Search Documents

The passing of Benjamin Bowden Lawrence in January, 1921, was a distinct loss to the engineering profession. Mr. Lawrence had a genius for reviving abandoned mines and developing them into substantial producers. A notable example of his work in this line was the Dives-Pelican near Georgetown, Colo. While on an exploring expedition in 1888, he examined this old mine and was convinced that bonanza ore still existed there. He located the owners of the property, and induced them to place sufficient capital at his disposal to enable him to re-open and explore this mine. So confident was he of the outcome that he undertook this work on a profit-sharing basis without salary. Within eighteen months the old Dives-Pelican was operating profitably, and for the following ten years it paid very substantial dividends. The late Theodore N. Vail was one of the owners of this old mine, and many years later, at a dinner given to Mr. Lawrence by the Alumni of Columbia University, Mr. Vail told the story of the resuscitation of the Dives-Pelican by Mr. Lawrence, and declared that the dividends he himself had received provided a large part of the funds that made possible the realization of his dream of establishing the long-distance telephone in this country. The E1 Cobre mines at Santiago de Cuba also owed their renewed life to Mr. Lawrence. Under his management, these mines produced and shipped several million pounds of copper per year. He was for several years consulting engineer for the Kerr Lake and other silver mines in the Cobalt region; the Kerr Lake became famous as a silver producer. Mr. Lawrence spent more than twenty years of his life in the mining camps of the West. He was but twenty-one years of age, and only a few months out of college, when he was appointed manager of the great Chautauqua Lode (a silver mine) located on Glacier Mountain near Montezuma, Colo. Here, isolated in the mountains for several months each year by ice and snow, he worked for five years to make these mines Pay. He possessed unusual breadth of vision and human understanding; he had ''personality plus," and when he opened an office in New York City as consulting engineer he quickly rose to an enviable position in his profession. Young engineers worked with enthusiasm under his guidance. He carefully selected his men, discussed fully with them the plans and policies to be pursued, then left them free to accomplish results in their own way. This attitude developed individuality and resourceful-

Jan 1, 1922

By J. Parke Channing

The Miami orebody occurs in an altered Pinal schist. It is popularly known as one of the '(porphyry " deposits but, as at Inspiration and Ray, the ore is an altered mincralized Pinal schist. The orebody mined is the zone of secondary enrichment. Speaking in general terms, the area of the orebody at Miami may be considered as 1000 ft. long and 800 ft. wide. The vertical thickness varies from 200 to 400 ft., so that it is an extremely irregular mass. The study of the ground movement and resulting subsidence at Miami is complicated by the fact that the formation is not homogeneous throughout the mining area, the orebody terminating on its eastern extremity at a fault plane adjoining the Gila conglomerate. This conglomerate is a recent sedimentary deposit somewhat analogous to glacial drift and consists of boulders of granite, schist, and other material cemented with clay, and at times is quite hard. The fault dips eastward at an angle of 45". The original method of mining was top slicing, the slices being 10 ft. thick. At first, there was a good deal of experimenting with mining methods. Some undercut rooms were tried, and the stopes were filled with broken ore with the idea of removing intervening pillars by top slicing. The adoption of the top-slicing method in itself involved considerable experimenting, including some experiments with a long-wall system. The method finally adopted involved the operation of top slicing areas 250 ft. square, each with a central supply raise and ore-gathering raises, each block being worked as a unit. Mining operations in the Captain orebody, which connects with the boundary of the Inspiration property, were started by the room-and-pillar system, the rooms extending across the orebody, with widths of 10 to 15 ft., with 15- to 10-ft. pillars between. The intent was to operate the rooms as shrinkage stopes, permitting the pillars to crush when the ore was drawn from the rooms. It was found that the shrinkage stoping was unnecessary, so a system of block caving was adopted. This system was so successful in the Captain orebody that, about three years ago, the method of mining in the orebody was changed from top slicing to block caving, the method now in use. The block caving system, as practiced

Jan 1, 1923

By Neil O. Johnson

In the cyanidation of gold, silver and mixed ores, the solids, suspended in the pulp after fine grinding, primary settling and scries agitation arc subjected to a washing step known, generally, as countercurrent decanta-tion, abbreviated C.C.D The conventional C.C.D. plant consists of a series of separate thickeners—three to five in number—arranged in series on slightly different elevations. Solids settled in the first thickener are pumped at maximum density into the second thickener, where they arc diluted with weak solution overflowing the third. After settling in the second thickener they are pumped to the third, where the process of repulping with still weaker solution is repeated, and so on throughout the system, until they reach the last thickener and are repulped with barren solution or water. Recently there has been developed a new type of thickener, known as the Dorr Washing Tray Thickener, consisting of up to five individual thickeners, which performs in a single unit all the functions of a conven-tional C.C.D plant. Fig. 1 illustrates the essential features. It is a multicompartment tray thickener, in which the trays operate in scries instead of in parallel for countercurrent washing. Feed enters the top compartment via a central, semisubmerged feed well. Strong solution overflows into a peripheral launder. Solids settle to the bottom, are raked to the center and flow into the top of the second compartment, directly below, via an inverted cup and scal. Solids pass downward, compartment by compartment, against a counter flow of wash solution and finally of fresh water. Thus, in accord-:trice with the basic C.C.D. principle, the solids transfer the dissolved metal content to the wash solution and finally are removed by a diaphragm pump from the bottom compartment virtually free of valuable material. Similarly, the wash water, as it flows through the system, becomes increasingly enriched in dissolved metal until it overflows from compartment two and returns to the process.

Jan 1, 1939

By Neil O. Johnson

In the cyanidation of gold, silver and mixed ores, the solids, suspended in the pulp after fine grinding, primary settling and scries agitation arc subjected to a washing step known, generally, as countercurrent decanta-tion, abbreviated C.C.D The conventional C.C.D. plant consists of a series of separate thickeners—three to five in number—arranged in series on slightly different elevations. Solids settled in the first thickener are pumped at maximum density into the second thickener, where they arc diluted with weak solution overflowing the third. After settling in the second thickener they are pumped to the third, where the process of repulping with still weaker solution is repeated, and so on throughout the system, until they reach the last thickener and are repulped with barren solution or water. Recently there has been developed a new type of thickener, known as the Dorr Washing Tray Thickener, consisting of up to five individual thickeners, which performs in a single unit all the functions of a conven-tional C.C.D plant. Fig. 1 illustrates the essential features. It is a multicompartment tray thickener, in which the trays operate in scries instead of in parallel for countercurrent washing. Feed enters the top compartment via a central, semisubmerged feed well. Strong solution overflows into a peripheral launder. Solids settle to the bottom, are raked to the center and flow into the top of the second compartment, directly below, via an inverted cup and scal. Solids pass downward, compartment by compartment, against a counter flow of wash solution and finally of fresh water. Thus, in accord-:trice with the basic C.C.D. principle, the solids transfer the dissolved metal content to the wash solution and finally are removed by a diaphragm pump from the bottom compartment virtually free of valuable material. Similarly, the wash water, as it flows through the system, becomes increasingly enriched in dissolved metal until it overflows from compartment two and returns to the process.

Jan 1, 1939

By J. Parke Channing

The Miami orebody occurs in an altered Pinal schist. It is popularly known as one of the '(porphyry " deposits but, as at Inspiration and Ray, the ore is an altered mincralized Pinal schist. The orebody mined is the zone of secondary enrichment. Speaking in general terms, the area of the orebody at Miami may be considered as 1000 ft. long and 800 ft. wide. The vertical thickness varies from 200 to 400 ft., so that it is an extremely irregular mass. The study of the ground movement and resulting subsidence at Miami is complicated by the fact that the formation is not homogeneous throughout the mining area, the orebody terminating on its eastern extremity at a fault plane adjoining the Gila conglomerate. This conglomerate is a recent sedimentary deposit somewhat analogous to glacial drift and consists of boulders of granite, schist, and other material cemented with clay, and at times is quite hard. The fault dips eastward at an angle of 45". The original method of mining was top slicing, the slices being 10 ft. thick. At first, there was a good deal of experimenting with mining methods. Some undercut rooms were tried, and the stopes were filled with broken ore with the idea of removing intervening pillars by top slicing. The adoption of the top-slicing method in itself involved considerable experimenting, including some experiments with a long-wall system. The method finally adopted involved the operation of top slicing areas 250 ft. square, each with a central supply raise and ore-gathering raises, each block being worked as a unit. Mining operations in the Captain orebody, which connects with the boundary of the Inspiration property, were started by the room-and-pillar system, the rooms extending across the orebody, with widths of 10 to 15 ft., with 15- to 10-ft. pillars between. The intent was to operate the rooms as shrinkage stopes, permitting the pillars to crush when the ore was drawn from the rooms. It was found that the shrinkage stoping was unnecessary, so a system of block caving was adopted. This system was so successful in the Captain orebody that, about three years ago, the method of mining in the orebody was changed from top slicing to block caving, the method now in use. The block caving system, as practiced

Jan 1, 1923

The passing of Benjamin Bowden Lawrence in January, 1921, was a distinct loss to the engineering profession. Mr. Lawrence had a genius for reviving abandoned mines and developing them into substantial producers. A notable example of his work in this line was the Dives-Pelican near Georgetown, Colo. While on an exploring expedition in 1888, he examined this old mine and was convinced that bonanza ore still existed there. He located the owners of the property, and induced them to place sufficient capital at his disposal to enable him to re-open and explore this mine. So confident was he of the outcome that he undertook this work on a profit-sharing basis without salary. Within eighteen months the old Dives-Pelican was operating profitably, and for the following ten years it paid very substantial dividends. The late Theodore N. Vail was one of the owners of this old mine, and many years later, at a dinner given to Mr. Lawrence by the Alumni of Columbia University, Mr. Vail told the story of the resuscitation of the Dives-Pelican by Mr. Lawrence, and declared that the dividends he himself had received provided a large part of the funds that made possible the realization of his dream of establishing the long-distance telephone in this country. The E1 Cobre mines at Santiago de Cuba also owed their renewed life to Mr. Lawrence. Under his management, these mines produced and shipped several million pounds of copper per year. He was for several years consulting engineer for the Kerr Lake and other silver mines in the Cobalt region; the Kerr Lake became famous as a silver producer. Mr. Lawrence spent more than twenty years of his life in the mining camps of the West. He was but twenty-one years of age, and only a few months out of college, when he was appointed manager of the great Chautauqua Lode (a silver mine) located on Glacier Mountain near Montezuma, Colo. Here, isolated in the mountains for several months each year by ice and snow, he worked for five years to make these mines Pay. He possessed unusual breadth of vision and human understanding; he had ''personality plus," and when he opened an office in New York City as consulting engineer he quickly rose to an enviable position in his profession. Young engineers worked with enthusiasm under his guidance. He carefully selected his men, discussed fully with them the plans and policies to be pursued, then left them free to accomplish results in their own way. This attitude developed individuality and resourceful-

Jan 1, 1922

By H. W. Camp

Research is defined, scientifically, as a "systematic investigation of some phenomenon, and also a search for hidden treasures." Chemists tell us that the hidden treasures of petroleum are far richer than the products which have been best known to us. However, these secrets will be discovered only through intensive and systematic, as well as scientific, industrial research. Indeed, the scope of the subject is so great that such an intensive research program should be assumed by a centralized organization supported by the petroleum industry as a whole. Such organization should assume the responsibilities for investigation of new products and development of markets for such products. Gasoline, the chief product of the petroleum industry has become a cheap commodity. The continual uncontrolled overproduction of crude petroleum, the intensive competitive condition in the marketing of petroleum products and the increase of refining efficiency and installing of cracking facilities, have all combined to lower the market value of gasoline. The purchaser has profited from the lower cost of gasoline by way of lower prices so that today the most important product can scarcely be manufactured at a profit. In other fields, manufacturing industries have diversified their products when faced by a similar situation. Thus, they have been able to widen their marketing outlook. Why cannot the petroleum industry employ the same tactics? Right now we are hearing much discussion concerning the development of a wider market for existing petroleum products and new products for existing or prospective markets. For instance, we can cite recent developments for use of propane, butane and ethylene. Butane has been found to be an efficient and inexpensive refrigerant, especially adapted to home refrigerating systems. Propane and butane fractions of natural gasoline may be shipped under pressure and may be used as a substitute for, acetylene in cutting torches in connection with oxygen. There is a possibility of substituting butane for gas oil in the carburation of coal gas, as we know that butane contains practically the gas enrichment as the same volume of gas oil and should prove to be a superior product for

Jan 1, 1928

By W. A. Goodyear

It is safe to assert that in cities generally, the fuel of the future for all domestic, as well as for most manufacturing and metallurgical purposes, will be gaseous fuel. The immense advantages which gas possesses in facility and cheapness of distribution, cleanliness, and economy of manipulation, and the facilities which it offers for utilizing in almost all cases a much higher percentage of the total quantity of heat produced, than it is possible to do with any kind of solid fuel, are facts which will vastly more than compensate for the comparatively small loss of heating power, which will be found necessary in the turning of the solid fuel into gas upon a large scale, and which, in the bpinion of the writer, will, at no distant day, command attention, and will ultimately result in a revolution in our use of fuel. The employment of gaseous fuel upon a scale of any considerable magnitude, has hitherto been almost entirely confined to the utilization of the waste gases of the iron smelting furnace for heating the blast, and the rapidly increasing use, for certain metallurgical pur-

Jan 1, 1883

By AIME AIME

COUNCIL.* PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL. D. W. BRUNTON DENVER, COLO. (Term expires February, 1910.) VICE-PRESIDENTS OF THE COUNCIL. J. PARKE CHANNING NEW YORK, N. Y. FREDERICK W. DENTON PAINESDALE, MICH. JOHN B. FARISH DENVER, COLO. (Term expires February, 1910.) W. C. RALSTON..: SAN FRANCISCO, CAL. W. L. SAUNDERS NEW YORK, N. Y. H. V. WINCHELL ST. PAUL, MINN. (Term expires February, 1911.)

Jun 1, 1909

By Joseph Jensen, J. B. Stevens

The history of the normal oil field is supposed to show an oil graph starting high in flush production, descending more or less steeply into the curve of settled production and dropping gradually to the vanishing point of economical operation. Together with this, somewhere in the early history of the field, there appears from a vanishing point a graph showing the production of water. During the period of settled production this graph rises higher and, toward the close, unless extensive work is done in the line of correction, rises far above the oil graph to the point at which the cost of operation terminates profitable pumping. Fields that start out with a high relative content of water are generally very short-lived. Fields that never develop a water problem are exceedingly rare. The McKittrick oil field, Kern County, California, with 840 acres of proved ground, 300 wells and a present recovery per acre of 94,598 bbl. from 1898 to Aug. 1, 1930, presents a study which is an apparent reversal of the outlined normal history. Though the history of the field now covers over 30 years of operation, it is still too early and the conditions too unique to project the graph of production to completion. The present conditions and directions of change are most interesting, in that the curve of oil production is remarkably flat and the curve of water invasion, after reaching an appalling height, has shown a definite reversal and a continued decline for 10 years. Early drilling in the McKittrick field was in or prior to 1898. Development continued steadily to 1918 when the present limitations of the field were determined. Shut-offs, according to accepted practice of the time, were made by driving the shoe into a shale stratum or into a tamped-in bridge of sand, rosin and clay. Records of early days speak of three waters: (1) surface water which was fresh; (2) an intermediate sulfur water, encountered below the top oil or tar sand; (3) bottom salt water. In different portions of the field any one of these waters let into a well by faulty completion might require immediate correction to obtain satisfactory production. In many wells,

Jan 1, 1931

By R. Bakish, C. S. Barnett

IN experiments on tantalum strained in tension, Bechtold did not observe deformation-twinning even at a temperature as low as that of liquid air.' This is an unexpected behavior for a metal of body-centered-cubic structure. Therefore, it is desirable to determine whether the lack of twinning is an inherent characteristic of this particular metal, or whether the reluctance to twin can be overcome under suitable conditions. The following experiments were performed under conditions favorable to twinning and cleavage in their competition with slip, namely, with impact loading on large-grained sheet at low temperatures. The crystallography of cleavage in tantalum sheet was also investigated carefully because of the remarkable ductility of tantalum at low temperatures and because recent tests on oxygen-embrittled tantalum had disclosed unusual cleavage behavior for a metal of this structure: cleavage primarily on (110) planes and only occasionally on {100}.2 The tantalum, supplied by Fansteel, was of 99.9 pet purity, with the chief impurities being iron (0.03 pet) and carbon (0.03 pet). Coarse grains were produced by the strain-anneal method, the anneal being 4 hr at 2000°C in a vacuum of 10-3 mm Hg, followed by furnace cooling. Impact deformation was applied in various ways: a) by hammer blows on an anvil, the specimen and anvil being immersed in liquid nitrogen ( —196°C), b) by driving a precooled center-punch into the sheet, and c) by bending around a crystallographically determined axis with a hammer blow. The impact-deformation produced bands and slip lines on the surface, Fig. 1. The bands have every appearance of being deformation twins, a) They are tilted with respect to the untwinned surface. b) They have the appearance of Neumann bands in iron, thin lens shape, some having serrated edges. c) The orientation in each is different from that of the surrounding matrix and uniform within a given band, see slip lines within them in Fig. 1. d) Upon repolishing and etching, the difference in orientation and the resemblance to Neumann bands is again evident, Fig. 2. (In this micrograph the slight bend in the bands as they cross grain boundaries was noted frequently and results from the high degree of preferred orientation in the sheet.) e) The bands persist after annealing treatments that would have removed them had they been a low-temperature martensitic phase, e.g., after an anneal of 1/2 hr at 900°C. When back-reflection Laue data were plotted for single-surface analysis of several grains, every trace of the bands in each grain could be explained by (112) planes. In addition, two of the bands were located in space by traces on two surfaces, and these also were found to lie on (112) planes within the error of the stereographic plot. Since (1 12) is the anticipated composition plane for deformation twins in body-centered-cubic metals it is felt that the observations listed above are conclusive evidence for the identification of the bands as twins. Similar tests with impact at —77° and at 25°C produced no twinning. It is concluded that the critical shear stress for slip at the rates of straining used was always low enough to prevent the applied stress from reaching the value required for twinning at these temperatures. It was noted that the serrations along the edges of the twin bands exhibited parallel crystal facets. Several similarly oriented notches are visible in Fig. 1, and a remarkable set is shown in Fig. 3. It appears from Fig. 1 and similar areas that notches are frequently associated with the intersection of a slip line with a twin, although not all such intersections are at notches. In some instances a slip line appears to enter the twin, cross it, reflect from the opposite side and recross it, producing a pattern resembling a notch but without producing the notch itself, see Fig. 1. It is suggested that the stress concentration at the end of a slip line is responsible for these details. The strain energy associated with the pile-up of dislocations at a twin boundary may be lessened by untwin-ning or failing to twin a portion of the twin band, or

Jan 1, 1959

By Charles Cowie

Jan 1, 1985

By H. W. Imholz

Considerable stimulation was given to the interest in the lower producing zones of the North Central Texas area when several wildcat wells developed production in these formations. The Iron Mountain and Humble-Olander well in sec. 196, B.B.B. and C. survey, Jones County, Texas, had a potential of 7500 bbl. (after a 3000-gal. acid treatment) from the Palo Pinto limestone encountered from 3238 to 3250 ft. This well heightened the prospects for oil in commercial quantities in the Canyon, Strawn, Bend and Ellenburger formations in the adjoining counties of Shackelford, Haskell, Throckmorton and others. The Hickok-Van Parmer well in sec. 477 S.P.R.R. Co. survey, Eastland County, Texas, was good for 1040 bbl., natural, from the Ellen-burger limestone, encountered from 4024 to 4033 feet. The Hal Hughes-Cook and Jordan (Poindexter) well in sec. 350, block 6, S.P.R.R. Co. survey, Callahan County, flowed 890 bbl. in 9 hr., after acid treatment, from the Ellenburger limestone, encountered from 4369 to 4388 feet. Both of the Ellenburger wells apparently are maintaining the pressure and volume of their original potential tests, and will no doubt open up considerable area in the adjoining counties for prospecting to the Ellen-burger limestone. Production increased in the district from 12,081,871 bbl. in 1936 to 15,384,500 bbl. The increase was due to developments in Jones and Jack Counties. Jack County production increased from 896,680 bbl. in 1936 to 3,117,063 in 1937, while Jones County increased from 1,596,743 bbl. in 1936 to 2,289,322 in 1937. The remaining counties of the district showed a slight decrease in the amount of oil produced.

Jan 1, 1938

By George H. Cook

(Read at the Wilkes-Barre Meeting, May, 1877.) AT first sight this subject seems to belong to pure theoretical geology, but examination will soon show that it has important practical and economic interest to the mining engineer. The conclusion that all the northern portions of our country, as well as of the eastern continent, have, in the later periods of geological history, been covered with a thick bed of ice, is now accepted by geologists. This bed of ice, except in its greater magnitude, was like the modern glaciers of the Alps, and other mountains which extend above the line of perpetual snow. The marks it has left upon the surface show that it was comparatively thin on its southern. edge, but that its thick¬ness was much greater a little further north, and that it was several thousand feet thick at its heaviest parts. This variation of its surface would give it a descending slope towards the south, and cause the mass of ice, like a semifluid substance, to move in that direction.

Jan 1, 1878

By Thomas Connolly

The Homestake Mine is situated in the northern portion of the Black Hills of South Dakota in a series of steeply dipping and highly folded Precambrian Rocks. The ore bodies are localized along plunging anticlinal and synclinal folds which are locally called "ledges." The gold bearing ore is confined mainly in the Homestake formation which is an iron-magnesium carbonate series of rocks. The individual ore bodies are pipe or lense-shaped zones which plunge 30º to 75º from the horizontal. These ore bodies range from 10 to 100 feet wide and 50 to 400 feet along the strike. Gold values are erratically distributed in a gangue consisting of cummingtonite schist, sideroplesite schist, quartz, pyrrhotite, arsenopyrite, chlorite schist and ankerite. Usually the ore bodies dip at 70° to 80º and often have folded shapes like "fish hooks" or "troughs." Ore grades must be determined by extensive sampling and all mining is based on assay control.

Jan 3, 1974

By John E. Miller

The Miller Number System is a well established method of measuring the relative abrasivity-friability of slurries, resulting in data that can be used in the selection of pump type and in forecasting wear-life of pumps and pipelines in slurry service. 1,2 Then after the pump type is selected, a Flow Analysis is determined by computer using pump design and operating parameters. This is used to determine pulsation control, suction requirements and stabilization, etc.

Jan 1, 1977

By G. A. Baird

With the exception of eight wildcat completions, which were unsuccessful and abandoned, all of the 1935 new drilling was performed in the proven fields. As of Dec. 31, 1935, 22 drilling rigs were in operation, of which 9 were at wildcat locations and the remainder were being used in new drilling in proven fields; in addition, 25 workover rigs (exclusive of cleanout rigs) were operating, all in the major fields. Production of Crude Oil.—Notwithstanding the considerable decrease in new completions during 1935 as compared with 1934, crude production mounted to a new high of 148,893,225 bbl., clean oil at 60' F., representing an increase of 12,532,579 bbl. over the previous record year, 1934, total of 136,360,646 bbl. This increase was due: (1) to the flush production

Jan 1, 1936

By G. A. Baird

With the exception of eight wildcat completions, which were unsuccessful and abandoned, all of the 1935 new drilling was performed in the proven fields. As of Dec. 31, 1935, 22 drilling rigs were in operation, of which 9 were at wildcat locations and the remainder were being used in new drilling in proven fields; in addition, 25 workover rigs (exclusive of cleanout rigs) were operating, all in the major fields. Production of Crude Oil.—Notwithstanding the considerable decrease in new completions during 1935 as compared with 1934, crude production mounted to a new high of 148,893,225 bbl., clean oil at 60' F., representing an increase of 12,532,579 bbl. over the previous record year, 1934, total of 136,360,646 bbl. This increase was due: (1) to the flush production

Jan 1, 1936

By H. Foster Bain

[Secretary's NoTE.—This paper, presented in oral abstract at the San Francisco meeting, was not at first supposed by Mr. Rain to be required for publication in the Transactions; and the excursion to Japan, in which he took part, immediately after the San Francisco meeting, delayed his presentation of the manuscript. After his return to San Francisco, Mr. Bain, in view of the importance of his paper and its discussion, kindly furnished it in full. The delay in its publication (since it was received in April last) has been due, partly to the circumstance that other contributions had meanwhile acquired the " right of way," and partly to the consideration that, the situation contemplated in Mr. Bain's paper having remained practically unchanged, the paper and its discussion would not lose force or timeliness by this lapse of time.—J. S. ] No acute observer of public affairs can have failed to observe a growing disposition on the part of the public to change emphasis in government from political equality to social justice. When our own government was founded it was felt to be sufficient to secure to each individual the fullest possible freedom of opportunity, and such a scheme was excellently adapted to the rapid development of a large territory having a small population. As the number of people in a given area increases, there are more points of contact and conflict; each must move in a smaller orbit, and there must be more regula-

Jan 1, 1913

For a nation whose mining industry has generally been floating through history in the shadows of major mining developments elsewhere in the world, Australia has in the decade of the Sixties made a convincing bid to be one of the world's great "store- houses" of minerals. In fact, at the rate things are developing Down Under and Out Back, what with professional prospecting teams crisscrossing the continent under the direction of professional exploration management, Australia may one day find itself as the world's greatest storehouse. Whereas Necessity may be the Mother of Invention, Consumption is surely the Mother of Exploration. At least this is true in Australia of today. First, the forecasted shortage of iron ore in the world led to the fabulous discoveries in the Pilbara district of Western Australia. Now, the demand for nickel has generated even more interest among mining companies in the vast, untapped potential of Australia.

Jan 10, 1968