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By Thomas M. Sweeney

This open-file map is a quick reference containing location, ownership, and general lithology information on 124 active or significant Nevada gold mines. The map includes all counties, significant towns, and major highways in Nevada to aid in mine location. Several geologic trends with which the mines are associated are also depicted. General ore genesis for each deposit, including sedimentary, volcanic, plutonic, and placer-hosted deposits, are also identified. Gold mines are also listed alphabetically, by mine name, on the map. Each entry includes the appropriate county, percent of company ownership, operating company, and the property status as of May 1992. For additional information, contact Thomas M. Sweeney, U.S. Bureau of Mines, Western Field Operations Center, 360 East Third Avenue, Spokane, WA 99202; telephone (509) 353-2700.

Jan 1, 1993

By F. A. Patty

[Health and safety hazards from contamination of the atmosphere in places frequented by persons depend to a considerable extent on whether the contaminating agent possesses sense-perceptive properties which will give warning of its presence before it '.an create harmful conditions. If a distinct and easily recognized warning is given in advance of harmful conditions, hazards ace mitigated, but if warning properties are inadequate or absent, the hazards are augmented. When evaluating the hazard presented by a potentially harmful substance used under conditions of possible escape into the air of places frequented by persons, it is therefore necessary to consider the warning properties of the substance along with ether pertinent information such as toxicity, inflammability, physical properties, and mode of use. If the contaminating agent inherently lacks warning; properties it may be possible to impart them by adding to the hazardous substance a small quantity of a relatively harmless substance which has a high warning intensity.]

Jan 1, 1929

By Carl L. Bieniewski

U.S. molybdenum production increased fivefold from 18.2 million pounds in 1946 to 90.5 million pounds in 1966, and constituted 87.3 percent of the total free world supply in the 1946-66 period. Mining development in other free world countries in the next few years may reduce the magnitude of the U.S. position, although similar development planned for the United States may counteract some of the relative gains by those countries. In 1966 two-thirds of the reported molybdenum consumption in the United States by end uses was as an alloying element in steel. Molybdenum also has important use as an alloying element in iron and high-temperature alloys. Consumption of molybdenum metal for making fabricated parts has increased in the past few years, especially in the space and nuclear industries. Molybdenum compounds are used mainly for making pigment, catalysts, and lubricants. Based on producer reports of shipments of primary products to domestic customers, U.S. consumption of molybdenum increased from 16.5 million pounds of molybdenum in 1946 to 65.6 million pounds in 1966. U.S. molybdenum reserves are now estimated to be 5.9 billion pounds of recoverable molybdenum, an increase of 2.1 billion pounds above previous estimates. Molybdenum ores account for 71.4 percent of the reserves, copper ores for 22.3 percent and copper-molybdenum, tungsten, and uranium ores for 6.3 percent. Several methods for predicting future demand are illustrated and estimates of demand using these methods were made for 1975. Based on present capacities and announced company plans for future developments, estimates of annual production were made for 1967 through 1975 for the United States, Canada. Chile, Peru, and the free world. These data indicate that molybdenum production in 1975 for the free world is expected to be 246 million pounds with the United States producing 68.2 percent and Canada, Chile, and Peru 30.3 percent.

Jan 1, 1970

By A. C. Fieldner

This report, the third of a series of annual reports of research and technologic work on coal by the Technologic Branch to be released in this form, covers the fiscal year July 1, 1937, to June 30, 1938. Ever-increasing demands for information on the chemical and physical properties of coals, their proper classification rind adaptability for various uses, their economic evaluation in the complex relationships between the costs of production, distribution, and selling, and their beneficiation and amenability to conversion to more valuable and. new products of commerce have necessitated an appropriate and flexible program. To most these requirements, initiation of new projects and new physical facilities has been made.

Jan 1, 1939

By Wils L. Cooley

The report covers tests and criteria for the establishment of safe grounding systems for coal mines. The work deals primarily with under-ground coal mines, but much is applicable to surface mines as well. Included is an extensive guide to grounding and bonding procedures for mine surface substations. Xit-Rods are evaluated and shown to deviate from manufacturer's claims. An analysis shows that very long cables are difficult to monitor using audio frequency ground-check techniques. A method is developed to detect failing cable splices without removing the cable from service. Simulation and measurement are compared for a technique to detect bad rail bonds, and an assessment is made of grounding techniques for dc face equipment.

Jan 1, 1979

By R. G. Gürtunca

Over the past century coal miner safety and health has seen tremendous improvements, the fatality and injury rates continue to decrease while productivity continues to increase. Many of the hazards that plagued miners in the past, such as coal bumps, methane and coal dust explosions, ground fall accidents and health issues have been significantly reduced. The contribution of NIOSH research includes products for prevention and survival of mine fires, methane control measures, design procedure for underground coal mines, methods for excavation surface controls, methods and procedures for blasting, laser usage in underground mines and prevention of electrocution from overhead power lines that have reduced accidents and injuries in underground coal mines. Health research has produced products such as the personal dust monitor, noise abating technologies and ergonomic solutions for equipment operators. Research priorities at NIOSH are set by considering surveillance statistics, stakeholder inputs and loss control principles. Future research in coal mining is directed towards respiratory diseases, noise induced hearing loss, repetitive musculoskeletal injuries, traumatic injuries, falls of ground and mine disasters. The recent spate of accidents in coal mines resulted in the Miner Act of 2006 which includes a specific role for NIOSH in future mine safety research and development. The mine safety achievements in the USA reflect the commitment of industry, labour, government and research organizations to improving the safety of the mine worker.

By Aleksandar D. Bugarski, Robert J. Timko

Despite extensive research efforts conducted in the past decades, occupational health risks associated with exposure to nano and ultrafine aerosols emitted by diesel power equipment are still not completely understood. The complexity of physical and chemical properties of diesel aerosols, constantly changing with the implementation of advanced diesel emissions control technologies, make this task rather challenging. The objective of this paper is to identify and characterize nanometer and ultrafine aerosols emitted by diesel engines in the underground environment and evaluate the effects of selected contemporary control technologies on physical properties, chemical composition, and in-vitro toxicology of diesel aerosols. The physical and chemical properties of the nanometer and ultrafine diesel aerosols are to be characterized through a test series in the NIOSH Lake Lynn Laboratory experimental mine. The crucial part of the study has been development of a facility that allows researchers to generate field results with precision and accuracy characteristics of a laboratory environment. The knowledge obtained from this study should strengthen our understanding of the health implications related to exposure to diesel particulate matter and aid in assessing the potential of various control technologies for reducing this exposure.

By Jerome Apt

This manual has been prepared fur the help and guidance of underground coal mine operators. It details both common and unique engineering methods by which the respirable dust, which is generated in coal mines, can be controlled. This document was compiled by Apt, Bramer, Conrad and Associates, Inc. under contract number H0111464, issued by the U. S. Bureau of Mines and forms Volume II of the final report. This contract was authorized by and executed pursuant to the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety. Act of 1969 (P. I. 91-173; 83 Stat. 742).

Jan 1, 1972

By Stephen Gerard Sawyer

This report presents a Fortran IV computer program for the structural analysis of space-frame protective canopies used in underground mines to protect equipment operators from falls of roof, face, or rib. This program entitled CANOPY permits rapid calculation of the elastic strength of a canopy for a variety of static loading conditions. Stresses in, and displacements of each structural member are computed and printed out. Additionally, identification of all members that have commenced yielding, weight of the canopy, total loads on the canopy, and maximum loads that the canopy can sustain elastically are output. Program description, input instructions, program listing, and two example problems are included.

Jan 1, 1972

By Eugene T. Sheridan

The Bureau of Mines annually canvasses the peat producers in the United states and publishes economic data on the peat industry, based upon reports submitted by producers. This publication lists all producers that reported commercial production to the Bureau for 1960 and presents data on individual plants. The companies named herein represent virtually all commercial producers, although a few small companies may not have been canvassed as the industry has many small operations that operate intermittently. Output of the various companies listed ranged from a few tons to more than 50,000 tons. Peat is included in the Bureau's annual surveys of the mineral industries because peat is classified as a mineral fuel. Although none is used for fuel in the United States, peat is a potential source of energy and ranks as one of our large mineral resources. The domestic peat industry sells peat, chiefly, for use as a soil amendment for general soil-improvement purposes. During the past decade the industry has expanded rapidly with operations increasing from 45 in 1947-494/ to 115 in 1960. Output during this period has more than tripled, increasing from 131,782 short tons to 470,889 short tons.

Jan 1, 1961

By James M. Spear

The U.S. Bureau of Mines and the U.S. Geological Survey conducted a mineral survey of the Elk Creek RARE II area during the summer of 1981. The study area encompasses 18,900 acres [29.5 sq mi (7,680 ha)] along Elk Creek, 18 mi (30 km) southeast of Covello, California. No mineral resources were identified by the U.S. Bureau of Mines during this survey. Assay results of samples taken in this area indicate only trace amounts of manganese and chromium. No radioactive or fluorescent minerals were detected. No oil and gas, coal, or geothermal leases have been recorded for the study area.

Jan 1, 1982

From the time of its establishment in 1910, the Federal Bureau of Nines has studied the carbonization of coal, and a considerable part of this effort has been devoted to investigations in the so-called low-temperature carbonization range, 450° to 700° C., in which there is minimum decomposition of primary products and maximum yield of Liquids - a yield two to threefold the amount produced in high-temperature carbonization at 900° to 1,200° C, The solid residue, char, or coke, produced in low-temperature carbonization is 70 to 80 percent of the coal charged and may be used directly as a smokeless fuel or for blending with coals to produce metallurgical coke, Although some thought was given to the use of tar and to the illuminating value of gas derived from lm-temperature carbonization, the main emphasis in early work of the Bureau of Mines was on the preparation of smokeless fuel, especially for home use, For example, a carbonizer was designed and operated for making char and briquets from North Dakota lignite without recovery of by- products; however, the shortage of high-temperature coal-tar products in the United States during World War I had already indicated the potential usefulness of low-temperature tar.

Jan 1, 1959

By H. S. Kalman

A table of factors, for rapid, accurate calculation of the volume of pure helium in cylindrical steel containers, is presented. By use of the table the volume of helium in a container, at base conditions of 14.7 psia and 70° F, can be calculated from the observed pressure and temperature of the helium and the known internal volume of the container. The table covers a pressure range from a to 4,500 psia in 10 psi increments and a temperature range of 0° to 120° F in 2° increments. The calculation of volume requires a single multiplication, using a factor from the table and the known internal volume of the container. A discussion and evaluation of the accuracy obtainable and a derivation of the formula used (which takes into account compressibility of helium, thermal expansion of steel containers, and the stretch of steel due to internal pressure) are presented. An example showing how the table can be used is given also.

Jan 1, 1963

By N. Kumar Kittusamy

A field study was conducted to evaluate seat designs on shuttle cars. Eight operators participated in evaluating seat designs on the basis of perceived levels of vehicle jarring/jolting and discomfort. Researchers also measured the levels of vehicle jarring/jolting. Four basic seat designs were compared on low and mid-coal seam shuttle cars during production operations at two underground coal mines. Two seats were currently used on the shuttle cars and another two were NIOSH designs. Objective data were collected using accelerometers with pre-amplifiers and filters connected to a data recorder; whereas subjective data were gathered with a visual analog scale (VAS) and a questionnaire. Results from measured levels of jarring/jolting showed that the NIOSH Seat L2A smoothed out bumps better than any other seats. Using the VAS, mid-seam and low-seam shuttle car operators rated the levels of jarring/jolting and discomfort lower with the NIOSH seat than the other seats. Questionnaire responses indicated that operators rated NIOSH seat designs as more comfortable. This research will provide the industry with better seat designs for isolating jarring/jolting in vehicles. Furthermore, researchers plan to improve the NIOSH seats using information gathered in this study.

Jan 1, 2003

By Thomas J. Peters

In 1984, at the request of the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Mines studied 7,000 acres of the 9,240-acre Little Blitzen Gorge Wilderness Study Area in Harney County, OR, to evaluate its mineral resources. The study area is dominated by a 1,500-ft-deep canyon that was carved by Pleistocene glaciers in gently westward-dipping homoclinal flows of Miocene Steens Basalt. The Bureau reviewed pertinent literature and county mining records During the field investigations, 18 rock samples were collected from basalt dikes, breccia, fractured or porphyritic flows, and 20 alluvial samples from gravel accumulations. Mercury anomalies from sampling by the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries could not be verified. The mercury might have originated -From the Pike Creek Formation, a known mercury-producing unit that may extend into the study area beneath the Steens Basalt. Any epithermal deposit at depth would be expensive to explore and develop.

Jan 1, 1986

By P. S. Haury

"INTRODUCTION Preliminary examinations of the Mohawk zinc prospect were made by John 14. Price and the author in July, August, and September 1943. Considerable quantities of oxidized lead and zinc minerals were found in old shallow work¬ings along two faults - one an over thrust fault with Paleozoic limestone in the hanging wall overlying Cretaceous shale and arkose in the footwall of the fault, and the other a bedding fault in the Paleozoic limestone.The chances appeared good for finding important lead-zinc sulfide ore bodies at 200 to 300 feet beneath the surface, so exploration in three steps by the Bureau was recommended:Surveying, mapping, and character sampling of the outcrops with topographic and geologic mapping of the immediately surrounding area.Preliminary drilling of four test holes, aggregating about 1,500 feet, to locate the top of a possible sulfide ore zone and determine the thickness and intensity of the sulfide mineralization.Contingent upon favorable results of the second step, diamond drilling of about 6,300 feet of additional hole to explore the sulfide ore bodies.The outcrops were surveyed and sampled, a topographic map was made of the area, and the geology was mapped. A project was set up for preliminary drilling of step 2 in the fiscal year 1944-45. An access road to the drill sites was built in April 1945. Diamond drilling was started on April 28 and completed on September 25, 1945, under the supervision or the Bureau of Mines. The exploratory work is covered in this report."

Oct 1, 1946

By Philip E. Niebuhr

A procedure, which can be performed in the field by nonanalytical personnel, is given for sensitive spot tests for detecting tellurium or selenium. The expressed need of a field test for detecting small amounts of tellurium, which may be accompanied by relatively large amounts of selenium, has led to the development of this method. Tellurium search has been impeded by the lack of a satisfactory test from the standpoint of sensitivity and specificity. A quantitative laboratory method exists, but it is expensive and relatively laborious. Several other qualitative tests are known, but they require unstable solutions, which must be freshly prepared for use, and a greater variety of laboratory equipment. The particular advantages of the test described are its simplicity and the stability of the reagents required, there-fore is is well adapted for field use. Also, this test was found to be of practical use in the analytical laboratory when screening samples, thereby reducing analytical costs. The roughly quantitative interpretation of the results can save time by indicating the approximate size of the sample taken for a quantitative determination.

Jan 1, 1962

By Robert L. Lagace

This final report documents the work dune by Arthur D. Little, Inc. (ADL) on behalf of the U.S. Bureau of Mines, Pittsburgh Mining and Safety Research Center (PMSRC), on Contract H0122026 (which began in August of 1971). Under this contract ADL provided technical assistance to the Bureau on a task basis on virtually all aspects of the Bureau's programs related to present and planned emergency and operational communications and miner location systems for underground coal mines. The work consisted of independent investigations, analyses, experiments, breadboard and prototype hardware development, workshops and technology transfer seminars on mine communications, and on-going evaluations and guidance related to the Bureau's contracted programs on electromagnetic noise, mine communications systems, and trapped miner location. This final report documents the work in two volumes, Volume I, "Emergency and Operational Mine Communications," and Volume II, "Seismic Detection and Location of Isolated Miners." The Tables of Contents of both Volumes are included in each Volume. Phase I of the contract was devoted to performing an in-depth assessment of electromagnetic noise measurements taken by several contractors and other investigators, and then defining a new noise measurement program and instrumentation system tailored to obtain the necessary but missing noise data. These data are required for use in the design of new emergency and operational communication systems. This work, and the follow-on coordination and guidance activities of ADL on this noise measurement program in subsequent phases of the contract, are treated in Part One of Volume I.

Jan 1, 1974

By T. L. Joseph

The Bureau of Mines gas been studying the blast furnace for a number of years and has published detailed reports on various phases of its investigations. Inquiries frequently received for information of a more general character than that given in the detailed reports have promoted the preparation of an information circular to cover in a general way the important features of the Bureau of Mines blast-furnace investigations. SHAPE AND DIMENSIONS OF FURNACE The modern blast furnace approximate a refractory-lined steel cylinder about 90 feet in height and 25 feet in diameter. It actually consists of a number of cylinders and truncated cones superimposed upon each other. The shape and dimensions of a modern furnace are shown in figure 1. The bottom section, commonly referred to as the hearth or crucible, is a cylindrical section about 12 feet high. Liquid metal and slag collect in this part of the furnace and are withdrawn at regular intervals; iron is removed at a level about 2 feet above the bottom of the furnace and slag at a level about 5 feet higher. Depending upon on the size of tie furnace, 40,000 to 75,000 cubic feet of preheated air per minute is introduced through from 10 to 16 tuyeres equally spaced around the periphery of the hearth.

Jan 1, 1934

The first metal-mine accident-prevention course was prepared and published in 1942-45 as a series of seven miners' circulars (Nos. 51-57). The scope of the course has been broadened, revised, and brought up to date and is being published as a similar series of seven miners' circulars (Nos. 51-57, revised) on accident prevention in metal and nonmetallic mines. These circulars are: Accident Statistics (Miners' Circular 51), dealing with general statistics on accidents and injuries at metal and nonmetallic mines, including causes, costs, and the use of investigations and reports of all accidents.

Jan 1, 1957