Search Documents

By J. P. Powell

Systematic waterflooding was first tried in Washington County, Okla., in 1937, when a 40-acre project was begun in secs. 24, 29, 32, and 33, T. 27 N., R. 13 E., jointly by the Keener Oil Co. and the Phillips Petroleum Co. The property later was sold to Lee Morrison. A second project was begun in 1941 in sec. 14, T. 6 N., R. 12 E., by the Oklahoma Oil Corp. Both projects were abandoned by the end of 1942. A third project was begun in 1945 and the fourth in 1948, but 1949 actually was the beginning of intensive waterflooding development in Washington County. The results of previous waterflooding projects are described in Bureau of Mines Reports of Investigations.2 3 4/ Oil production in the county followed a similar trend, dropping to a low of 990,000 barrels in 1945, then steadily increasing until 1956, when more than 4 mil-lion barrels of oil was produced. Most of the increase in oil production is directly attributable to water injection.

Jan 1, 1957

Although alternating-current (a.-c.) power systems and equipment have been used in coal mining for many years, most mines in the United States are powered mainly by direct current (d.-c.). There are several logical reasons for this, but the use of d.-c, equipment is, in most instances, a direct outgrowth of the original practice of using such power for haulage systems. For traction equipment such as the electric trolley locomotive the d.-c. motor has ideal operating characteristics, and thus it has been widely used for haulage locomotive service. The first efforts at electrification of coal mines started with the haulage system and from there branched out to include the many types of electrically powered mining machinery used in the industry today.

Jan 1, 1960

By W. R. Moorehead

This paper, describing the mining methods and colt at the New Indria quicksilver mine, is one of a series of similar papers being prepared by the Bureau of Mines on various mines in the United States. The New Idria mine lies at an elevation of 3,500 to 4,200 feet in the Coast Range of San Benito County, Calif. The property is accessible by automobile stages from Gilroy or Hollister via Tres Pinos. Tres Pinos, 65 miles northwest of the mine, is the nearest railroad point.

Jan 1, 1931

By John W. Buch

Hydraulic cutting tests made on samples of Pennsylvania anthracite (3,700 psi and 260 gpm) were promising enough for the Bureau to establish a full scale experiment in an anthracite mine. Water pressure and quantity for mining anthracite were arbitrarily established at 5,000 psi and 300 gpm (1,000 hp). For full-volume flow, hydraulic pressure is controlled by orifice size with the displacement pump. The hydraulic jumbo was designed for maneuvering on pitches from 0° to 20° in any direction and for a coalbed ranging in thickness from 10 feet 6 inches to 15 feet. All motions of the jumbo are by oil hydraulics. Jet flow is controlled (start-stop) at the face, through an interlocked pushbutton system. One button is in the operator's cab; one, at the pump station; and one (a safety shutoff), near the mining face. To December 1962, 7,400 tons of bed material had been mined at an average rate of 0.800 ton per minute, with an average power requirement of 14.125 kilowatt-hours per ton. In January 1963, the objective was changed from an engineering-development basis to a research basis--to determine, ultimately, the most efficient level of operating characteristics for maximum response, as measured by mining-out rate. This research phase of the project is not yet complete, but conclusions, and the method of arriving at them, will be made the subject of another Bureau publication. It should be noted that as of December 1963 nearly 13,000 tons of bed material had been mined, at rates as high as 1. 3 tons per minute for a complete face advance.

Jan 1, 1965

By Charles Prasky

The objective of this investigation by the Bureau of Mines was to determine the response to sulfatization of diverse low-grade manganiferous materials in the iron formation of the Cuyuna district. In line with this objective a bench-scale sulfatizing procedure was developed that was less expensive and more rapid than pilot-plant methods. Samples from the central and south- western parts of the North range were tested. Results of evaluating a total of 46 pelletized samples, originating in areas with an estimated potential resource of 94 million long tons with a manganese content of 7 percent, indicates that approximately 87 percent of the manganese may be recovered as a synthetic manganese ore. This is equivalent to more than 12 million long tons of a metallurgical-grade ore, containing 46 percent manganese. It is anticipated that a premium product, containing over 50 percent manganese, may be obtained by sulfatizing procedures. This report is part of a continuing investigation5 6 of Cuyuna iron range manganese deposits in Crow Wing County, Minn. Lewis and coworkers describe the manganiferous iron formation in the bedrock of the Cuyuna district and include a description of a high-temperature differential sulfatizing process for recovering a ferrograde manganese product. The low-grade manganiferous

Jan 1, 1961

By L. W. Kelly

The purpose of this paper is to describe several methods that have been employed in successfully recovering roof bolts in Indiana, Illinois, and western Kentucky coal mines, the States where successful roof-bolt recovery was started. As far as is known, the first bolts were recovered in a mine in western Kentucky in January or February 1951. In April 1951 a meeting was held at that mine to discuss the recovery of roof bolts. The meeting was attended by A. D. Sisk, former Chief, Kentucky Department of Mines and Minerals; and L. W. Kelly, Federal Bureau of Mines; and officials of the coal company. Inasmuch as roof bolting was in its infancy, the thinking regarding roof bolts at that time was on the problem of getting them in, not getting them out; consequently, the thought of recovering them was revolutionary. The subject was discussed at length from all angles, and it was finally agreed that, if certain safeguards were taken, no agency represented at the meeting would oppose the practice. That this decision was sound has been proved, as thou-sands of bolts have been recovered in the Middle West without a lost-time accident. Recovering roof bolts is a simple operation; consequently, no complicated equipment had to be designed or built for this purpose. However, about 5 years ago, officials of the Traux-Traer Coal Co. conceived the idea and constructed a mechanical device for recovering bolts that has been very successful and has been copied widely in this area. This device will be discussed in detail in part II of this paper.

Jan 1, 1958

By T. E. Gray

This report describes the preparation characteristics of the significant coalbeds in Nicholas County, W. Va. It is one in a series describing coals suitable for producing metallurgical coke, either as mined or after beneficiation. Almost 5 million tons of coal were produced in Nicholas County, W. Va., in 1960, of which over 2.6 million tons were cleaned in eight preparation plants. It has been estimated that over 6 billion tons remained in the county as of December 31, 1960, in beds 12 inches and more thick.

Jan 1, 1962

By L. R. Burdick, J. F. Barkley

"The agglomerating index of coal is an index based upon the nature of the coke residue left when the standard volatile-matter determination of the well-known proximate analysis is made. In this determination a small amount of coal is heated in a container to about 950° C. (1,742° F.), at which temperature the volatile matter is driven off, leaving a coke formation. The coke residues for various coals are quite different in physical structure: and, for some time past, work has been done on studies of the nature of these residues in connection with the coking of coal. In 1934 Gilmore, Connell, and Nicolls proposed use of the agglomerating index for indicating the dividing line between noncaking coals and those having weakly caking properties. 4/ Its use was adopted in the standard classification of coals by rank as a requisite physical property index to differentiate semianthracite from low-volatile bituminous coal and also high-volatile ""C"" bituminous from subbituminous ""A"" coal, as shown in table 1, the standard coal classification adopted by the American Society for Testing Materials and the American Standards Association. 5./In studying the agglomerating properties of coals based on the coke residue the Bureau of Mines has adopted the notation given in table 2. Coals that in the volatile-matter determination give a coke residue either in the form of an agglomerate button that will support a 500-gram weight without pulverizing or a button that shows swelling or cell structure are considered to be agglomerating."

Nov 1, 1938

By F. P. Haver

The Bureau of Mines is developing a leach-electrolysis procedure to produce Special High Grade (SHG) zinc from sulfide concentrate without the generation of sulfur oxide gases. Chlorine-oxygen leaching of the concentrate yields zinc chloride (ZnCI2) which, after purification, is electrolyzed in a fused-salt cell to obtain molten zinc metal and chlorine gas for recycle. This paper describes a laboratory-scale investigation made to develop a procedure for electrowinning zinc metal from ZnC12. Zinc chloride by itself is not a suitable electrolyte because it fumes badly above its melting point and is a poor conductor of electricity. Other salts therefore must be added to prevent fuming and improve the conductivity. Optimum results were obtained with a KC1-LiCl-ZnCl2 bath at 500° C, using a current density of 5 amp/in2 and an electrode spacing of 0.5 inch. Under these conditions, SHG zinc was produced at a current efficiency of 94.3 pct and an energy requirement of 1.16 kwhr/lb. Fused-salt electrowinning eliminates the need to handle and melt cathodes and increases the production of metal per unit cell volume through the use of higher current densities than are possible with aqueous electrolysis.

Jan 1, 1976

By H. P. Greenwald

About mid-December 1936, the safety director of a large coal corporation visited the authors at the Bureau's Experimental coal mine to discuss a rock-dust barrier he had invented primarily for use in trackless entries of coal mines. The rock dust in this device was carried in its original paper containers and means were provided for ripping these open so that the dust might be scattered in the path of an explosion. The inventor termed the device a "bag barrier", and this term has been adopted in the present paper for convenience. At that time the device was in an early stage of development, and the inventor felt that the barrier should be tested to determine whether it had enough promise of being successful to justify further development. The matter was taken under consideration and finally three tests were made during the week of February 15, 1937. It was concluded that while the device did stop an explosion in two of the three tests, it was much loss effective than ordinary rock dusting, and that too few data were obtained to permit direct comparison with tests of other barriers. Apparently, the conditions under which the device could, be successful 'Were somewhat limited, out the limits could not be defined without additional tests.

Jan 1, 1938

REFERENCES AND FOOTNOTES 1. U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of Surface Mining. Surface Coal Mining Reclamation: 10 Years of Progress: 1977-1987. Washington, D.C. August 3, 1987.48 pp. (For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington D.C. 20402.) 2. The Rural Abandoned Mine Program (RAMP), authorized by Section 406 of SMCRA, provides for the control and prevention o f erosion and sediment damages from unreclaimed abandoned mine lands. 3. The Small Operator Assistance Program (SOAP), authorized by Section 401(b)(1) and 507(c) of SMCRA authorizes up to 10 percent of the fees collected for the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund to be used for technical assistance to help qualified small mine operators obtain techincal data needed for permit applications. Operators who produce fewer than 300,000 tons of coal per year are eligible for assistance. 4. OSM regulations 30 CFR 816.42 and 817.42 require water from areas distrubed by mining activities be in compliance with all applicable state and federal water-quality laws and effluent limitations for coal mining established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 5. Sourse: Abandoned Mine Lands Fee Collection System, Data from OSM-1 form. 6. Sourse: Abandoned Mine Lands Fee Collection System, Data from OSM-1 form. 7. Source: OSM Field Office Annual Reports. 8. Johnson, W. and G.C. Miller, Abandoned Coal-Mine Lands: nature, extent, and cost of reclamation. U. S. Bureau of Mines, 1979,29 pp. PHOTOGRAPHIC CREDITS Front cover, pp. i, 1, 2 bottom, 7 right, 10 bottom left, l 1 top, l l bottom right, 12 top, 13 bottom, 14 bottom right, 15,16 bottom, 17 top, 17 bottom right, 18 bottom, 19, 20 bottom, 21 top, 22, 23, 24 bottom, 25 bottom, 26 bottom left, 26 bottom right, 27, 28, 29 top, 30 bottom, 32 bottom right, 33 top, 34 top, 35 top left, 35 bottom left, 35 bottom right, 36 top, 37, top right, 37 bottom, 38 bottom, 39, 41, 42 top, 43 bottom, 44 bottom left, 44 bottom right, 45, 46, 47, and 53: Chuck Meyers, OSM. Page 2 top and center: Tony Fuhs. Page 3: John Sharkowicz, OSM. Page 6 left: North American Coal Corp. Pages 6 right, 7 left, l l bottom left, 13 top left, 13 top right, 17 bottom left, 21 bottom, 25 top left, 25 top right, 29 bottom, 30 center, 32 top, 32 bottom left, and 38 top: Bob Welch, OSM. Page 10 top left: Donald Stump, OSM. Pages 10 right, 14 top right, 14 center right, 18 top, and 44 top: Ron Hill, EPA. Page 12 bottom: Texas Utilities Co. Pages 16 top, 20 top, 24 top: Tennessee Valley Authority. Page 26 top right and 26 center left: Richard Dick, U.S. Bureau of Mines. Pages 30 top, 33 bottom left, 33 bottom right, 35 top right, 36 bottom, 37 top left, 40 top, 40 bottom, 42 bottom, 43 top left, and 43 top right: Jim Boyer, OSM. Page 31 top left, and 31 top right: Bruce Wage, Western Energy Co. Page 31 bottom: Rex Wilson, OSM. Page 34 bottom: West Virginia Division of Abandoned Mine Lands. Page 35 center: William Weist, Jr., OSM.

Jan 1, 1992

By N. Kumar Kittusamy

By E. P. Youngman

This paper is one of a series of digests of foreign mining legislation and court decisions that is being prepared in advance of a general report relative to the right of American citizens to explore for minerals and to own and operate mines" in various foreign countries. In the preparation of this interpretation of the laws of Norway, use has been made of William R. Orrmins' translations of various acts of the Norwegian Government, which were forwarded from the American consulate at Oslo^ and transmitted to the Bureau of Mines through the courtesy of the State Department. This digest is released subject to amplification and correction, if necessary, by the proper American foreignservice officers.

Nov 1, 1932

By Geo. H. Williamson

This paper describing the dredging operation of J. K. Davison & Bro. on the Allegheny River near Pittsburgh, Pa., is one of a series being prepared for and published by the United States Bureau of Mines on methods and costs of dredging sand and gravel in the United States. These papers are designed to disseminate technical information regarding the methods used. The cost tabulations represent operating expenditures only and not total costs. It is recognized that publication of total costs might in many instances cause embarrassment to individual operators as well as to the industry as a whole. On the other hand, operating costs are essential to the technical discussion and study of the methods employed. The attention of the reader is specifically called to this differentiation in order that no misunderstanding of the scope of the cost tabulations shall ensue. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author wishes to acknowledge the assistance of H. R. Hissrich, chief engineer of the Goodman Engine and Machine Co., in compiling details of the dredge construction; of H. H. Stewart, auditor of J. K. Davison & Bro., in preparing cost and performance tables; and of J. R. Thoenen, mining engineer of the United States Bureau of Mines.

Jan 1, 1932

By Ronald S. Conti

Historically, underground mine rescue teams have received training only in the course of actual emergencies, or in simulated mine environments, usually on the surface, with placards to identify objects and hazards. Also, while U.S. Federal Regulations require all underground miners to walk escapeways and conduct fire drills every 90 days, this does not fully prepare them for the conditions that may be encountered in real escape situations, such as smoke filled entries. This paper describes technology and realistic training simulations that have been identified for the general workforce and mine emergency responders. Of all the technology evaluated by underground personnel, laser lights and lifelines were most beneficial in leading personnel to safety and out of the mine in smoke-filled passageways. These technological advancements can improve the state of readiness for rescue personnel and increase the chances of survival for personnel escaping from underground emergencies.

By Lloyd A. Morley

Two methods are presented to determine the mechanical shaft torque as a function of time for an induction motor. The methods are based on the motor equivalent circuit and use as input variables of the motor terminal voltage, line current, input power, and power factor. One method uses all four variables and the other uses only voltage and current. The test data deals specifically with continuous miners, but the theory could be applied to other mining machines driven by multiple induction motors. Results are given for the tramming, maneuvering, cutting, and cutting with loading operations and are in the form of a minimum, a maximum, and an average of the shaft-torque time function. The theoretical development and computer implementation are discussed for both methods.

Jan 1, 1978

By E. P. Youngman

The mining law of British North Borneo is entitled " The Mining Ordinance , 1927. 113 The only mining regulation or rule available is " Rules 313 , 114 passed in accordance with article 26 of the ordinance of 1927. Before the passage of this legislation , the country had no specific law governing the granting of mineral rights , although the land law contained provisions relating to mining lands . The land ordinance of 19135 still controls in a few details . All references in this paper , unless otherwise specifically designated , are to the mining ordinance .

Mar 1, 1933

By Raymond M. Stateham

The Bureau of Mines used portable infrared scanners to examine the surface of pillars and faces in the Somerset mine near Somerset, Colo. Zones of temperature buildup, indicative of potential combustion, were detected with the scanners; their existence was verified by temperature measurements with conventional instrumentation. Temperatures of 32° to 6° C were measured on surfaces with normal temperatures of 26° to 35° C. The infrared instruments and techniques appeared to offer a rapid and efficient method for locating potential trouble spots in mines susceptible to fires caused by spontaneous combustion.

Jan 1, 1974

By Susan M. Moore

Many challenges are faced by workers in lower-seam (42 inches or less) mines. The lower-seam heights confine mine workers to their knees as they perform their daily tasks such as installing roof bolts, delivering supplies, repairing belt, or cutting coal. Miners working in these lower seams often consider kneepads to be their only line of defense against knee injuries. However, healthy knees do not start and stop with kneepads. Other interventions such as changing postures, proper hygiene, and work station design may also be used to reduce mine workers? risks for developing knee injuries. Incorporating these and many other interventions into a mine worker?s ?way of life? is an important step to ensuring a long, healthy career and retirement. Keeping knees healthy is also a key aspect to reducing costs in low-seam mines as the industry battles rising health care costs, and training/recruitment of replacement workers is time-consuming and costly. Educating the workforce about the possible interventions to reduce knee injury risk is a primary objective for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health?s (NIOSH) Pittsburgh Research Laboratory (PRL). Therefore, NIOSH researchers, along with industry and academia, developed a training package to educate the mining com­munity about some possible interventions beyond kneepads that may be used to help decrease knee injury rates. Increased awareness and simple changes are the first steps to reducing knee injuries.

Jan 1, 2008

By J. N. Greaves

Investigations were conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Mines to develop flowsheets for the recovery of tungsten and gold from four Alaskan scheelite-bearing ores. Basic gravity concentration and cyanide leach tests were performed on all samples. About 46 pct of the tungsten and 30 pct of the gold from one sample were recovered in a gravity concentrate containing 24 pet W03 (tungstic oxide) and 119 troy ounces per short ton (tr oz/st) Au. Froth flotation of the gravity concentrate resulted in separate tungsten and gold products with grades of 38 pct W03 and 2,720 tr oz/st Au and recoveries of 60 and 97 pet, respectively. Additional gold was recovered from the gravity and flotation tailings by cyanidation. Overall recoveries of tungsten and gold from this sample were 28 and 94 pet, respeetively. A flowsheet with mill design parameters was developed that consisted of (1) free gold and scheelite recovery by gravity methods and froth flotation and (2) fme-grained gold recovery by cyanide leaching of reground gravity and flotation tailings, followed by a carbon-in-pulp (CIP) circuit. Data were developed from the Bond mill work index, gold and tungsten flotation, conventional and high-rate thickening, cyanide leaching, and CIP adsorption tests.

Jan 1, 1989