Search Documents

By F. H. Willcox

This publication is the third of a series of reports on hazards and the prevention of accidents at blast-furnace plants that is being published by the Bureau of Mines, Technical Paper 106a being the first and Technical Paper 136b the second of the series. This bulletin, which is arranged in three parts, treats of the causes and prevention of blast-furnace breakouts, explosions, and slips. The first part discusses blast-furnace breakouts, the hazards therefrom, causes, and features of furnace design and methods of operation that tend to prevent breakouts or lessen their number, and points out safety measures to be adopted. The second part takes up the theory and causes of gas explosions at blast-furnace plants and reviews the better methods in use for handling gas. The third part analyzes the causes of hanging and scaffolding in blast furnaces, with the resulting slips that frequently cause injury to the plant and danger to the workmen, describes features of construction and furnace design and methods of operation employed to prevent hanging and slipping, and suggests precautions and safeguards.

Jan 1, 1917

By S. Espley, T. Nyabeze, D. Beneteau

"Many mentorship programs are available to Canadian mining industry employees. Some are company-led initiatives, whereas others are provided through educational institutions or nonprofit organizations. In 2016, a national survey was launched to gain insight into perceptions of what mentorship is, learn about available programs, and collate experiences with formal and informal mentorship opportunities. This paper outlines survey findings and delivers recommendations to industry for consideration in employee mentorship programs. In addition, mining industry leaders share their mentor/mentee perspectives. The intent of this paper is to bring awareness of best practices that can help employees grow and develop in their profession.RÉSUMÉ Les employés de l’industrie minière canadienne ont accès à de nombreux programmes d’encadrement. Certains sont des initiatives menées par les sociétés, d’autres sont proposées par le biais d’établissements d’enseignement ou d’organismes à but non lucratif. En 2016, une enquête à l’échelle nationale a été lancée en vue d’obtenir des informations quant à la perception de ce qu’est réellement l’encadrement, de découvrir les programmes proposés et de comparer les expériences aux possibilités d’encadrement, officielles ou non. Cet article présente les résultats de cette enquête et fournit des recommandations à l’intention de l’industrie afin qu’elle les prenne en compte dans ses programmes d’encadrement des employés. En outre, des chefs de file de l’industrie minière partagent leurs points de vue conseillers/protégés. L’intention de cet article est de sensibiliser les employés aux meilleures pratiques, ce qui les aidera à évoluer et à se développer dans leur profession. INTRODUCTIONThis paper about mentorship in the mining industry is based on voluntary responses to a cold survey, written and circulated by the authors. In 2016, a link to an online mentorship survey was circulated to males and females in the mining industry with the belief that mentorship programs should be available to everyone. The link was delivered via the authors’ personal networks in mining, the CIM Reporter, Women in Mining (WIM) email blasts, LinkedIn, and Facebook. This paper summarizes the answers to the survey questions. The paper is a follow up to one by the same authors (Nyabeze, Espley, & Beneteau, 2010), which was written to gain insight into why women join and stay in the mining industry, and to learn why the overall representation of women is low."

Jan 1, 2018

By Arthur W. Ruff

One of the major challenges to management in the mining industry today is the establishment and maintenance of positive and dynamic programs for cost control and cost reduction. To meet the challenge, management must have a good cost system. There are various types of cost accounting systems in use today: some companies check their, performance by comparing the costs incurred during one period with the costs incurred during previous periods, while others compare the current costs with estimated costs which the company considers desirable. A third type of system is a standard cost system which provides predetermined allowances for the various cost elements and operating activities. Such a system, based on sound standards, can be established to fix responsibility for cost performance in each segment of the operation; recognize the impact of volume or rate of activity by establishing a standard volume and evaluating departures: take into consideration fixed and variable costs and their dissimilar behaviour at varying levels of operations: and provide consistent and equitable yardsticks for measuring performance.

Jan 11, 1962

The state of sampling practice in South African minerals industry must be appreciated in the context of the changes that the country has recently lived through. These include the entrepreneurship and investment in local mineral developments, the 'unbundling of mineral assets', the rising foreign control of South Africa's mineral assets, developments in the regulatory environment, and the training that has come to the industry through international experts. In terms of their financial contribution the five most important commodities in the South African mining industry include gold, platinum, non-ferrous metals, ferrous metals, and coal. International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards form the basis for international trade in two of these commodities and have had a steadying influence on sampling practice over the years. The contribution of the minerals industry to the economic well-being of South Africa and the strong financial links between good sampling practice and minerals marketing, has acted as a driver for improved sampling practice. The state of sampling practice at mining operations of the five main commodities was found to be quite widely divergent with 'pockets of sampling excellence' in each of the commodities. The stages of mineral development at mines for each of the commodities have been described in terms of the sampling sites, sampling mechanisms, and associated problems at different stages of mineral production from exploration, through face sampling, blasthole sampling, and in-mine grade control, ore processing and handling, metallurgical subsampling, process subsampling, and subsampling in the laboratory. In each case the principal errors were identified and their potential impact on value erosion was estimated. In the final analysis it is evident that the greatest problems arise in the early stage of mineral development, and that ferrous metals and coal are particularly susceptible to loss of value through poor sampling practice. Several examples of value lost through poor sampling at the marketing stage that arise from breaching contract specifications, either in terms of grade or sizing, are described. The conclusion is that larger companies with larger ore deposits and greater human, financial, and capital resources are probably more compliant with 'best sampling practice' than smaller companies. Finally the message that equipment suppliers are sending is that business is booming and the awakened awareness of the issues around sampling practice are translating into rands and cents spent on improved sampling equipment.

Mar 1, 2010

By J. H. Welsh

This Bureau of Mines report presents guidelines to be considered in the design, installation, and operation of environmental mine monitoring systems in underground coal mines so as to enhance safety in the U.S. mining industry. A review of the current status of mine monitoring in the United States is also provided.

Jan 1, 1987

By Joshua Hoffman

The recruitment and retention of future talent into the explosives industry is becoming increasingly important. Student chapters help with this effort but what are they doing and are there things they could learn from each other? This paper discusses the University of Kentucky Student Chapter's efforts to grow membership, retain its recruits, and integrate them into the explosives industry. Several social and professional events during which the students are able to meet and network with members of their future industry are introduced. The special relationship that has been fostered between the University of Kentucky and Missouri University of Science and Technology is discussed. Professional development initiatives which are critical for a student to become vested in the industry are shared in this paper. These opportunities which range from internships to research positions allow a person to get a better understanding of the explosives industry and find the niche that best suits them. Many of the student chapters are closely connected with engineering programs. While this makes sense and both entities benefit from these arrangements there is a trend of job placement primarily in the engineering industry. By providing these students with the chance to learn more about the explosives industry and get hands on experience more of these future engineers and professionals can be retained after their graduation.

Jan 1, 2013

By B. J. Moore

This publication contains routine analyses and related source data for 528 natural gas samples from 21 States collected during calendar year 1965 as part of a continuous survey of the United States for occurrences of helium in natural gas. This survey has been conducted by the Bureau of Mines since 1917. The analyses published herein were made by mass spectrometer and a special helium analysis apparatus, which are described in Bureau of Mines Bulletins 4863 and 576.4

Jan 1, 1966

By Robert H. Peters

The objective of the project descibed in this report was to design and field test a model health and safety program at a coal mining company and a gold mining company. The model program was implemented primarily by providing training on loss control, accident investigation, and the operation of mobile equipment; and by providing technical assistance to help solve health and safety problems. Data were obtained from company records on occupational injuries, illnesses, accidents, and "near misses"; and through direct observation of employees performing a large number of randomly selected jobs. At the coal mine, employees were observed five times over a 15-month period. At the gold mine, employees were observed six times over a 16-month period. During the study, the percentage of sampled jobs containing one or more safety deficiencies decreased from 74.3 pct to 36.6 pct at the coal mine and from 86.4 pct to 19.1 pct at the gold mine. Work on this project was performed by Woodward Associates, Inc., under a Bureau of Mines contract.

Jan 1, 1986

By Gene R. Reid

The contract objective is the development of an Automatic Fire Control System for Mobile Underground Metal Mining Equipment. The Phase I Report, which described the projected data handling plan, was published on July 24, 1975. The Phase II effort covered the period from July 24 through December 2 and accomplished the following objectives: ? Acquisition of data in accordance with the project data handling plan. Data were acquired through visits to twenty mine sites in ten states and Canada; visits to Bureau of Mines and MESA facilities; visits to mobile equipment manufacturers; and an extensive literature search. ? Analysis of accumulated data which provided the following specific types of design inputs: selection of the type of mobile underground equipment found to represent the greatest overall fire hazard; typical operating conditions for the vehicle; characteristics of the reported fire experiences; and performance, cost and maintenance factors affecting potential purchases of automatic fire control systems for underground mining equipment. ? Development of the AFCS design concept. Utilizing the data analysis results and considering the state-of-the-art of fire control system components, a recommended design concept was developed with particular emphasis placed on the need for a low cost and reliable system. Design trade-off studies are provided for the recommended system and for four alternate system concepts.

Jan 1, 1975

By D Kilkenny, D Nardini, P Kline

This paper is a case study highlighting learnings and success in two areas challenging underground miners: change management and collaboration. It examines the implementation process of a new automated loading system in the bulk stoping area of Telfer Mine in Western Australia, controlling multiple load haul dump machines. Here, the new technology has brought together different functions and different companies to deliver a well performing automation system in a changing and challenging mining environment. The introduction of a new and different technology on site has driven collaboration between all stakeholders to break down the traditional barriers to achieve the sustained performance required. Historically, different teams have operated within silos and not always aligned to deliver a ‘best for project’ solution. Technical teams focus on the mine design, maintenance teams focus on reliability and operations execute the plan. Mining contractors focus on productivity and cost. Manufacturers focus on supply of goods and service. Optimising each silo individually is not guaranteed to provide an optimal mining solution. Involving elements from each team as seen at Telfer, has resulted in an optimal mining solution for the automated loading system. A change of focus from the technical teams to include automation parameters in the mine design; operability and maintainability built into the system design allowing for collective ownership and responsibility resulting in a more resilient solution. The implementation of the new technology was not only a technical change but more importantly, successful management of change. Elements of successful change management such as communication, vision, leadership and planning, are essential to harness a trusting site culture which is responsive to new technology. Learnings and challenges from this change process will also be discussed with the intent to improve the success rate and timelines of technology implementations in the future.

Mar 15, 2021

By J. B. Platt

Many utility fuel choices 1990-95 defied expectations, with utility decisions and coal market developments ever more closely linked. The Central Appalachian coal boom never occurred; clean-enough coal was developed in the hard-hit Midwest; Colorado-Utah coal surged; Pittsburgh seam production strengthened; utilities embraced Powder River Basin coal; and emission allowance prices collapsed. Competition drove productivity gains, but the future is not a simple repeat. Phase 2 brings fewer viable compliance options. Mega-railroad pricing has become a key risk factor --will this be countermanded by merging utilities and power market competition? Revenue losses from vintage contracts are problematic. Uncertainty also plagues natural gas, in spite of unanimity across major forecasts, since recent experience has been so heavily influenced by the gas bubble.

Jan 1, 1997

By M. D. Marshall

A remote heat-activated stench gas/tracer gas mine alarm system was developed to reduce the time between fire detection and personnel notification. The stench gas/ tracer gas system contains ethyl mercaptan for personnel warning and a fluorocarbon for tracer gas detection by instrumentation. A system was also developed which can be interfaced with multiplex mine phones. In-mine tests were conducted and several systems are presently installed in a hard rock mine.

Jan 1, 1983

By R. A. Cattell

Since the return of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Division of the Bureau of Mines to normal peacetime functions following World War II, a coordinated program of oil and gas development and production research has been in prog- ress, and the importance of the problems has been evaluated so that the Bureau can render greater service to the oil and gas industry. Among the problems associated with development and production research, those concerned with efficient utilization of the Nation's reserves of hydro- carbons contained in gas-condensate type reservoirs continue to receive major emphasis. For a number of years an important part of the Bureau's work has been the study of two pressing problems associated with production from such reservoirs; first; an investigation of fluid properties, and the second, finding a means of controlling corrosion. Studies of the characteristics of gas-condensate fluids have resulted in the publication of a number of reports, which cover a broad field. In general they deal with subjects such as the properties of a fluid from a well; development of research equipment, means of combatting corrosion, and the many aspects of gas-condensate engineering. To provide experimental data on relative liquid and gas volumes and critical pressures and temperatures, a windowed cell was constructed that permits ob- servation of the fluid phase while making the tests. Experimentation in the field on the use of inhibitors to control corro- sion of equipment in gas-condensate wells has disclosed that solutions of chromate are effective retardants of corrosion. Engineering field studies of the Carthage and New Hope gas-condensate fields are in progress, and reports on the Sheridan and Lake Creek fields have been completed. Following a plan of making studies of important newly discovered oil fields, the Bureau is investigating the physical properties of reservoir oil

Dec 1, 1948

By Eleanor Abshire

This bibliography is the second in a series that covers the current technical literature relating to the metallurgy of zirconium. The rapid advance in zirconium technology makes it mandatory that abstracts be prepared and compiled as soon as possible to have maximum value; therefore, the information in this volume is not arranged chronologically. As a service to research and production groups, succeeding bibliographies will be issued as new acquisitions accumulate in the Zirconium Information Center sponsored by the Department of the Navy, Bureau of Ships and the Bureau of Mines at the Bureau's Northwest Electrodevelopment Laboratory, Albany, Oreg. The initial volume, Information Circular 7771, Bibliography of Zirconium, covering 969 abstracted reports and 645 United States and foreign patents, was published in April 1957.

Jan 1, 1958

By Norman L. Wimmler

Active placer mining in Alaska began near Juneau in 1880, but the first gold rush did not start until 1896; then the discovery of the Klondike brought gold seekers from all parts of the world. A few of the newcomers were experienced miners, but the majority knew nothing whatever of placer mining. Even those who were placer miners of much experience found entirely new conditions, notably frozen ground, that presented many difficult problems. As a result, numerous methods of mining and of thawing frozen ground were tried. From these trials the practice described in this bulletin has been developed. All known placer fields in Alaska have been mined to some extent, and some have been virtually exhausted. In most districts, however, there remain large quantities of low-grade gravel and also some small isolated areas of comparatively rich gravels which could not be successfully mined because of adverse physical conditions. These districts are now the scene of most placer mining, including dredging, hydraulicking, drifting, mechanical methods of open-cut mining, and ground sluicing (or booming) followed by " shoveling-in."

Jan 1, 1927

By Thomas J. Peters

The U.S. Bureau of Mines and the U.S. Geological Survey are responsible for the evaluation of the mineral resources and potential of further planning areas included in the U.S. Forest Service Roadless Area Review and Evaluation (RARE II) program. The Bureau of Mines primarily evaluates mineral deposits and prospects within the areas. The Geological Survey naps the area's geology and conducts geochemical sampling. Evaluations are in conformance with the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 as amended by the National Forest Management Act of 1976. The Hauser RARE II area, which consists of 7,600 acres (3,100 ha) within the Cleveland National Forest, is in southern San Diego County, California. The area, which forms the north slope of Hauser Canyon, ranges between 1,600 and 3,919 ft (490 m) in elevation. It is sparsely to densely covered with desert shrubs. The area is underlain by granitic rocks of the Peninsular Ranges batholith.

Jan 1, 1983

By H. R. Babitzke, H. Kato, M. D. Carver

A number of columbium and tantalum alloys were investigated to determine their suitability for use at elevated temperatures . Columbium-vanadium , tantalum-vanadium , and tantalum-hafnium alloys , and also columbium- 10 wt pct titanium alloys modified with additions of 0.1 to 2 mole pct ZrO2 , TiO2 , ZrB₂ , TiB , ZrC, or TiC were prepared and examined . Workability , tensile properties , and oxidation resistance were tested . Of the columbium alloys studied , the columbium- 12 at . pct vanadium exhibited the best properties ; it compared closely with the columbium- 10 at . pct vanadium alloy studied in a previous investigation.

Jan 1, 1964

By D Gagnon, P Bouchard, F Vanier, E Soares de Lima Filho, J El-Haddad, M Sabsabi, G J. Wilkie, A Beauchesne, A Hamel, A Blouin, T Vaillancourt, F Boismenu, A Harhira, A Plugatyr, C Padioleau

Quantitative mineralogy is an established discipline in the geosciences and is aimed at providing mineral grade and texture information for geological and mineral processing applications. The two core technologies underpinning Quantitative Mineralogical Analysis (QMA) are Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) in combination with Energy-dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS). Technologies such as QEMSCAN and MLA are now routinely used to optimise the performance of large-scale mineral processing plants in the base and precious metal sectors. One of the major disadvantages of the QMA methods used today is extensive sample preparation requirements which make application of this technique to real-time mineralogical characterization not feasible. A breakthrough has been achieved by the National Research Council Canada in collaboration with CRC ORE by developing a novel Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) based technology capable of real-time mineralogical characterization of process streams without sample preparation. The potential applications of this technology include, but not limited to, in-pit muck piles, underground draw points, cross-belt analysis as well as slurries. This paper describes the development of the LIBS-based technology from a proof-of-concept (TRL2) to the construction of a prototype sensor and its validation in a simulated environment (TRL5). Future work is being planned to test and further validate the LIBS sensor on a mine-site which will progress the technology to its next readiness level (TRL6).

Nov 10, 2020

By Donald Hulse

"Mining has been a source of controversy for at least 500 years. “Since there has always been the greatest disagreement amongst men concerning metals and mining, some praising, others utterly condemning them…” (Agricola, 1556). In 2016, it is widely recognized that mineral resources and reserves must give due regard to the social license in order to operate.“Most commonly, the social license to operate (SLO) is understood to refer to ‘the ongoing acceptance and approval of a [project] by local community members and other stakeholders that can affect its profitability’ (Moffat, 2014).” “Social License to Operate has gained traction, in part, because it is also a concept which – while remaining poorly, technically defined – is generally easily and widely understood by community stakeholders (Bice, 2014).”A generation ago we learned that mining is based on a stable platform supported by three pillars, geology, mining and metallurgy. The three-legged stool is a very stable structure (Fig. 1).In 2016, it seems that we have added some other legs to the stool (Fig 2). The Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves (JORC Code) addresses “social, and governmental factors…” (JORC 2012), and refers specifically to social license in Section 4 of the Report Template “Estimation and Reporting of Ore Reserves.”The Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) Guidelines refer to “environmental, legal and social data…(CIM 2003).”Compared to these, the 2014 SME Guide is positively verbose stating “a discussion of any potential social or community related requirements and plans for the project and the status of any negotiations or agreements with local communities,” (SME 2014) although in all cases the scope of this disclosure is left at the discretion of the competent person.When there are more than three legs on the stool, it is imperative that all legs be constructed exactly to the design. Any one or more legs that are out of alignment will cause the stool to wobble.Engineers are trained to create designs to meet specifications. Loads can be estimated, forces calculated and cost studies completed that will lead to, not only a stable design, but the most efficient design that meets the specifications."

Jan 1, 2015

By J. W. Thompson

LIMESTONE DEPOSITS. Limestone deposits that have not been demonstrated to be of such quality as to give them any substantial value over other limestone deposits of the same region, are not regarded as minerals. Gray Trust Co., In re, 47 Land Decisions 18, p. 20. OIL AS A MINERAL. Oil is a mineral substance and its removal will greatly impair the value of the land from which it is removed. Texas & Pacific Coal & Oil Co. v. Howard. Southwestern 735, p. 737. Tex. Clv. App. 212 OIL AND GAS AS MINERALS OWNERSHIP. Oil and gas are minerals and so long as they remain in place they belong to the owner of the land under which they are found and such owner has the right to explore for the oil and gas on or under his land and when found to remove and possess the same. Kimbley v. Luckey, Okla. - 179 Pacific 928, p. 831. OWNERSHIP OF MINERALS LACHES NO BAR. The owner of minerals in land can not be barred by laches for failing to assert his ownership where his title had not been ques- tioned and his right invaded. No lapse of time bars one's right to property and it is only in case his right has been invaded that it can be barred by laches.

Jan 1, 1920