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By Alan A. Campoli

OD March 20, 1989, a meeting was held at the U.S. Bureau of Mines Pittsburgh Research Center at the request of Senator Pete V. Domenici of New Mexico. The purpose of the meeting was to engender a technical relationship between the National Laboratories and the minerals industry. During the meeting, the Director of the Bureau of Mines, T S Ary, suggested that since the Bureau is the focal point for mining research in the United States, it would be appropriate for the agency to act as the liaison between the National Laboratories and the minerals industry. As the first step in this process, the author was selected to perform a 6-month investigation to better define the proper role of the Bureau in this area. As part of the investigation, the mining and mineral-related technology available at 21 major U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Research Laboratories was reviewed. It was assumed that the broad range of scientific and technical areas covered DOE research would provide fertile ground for mining-related technologies. It was hoped that the applicability of DOE research to this liaison effort would be indicative of Federal laboratories in general.

Jan 1, 2011

By Gregory M. Dexter

Recent litigation in Pennsylvania between three coal-mining companies and a private water company resulted in the payment by the coal companies of the equivalent of about $500,000 to buy a new water supply to replace that which had been damaged by acid drainage from strip mining. An investigation of the relevant facts indicates that the water could have been treated by spending about $40,000 on equipment and $15,000 yearly for chemicals, labor, and power until the contamination could be reduced about 80 pct. The water company's supply, furthermore, had deteriorated largely by reason of dry weather before stripping was begun by the coal companies. Payment to the water company should not have exceeded $300,000 and could have been as low as $100,000. Strip mining of coal is common in Pennsylvania. The most important objection to it in Pennsylvania is generally acid pollution of runoff water. An outline of the methods, therefore, that could be used to reduce such pollution, to compare acid-contaminated waters, and to treat such waters to make them satisfactory for public and industrial use is worth-while. The watershed of the West P~M Water Co. covers about 4.5 square miles, 20 miles west of Pittsburgh, and has two 90,000,000 gal reservoirs sup- plying about 1,300,000 gal daily for public and industrial use of which 450,000 gal daily are for two railroads. The pollution arises from weathered derivatives of typical "Coal Measures"

Jan 1, 1949

By C. A. Geffen-Fowler

This report, sponsored by the Bureau of Mines, presents the results of an examination of the safety of the Blind Shaft Borer (BSB) shaft sinking system and an alternative modified BSB design concept in comparison to conventional shaft sinking technology. Detailed study of the two systems was also performed to identify and recommend design changes for optimum safety conditions. A comparison of the BSB systems with conventional shaft sinking was made on the basis of relative risk levels. Risk incorporates both the frequency and the potential consequence of accidents. A safety evaluation of the component operations of the two BSB systems was performed using a Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) methodology. The results of this analysis show generally that both BSB systems are safer than conventional shaft sinking. The potential risk of conventional shaft sinking operations could be reduced by over 30%, on the average, with the use of the original BSB system, and by an average of about 10% with the modified BSB. Design change recommendations to further improve the safety of these systems include better fire suppression systems, improved man haulage systems and more compact hydraulics. An operational safety manual was also developed for the modified BSB system.

Jan 1, 1981

By John W. Fredland

Many accidents occur in the mining industry as a result of the instability of material during handling and processing operations. Accidents due to dump point instability at stockpiles, and at spoil or waste piles, for example, occur with alarming frequency. Miners must be trained to be better aware of these hazards. Information on safe working procedures at stockpiles and surge piles is provided. Mine operators must review their training and operating procedures regularly to ensure that hazardous conditions are avoided.

Jan 1, 1993

By Euclid P. Worden

INTRODUCTION Today, conventional raise boring is an accepted method of development in underground mines and on major construction projects. Over the years that this technique, and its associated machines and tools, have been under development, many articles have been written on the subject. To a great extent, these papers have reported operating results of one or more specific projects or have been generalized reviews of state-of-the-art machines and tools. This paper is intended as a review of the technique from an operational standpoint. Conventional raise boring, as opposed to the related variants box hole drilling and underground blast hole drilling, is a two step process consisting of the pilot hole drilling and reaming cycles. This author has covered the subject of pilot hole drilling in another article (1) . A good review of the current machines and equipment has been presented by Monroe (2) and an overall review of this entire technology was published by E&MJ (3) and Mining Journal, April, 1983 (4) . The subject of the reaming cycle is presented here together with some of the technical aspects of how the drilling tools are intended to be used. OPERATIONS Bit Change After the pilot bit has broken through at the end of the pilot hole cycle, a changeover takes place at both the machine and

Jan 1, 1985

By E. J. Gleim

This report describes a trip to Europe in the interest of safety in coal mines. It reviews the Eighth International Conference of Directors of Safety in Mines Re-search, which met in Dortmund-Derne, Germany, July 5-10, 1954, to discuss results of studies made in different countries to improve health and safety conditions under-ground. It also summarizes information on subjects of special interest in the United States gained by the writer in visits to mining experiment stations in Belgium, France, and England. The efforts being made to protect life and property underground were discussed, and ideas and experiences were interchanged freely, not only during the conference but also during visits to the several countries. Helpful information was obtained on many topics of interest, but time did not permit as thorough a discussion on some of them as might be desired.

Jan 1, 1956

By W. W. Krech, T. E. Perkins

As fractures are propagated through rocks, energy is absorbed near the extending crack tip. Apparent surface energies for several rocks have been measured by cleavage under dynamic con-ditions. At nominal crack velocities from 0.5 to 500 in (min, measurements showed that fractures propagated in discrete jumps. Calculated surface energies and moduli were relatively insensitive to nominal rate of cleavage. in another set of experiments, rocks were cleaved under high confining stresses. The rocks were submerged in low leak-off fluids which formed a filter cake on the freshly cleaved surfaces (similar to the hydraulic lracturing process). Apparent surface energies were increased substantially as the surrounding fluid pressure was increased. Moduli in bending increased significantly upon application of the first 1,000 psi but were insensitive to stress level at greater pressures. INTRODUCTION For almost 20 years, hydraulic fracturing processes have been utilized effectively to stimulate oil and gas wells. During this period, some process improvements have resulted from studies of fracture orientation, mechanics of fracturing, areas generated, conductivities of cracks, etc. Yet many questions remain concerning the conditions and pressures needed during fracture propagation. In this paper we will report additional studies of the mechanics of fracture extension. It was shown previously3 that large rock samples could be cleaved under controlled conditions so as to measure the apparent surface energy (that amount of energy absorbed per unit area of new surface created). In this paper we consider the effects of two additional factors on surface energies, viz.: (1) effect of cleavage rate and (2) effect of confining stress level. THEORY Cleavage experiments were conducted on rock samples similar to that illustrated in Fig. 1. Blocks of rock several inches wide, 2- to 3-in. thick, and up to 3 ft in length were grooved longitudinally with shallow guide slots. A crack was initiated and allowed to extend along the web as the top of the rock specimen was pulled (or pushed) apart. Auxiliary equipment permits the measurement of (1) force applied at the top, (2) separation at the top and (3) crack length. (Further experimental details will be given in the next section.) The rock beams created by the crack are considered ton be cantilever beams. The deflection (or separation of the rock beams) at any point is calculated 4,5 by the beam Eq. 1.

Jan 1, 1967

By A. Ignatieff

Introduction Some interest is being shown in Canada in underground gasification of coal and, as developments have now taken place in several countries of the world, it is thought that a review of progress, particularly from the viewpoint of a mining engineer, may be of interest. The literature on the subject, and notably that of Russian origin, is already very voluminous. The various methods of underground gasification of coal have evolved from initial attempts to employ underground workings as gasifiers of previously fragmented coal or to use some method that involves little or no preparatory work underground. The 'stream' method, shown schematically in Figure 1, has been the only one used in tests to date in countries outside the U.S.S.R. Other methods, involving preparatory work underground prior to gasification, are the early 'chamber' method, where fragmented coal was gasified in rooms between inlet and outlet entries, and the underground borehole' method, illustrated in Figure 2, where gasification is developed in a succession of boreholes which are temporarily sealed and then abandoned in turn after gasification. The stream method appears. to be particularly suitable for pitching seems as it is claimed that the pitch prevents ash accumulation or serious blockage from roof falls, and it also aids the circulation of the stream. As a considerable proportion of Canadian medium and high-rank coal seams are inclined, it would seem that, at least at the outset, the stream method or a modification thereof would be the one most applicable to all but the Saskatchewan lignite fields and the flat domestic-coal fields of Alberta.

Jan 1, 1949

By T. Mapeta, S. M. Rupprecht

Discussions on reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction (RPEEE) include the CRIRSCO 2019 reporting template, JORC 2012, SAMREC 2016, CIM 2019 Guideline, and Regulation SK-1300. These reporting codes all conform to the principles of reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction. To demonstrate that all mineral resources align with the RPEEE principles, the Competent Person is responsible for endorsing the mineral resource estimate. Moreover, establishing mineral resources and RPEEE requires technical input from numerous technical specialists, such as mining and geotechnical engineers, metallurgical engineers, social and environmental specialists, financial and governmental practitioners, and more. The aim is to improve the transparency of the disclosure of mineral resources and guarantee the investor or potential investor that the reporting of mineral resources is based on reliable technical, economic, environmental, social, and other relevant factors. This paper discusses the important protocols and definitions in some international reporting codes for the purposes of developing a guide memoire that will assist the Competent Person to interpret, establish and apply RPEEE appropriately and easily.

Jun 27, 2025

By Maureen McGuiness

"The pastefill circuit at the Bell Allard Mine in Matagami, Quebec started up in August 1999. The surface pastefill plant produces a cemented paste which is sent underground by gravity through a vertical pipeline in the mine ventilation shaft. Difficulties with paste flow during the start-up highlighted the importance of understanding paste rheology and the effect of operating procedures on line wear. By June 2000, the original circuit had been modified to include a paste pump to transport the paste to the shaft.The steps taken during the paste plant commissioning are discussed. The final flow sheet is presented, focussing on the use of instrumentation to ensure full column flow and proper distribution underground. Resistance modelling and accelerated curing of samples are examined as possible ways of predicting paste resistance to ensure compliance with the mine’s paste specifications.INTRODUCTIONCommissioning a new plant can be difficult and time consuming. The start-up of Noranda’s Bell Allard paste backfill plant was no exception. Since the first day it went into operation, the paste circuit could not meet the tonnage and paste quality requirements of the mine because the paste would not flow by gravity into the vertical pipeline in the mine’s ventilation shaft.Diagnosis of the pastefill problems proved difficult. It was only when the rheology of the Bell Allard paste was understood that the flow problems were solved. To ensure that the paste placed in the stopes meets mine requirements, two methods of paste resistance prediction are being developed."

Jan 1, 2002

By J. C. Stankus, K. J. Ma, D. Faulkner

To protect mine personnel and moving equipment at underground roof fall areas, mine operators typically install steel sets, which are covered with wooden blocks and backfilled with an expanding-type cement material. In large roof falls, the cost of void backfilling becomes prohibitively high, causing some mines to leave the voids open. However, the durability of wood over time and the capability of the steel set and wood lagging to resist falling rock are unknown. This has caused concern for the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and ground control engineers. During the last few years, Keystone Mining Services, LLC developed various impact-resistant steel set designs that were approved by MSHA and installed in various underground fall rehabilitations. This paper presents an impact-resistant steel set design methodology, including (1) steel set design per AISC national standard, (2) design, development and laboratory testing of a waterproof coated impact-resistant lagging panel and (3) impactresistant steel set design based on the law of conservation of energy. Two underground cases will be included detailing the application of the system.

Jan 1, 2011

In practice a sampling solution is a compromise of many requirements: the sample should be representative; the sampling system should also be reliable, less than 95 per cent availability restricts the use of the assayed sample for process control purposes; no sample is the worst sample, and investment costs and installation space/layout are frequently a restriction. For instance, online X-ray analysers for process control introduce a delimitation error by the nature of X-ray physics. Thus only in special cases a relative accuracy better than three per cent relative, as one standard deviation, is achieved. A sampling system for process control needs not to be, as representative, for so many sample properties, as one for composite laboratory analysis samples. Sampling system maintenance is also an important issue. There are many sampling systems in the industry which have been difficult to maintain and are in disuse for lack of resources or incentives to keep them running. Pierre Gy developed the most generally accepted sampling theory. One of the main principles is that all particles in a one-dimensional process stream should have equal chances of being included into the sample. A correctly designed and operated transversing cutter comes close to this goal but has limitations in temporal representativity. For slurries an acceptable solution in many cases is to use a fixed vertical cutter(s) in a position where the slurry is well-mixed by turbulence and other means. For online analysis, reliability problems are mostly related to faulty design or installation of the piping system to the analyser. Properties of material processed, process flow sheet and piping details before and after the sampler have to be taken into account when deciding on which sampling arrangement is appropriate. Guidelines and some solutions to these issues are presented in this paper.

Mar 1, 2010

By A D. Campbell

The Homer Tunnel is located in a remote area of the South Island of New Zealand and carries large numbers of tourists to Milford Sound through an avalanche prone area. The tunnel is 1280 m long with a steep ten per cent unidirectional grade descending to the west. Construction of the tunnel began in the 1930s and was completed to a nominal 6 m width in 1954. In 1996, two passing bays were stripped-out to accommodate bi-directional flow of tourist coaches. During all phases of construction and widening there have been episodes of strain bursting.The condition of the tunnel and standard of internal services is below current international practice, principally in terms of; in-tunnel air quality, fire life safety, ground support, and road safety. A number of near-miss events have occurred involving coach fires on the approaches and inside the tunnel. The national road authority, NZTA, is considering a substantial investment to improve amenity and safety of the tunnel.This paper describes the rationale for the proposed upgrade works and the investigations undertaken to enable that design. A holistic approach to road tunnel safety has been adopted that balances the key interrelated safety drivers, namely; tunnel lining, traffic operations, ventilation, power supply and egress while ensuring continuity of safe access to Milford Sound.

Mar 8, 2011

By K. Ward

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is beginning to provide compliance assistance visits to various industries, including mining, for Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) compliance. The EPA inspectors may consist of a multi-media team deployed to review systems and procedures for EPCRA Sections 302, 304, 311, and 312. The Team’s focus may include emergency response plans, training programs, qualifications of personnel, and release notification protocols. This presentation takes a look at the EPCRA compliance challenges faced by Arizona copper mining and processing facilities.

Jan 1, 2001

By F. L. Clerc

THE lead and zinc region of SW. Missouri is interesting, not only by reason of the value of its output, which ranges in the neighborhood of ten million dollars a year, but even more because of the facilities which it offers for the study of certain forms of ore-deposits, of which the loci and genesis are somewhat obscure. Although the mineral species found in the region are few and of common occurrence, crystallization has taken place on a generous scale, and unusual forms abound in many combinations, presenting examples of pseudomorphism, paragenesis, metasomatic replacement and the action of mineral-depositing and mineral-dissolving waters. For the mineralogist, lithologist, and specialist in certain lines of metamorphism, it has peculiar attractions, while the systematic geologist will perhaps find its chief claim to attention in the simplified problem it presents, in the study of ore-deposits. In addition to the phenomena above enumerated, it presents instances of well-developed comb-structure in the ores, fissures and faults, and slickensides-features usually associated with extensive movements in the earth's crust, and believed by some authorities to prove the deep-seated origin of the ores. In connection with these occurrences, the absence of all igneous rocks from this region is noteworthy and significant. For that reason, the simplified case presented by the Joplin region, from which these rocks have been eliminated as a factor, is specially valuable. Having had unusual opportunities to watch the development of this district, I have been deeply interested in the bearing of the revelations of the Joplin mines upon questions of universal importance to the science of ore-deposits ; and it was to my great regret that the project of a meeting of the American Institute of Mining Engineers at Joplin, proposed in 1892, was

Mar 1, 1907

This Information Circular describes the Bureau of Mines Minerals Availability System (MAS), presents the Resource Classification Manual used for information input to a computer file, and discusses the methods of collecting and assembling background material' basic to coding the data.

Jan 1, 1974

By B. J. Moore

This publication contains 14,242 analyses of gas samples from oil and gas wells and natural gas pipelines in 40 States and 24 foreign countries. These gas samples were collected in the period 1917-85 as part of the Bureau of Mines survey for helium occurrences. The gas analyses contained herein were made by several methods over the period covered. Analytical work on samples collected early in the period was done on the Orsat apparatus. The one-cut apparatus and four-cut fractional distillation equipment were added later. A mass spectrometer was acquired in 1949 and used for all gas analyses made after that time. From 1917 to 1978, helium analyses were made on special helium analytical equipment designed and built by the Bureau of Mines Helium Operations Laboratory. In 1978, this apparatus was replaced in the quantitative helium analysis work by a gas chromatograph.

Jan 1, 1987

By R. Todd Swinderman

"Higher production demands across all bulk handling segments require increased efficiency at the lowest cost of operation, in the safest and most effective manner possible. As conveyor systems become wider, faster and longer, more energy output and more controlled throughput will be needed. Add an increasingly stringent regulatory environment and cost-conscious plant managers must closely review which new equipment and design options align with their long-term goals for the best return on investment (ROI).There are primarily two separate market segments using conveyor belts. One is in process industries such as food, chemicals, paper and powders. Handled in relatively low volumes, the bulk materials that enter these processes are generally of a consistent size and quality. The other market includes mining, coal handling and cement, where the bulk material’s quality and size vary, and the volumes are typically much greater. While both segments face similar issues with safety and environmental control, the properties of the materials handled and the volumes transferred suggest different approaches, with one thing in common: increased belt speeds requiring modern equipment upgrades.Safety at higher belt speedsWith companies recognizing that safety does indeed pay, safety is likely to become a new source of cost reduction. The percentage of mines and processing facilities with a robust safety culture are likely to increase over the next 30 years to the point where it is the norm, not the exception. In most cases, with only a marginal adjustment to the belt speed, operators quickly discover unanticipated problems in existing equipment and workplace safety. These problems are commonly indicated by the larger volume of spillage, increased dust emissions, belt misalignment and more frequent equipment wear or failures."

Jan 7, 2017

By V. B. Achanti, A. W. Khair

Laboratory studies were carried out at West Virginia University to investigate the rock fragmentation mechanism by continuous miners using an automated rotary cutting simulator. The primary factors influencing the fragmentation process were found to be: bit spacing, bit geometry, depth of cut and cutting drum rotational speed. This paper presents the influence of these parameters in achieving optimum energy consumption and minimizing dust generation during rock fragmentation process. Tree bits were used simultaneously on Indiana limestone while the bit tip angle was varied from 60° to 900. Bit spacing was varied from 2.54 cm (1 in.) to 5.08 cm (2 in.) while the cutting process was assessed for varying cutting depths. Restorable dust generated during the course of the experiments was analyzed utilizing cascade impactors. Assessment of these parameters has led to a better understanding of the cutting mechanism by continuous miners in terms of energy consumption and dust generation.

Feb 24, 1997

By Francis A. Thomson

T HE engineer of today is by his training, by his traditions, and by the service which he must render, irrevocably committed to taking his part in public life along with the members of the older professions of ministry, medicine and law. Nevertheless, in comparison with these: three, so long recognized as the "learned professions-all three of which grew out of the functions of the priesthood-engineering in any modern sense of the word is a youthful profession indeed. So youthful is engineering in its present significance, that it may be said to date from the labors of John Smeaton, the lighthouse builder; of Simon Newcomen and James Watt, the inventors of the steam engine; and of George Stephenson, the inventor of the locomotive; at the dawn of the 19th century. Great works of an engineering character had, it is true, been executed long before this, but practically all of them had been rule-of-thumb enterprises, dependent upon a plethora of slave labor for their accomplishment. For illustration it is said that at Rio Tinto in the days of Hiram, king of Tyre, 40,000 men worked for a year to produce three tons of silver from the rich outcrop ore. Such an operation can scarcely be called an engineering enterprise, however, when we remember that a fourth of this number of men in these same mines, from which the richest ore was long ago extracted, produce at present over 100 tons of copper per day.

Jan 1, 1925