mining applications. The Problem Percussion drills are the noisiest machines used in underground mines; noise levels of 115 to 120 dBA are common, requiring the use of hearing protectors and limiting the time a miner is permit-ted to operate the drill during an 8-hour shift. Hand-held pneumatic percussion drills pose a particularly difficult problem because the operator cannot be isolated from the noise source (e.g., an acoustical cab), and alternative technologies for drilling roof bolt holes and blastholes in tight quarters are not readily available.

Jan 1, 1984

By Descour Jozef, Suguru Shirasagi, Takuji Yamamoto, Koji Murakami

For TBM tunneling no visual inspection of excavated ground is possible. This may hinder the high-speed excavation, particularly in complex ground conditions. The TBM Excavation Control System was developed for better prediction of geological conditions ahead of the tunnel face during excavation. The seismic reflector tracing produces volumetric images of anomalies in the ground in “near-real time.” These images are verified using logging data from pilot boring and TBM driving data, to improve reliability and precision of ground mapping. Also good correlation was obtained between the rock strength index computed from TBM data, and one derived from volumetric seismic images.

Jan 1, 2007

By J. Handin, S. J. Bauer, M. Friedman

Deformation mechanisms in room-dry and water-saturated specimens of Charcoal Granodiorite, shortened at 10-4s-1, at effective pressures (Pe) to 100 MPa and temperatures to partial melting (?1050°C) are documented with a view toward providing criteria to recognize and characterize the deformation for geological and engineering applications. Above 800°C strength decreases dramatically at effective pressures ? 50 MPa and water-weakening reduces strength an additional 30 to 40% at Pe = 100 MPa. Strains at failure are only 0.1 to 2.2 percent with macroscopic ductility (within this range) increasing as the effective pressures are increased and in wet versus dry tests. Shattering (multiple faulting) gives way to faulting along a single zone to failure without macroscopic faulting as ductility increases. Microscopically, cataclasis (extension microfracturing and thermal cracking with rigid-body motions) predominates at all conditions. Dislocation gliding contributes little to the strain. Precursive extension microfractures coalesce to produce the throughgoing faults with gouge zones exhibiting possible Riedel shears. Incipient melting, particularly in wet tests, produces a distinctive texture along feldspar grain boundaries that suggests a grain-boundary-softening effect contributes to the weakening. In addition, it is demonstrated that the presence of water does not lead to more microfractures, but to a reduction in the stresses required to initiate and propagate them.

Jan 1, 1982

By J Stipcevich, N Patel, J Faithful5, S Narendranathan, L Tatnell4

ENGIE, the current owner and operator of the Hazelwood Open Cut coalmine, are in the process of rehabilitating the mine site in preparation for mine closure. Bucket wheel excavators (dredgers) used during coal mining operations are in the process of being demolished, which involves the controlled felling of dredger components using explosives. With the mine located in close proximity to the Morwell township and other critical public infrastructure, it is crucial that the use of explosives and the possible implications for mine stability is well understood. The felling of Large Mining Equipment (LME) will apply an impact load immediately to the underlying coal benches with the adjacent coal batters potentially at risk also of adverse slope stability impacts. This paper presents the 3D stability modelling methods employed to successfully assess the potentially adverse stability implications associated with LME collapse.

Jun 21, 2022

By James C. Cawley

This report presents results of recent Bureau of Mines research to establish the probability of spark ignition as a function of current (or voltage, for capacitor circuits) for resistive, inductive, and ca-pacitive circuits in 8.3% methane-air atmospheres. The data presented quantify the explosion hazard created when low-power electronic devices catastrophically fail in an explosive mine atmosphere. Previous litera-ture dealt with levels of probability between 10-3 and 10-4. This re-port extends the probability data to levels as low as 10-7. This study has verified that when the probability of ignition, PI, is plotted on a log-log coordinate system versus the current (or voltage), a continuous, straight-line relationship is formed. An interesting result that can be statistically hypothesized is that at some low level of igniting current the ignition process ceases altogether.

Jan 1, 1988

By T. T. Wang, T. H. Huang, Y. C. Chiu

Quantitatively analyzing deformation of a tunnel with lining anomalies for structural safety evaluation is essential for sustainable tunnel engineering. However, a complete theory and associated methodology accounted for displacement of a built tunnel is absent. This manuscript introduces a novel characteristic matrix method proposed by the authors which is an integrated procedure that analyzes displacement of rock tunnels in operation. First, establish a numerical model expressing a specific state of the tunnel in interest. Derive the characteristic displacement modes by a unit disturbances and check their independency. Once the characteristic displacement modes are proved to be orthogonal (independent), they are ready for use. Given a tunnel displacement, modal decomposition returns the magnitude of each characteristic displacement modes that together consist the given displacement. By realizing the definite value of horizontal and vertical translation, rotation, uniform compression/expansion, elliptic deformation, triangular deformation…etc. for a tunnel displacement, one can distinguish tunnel displacement and deformation types from their modal composition. A circular tunnel with elastic structure and surrounded by elastic rock mass is chosen to demonstrate the outcome of characteristic modes and how they work. The influences of tunnel shape, elastic modulus ratio between rock mass and tunnel structure, and numbers of monitoring points on a tunnel profile were also discussed. Identifying possible tunnel deformation causes is attainable if further connections between mode combination and force increments were built.

Jan 1, 2015

By Peter G. Chamberlain

Domestic mining will not produce a significant portion of the manganese consumed in the United States unless new mining and processing techniques are implemented that will enable domestic lean ores to economically compete with rich foreign ores. One mining-processing technique that appears promising for certain deposits is in situ and/or heap leaching with aqueous SO2. Since leaching offers economic advantages of low capital costs, low operating costs, and short start-up times as well as environmental and safety improvements over conventional mining-processing, the Bureau of Mines studied the leachability of manganese deposits from several districts. Manganese oxides, hydroxides, and carbonates were leached to 80 to 90 pct recovery in 7 to 40 days of leaching with a solution containing 5 pct SO2 in column leaching tests. Preliminary cost analyses of surface mining-heap leaching, block caving-in situ leaching, and shrinkage stoping-in situ leaching indicate that the products of manganese leaching may be economically produced for the chemical and electrolytic manganese industries. The easiest marketable product to obtain would be a manganese sulfate commonly used as a fertilizer amendment. Manganese carbonates and hydroxides could also be precipitated from the pregnant leach solutions.

Jan 1, 1983

New Copper Deposit in Chile. - The recent copper discovery in Chile, made jointly by U.S.-owned Empresa Minera Utah de Chile, Inc., and Getty Mining Chile), Inc., awaits the passage of Chilean legislation which is expected to govern the terms of new foreign investment in the country&apos;s mining sector. Named La Escondida, the discovery is reported to have the potential for producing 100,000 tons of refined copper per year. This compares with Chile&apos;s total refined primary copper production in 1980 of 811,000 metric tons, and to U.S. refined primary production in 1980 of 1,122,000 metric tons derived from domestic material, and 89,000 metric tons from foreign material. U.S. Firms Buy Chilean Properties. - A bid of $18.1 million, made jointly by Chevron and St. Joe Minerals Corp., won over competing bids for the purchase of the Libra and Mena gold-silver-copper deposits in northern Chile. Chevron is the lead partner and owns 70% of the venture. The two properties purchased have not been developed to any significant extent. They are located near St. Joe&apos;s El Indio gold-silver-copper mine. The venture is also looking at the possible purchase of two other mines in the area.

Jan 1, 1981

By E. A. Hewitt

This paper describing the mining practices at the Park Utah mine in the Park City district is one of a series being prepared by the United States Bureau of Mines on mining practices, methods, and costs in the various mining districts of the United States. The Park Utah mine is situated at Keetly, Utah, about 5 miles east of Park City. The Park City district lies on the eastern slope of the Wasatch Mountains, 25 miles southeast of Salt Lake City. The district embraces a tract located between the crest of the main range on the west and the mountain meadows along the eastern foothills. The elevation of the Union Pacific Railroad station at Park City is 7,000 feet above sea level. The town and mines are served by two railroads; one 28 miles long is a branch of the Union Pacific Railroad and connects with the main line at Echo Junction, east of Ogden; the other is 35 miles long and joins the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad at Salt Lake City. The district and mines are also accessible by excellent automobile roads from Salt Lake City and surrounding points (fig. 1).

Jan 1, 1930

By F. V. Lenel, G. S. Ansell, J. A. Dromsky

The growth of aluminum oxide particles in a nickel matrix was studied eve?. the temperature vange of 2140° to 2470°F. The instability of the dispersed alumina was shown to be independent of the crystal structure of the alumina. The activation energy for the growth of the dispersed alumina was found to be 84.7 1 2.0 kcal. The particle radius increased as a function of time. These results indicate that the growth is not diffusion controlled. It is believed that the rate controlling mechanism is the dissolution of the aluminum and oxygen atoms into the nickel lattice. THE strength properties of alloys which consist of a finely dispersed second phase in a metallic matrix depend upon the spacing between the second phase particles. It is therefore desirable to achieve very fine dispersions in these alloys. Furthermore, to retain the properties these very fine dispersions must be stable during fabrication and service of the alloys. The best known of the dispersion strengthened materials, the SAP type alloys, which consist of a dispersion of aluminurn oxide in aluminum, have exceptionally good stability up to the melting point of aluminum. There is evidence, however, that other dispersion strengthened alloys, even those consisting of refractory oxides in a metal matrix, may be less stable. This investigation is concerned with the stability of Ni-Al2O3 alloys in the temperature range in which these alloys are usually fabricated. The mechanical properties of Ni-Al2O3 alloys at elevated temperatures have been previously investigated by Crelnens and rant,&apos; and Gregory and Goetzel.2 The behavior of these alloys in stress rupture tests appears to indicate that at temperatures below 1800°F they are highly stable. There is some doubt, however, as to their stability at the higher temperatures used during the conventional fabrication. Cremens and Grant, in preparing their test alloys, cousolidated, by powder metallurgical techniques, nickel powders as fine as 0.13 µ diam and alumina powders as fine as 0.018 µ. Metallo- graphic examination of the alloys following fabrication revealed that none had interparticle spacings of less than 2 µ. Considering the size of the original component powder particles, it is likely that the dispersions coarsened during fabrication. Gregory and Goetzel, in their studies of extruded alloys of 80 pct Ni—-20 pct Cr matrixes with nonmetallic dispersion, observed a definite coarsening of the alumina dispersions in alloys sintered at 2280°F as cantrasted to those sintered at 2000oF. Similar observations on the spheroidization and growth of thoria particles finely dispersed in a nickel matrix were made by D. K. Worn and S. F. Marton.3 As a result of such coarsening, much of the effort expended in the preparation of very fine powder mixtures would be lost. The mechanical properties of the alloys which had experienced coarsening would be expected to be poorer than if the original dispersions had been retained. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Ni-Al2O3 alloys were produced from powder prepared by a coprecipitation technique. Aluminum hydroxide and nickel hydroxide were coprecipitated from chloride solutions of the metals. The mixed hydroxides were calcined to form metal oxides and the nickel oxide in the mixture was selectively reduced to nickel by treating it in hydrogen. Specimens were compacted from the resultant powder which consisted of a fine, uniform mixture of aluminum oxide and nickel particles. The compacts were sintered by resistance hot pressing4, a densification technique which requires exposure times of the order of only a second or less at elevated temperatures. A conventional sintering process was not used, since the temperature required for densification would have to be in the region in which the stability of the dispersion was to be studied. A series of hot pressed specimens were treated in hydrogen at temperatures from 2140o to 2470°F (1171o to 1355oC, for times up to 120 hr. Changes in the microstructures were studied by electron microscopy using the two-stage preshadowed carbon replica method.5 In performing a lineal analysis on a series of micrographs from each specimen it was found more convenient to determine the mean free path between alumina particles rather than particle radii as the parameter of growth. Although these quantities are directly proportional for only spherical particles, the alumina particles in these alloys

Jan 1, 1962

By J. Blodget Britton

Six different samples of anthracite, each a firm compact lump, were finely pulverized and immediately put in bottles. Portions of these were weighed and placed upon an ordinary water-bath and dried for one hour; the average loss was 1.24. The same portions were then placed in a hot-air oven, and for two hours kept at a temperature of 285° F., and, after cooling in a dry chamber, were again weighed, when there was found a further average loss of 1.22, making a total so far of 2.46. They were then immediately returned to the oven and for two hours more kept at a temperature of 530° F. and cooled and weighed again, when no further loss was found, but an average gain of .55 upon the previous weighing. The same portions were a third time placed in the oven and for about ten minutes kept at the last-mentioned temperature, and then, while still hot, were poured into one-quarter inch glass tubes, each with a bulb at one end, and heated over a Bunsen burner at a temperature below a red heat, when more water vaporized and condensed in small clear globules on the cold parts of the tubes. Fresh portions of the coals were then taken, and the total amount of water determined, and the average was found to be 3.04, or 1.80 more than was found at the temperature of the water-bath, which was perhaps a little below 212° F., and .58 more than at 285° F. Tests were afterwards made by placing other fresh portions of the

Jan 1, 1877

By J. Blodget Britton

SIX different samples of anthracite, each a firm compact lump, were finely pulverized and immediately put in bottles. Portions of these were weighed and placed upon an ordinary water-bath and dried for one hour; the average loss was 1.24. The same portions were then placed in a hot-air oven, and for two hours kept at a temperature of 285&apos; F., and, after cooling in a dry chamber, were again weighed, when there was found a further average loss of 1.22, making a total so far of 2.46. They were then immediately returned to the oven and for two hours more kept at a temperature of 530&apos; F. and cooled and weighed again, when no further loss was found, but an average gain of .55 upon the previous weighing. The same portions were a third time placed in the oven and for about ten minutes kept at the last-mentioned temperature, and then, while still hot, were poured into one-quarter inch glass tubes, each with a bulb at one end, and heated over a Bunsen burner at a temperature below a red heat, when more water vaporized and condensed in small clear globules on the cold parts of the tubes. Fresh portions of the coals were then taken, and the total amount of water determined, and the average was found to be 3.04, or 1.80 more than was found at the temperature of the water-bath, which was perhaps a little below 212&apos; F., and .58 more than at 285&apos; F. Tests were afterwards made by placing other fresh portions of the

By Nicholas Kyriazi

The Bureau of Mines has been developing breathing and metabolic simulator technology since 1970. Breathing simulation has been widely achieved throughout the world and used in the testing of open-circuit breathing apparatus, but satisfactory metabolism simulation has not been achieved. This situation required that the testing of closed-circuit breathing apparatus, which are the only type used in mines, be done using human test subjects. The goal was a machine that could accurately simulate both the breathing and the metabolic functions of a human being for testing of closed-circuit breathing apparatus. The advantages of using such a machine instead of a human being for testing respiratory protective devices lie in its ability to quantify metabolic input, its repeatability, and the lack of a need to deal with the vagaries of human subjects. This report will describe the breathing and metabolic simulators that have been developed and used by the Bureau over the past 15 yr.

Jan 1, 1986

By T. D. Murphy

In the fall of 1988 it became evident that the accuracy of sulfur forecasts for Monterey Coal&apos;s No.1 Mine needed to be improved. In addition, it became necessary to predict if any individual train shipments during a month would exceed a contract sulfur limit. The challenge was to develop a forecasting process that would take into account the variability of the coal in the ground as well as the difference between laboratory and preparation plant sulfur reduction efficiency, and the effects of mining coal with multiple units. This paper describes how geostatistics and simulation techniques were used to meet this challenge.

Jan 1, 1992