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By Brian W. Mackenzie

In this age of advancing technology, mining companies are confronted with increasing competitive forces. The depletion of high-grade deposits and the development of substitute materials are intensifying market competition. The accelerating activity of petroleum companies in mineral exploration is increasing competition for deposits. At the same time, the trend in government policy is towards a reduction in traditional mineral-industry incentives. To succeed, the mining company must respond to these changing economic conditions by developing a decision-making framework that can effectively contend with the new opportunities and constraints. What are the elements of such a decision-making framework?

Jan 1, 1970

By William Allen

For the past six years gravity surveys have been used for underground prospecting in the copper mines at Bisbee, Ariz. The primary purpose of the surveys has been to reduce the diamond drilling and crosscutting necessary for exploration. Since many of the orebodies are small, and geologic control is not always apparent, any information that will direct the drilling and crosscutting is highly desirable. Because of extensive development and exploration work in the copper mines at Bisbee, it has been possible to cover more than 630,000 ft of crosscuts on 30 levels with the gravity surveys. In the process the gravity procedures have been refined to a high degree.

Mar 1, 1956

FRANCIS T. OMENS, ? Watsontown, Pa. (written discussion§).-In the second paragraph, Dr. Thwing mentions the various stages through which clay ware. must pass but he does not analyze the third stage, oxidation, suffficiently. There are two elements to dispose of in a great many, of the shales that must he burned; these elements are carbon and sulfur. Dr. Thwing speaks' of the carbon, but intimates that it is safe to have a temperature of -800° C., which we find to be rather dangerous on a great tiffany shales. With. one shale that we handle, we cannot go above 535° C. until we have passed this particular stage. At 800° C. the sulfur will begin-to pass off and it is very necessary that plenty of air be ad-

Jan 11, 1919

By Brandon H. Grove

The rapid development of the Budafa-Puszta field during 1938 advanced Hungary a considerable distance along the road to self-sufficiency in domestic crude-oil supplies. Seven wells were completed in the field during the year, at depths averaging 4100 ft., and there have been no dry holes. Initial productions have ranged from 150 to about 400 bbl. per day. At the end of the year daily average production amounted to about 1400 bbl., which is equivalent to 33 per cent of Hungary's daily internal consumption. Production increased somewhat in the Government-controlled oil field at Bükkszek, also discovered in 1937, but nothing occurred to alter previous indications that this field would be capable of only relatively insignificant development. A further test of the Miocene-Oligorcene basin containing the Bükkszek field is being made by a well now drilling

Jan 1, 1939

By Brandon H. Grove

The rapid development of the Budafa-Puszta field during 1938 advanced Hungary a considerable distance along the road to self-sufficiency in domestic crude-oil supplies. Seven wells were completed in the field during the year, at depths averaging 4100 ft., and there have been no dry holes. Initial productions have ranged from 150 to about 400 bbl. per day. At the end of the year daily average production amounted to about 1400 bbl., which is equivalent to 33 per cent of Hungary's daily internal consumption. Production increased somewhat in the Government-controlled oil field at Bükkszek, also discovered in 1937, but nothing occurred to alter previous indications that this field would be capable of only relatively insignificant development. A further test of the Miocene-Oligorcene basin containing the Bükkszek field is being made by a well now drilling

Jan 1, 1939

By H. W. Hitzrot, R. A. Limons, L. V. Fegan

The authors have developed and tested a new method for measuring pellet-bed temperatures in the traveling-grate or the shaft furnace. This method-using silver-palladium alloy wires as indicators-is less costly and less time-consuming than existing methods. Silver palladium wires, having specific melting points in the 2000° to 2500°F range, are enclosed in ceramic capsules. Each capsule is placed in a nichrome wire basket filled with a sample of green pellets, the baskets being the means for recovering the capsule after firing. After the encapsulated wires have been exposed to the firing cycle, the alloy wires are examined to determine the maximum temperatures attained by the pellet sample. This gives accurate, rapid determinations of maximum temperatures attained during pellet induration in either the traveling-grate or shaft furnace.

Jan 6, 1965

By T. M. Yegulalp

This article summarizes some of the results of the continuing research activity at the Henry Krumb Schools of Mines, Columbia University, directed towards a better understanding of the stochastic behavior of slurry flows in underground coal-slurry pipeline systems. Fundamental ideas supported by field observations are presented and a Semi-Markov model of the slurry flows is developed. As a result of this formulation, behavior of combined slurry flows from N independent coal faces can be expressed in analytical form. The contents of a slurry surge tank receiving slurry flows with certain stochastic characteristics is investigated in a function of discharge pump characteristics and time.

Jan 1, 1983

By Thomas M. Drown

The following description of an attempt to separate bituminous coal from its slaty and mineral admixtures without the aid of jigging, was suggested by the successful use of dense solutions (such as the double iodide of mercury and potassium and cadmium borotungstate) in the separation of the mineral components of igneous rocks.* In the case of coal it is essential that we have a solution of a specific gravity greater than the coal, and less than the mineral or slate associated with it. Further, in order that such a solution should be practically admissible, it must be cheap and readily obtainable. Calcium chloride fulfils all these conditions, although it is not intended to be affirmed, in the absence of actual trial, that its use on a large scale would be economically successful. The records of experiments on several samples of bituminous coal

Jan 1, 1885

By James Boyd

It is obvious that mining has been influenced to a high degree by political and economic events, many of which are of such a nature that the mining industry has relatively little influence in shaping them. I cannot present too optimistic a picture for the immediate future, although I feel that from the long-range standpoint one need not be pessimistic about the future of the mining industry. The population of the United States is continuing to increase and with it has come an expanded consumption of metals on a per capita basis. With this expansion there has and will continue to come the demand for more goods and in- creased products from our mines and our fabricating plants. World War

Jan 5, 1950

By Gilbert H. Cady

Those coal mining and preparation engineers and operators who read this article will probably be most concerned with those parts which deal with the applied aspects of coal petrology in the fields of mining and technology. Actually the two categories overlap to such a degree that they are essentially one. The article appears to suggest that there are two points of veiw in the field of applied coal petrology. From one viewpoint the interest is in the attributes of the various macerals (Fig. 4)-vitrinite, exinite, and inertinite-in terms of utilization (when the coal is burned, coked, gasified, hydrogenated, etc.). From the other point of view, assuming that the macerals do possess individuality in behavior, interest attaches to the possibility that coal of a particular type (maceral composition) can be prepared by discriminating methods of preparation and blending. Most of the 29 items listed for mining and technology can be assigned to one or the other of these two categories.

Jan 5, 1958

By Abderrafih Guessous

INTRODUCTION Morocco is an important lead-zinc producing country: 120,000 tons of lead concentrates were produced in 1968. Zinc ore production is less, 67,000 tons of concentrates in 1968. Most of the present production comes from three districts (fig.1) (i) Touissit-Bou Beker district, in the eastern part of the country, close to the border with Algeria. (ii) Aouli-Mibladen district, in the central part of the country. (iii) Aouam district, about $0 miles south of Meknes. In the first district lead and zinc are always found together. The two other districts produce mainly lead. This paper will be limited to a short description of geology and mining methods in the three aforementioned districts. More detailed geological informations can be found in the symposium on lead-zinc deposits in Africa (1).

Jan 1, 1970

A. A. Almstrom is mill superintendent for Barrue Mines, Barraute, Quebec. Frank A. Ayer, vice president of Copper Range Co., who has been in charge of the development and bringing into production of White Pine orebody in northern Michigan, has resigned. E. G. Bailey and H. S. Mudd were made honorary members of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Lee Bilheimer, graduate of Missouri School of Mines, has been employed as assistant mine captain at the Edwards, N. Y., div. of the St. Joseph Lead Co. Douglas C. Blackwell, recently graduated from the South Dakota School of Mines, is now with the Oliver Iron Mining Co. of Duluth, Minn. Joseph F. Brown has joined the Grand Junction Exploration Branch of the United States Atomic Energy Commission as a geologist.

Jan 1, 1952

By O. Z. Klopsch, G. L. Craig

The fabrication characteristics and properties of phosphorized arsenical Lake copper have been compared with phosphorized prime Lake and phosphorized electrolytic seamless copper tubing, in a series of mill-scale tests employing commercial drawing schedules. Phosphorized arsenical coppers containing as much as 0.20 per cent arsenic were drawn with various reductions into 7/8and 3/8in. seamless tubing along with billets of the two types of arsenic-free copper. The effect of arsenic was determined by the average power required to draw given compositions and by the final properties of the respective materials in the annealed condition and after various degrees of cold reduction. Power consumption data show that no more power is required to draw arsenical coppers of this type than the arsenic-free copper. The result? of tensile tests indicate that arsenic increases the strength of cold-drawn tubing somewhat, but has no measurable effect on the properties of annealed tubing; the ductility of the tubing as evidenced by the elongation and other prescribed tests is unaffectetl by 0.20 per cent arsenic.

Jan 1, 1933

By J. C. Landenberger

Freezeproofing waste dump cars during winter months has long been of concern at Kennecott's Utah Copper Div. open pit property. Waste mining operations at Bingham Canyon use trains of seven 40-cu yd side-dump railroad cars with electric locomotives to service stripping shovels. Waste is transported an average of nearly 3 miles from the mine benches to dumping areas. During winter months, usually beginning in late October or early November, intermittent and continued periods of freezing together with varying amounts of snow cause waste material to freeze or stick to the sides and bottoms of the cars. Because of the physical layout of the pit, it is not feasible to freezeproof all waste trains at one or even a limited number of locations. A waste haulage line usually serves one or two mine benches, so that freezeproofing facilities must be maintained at many locations. For example, at the time of writing 27 salting stations were in use.

Nov 1, 1955

For the first time in the history of shaft sinking, the concept of mid-shaft loading has been used. By making use of available hoisting capacity during drilling periods, development work on underground hoist chambers and ore-pass and ventilation by-pass systems at Vaal Reefs South gold mine is being done simultaneously with sinking. This factor, together with the unusual configuration and design of the twin-shaft system at Vaal Reefs South, and the use of raise borers in the installation of ore-pass and ventilation by-pass systems, will mean that the shaft will be commissioned at least a year earlier than would have been possible had conventional methods been used. The possibilities of mid-shaft loading in reducing the time normally taken by shaft service development were recognized by Anglo American Corp. consulting engineers and Shaft Sinkers Pty. Ltd., the company which is sinking both shafts at Vaal Reefs.

Jan 1, 1970

ARSENIC and orpiment are two mineral substances of a similar kind, and they are by nature pure, without admixture of other species. In regard to their apparent qualities we shall say that their composition is scorched, well-purified earth; and because of a certain subtlety and easy digestion they penetrate very easily into fused metals, indeed they act in such a way that they corrupt and convert almost into another nature any metal with which they find themselves. Orpiment and arsenic act in almost the same way as do tin and mercury. With these the fraudulent alchemists blanch copper, brass, and even lead to the whiteness of silver. According to the physicians they are in fourth part hot and dry. They are also corrosive because of certain powers; indeed, they are a most powerful poison to the life of all things. Arsenic is found in white and citrine colors. Orpiment seems to be a separate thing, although both are formed in the same ore and both are in lamellae or scales. These lamellae or folds are thinner than paper, in fact

Jan 1, 1942

By Richard H. Ross

A broad definition of' "Mill Design" might cover everything from the first tentative choice of general process to the final structural details for construction. The first phases are mainly concerned with metallurgy and economics and the final stages with the mechanics of putting the selected equipment together into an integrated plant. It is the purpose of this article to discuss only data, derived from laboratory testing, that contributes directly to design of the milling plant itself, and only the plant design phases that are influenced by laboratory testing. Most ore beneficiation testing is devoted to determining recoveries, grades of products, elimination of impurities, reagent and supply requirements, etc. having little to do with physical plant design although these factors are of prime importance in the evaluation of a mining project.

Jan 3, 1964

Masjid-i-Sulaiman Field.—During the past year, drilling activities have been limited to repair work. No new developments of importance can be recorded in production technique. Fall of dome pressure is maintained at the 1 lb. per sq. in. per annum rate mentioned in previous reports. Acid treatment of wells is being increasingly used and for wells in fissured areas has been very successful. Such wells have been converted into first-grade producers with substantial drops in bottom-hole differential pressures. The effect of acid treatment has been to increase the flowing lives of wells so treated. The normal procedure consists of threo treatments of 500 gal. commercial acid diluted 100 per cent but success has been met with fewer applications. The policy of returning products to the resorvoir has been continued. The total quantity of products returned since the policy was commenced in 1929 now amounts to approximately 30 million barrels. Haft Kel Field.—The drilling of the main Haft Kel structure for production purposes has now been completed. Production and control wells have been completed to meet the rate of production anticipated over the next few years.

Jan 1, 1937

A FACT not generally understood about the Engineering Societies Library on Thirty-ninth Street in New York -in particular, not realized by many of the great indus-tries of the country-is that it is a free public institution. To utilize its valuable facilities one does not have to be a member of the national engineering societies (which shoul-der its financial deficit each year). Anyone, at any place in the world, can use the library. A man in California, or in South America, or in Persia, can write or cable to the Library staff and receive information on the same basis as any engineer living in New York. For example, a few months ago an American mining en-gineer in China needed additional geological information about a district which he was about to explore. He cabled his need to the Engineering Societies Library and the next steamer brought him the data he wanted. A phosphorus company in Alabama wished to obtain a translation from the Norwegian of an article on cement which they had heard about. They wrote to the Engineer-ing Societies Library; the article was located, and a trans-lation made and sent them.

Jan 12, 1927

The School of Mineral Industries is dedicated to education in mineral conservation and research by which the means may be found to make conservation effective. This includes diligent search for mineral truths and the energetic discovery, complete recovery, and maximum utilization of irreplaceable mineral resources. Standards of living depend upon two factors: human resources-intelligence, imagination, initiative, know-how, work; and natural resources-plants, animals, and minerals, including water, air, soil, heat and light from the sun, and all other such resources that are useful to man. Human relationships have not kept pace with scientific achievement; as a result man, in desperation, wittingly, premeditatively sacrifices freedom for security. Many natural resources, through overproduction, mismanagement, and greed, have definitely moved over into the exhausted or exhaustible category. The United States cannot maintain present standards of living on an agricultural economy alone, and serious harm can ensue if there are marked disproportions in numbers and relationships between city and rural populations. The most materialistic New Yorker must see virtue in bucolic loveliness. The United States is rated wasteful and inconsistent most of the time. It does not make sense to dole out through the keyhole what a wage earner can bring through the open door; to raise wages to lower the cost

Jan 1, 1950