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By Nenad Spoljaric

Greensand, greensand marl, and green earth are names given to sediments rich in the bluish green to greenish black mineral known as glauconite. The word glauconite is derived from the Greek word glaukos, meaning bluish green. The term "greensand" as a rock name for a glauconite-bearing sediment is more appropriate than "greensand marl," a term that has been doggedly perpetuated in the literature. Because of its potash and phosphate content, greensand was mined and marketed as a natural fertilizer and soil conditioner for more than 100 years. The advent of manufactured fertilizers with adjustable nutrient ratios led to a decline in the use of greensand in agriculture. The material has since been recognized as useful in water treatment. Unfortunately, despite large reserves and world- wide distribution, glauconite has not been utilized to any significant commercial extent because no major application has been found for a substance with its chemical composition and properties. This is probably due mostly to a paucity of research on its potential commercial uses. Extraction of potash received considerable attention during and just after World War I. Because of relatively high extraction costs and a generally low potash content (viz., less than 8%), glauconite lost its appeal as a source of this commodity. Historical Background Greensand was used as a fertilizer in New Jersey in the latter part of the 1700s. During the early 1800s its use became more common; applications of as much as 22.5 kg/m2 were sometimes made, although recommendations for agricultural use suggested 4.5 to 11 kg/m2 (Tedrow, 1957). Many crops, especially the forage type, were said to improve with greensand application; however, because of its slow release of potash, large quantities were required. Certain greensands that contain sulfur and sulfide minerals are harmful to plant growth, and these were classified as poison, burning, or black marls. The availability of higher grade potash salts from other mineral sources and the manufacture of prepared fertilizers displaced the agricultural use of greensand during the latter 1800s. During the mid-1800s the greensand industry, centered in a small section of the eastern United States, grossed more than $500,000/y. Toward the end of the century, however, annual production had dwindled to less than $100,000 in value. By 19 10 there were only six or eight greensand producers grossing less than $5,000/y each (Tyler, 1934). There was a brief revival of the US industry during World War I because of the curtailment of foreign potash, especially from Germany. During the latter 1940s and early 1950s greensand was again recommended as a food nutrient for plants and farm crops. Agronomic studies discussed its potential as a soil additive that gradually releases potash and many trace element nutrients essential for plant growth (Tedrow, 1957). Greensand was sold with the idea that it would condition soil and absorb and hold water while its base exchange properties would release trace elements. For a short time glauconite was used in certain parts of New Jersey as a binding additive in the brick industry, and in the 1800s it was used for making green glass (Cook, 1868). In the early 1900s the base exchange properties of glauconite were recognized for water treatment and the mineral gained acceptance as a water softener. Mansfield (1922) does not mention base exchange even though this phenomenon was known in 1916 or earlier. From 1916 through 1922 several patents for the use of glauconite as a water softening agent were granted. A method was also patented for treating greensand to improve it for water softening and ready regeneration with common sodium chloride brine (Borrowman, 1920, Spencer, 1924, Kriegsheim and Vaughan, 1930). Treated glauconite, on contact with water containing magnesia or lime, takes up magnesium or calcium ions and releases sodium ions. This exchange is limited to the outer surface of glauconite grains, and when all the surfaces have absorbed their capacity, the grains must be regenerated. Regeneration, simply stated, consists of treating or backwashing the glauconite with a sodium chloride solution, which replaces the hard water elements with sodium, thus reviving the glauconite. The process has become more sophisticated due to competition among companies in the water softening business. Greensand products for water softening generally consisted of several different grades distinguished by the particular treatment the glauconite was given during processing. The standard greensand water softener was produced from natural glauconite that was only washed and classified. Its characteristics for water softening are given in [Table 1].

Jan 1, 1994

By M. Nichols

Where am I? Where are they? Where is it? These are the fundamental questions that need to be answered in managing people and resources. This paper explains how GPS positioning technologies answer those fundamental questions and provide better information management from initial exploration work through daily mine operations to reclamation work and environmental monitoring.

Jan 1, 1998

By Michael Kelly

Inertial navigation technology has, for the first time, allowed the position of a longwall shearer to be mapped in three dimensions. Following the success of the technology in highwall mining and successful trials on a longwall face, the Australian Coal Association Research Program (ACARP) commissioned a three year "Landmark" project that aimed to advance longwall automation to the level of "on-face observation" by the end of 2004. This project has been completed with the following successful technical outcomes: Automatic face alignment was achieved, using an inertial navigation-based sensor on the shearer, to accurately measure face geometry and feedback signals used to move OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) roof supports. Operational on-line measurement of creep with creep information incorporated into face alignment corrections. Inertial Navigation System (INS)-based enhanced horizon control was bench-tested. Operational broadband communications system to shearer using wireless Ethernet on a commercial-product basis. Acquisition of located coal-face features for use in thermal infrared-based horizon control. Automated Longwall Information System (LIS) developed which integrates information from multiple systems and sensors and provides high quality visualisation and control interfaces. Automatic roadway and face convergence monitoring tools successfully tested. Condition monitoring tools developed and demonstrated for improved face reliability. This paper summarises the outcomes of the project and describes the work being undertaken for the 2 year Landmark Extension project approved in April 2005. Consistent with the conference theme, the paper focuses on the ground control aspects of the project.

Jan 1, 2005

By João Batista Ferreira Neto

A escória de aciaria pode ser uma alternativa como mistura para o cimento portland, substituindo parcialmente a escória de alto-forno. Um processo pirometalúrgico tem sido desenvolvido para promover a modificação química da escória de aciaria LD. Os experimentos foram realizados através da refusão de 300 kg de escória de aciaria LD, seguido de sua modificação no estado líquido. Essas escórias foram resfriadas com o uso de esferas metálicas. Análises de fluorescência de raios–X (FRX) e microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV) das escórias revelaram uma relação entre composição química, condição de resfriamento e a formação de fases cristalina ou vítrea. As amostras de cimento foram obtidas através da mistura de 25% de escória modificada e 75% de cimento Portland, resultando em mais de 280 J/g de calor de hidratação acumulado em 72h, expansão abaixo de 0,1% em ensaio em autoclave e resistências à compressão acima de 42 MPa com 28 dias. O processo mostra potencial para ser aplicado no tratamento de escória de aciaria LD.

Aug 17, 2017

By José Velasquez, Peter Espinoza

El presente estudio se centra en el cálculo y análisis de las velocidades de las ondas P y S, y su relación con el mapeo geomecánico en diferentes formas (GSI, RMR, Q), con el objetivo de establecer que el parámetro “b” y su relación con estas velocidades son indicadores estructurales de la calidad de las rocas en yacimientos mineros. Esto proporcionaría una aproximación más precisa del mapeo geomecánico realizado por medio del sistema de monitoreo microsísmico instalado en la mina Pencas de la veta Choloque en la U.P. Marañón correspondiente a Compañía Minera Poderosa S.A. y su evaluación en campo

Sep 29, 2023

By William B. Phillips

It would be hard to find a mineral region that has been more beset with " processes" for the extraction of gold from auriferous sulphides than North Carolina. And it would be hard to find a mineral region less sought by capital. So many promising mines have come to grief here (perhaps because they were too "promising"), SO many "processes" have been tried and abandoned, so much expensive machinery has been bought and thrown aside, that to invite money here for investing in gold mines is almost sure to cause a smile of incredulity, or a sigh of disappointed hopes. Within the writer's personal knowledge, at least five disastrous failures have followed the introduction of as many processes. It would seem as

Jan 1, 1889

By R. H. Busch, S. M. Loscutoff, F. T. Cross, R. E. Filipy, P. J. Mihalko, R. F. Palmer

INTRODUCTION During the last decade, several studies in France (e.g., Perraud et al. , 1970; Chameaud et al., 1974, 1979 and 1980) and the United States (e.g., Stuart et al., 1978; Cross et al., 1978, 1980 and 1981) have demonstrated the systematic production of emphysema, fibrosis and tumors in the lungs of animals exposed to radon daughters alone or to mixtures of uranium-mine air contaminants. The studies in beagle dogs have been particularly interesting because of the uncertain etiology of the disease and the (apparently) diverse results of the studies at the University of Rochester and the Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL). In the Rochester studies, reported by Morken (1973), beagle dogs were exposed to "normal" room air dust loads and radon daughters from 200 to 10,000 WLM*, delivered in 1 to 50 days (rate of delivery, about 200 WLM per day of exposure). Histological examination of tissues was conducted at 1, 2 and 3 years after exposure for all exposure levels. No cancers were noted in these dogs that received estimated alveolar doses of 34 to 1700 rad (0.34 to 17 Gy). Pathologic changes were found only in the alveolar and bronchiolar regions of the lung. These changes were small, subtle, variable, and widely separated, involving only a very small fraction of lung tissue. Lesions appeared as focal thickening of alveolar septa, with some metaplasia of alveolar cells and some hyperplasia of bronchial epithelium. In the PNL experiments reported by Cross et al. (1978), beagle dogs were exposed in lifespan studies to mixtures of radon daughters (rate of delivery, about 14 WLM per day of exposure), uranium ore dust and cigarette smoke. One group of dogs was exposed to cigarette smoke alone. Except in control and smoke-only groups, the dogs died within 4' years of the first radon daughter exposure, or were killed when death appeared imminent because of pulmonary insufficiency (characterized by rapid, shallow breathing). Control and smoke-only animals were killed at periods corresponding to highmortality periods in the groups exposed to radon daughters and mixtures of uranium ore dust and cigarette smoke. Emphysema and fibrosis were much more prevalent and severe in the lungs of dogs exposed to the mixtures. These dogs also had adenomatous lesions, which progressed to squamous metaplasia of alveolar epithelium, epidermoid carcinoma and bronchioloalveolar carcinoma. Pathologic changes in the upper airways of these dogs were most prominent in the nasal mucosa, and included a few squamous carcinomas in the nasal cavity. Respiratory tract neoplasia was noted after ~4 years exposure and at cumulative exposures exceeding approximately 12,000 WLM. Apart from differences in associated carrier aerosol (room air dust vs. uranium ore dust) and radon-daughter exposure rate (200 WLM/day, shortduration exposure vs. 14 WLM/day, long-duration exposure), the most obvious difference in the Rochester and PNL studies was the observation time following exposure (3 years maximum vs. >4 years). Although neoplasia may not have been observed in the Rochester animals because of the earlier termination of the experiments, it is surprising that other lesions, such as prominent fibrosis and emphysema, were not reported. A follow-up study (reported here) is currently in progress at PNL to determine the pathogenic role of uranium ore dust alone and, in particular, to clarify the role of the ore dust in the production of the massive pulmonary fibrosis observed in the earlier study. Pulmonary function testing (a recently acquired capability) was included in the follow-up study as an indicator of progressive change in lung tissue. MATERIALS AND METHODS Chronic (4 hr/day, 5 days/week) exposures began when the dogs were about 2 1/2 years old. Two identical exposure chambers provided space for simultaneous, head-only exposure of 24 dogs to ~l5 mg/m3 carnotite uranium ore dust. An aerosol diffusion system was incorporated in each chamber in order to channel fresh aerosol past each dog's head; uranium ore dust was added to the inlet room air with Wright Dust Feed Mechanisms* (WDFM). Uranium ore dust and condensation nuclei concentrations were measured daily; chamber aerosols were monitored occasionally for particle-size distributions as described for previous hamster experiments (Cross et al., 1981). The carnotite ore used in these experiments, from the Mitten mine in Utah, was furnished in 1970 through the Grand Junction, CO Office of the (then) U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (now the Department

Jan 1, 1981

By M. J. Preim

Two case histories are presented on the evaluation of static bearing capacity of piles driven in soils that exhibit time dependent strength changes. Under consideration are a steel and a concrete pile driven into soils generally consisting of silty and clayey fine sand. Pile dynamic measurements and analyses were performed on both piles during initial installation, and also during restrike one week later. This information was used to predict each pile's long term capacity (defined as 14 days after initial drive), which was then compared to that measured with a static load test. Agreement between predicted and measured capacities were remarkably good, with an average error of only 4.5 percent. Two weeks after driving, total pile capacities were three times those at the end of drive. If only the skin friction was considered, however, it increased by an average factor of 16. The increase in pile capacity was determined to be linear over the time period considered.

Jan 1, 1989

The use of belt air in underground coal mines has been a continuous discussion since it was first introduced in the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act (Coal Act) of 1969. Although the Coal Act prohibits the use of belt air to ventilate active workings, there were two exceptions prior to the 2004 Final Rule. There have been several major studies/rule-proposals by MSHA since 1985 and the most recent of which is the Technical Study Panel (TSP) established by the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response (MINER) Act of 2006 to study the use of belt air and related issues. This paper reviews the history of belt air use, its associated controver-sies, and more specifically, the 20 recommendations unanimously approved by the TSP.

Jan 1, 2009

By Hokuichiro Ohmachi

INTRODUCTION Metallic minerals have been formed only through complex geologic processes which took place at certain stages of the earth's histrory. Their concentration, abundance, and distribution are, therefore, restricted geologically, and very small in global scale. Ore is a mineral deposit or mineral concentration from which metals can be economically extracted by the contemporaneous technology. By this definition, several factors should be considered before any mineral deposit is regarded as an ore. The grade of mineral concentration and the scale of the reserve are most important. Demand for the metal and its price are the other factors. Advancement of technology in mining and extraction are also vital. Copper, for example, is now commonly extracted from the ores containing less than 0.3% of the metal. However, in the 1700's the common minerable grade was about 13%, and in the 1900's between 5 to 2.5%. This decrease in minerable grade is a function of not only the demand for copper, but also technological progress in mining and metal extraction in this case. Availability of ores has recently been subject to political factors, which were not the primary concern in the past. The petroleum of the Middle East is the prominent example. The metallic minerals are classified into three categories. The first one is the minerals free from these factors mentioned above. Iron and manganese belong to this category. The second category include aluminum, copper, nickel, cobalt, titanium, lead and zinc. These metals can be provided by the future progress in technology which enables the use of lower grade deposits. The third one represents the metals whose occurrence is geologically limited, and, thus, subject to the political factors. Niobium and tantalium are the example. In this article, I discuss these minerals in detail to give an outline of the factors which brought their concentration, distribution and availability. SELECTED MINERAL CONCENTRATIONS Iron Major iron ore deposits are the features of the relics of ancient continental crusts. They are found in all the continents where the Precambrian rocks expose. They do not occur in the oldest rocks (3,000my old) nor in the youngest ones (600my old). They are sedimentary rocks, normally, exhibiting alternations of bands of iron oxides (magnetite and hematite) or iron silicates (especially greenalite), and bands of silica, variously described as jasper, quartzite and chert. The best known banded iron ore deposits exist in the Lake Superior region of the North America, and their distribution extends at intervals to Labrador of Canada. Other examples occur in the U.S.S.R. Brazil, Venezela, India, the mainland China, and southern and western Africa (Liberia and Guines) (Table 1). Recently large deposits have been discovered in the Hammersley region of the western Australia, and northern and central region of Brazil. These ore deposits were originally formed in shallow seas where simple but abundant life existed. After the deposition, enrichment processes , related to tropical weathering, have brought about wholesale removal of silica to produce the deposits of best quality. Ores with 50-60% iron represent the best products in the Precambrian fields. Since local reserves of this high grade ores approach to exhaustion, benefication processes have been used effectively to upgrade much leaner ores (for example, taconite with 20-25% iron in Minesota, U.S.A.). There are two other types of iron deposits. Ironstone, a sedimentary rock containing goethite, chamosite and siderite, first appeared in early Paleozoic times in the stratigraphic record, and reached its Zenith in the Jurassic. Similar bedded iron deposits are found in the belt from the Cleveland Hills to Oxford in England, and in the "minette" oolitic ores of Alsace-Lorraine in Luxenburg and France. The iron content of these ironstones seldom exceed 30%, but they usually contain calcite and are self-fluxing. They also have phosphorous as undesirable impurity. Because of the grade and impurities, they require more fuel than the Precambrian ores. The third type of iron ore is associated with igneous activity and consists of magnetite and some hematite, and apatite. This deposit is believed to be a product of magmatic differenciation. It occurs in Kiruna of Arctic Sweden. The iron ore, therefore, present no global shortage problem. They extend to considerable depths. Their concentration is largest among the metals. If low grades were treated, the resource can be stepped up much substantially. Manganese Manganese is a ferro--alloy metal, thus, essential to the manufacture of sound steel. Manganese comes from manganese oxide and silicate ores. Many minerals contain manganese, but only a few oxides, silicates, and, in some places, carbonates (rhodecrosite) are mined as ore. Types of manganese deposits are bedded, massive,

Jan 1, 1982

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 Satyajit Vaidya, Rudolph Frizzi, Luis Berroteran

This paper presents design and construction challenges associated with a high-capacity rock-socketed drilled pile foundation system for a 60-story building recently constructed in an urban environment. The site is in very close proximity to surrounding 1-to-6-story buildings and a commuter rail subway tunnel structure. High compression, uplift, and lateral loads imposed by the tall, slender tower constructed over a relatively small site footprint posed a significant design challenge due to the close proximity of the subway tunnel and other structures. Construction challenges included those associated with advancing the drilled pile casings through overburden materials using internal flush method mandated by the Transit Agency, advancing the casings through very dense glacial till materials encountered above top of rock, and drilling rock sockets in variable rock conditions. This paper provides a brief overview of the site and subsurface conditions, and discusses the resulting design and construction challenges for the drilled pile foundation system and how they were addressed. SITE AND SUBSURFACE CONDITIONS The 8,350-square-foot site is located in a busy neighborhood in downtown New York City (NYC). Buildings neighboring the site are supported on shallow foundations, and their basements extend about 15 feet below the sidewalk level. A NYC-Landmarked building is located within a NYC Department of Buildings (DOB)-designated 90-foot influence limit from the Project site. NYC Transit Authority (NYCTA) subway tunnel and station structures are located in close proximity to the Project site. The subway tunnel structure extends about 50 to 55 feet below the sidewalk level. Although the upper portion of the tunnel structure is about 13.5 feet away from the site property line, the lower portion is only about 1 foot away from the property line. A site location plan is presented as Fig. 1. Geotechnical borings revealed subsurface conditions generally consisting of successive strata of surficial fill, sandy and silty soils, and glacial till (predominantly consisting of cobbles and boulders) overlying mica schist bedrock. A generalized subsurface profile is presented in Fig. 2. The surficial fill stratum was about 10 to 23 feet thick, and generally consisted of loose to medium dense sandy soils with varying proportions of silt, gravel, and miscellaneous debris such as brick. The underlying sandy and silty soil stratum was about 60 to 79 feet thick and generally consisted of loose to medium dense inter-bedded layers of fine to coarse sand, silty fine sand, and silt. The underlying glacial till stratum was about 26 to 70 feet thick and generally consisted of cobbles and boulders embedded in a very dense soil matrix. Top of bedrock was encountered in the borings about 110 to 150 feet below sidewalk level. Groundwater level was measured at about 30 feet below sidewalk level.

Jan 1, 2018

By Thomas L, Archibald N

The use of oxygen in the Mount Percy cyanidation circuit was investigated, with the aim of improving recovery. Preliminary batch and plant testwork justified a plant trial, and it was demonstrated that the use of oxygen reduced gold leachable from plant tailings by 12 per cent, and was economically viable. Oxygen is now in permanent use. Other benefits of oxygen in leaching were not proven. There were no savings on compressed air costs and no measurable reduction in cyanide consumption, although HCN levels in the atmosphere above the tanks declined. The possibility exists that more efficient use of compressed air for tank aeration could have achieved similar recovery gains.

Jan 1, 1992

By Timo Niitti, Antti Rinne, Janne Turunen, Klaus Schommarz, Sami Grönstrand

This paper captures the essential steps employed in developing Outotec?s new FloatForceTM mechanism. The development of a flotation mechanism essentially revolves around the efficient transfer of installed power, or capital cost, to optimum flotation performance. Optimum flotation performance will be achieved if a balance between metallurgical results, operating and capital costs is maintained. The development of the FloatForceTM mechanism was done by careful evaluation of each of these three areas. This paper focuses on how experience, CFD and laboratory equipment, pilot and plant tests are used to test and evaluate a new flotation mechanism. Validated variables include mixing profile, power draw and local air hold-up. Metallurgical and mechanical design considerations are not covered in this paper. Besides using the FloatForceTM mechanism in new flotation equipment, the FloatForceTM mechanism can be used in existing flotation cell installations, thus enabling improvements in the mixing profiles, solids suspension and metallurgical performance of operating flotation circuits. Results of several tests carried out in existing plant operations are presented.

Jan 1, 2007

By William Kelly, F. H. Armstrong

The object of this paper is to describe the electric equipment at the iron-ore mines of Penn Iron Mining Co., Vulcan, Mich. and of Republic Iron Co., Republic, Mich.; to give the results of tests; and to discuss the methods in use from an operating as well as from an efficiency standpoint. Electricity was introduced at the Penn mines for pumping, hoisting, and compressing air in the spring of 1907, upon the completion of a hydro-electric plant built by that company on the Menominee river about 4 miles from the mines. This plant was described in a paper1 presented before the Lake Superior Mining Institute. A paper2 presented at a meeting of the same Institute describes some of the operating features, and the safety devices of the electric hoist at the Curry shaft were briefly described in the Proceedings of the First Co-operative Safety Congress held under the auspices of the Association of Iron and Steel Electrical Engineers at Milwaukee, Wis., Sept. 30 to Oct. 5, 1912. Generating PoweR Plants After the success of electrical operation was assured, a second set of water wheels and generator was installed at the falls, for which provision had been made in the original design and in the construction of the foundations, and later three additional wires were added to the main transmission line, doubling its capacity and reducing the line loss. The general conditions of this installation are particularly favorable for hydro-electric operation. In the neighborhood of three-fourths of the power used is for mine pumping, which in the main is regular and continuous. For air compressing, power is used for about 18 hr. a day for five days, and 9 hr. for one day in the week, though occasionally when shaft sinking is going on a very small amount of compressed air may be

Jan 1, 1915

By Witkowski A

I have the pleasure to present 6 excellent papers in this section all of major relevance to the mining environment of today where competing social, legal and monetary interests and their often complex interaction require serious consideration. This is particularly true today where huge fluctuations in commodity prices makes mining a perilous undertaking while the world increasingly are becoming aware of the serious threat that mans activities has on his environment. The 6 papers deal with such complex issues as safety in an underground environment; How to protect sensitive wetlands well into the next century; The enormeous waterproblems in China and conflicting dewatering/water supply needs; Disposal of contaminated water in sensitive areas and the dynamic interaction between mining companies and legislation.

Jan 1, 1988

By Boyd Guthrie

The current use of Mid - Continent crude oil for the manufacture of war products , such as aviation gasoline and lubricating cil , has caused an acute shortage of available supply from established sources . Therefore , refiners who heretofore have had no reason to use West Texas crude oils now are considering them as charging stock and need more information concerning their characteristics . The Bureau of Mines has published several reports3/ giving analyses of the most important of these crude oils . However, to make the applicable data in these publications readily available to refiners , the present compilation of analyses of West Texas crude oils has been prepared . Data showing the effect of catalytic desulfurization of naphthas from West Texas crude oils have been presented in a restricted Bureau of Mines Report of Investigations . These analyses were made under the general supervision of R. A. Cattell , chief, Petroleum and Natural Gas Division, Bureau of Mines , Washington, D. C. , and N. A. C. Smith, supervising engineer , Fetroleum Experiment Station, Bureau of Mines , Bartlesville, Okla . , and under the direct supervision of Harold M. Smith, senior petroleum chemist, Bartlesville , Okla .

Jan 1, 1944

By Hjalmar Thiel

Since industry is progressing into the deep sea, marine scientists have expressed their concern about environmental disturbances which will be introduced by using the deep seafloor for mining metalliferous resources or as a repository for wastes. Environmental studies have been conducted on national levels and in bilateral or multilateral cooperation in the development of manganese nodule mining, as this is generally achieved in marine research. These investigations were partly large-scale and experimental approaches aiming at the assessment of the impacts expected to occur in commercial mining. The results elaborated till today and expected to be acquired in the foreseeable future may remain limited. Reliable impact evaluation will result from monitoring a Pilot Mining Operation (PMO). The lecture will present the broad outlines of a possible program and a preliminary calculation of approximate costs for such a combined industrial test and environmental monitoring event. Although the extent of necessary efforts for the environmental risks evaluation can only be estimated rather vaguely, it will become evident that the required human, technical, logistical, and financial resources to be mobilized will exceed industrial capacities and go beyond national funds. Therefore, such assessment of environmental risks is calling for broad international cooperation. While industrial developments for mining the deep sea will be ruled by competition or probably by restricted joint ventures, environmental care ranges outside competition and falls within the interest of all parties involved. Environmental studies, unlike technologies for the same function, do not primarily need duplication. International cooperation in PMO monitoring would equally well support all mining companies or consortia, it would minimize the efforts for all engaged in this challenging venture of deep-sea mining and it would maximize the precautionary discussion on and the care for the deep-sea environment.

Jan 1, 1994

By W. G. Brunner

The slurry wall technique has undergone an evolution from its invention to its today’s status. In the early stages slurry walls were built with cable grab, later on with much stronger hydraulic grab and last but not least with the use of the cutter technique. The cutter allows thick walls with high verticality to extreme depths through hard soil and rock formations. With the rising demand of the construction of watertight diaphragm walls different joint systems have been developed. In addition to the rapid development of excavation systems it was necessary to improve slurry treatment and desanding plants, especially in conjunction with high performance trench cutters. Deep mixing methods can be used economically for the construction of cut-off or excavation support walls where other systems such as traditional soldier beams and lagging walls would yield unsatisfactory performance, where the installation of vibrated or driven sheet piles could cause vibration induced settlements and where concrete diaphragm walls would be time consuming and expensive. The new CSM method can largely replace the more conventional single or multiple auger methods of soil mixing or jet grouting. The cutter tool is similar to a cutter used in diaphragm walls or cut-off walls and is operated with a Kelly mounted on a drilling rig or rope suspended on a crane jib or mast of a base carrier. With this system much deeper walls can be installed and even hard soil layers can be penetrated.

Jan 1, 2007

I have the pleasure to present 6 excellent papers in this section all of major relevance to the mining environment of today where competing social, legal and monetary interests and their often complex interaction require serious consideration. This is particularly true today where huge fluctuations in commodity prices makes mining a perilous undertaking while the world increasingly are becoming aware of the serious threat that mans activities has on his environment. The 6 papers deal with such complex issues as safety in an underground environment; How to protect sensitive wetlands well into the next century; The enormeous waterproblems in China and conflicting dewatering/water supply needs; Disposal of contaminated water in sensitive areas and the dynamic interaction between mining companies and legislation.

Jan 1, 1988