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By Alfred H. Bell

IN 1945, Illinois produced 75,210,000 bid. of oil, or 4.4 percent of the total for the United States, and ranked sixth in the nation in oil production for the third consecutive year. Production decreased about 3 per cent from that of 1944, when the total Illinois production was 77,413,000 bbl. This is the smallest percentage of decrease in production in the state for any year since a peak was reached in 1940. Daily average production for 1945 was approximately 206,000 bbl. Daily averages by months were as follows:

Jan 1, 1946

By Ken Deter

I have some general comments on optimizing profitability based on working in heap leach operations in tropical environments. Many of my planned comments this morning have been stated earlier in the Conference. I get the opportunity to say only a few words, and follow up on some specific comments and concerns. In normal operations, stack the ore higher, where possible. The surface area of the stacked ore controls the total solution volume that can be sprayed on the pad at a specific time period. With higher lifts, solution will contact more ore particles as it percolate through the lift, and therefore the solution grade flowing through the base will be increased, whether it is freshly stacked or almost completely leached ore. This also allows more tonnage to be stacked per lift on the pad, decreasing conveyor movement and downtime. Increasing from 6 to 8 meter (20 to 26 feet) lifts have worked successfully, and some mines are using 10 meter (33 feet) lifts in 10,000-15,000 dmtpd plants. The same concept will work with smaller plants, but initial 6 meter lifts should be used until the start-up period has shown the leaching is working as planned. As the stacked ore lifts get higher, the solution flowing through the highest lift is diluted by solution retained in the lower ones. Eventually no real increase is noted from putting fresh ore in service, and gold production rate suffers. To address the dilution problem, an HDPE liner should be installed between each 2 to 4 lifts, depending on each site specific lift height, recovery, % slump in the lift, recovery rates, and grade treated, among others. The surface of the previous lift should be leveled and sloped to control the effluent draining from the planned lift, then the liner is placed, including berms and discharge pipes. The intermediate HDPE liner does not need to be completely sealed as would be the case with the base liner, and can accept some solution penetrating into the lower lifts. A one-mm (40-mil) thickness liner can be used. This intermediate liner allows the upper lift(s) higher-grade effluent to report to the pad discharge point. This will maintain higher gold solution grades going to the ponds. The slopes of the previous lifts should not be covered with HDPE in this concept, and precipitation falling on the lower lift slopes and benches can be directed to barren or surge ponds.

Jan 1, 1999

By Pollard DM, Willis GM

The removal of bismuth from liquid copper in a vacuum furnace was studied over a range of pressures. The rate determining step changes from diffusion in the gas at pressures above 0.2 Torr to approach the Langmuir evaporation rate at pressures of 10-2 Torr. Oxygen and sulphur were found to have a negligible effect on the rate. Bismuth removal from copper sulphide was found to be considerably slower than from copper. This is consistent with the known thermodynamic properties of ternary sulphide melts.

Jan 1, 1980

By H. B. Brunot, Ilsley. L. C., E. J. Gleim

"INTRODUCTION One of the various phases of the work by the U.S. Bureau of Mines, in its endeavors to minimize the hazards that attend coal mining, is the investigation of electrical motor-driven machinery. The object of this investigation is to foster the development of explosion-proof machines for use in gassy mines. This investigation is conducted under the provisions of Schedule 2C, which prescribes the inspection and tests made upon motors, controllers, and other electrical parts to determine their ability to withstand internal explosion without discharge of any flames. The method of conducting these inspections and tests is described in Bureau of Mines Bulletin 305, Inspection and Testing of Mine-Type Electrical Equipment for Permissibility, published in 1929. Formal approval of a machine for use in gassy mines is not granted by the Bureau of Mines until the machine is found to comply with the requirements, including inspection and test. When it is approved it is entitled to classification as a ""permissible"" machine.The high regard in which machines approved by the U.S. Bureau of Mines are held by engineers of other countries is attested by the growing number of shipments of permissible equipment; to other nations, including Australia, Russia, Norway, Japan, and Manchuria."

Aug 1, 1936

By W. G. Park

Long-range projection of demand for domestic crude oil indicates a continued upward movement and accentuates the need for increasing the recovery from known crude-oil resources to supplement expected future discoveries. Consequently, the industry and Government have given special attention to the viscous or heavy-oil deposits because they offer the distinct possibility of large order increases in ultimate recovery. This report presents data pertaining to 150 heavy-oil reservoirs in Arkansas including oil characteristics of samples from 38 of these reservoirs. To January 1, 1967, about 600 million bbl of heavy oil has been recovered from the 150 reservoirs in 63 oilfields; however, about 4.5 billion bbl, or 88 pct, of oil remained in the ground. Of prime importance is that much of this heavy-oil resource is in reservoirs having characteristics considered favorable for thermal-recovery operations. Data for the thermal projects initiated [thus Ear are presented in individual field discussions. Also discussed is the t crude oil supply-demand situation in the State.

Jan 1, 1969

By C. C. Wright, R. J. Day

Although data on the exact tonnage of recoverable coal silt are not known, the quantity produced in 1943 was estimated to be over five million tons for the anthracite region of Pennsylvania alone. Since that time the recovery of the No. 5 buckwheat size previously included in silt estimates has increased greatly thus reducing the total silt tonnage. As a compensating factor, however, the methods of recovering silt previously escaping into the rivers and streams have been markedly improved so that the net figure may not have changed materially. Comparable estimates for bituminous coal are lacking, but undoubtedly the silt represents a significant tonnage. With the trend toward increased wet cleaning of the smaller sizes of bituminous coal, it is to be expected that even greater quantities of silt will be available in the future. The raw silt from anthracite collieries usually contains a high mineral matter content, but technological developments in fine coal cleaning have been making rapid advances and it appears probable that more extensive use of these methods will be employed in the near future. Bituminous coal silt in many instances contains a similar high mineral matter content. As with anthracite silt, however, the cleaning of this material, where necessary, appears both technologically and economically feasible. With a view to upgrading the size and value of silt, considerable laboratory and pilot plant work has been conducted by a number of organizations on what is commonly known as pelletization. Actually the process is one of extrusion in which the moist silt is extruded from a die in the form of rods, which usually break into relatively short lengths—a few inches long—as they fall from the die. Fig I is a photograph of some extruded 3/8-in. diam pellets and of the anthracite silt from which they were produced This technique of producing larger sized material from fines is by no means new, having been used extensively by the industrial carbon and clay industries for years.' The application of the process to coal silt appears, however, to be relatively new. The first major program of investigation dates back only to July 1945, when a group of engineers representing the Anthracite Institute, The Pennsylvania State College and the J. F. Pritchard and Co. conducted preliminary tests on the extrusion of anthracite silt at the Floridin Co. plant at Warren, Pa. Since that time these three organiza-tions—individually, together, and in cooperation with other interested groups— have actively pursued work on various phases of the problem. Much of the early history and details of the laboratory and pilot plant work by the Anthracite Institute, has been reported by Mulcey and Eckerd.2 It is the purpose of this paper to report additional information on the process, especially with respect to the factors influencing the quality and use properties of the product, and the current develop-

Jan 1, 1949

By Kirkhouse C. B

Soon after the Broken Hill Limited started operations at their Iron and Steel Works at Newcastle, NSW, it was found necessary to install a mill for rolling small merchant bars, rounds, etc.An arrangement of the first mill laid down is shown on Plate 1., Fig. 1. This mill commenced operations on the 18th July, 1917.The feed for this mill was rolled in the existing 18-in. mill and sheared to the lengths required before being delivered to the billet storage yard. The billet storage yard is 90 ft. span, and is served by one 10-ton electric overhead travelling crane. Billets were placed on the billet bed preparatory to being charged into the heating furnace.The heating furnace was of the continuous recuperative with end discharge and had a hearth 40 ft. long by 10 ft. wide. The billets were pushed through the furnace by means of two hydraulic rams, which could either act together and push one row of billets, or act singly and push two rows of billets. This furnace was fired by producer gas from the producers shown on Plate I., Fig. l.The gas was conveyed to the furnace by means of a brick underground flue.

Jan 1, 1935

By Stephen C. Tadolini, Anthony T. Iannacchione

"Coal burst represented a major hazard for some U.S. mining operations. This paper provides an historical review of the coal burst hazards, identifies the fundamental geological factors associated with these events, and discusses mechanisms that can be used to avoid their occurrences. Coal burst are not common in most underground mines. Their occurrence almost always has such dramatic consequences to a mining operation that changes in practice are required. Fundamental factors influencing coal burst events include strong strata, abnormal strata caving, elevated stresses, critical size pillars and the lack of sufficiently sized barrier pillars during extraction. These factors interact to produce excessive stress, seismic shock and loss of confinement mechanisms. Over the 90 years of dealing with these hazards, many novel prevention controls have been developed including novel mine designs and extraction sequences, most of which are site specific in their application. Without an accurate assessment of the fundamental factors that influence coal burst and knowledge of their mechanisms of occurrence, control techniques may be misapplied and risk inadequately mitigated. INTRODUCTIONCoal burst1are violent failures of ribs, roof or floor in underground mines. They are known to occur in complex ways and often under unique sets of conditions. This has made them extremely difficult to anticipate and control. Assessing coal burst risk requires engineers, managers, and safety professionals to recognize the fundamental factors responsible for these events. This helps practitioners recognize the hazard potential and understand the context in which various controls and barriers should be used. Only then can coal burst events be anticipated andappropriate mitigation techniques deployed.Over the last 90 years, a few coal burst events have been anticipated but most have eluded prediction. The authors examined the historical record (Appendix A) and determined that an inadequate understanding of the initiating geologic factors and their associated mechanisms of occurrence have contributed to the poor predictive capability. The historic record also indicates that control techniques have typically been site specific in their application."

Jan 1, 2015

By Yataro Shimomura

La alza de precios, salarios y las restricciones impuestas por los controles de la contaminación ambiental produjo un aumento en los costos de minado, generando que las operaciones nacionales mineras sean cada más difíciles. Sin embargo, la industria minera logró superarlos, mejorando la tecnología del minado, mecanización y racionalización de sus operaciones. De otro lado, el uso de métodos de minado por cuartos y pilares ha disminuído, mientras que los de corte y relleno y de subniveles se han incrementado. A esto se suma que la utilización de brocas "TC" y del "AN-FO", mejoraron la eficiencia del minado y redujeron los costos. En este sentido, el presente texto señala los últimos avances en tecnología minera a partir de los métodos de extracción, perforación, así como el empleo de relleno de tajeos con relaves de flotación, logrando un desarrollo en la seguridad y eficiencia de la minería subterránea.

Nov 20, 1972

By W. M. Dressel

A simple, reliable field test for beryllium in rocks has been developed by the Rolla Metallurgy Research Center of the Federal Bureau of Minas. A small portion of the pulverized rock is fused with a sodium carbonate-sodium hydroxide flux in a wire loop. The fused mass is dissolved in water, a few drops of quinizarin solution are added, and the solution is viewed under ultraviolet light. A pink-to-orange fluorescence reveals the presence of beryllium in a sample containing as little as 0.013 percent beryllium (0.26 percent beryl). INTRODUCTION New and potential uses for beryllium make necessary a more intensive search for this metal, which is so similar to aluminum in its chemical reactions that it is not separated from aluminum in ordinary chemical analyses. The principal ore mineral of beryllium is beryl, a beryllium-aluminum silicate, which contains only 5 percent beryllium. This mineral is so similar to quartz in appearance that it is not always possible to distinguish one from the other in the field. While the distinction may be made easily with a petrographic microscope, few prospectors have access to such an instrument, and fewer still know how to use it.

Jan 1, 1960

By S. S. Cole, C. E. Wood, T. L. Joseph

"INTRODUCTION Iron ore containing titanium was first used in blast furnaces over a century ago. It is well known that TiO2 is a slag-forming material that will increase the amount of slag produced by the usual gangue materials, silica and alumina. Increase in the volume of slag due to the presence of TiO2 and a lack of information concerning its effect on the properties of the slag have prevented the general use of titaniferous ore. Also rather com¬mon belief among furnace operators that the bottom of the furnace builds up when ores containing TiO2 are smelted has militated against the use of titaniferous ore. This building up of the hearth has been attributed to the formation of copper-colored crystals of titanium cyanonitride, which have been observed in the salamanders of blast furnaces. Until recently the availability of nontitaniferous iron ore has left little incentive to use ore containing titanium.The presence of vanadium in certain deposits of titaniferous magnetite in New York State has created new interest in problems connected with the use of titanium-bearing ore. It appears that most of the vanadium in this ore can be recovered in pig iron, which can be blown in a converter to produce a slag containing vanadium in amounts suitable for the production of ferrovanadium.The Titanium Division of the National Lead Co. recently erected a largo mill to treat ore from Sanford Hill, in Essex County, New York, about 50 miles west of Port Henry. The ore deposit was acquired from the MacIntyre Iron Co. and is often referred to as Sanford ore. It is one of the largest deposits of Iron-bearing material to be found east of the Lake Superior region and is being mined by open-pit methods."

Jan 1, 1943

In the spring of 1944 the Congress passed Public Law 290 (58 Stat. 190, 30 U. S. C. Sec. 321) "authorizing the construction and operation of demonstration plants to produce synthetic liquid fuels from coal, oil shales, agricultural and forestry products, and other substances, in order to aid the prosecution of the war, to conserve and increase the oil resources of the Nation, and for other purposes." Section 2 reads: "In order to carry out the purpose of this act, the Secretary of the Interior is authorized- (a) to conduct laboratory research and development work, and, with pilot plants and semi-works plants, to make careful process engineering studies, along with structural engineering studies, in order to ascertain lowest investment and operating costs necessary to determine the best demonstration plant designs and conditions of operation;

Jan 1, 1948

By B. Singh

The use of wire ropes has already been tried in a few countries for roof support In mines. But the use of scrap wire ropes, as a method of support on extensive scale has not been reported from anywhere except India. Extensive trials using freshly discarded wire ropes for roof support were undertaken both in the laboratory and field. In laboratory, model beams supported with different reinforcing techniques were tested to evaluate their comparative load bearing capacity vis-a-vis reinforcing factor. Among all the tests, the model supported with wire rope system at 60° angle in combination with two supplementary vertical bolts offered the best result 1.e. about 95% reinforcement. It also accepted post fracture loading of the beam. In statical analysis too, the best result could be obtained with the rope installed across the gallery at 60° angle. All these findings are in conformity with the field observations obtained during roof stitching practices in coal mines. Of late, roof stitching, an effective and economical method of roof support developed at CMRS, India in 1972, found wide application in over 200 coal mines. In this method, a freshly discarded wire rope is grouted across a gallery in two inclined drill holes supplemented with two middle vertical roof bolts at every 1.0 to 1.2 m interval along the gallery. It is tensioned against the roof using wooden sleepers and thus, the whole system functions like a roof truss.

Jan 1, 1990

By R. C. Corey

GERMANIUM is an element that has come into widespread use in the electronics industry in recent, years. So far this increasing demand has been, met by ample supply: however, the future balance is uncertain, and the need has been recognized to discover additional domestic sources of germanium. This investigation was conducted to study the possibility of obtaining a potential supply of germanium from coal or coal ash. It has been known for some time that coal contains germanium; the discovery that By ash from coal-fired boilers often contains appreciably more germanium than the original coal suggested the possibility that coal ash might be an abundant and economical source of this element. In this study the concentration of germanium was determined in numerous samples of coal and ash. A number of miscellaneous waste materials also were examined in the course of the investigation; the results are reported as a matter of general interest. The methods and equipment employed are discussed in detail. Sample-preparation and analytical techniques are described in the appendix. Spectrographic analyses were made on a total of 639 samples, including coal, coal ash, slap ash from lignite and peat, wood ash, and various inorganic materials. Qualitative analyses were run on all samples, and quantitative determinations were made on those samples that contained enough germanium to be measured by this method The lower limit at which germanium can be determined quantitatively by spectrographic analysis is 50 parts per million (p. p. m.), but concentrations of less than 20 p. p. m. can be detected qualitatively.

Jan 1, 1959

By Robert T. Beckman

The results of a preliminary investigation of compressive strength versus length-diameter (L/D) ratios of potash specimens and the statistical treatment of the data are summarized in this report. The purpose of the study was to evaluate a laboratory method for obtaining estimates of the strength of potash pillars during robbing operations. The specific objectives of this preliminary investigation were to test the method and the reliability (confidence limits) of the data, and to determine the number of additional specimens necessary for given confidence limits. The specimens were taken from three sites at two mines in New Mexico. The statistical analyses included the determination of the confidence limits for the data and the number of additional specimens necessary to obtain confidence limits of ±500 and 100 psi. The testing method was found acceptable, and estimates of the comprehensive strength, within 1500 psi, could be obtained by testing about 110 additional specimens from the three sites. The compressive strength of the specimens tested fits an empirical equation of the type

Dec 1, 1963

By William J. Priestley

Much time has been devoted, by metallurgists, to the study of steel after solidification and remarkable strides have been made in the heat treatment of steel, but less knowledge is available of the thermophysical activity of the constituents of steel prior to solidification in the mold. It is known that certain elements added to steel produce marked changes in physical properties, also that other elements added to steel produce similar changes, but we have only meager knowledge as 'to. how these elements combine in steel under different conditions of solidification. It is not sufficient to know, from chemical analysis, that a certain element is present in steel. We should know how this element is in combination with the other elements and whether the combination is such as will give the greatest physical properties. Certain elements go into solid solution with the iron, while others segregate to the grain boundaries and combine with the impurities collected there. Until it is known where an alloy produces the most beneficial effect and a means is determined for controlling its physical location by altering solidification conditions, or otherwise, we will not obtain the maximum value from our alloys. When molten steel freezes, it forms a heterogeneous mass of various crystalline constituents; and as the transformation of steel from a liquid state to the solid crystallized state is a critical step, involving as great a transfer of heat as any other operation in the making of finished steel, a variation in the rate of this heat transfer will have much to do with the arrangement of the various constituents in the solid state. The object of this paper is to show some of the effects on steel caused by variations in the rate of cooling in the ingot mold, particularly as to ingotism, segregation, dendrites, and intergranular material.

Jan 1, 1924

By Paulo Couceiro, Manuel Lopez Cano

"The Panama Canal is one of the most important engineering projects of the modern era and plays astrategic role in the global economy and international maritime trade since its inauguration in 1914. Now, a little more than one century later, the final phase of its expansion program, the largest infrastructure works undertaken since its inauguration, has concluded. This expansion program has created a new lane of traffic along the Canal with the construction of a new set of locks – one on the Pacific side and another one on the Atlantic side -, increasing the Canal’s capacity and its impact on the world’s economy even more."

Jan 1, 2017

By A. J. Leighton

An improved mathematical model with the attendant computer program to calculate multiphase fluid flow in petroleum reservoirs is presented. The model is used to simulate the behavior when a fluid is used to displace hydro-carbon fluids in a reservoir. The method is an expansion of a previously published method, in Bureau of Mines RI 7011, but handles constant injection rate as an alternative to constant pressure. Program documentation is provided along with thorough explanations of the added program features. Using the program, the petroleum engineer can calculate oil recoveries for different flood patterns and operating conditions and select the conditions most likely to optimize recovery. Experience with the previous model demonstrated the need for the improvements in order to simulate reservoir behavior more accurately. The improved method will result in improved oil recovery. In this paper, the significant improvements are described in detail so that anyone interested can put the program to use.

Jan 1, 1975

By H. L. Gilbert

Improvements in production of high-purity chromium metal by magnesium reduction of anhydrous chlorides and by hydrogen treatment of electrolytic chromium are reported. Hydrogen-treated chromium has been arc-melted, and the arc-melted material has been successfully forged, rolled, and swaged. The material also has been forged at liquid-air temperatures. X-ray and metallographic studies indicate the recrystallization temperature of rolled chromium sheet to be about 750° C. Preliminary investigation of hot-bending characteristics of rolled chromium sheet shows the minimum bending temperature to be about 325° C. The heat resistance of chromium has been investigated.

Jan 1, 1952

Among countries afflicted with insLantaneous outbursts of coal and gas, Australia is noteworthy because of lesser disturbances of the seams and of the occurrence of CO2 in the seam gas from place to place. Research sLarted with the 1954 occurrences at Collinsville and Metropolitan Collieries leading to early publications reviewing the problem, describing occurrences and assessing variations in proneness factors in the two affected coal basins.The basic requirements for proneness include coals of high gas sorptive capacity, high ground stress, use of a mining method which provides higher stress concentrations and limits emission of seam gas, including high rates of advance. With CO2 in the seam gas proneness is greater.The mechanism is complex and not fully understood, but involves the coal, the roof, the floor, the gas, the mine opening, the ventilation, the kind of work and the rate of work. Geological disturbances such as faults and dykes increase proneness and tend to localise occurrences. On-occurrence of outbursts in some mines is difficult to explain.Outbursts are seen as a continuing threat to modem deep Australian mining of high rank coal.The simplest contributory factor to reduce is gassiness - despite the low permeability of outbursting coals - and present practices are showing promise. The greatest challenges for the future are partial degasification to below a known threshold figure and confirmation that this reduction is achieved and identification of anomalous geological structures ahead, the most likely locations for instantaneous outbursts to occur. The advances made to date give promise of a future with reducing experiences of uncontrolled instantaneous outbursts. For the Bulli seam particularly, working to achieve prediction and prevention is most urgent.

Jan 1, 1993